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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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Administrator of Domain Name System Launches Global Multistakeholder Accountability Process
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/press/releases/release-14mar14-en>

NTIA Announces Intent to Transition Key Internet Domain Name Functions
<http://www.ntia.doc.gov/press-release/2014/ntia-announces-intent-transition-key-internet-domain-name-functions>

Internet Technical Leaders Welcome IANA Globalization Progress
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-2-14mar14-en.htm>

U.S. Plans to Relinquish IANA Contract in 2015
<http://www.internetcommerce.org/IANA_Transition>

U.S. to Cede Its Oversight of Addresses on Internet
<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/15/technology/us-to-give-up-role-in-internet-domain-names.html>

auDA welcomes US announcement regarding changes to global Internet management
<http://www.auda.org.au/news/20140317/>

End to U.S. oversight a step towards maturity for the Internet
<https://internetnz.net.nz/news/media-releases/2014/End-US-oversight-step-towards-maturity-Internet>

Australia doubts ICANN is ready to run the internet
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/03/16/australia_doubts_icann_is_ready_to_run_the_internet/>

Shoply continues shopping spree, snaps up WowBaby.com.au
<http://www.proactiveinvestors.com.au/companies/news/53658/shoply-continues-shopping-spree-snaps-up-wowbabycomau-53658.html>

There's no stopping the shopping online
<http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/opinion/theres-no-stopping-the-shopping-online/story-e6frg9lo-1226854190970>


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GOVERNANCE
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Marco Rubio Wants to Save the Internet From Foreigners
Sen. Marco Rubio, still engaged in his campaign to reconnect with his tea party roots after blowing it on immigration reform, announced today that he plans to introduce a bill that would "prevent a 'takeover' of the Internet by the United Nations or another government regime."
<http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2014/03/marco-rubio-wants-save-internet-foreigners>

?Compromise? deal may secure internet?s future
As the world wide web marks its 25th anniversary, a Geneva-based internet governance expert tells swissinfo.ch why, despite these turbulent times, a global political compromise may be within reach to preserve its future.
<http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/science_technology/Compromise_deal_may_secure_internet_s_future.html?cid=38153830>

US stranglehold undermines 'free and open' web
The rhetoric of a 'free and open' web espoused by Tim Berners-Lee is undermined by America's disproportionate influence over it, argues Julia Powles in this guest column
<http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-03/13/who-governs-the-net>

Multi-stakeholder Consultation on UNESCO?s Comprehensive Study on the Internet
UNESCO is now seeking feedback from stakeholders on how it should design and implement a comprehensive study of Internet-related issues that will present options for future actions within its mandate. Comments are requested before 30 April, after which the draft concept paper and questions will be finalized, and the research will commence.
<http://www.unesco.org/new/en/media-services/single-view/news/multi_stakeholder_consultation_on_unescos_comprehensive_study_on_the_internet/back/9597/>

NRO Contributes to NETmundial
The Number Resource Organization (NRO) on behalf of the five Regional Internet Registries (RIRs), AFRINIC, APNIC, ARIN, LACNIC, and the RIPE NCC, submitted a contribution to the Global Multistakeholder Meeting on the Future of Internet Governance, NETmundial.
<http://www.nro.net/news/nro-contributes-to-netmundial>

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DOMAIN NAMES
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 - ICANN
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Administrator of Domain Name System Launches Global Multistakeholder Accountability Process
ICANN today launched a process to transition the role of the United States Government relating to the Internet's unique identifiers system.
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-14mar14-en.htm>
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/press/releases/release-14mar14-en>

NTIA Announces Intent to Transition Key Internet Domain Name Functions
To support and enhance the multistakeholder model of Internet policymaking and governance, the U.S. Commerce Department?s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announces its intent to transition key Internet domain name functions to the global multistakeholder community.
<http://www.ntia.doc.gov/press-release/2014/ntia-announces-intent-transition-key-internet-domain-name-functions>

