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.


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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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First IDN ccTLDs now available by Kim Davies on May 5, 2010
http://blog.icann.org/2010/05/idn-cctlds/

Pressure mounts on Icann to approve .xxx domain
http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2262456/pressure-mounts-icann-approve

ICANN, Verisign place last puzzle pieces in DNSSEC saga
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/345586/icann_verisign_place_last_puzzle_pieces_dnssec_saga/

Anti-spoofing measure embedded at internet root
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/security-management/2010/05/05/anti-spoofing-measure-embedded-at-internet-root-40088850/

Internode sheds light on DNSSEC
http://www.zdnet.com.au/internode-sheds-light-on-dnssec-339302845.htm

au: Bureaucrats catch the bully bug from anti-test teachers
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/blogs/national-comment/bureaucrats-catch-the-bully-bug-from-antitest-teachers/1822554.aspx

Beware the black market rising for IP addresses
http://infoworld.com/d/networking/beware-the-black-market-rising-ip-addresses-729

Fears of IP address black market largely unfounded
http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2010/05/fears-of-ip-address-black-market-largely-unfounded.ars

SnapNames and Oversee.net Sue Nelson Brady aka Halvarez
http://domainnamewire.com/2010/05/04/snapnames-and-oversee-net-sue-nelson-brady-aka-halvarez/


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GOVERNANCE
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Designing The Future Internet
Will the Future Internet just happen, or can we influence its shape? If we can, what values should we seek to uphold? How will technical mechanisms such as IPV6 and policies such as net neutrality change our lives? Is there a way to bring the engineering principles of the IP protocol further up the stack into more advanced layers of services?
http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/03/google-facebook-twitter-technology-cio-network-future-internet.html

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DOMAIN NAMES
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**********************
 - ICANN
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First IDN ccTLDs now available by Kim Davies on May 5, 2010
Today the first three production non-Latin top-level domains were placed in the DNS root zone. This means they are live! Here is one newly enabled domain with a functional website that works right now:
http://blog.icann.org/2010/05/idn-cctlds/

An Historic Day: First IDN Top Level Domain Names Goes Live
Today was an historic day for domain names and internationalized domain names, as the first three non-Latin script top level domain names went live. All three are country code top level domains under the IDN ccTLD fast track program.
http://domainnamewire.com/2010/05/05/an-historic-day-first-idn-top-level-domain-names-goes-live/

Pressure mounts on Icann to approve .xxx domain
ICM Registry, which has applied for the .xxx internet domain, has called on Icann to approve its application without further delay.
http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2262456/pressure-mounts-icann-approve
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/16/20100504/ttc-pressure-mounts-on-icann-to-approve-6315470.html

.XXX accuses ICANN of 'lip service' on porn domain
The company behind the proposed .xxx internet domain has accused ICANN of trying to weasel its way out of approving the porn-only domain.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/05/04/icann_pr0n_domain/

DNSSEC Root Signature, Almost There! by Thierry Moreau
IT security specialists have known for years that the plain DNS is not to be trusted. Any hope for improvement rests on the DNSSEC protocol deployment. In this post, I will review the current status in one critical aspect, namely the DNS root signature key management.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/dnssec_root_signature_almost_there/

One Big Cheer for ICANN - But Still a Way's from Our "Gooool" by Andrew Mack
As we approach the World Cup in South Africa this June it's heartening to see the amount of attention being paid to the continent. As with ICANN's recent Nairobi meeting, the eyes of the world are focusing on Africa in a new way?as a sophisticated marketplace, and as a destination for investment, technology, and yes, sports. This will be Africa's first World Cup, and you bet I'll be there? at least until the Brussels ICANN meeting begins.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20100503_one_big_cheer_for_icann_but_still_a_ways_from_our_gooool/

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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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.ie domain registrations drop in Q1
The IE Domain Registry (IEDR), the managed registry for Ireland?s official internet address .ie has reported a 1.35% decline in .ie domain registrations for the first three months of the year.
http://www.insideireland.ie/index.cfm/section/news/ext/iedomain001/category/1095

IEDR gets record registrations
The Irish Examiner reports that a record 141,243 websites are using the dot-ie (.ie) domain name, according to the latest figures from the IE Domain Registry. The IEDR reported a 2.2 percent year-on-year increase in dot-ie domain registrations for March. Registrations for the month totalled 3,686 -- the highest number recorded in a single month during the past 12 months.
http://www.enn.ie/story/show/10125795

ZA Domain Name Authority and Netnod Signs Agreement on Anycast DNS Services For .ZA
Netnod AB and .ZA Domain Name Authority (ZADNA) have signed an agreement for anycast DNS services for the .ZA DNS top-level domain (TLD).
http://www.bradenton.com/2010/05/05/2259757/za-domain-name-authority-and-netnod.html

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 - DNS SECURITY
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ICANN, Verisign place last puzzle pieces in DNSSEC saga
The industry bodies responsible for the root servers that underpin the Internet have claimed success in implementing its DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC) to the last clusters. The deployment is the final step before implementing the security required to prevent DNS cache poisoning attacks on Internet addresses.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/345586/icann_verisign_place_last_puzzle_pieces_dnssec_saga/

