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 *************************************************** .eu is a Euro domain, for Euro people - top legal bod http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/05/06/dot_eu_is_only_for_eu_based_companies_says_european_court_of_justice_advisor/ 2100 New gTLD Applications. What Does It Mean? by Antony Van Couvering http://www.mindsandmachines.com/2012/05/2100-new-gtld-applications-what-does-it-mean/ ICANN expects up to 2,305 new gTLD applications http://domainincite.com/icann-expects-up-to-2305-new-gtld-applications/ The glitch that stole Christmas http://news.dot-nxt.com/2012/05/01/glitch-stole-christmas IPv6: Europe 'ahead' in new net address scheme http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17938580 ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** U.N. efforts put Internet freedom at risk A mounting effort to transform a United Nations agency into a global Internet regulator is threatening to undo decades of policymaking that helped the Internet evolve into the open, global medium we all depend on. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0512/75881.html Ensuring an Open Internet by Lawrence Strickling, Philip Verveer, and Daniel Weitzner Central to the Internet?s value as a platform for innovation, democracy, access to information and scientific progress are the technical standards on which it is built and the open manner in which it is governed. Yet, there are governments that seek to alter the fundamental way the Internet functions. Several governments recently called for new treaty provisions to assert centralized control over the Internet?s operations instead of relying on the voluntary, consensus-based processes that gave us the Internet we enjoy today. http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/05/02/ensuring-open-internet Does the Internet Need a Global Regulator? 2012 has already witnessed historic Internet policy debates in the United States over digital copyright, online privacy, and cybersecurity. These issues have bitterly divided many organizations, academics, companies, and policymakers. http://www.forbes.com/sites/adamthierer/2012/05/06/does-the-internet-need-a-global-regulator/ ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** TAS Interruption - Update (4 May 2012) by Akram Atallah, COO The TLD Application System, or TAS, held 2091 applications - either submitted or in progress - when it was taken offline on 12 April 2012. http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-04may12-en.htm IDN Variant TLD Program - Revised Program Plan Purpose (Brief): The purpose of this project is to resolve many of the issues necessary to delegate variant TLDs. The first IDN Variant Issues Project explored the issues associated with the potential inclusion of IDN variant TLDs in the DNS root zone, at the request of the ICANN Board and the community. http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-2-04may12-en.htm Period of 03-13 May 2012: Public Comment Periods Approaching Closing Date The Following Public Comment periods are approaching their Comment or Reply Period Close dates, May 03-13 2012. As a member of the ICANN community, your timely feedback is critical to our accountability and transparency efforts. For your convenience, we have included direct links below to comments that will soon close. http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-03may12-en.htm Joint NRO / ASO AC Response to ASO Review Report In accordance with ICANN Bylaws, the Number Resource Organization undertakes independent periodic reviews of the Address Supporting Organization (ASO). http://www.nro.net/news/joint-nro-aso-ac-response-to-aso-review-report ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** Reduction in registration fee of .EE domain to come into effect on 1 May As of 1 May 2012 a reduction in the registration fee of the .EE domain will come into effect. The reduction in the fee was decided by the supervisory board of the Estonian Internet Foundation at the end of 2011. The new fee is ?17 per year, i.e. ?1.42 per month. http://www.internet.ee/eng/news/reduction-in-registration-fee-of-ee-domain-to-come-into-effect-on-1-may Advocate-General: .eu reserved only for EU-based companies An American eyewear company cannot take a .eu Internet address since its trademark is not established in the European Union. http://www.neurope.eu/article/advocate-general-eu-reserved-only-eu-based-companies Dot-eu domain names likely to be revoked The Advocate General in the EU has said that Gevers and other firms should not have been able to register .eu domains for clients, as they do not qualify as licensees http://www.managingip.com/Article/3022234/Managing-Trade-marks-Archive/Dot-eu-domain-names-likely-to-be-revoked.html .eu is a Euro domain, for Euro people - top legal bod Only businesses established in the EU can register trademarks as web addresses in the '.eu' domain, a legal advisor to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has said. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/05/06/dot_eu_is_only_for_eu_based_companies_says_european_court_of_justice_advisor/ Growth in ?.eu? domain names as extension celebrates sixth anniversary According to the latest quarterly progress report from EURid, the ?.eu? registry, at the end of 2011 there were a total of 3.5 million ?.eu? registered domain names, representing growth of 5.5% when compared with the fourth quarter of 2010. Even though ?.eu? was launched six years ago, not all issues relating to the registration rules have been resolved, and one case in particular, known as Pie Optiek, is still pending before the ECJ. http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/daily/detail.aspx?g=74a79a5c-851e-4e16-9894-3028f1250a81 On the way to five million .nl domain names Last year, the .nl domain grew more than ever before. Despite the difficult economic climate, 2011 was a positive year for the Dutch internet domain. A net increase of 607,265 domain names was achieved, consolidating SIDN?s market share of 72% and its third position in the global league table of more than 250 country-code domains. These are among the headlines of the annual report. https://www.sidn.nl/en/news/news/article/on-the-way-to-five-million-nl-domain-names/ ng: NIRA Strategises to Boost Domain Name Registration The need to populate dot ng domain name registration among youths, corporate organisations and government agencies, formed a major discussion at the Annual General Meeting of Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) in Lagos, last Tuesday. http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/nira-strategises-to-boost-domain-name-registration/115013/ http://allafrica.com/stories/201205030399.html Google, NiRA schemes to bring 250,000 SMEs online With over 25,000 Small and Medium Enterprises already online through the Get Nigerian Businesses online, Google and the Nigerian Internet Registration Association see huge opportunities in the sub-sector. http://www.punchng.com/business/google-nira-schemes-to-bring-250000-smes-online/ .US Dream Big Contest for Small Businesses-Deadline is May 11th! .US recently launched the Kickstart America campaign. It?s designed to spark small business innovation in the US by creating an opportunity for owners to engage in a community of like-minded entrepreneurs. Together, they can demonstrate their local presence, gaining a competitive advantage with ?America?s Address.? The .US TLD is the best way for small businesses to establish a strong web presence. http://www.neustar.us/us-dream-big-contest-for-small-businesses-deadline-is-may-11th/ Numbers show dot-XXX sites are a sham by Violet Blue Remember when we were told .xxx sites would be such powerful traffic-magnets for wankers worldwide that newly-minted dot-xxx porn webmasters would need to tell their bank accounts to bite the pillow because the sites? .xxx trafficdollars would be so huge? http://www.zdnet.com/blog/violetblue/numbers-show-dot-xxx-sites-are-a-sham/1279 Is .xxx really that crappy? It?s not a huge secret that the new .xxx gTLD isn?t doing as well, five months after launch, as ICM Registry would have hoped, but how does it shape up against other TLDs? http://domainincite.com/is-xxx-really-that-crappy/ ********************** - NEW TLDS ********************** It?s the Internet, stupid! New gTLDs, social media, keyword advertising... it is impossible to avoid the trademark issues raised by the Internet. http://www.managingip.com/Article/3023928/Archive/Its-the-Internet-stupid.html 2100 New gTLD Applications. What Does It Mean? by Antony Van Couvering Over the course of the last week, ICANN has released several pieces of information that taken together begin to allow us to piece together the overall gTLD landscape. ICANN is releasing partial information, without explanation or context, in dribs and drabs, and rumors are flying that we won't get the "Reveal" until the ICANN meeting in Prague at the end of June. This partial information and delay from ICANN is creating consternation and confusion among the many applicants and those watching the new gTLD scene. http://www.mindsandmachines.com/2012/05/2100-new-gtld-applications-what-does-it-mean/ TAS bug hit over 100 new gTLD applicants ICANN?s TLD Application System security bug could have revealed file names belonging to 105 new gTLD applicants to 50 other applicants on 451 occasions, according to the organization. http://domainincite.com/tas-bug-hit-over-100-new-gtld-applicants/ ICANN expects up to 2,305 new gTLD applications After months of speculation, ICANN has finally revealed how many new gTLD applications it expects to receive. http://domainincite.com/icann-expects-up-to-2305-new-gtld-applications/ 2300 Applications For New gTLDs Likely There were 2091 applications - either submitted or in progress - for new gTLDs when ICANN took the TLD Application System (TAS) offline on 12 April due to the security glitch, ICANN have announced in the latest update by Akram Atallah, the organisation's COO. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=17645 http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/05/05/around-2300-applications-for-gtlds-expected/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/2300-applications-for-gtlds-likely.html The glitch that stole Christmas It was supposed to be ICANN's swansong. A program more successful than anyone had dared to expect. An expansion of the Internet that would put the organization at the heart of a revolution; where anyone could apply for any Internet extension they wished. http://news.dot-nxt.com/2012/05/01/glitch-stole-christmas ICANN by the Numbers ICANN?s TLD Application System (TAS) remains offline this week as ICANN is continuing to work through the data in order to determine which applicants? information may have been compromised during the security glitch. http://www.gtldstrategy.com/policy-updates/icann-by-the-numbers