[DNS] domain name news - 10 November

From: David Goldstein <david> Date: Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:31:32 +1100 · This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.0 : Sat Sep 09 2017 - 22:00:11 UTC

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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Open Meeting of the ICANN Board and Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC)
http://news.dot-nxt.com/2011/10/25/gac-board-transcript

Bulgaria Tries Once Again to Register Cyrillic Domain Name
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=133713

Internet domain name for Wales (or Cymru) could help business
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business-in-wales/business-news/2011/11/09/internet-domain-name-for-wales-or-cymru-could-help-business-91466-29742711/

Global phishing trends and domain name use
http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=11921

APWG Releases Global Phishing Survey: Domain Name Use and Trends in 1H2011
http://www.antiphishing.org/reports/APWG_GlobalPhishingSurvey_1H2011.pdf

DARPA Boosts Cybersecurity Research Spending 50%
http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/security/231902495

Operation Ghost Click: International Cyber Ring That Infected Millions of Computers Dismantled [news release]
http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2011/november/malware_110911/malware_110911

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 - ICANN
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ICANN CEO in Bulgaria: Internet Is Like Fire
Rod Beckstrom, CEO of ICANN, visited a domain forum in Bulgaria on Monday. A lot of things have changed over the last decade when it comes to the Internet, Beckstrom pointed out while speaking in the Balkan country. He reminded that an average Internet user used to go online just several times a week back in 1999, which would be considered laughable nowadays.
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=133729

Open Meeting of the ICANN Board and Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC)
At every ICANN meeting, the Board meets with the GAC. This is usually one of the most anticipated meetings at an ICANN meeting due to its high-level nature.
http://news.dot-nxt.com/2011/10/25/gac-board-transcript

Registrar threatened with shutdown for failing to reveal registrant
ICANN has told a Turkish domain name registrar that its accreditation will be terminated unless it fixes its apparently shoddy Whois services.
http://domainincite.com/registrar-threatened-with-shutdown-for-failing-to-reveal-registrant/

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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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.XXX Landrush Commences 8 November
Following a seemingly successful Sunrise period where 80,000 .XXX domains were registered, ICM Registry kicks off the Landrush phase on Tuesday 8 November.
http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/11/07/xxx-landrush-commences-8-november/

Washington U., Missouri buy .xxx domain names to prevent schools from being tied to porn [AP]
The University of Missouri and Washington University are among schools nationwide snapping up .xxx domain names to avoid links of their names to pornography sites.
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/090536ab1e184b309ca212a06ee4428c/MO--Universities-Domain-Names/

ICANN accepts applications for .XXX adult entertainment industry domains
THE world wide web is about to get a red-light district. After more than a decade of debate, rejections and legal challenges, the internet's governing body today began accepting applications for .xxx websites from the adult entertainment industry.
http://www.news.com.au/technology/new-domain-has-the-xxx-factor/story-e6frfro0-1226189509997
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/technology/new-domain-has-the-xxx-factor/story-fn7cejkh-1226189509997
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/ipad/new-domain-has-the-xxx-factor/story-fn6ci13q-1226188594775
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/sex-relationships/new-domain-has-the-xxx-factor/story-e6frf01i-1226189211522

Web gets 'red-light district' with xxx name
The adult entertainment industry has until November 25 to secure a high-value .xxx TLD - a so-called red-light district on the internet.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/world/11504772/web-gets-red-light-district-with-xxx-name/

.xxx faces big test as landrush kicks off
The landrush phase for ICM Registry?s .xxx domain is scheduled to begin today, following the oversubscribed sunrise period that closed last week.
http://domainincite.com/xxx-faces-big-test-as-landrush-kicks-off/

ICM Registry Opens Landrush Period for .XXX Domains
ICM Registry, the registry of the new .XXX TLD, today announced the opening of Landrush, an exclusive 17-day period for the adult entertainment community that closes on November 25, 2011. Landrush is the second of the three-part launch process that started with Sunrise and culminates with the launch of General Availability on December 6th.
http://www.icmregistry.com/press/icm-registry-opens-landrush-period-for-xxx-domains/

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 - NEW TLDS
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Bulgaria Tries Once Again to Register Cyrillic Domain Name
Bulgaria may apply once again for receiving the ".??" Internet domain suffix for which it was snubbed on several occasions by ICANN.
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=133713