Anti-spoofing measure embedded at internet root
The organisations that run the servers at the heart of the internet have taken a step closer to a web without DNS spoofing.
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/security-management/2010/05/05/anti-spoofing-measure-embedded-at-internet-root-40088850/

DNSSEC unlikely to break Internet on May 5
If you haven?t done so already, May 5 will be a good day to make sure your network is ready for DNSSEC. On May 5, the last of the Internet?s 13 root servers will transition to (Domain Name System Security Extensions) DNSSEC. While the transition won?t bring Internet traffic to a screeching halt, it could pose a problem for network administrators and users working with older DNS servers, routers, firewalls, and modems.
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/itdojo/?p=1713

Private, Government Experts Wary About Cybersecurity
A new survey finds that while more than 90 percent of private and public sector security experts say cyber attacks pose a serious threat, they differ on whether each side is doing enough to protect their networks.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/05/private-government-experts-war.php

us: Panel Backs Measure To Boost Federal Cybersecurity
A House Oversight and Government Reform panel Wednesday approved legislation mandating the creation of a permanent national office for cyberspace within the White House to oversee federal agency efforts to protect their computer systems cyber attacks and other threats.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/05/panel-backs-measure-to-boost-f.php

Experts: Better Federal Cybersecurity Reporting Needed
Security analysts said Tuesday that the federal government needs a better system for assessing and reporting cybersecurity threats, but real progress is impossible without more money for new programs, Nextgov.com reported.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/05/experts-better-federal-cyberse.php

Countries are risking cyber terrorism, security expert tells first world summit
The spectre of crashing power grids, stalled air control towers, hospitals brought to a standstill and defences left wide open was raised at the first cyber-security world summit that ended today, when politicians, officials, military leaders and industrialists warned that the US and other countries were failing to protect computer networks and were vulnerable to attacks of catastrophic proportions.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/may/05/terrorism-uksecurity

Cybercrime conference shows challenge of gettings govts to play nice [AP]
As governments around the world amass armies of hackers to protect their countries' computer networks and possibly attack others, the idea of getting officials together to discuss shared threats such as cybercrime is challenging.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10642649

Cybersecurity summit kicks off with calls to action [AFP]
Securing cyberspace needs more public-private cooperation and a greater ability to identify and punish perpetrators, officials and business leaders said as a conference got underway.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/cybersecurity-summit-kicks-off-with-calls-to-action-20100504-u6ko.html
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/cybersecurity-summit-kicks-off-with-calls-to-action-20100504-u6ko.html

Internode sheds light on DNSSEC
Internode network engineer Mark Newton has shed some technical light on so-called "doomsaying" articles suggesting an upgrade to the internet's domain name servers might cause routers around the world to fail.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/internode-sheds-light-on-dnssec-339302845.htm

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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Say No to WIPO's Proposal to Amend the PDDRP to Create New Law by Jeff Neuman
A number of comments to ICANN's proposed Post Delegation Dispute Resolution Process for new gTLD Registry Operators support a proposal by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to hold a registry operator accountable for trademark infringement that occurs within a TLD if it "knowingly permitted, or could not have reasonably been unaware of" infringing domain names within the TLD.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/say_no_to_wipos_proposal_to_amend_the_pddrp_to_create_new_law/

au: Bureaucrats catch the bully bug from anti-test teachers
David Johnson owns Naplan Online and AUSSAT Online, websites that allow students and teachers to take tests online, with immediate marks, and to track their results over time. He says he is being driven out of business by bullying bureaucrats. Over the past nine months, he says the NSW Department of Education and Training and the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, have sent him five threatening legal letters alleging copyright infringements and demanding he hand over his domain name and logo and stop people from doing the tests online.
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/blogs/national-comment/bureaucrats-catch-the-bully-bug-from-antitest-teachers/1822554.aspx
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/bureaucrats-catch-the-bully-bug-from-antitest-teachers-20100505-uar1.html
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/bureaucrats-catch-the-bully-bug-from-antitest-teachers-20100505-uar1.html

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 - IPv4/IPv6
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Beware the black market rising for IP addresses
Organizations slow to adopt IPv6 take heed: Surging requests for IPv4 addresses are quickly drying up the available store, raising the specter of an IPv4 black market that could dramatically increase the cost of obtaining a presence on today's Internet.
http://infoworld.com/d/networking/beware-the-black-market-rising-ip-addresses-729
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/050310-beware-the-black-market-rising.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/infoworld/20100503/tc_infoworld/121729

Fears of IP address black market largely unfounded
Obtaining IPv4 addresses has been getting more difficult in recent years, as ARIN and the four other Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) keep tightening their policies and procedures. So with the well running dry, where can an intrepid IP address user turn to get that IPv4 fix? The black market, of course. Economists have been predicting the emergence of a black market for IPv4 addresses for some time. Some industry experts say it's already here. We say, not so fast.
http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2010/05/fears-of-ip-address-black-market-largely-unfounded.ars

