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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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Applicants Respond to Buenos Aires GAC Advice on New gTLDs
<http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/announcements-and-media/announcement-3-14jan14-en>

Trademark Protections Infographic Available for Review and Redistribution
<http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/announcements-and-media/announcement-4-14jan14-en>

IANA Functions Satisfaction Survey Yields Overwhelmingly Positive Results
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-15jan14-en.htm>

au: Total Internet Group first to implement world-first auDA registrar Information Security Standard
<http://www.auda.org.au/news/20140116/>

Nominet To Screen .UK Registrations For "Serious Sexual Offences"
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2014/01/16/nominet-screen-uk-registrations/>

Microsoft and GoDaddy Announce Strategic Partnership to Help Small Businesses
<http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/2014/jan14/01-13godaddypr.aspx>

Sedo Maintains Position As Leading Domain Marketplace In 2013
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2014/01/15/sedo-leading-domain-marketplace-2013/>

Wasting no time, Seattle men buy pot domain names
<http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/01/14/marijuana-domain-names-seattle/4475049/>


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GOVERNANCE
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Byron Holland: Keeping the Internet free for all
Back when the institutions that govern the Internet were formed, most of the world barely gave them a passing glance. After all, in the 1990s, who could have seen that the Internet would become the greatest driver of positive social and economic change the world has seen in centuries? As a result, the structures that govern the Internet grew organically, and for much of that time, they?ve operated with minimal involvement from governments.
<http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2014/01/13/byron-holland-keeping-the-internet-free-for-all/>

Father of the Internet is worried about his baby
Last year at the World Summit on the Information Society held in Tunis, the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) was born. This week, the IGF itself is meeting for the first time in global plenary session in the Greek capital, Athens, to debate the future of the Internet.
<http://telecomtv.com/comspace_newsDetail.aspx?n=40563&id=e9381817-0593-417a-8639-c4c53e2a2a10>

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DOMAIN NAMES
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**********************
 - ICANN
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Applicants Respond to Buenos Aires GAC Advice on New gTLDs
In the GAC Buenos Aires Communiqu?, the Governmental Advisory Committee ("GAC") issued further advice to the ICANN Board of Directors regarding New gTLD applications. ICANN notified applicants and the community about the GAC's advice on 11 December 2013, thus opening a 21-day applicant response period. Applicant responses have been made public.
<http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/announcements-and-media/announcement-3-14jan14-en>

Trademark Protections Infographic Available for Review and Redistribution
ICANN's new infographic provides a high-level explanation of the Rights Protection Mechanisms that Trademark holders and their representatives can use to combat infringement during the Domain Name System expansion.
<http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/announcements-and-media/announcement-4-14jan14-en>

IANA Functions Satisfaction Survey Yields Overwhelmingly Positive Results
ICANN is reporting extremely high levels of customer satisfaction according to the results of the 2013 IANA Functions Customer Satisfaction Survey.
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-15jan14-en.htm>

The Next MESWG Face-to-Face Meeting by Fahd A. Batayneh ? Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator, Middle East
The Middle East Strategy Working Group (MESWG) will have its next face-to-face meeting in Dubai at the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai during February 5-6, 2014 right after the Middle East DNS Forum. The MESWG has agreed to discuss the following agenda items during the one-and-half day reconvene:
<http://blog.icann.org/2014/01/the-next-meswg-face-to-face-meeting/>

Upcoming Middle East DNS Forum by Baher Esmat on January 13, 2014
The Middle East DNS Forum will take place during 3-4 February 2014 in Dubai, UAE. The meeting is hosted by the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the UAE, and is co-organized by ICANN and ISOC.
<http://blog.icann.org/2014/01/upcoming-middle-east-dns-forum/>

NTAG Chair Blog: The Road Ahead by Jacob Malthouse
The next six months will be a pivotal period in ICANN & New gTLD applicant relations. April 2014 will mark one year since the Governmental Advisory Committee - better known as the GAC - issued advice that put nearly 400 applications on hold. The Name Collision issue, while no longer a gate for many applicants, currently puts thousands of second level domain names on hold. March will be a key inflection point for this issue as well.
<http://www.circleid.com/posts/20140114_ntag_chair_blog_the_road_ahead/>