Will there be 2,000 gTLDs? There were more than 2,000 applications for new gTLDs before the system was taken offline on April 12, ICANN said on Friday night http://www.managingip.com/Article/3023916/Managing-Trade-marks-Archive/Will-there-be-2000-gTLDs.html Should ICANN can digital archery? With 1,268 registered users for ICANN?s new TLD application system, it?s clear there will be over 1,000 unique TLDs going through the new TLD process. http://domainnamewire.com/2012/05/03/should-icann-can-digital-archery/ 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/ ICANN?s $350 million windfall ICANN has already collected $350 million in new TLD application fees. And that number will grow. http://domainnamewire.com/2012/05/05/icanns-350-million-windfall/ Donuts and TAS: What We Really Care About by Paul Stahura Like everyone else applying for new gTLDs, the Donuts team thought it would now be poring over a list of applicant names and strings, nodding heads and at times raising eyebrows. The timing didn't work out that way. ICANN did the right thing by closing TAS temporarily in order to understand what it was dealing with. It's easy enough for applicants to get rattled by what they think may have happened. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20120503_donuts_and_tas_what_we_really_care_about/ Brand Owners Hold Their Breath With New gTLD by Steve Stolfi It has been quite a rollercoaster the past couple of weeks with the new gTLD application period ending on April 12th coupled with the suspension of the TLD Application System (TAS) due to a technical glitch. With over 1,200 applicants for new gTLDs confirmed by ICANN in the system, and the possibility of thousands of new gTLD applications to be published on "reveal day" brand owners have been holding their breath on the status of their applications. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20120503_brand_owners_hold_their_breath_with_new_gtld_reveal_day_delay/ Internet group: Quality over speed in new domains [AP] THE organisation in charge of expanding the number of Internet address suffixes - the ".com" part of domain names - is apologising for delays but says it's favouring "quality, not speed." http://www.news.com.au/technology/internet-group-quality-over-speed-in-new-domains/story-e6frfro0-1226347727653 http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/SciTech/20120505/internet-domain-names-120505/ http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/icann-favours-quality-over-speed-in-new-domains/articleshow/13013406.cms ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Facebook encourages cyber-security poachers turned gamekeepers On one of the lesser visited pages of Facebook, there is a list of 109 hackers who have found ways of getting through the company's security firewalls. Facebook is not naming and shaming them. On the contrary, the company has set up the page to thank them "on behalf of our millions of users for making a responsible disclosure". http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/may/03/hacking-cybercrime uk: Hackers have breached top secret MoD systems, cyber-security chief admits Computer hackers have managed to breach some of the top secret systems within the Ministry of Defence, the military's head of cyber-security has revealed. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/may/03/hackers-breached-secret-mod-systems UK strengthens cyber security co-operation with Japan The UK has reaffirmed its commitment to working alongside the Japanese government to improve internet governance and security by working closely on the issue. http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/news/2172326/uk-strengthens-cyber-security-operation-japan U.S. Study Cites Worries on Readiness for Cyberattacks A study commissioned by President Obama to assess the nation?s ability to respond to terrorist attacks and man-made and natural disasters has found that state and local officials have the most confidence in their public health and medical services but are the most concerned about whether agencies can respond to cyberattacks. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/04/us/politics/study-finds-concerns-on-readiness-for-cyberattacks.html us: Military leaders seek more clout for Pentagon?s Cyber Command Military leaders are pushing for the Pentagon?s two-year-old cyberwarfare unit to be elevated to full combatant command status, a move that would give it more access to resources and the Pentagon?s top brass, the Washington Post reported. http://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2012/05/military-leaders-seek-more-clout-pentagons-cyber-command/55557/ Second DDoS attack on UK Police Agency SOCA logo The UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency responded to a DDoS attack by taking their servers offline http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Second-DDoS-attack-on-UK-Police-Agency-1567445.html SOCA website taken down in DDoS attack The Serious Organised Crime Agency instructed its hosting provider to take its website offline after a distributed denial of service attack started to affect other clients http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/security-threats/2012/05/03/soca-website-taken-down-in-ddos-attack-40155157/ Lockheed Martin is awarded cyber-defence contract worth millions US arms manufacturer Lockheed Martin has announced that it will be cooperating with