.wales and .cymru internet domain names find support
A survey of Welsh businesses and consumers suggests a majority of both support the nation getting its own domain name.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15658689

Internet domain name for Wales (or Cymru) could help business
A MAJORITY of businesses and consumers believe Wales should have its own internet domain name, according to a new report.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business-in-wales/business-news/2011/11/09/internet-domain-name-for-wales-or-cymru-could-help-business-91466-29742711/

Afilias announces intention to apply for Chinese IDN versions of .INFO domain
With less than 66 days until ICANN?s new gTLD program opens, the .INFO domain registry announces plans for a Chinese IDN equivalent of the domain
http://www.afilias.info/news/2011/11/07/afilias-announces-intention-apply-chinese-idn-versions-info-domain
http://info.info/content/afilias-announces-intention-apply-chinese-idn-versions-info-domain-0

Registry Behind .Pro Says It Used .Law, .Med Back in 2004
There?s something sneaky going on with RegistryPro, the registry for the .pro TLD.
http://domainnamewire.com/2011/11/08/registry-behind-pro-says-it-used-law-med-back-in-2004/

P&G Spurns .Pampers as Brands Balk at Expanding Internet Names [Bloomberg]
A program to let companies acquire their own Web suffixes is failing to win over U.S. brand owners such as Procter & Gamble Co. and Hewlett-Packard Co. that don?t see a need to expand beyond .com.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-11-07/p-g-spurns-pampers-as-brands-balk-at-expanding-internet-names.html

P&G and HP Say They Won?t Register Their Own TLDs
Bloomberg BusinessWeek just published an article that says representatives from P&G and HP have confirmed the companies don?t plan to apply for new TLDs. A couple observations:
http://domainnamewire.com/2011/11/08/pg-and-hp-say-they-wont-register-their-own-tlds/

Companies that can?t apply for .brand gTLDs say they have decided not to apply for .brand gTLDs
Hewlett-Packard and Proctor & Gamble have ruled themselves out of applying to ICANN for .brand TLDs, or so they claim.
http://domainincite.com/companies-that-cant-apply-for-brand-gtlds-say-they-have-decided-not-to-apply-for-brand-gtlds/

New gTLD batching: should .brands go first?
Should ?.brand? and ?.city? TLD applicants get priority treatment when ICANN picks which new gTLDs get to go live first?
http://domainincite.com/new-gtld-batching-should-brands-go-first/

Interview Peter Dengate-Thrush
Speaking exclusively to Managing IP, former Icann chairman Peter Dengate-Thrush defends his controversial move to Top Level Domain Holdings and says attempts to halt the gTLD programme are late and misguided
http://www.managingip.com/Article/2932276/Managing-Trade-marks-Archive/Interview-Peter-Dengate-Thrush.html

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 - DNS SECURITY
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Global phishing trends and domain name use
A new survey by the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) reveals that phishing attacks perpetrated against Chinese e-commerce and banking sites soared by 44 percent in the first half of 2011. Some 70 percent of all maliciously registered domain names in the world were established by Chinese cybercriminals for use against Chinese brands and enterprises.
http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=11921

APWG Releases Global Phishing Survey: Domain Name Use and Trends in 1H2011
This study is a comprehensive analysis of the phishing that took place in the second half of 2011 (1H2011). Highlights include: Average and median uptimes of all phishing attacks dropped notably, More than a third of all phishing attacks involved hackings of shared virtual servers, Phishers continue to use subdomain registration services heavily and Attacks by Chinese phishers were up significantly
http://www.antiphishing.org/reports/APWG_GlobalPhishingSurvey_1H2011.pdf

U.S. discloses new push for offensive cyber arms
The Pentagon's advanced research arm, which played a key role in developing the Internet 40 years ago, said on Monday it will boost efforts to build offensive cyber arms for possible keyboard-launched attacks against enemy targets.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/11/07/eu-power-idUKL6E7M71M120111107