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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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au: Total Internet Group first to implement world-first auDA registrar Information Security Standard
auDA is pleased to announce that the Total Internet Group are the first auDA accredited registrars to be certified as Information Security Standard (ISS) compliant.
<http://www.auda.org.au/news/20140116/>
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2014/01/16/total-internet-auda-information-security-standard/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/total-internet-group-auda-information-security-standard.html>

au: ?In the face of confusion, people will default to something they trust and understand?
George Pongas ... recently posted something on the Aus Registry website with regards to 2013 being a good year for .au domains. He makes mention of the new gtlds at the end of his post and shares the sentiment of many readers here and in the industry as a whole. ?In the face of confusion, people will default to something they trust and understand.
<http://www.thedomains.com/2014/01/13/in-the-face-of-confusion-people-will-default-to-something-they-trust-and-understand/>

SWITCH?s statement on Registrar Alliance
The cooperative Registrar Alliance announced on 15 January 2014 that it will be applying for registry status for the .ch TLD. Registrar Alliance is a group comprising several Swiss registrars. SWITCH has been the registry for the .ch TLD for over 25 years and ensures the security and stability of the Swiss Internet.
<http://www.switch.ch/about/news/2014/stellungnahme-registrar-alliance.html>
<http://www.domainnews.com/switch-s-statement-on-registrar-alliance.html>
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2014/01/16/switchs-statement-on-registrar-alliance/>

Switch defends registry role for .ch TLD
Swiss internet domain registry Switch has issued a statement after the cooperative Registrar Alliance announced that it would be applying for registry status for the .ch TLD.
<http://www.telecompaper.com/news/switch-defends-registry-role-for-ch-tld--990312>

Afnic partners with the Internet Governance Forum - France
Various key players in the French digital economy have launched the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) France. Afnic invites every French stakeholder to take
<http://www.afnic.fr/en/about-afnic/news/general-news/7557/show/afnic-partners-with-the-internet-governance-forum-france-1.html>

New service launched to better protect .hk websites
Human interaction makes online identity verification more secure, the city's internet domain registrar said as it launched a registry-lock service to protect .hk sites from unauthorised changes.
<http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1406479/new-service-launched-better-protect-hk-websites>

HKIRC Launches .hk LOCK: Better protection for .hk websites as the Internet becomes less secure
Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation Limited (HKIRC) today announced the launch of .hk LOCK, a new security measure for .hk domain name owners.
<https://www.hkirc.hk/content.jsp?id=43#!/64&in=/company_info/pressrelease.jsp?item=479>

.TEL: The Simple Mobile Option?
As mobile devices are now ubiquitous in our daily lives, it might just be time for you to check out one of the last gTLDs to launch prior to 2014?s new universe, .tel.
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2014/01/13/tel-the-simple-mobile-option/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/tel-the-simple-mobile-option.html>

Nominet To Screen .UK Registrations For "Serious Sexual Offences"
Nominet is to institute a system of post-registration domain name screening for .uk domain names, within 48 hours of registration, the registry announced. The screening will be for domain names that appear to signal or encourage serious sexual offences.
<http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=21703>
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2014/01/16/nominet-screen-uk-registrations/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/nominet-screen-uk-registrations.html>

uk: Sex offence terms to be removed from internet addresses
All new web addresses registered in the UK will be screened for terms that signal or encourage serious sexual offences.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-25743203>

uk: Nominet bans rape domains
Nominet has banned ?rape? domains from the .uk space, following an independent review spurred by a newspaper article.
<http://domainincite.com/15579-nominet-bans-rape-domains>

uk: Nominet to update registration policy in light of Lord Macdonald review
Further to the recent policy review led by former Director of Public Prosecutions Lord Ken Macdonald QC, Nominet is today publishing his report. It is also announcing that its board has agreed to make all the changes to its registration policy recommended in Lord Macdonald?s review.
<http://www.nominet.org.uk/news/latest/nominet-update-registration-policy-light-lord-macdonald-review>

