Don't forget to check out http://www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the archive of the last 3 months of the news.


And see my website - http://GoldsteinReport.com/ - for daily updates in between postings.


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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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Groups Say ITU's Transparency Efforts Aren't Enough [IDG]
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/259337/groups_say_itus_transparency_efforts_arent_enough.html

Stop Balkanizing the Internet by Marietje Schaake, Dutch Member of the European Parliament
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marietje-schaake/stop-balkanizing-the-internet_b_1661164.html

ICANN Staff Background Paper Catalogues Extreme Dangers to Registrants of URS Reconfiguration
http://internetcommerce.org/ICANN_Staff_Paper_2nd_Level_Defenses


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GOVERNANCE
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Groups Say ITU's Transparency Efforts Aren't Enough [IDG]
The United Nations' International Telecommunication Union still isn't transparent enough, even though the organization has promised to give the public more information about a December treaty-writing meeting, representatives of two digital rights groups said Monday.
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/259337/groups_say_itus_transparency_efforts_arent_enough.html
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/network-wifi/3370330/groups-say-itus-transparency-efforts-arent-enough/

Stop Balkanizing the Internet by Marietje Schaake, Dutch Member of the European Parliament
The government of Ethiopia has announced a ban on the use of a wide range of Internet communication services. According to reports, the draft Telecom Law criminalizes the use of Skype and other Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services. Violators face a high financial penalty or a 15 year prison sentence. In practice, the law would also mean that all Internet traffic of 85 million Ethiopians will be monitored. End of story for unrestricted Internet access, freedom of expression and access to information online. The subsequent international outcry has forced the government to clarify its intentions and signalled a possible backtracking of the initial plans. Proposals like these show that authoritarian regimes are wary of losing their grip on power due to the Internet. They desperately seek to regain it by imposing new rules and regulations.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marietje-schaake/stop-balkanizing-the-internet_b_1661164.html

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DOMAIN NAMES
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**********************
 - ICANN
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Request for Proposals for DNS Risk Management Framework Consultant
ICANN is seeking expressions of interest for an expert consultant to assist with the development of a DNS Risk Management Framework. The consultant is expected to work with ICANN staff and existing security related efforts in ICANN while drawing upon relevant community expertise, and to deliver a report providing the Board DNS Risk Management Framework Working Group and ICANN community with informed recommendations for the implementation of a DNS Risk Management Framework. The deadline for responses is 31 August 2012, 23:59 UTC.
http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-16jul12-en.htm

ICANN Staff Background Paper Catalogues Extreme Dangers to Registrants of URS Reconfiguration
Last week we became aware of an ICANN staff document, ?Briefing Paper on Defensive Registrations at the Second Level?, prepared just in advance of the Prague meeting. While not the intended purpose, this document reveals much about what is wrong with ICANN?s internal policymaking processes, as well as the substantial danger to registrant rights posed by any ?Summit? or other event convened for the purpose of ?reconfiguration? of the Uniform Rapid Suspension (URS) rights protection mechanism required for all new gTLDs.
http://internetcommerce.org/ICANN_Staff_Paper_2nd_Level_Defenses

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 - NEW TLDS
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Africa to Get Own Internet Domain
Africa will now have its own Internet domain name; dot Africa, in the next 18 months.
http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/business/2012/07/africa-to-get-own-internet-domain/
http://allafrica.com/stories/201207170023.html

Dot Africa Domain A Boost For Business
Websites ending in dot Africa could soon be popping up across the continent as the drive to bring the ?African domain ?into existence gain momentum.
http://www.africanbusinessreview.co.za/technology/dot-africa-domain-a-boost-for-business

Melbourne IT urges brands to swiftly evaluate new Internet domain application risks
With fewer than four weeks of ICANN's official public-comment period for the 1,930 new TLD applications remaining, online brand specialist Melbourne IT Digital Brand Services (DBS) today urged brands to prioritize the assessment of potential risks and promptly respond before the comment window closes on August 12th.
http://www.melbourneit.info/news-centre/Releases/Melbourne-IT-urges-brands-to-swiftly-evaluate-new-Internet-domain-application-risks.xml

Proposed web porn domains draw opposition
Morality in Media is working to block new Internet pornography domains, months after the initiation of the .xxx portal, which was promoted as a central adult gateway to Internet porn.
http://bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=38274

