[DNS] domain name news - 20 September

From: David Goldstein <david> Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2012 13:44:56 +1000 · This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.0 : Sat Sep 09 2017 - 22:00:11 UTC

Don't forget to check out http://www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the archive of the last 3 months of the news. And see my website - http://GoldsteinReport.com/ - for daily updates in between postings.

***************************************************

The domain name news is supported by auDA

***************************************************

ICANN Faces Battles Over New Web Domains
http://blogs.wsj.com/tech-europe/2012/09/18/icann-faces-battles-over-new-web-domains/

URS Implementation Finally to Commence Under GNSO Direction by Philip Corwin
http://internetcommerce.org/URS_Implementation

Nuclear Iran campaign group sends ICANN list of demands (and they?re really, really stupid)
http://domainincite.com/10497-nuclear-iran-campaign-group-sends-icann-list-of-demands-and-theyre-really-really-stupid

Whacky lawsuit targets ICANN, eNom, CentralNic, NetSol, Verisign
http://domainincite.com/10490-whacky-lawsuit-targets-icann-enom-centralnic-netsol-verisign

Industry objection forming to Google and Amazon?s keyword gTLD land grab
http://domainincite.com/10525-industry-objection-forming-to-google-and-amazons-keyword-gtld-land-grab

ICANN sets deadline to sort out Olympic shambles
http://domainincite.com/10481-icann-sets-deadline-to-sort-out-olympic-shambles

uk: Government hoarding unused IPv4 addresses worth ?920m
http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/news/2206280/government-hoarding-unused-ipv4-addresses-worth-gbp920m

us: New coalition representing Internet infrastructure industry launches
http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/249881-new-coalition-representing-the-internet-infrastructure-industry-launches

**********************
GOVERNANCE
**********************
Why Monopolistic Telecoms Threaten Internet Equality
It was only a couple of days after Barack Obama was elected president when Susan Crawford?s phone rang in the middle of the night. ?We want you to come work with us,? said a member of the transition team. Susan couldn?t believe it. 
http://mashable.com/2012/09/17/telecom-monopoly-internet-equality/

Region heard at internet governance forum
Cayman Islands Deputy Premier Juliana O?Connor-Connolly and Kernilon Owens of the Office of Telecommunications represented the Cayman Islands during the 8th Caribbean Internet Governance Forum that was held recently in St. Lucia.
http://www.compasscayman.com/caycompass/2012/09/17/Region-heard-at-internet-governance-forum/

Internet Governance Forum for North Africa launched 
The Internet Governance Forum for North Africa, IGF-North Africa, seeking a platform for multilateral dialogue on Internet governance in the region, was launched on Monday in Hammamet.
http://www.tap.info.tn/en/en/economy/18840-internet-governance-forum-for-north-africa-launched.html
http://allafrica.com/stories/201209181266.html

India's position on UN Committee for Internet Related Policies sparks debate
Report by India Education bureau; New Delhi: A multi stake holder discussion on ?India?s Position in the UN von Internet Governance: UN Committee for Internet Related Policies (UN-CIRP)? was organised here today by FICCI.
http://indiaeducationdiary.in/Shownews.asp?newsid=15300

China pushes for Internet cooperation among emerging countries
A senior information technology official on Tuesday said China hopes to boost Internet-related cooperation with other emerging countries and contribute to "global Internet prosperity."
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sci/2012-09/18/c_131858755.htm

us: Senate Panel Approves Internet Freedom Resolution
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday unanimously approved a resolution calling on the United States to prevent the United Nations from having a greater role in governing the Internet.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2012/09/senate-panel-approves-internet.php

**********************
DOMAIN NAMES
**********************
**********************
 - ICANN
**********************
WHOIS Technical Requirements Survey Invitation (Avail Until 31 OCT 2012)
The Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) Council's WHOIS Survey Working Group (WSWG) invites the Internet community to participate in a survey designed around an inventory of WHOIS technical components.
http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-17sep12-en.htm

Proposed Bylaws Amendments to Align Board Terms
Purpose (Brief): ICANN is seeking public comments on proposed Bylaws amendments drafted to align the terms of all Board members to begin at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting each year.
http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-18sep12-en.htm

New ICANN CEO is Out of the Blocks with Ambitious Operational Plans - Fadi Chehad? Assumes Top Spot Two Weeks Early
Fadi Chehad? today officially assumed the position of President and Chief Executive Officer of ICANN. He assumed his position two weeks ahead of his planned start date.
http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-14sep12-en.htm