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 - NEW TLDS
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Drawing on data to underpin gTLD strategies ? and avoid being scammed [subscription]
With gTLD sunrises now launching on a regular basis trademark counsel should now be in the process of reviewing their online strategies. WTR previously wrote about the need to assess which gTLDs are of most relevance to your brand, whether for marketing/promotional opportunity or two defensively register in. One industry expert has outlined a data-based approach that can be undertaken.
<http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/daily/Detail.aspx?g=f69731c4-f303-414d-bee6-298968df57e3>

gTLD Portfolio Update
The Directors of Top Level Domain Holdings are pleased to provide an update on the progress of its uncontested gTLD applications, Minds + Machines? OPEN Priority Reservation programme and the private auction process.
<http://www.tldh.org/2014/01/gtld-portfolio-update/>

TLDH to invest in rival new gTLD names
Top Level Domain Holdings is to launch a new company, backed with a $2 million starting pot, devoted to investing in second-level names in rival registries? new gTLDs.
<http://domainincite.com/15562-tldh-to-invest-in-rival-new-gtld-names>

Donuts And United TLD Score Four gTLD Delegations Each
ICANN delegated another eight gTLDs yesterday (14 January) with four going to Donuts and another four going to United TLD.
<http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=21689>
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2014/01/15/donuts-united-gtld-delegations/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/donuts-united-gtld-delegations.html>

Eight more new gTLDs delegated
Donuts and United TLD had a combined total of eight new gTLDs added to the DNS root zone today.
<http://domainincite.com/15568-eight-more-new-gtlds-delegated>

ICANN Releases Trademark Protections Infographic
ICANN's has released a new infographic as an educational resource that provides what they describe as "a high-level explanation of the Rights Protection Mechanisms that Trademark holders and their representatives can use to combat infringement during the Domain Name System expansion."
<http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=21690>
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2014/01/15/icann-trademark-protections-infographic/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/trademark-protections-infographic.html>

Name Collisions Could Pose Potential Problem for Web Hosts
Much of the coverage on new gTLDs in the hosting industry has focused on the scope of opportunity it presents for web hosting providers looking to grow their business. From extensive marketing campaigns to new tools and platforms to help customers reserve their top choices, web hosts have been busy over the past few years preparing for this growth phase of the Internet.
<http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/name-collision-new-gtlds>

TLDH opens up list of 70,000 premium names for all new gTLDs
Top Level Domain Holdings has ramped up its new gTLD pre-registration effort with a new database service that enables registries to automatically collate and price their premium names.
<http://domainincite.com/15560-tldh-opens-up-list-of-70000-premium-names-for-all-new-gtlds>

TLDH to invest in rival new gTLD names
Top Level Domain Holdings is to launch a new company, backed with a $2 million starting pot, devoted to investing in second-level names in rival registries? new gTLDs.
<http://domainincite.com/15562-tldh-to-invest-in-rival-new-gtld-names>

GoDaddy Signs On To Sell .CLUB Domains
GoDaddy have announced they have signed on to sell .club domain names. The launch will see registrants being able to launch ?yourname.club? domains. The gTLD is being aimed at retailers, loyalty groups, organisations and clubs all over the world.
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2014/01/13/godaddy-sell-club/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/godaddy-sell-club.html>

Rightside Announces CFO and Marketing Head to Join Leadership Team Executive Appointments to Help Establish Leadership Position in Historic New gTLD Launches
Rightside, the domain name services division of Demand Media, today (13 January) is pleased to announce the recent appointments of Tracy Knox as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Kelly Johnson as Senior Vice President of Marketing. Both will join the team in Kirkland, Washington, and serve to further strengthen the company?s position as the world?s largest wholesale domain name registrar and expansion into its new domain name registry services.
<http://www.demandmedia.com/rightside-announces-cfo-and-marketing-head-to-join-leadership-team-executive-appointments-to-help-establish-leadership-position-in-historic-new-gtld-launches/>

