ICANN Mexico City preview video by Kieren McCarthy http://blog.icann.org/2009/01/mexico-city-preview-video/ US businesses concerned about ICANN changes [IDG] http://www.pcworld.com/article/157076/.html 3 million .EU Domain Names Registered http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=7017 Ruling near on state's plan to seize domain names http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=332227 ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** Democrats' 2009 legislative plan: Net neutrality, copyright rewrite It may seem as though Congress has completely forgotten about Net neutrality, a topic that has languished in legislative purgatory since mid-2006. But a Democratic aide said Wednesday that it's likely to come back this year, along with potential alterations of digital copyright and patent law. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10143182-38.html ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Host Sought for 2010 Latin America Meeting ICANN is looking for a host for its 2010 meeting in Latin America. Expressions of Interest are sought from those in the region who wish to host the conference that will run from 20-25 June 2010. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-12jan09-en.htm Mexico City preview video by Kieren McCarthy ICANN has been working with Domaine.info to produce videos covering ICANN meetings. As well as a number of videos fronted by a member of either the staff or a chair of the relevant supporting organization or advisory committee and covering the Cairo meeting, they also caught up with the local hosts for the Mexico City meeting taking place in March this year. http://blog.icann.org/2009/01/mexico-city-preview-video/ US businesses concerned about ICANN changes [IDG] Some Internet-based businesses in the United States would support the splitting of the domain-name governance system instead of allowing an agreement between the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and the U.S. government to end later this year, the leader of a U.S. trade association said Wednesday. http://www.pcworld.com/article/157076/.html http://www.infoworld.com/article/09/01/14/US_businesses_concerned_about_ICANN_changes_1.html http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9125958 http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/011409-us-businesses-concerned-about-icann.html Note to Obama Administration: Please Reform the NTIA-ICANN Relationship. One of the sad legacies of the Clinton Administration is the never ending circus of internet governance known as the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN. The idea, in those optimistic ?anything not government is good? days, was to insulate management of the domain name system (DNS) from politics by setting up a structure outside government to handle the name and number system of the internet. http://wetmachine.com/item/1421 The new cyberspace Focusing on global image and cyber-branding trends, the option to purchase exclusive global rights to a name of your choice, now available in May 2009 from ICANN for an $185,000.00 USD fee on a first-come-non-refundable basis is a mega revolution. http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/154000320/4039382.search ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** cz: Online UDRP system launched Victims of cybersquatting can file UDRP complaints online from today, with the launch of a pilot programme from the Czech Arbitration Court (CAC) http://www.managingip.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=2081677 3 million .EU Domain Names Registered EURid, who manages the .eu TLD, announced Monday there were now three million .eu domain names registered. The milestone was reached three years and one month after the sunrise period for .eu commenced in December 2005. The last million registrations were added in 19 months as registrations increase by around 40,000 to 50,000 registrations most months. http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=7017 http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/01/13/3-million-eu-domain-names-registered/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/3-million-.eu-domain-names-registered.html Europeans love their domain - .eu passes 3 million domain names [news release] EURid, the European registry for .eu, is pleased to report that more than three million .eu domain names have been registered. The .eu top-level domain (TLD) passed this milestone on January 11, 2009. At 7:34 pm on Sunday evening, a resident of Germany registered the three millionth .eu domain name with accredited .eu registrar United Domains AG. http://www.eurid.eu/en/content/europeans-love-their-domain 3 Million .EU Domain Names Registered The domain registration ticker at EURid, registry for .eu domain names, has crossed the 3 million domain name milestone. According to statistics from EURid, about 50,000-60,000 new .eu domain names are registered every month. Germany and the Netherlands outpace other European countries in .eu domain registrations. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/01/12/3-million-eu-domain-names-registered/ Registrations for .eu pass three million Registrations for the .eu top-level domain have passed the three million mark, according to registry firm Eurid, making it the fourth most popular European country code level domain. http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2233977/dot-eu-passes-three-million http://www.infomaticsonline.co.uk/vnunet/news/2233977/dot-eu-passes-three-million http://www.whatpc.co.uk/vnunet/news/2233977/dot-eu-passes-three-million European Union's web address racks up 3 million registrations [AP] Europe's .eu Web address has racked up more than 3 million registrations, the European Commission said Wednesday. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28655227/ http://www.kyivpost.com/business/33311 http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/01/14/financial/f065510S15.DTL Europe's .eu Internet domain marks three millionth address [AFP] The European .eu web domain has picked up its three millionth customer since it was launched two and a half years ago, ranking it in the global cyber top 10, the EU commission announced Wednesday. