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 *************************************************** ICANN Publishes Draft Agreement on .XXX http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-24aug10-en.htm Applicants Sought from Internet User Community for Seat on Board of Directors http://icann.org/en/news/releases/release-24aug10-en.pdf Anatomy of a Domain Name Land Rush by John McCormac http://www.circleid.com/posts/anatomy_of_a_domain_name_land_rush/ .AU/.NZ and .INFO Best Practice Awards Open http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/08/23/aunz-and-info-best-practice-awards-open/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/best-practice-awards-for-.au/.nz-and-.info-open.html Alexa Raad Resigns As President And CEO of .ORG/Public Interest Registry http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=12175 Domain-name security measure expands http://gcn.com/articles/2010/08/24/domain-name-security-expands.aspx IPv6: If you build it, they will come by Leo Vegoda http://blog.icann.org/2010/08/if-you-build-it-they-will-come/ Verizon: Businesses Need Move on IPv6 http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/082410-verizon-ipv6.html The window of opportunity for ccTLDs by Jon Lawrence http://www.ausregistry.com/blog/?p=522 Judges named for NZ Open Source awards http://www.techday.co.nz/thechannel/news/judges-named-for-nz-open-source-awards/17429/7/ ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** EFF at the United Nations Internet Governance Forum With the slogan "developing the future together," the fifth annual meeting of the United Nations Internet Governance Forum will take place in Vilnus, Lithuania, September 14-17, 2010. http://www.eff.org/calendar/2010/09/14/eff-united-nations-internet-governance-forum In 1993, the Clinton administration proposed to build up "the national information infrastructure" and listed six possible enemies who might attack US key network infrastructure. In May 2009, Microsoft announced on its website that they would turn off the Windows Live Messenger service for Cuba, Syria, Iran, Sudan and North Korea, in accordance with US legislation. In January 2010, Google, the company which owns the largest Internet information resources, declared that in order to establish a more open Internet environment, they had to abandon the Chinese market. What is even more worrying is that Senator Joseph Lieberman, chairman of US Homeland Security Committee, recently presented to the US Senate a bill titled "Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset." ... After the 9/11 attacks, the Bush administration officially upgraded Internet security to the strategic height of national security. Anti-terrorism was the theme of Internet security during the Bush era. In 2004, the US cut off the ".ly" domain name by using the root server, resulting in Libya's disappearance in Internet for three days. It generated worldwide criticism of the US hegemony on the Internet and concerns over Internet security. http://www.hamsayeh.net/hamsayehnet_iran-international%20news1598.htm ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** ICANN Publishes Draft Agreement on .XXX A Revised Proposed Registry Agreement with ICM to be designated as the Registry Operator for a .XXX Sponsored Top Level Domain (.XXX), as well as documentation submitted by ICM Registry in connection with the expedited due diligence conducted at the direction of the Board are being posting today for public comment. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-24aug10-en.htm Applicants Sought from Internet User Community for Seat on Board of Directors The ICANN group representing individual Internet users is calling for applications from those who may be interested in helping to develop policy while serving on the organization?s Board of Directors. http://icann.org/en/news/releases/release-24aug10-en.pdf Save the Date! Learn About Meetings For the Next Decade Survey Results and Next Steps Starting 7 September, you will be able to register on the ICANN eLearning page icann.org/en/learning/webinars.htm to receive the call and adobe connect details needed in order to participate. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-25aug10-en.htm Bulk Transfer of Domain Names from Lead Networks Domains to Answerable.com ICANN has authorized the bulk transfer of Lead Networks Domains Pvt. Ltd.?s gTLD domain names to Answerable.com (I) Pvt. Ltd., in response to a request from Lead Networks to designate Answerable.com as the gaining registrar for this bulk transfer effective upon the termination of Lead Network?s RAA, and in accordance with ICANN?s Inter-Registrar Transfer Policy and Procedures. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-24aug10-en.htm Letter from Rod Beckstrom to Janis Karklins Response to Project Agreement Proposal on the Development of the IDN ccTLD Reference Table for Cyrillic Script http://icann.org/correspondence/beckstrom-to-karklins-13aug10-en.pdf ICANN Publishes Draft Agreement on .XXX With 30 Day Comment Period ICANN has published a revised proposed registry agreement with ICM, the controversial applicant for the .XXX Sponsored Top Level Domain (.XXX sTLD) as well as documentation submitted by ICM Registry in connection with the expedited due diligence conducted at the direction of the Board are being posting today for public comment. There is a 30 day public comment period that closes on 24 August. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=12173 http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/08/25/icann-publishes-draft-agreement-on-xxx-with-30-day-comment-period/ .xxx 'adult' domain names one step closer ICM, the organisation that has been battling for six years to get a .xxx top level domain names accepted by ICANN is one step closer to achieving its goal: a draft proposal, its fourth, has been issued by ICANN for public comment. http://www.itwire.com/your-it-news/entertainment/41385-xxx-adult-domain-names-one-step-closer ICANN posts .xxx contract for comment ICANN has just published the proposed contract for ICM Registry?s porn-only .xxx top-level domain, and over a dozen supporting documents. http://domainincite.com/icann-posts-xxx-contract-for-comment/ Anatomy of a Domain Name Land Rush by John McCormac The launch of a new or repurposed Top-Level Domain (TLD) is always surrounded with speculative activity. Some domainers will register domains in the new TLD with hopes of getting rich quick. Others will do so because the same domain in .com is worth a lot of money. And then there are the developers who see the prospect of building a carefully branded website in the new TLD. And with all those proposed new generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs), this cycle will be repeated. But what does a Domain Name Land Rush look like? more? http://www.circleid.com/posts/anatomy_of_a_domain_name_land_rush/ The IDN ccTLD Landscape: .?? and .?? by Aaron Krawitz, Gary Males & Patrick Carleton Change is afoot in the world of IDN ccTLDs. Just a few days ago, we learned that the registry, JPRS, was the only one to apply to manage the .?? IDN ccTLD (meaning ?.Japan? in Japanese). JPRS is the current .JP registry and has previously spoke out in favor of aliasing or unlocking .JP in an IDN equivalent. As such, the practical implication of the above application is that we will likely soon see owners of IDN.JP domains owning IDN.?? names as well. http://domainnamewire.com/2010/08/25/the-idn-cctld-landscape-??-and-??/ ITU chief snubs ICANN?s Beckstrom That?s pretty much the message sent to ICANN chief Rod Beckstrom by the International Telecommunications Union?s secretary general, following his request to attend a top-level ITU policy meeting. http://domainincite.com/itu-chief-snubs-icanns-beckstrom/ ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** .AU/.NZ and .INFO Best Practice Awards Open The registries for .AU(Australia) and .NZ (New Zealand), auDA and InternetNZ, have announced their Best Practice Awards for 2010 while .INFO registry Afilias has opened its fourth annual .INFO Awards programme. http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/08/23/aunz-and-info-best-practice-awards-open/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/best-practice-awards-for-.au/.nz-and-.info-open.html Policy makers aim to strengthen East Africa domains Policy makers in East Africa's Internet space are setting up a working group to help strengthen the country-code top-level domains there and establish a business case for the .EastAfrica domain. http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=AA91886D-1A64-67EA-E468F949A7EC6CC9 Poles hold 5th most .eu domain names Polish people hold the fifth highest number of the .eu internet domain name, just behind France and just ahead of Italy, Home.pl has found. http://www.wbj.pl/article-50839-poles-hold-5th-most-eu-domain-names.html .ORG the Public Interest Registry Announced Today That Alexa Raad Has Resigned As President And CEO The Board of Directors of .ORG the Public Interest Registry announced today that Alexa Raad, the President and Chief Executive Officer of PIR, has decided to resign from her positions with the company effective on September 24th, 2010. Her resignation concludes 3 1/2 years of service and leadership at PIR. http://pir.org/news/pr/2010/alexa Alexa Raad Resigns As President And CEO of .ORG/Public Interest Registry In a shock announcement, the Board of Directors of .ORG the Public Interest Registry announced today that Alexa Raad, the President and Chief Executive Officer of PIR, has decided to resign from her positions with the company effective on September 24th, 2010. Her resignation concludes 3 1/2 years of service and leadership at PIR. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=12175 http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/08/26/alexa-raad-resigns-as-president-and-ceo-of-orgpublic-interest-registry/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/alexa-raad-resigns-as-president-and-ceo-of-.org/public-interest-registry.html ps: Balkanisation headache for internet body Change of a country?s name is creating strife in cyberspace too. After much deliberation, the internet governing body ICANN has finally recognised ?ps? as a country level domain for Palestinian territory. http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/Balkanisation-headache-for-internet-body/articleshow/6429700.cms ICANN to release shorter dot-travel domains ICANN has approved and will soon release all one- and two-character dot-travel domain names, according to the The Travel Partnership Corp. http://www.tnooz.com/2010/08/23/news/icann-to-release-shorter-dot-travel-domains/ ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Registrars ?unprepared? for DNSSEC Only one in 10 domain name registrars believes it is fully prepared to offer DNSSEC services today, according to new research out from Afilias, the .info