Demand Media Announces Filing of Form 10 Registration Statement for Planned Separation of Domain Name Services Business
Demand Media, Inc., a leading media and domain name services company, today (13 January) announced that its newly formed wholly owned subsidiary, Rightside Group, Ltd. (?Rightside?), has filed a Form 10 registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with the planned spin-off of Rightside as an independent publicly traded company. The filing marks an important step reached on Rightside?s path to becoming an independent company that will be one of the world?s largest pure-play, end-to-end domain name services providers.
<http://www.demandmedia.com/demand-media-announces-filing-of-form-10-registration-statement-for-planned-separation-of-domain-name-services-business/>

Demand Media?s Rightside reveals numbers and bet on new TLDs in SEC filing
Demand Media is spinning off its domain name business as a new publicly traded company, Rightside. Today the company filed documents with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that give the public much more detail on the business.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2014/01/13/demand-medias-rightside-reveals-numbers-and-bet-on-new-tlds-in-sec-filing/>

Donuts assigns rights to .futbol and .reviews TLDs to Demand Media?s Rightside
Demand Media filed documents with the SEC today related to its spinoff of Rightside, and also published an investor presentation.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2014/01/13/donuts-assigns-rights-to-futbol-and-reviews-top-level-domains-to-demand-medias-rightside/>

LogicBoxes customers get registry pre-pay ?wallet?
LogicBoxes has launched a new ?wallet? service for its registrar clients, designed to make it easier for them to manage payments to the rapidly growing number of TLD registries.
<http://domainincite.com/15570-logicboxes-customers-get-registry-pre-pay-wallet>

LogicBoxes releases Registry Wallet for registrars
Logic Boxes has released a new service called Registry Wallet to help domain name registrars maintain adequate balances with domain name registries.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2014/01/14/logicboxes-releases-registry-wallet-for-registrars/>

NamesCon keynote: Frank Schilling?s comments on new TLDs
Here are my notes from Frank Schilling?s keynote at NamesCon this evening. In a couple spots I changed the order of his comments because he discussed the same issue at two or more spots in his talk (mostly in response to Q&A).
<http://domainnamewire.com/2014/01/14/namescon-keynote-frank-schillings-comments-on-new-tlds/>

Details on .uno, .luxury, .xyz, .rest, .ski, and more new TLDs
This is a live blog from the ?Meet the New TLDs? panel today at NamesCon in Las Vegas.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2014/01/14/details-on-uno-luxury-xyz-rest-ski-and-more-new-tlds/>

Uniregistry Wants ICANN To Slow Down The Last Resort Auction Schedule
Uniregistry, Corp. (?Uniregistry?), an applicant for 52 TLDs has gone against many other new gTLD applicants in asking ICANN to slow down the new gTLD Last Resort Auction Schedule.
<http://www.thedomains.com/2014/01/14/uniregistry-wants-icann-to-slow-down-the-last-resort-auction-schedule/>

Heritage Auctions and RightOfTheDot.com Partner To Provide Auctions Of New gTLD Domains
An exclusive joint partnership has been announced between Heritage Auctions and RightOfTheDot, LLC to provide live auctioneer and live online auction services for premium domains in new TLD extensions that are being launched over the next several years.
<http://rightofthedot.com/2014/01/heritage-auctions-and-rightofthedot-com-partner-to-provide-auctions-of-new-gtld-domains/>

Right Of The Dot partners with Heritage for hybrid auctions
Domain sales consultancy Right Of The Dot and collectibles auctioneer Heritage Auctions have made a deal to bring hybrid live/online auctions to the new gTLD space.
<http://domainincite.com/15576-right-of-the-dot-partners-with-heritage-for-hybrid-auctions>