DARPA Boosts Cybersecurity Research Spending 50%
The Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency, birthplace of the Internet, plans to increase its spending on cyber research 50% over the next five years, and will increasingly focus on offensive cyber capabilities as well as defensive capabilities, agency director Regina Dugan said Monday.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/security/231902495

us: Hackers Hijack Millions of Computers For Online Ad Scam
More than four million computers around the world were hijacked by hackers who diverted Internet traffic to reap millions of dollars from online advertisements, federal authorities said Wednesday.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/09/click-hijack-hackers-online-ad-scam_n_1084497.html

us: Feds shutter DNS malware scam that infected 4 million PCs
Federal authorities have shut down an international conspiracy that forced more than four million computers to connect to fraudulent webpages when users tried to visit Netflix, the US Internal Revenue Service, Apple's iTunes and other services.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/11/09/dns_malware_scam/

us: Seven charged in malware-driven click fraud case
The US Department of Justice has charged seven people in Russia and Estonia with 27 counts of conspiracy, wire fraud, and computer intrusion, accusing them of spreading malware to over 4 million computers worldwide to drive traffic to clients' Internet advertising.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/11/seven-charged-in-botnet-driven-click-fraud-case.ars

Operation Ghost Click: International Cyber Ring That Infected Millions of Computers Dismantled [news release]
Six Estonian nationals have been arrested and charged with running a sophisticated Internet fraud ring that infected millions of computers worldwide with a virus and enabled the thieves to manipulate the multi-billion-dollar Internet advertising industry. Users of infected machines were unaware that their computers had been compromised?or that the malicious software rendered their machines vulnerable to a host of other viruses.
http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2011/november/malware_110911/malware_110911

Phishing activities targeting Chinese sites on rise
Phishing attacks targeted at Chinese e-commerce and banking Web sites rose in the first half of 2011, with a majority of the domain names created by local cybercriminals eyeing local brands and enterprises.
http://www.zdnetasia.com/phishing-activities-targeting-chinese-sites-on-rise-62302795.htm

Juniper at the root of Internet outage?
Juniper routers are reportedly behind an Internet outage that affected service providers and Web sites around the globe Monday morning.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/110711-internet-outage-252851.html?t51hb
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9221602/Juniper_at_the_root_of_Internet_outage_

Brazilian hackers use DNS poisoning to infect users with banking Trojan [IDG]
Security researchers from antivirus vendor Kaspersky Lab warn that cybercriminals hacked into the DNS (Domain Name System) servers of several Brazilian ISPs and used them to redirect users to websites that distributed malware.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/110811-brazilian-hackers-use-dns-poisoning-252888.html

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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Over 7,500 .uk cybersquatting cases heard
Nominet is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of its Dispute Resolution Service this week, saying that it has settled over 7,500 cybersquatting cases.
http://domainincite.com/over-7500-uk-cybersquatting-cases-heard/

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 - IPv4/IPv6
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IPv6 RIPEness: More Smaller and Younger Organizations Deploying IPv6 by Mirjam Kuehne
The number of RIPE NCC members [also referred to as Local Internet Registries (LIRs)] that have an IPv6 allocation continues to grow -- in absolute terms as well as in percentages. 46% of all RIPE NCC members have one or more IPv6 RIPEness stars. ... Do new members pick up IPv6? Are older members with more experience, well-established businesses and customer base dominating IPv6 RIPEness scores? And what about the size of a member? Are small and large members adopting IPv6 in equal proportions? In this article we look into answering these questions.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20111108_ipv6_ripeness_more_smaller_younger_organizations_deploying_ipv6/

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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Google threatens domain names with Direct Connect
Google?s latest social networking play is a potential threat to the relevance of domain names.
http://domainincite.com/google-threatens-domain-names-with-direct-connect/

Google+ Pages: what you need to know
If Google+ is ever going to compete with Facebook, it's clear that Google will need to attract brands and celebrities to its social network. After all, brands and celebrities have become a fixture on Facebook, with some racking up millions of fans.
http://econsultancy.com/uk/blog/8238-google-pages-what-you-need-to-know

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 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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Premium Domains Headline Moniker and SnapNames Year-End Auction
Online bids for the Moniker and SnapNames year-end auction can be submitted anytime up to 17 November, 2011, at 12:15 PT. This auction contains strong premium names for businesses and online branding.
http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/11/08/premium-domains-headline-moniker-and-snapnames-year-end-auction/

Twitter Co-Founder Biz Stone Tabbed to Deliver Keynote Speech at DOMAINfest Global 2012 
Twitter Co-Founder Biz Stone will deliver the keynote speech at the 2012 DOMAINfest Global conference coming up January 30 - February 2 at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, California.
http://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2011/dailyposts/20111109.htm