Letter from Maguy Serad, Vice President, Contractual Compliance, ICANN, to Laurent Escart, AB CONNECT SARL
Notice of Breach and Impending RAA Non-Renewal
http://www.icann.org/en/news/correspondence/serad-to-escart-14sep12-en

Fellowship Application Round Opens for ICANN 46 in Beijing, People's Republic of China
The Fellowship Program has demonstrated success in its mission to build capacity in the ICANN multi-stakeholder environment through focused interactive engagement between newcomers to ICANN and community members at each of the ICANN meetings.
http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-19sep12-en.htm

ICANN Faces Battles Over New Web Domains
Before he handed over the reins of power, the then interim CEO of ICANN, Akram Atallah, gave the WSJ an update on how opening up the gTLD process was going. Mr. Atallah has reverted to his role as COO of ICANN?the new CEO is Fadi Chehad? who took over the organization last week. ICANN is responsible for managing and coordinating the Domain Name System (DNS) to ensure that every web address is unique and that all users of the Internet can find all valid addresses.
http://blogs.wsj.com/tech-europe/2012/09/18/icann-faces-battles-over-new-web-domains/

URS Implementation Finally to Commence Under GNSO Direction by Philip Corwin
For more than a year ICA has been asking ICANN when it will commence with the task of implementing the Uniform Rapid Suspension (URS) policy for the new gTLD program as it currently stands in the Applicant Guidebook (AG).
http://internetcommerce.org/URS_Implementation

ICANN's next decision: Deleting the dot from new domains?
"Dotless" TLDs accessed by going to "http://news" or "http://music" are likely to be off-limits for technical reasons. ICANN is accepting comments through Sunday.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57516374-38/icanns-next-decision-deleting-the-dot-from-new-domains/

ICANN plans meeting on URS amid calls for RFP
ICANN wants to try to put the unresolved issues surrounding the Uniform Rapid Suspension system to bed and is planning a meeting in a couple of weeks time to solicit community input.
http://domainincite.com/10518-icann-plans-meeting-on-urs-amid-calls-for-rfp

Negotiators Meet in Bid to Revive Iran Talks
The top nuclear negotiators for Iran and the big powers met face to face for the first time in nearly three months on Tuesday, part of an effort to revive the stalled talks over Iran?s disputed uranium enrichment activities as new military tensions roil the Middle East. ... In the United States, United Against Nuclear Iran, an advocacy group that helped pressure a global banking communications network to expel sanctioned Iranian banks, said it had undertaken a new effort to force the authorities who assign international Internet addresses to block sanctioned Iranian entities and persons from access to the Web. ? In letters sent to ICANN and the RIPE NCC, based in Amsterdam, the advocacy group?s president, Mark D. Wallace, said they may be in violation of Iran sanctions and that by disconnecting Internet access, ?the dictatorial regime of Iran would be severely impeded in pursuing its illegal and amoral activities.?
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/19/world/middleeast/nuclear-negotiators-meet-in-bid-to-revive-iran-talks.html

Nuclear Iran campaign group sends ICANN list of demands (and they?re really, really stupid)
The campaign group United Against Nuclear Iran has called on ICANN to switch off internet access to Iran, due to an apparent misunderstanding of what it is ICANN does.
http://domainincite.com/10497-nuclear-iran-campaign-group-sends-icann-list-of-demands-and-theyre-really-really-stupid

Calling Africa: ICANN's New Approach to Africa Is a Welcome and Significant Opportunity by Katim S. Touray
The announcement last month of a new approach by ICANN to Africa is welcome, and significant for a number of reasons. Africa must participate in ICANN's activities to help shape its policies, and benefit from the domain name industry (estimated at $2 billion in 2008), where it lags behind other regions, given the few African registrars, and that there are no gTLD registries that are African.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20120917_calling_africa_icann_new_approach_to_africa_is_a_welcome/

Whacky lawsuit targets ICANN, eNom, CentralNic, NetSol, Verisign
ICANN and several domain name companies have been slapped with a bizarre, virtually incomprehensible anti-cybersquattng lawsuit in Virginia.
http://domainincite.com/10490-whacky-lawsuit-targets-icann-enom-centralnic-netsol-verisign