Internet Technical Leaders Welcome IANA Globalization Progress
The leaders of the Internet technical organizations responsible for coordination of the Internet infrastructure (IETF, IAB, RIRs, ccTLD ROs, ICANN, ISOC, and W3C), welcome the US Government's announcement of the suggested changes related to the IANA functions contract.
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-2-14mar14-en.htm>
<http://www.apnic.net/publications/news/2014/internet-technical-leaders-welcome-iana-globalization-progress>
<http://www.nro.net/news/internet-technical-leaders-welcome-iana-globalization-progress>
<http://www.internetsociety.org/news/internet-technical-leaders-welcome-iana-globalization-progress>

ICANN President Reacts to US Government Plan to Relinquish Key Internet Stewardship
ICANN President reacts to U.S. decision to transfer stewardship of important Internet technical functions.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg_LD0C6ZiI&feature=em-subs_digest>

ICANN Updates Application Status and Contention Sets
Today ICANN is updating application statuses to reflect the results of various New gTLD Program processes including objection determinations.
<http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/announcements-and-media/announcement-15mar14-en>

Summary and Analysis of Specification 13 Public Comments by Cyrus Namazi
As a result of sincere and constructive discussions and negotiations, a proposed Specification 13 is in our hands. If approved by NGPC, Specification 13 would provide limited accommodations to registry operators of TLDs that qualify as ?.Brand TLDs.? As many as one-third of all new gTLD applications might qualify as .Brand TLDs.
<http://blog.icann.org/2014/03/summary-and-analysis-of-specification-13-public-comments/>

New Contracting Statistics Released
Below are the key Contracting statistics, as of 14 March 2014:
<http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/announcements-and-media/announcement-14mar14-en>

ICANN Grants Data Retention Waiver to OVH SAS
OVH SAS ("Registrar") submitted to ICANN a Registrar Data Retention Waiver Request ("Waiver Request") on the basis of Registrar's contention that compliance with the data collection and/or retention requirements of the Data Retention Specification in the 2013 RAA violates applicable law in France.
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/announcements/announcement-12mar14-en.htm>

Stephen D. Crocker, Chair | ICANN Board of Directors, to Heather Dryden
Proposal for implementing GAC advice concerning IGO acronyms
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/correspondence/crocker-to-dryden-13mar14-en>

Akram Atallah, President, Global Domains Division | ICANN, to Philippe Laurent
New gTLD applications for ".SPA"
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/correspondence/atallah-to-laurent-13mar14-en>

Philippe Laurent, Marx Van Ranst Vermeersch & Partners, to Fadi Chehad? and Steve Crocker
New gTLD applications for ".SPA"
<http://www.icann.org/en/news/correspondence/laurent-to-chehade-crocker-06mar14-en>

U.S. Plans to Relinquish IANA Contract in 2015
The NTIA has just announced that it plans to turn its IANA functions contract counterparty role over to ?the global multistakeholder community? when the current contract expires at the end of September 2015.
<http://www.internetcommerce.org/IANA_Transition>

The U.S. government will set the DNS root free by Milton Mueller
We applaud the recent statement from the NTIA announcing its intention to ?transition key Internet domain name functions to the global multistakeholder community.? This is a historic moment in the evolution of Internet governance.
<http://www.internetgovernance.org/2014/03/14/the-u-s-government-will-set-the-dns-root-free/>

U.S. to Cede Its Oversight of Addresses on Internet
The United States will give up its role overseeing the system of Web addresses and domain names that form the basic plumbing of the Internet, turning it over in 2015 to an international group whose structure and administration will be determined over the next year, government officials said on Friday.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/15/technology/us-to-give-up-role-in-internet-domain-names.html>

US Government Cedes Control Of The Internet
The US government is to give up control of the administration of the internet, handing over responsibility for the IP numbering network and domain name system (DNS) to the global community.
<http://www.forbes.com/sites/emmawoollacott/2014/03/15/us-government-cedes-control-of-the-internet/>

US to relinquish Internet control
The U.S. government on Friday announced it is taking steps to relinquish control over the backbone of the Internet.
<http://thehill.com/blogs/hillicon-valley/technology/200889-us-to-relinquish-internet-control>