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INTERNET USE
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Internet users ignoring consequences
Close to two-thirds of internet users are clueless when it comes to their legal rights and responsibilities online, according to a new survey.
http://www.lawyersweekly.com.au/blogs/top_stories/archive/2011/11/06/internet-users-ignoring-consequences.aspx

Social media users unclear on legal risks [news release]
Nearly two-thirds of the online community (63%) have little or no awareness of their legal rights and responsibilities when posting comments on social media websites, according to a new survey undertaken by commercial law firm DLA Piper.
http://www.dlapiper.com/social-media-users-unclear-on-legal-risks-11-04-2011/

Public Wi-Fi hotspots to grow 4-fold by 2015 - study
The amount of public Internet hotspots (Wi-Fi) globally will grow more than fourfold to 5.8 million by 2015, boosted by consumers increasing demand for connections on smartphones and tablets, an industry study showed on Wednesday.
http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/11/09/idINIndia-60402420111109

Number of Wi-Fi hotspots to quadruple by 2015, says study
The number of public Wi-Fi hotspots is expected to increase by 350 percent in the next four years, as operators look for ways to offload traffic from their mobile networks, according to a report by market research company Informa Telecoms and Media.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/406915/number_wi-fi_hotspots_quadruple_by_2015_says_study/
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9221672/Number_of_Wi_Fi_hotspots_to_quadruple_by_2015

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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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Mark Zuckerberg: Google, Microsoft Are Violating Your Privacy--Not Us
Facebook isn't violating your privacy -- Google, Yahoo and Microsoft are. That was the message from Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook CEO who has consistently faced criticism over his site's privacy practices, during an interview with Charlie Rose.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/07/facebook-ceo-mark-zuckerberg_n_1080663.html

Facebook rape joke pages taken down from social network
Facebook has removed several rape joke pages from its social network.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15641998

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
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HP, Dell Overtake Nokia in Updated Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics [IDG]
While some consumer electronics manufacturers have cleaned up their act, making more energy-efficient gadgets with fewer toxic materials, others are continuing to make fine promises but no changes, according to Greenpeace. In response, the environmental pressure group is changing the way it scores companies in its Guide to Greener Electronics, placing more emphasis on their actions than their words, and measuring new aspects of their operations.
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/243457/hp_dell_overtake_nokia_in_updated_greenpeace_guide_to_greener_electronics.html
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/110911-hp-dell-overtake-nokia-in-252922.html
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/406899/hp_dell_overtake_nokia_updated_greenpeace_guide_greener_electronics/

Greenpeace puts HP in top spot in greener-electronics guide
HP is now the top-ranked tech company, according to Greenpeace's latest guide to greener electronics.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-57321422-54/greenpeace-puts-hp-in-top-spot-in-greener-electronics-guide/

Top Spot for HP in New Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics
We just released a new version of the Guide to Greener Electronics. This time ranking 15 gadget and electronics companies on energy, greener products and sustainable operations. HP takes the lead at 5.9 out of a possible 10 points, followed by Dell, Nokia and Apple.
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/Blogs/makingwaves/top-spot-for-hp-in-new-guide-to-greener-elect/blog/37717/

Technology just makes us all busier by Jonathan Wolff, professor of philosophy at University College London
There was great excitement the year I started lecturing in the philosophy department. Not, sadly, about me, but because we had obtained, for the first time, a usable computer in the department. It was placed in an attic room, and I would get to work at eight in the morning to use it for two ? well, OK, three ? hours, before anyone else rolled in.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/nov/07/time-saving-technology

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CHILD PROTECTION & ONLINE SAFETY
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us: Nine of 10 teenagers have witnessed bullying on social networks, study finds
There?s something about the Internet that can bring out meanness in teenagers. That is one finding of a study to be released Wednesday that reports that nine in 10 teenagers say they have witnessed cruelty by their peers on social networks.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/nine-of-10-teenagers-have-witnessed-bullying-on-social-networks-study-finds/2011/11/08/gIQAPqUq3M_story.html

Teens, kindness and cruelty on social network sites
Overview: Social media use has become so pervasive in the lives of American teens that having a presence on a social network site is almost synonymous with being online. Fully 95% of all teens ages 12-17 are now online and 80% of those online teens are users of social media sites. Many log on daily to their social network pages and these have become spaces where much of the social activity of teen life is echoed and amplified?in both good and bad ways.
http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Teens-and-social-media.aspx