**********************
 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
**********************
CIRA voting for new board begins
The head of an association of Internet providers, a prominent Internet law professor and a telecommunications lawyer who has acted for Wind Mobile?s parent company are among the 22 people running for the board of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority
http://www.itworldcanada.com/news/cira-voting-for-new-board-begins/146149

.EU Registrations Grow 7.6% In Q2 2012 To 3.6m
Registrations of .EU domain names continue to grow strongly with an increase of 7.6 percent in the year to the end of June 2012, according to the latest progress report from the .EU TLD registry, EURid. This built on the 6.1 percent year-on-year increase reported in Q1 2012.
http://www.domainpulse.com/2012/09/18/eu-registrations-grow-7-6-in-q2-2012-to-3-6m/

.eu continues robust growth in Q2 2012
.eu?s strong performance continued in Q2 2012 with 7.6% growth in domain name registrations compared with one year ago, according to the latest progress report from the .eu TLD registry, EURid.
http://www.eurid.eu/en/content/eu-continues-robust-growth-q2-2012

.eu continues robust growth in Q2
.eu?s strong performance continued in Q2 with 7.6 percent growth in domain name registrations compared with one year ago, according to the latest progress report from the .eu TLD EURid.
http://www.telecompaper.com/news/eu-continues-robust-growth-in-q2

.Eu Domain Names Pass 3.6 Million Registrations & Has An 85% Renewal Rate
.Eu?s domain name registrations grew 7.6% in the 2nd Quarter of of 2012 compared with one year ago, according to the latest progress report from the .eu TLD registry, EURid
http://www.thedomains.com/2012/09/18/eu-domain-names-pass-3-6-million-registrations-has-an-85-renewal-rate/

The Afnic Domain Name Industry Report issues its 1st key figures
The Afnic Domain Name Industry Report has changed format. From now on, each month a key market figure will be highlighted and discussed.
http://www.afnic.fr/en/about-afnic/news/general-news/6261/show/the-afnic-domain-name-industry-report-issues-its-1st-key-figures.html

.IO, the Undeclared Alt TLD Darling of Tech Startups?
.IO domain logoLeading with a headline about .IO is likely to have many readers rolling their eyes. Everyone knows that .com is king, and no one in their right mind would argue otherwise. But when .com can?t be afforded, startups naturally turn to alternatives like .NET and .CO, right?
http://www.domainanimal.com/io-the-undeclared-alt-tld-darling-of-tech-startups/

Almost five million Russian domains registered
Coordination Center for TLD RU broke through the four-million-domain milestone for the Russian ccTLD .ru on Monday, according to a press release.
http://domainincite.com/10514-almost-five-million-russian-domains-registered

**********************
 - NEW TLDS
**********************
Industry objection forming to Google and Amazon?s keyword gTLD land grab
Members of the domain name industry, led by Michele Neylon of Blacknight, plan to complain to ICANN about dozens of single-registrant new gTLD applications filed by Google and Amazon.
http://domainincite.com/10525-industry-objection-forming-to-google-and-amazons-keyword-gtld-land-grab

ICANN sets deadline to sort out Olympic shambles
ICANN?s board of directors has set itself a deadline to come to a decision on special new gTLD protections for the International Olympic Committee and Red Cross.
http://domainincite.com/10481-icann-sets-deadline-to-sort-out-olympic-shambles

2013 GeoFutr.com Geo gTLD & Geodomain Conference Announced
Patrick Carleton, formerly the Executive Director of Associated Cities, and Josh Metnick, Chairman and CEO of Chicago.com, Inc. and founder of Associated Cities, have announced a new venture in the geodomain space: GeoFutr.com Geo gTLD & Geodomain Conference.
http://www.elliotsblog.com/2013-geofutr-com-geo-gtld-geodomain-conference-announced-8367

Patrick Carleton and Josh Metnick plan conference for geo TLD applicants
Two familiar faces in the geodomaining world have teamed up to create a new conference catering to GeoTLD and Geodomain owners.
http://domainnamewire.com/2012/09/17/patrick-carleton-and-josh-metnick-plan-conference-for-geo-tld-applicants/

