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://GoldsteinReport.com/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** What?s Chinese for .limitedgovernment? Authoritarian governments make a bid to control the Internet. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203609204574312194225241368.html Is ICANN Accountable to the Global Public Interest? ICANN Ignores Noncommercial Users in Policy Development http://ipjustice.org/wp/2009/07/26/will-icann-listen-to-civil-society-and-respect-noncommercial-users/ Satire website survives domain name challenge http://out-law.com/default.aspx?page=10207 ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Public Comment: Proposed Bylaw Changes to Improve Accountability Two proposed accountability measures have been posted by direction of the Board for 60 days of public comments, from 23 July 2009 through 25 September 2009. This is the latest step in the Improving Institutional Confidence process. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-27jul09-en.htm Expressions of Interest for NomCom Chair - Deadline for Submission Extended to 15 August 2009 The Board Governance Committee ("BGC") has moved its August committee meeting to the third week of August during which it will consider the expressions of interest received for Nominating Committee Chair. Accordingly, the BGC has asked that the deadline for submitting expressions of interest to become the Nominating Committee Chair for 2010 be extended to 15 August 2009. This extension will help ensure that all those interested who have not already submitted statements of interest will have the opportunity to formally do so. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-27jul09-en.htm Second International conference for ccTLD registries and registrars of CIS, Eastern and Central Europe The Second International Conference for ccTLD registries and registrars of CIS, Eastern and Central Europe will take place on 7-8 September 2009 in Bled, Slovenia. http://blog.icann.org/2009/07/second-international-conference-for-cctld-registries-and-registrars-of-cis-eastern-and-central-europe/ What?s Chinese for .limitedgovernment? Authoritarian governments make a bid to control the Internet. One of the marvels of the Internet is that it is self-governing, with private groups of engineers and technology companies doing their best to keep it up and running without political interference. Many countries around the world censor how their citizens access the Web, but governance of the Internet itself has been left to technologists and their largely libertarian instincts. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203609204574312194225241368.html WSJ: What?s Chinese for .limitedgovernment? I?ve long argued that the current ICANN set-up ? with some oversight from the United States government ? is ideal. I have some grievances about how ICANN is unaccountable to anything except itself, but believe there shouldn?t be a ?United Nations? governing it. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/07/27/wsj-what%E2%80%99s-chinese-for-limitedgovernment/ Icann president debunks internet economics Rod Beckstrom, president of Icann, has used his address to the Black Hat USA 2009 conference to propose a new economic model for valuing computer networks and the internet. Many economists have used a derivative of Metcalfe?s Law, which posits that the value of a network is equal to the number of network nodes squared. That model is fundamentally flawed Beckstrom said, and had led to the internet bubble in the late 1990s. http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2246954/icann-president-debunks http://www.pcauthority.com.au/News/151521,icann-president-debunks-internet-economics.aspx Domain Name Registry-Registrar Vertical Separation: The Economic, Anti-Trust Red Herring by Michael D. Palage ICANN has operated on the fundamental principle that there should be separation within the domain name marketplace between registries (wholesale) and registrars (retail). This fundamental principle has been a pillar upon which ICANN has provided registrants (consumers) with increased choice, innovation, and price savings. http://www.circleid.com/posts/domain_name_registry_registrar_vertical_separation/ Is ICANN Accountable to the Global Public Interest? ICANN Ignores Noncommercial Users in Policy Development From IP Justice July 2009 Everyone is a Noncommercial User of the InternetNCUC logoThe Non-Commercial Users Constituency (NCUC) is the home to noncommercial users in ICANN?s GNSO policy development process. http://ipjustice.org/wp/2009/07/26/will-icann-listen-to-civil-society-and-respect-noncommercial-users/ http://www.bloggernews.net/121737 Scooby Doo and Mystery Crew Take on ICANN to Defend Noncommercial Users Harold Feld posted an entertaining article about ICANN?s constant mistreatment of noncommercial users and subordination of the public interest to select commercial interests. http://ipjustice.org/wp/2009/07/24/could-ntia-please-put-icann-out-of-its-misery-before-it-embarresses-itself-further/ ICANN, Civil Society, and Free Speech by Rebecca MacKinnon Gordon Crovitz's Op-ed in the Wall Street Journal about the relationship between ICANN and the future of free speech quotes me a couple of times. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20090727_icann_civil_society_and_free_speech/ Forbes really gets new TLDs In a recent article on the proposed expansion of the Internet through the creation of new Top Level Domains, Forbes.com paints a balanced picture of what this could mean for the future of the web. http://stephanevangelder.com/archives/254-Forbes-really-gets-new-TLDs.html Pay to be told when new TLDs come out! That's the service on offer from YourSiteCan.BE. The site sports a search box designed to allow any combination of a domain name and a TLD to be queried. If the query returns an "available", then you may elect to pay $8.99. http://www.stephanevangelder.com/archives/255-Pay-to-be-told-when-new-TLDs-come-out!.html ICAAN Offers New Internet Domains, Languages The Internet address system will soon be open to more customization and localization through two new initiatives unveiled to Asian audiences today by ICANN, a global not-for-profit public-benefit corporation, which oversees the coordination of unique IP addresses and domain names. http://www.asiamediajournal.com/pressrelease.php?id=1148 ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** IP, Cyber Czar Picks Remain Open Question Now a half-year into the Obama administration, two White House posts viewed as critical to the high-tech and intellectual property sectors remain vacant -- and lawmakers and industry stakeholders are getting antsy, CongressDaily's TechCentral "Issue Of The Week" reports. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/07/ip-cyber-czar-picks-remain-ope.php New initiative is looking for a few good cybersecurity pros [IDG] Amid concerns that the U.S. has a shortage of cybersecurity professionals, a new consortium of U.S. government and private organizations aims to identify students with strong computer skills and train them as cybersecurity guardians, warriors and "top guns." http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/072709-new-initiative-is-looking-for.html 'Smart Grid' Raises U.S. Security Concerns Electric utilities vying for $3.9 billion in new federal "smart grid" grants will need to prove that they are taking steps to prevent cyberattacks as they move to link nearly all elements of the U.S. power grid to the public Internet. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/27/AR2009072702988.html CERT and ISC warn about BIND9 DNS vulnerability The Internet Systems Consortium and United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team are warning about a vulnerability discovered in the Berkeley Internet Name Domain 9 Domain Name Server code that could be exploited to cause a system crash. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/072909-bind9-dns.html BIND 9 security hole said to be worse than Kaminsky attacks Companies managing their own Domain Name System servers using BIND should update their software immediately, industry experts warn. http://www.itworldcanada.com/a/Daily-News/a170c973-394e-46af-a445-17ba7524d0d4.html ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** Satire website survives domain name challenge A website that parodied the site of a political lobbying organisation has survived a domain name challenge from the target of its satire because there was no commercial exploitation of the name, even though it was deliberately confusing. http://out-law.com/default.aspx?page=10207 http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/28/wipo_free_speech/ UN orders Iranian to give up Facebook Web address [AP] Social networking site Facebook has won control of a Web address using its name and the country suffix .ir for Iran. http://www.canadaeast.com/article/742980 http://www.mymotherlode.com/news/world/news_detail.php?ID=402585&DK=UN_UN_Facebook_Iran Hells Angels Cybersquatter Pays Up In terms of domain name cybersquatting and trademark settlements, it?s hardly the biggest judgment. The difference is that this one involves someone who will actually have to pay up and it will certainly hurt his pocket book. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/07/27/hells-angels-cybersquatter-pays-up/ ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** US Feds strike deal on IPv6 testing The U.S. government has reportedly struck a compromise between network vendors and independent test labs with its plan to launch a comprehensive product testing program for IPv6, the next-generation Internet Protocol. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/072709-nist-ipv6-test.html Cisco, Juniper conduct trial of fed's IPv6 tests The University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory in July conducted the first trial of the U.S. federal government's new IPv6 test suite on equipment from 10 leading network vendors, including Cisco, Juniper, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and Sun. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/072709-unh-ipv6-test.html Video: Google's IPv6 Deployment Strategy The IPv6 Act Now website, aimed at encouraging the adoption of IPv6, has featured a video today on Google's implementation of IPv6, which resulted in the launch of ipv6.google.com. http://www.circleid.com/posts/video_googles_ipv6_deployment_strategy/ ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Criminalization Of False Domain Name Registration Proposed legislations have been introduced that would criminalize users who knowingly provide false information when registering their domain name on the Internet. In 2002, the Coble-Berman bill, H.R. 4640, was proposed to deal with providing false information when a domain name is being registered on the Internet. In 2004, Representative Lamar Smith introduced Bill H.R. 3754, which is aimed at providing additional civil and criminal remedies for domain name fraud. http://www.ibls.com/internet_law_news_portal_view.aspx?s=articles&id=6D4F63F5-3160-48A9-85FA-DE4EAA94944F