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 *************************************************** Status Report on the DNS in Egypt by Rod Beckstrom http://blog.icann.org/2011/01/status-report-on-the-dns-in-egypt/ US government submission to the ICANN Board-GAC meeting on new gTLDs by Kieren McCarthy http://gibc.biz/2011/01/us-government-submission-to-the-icann-board-gac-meeting-on-new-gtlds/ Details of ICANN?s government showdown emerge http://domainincite.com/details-of-icanns-government-showdown-emerge/ au: Free websites for flood-affected councils http://www.governmentnews.com.au/2011/02/01/article/Flood-affected-Victorian-councils-offered-free-web-sites/BQATIVOZXR Poland wants Auschwitz website to drop .pl suffix http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8298910/Poland-wants-Auschwitz-website-to-drop-.pl-suffix.html Is a net blackout possible down under? http://www.zdnet.com.au/is-a-net-blackout-possible-down-under-339308850.htm Is an Aussie net blackout constitutional? http://www.zdnet.com.au/is-an-aussie-net-blackout-constitutional-339308915.htm Noel Gallagher woos Oasis fan to get web domain name back - Daily Gossip http://www.nme.com/news/daily-gossip/54749 Federal Officials Seize Websites Accused Of Streaming Sports Events http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/02/federal-officials-seize-websit.php Major Announcement Set on Dwindling Pool of Available IPv4 Internet Addresses: Leading Global Internet Groups Schedule Miami News Conference http://icann.org/en/news/advisories/advisory-01feb11-en.pdf Web Running Out of Addresses - Internet Sites, Carriers Are Laying the Groundwork for a New Routing System http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704254304576116401267588510.html Two /8s allocated to APNIC from IANA http://www.apnic.net/publications/news/2011/delegation ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** Status Report on the DNS in Egypt by Rod Beckstrom Along with the entire global Internet community, ICANN is watching the events unfolding in Egypt with great concern for the safety of the people of Egypt and for their ability to use the Internet. On January 27, most Internet connectivity to Egypt was shut down, apparently on the instruction of the national government. This has led to the inaccessibility of the main domain name system (DNS) server of the Egyptian ccTLD (.eg). http://blog.icann.org/2011/01/status-report-on-the-dns-in-egypt/ US government submission to the ICANN Board-GAC meeting on new gTLDs by Kieren McCarthy Below is the full text of what is believed to be the final submission from the US government to ICANN?s Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) for a special ICANN Board-GAC meeting to be held in Brussels on 28 February-1 March. The US government plays a dominant role in the GAC and until recently was directly overseer of ICANN. http://gibc.biz/2011/01/us-government-submission-to-the-icann-board-gac-meeting-on-new-gtlds/ Details of ICANN?s government showdown emerge Eight governments will face off against nine ICANN directors and an outside lawyer at the Governmental Advisory Committee showdown in Brussels at the end of the month. http://domainincite.com/details-of-icanns-government-showdown-emerge/ Will Cisco Products phone home to ICANN? by Brenden Kuerbis IGP has spent a lot of time trying to get people to appreciate the massive global governance issues caused by adding security to the Internet's core infrastructure. We just didn't expect them to become this obvious so quickly. Case in point: various technical lists are abuzz with news that Cisco, the world's largest router manufacturer, is discussing the possibility of making every one of its products do DNSSEC validation by default: http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2011/1/31/4737395.html ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** au: Free websites for flood-affected councils Domain name orgasnisation, au domain Administration (auDA) has offered mayors, council CEOs and relevant disaster and management recovery authorities, free websites. http://www.governmentnews.com.au/2011/02/01/article/Flood-affected-Victorian-councils-offered-free-web-sites/BQATIVOZXR Poland wants Auschwitz website to drop .pl suffix Poland wants to ditch the .pl suffix to the Auschwitz.pl website in an effort to ensure people realise that Nazi Germany?s most infamous death camp was not Polish. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8298910/Poland-wants-Auschwitz-website-to-drop-.pl-suffix.html Poland asks Nazi camp museums to drop .pl websites [AFP] Poland's culture minister said Tuesday he had asked museums at former Nazi death camps to drop their Polish .pl Internet suffix to help counter the false impression they were Polish-run. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/poland-asks-nazi-camp-museums-to-drop-pl-websites-20110202-1acoc.