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/europes-eu-internet-domain-marks-three-millionth-address-20090115-7h4h.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/europes-eu-internet-domain-marks-three-millionth-address-20090115-7h4h.html http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/breaking-news-technology/europes-eu-internet-domain-marks-three-millionth-address-20090115-7h4h.html http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/1310ap_eu_eu_web_addresses.html http://www.physorg.com/news151153034.html Three million dot-eu domain names registered More than three million dot-eu domain names have been registered since the establishment of the Internet domain less than three years ago. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0114/breaking60.htm ComReg introduces a new framework for Irelands .ie Top Level Domain [news release] The Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) has today published its Response to Consultation on a new framework for the regulation and management of .ie, Ireland?s Top Level Domain (TLD), which is part of the Internet?s global Domain Name System. http://www.comreg.ie/publications/comreg_introduces_a_new_framework_for_irelands__ie_top_level_domain.583.103259.p.html Comreg Finally Publish IEDR Report Although it's several months later than announced, Comreg (Irish Communications Regulator), has finally published its report on the consultation of IEDR and the IE ccTLD. http://www.isquattedyour.eu/2009/01/12/comreg-finally-publish-iedr-report/ ComReg to authorise IEDR for .ie domain name registrations ComReg will now appoint IEDR, by way of regulation, as the authority authorised to register .ie domain names; IEDR will set up and maintain a Policy http://www.telecompaper.com/news/article.aspx?cid=653099 You can do more with .mobi Find your success story The expression "you can't be everywhere at once", no longer holds true when you have a web site that fits into your customers? pockets. It's with this revelation in mind that many of today?s top businesses, like Hilton, Priceline, The Weather Channel and ZAGAT are taking their web sites on the road with their respective .mobi domains. http://www.sedo.com/links/showhtml.php3?Id=2273 Telnic warns football clubs face missing out on .tel domain names Telnic Limited, the registry operator for the new .tel domain name, has warned that football clubs are in danger of missing out on securing their own names, as Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal make their own applications. http://www.brandrepublic.com/News/873465/Telnic-warns-football-clubs-face-missing-tel-domain-names/ Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur at top of .tel global league, other clubs in danger of relegation Telnic Limited announced that internationally-recognized football clubs were in danger of missing out in securing their .tel domain names and a strong communications and revenue-generating channel to their millions of fans worldwide. http://telnic.com/downloads/Tottenham_Hotspur.pdf http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/01/14/arsenal-tottenham-hotspur-at-top-of-tel-global-league-other-clubs-in-danger-of-relegation/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/arsenal-tottenham-hotspur-at-top-of-.tel-global-league-other-clubs-in-danger-of-relegation.html Apple's App Store gets a mobile contacts management application Apple's App Store has added an iPhone application for managing mobile-optimized contact information slated to be provided in conjunction with .tel domain names. http://www.betanews.com/article/Apples_App_Store_gets_a_mobile_contacts_management_application/1231887211 ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Gaza crisis spills onto the web A propaganda war is being waged on the internet between supporters of the Israeli and Palestinian sides in the current conflict in the Gaza Strip. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7827293.stm Israel-Palestine conflict spills into cyberspace The conflict between Palestine and Israel is not limited to the real world. A group of programmers working under the name "Help Israel Win" has developed a piece of software that lets people devote part of their computer's processing power to attacking pro-Hamas websites. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jan/15/israel-palestine-online-conflict Researcher: Worm infects 1.1M Windows PCs in 24 hours The computer worm that exploits a months-old Windows bug has infected more than a million PCs in the past 24 hours, a security company said Wednesday. http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/273148/ ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** Ruling near on state's plan to seize domain names The Kentucky Court of Appeals is expected to issue a ruling soon on whether a state court can order the seizure of Internet domain names that are registered in another state or country. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=332227 http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/011209-ruling-near-on-states-plan.html World's second richest man gets Web name back for free The world's second richest man, Mexican telecommunications tycoon Carlos Slim Helu, won control for free on Wednesday of a Web address in his name that an Indonesian had tried to sell him for $55 million. http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSTRE50D5EQ20090114 http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-37447820090114 http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/decisions/html/2008/d2008-1767.html Mexican billionaire's name held for ransom on Web [AP] Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Helu has won a legal dispute with a cybersquatter who held his name for ransom on the Web. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/mexican-billionaires-name-held-for-ransom-on-web-20090115-7h5u.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/mexican-billionaires-name-held-for-ransom-on-web-20090115-7h5u.html uk: Boarding school wins battle to stop its name being used for pornographic websites Framlingham College boarding school has won a battle to stop its name being used to promote a series of internet pornography and dating websites. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/4227378/Boarding-school-wins-battle-to-stop-its-name-being-used-for-pornographic-websites.html School's links to porn site end A school in Ipswich has finally got the internet domain of its own name after a three-year battle. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7826794.stm Telnic Trips Up with Baidu.tel Telnic, the company behind the new .tel top level domain name, sent me a press release today touting that Baidu.tel had been awarded to Baidu Europe, a company that uses Baidu.eu. .Tel has a first-come policy for claiming trademark domain names during the sunrise message. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/01/12/telnic-trips-up-with-baidutel/ China's largest search engine (Baidu) misses out on .tel domain name In what could prove a salutary lesson for all trademark owners, a small European ICT company, Baidu, appears to have beaten China's largest search engine, also called Baidu, to secure its name under .tel, a new top level domain name designed to provide a one stop shop for communication between domain owner and customers, etc. http://www.itwire.com/content/view/22640/53/ SINGAPORE: Cybersquatters evicted [The Straits Times] Singapore Network Information Center rules in favor of Sony Ericsson against cybersquatter offering competitive Sony products on his website http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article-southeastasia.asp?parentid=103267 There's a NASCAR domain name that slipped past all of us For those of you not well-versed in Internet arcana, there's a process out there known as "cybersquatting," where some random dude (it's always a dude in these situations) goes and registers the dot-com version of a well-known name, concept, company, et cetera. Sometimes this leads to profit for the cybersquatter, as in the case of the guy who set up a bookstore portal at "amazoM.com" (the big dog has since purchased it). And sometimes it leads to some fine humor, as with the adult-entertainment site that registered whitehouse.com. (It's since been turned into some kind of political news site.) http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/nascar/blog/from_the_marbles/post/There-s-a-NASCAR-domain-name-that-slipped-past-a?urn=nascar,134135 ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Pattishall Client Prevails in Ground-Breaking Domain Name Class Action by Mark Partridge My Pattishall colleagues Brett August, Bradley Cohn and Alexis Payne recently won another round in a closely watched lawsuit involving Google and others regarding allegedly unfair use of domain names. The plaintiffs had attempted to bring a class action against multiple defendants for purported trademark infringement, cybersquatting and deceptive trade practices. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20090112_pattishall_domain_name_class_action/ CBS Pumps Up TV.com to Create a Destination When the CBS Corporation bought CNet for $1.8 billion last year, it acquired TV.com, a Web site that had little to brag about except a valuable domain name. Now CBS is transforming it into a video destination, The New York Times?s Brian Stelter reports. http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/12/cbs-pumps-up-tvcom-to-create-a-destination/ Domain Industry Tops and Flops of 2008 By Kathryn Farooqui, Marketing Manager Sedo UK As a new year begins and we say our final goodbyes to 2008, we know better than to just watch the changes pass us by. We?re domainers, investors and entrepreneurs! We analyze past trends and keep them in mind so that we can be on the lookout for similar obstacles and opportunities in the future. In this article, we?ll take a look at some of the most important market trends of 2008 in our typical Tops and Flops style. http://www.sedo.com/links/showhtml.php3?Id=2286 Domainer Tips for 2009: A Guide to Your Domain Resolution Stephanie Nichols, Customer Service Associate We have all entered a New Year, through the midst of difficult economic times. A lot of changes are expected to take place this year, and we all hope that any hardships we faced in the past year will be left behind in 2008. As the domain industry continues to steadily grow, there are still many new tough choices to make in the year ahead. What will your domain resolution be for this New Year? http://www.sedo.com/links/showhtml.php3?Id=2284 Why and How to Invest in .Mx Domains By Luisa Fernanda Villa y Battenberg, Sedo Latinoamerica The Market worldwide may be down, but for the careful investor there is a way off to safeguard investments despite the challenging environment. Customers can still continue to invest at a reasonable cost, for example investing in .com.mx domains at a price of $35 dollars per year domain registration. Investing in .com.mx either to park or to sell has several advantages. http://www.sedo.com/links/showhtml.php3?Id=2283 Domain Industry in 2009: Changes and Challenges The domain industry is facing some exciting changes in 2009 http://www.sedo.com/links/showhtml.php3?Id=2282 ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Answers.travel in Shock $3.3m Sale In one of the more extraordinary domain name sales, answers.travel has reportedly sold for US$3.3 million in 2008, with the deal closing in the third quarter of the year. Assuming the reports are correct, the sale would make it the second highest reported sale in 2008 behind fund.com, which sold for $9,999,950. http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=7019 http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/01/13/answerstravel-in-shock-33m-sale/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/answers.travel-in-shock-3.3m-sale.html Answers.Travel Sold For Over $3 Million? In a press release today, travel411 says they acquired the domain Answers.Travel for a staggering, $3.3 Million dollars, in an all cash transaction, which closed in the third quarter of 2008. http://www.thedomains.com/2009/01/13/answerstravel-sold-for-over-3-million/ 1&1 partners with Sedo to offer pre-owned domains Web hosting firm 1 &1 Internet has teamed up with domain marketplace Sedo to help customers find pre-owned domain names