Domain Name System Revolution Part 3: Update on the Introduction of the New gTLD Scheme to the Internet Domain Space
In November 2010, we prepared a paper on the proposed introduction of new gTLDs. Nearly two years on, this paper takes another look at the new gTLD scheme to track its progress and to address what clients can do to prepare for its commencement.
http://www.mondaq.com/australia/x/197374/

us: Masters of their own domain: .GOP
I?ve always suspected that Republicans live in a different world. Mitt Romney?s recently revealed comments about the ?other? 47% serve to reinforce that view. Now it seems that Republicans want to exist on the internet in their own separate .GOP domain.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/09/19/1133919/-Masters-of-their-own-domain-GOP

**********************
 - DNS SECURITY
**********************
Cyber Warfare Still Poses Legal Questions
Legal norms are emerging in cybersecurity, but many questions about what is legal and what is not in cyber warfare remain unanswered, both in the U.S. and on the international stage, diplomatic and national security officials said Tuesday at an event hosted by U.S. Cyber Command at Fort Meade, Md.
http://www.informationweek.com/government/security/cyber-warfare-still-poses-legal-question/240007560
http://www.darkreading.com/quickview/1643

us: Bank group warns of heightened risk of cyber attacks
A financial services industry group warned U.S. banks, brokerages and insurers on Wednesday to be on heightened alert for cyber attacks after Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase experienced unexplained outages on their public websites.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/09/20/uk-jpmorganchase-website-idUKBRE88I16K20120920

Questions loom about Obama's cybersecurity plans
With opposition growing to reported plans by President Obama to issue an Executive Order to bolster cybersecurity for the nation's critical infrastructure, the question now is whether the White House will plow ahead or drop the idea quietly in an election year.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/436634/questions_loom_about_obama_cybersecurity_plans/

Phishers continue to target legitimate websites
Attackers confidently exploit legitimate websites with the same methods and that they succeed because victims are not implementing recommended best practices, countermeasures and responses, according to the APWG.
http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=13623

More malware targeting Iran could yet be discovered
Fresh analysis of the malware Flame suggests it could be part of a much wider "family".
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19637182

Stuxnet Tricks Copied by Computer Criminals
Malicious code apparently used by governments to spy on, harass, and sabotage one another has grabbed headlines in recent years, yet the highly targeted nature of such attacks have meant ordinary Web users have so far had little to fear. That may now be changing as some experts say the techniques used in sophisticated, state-backed malware are trickling down to less-skilled programmers who target regular Web users and their online accounts or credit card details.
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/429173/stuxnet-tricks-copied-by-computer-criminals/

Researchers unravel Flame's secrets
Kaspersky Lab has published a new report on the Flame trojan in which the company summarises research it has undertaken in conjunction with Symantec, the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and the International Telecommunication Union's IMPACT alliance. The investigation of Command and Control (C&C) servers used by the creators of Flame revealed several new findings, including the discovery of three as yet unidentified malicious programs. The researchers also learned that the development of Flame dates back as far as December 2006.
http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Researchers-unravel-Flame-s-secrets-1710693.html

'Flame' malware may have siblings, study finds [IDG]
A deeper look into the Flame malware, linked to the infamous Stuxnet, has revealed that it may be just one of four pieces of malware created by the same unknown development team.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9231380/_39_Flame_39_malware_may_have_siblings_study_finds

UK spy agency tests Britons' cyber skills
Britain's largest spy service, losing cyber specialists to better-paying private employers, unveiled an online security competition open to all Britons on Wednesday to identify future espionage recruits and raise awareness of cyber attacks.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/09/18/uk-security-cyber-britain-idUKBRE88H1F520120918

Microsoft Battles the Botnets [AP]
A customer in Shenzhen, China, took a brand new laptop out of its box and turned it on for the first time. But as the screen lit up, the computer began taking on a life of its own. The machine, directed by a virus hidden in its hard drive, started searching the Internet for another computer.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/17/technology/17iht-virus17.html

us: Senator Presses On Cybersecurity [subscription]
Heads of major U.S. companies could be in for some interesting mail Wednesday. Frustrated by congressional failure to pass a cybersecurity bill, a top lawmaker is sending letters to the chief executives of every Fortune 500 company, asking them to describe their company's handling of computer security.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443720204578004690006299614.html

**********************
 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
**********************
City of Paris ordered to pay $100k for reverse domain name hijacking
A U.S. federal district court has ordered Ville de Paris (City of Paris) to pay $100,000 for reverse domain name hijacking and tortious interference.
http://domainnamewire.com/2012/09/17/city-of-paris-ordered-to-pay-100k-for-reverse-domain-name-hijacking/