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/poland-asks-nazi-camp-museums-to-drop-pl-websites-20110202-1acoc.html ********************** - NEW TLDS ********************** US Wants To Make Loser Pay For All Costs & Domain Transferred Under New Uniform Rapid Suspension (URS): ICA Responds According to the letter the U.S. wants the GAC to ask ICANN to make the Uniform Rapid Suspension (URS) into a ?loser pays? system. http://www.thedomains.com/2011/01/31/us-wants-to-make-loser-pay-for-all-costs-the-domain-transferred-to-trademark-holder-in-new-uniform-rapid-suspension-urs/ ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Is a net blackout possible down under? After internet connectivity in Egypt was reportedly severed for political reasons, what would it take to blackout network access in Australia? ... "If ISPs stop resolving, unless you are operating with a provider that is outside the country [which] ignores the directive or is not asked, everyone would be stuck," The Australian Domain Administrator (auDA) chief executive Chris Disspain said. http://www.zdnet.com.au/is-a-net-blackout-possible-down-under-339308850.htm Is an Aussie net blackout constitutional? analysis Given the state of affairs in Egypt, ZDNet Australia asked several law experts about whether a communications shut-down here would be legally possible, following expert opinions that it is technically possible. http://www.zdnet.com.au/is-an-aussie-net-blackout-constitutional-339308915.htm African TLD registries yet to deploy DNSSEC Lack of political willingness and weak management of country code top-level domains has led to slow implementation of DNS Security Extensions in Africa. http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=0742C204-1A64-67EA-E484B6A9FD9A5DCF ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** Noel Gallagher woos Oasis fan to get web domain name back - Daily Gossip Noel Gallagher has managed to recover his rightful domain name after a decade without it. http://www.nme.com/news/daily-gossip/54749 Federal Officials Seize Websites Accused Of Streaming Sports Events Just days before the Super Bowl, federal officials seized the Web addresses of 10 websites accused of illegally offering access to sports events and other copyright-protected content. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/02/federal-officials-seize-websit.php US Customs begins pre-Super Bowl online mole-whack With the Super Bowl less than a week away, US Customs has shut down a new set of Internet domain names for sites that linked to live sports broadcasts on the Web. As usual, the underlying servers were not affected and many sites are already running at new, non-US-controlled addresses. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/02/us-customs-begins-pre-super-bowl-mole-whacking.ars ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** Major Announcement Set on Dwindling Pool of Available IPv4 Internet Addresses: Leading Global Internet Groups Schedule Miami News Conference Much has been written in the international media over the last few weeks about the dwindling pool of Internet addresses using the original Internet protocol, called IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4). These news stories have piqued international interest and raised important questions about the future of the Internet?s addressing system. The answers to those questions are of interest to 2-billion Internet users. http://icann.org/en/news/advisories/advisory-01feb11-en.pdf Web Running Out of Addresses - Internet Sites, Carriers Are Laying the Groundwork for a New Routing System The Internet is about to run out of new addresses, a milestone that is spurring Web giants like Facebook Inc. and Google Inc. to develop new versions of their sites and prompting carriers like AT&T Inc. and others to upgrade networks. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704254304576116401267588510.html Lack Of Internet Addresses No Cause For Concern The sky is not falling. The internet is not about to collapse. The last tranche of internet address numbers may have been issued but this is not the end of the internet as we know it, says the chairman of the regional authority responsible for issuing addresses in EMEA. http://blogs.wsj.com/tech-europe/2011/02/01/lack-of-internet-addresses-no-cause-for-concern/ APNIC IPv4 allocation signals change in tact After years of speculation around timing of what has been referred to as the ?IPocalypse?, the internet protocol version 4 (IPv4) standard address stock has been exhausted. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/375032/apnic_ipv4_allocation_signals_change_tact/ Two /8s allocated to APNIC from IANA Dear Colleagues, The information in this announcement is to enable the Internet community to update network configurations, such as routing filters, where required. APNIC received the following IPv4 address blocks from IANA in February 2011 and will be making allocations from these ranges in the near future: http://www.apnic.net/publications/news/2011/delegation 2011 is the year of IPv4 exhaustion The New Zealand IPv6 Task Force advises that 2011 is the year when allocations of IPv4 addresses from the world?s Internet address registries will be exhausted. http://www.ipv6.org.nz/2011/02/02/media-release-2011-is-the-year-of-ipv4-exhaustion/ IANA Allocates Two /8s of IPv4 Space to APNIC On 1 February 2011, the IANA allocated two /8s of IPv4 address space to APNIC, the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) for the Asia Pacific region. http://ripe.net/news/2011-iana-ipv4-apnic.html Last blocks net addresses set to be shared The internet has taken a big step closer to running out of addresses. In the early hours of 1 February, the organisation that oversees net addresses in the Asia Pacific region put in a request for more addresses. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12334734 DIA pitches IPv6 to govt agencies as IPv4 deadline nears The New Zealand government has begun moving to encourage public-sector agencies to adopt IPv6 internet addressing. The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) and its Government Technology Services unit have launched a website, www.ipv6.govt.nz, containing advice and links to help smooth the path to IPv6 adoption. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/dia-pitches-ipv6-to-govt-agencies-as-ipv4-deadline-nears http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=E7E88613-1A64-67EA-E4A6836A25AF6903 http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=E7E8861A-1A64-67EA-E40CB264A1EFA26C End of the line for internet addresses The remaining slices of the internet were shared out this week and now growth will come at a cost, says internet New Zealand. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10703753 IPv4 Internet addresses: 251 blocks down, 5 to go Yesterday marked an important step toward the end of Internet plumbing as we know it. Specifically, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) allocated two of the last seven blocks of Net addresses that use today's Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4). That will trigger the automatic distribution soon of the last five, one each to the five regional Internet registries (RIR) that oversee the distribution of the numbers farther downstream, to the Internet service providers and other companies that actually need the IPv4 addresses. http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20030105-264.html Address allocation kicks off IPv4 endgame [IDG] The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority has assigned two large blocks of IPv4 addresses to the Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre, activating a rule under which the agency will give out the last of its IPv4 addresses. http://www.techworld.com.au/article/375029/address_allocation_kicks_off_ipv4_endgame/ http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/375029/address_allocation_kicks_off_ipv4_endgame/ http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9207438/Address_allocation_kicks_off_IPv4_endgame http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/020111-address-allocation-kicks-off-ipv4.html Internet almost out of space with allocation of last addresses Delays in transition to IPv6 system mean some households and businesses will face connection problems in coming months http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/feb/01/internet-last-addresses-ipv4-ipv6 IPv4 Addresses Dwindling Fast as Final Blocks Soon To Be Allocated With the handing out of two large blocks of IPv4 addresses to the Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre, a rule has been activated that sees the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority allocating the last of the IPv4 addresses. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=13572 http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/02/01/ipv4-addresses-dwindling-fast-as-final-blocks-soon-to-be-allocated/ http://domainnews.com/en/ipv4-addresses-dwindling-fast-as-final-blocks-soon-to-be-allocated.html As IPv4 disappears, transition poses hazards [IDG] With the last IPv4 addresses about to be allocated, the good news is that IT managers -- at least in the U.S. and Europe -- don't suddenly have to get the next Internet Protocol working. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9207278/As_IPv4_disappears_transition_poses_hazards http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/013111-as-ipv4-disappears-transition-poses.html http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/218250/.html Africa to continue using IPv4 [IDG] Africa will continue using Internet Protocol version four (IPv4) after the global supply is exhausted in coming weeks. http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/374974/africa_continue_using_ipv4/ http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/374974/africa_continue_using_ipv4/ http://www.cio.com.au/article/374974/africa_continue_using_ipv4/ http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/218332/.html Global Patterns in IPv4 Allocation Statistics by Mirjam Kuehne In January 2007 we highlighted that the IPv4 allocation rate had increased significantly since early 2004. By 2006 it was clear that continued growth would see IPv4 exhaustion occur sometime between 2010 and 2015. In October 2010 we revisited the subject in the CircleID articled 'Graph Shows Decline of IPv4 Almost Linear'. ... Now, in January 2011, we are very close to the exhaustion of the IANA pool of IPv4 address space. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20110131_global_patterns_in_ipv4_allocation_statistics/ Internet runs out of addresses as devices grow [sub req'd] The spread of Internet use in Asia and the proliferation of Internet-connected phones worldwide are causing the Internet to run out of numerical addresses, which act as ?phone numbers? to ensure that surfers reach websites and e-mails find their destination. http://www.afr.com/p/business/technology/internet_runs_out_of_addresses_as_uLUpHYfMt9ctLBcEx21dWP ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** us: Health information remains high on the list of popular uses for the Internet Seeking health information is the third-most-prevalent activity among American Internet users, according to a report being issued Feb. 1 by the Pew Internet Project. The only things more universal were exchanging e-mail and using search engines. (Of course, if someone uses Google to look up "shingles," there's obviously some overlap.) Eight out of 10 Internet users report going online for health information, even if it's only occasionally. "Health-care information is there when they need it," said Susannah Fox, associate director. People most commonly look up diseases, treatments and doctors, often on behalf of a child or other dependent. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/01/AR2011020106916.html Health Care Is High Among Web Searches Four in five Internet users have searched the Web for health care information, most often checking on specific diseases and treatments, a Pew Internet Project survey reported on Tuesday. http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/health-care-is-high-among-web-searches/ Health Topics Overview: Health information remains one of the most important subjects that internet users research online. Symptoms and treatments continue to dominate internet users' health searches, but food safety, drug safety, and pregnancy information are among eight new topics included in the current survey. In all, 80% of internet users gather health information online. http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/HealthTopics.aspx au: TV still children's top media choice Children watch less television than they did five years ago, but the drop is small despite the increased competition for attention posed by the internet, a survey says. http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/tv-still-childrens-top-media-choice-20110201-1acka.html Google Takes Street View Into Art Museums Now that Google has conquered a majority of the earth?s major streets with its Google Street View project, the company is starting to move inside. It?s creating the Google Art Project, a virtual equivalent of 17 major art museums, including the the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate Britain and the National Gallery in London, and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, among many others. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/google-takes-street-view-into-art-museums/ ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** US State Department's use of social media in Egypt gets mixed reviews Experts disagree about how effectively the State Department is using social media to understand and influence the public uprising in Egypt. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20110131_9278.php Opinion: These Revolutions Are Not All Twitter The Middle East?s latest unrest has revived once again a tired debate about the power of social media. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/02/opinion/02iht-edwoods02.html Privacy advocates don't 'like' Facebook's ad plans A new Facebook advertising format that turns members' actions into promoted content on their friends' profile pages could be a gold mine for the social-networking company. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2011-01-31-facebook31_ST_N.htm Facebook Places Deals to target local business ads in UK and Europe Facebook made a significant move into the potentially lucrative local business advertising space on Monday with the launch in the UK and other European countries of Places Deals, which gives users discounts and benefits with nearby shops, restaurants and venues through their mobile phones. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jan/31/facebook-places-deals-uk-europe Facebook shopping discount service reaches Europe Facebook expanded its shopping discount service to five European countries and Canada on Monday, part of its push to help brands communicate with its users. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/01/31/uk-facebook-europe-idUKTRE70U2BI20110131 http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/01/31/idINIndia-54531620110131 ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ Blocking child porn sites "exacerbates policing problem" Handing the responsibility of shutting down child porn sites to web firms and watchdogs removes any incentive for police to investigate the crimes, according to a European digital rights group. http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/364726/blocking-child-porn-sites-exacerbates-policing-problem ae: TRA newsletter aims to promote safe use of Internet for students A newsletter on cyber bullying and online abuse has been released by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA). http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=297423 ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Study: Nearly A Quarter Of Internet Traffic Infringes On Copyrighted Material A report commissioned by NBCUniversal has concluded that nearly a quarter of all Internet traffic infringes on copyrights, with the open source file sharing application BitTorrent accounting for nearly half of the infringing content. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/01/study-nearly-a-quarter-of-inte.php iTunes films bust copyright laws Russian films are being made available through Apple's iTunes service without the consent of the copyright holders, the BBC has learned. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12310070 Pirate Bay an Aussie favourite: AFACT The Australian organisation tasked with protecting the copyright of film and television studios locally has warned that the nation has a love affair with BitTorrent sites such as The Pirate Bay which allow files to be traded online through peer-to-peer file sharing technologies. http://www.zdnet.com.au/pirate-bay-an-aussie-favourite-afact-339308930.htm au: Forget piracy law until iiNet's over: Telstra Telco giant Telstra has asked the government to keep potential reviews of policy surrounding copyright infringement off the table until a court case being heard on the matter is completed. http://www.zdnet.com.au/forget-piracy-law-until-iinet-s-over-telstra-339308927.htm ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** Battling a Wireless Deluge: AT&T, Other Carriers Use Wi-Fi 'Hotzones' to Siphon Off Smartphone Traffic As cellular networks grapple with a deluge of data traffic from smartphones, a growing number of companies are offering to help wireless carriers shift the heavy load to a longtime Internet standby: Wi-Fi. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704124504576118353354099780.html au: Telcos urged to get smart as mobile usage explodes Australians are consuming so much video and internet on their smartphones that mobile data usage is forecast to grow 32-fold from 2010 to 2015, according to the world's largest provider of network equipment, Cisco Systems. http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/telcos-urged-to-get-smart-as-mobile-usage-explodes-20110202-1ad69.html Google Searches for Mobile-App Experts Google Inc. plans to hire dozens of software developers to create applications for smartphones and other mobile devices, people familiar with the matter said, a new strategy aimed partly at helping Google counter Apple Inc. in one of high tech's hottest sectors. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703554204576112723686094898.html Android overtakes Symbian in smartphone sales Google's Android overtook the long-time market leader, Nokia's Symbian, as the world's most popular smartphone platform in the fourth quarter, according to the research firm Canalys. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jan/31/android-symbian-smartphone-sales Android System Overtakes Symbian Google?s operating system for cellphones has overtaken Nokia?s Symbian system as the market leader, ending the Finnish company?s long reign, a British research firm said Monday. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/technology/01android.html Google topples Nokia from smartphones top spot Google Inc's Android dethroned Nokia's Symbian as the global leader in smartphone software during the last quarter of 2010, ending a reign that began with the birth of the industry a decade ago. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/01/31/oukin-uk-google-nokia-idUKTRE70U1YT20110131 http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/01/31/idINIndia-54532320110131 Google?s Android overtakes Nokia?s Symbian The rapid growth of Google?s Android smartphone operating system is captured by figures showing that it overtook Nokia?s equivalent to become the most popular platform in the last three months of 2010. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/17433c60-2d31-11e0-9b0f-00144feab49a.html India demands full BlackBerry access, Pakistan restricts service India rejected on Monday Research In Motion's (RIM) offer to allow it only partial access to its BlackBerry data services as neighbouring Pakistan also moved to restrict the popular smartphone's services. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/01/31/oukin-uk-blackberry-india-idUKTRE70U2T620110131 http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/01/31/idINIndia-54535420110131 BlackBerry maker risks Indian ban BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) could be kicked out of India, one of the world's fastest-growing mobile markets, after the government refused to accept 11th-hour security concessions on access to users' emails and messages. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jan/31/blackberry-maker-rim-india ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Governments Go Online in Fight Against Terrorism In the Netherlands, the jailhouse recantation of a convicted terrorist renouncing violence has circulated online. Counterterrorism officials say it could make disaffected youth think twice about joining violent extremist ranks. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/31/world/middleeast/31terror.html Cybercriminals get creative to round up mules A shortage of money mules is hampering the real-world "cash-out" of profits from online crime, so global crooks are looking to more creative and complex recruitment arrangements. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/cybercriminals-get-creative-to-round-up-mules/story-e6frgakx-1225997699160 nz: Explorer users face security risk Nearly two million Kiwi internet users are at risk of having their computers hijacked and their emails, credit cards and bank accounts hacked, but a Marlborough IT expert says a solution will be available by next week. http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/4608159/Explorer-users-face-security-risk http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/4606052/Internet-Explorer-users-exposed-to-hackers http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/technology/4606052/Internet-Explorer-users-exposed-to-hackers nz: Almost two million at risk of being hacked Nearly two million New Zealanders are at risk of having their personal information, including credit card details, stolen by hackers. http://tvnz.co.nz/technology-news/almost-two-million-risk-being-hacked-4011823 ************************** PRIVACY ************************** us: Rush To Reintroduce Privacy Bill Next Week Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., plans next week to reintroduce the online privacy legislation he offered in the last Congress, a Rush spokeswoman said Tuesday. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/02/rush-to-reintroduce-privacy-bi.php ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Egypt internet comes back online Internet access in Egypt appears to have returned to normal, according to firms measuring traffic levels in the country. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12346929 Egypt restores Internet as turmoil escalates Egypt restored Internet access on Wednesday, after a one-week blackout for Web and cell phone users to try to stem civil unrest. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2011/02/egypt_restores_internet_report.html Bill Gates on Egypt's Internet Shutdown Bill Gates spoke with Katie Couric on his reaction to President Mubarak pulling the plug on the internet in Egypt. http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7302814n Internet returns to Egypt Internet services returned to Egypt on Wednesday morning, with even previously blocked sites such as Twitter available. http://blogs.ft.com/fttechhub/2011/02/internet-returns-to-egypt/ Egypt Returns To The Internet Egyptian Internet providers returned to the Internet at 09:29:31 UTC (11:29am Cairo time). Websites such as the Egyptian Stock Exchange, Commercial International Bank of Egypt, MCDR, and the US Embassy in Cairo, are once again reachable. http://www.renesys.com/blog/2011/02/egypt-returns-to-the-internet.shtml Wary of Egypt Unrest, China Censors Web In another era, China?s leaders might have been content to let discussion of the protests in Egypt float around among private citizens, then fizzle out. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/world/asia/01beijing.html Egypt's big internet disconnect by Andrew McLaughlin As recently as a week ago, Egypt's internet was extraordinary in the Arab world for its freedom. For more than a decade, the regime has adhered to a hands-off policy, leaving unblocked everything from rumours about President Hosni Mubarak's health to videos of police beatings. Unlike most of its regional neighbours and other authoritarian regimes, Egypt's government never built or required sophisticated technical infrastructures of censorship. (Of course, the country has hardly been a paradise of free expression: the state security forces have vigorously suppressed dissent through surveillance, arbitrary detentions and relentless intimidation of writers and editors.) http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jan/31/egypt-internet-uncensored-cutoff-disconnect New Service Lets Voices From Egypt Be Heard With the unruly sounds of protests in the background, the Egyptian man declared there were 50,000 demonstrators in the streets of Cairo. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/02/world/middleeast/02twitter.html China restricts news, discussion of Egypt unrest [AFP] Chinese censors are blocking online discussion and sanitising news reports about the unrest in Egypt, in a sign of official unease that the uprising could fuel calls for reform at home. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/china-restricts-news-discussion-of-egypt-unrest-20110131-1aayx.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/china-restricts-news-discussion-of-egypt-unrest-20110131-1aayx.html More news websites blocked in Iran Iranians have found their access to major news websites even more restricted than usual as more foreign sites were blocked by a government filter, Reuters witnesses observed on Monday. http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/01/31/idINIndia-54536520110131 Test affirms United States' ability to circumvent Internet censors A recent internal test by a federally-funded broadcaster shows that the U.S. government has the power to bypass foreign Internet censors by feeding news over a special e-mail system. How that capability might affect events in Egypt, where leaders have cut off Internet services despite appeals by the Obama administration to restore them, remains unclear. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20110131_3828.php Regime throws information blackout over Egypt Egypt has silenced Arabic news channel Al Jazeera and shut down internet and mobile phone communications across the country, with experts saying the censorship is probably part of a government plan enacted in the wake of Iran's deadly green revolution. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/31/3126016.htm Old technology finds role in Egyptian protests Fax machines, ham radio and dial-up modems are helping to avoid the net block imposed on Egypt. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12322948 How Egypt is getting online Egypt remains officially offline following the government's mass internet disconnection last week, but savvy citizens assisted by groups of online activists are still using a number of methods to access the web. http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/onepercent/2011/01/egypt-remains-officially-offli.html Egyptians Turn to Phone Dial-Up Service to Get Around Internet Shutdown Egypt, following days of anti-government protests, ?withdrew? from the Internet after Egyptian authorities shut connections to the outside world, and Vodafone Group Plc said it was ordered to suspend mobile-phone services in selected areas. Bloomberg's Emily Chang reports. (Source: Bloomberg) http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-31/egyptians-turn-to-dial-up-service-to-get-around-government-s-web-shutdown.html Google launches Twitter workaround for Egypt Google Inc launched a special service to allow people in Egypt to send Twitter messages by dialling a phone number and leaving a voicemail, as Internet access continues to be cut off in the country amid anti-government protests. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/02/01/oukin-uk-egypt-protest-google-idUKTRE7100CM20110201 http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/02/01/idINIndia-54547220110201 Egypt's Net on Life Support As we observed last week, Egypt took the unprecedented step of withdrawing from the Internet. The government didn't simply block Twitter and Facebook (an increasingly common tactic of regimes under fire), but rather they apparently ordered most major Egyptian providers to cease service via their international providers, effectively removing Egyptian IP space from the global Internet and cutting off essentially all access to the outside world via this medium. The only way out now would be via traditional phone calls, assuming they left that system up, or via satellite. We thought the Internet ban would be temporary, but much to our surprise, the situation has not changed. One of the few Egyptian providers reachable today, four days after the start of the crisis, is The Noor Group. In this blog, we'll take a quick look at them and some of the businesses they serve. http://www.renesys.com/blog/2011/01/egypts-net-on-life-support.shtml Indonesia sex tape star is jailed A court in Indonesia has sentenced one of south-east Asia's best known pop stars to three-and-a-half years in prison for making and distributing sex videos on the internet. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12321215 ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** uk: Government to rethink Digital Economy Act's web blocks The UK government has announced that it is to look again at plans to block websites that infringe copyright. The controversial measures formed part of its crackdown on net pirates, outlined in the Digital Economy Act. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12334075 uk: Ofcom to review Digital Economy Act Ofcom is to review the practicalities of the controversial Digital Economy Act, which was rushed through parliament by the last government to deal with piracy and copyright infringement. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/02/01/uk-britain-digital-idUKTRE71041O20110201 Ofcom to review site-blocking in Digital Economy Act The government has asked Ofcom to review proposals in the Digital Economy Act that aim to combat piracy by having ISPs block access to websites used for copyright infringement. http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/regulation/2011/02/01/ofcom-to-review-site-blocking-in-digital-economy-act-40091634/ ********************************* MISCELLANEOUS ********************************* The Power of the Platform at Apple Size is the enemy of growth. It is one of the unwritten laws of business, a matter of simple percentages. After all, when a company has $1 billion in yearly sales, an extra $1 billion doubles its size. Add $1 billion in new business to a $10 billion-a-year company, and it amounts to just 10 percent growth. The size-growth tradeoff seems inevitable, an inescapable force like gravity. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/business/30unbox.html Apple Moves to Tighten Control of App Store Apple is further tightening its control of the App Store. Some application developers, including Sony, say Apple has told them they can no longer sell e-books within their apps unless the transactions go through Apple?s system. Apple rejected Sony?s iPhone application, which would have let people buy and read e-books from the Sony Reader Store. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/technology/01apple.html Define Gender Gap? Look Up Wikipedia?s Contributor List In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 3.5 million articles in English? Done. More than 250 languages? Sure. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/31/business/media/31link.html WikiLeaks: The Guardian's role in the biggest leak in the history of the world In an extract from WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange's war on secrecy, the Guardian's editor-in-chief explains why Assange remains such an important figure ? and why the story is destined to run and run http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jan/28/wikileaks-julian-assange-alan-rusbridger Faraway, so close: doing global iPhone dev from New Zealand Not too long ago, I was talking to a couple of video game marketing specialists who were in town for a conference. Since I'm an iPhone developer, we were soon discussing techniques for standing out and encouraging Apple to shine a spotlight on your game. I was told that a good way to get Apple to "feature" your game on its App Store was to attend the Game Developer Conference in San Francisco, bump into an Apple employee, and buy him a drink. http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2011/01/sell-in-america-live-in-new-zealand.ars Android Tablets Gain on Apple IPad in Fourth Quarter Google Inc.?s Android software boosted its share of tablet computers almost 10-fold in the fourth quarter, narrowing the lead of Apple Inc.?s iPad, market researcher Strategy Analytics said. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-31/android-tablets-gain-on-ipad-in-fourth-quarter-researcher-says.html Google Says Bing 'Copying' Search Results; Microsoft Cites Customer Data Google Inc., owner of the world?s most popular search engine, said Microsoft Corp.?s Bing is ?copying? its query results. Microsoft denied the accusation and said the data in question comes from customers. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-01/google-says-bing-copying-search-results-microsoft-cites-customer-data.html http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-LFYC4Y0D9L3501-56FFQ81KIP0GA2GO84M5J8950G Google accuses Bing of 'copying' its search results Google has accused Microsoft of cheating, following an investigation known as the 'Bing Sting'. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12343597 ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** au: Telstra and Optus count the cost of flood damage Telstra and Optus have begun the mucky task of cleaning and repairing the damage caused by Queensland's devastating floods but full restoration of infrastructure is still some weeks off. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/telstra-and-optus-count-the-cost-of-flood-damage/story-e6frgakx-1225997683859 au: New numbering rules for phones Fixed-line telephone numbers can now be taken outside geographic areas following a decision by the regulator to accommodate the increasing use of internet-based phones. http://www.theage.com.au/national/new-numbering-rules-for-phones-20110201-1acfv.html African Union plans single African SIM card The African Union (AU) has unveiled plans for a single standardised Sim card for all African mobile phone operators. AU Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, Elham Ibrahim, said a study on the introduction of a single African SIM card has been underway and is expected to be completed within a month. http://www.telecompaper.com/news/african-union-plans-single-african-sim-card +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2011 --------- 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 Feb 02 2011 - 11:32:35 UTC
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