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 *************************************************** Vint Cerf: Big Internet Changes This Year http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/624311 ICANN's President and CEO Announces Departure http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-02mar09-en.htm Chief of key Internet oversight body is leaving [AP] http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10559701 Twomey: Time Is Right to Give Up ICANN Helm [AP] http://ecommercetimes.com/story/66361.html Aussie CEO of global net group retires http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25132046-7582,00.html Paul Twomey, ICANN CEO, to Resign http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=7423 ICANN: Domain names in Chinese, Arabic, and Russian coming soon http://www.thestandard.com/news/2009/03/03/foreign-language-sites-get-matching-urls au: AusRegistry?s domaination http://www.smartcompany.com.au/Premium-Articles/Lunchwithanentrepreneur/20090303-AusRegistrys-domaination.html Two New Registry Companies Launched to Help new TLDs http://www.domainnamenews.com/news/registry-consulting-new-tlds/4211 ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** Vint Cerf: Big Internet Changes This Year The Internet in 2009 is undergoing the most significant set of changes of its entire history, according to one of the men who helped create it, Dr. Vint Cerf. At the official opening of the Internet Society's (ISOC) new offices in Geneva, Cerf explained that technical developments in the Internet's addressing system and the introduction of internationalized domain names are significant milestones. http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/624311 Memo to John Markoff: There are No "Do Overs" in History by Milton Mueller Think for a moment of the enduring legacy of African slavery in America. Think of the way it tainted this country's culture and politics; think of the bloody Civil War, the ghettos and race riots after emancipation, the distorted interpersonal relations, the segregated housing patterns. What if we could roll back the clock and ensure that our society was "designed" so that slavery was never permitted and never happened? http://www.circleid.com/posts/20090302_memo_john_markoff_no_do_overs_in_history/ Obama picks Net neutrality advocate as FCC chairman President Obama on Tuesday nominated Julius Genachowski as the nation's top telecommunications regulator, picking a campaign advisor who has divided his career between Washington, D.C. political jobs and working as an Internet executive. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10187067-38.html ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** ICANN's President and CEO Announces Departure Founders and leaders of the Internet today praised the achievements of Dr Paul Twomey, the President and Chief Executive Officer of ICANN, after learning that Twomey had advised ICANN's Board of Directors that he will not seek renewal of his contract and will move on from ICANN at the end of 2009. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-02mar09-en.htm Board Review: Public Comment Period to the WG Interim Report ICANN appointed the Boston Consulting Group/Colin Carter & Associates to perform the external review of its Board of Directors. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-03mar09-en.htm Chief of key Internet oversight body is leaving [AP] Paul Twomey, chief executive of the Internet's key oversight agency since 2003, will step down after a successor is named, The Associated Press has learned. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/03/02/financial/f070652S53.DTL http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10559701 http://iht.com/articles/ap/2009/03/02/business/NA-US-Internet-Names.php http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/02/AR2009030200885.html http://www.thestate.com/technology/story/701235.html http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/03/02/ap6113342.html http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101334988 http://www.watoday.com.au/breaking-news-technology/chief-of-key-internet-oversight-body-is-leaving-20090303-8mic.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/chief-of-key-internet-oversight-body-is-leaving-20090303-8mic.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/chief-of-key-internet-oversight-body-is-leaving-20090303-8mic.html Twomey: Time Is Right to Give Up ICANN Helm [AP] Paul Twomey, chief executive of the Internet's 10th Annual Online Fraud Report. Online Payment Fraud Trends, Merchant Practices and Benchmarks. Get your copy today. key oversight agency since 2003, will step down later this year after a successor is named. Twomey, 47, said he declined a three-year contract renewal with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers More about Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN, for fear of becoming "Mr. ICANN." Leaving now, he said, would let him take another leadership job in the private or international sector "and really make a difference in another organization." http://ecommercetimes.com/story/66361.html Aussie CEO of global net group retires Australian Paul Twomey, CEO of the world's Internet domain name regulator, will leave the group at the end of 2009 after 12 years. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25132046-7582,00.html Paul Twomey, ICANN CEO, to Resign Paul Twomey, ICANN?s CEO and President, has publicly announced at the opening session of ICANN's 34th International Public Meeting in Mexico City, which has drawn more than 1,200 attendees from all over the world, that he will not be seeking to renew his contract for another three years when it comes up for renewal July 1, 2009. http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=7423 http://www.domainpulse.com/2009/03/02/paul-twomey-icann-ceo-president-to-resign/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/general/icann-ceo-president-paul-twomey-announces-departure.html ICANN: Domain names in Chinese, Arabic, and Russian coming soon Web sites written in Russian, Korean and other non-ASCII characters soon will be able to have their addresses displayed in the same language. http://www.thestandard.com/news/2009/03/03/foreign-language-sites-get-matching-urls Yet Another Hurdle for New Top Level Domains Section 1.2.3 of ICANN?s Applicant Guidebook for new TLDs points out a stark reality for new TLDs: they may not work. Worse, they may work in some places and systems and not others: http://domainnamewire.com/2009/03/02/yet-another-hurdle-for-new-top-level-domains/ ICANN addresses trade mark concerns The internet body ICANN has identified trade mark protection as one of the key issues that require further work before more generic top-level domains (gTLDs) can be introduced. http://managingip.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=2116591 ICANN Con Rocas (or 'ICANN On the Rocks') by Graham Chynoweth ICANN Meetings can be an intimidating place for first-timers or even those who have only attended for the few years. The acronyms fly fast and furious. The participants, or at least most of them, have been working on the issues for years (even decades). The technical and policy issues are complex. Luckily, however, an attendee can overcome these barriers to entry with a few drinks at the hotel bar. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20090302_icann_con_rocas_or_icann_on_the_rocks/ ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** UAE introduces Arabic domain names The United Arab Emirates will now allow Arabic domain names for websites, which was previously restricted to using only English characters. http://www.itp.net/news/548396-uae-introduces-arabic-domain-names au: AusRegistry?s domaination Domain names have taken on more significance (and value) than just the web?s version your business?s location. AusRegistry?s Adrian Kinderis tells how his business took a niche and shaped it into a mainstream money maker. http://www.smartcompany.com.au/Premium-Articles/Lunchwithanentrepreneur/20090303-AusRegistrys-domaination.html Government Keeping Its .Gov Domain Names Secret President Obama in January promised "an unprecedented level of openness in government." But the government has yet to get the memo. http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=215600330 No Rest For the Kyrgyz Internet The head of the State Patent Department [en] Ulan Melisbek told [ru] that this department will try to take control of the service registration of domain names in the .kg zone. http://kyrgyzstan.neweurasia.net/2009/03/02/no-rest-for-the-kyrgyz-internet/ ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Germany warns of 'catastrophic' state of Web security German authorities on Tuesday warned against the "catastrophic" state of security on the Internet, with growing armies of viruses, worms and Trojan horses unleashed by ever savvier criminals. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/germany-warns-of-catastrophic-state-of-web-security-20090304-8nkp.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/germany-warns-of-catastrophic-state-of-web-security-20090304-8nkp.html Websites brace for Conficker worm attack Computers infected by the Downadup worm will "phone home" to several legitimate URLs this month, including one owned by Southwest Airlines, potentially disrupting those sites, a security researcher has said. http://www.techworld.com/news/index.cfm?NewsID=111669 Cybercrime: From (& To) Russia, With Love Would authorities in Russia and Eastern Europe be more willing to pursue cyber crooks if they were forced to confront how deeply those groups have penetrated key government and private computer networks in those regions? http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/03/from_to_russia_with_love.html ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** European Commission Can Register 'galileo.eu', Even if It Deprives Owner of Identical Trademark When it drafted the .eu regulation EC 874/2004, the Commission reserved for itself a (long) list of domain names. One of them was galileo.eu. For obvious reasons, Galileo Lebensmittel GmbH & Co. KG claimed before the Courf of First Instance that the Commission's decision to reserve galileo.eu should be annulled. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20090302_european_commission_register_galileo_trademark/ Domain Name Dispute Update: Cybersquatting Trademark Protected .net Domain Names A search of the uniform domain name dispute resolution policy decisions by WIPO and NAF of .net domains reveals the following results. It is no surprise that .net domains are heavily cybersquatted along with the .com heavyweight. In many instances, companies that have registered their trademarks or have common law trademark rights find themselves being cybersquatted by the same registrant on both the .com and the .net variations. http://tcattorney.typepad.com/anticybersquatting_consum/2009/03/domain-name-dispute-update-cybersquatting-trademark-protected-net-domain-names.html New battle around the domain name Kosovo.com New battle around the domain name Kosovo.com. Who is going to win the virtual part of Kosovo? http://www.romandie.com/infos/ats/display.asp?page=20090304132010111111111111111.xml ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Two New Registry Companies Launched to Help new TLDs Two new registry consulting & services companies - Minds + Machines and Central Registry Solutions - were launched at ICANN Mexico City to help anybody interested in starting a new TLD work through the process from beginning to end - saving time, money, and confusion along the way. http://www.domainnamenews.com/news/registry-consulting-new-tlds/4211 ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** ToysRUs pays $5m for toys domain Toy retailer ToysRUs has paid $5.1m (?3.6m) for the Toys.com domain name. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7923433.stm Dark Blue Sea Profit Down 80% Dark Blue Sea, parent company of domain parking provider and domain registrar Fabulous, reported that profits for the second half of 2008 plummeted 80.5% compared to the same period in 2007 as revenue dipped 6.3%. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/03/02/dark-blue-sea-profit-down-80/ Dot ME domain names go under the hammer Drink.ME, employ.ME, tell.ME and film.ME are among 35 generic but ?desirable? .ME domains that will be auctioned online by the European web marketplace Sedo later this month. http://www.itnews.com.au/News/NewsStory.aspx?story=97712 FlatRate.de Sells for $200,000 Yesterday on Twitter Sedo posted some of its completed sales for the week. One in particular caught my eye: FlatRate.de sold for EUR 160,000. That?s about $200,000 USD. The buyer is Active Touch Media + Marketing of Germany. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/03/03/flatratede-sells-for-200000/ ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Microsoft Mapping Course to a Jetsons-Style Future As personal computer sales stagnate, Microsoft and its longtime partner, Intel, are looking to diversify into sophisticated artificial intelligence products. http://nytimes.com/2009/03/02/technology/business-computing/02compute.html Utah: Online Porn Capital of America? For most of my life I have lived in the cauldrons of sin - first New York, then California. These Bluer than Blue states are the source of most of our society's ills, or so we are constantly told. http://blogs.computerworld.com/online_porn http://www.pcworld.com/article/160566/.html Google's Eric Schmidt looks down his nose at Twitter Hands up who thinks Twitter is a bit of a waste of time. Those who think that the micro-blogging site is nothing to write home about (let alone fill newspaper columns with) will be glad to know that Google CEO Eric Schmidt feels the same way. http://timesonline.typepad.com/technology/2009/03/googles-eric-sc.html German 20-somethings prefer Internet to love German twenty-somethings would ditch their spouses and do without a car in a heartbeat if they had to choose between having them or Internet access or a mobile phone, according to an industry study. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE5213PP20090302 http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-38293520090302 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29466809/ http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,504087,00.html Web-Savvy Obama Team Hits Unexpected Bumps The team that ran the most technologically advanced presidential campaign in modern history is finding it difficult to adapt that model to government. WhiteHouse.gov, envisioned as the primary vehicle for President Obama to communicate with the online masses, has been overwhelmed by challenges that staffers did not foresee and technological problems they have yet to solve. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/01/AR2009030101745.html Internet Mirrors Recession?s Gloom Americans? search patterns reflect their narrowing financial straits, according to the marketing research firm comScore. The number of Internet searches incorporating the word ?unemployment? more than tripled from December 2007 to December 2008. Bankruptcy appeared in more than twice as many searches, and ?coupons? went from 7.6 million searches to 19.9 million. http://nytimes.com/2009/03/02/business/economy/02drill.html Thou shalt not text, nor listen to thy iPod: Bishops set new rules for Lent Chocolate, cigarettes and alcohol may be the predictable vices to give up for the 40 days of Lent but Italians are being urged to abstain from more contemporary pleasures, like texting, Facebook and iPods. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/thou-shalt-not-text-nor-listen-to-thy-ipod-bishops-set-new-rules-for-lent-1636854.html ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** "Koobface" Worm Resurfaces on Facebook, MySpace Security experts are warning users of Facebook, MySpace and other social networking communities to be on guard against a new strain of the "Koobface" worm, which spreads by tricking users into responding to a message apparently sent from one of their friends. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/03/koobface_worm_resurfaces_on_fa.html Facebook users suffer viral surge Facebook has been targeted by malicious hackers seeking to steal valuable data from members. The social network site has been hit by five separate security problems in the last seven days, say security experts. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7918839.stm Koobface worm to users: Be my Facebook friend A worm that hit Facebook last December has resurfaced, a security researcher said today, and is now hijacking user accounts -- not only for that social networking service, but also for MySpace, Friendster, LiveJournal and others. http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9128842 http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/030309-koobface-worm-to-users-be.html Facebook fights new Koobface worm, another rogue app Like flies to cow dung, rogue apps are swarming to Facebook. The popular social-networking site has been hit by what's believed to be the fourth rogue app in a week or so and is investigating the spread of a new variant of the Koobface worm, according to security firm Trend Micro. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10185517-83.html Koobface worm slithers onto Facebook Facebook addicts beware, a new wave of socially engineered worms and trojans is headed your way as criminals seek new ways to cash in on the popularity of social networks. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/03/03/1235842400790.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/03/03/1235842400790.html nz: Police target web predators A new police unit is being launched to protect kids from online sexual predators and the dangers of social networking sites. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/1518428/Police-target-web-predators us: Teen sues Facebook, classmates over cyberbullying After a Long Island teen discovers that classmates had set up a password-protected Facebook page that accused her of all sorts of falsehoods, she sues Facebook and the now ex-classmates. http://news.cnet.com/2003-12_3-0-1.html ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Worldwide PC sales set to slump to 2007 levels in biggest reverse ever, says Gartner It has already suffered heavily at the hands of the economic downturn ? but the computer industry must be ready for the toughest year in its history, according to one industry analyst. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/mar/03/dell-computing World PC sales set for massive decline The world PC market is set for its sharpest unit decline in history this year, with the current financial uncertainty encouraging customers to hold on to PCs for longer, according to Gartner Inc. http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?NewsID=111606 http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9128838 Gartner Says PC Industry Will Suffer Sharpest Unit Decline in History in 2009 [news release] The PC industry will experience its sharpest unit decline in history, with PC shipments totaling 257 million units in 2009, an 11.9 percent decline from 2008, according to Gartner, Inc. Previously, PC units experienced their worst decline in 2001 when unit shipments contracted 3.2 percent. http://gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=904412 ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ EU fights huge increase in web child abuse The number of child sex abuse websites in Europe has soared and the violence shown has become more extreme, the European commission and Europol, the European police agency, warned yesterday. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/mar/04/child-sex-abuse-websites-increase eu: Child abuse image trade targeted Profits made by peddlers of child sex abuse images are being targeted by a pan-European alliance. The European Financial Coalition brings together payment firms, law enforcement agencies and child protection groups to disrupt commerce in the images. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7920807.stm Visa, Microsoft join EU fight against Internet child porn [AFP] A new coalition of police, Internet providers, financial groups and NGOs was launched Tuesday to tackle the growing flow of child abuse pictures distributed online, the EU commission announced. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/visa-microsoft-join-eu-fight-against-internet-child-porn-20090304-8njd.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/visa-microsoft-join-eu-fight-against-internet-child-porn-20090304-8njd.html EC renews efforts to fight online child pornography [IDG] The European Commission has set up a coalition of public and private organizations to fight the growing problem of the sexual abuse of children on the Internet, Commission Vice President Jacques Barrot said Tuesday. The number of Web sites containing images of child sex abuse quadrupled between 2003 and 2007, he said in a speech in London. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/030309-ec-renews-efforts-to-fight.html Effort launched to smash child porn websites A broad European alliance of industry and police began sharing private financial information on Tuesday in a bid to crack down on criminals who profit from distributing child pornography on the Web. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE52255J20090303 Keynote speech by Jacques Barrot, Vice-President of the European Commission: "An indecent profit, a horrific crime", Preparing a European response to combat the commercial distribution of child abuse images Today, there are approximately 3000 commercial child-exploitation and abuse web sites, with an estimated three hundred sites operating on the internet at any one time. Sites containing images of child sex abuse have quadrupled between 2003 and 2007. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/09/84 One in three UK youngsters a cyber-bullying victim One in three young Britons have been the victims of cyber-bullying with girls the most likely victims, according to research published on Tuesday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE5221M220090303 http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-38313320090303 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/one-in-three-uk-youngsters-a-cyberbullying-victim-1636347.html One in three kids have experienced cyberbullying One third of kids have been the victim of cyberbullying, says anti-bullying charity Beatbullying. http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?NewsID=111674 http://www.pcworld.com/article/160542/.html Australian teens driven to suicide by cyber bullying CYBER bullying has grown so damaging it is driving some teenagers to suicide, young people have told the State Government. http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,25135707-5006009,00.html au: Clean feed filtered out THE federal Government's communications policies have taken a battering in a survey that attracted about 20,000 respondents. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25128878-5013041,00.html au: NSW teachers attack NSW DET filter A number of NSW teachers and librarians have criticised the Department of Education's (DET) web filtering system, claiming it is too restrictive and has sacrificed educational benefits in the name of child protection. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/software/soa/Teachers-attack-NSW-DET-filter/0,130061733,339295247,00.htm Great Australian Firewall dead in the water? The final nail in the coffin of the great Australian Firewall was hammered home last week when independent Senator Nick Xenophon withdrew support for the measure. This takes the voting arithmetic in the Australian Upper House beyond the point of no-return, as there are now 43 votes stacked up against the proposal with just 33 in favour. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/03/02/oz_firewall_finished/ Australian content filter pilots debunk critics Australian internet service providers (ISPs) participating in the government?s clean-feed internet pilot have supported the scheme and poured cold water on claims the technology will not work. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/netw/6ECBF6235D584550CC25756C00833C52 au: Cyber Safe lessons at Bellingen High All Year 7 and 8 students are currently learning how to be Cyber Safe as part of their Computer Studies lessons. http://bellingen.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/cyber-safe-lessons-at-bellingen-high/1448609.aspx au: Child cyber-safety program trialed in ACT schools An education program designed to improve children's safety on the internet is being piloted in some ACT schools. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/04/2507062.htm ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Pirate Bay awaits court verdict The trial of the creators of the file-sharing site The Pirate Bay has ended. Lawyers for both the prosecution and defence have delivered their closing arguments in the high-profile copyright trial in Sweden. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7921933.stm Pirate Bay Day 11: trial ends, verdict awaited Today was the last scheduled in the Pirate Bay trial, and the four defence lawyers made their closing statements. They all presented much the same points, the main ones being that the Pirate Bay site didn't hold any copyright films or music -- it merely acted as a search engine -- and that no copyrighted content passed through it anyway. The prosecution had failed to produce any uploaders or downloaders, and had not shown their actions were illegal where they happened to live. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/mar/03/pirate-bay-last-day Pirate Bay site legal, defence argues as trial closes [AFP] Lawyers defending four Swedes in a trial over The Pirate Bay filesharing website argued the site was legal and had not made its founders wealthy, as the trial wrapped up in Stockholm on Tuesday. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/pirate-bay-site-legal-defence-argues-as-trial-closes-20090304-8nl1.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/pirate-bay-site-legal-defence-argues-as-trial-closes-20090304-8nl1.html Prison threat for Pirate Bay four Prosecutors in the trial against the four men who run the file-sharing site The Pirate Bay have called for a one-year prison sentence to be imposed. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7919674.stm The Pirate Bay prosecutor demands prison terms The Swedish prosecutor in The Pirate Bay illegal downloading trial today called for the four defendants to be jailed for one year. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article5835268.ece Pirate Bay prosecutor demands prison sentences [AFP] A Swedish prosecutor wants one-year jail terms for four men charged with running The Pirate Bay, one of the world's top websites for illegal downloading. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/03/2505800.htm ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** Half world's population now uses a mobile phone, quarter use the internet The speed and scale of the world's love affair with mobile phones was revealed yesterday in a UN report that showed more than half the global population now pay to use one. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/mar/03/mobile-phones1 From Congo to Kathmandu, how mobiles have transformed the world More than half the global population now pay to use a mobile phone, according to a new UN report. With this breathtaking surge in users has come a huge expansion in the mobile services available, from instant money transfers to public health advice to internet access. The fastest growth has been in Africa where people like Deograsias Mukeba, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, now find their phones indispensable. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/mar/03/mobile-phones2 Case study: Boniface Kamau, 37 Boniface Kamau's bank is fast, efficient, and only shuts when it is out of power. It instantly sends money to his mother across town, pays his electricity bill, and transfers cash into a savings club pool. Did he mention that his Nokia handset also makes voice calls, sends text messages and takes pictures? http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/mar/03/mobile-phones-africa Case study: Alan Roberto Lima, 33 When Alan Roberto Lima was growing up in Vila Alian?a, a notoriously violent favela on the western outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, only the community's elite could afford mobile phones. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/mar/03/mobile-phones4 Case study: David Morris, 17 "When I went for my army selection day, they took my phone away and I just felt lost," said David Morris, 17, from Staffordshire, who got his first one at age 10. "My fingers were jittering about. It's like the phone is a part of you." http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/mar/03/mobile-phones How ringing the changes meant bringing in the money The rapid growth of the mobile phone industry has created billionaires by the bucketload, particularly in developing countries where well-connected business families have been able to gain control of the telecommunications market. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/mar/03/mobile-millionaires UN: Mobile phone growth helps poorer states [Reuters] Two thirds of the world's cell phone subscriptions are in developing nations, with the highest growth rate in Africa where a quarter of the population now has a mobile, a United Nations agency said on Friday. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/un-mobile-phone-growth-helps-poorer-states-1635587.html Developing countries drive growth in cellphone use [AP] Six in 10 people around the world now have cellphone subscriptions, signalling that mobile phones are the communications technology of choice, particularly in poor countries, according to a UN report published Monday. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/03/03/1235842378468.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/03/03/1235842378468.html http://iht.com/articles/2009/03/02/technology/cell.php http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090302.wcellphones0302/BNStory/Technology/ http://technewsworld.com/story/66344.html Aussie builds Get Smart shoe phone Forty years after clumsy agent Maxwell Smart immortalised the shoe phone, an Australian computer scientist has developed a real-life version and published detailed step-by-step instructions online. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/03/02/1235842299035.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/03/02/1235842299035.html http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/1994014/Aussie-builds-Get-Smart-shoe-phone Shoe that works as a mobile phone invented by Australian scientist A shoe that also works as a mobile phone has been invented by an Australian scientist, in a move reminiscent of spoof spy films. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/4931270/Shoe-that-works-as-a-mobile-phone-invented-by-Australian-scientist.html China's 3G Network Provides Bright Spot Amid Global Slump [IDG] Recessions in many nations of the world may be depressing stock markets and other economic activity, but the build out of China's 3G (third generation mobile telecommunications) network is providing a boost to some chip makers. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/160529/.html 100 Operators Could Launch WiMax This Year Despite the country's current financial uncertainty, the WiMax Forum expects about 100 carriers to launch 4G service this year using WiMax technology. http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/wifiwimax/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=215800329 WiMAX Forum? Projects Over 800 Million People to Have Access to Next-Generation WiMAX Networks by 2010 [news release] The WiMAX Forum? announced today that WiMAX Service Providers now offer networks covering 430 million people, or POPS, globally and are on a path to nearly double to 800 million people by end of 2010. In addition, global WiMAX network deployments are approaching 460 in more than 135 countries for fixed, portable, and mobile networks. The WiMAX Forum also met key milestones with the first Mobile WiMAX? 3.5GHz products receiving the WiMAX Forum Certified? seal of approval. http://wimaxforum.org/node/644 ********************** SPAM ********************** Spam kingpin booted off Facebook by judge [IDG] A US judge has ordered convicted spammer Sanford Wallace to stay away from Facebook. Facebook sued Wallace and two other men last week in an effort to cut down on spam and phishing schemes on the social-networking site. On Monday, Judge Jeremy Fogel of the US District Court for the Northern District of California issued a temporary restraining order barring Wallace and two other alleged spammers, Adam Arzoomanian and Scott Shaw, from accessing Facebook's network. http://www.techworld.com/news/index.cfm?NewsID=111732 http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/4E8483E0F8CA9982CC25756F000B46C5 Facebook wins lawsuit against 'spam king' Sanford Wallace Facebook has won a US federal lawsuit ruling against "spam king" Sanford Wallace and alleged associates. Facebook filed a federal complaint against Wallace in a San Jose District Court. Alleged associates Adam Arzoomanian and Scott Shaw were also named as defendants in the suit, according to a report on developer site insidefacebook.com. http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2009/03/04/235133/facebook-wins-lawsuit-against-spam-king-sanford-wallace.htm ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** Mobile phone growth helps poorer states - U.N. index Two thirds of the world's cell phone subscriptions are in developing nations, with the highest growth rate in Africa where a quarter of the population now has a mobile, a United Nations agency said on Friday. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-38285920090302 India launches pan-African network project The Indian government has finally launched the pan African e-network project, a joint initiative with the African Union, which aim is to connect African countries to satellite and fiber-optic networks. http://computerworld.co.ke/articles/2009/03/03/india-launches-pan-african-network-project ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Cybercrime: From (& To) Russia, With Love Would authorities in Russia and Eastern Europe be more willing to pursue cyber crooks if they were forced to confront how deeply those groups have penetrated key government and private computer networks in those regions? http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/03/from_to_russia_with_love.html Cybercrime Can Wipe Out Development Gains of a Nation - Experts There appears to be growing concern on the dangers of Cybercrime and Cyber security as the ugly trend is becoming so colossal that it has the capability of wiping out development gains of a nation and retarding her growth fortunes by many decades in terms of GDP, if proper steps are not taken. http://allafrica.com/stories/200903040090.html au: Microsoft, AFP partner for online safety program The Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Microsoft have brought the ThinkUKnow education program to Australia. The program, which originated in the UK, is aimed at educating parents and teachers about how to keep kids away from online predators and other threats. http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/278864/ Germany warns of 'catastrophic' state of Web security German authorities on Tuesday warned against the "catastrophic" state of security on the Internet, with growing armies of viruses, worms and Trojan horses unleashed by ever savvier criminals. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/germany-warns-of-catastrophic-state-of-web-security-20090304-8nkp.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/germany-warns-of-catastrophic-state-of-web-security-20090304-8nkp.html nz: Online dangers highlighted after sexual assault Police are warning people about the dangers of internet dating after a Waikato woman was allegedly sexually assaulted by a man she met on an online dating site. http://www.3news.co.nz/News/NationalNews/Online-dangers-highlighted-after-sexual-assault-/tabid/423/articleID/93568/cat/64/Default.aspx nz: Man on rape charges after meeting woman on internet A Hamilton man has been charged with raping a woman he met by exchanging messages over the internet. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10559648 nz: Net date alleges assault A man met a Hamilton woman on an internet dating site and raped her after he turned up uninvited at her home, police say. http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/1986693/Net-date-alleges-assault Belgian court fines Yahoo over fraud non-cooperation [AFP] A Belgian court on Monday fined Internet search engine Yahoo! 55,000 euros (69,300 US dollars) for failing to hand over personal details of users suspected of committing fraud. Daily fines will be added for non-compliance. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/belgian-court-fines-yahoo-over-fraud-noncooperation-20090303-8mjz.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/belgian-court-fines-yahoo-over-fraud-noncooperation-20090303-8mjz.html Psion hits back at Intel in 'netbook' row A bitter dispute has broken out between Psion, the PC manufacturer, and Intel, the chip maker, over the use of the term "netbook". Psion Teklogix, a maker of personal computers most famous for its Organiser device, is defending its claim to "netbook" as a trademark, granted in the 1990s when it launched a range of "netBook" computers. Intel and other companies, including the computer maker Dell, want to be able to use the word generically, claiming that it has passed into widespread public use. Psion has accused Intel of "wilful and malicious" marketing of netbook-branded products and is suing for millions of pounds in damages. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5838291.ece Oz runs Romero-themed zombie awareness week Australia is running a national zombie awareness week in a bid to educate users about how to stop hackers from taking over control of their PCs. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/03/03/zombie_awareness_oz/ Notebooks may offer hackers private data gateway [Reuters] Netbook web surfers beware. That low-cost netbook you are using could be a high-speed gateway into your life, bank accounts, passwords and other personal data. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/03/2506260.htm ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** uk: New guidelines on behavioural ads The online advertising industry has launched a set of guidelines for a genre of adverts that have been causing controversy. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7921996.stm uk: Code on behavioural web ads launched Internet companies in Britain are being asked to sign up to a new code of conduct for behavioural advertising, in an attempt to quell invasion of privacy concerns over the controversial marketing technology. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/mar/04/iab-guideline-behavioural-web-ads nz: Consumer laws miss online trading Laws on the buying and selling of goods are under urgent review after the Consumer Affairs Ministry admitted they had not been updated to cover online trading. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/1986855/Consumer-laws-miss-online-trading New Zealand delays ISP law New Zealand?s prime minister John Key has delayed introducing one controversial aspect of a new law that would make ISPs responsible for terminating the accounts of repeat infringers. http://managingip.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=2115443 Finnish Parliament approves e-mail tracking law [AP] The Finnish Parliament has approved controversial legislation that allows employers to track workers' e-mails. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/finnish-parliament-approves-email-tracking-law-20090305-8ona.