registry. http://domainincite.com/registrars-unprepared-for-dnssec/ Domain-name security measure expands Thirteen more top-level domains will get the DNS Security Extensions this year, thanks to an Irish company called Afilias, a provider of Internet registry and back-end services. The company plans to begin with the .info TLD in September. http://gcn.com/articles/2010/08/24/domain-name-security-expands.aspx DNSSEC Updates Back in February we announced the start of our production network trial of DNSSEC, a technology which adds security to DNS (the telephone book for the Internet). Since that time our trials have gone very well, and the pace of DNSSEC deployments world wide has steadily moved forward. http://blog.comcast.com/2010/08/dnssec-updates.html Registry Operator Afilias Embraces DNS Security Afilias, which operates .info and more than a dozen other Web site extensions, will announce on Monday plans to deploy an emerging standard known as DNSSEC that adds a layer of encryption to the Internet's Domain Name System. http://www.cio.com/article/605223/Registry_Operator_Afilias_Embraces_DNS_Security http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/security/registry-operator-afilias-embraces-dns-security http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=9FF89809-1A64-67EA-E464780A453D966C Afilias plans to deploy Domain Name System Security Extensions in 13 more top-level domains Afilias, a global provider of Internet infrastructure services, today announced that it will deploy DNSSEC across its registry platforms, signing 13 more TLDs and increasing DNSSEC deployment among domain registries by 50 percent. http://www.afilias.info/news/2010/08/23/afilias?-project-safeguard-boost-global-dnssec-deployment-50-percent DNSSEC Will Drive Certificate Market With the landmark deployment of DNSSEC in the root a little over a month ago and the acceleration of TLDs jumping onto the DNSSEC bandwagon through the end of this year and 2011, a big question remains: what does this protocol improvement mean for the digital certificate market? http://www.darkreading.com/authentication/security/encryption/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=226900198 US Defense official discloses cyberattack Now it is official: The most significant breach of U.S. military computers was caused by a flash drive inserted into a U.S. military laptop on a post in the Middle East in 2008. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/24/AR2010082406154.html ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** If you build it, they will come by Leo Vegoda As you would expect, most of ICANN?s external services, including this blog, are available over IPv6 as well as IPv4. And at the request of the ICANN Board, a regular comparative measure of IPv6 use at the ICANN and IANA websites has been provided to them for months. The good news is that the trend from the measurement shows an increase in the use of the ICANN and IANA web sites using IPv6. IPv6 hits on our web sites in June were about 1.7% of all hits. http://blog.icann.org/2010/08/if-you-build-it-they-will-come/ Verizon: Businesses Need Move on IPv6 Verizon Business has a message to companies still reluctant to migrate their networks to IPv6: You're better off doing it now than later. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/082410-verizon-ipv6.html http://www.pcworld.com/article/204069/.html http://www.itworld.com/internet/118533/verizon-businesses-need-move-ipv6 Lack of vision, high costs hinder IPv6 migration Some Southeast Asian markets can't anticipate Web addresses required for future growth, says analyst who adds countries must look at Internet and mobile usage growth to maintain long-term economic growth. http://www.zdnetasia.com/lack-of-vision-high-costs-hinder-ipv6-migration-62202312.htm APNIC 30 to push IPv6 One of the biggest global gatherings of the people that design and implement technologies that affect the internet will take place on the Gold Coast this week. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/357877/apnic_30_push_ipv6/ ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** The window of opportunity for ccTLDs by Jon Lawrence The announcement that .co has already achieved over 450,000 new registrations since the opening up of the second-level a month ago demonstrates that there is strong demand in the global domain name marketplace for quality new domain spaces. http://www.ausregistry.com/blog/?p=522 http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=12181 http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/08/26/the-window-of-opportunity-for-cctlds-by-jon-lawrence/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/the-window-of-opportunity-for-cctlds-by-jon-lawrence.html Catching Up with The Internet Commerce Association by Philip S. Corwin, Counsel, Internet Commerce Association Thanks to Andrew for this opportunity to blog about what ICA has been up to so far this year ? while he takes a well-deserved vacation. Domain Name Wire is an indispensable resource for anyone involved in the domain game and he deserves broad appreciation for his consistent, high quality work. http://domainnamewire.com/2010/08/23/catching-up-with-the-internet-commerce-association/ Judges named for NZ Open Source awards Seven open source experts will form the judging panel of the 2010 Open Source Awards, due to be held in Wellington on November 9th. http://www.techday.co.nz/thechannel/news/judges-named-for-nz-open-source-awards/17429/7/ Melbourne IT looks to social media for growth Listed services company Melbourne IT will turn to social networking, cloud-based hosting and desktop virtualisation to help it grow its business over the next twelve months. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/358081/melbourne_it_looks_social_media_growth/ http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/358094/melbourne_it_reports_drop_revenue_rise_profits/ 27 Billion Queries Served: OpenDNS Sees Record Traffic I personally love OpenDNS, at least as much as you can love a DNS service. It offers a number of admin features that are usually reserved for bigger and badder ISPs and the service is free, fast, and fun (not really, but I liked the alliteration). http://techcrunch.com/2010/08/25/27-billion-queries-served-opendns-sees-record-traffic/ ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** ccTLDs under the hammer at UK domainer conference The UK will get a rare domainer conference and live auction at the end of the week. MeetDomainers, organized by NameDrive and the Polish domain investment outfit ddfund.eu, will open its doors for three days at the Hilton in Manchester. http://domainincite.com/cctlds-under-the-hammer-at-uk-domainer-conference/ Germany's Biggest Domain Conference - DomainvermarkterForum - Is Coming Up Next Week in Munich + Zak Muscovitch Running for CIRA Board Seat A 2010 domain conference that we haven't talked about (before now) - an important one on the international calendar - is coming up next week. It is the 6th edition of the DomainvermarkterForum that will be held September 2-3 at the five-star Hotel Sofitel Bayerpost in Munich. This is Germany's biggest show and the only major event dedicated to the German market. The event was started in 2006 by Christoph Grueneberg and Thomas Mueller and it has steadily grown over the years, drawing attendees from Germany, Austria, Switzerland and other European nations as well as from the United States. http://dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2010/dailyposts/20100825.htm ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Smoking marketed on YouTube - NZ study Tobacco companies have turned to video-sharing website YouTube to market their products, new research from Otago University suggests. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10668997 Microsoft finally fueling Yahoo's search engine [AP] Microsoft Corp.'s technology is now processing all the search requests on Yahoo Inc.'s website in the U.S. and Canada, completing a long-awaited leap that creates a more formidable challenger to Google Inc. in the most lucrative part of the online advertising market. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/24/AR2010082404147.html Online football fails to score with British viewers New research shows a distinct lack of appetite for internet streaming of football matches, just as the Football League looks to the web for new revenue streams. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2010/aug/23/online-football-streaming M'sia's rural areas lagging behind with broadband Malaysia says it is on track with plans to connect half its households with broadband services by year-end, but citizens in far-flung states still feel left out when it comes to Internet infrastructure and service. http://www.zdnetasia.com/m-sia-s-rural-areas-lagging-behind-with-broadband-62202341.htm For teens today, online ties as strong as family For those of us who went to high school before the Internet had made its way into most households, back when evenings were more likely to be spent twisting telephone wire around our fingers than typing messages to our friends, having online relationships that are equally important to those that happen in person may sound implausible. http://news.cnet.com/8301-27083_3-20014441-247.html Googling a hire power: should employers use the net to vet? Using Google to check for skeletons in potential employees' closets is exposing job seekers to discrimination but there's nothing much even they can do, lawyers warn http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/googling-a-hire-power-should-employers-use-the-net-to-vet-20100825-13rm6.html http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/googling-a-hire-power-should-employers-use-the-net-to-vet-20100825-13rm6.html ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Be careful mixing politics and Facebook, counsel office says Federal employees could become a "friend," a "fan" or even "like" a Facebook page a political party or candidate created, but they cannot do so during work hours or while in a federal workspace, according to new guidance the Office of Special Counsel has issued. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100825_1710.php Teens on Facebook GOL (grumble out loud) as mothers become friends Mothers have found a even better way to humiliate their children than showing baby pictures: becoming a friend on Facebook. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-facebook-teens-20100825,0,5741860.story Social networking site Tribe aims to secure customers and investment for entrepreneurs A Franco-Israeli entrepreneur is hoping to rekindle some of the optimism of the dotcom boom with a new social networking site that combines the mass-audience reach of eBay with the trend for grassroots funding of small businesses. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/aug/22/social-networking-tribe-entrepreneurs Lady Gaga overtakes Britney Spears for Twitter record Lady Gaga has become the most popular person on the social networking site Twitter. http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/11037844 Lady Gaga is "queen of Twitter' There may be no reliable way to make money off Twitter yet, but Lady Gaga seems pleased that she surpassed Britney Spears over the weekend as the tweeter with the most followers. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE67I69O20100823 us: Study: 56 million have played social-network game NPD Group estimates more than 56 million in the U.S. have played a game on a social-networking site over the past three months. http://news.cnet.com/8301-10797_3-20014384-235.html Foursquare Privacy Basics: 5 Tips to 'Secure' Your Check-Ins [CIO] It's hardly practical to believe there are "right" and "wrong" ways to employ social networking services like Twitter or Facebook. However, there are "smart" and/or "safe" methods of use, especially for location-based services (LBS) that identify your whereabouts at a given time, like popular social network/LBS Foursquare. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/082410-foursquare-privacy-basics-5-tips.html ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Digital Devices Deprive Brain of Needed Downtime ... The technology makes the tiniest windows of time entertaining, and potentially productive. But scientists point to an unanticipated side effect: when people keep their brains busy with digital input, they are forfeiting downtime that could allow them to better learn and remember information, or come up with new ideas. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/technology/25brain.html Technology industry faces chip shortage The technology industry faces a growing shortage of semiconductors and other high-tech components following a failure to invest in new manufacturing facilities during the recession, experts have warned. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/aug/24/technology-industry-faces-short-supply-of-chips ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ au: Opinion: The Filter is dead, but it'll be back The Greens' success over the weekend in cementing their hold on the balance of power in the Senate has sounded the death knell for the government?s controversial ISP-level internet content filter. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/357876/opinion_filter_dead_it_ll_back/ au: Filter takes back seat for independents As the nation eagerly awaits the outcome of the parliamentary stalemate, only one of the three independent MPs at the centre of the uncertainty has provided an opinion on controversial cyber-security policies. http://www.zdnet.com.au/filter-takes-back-seat-for-independents-339305459.htm Teens toy with death online It's dangerous, sometimes deadly, and is played almost exclusively by children and young teens. It's called the choking game and YouTube has served up a new twist to what the experts warn is literally ?dicing with death?. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/teens-toy-with-death-online-20100825-13qzp.html http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/4060098/Teens-toy-with-death-online http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/teens-toy-with-death-online-20100825-13qzp.html nz: Police warn of internet stranger danger [Southland Times] Police will warn a Hastings-based internet user after he befriended more than 50 Invercargill schoolgirls, including falsely arranging to meet one girl, via social networking site Facebook. http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/4058082/Police-warn-of-net-danger http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/4058101/Police-warn-of-internet-stranger-danger http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/4058082/Police-warn-of-internet-stranger-danger Social Networking and the Overshare Generation ... ?People put data up on the web and they just don?t realize the implications of this data? says Martin Cocker, Executive Director of NetSafe, a non-profit organization that promotes safe and responsible use of Cyberspace. http://www.ask-kalena.com/articles/social-networking-and-the-overshare-generation/ Scientists find online games help social skills Scientists have found that children who spend hours playing online games may be developing friendships and nurturing vital social skills, a news report said Tuesday. http://www.businessday.co.za/Articles/Content.aspx?id=118948 us: New Oak Harbor anti-bullying plan includes cell phone search [AP] Oak Harbor school principals may start looking through cell phones as a way to crack down on cyber-bullying, but some students and their parents in the Island County school district say the proposed policy is an invasion of privacy. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012701544_apwacellphonesearch.html us: Expert has tips for handling Net bullies A year ago, many did not know what cyberbullying was. Today, parents across the country are concerned about it and want to know what to do to prevent it. The Internet provides a free and anonymous tool for bullies to heap on the abuse. http://www.solanabeachsun.net/news/273384-expert-has-tips-for-handling-net-bullies Junior Web Award geht in die Jubil?umsrunde Der Webseiten-Wettbewerb f?r Schulklassen findet in allen vier Sprachregionen grossen Anklang. Heute startet die f?nfte Durchf?hrung. Gesucht werden Lehrpersonen, die mit ihrer Klasse eine Webseite gestalten. http://www.suedostschweiz.ch/newsticker/index.cfm?id=47821&newsRegion=10 ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** In the Living Room, Hooked on Pay TV It is a fantasy shared by many Americans: dropping cable television and its fat monthly bills and turning instead to the wide-open frontier of Internet video. Some are finding that the reality is not that simple. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/23/business/media/23couch.html Crowded Field for Bringing Web Video to TVs If you want to watch Internet video on most televisions, you need a gadget that pulls it in. And a growing number of technology companies want to sell it to you. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/23/technology/23startup.html ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** Apple blocks iPhones from green ranking scheme Apple has refused to allow its iPhones to be included in the UK's first-ever green ranking scheme for mobile phones. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/aug/25/apple-iphone-green-ranking O2 launches eco rating system for mobiles O2 has become the first UK operator to implement an eco rating system for mobile devices from various manufacturers. http://www.zdnet.co.uk/blogs/tech-tech-boom-10017860/o2-launches-eco-rating-system-for-mobiles-10018389/ O2 Launches UK?s First Eco Mobile Phone Rating Scheme [news release] With 44% of consumers saying environmental factors would have an influence on their mobile phone purchase1, O2 today launches eco rating, the UK?s first sustainable rating system for mobile phones. http://mediacentre.o2.co.uk/Press-Releases/O2-Launches-UK-s-First-Eco-Mobile-Phone-Rating-Scheme-2bf.aspx Mobile-Phone Farming in India Which pesticide will protect my crops? It's a question most farmers in insect-ridden rural India ask themselves or their neighbors. But it's also a question to which very few have the correct answer. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703846604575447420497483404.html Final India decision on BlackBerry on Aug 30 - source India will take a final decision on August 30 on whether to block some BlackBerry services over which the country has security concerns, a senior government source said on Tuesday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE67J2GC20100824 http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-51034420100824 LTE subscribers to hit 300 million by 2015 The number of people who subscribe to LTE next-generation wireless broadband services is expected to reach 300 million by 2015, compared with 500,000 this year, according to a report released Wednesday by Juniper Research. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-20014542-94.html Mobile operators predict app sales boom: Apps expected to outstrip voice services by 2013 Mobile operators expect app downloads to become their biggest source of income in developed markets within three years and want to charge content providers for preferential access to their networks, raising further questions about net neutrality. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/57a52064-ae0d-11df-bb55-00144feabdc0.html Smartphones to make up over half of Asian sales by 2015 [AFP] Smartphones will make up over half of Asian mobile phone sales by 2015, with 477 million units likely to be sold, an industry report said Monday. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/smartphones-to-make-up-over-half-of-asian-sales-by-2015-20100823-13i5e.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/smartphones-to-make-up-over-half-of-asian-sales-by-2015-20100823-13i5e.html Telecoms executives see end of flat rates - survey The mobile telecoms industry is leaning towards ending flat-rate data plans, which have fuelled an explosion in network traffic while bringing in little extra revenue, according to a survey published on Monday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE67M42920100823 ********************** SPAM ********************** Rustock botnet responsible for 39 percent of all spam Botnets are now responsible for sending 95 percent of all spam, up from 84 percent in April, and almost half of that spam comes from a single botnet, Rustock. http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/security-threats/2010/08/25/rustock-botnet-responsible-for-39-percent-of-all-spam-40089922/ Spam botnet sends 43bn emails per day More than 40 percent of the world's spam is coming from a single network of computers that computer security experts continue to battle, according to new statistics from Symantec's MessageLabs' division. http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?NewsID=3236848 Spam botnets tighten stranglehold on UK PCs The UK jumped into the top four spam sending countries globally in August as volumes of spam sent from infected PCs in the region almost doubled, according to the latest report from Symantec Hosted Services. http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2268637/spam-botnets-hold-uk-pcs Malicious Spam Exploits Fake Celebrity Deaths Miley Cyrus is fine. Beyonc? did not perish in a plane crash. Brad Pitt did not meet an untimely demise. Everyone take a deep breath and--whatever you do--do NOT click on any file or link that arrives as a part of a sensational e-mail declaring a celebrity death. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/203996/.html Symantec Announces August 2010 MessageLabs Intelligence Report [news release] Symantec Corp. today (24/8) announced the publication of its August 2010 MessageLabs Intelligence Report. Analysis reveals that the percentage of spam sent from botnets has increased to 95 percent of all spam up from 84 percent in April. Rustock remained the most dominant spam-sending botnet responsible for the majority of botnet spam, 41 percent in August up from 32 percent in April, but shrinking in the number of bots under its control from 2.5 million in April to 1.3 million in August. http://www.messagelabs.co.uk/resources/press/58055 ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Secret US military computers 'cyber attacked' in 2008 A 2008 cyber attack launched from an infected flash drive in the Middle East penetrated secret US military computers, a Pentagon official says. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11088658 Military Computer Attack Confirmed A top Pentagon official has confirmed a previously classified incident that he describes as ?the most significant breach of U.S. military computers ever,? a 2008 episode in which a foreign intelligence agent used a flash drive to infect computers, including those used by the Central Command in overseeing combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/26/technology/26cyber.html US Defense official discloses cyberattack Now it is official: The most significant breach of U.S. military computers was caused by a flash drive inserted into a U.S. military laptop on a post in the Middle East in 2008. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/24/AR2010082406154.html nz: Key to explore suicide laws An internet safety group has backed the Prime Minister's view that the public reporting of suicide is now virtually beyond control, because young people routinely discuss cases on websites. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10668640 PM steps up NZ suicide debate Debate over the reporting of suicide is growing in New Zealand, with Prime Minister John Key stepping it up a notch this week by saying restrictions on media coverage are 'somewhat defunct'. ... Martin Cocker, director of the NetSafe internet safety group, said Key's assessment was 'bang on', the New Zealand Herald reported on its website on Wednesday. http://bigpondnews.com/articles/World/2010/08/25/PM_steps_up_NZ_suicide_debate_504398.html http://www.skynews.com.au/world/article.aspx?id=504398 Hacker's Arrest Offers Glimpse Into Crime in Russia On the Internet, he was known as BadB, a disembodied criminal flitting from one server to another selling stolen credit card numbers despite being pursued by the United States Secret Service. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/24/business/global/24cyber.html Web scam hits iTunes and Paypal iTunes accounts linked to PayPal have been hacked with a number of users complaining that they have been cleaned out. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11065301 US Police probe Facebook hit list murders [AFP] Police in Colombia say they are investigating disturbing hit lists circulating on Facebook that have been linked to the murders of two teenagers. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/25/2992901.htm http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10668753 us: AGs call on Craigslist to banish adult ads Craigslist's adult services section is under fire once again. Attorneys general from 17 states sent a joint letter on Tuesday that asks the site to immediately remove the section because it promotes prostitution and child trafficking. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-20014641-38.html East Africa Prone to Cyber Crime, Say Experts Computer systems in East Africa will continue to come under cyber-attacks if no proper law is put into place, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has warned. http://allafrica.com/stories/201008240531.html ************************** PRIVACY ************************** Germany Plans Limits on Facebook Use in Hiring As part of the draft of a law governing workplace privacy, the German government on Wednesday proposed placing restrictions on employers who want to use Facebook profiles when recruiting. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/26/business/global/26fbook.html Google Street View cars back too soon, says French watchdog [IDG] Google said its Street View cars resumed their photography of French streets on Friday, annoying the French data protection authority, which launched an investigation into the privacy implications of the service earlier this year. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9181462/Google_Street_View_cars_back_too_soon_says_French_watchdog ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Cyberactivists unblock Wikileaks for Thai Netizens [AP] A group of anonymous Internet activists has set up a website to display information about Thailand that comes from the whistle-blower site Wikileaks, which is blocked to some viewers in the Southeast Asian country. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/20/AR2010082004826.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/cyberactivists-unblock-wikileaks-for-thai-netizens-20100821-1399o.