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 *************************************************** Why Is ICANN Reopening the Issue of Second Level Defensive Registrations at New gTLDs? http://internetcommerce.org/URS_Redux%3F Revised .Com Registry Agreement Rejects URS While Maintaining Existing Price Increase Limitations http://internetcommerce.org/DotCom_Deja_Vu ICANN budgets for 2,000 new gTLDs http://domainincite.com/icann-budgets-for-2000-new-gtlds/ How ICANN will spend $12 million more of your money next year... and that doesn?t include new TLD costs. http://domainnamewire.com/2012/05/02/how-icann-will-spend-12-million-more-of-your-money-next-year/ Beckstrom breaks TAS bug silence, says Big Reveal could be as late as Prague http://domainincite.com/beckstrom-breaks-tas-bug-silence-says-big-reveal-could-be-as-late-as-prague/ ICANN's New TLD Big Reveal On Delay - Could There Eventually Be Over 3000 Applications? http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/05/01/big-reveal-delay-3000-applications/ ICANN Inching Closer To Getting TAS Back Online As Notifying Applicants Of Impact Begins http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/05/03/icann-inching-closer/ APWG Global Phishing Survey Releases: Domain Name Use and Trends in 2H2011 http://www.antiphishing.org/reports/APWG_GlobalPhishingSurvey_2H2011.pdf IPv6 Adoption Growing Finds Akamai State of The Internet Report http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/05/02/ipv6-growing-akamai-state-of-the-internet/ ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** Multistakeholder Advisory Group Renewed to Prepare Internet Governance Forum Meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan, 6?9 November The membership of the Multistakeholder Advisory Group of the Internet Governance Forum has been renewed. A total of 56 members, 33 among them new, have been appointed. The Advisory Group members are from all stakeholder groups and all regions, representing Governments, the private sector, civil society, academia and technical communities. http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2012/pi2025.doc.htm Internet Freedom Starts at Home: The United States needs to practice what it preaches online by Rebecca Mackinnon "An electronic curtain has fallen around Iran," U.S. President Barack Obama warned in a recent video message marking the Persian New Year. Government censorship and surveillance, he said, make it more difficult for Iranians to "access the information that they want," denying "the rest of the world the benefit of interacting with the Iranian people." http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/04/03/The_Worlds_No_1_Threat_to_Internet_Freedom ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** TAS Interruption - Update (2 May 2012) by Akram Atallah, COO ICANN is in the process of notifying applicants whether they were affected by the software glitch that caused us to take the TLD Application System, or TAS, offline. As we announced earlier this week, we plan to complete this notification process on or before 8 May. http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-2-02may12-en.htm Security, Stability & Resiliency of the DNS Review Team (SSR RT) Public Webinars on Draft Report On 15 March 2012, the Security, Stability & Resiliency of the DNS Review Team (SSR RT), constituted under the Affirmation of Commitments (AoC), published its Draft Report and Recommendations for public comment to inform their work in producing a Final Report. http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-02may12-en.htm ICANN Wraps Up Prague Meeting on Thursday On behalf of our Chairman of the Board, Steve Crocker: "In our ongoing efforts to improve the ICANN Meeting experience for all participants, we are implementing some changes for the June meeting in Prague. The Friday morning program, which in the past has comprised AC/SO committee reports, Board committee reports, and the public Board meeting, has been removed. http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-30apr12-en.htm National Physical Laboratory of the UK Selected to Conduct a gTLD Whois Privacy and Proxy Abuse Study I am delighted to report that ICANN has engaged the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) of the United Kingdom to conduct a study of Whois Privacy and Proxy Abuse. http://blog.icann.org/2012/04/national-physical-laboratory-of-the-uk-selected-to-conduct-a-gtld-whois-privacy-and-proxy-abuse-study/ ICANN Draft FY13 Operating Plan and Budget Purpose (Brief): ICANN's annual operating plan and budget describes the planned activities and required resources for the fiscal year. These activities are based on ICANN's strategic objectives, fiscal year priorities and community input. http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-01may12-en.htm ICANN Cuts Friday From Upcoming Prague Meeting ICANN is ending its upcoming meeting in Prague on a Thursday, a day earlier than the usual Friday closing day. The official closing of the meeting will occur at 18:00 on Thursday. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=17613 http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/05/01/icann-friday-prague-meeting/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/icann-cuts-friday-from-upcoming-prague-meeting.html ICANN cancels Fridays. Bad for transparency. ICANN?s next public meeting, and all its public meetings thereafter, will be a day shorter than usual, following a decision to cancel the regular Friday morning program. http://domainincite.com/icann-cancels-fridays-bad-for-transparency/ ICANN Board Meetings Should be Webcast Live ICANN has just announced that, starting with the June meeting in Prague, the ICANN Board will no longer meet and cast votes on the final day of its three annual public meetings. http://internetcommerce.org/ICANN_Board_Transparency Why Is ICANN Reopening the Issue of Second Level Defensive Registrations at New gTLDs? One of the most frustrating aspects of dealing with ICANN is that, regardless of whether one agrees or disagrees with its policy decisions, it often seems incapable of sticking to them for very long. Certainly there?s a virtue to being open to reexamining certain matters. http://internetcommerce.org/URS_Redux%3F Revised .Com Registry Agreement Rejects URS While Maintaining Existing Price Increase Limitations On March 27th ICANN published a proposed revision of the .Com registry agreement to govern VeriSign?s continued management of the most populous gTLD registry from December 1, 2012 through November 30, 2018. http://internetcommerce.org/DotCom_Deja_Vu ICANN budgets for 2,000 new gTLDs ICANN could net $150 million from a 2,000-application new gTLD round. That?s according to a proposed budget published for comment last night, which for the first time contemplates more than 500 new gTLD applications. http://domainincite.com/icann-budgets-for-2000-new-gtlds/ Why is ICANN still only budgeting for 500 new TLD applications? In January ICANN released its framework for the FY 2013 budget (which begins in July). Its framework for new TLD revenue was based on 500 applications for new TLDs. ICANN just published its draft budget and now it?s budgeting for... only 500 applications. http://domainnamewire.com/2012/05/02/why-is-icann-still-only-budgeting-for-500-new-tld-applications/ How ICANN will spend $12 million more of your money next year... and that doesn?t include new TLD costs. ICANN?s latest proposed budget segments out the core ICANN functions and the new TLD program. http://domainnamewire.com/2012/05/02/how-icann-will-spend-12-million-more-of-your-money-next-year/ 11 Things I Learned From Reading ICANN?s 2013 Budget ICANN published its draft budget last night and will open the public comment period on May 25th. http://www.thedomains.com/2012/05/02/10-riduclous-numbers-from-icann-2013-budget11-things-i-learned-from-reading-icann-2013-budget/ Here?s how much each TLD generates for ICANN ICANN?s contracts with registry operators for existing TLDs represent a hodgepodge of one off arrangements. http://domainnamewire.com/2012/05/02/heres-how-much-each-tld-generates-for-icann/ ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** Free, Starting Dot bid to become French TLD registry French ISP Free has formed a joint venture with start-up Starting Dot called Le-Nouveau.fr (FrNic) to try to become the registrar of .fr and other French TLDs, Numerama reports. http://www.telecompaper.com/news/free-starting-dot-bid-to-become-french-tld-registry Spring clean at '.no' registry NORID ? the ccTLD '.no' registry ? is preparing a major spring clean of its database to delete domain names registered to companies that no longer exist. Domain name holders that are no longer registered in the Register of Legal Entities will receive notification that their domain names will be deleted and will be advised to contact their registrars to transfer the relevant domain names to an eligible holder. http://www.internationallawoffice.com/newsletters/detail.aspx?g=228e3979-ddf9-4661-b33d-ef65a0642225 Oman relaunches .om with the support of ARI Registry Services The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the Sultanate of Oman, with the support of ARI Registry Services, officially relaunched the .om ccTLD today in a move to ensure the ongoing stability and growth of the Internet within the country and greater Gulf region. http://www.ariservices.com/news-oman_relaunches_om_with_ari.php Bright New World Begins Today For .PT At 09:00 today (1 May, local time) a bright new world emerged for the Portuguese ccTLD .PT with .PT domains now available for everyone! http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/05/01/bright-new-world-begins-today-for-pt/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/bright-new-world-begins-today-for-pt.html Ten-year .co.uk domain names now available >From today it is possible to register or renew .co.uk domain names in annual blocks of up to 10 years at a time, following policy changes at .uk registry manager Nominet. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/05/01/ten_year_dot_co_dot_uk/ Nominet rules prevent findings of abusive domain name registrations being re-heard in court, High Court rules Those registering '.uk' domain names are not entitled to a fresh hearing in court to assess whether they have abusively registered those domains if the issue has already been determined through an industry dispute resolution service, the High Court has ruled. http://www.out-law.com/en/articles/2012/march1/nominet-rules-prevent-findings-of-abusive-domain-name-registrations-being-re-heard-in-court-high-court-rules/ Domain name disputes: This guide is based on UK law Domain names have become precious commodities as the internet has no boundaries and no closing hours and unlike trade marks each domain name is unique. This means there can often be some pressure to be the first to register a domain name, and this can lead to disputes on the "right" to register. As a result domain name disputes can arise. http://www.out-law.com/page-5700 Is anyone actually going to .XXX domains? An analysis suggests that only 61 .xxx domains are in the top 1 million visited sites in the world. The highest is at number 51,549 in the Alexa rankings. http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-57426462-71/is-anyone-actually-going-to-.xxx-domains/ ********************** - NEW TLDS ********************** Over 1,200 dot-word bids flood ICANN at $180k a pop Web baron ICANN has braced itself for at least 1,200 applications for new TLDs in the first round of its controversial gTLD expansion programme. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/04/30/1200_gtld_bids_and_counting/ Beckstrom breaks TAS bug silence, says Big Reveal could be as late as Prague ICANN may not reveal its list of new gTLD applications until as late as the last week of June, according to CEO Rod Beckstrom. http://domainincite.com/beckstrom-breaks-tas-bug-silence-says-big-reveal-could-be-as-late-as-prague/ ICANN's New TLD Big Reveal On Delay - Could There Eventually Be Over 3000 Applications? With the original date for the "big reveal" of new TLD applications passing yesterday and no date announced for when the TLD Application System will be back online, ICANN's CEO has said he envisages having all the technical issues resolved and the programme back on track by the time he hands over to his successor at the end of June. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=17616 http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/05/01/big-reveal-delay-3000-applications/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/icanns-new-tld-big-reveal-on-delay-could-there-eventually-be-over-3000-applications.html ICANN expects at least 1,268 new gTLD applications ICANN is expecting at least 1,268 applications for new gTLDs, according to CEO Rod Beckstrom. http://domainincite.com/icann-expects-at-least-1268-new-gtld-applications/ ICANN Inching Closer To Getting TAS Back Online As Notifying Applicants Of Impact Begins In their latest statement on the TLD Application System security glitch that saw applications for new TLDs suspended and the TAS taken offline, ICANN have advised they are in the process of notifying applicants whether they were affected by the software glitch. ICANN plan to complete this notification process on or before 8 May. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=17626 http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/05/03/icann-inching-closer/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/icann-inching-closer-to-getting-tas-back-online-as-notifying-applicants-of-impact-begins.html ICANN to notify domain applicants of data breaches Organizations taking part in the most ambitious expansion of the Internet so far will find out next week whether their applications for new domain names could have been viewed by competitors as a result of a software bug. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/30/net-us-internet-icann-bug-idUSBRE83T0HP20120430 ICANN: 105 new TLD applicants may have had data exposed 105 applicants for new TLDs might have had the filenames of some of their application documents and their username exposed, ICANN revealed today. http://domainnamewire.com/2012/05/02/icann-105-new-tld-applicants-may-have-had-data-exposed/ IP Interests Want to SOPA-Size .Com The best thing about the proposed .Com renewal agreement is what?s not in it ? the untested Uniform Rapid Suspension (URS) mechanism, which trademark interests initially portrayed as a narrow supplement to the UDRP yet continue to try to convert into a cut-rate substitute for that increasingly unreliable arbitration process. http://internetcommerce.org/SOPA_Size_DotCom .kiwi Letter of Support ? Karaitiana Taiuru On behalf of the New Zealand Maori Internet Society we thank you for your co-operation in making the new .kiwi domain name a culturally safe and innovative domain name. http://news.tangatawhenua.com/archives/17495 3 .com typos that may be applied for as new TLDs A number of country codes, such as .cm and .co, can result in misguided visitors looking for a .com web address. http://domainnamewire.com/2012/05/01/3-com-typos-that-may-be-applied-for-as-new-tlds/ .XXX registry and many other domain companies head to INTA meeting next week 9,000 people are expected to attend the International Trademark Association (INTA) annual meeting in Washington, DC May 5-9. Some of the topics on the agenda for next week include domain names and how companies can protected their brands in an expanding top level name space. http://domainnamewire.com/2012/05/01/xxx-registry-and-many-other-domain-companies-head-to-inta-meeting-next-week/ ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** APWG Global Phishing Survey Releases: Domain Name Use and Trends in 2H2011 This semi-annual study is a comprehensive analysis of the phishing that took place in the second half of 2011 (2H2011). Highlights include: average uptimes of all phishing attacks dropped notably, phishers used subdomain registration services more than regular domain registrations and phishing surged in China, and Taobao.com became the world?s #1 phishing target. http://www.antiphishing.org/reports/APWG_GlobalPhishingSurvey_2H2011.pdf Web War II: What a future cyberwar will look like How might the blitzkrieg of the future arrive? By air strike? An invading army? In a terrorist's suitcase? In fact it could be coming down the line to a computer near you. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17868789 Annual Symantec Internet Security Threat Report Reveals 81 Percent Increase in Malicious Attacks [news release] Symantec Corp. today announced the findings of its Internet Security Threat Report, Volume 17, which shows that while the number of vulnerabilities decreased by 20 percent, the number of malicious attacks continued to skyrocket by 81 percent. In addition, the report highlights that advanced targeted attacks are spreading to organizations of all sizes and variety of personnel, data breaches are increasing, and that attackers are focusing on mobile threats. http://www.symantec.com/about/news/release/article.jsp?prid=20120429_01 Porn Sites vs. Religious Sites: Which Are Riskier For Web Users? The Internet, it seems, is always full of surprises. According to a report released on April 30 by security software firm Symantec, religious and ideological websites are riskier to visit than adult and pornographic websites. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/02/port-religious-sites-riskier_n_1471175.html Pentagon wants to build floating battlefield networks The Pentagon has issued a new call for partners to push forward an ambitious plan to build a sprawling wireless network linking together Humvees, unmanned aircraft and ground troops with minimal fixed infrastructure. http://www.nextgov.com/defense/2012/05/pentagon-wants-build-floating-battlefield-networks/55498/ Cyber crime-fighters: A model for international cooperation? The United States and the European Union have developed strong operational partnerships for fighting cyber crime despite the lack of formal frameworks for the cooperation, according to a panel of officials from both sides of the Atlantic. http://gcn.com/articles/2012/05/02/transatlantic-cybersecurity-international-cooperation.aspx ENISA launches new online campaign inviting citizens to be the ?face? of European Security Month [news release] ENISA, the European Network and Information Security Agency, is launching a campaign to advertise the upcoming pilot European Security Month for cyber security. http://www.enisa.europa.eu/media/press-releases/enisa-launches-new-online-campaign-inviting-citizens-to-be-the-face-of-european-security-month ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** This could have been reverse domain hijacking had the domain owner responded... The National Arbitration Forum has found against Texas company Comadre Commerce, LLC in arbitration over the domain name Comadre.com. http://domainnamewire.com/2012/04/30/comadre-commerce-domain/ ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** Akamai Releases Fourth Quarter 2011 'State of the Internet' Report [news release] Akamai Technologies, Inc., the leading cloud platform for helping enterprises provide secure, high-performing user experiences on any device, anywhere, today released its Fourth Quarter, 2011 State of the Internet report. Based on data gathered from the Akamai Intelligent Platform, the report provides insight into key global statistics such as Internet penetration, mobile traffic and data consumption, origins of attack traffic, IPv6 adoption and global and regional connection speeds. http://www.akamai.com/html/about/press/releases/2012/press_043012.html IPv6 Adoption Growing Finds Akamai State of The Internet Report IPv6 adoption continues to grow with Akamai Technologies observing a 2.1 per cent increase (from the third quarter of 2011) globally in the number of unique IPv4 addresses connecting to Akamai's network, growing to over 628 million, in their most recent State of the Internet report. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=17623 http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/05/02/ipv6-growing-akamai-state-of-the-internet/ Update on IPv6 Address Distribution in the RIPE NCC Service Region by Mirjam Kuehne At the recent RIPE Meeting we presented some IPv6 address distribution statistics that we would like to share with a wider audience. In the article below, you can find recent statistics on IPv6 allocations and assignments. The first image shows the number of IPv6 allocations the RIPE NCC made to LIRs in each quarter, starting in 2008... Each year is depicted in a different colour, the last one showing the number of allocations made in Q3 2012. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20120501_update_on_ipv6_address_distribution_in_the_ripe_ncc_service_region/ ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Vint Cerf interview: First among billions of equals Internet pioneer Vint Cerf was in Dublin last week as part of his ongoing evangical mission to keep the internet open, free and available to all ? and out of the clutches of over-zealous legislators and cyber-criminals. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2012/0503/1224315499722.html Sex.com relaunches as Pinterest for porn Sex.com, which sold for $13 million in 2010, officially relaunched today as the ?Pinterest for Sex?, a social networking site for sharing porn. http://domainincite.com/sex-com-relaunches-as-pinterest-for-porn/ The World's First Family-Friendly Domain Registrar Opens for Business [news release] Up until now, if you were in the market for a domain name to launch a website, you would be forced into doing business with companies who almost certainly have been profiting from the sale of domain names being used to spread pornography. With the launch of PurityNames.com, consumers and businesses finally have a family-friendly option. http://www.earnedmedia.org/440g0502.htm ********************** - WEBHOSTING ********************** Web Host Go Daddy Expands Cloud Services with New Cloud Servers Web hosting provider Go Daddy announced on Tuesday that it has launched its newest cloud service Go Daddy Cloud Servers. It offers customers private clouds with features like control panels, firewalls and load balancers in a pay-as-you-go format. http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/web-host-go-daddy-expands-cloud-services-with-new-cloud-servers Go Daddy Innovates Cloud Hosting With "Cloud Servers" Go Daddy ... is changing the cloud landscape with its newest offering - Go Daddy Cloud Servers. Designed to give users the power they need rapidly, Cloud Servers combines convenient control panels, a strong infrastructure and frequently used features, like firewalls and load balancers - all at a fraction of the cost of other services. http://www.godaddy.com/newscenter/release-view.aspx?news_item_id=395 ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Facebook Is Urging Members to Add Organ Donor Status Nearly 7,000 people in the United States die each year while waiting for an organ transplant. It is a number that Facebook hopes to lower with its vast network of 161 million members in this country. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/01/technology/facebook-urges-members-to-add-organ-donor-status.html nz: Facebook: the price we are paying New Zealanders have been reminded that their personal information is the price they pay to use social networking sites as a survey shows nearly 9 out of 10 youngsters use Facebook. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10802855 ********************************* CHILD PROTECTION & ONLINE SAFETY ********************************* eu: New strategy for safer internet and better internet content for children and teenagers [news release] The Commission has set out a plan to give children the digital skills and tools they need to benefit fully and safely from the digital world. The internet was not designed with children in mind, but today 75% of children use the internet, a third of them on mobiles. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/12/445 us: "Free babysitting": how would-be pedophiles use Craigslist?and how they get caught ... So when one sees an ad on the site asking for "any single moms and dads around that would like to see me use your daughters panties" to masturbate with, one hopes that it falls into the same "unbelievable" category as many other posts. But what happens when the thirtysomething man writing the ad is serious? http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/04/free-babysitting-how-would-be-child-sex-abusers-use-craigslist-and-how-they-get-caught.ars Facebook?s New ?Life-Saving? Tool? It Could Be for Fighting Cyberbullies. ... Slated to air Tuesday evening, ABC News has snagged interviews with Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg, in which the two will debut a mystery tool ?which has the power to save lives,? according to the company. I doubt it?s a Facebook-branded Life Alert bracelet ? ?I?ve been poked and I can?t get up!? ? and Facebook is keeping mum on details until the interviews air. http://allthingsd.com/20120430/facebook-tool-cyberbullying/ ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** uk: Pirate Bay blockade begins with Virgin Media The filesharing website The Pirate Bay has been blocked to millions of UK internet users following a high court ruling earlier this week. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/may/02/pirate-bay-block-virgin-media Pirate Bay blocked in Britain, vows to fight After a British high court ruling that Internet service providers must block access to the file-sharing site known as the Pirate Bay, the site?s administrators called in a blog post for its users to write to their representatives to protest the ruling. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/pirate-bay-blocked-in-britain-vows-to-fight/2012/05/02/gIQAf0MWwT_story.html File-sharers look to VPNs to overcome Pirate Bay ban Young people are increasingly turning to virtual private networks (VPNs) to anonymise their free sharing of music and movies, a new study has suggested. http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17922214 The Pirate Bay must be blocked by UK ISPs, court rules File-sharing site The Pirate Bay must be blocked by UK internet service providers, the High Court has ruled. http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17894176 British ISPs will block The Pirate Bay within weeks Britain's internet providers have been ordered by the high court to block access to the filesharing website The Pirate Bay. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/apr/30/british-isps-block-pirate-bay UK Pirate Bay block could be easily circumvented Internet service providers (ISPs) in the UK will soon have to block online access to the file-sharing site The Pirate Bay following a ruling by the High Court. However, trivial technical workarounds could limit the usefulness of the measure. http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/onepercent/2012/05/the-pirate-bay-to-be-blocked-i.html High Court orders ISPs to block The Pirate Bay A group of five UK internet service providers (ISPs) have been ordered to block their customers' access to a file-sharing website. http://www.out-law.com/en/articles/2012/may/high-court-orders-isps-to-block-the-pirate-bay/ UK ISPs ordered to block Pirate Bay website Five of the UK's largest internet service providers have been ordered to prevent their subscribers from accessing the file-sharing website The Pirate Bay. http://www.zdnet.co.uk/blogs/tech-tech-boom-10017860/uk-isps-ordered-to-block-pirate-bay-website-10026040/ ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** uk: ASA forces Apple to withdraw claims new iPad has '4G capability' Apple has been forced by the Advertising Standards Authority to withdraw claims in the UK that its new iPad has "4G capability" to join high-speed mobile broadband services ? because there will be no services compatible with the device here. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/may/02/asa-forces-apple-withdraw-claims-ipad-4g Samsung and Apple now have more than 50% of phone market, says IDC Latest figures for first quarter show growing dominance of two manufacturers while competitors such as RIM, Nokia, HTC and Motorola struggle for profitability http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/may/02/samsung-apple-smartphone-dominance Mobile phones help weaken N Korean isolation Every week, Mrs Ri, a North Korean defector now living in Seoul, receives a call from her family back home. For her it is a chance to catch up with loved ones. For them, it is potentially a matter of life and death. http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/9605fb7a-893b-11e1-bed0-00144feab49a.html iPad '4G' claims face scrutiny from UK regulator The Advertising Standards Authority has widened its inquiry into the advertising of the Apple iPad. http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17899912 Microsoft removes 'racy' apps from Windows Phone store Microsoft has announced a clean-up of its phone-app store to tackle software containing "racy" or "sexual" content. http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17913621 The dark side of IAP: EA shuts down Rock Band for iPhone The glory days of guitar-based music games may be firmly in the past, yet there are plenty of people still firing up Rock Band or Guitar Hero on their consoles for a nostalgic glow. It seems players of Rock Band on iPhone will be denied that pleasure, though. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/appsblog/2012/may/02/iap-rock-band-games ********************** SPAM ********************** Mobile Spam Texts Hit 4.5 Billion Raising Consumer Ire ... The unwelcome messages that have been clogging e-mail inboxes for two decades have made the jump to handsets, as more people use smartphones in place of personal computers and texting becomes more popular. The number of U.S. spam text messages rose 45 percent last year to 4.5 billion messages, said Richi Jennings, an industry analyst. Spam phone calls also are proliferating. The surge is costing carriers money and frustrating users, who must pay for the messages and deal with potentially fraudulent texts. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-30/mobile-spam-texts-hit-4-5-billion-raising-consumer-ire.html ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** us: Broadband Gap Persists, Report Finds All three current FCC commissioners turned out on Tuesday for the presentation of an Urban League study that reported a continued broadband adoption gap between African Americans and white Americans. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2012/05/broadband-gap-persists-report-finds.php ********************** ONLINE CRIME & LEGAL ********************** Apple and Samsung to discuss putting an end to lawsuits Apple chief executive Tim Cook will meet his opposite number at Samsung, Gee-Sung Choi, to discuss ending their bitter litigation over smartphones and tablets, which has become a globe-spanning war taking in 50 lawsuits in 10 countries. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/apr/30/apple-samsung-lawsuits-meeting us: Judge: ?I?ve Had My Fill of Frivolous Filings by Apple? Richard Posner, the judge presiding over Apple and Motorola?s IP battle in the United States, runs a staid courtroom and has little patience for legal high jinks between the parties. Earlier this year, Posner upbraided Motorola for what he described as the company?s ?ridiculous? approach to claim construction. Now Apple?s become the focus of his ire. http://allthingsd.com/20120501/judge-ive-had-my-fill-of-frivolous-filings-by-apple/ Nokia cites 45 patents in lawsuits against HTC, RIM, Viewsonic Nokia has unleashed a massive lawsuit campaign against HTC, RIM, and Viewsonic. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57425924-94/nokia-cites-45-patents-in-lawsuits-against-htc-rim-viewsonic/ http://www.zdnet.co.uk/blogs/security-bulletin-10000166/nokia-files-suits-against-htc-rim-and-viewsonic-10026065/ Motorola wins Xbox and Windows 7 ban in Germany Motorola Mobility has been granted an injunction against the distribution of key Microsoft products in Germany. The sales ban covers the Xbox 360 games console, Windows 7 system software, Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player. http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17924190 Motorola wins injunction against Windows 7, Xbox 360 in Germany Motorola Mobility has scored another patent victory over Microsoft in Germany. http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-57425838-75/motorola-wins-injunction-against-windows-7-xbox-360-in-germany/ German court grants Motorola an injunction against Windows 7 and Xbox [IDG] Motorola Mobility won an injunction on Wednesday preventing distribution of Microsoft products including Windows 7 and the Xbox in Germany, but it can't enforce the injunction yet. Microsoft will appeal the case and is confident it can keep doing business in Germany, the company said. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9226779/German_court_grants_Motorola_an_injunction_against_Windows_7_and_Xbox http://www.pcworld.com/article/254828/german_court_grants_motorola_an_injunction_against_windows_7_and_xbox.html us: Wireless Carriers Who Aid Police Are Asked for Data A leading House Democrat is demanding information from the country?s biggest cellphone companies about their role in helping local police departments conduct surveillance and tracking of suspects and others in criminal investigations. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/03/us/wireless-carriers-who-aid-police-surveillance-are-asked-for-data.html ********************** SECURITY ********************** Web War II: What a future cyberwar will look like How might the blitzkrieg of the future arrive? By air strike? An invading army? In a terrorist's suitcase? In fact it could be coming down the line to a computer near you. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17868789 Annual Symantec Internet Security Threat Report Reveals 81 Percent Increase in Malicious Attacks [news release] Symantec Corp. today announced the findings of its Internet Security Threat Report, Volume 17, which shows that while the number of vulnerabilities decreased by 20 percent, the number of malicious attacks continued to skyrocket by 81 percent. In addition, the report highlights that advanced targeted attacks are spreading to organizations of all sizes and variety of personnel, data breaches are increasing, and that attackers are focusing on mobile threats. http://www.symantec.com/about/news/release/article.jsp?prid=20120429_01 Porn Sites vs. Religious Sites: Which Are Riskier For Web Users? The Internet, it seems, is always full of surprises. According to a report released on April 30 by security software firm Symantec, religious and ideological websites are riskier to visit than adult and pornographic websites. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/02/port-religious-sites-riskier_n_1471175.html Pentagon wants to build floating battlefield networks The Pentagon has issued a new call for partners to push forward an ambitious plan to build a sprawling wireless network linking together Humvees, unmanned aircraft and ground troops with minimal fixed infrastructure. http://www.nextgov.com/defense/2012/05/pentagon-wants-build-floating-battlefield-networks/55498/ Cyber crime-fighters: A model for international cooperation? The United States and the European Union have developed strong operational partnerships for fighting cyber crime despite the lack of formal frameworks for the cooperation, according to a panel of officials from both sides of the Atlantic. http://gcn.com/articles/2012/05/02/transatlantic-cybersecurity-international-cooperation.aspx ENISA launches new online campaign inviting citizens to be the ?face? of European Security Month [news release] ENISA, the European Network and Information Security Agency, is launching a campaign to advertise the upcoming pilot European Security Month for cyber security. http://www.enisa.europa.eu/media/press-releases/enisa-launches-new-online-campaign-inviting-citizens-to-be-the-face-of-european-security-month ********************** PRIVACY ********************** European Regulators May Reopen Street View Inquiries European privacy regulators said Wednesday that they were considering reopening their inquiries into Google?s collection of personal e-mails and Web searches for its Street View service. The move came after revelations that the activity had not been a lone programmer?s error, and that others at the company had been told about it. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/03/technology/european-regulators-to-reopen-google-street-view-inquiries.html Data Engineer in Google Case Is Identified At the center of the uproar over a Google project that scooped up personal data from potentially millions of unsuspecting people is the company software engineer who wrote the code. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/01/technology/engineer-in-googles-street-view-is-identified.html Google Engineer Told Others of Data Scoop A Google Inc. engineer told others at the company about his plan to scoop up personal information from wireless-network users as specially equipped cars drove by their homes, but the practice continued for two years after the internal disclosures, a Federal Communications Commission investigation found. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304868004577374272894249402.html Fed Commission report marks Google low The lone engineer who was blamed by Google for its most controversial breach of online privacy told others in the company far more about the affair than Google has previously disclosed, according to the results of a damning US regulatory investigation released over the weekend. The report, from the Federal Communications Commission, also highlights apparently serious shortcomings in Google?s software development process. http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/7d47206c-9225-11e1-abdf-00144feab49a.html Following the Breadcrumbs on the Data-Sharing Trail Would you like to donate to the Obama campaign? Sign up for a college course? Or maybe subscribe to Architectural Digest? If you have ever felt inundated by such solicitations, by e-mail or by snail mail, you may have wondered what you did to deserve it. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/29/business/on-the-data-sharing-trail-try-following-the-breadcrumbs.html Kiwis warned of online privacy issues Internet experts have warned of New Zealanders' carefree attitude to online privacy, saying that most of our personal data is held by foreign companies which are not subject to New Zealand law or ethics. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10803015 nz: Survey shows increasing privacy concerns New Zealanders are becoming more concerned about their privacy, according to a survey released by the privacy commissioner to mark Privacy Awareness Week. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/survey-shows-increasing-privacy-concern ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Eritrea tops restrictive-censorship report The Horn of Africa nation Eritrea leads the world in imposing censorship on the media, followed closely by North Korea, Syria and Iran, a journalism group said. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2012/05/20125245510868537.html nz: Press gagged at 'new media' seminar The press were barred from reporting on certain aspects of a Legal Research Foundation seminar on new media regulation this week. http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/media-gagged-new-media-seminar-ca-117946 ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** Google's problem is that it now believes itself above others ? even governments The FCC revelations showing that Google's engineer knew that Street View would collect data, followed by the company's obstructive behaviour to the investigation, show that it has grown too big for its management http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/may/01/google-street-view-data-fcc InternetNZ president on TPP, TUANZ and Paul Reynolds' view of regulation Frank March is both a Ministry of Economic Development official and president of InternetNZ. In part two of this Q and A with Stephen Bell he talks about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, whether InternetNZ will move into the telco user space and he considers the departing Telecom CEO's view of regulation. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/internetnz-president-on-tpp-tuanz-and-paul-reynolds-view-of-regulation nz: 21st Century Learning Environments and Digital Literacy -Tell Them What You Know The Education & Science Select Committee has launched an inquiry into 21st century learning environments and digital literacy. http://www.educationchanges.com/article/21st-century-learning-environments-and-digital-lit/ nz: NetHui 2012 to feature Privacy keynote: Pamela Jones Harbour InternetNZ (Internet New Zealand Inc) is pleased to announce that former US Federal Trade Commissioner Pamela Jones Harbour will deliver the International Keynote on the first day of the NetHui 2012 conference at SkyCity in Auckland from 11-13 July http://internetnz.net.nz/news/media-releases/2012/NetHui-2012-feature-Privacy-keynote-Pamela-Jones-Harbour Mozilla is first major tech company to denounce CISPA Despite big name tech companies -- such as Facebook, Microsoft, and Oracle -- supporting the controversial Internet surveillance bill that passed in the House last week, Mozilla has come out against the legislation. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57425719-83/mozilla-is-first-major-tech-company-to-denounce-cispa/ CISPA: Mozilla distances itself from the cyber security act Microsoft has denied reports claiming that the company had withdrawn its support for the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA); however, another US company has now officially spoken against the proposed bill: Mozilla. http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/CISPA-Mozilla-distances-itself-from-the-cyber-security-act-1565532.html us: SNOPA bill seeks to keep employers out of private social networks You might just be able to make a federal case out of an employer asking to snoop around your social networking account if a new bill wends its way into becoming law. http://www.latimes.com/business/technology/la-fi-tn-federal-bill-bans-employers-seeking-facebook-password-20120430,0,5347282.story ********************** MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Nordic Countries Increasingly Attractive as Sites for Data Centers ... The growing appeal of the Nordic countries was highlighted in a study released Thursday by the consulting firms Cushman & Wakefield and Hurleypalmerflatt. While Britain and Germany were ranked as the top European locations for data centers, they were closely followed by Iceland, Sweden, Finland and Norway, based on an evaluation of risk factors including energy costs, connectivity and political and environmental stability. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/30/business/global/nordic-countries-increasingly-attractive-as-sites-for-data-centers.html Vint Cerf interview: First among billions of equals Internet pioneer Vint Cerf was in Dublin last week as part of his ongoing evangical mission to keep the internet open, free and available to all ? and out of the clutches of over-zealous legislators and cyber-criminals. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2012/0503/1224315499722.html ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** Akamai: U.S. Web speeds fast, but not blazing like South Korea's We all want faster Web connections. But those connecting to the Web in South Korea are actually getting what they want, according to the latest State of the Internet report from Akamai. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57424895-93/akamai-u.s-web-speeds-fast-but-not-blazing-like-south-koreas/ UK sees drop in average broadband speed UK broadband customers saw a fall in average download speed in the final three months of 2011, down to 4.9Mbps from 5.1Mbps in the previous quarter, according to a new report from Akamai. http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/networking/2012/04/30/uk-sees-drop-in-average-broadband-speed-40155127/ Akamai Releases Fourth Quarter 2011 'State of the Internet' Report [news release] Akamai Technologies, Inc., the leading cloud platform for helping enterprises provide secure, high-performing user experiences on any device, anywhere, today released its Fourth Quarter, 2011 State of the Internet report. Based on data gathered from the Akamai Intelligent Platform, the report provides insight into key global statistics such as Internet penetration, mobile traffic and data consumption, origins of attack traffic, IPv6 adoption and global and regional connection speeds. http://www.akamai.com/html/about/press/releases/2012/press_043012.html Campaign aims to speed up 4G mobile roll-out in UK Mobile network Everything Everywhere has taken fresh steps to lobby for 4G data services in the UK. http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17853286 Foreign Telecom Firms Pass on India Foreign companies are steering clear of an auction of Indian mobile-phone bandwidth in a sign of how far the nation's once-booming telecommunications industry has fallen from investor grace. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303916904577375471976214722.html ********************************** ONLINE CHILD ABUSE ARRESTS/COURT CASES ********************************** Sydneysider charged after child grooming sting A Sydney man has been charged with child grooming after allegedly having several "explicit" online conversations with people he believed were 12 and 13-year-old girls, police say. http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/sydneysider-charged-after-child-grooming-sting-20120503-1y0hz.html nz: Online sexual predator pleads guilty A sexual predator who posed online as a pretty 18-year-old woman to lure young boys has pleaded guilty today to a number of charges. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10803242 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2012 ------ David Goldstein email: david at goldsteinreport.com web: http://goldsteinreport.com/ http://davidgoldstein.tel/ 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 May 03 2012 - 06:50:06 UTC
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