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 *************************************************** US Government Re-Issues Call For Bids To Manage Internet Root Zone http://www.ip-watch.org/2012/04/18/us-government-re-issues-call-for-bids-to-manage-internet-root-zone/ Germany's .DE Passes 15 Million http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/04/18/germanys-de-passes-15-million/ Tim Berners-Lee: we don't need arbitrary new TLDs http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-04/18/tim-berners-lee-tlds First TAS security bug details revealed http://domainincite.com/first-tas-security-bug-details-revealed/ ICANN Isolates Cause of TAS Security Problem http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/04/18/icann-isolates-cause-of-tas-security-problem/ New gTLD filing deadline delayed again http://domainincite.com/new-gtld-filing-deadline-delayed-again/ US and China engage in cyber war games http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/apr/16/us-china-cyber-war-games Militarisation of cyberspace: how the global power struggle moved online http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/apr/16/militarisation-of-cyberspace-power-struggle au: 500 firms get aid to ward off cyber foe http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/firms-get-aid-to-ward-off-cyber-foe/story-e6frgakx-1226332123022 au: Cyber attack hits Melbourne firm York Butter Factory http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/cyber-attack-hits-melbourne-firm-york-butter-factory/story-e6frgakx-1226331872949 ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** The Rule of Law and the Internet That the Internet has become the imposing phenomenon of the modern era is no longer news. What appears to be news is how it is defining the way we live, work, learn, share and govern. Talking about governance, I will be focusing on the rule of law on the Internet. http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/04/the-rule-of-law-and-the-internet1/ http://allafrica.com/stories/201204180104.html ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** TAS Interruption - Update (17 April 2012) - Statement by Akram Atallah, COO ICANN's review of the technical glitch that resulted in the TLD application system being taken offline indicates that the issue stems from a problem in the way the system handled interrupted deletions of file attachments. This resulted in some applicants being able to see some other applicants' file names and user names. http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-17apr12-en.htm TAS Interruption - Update (16 April 2012) The TLD application system, or TAS, was taken offline on Thursday, 12 April due to a technical issue. http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-16apr12-en.htm Request for Proposal for IANA Functions Contract On April 16, 2012, the Department of Commerce re-issued the Request for Proposal (RFP) SA1301-12-RP-0043 for a new Internet Assigned Numbers Authority functions contract. The continued performance of these functions is critical to preserving the stability and security of the Internet?s Domain Name System. http://www.ntia.doc.gov/other-publication/2012/request-proposal-iana-functions-contract US Government Re-Issues Call For Bids To Manage Internet Root Zone The US National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on Monday re-issued a request for proposals to manage the sensitive IANA contract. IANA function includes the management of the central root zone of the internet domain name system, the allocation of internet protocol addresses to the Regional Internet Registries and other core parts of the internet infrastructure. http://www.ip-watch.org/2012/04/18/us-government-re-issues-call-for-bids-to-manage-internet-root-zone/ US reopens IANA contract re-bid ICANN?s key contract with the US government is open for proposals again, a month after ICANN was told its first bid wasn?t up to the expected standards. http://domainincite.com/us-reopens-iana-contract-re-bid/ ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** Azerbaijan prepares rules for registration and use of first-level domains Coordination Council for the Internet development under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies of Azerbaijan held a meeting with representatives of several Internet service providers in Azerbaijan, the ministry's statement said on Monday. http://en.trend.az/regions/scaucasus/azerbaijan/2015185.html Germany's .DE Passes 15 Million In the past couple of hours, Germany's country code .DE passed the 15 million active domain registrations mark. At the time of writing there were 15,000,174 .DE domain names registered. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=17497 http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/04/18/germanys-de-passes-15-million/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/germanys-de-passes-15-million.html .de Name Server Network Gets Support in Moscow The globally distributed DNS infrastructure for .de domains is further expanding: With the deployment of the new name server location in Moscow, the total number of NS locations now is 17. During the last five years, the number of name server queries has nearly tripled and servers now handle up to 7 billion queries a day. http://www.denic.de/en/denic-in-dialogue/news/3445.html Imperative of adopting Nigeria?s .ng for economic growth Today, it is common for most Nigerians to use foreign domain names for their online transactions, but in this report, ADEYEMI ADEPETUN examines the imperativeness of using the country?s domain name, the .ng, for economic growth, security, among others. http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=83557:imperative-of-adopting-nigerias-ng-for-economic-growth PIR Launches First-Ever .ORG Television Commercial In India Public Interest Registry ? the not-for-profit operator of the .ORG domain ? today aired its first-ever television