Internet control to shift from U.S. to global stage
The U.S. Commerce Department is relinquishing its hold over the group that manages the Internet?s architecture, amid pressure to globalize its functions in the wake of reports about NSA surveillance.
<http://www.politico.com/story/2014/03/internet-control-commerce-department-nsa-104686.html>

auDA welcomes US announcement regarding changes to global Internet management
.au Domain Administration Ltd (auDA), the manager of Australia?s ?.au? Internet domain space, welcomes the U.S. Commerce Department?s National Telecommunications and Information Administration?s (NTIA) recent decision to transition key Internet management functions to the global multi-stakeholder community.
<http://www.auda.org.au/news/20140317/>

End to U.S. oversight a step towards maturity for the Internet
InternetNZ (Internet New Zealand Inc) is pleased by last Friday?s historic announcement that the U.S Government will cede control of domain names and Internet addresses. The United States Commerce Department?s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has said it intends to finish a process it started in the 1990s.
<https://internetnz.net.nz/news/media-releases/2014/End-US-oversight-step-towards-maturity-Internet>

Donuts Statement Regarding IANA Function
... As the largest applicant for new TLDs, we look forward to providing a constructive contribution in this multi-stakeholder discussion.
<http://www.donuts.co/uncategorized/donuts-statement-regarding-iana-function/>

US to give up control over ICANN
In what can only be described as an historic announcement, the United States government tonight said that it will walk away from its control of the DNS root zone.
<http://domainincite.com/16085-us-to-give-up-control-over-icann>

Roundup: industry reaction to US giving up IANA role
Members of the domain name industry and ICANN community reacted generally positively to the news Friday night that the US will step aside from its central role in ICANN oversight.
<http://domainincite.com/16103-roundup-industry-reaction-to-us-giving-up-iana-role>

Australia doubts ICANN is ready to run the internet
... But the minister is not sure that ICANN is ready for the job, asking ? Is ICANN now sufficiently representative, sufficiently trusted that it can manage the DNS root zone, allocate TLDs and ccTLDs without oversight other than that which comes internally from its board and the global constituencies they represent??
<http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/03/16/australia_doubts_icann_is_ready_to_run_the_internet/>

French registrar gets Whois data waiver
The French registrar OVH has been told by ICANN that it can opt out of a requirement to retain its customers? contact data for two years after their domain names expire.
<http://domainincite.com/16077-french-registrar-gets-whois-data-waiver>

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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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CIRA and DomainsBot bring advanced domain name suggestion technology to the Canadian market
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) is pleased to partner with DomainsBot to bring domain name suggestion technology to Canadians seeking to register a .CA website.
<http://www.cira.ca/news/announcements/name-spinning/>

The homes of .de domains - DENIC domain map 2013: The regional distribution of .de domains in Germany
DENIC, the registry for .de domains, presents the results of the regional domain statistics 2013. As at 31 December 2013, it includes about 14.5 million .de domains in the 402 cities and districts of Germany. Adding to these numbers are nearly one million domains of holders whose place of residence is abroad. In total, about 15.6 million .de domains were registered at the end of 2013. Domain development in 2013 was slightly slower than in the preceding years and confirmed the East-West divide of .de domain distribution.
<http://www.denic.de/en/denic-in-dialogue/press-releases/press/3857.html>

eu: Infographic: Results Registrar Satisfaction Survey 2013
94% of .eu registrars feel they have a good relationship with EURid, according to the results of the 2013 Registrar Satisfaction Survey. This figure has increased 7% from last year.
<http://www.eurid.eu/en/news/mar-2014/infographic-results-registrar-satisfaction-survey-2013>

EURid Registrar Satisfaction Levels Rising
Hot on the heels of Afnic publishing the results of their annual survey that found 99 percent of registrars were happy with their services, EURid have published the results of their 2013 Registrar Satisfaction Survey that finds 97 percent are satisfied with EURid compared to other TLDs while 94 percent of registrars ?feel they have a good relationship with EURid?, up seven percent from 2012.
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2014/03/13/eurid-registrar-satisfaction-levels-rising/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/eurid-registrar-satisfaction-levels-rising.html>