that are up for sale alongside regular unregistered names. http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2233876/partners-sedo-offer-pre-owned http://www.infomaticsonline.co.uk/vnunet/news/2233876/partners-sedo-offer-pre-owned The Success of Bobbleheads.com Find your success story now! The entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in the virtual world despite the dismal figures fed to us every night from Wall Street. Bobbleheads.com and its little brother Bobblehead.com were both sold through Sedo to Warren Royal, a business savvy end-user. The bobblehead, an icon of American pop culture, has now made its wobbly way to the front of virtual real-estate, thanks to the overwhelming success of bobbleheads.com. http://www.sedo.com/links/showhtml.php3?Id=2285 ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Wheels within wheels: is online commerce really green? The growth of online commerce should be an unqualified environmental benefit. The truth is more complicated: According to latest figures from IMRG, e-retail spending in the UK now amounts to ?46.6bn (17.5 per cent of total retail shopping) ? and online shopping is still increasing at a dizzying rate. In September 2008, online retail sales in the UK were up 14.8 per cent year-on-year, and up 9.9 per cent on the previous month. Fifty-four per cent of all shoppers shop online, projected to rise to 68 per cent by the year 2011. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/sustainit/wheels-within-wheels-1057572.html Harvard academic refutes Google carbon footprint story [IDG] A Harvard researcher said on Tuesday that a British newspaper misquoted his research covering the carbon footprint caused by running Web sites. http://computerworld.com.au/article/272952/ http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/272952/ http://www.pcworld.com/article/156994/.html China's Internet Users Increased To 298 Million In 2008 China Internet Network Information Center has published the latest report on China's Internet development, which states by the end of 2008, the number of Internet users in China had reached 298 million, a year-on-year increase of 41.9%. http://www.chinatechnews.com/2009/01/14/8507-chinas-internet-users-increased-to-298-million-in-2008/ Google conquers 2008 search market in U.S. About 69.5 percent of Internet searches in the U.S. took place through Google during 2008, with search traffic increasing 8 percent over 2007, according to research firm Hitwise. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10143183-93.html Internet stimulates elderly Searching the web may be more beneficial for the brain than reading a book, scientists say. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24905688-15306,00.html Filth and fury: The porn addicts struggling to shake off their online sex habit Addiction to pornography almost cost Ian his wife, job and children. And he's not alone. Joe Wade meets the men struggling to shake off their online sex habit http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/love-sex/sex-industry/filth-and-fury-the-porn-addicts-struggling-to-shake-off-their-online-sex-habit-1231560.html ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Pro-mafia Facebook pages cause alarm in Italy Leading Italian anti-mafia activists expressed alarm on Monday that Facebook pages dedicated to praise of some of Cosa Nostra's most notorious and bloody bosses have attracted hundreds of young admirers. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE50B3W320090112 http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-37405120090112 http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4816970a28.html Facebook, MySpace still mostly for the young [AP] More people are embracing social networks like MySpace and Facebook, but use of these friend-gathering sites remains a much bigger phenomenon among the young, according to a report released Wednesday by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/facebook-myspace-still-mostly-for-the-young-20090115-7h7i.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/facebook-myspace-still-mostly-for-the-young-20090115-7h7i.html ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** To Connect to the Internet, Just Turn on Your TV If there was one overarching theme from the Consumer Electronics Show here last week, it was that absolutely every device in our lives is becoming a computer connected to the Internet. http://nytimes.com/2009/01/12/technology/personaltech/12cesexec.html ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ Teen 'sexting' craze leading to child porn arrests in US In a new trend spreading across America, teens are sending nude or semi-nude pictures to one another on their mobile phones in a practice called ?sexting?. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5516511.ece Report Calls Online Threats to Children Overblown The Internet may not be such a dangerous place for children after all. A task force created by 49 state attorneys general to look into the problem of sexual solicitation of children online has concluded that there really is not a significant problem. http://nytimes.com/2009/01/14/technology/internet/14cyberweb.html http://iht.com/articles/2009/01/14/technology/14cyberweb.php http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/01/15/1231608845547.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/01/15/1231608845547.html Children are their own worst enemies online, says internet safety task force Worries that the internet and social networking services like MySpace pose a threat to child safety are overblown, a report by industry, academics and technology experts has suggested. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article5515188.ece Enhancing Child Safety and Online Technologies Final Report of the Internet Safety Technical Task Force to the Multi-State Working Group on Social Networking of State Attorneys General of the United States http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/pubrelease/isttf/ Internet threat to children may be overblown: study [Reuters] Worries that the internet and social networking services like MySpace pose a threat to child safety may be overblown, a report by industry, academics and technology experts suggests. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE50D0KJ20090114 http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-37431520090114 http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/01/14/2465766.htm Net threat to minors less than feared by Larry Magid A long awaited report from the Internet Safety Technical Task Force concludes that children and teens are less vulnerable to sexual predation than many have feared. The report also questions the efficacy and necessity of some commonly prescribed remedies designed to protect young people. http://news.cnet.com/8301-19518_3-10142096-238.html Report: biggest online threat to kids is other kids A Harvard-based task force set up in the wake of an agreement by MySpace and state Attorneys General has released its report on the safety of children who venture online. It has concluded that the dangers are often overhyped, and that many of them arise from other adolescents. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20090114-report-biggest-online-threat-to-kids-is-other-kids.html Technology alone can't keep kids safe online, says report [AP] A task force charged with assessing technologies for protecting children from unwanted contact online has concluded that no single approach is foolproof and that parental oversight is vital. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10551844 http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/panel-technology-alone-cant-protect-kids-online-20090114-7git.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/panel-technology-alone-cant-protect-kids-online-20090114-7git.html Technology alone 'won't assure youth safety on Internet' [AFP] A high-profile task force formed last year to study dangers young people face on the Internet has found that fears of sexual predators are overblown and that technology alone won't keep children safe. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/technology-alone-wont-assure-youth-safety-on-internet-20090115-7h4b.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/technology-alone-wont-assure-youth-safety-on-internet-20090115-7h4b.html au: Heat turned up on Net filtering AUSTRALIA has been getting lots of high-profile international headlines in recent weeks, and for all the wrong reasons. http://www.gocebit.com.au/?q=news/heat-turned-net-filtering Conroy cans Coonan's free net filtering scheme The Australian Labor Government has closed the programme established by the previous Coalition Government which gave all Australian families access to a free PC-based Internet content filter under its NetAlert initiative. http://www.itwire.com/content/view/22623/127/ ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** au: Industry peers slam govt file sharing filter A federal government move to stamp-out illegal file sharing via the national Internet content filtering scheme will be impossible, experts say, without blanket ban on peer-to-peer traffic. http://computerworld.com.au/article/272715/ http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/272715/ Copyright infringement fakes could disconnect innocent Kiwis ISPs could easily be tricked into thinking innocent internet users had fallen foul of copyright rules, according to US researchers. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10551857 ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** China's mobile Web users rise 113% China's mobile Internet population surged a whopping 113 percent in 2008 and could see explosive growth in the coming years, said a report issued by the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) yesterday. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-01/14/content_7395493.htm http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90776/90884/6573639.html Cellphones' Growth Does a Number on Health Research In our information-crazy, never-out-of-touch world, it's becoming harder and harder to find out who we are and what we do. That's the ironic truth facing epidemiologists around the country. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/11/AR2009011102082.html EC may crack down further on roaming fees [Reuters] Mobile-phone operators in the EU may face a ban on charging customers for receiving voice-mail messages outside their home state in the EU, turning the screw on industry revenues, a document showed on Monday. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,39591108,00.htm In grim 2009 cellphone market, Nokia seen faring best Top cellphone maker Nokia's 2009 profits are seen falling by around a quarter as the mobile phone market shrinks at an unprecedented pace, a Reuters poll showed. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-37424920090113 Study sees no eye cancer risk from mobile phones Regular mobile phone use does not appear to increase a person's risk of getting a type of cancer called melanoma of the eye, German researchers said on Tuesday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKTRE50C7BG20090113 nz: ComCom receives mobile termination undertakings The Commerce Commission has received undertakings from Vodafone, Telecom and NZ Communications in relation to the provision of mobile termination access services. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/netw/68E5641F5A6C4B85CC25753F000424EB India to revise 3G auction schedule again - govt India will revise the timetable for the global auction of third- and fourth-generation (3G and 4G) wireless spectrum for a second time, the telecoms ministry said late on Monday. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-37407920090112 France to break up fourth 3G mobile licence France has decided to break up a planned fourth licence for 3G mobile telecommunication services into three lots of 5 megahertz, with one reserved for a new operator, Prime Minister Francois Fillon said on Monday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE50B2NW20090112 No risk for kids from mobiles RADIATION from mobile phones has no short-term health impact on children and teenagers, a new German government study showed on Monday. http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Tech%2Band%2BScience/Story/STIStory_325410.html Intel wants WiMAX to lead Obama?s tech initiatives Last week at CES, Intel chairman Craig Barrett said that Intel would advise the new administration of Barack Obama to focus on wireless broadband and WiMAX in its tech initiatives. http://blogs.zdnet.com/Foremski/?p=338 Government in South Korea Drives Telecoms and Media Convergence The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) has said the South Korean government will spend 2.8 trillion won (US$2.06 billion) over the next five years to boost the convergence of the broadcast and telecoms sectors, Asia Pulse reports. http://communicationsdirectnews.com/do.php/140/33983?199 ********************** SPAM ********************** Meet the New Bots: Will We Get Fooled Again? The close of 2008 sounded the death knell for some of the most notorious spam networks on the planet. But already several new breeds of spam botnets -- massive groups of hacked PCs used for spamming -- have risen from the ashes, employing a mix of old and new tricks to all but ensure a steady flow of spam into e-mail boxes everywhere for many months to come. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/01/meet_the_new_bots_will_we_get.html Spammers still reeling from McColo bust Nearly two months after the bust of hosting firm McColo, spam numbers are still down. http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2233819/spammers-reeling-mccolo-bust Two months after McColo takedown, spam levels yet to recover We keep an eye on the amount of spam polluting the Internet as a general rule, but have kept a closer eye on the topic these past few months. The latest measurements from McAfee and Symantec show that spam levels remain below their November high point; McAfee projects spam levels at 60 percent of November, Symantec says 80 percent. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20090113-two-months-after-mccolo-takedown-spam-levels-yet-to-recover.html Optus fined $110,000 for sending spam Optus has been slapped with fines of $110,000, the second biggest penalty ever issued under the Spam Act. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/01/14/2466047.htm http://cowracommunitynews.com/viewnews.php?newsid=2144&id=48 au: Firms face court over mobile phone spam [AAP] Three mobile phone companies have been taken to court over alleged text message spam sent to mobile phones. http://news.smh.com.au/national/firms-face-court-over-mobile-phone-spam-20090113-7g0d.html http://news.theage.com.au/national/firms-face-court-over-mobile-phone-spam-20090113-7g0d.html http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,28348,24908156-5014239,00.html http://cowracommunitynews.com/viewnews.php?newsid=2146&id=48 Optus fined for spamming THE Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has slapped Optus with a $110,000 fine for allegedly breaching the Spam Act. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,,24911576-5013040,00.html ACMA hits Optus with $110,000 fine for Spam Act breach Telco fined for failing to adhere to Australian Spam Act legislation relating to mobile messaging http://computerworld.com.au/article/273082/ http://www.techworld.com.au/article/273082/ http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/273082/ Optus cops $110,000 fine over spam texts OPTUS has been given a slap on the wrist by the media and communications regulator, which has ordered it to pay a $110,000 fine for spamming its mobile phone customers. http://business.smh.com.au/business/optus-cops-110000-fine-over-spam-texts-20090114-7gza.html http://www.businessday.com.au/business/optus-cops-110000-fine-over-spam-texts-20090114-7gza.html ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** The drawbacks of new technology How can we be sure new technologies won't have a negative impact, asks Bill Thompson http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7824096.stm ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Gaza crisis spills onto the web A propaganda war is being waged on the internet between supporters of the Israeli and Palestinian sides in the current conflict in the Gaza Strip. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7827293.stm Judge Orders Search of Bush Administration Appointees' E-Mails With Bush administration White House aides on their way out the door in coming days, a federal judge this morning ordered the president's executive office to undertake a comprehensive search for millions of senior appointees' e-mails that have been inaccessible and possibly missing since 2005. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/14/AR2009011401957.html White House ordered to search employee computers for missing e-mails A federal court ordered on Wednesday all employees working in the Bush White House to surrender media that might contain e-mails sent or received during a two and a half year period in hope of locating missing messages before President-elect Barack Obama takes over next week. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090114_4453.php Nasa hacker Gary McKinnon could be tried in Britain Gary McKinnon, the British hacker accused of breaking into the Pentagon and Nasa computer systems, could be tried in Britain to prevent his extradition to the US. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/4220292/Nasa-hacker-Gary-McKinnon-could-be-tried-in-Britain.html British prosecution could save hacker from extradition to US Gary McKinnon, the computer hacker facing extradition to the US for hacking into the Pentagon and Nasa systems, could now be prosecuted in Britain. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jan/12/gary-mckinnon-extradition-computer-hacker Genius who wasted $1bn? My son Gary McKinnon was just looking for ET If you believe the Pentagon and Nasa, Janis Sharp is the mother of an evil genius. Her son is Gary McKinnon, the Briton accused of the biggest hacking operation in US military history, and whose $1 billion wrecking spree through cyberspace ? he says it was a quest to uncover evidence of alien life forms ? has left his family in their own twilight zone. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article5505489.ece Cyber-thieves plant virus on Paris Hilton's website Paris Hilton, the hotel heiress, has fallen prey to cyber-thieves who hacked into her website and infected it with a virus to steal her fans' identities. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/4234875/Cyber-thieves-plant-virus-on-Paris-Hiltons-website.html Paris Hilton's Site Attacks Visitors Paris Hilton's official Web site is serving up an unexpected surprise, according to Robert McMillan of the IDG News Service. The hacked site attempts to infect visitors with a Trojan in what sounds like a classic drive-by-download attack. As of Tuesday, the site was still attacking visitors, and you shouldn't attempt to visit the site yourself. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/011409-paris-hiltons-site-attacks.html NZ Police use Facebook to catch bungling burglar Police in New Zealand have made their first ?Facebook arrest? after placing CCTV footage of a burglar removing his balaclava during the burglary on the social networking site. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article5514161.ece NZ police use Facebook to nab not-so-safe burglar [Reuters] New Zealand police have arrested a safe burglar by using the popular social networking website Facebook to identify and track him down. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/01/14/2466088.htm nz: Online strife hits street Frustrated victims of cyber bullying are lashing out at their online provokers on the streets of Nelson, while police are urging them to seek help before taking internet feuds into their own hands. http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelsonmail/4818480a6007.html http://www.stuff.co.nz/4819453a11.html Cyberspace gets real To anyone whose formative years predated the internet, the notion that online bullying is a problem solid enough for the justice system to get involved with might seem close to bizarre, says the Nelson Mail in an editorial. http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/nelsonmail/4819621a23218.html Cyber bullying victims lash out on streets [NZPA] Cyber bullying drove two Nelson women to lash out at their online attackers on the street and walk away with convictions for assault. http://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/39420/cyber-bullying-victims-lash-out-streets http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/5262529/cyber-bullying-victims-lash-out-on-streets/ us: Man arrested for allegedly selling daughter on internet A father in California has been arrested for allegedly arranging to sell his 14-year-old daughter for $16,000 (?11,000), 100 cases of beer and several cases of meat. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/4229551/Man-arrested-for-allegedly-selling-daughter-on-internet.html Storm Botnet Makes A Comeback It's official: Storm is back. The notorious botnet that ballooned into one of the biggest botnets ever and then basically disappeared for months last year is rebuilding -- with all-new malware and a more sustainable architecture less likely to be infiltrated and shut down. http://www.darkreading.com/security/vulnerabilities/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212900543 German Chatroom Addict on Trial for Two Murders A German man who met around 150 women in Internet chat rooms went on trial in Germany on Wednesday charged with murdering two of them. Dubbed "Germany's First Internet Murderer" in the press, he has confessed to the killings, but denies he's a serial killer. http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,601316,00.html German chatroom obsessive admits killing women he met online A man who used computer chatrooms obsessively and has been called "Germany's first internet killer" has gone on trial. After flirting with more than 300 women online, and meeting many of them, he admits that he met and killed two of the women ? one of whom was stabbed 26 times with a bread knife. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/chatroom-obsessive-admits-killing-women-he-met-online-1366731.html ************************** PRIVACY ************************** uk: Big Brother database a 'terrifying' assault on traditional freedoms Sweeping new powers allowing personal information about every citizen to be handed over to government agencies faced condemnation yesterday amid warnings that Britain is experiencing the greatest threats to civil rights for decades. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/big-brother-database-a-terrifying-assault-on-traditional-freedoms-1366716.html Online Privacy Decisions Confront Obama President-elect Barack Obama is about to face his first tests on consumer privacy, with questions about how much personal information Internet companies should be able to collect about consumers, how long they should keep that data, and whether they should use it to serve ads to Web surfers. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/12/AR2009011203050.html Groups file FTC complaint over cell phone privacy You may not know it yet, but your cell phone is becoming the new battleground in the war between consumer rights groups and the behavioral advertising community. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9125880 Privacy Groups File Mobile Marketing Complaint With FTC [IDG] Two privacy groups on Tuesday asked the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to regulate how mobile marketers can use consumers' personal information, saying many people don't know when their information is being collected from cell phones and how it's being used. http://www.pcworld.com/article/157050/.html Watchdogs: FTC must halt "deceptive" cellphone tracking, ads Are new cell phone features like GPS and rich Internet browsers providing too much information to marketers? Two consumer watchdog groups think so, and they have submitted a 52-page complaint to the FTC outlining the potential dangers and requesting an investigation. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20090113-watchdogs-ftc-must-halt-deceptive-cellphone-tracking-ads.html ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** au: Strange bedfellows: Sex and IT unite to stop Net censorship Who would have thought the government's proposed Internet filtering scheme would bring together so many disparate groups all united in their opposition to mandatory censorship? http://www.techworld.com.au/article/273031/ http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/273031/ http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/273031/ http://www.cio.com.au/article/273031/ New Chinese online censorship campaign extinguishes last flicker of Olympic torch Reporters Without Borders regards the campaign against Internet porn that China launched on 5 January as just a pretext for reinforcing online censorship. More than 90 websites have so far been blocked, but some of them have no pornographic content. Foreign ministry spokesperson Jian Yu nonetheless insisted today that ?China takes a positive and open minded attitude toward the management of the Internet.? http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=29969 Report: South Korean blogger arrested A South Korean blogger pleaded not guilty Saturday to charges that he spread false economic information on the Internet, a news report said, in a case that drew heated debate over freedom of speech. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/10/AR2009011000610.html ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** us: Advertisers join forces for online self-regulation Four major US advertising trade groups have joined forces to self-regulate behavioral advertising online. So far, though, they're just talking. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20090113-advertisers-join-forces-for-online-self-regulation.html NZ tech industry makes late bid to stop copyright law [NZPA] The New Zealand Computer Society says a new law taking effect next month could see internet service providers (ISPs) having to cut off families and businesses, if a third party accuses them of copyright breaches. http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4819682a28.html http://www.3news.co.nz/ScienceTech/Story/tabid/412/articleID/87100/cat/74/Default.aspx http://www.guide2.co.nz/politics/news/technology-industry-makes-late-bid-to-stop-copyright-law-changes/11/5019 http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/it-industry-makes-bid-stop-copyright-law-changes-39579 uk: Broadband for all to be funded by the industry The government wants everyone in the UK to have access to a basic broadband service by 2012, either through a traditional phone line or over a mobile phone network, with the telecoms industry paying for it. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jan/15/broadband-for-all-in-uk uk: Lord Carter drops 'broadband for all' hint Lord Carter has today hinted that his forthcoming vision for Digital Britain will include a promise to get broadband to everyone in the UK and that the government may have a financial role to play in the rollout of the next generation of superfast internet networks. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jan/14/lord-carter-drops-broadband-all-hint Change Sweeping to the FCC Julius Genachowski, technology adviser to President-elect Barack Obama, is poised to become chairman of the Federal Communications Commission at a time when communications policy lies at the intersection of sweeping changes in the high-tech business landscape. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/13/AR2009011303106.html ********************************* COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS ********************************* Google Begins Recruiting Reseller Army Google is launching a reseller recruitment drive that could herald a shift in the way the company markets its products. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/65829.html Google Australia eyes resellers GOOGLE Australia plans to assemble an army of resellers to push its wares in a bid to go head-to-head with Microsoft. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24915587-15306,00.html ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** au: Experts split over idle fibre Analysts have locked horns over the need for Telstra's dark fibre to be integrated into the government's $10 billion National Broadband Network (NBN). http://computerworld.com.au/article/273059/ Telecom experts: U.S. should target broadband stimulus spending U.S. government funding aimed at bringing broadband to unserved areas should go beyond the current Universal Service Fund, which mainly supports traditional telephone service in rural areas, some telecom experts said Tuesday. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9125838 Internet Service Speed Is Fast-Track Issue for New Administration President-elect Barack Obama's plan to give the entire country speedy Internet service while creating thousands of telecom jobs as part of his stimulus package has come up against a seemingly simple but contentious question: How fast is fast enough? http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/12/AR2009011203179.html High-speed Web can't rely on stimulus: Obama aide A broad U.S. economic stimulus package cannot be the major vehicle for achieving the high-speed Internet goals of the incoming administration, a top technology adviser to President-elect Barack Obama said on Wednesday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKTRE50D4V820090114 Billions for broadband in stimulus bill appear likely [IDG] Groups calling for the federal government to spend $30 billion or more to improve broadband networks across the country are optimistic that kind of money will be available in an economic stimulus bill pushed by President-elect Barack Obama, one telecommunications expert said today. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9125968 http://www.pcworld.com/article/157085/.html Sea Change for South African Internet in 2009 Thanks to the pressure of preparation for 2010 and the Seacom undersea cable, the South African Internet and digital marketing, advertising and media industries should undergo a sea change this year. http://bizcommunity.com/Article/196/424/31639.html http://allafrica.com/stories/200901140639.html --------- 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 Stay connected to the people that matter most with a smarter inbox. Take a look http://au.docs.yahoo.com/mail/smarterinboxReceived on Wed Jan 14 2009 - 21:34:38 UTC
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