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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When Registrars Look the Other Way, Drug-Dealers Get Paid by Garth Bruen
Since November of last year we have been discussing the problem of illicit and illegal online pharmacy support by ICANN-accredited Registrars. In several articles and direct contact with the Registrars we have tirelessly tried to convey the seriousness of this problem, many listened, some did not. The issues were explained in detail here on CircleID in: What's Driving Spam and Domain Fraud? Illicit Drug Traffic, Online Drug Traffic and Registrar Policy, and Internet Drug Traffic, Service Providers and Intellectual Property. Registrar issues were also voiced by other authors here like Statton Hammock Domain Registrars & Registries: Don't Say You Weren't Warned.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20100504_when_registrars_look_the_other_way_drug_dealers_get_paid/

BBC website wins two Webby awards
... Vint Cerf, the man credited with much of the underlying architecture of the internet, was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement award.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/10097357.stm

Who owns cloud.com anyway?
If you were going to start a cloud computing company, wouldn't cloud.com be the perfect domain name? With all the hype surrounding cloud computing, it may be surprising that cloud.com wasn't gobbled up by a major corporation such as IBM, Amazon or Microsoft. After all, cloudcomputing.com is owned by Dell.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/050410-vmops-cloud-domain.html
http://www.cio.com/article/592676/Who_Owns_Www.Cloud.Com_Anyway_

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 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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Premium .AU Domain Names Up For Auction This Week
The Australian domain name aftermarket is slowly growing following the relaxation of rules allowing for the transfer of com.au and net.au domains. This week there is the timely auction underway of mothersday.com.au, as well as yes.com.au, and more than 50 other premium com.au and net.au domain names.
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=11185
http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/05/04/premium-au-domain-names-up-for-auction-this-week/
http://www.domainnews.com/en/premium-.au-domain-names-up-for-auction-this-week.html

Rare .VN domain names to be auctioned
Internet domain names with only one or two characters will be auctioned off from July 1 under the Telecommunication Law, according to the Viet Nam National Internet Centre (VNNIC).
http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/Economy/199251/Rare-domain-names-to-be-auctioned.html

Innovative Domain Auction Service Bido.com Abruptly Calls It Quits
I was surprised and saddened to get today's news that innovative domain auction service Bido.com is closing down effective tomorrow (May 5).
http://dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2010/dailyposts/20100504-2.htm

Domain Auction Site Bido Closing Down
Domain name auction site Bido is closing. The company announced the move on twitter moments ago:
http://domainnamewire.com/2010/05/04/domain-auction-site-bido-closing-down/

Inside Oversee.net v. Howard Nelson Brady, Jr.
Earlier today Snapnames and parent company Oversee.net filed a lawsuit against former employee Howard Nelson Brady, Jr. for his alleged scheme of shill bidding and embezzlement.
http://domainnamewire.com/2010/05/04/inside-oversee-net-v-howard-nelson-brady-jr/

SnapNames sues former executive for $33 million
SnapNames.com Inc. on Tuesday said it has filed a federal lawsuit seeking $33 million in damages from a former executive it claims rigged some of the company?s domain name auctions.
http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2010/05/03/daily13.html

SnapNames and Oversee.net Sue Nelson Brady aka Halvarez
Snapnames and its parent company Oversee.net have sued Nelson Brady, the former employee allegedly at the center of a massive bidding scandal last year. The company is seeking $33 million in damages.
http://domainnamewire.com/2010/05/04/snapnames-and-oversee-net-sue-nelson-brady-aka-halvarez/

SnapNames and Parent Company Oversee.net Files Suit Against Formed VP and Alleged Shill Bidder Nelson Brady
SnapNames.com and its parent company Oversee.net today announced they have filed suit against Nelson Brady in federal court in Oregon ( Portlan d district). The company said that Brady, a former SnapNames VP, used the false name ?Hank Alvarez? to improperly bid in certain SnapNames auctions.
http://dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2010/dailyposts/20100504.htm

Oversee Files Suit Against Nelson Brady for $33 Million in Damages
SnapNames, and its parent company, Oversee.net, announced today that they have filed suit against Nelson Brady in federal court in Oregon (Portland district).
http://www.domainnamenews.com/legal-issues/oversee-files-suit-nelson-brady-33-million-damages/7648

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INTERNET USE
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Gmail Ditched By Major US University Due to Privacy and Security Concerns
In a potential blow to Google's efforts to establish itself as a major player in enterprise software, a leading public university has ended its evaluation of Gmail as the official e-mail program for its 30,000 faculty and staff members?and it's got some harsh words for the search giant.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/windows/security/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=224700847

Will the iPad Mean the End of Free Online News?
If you thought online news would be free forever, perhaps it's time to think again. Rupert Murdoch, CEO of News Corp., announced on its third-quarter earnings call that in "three to four weeks" the company would be announcing a subscription model for news and other digital content. The impetus? None other than Apple's iPad.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/050510-will-the-ipad-mean-the.html

Microsoft's Internet Explorer losing browser share
Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) web browser, now accounts for less than 60% of the market, down from 95% at its peak in 2003, according to new figures.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/10095730.stm

Chrome gains again as Microsoft's browser share slips below 60%
Microsoft's Internet Explorer has been losing market share for years, but now its losses are going mainly to Google Chrome instead of Firefox. Meanwhile in operating systems, it's Windows 7 that is growing fast, and it is on track to overtake Vista, according to figures released by Net Applications
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/may/04/web-browser-market-shares