Network Solutions breach exposes nearly 600,000 Network Solutions is investigating a breach on its servers that may have led to the theft of credit card data of 573,928 people who made purchases on Web sites hosted by the company. http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-10296817-245.html ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Sedo Makes a Push for the End User At the Domain Roundtable conference in Washington, D.C. last month, I noticed a lot of new faces with the Sedo team. As I started talking to them, I realized what was going on. Sedo had hired a number of people experienced selling to businesses. The company was making a focused effort selling to end users, and was hiring the right people to do it. These new employees are not domain industry veterans; they?re B-2-B salespeople. http://domainnamewire.com/2009/07/28/sedo-makes-a-push-for-the-end-user/ Zimbabwe.com website goes on sale Zimbabwe.Com domain name was registered in May , 1998. Obviously then , very few people anticipated the exponential growth of the use of the internet and the world wide web. 20 years later Zimbabweans have an opportunity to acquire this commercial domain name that does NOT fall under Zimbabwean cyber jurisdiction. http://www.zimeye.org/?p=7585 ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** OECD: Piracy of Digital Content by Piotr Stryszowski & Danny Scorpecci A study of digital piracy - the infringement of copyrighted content such as music, films, software, broadcasts, books, etc. - where the end product does not involve the use of hard media such as CDs or DVDs. http://www.oecdbookshop.org/oecd/display.asp?sf1=identifiers&st1=932009061P1 ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Local newspapers in peril: as local newspapers collapse, information is finding new ways to reach people. Not all are high-tech What happens when a place loses its newspaper? Most of the 80 or so local papers that have closed in Britain since the beginning of last year were the second- or third-strongest publications in their markets. But the weekly Bedworth Echo, which published its last issue on July 10th, was the only paper dedicated to the town?s news. A small former mining settlement in the Midlands, Bedworth also lacks a radio station. Although it will still be covered by newspapers focused on its bigger neighbours, it is now a town without news. http://www.economist.com/world/britain/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14082998 True grit: why some papers manage to stay alive and kicking For all the woes of local newspapers across Britain, there are those that thrive. Among them are the New Milton Advertiser and the Lymington Times. http://www.economist.com/world/britain/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14085662 Editorial: Google's Big Plan for Books While the Internet has transformed much of the information world, books have been a laggard. Google may change that. It has already scanned millions of out-of-print books, and it has reached an agreement with writers and publishers ? which still requires judicial approval ? to make them widely available. http://nytimes.com/2009/07/29/opinion/29wed3.html Has Wikipedia Created a Rorschach Cheat Sheet? There are tests that have right answers, which are returned with a number on top in a red circle, and there are tests with open-ended questions, which provide insight into the test taker?s mind. In June, Dr. James Heilman posted all 10 plates on the site, along with research about the most popular responses to each. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/29/technology/internet/29inkblot.html ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Apple targets new player revolution Apple is racing to offer a portable tablet-sized computer in time for the Christmas shopping season, in what the entertainment industry hopes will be a new revolution. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a52c9ec0-7a29-11de-b86f-00144feabdc0.html ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ Oz Firewall still standing after inconclusive filter trial Inconclusive news from the internet filtering trials might turn out to be bad news for the anti-censorship lobby in Australia. The Australian Government?s refusal to explain what exactly would count as a bad result for internet filtering adds to the sense that it will be ploughing on with this regardless. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/28/australian_filtering_trial/ Australian ISPs give thumbs up to controversial content filtering, see no speed reduction The Australian Federal Government's controversial plan to install ISP-level content filters has managed to make it to the widespread testing phase, and challenging the long-held criticism that such filters would slow down Internet speeds as much as 75% percent, ISPs testing the filters now report minimal slowdown. http://www.betanews.com/article/Australian-ISPs-give-thumbs-up-to-controversial-content-filtering-see-no-speed-reduction/1248731335 Internet is predators' playground Sgt. Scott Christensen knew in the mid-1990s that sexual exploitation of children on the Internet was going to grow into a huge problem. http://www.omaha.com/article/20090727/NEWS01/707279960/0/FRONTPAGE ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** U.S. lawmaker urges regulations for file-sharing A senior U.S. lawmaker said on Wednesday that it may be time for the government to regulate companies that provide online file-sharing services after a number of people managed to access FBI files, medical records and Social Security numbers. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE56S6EG20090729 Orange, Universal and C4 woo youth music market on mobiles Orange is launching a new mobile music service aimed squarely at the youth market. It will give pre-pay customers unlimited access to tracks from Universal Music's extensive catalogue and let them play them on any mobile phone. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/jul/29/orange-mobile-music-service Movie studios sue to shut down filesharing site The Pirate Bay Filesharing site The Pirate Bay is being sued by 13 Hollywood studios - which are calling it to be closed. The site's operators, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, Peter Sunde and Fredrik Neij, and Carl Lundstr?m, who was accused of funding it, were found guilty in April after a copyright trial in Sweden. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/jul/28/pirate-bay-p2p US movie studios ask judge to board, scuttle Pirate Bay Legal maneuvers against the Swedish torrent tracker site continue to mount, as a cadre of US-based studios have filed for a court order barring The Pirate Bay from operating its torrent-tracking service. The lawsuit comes even while the site's operators attempt to woo a potential buyer interested in transforming the site into a legitimate downloading service. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/07/us-movie-studios-ask-judge-to-board-scuttle-pirate-bay.ars Pirate Bay faces new legal threat The world's most high-profile file-sharing website the Pirate Bay faces a new volley of legal action. Thirteen Hollywood production companies have filed a new lawsuit to try to get the website shut down. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8173388.stm Spotify sets its sights on iPhone The Swedish music streaming service Spotify is planning to launch its first mobile application within weeks. The company has submitted the application to Apple's iTunes App Store for its approval. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8169971.stm Spotify's iPhone app: too like iTunes? European streaming music service Spotify has developed an application to use their service on the popular iPhone, but it must first submit it for approval to iPhone maker Apple, which could reject it on grounds that Spotify competes with its own iTunes music store. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/jul/27/spotify-iphone-app-itunes Don't get too excited about Spotify for iPhone When I tried Spotify, the free on-demand music-streaming service currently available only in Europe, I was impressed by its iTunes-like user interface and how fast the songs loaded. So when I saw Monday's news that Spotify has submitted an iPhone app to Apple for consideration, I got excited. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13526_3-10296382-27.html How it feels to be sued for $4.5m When Joel Tenebaum contemplates the above sum, he has to remind himself what he's being charged with. Investment fraud? An attack against the government? No. He shared music. And he refused to cave http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2009/jul/27/filesharing-music-industry Second RIAA piracy trial starts: Defense Tactics Include Feng Shui and Legalized Pot The Recording Industry Association of America may have decided not to pursue further file-sharing trials as a policy, but one last case is set to get underway today and promises to bring a dash of the theatrical into the courtroom. Boston University doctoral student Joel Tennenbaum is being sued by the RIAA for sharing 30 songs through the Kazaa peer-to-peer filesharing application in 2004. Tennenbaum could receive a maximum of $4.5 million if he loses, but that overwhelming fine has not daunted the zealousness of his defense team. http://www.pcworld.com/article/169153/.html http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/312724/ Music pirate'just a kid' says download case lawyer [AP] A Boston University graduate student was "a kid who did what kids do" when he swapped songs through file-sharing networks like Kazaa, his lawyer said on Tuesday as his copyright-infringement trial began. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10587346 http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/2700400/ ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** In Study, Texting Lifts Crash Risk by Large Margin The first study of drivers texting inside their vehicles shows that the risk sharply exceeds previous estimates based on laboratory research ? and far surpasses the dangers of other driving distractions. http://nytimes.com/2009/07/28/technology/28texting.html Texting while driving increases crash risk 23-fold Drivers of heavy trucks who were texting while driving were at a 23 times greater risk of a crash or near crash than those who were not, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute reported last night. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/072809-texting-while-driving-increases-crash.html New Data from VTTI Provides Insight into Cell Phone Use and Driving Distraction [news release] Several large-scale, naturalistic driving studies (using sophisticated cameras and instrumentation in participants? personal vehicles) conducted by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), provide a clear picture of driver distraction and cell phone use under real?world driving conditions. Combined, these studies continuously observed drivers for more than 6 million miles of driving. A snapshot of risk estimates from these studies is shown in the table below. http://www.vtti.vt.edu/PDF/7-22-09-VTTI-Press_Release_Cell_phones_and_Driver_Distraction.pdf Fixing Nokia: How the handset maker can avoid Motorola's fate No one at Nokia is sleeping easily these days. While reporting a second-quarter sales drop of 25% and a profit dive of 66% earlier this month, the mobile phone giant admitted that it had to "develop new skill sets." And how. http://www.forbes.com/2009/07/27/nokia-mobile-motorola-intelligent-technology-nokia.html Even Google Is Blocked With Apps for iPhone Google might power the world?s most popular search engine, but its clout goes only so far. When it comes to getting one of its applications onto the iPhone, it seems Google has to wait in line for Apple?s approval like everyone else ? and face the risk of rejection. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/29/technology/companies/29apps.html The app economy: iPhone apps could soon be bigger than YouTube. But who is making all the money here? Apple, the developers,or no one at all? One day, Lance Stewart was trying to get out of Oxford Circus tube station in a hurry. "I got off the train and suddenly found myself behind a huge crowd of people blocking my way to the exit. I was just an average Joe in the rat race getting frustrated by being stuck behind the crowds." http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jul/29/iphone-apps ********************** SPAM ********************** Spam and phishing attacks soar in July The latest MessageLabs Intelligence Report from Symantec has revealed how spammers are adapting their tools to trick even more users into falling for email scams. http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2246867/threat-reports Symantec Announces July 2009 MessageLabs Intelligence Report [news release] Symantec Corp. today announced the publication of its July 2009 MessageLabs Intelligence Report. Analysis highlights that spammers are using translation services and templates to easily develop multiple language spam runs, and web-based malware writers take a break as less that one percent of web malware in July is new. http://www.messagelabs.co.uk/resources/press/34634 Dutch spam suspect fined ?250K Dutch telecoms regulators have fined a junk email spammer ?250,000. Reinier Schenkhuizen was ordered to pay ?250,000 by local regulator OPTA. Of this, ?150,000 was for distributing junk emails and ?100,000 for failing to create a means for recipients to unsubscribe to unwanted messages, according to local reports. OPTA alleges that Schenkhuizen was a "persistent spammer", who distributed 21m junk mail messages via online mass-mailing portal ADVERTERENisGRATIS, which is owned by Schenkhuizen's firm Serinco Benelux. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/28/dutch_spam_fine/ S'pore spam rate crosses global average Country's spam levels surpassed the global rate of 89.4 percent in July, after dipping below earlier in April, according to MessageLabs' latest security report. http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/security/0,39044215,62056493,00.htm ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** CDT wants US gov't to detail computer monitoring program [IDG] U.S. President Barack Obama's administration needs to answer several questions about the privacy implications of a new version of a computer intrusion detection system that can reportedly read e-mail, a privacy and civil rights advocacy group said. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/072809-cdt-wants-us-govt-to.html http://www.pcworld.com/article/169222/.html http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9136003/Privacy_group_wants_U.S._to_detail_computer_monitoring_program Social Network Phishing Attacks Businesses Cybercriminals are increasing the number of attacks on social networks, says security firm Sophos. According to the security firms Security Threat Report a quarter of firms have been exposed to spam, phishing or malware attacks via sites such as Twitter , Facebook, LinkedIn and MySpace. http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?NewsID=119561 http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/169063/.html IP, Cyber Czar Picks Remain Open Question Now a half-year into the Obama administration, two White House posts viewed as critical to the high-tech and intellectual property sectors remain vacant -- and lawmakers and industry stakeholders are getting antsy, CongressDaily's TechCentral "Issue Of The Week" reports. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/07/ip-cyber-czar-picks-remain-ope.php New initiative is looking for a few good cybersecurity pros [IDG] Amid concerns that the U.S. has a shortage of cybersecurity professionals, a new consortium of U.S. government and private organizations aims to identify students with strong computer skills and train them as cybersecurity guardians, warriors and "top guns." http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/072709-new-initiative-is-looking-for.html 'Smart Grid' Raises U.S. Security Concerns Electric utilities vying for $3.9 billion in new federal "smart grid" grants will need to prove that they are taking steps to prevent cyberattacks as they move to link nearly all elements of the U.S. power grid to the public Internet. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/27/AR2009072702988.html au: Cyber-spies pose an ever-growing risk The new head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, David Irvine, has identified cyber-espionage as a growing national security risk and warned that electronic state secrets are under constant threat of theft by foreign countries and non-state entities. http://www.smh.com.au/national/cyberspies-pose-an-evergrowing-risk-20090729-e1pj.html http://www.theage.com.au/national/asio-boss-warns-of-cyber-threat-20090729-e1kj.html au: NSW Police busts identity fraud ring [AAP] The main players in a multimillion-dollar identity fraud syndicate have been arrested, NSW Police have claimed. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/NSW-Police-busts-identity-fraud-ring/0,130061744,339297580,00.htm au: Qld Police take online fraud fight to Nigeria An initiative to combat online scams is being trialled by the Queensland Police Service via its website. The portal will give fraud and scam victims the chance to report their case to Ghana police or the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/security/police-take-online-fraud-fight-to-nigeria-20090727-dyps.html au: 'Ignore this message and you will die' Police are warning Brisbane business owners of a sinister scam, after receiving a number of reports from people who received SMS messages containing death threats. Detective Superintendent Gayle Hogan of the State Organised Crime Unit said as many as 20 restaurant owners, grocers and doctors have received death threats via a telephone call or SMS mesage since June 2, demanding they pay up or die. http://www.bellingencourier.com.au/news/national/national/general/ignore-this-message-and-you-will-die/1580000.aspx http://sj.farmonline.com.au/news/metro/national/general/ignore-this-message-and-you-will-die/1580000.aspx http://theland.farmonline.com.au/news/metro/national/general/ignore-this-message-and-you-will-die/1580000.aspx http://nqr.farmonline.com.au/news/metro/national/general/ignore-this-message-and-you-will-die/1580000.aspx ************************** PRIVACY ************************** David Davis: Google is the last company I would trust with my personal data Google cannot be trusted with sensitive personal data and any plan to transfer health records to the company is ?naive?, David Davis writes in The Times. ... However, he adds: ?Google is the last company I would trust with sensitive personal data belonging to me. In the words of Privacy International, Google has ?a history of ignoring privacy concerns. Every corporate announcement has some new practice involving surveillance?.? http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6728408.ece Editorial - Medical privacy: Dr Google will see you now Essential in life, Google may soon play a part in death. Earlier this month the company added an option to its Google Health site allowing users ? so far only in America ? to state their final wishes. "One of the most important documents you may want to store and share in Google Health is an advance directive," announced the Google blog. "An advance directive allows you to determine your end-of-life wishes so that your family and doctor can honor them if you get sick and are unable to communicate. The decision to sign an advance directive is an important and personal one, and Google Health now makes it a little bit easier." http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jul/28/google-health-data-privacy ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** China Puts Online Games That Glorify Mafia on Its Hit List Whether it is religion, environmentalism or nonprofit charities, the Chinese government has always been wary of any organized activity it cannot directly control. Now there is an addition to the list: simulated organized crime. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/29/world/asia/29china.html China to Ban Violent Online Games [AP] China has banned Web sites from advertising or linking to games that glamorize violence, another step in China's censorship campaign aimed at ensuring social stability ahead of the 60th anniversary of communist rule on Oct. 1. http://nytimes.com/aponline/2009/07/28/world/AP-AS-China-Online-Games.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/china-to-ban-violent-online-games-20090728-e04h.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/china-to-ban-violent-online-games-20090728-e04h.html http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/games/2684883/ China bans online games which glamourise gangs China has banned websites featuring or publicising online games which glamorise mafia gangs, saying violators will be "severely punished," state media reported on Tuesday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE56R16Z20090728 http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-41366620090728 Online petition stalls plan to ban violent videogames in Germany German government plans to ban violent videogames will have to be put on hold, after a successful internet petition by German gamers. The e-petition, hosted on the official forums of the Bundestag, the German parliament, has passed the 50,000 signatures necessary to force a government review. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jul/28/germany-violent-videogames ********************************* MISCELLANEOUS ********************************* Microsoft and Yahoo Reach Deal on Search Partnership Microsoft and Yahoo announced a partnership in Internet search and advertising on Wednesday morning intended to create a stronger rival to the industry powerhouse Google. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/30/technology/companies/30soft.html Microsoft and Yahoo seal web deal Yahoo and Microsoft have announced a long-rumoured internet search deal that will help the two companies take on chief rival Google. Microsoft's Bing search engine will power the Yahoo website and Yahoo will in turn become the advertising sales team for Microsoft's online offering. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8174763.stm Microsoft and Yahoo search alliance draws fire Yahoo ran into a fresh wave of doubts in the financial and technology worlds on Wednesday as it bowed out of the race to compete with Google. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9487c65e-7c6c-11de-a7bf-00144feabdc0.html Google will try to stop our deal with Yahoo, says Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer, the Microsoft chief executive, believes Google will try to get the software giant's search advertising deal with Yahoo blocked ? while workers have been warned of redundancies as the two companies integrate operations. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jul/29/steve-ballmer-yahoo-microsoft-google Panel To Review Microsoft-Yahoo Deal An advertising partnership unveiled Monday by Yahoo and Microsoft is already raising eyebrows among lawmakers. Senate Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman Herb Kohl, D-Wis., said his panel would closely review the deal, which would result in direct competitors working together. A similar deal between Google and Yahoo fell apart in November after U.S. regulators warned they would file a lawsuit to block it. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/07/panel-to-review-microsoftyahoo.php Microsoft/Yahoo deal should be scrutinized - senator The 10-year search deal between Yahoo and Microsoft warrants "careful scrutiny," the chairman of the U.S. Senate antitrust panel said on Wednesday. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-41408720090729 Microsoft, Yahoo Reach Search Deal Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft Corp. on Wednesday struck a deal for a 10-year Internet-search partnership, ending a protracted dance and uniting the rivals against Google Inc. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124886852386589989.html ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** Ofcom criticises UK broadband providers for advertising misleading 'up-to' speeds Broadband customers are being sold super-fast connections that their providers are unable to achieve, according to research that shows internet users are struggling with speeds of less than half the rate they signed up to. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jul/28/ofcom-broadband-providers-misleading-speeds UK broadband falls 50% short of promised speed More than 50 per cent of broadband users in Britain are receiving less than half the speed promised by their providers, according to a report from Ofcom, the communications watchdog. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/telecoms/article6730035.ece Ofcom reveals UK?s real broadband speeds - Speed a big issue for consumers [news release] Ofcom today published the results of its research into fixed-line broadband speeds in the UK. Speed has become more significant as people increasingly use the internet for bandwidth-hungry applications such as downloading video and audio, but there has been a lack of reliable information on the actual speeds delivered by ISPs. http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2009/07/nr_20090728 The International Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce reveals the most gay friendly corporations in the world: BT Group, IBM and The Dow Chemical Company [news release] The International Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (IGLCC) is pleased to unveil the results of the first edition of the International Business Equality Index. The Index is a measurement of the performance of multinational corporations in relation to Diversity and Inclusion issues specifically focusing on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) communities in the countries where they operate. The leading corporations are BT Group, followed by IBM and The Dow Chemical Company. The announcement was made at a press conference during the closing of the IGLCC Second Annual Congress in Copenhagen. http://www.iglcc.org/en/index.php BT Named Most 'Gay Friendly' Firm In World The telecoms giant was handed the accolade for providing same-sex partner benefits for its staff. The company has ben offering the benefits since the 1980s. The International Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce said BT was a powerful example of how diversity programmes could be successful. http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20090728/tbs-bt-named-most-gay-friendly-firm-in-w-327c223.html ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** au: Former teacher convicted of child porn offences A former teacher from north-east Victoria has been convicted of child pornography offences. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/07/29/2639246.htm +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2009 --------- David Goldstein email: goldstein_david§yahoo.com.au web: http://davidgoldstein.tel/ http://goldsteinreport.com/ phone: +61 418 228 605 - mobile; +61 2 9665 5773 - office/home mail: 4/3 Abbott Street COOGEE NSW 2034 AUSTRALIA "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 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Access Yahoo!7 Mail on your mobile. Anytime. Anywhere. Show me how: http://au.mobile.yahoo.com/mailReceived on Wed Jul 29 2009 - 23:29:59 UTC
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