New gTLD?s All Explained in an 8 Minute Video Which You Will .LOL At
For those still confused by the new gTLD?s and all the possibilities they bring to the domain space, video should explain it all to you.
http://www.thedomains.com/2012/07/17/new-gtlds-all-explained-in-an-8-minute-video-which-you-will-lol-at/

nz: The New Top-Level Domain Names
1,930 proposals for new TLDs were announced on 13 June by the governing body for Internet domain names, ICANN. Our earlier article of 16 April 2012 summarises the new TLD program. Now that the proposed domains have been revealed, trade mark owners and website operators should consider how the new TLDs may affect their businesses, and be aware of some steps they can take over the next several months to protect their rights. ... The new applications include .kiwi, submitted by a company owned by New Zealand and Canadian investors.
http://www.mondaq.com/NewZealand/x/187282/

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 - DNS SECURITY
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UK seeks software writers with Cyber Security Challenge
The government has begun a competition to find people to help defend the UK's infrastructure from cyber-attack.
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-18868989

us: Electrical Power Grid Vulnerable to Cyber Threats
With a possible debate on cybersecurity legislation looming in the Senate, energy regulators on Tuesday warned lawmakers of the pressing threats facing the nation's power grid.
http://www.cio.com/article/711329/Electrical_Power_Grid_Vulnerable_to_Cyber_Threats

us: Senators call for probe of electric grid cybersecurity
Two U.S. senators are calling for a federal investigation of the power grid's potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities after a CNET article last month raised security concerns.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57475190-83/senators-call-for-probe-of-electric-grid-cybersecurity/

China calls for tightened information security measures
China has asked government agencies and companies to improve their ability to ward off computer hackers and data thieves, as the increasing use of the Internet has created more information security risks.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2012-07/18/c_131722871.htm

Middle East officials targeted by cyber espionage 'Madi' attackers
Government officials in the Middle East are among 800 victims of a sustained cyber espionage attack dubbed Madi targeting critical infrastructure in Iran and Israel, security experts have discovered.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/jul/17/middle-east-madi-attackers

Another cyber espionage campaign found targeting Iran
Security experts have uncovered an ongoing cyber espionage campaign targeting Iran and other Middle Eastern countries that they say stands out because it is the first such operation using communications tools written in Persian.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/07/17/oukin-uk-cybersecurity-middleeast-idUKBRE86G0MD20120717

Mahdi cyberespionage malware infects computers in Iran, Israel, other Middle Eastern countries [IDG]
A piece of malware called Mahdi or Madi has been used to spy on hundreds of targets from Iran, Israel and a few other Middle Eastern countries during the past eight months, according to researchers from security vendors Seculert and Kaspersky Lab.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/071712-mahdi-cyberespionage-malware-infects-computers-260969.html
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/259398/mahdi_cyberespionage_malware_infects_computers_in_iran_israel_other_middle_eastern_countries.html

How To Select A DDoS Mitigation Service
Distributed denial-of-service attacks can flare up quickly and do serious damage. Time to call in the experts?
http://www.darkreading.com/security/attacks-breaches/240003662/how-to-select-a-ddos-mitigation-service.html

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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1st UDRP Finding Of Reverse Domain Name Hijacking for Turkey? The Case Of tatil.com Vs. etatil.com
According to the domain holder who fought back a UDRP on his domain name etatil , a three member UDRP panel just handed down the first Reverse Domain Name Hijacking (RDNH) for a domain holder located in Turkey.
http://www.thedomains.com/2012/07/17/1st-udrp-finding-of-reverse-domain-name-hijacking-for-turkey-the-case-of-tatil-com-vs-etatil-com/

Facebook cybersquatter stitched up by own Facebook account
The man who registered the domain name facebook.info has lost a cybersquatting case, after Facebook used his own eight-year-old Facebook account as evidence against him.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/07/18/facebook_cybersquatter_stitched_up_by_own_facebook_account/