BBC website wins two Webby awards
The BBC News website has won two People's Voice gongs for its news website and mobile site in the ever-popular Webby Awards, designed to reward excellence on the net.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/10097357.stm

Jim Carrey, Brad Pitt top list of Webby winners
Jim Carrey, Lisa Kudrow, Brad Pitt, Isabella Rossellini and Roger Ebert are among those who will be honoured at the 14th annual Webby Awards.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6434S520100504

Webby winners announced [AP]
The 14th annual Webbys, which celebrate internet achievement, have honoured Twitter, Vincent Cerf, Roger Ebert and rock band OK Go among others.
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/webby-winners-announced-20100505-u80e.html
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/webby-winners-announced-20100505-u80e.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/04/AR2010050401683.html

Google enters digital books war with launch of Editions
Google is set to launch its own online e-book store in 2010. Google Editions books will not be tied to a specific device, unlike rival e-book company Amazon.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/10098111.stm

Google set to launch new edition to its range
Google is set to join the e-book battle by launching its digital book service this summer.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article7116521.ece

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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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Facebook fixes embarrassing security flaw
Facebook has rushed to fix a security flaw that allowed users to eavesdrop on the live chats of their friends and see their pending friend requests.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/10099178.stm

Facebook Glitch Brings New Privacy Worries
For many users of Facebook, the world?s largest social network, it was just the latest in a string of frustrations.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/06/technology/internet/06facebook.html

Facebook privacy takes another hit
Facebook's ongoing promises of online privacy took another hit overnight, as a software glitch led the social networking giant to reveal users' online chats.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10643099

Tech Talk Podcast: Facebook Privacy
This week?s New York Times Tech Talk podcast takes a look at Facebook?s new features for sharing information. They?ve set off concerns among privacy advocates and some elected officials. Bettina Edelstein speaks with Kurt Opsahl, a senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an online civil liberties group. He says it?s getting harder, and more complicated, to use Facebook?s privacy settings, and he objects to the site making personal data public by default.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/05/tech-talk-podcast-facebook-privacy/

Facebook privacy snafu exposed user chats
Private chats between some Facebook users were briefly viewable by other users on Wednesday, an embarassing technical glitch for a company facing growing criticism over "sloppy" privacy protection.
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-48262120100505

Privacy bug causes Facebook to disable chat
Some Facebook users' live chat messages and pending friend requests were briefly visible to their contacts this week, as the result of a bug in the massive social network's "Preview My Profile" feature. Facebook confirmed the contents of a video posted to TechCrunch Europe on Wednesday that demonstrated the flaw, and has temporarily disabled its live chat software, but denied that it was a large-scale security problem.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-20004213-36.html

Facebook bug exposes private chats [IDG]
A bug allowed Facebook users to view their friends' chat sessions on the site, prompting the social-networking company to disable its internal instant-messaging service. The bug also let people see their friends' pending friend requests.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/195663/.html
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9176341/Update_Facebook_bug_exposes_private_chats

Facebook Fixes Bug That Exposed Private Chats
Another day, another Facebook security snafu. The popular social network has patched a major security bug that allowed users to snoop on their friends' private chats, and view their pending friend requests.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/050510-facebook-fixes-bug-that-exposed.html

Six Things You Need to Know About Facebook Connections
"Connections." It's an innocent-sounding word. But it's at the heart of some of the worst of Facebook's recent changes.
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/05/things-you-need-know-about-facebook

Facebook vs. LinkedIn: Which has the better privacy?
Privacy advocates' criticism over recent moves by Facebook and Google Buzz begs the question: Is privacy possible in a social network? And, if so, which social-network service does it the best? To answer this question, this month I donned my privacy goggles and pored over the two social networks that my professional peers seem to use the most: Facebook and LinkedIn. I also asked all my Facebook friends and LinkedIn connections to tell me which they thought did privacy better. (I didn't look at Buzz because I admittedly don't know anyone using it.) What did I find out?
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/050510-facebook-vs-linkedin-which-has.html

Facebook lawsuit will criminalise its own users, says EFF
Facebook is in danger of criminalising many of its users and trampling on their rights to access their information in the way they choose, according to a digital rights advocacy body.
http://out-law.com/page-10994

EFF Seeks to Protect Innovation for Social Network Users [news release]
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is urging a federal judge to dismiss Facebook's claims that criminal law is violated when its users opt for an add-on service that helps them aggregate their information from a variety of social networking sites.
http://www.eff.org/press/archives/2010/05/03

Teenage Insults, Scrawled on Web, Not on Walls
It is the online version of the bathroom wall in school, the place to scrawl raw, anonymous gossip. Formspring.me, a relatively new social networking site, has become a magnet for comments, many of them nasty and sexual, among the Facebook generation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/06/us/06formspring.html

Facebook: friend or foe for social networkers [AFP]
Facebook's evolution from online club house to internet powerhouse is raising fears that the social network is trading its users' personal networks for its own profit.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/privacy-versus-profit-at-facebook-20100502-u15z.html
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/facebook-friend-or-foe-for-social-networkers-20100504-u52r.html