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 - DNS SECURITY
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Target hack is mostly harmless for consumers
The Target hack sure sounds scary: Tens of millions of shoppers' credit card data were stolen and are being sold on the black market. Hackers took emails, phone numbers and PINs too.
<http://money.cnn.com/2014/01/13/technology/security/target-hack/index.html>

The Changing Face Of The IT Security Team
For a peek at the IT security team of the future, consider the team at Cisco Systems or at OpenDNS: in both firms, the security team includes not only malware experts and researchers, but also data scientists with no security expertise whatsoever.
<http://www.darkreading.com/management/the-changing-face-of-the-it-security-tea/240165403>

US-CERT Warns of NTP Amplification Attacks
US-CERT issued an alert warning of the recent rash of network time protocol (NTP) amplification attacks. NTP attacks have been blamed for recent DDoS attacks against popular online gaming sites.
<http://threatpost.com/us-cert-warns-of-ntp-amplification-attacks/103573>

Asia-Pacific companies outspending world on IT security in 2014: PwC
Companies in the Asia-Pacific region are well ahead of their global peers in terms of forecast spend on IT security, but many still aren't confident that their information security activities are effective, an extensive global survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers has revealed.
<http://www.cso.com.au/article/536048/asia-pacific_companies_outspending_world_it_security_2014_pwc/>

Mobile Apps Being Used in DDoS Attacks: Prolexic Report
Downloadable mobile apps are being used in Distributed Denial of Service attacks against enterprises, according to the latest quarterly report from DDoS protection provider Prolexic Technologies.
<http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/mobile-apps-used-ddos-attacks-prolexic-report>

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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Website activity alone sufficient to confer personal jurisdiction over non-resident website operator [registration]
In Louis Vuitton Malletier SA v Mosseri, the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has affirmed the lower court?s denial of the defendant?s motion to vacate default judgment, holding that the defendant?s activities fell within the Florida long-arm statute and that a finding of personal jurisdiction did not offend the traditional notions of fair play and substantial justice.
<http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/daily/Detail.aspx?g=1608e1da-bd6e-44cf-aa5a-3cdde05c6038>

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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Microsoft and GoDaddy Announce Strategic Partnership to Help Small Businesses
GoDaddy, the Web?s top platform for small business, and Microsoft Corp. announced on Monday a long-term strategic partnership to offer Office 365 as GoDaddy?s exclusive core business-class email and productivity service to its small-business customers.
<http://au.godaddy.com/news/article/microsoft-and-godaddy-announce-strategic-partnership-to-help-small-businesses.aspx>
<http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/2014/jan14/01-13godaddypr.aspx>

Godaddy to Help Microsoft Push Office 365 for Small Businesses
GoDaddy will offer Office 365 email and productivity services to its small-business customers, after signing a long-term partnership with Microsoft.
<http://www.cio.com/article/746201/Godaddy_to_Help_Microsoft_Push_Office_365_for_Small_Businesses>
<http://www.networkworld.com/news/2014/011314-godaddy-to-help-microsoft-push-277651.html>

GoDaddy touts simplicity over price as it launches Office 365 sales
GoDaddy and Microsoft today announced a partnership that puts Office 365, the latter's rent-not-own software suite, in front of GoDaddy's small business customers.
<http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/535784/godaddy_touts_simplicity_over_price_it_launches_office_365_sales/>
<http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9245367/GoDaddy_touts_simplicity_over_price_as_it_launches_Office_365_sales>

Microsoft and GoDaddy partner to bring Office 365 to small businesses
Microsoft announced today that it will partner with GoDaddy to bring Office 365 services to small businesses owners more easily. GoDaddy will offer users the option to choose one of three Office 365 plans that will be connected to their domain name. Users in the US and Canada will gain access to these plans first, and over the next three months the plans will expand globally.
<http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/13/5304850/microsoft-godaddy-bring-office-365-to-small-businesses>

CentralNic Launching .MEX.COM As Mexican Alternative
New gTLDs are on the horizon, but CentralNic is pushing its second level domains with the general availability for .mex.com commencing on 20 January.
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2014/01/13/centralnic-launching-mexcom/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/centralnic-launching-mex-com.html>