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/cyberactivists-unblock-wikileaks-for-thai-netizens-20100821-1399o.html ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** Online Gambling Banned in South Africa According to the Gauteng Gambling Board which has fought a long-running battle with online casinos, it is now illegal to gamble using digital products inside South Africa. http://www.businessday.co.za/Articles/Content.aspx?id=118970 http://allafrica.com/stories/201008240704.html nz: ISP definition in Copyright Bill under fire Submissions to the Commerce select committee on the Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Bill show there is still considerable concern that the Bill?s definition of an internet service provider (ISP) could be too wide, capturing universities, libraries and other businesses that provide internet access to employees or customers. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/isp-definition-in-copyright-bill-under-fire http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=A3614E64-1A64-67EA-E4978D43105E38FC Noose to tighten on internet piracy After more than two years of negotiations, Australia and 10 countries formulating a landmark copyright agreement are hopeful of a resolution by next month. http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/noose-to-tighten-on-internet-piracy-20100826-13smv.html http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/noose-to-tighten-on-internet-piracy-20100826-13smv.html ********************************* MISCELLANEOUS ********************************* How WikiLeaks Keeps Its Funding Secret The controversial website WikiLeaks, which argues the cause of openness in leaking classified or confidential documents, has set up an elaborate global financial network to protect a big secret of its own?its funding. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704554104575436231926853198.html Plotting Doubted in WikiLeaks Case Although Swedish prosecutors have yet to complete their review of sexual abuse accusations that two Stockholm women made last week against Julian Assange, founder of the WikiLeaks Web site, those who say they have detailed knowledge of the case discount conspiracy theories linking it to efforts to discredit WikiLeaks. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/24/world/europe/24wikileaks.html Sweden Defends Reversal of Warrant for Founder of WikiLeaks The Swedish prosecutor?s office on Sunday defended its handling of allegations made by two Swedish women against Julian Assange, founder of the WikiLeaks Web site, saying that a senior prosecutor withdrew the arrest warrant that had been issued for Mr. Assange on a rape charge after reviewing a judgment made by a more junior official before additional information became available. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/23/world/europe/23wikileaks.html ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** Google offers free voice calls via Gmail Google is taking on internet telephone companies like Skype by allowing users to call from its free web-based email service. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11092212 Use Gmail to make VoIP calls: Hands-on review With Google's Wednesday rollout to Gmail, the built-in Google Talk chat app is finally getting its own voice. Specifically, a plugin that lets you surface a dial pad so you can launch VoIP calls from the Gmail.com in-box, or from within iGoogle. The big caveat is that the service is currently being rolled out only to U.S. Gmail users. http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-20014734-2.html Google Is Offering Phone Calls via Gmail Google entered a new businesses beyond Internet search on Wednesday with a service within Gmail to make phone calls over the Web to landlines or cellphones. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/26/technology/internet/26google.html nz: Pacific Fibre 'definitely happening' The capital needs of home-grown oceanic cable project, Pacific Fibre, have shrunk to just $150 million, says one of the founders of the project to create a competing cable to Telecom's Southern Cross cable joint venture, linking Australasia with the Internet's nerve centre, the US. http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/4063538/Pacific-Fibre-definitely-happening Telecom NZ welcomes regulatory freedom on resales Telecom, which is fighting to get a share of the government's $1.35 billion fund to roll-out high-speed internet, is set to get the freedom to set the terms for its resale services. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10668963 "Fiber Power": la carte de disponibilit? en Suisse romande Fiberpower Depuis quelques mois, Cablecom bombe le torse. Son offre "Fiber Power" doit en effet donner des cheveux blancs ? Swisscom puisqu'elle permet de surfer ? des vitesses de l'ordre de 100 Mbits/sec ? des prix d?fiant clairement l'op?rateur national, qui pose toujours sa fibre pour r?pliquer. http://tsr.blogs.com/telecom/2010/08/fiber-power-la-carte-de-disponibilitr?-en-suisse-romande.html ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR ONLINE CHILD PROTECTION ********************************** au: Chaplain accused of accessing child porn [AAP] A chaplain at a Perth private girls school has been stood down after being charged with accessing child pornography. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/chaplain-accused-of-accessing-child-porn-20100824-13omd.html uk: Paedophile John Nicoll reacted against strict childhood A paedophile developed an interest in child pornography as a reaction to a strict childhood in the US. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-11061843 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2010 --------- 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 FlanneryReceived on Wed Aug 25 2010 - 21:11:38 UTC
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