Facebook Wins UDRP On Facebook.Info: ?Problem Is That The Panel Does Not Believe The Domain Holder?s Story?
Facebook, Inc. just won a UDRP on the domain name Facebook.info. The domain name was registered in September 2004. Most recently the domain was going to a page which stated on the top:
http://www.thedomains.com/2012/07/16/facebook-wins-udrp-on-facebook-info-problem-is-that-the-panel-does-not-believe-the-domain-holders-story/

au: Victoria?s Secret Stores Brand Management, Inc. v. Linda Cameron Pickard, Linda Watson - Case No. DAU2012-0015
1. The Parties: The Complainant is Victoria?s Secret Stores Brand Management, Inc. of San Francisco, California, United States of America (?United States?), represented by Pranger Law Group, United States of America. The Respondent is Linda Cameron Pickard, Linda Watson of West Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia, represented by CG Lawyers, Australia. 2. The Domain Name and Registrar: The disputed domain name <victoriassecrets.com.au> is registered with TPP Domains Pty Ltd. dba TPP Internet. ... 7. Decision: For all the foregoing reasons, the Complaint is denied.
http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/domains/search/text.jsp?case=DAU2012-0015

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 - IPv4/IPv6
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IPv6 Roadmap reflects progress, frames future
The government updated its IPv6 Transition Roadmap in July, with changes reflecting the progress agencies have made and framing the future, according to one expert.
http://fcw.com/articles/2012/07/16/ipv6-transition-roadmap-update.aspx

us: IPv6 roadmap tweaked to help agencies over finish line
The Federal CIO Council has updated its roadmap for government IPv6 adoption to help agencies meet the looming deadlines for deploying the next generation of Internet Protocols.
http://gcn.com/articles/2012/07/18/ipv6-roadmap-updated-to-meet-2012-goals.aspx

What to Do About the Scarcity of IPv4 Addresses
It was bound to happen. The value of IPv4 addresses is going up as they become scarcer. In fact, the scarcity is making its way into acquisition deals as companies look to capitalize on the shortage.
http://www.networkcomputing.com/ipv6/240003857

Windows 8 moves to IPv6 Internet
It went largely unnoticed at the time but Microsoft has announced that Windows 8 will default to using IPv6 given a choice of network protocols. Here's how it will work.
http://www.zdnet.com/windows-8-moves-to-ipv6-internet-7000000991/

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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Editorial: Note to InternetNZ: First impressions count
Is InternetNZ's constituency its 300 members or the people who pay domain name fees?
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/editorial-note-to-internetnz-first-impressions-count

Go Daddy tones down the sex for Olympics ads
Go Daddy CEO Warren Adelman recently promised a less salacious image for the company, and its new commercial, set to air in the US during the London 2012 Olympics, delivers.
http://domainincite.com/9755-go-daddy-tones-down-the-sex-for-olympics-ads

Go Daddy makes its first ?business? acquisition
Go Daddy today announced the acquisition of Outright, a provider of online financial software for small businesses.
http://domainnamewire.com/2012/07/18/go-daddy-makes-its-first-business-acquisition/

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 - WEBHOSTING
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Branding and Positioning in the Hosting Industry ? HostingCon 2012
In the Tuesday afternoon sales and marketing session, SoftLayer chief marketing officer Simon West SoftLayer discussed how web hosting companies can improve their own branding and positioning in the industry.
http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/branding-and-positioning-in-the-hosting-industry-hostingcon-2012

Hosting and Cloud Market Overview with Eric Hanselman ? HostingCon 2012
In Tuesday?s keynote presentation, Eric Hanselman, research director of 451 Research?s networks practice shared his own insights in an effort to help guide hosting business? strategic vision for the future.
http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/hosting-and-cloud-market-overview-with-eric-hanselman-hostingcon-2012

Hostingcon 2012 Concludes in Boston With Many Domain Industry Faces In the Crowd 
As the home of Sedo's U.S. office, NameMedia and a number of other domain industry companies and individual entrepreneurs, Boston has always been a beehive of domain activity.
http://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2012/dailyposts/20120718.htm

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 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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Boston: the center of the domain name aftermarket
I?m up in Boston for HostingCon, and spent my Monday visiting two of the largest and longest running domain name aftermarkets: NameMedia (Afternic) and Sedo.
http://domainnamewire.com/2012/07/17/boston-the-center-of-the-domain-name-aftermarket/