WallStreet.com: panel rules reverse domain name hijacking
Wall-Street.com blasted for its attempt to hijack WallStreet.com domain name.
http://domainnamewire.com/2012/09/17/wallstreet-com-panel-rules-reverse-domain-name-hijacking/

WallStreet.com: The UDRP Decision Is In & The Panel Finds Reverse Domain Name Hijacking
The three member UDRP WIPO panel decision on the domain name WallStreet.com is out and not only was the complaint by Wall-Street.com, LLC rejected but the panel found the complainant engaged in Reverse Domain Name Hijacking (RDNH).
http://www.thedomains.com/2012/09/17/wallstreet-com-the-udrp-decision-is-in-the-panel-finds-reverse-domain-name-hijacking/

**********************
 - IPv4/IPv6
**********************
British government agency hoards addresses as IP well runs dry
Europe has tapped out its supply of Internet addresses in its assigned range, but some tech prospectors believe they've found some IPv4 gold?a full block of 16,777,216 addresses that isn't used to connect to the Internet. But the British government agency that owns the block of addresses (referred to in IP networking as a /8 block) has no intentions of giving it up, even though almost none of the addresses will ever be publicly accessible.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/09/british-government-agency-hoards-addresses-as-ip-well-runs-dry/

uk: Government hoarding unused IPv4 addresses worth ?920m
The Department for Work and Pensions is sitting on a ?920m pile of IPv4 addresses that are currently unused, a veritable treasure trove as the number of available addresses dwindles rapidly.
http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/news/2206280/government-hoarding-unused-ipv4-addresses-worth-gbp920m

UK.gov squatting on ?1bn IPv4 motherlode
The UK's Department for Work and Pensions is sitting on up to ?1bn worth of IPv4 addresses that it is not using, according to an online petition.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/09/18/dwp_ipv4_addresses_unused/

UK gov. should sell its 16 million IPv4 addresses, says petition
The U.K. government has 16 million old IPv4 addresses, with an estimated market value of $0.5--$1.5bn according to one report, just as the world is running on empty.
http://www.zdnet.com/uk-gov-should-sell-its-16-million-ipv4-addresses-says-petition-7000004412/

DWP rules out sale of 16.8 million "unused" IPv4 addresses
The Department of Work and Pensions has ruled out the sale of 16.8 million ?unused? IPv4 addresses estimated to be worth almost ?1bn, arguing there is no satisfactory means of disposing of them.
http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/news/2206595/dwp-rules-out-sale-of-168-million-unused-ipv4-addresses

RIPE NCC is Reaching the Last /8 of IPv4 by Mirjam Kuehne
In an earlier article, IPv4 - Business As Usual, we pointed out that the RIPE NCC will reach the last /8 of IPv4 address space (16,777,216 addresses) sometime later this year. On Friday, 14 September 2012 we reached this important milestone; we allocated the last IPv4 addresses from the unallocated pool. From now on, the RIPE NCC can only distribute IPv6 addresses and a one-time /22 IPv4 allocation from the last /8 to those Local Internet Registries (LIRs) that meet the requirements.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20120918_ripe_ncc_is_reaching_the_last_8_of_ipv4/

Regional Internet Registry RIPE Distributes Last Blocks of IPv4 Addresses
The last blocks of IPv4 address space from the available pool have been distributed, according to a notice on Friday by RIPE NCC. RIPE, the Regional Internet Registry for Europe, the Middle East and parts of central Asia, says it is distributing IPv4 address space to Local Internet Registries from the last /8.
http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/regional-internet-registry-ripe-distributes-last-blocks-of-ipv4-addresses

Europe About to RUN OUT of IP Addresses as Switch to IPv6 Fails to Materialise
RIPE NCC, which handles the complicated business of internet registry for Europe, the Middle East and parts of Asia, is down to its last packet of IP4 internet addresses. It?s time to start panic-buying strings of numbers.
http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2012/09/europe-about-to-run-out-of-ip-addresses-as-switch-to-ipv6-fails-to-materialise/