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/finnish-parliament-approves-email-tracking-law-20090305-8ona.html US Bill takes aim at anonymous hot spots -- like the local coffee shop The local mom-and-pop cafe that serves open, anonymous Wi-Fi access along with coffee and muffins may soon be on the front lines of a war in Congress over privacy. http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9128823 http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/160546/.html Obama picks Net neutrality advocate as FCC chairman President Obama on Tuesday nominated Julius Genachowski as the nation's top telecommunications regulator, picking a campaign advisor who has divided his career between Washington, D.C. political jobs and working as an Internet executive. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10187067-38.html ********************************* COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS ********************************* Microsoft makes fresh attempt to take on Google and Yahoo Microsoft is conducting internal tests of a new online search tool, signalling renewed attempts by the software giant to challenge both Google and Yahoo?s search engines in the coming months. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5837914.ece Microsoft Live Search in Quest of New Name and Design After spending billions of dollars to beat Google at its own game, Microsoft has concluded that it needs to start over selling its search engine to the public. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/02/microsoft-live-search-in-quest-of-new-name-and-design/ nz: Gouvernance de l?internet et soci?t? de la connaissance ... ISOC France, chapitre fran?ais de l'Internet Society, annonce le soutien des n?o-z?landais de InternetNZ (Internet New Zealand Inc), la Nouvelle Z?lande ?tant pr?curseur tant dans l'ineptie juridique que dans la mobilisation citoyenne avec leur op?ration Black Out. http://www.smsi-territoires.net/hadopi-cration-et-internet-le-black-out-se-poursuit-synd0019446.html http://www.cawa.fr/hadopi-creation-et-internet-le-black-out-se-poursuit-synd0082828.html http://www.blog.adminet.fr/hadopi-creation-et-internet-le-black-out-se-poursu...-article00405.html http://www.blog.adminet.fr/internetnz-soutient-l-isoc-france-contre-la-coupur...-synd0083429.html http://www.cawa.fr/france-et-nouvelle-zelande-meme-combat-article002705.html ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** NZ ranks 16th in telco survey New Zealand ranks among the top 20 in the world in a survey of phone, computer and internet technology developments. The survey by the International Telecommunication Union compares technology use, access and skills in more than 150 countries. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10560029 Nordics, S.Korea 'top global IT ranking' [AFP] North European countries and South Korea have the most advanced telecoms and computer development in the world, the UN's telecomunications agency said Monday. http://tech.yahoo.com/news/afp/20090302/tc_afp/ittelecomdevelopmentunitu_20090302105828 U.N. Says U.S. Internet & Telecom Lags, but It?s Cheap Last month, I wrote about one ranking of technology and communications that put the United States at the top of the world. The United Nations has chimed in with its own ranking that places this country further back in the pack at No. 17. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/un-says-us-internet-telecom-lags-but-its-cheap/ 'Critical' issues impeding broadband network Telstra has submitted a report to key government officials detailing what it believes are a number of "critical" issues that must be addressed before a decision on the government's $15billion national broadband network can be finalised. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,25135226-643,00.html au: Expert advocates new regulator for NBN One of Australia's pre-eminent telecommunications experts today recommended the Federal Government consider forming a new regulator charged exclusively with arbitrating access issues for the proposed National Broadband Network. http://www.itnews.com.au/News/NewsStory.aspx?story=97736 nz: Opinion: Commerce Commission, take a bow Sometimes it feels like open season on the Commerce Commission. I guess it?s inevitable. An increasing number of the country?s largest businesses are subject to regulatory scrutiny, the stakes are very high and times are tough. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/netw/689EF99584BA1866CC25756D0001DF5E uk: Path cleared for BT's superfast broadband BT's plans to plough ?1.5bn into upgrading its broadband network were boosted yesterday when the telecoms watchdog promised not to hinder it from making a return on its investment. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/mar/04/bt-superfast-broadband-ofcom http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/mar/03/ofcom-super-fast-broadband uk: Green light for faster broadband BT has received the green light to begin its rollout of super-fast broadband. Ofcom has delivered its long-awaited ruling which offers BT more flexibility in the way it delivers fibre networks. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7919904.stm Deutsche Telekom Tries to Stay Ahead of Regulators [IDG] Deutsche Telekom will open up its VDSL (Very high bit rate Digital Subscriber Line) network to competitors and start selling a wholesale service, it announced on Monday. http://www.pcworld.com/article/160474/.html ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** au: Former QC pleads guilty to child porn charges A former Queen's Counsel (QC) has pleaded guilty to child pornography charges at the Bendigo Magistrates Court. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/04/2506967.htm +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2009 --------- 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 Mar 04 2009 - 10:58:47 UTC
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