Companies in the News: Oversee.net, Thought Convergence, Afternic & Dnbiz 
Oversee.net has named a Chief Technology Officer. The job - once held by current Oversee CEO Debra Domeyer - went to Gene Chuang, an experienced technology development professional and team leader known for his expertise in mobile, social and search marketing platforms.
http://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2012/dailyposts/20120717.htm

Moniker auction ends tomorrow and Sedo gets AT.com exclusive
Moniker?s International Premium & ccTLD Auction ends tomorrow, and so far the names getting attention are neither ccTLDs or international domains.
http://domainnamewire.com/2012/07/18/moniker-auction-ends-tomorrow-and-sedo-gets-at-com-exclusive/

Are there fewer domain conferences or just different domain conferences?
There are only two big domainer conferences this year, but domainers still find opportunities to get together.
http://domainnamewire.com/2012/07/18/are-there-fewer-domain-conferences-or-just-different-domain-conferences/


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INTERNET USE
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Why the Internet is awesome for hypochondriacs
We tend to suffer from a great deal of cognitive dissonance when it comes to health. Ask someone about health implications as they light a cigarette or plow through a cheesecake, and they'll probably be an optimist, citing the relatively low overall risks of various consequences. But if the same person has the sniffles and is given access to the Internet, chances are they'll become a raging pessimist and diagnose themselves with the bird flu.
http://arstechnica.com/science/2012/07/why-the-internet-is-awesome-for-hypochondriacs/

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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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88 percent stalk their exes on Facebook
A study by a Western University master's candidate suggests that many people, once they break up, follow their former lovers around Facebook, even going so far as to use aliases.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-57475291-71/88-percent-stalk-their-exes-on-facebook/

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CHILD PROTECTION & ONLINE SAFETY
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Digital Teens and the Three T's by Stephen Balkam, Founding CEO, Family Online Safety Institute
There has been much angst in the press lately about teenagers and the Internet. Having recently been in London for the United Kingdom Council for Child Internet Safety (UKCCIS), I read breathless updates from the Daily Mail and their campaign against porn on the Internet. While I have considerable sympathy for the paper's desire to keep kids away from the worst of the web, even some Conservative Ministers tire of the Mail's incessant drumbeat for censorious legislation.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-balkam/digital-teens-three-ts_b_1681056.html

Children integrating technology into study and play as computer use rises
EVERY parent knows that children steal your phone, borrow your iPad and kick you off the computer. Now a major national report has confirmed just how swiftly young Australians are integrating technology into their study and play.
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/children-integrating-technology-into-study-and-play-as-computer-use-rises-20120718-22aof.html
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/children-integrating-technology-into-study-and-play-as-computer-use-rises-20120718-22aof.html

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ONLINE TV & MUSIC
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uk: Pirate Bay block effectiveness short-lived, data suggests
A drop in file-sharing following a court ordered block of the Pirate Bay was short-lived, data seen by the BBC suggests.
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-18833060

uk: Music industry body will demand removal of 12 million pirate files in 2012, says report
A UK trade body that represents the interests of many major recording companies is expected to request that more than 12 million files be removed from the internet this year as part of its efforts to combat online copyright infringement, a report into intellectual property (IP) crime has said.
http://www.out-law.com/en/articles/2012/july/music-industry-body-will-demand-removal-of-12-million-pirate-files-in-2012-says-report/

Germany, French courts disagree on responsibility of ISPs for illegal content [IDG]
Courts in France and Germany differ about the way ISPs and online file-hosting services should deal with take-down requests, with Germany putting more responsibility on service providers to police content.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/430766/germany_french_courts_disagree_responsibility_isps_illegal_content/
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/259294/german_french_courts_disagree_on_responsibility_of_isps_for_illegal_content.html

File-hosting firms 'responsible for pirated content', German court rules
Summary: Germany's top court has ruled that file-hosting service Rapidshare must strengthen its anti-piracy measures after a pirated copy of the Atari title Alone in the Dark was found on its servers
http://www.zdnet.com/file-hosting-firms-responsible-for-pirated-content-german-court-rules-7000000950/

Top German court says RapidShare must monitor link sites for piracy
The Federal Court of Justice, Germany's highest court on non-constitutional questions, has ruled that file-sharing sites share responsibility for infringement by their users if notified of such infringement by copyright holders. The decision is a setback for RapidShare, which had argued it should not be required to proactively monitor its users' content.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/07/top-german-court-says-rapidshare-must-monitor-link-sites-for-piracy/