Jodee Rich Keynote: We Are Not Selling Domain Names, We Are Selling Domain Identities
Jodee Rich just finished off one of the Keynote Speeches from this mornings Namescon session and had some interesting comments.
<http://www.thedomains.com/2014/01/15/jodee-rich-keynote-we-are-not-selling-domain-names-we-are-selling-domain-identities/>

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 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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Sedo Maintains Position As Leading Domain Marketplace In 2013
Sedo has maintained its position as the leading domain name marketplace in 2013 according to the Top 100 domain sales chart published by Domain Name Journal.
<http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=21691>
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2014/01/15/sedo-leading-domain-marketplace-2013/>

Sedo Tops Domain Industry Sales Charts in 2013
Sedo maintained its market leading position in 2013, according to the Top 100 Domain Sales Chart as published by the domain industry publication, DN Journal. With 34 of the top 100 sales, totaling more than $4.5M in transactions, Sedo nearly doubled the number of sales achieved by the next most active marketplace, which closed 19 of the year?s top 100 sales.
<https://sedo.com/presse/presse.php?tracked=&partnerid=&language=us&id=618>

Wasting no time, Seattle men buy pot domain names
Two Seattle residents have found their own way to capitalize on the burgeoning marijuana industry - and it doesn't involve growing or even selling pot.
<http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/01/14/marijuana-domain-names-seattle/4475049/>
<http://www.11alive.com/news/article/319038/40/Wasting-no-time-Seattle-men-buy-pot-domain-names>

Latest .CN domain name sales
The hottest topic in recent Chinese domain fair is the public auctions of tens of thousands of .CN and .China(in Chinese) domain names that were previously reserved by CNNIC.
<http://nicenic.net/news/messview.php?ID=12784>

Chinese Domain Name Sales Taking Off
According to a posting on the NiceNic blog, the hottest topic at a recent Chinese domain name fair was the public auction of tens of thousands of domains for .cn and the IDN for .china (in Chinese). The names had previously been reserved by the Chinese registry CNNIC.
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2014/01/14/chinese-domain-sales-taking-off/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/chinese-domain-sales-taking-off.html>

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REPORTS & RESEARCH PAPERS
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OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard
Science, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship ? which foster competitiveness, productivity, and job creation ? are important mechanisms for encouraging sustainable growth. The 260 indicators in the OECD Science, Technology and Industry (STI) Scoreboard 2013 show how OECD and partner economies are performing in a wide range of areas to help governments design more effective and efficient policies and monitor progress towards their desired goals.
<http://www.oecd.org/sti/scoreboard.htm>

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INTERNET USE
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O'Leary reveals Ryanair-Google plan to 'change how we buy tickets forever'
Google is working on top-secret plans with Michael O'Leary's Ryanair in a bid to completely transform how consumers search for, select and buy airline tickets.
<http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/oleary-reveals-ryanairgoogle-plan-to-change-how-we-buy-tickets-forever-29907730.html>

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SOCIAL MEDIA
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Twitter Security and Privacy Settings You Need to Know
A video tutorial demonstrating how to lock down the security and privacy of your Twitter account.
<http://threatpost.com/twitter-security-and-privacy-settings-you-need-to-know/103538>

Facebook Revamps Ads To Compete With Google
Last June, Facebook released a tracking pixel, a snippet of code that allows advertisers to track customers who come to their websites from Facebook ads. For Amy Norman, co-chief executive officer of Little Passports, the pixel was a game-changer.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/16/business/smallbusiness/with-revamped-advertising-program-facebook-aims-to-compete-with-google.html>

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
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Google to buy Nest Labs for $3.2bn in bid for smart home-devices market
Google has expanded its presence in consumer homes by buying Nest Labs, a connected device company which makes smart thermostats and smoke detectors, for $3.2bn.
<http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/13/google-nest-labs-3bn-bid-smart-home-devices-market>