the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3) to combat internet crime. If all options of the agreement are exercised, the value of the contract is $454 million (?280 million). http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Lockheed-Martin-is-awarded-cyber-defence-contract-worth-millions-1568052.html ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** IPv6: Europe 'ahead' in new net address scheme Norway is leading the way in preparing for the move to the net's new addressing scheme, a survey has shown. http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17938580 29% of Singapore networks ready for IPv6 About 37.1 percent of networks in Malaysia and 29.1 percent in Singapore can work with IPv6 traffic, according to a report compiled by Europe's net address overseer, RIPE. http://www.computerworld.com.my/tech/networking/29-of-singapore-networks-ready-for-ipv6/ NZ ranks in top 10 to cope with next stage of internet New Zealand is ranked seventh among the 20 main countries preparing for the move to the internet's new addressing scheme, a survey has shown. http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/105104/nz-ranks-in-top-10-to-cope-with-next-stage-of-internet UK ISPs Lag Behind Europe in IPv6 Internet Address Standard Adoption The R?seaux IP Europ?ens Network Coordination Centre (RIPE NCC), which handles the distribution and registering of numeric internet addresses for most of Europe?s broadband ISPs, has released a new table that shows the UK lagging behind the top 20 nations in terms of IPv6 adoption (just 17.3% of the country?s networks have been upgraded). http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2012/05/uk-isps-lag-behind-europe-in-ipv6-internet-address-standard-adoption.html RIPE NCC IPv4 Address Space Chart - Now Updated The RIPE NCC's IPv4 address space chart has been updated. This chart shows the number of available IPv4 addresses in the RIPE NCC's pool and is updated weekly. http://www.ripe.net/internet-coordination/news/about-ripe-ncc-and-ripe/ipv4-chart-updated IPv6 security: What you need to know IPv6 is central to safeguarding the expansion of the internet, but the global deployment of the protocol raises its own security challenges, says Axel Pawlik. http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/security-management/2012/05/05/ipv6-security-what-you-need-to-know-40155150/ ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Debating the Right Way to Change a Domain Name ? and Brand a Nut Retailer Last week, our case study looked at a decision faced by the Newark Nut Company, a family-owned nut retailer based in Cranford, N.J. Run by Jeffrey Braverman, the company employs more than 80 workers and has annual revenue of more than $20 million, 95 percent of it online. ... Matt Cutts, chief of Google?s Webspam team, said in an interview that, because Google?s algorithms have to adjust to a new address, sites should expect a temporary drop in traffic immediately after a move, maybe 5 percent. According to Mr. Cutts, Mr. Braverman missed three opportunities to minimize his traffic loss. http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/01/debating-the-right-way-to-change-a-domain-name-and-brand-a-nut-retailer/ The Numbers Add Up to Success FairWinds released an update to its 2008 Verizon Case Study. Back in 2008, we projected that our work to improve Verizon?s domain name portfolio would drive over 3 million visitors to the company?s websites and save Verizon over $1 million. http://www.domainnamestrategy.com/2012/05/03/numbers-add-success RIAA Behind US Government?s Failed Domain Name Seizure In November 2010, Homeland Security?s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) seized dozens of domain names allegedly connected to copyright infringement. http://torrentfreak.com/riaa-behind-us-governments-failed-domain-name-seizure-120504/ ARIN XXIX Meeting Report Now Available Thank you to all who attended ARIN XXIX in Vancouver in person or remotely! The official meeting report, which includes presentations, summary notes, transcripts, and webcast of the entire meeting, is now available https://www.arin.net/announcements/2012/20120504_report.html Registration Services Department Audit Report As you may know, in the fourth quarter of 2011, Baker Tilley conducted a full review and audit of the Registration Services Department's processes and procedures to ensure consistency with the policies described in the Number Resource Policy Manual (NRPM). ARIN is pleased to announce that the final report for this audit is now available on the ARIN website for community review https://www.arin.net/announcements/2012/20120504.html ********************** - WEBHOSTING ********************** Netcraft May 2012 Web Server Survey In the May 2012 survey we received responses from 662,959,946 sites, a decrease of 14M hostnames compared to last month, and the first drop we have observed in 22 months. The drop comes as a result of a loss of over 28M hostnames under the .info tld, hosted by Softlayer, on just 100 domains and 4 IP addresses. Despite this, we still observed an increase of 1.2M new domains. http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2012/05/02/may-2012-web-server-survey.html ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Sedo Analysis Reveals Booming Start to the New Year for the Domain Name Market Sedo, the leading online domain marketplace and monetization provider, today announced the results of its Q1 2012 Domain