Half of Social Networkers Post Risky Information, Study Finds
More than half of all users of social networks in the U.S. are posting information that could put them at risk from cybercriminals, according to a Consumer Reports study.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9176265/Half_of_social_networkers_post_risky_information_study_finds_
http://www.pcworld.com/article/195545/.html

Nearly half of parents friend their kids on Facebook
A question for those of you who maintain Facebook or other social networking accounts: how many of you friend your parents? How many of you would friend your parents if you were still a teenager? I'm friends with my mom on Facebook, but I can't say for certain whether I would if I were 16. According to a new survey by Retrevo, almost half of parents say that they're friends with their teenagers on social networks.
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/2010/05/report-parents-use-facebook-to-punish-learn-about-their-kids.ars

us: Headteacher calls for Facebook ban
The principal of a school in New Jersey has asked students to join a voluntary ban on social networking and text messaging to prevent cyber bullying.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/social-media/7659627/Headteacher-calls-for-Facebook-ban.html

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
**********************
Goodbye petabytes, hello zettabytes; massive figure equal to a million million gigabytes
Every man, woman and child on the planet using micro-blogging site Twitter for a century. For many people that may sound like a vision of hell, but for watchers of the tremendous growth of digital communications it is a neat way of presenting the sheer scale of the so-called digital universe. The explosion of social networking, online video services and digital photography, plus the continued popularity of mobile phones, email and web browsing, coupled with the growing desire of corporations and governments to know and store ever more data about everyone has created an unprecedented amount of digital information and introduced a new word to the nerd lexicon: a zettabyte.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/may/03/humanity-digital-output-zettabyte

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CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
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Child protection on the Internet
The protection of children online has become an EU priority as lawmakers wake up to the risks of social networking sites and ramp up the fight against child pornography.
http://www.euractiv.com/en/infosociety/child-protection-internet-linksdossier-493626

au: 57 ISPs signed up for filter forum
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy's office has revealed that 57 out of the 687 invited ISPs signed up to participate in a protected online forum to discuss issues with the government's planned mandatory filter.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/57-isps-signed-up-for-filter-forum-339302841.htm

au: Conroy given filter circumvention demo
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy was shown how to circumvent his mandatory internet service provider level internet filter in a one-hour demonstration.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/conroy-given-filter-circumvention-demo-339302825.htm

Australia's Pirate Party sees circumvention as censorship
The Pirate Party Australia has likened the idea being discussed by the federal broadband department ? that promotion of circumvention of the internet filter could become an offence ? to oppressive censorship regimes in Iran and China.
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/regulation/2010/05/05/australias-pirate-party-sees-circumvention-as-censorship-40088846/
http://www.zdnet.com.au/pirate-party-fiery-on-circumvention-ban-339302797.htm

nz: Info that kids share on Facebook a matter of concern: Kiwi watchdog [ANI]
A Kiwi watchdog has revealed that there is a growing concern about the information children share on the Internet.
http://sify.com/news/info-that-kids-share-on-facebook-a-matter-of-concern-kiwi-watchdog-news-international-kfdpOeijbag.html
http://www.newkerala.com/news/fullnews-100852.html
http://www.dnaindia.com/scitech/report_info-that-kids-share-on-facebook-a-matter-of-concern-kiwi-watchdog_1378526

jp: Gov't to ask Net providers to block access to child porn sites
The government is considering asking Internet service providers to block users? access to child pornography sites in an effort to stem the spread of child pornography on the Internet, government sources said Tuesday.
http://www.japantoday.com/category/crime/view/govt-to-ask-net-providers-to-block-access-to-child-porn-sites

Govt to ask Internet providers to block child porn site access in Japan
The government plans to ask Internet providers to adopt voluntary restrictions on child pornography, such as blocking users' access to such harmful Web sites, according to Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Kazuhiro Haraguchi.
http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest+News/Asia/Story/A1Story20100505-214374.html

**********************
ONLINE TV & MUSIC
**********************
Google Sees a New Role for YouTube: An Outlet for Live Sports
The Indian Premier League, an 8-team tournament here that turns staid cricket into something fast-paced and glamorous, just ended its third season with a new champion, the Chennai Super Kings, and a new scandal revolving around allegations of financial fraud.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/03/business/media/03cricket.html

Viacom v YouTube is a microcosm of the entertainment industry
As Viacom's lawsuit against YouTube inches through the US judicial system, YouTube's chief counsel, Zahavah Levine, posted a bombshell to the company's weblog: writing after the release of previously sealed documents, he said that even as Viacom was suing YouTube for allowing infringing copies of its content to be posted by YouTube users, Viacom was also using at least 18 marketing agencies to secretly upload its videos to YouTube.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/may/04/viacom-youtube

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
**********************
Nokia still at the top of the smartphone food chain as rivals get innovative [Relaxnews]
Nokia is leading the smartphone race, shipping a record 21.4 million units (around twice that of its nearest competitor RIM) in the first quarter of 2010. As Android-powered devices move up the ladder and Apple continues to gain mainstream appeal as a mobile maker, market researcher Canalys explains why Nokia is still at the top.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/nokia-still-at-the-top-of-the-smartphone-food-chain-as-rivals-get-innovative-1961667.html