.EU Renewal Rate Tops 80 Percent In 2013: EURid Report
On average, 81 percent of .eu domain names were renewed in 2013, according to the latest progress report from the .eu registry EURid. This is the seventh year running that .eu has maintained such a high renewal rate, indicating that .eu domain name holders are a loyal group.
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2014/03/13/eu-renewal-tops-80-percent/>
<http://www.domainnews.com/eu-renewal-tops-80-percent.html>

.eu renewal rate tops 80% in 2013
On average, 81% of .eu domain names were renewed in 2013, according to the latest progress report from the .eu registry EURid. This is the seventh year running that .eu has maintained such a high renewal rate, indicating that .eu domain name holders are a loyal group.
<http://www.eurid.eu/en/news/mar-2014/eu-renewal-rate-tops-80-2013>

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 - NEW TLDS
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What You Need To Know About New .health Domains
So, you're setting up a website for your practice. You thought you'd just grab a .com, .net, or maybe .info. But now there's .health. Will one of those set you apart from the .com crowd? So what do you need to know about these new domains?
<http://www.medpagetoday.com/PracticeManagement/InformationTechnology/44766>

The Name Collision Conference
Earlier this week Verisign sponsored a two day conference on name collisions in the DNS. Despite the very short time frame in which it was organized, only a month from announcement to meeting, there were some very good presentations. I'll just hit some highlights here; all of the papers and slides are on their web site at namecollisions.net.
<http://jl.ly/Internet/collide.html>

String Confusion Explained
Dirk from dotBerlin has posted a very funny, but also scarily accurate, graphic that illustrates how inconsistent some of the decisions handed down have been.
<http://www.internetnews.me/2014/03/14/string-confusion-explained/#lightbox/0/>

Belgians do want a piece of Donuts? new gTLD action
The Belgian government is blocking approval of Donuts? bid for the new gTLD .spa until the company agrees to hand over up to 25% of its .spa profits to the community of the city of Spa.
<http://domainincite.com/16095-belgians-do-want-a-piece-of-donuts-new-gtld-action>

Berlin first city with its own internet domain
Companies or individuals based in the German capital will be able to use .berlin at the end of their website addresses from 18 March, the dpa news agency reports. The suffix - technically known as a gTLD - was created under an agreement between Berlin's local government and ICANN, the US-based organisation that co-ordinates global internet systems.
<http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-26576617>

City set to launch own domain name .berlin
Berlin will be the first city in the world to get its own domain name. Launching on Tuesday, .berlin already has 55,000 websites interested and other major metropolises will follow its lead.
<http://www.thelocal.de/20140314/berlin-to-get-its-own-internet-domain-name>

Berlin the world's first city with its own domain name
Berlin won the race to become the world?s first city with its own domain name.
<http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/business/technology/140314/berlin-wins-the-race-become-first-city-its-own-domain-name>

.SUCKS Does Not Serve Public Interest And Is A Predatory Shakedown Scheme: Rockefeller to ICANN
The only apparent purpose of the .sucks gTLD is to extract ?defensive registration? payments from internet users, and unfairly defame individuals, non-profit organisations and businesses said John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV in a letter to ICANN.
<http://www.domainnews.com/sucks-public-interest-predatory-rockefeller-icann.html>
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2014/03/12/sucks-public-interest-predatory-shakedown-scheme-rockefeller-icann/>

The case for Web sites ending in ?.sucks?
Should people be banned from registering domain names that end in ".sucks"? It's easy to see how this could get out of hand. A politician might take out his opponent's name and put .sucks at the end. Cyberbullies might use the suffix to torment teens and young children. In the wrong hands, a .sucks domain could do real damage. But maybe clamping down isn't the best move.
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/03/13/the-case-for-web-sites-ending-in-sucks/>

Are You Missing the .BOAT?
Are you a small or medium business? Have you ever heard of the TMCH or Trademark Clearinghouse? Do you know what a new gTLD is? If the answer to the last two questions is ?no,? you?re not alone. It?s becoming very clear that awareness of gTLDs and the TMCH is not what it should be.
<http://www.wired.com/insights/2014/03/missing-boat/>

15 more new TLDs available next week
15 more new TLDs will hit the market next week in one form or another.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2014/03/14/new-tlds-march-17/>