**********************
 - MISCELLANEOUS
**********************
us: New coalition representing Internet infrastructure industry launches
A new trade coalition dedicated to representing the voice of the Internet infrastructure industry ? including cloud computing providers, domain registrars and Web hosting companies ? launched Monday.
http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/249881-new-coalition-representing-the-internet-infrastructure-industry-launches

us: Internet Infrastructure Coalition Launches to Lobby for Hosting Providers in Congress
The Internet Infrastructure Coalition, a trade organization founded to represent the interests of the Internet infrastructure providers to US lawmakers as they consider legislation that may affect the operation of the Internet, officially launched on Monday, with 42 member organizations.
http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/internet-infrastructure-coalition-launches-to-lobby-for-hosting-providers-in-congress

Go Daddy gets patent for SEO and search engine submission
The United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued a patent to Go Daddy for ?method for improving a web site?s ranking with search engines?.
http://domainnamewire.com/2012/09/18/go-daddy-gets-patent-for-seo-and-search-engine-submission/

New Philippine law outlaws cybersex: Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 also goes after cybersquatting and libel.
In a new legislation recently signed into law by the country?s president, the Philippines has outlawed cybersex and online sex video chat (you might know them as "cam girls") as part of a comprehensive new anti-cybercrime and libel law.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/09/new-philippine-law-outlaws-cybersex/

ca: Why Twitter was a mistake
Twitter was originally built with the infrastructure to accommodate a few thousand users. ... ?That?s when it struck me that there was nothing like it,? Mr. Stone told attendees at the Canadian Internet Registration Authority symposium and annual general meeting at the Ottawa Convention Centre on Tuesday.
http://www.obj.ca/Technology/2012-09-19/article-3078522/Why-Twitter-was-a-mistake/1

**********************
 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
**********************
Details of $528,000 sale of Accommodation.com and Accommodation.co.uk
Australian company Pixel Capital Pty Ltd announced last week that it had acquired Accommodation.com and Accommodation.co.uk for a combined US$528,000.
http://domainnamewire.com/2012/09/17/details-of-528000-sale-of-accommodation-com-and-accommodation-co-uk/

**********************
INTERNET USE
**********************
uk: Digital fiction book sales soar, Publishers Association says
A "huge increase" in the value of digital book sales in the UK has been announced by trade organisation the Publishers Association.
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19626076

au: Cut off social media, lose recruits: report
One in five job seekers say they would turn down a job if it did not provide access to social media such as Facebook, according to a paper released by recruitment giant Hays yesterday.
http://www.afr.com/p/national/cut_off_social_media_lose_recruits_5HUHQCRFcwovR3OR4PD06H

As Google Fills in Blank, a German Cries Foul
In an earlier, more innocent era, the shocking rumors about the past of a former first lady of Germany would have stayed put in the drawing rooms of the political elite. Nowadays, they appear unbidden on Google.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/19/world/europe/keystrokes-in-google-bare-shocking-rumors-about-bettina-wulff.html

**********************
SOCIAL MEDIA
**********************
Why are 5 million kids on Facebook if it doesn't want them?
Facebook has an ugly little secret, a number disclosed nowhere in its voluminous filings to become a public company and now only vaguely addressed by corporate officials.
http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/09/19/facebook-children-idINDEE88I0HE20120919

**********************
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
**********************
Quantum leap towards computer revolution
Australian engineers have made a world breakthrough in the race to create quantum computers, which could perform tasks billions of times faster than even the most sophisticated technology today.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/technology/quantum-computer-breakthrough/story-fn5h1vlf-1226477570624

Australian engineers write quantum computer 'qubit' in global breakthrough
Australian researchers say the world's first quantum computer is just 5 to10 years away, after announcing a global breakthrough that makes manufacture of its memory building blocks possible.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/government/australian-engineers-write-quantum-computer-qubit-in-global-breakthrough/story-fn4htb9o-1226477592578

*********************************
CHILD PROTECTION & ONLINE SAFETY
*********************************
Food Makers Hook Kids on Mobile Games
U.S. snack food companies are reaching children by embedding their products in simple and enticing games for touch-screen phones and tablets, demonstrating how new technology is changing U.S. commerce.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444812704577605263654758948.html

How to keep smartphone-using kids safe
Educating children about the appropriate and inappropriate uses of smartphones begins by assessing the level of responsibility the child can handle and tweaking the phone accordingly.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57514423-285/how-to-keep-smartphone-using-kids-safe/

R18+ classification passed in NSW parliament
Legislation has been passed in NSW parliament to introduce R18+ classifications for computer games.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/436926/r18_classification_passed_nsw_parliament/