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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Texting overtakes talking in UK, says Ofcom study
People in the UK are now more likely to text than to make a phone call, according to new research from Ofcom.
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-18873041

Decline of the phone call: Ofcom shows growing trend for text communication
It's good to talk, but it's even better to text. Whereas once we kept in touch with loved ones with a phone call, new research suggests we are now more likely to contact friends and family via a text message or email.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/jul/18/ofcom-report-phone-calls-decline

UK is now texting more than talking [news release]
Text-based communications are surpassing traditional phone calls or meeting face to face as the most frequent ways of keeping in touch for UK adults.
http://media.ofcom.org.uk/2012/07/17/uk-is-now-texting-more-than-talking/

Mobile subscriptions poised to outnumber the world's population
Mobile devices are making the world go round. A study by the World Bank and infoDev titled "Information and Communications for Development 2012" found that an estimated three-quarters of the world's people have access to a mobile device. The number of worldwide mobile subscriptions grew from less than 1 billion in 2000 to over 6 billion today, the study said. Close to 5 billion of the subscriptions are in developing countries, and mobile subscriptions in low- and middle-income countries increased by more than 1,500 percent between 2000 and 2010, from 4 to 72 per 100 inhabitants.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57475098-94/mobile-subscriptions-poised-to-outnumber-the-worlds-population/

75% of World Has Access to Mobile Phones
Approximately three quarters of the world?s population now has access to a mobile phone, according to a new study from the World Bank.
http://mashable.com/2012/07/18/mobile-phones-worldwide/

us: Judge rejects secrecy bids in Apple vs. Samsung battle
A U.S. judge rejected several requests by Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd to keep portions of key documents out of public view in their high-stakes patent litigation battle set for trial later this month.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/07/18/oukin-uk-apple-samsung-ruling-idUKBRE86H05820120718
http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/07/18/apple-samsung-ruling-idINDEE86H02820120718

Motorola Xoom doesn't copy Apple iPad, German court says
Motorola scored a patent victory for its Xoom tablet, even if it's an empty one. A German court ruled that the Xoom tablet, made by Google's Motorola, doesn't copy the design of Apple's iPad, according to the Dow Jones Newswires. Apple originally claimed that the Xoom infringed upon three of the iPad's design patents.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57473797-37/motorola-xoom-doesnt-copy-apple-ipad-german-court-says/

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SPAM
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One of the World's Largest Spam Botnets Still Alive After Suffering Significant Blow [IDG]
One of the world's most active spam botnets -- Grum -- was crippled after two of its command and control (CnC) servers hosted in the Netherlands were taken down, according to researchers from security firm FireEye.
http://www.cio.com/article/711251/One_of_the_World_39_s_Largest_Spam_Botnets_Still_Alive_After_Suffering_Significant_Blow
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9229266/Grum_botnet_still_alive_after_suffering_significant_blow
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/430898/one_world_largest_spam_botnets_still_alive_after_suffering_significant_blow/

Dropbox Investigating After Spam Attack
Dropbox is investigating reports that a security breach at the cloud-storage service caused its users to receive spam messages.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/18/dropbox-says-spam-messages-arent-a-sign-of-a-breach/

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ONLINE CRIME & LEGAL
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Google to tackle internet crime with Illicit Networks summit
Google is attempting to turn the tables on criminals and terrorists who exploit the internet by using its search capabilities to expose and disrupt illicit activity.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/jul/17/google-tech-knowhow-internet-crime

Google Announces Plans to Fight Illicit Trading Networks
Google?s taking on an ambitious global initiative ? using technology to expose, map and disrupt illicit networks of drug smugglers, arms dealers and human traffickers.
http://mashable.com/2012/07/17/google-drug-cartels/

>From Nigeria with love: Nigerian scammers are back with a vengeance
Even our computer recognises when something is too good to be true, so we don't see them so much any more - those emails offering untold wealth if we help a dignitary move a fortune from a hostile country, or notifying us of massive winnings in lotteries we don't recall entering. And for the few that don't go straight to junk mail we hit "delete" without another thought.
http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/consumer-security/from-nigeria-with-love-20120717-228bi.html
http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/consumer-security/from-nigeria-with-love-20120717-228bi.html