Excessive sunrise costs just one issue to be addressed before permanent gTLD application window
The prospect of a permanent gTLD application window opening as early as 2015 was discussed in London yesterday ? as well as critical issues that need to be ironed out before such a move. One such area relates to the setting of sunrise fees, with criticism mounting on one applicant?s plans to charge trademark owners $25,000 per registration in the ?.sucks? sunrise.
<http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/daily/Detail.aspx?g=11b6147e-49be-4f4b-a4cb-43241249cab1>

European Commission calls foul on ICANN auctions [subscription]
ICANN has published a draft version of the Auction Rules, which will apply when two or more candidates have applied for the same, or confusingly similar, new gTLDs, and self-resolution of the ?contention set? proves impossible. The draft proposal has come in for some serious criticism, not least from the European Commission, which argued that the auction process is weighted in favour of large, cash-rich applicants.
<http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/daily/Detail.aspx?g=4a465777-193c-4778-8e84-69d54cb9c028>

What Are the Eligibility Requirements for Registering .ngo and .ong for Nonprofits and NGOs?
In developing the .ngo and .ong domain extensions, Public Interest Registry has consulted widely ? both geographically and by sector ? with members of the NGO community. For the purpose of .ngo and .ong validation, we use seven distinct characteristics to define an NGO:
<http://pir.org/what-are-the-eligibility-requirements-for-registering-ngo-and-ong-for-nonprofits-and-ngos/>

How to: Register .ngo and .ong Domains for Your Nonprofit or NGO
NGO.orgHere?s a quick How To to prepare for the .ngo|.ong TLD launch coming this Summer 2014!
<http://pir.org/how-to-register-ngo-and-ong-domains-for-your-nonprofit-or-ngo/>

A first look at Frank Schilling?s new domain name registrar
Frank Schilling?s domain name registrar Uniregistry is due to launch this week (likely Monday) and Domain Name Wire took an early look over the weekend.
<http://domainnamewire.com/2014/03/16/frank-schilling-domain-name-registrar/>

See who registered 1,659 .domains domain names in first hours
Individuals and companies registered 1,659 .domains domain names in the first hours after the domain entered regular-price general availability yesterday. I?d group the purchases in five groups:
<http://domainnamewire.com/2014/03/13/see-who-registered-1659-domains-domain-names-in-first-hours/>

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 - DNS SECURITY
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A decade of securing Europe?s cyber future. The EU?s cyber security Agency ENISA is turning ten, and is looking at future challenges [news release]
On 14th March 2004, the first ENISA regulation was adopted by the EU (by the Council and the European Parliament). Ten years on, cyber security is even more crucial for the economy. As such, cyber security is high on the political and societal agenda. The ten-year milestone will be celebrated throughout the year with international and local events, taking stock of the past, as well as looking at the developments over the years, with a particular focus on future challenges.
<http://www.enisa.europa.eu/media/press-releases/a-decade-of-securing-europe2019s-cyber-future-the-eu2019s-cyber-security-agency-enisa-is-turning-ten-and-is-looking-at-future-challenges>

Are Russia and Ukraine on the Verge of an All-Out Cyberwar?
For the past week, reports of physical violence have been rolling out of Ukraine: Russian troops storming a base in Crimea, officers beating journalists, and violent brawls at rallies. But as tensions escalate, another part of the conflict appears to be playing out in a cloudier realm: cyberspace.
<http://www.motherjones.com/mojo/2014/03/cyber-war-ukraine-russia>

Great news for cyber security in the EU: The European Parliament successfully votes through the Network & Information Security (NIS) directive [news release]
Following the successful vote on the NIS directive on cyber security today in Strasbourg, Vice President Neelie Kroes said: "This vote today is very positive news for European citizens, and I would like to thank the Rapporteur, Andreas Schwab, for his hard and efficient work, as well as everyone who has worked on this report. Member States need to be ready to address cyber attacks. Today there are gaps in some countries and we need to fill them."
<http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_STATEMENT-14-68_en.htm>