**********************
ONLINE PIRACY, TV & MUSIC
**********************
BitTorrent Downloads: 9 Countries With Huge Appetites For Unauthorized Music Files
Even with the fall of Napster and rise of Spotify, it appears illegally downloading music is still the fashionable thing to do.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/17/bittorrent-downloads-by-country_n_1890297.html

BitTorrent Users DDoS Websites Without Knowing
Millions of BitTorrent users are unknowingly DDoSing websites because ?publishers? of popular torrents mistakenly add website URLs as trackers.
http://torrentfreak.com/bittorrent-users-ddos-websites-without-knowing-120919/

**********************
MOBILE/WIRELESS
**********************
Hong Kong 4G traffic to overtake 3G in 2013
With more new LTE handsets and OTT (over-the-top) offerings entering the market over the next year, overall data consumption will not only rocket but also will increasingly ride on 4G networks.
http://www.zdnet.com/hong-kong-4g-traffic-to-overtake-3g-in-2013-7000004418/

Privacy fears on apps that track you
HOW much does your phone know about you? And who does it tell? This year, the photo sharing company Path apologised and deleted address books it had uploaded from users' phones without consent. Apps must now ask before accessing this data, just as they do with a device's location.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/privacy-fears-on-apps-that-track-you-20120918-264si.html
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/privacy-fears-on-apps-that-track-you-20120918-264si.html

Mobile phones and wi-fi do not cause cancer, researchers find
Using a mobile or wi-fi doesn't cause cancer and poses no damage to health, according to a new study.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9550356/Mobile-phones-and-wi-fi-do-not-cause-cancer-researchers-find.html

**********************
SPAM
**********************
A Look at Mail Patterns from Legitimate Webmail Sources by Terry Zink
For many years, I have tracked spam from botnets and reported on it. I have analyzed those botnets' distribution patterns by number of IPs, number of messages per email envelope and geographical distribution. While spam from botnets is interesting, and the main source of spam, it is not the only source of spam. What about spam that originates from the MAGY sources?
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20120919_a_look_at_mail_patterns_from_legitimate_webmail_sources/

**********************
DIGITAL DIVIDE
**********************
Google brings new 'e-mail via text message' service to Africa
The Web giant is introducing a new service to millions of cell phone users in Africa, which lets people send and receive e-mails through SMS messages.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57515534-93/google-brings-new-e-mail-via-text-message-service-to-africa/

**********************
ONLINE CRIME & LEGAL
**********************
Report On National Online Cybercrime and Online Threats Reporting Centres by Wout de Natris
Today I released a report on 'National cyber crime and online threats reporting centres. A study into national and international cooperation'. Mitigating online threats and the subsequent enforcing of violations of laws often involves many different organisations and countries. Many countries are presently engaged in erecting national centres aimed at reporting cyber crime, spam or botnet mitigation.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20120917_report_national_online_cybercrime_online_threats_reporting_centres/

uk: Cyber fraud threatens welfare reform, warns minister
Cyber fraud and identity theft pose the most serious threat to the implementation of the government's flagship welfare reform project, Universal Credit, a government minister said as he outlined potential problems facing the project during the final months of development.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/sep/18/cyber-fraud-welfare-reform-minister

de: Pirate Party Member Insists on Copyright for Book
Encouraging free sharing of files on the Internet, including copyrighted material, is an official platform of Germany's Pirate Party. This week, however, a senior member of the party has been policing illegal downloads of a book she published through a subsidiary of Random House. Will the party continue to promote its "information must be free" line?
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/a-856468.html

Bitcoin thieves yet to spend stolen hoard
Cyberthieves who stole more than $250,000 in digital money are still sitting on the cash. The haul, in what is known as bitcoins, was stolen in a raid on the Bitfloor online currency exchange this month.
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-19633980

**********************
SECURITY
**********************
Cyber Warfare Still Poses Legal Questions
Legal norms are emerging in cybersecurity, but many questions about what is legal and what is not in cyber warfare remain unanswered, both in the U.S. and on the international stage, diplomatic and national security officials said Tuesday at an event hosted by U.S. Cyber Command at Fort Meade, Md.
http://www.informationweek.com/government/security/cyber-warfare-still-poses-legal-question/240007560
http://www.darkreading.com/quickview/1643