Social Media Explosion Leaves Defamation Law at the Starting Gate
A recent US Court case highlights the dangers of online and social media opinion and shows that even those who make anonymous posts on bulletin boards can be held to account.
http://www.mondaq.com/australia/x/187256/

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SECURITY
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UK seeks software writers with Cyber Security Challenge
The government has begun a competition to find people to help defend the UK's infrastructure from cyber-attack.
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-18868989

us: Electrical Power Grid Vulnerable to Cyber Threats
With a possible debate on cybersecurity legislation looming in the Senate, energy regulators on Tuesday warned lawmakers of the pressing threats facing the nation's power grid.
http://www.cio.com/article/711329/Electrical_Power_Grid_Vulnerable_to_Cyber_Threats

us: Senators call for probe of electric grid cybersecurity
Two U.S. senators are calling for a federal investigation of the power grid's potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities after a CNET article last month raised security concerns.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57475190-83/senators-call-for-probe-of-electric-grid-cybersecurity/

China calls for tightened information security measures
China has asked government agencies and companies to improve their ability to ward off computer hackers and data thieves, as the increasing use of the Internet has created more information security risks.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2012-07/18/c_131722871.htm

Middle East officials targeted by cyber espionage 'Madi' attackers
Government officials in the Middle East are among 800 victims of a sustained cyber espionage attack dubbed Madi targeting critical infrastructure in Iran and Israel, security experts have discovered.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/jul/17/middle-east-madi-attackers

Another cyber espionage campaign found targeting Iran
Security experts have uncovered an ongoing cyber espionage campaign targeting Iran and other Middle Eastern countries that they say stands out because it is the first such operation using communications tools written in Persian.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/07/17/oukin-uk-cybersecurity-middleeast-idUKBRE86G0MD20120717

Mahdi cyberespionage malware infects computers in Iran, Israel, other Middle Eastern countries [IDG]
A piece of malware called Mahdi or Madi has been used to spy on hundreds of targets from Iran, Israel and a few other Middle Eastern countries during the past eight months, according to researchers from security vendors Seculert and Kaspersky Lab.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/071712-mahdi-cyberespionage-malware-infects-computers-260969.html
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/259398/mahdi_cyberespionage_malware_infects_computers_in_iran_israel_other_middle_eastern_countries.html

How To Select A DDoS Mitigation Service
Distributed denial-of-service attacks can flare up quickly and do serious damage. Time to call in the experts?
http://www.darkreading.com/security/attacks-breaches/240003662/how-to-select-a-ddos-mitigation-service.html

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PRIVACY
**********************
Cellphones or trackers? Debate hasn't kept pace with technology
On June 2, 2007, a Kansas teenager named Kelsey Smith disappeared in the parking lot of a Target store, where she had gone to buy supplies for a graduation party. Her car, a 1987 Buick Regal, was discovered in the parking lot of a nearby Macy?s.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-cell-phone-spying-20120716,0,7807998.story

That?s No Phone. That?s My Tracker.
The device in your purse or jeans that you think is a cellphone ? guess again. It is a tracking device that happens to make calls. Let?s stop calling them phones. They are trackers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/sunday-review/thats-not-my-phone-its-my-tracker.html

Editorial: The End of Privacy?
Cellphones, e-mail, and online social networking have come to rule daily life, but Congress has done nothing to update federal privacy laws to better protect digital communication. That inattention carries a heavy price.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/opinion/sunday/the-end-of-privacy.html

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CENSORSHIP
**********************
Russian Legislators Approve Greater Government Control Over the Internet and Nonprofits
Russia?s upper house of Parliament moved to strengthen controls over the Internet and nonprofit organizations on Wednesday, prompting a warning from the United Nations human rights chief that the Kremlin is sliding back into Soviet ways.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/19/world/europe/russian-parliament-approves-greater-government-control-over-the-internet-and-nonprofits.html

US Trade Bill Takes Aim at Russian Net Censorship
The Senate Finance Committee is set to take up legislation Wednesday that includes language targeting Russian efforts to censor the Internet.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2012/07/trade-bill-takes-aim-at-russia.php