New EU cybersecurity law avoids making big Internet companies report breaches [IDG]
Europe on Thursday approved a new cybersecurity law, but held back from requiring Internet giants such as Google, Amazon, Ebay and Skype, to report security incidents.
<http://www.computerworld.co.nz/article/540458/new_eu_cybersecurity_law_avoids_making_big_internet_companies_report_breaches/>
<http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/540458/new_eu_cybersecurity_law_avoids_making_big_internet_companies_report_breaches/>

Twitter: Attack emails drop from 110 million per day to a few thousand
There used to be a whopping 110 million attack messages per day spoofing the Twitter domain name as cyber-criminals blasted out fake Twitter e-mail at intended victims to try and fool them into opening dangerous malware-infested links and other scams. But by adopting a messaging authentication protocol called Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC), Twitter has seen that number drop to a few thousand.
<http://www.networkworld.com/news/2014/031314-twitter-attacks-279704.html>

Navigating Security Threats in a Mobile World
Security plays an important role in the success of mobility implementations worldwide. We assume security threats are always present; however, it?s not always apparent where threats may arise from. Being aware of these potential risk areas is crucial.
<http://blogs.cisco.com/security/navigating-security-threats-in-a-mobile-world/>

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES & SEIZURES
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#BBCtrending: How the MH370 website ended up on eBay
As people flock online to find out about the missing MH370 flight, an eBay seller has sought to profit from the trend by "flipping" the domain name MH370.com.
<http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-26515165>

Common first name lost to URS complaint
An self-described ?entrepreneur? from Texas has lost control of the domain dana.holdings after a URS complaint filed by Dana Holding, a vehicle component supplier. The domain has been suspended.
<http://domainincite.com/16073-common-first-name-lost-to-urs-complaint>

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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International Cables, Gateways, Backhaul and International Exchange Points
This report focuses on the development of backhaul and cross-border networks, which enable local networks to connect to the wider Internet. These local networks may cover a city, a region or even a country. To connect their networks to other networks around the world, operators need access to regional and international high-speed networks.
<http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/science-and-technology/international-cables-gateways-backhaul-and-international-exchange-points_5jz8m9jf3wkl-en>

This Company is Reminding You to Renew Your Domain, But It?s Not Your Registrar
I was recently sent an official looking letter from the ?Domain Registry of Canada? which, at first glance, seemed to be asking me to renew my .ca domain. ?Yet another bill,? was my initial reaction.
<http://www.thewhir.com/blog/company-reminding-renew-domain-registrar>

Disadvantaged kids need your money after terrible Name.com charity drive
Domain name registrar Name.com carried out what can only be described as a completely abysmal charity fund-raising drive during this week?s South by Southwest conference, and disadvantaged kids need your help as a result.
<http://domainincite.com/16036-disadvantaged-kids-need-your-money-after-terrible-name-com-charity-drive>

GoDaddy Is Said to Be Exploring I.P.O.
GoDaddy, the online domain registrar known for its racy television commercials, is preparing to file for an initial public offering, a person briefed on the matter said on Friday.
<http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/03/14/godaddy-is-said-to-be-exploring-i-p-o/>

GoDaddy eyes initial public offering -sources
Web hosting company The GoDaddy Group Inc is preparing for a second run at an initial public offering, according to two people familiar with the matter, as the 2014 tech IPO pipeline continues to grow.
<http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/03/14/godaddy-ipo-idINL2N0MB1QY20140314>

Seven common pitfalls when taking websites international
With cross-border ecommerce booming, it?s not surprising that more businesses are launching international websites. Britain generates the biggest online trade surplus in the world, according to research by OC&C. ... 1. Not choosing the right domain strategy for your business: Many search marketing experts used to recommend separate websites for each country, using in-ccTLDs (such as .de for Germany). Search engines automatically recognise the location and rank them accordingly.
<https://econsultancy.com/blog/64513-seven-common-pitfalls-when-taking-websites-international>

RIPE: Law Enforcement Agency Requests 2013
In 2013, the RIPE NCC received 11 requests from Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) in three countries. The transparency report details the nature of these requests and the actions that were taken as a result.
<http://www.ripe.net/internet-coordination/news/about-ripe-ncc-and-ripe/law-enforcement-agency-requests-2013>