New report: Cyber bullying & online grooming: 18 protective recommendations against key risks [news release]
The EU Agency ENISA, the (European Network and Information Security Agency) has launched a new report on cyber bullying and online grooming (preparing sexual abuse); warning that misuse of data (data mining and profiling) harms minors. The report identifies the top emerging risks and makes 18 non-technical recommendations for their mitigation. One key recommendation is to strengthen Member State?s law enforcement agencies. Other recommendations point to safeguards adapted to the needs of youth?s cyber activities.
http://www.enisa.europa.eu/media/press-releases/new-report-cyber-bullying-online-grooming-18-protective-recommendations-against-key-risks

Regulators Say Social Network Violated Child Privacy Law
Skid-e-Kids describes itself as a Facebook for children ages 7 to 14. It allows them to watch ?age-appropriate? movies and socialize with their friends, and it stipulates that ?parents are in charge.?
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/08/regulators-say-social-network-violated-child-privacy-law/

Operator of Social Networking Website for Kids Settles FTC Charges Site Collected Kids? Personal Information Without Parental Consent [news release]
The operator of skidekids.com, a website that advertises itself as the ?Facebook and Myspace for Kids,? has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that he collected personally information from approximately 5,600 children without obtaining prior parental consent, in violation of the Commission?s Children?s Online Privacy Protection Act (?COPPA?) Rule.
http://ftc.gov/opa/2011/11/skidekids.shtm

Opinion: Pornography, the internet and class by Jennifer Wilson
It seems reasonable when faced with strident action against a social more to require those opposing it to put forward their preferred alternative. In the case of anti-pornography activists, it's apparently impossible to persuade them to offer a framework of how they think sexuality ought to be expressed. Like Opposition Leader Tony Abbott they just say no, without proffering any other policies.
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/3650706.html

Opinion: Cyber-Bullying Hits Home
A few months ago, I found out from my 10-year-old that a girl in her class has uploaded a video on YouTube about her. This girl was an on-and-off friend of my daughter, and I've questioned the friendship for some time. I could never have imagined that a small school tiff led her to produce a video announcing her dislike of my daughter.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/hessie-jones/cyberbullying_b_1079814.html

ca: Cyber-bullying less common than real-life bullying, study finds
Teenagers are more likely to be bullied in the schoolyard than on social network sites, according to the latest study released by the Pew Research Center. Twelve per cent of teens surveyed said they were bullied in person in the past year, while nine per cent were bullied by text message and eight per cent online, through social networking sites.
http://www.globalwinnipeg.com/health/cyber-bullying+less+common+than+real-life+bullying+study+finds/6442518338/story.html

us: Most teens have seen bad behavior on social media sites
The majority of teenagers who use social networking websites say their peers are mostly kind to one another online, but 88% still say they've witnessed people being mean and cruel on such sites, according to a new study. Fifteen percent say they've been the target of bad behavior on social media sites.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/11/although-69-of-teenagers-who-use-social-networking-websites-say-their-peers-are-mostly-kind-to-one-another-online-88-said.html

nz: Deaf woman scammed over Facebook
Roi Stephens usually ignores messages telling her she's won an international lottery draw. ... Call a police station if you're not sure if you suspect you are being scammed or visit the Netsafe website for tips on how to avoid being a victim of such schemes.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/5937157/Deaf-woman-scammed-over-Facebook

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ONLINE TV & MUSIC
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uk: Studios take Newzbin2 clampdown to big ISPs
The Motion Picture Association has begun the process of forcing the UK's big ISPs to block the Newzbin2 file-sharing site.
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/intellectual-property/2011/11/08/studios-take-newzbin2-clampdown-to-big-isps-40094381/

Film studios ask more ISPs to block Newzbin2
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) has asked two UK internet service providers (ISPs) to consent to a court order that would force them to block their customers' access to a copyright-infringing website.
http://www.out-law.com/en/articles/2011/november/film-studios-ask-more-isps-to-block-newzbin2/

RIANZ silent on fresh anti-piracy crackdown
Internet service providers have received a second batch of ?detection notice? demands from the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ), according to a report in the Dominion Post.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/rianz-silent-on-fresh-anti-piracy-crackdown

