Don't forget to check out www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for an archive of the last three months of news! And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** If you thought the internet was cool, wait until it goes space age by Vint Cerf http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/17/internet.google Internet rights should be more prominent in IGF by Milton Mueller http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/8/16/3840677.html The Future of ICANN: A Series of Regional Consultative Meetings http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-15aug08-en.htm ICANN backs auction of disputed domains http://out-law.com/page-9356 ICANN study favors auctions for new gTLDs http://domainesinfo.fr/english/217/icann-study-favors-auctions-for-new-gtlds.php On the Pressing Need for a Signed Root by PIR http://www.circleid.com/posts/88183_pressing_need_for_a_signed_root/ Georgia cyberattacks lead to questions about risk to US http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080818-georgia-cyberattacks-lead-to-questions-about-risk-to-us.html au: Pastor nets premier websites [AAP] http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,20797,24200014-5003402,00.html Death knell looms for IPv4 http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;44197467 Arbor: Nobody's Transitioning to IPv6 http://news.digitaltrends.com/news-article/17596/arbor-nobody-s-transitioning-to-ipv6 Melbourne IT on track for profit growth [AAP] http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=507449 Melbourne IT spends up on systems http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Melbourne-IT-spends-up-on-systems/0,130061791,339291367,00.htm ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** If you thought the internet was cool, wait until it goes space age by Vint Cerf A founding father of the web says it's come a long way, but its potential for worldwide change can and will be greater still: The internet is still very young. It was only November 1977 when a group of computer scientists successfully connected three networks around the world, including one at University College London. It took until 1989 for the internet to become commercially available and about another decade after that for it to achieve widespread household use in Europe and the United States. Only then did we emerge from what I think of as the 'internet comma' days, when its mention in the media was always followed by a comma and a short description. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/17/internet.google http://www.telekritika.ua/daidzhest/2008-08-19/40076 Internet rights should be more prominent in IGF by Milton Mueller There?s some concern that basic human rights to free expression, privacy, and other civil liberties might be getting pushed too far away from the center of the UN Internet Governance Forum?s (IGF) meeting agenda. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/8/16/3840677.html India to host next UN global internet meet The 3rd United Nations Meet on Internet Governance, to be held in Hyderabad later this year, will be on the theme of ?Internet for All?. http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k8/aug/aug148.php ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** The Future of ICANN: A Series of Regional Consultative Meetings A series of regional consultative meetings about crucial changes to ICANN will take place over the next three months in an effort to reach out to and involve the organization?s global stakeholders. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-15aug08-en.htm Business seeks greater input into ICANN?s transition [news release] ICC?s Commission on E-Business, IT and Telecoms (EBITT) and Task Force on Internet and Telecoms Infrastructure and Services (ITIS) today called for greater business participation in ICANN, which is undergoing transformation. http://iccwbo.org/policy/ebitt/index.html?id=23032 ICANN backs auction of disputed domains The body behind the internet's addressing systems has said that it will settle disputes over who wins the right to new generic top level domains (gTLDs) by auction. ICANN has said that auctions will be used if two organisations vying for the right to a gTLD are tied on other grounds. http://out-law.com/page-9356 http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/08/19/icann_backs_domain_auctions/ ICANN's Allocation Method for New TLDs by Alex Tajirian ICANN recently commissioned a report from Power Auctions LLC to investigate the merits of auctioning new TLDs. Below I outline some of the issues related to stakeholder interests and mechanism design. http://www.circleid.com/posts/icanns_allocation_method_for_new_tlds/ ICANN study favors auctions for new gTLDs Are auctions the best solution for allocating a new TLD when there are several applicants? A study commissioned by ICANN and now made public says yes. http://domainesinfo.fr/english/217/icann-study-favors-auctions-for-new-gtlds.php ICANN auction policy raises serious questions Under the latest ICANN's policy, who would like to bid the highest amount for the exclusive global rights to the new domain suffix .dubai? Such a suffix will create a powerful domain root that will corner some 180 services underneath it, like go.dubai, hotel.dubai, job.dubai, cars.dubai or fly.dubai. Who would be the next global cyber-branding leader of this new millennium? http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/82/27438.html Top Level Domains Face Auction