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 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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The Saga of NiceBooby.Net and NBC's Hilarious Shadow-URL Empire
Maybe one night, as you scuttled darkly across the fringes of the internet, you came across a site like CocoaJuggs.net. Or LuvInaBarnyard.org. Maybe even PrisonMate.net. But when you clicked, you were met not with the lurid promises of the URL, but rather by the smiling faces of SNL cast members. Had you discovered a wormhole in the web? Nah. Just another pervy-sounding NBC property.
<http://gizmodo.com/the-saga-of-nicebooby-net-and-nbcs-hilarious-shadow-ur-1462719466>

Why NBC Owns A Lot Of Dirty-Sounding Domain Names
Go ahead and type "LuvInABarnyard.org" into your browser: We swear it's safe for work. Why? Because you'll be directed to NBC's homepage. Ditto with CocoaJuggs.com and NiceBooby.net. NBC owns dozens of shadow URLs that it's forced to buy because it has mentioned them on one of its shows, reports Gizmodo's Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan, who did some digging on the matter.
<http://www.sfgate.com/technology/businessinsider/article/Why-NBC-Owns-A-Lot-Of-Dirty-Sounding-Domain-Names-5318144.php>

People Are Gobbling Up Hillary Clinton Websites
Internet squatters have been grabbing pieces of Clinton-related real estate in the hopes of a 2016 payoff
<http://time.com/24480/hillary-clinton-websites-2016/>

Make It A Double! TWO Multi-Million Dollar Sales Take Over Top Spots on Our Weekly and YTD Sales Charts
By now most of you have probably read our latest Cover Story that came out last week featuring Michael Castello's astonishing account of how he turned a free domain name - Whisky.com - into a $3.1 million payday.
<http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2014/20140312.htm>

The Amazing Ascent of Whisky.com: How Michael Castello Turned a Free Domain Into a $3.1 Million Sale
Castello Cities Internet Network CEO and President Michael Castello was one of the first true domain name visionaries. 20 years ago, when only a handful of people even knew what a domain was, Michael knew what they could be. In fact, he was so sure they would irrevocably change the world he started building what became one of the best portfolios in the domain industry.
<http://www.dnjournal.com/cover/2014/february.htm>

Premium Auction Announced For DomainFest Plus Stone Temple Pilots Providing Entertainment
DomainSponsor and NameJet have announced their partnership to run auctions for over 40 premium domain names during the DomainFest conference on 1 and 2 April. Premium names include Stepping.com, Truckers.com, FederalLoan.com, VirusSoftware.com, TaxConsulting.com, InventorySystem.com and GolfCap.com.
<http://www.domainpulse.com/2014/03/13/premium-auction-domainfest/>

Heritage Auctions Steps Back Up to the Plate With 2nd Major Domain Auction That Opened Today
Heritage Auctions became the first major mainstream auction house to sell domain names last fall when they held their inaugural domain auction and racked up over $1.5 million in sales.
<http://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2014/dailyposts/20140312.htm>

Shoply continues shopping spree, snaps up WowBaby.com.au
Shoply Limited has acquired the assets of WowBaby.com.au, an online baby products retailer.
<http://www.proactiveinvestors.com.au/companies/news/53658/shoply-continues-shopping-spree-snaps-up-wowbabycomau-53658.html>

There's no stopping the shopping online
DESPITE the buzz about the rise and rise of online shopping, investors aren't exactly spoiled for choice for pure-play exposures. ... Shoply last month paid $2.85m for the domain name and associated assets of YourHomeDepot.com.au. Last year it acquired EzyDirect.com.au, Ohkia.com.au and Eljo.com.au.
<http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/opinion/theres-no-stopping-the-shopping-online/story-e6frg9lo-1226854190970>

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INTERNET USE
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Desktop search spending to fall this year as mobile grows, study finds
The money spent by advertisers on the desktop will decline this year as people continue to reach for their smartphones to search for information, according to new data from eMarketer.
<http://www.pcworld.com/article/2108380/desktop-search-spending-to-fall-this-year-as-mobile-grows-study-finds.html>

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SOCIAL MEDIA
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Emotions Vented Online Are Contagious, Study Finds: Feelings Posted on Facebook Can Spread to Others, Research Shows
In the digital swirl of Facebook status updates, emotions expressed online can be contagious, according to a new study encompassing more than 100 million people in the U.S. and a billion messages they posted.
<http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303546204579435550002436002>