For Google, a Toehold Into Goods for a Home
Google, which dominates much of life on the Internet, has been trying to expand beyond computers and telephones to living rooms, cars and bodies. It made its way a bit further into people?s homes on Monday when it agreed to pay $3.2 billion in cash for Nest Labs, which makes Internet-connected devices like thermostats and smoke alarms.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/14/technology/google-to-buy-nest-labs-for-3-2-billion.html>

Google and Nest: Two Companies in the Business of Understanding You
Google has announced it is buying Nest Labs, maker of smart thermostats and smoke alarms, for $3.2 billion in cash. At times like this, it?s normal to ask what is in it for each side.
<http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/13/google-and-nest-two-companies-in-the-business-of-understanding-you/>

Why Google Bought Nest: A Theory
Google is acquiring Nest, makers of a smart thermostat, for a reported $3.2 billion. 
<http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/01/why-google-bought-nest-a-theory/283048/>

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CHILD PROTECTION & ONLINE SAFETY
*********************************
UK paedophiles pay to watch webcam child sex abuse in Philippines
British paedophiles are paying to watch the abuse of children in the Philippines via webcams, a BBC investigation has found.
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25729140>

au: ACMA initiates online abuse hotline
The Australian Communications and Media Authority has signed an agreement with the Western Australian Police, committing the ACMA to provide targeted reporting to support the police in online child sexual abuse.
<http://www.thedrum.com/news/2014/01/14/acma-initiates-online-abuse-hotline>

Apple to pay $32.5m over practice that let children make in-app purchases
Apple is set to pay at least $32.5m to consumers to settle a federal complaint about the company?s practices that allowed children to make purchases in mobile apps without parents' permission, the government announced on Wednesday.
<http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/15/apple-practice-children-make-in-app-purchases>

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ONLINE TV, MUSIC & PIRACY
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Kim Dotcom: 'I'm not a pirate, I'm an innovator'
The larger-than-life tycoon behind Megaupload.com, in New Zealand facing US piracy charges, has made a dance album to distract himself from his woes. But how does he fit that in with playing Call of Duty all night?
<http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/14/kim-dotcom-megaupload-pirate-innovator-dance-album-interview>

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ONLINE CRIME & LEGAL
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Secretive Apple Squirms in Gaze of U.S. Monitor
Most companies are reluctant to open themselves to outside inspection. Yet Apple is even resisting someone who was appointed by a court to do exactly that, leading to an unusual public feud between the world?s biggest technology company and the Justice Department.
<http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/01/13/secretive-apple-squirms-in-gaze-of-u-s-monitor/>

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PRIVACY & SURVEILLANCE
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NSA review panel casts doubt on bulk data collection claims
The members of president Barack Obama?s surveillance review panel on Tuesday rejected some of the central contentions offered by the National Security Agency for its bulk collection of phone records, including the program?s potential usefulness in preventing the 9/11 attacks.
<http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/14/nsa-review-panel-senate-phone-data-terrorism>

N.S.A. Devises Radio Pathway Into Computers
The National Security Agency has implanted software in nearly 100,000 computers around the world that allows the United States to conduct surveillance on those machines and can also create a digital highway for launching cyberattacks.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/15/us/nsa-effort-pries-open-computers-not-connected-to-internet.html>

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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
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Google warned of 'last opportunity' to settle European antitrust case
Europe's antitrust chief says Google has one "last opportunity" to settle allegations it is abusing its dominant position in web search before he pursues legal action.
<http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/15/google-warned-last-opportunity-settle-european-antitrust-case>

FCC lacked authority to impose ?net neutrality? on broadband carriers, federal appeals court rules
In a victory for Verizon Communications Inc., a federal appeals court has ruled that a government agency does not have the power to require broadband carriers to comply with so-called net neutrality regulations concerning Internet traffic.
<http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/fcc_lacked_authority_to_impose_net_neutrality_on_broadband_carriers_fedeal_/>