Mobile phone networks fight back on apps
London is to become the centre of a fightback by the world's biggest mobile phone networks, which together serve more than four billion customers, against the growing power of Apple and Google.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/may/03/mobile-phones-fightback-google-apple-apps

Bids for one all-India 3G licence reach $2.41 bln
Bids for one set of nationwide third-generation (3G) mobile spectrum licences in India reached 107.49 billion rupees ($2.41 billion), or more than three times the base price, on the 21st day of an auction, government data showed on Tuesday.
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-48225620100504

Victor Keegan: My first iPhone app - how easy is it to make an app
How easy is it to make an "app" for the iPhone? And is it worth the effort in a crowded market in which there have been well over 3bn downloads?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/apr/14/victor-keegan-iphone-app-city-poems

**************************
ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
**************************
Countries are risking cyber terrorism, security expert tells first world summit
The spectre of crashing power grids, stalled air control towers, hospitals brought to a standstill and defences left wide open was raised at the first cyber-security world summit that ended today, when politicians, officials, military leaders and industrialists warned that the US and other countries were failing to protect computer networks and were vulnerable to attacks of catastrophic proportions.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/may/05/terrorism-uksecurity

Uniting nations against cybercrime, but not yet
The first Worldwide Security Summit has attracted people from more than 40 countries to Dallas, but don't expect cybercrime to be wiped out any time soon
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/may/04/ewi-security-summit

Google sues indie label over copyright claims [Hollywood Reporter]
Google has taken the rare step of asking a California judge to declare that by linking to copyright-infringing works on Rapidshare, the search giant is not facilitating the illegal distribution of copyrighted songs.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6450S420100506

Stolen Facebook Accounts for Sale
Researchers at VeriSign?s iDefense division tracking the digital underworld say bogus and stolen accounts on the Facebook are now on sale in high volume on the black market.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/03/technology/internet/03facebook.html

Facebook hacker not living in NZ - police
A Russian hacker adopted a Kiwi girl's persona in underground forums where he offered for sale more than a million Facebook passwords - but he an investigation has found does not live here, say police.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10642703

Russian hacker not in NZ - police [NZPA]
A Russian Facebook hacker is not based in New Zealand, say police following a two-week investigation.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/3656091/Russian-hacker-not-in-NZ-police

Russian Facebook hacker not located in NZ: Police
A police investigation into a Russian hacker known as ?Kirllos? has established the hacker had no link to New Zealand.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/russian-facebook-hacker-not-in-nz-police

Craigslist Is Subpoenaed Over Sex Ads
Craigslist.org was subpoenaed Monday by Connecticut?s attorney general, who is investigating whether the popular online classified ad service is doing enough to fight prostitution on its site and whether it may be profiting from it.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE64254Q20100503
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-48193620100503
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/technology/04craigslist.html

**************************
PRIVACY
**************************
Consumer Groups Say Proposed Privacy Bill Is Flawed
A long-awaited draft of a Congressional bill would extend privacy protections both on the Internet and off line, but privacy advocates said the bill did not go far enough in protecting consumers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/05/business/media/05adco.html

House privacy bill draws fire from all sides
Rep. Rick Boucher, a Democrat from rural Virginia, has been unsuccessfully pushing for Internet privacy legislation for a very long time. In 1999, he proposed a bill that would give regulators more power over commercial Web sites, and he cosponsored the Consumer Privacy Protection Act in 2005.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-20004165-38.html

Privacy Groups Blast Draft Privacy Bill
A group of privacy advocates expressed strong disappointment with draft privacy legislation unveiled Tuesday by the leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Communications Subcommittee, with some saying it might be worse than the status quo.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/05/privacy-groups-blast-draft-pri.php

US lawmakers publish internet privacy bill
A new law has been proposed that mandates information to be given to website visitors to improve privacy protections in the US. It also lists types of data that can be used until people opt out, and others that can be used only with their consent.
http://out-law.com/page-10993

Boucher Releases Draft Privacy Bill
House Energy and Commerce Communications Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher, D-Va., Tuesday released draft privacy legislation that would require Web sites to provide enhanced notice about how they use consumer information and obtain a user's consent before collecting sensitive information or sharing data about a consumer with some third parties.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/05/boucher-releases-draft-privacy.php

Lawmakers unveil online privacy bill [IDG]
Two U.S. lawmakers have released a draft bill that would require companies that collect personal information from customers to disclose how they collect and share that information, but several privacy and consumer groups said the proposal would legalize current privacy violations online.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9176311/Lawmakers_unveil_online_privacy_bill
http://www.pcworld.com/article/195578/.html

Google: Privacy is alive and well
In New Zealand for Privacy Awareness Week, Google privacy expert Alma Whitten talks about what the company is doing to keep your data safe
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10642685

us: Boucher to release privacy bill
Ahead of the expected release Tuesday of a House privacy bill, a group of public interest and privacy groups wrote House members Monday calling on them to support the inclusion of principles aimed at giving consumers more control over their personal information.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/05/boucher-to-release-privacy-bil.php
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100503_6625.php