Market Study, which reveals domain industry trends and changes based on transactions in its marketplace. During the first quarter, Sedo powered more than 10,000 domain transactions accounting for $19.6 Million in sales. Displaying a significant shift in market dynamics, the number of Buy Now sales surpassed offer-counter offer sales for the first time, becoming the most popular type of transaction. https://sedo.com/presse/presse.php?tracked=&partnerid=&language=us&id=461 Sedo?s Quarterly Market Study Shows Strong Start to the Year Sedo?s Domain Marketplace got off to a good start in 2012, with our strongest quarter since Q2 2011. A total of 10,133 domain transactions took place, at a sales value of $19.6m. The .com extension remained the most frequently sold, accounting for 44% of all sales, with .de in second place at 16%. https://sedo.com/us/news/3019/Sedos-Quarterly-Market-Study-Shows-Strong-Start-to-the-Year/ T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Gives the People What They Want - A Return Trip to Las Vegas, Plus Escrow.com Launches New Tool for Brokers I was delighted to get an email from Rick Schwartz this morning with a message he released soon after on his blog. After a three year hiatus the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. conference will be returning to Las Vegas next year. http://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2012/dailyposts/20120504.htm Moniker Hits the Jackpot With the Year's 2nd Biggest Domain Sale in a Week That Also Produced the 2nd Best Non .Com gTLD Sale As we told you in our Lowdown section last Thursday (April 12), Moniker.com has closed the second biggest domain sale reported so far in 2012, banking $500,000 for Jackpot.com. That transaction trails only PersonalLoans.com on our Year to Date Top 100 Sales Chart. That name changed hands in February for $1,000,000 through DomainNameSales.com. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2012/20120425.htm ********************** REPORTS & RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act: A Survey of the Legal Literature and Reform Proposals by Joel Reidenberg, Jamela Debelak, Jordan Kovnot & Tiffany Miao [Fordham Law School- Center on Law and Information Policy] Abstract: The goal of this study is to identify the trends in the legal literature and reform proposals surrounding Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. http://ssrn.com/abstract=2046230 ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Chinese Internet users to hit 800 mln by 2015 China aims to make its Internet services accessible to more people in the coming years and bring its total number of Internet users to 800 million by 2015, according to a national development plan. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2012-05/04/c_131568980.htm Coining Terminology for Life on the Web When a friend recently asked for advice about using social media, I excitedly embarked on a description of my daily routine ? checking in on Foursquare to share my whereabouts with friends, posting tweets to Twitter, sharing screenshots from the latest ?Mad Men? episode on Tumblr, and skimming through the stylized images on Instagram. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/06/technology/creating-a-language-for-the-web.html us: The government would like you to write a 'social media will' By some estimates, nearly a half a million people with Facebook accounts passed away last year, leaving family and friends to navigate what to do with those pages. Leave the account open? Shut it down entirely? Convert it to an official Facebook memorial page? What would you want for your own Facebook profile? And forget Facebook, what do you want to become of your email account? http://www.nextgov.com/emerging-tech/2012/05/government-would-you-write-social-media-will/55570/ ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Survey: 1 in 4 users lie on Facebook About one out of every four Facebook users lies on their profile, and not just to impress that guy or gal who wouldn't date them in high school. http://edition.cnn.com/2012/05/04/tech/social-media/facebook-lies-privacy/index.html New Islamic ?Facebook? to Strengthen Global Muslim Unity [Tages-Anzeiger] A strictly Muslim-focused social network called Salamworld is set to launch this summer, during Ramadan. The Turkish-based company is thinking big: 50 million users in three years, all interacting in a worldwide ? and sex free ? ?umma.? http://worldcrunch.com/new-islamic-facebook-strengthen-global-muslim-unity/5178 ********************************* CHILD PROTECTION & ONLINE SAFETY ********************************* Child online safety plans unveiled by Brussels The European Commission is considering setting up an age-based authentication system that limits where children can visit online. http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17952259 uk: Consultation on protecting children from internet porn The government will consult on new measures to protect children from internet pornography. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17951067 uk: Internet pornography: government to consult on protecting children The government is to consult on tough measures to protect children from internet pornography. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/may/04/internet-pornography-crackdown Pornography online: David Cameron to consider 'opt in' plan The government is to consider introducing new filters for online pornography, in a move likely to be fiercely resisted by internet service providers. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/may/04/pornography-online-cameron-opt-in-plan EU and Japan to Make the Internet Safer for Children [IDG] Europe and Japan will work together on a strategy to make the Internet safer for children and teenagers. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/254931/eu_and_japan_to_make_the_internet_safer_for_children.html nz: Suicide link in cyber-bullying Today, the Herald launches a campaign to raise awareness of bullying in schools and investigate what more could be done to reduce it. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10803980 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10803980 nz: iPhone 'ugly test' has a dark side (+photos) ... NetSafe chief executive Martin Cocker said that while the app appeared to be satirical and fun, it would definitely be used by bullies, especially those who didn't realise the results were random. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10803422 nz: Parents warned over 'ugly meter' phone app A phone application which tells people how "ugly'' they are will be used for bullying, an expert says. http://www.odt.co.nz/news/technology/207970/parents-warned-over-ugly-meter-phone-app http://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/208125/ugly-meter-tool-bullies-expert nz: Parent outrage at Facebook bullying TEENAGERS posting anonymous slanderous comments on Facebook are warned of serious consequences for bullying behaviour on the internet. http://www.gisborneherald.co.nz/article/?id=27583 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10803706 nz: Sexually explicit South Park video sparks school phone ban A small Golden Bay primary school has restricted cellphone use at school after a seven-year-old pupil showed others a South Park video with sexual themes. http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/sexually-explicit-south-park-video-sparks-school-phone-ban-4868024 nz: Sexual images spark cellphone ban A small Golden Bay primary school has restricted cellphone use at school after a seven-year-old pupil showed others sexual images. http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/6872992/Sexual-images-spark-cellphone-ban ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Does Faster Internet Access Lure Piracy? Hollywood's piracy schtick might be getting a little old. Not only does the movie industry continue to create less-than-impressive relationships with its audience by suing the pants off alleged file-sharers, now it's worried that faster Internet download speeds will enable piracy. http://www.pcworld.com/article/255055/does_faster_internet_access_lure_piracy.html Make Every Day a Day Against DRM Today, we join the Free Software Foundation in celebrating a Day Against DRM. DRM software restricts the way users can interact with content, which hits close to home for an organization like EFF. Even worse, "anti-circumvention" laws that regulate whether users can bypass DRM, like section 1201 of the DMCA, effectively give that software the force of law. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/05/make-every-day-day-against-drm Why the death of DRM would be good news for readers, writers and publishers At the end of April, Tor Books, the world's largest science fiction publisher, and its UK sister company, Tor UK, announced that they would be eliminating digital rights management (DRM) from all of their ebooks by the summer. It was a seismic event in the history of the publishing industry. It's the beginning of the end for DRM, which are used by hardware manufacturers and publishers to limit the use of digital content after sale. That's good news, whether you're a publisher, a writer, a dedicated reader, or someone who picks up a book every year or two. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/may/03/death-of-drm-good-news Net TV ?no threat to broadcast? If the television doomsayers want to predict the end of broadcast TV courtesy of internet TV, catch-up TV and Google?s YouTube, think again. http://www.afr.com/p/business/marketing_media/net_tv_no_threat_to_broadcast_fwHo8GCWicp3RtceU7DajP ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** Killing unlimited data plans has helped make U.S. carriers billions Killing off their unlimited data plans in recent years hasn't made U.S. wireless carriers very popular in certain circles, but it has helped them make a lot of money off your mobile-data habit. http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57428419-1/killing-unlimited-data-plans-has-helped-make-u.s-carriers-billions/ Now 4 billion people know the joy of txt Here's a question: what's bigger and far more important than Facebook? Hint: it's very low-tech and doesn't need a smartphone or even an internet connection. And this year marks its 20th birthday, which means that in internet time it's 140 years old. Oh, and it doesn't involve LOLcats either. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/may/06/sms-text-messages-20th-birthday ********************** ONLINE CRIME & LEGAL ********************** FBI: We need wiretap-ready Web sites - now The FBI is asking Internet companies not to oppose a controversial proposal that would require firms, including Microsoft, Facebook, Yahoo, and Google, to build in backdoors for government surveillance. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57428067-83/fbi-we-need-wiretap-ready-web-sites-now/ nz: Violent threats from phone scammers There's a new spate of scammers cold calling people at home, and the tactics they're using have turned ugly. http://www.3news.co.nz/Violent-threats-from-phone-scammers/tabid/423/articleID/253045/Default.aspx ********************** SECURITY ********************** Facebook encourages cyber-security poachers turned gamekeepers On one of the lesser visited pages of Facebook, there is a list of 109 hackers who have found ways of getting through the company's security firewalls. Facebook is not naming and shaming them. On the contrary, the company has set up the page to thank them "on behalf of our millions of users for making a responsible disclosure". http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/may/03/hacking-cybercrime uk: Hackers have breached top secret MoD systems, cyber-security chief admits Computer hackers have managed to breach some of the top secret systems within the Ministry of Defence, the military's head of cyber-security has revealed. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/may/03/hackers-breached-secret-mod-systems UK strengthens cyber security co-operation with Japan The UK has reaffirmed its commitment to working alongside the Japanese government to improve internet governance and security by working closely on the issue. http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/news/2172326/uk-strengthens-cyber-security-operation-japan U.S. Study Cites Worries on Readiness for Cyberattacks A study commissioned by President Obama to assess the nation?s ability to respond to terrorist attacks and man-made and natural disasters has found that state and local officials have the most confidence in their public health and medical services but are the most concerned about whether agencies can respond to cyberattacks. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/04/us/politics/study-finds-concerns-on-readiness-for-cyberattacks.html us: Military leaders seek more clout for Pentagon?s Cyber Command Military leaders are pushing for the Pentagon?s two-year-old cyberwarfare unit to be elevated to full combatant command status, a move that would give it more access to resources and the Pentagon?s top brass, the Washington Post reported. http://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2012/05/military-leaders-seek-more-clout-pentagons-cyber-command/55557/ Second DDoS attack on UK Police Agency SOCA logo The UK's Serious Organised Crime Agency responded to a DDoS attack by taking their servers offline http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Second-DDoS-attack-on-UK-Police-Agency-1567445.html SOCA website taken down in DDoS attack The Serious Organised Crime Agency instructed its hosting provider to take its website offline after a distributed denial of service attack started to affect other clients http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/security-threats/2012/05/03/soca-website-taken-down-in-ddos-attack-40155157/ Lockheed Martin is awarded cyber-defence contract worth millions US arms manufacturer Lockheed Martin has announced that it will be cooperating with the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3) to combat internet crime. If all options of the agreement are exercised, the value of the contract is $454 million (?280 million). http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Lockheed-Martin-is-awarded-cyber-defence-contract-worth-millions-1568052.html ********************** PRIVACY ********************** Less than half of Facebook, Google users understand sites' privacy policies [IDG] Most users of Facebook and Google had fundamental gaps in understanding, even after reading privacy policies, about how the websites handled their information and how other Web users could discover it, according to a study released by the digital branding firm Siegel+Gale. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9226903/Less_than_half_of_Facebook_Google_users_understand_sites_privacy_policies http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/423723/fewer_than_half_facebook_google_users_understood_sites_privacy_policies/ Millions of Americans ignore Facebook's privacy controls As Facebook barrels toward its IPO, one of its biggest lightening-rod issues -- privacy -- is drawing a fresh spotlight. A Consumer Reports study released this week estimates that 13 million American Facebook users have never set or simply don't know about the site's privacy controls. http://money.cnn.com/2012/05/03/technology/facebook-privacy-controls/index.htm NZ privacy law years behind technology Privacy law in New Zealand is further behind what is being developed in the Europe, ICT lawyer Rick Shera told a forum organised by the Privacy Commissioner?s Office in Wellington last week. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/nz-privacy-law-years-behind-technology ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Internet Society Underscores Importance of World Press Freedom Day [news release] The Internet Society today joined global celebrations around World Press Freedom Day, which focuses on the fundamental principles of press freedom. The Internet Society is strongly supportive of press freedom, fully recognizing that an open, global, and decentralized Internet is a pillar to enable all voices to be heard. http://www.internetsociety.org/news/internet-society-underscores-importance-world-press-freedom-day With Chen Guangcheng news on Twitter, China?s censors lost control For a government that keeps a tight grip on information, this was a week when it lost control of the narrative. In the diplomatic standoff over blind activist Chen Guangcheng, technology and growing social-media savvy helped spread, drive and at times even muddy a story rife with unexpected twists. http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/with-chen-guangcheng-news-on-twitter-chinas-censors-lost-control/2012/05/05/gIQAUctU4T_story.html ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** ACTA in the EU: We Can't Call it Dead Yet The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) was dealt a major blow on April 12 when MEP David Martin, the European Parliament's rapporteur for the agreement and member of the Committee responsible for delivering the recommendation to European Parliament to adopt or reject the agreement, announced that he would be recommending a "no" vote. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/04/acta-eu-we-cant-call-it-dead-yet UK government broadband plans face ?1bn funding shortfall A ?1.1bn funding gap means the government's targets for broadband are unlikely to be met, says a report by the London School of Economics. http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-17954346 Austrian Activists Push Back Against EU Data Retention Directive No sooner did a mandatory data retention law go into effect in Austria this month than thousands of Austrians banded together in a swift opposition campaign to overturn it. The Austrian law originated as the misshapen offspring of the 2006 European Data Retention Directive. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/04/austrian-activists-push-back-against-eu-data-retention-directive ********************** MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Opinion: Is Google facing an existential threat? Is internet titan Google facing an existential threat? Is it in danger of fading from prominence and becoming, essentially, the "next Microsoft"? With government regulators nipping at its heels, Facebook leading in the race for attention and prestige, and "social" beginning to replace "search" as a focus of online activity, the company that revolutionised our means of finding information just a decade ago now finds itself under siege. http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/05/201252154140601551.html ITU seeks next generation of social entrepreneurs [news release] ITU has launched the second edition of its Young Innovators Competition, giving young, talented social entrepreneurs the opportunity to attend its key global networking and knowledge sharing event, ITU Telecom World 2012, and the chance to win funding, mentorship and ongoing support. http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/2012/22.aspx nz: Computer Society name-change approaches ?last hurdle? The New Zealand Computer Society is very close to a name change, having received a massive majority vote from the membership in favour of becoming the Institute of IT Professionals. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/computer-society-name-change-approaches-last-hurdle US dominance may pose cloud computing risks Ultra Fast Broadband has the potential to convert New Zealanders from a purely downloading online lifestyle to full-hearted participation in the cloud, says InternetNZ CEO Vikram Kumar. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/us-dominance-may-pose-cloud-computing-risks ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** OECD rates NZ highly on broadband economy benefit An OECD report that attempts to measure the benefit to the economy of the shift from dial-up to broadband internet access places New Zealand high in most of the league tables. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/oecd-rates-nz-highly-on-broadband-economy-benefit New Zealand?s gain from the ?broadband bonus? relatively high InternetNZ (Internet New Zealand Inc) welcomes the publication of the OECD report Measuring the Broadband Bonus in Thirty OECD Countries (OECD Digital Economy Papers No 197). http://internetnz.net.nz/news/media-releases/2012/New-Zealand?s-gain-?broadband-bonus?-relatively-high nz: ComCom moves to reduce price of copper network access CallPlus and Orcon respond to Chorus's claims the reduction could slow migration to fibre; express concerns about glidepath http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/comcom-moves-to-reduce-cost-of-copper-network U.S. mobile industry faces spectrum, deal paralysis Complaints about the shortage of wireless frequencies and a need for U.S. mobile carriers to consolidate will dominate the industry's largest annual gathering next week, but regulatory uncertainty may leave the sector powerless to deal with its most pressing issues anytime soon. http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/05/04/telecoms-deals-idINDEE84307W20120504 Indian telcos warn of industry 'death knell' India's telecom operators have openly warned that mobile call rates could go up dramatically and harm the local industry if the government decides to accept the its regulator's proposals for the spectrum auction. http://www.zdnetasia.com/indian-telcos-warn-of-industry-death-knell-62304704.htm +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (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 Mon May 07 2012 - 04:17:13 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.0 : Sat Sep 09 2017 - 22:00:11 UTC