Appeals court rules against FCC's right to protect 'net neutrality'
Internet providers may be able to offer faster connections to preferred websites, or even block competitors, after a US appeals court ruled that regulators could no longer enforce the principle known as ?net neutrality?.
<http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jan/14/net-neutrality-internet-fcc-verizon-court>

F.C.C. Chairman Adds More Ambiguity to His Position on Network Neutrality
Tom Wheeler, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, added further nuance to his already ambiguous position on network neutrality with a blog post late Tuesday, saying again that the F.C.C. will vigorously ? but cautiously ? exercise its authority to make sure broadband providers operate their networks in the public interest.
<http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/15/f-c-c-chairman-adds-more-ambiguity-to-his-position-on-network-neutrality/>

Net Neutrality Ruling: What are the FCC?s Options?
While striking down federal rules mandating equal treatment of Internet traffic, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit left the Federal Communications Commission with some some wiggle room to regulate Internet providers.
<http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/01/14/net-neutrality-ruling-what-are-the-fccs-options/>

Net Neutrality Ruling: What the Key Passages Mean
The FCC?s open Internet rules were struck down by a federal appeals court Tuesday, dealing a major blow to the idea of ?net neutrality? and opening the door for companies like Verizon to start charging content providers more money for faster speeds. Netflix, for example, swallows up huge chunks of bandwidth as its customers stream video. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said the FCC would consider appealing to the Supreme Court.
<http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/01/14/net-neutrality-ruling-what-the-key-passages-mean/>

'Net neutrality' ruling could be costly for consumers, advocates say
A federal appeals court swept aside government regulations designed to ensure equal access to the Internet, raising the prospects of higher fees for consumers and more barriers for start-ups seeking to compete online.
<http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-fcc-net-neutrality-20140115,0,7350475.story>

Rebuffing F.C.C. in ?Net Neutrality? Case, Court Allows Streaming Deals
Internet service providers are free to make deals with services like Netflix or Amazon allowing those companies to pay to stream their products to online viewers through a faster, express lane on the web, a federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/15/technology/appeals-court-rejects-fcc-rules-on-internet-service-providers.html>

European civil rights groups join forces to defend net neutrality [IDG]
European Internet users could risk being charged extra money for accessing online services like Facebook, Wikipedia, YouTube, Skype and Whatsapp if a European draft regulation on net neutrality isn't amended before March, European civil rights groups warned Tuesday.
<http://www.networkworld.com/news/2014/011414-european-civil-rights-groups-join-277674.html>

nz: Kim Dotcom's party bids to become 'kingmaker'
Kim Dotcom's new political party will field candidates in the new Upper Harbour electorate and possibly in Auckland Central in a bid become the "kingmaker'' following this year's election, according to a strategy document leaked to blogger Cameron Slater.
<http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11186966>

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS
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Bridging our big broadband gap: New research report reveals the impact of next generation broadband for Australian households and businesses
Despite living in the ?Digital Age?, Australia is currently not prepared to fully take advantage of the services afforded by next generation broadband according to a new groundbreaking research report released today.
<http://www.csiro.au/en/Portals/Media/Bridging-our-big-broadband-gap.aspx>

Australia's subsea connections see capacity upgrades
Southern Cross Cable plans to boast of 3.6Tbps lit capacity, while the Australia-Japan Cable has stepped up and enabled 500Gbps of lit capacity.
<http://www.zdnet.com/australias-subsea-connections-see-capacity-upgrades-7000025175/>

Virtual currency bitcoin bringing real rewards to Australian businesses, but reservations remain
The real-world use of virtual currency is catching on with Australian businesses, despite criticism the system is too unreliable.
<http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-15/virtual-money-brings-real-rewards-and-reservations/5202040>

------
David Goldstein

 email: david at goldsteinreport.com

 web:   http://goldsteinreport.com/ / http://davidgoldstein.tel/
 phone: +61 418 228 605 - mobile; +61 2 9663 3430 - office/home

"Every time you use fossil fuels, you're adding to the problem. Every time you forgo fossil fuels, you're being part of the solution" - Dr Tim Flannery