Don't forget to check out http://www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the archive of the last 3 months of the news. And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** Internet needs multilingual support for next billion people [IDG] http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/120308-internet-needs-multilingual-support-for.html Does "Internet for all" require larger variety of languages? http://bizreport.com/2008/12/internet_for_all_requires_larger_variety_of_languages.html Comments Sought on Latest Version of Strategic Plan http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-01dec08-en.htm Launch of .tel domain names is 'most significant innovation since .com' http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/dec/03/internet-domain-name-tel .Tel Is Just A Featureless Social Network That Costs $10/year http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/12/03/tel-is-just-a-featureless-social-network-that-costs-10year/ Secret Geek A-Team Hacks Back, Defends Worldwide Web (or How Dan Kaminsky saved the internet) http://www.wired.com/techbiz/people/magazine/16-12/ff_kaminsky Kentucky and the Gambling Domains by David Maher http://www.circleid.com/posts/20081202_kentucky_gambling_domains/ "IPv6 Growth Increases 300 Percent in Two Years" [news release] http://nro.net/documents/press_release_031108.html IPv6 addresses increase 300 per cent http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2231905/ipv6-addresses-increase-300-per ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** Internet needs multilingual support for next billion people [IDG] The Internet must support the large number of languages in the world at all levels, including content, hardware, software, and internationalised domain names if it is to reach the next billion people, according to speakers at an Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Hyderabad, India. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/120308-internet-needs-multilingual-support-for.html http://www.cio.com/article/467713/ http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/154844/.html http://www.macworld.co.uk/business/news/index.cfm?newsid=23774 http://www.cio.co.uk/concern/customers/news/index.cfm?articleid=3360 Does "Internet for all" require larger variety of languages? English, Chinese and Spanish are the top three languages used on the Internet but, to enable the next billion people to have access to the Internet, should a larger range of languages be supported? http://bizreport.com/2008/12/internet_for_all_requires_larger_variety_of_languages.html Diverse voices the key to continued Internet development - Internet Society President urges UN forum to maintain support for multistakeholder dialogue [news release] As the main United Nations forum for discussing Internet-related issues opens its third annual meeting in Hyderabad, India this week, the head of one of the world?s leading Internet organisations has called for ongoing commitment to multistakeholder processes for Internet development. http://www.isoc.org/isoc/media/releases/081203pr.shtml The vital role of the NRO and RIRs in IP address management The Number Resource Organization (NRO) and Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) have provided successful stewardship of IP address distribution for over 15 years. The RIR system ensures that Internet number resources are fairly distributed according to the needs of all stakeholders at both a regional and global level, and according to policies that ensure the stable and efficient operation of the network. Each RIR performs a range of critical functions including: reliable and stable allocation of Internet number resources; responsible registration and maintenance of Internet resource allocations; and, provision of open, publicly accessible databases where this data can be accessed. http://nro.net/documents/IGF_IP_Statement.pdf APC at the Internet Governance Forum in India At the first Internet Governance Forum (IGF), ?access to the internet? emerged as an issue of common concern and priority to all stakeholders. At the second IGF the business, civil society and technical communities worked together to prepare a more coherent approach to the access in the IGF, the outcome of which was a convergence in views as to what should be done to increase access to the internet across the world. ?Reaching the next billion? is now one of the priority themes for the upcoming third IGF ? with stakeholders working together to move from debate and discussion to a manifesto for action. The third Internet Governance Forum (IGF) will take place in Hyderabad, India December 3-6 2008. http://www.apc.org/en/node/7513 The Next International Policy Battlefield Will Be ICT Policy by Kurtis Lindqvist I am currently in Hyderabad, attending the Internet Governance Forum, IGF. With hours before the official opening, it might be worth reflecting a bit on Internet Governance and the general discussion on the role of international policy and ICT (information and communication technologies). http://www.circleid.com/posts/20081203_next_international_policy_battlefield_ict/ The Path Towards Centralization of Internet Governance Under UN: Part 1 This essay is the first of a three-part series published by the Publius Project of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. It focuses on the steps of a possible roadmap for centralizing Internet governance under the United Nations. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20081203_centralization_of_internet_governance_un/ The Path Towards Centralization of Internet Governance Under UN: Part 2 This essay is the second of a three-part series, published by the Publius Project of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. It focuses on the steps of a possible roadmap for centralizing Internet governance under the United Nations http://www.circleid.com/posts/20081203_centralization_of_internet_governance_un_part_2/ Disabled Must Play Key Role in Development - UN Noting that 80 percent of those with different abilities live in developing nations, UN chief Ban Ki-moon has highlighted the important role that can be played by people with disabilities in fighting poverty. Today is the UN-recognized International Day of Persons with Disabilities. http://us.oneworld.net/article/358873-disabled-must-play-key-role-development-un-chief Hyderabad to host Internet Governance Forum from Dec 3 Hyderabad will play host to the third edition of Internet Governance Forum (IGF) from December 3 to 6, 2008. http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/hyderabad-to-host-internet-governance-forumdec-3/05/42/341850/ Stage set for Internet Governance Forum meet in Hyderabad [IANS] The stage is set for the third edition of Internet Governance Forum (IGF), the world's largest Internet congregation formed by the Union Nations Secretary General. http://www.bombaynews.net/story/437138 http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/sci-tech/stage-set-for-internet-governance-forum-meet-in-hyderabad_100126143.html http://www.calcuttanews.net/story/437138 Multilingual web vital for next Billion people to access it To make the web available to the next billion people, organizations involved with the internet suggest that it should support large number of languages. http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Multilingual_web_vital_for_next_Billion_people_to_access_it-nid-49490.html Internet Governance Forum in Hyderabad, India by Patrik F?ltstr?m Tomorrow Internet Governance Forum (IGF) starts. The overall discussion topic this year is How to reach the next billion(s), and that builds on the fact that today we have around one billion Internet users. A number that will explode when all different kinds of devices, from cellphones, to TV sets to toasters will be Internet connected. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20081202_internet_governance_forum_hyderabad_india/ Special security cover for foreign delegates In the wake of Mumbai terror attacks last week, city police will be providing special security at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC), venue for the four-day `Internet Governance Forum' (IGF) 2008 event and various star hotels where over 1,000 foreign delegates attending the forum have been put up. The conference will begin on December 3 and continue till December 6. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Hyderabad/Special_security_cover_for_foreign_delegates/articleshow/3785838.cms Raja opens IGF conference Union Communications Minister A Raja on Wednesday inaugurated the four-day conference of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre here. http://sify.com/finance/fullstory.php?id=14811336 Internet needs to be multilingual IF THE INTERNET wants to reach out to the next billion people to arrive on the planet, it must get its language skates on to support the large number of tongues across the world at all levels including content, software, hardware as well as internationalised domain names. http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/12/03/internet-needs-multilingual ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Comments Sought on Latest Version of Strategic Plan ICANN is seeking comments from the community on the latest version of the strategic plan. This version incorporates comments that were received from the online forum and at the Cairo meeting. This comment period is an additional short opportunity for the community to comment before the Board considers the plan at its December meeting. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-01dec08-en.htm Why can?t diacritics be used in Czech internet addresses? At his office in downtown Prague, Jan H?jek describes his company?s unusual services. They sell experiences, z??itky in Czech, and the name of their firm is z??itky.cz. The odd thing is that to get to their internet site you have to use either the address zazitky.cz or z??itky.com. The former, like all domain names ending in .cz, does not allow an important feature of the Czech language: diacritics (such as the ?little hook? on the letter r). But why not? http://www.radio.cz/en/article/110874 Watch This (Expanding Internet Domain Name) Space: An Initial Report On The New Generic Top Level Domain Names [reg req'd] The following FocusPaper provides a broad overview of ICANN's newly proposed procedure for the introduction of additional TLDs to the Internet. ICANN has produced explanatory papers which serve to aid a potential applicant's understanding of the implications of the new gTLDs and the process they must undergo (see, for example, the ICANN 'New gTLD Applicant Guidebook' now open for public comment through ICANN's 'Public Comment Forum' ? to be commented on by the likes of INTA and other prominent contributing organistations by 8 December 2008). This FocusPaper is the first in a series which will follow (and provide relevant commentary on) the developments of the intriguing yet technically complex procedures being considered and employed to implement what is set to be the biggest and most revolutionary transformation to the Internet since its inception. http://mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=70418 ICANN terminates EstDomains, Directi takes over 280k domains Following ICANN?s notice of termination sent to cybercrime-friendly domain registrar EstDomains in October, on the 24th of November the termination became a reality and EstDomains is no more. Despite the public concerns of who will take the 280,000 domains, and that includes the cybercrime facilitating ones, Directi?s ResellerClub is new home for EstDomains customers. http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=2260 ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** NiRA inaugurates Auction Committee to sell domains The Nigeria Internet Registration Association has announced the inauguration of an Auction Committee to facilitate the sale of the nation's country code TLD name, .ng. http://www.computerworld.co.ke/articles/2008/12/03/nira-inaugurates-auction-committee-sell-domains Nigeria Internet Registration Association to auction special domain names in Nigeria The Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA) plans to auction special domain names in Nigeria to corporations, organisations and individuals. http://www.ngex.com/news/public/newsinfo.php?nid=7525 New domain consolidates contact info A new Internet domain, .tel, that became available Wednesday has the potential to become a mobile phone book because of the way it stores and encrypts contact information, industry executives and analysts said. http://iht.com/articles/2008/12/03/technology/dottel.php .Tel Them Where to Find You On Wednesday, companies and organizations can register Web addresses with a new TLD, .tel. The new domain, which stores and encrypts contact information directly into the Domain Name System, has the potential to become a phone book for the Internet. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/02/tel-them-where-to-find-you/ Launch of .tel domain names is 'most significant innovation since .com' A new internet domain that hopes to become an online equivalent to the phone directory has gone on sale for the first time. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/dec/03/internet-domain-name-tel New domain to be web's phone book From 3 December companies will be able to buy addresses associated with a new web domain. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7761395.stm Websites: New domain name keeps things simple From today, businesses will be able to register a new TLD ? ?.tel? ? but will there be a mad rush or a collective shrug? http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/281dc8c0-bf51-11dd-ae63-0000779fd18c.html .Tel Is Just A Featureless Social Network That Costs $10/year .TEL, one of a stream of new TLDs approved by the quasi-governmental Los Angeles-based ICANN, will go on sale shortly. Like other domain name types, you?ll be able to buy your .TEL at your favorite domain name registrar (eNom, Godaddy, Network Solutions, Registrar.com, etc.). http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/12/03/tel-is-just-a-featureless-social-network-that-costs-10year/ Is the New ".Tel" Domain More than Just a Pretty Web Interface to DNS? Is the new ".tel" domain launching today more than just a pretty web interface to DNS? Is it something really unique? Is it a new service that couldn't be easily replicated elsewhere? http://www.circleid.com/posts/20081203_new_tel_domain_pretty_interface_dns/ Registrations Open for .tel Domain [IDG] The first round of registrations for the new TLD .tel will open Wednesday. The new TLD isn't a run of the mill domain like, for example .com or .org. It's not about Web content -- instead it will allow both individuals and companies to store all their contact information in the DNS (Domain Name System) without the need to build, host or manage a Web site, according to Telnic, which is in charge of operating .tel. http://www.pcworld.com/article/154849/.html http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/269628/ http://computerworld.com.au/article/269628/ http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/269628/ http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/154849/.html http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/120308-registrations-open-for-tel.html http://techworld.nl/idgns/5683/registrations-open-for-punttel-domain.html http://www.computerworld.co.ke/articles/2008/12/03/registrations-open-tel-domain http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/12/03/Registrations_open_for_tel_domain_1.html http://www.cio.com/article/467840/Registrations_Open_for_.Tel_Domain http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2008/12/03/3831898.htm New .tel domains bid to be world's phone book The latest TLD extension - .tel - opens for business today with a new twist on the DNS. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12/03/dot_tel_is_go/ http://out-law.com/page-9637 ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Secret Geek A-Team Hacks Back, Defends Worldwide Web (or How Dan Kaminsky saved the internet) In June 2005, a balding, slightly overweight, perpetually T-shirt-clad 26-year-old computer consultant named Dan Kaminsky decided to get in shape. He began by scanning the Internet for workout tips and read that five minutes of sprinting was the equivalent of a half-hour jog. This seemed like a great shortcut?an elegant exercise hack?so he bought some running shoes at the nearest Niketown. That same afternoon, he laced up his new kicks and burst out the front door of his Seattle apartment building for his first five-minute workout. He took a few strides, slipped on a concrete ramp and crashed to the sidewalk, shattering his left elbow. http://www.wired.com/techbiz/people/magazine/16-12/ff_kaminsky How Dan Kaminsky saved the internet This summer, there was a huge operation to patch most of the net's DNS servers and routers, and most of the PCs, to plug a fundamental security hole. Now Wired has told the story behind the scenes http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2008/dec/02/dns-kaminsky U.S. report sees major terror attack by 2013, ignores cyberattack risk In stark and certain terms, a Congress-mandated commission today warned that the world's nations face the threat of a major terrorism attack using biological and nuclear weapons by 2013. The commission's report, titled "The World at Risk," skips over the threat of cyberattacks and focuses almost exclusively on nuclear and biological weapons. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9122138 ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** Kentucky and the Gambling Domains by David Maher A recent law suit in Kentucky has attracted world-wide attention because it could create a very dangerous precedent ? the application of local law to the domain name system and Internet web sites that are available globally... Even though the Kentucky case only involves Kentucky gambling laws, the dangerous precedent is that regimes around the world with oppressive local laws restricting speech or religion might attempt similar litigation. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20081202_kentucky_gambling_domains/ The Parking Page Dilemma: Frank Schilling loses chillibeans.com domain under UDRP There has been some commentary about the recent Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) decision against white hat domainer Frank Schilling's regarding the chillibeans.com domain. For those who have been paying attention, this decision is not so surprising. Rather than label the decision ridiculous domainers need to appreciate that this decision is not outside the norm or trend under the UDRP and make smart business decisions about parking their most valuable domainers. http://tcattorney.typepad.com/anticybersquatting_consum/2008/12/the-parking-pag.html ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** IP addresses running out The world could run out of internet addresses unless people move to IP version 6 addresses. http://www.skynews.com.au/news/article.aspx?id=283294 340 Trillion Trillion Trillion Is A Very Big Number ... The next looming IT crisis is approaching, but this time things are rather different. Instead of a fixed date which everyone knows, this time a resource is running out and no one knows quite when it will be gone. You may have seen the odd news article or so about the Internet running out of addresses but you can be sure that these stories will increase at a rapid rate over the next couple of years. http://www.altogetherdigital.com/20081202/340-trillion-trillion-trillion-is-a-very-big-number/ "IPv6 Growth Increases 300 Percent in Two Years" [news release] On behalf of its member AfriNIC, the NRO expresses its great concern at the recent banning of the AfriNIC meeting which was planned to be held in Addis Ababa next month. "What we are now seeing is an acceleration in IPv6 activity on the Internet, clearly indicating the start of production deployment in many parts if the world,? says Paul Wilson, Chair of the NRO. ?We are also seeing a rapid increase in allocation of IPv6 addresses, reflecting an increasing readiness for imminent deployment. These developments are due to the work of all global stakeholders in assembling the resources necessary for IPv6 adoption." http://nro.net/documents/press_release_031108.html IPv6 addresses increase 300 per cent IPv6 addresses have increased by 300 per cent in the last two years, according to new data from the Number Resource Organisation (NRO). http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2231905/ipv6-addresses-increase-300-per http://www.itnews.com.au/News/NewsStory.aspx?story=90385 http://www.whatpc.co.uk/vnunet/news/2231905/ipv6-addresses-increase-300-per ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Tucows Leaps Network Solutions in Domain Name Registrations I?ve been doing a lot or ranking watching over the past 48 hours. I?m a Texas Longhorns fan, and axiously awaited results from the Coaches Poll, Harris Poll, and BCS over the weekend. The Longhorns ended in a three way tie with Texas Tech and Oklahoma University in the Big 12 South. The three way tie was broken by BCS rankings ? and OU narrowly edged out Texas. So the Longhorns beat both of the teams in the Big 12 Championship by double digits this year. Go figure. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/12/01/tucows-leaps-network-solutions-in-domain-name-registrations/ Standard Tactics, LLC: How GoDaddy Profits from Expired Domains Scottsdale, Arizona based The Go Daddy Group, which runs the world?s largest domain name registrar GoDaddy.com, is warehousing its customers? expired domain names and profiting from them. The company has taken a number of steps to hide this practice from public view. This article covers the results of a Domain Name Wire investigation into GoDaddy?s domain warehousing activities. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/12/03/standard-tactics-llc-how-godaddy-profits-from-expired-domains/ ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Premium 2 Number Domains Up For Auction on Sedo Five two-number domain names are up for auction on Sedo at the moment, all closing at 19.00 CET (USA time). http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/12/02/premium-2-number-domains-up-for-auction-on-sedo/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/premium-2-number-domains-up-for-auction-on-sedo.html Bank Buys SC.com for $300,000 Sedo has completed the sale of SC.com for $300,000, and it appears the buyer is Standard Chartered Bank. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/12/03/bank-buys-sccom-for-300000/ Domain Name Journal's Lowdown on TRAFFIC Down Under Our comprehensive review of the first T.R.A.F.F.I.C. conference ever held outside the United States was published today. T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Down Under, ably staged by Fabulous.com under a licensing agreement with T.R.A.F.F.I.C. co-founders Rick Schwartz and Howard Neu, attracted domain owners from around the world to Australia's scenic Gold Coast. http://dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2008/dailyposts/12-01-08.htm http://dnjournal.com/events/2008/traffic-down-under-review.htm Why ccTLD extensions actually sell If you don't think ccTLDs are a worth investment then this article will convince you otherwise. http://www.domaininformer.com/guides/General_Information/articles/081201WhyccTLDextensionsactuallysell.html Domaining Manifesto Now Available as Free Download [news release] John Motson, domain name expert and online entrepreneur offers a complimentary e-book "Domaining Manifesto - Guide to Domain Name Success" providing detailed information to appraise, purchase, manage, trade, monetize and sell domain names with the aim of using domain names as an alternative investment option at a time of global recession and financial instability. http://www.domainpulse.com/2008/12/02/domaining-manifesto-now-available-as-free-download/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/domaining-manifesto-now-available-as-free-download.html Domaining Manifesto Book is Now Free But now the eBook is worth it for everyone, beginners and experts alike, because now it?s free. Motson is promoting The Domaining Revolution, which he bills as ?A Historic Domaining Event?. I don?t know what Domaining Revolution is about, but the important thing is you can download a free copy of Domaining Manifesto when you submit your e-mail address to be notified when Revolution launches. Not a bad deal. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/12/01/domaining-manifesto-book-is-now-free/ ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** The Tangled Web of Porn In the Office Jenna Jameson now has a 9-to-5 job. Fully one quarter of employees who use the Internet visit porn sites during the workday, according to October figures from Nielsen Online; that's up from 23 percent a year ago. And hits are highest during office hours than at any other time of day, reports M. J. McMahon, publisher of AVN Online magazine, which tracks the adult video industry. http://www.newsweek.com/id/171279 Google generation has no need for rote learning Memorising facts and figures is a waste of time for most schoolchildren because such information is readily available a mere mouse click away, a leading commentator has said. The existence of Google, Wikipedia and online libraries means that there is no useful place in school for old-fashioned rote learning, according to Don Tapscott, author of the bestselling book Wikinomics and a champion of the ?net generation?. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article5270092.ece Man or mouse: the dangers of relying on a computer?s memory Our Latin teacher, Captain Hogarth, a psychologically scarred veteran of some great, distant battle, would whack us over the palms with his leather-bound swagger stick if we so much as fudged a dative. ?Sine labore nihil!? he would bawl ? nothing without work. Yes, those were the days. How much black energy was pumped into drilling us ? quick! 93 times 82 ? with the aim, perhaps, of sharpening our reflexes, training us to obey orders. Content was not as important as speed of recall, the unflinching recital under pressure. That is the way wars were won and, if the author Don Tapscott is to be believed, empires lost. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5270093.ece Most UK employers restrict staff time on internet, says survey Two-thirds of employers monitor staff use of the internet during working hours and block access to sites deemed irrelevant to the job, a survey of managers revealed yesterday. The Chartered Management Institute said the censoring of employees' web browsing was an example of old-fashioned thinking in boardrooms where senior executives have not caught up with the business benefits of exploiting new technology. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/dec/02/workplace-internet-monitoring-blocked-access Global Internet project offers snapshot of Aussie Internet use The World Internet Project has released the results of its first ever global survey of Internet use. Bringing together researchers from across the globe, the World Internet Project has painted a clearer picture of our online behaviour, according to Jeffrey I. Cole, director of the Center for the Digital Future at the USC Annenberg School for Communication. http://computerworld.com.au/article/269463/ http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/269463/ uk: Email and web deliver sharpest blow to Royal Mail fortunes Royal Mail's letters business is being hit harder by competition from electronic alternatives, such as email and the internet, than it is by rival mail operators. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/dec/01/royal-mail-email-internet Record numbers of Britons buying online as shoppers shun the high street Britain has witnessed record levels of online shopping this week but customers are still shunning the high street, according to the latest sales figures. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/3543488/Record-numbers-buying-online-as-shoppers-shun-the-high-street.html The Queen of Campaigns: How Queen Rania of Jordan uses the internet to break down barriers Rania, the consort of Jordan's King Abdullah, is a very modern royal who is using the internet to fight for women's rights in the Muslim world. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/the-queen-of-campaigns-1047103.html Britney Spears pushes Obama aside in Briton's internet search table Barack Obama's epochal victory in the US presidential election may have transfixed and gladdened the world but the British public, it seems, is more preoccupied with the life and times of another American colossus - a 26-year-old singer by the name of Britney Jean Spears. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/dec/01/britney-spears-barack-obama-internet-yahoo Britney Spears is most searched-for subject by British web users, Yahoo! claims Britney Spears is the UK's most searched-for subject on the internet, Yahoo! claims. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/3536444/Britney-Spears-is-most-searched-for-subject-by-British-web-users-Yahoo-claims.html Britney more popular than Obama Barack Obama will make history by becoming the first black US president, but in the world of internet search he trails the singer, Britney Spears. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7759750.stm Prohibition vs. Regulation Debated As U.S. Bettors Use Foreign Sites By many measures, Neteller PLC was a huge success. Founded in 1999, the financial services company signed up millions of customers and saw its market value soar to almost $2 billion. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/30/AR2008113002006.html Internet, TV Deemed Bad For Kids' Health Researchers from the Yale University School of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, and California Pacific Medical Center have reviewed 173 studies from the past 28 years about the impact of media on children and found a correlation between media exposure and undesirable health outcomes. http://www.informationweek.com/news/personal_tech/TV_theater/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212201519 India ranks fourth in world with 81 million internet users India has been ranked fourth among the top ten nations in the world with 81 million internet users even as the world aggregate touched 134,85,72,040 by the end of 2007. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Infotech/India_ranks_fourth_in_world_with_81_million_internet_users/articleshow/3781382.cms http://infotech.indiatimes.com/News/India_ranks_fourth_in_world_with_81_million_internet_users/articleshow/3781382.cms http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=India+ranks+fourth+in+world+with+81+million+Internet+users&artid=VIl0LRnNpLc=&SectionID=OZOHptMGSLk=&MainSectionID=w44iAeuGCu8=&SectionName=leZqvJiX|8k=&SEO=internet,%20penetration http://infotech.indiatimes.com/News/With_81_mn_Net_users_India_gets_4th_slot/articleshow/3781920.cms ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Gunmen Used Technology as A Tactical Tool The heavily armed attackers who set out for Mumbai by sea last week navigated with Global Positioning System equipment, according to Indian investigators and police. They carried BlackBerrys, CDs holding high-resolution satellite images like those used for Google Earth maps, and multiple cellphones with switchable SIM cards that would be hard to track. They spoke by satellite telephone. And as television channels broadcast live coverage of the young men carrying out the terrorist attack, TV sets were turned on in the hotel rooms occupied by the gunmen, eyewitnesses recalled. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/02/AR2008120203519.html Billionth Logitech mouse scampers off assembly line Hunting down mice isn't my personal idea of fun, but this mouse mission might not be so eek-worthy. Logitech has launched a contest inviting people to track its billionth mouse shipped, a milestone announced Wednesday. http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10112728-1.html ********************** SPAM ********************** Sending spam in Israel could mean a big fine [AP] Israel has gotten fed up with spam. Anyone who sends out messages without receiving the recipient's consent can now be slapped with a big fine. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/12/01/financial/f053127S72.DTL http://www.thestate.com/technology/story/607298.html ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** Bridging the digital divide in Thailand Disabled people, prisoners, people with less opportunities and those in remote areas are learning to connect to modern society, using computers and the Internet just as others do. Thanks to the IT initiative of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, the digital divide in Thailand is being bridged. http://www.bangkokpost.com/031208_Database/03Dec2008_data68.php Remote Australian Aborigines celebrate internet Aboriginal dancers from Gumbalanya put down the spears used in traditional ceremonies in the Northern Territory today and replaced them with fibre optic cables. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/12/03/2437121.htm ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** EU to search out cyber criminals Remote searches of suspect computers will form part of an EU plan to tackle hi-tech crime. The five-year action plan will take steps to combat the growth in cyber theft and the machines used to spread spam and other malicious programs. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7758127.stm Europe to get cybercrime alert system Europe is getting a cybercrime alert system as part of a European Union drive to fight online criminals. According to plans, European law enforcement body Europol will receive ?300,000 ($386,430) to build an alert system that pools reports of cybercrime, such as online identification and financial theft, from across the 27 member states. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10110133-83.html Criminalizing Web Use Twisting statutes to criminalize infractions that normally would be handled in civil courts is not the right way to address cyber-bullying, says a Chicago Tribune editorial published in response to the notorious Lori Drew trial. http://technewsworld.com/story/65341.html U.S. report sees major terror attack by 2013, ignores cyberattack risk In stark and certain terms, a Congress-mandated commission today warned that the world's nations face the threat of a major terrorism attack using biological and nuclear weapons by 2013. The commission's report, titled "The World at Risk," skips over the threat of cyberattacks and focuses almost exclusively on nuclear and biological weapons. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9122138 FBI Warns of Holiday Cyber Scams [Network World] With cyber Monday comes an FBI warning against spam containing malware and phishing attempts that appear to be greeting cards and ads for shopping bargains. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/154781/.html 5 Must-Do Cyber Security Steps for Obama As President-Elect Barack Obama looks for ways to deal with a shattered economy and an ongoing war on terrorism, security experts are urging him to pay attention to something that has a big impact on both: The nation's growing -- and fragile -- cyber infrastructure. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/120308-5-must-do-cyber-security-steps.html Islamic extremists being coaxed toward YouTube Islamic extremists are being instructed on how to use the popular video-sharing site YouTube as a way to disseminate propaganda videos, a U.S.-based terrorism monitor said on Tuesday. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-36836420081203 Cyber fraud set to soar this Christmas Cyber shoplifting is set to cause a major headache for retailers over Christmas, according to a report from security consultancy NTA Monitor. The consultancy reported that by manipulating payment details on the back-end payment gateway, cyber shoplifters can change the amount they have paid for items, meaning the retailer is out of pocket and is forced to make up the difference. http://www.vnunet.com/crn/news/2231683/cyber-fraud-set-soar-christmas NZ experiment shows dangers of computers in home [NZPA] In just under two hours an unprotected computer was rendered unusable through online attacks in an experiment in Auckland today. The experiment was designed to show what a household with a computer put itself at risk of everyday, and was carried out by NetSafe and IBM. http://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/34190/experiment-shows-dangers-computers-home http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/4778864a26834.html http://www.3news.co.nz/ScienceTech/Story/tabid/412/articleID/82333/cat/74/Default.aspx NetSafe urges users not to assume PCs are bulletproof In an experiment designed to underscore how vulnerable household computers are to security threats, NetSafe and IBM uncovered weaknesses in user behaviour. http://reseller.co.nz/reseller.nsf/news/454142D389BACC5FCC25751200743973 http://www.netguide.co.nz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=815&Itemid=16 NetSafe shows how unsafe computers can be A teenage boy, a ?Trade Me? mum, a senior internet user and a young professional; what do all of these people have in common? They all use the internet as an everyday tool and, by doing so, they all put their household at risk. http://www.thechannel.co.nz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=508&Itemid=34 Hackers continually at the gate [NZPA] Four New Zealanders ranging from a teenage boy to a senior citizen went about their online day-to-day tasks on poorly secured computers yesterday in an experiment on security. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10546053 Should the average computer user be worried about hackers? Monday was international computer security day, and to mark it Netsafe and IBM ran a wee experiment. http://www.3news.co.nz/ScienceTech/Story/tabid/412/articleID/82561/cat/73/Default.aspx Police raid Sydney piracy ring in Australia's largest bust In what could be the largest piracy bust to date in Australia, NSW Police this morning seized an estimated 1 million DVDs and CDs in Sydney. The raids took place at 7am fivewhen police executed search warrants on five properties in Camden, Mt Annan and Green Valley, uncovering the largest known cache of pirated music and Asian movies in Australia. http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/269578/ http://computerworld.com.au/article/269578/ nz: Internet cafe nailed for movie piracy An Auckland internet cafe has been charged for allowing punters to watch movies at computer terminals. The director of the inner-city cafe, which has not been named, faces 21 charges under the Copyright Act after an investigation by the New Zealand Federation against Copyright Theft (NZFACT). http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10546362 Apple pushes anti-virus for Macs Apple has urged Mac owners to use anti-virus software. In a note posted on its support site in late November, Apple said it wanted to "encourage" people to use anti-virus to stay safe online. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7760344.stm Can the Mac catch a cold? by Rory Cellan-Jones Oh dear - even as I write this, I can see the smug smile spreading across the faces of Windows users - and I can hear the clatter of keyboards as thousands of Mac fans compose angry messages. But here we go - Macs are not immune from internet infections, and that's official. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/technology/2008/12/can_the_mac_catch_a_cold.html Apple deletes Mac antivirus suggestion Apple late on Tuesday removed an old item from its support site that urged Mac customers to use multiple antivirus utilities and now says the Mac is safe "out of the box." http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10111958-83.html Apple yanks antivirus advice from its Web site Apple Inc. late Tuesday yanked a controversial support document from its Web site that had urged Mac users to run antivirus software because the recommendation was "old and inaccurate," a company spokesman said today. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9122359 Chinese city requires Net cafes to use legitimate software Nanchang, the capital of China's eastern Jiangxi province, has required Internet cafe operators to replace pirated server software with licensed versions. Cafes that don't will lose their license to operate, but some are grumbling about the cost of installing legitimate software. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9122159 http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/120308-chinese-city-requires-net-cafes.html ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Pirate Bay Still Blocked in Denmark The Danish Eastern High Court ruled last week that it is up to Internet service providers to ensure that their customers do not use the Swedish torrent-tracking site The Pirate Bay to download illegal content. http://www.pcworld.com/article/154854/.html Amazon challenges iTunes with rival music download store Apple?s iTunes music store faced a new challenger yesterday as Amazon introduced a rival online MP3 service with knockdown prices. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article5282873.ece Amazon launches music downloads Online retail website Amazon has launched a UK music download service. Amazon MP3 will sell tracks from 59p and albums from ?3. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7762738.stm Critics say Apple may be chilling iTunes competition Apple might be unfairly blocking rival software makers who want to sell music for its iPhone, according to some rivals and a technology rights group. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE4B272F20081203 http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-36855220081203 http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4782226a28.html Bonus content for Australian music fans on USB-stick albums The Australian music industry is getting behind a new locally developed music format that will allow consumers to access an ongoing stream of bonus content and listen to their collections from any computer or mobile phone. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/12/02/1227979984948.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/12/02/1227979984948.html ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Croat police turn on anti-government Facebookers Croatian police have detained and questioned Web activists who are criticizing or ridiculing the government, media and the opposition say, accusing authorities of violating basic civil rights. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE4B15YF20081202 Croat police apologize for Facebook arrest Croatia's police officials apologized on Wednesday for detaining a local web activist who had put up posters calling for an anti-government rally, but denied any political motivation for their act. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKTRE4B23D920081203 Croatian PM orders probe into Facebook-linked detentions [AFP] Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader launched an inquiry Wednesday into the detention and questioning of people from Internet groups who criticised his government. http://news.smh.com.au/technology/croatian-pm-orders-probe-into-facebooklinked-detentions-20081204-6qt3.html http://news.theage.com.au/technology/croatian-pm-orders-probe-into-facebooklinked-detentions-20081204-6qt3.html ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ Slow progress in Internet child abuse Authorities around the world are winning battles against online child pornography and soliciting, but the war goes on as offenders burrow deeper into cyber hiding places and technology raises new dangers. http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411319/2343780 Japan urged to tighten child porn laws [UPI] An international anti-child pornography congress in Brazil has urged Japan to outlaw the possession of such materials, observers say. http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/11/30/Japan_urged_to_tighten_child_porn_laws/UPI-54331228073375/ Australian anti Internet filtering rebels hit the streets Opponents to the government's Internet content filtering scheme will take to the streets in a series of protests planned in Australia's capital cities. http://computerworld.com.au/article/269615/ http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/269615/ http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/269615/ http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9122280 Australian firewall trials start The Australian government is due to start a series of field trials this month in order to filter websites that are harmful to children. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7760996.stm Child Rights Group calls Web Filtering "Flawed" Let?s face it censorship is a bad thing. When you censor something you remove free choice, remove the need to educate people on things and you make the thing you are hiding much more enticing. http://www.tweaktown.com/news/10725/child_rights_group_calls_web_filtering_flawed/ Neutering the Net The Australian Government's great broadband gift is floundering in the waves of the financial crisis and Communications Minister Stephen Conroy is pushing ahead with an Internet filter that will dramatically slow the country's Internet speeds. http://www.legalbrief.co.za/article.php?story=20081203081528881 Net filters don?t work The plans made by the current Australian government to implement mandatory internet filtering for their country has been meeting with some very vocal opposition. Plans are in place and live trials being run to create a filtering system that would theoretically block out ?illegal and inappropriate? content being streamed into the country via the web. This plan will cost in the region of $44 million. http://www.pcformat.co.za/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=719 Lori Drew Case Hinges on Dangerous Technicality Lori Drew was convicted of actions basically unrelated to what most people think she did, but even those convictions may not be what is best for you and me, or for the Internet. http://www.pcworld.com/article/154901/.html us: Our view on cyberbullying: MySpace case bends the law-Missouri mom deserves reproach, but prosecution raises concerns When a Los Angeles jury convicted a Missouri woman last week in the online bullying of a 13-year-old girl who then took her own life, it felt like justice. http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2008/12/our-view-on-cyb.html Bush signs law promoting censorship of kids' programming President Bush on Tuesday signed the Child Safe Viewing Act, requiring the Federal Communications Commission to explore the market for technologies that allow parents to censor the programming their children watch. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10111752-38.html FCC to vote on smut-free wireless broadband before Christmas The Federal Communications Commission will soon vote on a plan to launch a no-cost, smut-free national wireless service. The agency told Ars Technica this morning that the proposal will appear on the docket of the Commission's Open Meeting scheduled for December 18. The idea is strongly backed by Commission Chair Kevin Martin, and hated to pieces by most of the wireless industry, which can be expected to oppose it down to the last minute. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081201-fcc-to-vote-on-smut-free-wireless-broadband-before-christmas.html Hey FCC, let parents be the Internet censors Kevin Martin, the agency's chief, wants to provide free wireless access, but he wants it filtered for porn and other objectionable material. That's not the job of the government. http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-lazarus3-2008dec03,0,6594990.column us: Panel looks at teen cyber bullying, identity theft When Internet access for many kids is only a touch away on their iPod or a click away on the mouse, parents are presented with new challenges regarding their safety online. http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/bel/news/35378649.html ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** us: EFF to court: Don't shield telecoms from illegal-spying suits The Electronic Frontier Foundation, an advocacy group for Internet users, is expected to argue in court on Tuesday that it's unconstitutional to prevent Americans from suing the telecom companies that allegedly helped the federal government unlawfully spy on them. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10110872-93.html http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,39568429,00.htm EFF, Bush administration spar over telecom immunity Feds tell district judge government must be allowed to protect the heartland. EFF says that is fine, but don't strip away constitutional rights. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10111870-93.html Pipe Networks funding bid fails Pipe Networks bid to build an under-sea fibre link between Australia, the US and Asia is now seriously in doubt, with the company going into a trading halt following a failure to secure the finance from ANZ and Westpac to complete the ambitious project. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/netw/BDC8B8064736189CCC2575130001D442 2 Canadian Phone Giants in Different Struggles Canada?s two major communications companies are grappling with tough decisions about their futures as one firm deals with a founder?s death while the other faces a possible collapse of a buyout deal. http://nytimes.com/2008/12/03/business/worldbusiness/03tycoon.html FBI Says Copper Thefts Threaten U.S. Infrastructure [IDG] The theft of copper wire has become so pervasive that it poses a threat to the national infrastructure, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation warned Wednesday. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/154921/.html http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/120408-fbi-says-copper-thefts-threaten.html ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** Eurbarometer survey on children's use of mobiles with internet access The 2008 Eurbarometer survey which is to be released soon, shows that 11% of children in the EU own a mobile with internet access. There are important differences between countries, with young people in Estonia (30%), Lithuania and Latvia (29%), Slovenia (26%) and Finland (22%) being most likely to access the internet via their mobile phones. http://www.saferinternet.org/ww/en/pub/insafe/news/articles/1208/eurobarometer.htm Kingdom of Bahrain makes history in the Telecom world Mena Telecom, an investment subsidiary of Kuwait Finance House - Bahrain, and the first company in the world to launch a nationwide WiMAX end-to-end (Wireless Broadband & Telephony network) using WiMAX 802.16e technology, has witnessed remarkable success and demand following its launch of the first ever 8Mbps connection available in the Kingdom of Bahrain last week. http://www.ameinfo.com/177399.html Free Web Plan Being Pushed by FCC Head Outgoing Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin is pushing for action in December on a plan to offer free, pornography-free wireless Internet service to all Americans, despite objections from the wireless industry and some consumer groups. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122809560499668087.html http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122809560499668087.html?mod=rss_whats_news_technology FCC to vote on smut-free wireless broadband before Christmas The Federal Communications Commission will soon vote on a plan to launch a no-cost, smut-free national wireless service. The agency told Ars Technica this morning that the proposal will appear on the docket of the Commission's Open Meeting scheduled for December 18. The idea is strongly backed by Commission Chair Kevin Martin, and hated to pieces by most of the wireless industry, which can be expected to oppose it down to the last minute. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081201-fcc-to-vote-on-smut-free-wireless-broadband-before-christmas.html us: All Systems Go for Nationwide WiMax With Sprint, Clearwire Merger Sprint Nextel and Clearwire have joined forces to build a nationwide high-speed wireless Internet network using worldwide interoperability for microwave access, or WiMax, technology. The $14.5 billion merger closed Monday with $3.2 billion in equity funding from a variety of heavy hitters in the technology and telecommunications industries: Comcast, Intel, Time Warner Cable, Bright House Networks, Google and Trilogy Equity Partners. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/65331.html WiMax Future Remains Unclear With Clearwire Having passed a final regulatory hurdle last Friday by getting approval to combine its operations with those of Sprint Nextel's mobile WiMax group into a new company, Clearwire is planning to move ahead with a nationwide WiMax network under a new brand, Clear. However, the company's hedging its bets by investing in equipment that will support both WiMax and future competitor Long-Term Evolution, Clearwire CEO Benjamin Wolff said today. http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/wifiwimax/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212201247 Mobile phones distract drivers more than passengers Cell phone calls distract drivers far more than even the chattiest passenger, causing drivers to follow too closely and miss exits, U.S. researchers reported on Monday. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-36796120081201 http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE4B00OI20081201 Court Puts CSIRO Wi-Fi Injunction on Hold [IDG] A federal court in the U.S. has temporarily lifted an injunction that banned Buffalo Technology (USA) from selling its IEEE 802.11a and 802.11g Wi-Fi products due to a patent claim by an Australian scientific agency. http://www.pcworld.com/article/154923/.html http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/120408-court-puts-csiro-wi-fi-injunction.html ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** uk/ca: Paedophile Rachata Burasite caught after grooming 13-year-old in virtual world A British paedophile who groomed a 13-year-old girl for sex in ?virtual world? has been caught after he attempted to meet her in person. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article5266661.ece Spain breaks up child pornography ring Spanish police said on Monday they had arrested 40 people in raids across the country to break up a file-sharing child pornography network. http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSTRE4B05YE20081201 au: Former Canberra music teacher jailed over child porn [AAP] A FORMER Canberra music teacher who downloaded thousands of child porn images, including pictures of children engaged in sex acts with animals, will spend three months in jail. http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24746557-5005941,00.html http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21498,24746520-5005361,00.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 Start your day with Yahoo!7 and win a Sony Bravia TV. Enter now http://au.docs.yahoo.com/homepageset/?p1=other&p2=au&p3=taglineReceived on Wed Dec 03 2008 - 22:09:49 UTC
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