Don't forget to check out www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for an archive of the last three months of the news! And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** If you thought the internet was cool, wait until it goes space age by Vint Cerf http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/17/internet.google Internet rights should be more prominent in IGF by Milton Mueller http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/8/16/3840677.html The Future of ICANN: A Series of Regional Consultative Meetings http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-15aug08-en.htm ICANN backs auction of disputed domains http://out-law.com/page-9356 ICANN study favors auctions for new gTLDs http://domainesinfo.fr/english/217/icann-study-favors-auctions-for-new-gtlds.php On the Pressing Need for a Signed Root by PIR http://www.circleid.com/posts/88183_pressing_need_for_a_signed_root/ Georgia cyberattacks lead to questions about risk to US http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080818-georgia-cyberattacks-lead-to-questions-about-risk-to-us.html Death knell looms for IPv4 http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;44197467 Arbor: Nobody's Transitioning to IPv6 http://news.digitaltrends.com/news-article/17596/arbor-nobody-s-transitioning-to-ipv6 ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** If you thought the internet was cool, wait until it goes space age by Vint Cerf A founding father of the web says it's come a long way, but its potential for worldwide change can and will be greater still: The internet is still very young. It was only November 1977 when a group of computer scientists successfully connected three networks around the world, including one at University College London. It took until 1989 for the internet to become commercially available and about another decade after that for it to achieve widespread household use in Europe and the United States. Only then did we emerge from what I think of as the 'internet comma' days, when its mention in the media was always followed by a comma and a short description. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/aug/17/internet.google http://www.telekritika.ua/daidzhest/2008-08-19/40076 Internet rights should be more prominent in IGF by Milton Mueller There?s some concern that basic human rights to free expression, privacy, and other civil liberties might be getting pushed too far away from the center of the UN Internet Governance Forum?s (IGF) meeting agenda. http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2008/8/16/3840677.html India to host next UN global internet meet The 3rd United Nations Meet on Internet Governance, to be held in Hyderabad later this year, will be on the theme of ?Internet for All?. http://www.indiantelevision.com/headlines/y2k8/aug/aug148.php ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** The Future of ICANN: A Series of Regional Consultative Meetings A series of regional consultative meetings about crucial changes to ICANN will take place over the next three months in an effort to reach out to and involve the organization?s global stakeholders. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-15aug08-en.htm Business seeks greater input into ICANN?s transition [news release] ICC?s Commission on E-Business, IT and Telecoms (EBITT) and Task Force on Internet and Telecoms Infrastructure and Services (ITIS) today called for greater business participation in ICANN, which is undergoing transformation. http://iccwbo.org/policy/ebitt/index.html?id=23032 ICANN backs auction of disputed domains The body behind the internet's addressing systems has said that it will settle disputes over who wins the right to new generic top level domains (gTLDs) by auction. ICANN has said that auctions will be used if two organisations vying for the right to a gTLD are tied on other grounds. http://out-law.com/page-9356 http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/08/19/icann_backs_domain_auctions/ ICANN's Allocation Method for New TLDs by Alex Tajirian ICANN recently commissioned a report from Power Auctions LLC to investigate the merits of auctioning new TLDs. Below I outline some of the issues related to stakeholder interests and mechanism design. http://www.circleid.com/posts/icanns_allocation_method_for_new_tlds/ ICANN study favors auctions for new gTLDs Are auctions the best solution for allocating a new TLD when there are several applicants? A study commissioned by ICANN and now made public says yes. http://domainesinfo.fr/english/217/icann-study-favors-auctions-for-new-gtlds.php ICANN auction policy raises serious questions Under the latest ICANN's policy, who would like to bid the highest amount for the exclusive global rights to the new domain suffix .dubai? Such a suffix will create a powerful domain root that will corner some 180 services underneath it, like go.dubai, hotel.dubai, job.dubai, cars.dubai or fly.dubai. Who would be the next global cyber-branding leader of this new millennium? http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/82/27438.html Top Level Domains Face Auction ICANN has announced that it proposes to settle disputes over who wins the rights to new top level domains by