commercial for the .ORG domain. http://pir.org/pr/2012/bigrock ********************** - NEW TLDS ********************** Tim Berners-Lee: we don't need arbitrary new TLDs Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the web, is "not a fan" of the arbitrary new TLDs that ICANN is currently offering, he told Wired.co.uk in a press conference at W3C. http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-04/18/tim-berners-lee-tlds http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2012/04/tim-berners-lee-we-dont-need-arbitrary-new-tlds/ First TAS security bug details revealed The data leakage bug in ICANN?s TLD Application System was caused when applicants attempted to delete files they had uploaded, the organization has revealed. http://domainincite.com/first-tas-security-bug-details-revealed/ ICANN Isolates Cause of TAS Security Problem The security glitch that saw ICANN take offline their TLD application system, or TAS, came about "from a problem in the way the system handled interrupted deletions of file attachments," Akram Atallah, ICANN's COO, wrote in a statement on the organisation's website. "This resulted in some applicants being able to see some other applicants' file names and user names." http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=17498 http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/04/18/icann-isolates-cause-of-tas-security-problem/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/icann-isolates-cause-of-tas-security-problem.html New gTLD filing deadline delayed again It looks like new gTLD applicants are in for more delays after ICANN announced that it will not reopen its TLD Application System tomorrow as planned. http://domainincite.com/new-gtld-filing-deadline-delayed-again/ ICANN Fixes TAS Technical Glitch ICANN believe they have fixed the technical issue that forced them to take offline the TLD application system software (TAS) on 12 April and that exposed some applicant data. For now the organisation is testing the TAS to make sure the problem has been rectified. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=17479 http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/04/17/icann-fixes-tas-technical-glitch/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/icann-fixes-tas-technical-glitch.html ICANN will alert gTLD security bug victims ICANN plans to inform each new TLD applicant whether they were affected by the security vulnerability in its TLD Application System, according to its latest update. http://domainincite.com/icann-will-alert-gtld-security-bug-victims/ How the world?s biggest brands use new gTLDs DomainIncite PRO is excited to reveal the results of the domain name industry?s first in-depth study into how the world?s biggest brands use new gTLDs. http://domainincite.com/how-the-worlds-biggest-brands-use-new-gtlds/ ICANN?s new TLD application snafu: best stories and tweets from around the web ICANN has spent quite a bit on PR to get the word out about new TLDs. So it also got quite a bit of attention when it admitted last week that there was a serious security problem with its online application system. http://domainnamewire.com/2012/04/16/icanns-new-tld-application-snafu-best-stories-and-tweets-from-around-the-web/ Deloitte Applies for Top Level Domain Name: ".deloitte" Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (DTTL) announced today that it has submitted an application to ICANN for the TLD of ".deloitte." One of the key objectives of adopting a TLD is to give a brand a more personalised online presence and enhance the site user experience. http://www.deloitte.com/view/en_GB/uk/27d1a12cbb5c6310VgnVCM2000001b56f00aRCRD.htm Deloitte Brand list Many new registries of TLDs share the concerns expressed by members of the intellectual property community that a proliferation of new Internet domain extensions will contribute to increased trademark infringement in the domain name space. ... In response to these inquiries, Deloitte has defined a number of criteria to facilitate the selection of 100 brands that make significant efforts to protect and enforce their trademarks in the domain name space. http://www.deloitte.com/be/brand-list Dissecting Deloitte?s .deloitte press release ... I?m still somewhat skeptical about .brand, so I want to go in and dissect the benefits that Deloitte claims it will get from owning .deloitte. I welcome differing opinions. http://domainnamewire.com/2012/04/18/dissecting-deloittes-deloitte-press-release/ ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Driving DNSSEC: The Need for Integration of All the Functions Needed by Bruce Van Nice DNSSEC continues to gain momentum as network operators and domain owners watch and learn from early adopters. The learning process is made easier by efforts such as the ongoing work conducted by researchers at Sandia labs to methodically identify and categorize the kinds of problems that are occurring. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20120418_driving_dnssec_need_for_integration_of_all_the_functions_needed/ US and China engage in cyber war games The US and China have been discreetly engaging in "war games" amid rising anger in Washington over the scale and audacity of Beijing-co-ordinated cyber attacks on western governments and big business, the Guardian has learned. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/apr/16/us-china-cyber-war-games Militarisation of cyberspace: how the global power struggle moved online Jonathan Millican is a first-year university student from Harrogate in North Yorkshire. He says he doesn't think of himself as a "stereotypical geek", but having been crowned champion in Britain's Cyber Security Challenge, the 19-year-old is bound to take some stick from his undergraduate friends at Cambridge. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/apr/16/militarisation-of-cyberspace-power-struggle Counter-eCrime Operations Summit (APWG) In Prague Next Week by Garth Bruen The sixth annual Counter-eCrime Operations Summit (CeCOS VI) will engage questions of operational challenges and the development of common resources for the first responders and forensic professionals who protect consumers and enterprises from the ecrime threat every day. This year's meeting will focus on the shifting nature of cybercrime and the attendant challenges of managing that dynamic threatscape. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20120418_counter_ecrime_operations_summit_apwg_in_prague_next_week/ us: Lawmakers, Civil Liberties Activists Spar Ahead Of Cybersecurity Votes Sponsors of controversial cybersecurity legislation moved quickly this week to try to blunt planned protests over the proposals. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2012/04/lawmakers-civil-liberties-acti.php us: Analysis: "Cybersecurity" bill endangers privacy rights The controversy over the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act intensified on Tuesday when a White House spokeswoman warned Congress not to pass "cybersecurity" legislation without "robust safeguards to preserve the privacy and civil liberties of our citizens." http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/04/analysis-cybersecurity-bill-endangers-privacy-rights.ars Botnet Takedowns Can Incur Collateral Damage Microsoft Zeus botnet case demonstrates risks, challenges associated with takedowns when multiple groups are tracking the same botnet http://www.darkreading.com/advanced-threats/167901091/security/attacks-breaches/232900383/botnet-takedowns-can-incur-collateral-damage.html World class experts to Permanent Stakeholders? Group wanted [news release] The EU?s cyber security agency, ENISA (the European Network and Information Security Agency), is launching the call for the best and brightest IT security brains to become new members of its Permanent Stakeholders? Group (PSG) for the period of August 2012 to February 2015 (2.5 years). The PSG advises the Executive Director in e.g. drawing up a proposal for the Agency?s Work Programme and all issues related thereto. http://www.enisa.europa.eu/media/press-releases/world-class-experts-to-permanent-stakeholders2019-group-wanted au: 500 firms get aid to ward off cyber foe Almost 500 companies, including banks and finance firms, are receiving federal government assistance to counter the increase in state-sponsored cyber attacks on service and infrastructure providers. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/firms-get-aid-to-ward-off-cyber-foe/story-e6frgakx-1226332123022 au: Cyber attack hits Melbourne firm York Butter Factory A LOW-SCALE cyber-attack on a US hosting company has created a headache for Melbourne tech-incubation space York Butter Factory. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/cyber-attack-hits-melbourne-firm-york-butter-factory/story-e6frgakx-1226331872949 Google warns the operators of thousands of hacked web sites The head of Google's Webspam team, Matt Cutts, announced on Twitter that Google has sent out a message to the webmasters of 20,000 sites informing them that their sites may have been hacked. In the email message, the company warns operators that the affected sites appear to be being used to redirect visitors to a malicious site. http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Google-warns-the-operators-of-thousands-of-hacked-web-sites-1542374.html ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** Google settles Gmail trademark dispute in Germany Google has obtained control of the Gmail trademark in Germany, according to the German trademark office, and the legal battle for the related domain name is also over, according to Google. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9226224/Google_settles_Gmail_trademark_dispute http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/google-settles-gmail-trademark-dispute-in-germany California Toyota dealer guilty of reverse domain name hijacking A California Toyota dealer has been found guilty of reverse domain name hijacking by a National Arbitration Forum panel. http://domainnamewire.com/2012/04/17/hooman-toyota-rdnh/ Belgium Blocks Alternative Pirate Bay Domain Last October the Antwerp Court of Appeal ordered two Belgian ISPs to block subscriber access to 11 domains connected to The Pirate Bay. http://torrentfreak.com/belgium-blocks-alternative-pirate-bay-domain-120418/ ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** us: The sorry state of federal IPv6 support U.S. federal government agencies must meet an aggressive deadline of Sept. 30, 2012, to deploy IPv6 on their public-facing websites, under an Obama administration initiative. But with less than five months to go, more than 99% of federal websites aren't supporting the next-gen Internet Protocol on their DNS, email and Web services. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/041812-federal-ipv6-258436.html http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=CA9E913E-BD4D-F468-2674EDEF9ECC9BE8 http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/421998/sorry_state_federal_ipv6_support/ ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** What Ever Happened to the Closed Local Internet Registries? by Mirjam Kuehne Since the establishment of the RIPE NCC, 5,000 Local Internet Registries (LIRs) have closed. We wanted to find out why. Many of them were probably victims of the burst of the dotcom bubble. But how many? And which countries were mostly affected? How many closures were the results of mergers? We've got answers. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20120416_what_ever_happened_to_the_closed_local_internet_registries/ DNS Resolution, Browsers & Hope For The Future by Andrew Sullivan DNS is not something that most people think about when using the Internet. Neither should they have to: the DNS is just part of the infrastructure in the same way that IP addresses are. The only time a user ought to notice the DNS is when it breaks (and it should never break). If that's true, then we ought to expect any Internet client - including web browsers - to use the very same infrastructure as everything else and for the DNS resolution mechanisms to be the ones offered by the operating system. What makes browsers different? http://www.circleid.com/posts/dns_resolution_browsers_hope_for_the_future/ ********************** - WEBHOSTING ********************** Web Host Go Daddy Installs 2 Million WordPress Sites with Hosting Connection Web hosting provider Go Daddy announced on Tuesday that it has installed more than two million WordPress websites with its application installer called Hosting Connection. http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/web-host-go-daddy-installs-2-million-wordpress-sites-with-hosting-connection Web Host TurnKey Internet to Open Green Data Center in New York State Web hosting company TurnKey Internet announced on Wednesday it has acquired a former US Post Office in Albany, New York to convert into an environmentally-friendly data center, just in time for Earth Day. http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/web-host-turnkey-internet-to-open-green-data-center-in-new-york-state ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Market's Mid-Range Makes The Most Noise This Week With Nearly Two Dozen Solid Five-Figure Sales No six-figure sales were reported this week, leaving the door open for a trio of .coms in the mid five-figure range to fill the first three spots on our new all extension Top 20 Sales Chart. The best of those was #1 Acronyms.com, a domain that DNForum owner Adam Dicker sold on the DomainNameSales.com platform for $60,000. The buyer was Stands 4 LLC who is forwarding the domain to their existing Abbreviations.com website. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2012/20120418.htm ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** us: Internet advertising climbs to $31 billion in 2011 Internet advertising revenue in the United States jumped 22 percent to $31 billion in 2011 setting a record high. http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/04/18/internetadvertising-idINDEE83H0EZ20120418 The future of gaming: It's now The future of video gaming is bright, according to four industry visionaries who spoke at a recent gaming event. http://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/16/tech/gaming-gadgets/gaming-panel-smithsonian/index.html nz: Are internet friends real friends? OPINION: When Elizabeth and I were first "on the scene" as newly minted friends, there'd often be a mad scramble to answer when a fellow party guest (etc) would ask "So how did you two meet?" http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/6772678/Are-internet-friends-real-friends ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Facebook?s Instagram Buy Won?t Alter Twitter Strategy Twitter last year looked into buying Instagram, the hot photo-sharing app snapped up last week by Facebook for $1 billion. But Twitter?s chief executive said during a Tokyo visit Monday that Facebook?s move won?t push his company to seek other acquisitions to counter its rival?s move. http://blogs.wsj.com/japanrealtime/2012/04/16/facebooks-instagram-buy-wont-alter-twitter-strategy/ ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Australian-based scientist hopes to create next generation of glass fibre An Australian-based scientist is hoping a trip into space will help him unlock the secret to creating the next generation of glass fibre for transferring data at up to 1,000 times current rates. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-16/new-internet-technology-out-of-this-world/3953392 Apple defends green credentials of cloud computing services Apple disclosed sensitive information about energy demand at the data centre housing its iCloud service for the first time on Tuesday, defending its green credentials in the face of a campaign by Greenpeace. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/apr/17/apple-cloud-computing-coal-greenpeace Online Cloud Services Rely on Coal or Nuclear Power, Report Says The infrastructure that supports the Internet, online commerce and nearly all corporate data services is engaged in a vast migration eastward in search of energy prices cheaper than anything available in Silicon Valley, where the digital revolution began, according to a report released Tuesday by the environmental group Greenpeace. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/18/business/energy-environment/cloud-services-rely-on-coal-or-nuclear-power-greenpeace-says.html How Clean is Your Cloud? How much energy is required to power the ever-expanding online world? What percentage of global greenhouse gas emissions is attributable to the IT sector? This report takes a look at the energy choices some of the largest and fastest growing IT companies are making, as the race to build "the cloud" creates a new era of technology. http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/publications/Campaign-reports/Climate-Reports/How-Clean-is-Your-Cloud/ Tell Apple, Amazon, Microsoft you want a cleaner cloud Every day, our lives revolve more and more around the phenomenon that is ?the cloud.? We check our e-mail, store our music, and share photos and status updates. It?s a key part of how we connect with our friends and family. http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/Blogs/Cool-IT/tell-apple-amazon-microsoft-you-want-a-cleane/blog/39994/ How Clean is your Cloud - Apple responds Our new report ?How Clean is Your Cloud? is out today - to show that the massive increase in Internet use is mainly being powered by dirty energy. Apple, Amazon and Microsoft all score badly in the report for relying on dirty coal and dangerous nuclear power for their data centres. http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/Blogs/Cool-IT/how-clean-is-your-cloud-apple-responds/blog/40003/ ********************************* CHILD PROTECTION & ONLINE SAFETY ********************************* uk: MPs call for better porn filters to protect children A cross-party parliamentary inquiry into how safe children are online has concluded the government and internet service providers need to do more. http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17754605 uk: Government urged to act over children's 'easy' access to online porn Many children are ?easily? accessing online pornography and damaging their attitudes to sex, relationships and body image, a Parliamentary Inquiry said as it called on the Government to legislate to force broadband providers to take action. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/broadband/9210146/Government-urged-to-act-over-childrens-easy-access-to-online-porn.html uk: Web porn should be opt-in, MPs say Internet users in the UK should have to opt in to view pornography, a cross-party group of MPs has recommended. http://www.zdnet.co.uk/blogs/communication-breakdown-10000030/web-porn-should-be-opt-in-mps-say-10025913/ nz: Parents warned to steer clear of teen Facebook pages The teenage world is a shocking place which parents should sometimes steer well clear of - particularly the 44 per cent of parents who hack into their child's Facebook page, an internet safety expert says. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10799857 Kiwi mums secretly access kids' Facebook Half of New Zealand mothers have accessed their children's Facebook page without their consent, according to an international report. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10799737 nz: Facebook changing parental relationship New Zealand mothers are "spying" on their teenagers - but they claim it is all for their own good. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/6766132/Facebook-changing-parental-relationship Cyberbullying and bullying are not the same University of British Columbia research comparing traditional bullying with cyberbullying finds that the dynamics of online bullying are different, suggesting that anti-bullying program need specific interventions to target online aggression. http://www.health24.com/news/Child_safety/1-943,73863.asp au: Call for easing of 'sexting' penalties YOUNG adults caught transmitting explicit images of minors from their mobile phones would no longer be automatically placed on the sex offenders register, under sweeping changes proposed by the Victorian Law Reform Commission. http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/call-for-easing-of-sexting-penalties-20120418-1x7or.html ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** nz: Second internet provider issues 'third-strike' A second internet provider says it has issued a final "three-strikes" copyright notice to one of its customers, who could now face a fine of up to $15,000 for allegedly downloading music illegally. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10799990 ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** Google faces court challenge from Oracle Google?s Android operating system will face its first big court challenge on Monday as a trial gets under way in California to consider a claim from software group Oracle that could top $1bn. http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/92726776-8717-11e1-865d-00144feab49a.html Google v Oracle: we wanted to take on Android, admits Ellison Oracle chief executive Larry Ellison has admitted that he wanted to enter into competition with Google's Android software in the smartphone market before deciding instead to sue his potential rival for copyright and patent infringement. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/apr/18/oracle-google-court-smartphone Google and Oracle battle over the future of Android A landmark court battle between Google and Oracle has begun -- and its result will shape the future of the Android ecosystem fueling most of the world's smartphones. http://money.cnn.com/2012/04/16/technology/google-oracle/index.htm Android 'important but not critical' to Google, says Page in Oracle trial Google chief executive Larry Page spent nearly an hour in a federal courtroom Wednesday deflecting questions about his role in a copyright dispute over some of the technology in his company's Android software for smartphones. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/apr/18/oracle-google-android-page-important Google CEO says Android important, not critical The Android smartphone operating system is a very important asset for Google Inc, but it is not critical, the company's chief executive officer said in courtroom testimony. http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/04/18/uk-oracle-google-trial-idUKBRE83F09L20120418 http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/04/18/oracle-google-trial-idINDEE83F06V20120418 au: Apple, ACCC lock horns over iPad name A mediation session has failed to resolve a legal dispute between the competition watchdog and iPad maker Apple. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-04-16/mediation-over-apple-ipad-4g-claims-fails/3953396 No resolution in 'new iPad' mediation It is still unclear if Apple will have to change the name of the new iPad in Australia, as mediations with the consumer watchdog has ended without resolution. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/technology/tablets/no-resolution-in-new-ipad-mediation/story-fn5qlb5w-1226328025393 Apple and ACCC iPad mediation fails Mediation between Apple and Australia's competition watchdog has ended without a resolution. http://www.smh.com.au/business/apple-and-accc-ipad-mediation-fails-20120416-1x33y.html http://www.theage.com.au/business/apple-and-accc-ipad-mediation-fails-20120416-1x33y.html http://www.watoday.com.au/business/apple-and-accc-ipad-mediation-fails-20120416-1x33y.html http://www.businessday.com.au/business/apple-and-accc-ipad-mediation-fails-20120416-1x33y.html Apple and Samsung chiefs to meet to sort patent dispute The chiefs of Apple and Samsung have agreed to meet in a bid to resolve a patent case between the two in a California court. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17751806 EU to investigate mobile wallet scheme European regulators have begun investigating a mobile wallet business set up jointly by Everything Everywhere, Vodafone and O2, following complaints by smaller operator Three. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57414696-94/eu-to-investigate-mobile-wallet-scheme/ EU asks for help on regulating the Internet of things [IDG] The European Commission is calling for opinions on how to regulate wirelessly connected devices, as legal experts say the current Data Protection Directive is not up to the job. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/421624/eu_asks_help_regulating_internet_things/ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/041612-eu-asks-for-help-on-258303.html NZ telcos mull blacklisting stolen cellphones Major Kiwi telco providers are looking at working together to implement a new nationwide system aimed at stopping thieves using stolen cellphones. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10799786 Mobile payment likely to gain widespread acceptance by 2020: study By 2020, smart-device swiping will have gained mainstream acceptance as a method of payment by owners of smartphone and other devices, nearly eliminating the need in most cases for cash or credit cards, according to a new U.S. study released on Tuesday. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2012-04/18/c_131533658.htm The Future of Money in a Mobile Age Overview: Within the next decade, smart-device swiping will have gained mainstream acceptance as a method of payment and could largely replace cash and credit cards for most online and in-store purchases by smartphone and tablet owners, according to a new survey of technology experts and stakeholders. http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Future-of-Money.aspx Smartphones to carry radiation tag from September The new and stringent radiation emission rules for mobile phones and towers, which will for the first time stipulate emission levels for handsets sold in India and make it compulsory for these levels to be displayed on phones and retail outlets, will come into effect from September 1, 2012, telecom department officials said. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/news/telecom/Smartphones-to-carry-radiation-tag-from-September/articleshow/12716113.cms ********************** ONLINE CRIME & LEGAL ********************** 'For Dummies' guide publisher, Wiley, seeks piracy trial US publisher John Wiley & Sons is demanding a trial by jury of people accused of copying its books. http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17763218 ********************** SECURITY ********************** US and China engage in cyber war games The US and China have been discreetly engaging in "war games" amid rising anger in Washington over the scale and audacity of Beijing-co-ordinated cyber attacks on western governments and big business, the Guardian has learned. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/apr/16/us-china-cyber-war-games Militarisation of cyberspace: how the global power struggle moved online Jonathan Millican is a first-year university student from Harrogate in North Yorkshire. He says he doesn't think of himself as a "stereotypical geek", but having been crowned champion in Britain's Cyber Security Challenge, the 19-year-old is bound to take some stick from his undergraduate friends at Cambridge. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/apr/16/militarisation-of-cyberspace-power-struggle Counter-eCrime Operations Summit (APWG) In Prague Next Week by Garth Bruen The sixth annual Counter-eCrime Operations Summit (CeCOS VI) will engage questions of operational challenges and the development of common resources for the first responders and forensic professionals who protect consumers and enterprises from the ecrime threat every day. This year's meeting will focus on the shifting nature of cybercrime and the attendant challenges of managing that dynamic threatscape. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20120418_counter_ecrime_operations_summit_apwg_in_prague_next_week/ us: Lawmakers, Civil Liberties Activists Spar Ahead Of Cybersecurity Votes Sponsors of controversial cybersecurity legislation moved quickly this week to try to blunt planned protests over the proposals. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2012/04/lawmakers-civil-liberties-acti.php us: Analysis: "Cybersecurity" bill endangers privacy rights The controversy over the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act intensified on Tuesday when a White House spokeswoman warned Congress not to pass "cybersecurity" legislation without "robust safeguards to preserve the privacy and civil liberties of our citizens." http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/04/analysis-cybersecurity-bill-endangers-privacy-rights.ars Botnet Takedowns Can Incur Collateral Damage Microsoft Zeus botnet case demonstrates risks, challenges associated with takedowns when multiple groups are tracking the same botnet http://www.darkreading.com/advanced-threats/167901091/security/attacks-breaches/232900383/botnet-takedowns-can-incur-collateral-damage.html World class experts to Permanent Stakeholders? Group wanted [news release] The EU?s cyber security agency, ENISA (the European Network and Information Security Agency), is launching the call for the best and brightest IT security brains to become new members of its Permanent Stakeholders? Group (PSG) for the period of August 2012 to February 2015 (2.5 years). The PSG advises the Executive Director in e.g. drawing up a proposal for the Agency?s Work Programme and all issues related thereto. http://www.enisa.europa.eu/media/press-releases/world-class-experts-to-permanent-stakeholders2019-group-wanted au: 500 firms get aid to ward off cyber foe Almost 500 companies, including banks and finance firms, are receiving federal government assistance to counter the increase in state-sponsored cyber attacks on service and infrastructure providers. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/firms-get-aid-to-ward-off-cyber-foe/story-e6frgakx-1226332123022 au: Cyber attack hits Melbourne firm York Butter Factory A LOW-SCALE cyber-attack on a US hosting company has created a headache for Melbourne tech-incubation space York Butter Factory. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/cyber-attack-hits-melbourne-firm-york-butter-factory/story-e6frgakx-1226331872949 Google warns the operators of thousands of hacked web sites The head of Google's Webspam team, Matt Cutts, announced on Twitter that Google has sent out a message to the webmasters of 20,000 sites informing them that their sites may have been hacked. In the email message, the company warns operators that the affected sites appear to be being used to redirect visitors to a malicious site. http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Google-warns-the-operators-of-thousands-of-hacked-web-sites-1542374.html ********************** PRIVACY ********************** Tim Berners-Lee: Tell Facebook, Google you want your data back Tim Berners-Lee, known as the father of the World Wide Web, says Internet users should demand all of their inaccessible data from Facebook, Google, and every other major Web site. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57415764-93/tim-berners-lee-tell-facebook-google-you-want-your-data-back/ 'Action needed' to meet UK's cookie tracking deadline There are on average 14 tracking tools per webpage on the UK's most popular sites, according to a study. Privacy solutions provider Truste suggests that means a user typically encounters up to 140 cookies and other trackers while browsing a single site. http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17745938 us: Congressman and Privacy Group Call for Google Inquiry A congressman and a privacy group on Tuesday called for further investigation into Google?s collection of Internet communications during the course of its Street View project, in which the company sent cars into countries worldwide with a plan to photograph and map every street. The calls came in response to a report released by the Federal Communications Commission on Saturday, saying that Google had ?deliberately impeded and delayed? the agency?s inquiry into the data collection. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/17/privacy-group-and-congress-urge-new-google-investigation/ Google accused of invading privacy with pictures of house numbers Google has sparked a new privacy row by forcing users to decipher blurred photos of private house numbers to access their own accounts. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/9205486/Google-accused-of-invading-privacy-with-pictures-of-house-numbers.html Opinion: FCC's Ruling that Google's Wi-Fi Snooping is Legal Sets Horrible Precedent Anyone looking for assurance that the privacy of their home wireless networks would be protected from snoopers by government regulators won't find it in the Federal Communication Commission's recent action against Google. http://www.pcworld.com/article/253853/opinion_fccs_ruling_that_googles_wifi_snooping_is_legal_sets_horrible_precedent.html Google fined by FCC for impeding Street View probe The Federal Communications Commission has cleared Google of charges that it illegally collected WiFi data using its Street View cars, but fined the company $25,000 for obstructing the bureau?s investigation. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/google-fined-by-fcc-for-impeding-street-view-probe/2012/04/16/gIQAePySLT_story.html ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Walled gardens look rosy for Facebook, Apple ? and would-be censors In part three of our series, how the rise of app stores and social networks is making the way we use the net cleaner, easier and far more controllable http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/apr/17/walled-gardens-facebook-apple-censors Open or closed society is key dividing line of 21st century, says Hillary Clinton Nations will be divided not between east and west, or along religious lines, but between open and closed societies, the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, has said. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/apr/17/open-closed-society-hillary-clinton China's censorship can never defeat the internet by Ai Weiwei Chairman Mao used to say: "As communists we gain control with the power of the gun and maintain control with the power of the pen." You can see propaganda and the control of ideology as an authoritarian society's most important task. Before the internet, all people could do was watch TV or read the People's Daily. They would carefully read between the lines to see what had happened. Now it is very different. The papers try to talk about things, but even before they appear, everyone has talked about it on the internet. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/libertycentral/2012/apr/16/china-censorship-internet-freedom How open is your internet? An interactive map The OpenNet Initiative has analysed government interference with the internet in 74 countries. The level of tampering in four categories is graded out of four in each country. See how each country is ranked: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/datablog/interactive/2012/apr/16/web-filtering-censorship Iran seeks partners to bolster its Internet firewall, ramp up censorship The research laboratory for Iran's Ministry of Information and Communications Technology is openly soliciting ideas for how to fortify its Internet firewall and is seeking partners to help the regime filter objectionable content. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20120418_8122.php ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** uk: Tim Berners-Lee urges government to stop the snooping bill The government's controversial plans to allow intelligence agencies to monitor the internet use and digital communications of every person in the UK suffered a fresh blow on Tuesday when the inventor of the world wide web warned that the measures were dangerous and should be dropped. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/apr/17/tim-berners-lee-monitoring-internet The online copyright war: the day the internet hit back at big media A casual observer could be forgiven for thinking that major media firms hate technology. They certainly fear it. Since Jack Valenti, the legendary film industry lobbyist, said in 1982 that the VCR was like the Boston Strangler, preparing to murder the innocents of Hollywood, they have viewed such advances as a Godzilla creature rising from the sea to threaten their existence. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/apr/18/online-copyright-war-internet-hit-back Euro MP David Martin dismisses anti-counterfeiting treaty A controversial anti-piracy agreement should be rejected by the European Parliament, a key Euro MP has said. http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17728045 CISPA gets a rewrite but still threatens Americans' privacy Foes of controversial legislation rally before expected vote next week, with scant success so far: latest draft still allows Internet companies to share customer data and communications with the National Security Agency. http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-57414992-281/cispa-gets-a-rewrite-but-still-threatens-americans-privacy/ us: Internet Companies Learned From Broadcasters, Smith Says Internet companies fighting piracy legislation took a few lessons from broadcasters about how to use their own media, the head of the National Association of Broadcasters said on Monday. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2012/04/nab-chairman-finds-some-simila.php us: Civil liberties groups: Cyberthreat sharing bill still attacks privacy A bill in the U.S. Congress designed to encourage private companies and government agencies to share cyberthreat information with each other still allows the sharing of vast swaths of private communications, even after sponsors offered to make changes, critics said Tuesday. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/041712-civil-liberties-groups-cyberthreat-sharing-258368.html au: ACMA voices concerns over revised TCP Code The Australia Media and Communications Authority (ACMA) may reject the revised Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) Code submitted by industry body, the Communications Alliance, because of issues with sections covering advertising, pre-sale information and expenditure tools. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/421887/acma_voices_concerns_over_revised_tcp_code/ ********************** MISCELLANEOUS ********************** IBM to set up first social biz center in S'pore IBM on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the National University of Singapore's Institute of Systems Science (NUS-ISS) to set up its first ever Center of Excellence (CoE) for enterprise social business here. This would help bring up Asia's level of social business adoption to match that of Europe and the United States, one executive says. http://www.zdnetasia.com/ibm-to-set-up-first-social-biz-center-in-spore-62304542.htm ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** au: Capacity crunch in mobile spectrum The communications watchdog has warned satellite operators to be prepared for the international push for new spectrum for mobile broadband services. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/capacity-crunch-in-mobile-spectrum/story-e6frgakx-1226328162416 us: Carriers Warn of Crisis in Mobile Spectrum AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint say they need more radio spectrum, the government-rationed slices of radio waves that carry phone calls and wireless data. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/18/technology/mobile-carriers-warn-of-spectrum-crisis-others-see-hyperbole.html McDowell: Auctions Will Likely Yield Less Spectrum Than Estimated Federal Communications Commission member Robert McDowell says he doesn't think that incentive auctions will yield as much spectrum for wireless broadband providers than even some of the lower estimates. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2012/04/mcdowell-auctions-will-likely.php us: Are We Running Out of Spectrum? [video] Wireless companies say that smartphones are threatening to overwhelm their networks, and are asking the government for help. But some experts maintain that technology already has the answers. http://video.nytimes.com/video/2012/04/17/technology/100000001488598/spectrum-explained.html FCC chief urges broadcasters to consider incentive auctions FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski made a sales pitch of sorts to television broadcasters Monday to consider participating in the incentive auctions recently authorized by Congress, saying they could give some TV stations a cash infusion while still allowing them to stay on the air. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20120417_7997.php eu: Commission seriously concerned about future high mobile rates in Estonia [news release] The European Commission put a hold on a proposal by the Estonian Competition Authority (ECA) to impose some of the highest mobile termination rates (MTRs) in the European Union from mid-2012 until mid-2015. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/12/378 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2012 --------- David Goldstein email: david at goldsteinreport.com 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 Thu Apr 19 2012 - 01:57:21 UTC
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