Facebook's Privacy Controls Broken
I've spent a fair amount of time lately messing about with Facebook's privacy settings, which is almost like having a life, but not quite. Then I discovered something odd and disturbing: I cannot make all of my "likes and interests" private so that only my friends can see them. Even when I tell Facebook to do it, it won't -- they're still visible to anyone who looks up my Facebook profile.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/195448/.html

Open Letter to Facebook on Privacy
Facebook appears to be working diligently at establishing itself as the site that people love to hate. Don't get me wrong, passionate views are a mark of success--just look at Microsoft, Apple, and Google. Still, the trick is to foster that passion (and generate revenue) without inviting undue regulatory scrutiny or legal backlash.
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/195450/.html

**********************
CENSORSHIP
**********************
China urges tough Internet laws targeting 'overseas' forces [AFP]
One of China's top propaganda officials has urged lawmakers to push through tough legislation to stop "hostile forces" abroad using the Internet to achieve their aims, state press said Tuesday.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/china-urges-tough-internet-laws-targeting-overseas-forces-1962767.html

China signals secrets clampdowns
China has reinforced its determination to clamp down on the communication of information that it believes will damage the interests of the state or of Chinese businesses.
http://out-law.com/page-10987

China could force web users to disclose real names [AFP]
China could introduce a system requiring web users to provide their real names before posting comments online, state media reported Wednesday, as authorities move to tighten control over the Internet.
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/china-could-force-web-users-to-disclose-real-names-20100506-uazt.html
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/china-could-force-web-users-to-disclose-real-names-20100506-uazt.html

China to pass 'state secrets' internet law
China is poised to pass a law requiring telecommunications and internet companies to report any revelation of state secrets.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/7638046/China-to-pass-state-secrets-internet-law.html

China to crack down on online crime, overseas sources [Reuters]
China's media regulator vowed a crackdown on online crimes and strengthened monitoring to prevent "overseas hostile forces from infiltrating through the internet," Chinese state media said.
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/china-to-crack-down-on-online-crime-overseas-sources-20100505-u8ow.html
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/china-to-crack-down-on-online-crime-overseas-sources-20100505-u8ow.html

Governments and human rights warriors battle online [AFP]
Governments are ramping up online attacks on human rights advocates as the Internet becomes a key battleground for fights against oppression and censorship.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/governments-and-human-rights-warriors-battle-online-20100505-u9g9.html
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/governments-and-human-rights-warriors-battle-online-20100505-u9g9.html

**************************
GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
**************************
Brussels to beef up industry standards rules
European competition authorities will this week move to beef up rules governing the way in which all-important industry standards ? used in sectors ranging from telecoms to IT ? are developed.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c223860c-56af-11df-aa89-00144feab49a.html

Web's Users Against Its Gatekeepers
With the majority of Internet traffic expected to shift to congestion-prone mobile networks, there is growing debate on both sides of the Atlantic about whether operators of the networks should be allowed to treat Web users differently, based on the users? consumption.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/03/technology/internet/03neutral.html

nz: Phone, internet users getting more choice - Commission 
A report into telecommunications shows competition in the market has increased since the 2006 amendments to the Telecommunications Act came into effect.
http://tvnz.co.nz/business-news/phone-internet-users-getting-more-choice-commission-3486068

Canberra moves a step closer to e-government
The federal government has moved a step closer to its aim of using web technology to promote transparent administration, but the Coalition has labelled the effort as just "blah, bureaucracy and boffin-speak".
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/canberra-moves-a-step-closer-to-e-government/story-e6frgakx-1225861762308

Response to the Government 2.0 Report by Lindsay Tanner
Today I am pleased to announce the next step in the Rudd Government?s agenda to utilise Web 2.0 technologies to deliver better services to, and facilitate greater engagement with, Australians by releasing our response to the Government 2.0 Taskforce report.
http://agimo.govspace.gov.au/2010/05/03/response-to-the-government-2-0-report/

White House unveils push on broadband rules, hands Google victory as internet rules unveiled
The Obama administration handed Google and other web content providers a significant victory yesterday as it announced that cable and telecoms companies would face tough new regulations on how they manage their high-speed internet networks.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fa58cb78-58a7-11df-a0c9-00144feab49a.html

FCC plans to slap Net neutrality regs on broadband
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski plans to announce details of the plan on Thursday, a senior agency official said. The purpose is to circumvent a recent federal appeals court ruling saying the FCC had no legal authority to punish Comcast for throttling some BitTorrent transfers.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-20004284-94.html

US Congress wants tougher regime for ISPs
Democratic lawmakers are pushing Julius Genachowski, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, to institute a tough regulatory regime on providers of high-speed internet access such as Comcast and AT&T.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f569ff52-58a6-11df-a0c9-00144feab49a.html

F.C.C. Push to Regulate Broadband Is Expected
The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission will try to regulate broadband Internet service despite a recent court ruling that the commission had limited powers to do so.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/06/technology/06broadband.html

FCC will seek to regulate Internet providers
The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission plans to seek clear-cut powers to regulate Internet service providers, redefining the government's role over at least parts of the fast-growing industry.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/05/AR2010050505323.html