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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
**************************
Microsoft apologises for failure to abide by EC ruling over web browsers
Microsoft has apologised to the European Commission and may face a fine after failing to abide by a ruling to give users of its Windows software choice over their web browser.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/jul/17/microsoft-apologises-failure-ec-ruling

EU on Microsoft Browser Ballot Bungle: There Could Be Severe Consequences
The European Commission has threatened Microsoft with severe penalties after discovering that the company has failed to comply with a mandate to offer Windows users in Europe a choice of Web browsers.
http://allthingsd.com/20120717/eu-on-microsoft-browser-ballot-bungle-there-could-be-severe-consequences/

EU to investigate Microsoft over anti-trust agreement
The European Commission has opened a fresh investigation into whether Microsoft has kept the anti-trust commitments it made in 2009.
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-18873042

Europe Opens New Microsoft Inquiry
The European Commission said Tuesday that it was beginning new antitrust proceedings against Microsoft, saying the company had failed to live up to a three-year-old agreement to give users of its Windows software better access to competitors? Internet browser software.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/18/technology/europe-reopens-antitrust-hostillities-with-microsoft.html

Microsoft Faces EU Antitrust Probe Over Web-Brower Choice
Microsoft Corp. risks European Union penalties for failing to comply with a settlement to give users a choice of web browsers, more than two years after it tried to end a decade-long clash with antitrust regulators.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-17/microsoft-faces-eu-antitrust-probe-over-web-brower-choice.html

ACTA ratification faces NZ hurdles
The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), though signed by New Zealand last October, will be opened to public consultation in the first of several legislative stages the agreement must pass through before it is ratified.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/acta-ratification-faces-nz-hurdles
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/tech-industry/3370523/acta-ratification-faces-nz-hurdles/
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/7300020/ACTA-ratification-faces-NZ-hurdles

us: Reid, Kyl Close to Online Gambling Deal
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., are close to a deal on legislation to legalize online poker while tightening restrictions on other forms of Internet gaming and are seeking Republican support for the agreement, according to Reid and a Democratic aide.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2012/07/reid-wants-more-gop-support-fo.php

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MISCELLANEOUS
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Australians pay 50pc more for music downloads, PC and console games
Australians are being slugged 50 per cent more for music downloads, PC and console games than US consumers, watchdog Choice has found.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/australians-pay-50-pc-more-for-music-downloads-pc-and-console-games/story-e6frgakx-1226429130233

NZ judge in Kim Dotcom case calls US "the enemy" on IP policy
The New Zealand judge in Kim Dotcom?s case has referred to the United States as ?the enemy,? with respect to intellectual property policy.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/07/nz-judge-in-kim-dotcom-case-calls-us-the-enemy-on-ip-policy/

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS
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No boom for telco equipment firms in 4G revolution
With data traffic from video downloads and on-the-go web surfers clogging up telecoms networks, mobile equipment makers such as Alcatel-Lucent and Nokia Siemens Networks should be booming.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/07/17/idUKL6E8I6BVG20120717

NZ ranked in top ten for wireless uptake
An OECD report has ranked New Zealand in the top ten out of 34 member countries for the proportion of wireless broadband subscribers per capita.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10820679

Australia gets low broadband ranking [AAP]
Australia's poor ranking in an international broadband report underpins the need for the national broadband network (NBN), Communications Minister Stephen Conroy says.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/431088/australia_gets_low_broadband_ranking/
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/australia-gets-low-broadband-ranking-20120718-22azx.html
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/australia-gets-low-broadband-ranking-20120718-22azx.html

Australia stays at 21st on OECD broadband stats
Australia has remained in 21st place in broadband subscriptions in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for the last six months of 2011.
http://www.zdnet.com/australia-stays-at-21st-on-oecd-broadband-stats-7000001168/

nz: Vodafone's towering costs questioned
Why do Vodafone's rural cell towers cost so much? That was the question asked by telecommunications consultant and blogger Jonathan Brewer at a session on rural broadband at the InternetNZ NetHui last week.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/7287915/Vodafones-towering-costs-questioned
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/vodafones-rural-cell-tower-costs-questioned

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David Goldstein

 email: david at goldsteinreport.com

 web:   http://goldsteinreport.com/
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"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 Flannery