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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More mobile apps downloaded, but users rely on just a few: Pew study
A new study finds that more mobile users are downloading apps, but many seem to rely on just a few. Downloaders tend to be the young, the well-educated or the well-paid.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/110811-mobile-apps-252879.html
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/406802/more_mobile_apps_downloaded_users_rely_just_few_pew_study/

Half of adult cell phone owners have apps on their phones
Overview: The share of adult cell phone owners who have downloaded an app to their phone nearly doubled in the past two years ? rising from 22% in September 2009 to 38% in August 2011 ? according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center?s Internet & American Life Project. The share of U.S. adults who purchased a phone already equipped with apps also increased five percentage points in the past year, from 38% in May 2010 to 43% in the current survey.
http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/Apps-update.aspx

Smartphone malware surges by 800% in four months
Malware aimed at smartphones has surged by 800 percent in the past four months, says Get Safe Online.
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/security/3316651/smartphone-malware-surges-by-800-in-four-months/

Google?s Android Mobile Software Will Remain Free, Chairman Schmidt Says
Google Inc. will keep the Android software free for mobile-phone makers even after completing a planned acquisition of Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc., Chairman Eric Schmidt said.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-08/schmidt-says-motorola-deal-won-t-change-openness-of-android.html

Google Chairman: Android Didn?t Copy iPhone Because It Predated It
Prior to his untimely death in October, Apple Chairman Steve Jobs accused Google of ripping off the iPhone with its Android mobile OS. ?I will spend every penny of Apple?s $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong,? he told biographer Walter Isaacson. ?I?m going to destroy Android, because it?s a stolen product. I?m willing to go thermonuclear war on this.?
http://allthingsd.com/20111108/google-ceo-android-pre-dated-iphone/

Huawei confirms that Microsoft is chasing it for Android patent licence
The Chinese telecoms giant Huawei has confirmed that Microsoft is demanding royalty payments from it over products using Android software.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/nov/08/huawei-microsoft-android-patent-licence

Samsung wants iPhone 4S source code
Samsung lawyers yesterday accused Apple of trying to hide its iPhone 4S source code from its experts as the companies' federal court patent battle edged closer to trial.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/samsung-wants-iphone-4s-source-code/story-e6frgakx-1226190530729

Apple Must Reveal Australia Mobile-Phone Contracts to Samsung, Judge Rules
Apple Inc. must provide Samsung Electronics Co. with its contracts with Australian mobile-phone carriers as the South Korean company demanded in a patent dispute with the iPhone maker, a judge ruled.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-09/apple-must-reveal-australia-mobile-phone-contracts-to-samsung-judge-rules.html

Adobe abandons work on Flash plug-in for mobile devices
Software developer Adobe Systems is halting development of its Flash Player plug-in for mobile devices.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-15648899

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DIGITAL DIVIDE
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The mobile revolution: how smartphones are putting Sudan at the centre of the world
Last week, I received an email about a problem my company was having with our online shop. I happened to be out of the office, so I pulled out my laptop, plugged in a 3G mobile broadband dongle, and went online to try and fix it ? something countless workers and commuters do every day. The difference was that I was standing in a field near Atbara in North Sudan, while villagers were making mud bricks a few meters away.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/technology/adrianhon/100006956/mud-huts-and-smartphones-how-mobile-internet-is-transforming-life-in-sudan/

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ONLINE CRIME & LEGAL
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Global cyber war treaties urgently needed: Bruce Schneier
Rules of engagement between different countries should be established before a major Web-based attack takes place according to BT Group?s US chief security technology officer, Bruce Schneier.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/406751/global_cyber_war_treaties_urgently_needed_bruce_schneier/

nz: Businesses not doing enough to stay safe, says Martin Cocker
Netsafe?s executive director Martin Cocker has been deep inside the reseller market, most recently when he worked as general manager for the Itas division at Renaissance, a role he held for five years prior to joining Netsafe in 2006.
http://reseller.co.nz/reseller.nsf/profile/businesses-not-doing-enough-to-stay-safe-says-martin-cocker

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SECURITY
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Global phishing trends and domain name use
A new survey by the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) reveals that phishing attacks perpetrated against Chinese e-commerce and banking sites soared by 44 percent in the first half of 2011. Some 70 percent of all maliciously registered domain names in the world were established by Chinese cybercriminals for use against Chinese brands and enterprises.
http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=11921