ICANN has announced that it proposes to settle disputes over who wins the rights to new top level domains by auction. http://www.lawdit.co.uk/reading_room/room/view_article.asp?name=../articles/5182-Top-Level-Domains-Face-Auction.htm On the Pressing Need for a Signed Root by PIR Attacks on the security of the Internet have been much in the news lately, and there is an increased urgency to take the technical steps to combat these attacks. .ORG has been doing its part to lead this process by taking introductory steps to implement DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions). http://www.circleid.com/posts/88183_pressing_need_for_a_signed_root/ Icann plans regional consultative meetings [sub req'd] http://telecom.paper.nl/news/article.aspx?id=226567 ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** A Case Study of Closing Down Spamvertised .hk Domains Registered in Hong Kong With the implementation of a rapid delisting measure to handle spamvertised domains by the Hong Kong Domain Name Registration Company Limited (HKDNR) and the Office of the Telecommunications Authority of Hong Kong (OFTA), the number of spamvertised and phishing .hk domain names dropped drastically in July 2007. http://www.ibls.com/internet_law_news_portal_view.aspx?s=sa&id=1360 KENIC reduces cost of '.ke' domains [IDG] Kenya Network Information Centre (KENIC), the administrator of .ke top-level domains has reduced the cost of noncommercial domains and plans to reduce the cost of all domains within three years. http://computerworld.co.ke/articles/2008/08/18/kenic-reduces-cost-ke-domains http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/081808-kenic-reduces-cost-of-ke.html http://cio.com/article/444446/KENIC_Reduces_Cost_of_.Ke_Domains KENIC cuts cost of domains in Kenya [sub req'd] http://telecom.paper.nl/news/article.aspx?id=226619 Telnic drafts in Edelman Online phonebook outfit Telnic has hired Edelman as its retained global PR agency. http://www.prweek.com/uk/sectors/publicsector/article/839577/telnic-drafts-edelman/ Sunrise for .tel Set for December 2008 Registration of a .tel domain will enable companies to provide a searchable list of their contact information in one location, somewhat of a universal online address book. http://www.melbourneitdbs.com/news.php?article=4&title=Sunrise%20for%20.tel%20Set%20for%20December%202008&year=2008&month=08 750,000 .se domains has been registrered [news release] .SE (The Internet Infrastructure Foundation) ... has registered .SE domain number 750,000 - tailorrama.se. Magnus Kronqvist in Gothenburg registrered the domain name just after midnight on August 8, to be used by Tailor-Rama, a web site were you will be able to by tailormade clothes. http://iis.se/about/press?id=154 ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Battle for South Ossetia fought in cyberspace The six-day war between Russia and Georgia may have seemed a scruffy, bloody, almost 19th-century nationalist conflict, but it saw the deployment of what will be a major weapon in the wars of the future: the internet. South Ossetia was, say experts in both technology and military studies, the world's first cyberwar. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/battle-for-south-ossetia-fought-in-cyberspace-899772.html An Army of Ones and Zeroes - How I became a soldier in the Georgia-Russia cyberwar by Evgeny Morozov As Russian and Georgian troops fight on the ground, there's a parallel war happening in cyberspace. In recent weeks, Georgia's government Web sites have been besieged by denial-of-service attacks and acts of vandalism. Just like in traditional warfare, there's a lot of confusion about what's going on in this technological battle?nobody seems to know whether this is a centralized Russian attack, the work of a loose band of hackers, or something else. Having read so many contradicting accounts, I knew that the only reliable way to find out what was really happening was to enlist in the Russian digital army myself. http://www.slate.com/id/2197514/ Georgia cyberattacks lead to questions about risk to US Much of the cyberwarfare discussion over the past week has focused directly on Georgia, but the United States may be just as vulnerable. Shifting security scenarios and the rapid pace of worldwide technological advancement are factors that make it dangerous for America?or any country?to rest on its security laurels. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080818-georgia-cyberattacks-lead-to-questions-about-risk-to-us.html Anti-Georgia spammers building new botnet [IDG] Hackers targeting Georgia in the midst of its conflict with Russia have started sending out a new batch of malicious spam messages, apparently with the aim of building a new botnet network of remote-controlled computers. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/DF8EE5F7E50AC803CC2574A800729C80 http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1930835245 VeriSign Reveals First of Its Kind Real-Time Protection Against ?Pump and Dump? Stock Trading Fraud [news release] Perpetrators of ?pump and dump? stock manipulation schemes are facing new barriers, thanks to new protection from stock trading fraud. The safeguard was unveiled today by VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN), the trusted provider of Internet infrastructure services for the networked world. http://www.verisign.com/press_releases/pr/page_044055.html ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** Typosquatting as Corporate Espionage [PC World] Typosquatting, that seedy practice of registering domain names similar to legit sites but with typos in the name, has a new twist. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/14/AR2008081402990.html au: Pastor nets premier websites [AAP] A central Queensland church pastor has bought two internet domains bearing the name of Premier Anna Bligh. Pastor David Alley, of the Mountain of the Lord Christian Church in Mount Morgan, bought the domains annabligh.org and annabligh.net last September, just as Ms Bligh took over from Peter Beattie. http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,20797,24200014-5003402,00.html http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24200014-12377,00.html http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Qld-pastor-buys-AnnaBligh-net/0,130061791,339291330,00.htm Trying To Cash In On Bond - IanFleming.com UDRP One of the more recent WIPO decisions caught my eye as it was for the domain ianfleming.com http://www.isquattedyour.eu/2008/08/13/trying-to-cash-in-on-bond-ianflemingcom-udrp/ Eurekapd.org a lesson in domain-name awareness If nuts and kernels, leather garments or electric shavers are of interest, www.eurekapd.org has what you?re looking for. Despite no longer being operated by the actual Eureka Police Department after the ownership of the Web address was allowed to expire in September 2007, the now-Russian-owned eurekapd.org is currently listed as ?the official site of the Eureka Police Department? and has links to advertisements for a variety of goods for sale. http://eurekareporter.com/article/080817-eurekapdorg-a-lesson-in-domain-name-awareness ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** Death knell looms for IPv4 The global explosion of technology as the new medium for business could grind to a halt within 18 to 30 months as Internet addresses dry up. Australia's telecommunications experts say the rapid exhaustion of available IP addresses is comparable to the global food and petrol shortage, but has largely slipped beneath the radar of those outside the coal face of IT. http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;44197467 Arbor: Nobody's Transitioning to IPv6 Arbor Networks has released the largest analysis to date of IPv6 traffic on the Internet?and finds there's almost none. During July 2008, there was about 600 Mbps of interdomain IPv6 traffic measured on the Internet, compared to four Tbps of old-school IPv4 Internet traffic. Put another way, IPv6 traffic accounted for just 0.0026 percent of total Internet traffic for the month. http://news.digitaltrends.com/news-article/17596/arbor-nobody-s-transitioning-to-ipv6 We're running out of IPv4 addresses. Time for IPv6. Really. A little over a year ago, I wrote an article about the IPv4 address consumption with the subtitle IPv4 Address Space: 2.46 Billion Down, 1.25 Billion to Go. A week ago, we reached the magic number of 2.7 billion IPv4 addresses used. With 3.7 billion possible addresses,? this means we now have less than a billion unused IPv4 addresses left. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080817-were-running-out-of-ipv4-addresses-time-for-ipv6-really.html Largest Study to Date of IPv6 Traffic on the Internet Security and network management company, Arbor Networks, in partnership with more than ninety network services and content providers from around the world, has published an extensive study of Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) traffic on the Internet. http://www.circleid.com/posts/88181_largest_study_of_ipv6_traffic/ ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** An Interview with Xavier Buck, co-founder and CEO of EuroDNS DomainInformer: Mr. Buck, would you tell us a few words about yourself and your professional background? How long have you been working in the domain industry? http://www.domaininformer.com/interviews/interview/0808InterviewWithXavierBuck.html New TLDs: Business as Usual for EuroDNS! by Xavier Buck Over the last weeks a number of people wondered about ?the ICANN Paris announcement on new extensions ?(1) and how it could affect the market in general and our projects in particular. http://www.domaininformer.com/guides/General_Information/articles/080815BusinessasUsualforEuroDNS.html ARIN Board Adopts Policy Proposal 2007-17 On 11 August 2008, the ARIN Board of Trustees adopted the following policy proposal as amended by the ARIN Advisory Council: 2007-17: Legacy Outreach and Partial Reclamation: The AC removed the following sentence: "ARIN should reject any transaction which staff judges is not in the interests of the community." The AC replaced that sentence with: "Transactions should only be accepted under this policy if they are in the interests of the community (e.g. they improve aggregation or result in a net reclamation of space)." http://www.arin.net/announcements/20080815.html Melbourne IT on track for profit growth [AAP] Domain name manager and online services provider Melbourne IT Ltd says it is on track to deliver a sixth consecutive year of growth in revenue and profit after booking a 20 per cent lift in half year profit. http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=507449 Melbourne IT spends up on systems Domain name and hosting specialist Melbourne IT today unveiled plans to embark on a year-long major technology refresh project, targeting everything from its accounting, billing and provisioning systems to its storage network and data centre. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Melbourne-IT-spends-up-on-systems/0,130061791,339291367,00.htm Domain-name owner sees link to profits in towns' old Web sites $2.6 million. If pizza could rake in those numbers, how much do you think Somers Point is worth? The very first thing that comes up when you do a Google search for Somers Point, N.J., is the old Somers Point city Web site - and now that site, along with the old, out-of-use sites for Northfield, Linwood and Ocean City, can be yours for the right price. http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/179/story/231496.html ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Update: Domain Parking Still Converting Here?s more proof that domain parking converts for advertisers. About a month ago I wrote about how the domain channel at Google was converting well for me, even though a number of advertisers would tell you otherwise. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/08/15/update-domain-parking-still-converting/ Howe About That! The Inside Story of One Man's Rise From Low Budget Domain Flipper to Million Dollar Dealmaker I've known Page Howe ever since he showed up on DNForum.com in early 2003 looking to rebound from a .com bust that had decimated his extensive Internet business ventures. Howe was there hoping to climb his way back up the ladder by buying domains, often for under $100, and flipping them for $1,000 or more. http://dnjournal.com/cover/2008/august.htm Dutch Treat: Shoppen.nl Gives ccTLD From the Netherlands the Top Spot on This Week's Domain Sales Chart No six-figure blockbuster sales were reported this week, leaving the door open for a pair of non .com domains to slip into the first two spots on our latest Top 20 chart. The #1 position goes to Shoppen.nl ("shopping" in Dutch), a ccTLD representing the Netherlands, that commanded ?45,000 ($69,750) in a private transaction. The same Amsterdam based buyer also purchased #13 Shoppen.com for ?13,000 ($20,150) at Sedo.com this week giving them a lock on the Dutch keyword. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2008/domainsales08-12-08.htm Oversee.net Cuts 10% of Employees Oversee.net has confirmed that the company has let go of 10% of its staff as of Friday. The company blames the downturn in the economy. A spokesperson told SocalTech ?the cuts were in response to the general economic weakness and pressures in the industry.? According to the report cuts were made across all divisions including SnapNames, DomainSponsor and Moniker. http://www.domainnamenews.com/news/overseenet-cuts-10-of-employees/1987 Analysis: Oversee.net Cutbacks a Sign of the Times Oversee cuts 10%; domain companies need to tighten the ship. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/08/18/analysis-overseenet-cutbacks-a-sign-of-the-times/ ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** If you thought the internet was cool, wait until it goes space age by Vint Cerf A founding father of the web says it's come a long way, but its potential for worldwide change can and will be greater still: The internet is still very young. It was only November 1977 when a group of computer scientists successfully connected three networks around the world, including one at University College London. It took until 1989 for the internet to become commercially available and about another decade after that for it to achieve widespread household use in Europe and the United States. Only then did we emerge from what I think of as the 'internet comma' days, when its mention in the media was always followed by a comma and a short description. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/17/internet.google UK Internet TV: watch this space The British internet TV market could generate revenues of ?1.78bn by 2011, according to research carried out by technology company Alcatel-Lucent. Although the industry is in its infancy, several British companies, including TV website Joost, already offer TV over the internet, and BT Vision, the pay-TV arm of the telecoms giant, uses broadband connections to deliver shows to customers' TV sets. Faster internet connections have already popularised some internet shows, including Kate Modern, made by social networking site Bebo. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/17/internet.television LinkedIn warns social networkers about dangers of 'frolleagues' Business networking website LinkedIn has published a series of guidelines to help prevent users damaging their careers by mixing professional contacts and friends online. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/aug/14/digitalmedia.socialnetworking Now Playing on YouTube: Clips With Ads After years of regarding pirated video on YouTube as a threat, some major media companies are having a change of heart, treating it instead as an advertising opportunity. http://nytimes.com/2008/08/16/technology/16tube.html Internet becomes Iraq's new matchmaker [AFP] Young Iraqis in Baghdad are surfing the internet to search for partners to tie the knot as violence and sectarian tensions take their toll on more traditional forms of socialising. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/08/15/1218307188342.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/08/15/1218307188342.html After two-year dip, Google customer satisfaction scores roar back After enduring a two-year dip in customer satisfaction scores ? and even being bested by rival Yahoo Inc. last year ? Google Inc. came roaring back in 2008 to score the highest customer satisfaction marks ever recorded in the annual University of Michigan American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) on e-business Web sites. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9112896 ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Facebook grabs top spot from MySpace Facebook has overtaken MySpace in terms of the amount of users who have signed up to its services, making it the biggest social networking site worldwide. Around 132 million people are members of Facebook, after the amount of users it had increased by 153 per cent between June 2007 and June 2008. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10527222 ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** Last piece of fibre-optic jigsaw falls into place as cable links east Africa to grid They are the arteries of the modern world. Stretching for tens of thousands of miles over the ocean beds, the vast web of intercontinental submarine cables have brought the possibility of cheap high-speed internet and clear long-distance telephone calls to all major parts of the globe. Except one. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/18/east.africa.internet ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Google faces defamation lawsuit in India - WSJ Google Inc's India subsidiary is being sued for alleged defamation in the Bombay High Court by an Indian construction equipment company, The Wall Street Journal said. Mumbai-based Gremach Infrastructure Equipments & Projects Ltd is demanding that Google disclose the name of a person who criticized it using Google's blogging service, the paper said. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-35020120080815 New magazine-sharing site may violate copyrights [AP] The magazine industry, already facing a decline in newsstand sales and falling ad revenue, is being besieged by a new foe: digital piracy. A fledgling Web site called Mygazines.com encourages people to copy and upload popular magazines that are currently on newsstands. Visitors can read high-quality digital copies of dozens of current titles, including People, Men's Health and The Economist, in their entirety. http://news.theage.com.au/technology/new-magazinesharing-site-may-violate-copyrights-20080816-3whm.html http://news.smh.com.au/technology/new-magazinesharing-site-may-violate-copyrights-20080816-3whm.html http://www.thestate.com/techwire/story/491555.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/15/AR2008081502406.html uk: Game sharers face legal crackdown A British woman who put a game on a file-sharing network has been ordered to pay damages to the game's creator. Topware Interactive has won more than ?16,000 following legal action against the woman who shared a copy of Dream Pinball 3D. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7568642.stm Hundreds sued for sharing video games As many as 100 people suspected of illegally sharing computer game files over the internet are to be sued for copyright infringement, it emerged today. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article4564439.ece uk: Three found guilty of web extremism plot Three British Muslims face prison after a jury at Blackfriars Crown Court in London today found them guilty of involvement in an online plot to spread jihadism. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/08/18/terror_documents_verdict/ http://out-law.com/page-9358 The FBI and Cybercrime: 'A Lot of People Just Don't Take the Basic Precautions' At the end of the Black Hat hacker convention in Las Vegas this month, James Finch, head of the FBI's Cyber Division, sat down for an interview about crime and the Internet. About 4,000 people gathered at the annual convention to hear about research on the latest network and computer or electronic-device security vulnerabilities. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/18/AR2008081802186.html us: Q&A With FBI's Cyber Division Chief At the end of the Black Hat hacker convention in Las Vegas a week ago Thursday, I had a few minutes to sit down with James Finch, head of the FBI's Cyber Division. What follows is an excerpted Q&A from that discussion, in which Finch describes himself as a serious geek who refuses to be spooked by organized cyber criminal gangs that target online banking customers and other 'Netizens. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2008/08/qa_with_fbis_cyber_crime_chief.html Battle for South Ossetia fought in cyberspace The six-day war between Russia and Georgia may have seemed a scruffy, bloody, almost 19th-century nationalist conflict, but it saw the deployment of what will be a major weapon in the wars of the future: the internet. South Ossetia was, say experts in both technology and military studies, the world's first cyberwar. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/battle-for-south-ossetia-fought-in-cyberspace-899772.html An Army of Ones and Zeroes - How I became a soldier in the Georgia-Russia cyberwar by Evgeny Morozov As Russian and Georgian troops fight on the ground, there's a parallel war happening in cyberspace. In recent weeks, Georgia's government Web sites have been besieged by denial-of-service attacks and acts of vandalism. Just like in traditional warfare, there's a lot of confusion about what's going on in this technological battle?nobody seems to know whether this is a centralized Russian attack, the work of a loose band of hackers, or something else. Having read so many contradicting accounts, I knew that the only reliable way to find out what was really happening was to enlist in the Russian digital army myself. http://www.slate.com/id/2197514/ Georgia cyberattacks lead to questions about risk to US Much of the cyberwarfare discussion over the past week has focused directly on Georgia, but the United States may be just as vulnerable. Shifting security scenarios and the rapid pace of worldwide technological advancement are factors that make it dangerous for America?or any country?to rest on its security laurels. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080818-georgia-cyberattacks-lead-to-questions-about-risk-to-us.html Anti-Georgia spammers building new botnet [IDG] Hackers targeting Georgia in the midst of its conflict with Russia have started sending out a new batch of malicious spam messages, apparently with the aim of building a new botnet network of remote-controlled computers. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/DF8EE5F7E50AC803CC2574A800729C80 http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1930835245 Clipboards hijacked in web attack Computer security firms are warning about an attack that hijacks the clipboard where copied text is stored. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7567889.stm EBay wins Belgian victory over counterfeit sales A Belgian court has backed eBay in the latest ruling on the auction firm's liability for the sale of counterfeit goods. The Belgian Tribunal de Commerce has rejected claims from cosmetics firm L'Or?al that eBay does not do enough to counter fake sales. http://out-law.com/page-9354 au: Sensis sets lawyers on Oz auction site HAVING settled its own beef with the corporate watchdog over breaching the Trade Practices Act, Telstra's classifieds business has leveled similar accusations at a rival Australian auction site. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24180064-15318,00.html ************************** PRIVACY ************************** Google, 10 years in: big, friendly giant or a greedy Goliath? Every day, all over the world, millions of us use Google. Founded 10 years ago by two students, it is now so powerful that it threatens to swallow up all other media while global leaders queue for its blessing. But just as we seek knowledge from Google, so Google gleans secrets from us. Has the cool baby grown up into a sinister corporate threat to privacy? David Smith reports http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/aug/17/googlethemedia.google ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** RIAA, KaZaA user settle 3-year-old lawsuit for $6,050 After three years and tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees, the RIAA has settled a copyright infringement case for $6,050. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080818-riaa-kazaa-user-settle-3-year-old-lawsuit-for-6050.html ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** uk: Labour warned over limits to free expression by UN The British government has been accused of creating laws that have a chilling effect on freedom of expression in the UK in a sharply critical report from the United Nations' committee on human rights. The report calls for the reform of Britain's libel laws and controls introduced under recent terrorism laws. ... The committee also warns that, in the age of the internet, Britain's unduly restrictive libel laws create the danger of affecting freedom of expression worldwide, contrary to a UN covenant on civil and political rights which guarantees the right to freedom of speech and to exchange ideas and information "regardless of borders". http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/aug/15/labour.idcards IOC under fire for removal of Tibet protest video A Free Tibet video on YouTube was taken down under the International Olympic Committee's intellectual-property deal with the internet site. http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2008/aug/15/olympics20083 ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ nz: Bully for you - the hidden world of online cruelty Johnelle Hosking, a 14-year-old from Tauranga, is about to read out a Bebo page, which a school friend put online last year. Deep breath. http://stuff.co.nz/sundaystartimes/4657451a6005.html ph: Research on cyber bullying, technical issues expose dangers The research studies made by experts on the physical and mental health hazards of mobile phones and hi-tech equipment, including computers, have yielded important findings about ?cyberbullying.? http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/aug/17/yehey/top_stories/20080817top4.html ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** U.S. May Ease Police Spy Rules The Justice Department has proposed a new domestic spying measure that would make it easier for state and local police to collect intelligence about Americans, share the sensitive data with federal agencies and retain it for at least 10 years. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/15/AR2008081503497.html nz: Cunliffe?s Digital Strategy 2.0 to move beyond broadband Communications minister David Cunliffe dropped a few hints about the shape of the government?s digital strategy rewrite last week while addressing an American Chamber of Commerce event in Auckland. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/EFA18E5420D18857CC2574A8006AF4CE EU directive paints alternative ISPs black A European Union directive on data retention is set to be implemented in all member states from 2009, requiring all telecom providers to hold on to your email?s destination, the subject line and the sending time. European internet service providers are requested to retain not only email, but any metadata of communication originating from their network. But isn?t that a violation of the fundamental right to privacy, as defined by our 60-year old Universal Declaration of Human Rights? Isn?t it in direct defiance of APC?s Internet Rights Charter? Groups associated with the APC community, academics and radical technology collectives converge onto Budapest in September to seek a way out of Fortress Europe 2.0. http://www.apc.org/en/news/security/europe/eu-directive-paints-alternative-isps-black ********************************* COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS ********************************* Google pipped - Apple the new king of Silicon Valley as market value overtakes hi-tech rival The sleek, touchscreen iPhone has proved so lucrative for Apple that the electronic gadgets manufacturer has unseated Google to become the most valuable company in America's cradle of technological innovation, Silicon Valley. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/15/apple.apple APAC to spend US$523B on tech in 2008 Worldwide IT spending should top US$3.4 trillion in 2008, up 8 percent from 2007, with the Asia-Pacific region accounting for US$523 billion, predicts research firm Gartner. http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/business/0,39044229,62044998,00.htm Windows 7 details to be released A first glimpse at the technology inside the next version of Windows will be given in October. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7562720.stm Richard MacManus - the most influential Kiwi online Professional blogging has an esoteric appeal many of us can only dream of. But few succeed in making a career out of it. So it's almost exasperating to hear Richard MacManus put his meteoric rise in the blogosphere down to the basics: hard work, long hours and passion for his subject. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10527665 ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** Israeli Telecom market reforms are coming [Reuters] The Communications Ministry announced at the end of last week it would adopt a number of reforms that would shake up the country's telecoms sector and lower prices by creating competition. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1012189.html A Smart Bet or a Big Mistake? Four years ago, Verizon Communications embarked on an ambitious and expensive plan to run fiber optic cables, which can deliver ultra-fast Internet service and dozens of high-definition video channels along with old-fashioned telephone service, past 19 million homes, roughly half its territory. http://nytimes.com/2008/08/19/technology/19fios.html ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** Expanded NZ mobile market hits snags Mobile phone users face delays for better deals as NZ Communications sets back plans for a third network and Telecom reviews its new 3G network. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=93&objectid=10527753 Smartphone Is Expected via Google T-Mobile will be the first carrier to offer a mobile phone powered by Google?s Android software, according to people briefed on the company?s plans. The phone will be made by HTC, one of the largest makers of mobile phones in the world, and is expected to go on sale in the United States before Christmas, perhaps as early as October. http://nytimes.com/2008/08/15/technology/15google.html In Kenya, Mobile Growth Also Benefits Ad Agencies Drive around Nairobi these days, jokes Michael Joseph, chief executive of Safaricom, a Kenyan mobile phone operator, and every building is painted in his company?s color, green, or that of one of its rivals. http://nytimes.com/2008/08/18/business/worldbusiness/18mobile.html http://iht.com/articles/2008/08/17/technology/ad18.php Google Starts an Advocacy Campaign for More Unlicensed Spectrum Google and other technology giants like Microsoft, Intel and Dell, have long pushed for a plan to allow soon-to-be-vacant broadcast spectrum to be used to provide new high-speed wireless Internet access networks. The airwaves, known as ?white spaces,? will be unused after TV stations switch to all digital broadcasts next February, and the Federal Communications Commission is expected to decide their fate soon. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/18/google-starts-an-advocacy-campaign-for-more-unlicensed-spectrum/ Manchester United Scores With Saudi Deal Global brands are flocking to the Middle East, eager to bask in the glow of booming economic growth and spending power. It's no surprise, then, that the world's most valuable soccer team, Manchester United, has picked Saudi Arabia for its latest sponsorship deal, in a bid to expand well beyond its humble British origins. http://www.forbes.com/markets/2008/08/18/manchester-united-saudi-markets-equity-cx_ll_0818markets19.html VCs Hope to See Wi-Fi Everywhere: Beyond computers, Wi-Fi-enabled televisions, set-top boxes, and cars are entering the market Many people are familiar with the coffee shop's Wi-Fi, while others even know how to set up a simple home network. Pretty much everyone, however, knows that Wi-Fi is what makes it all possible. That ubiquity is what many venture firms are counting on as they invest in a group of startups putting Wi-Fi into cameras, televisions, and even keyboards and mice. http://businessweek.com/technology/content/aug2008/tc20080814_680515.htm India May Remove Restrictions on Internet Telephony India's telecom regulator has recommended removal of restrictions on Internet telephony, paving the way for cheaper phone calls in the country. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/149963/india_may_remove_restrictions_on_internet_telephony.html India to Account for Nearly 20 Percent of Global WiMAX Subscribers by 2012 [news release] The WiMAX Forum? projects that more than 27.5 million Indians will be WiMAX users by 2012. Additional data from this recent WiMAX Forum study estimates that approximately 70 percent of the forecasted WiMAX subscribers by 2012 will utilize mobile and portable WiMAX devices to access broadband Internet services. http://www.wimaxforum.org/news/pr/view?item_key=c87445bb20652d9236ba28f183b81f4f63b7d34d Debate rages over free wireless spectrum in US The debate over new unlicensed spectrum the Federal Communications Commission is considering opening up is heating up as Google ups the ante with a new lobbying Web site. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10019517-94.html ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** Canadian paedophile gets three years for molesting Thai boy A Canadian teacher who was unmasked after his digitally swirled image was unscrambled has been sentenced to three years and three months in jail for abusing a 14-year-old boy in Thailand. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/aug/15/thailand.internationalcrime Swirly faced' paedophile sentenced for abusing Thai child A Canadian who sparked an international manhunt after his obscured face appeared in hundreds of images depicting under-age pornography has been sentenced to three years and three months in Thailand for sexually abusing a 13-year-old boy. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article4537360.ece Canadian sentenced for sex abuse Canadian schoolteacher Christopher Neil has been sentenced to three years and three months in jail for abusing a 13-year-old boy in Thailand. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7562408.stm Paedophile 'librarian' is jailed The "librarian" of a global internet child abuse ring has been jailed.Philip Anthony Thompson, 27, of Stockton-on-Tees, was handed an indefinite sentence for public protection at Teesside Crown Court. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7561915.stm Philip Thompson admits he is child porn 'librarian' One of the leaders of an international paedophile ring, who called himself ?the librarian? due to his extensive collection of child pornography, could be freed after less than four years despite admitting 27 charges today. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article4557517.ece au: Police bust group of alleged child porn downloaders The AFP has arrested six men and seized over two million child pornography images alleged to have been downloaded from an international paedophile network. http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;967866685 http://pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;967866685 au: Woman jailed for child rape and bestiality photos A woman who emailed images of children engaged with sexual acts with animals has been sentenced to at least three years in prison. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/08/15/1218307186451.html au: Woman jailed for huge child porn haul A SYDNEY woman who lived within two minutes walk of a primary school has been sentenced to four and a half years prison after pleading guilty to child pornography charges. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24185377-2702,00.html Aust woman jailed for child porn A 40-year-old Sydney woman caught with some of "most horrific and worst crimes" of child pornography has been jailed for four and a half years. http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411366/2005988 Tasmanian jailed for child porn The judge sentencing a Hobart man caught up in an international internet porn sting has described images he collected as disturbing and disgusting. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/15/2336366.htm au: Porn teacher gets good behaviour bond A FORMER teacher at a Melbourne boys' school has escaped jail after pleading guilty to downloading child porn. http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,24185254-5005962,00.html Aussie teacher with child porn avoids prison A teacher from a prestigious Melbourne school who downloaded more than 400 child porn images and videos has avoided prison. http://www.odt.co.nz/news/world/18052/aussie-teacher-with-child-porn-avoids-prison au: Six men facing child pornography charges [ABC] Two men from Western Australia are among six men facing Australian courts for allegedly downloading child abuse images on a worldwide child pornography network. http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/australian-news/4930035/six-men-facing-child-pornography-charges au: Mawson Lakes man wants child porn case delayed LAWYERS for a man who used the Internet to download child pornography have asked for the case to be delayed for four weeks. http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,24198651-2682,00.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2008 --------- David Goldstein address: 4/3 Abbott Street COOGEE NSW 2034 AUSTRALIA email: Goldstein_David §yahoo.com.au phone: +61 418 228 605 (mobile); +61 2 9665 5773 (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 Win a MacBook Air or iPod touch with Yahoo!7. http://au.docs.yahoo.com/homepagesetReceived on Tue Aug 19 2008 - 07:57:22 UTC
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