Study: Social networks like Facebook can spread moods
A study by researchers at the University of California, Yale, and Facebook has found that moods can spread virally through social media sites such as Facebook.
<http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-26556295>

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
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The Innovation Enigma by Joseph E. Stiglitz
Around the world, there is enormous enthusiasm for the type of technological innovation symbolized by Silicon Valley. In this view, America?s ingenuity represents its true comparative advantage, which others strive to imitate. But there is a puzzle: it is difficult to detect the benefits of this innovation in GDP statistics.
<http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/joseph-e--stiglitz-argues-that-the-impact-of-technological-change-on-living-standards-has-become-increasingly-unclear>

How the Internet of Everything Will Shape the Next 25 Years of Internet History
This week marks the 25th anniversary of the World Wide Web, an important milestone as we look at how far we?ve come and how the Internet of Everything (IoE) is shaping our future.
<http://blogs.cisco.com/ioe/how-ioe-will-shape-the-next-25-years/>

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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Europe backs call for universal smartphone charger
The maddening scramble to find the right charger for your smartphone could be coming to an end.
<http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-24726077>

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PRIVACY & SURVEILLANCE
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Phone call metadata does betray sensitive details about your life ? study
Warnings that phone call ?metadata? can betray detailed information about your life has been confirmed by research at Stanford University. Researchers there successfully identified a cannabis cultivator, multiple sclerosis sufferer and a visitor to an abortion clinic using nothing more than the timing and destination of their phone calls.
<http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/mar/13/phone-call-metadata-does-betray-sensitive-details-about-your-life-study>

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CENSORSHIP
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Enemies of the Internet 2014: entities at the heart of censorship and surveillance
Natalia Radzina of Charter97, a Belarusian news website whose criticism of the government is often censored, was attending an OSCE-organized conference in Vienna on the Internet and media freedom in February 2013 when she ran into someone she would rather not have seen: a member of the Operations and Analysis Centre, a Belarusian government unit that coordinates Internet surveillance and censorship. It is entities like this, little known but often at the heart of surveillance and censorship systems in many countries, that Reporters Without Borders is spotlighting in this year?s Enemies of the Internet report, which it is releasing, as usual, on World Day Against Cyber-Censorship (12 March).
<http://12mars.rsf.org/2014-en/enemies-of-the-internet-2014-entities-at-the-heart-of-censorship-and-surveillance/>

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MISCELLANEOUS
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Bill Gates: The Rolling Stone Interview - The richest man in the world explains how to save the planet
At 58, Bill Gates is not only the richest man in the world, with a fortune that now exceeds $76 billion, but he may also be the most optimistic. In his view, the world is a giant operating system that just needs to be debugged. Gates' driving idea ? the idea that animates his life, that guides his philanthropy, that keeps him late in his sleek book-lined office overlooking Lake Washington, outside Seattle ? is the hacker's notion that the code for these problems can be rewritten, that errors can be fixed, that huge systems ? whether it's Windows 8, global poverty or climate change ? can be improved if you have the right tools and the right skills. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the philanthropic organization with a $36 billion endowment that he runs with his wife, is like a giant startup whose target market is human civilization.
<http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/bill-gates-the-rolling-stone-interview-20140313>

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS
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au/nz: Turnbull's NBN audit must rise above politics
The Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has announced an independent audit of the national broadband network that will focus on the public policy process that led to the National Broadband Network (NBN). But do we really need another audit designed to simply dish the dirt on the previous Labor government? ... The world in transition: In New Zealand a request by Vodafone New Zealand for the Vodafone HFC network to be used rather than rolling out FTTP in Wellington and Christchurch has been rejected by the New Zealand government.
<http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2014/3/14/technology/turnbulls-nbn-audit-must-rise-above-politics>


----------------------------
David Goldstein

 email: david at goldsteinreport.com

 web:   http://goldsteinreport.com / http://davidgoldstein.tel/
 phone: +61 418 228 605 ? mobile / +61 2 9663 3430 - 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 Flannery