Lawmakers consider changes to wiretapping law [IDG]
Users of e-mail and cloud computing services need to have the same protections from law enforcement searches as do people who leave information on laptops or in office cabinets, witnesses told a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/050510-lawmakers-consider-changes-to-wiretapping.html

ng: Absence of Cyber Crime Law, Threat to ICT Investment - Nitda
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has attributed low investments in Information Technology (IT) to absence of cyber cime law in Nigeria.
http://www.independentngonline.com/DailyIndependent/Article.aspx?id=12907
http://allafrica.com/stories/201005030885.html

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MISCELLANEOUS
*********************************
U.S. mulling antitrust look at Apple
US regulators are considering an inquiry into whether Apple violates antitrust law by requiring that its programing tools be used to write applications for the iPad and iPhone, a source familiar with the matter has now said.
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-48199720100503
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE6425OU20100504
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/apples-flash-burst-may-be-probed-20100504-u4jd.html

Government Weighing Possible Apple Antitrust Probe
The Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice are exploring whether to open an antitrust inquiry into Apple over its recent actions restricting developers writing apps for its iPhone operating system.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/goverment-weighing-possible-apple-antitrust-probe/

Apple, the App Store, and antitrust (FAQ)
Apple may be the latest tech company to be in federal trustbusters' crosshairs.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-20004138-260.html

Kiwi imagination yields winning solution
Us Kiwis are a creative bunch, from inventing what was arguably the worlds first airplane, through to splitting the atom, New Zealanders have boxed well above their weight in global creativity stakes.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10642525

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS
**********************
Next mobile bandwidth wave gains momentum
Bandwidth-hungry smartphones led by Apple?s iPhone are unleashing a data tsunami on mobile networks that could nurture new business models in the telecoms industry.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/423fabcc-56e7-11df-aa89-00144feab49a.html

Speedier smartphones still can't keep up with networks [IDG]
Next-generation smartphones will be able to access the Internet at higher speeds, but costs and technical limitations will prevent them from getting the most out of the networks they're connected to.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9176252/Speedier_smartphones_still_can_t_keep_up_with_networks
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/345191/speedier_phones_still_can_t_keep_up_networks/

Australia's National Broadband Network 'viable without Telstra'
The National Broadband Network can be built within the governments $43 billion budget without the involvement of Telstra and should reap the nation a return within 15 years.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/national-broadband-network-viable-without-telstra/story-e6frg6nf-1225863104962

Study backs NBN plan
The National Broadband Network can be delivered cheaper than the Federal Government's original $43 billion estimate and to more consumers, a nine-month study into the plan has found.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/06/2892132.htm

Unveiled: plan for cheaper, faster, bigger national broadband network
The national broadband network can be cheaper than the $43 billion top end price and more expansive than the government initially projected and can break even within six years, according to a new report into the plan.
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/unveiled-plan-for-cheaper-faster-bigger-national-broadband-network-20100506-ud9u.html

Consumers: the biggest winners of NBN
Consumers will be the biggest winners of the Federal Government?s proposed roll out of the National Broadband Network, possibly paying between $50- $60 a month for a combined fast internet and voice product.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/consumers-the-biggest-winners-of-nbn-20100506-udz0.html
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/consumers-the-biggest-winners-of-nbn-20100506-udz0.html

nz: Telecom investigating scrambled texts
Telecom is investigating a text message glitch after reports from mobile users that some messages are being scrambled in transmission.
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/104611/telecom-investigating-scrambled-texts
http://www.3news.co.nz/Telecom-investigating-scrambled-texts/tabid/421/articleID/154192/Default.aspx?ArticleID=154192

Indian telecom ban violates WTO rules, say experts
India's move to prevent or make it more difficult for telecommunication companies to buy equipment from Chinese companies is a violation of the World Trade Organization (WTO) norms and clearly smacks of trade protectionism, experts said on Wednesday.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2010-05/06/content_9815959.htm

China's Huawei working to allay Indian security fears
Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei Technologies said on Wednesday it was ensuring its networks were secure, as India reiterated it has not banned Chinese-made telecoms gear though added there were restrictions due to security reasons.
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-48244620100505

Tel Italia rivals plan ?2.5bn Italian broadband network
Three of Italy?s leading telecoms companies are set to announce a ?2.5bn plan to build a superfast broadband network in 15 cities, in a move that could put pressure on Telecom Italia, the country?s former fixed-line phone monopoly.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/f956851c-5866-11df-9921-00144feab49a.html

Skype slashes rates for international wireline, wireless calls
Skype this week will start offering plans to let users call international wireline and wireless phones at significantly lower rates than its current pay-as-you-go services.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/345504/skype_slashes_rates_international_wireline_wireless_calls/

Skype intros new mobile calling plans to 170 countries
Skype's VoIP calling service has been synonymous with free computer-to-computer calls for so long, it's easy to overlook the company's calling plans to landlines and mobile phones.
http://download.cnet.com/8301-2007_4-20004139-12.html
http://www.zdnetasia.com/skype-intros-new-mobile-calling-plans-to-170-countries-62063078.htm

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(c) David Goldstein 2010


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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


"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