auction. http://www.lawdit.co.uk/reading_room/room/view_article.asp?name=../articles/5182-Top-Level-Domains-Face-Auction.htm On the Pressing Need for a Signed Root by PIR Attacks on the security of the Internet have been much in the news lately, and there is an increased urgency to take the technical steps to combat these attacks. .ORG has been doing its part to lead this process by taking introductory steps to implement DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions). http://www.circleid.com/posts/88183_pressing_need_for_a_signed_root/ Icann plans regional consultative meetings [sub req'd] http://telecom.paper.nl/news/article.aspx?id=226567 ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** A Case Study of Closing Down Spamvertised .hk Domains Registered in Hong Kong With the implementation of a rapid delisting measure to handle spamvertised domains by the Hong Kong Domain Name Registration Company Limited (HKDNR) and the Office of the Telecommunications Authority of Hong Kong (OFTA), the number of spamvertised and phishing .hk domain names dropped drastically in July 2007. http://www.ibls.com/internet_law_news_portal_view.aspx?s=sa&id=1360 KENIC reduces cost of '.ke' domains [IDG] Kenya Network Information Centre (KENIC), the administrator of .ke top-level domains has reduced the cost of noncommercial domains and plans to reduce the cost of all domains within three years. http://computerworld.co.ke/articles/2008/08/18/kenic-reduces-cost-ke-domains http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/081808-kenic-reduces-cost-of-ke.html http://cio.com/article/444446/KENIC_Reduces_Cost_of_.Ke_Domains KENIC cuts cost of domains in Kenya [sub req'd] http://telecom.paper.nl/news/article.aspx?id=226619 Telnic drafts in Edelman Online phonebook outfit Telnic has hired Edelman as its retained global PR agency. http://www.prweek.com/uk/sectors/publicsector/article/839577/telnic-drafts-edelman/ Sunrise for .tel Set for December 2008 Registration of a .tel domain will enable companies to provide a searchable list of their contact information in one location, somewhat of a universal online address book. http://www.melbourneitdbs.com/news.php?article=4&title=Sunrise%20for%20.tel%20Set%20for%20December%202008&year=2008&month=08 750,000 .se domains has been registrered [news release] .SE (The Internet Infrastructure Foundation) ... has registered .SE domain number 750,000 - tailorrama.se. Magnus Kronqvist in Gothenburg registrered the domain name just after midnight on August 8, to be used by Tailor-Rama, a web site were you will be able to by tailormade clothes. http://iis.se/about/press?id=154 ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Battle for South Ossetia fought in cyberspace The six-day war between Russia and Georgia may have seemed a scruffy, bloody, almost 19th-century nationalist conflict, but it saw the deployment of what will be a major weapon in the wars of the future: the internet. South Ossetia was, say experts in both technology and military studies, the world's first cyberwar. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/battle-for-south-ossetia-fought-in-cyberspace-899772.html An Army of Ones and Zeroes - How I became a soldier in the Georgia-Russia cyberwar by Evgeny Morozov As Russian and Georgian troops fight on the ground, there's a parallel war happening in cyberspace. In recent weeks, Georgia's government Web sites have been besieged by denial-of-service attacks and acts of vandalism. Just like in traditional warfare, there's a lot of confusion about what's going on in this technological battle?nobody seems to know whether this is a centralized Russian attack, the work of a loose band of hackers, or something else. Having read so many contradicting accounts, I knew that the only reliable way to find out what was really happening was to enlist in the Russian digital army myself. http://www.slate.com/id/2197514/ Georgia cyberattacks lead to questions about risk to US Much of the cyberwarfare discussion over the past week has focused directly on Georgia, but the United States may be just as vulnerable. Shifting security scenarios and the rapid pace of worldwide technological advancement are factors that make it dangerous for America?or any country?to rest on its security laurels. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080818-georgia-cyberattacks-lead-to-questions-about-risk-to-us.html Anti-Georgia spammers building new botnet [IDG] Hackers targeting Georgia in the midst of its conflict with Russia have started sending out a new batch of malicious spam messages, apparently with the aim of building a new botnet network of remote-controlled computers. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/DF8EE5F7E50AC803CC2574A800729C80 http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1930835245 VeriSign Reveals First of Its Kind Real-Time Protection Against ?Pump and Dump? Stock Trading Fraud [news release] Perpetrators of ?pump and dump? stock manipulation schemes are facing new barriers, thanks to new protection from stock trading fraud. The safeguard was unveiled today by VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN), the trusted provider of Internet infrastructure services for the networked world. http://www.verisign.com/press_releases/pr/page_044055.html ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** Typosquatting as Corporate Espionage [PC World] Typosquatting, that seedy practice of registering domain names similar to legit sites but with typos in the name, has a new twist. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/14/AR2008081402990.html au: Pastor nets premier websites [AAP] A central Queensland church pastor has bought two internet domains bearing the name of Premier Anna Bligh. Pastor David Alley, of the Mountain of the Lord Christian Church in Mount Morgan, bought the domains annabligh.org and annabligh.net last September, just as Ms Bligh took over from Peter Beattie. http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,20797,24200014-5003402,00.html http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24200014-12377,00.html http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Qld-pastor-buys-AnnaBligh-net/0,130061791,339291330,00.htm Trying To Cash In On Bond - IanFleming.com UDRP One of the more recent WIPO decisions caught my eye as it was for the domain ianfleming.com http://www.isquattedyour.eu/2008/08/13/trying-to-cash-in-on-bond-ianflemingcom-udrp/ Eurekapd.org a lesson in domain-name awareness If nuts and kernels, leather garments or electric shavers are of interest, www.eurekapd.org has what you?re looking for. Despite no longer being operated by the actual Eureka Police Department after the ownership of the Web address was allowed to expire in September 2007, the now-Russian-owned eurekapd.org is currently listed as ?the official site of the Eureka Police Department? and has links to advertisements for a variety of goods for sale. http://eurekareporter.com/article/080817-eurekapdorg-a-lesson-in-domain-name-awareness ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** Death knell looms for IPv4 The global explosion of technology as the new medium for business could grind to a halt within 18 to 30 months as Internet addresses dry up. Australia's telecommunications experts say the rapid exhaustion of available IP addresses is comparable to the global food and petrol shortage, but has largely slipped beneath the radar of those outside the coal face of IT. http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;44197467 Arbor: Nobody's Transitioning to IPv6 Arbor Networks has released the largest analysis to date of IPv6 traffic on the Internet?and finds there's almost none. During July 2008, there was about 600 Mbps of interdomain IPv6 traffic measured on the Internet, compared to four Tbps of old-school IPv4 Internet traffic. Put another way, IPv6 traffic accounted for just 0.0026 percent of total Internet traffic for the month. http://news.digitaltrends.com/news-article/17596/arbor-nobody-s-transitioning-to-ipv6 We're running out of IPv4 addresses. Time for IPv6. Really. A little over a year ago, I wrote an article about the IPv4 address consumption with the subtitle IPv4 Address Space: 2.46 Billion Down, 1.25 Billion to Go. A week ago, we reached the magic number of 2.7 billion IPv4 addresses used. With 3.7 billion possible addresses,? this means we now have less than a billion unused IPv4 addresses left. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080817-were-running-out-of-ipv4-addresses-time-for-ipv6-really.html Largest Study to Date of IPv6 Traffic on the Internet Security and network management company, Arbor Networks, in partnership with more than ninety network services and content providers from around the world, has published an extensive study of Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) traffic on the Internet. http://www.circleid.com/posts/88181_largest_study_of_ipv6_traffic/ ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** An Interview with Xavier Buck, co-founder and CEO of EuroDNS DomainInformer: Mr. Buck, would you tell us a few words about yourself and your professional background? How long have you been working in the domain industry? http://www.domaininformer.com/interviews/interview/0808InterviewWithXavierBuck.html New TLDs: Business as Usual for EuroDNS! by Xavier Buck Over the last weeks a number of people wondered about ?the ICANN Paris announcement on new extensions ?(1) and how it could affect the market in general and our projects in particular. http://www.domaininformer.com/guides/General_Information/articles/080815BusinessasUsualforEuroDNS.html ARIN Board Adopts Policy Proposal 2007-17 On 11 August 2008, the ARIN Board of Trustees adopted the following policy proposal as amended by the ARIN Advisory Council: 2007-17: Legacy Outreach and Partial Reclamation: The AC removed the following sentence: "ARIN should reject any transaction which staff judges is not in the interests of the community." The AC replaced that sentence with: "Transactions should only be accepted under this policy if they are in the interests of the community (e.g. they improve aggregation or result in a net reclamation of space)." http://www.arin.net/announcements/20080815.html Melbourne IT on track for profit growth [AAP] Domain name manager and online services provider Melbourne IT Ltd says it is on track to deliver a sixth consecutive year of growth in revenue and profit after booking a 20 per cent lift in half year profit. http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=507449 Melbourne IT spends up on systems Domain name and hosting specialist Melbourne IT today unveiled plans to embark on a year-long major technology refresh project, targeting everything from its accounting, billing and provisioning systems to its storage network and data centre. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Melbourne-IT-spends-up-on-systems/0,130061791,339291367,00.htm Domain-name owner sees link to profits in towns' old Web sites $2.6 million. If pizza could rake in those numbers, how much do you think Somers Point is worth? The very first thing that comes up when you do a Google search for Somers Point, N.J., is the old Somers Point city Web site - and now that site, along with the old, out-of-use sites for Northfield, Linwood and Ocean City, can be yours for the right price. http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/179/story/231496.html ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Update: Domain Parking Still Converting Here?s more proof that domain parking converts for advertisers. About a month ago I wrote about how the domain channel at Google was converting well for me, even though a number of advertisers would tell you otherwise. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/08/15/update-domain-parking-still-converting/ Howe About That! The Inside Story of One Man's Rise From Low Budget Domain Flipper to Million Dollar Dealmaker I've known Page Howe ever since he showed up on DNForum.com in early 2003 looking to rebound from a .com bust that had decimated his extensive Internet business ventures. Howe was there hoping to climb his way back up the ladder by buying domains, often for under $100, and flipping them for $1,000 or more. http://dnjournal.com/cover/2008/august.htm Dutch Treat: Shoppen.nl Gives ccTLD From the Netherlands the Top Spot on This Week's Domain Sales Chart No six-figure blockbuster sales were reported this week, leaving the door open for a pair of non .com domains to slip into the first two spots on our latest Top 20 chart. The #1 position goes to Shoppen.nl ("shopping" in Dutch), a ccTLD representing the Netherlands, that commanded ?45,000 ($69,750) in a private transaction. The same Amsterdam based buyer also purchased #13 Shoppen.com for ?13,000 ($20,150) at Sedo.com this week giving them a lock on the Dutch keyword. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2008/domainsales08-12-08.htm Oversee.net Cuts 10% of Employees Oversee.net has confirmed that the company has let go of 10% of its staff as of Friday. The company blames the downturn in the economy. A spokesperson told SocalTech ?the cuts were in response to the general economic weakness and pressures in the industry.? According to the report cuts were made across all divisions including SnapNames, DomainSponsor and Moniker. http://www.domainnamenews.com/news/overseenet-cuts-10-of-employees/1987 Analysis: Oversee.net Cutbacks a Sign of the Times Oversee cuts 10%; domain companies need to tighten the ship. http://domainnamewire.com/2008/08/18/analysis-overseenet-cutbacks-a-sign-of-the-times/ ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Tech giants near agreement on human rights code Some of the biggest technology and internet companies in the world have agreed a set of standards to protect human rights online that they hope the whole IT industry will adopt. The move could affect companies' privacy policies worldwide. http://out-law.com/page-9362 EBay changes aim for fewer critics and more sellers EBay will unveil sweeping changes today to encourage more fixed-price sellers as part of a wider attempt to transform the business from global car boot sale to worldwide shopping mall. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/aug/20/ebay.efinance EBay Is Planning to Emphasize Fixed-Price Sales Format Over Its Auction Model Acknowledging that most online shoppers cannot be bothered with auctions, eBay plans Wednesday to announce changes to its fee structure that emphasize fixed prices over bidding. The move is intended to help eBay compete more effectively with Amazon .com and other big online retailers. http://nytimes.com/2008/08/20/technology/20ebay.html http://iht.com/articles/2008/08/20/technology/20ebay.php Some eBay sellers frustrated with rule changes [AP] Some people who sell things on eBay are fed up with new rules the company has been imposing in hopes of making the auction site more attractive to online shoppers. Now even more changes are coming in the next few weeks, but this time eBay Inc. hopes it can cool tempers. http://news.smh.com.au/technology/some-ebay-sellers-frustrated-with-rule-changes-20080212-1rp9.html http://news.theage.com.au/technology/some-ebay-sellers-frustrated-with-rule-changes-20080212-1rp9.html eBay paves the way for the end of the auction EBay confirmed today sweeping changes to the way it runs the business paving the way to replace its auction model with more fixed-price sales to take on Amazon. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article4573766.ece EBay moves further from auction roots with pricing, payment changes Ebay Inc. today announced that it is cutting the cost to list an item in its fixed-price format by more than 70%, a move the online auctioneer said provides sellers its most competitive price list yet. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9113078 Few lives left for Second Life-Companies abandon virtual world The companies that rushed to set up bases within the cult virtual world of Second Life appear to have wasted their time as many have shut down and others are "ghost towns", an Australian researcher has found. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/08/20/1218911810203.html http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/08/20/1218911810203.html Virtual Worlds Get Real About Punishment Virtual worlds have often been called the digital equivalent of the Wild West, where animated alter egos can live in a fantasy frontier. But in some of these universes, a sheriff has come to town. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/19/AR2008081902706.html Convicts log on as US updates jail-mail system [AP] When Melvin Garcia was sent to prison almost a decade ago for racketeering, he had never used a computer. Now he sends 50 emails a month from a federal prison in West Virginia, punctuating notes with emoticons. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10528066 ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Greenpeace Raises Alarm Over Rising E-Waste in Africa As e-waste continue to pose health problem to the international communities, especially the third world countries, Greenpeace has called on the world's electronics companies to eliminate hazardous chemicals from their products, saying toxic waste from wealthy nations' gadgets ends up being dumped in poor countries despite laws prohibiting it. http://vanguardngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14706 http://allafrica.com/stories/200808200424.html Poisoning the poor ? Electronic Waste in Ghana [news release] The latest place where we have discovered high tech toxic trash causing horrendous pollution is in Ghana. Our analysis of samples taken from two electronic waste (e-waste) scrap yards in Ghana has revealed severe contamination with hazardous chemicals. http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/poisoning-the-poor-electroni Intel Moves to Free Gadgets of Their Recharging Cords Intel has made progress in a technology that could lead to the wireless recharging of gadgets and the end of the power-cord spaghetti behind electronic devices. http://nytimes.com/2008/08/21/technology/21intel.html ********************** SPAM ********************** Has Beijing led to a crop of anything other than medals? Yes: malware, spam and general internet crap. Possibly the most annoying is the rise in spam bearing subject lines such as "Beijing Olympics cancelled". http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/21/spam.email.internet Sex and software diet fuels spam growth The ?inconvenient truth?, according to Bradley Anstis, vice president of products at Marshal, which carried out the research, is that despite complaints about spam volumes, it?s clearly a profitable enterprise for spammers and popular with many people. http://cbronline.com/article_news.asp?guid=781A882F-926F-47F0-B96F-962F5EFAF5E4 Spam sales surge-Almost 30 per cent of internet users admit to buying goods from spam emails About 30 per cent of internet users have bought goods advertised in spam emails, research from internet security vendor Marshal has found. http://www.channelweb.co.uk/crn/news/2224273/spam-sales-surge Sex, drugs and software lead spam purchase growth In further news of interest to security resellers, 29 per cent of internet users have purchased goods from spam emails, according to new research by Internet security company Marshal. The most commonly purchased items include sexual enhancement pills, software, adult material and luxury items such as watches, jewellery and clothing. http://channelbusiness.com/channel-news/sex-drugs-and-software-lead-spam-purchase-growth ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Nelson Mandela's name hijacked in internet fraud In a statement on Wednesday night, the Nelson Mandela Foundation said it wanted to warn the public about the scheme, which appears to be a variation on the "advance fee" or "419" frauds which originated in Nigeria. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/nigeria/2592034/Nelson-Mandelas-name-hijacked-in-internet-fraud.html Cyberwar isn't a grand struggle - it's a scary prospect of pure chaos When Russian tanks rolled into Georgia, it brought back memories of Soviet-era military conquest - a reminder of the cold war. But whether by accident or design, the fight for South Ossettia appears to have given us a taste of the future as well, with internet attacks on Georgian computer systems resulting in theories about 21st-century warfare spilling out everywhere. The BBC said the situation represented a "virtual echo of battles being fought on the ground", while Slate.com's Evgeny Morozov even enlisted as a Russian cybersoldier to see what was really happening. But while the past fortnight has seen plenty of conjecture, there's been very little hard evidence about the conflict that's taking place in cyberspace. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/21/blogging.internet Cyber war or cyber riot? [ABC Radio audio] The Georgians maintain they've been the victims of cyber-warfare, but there is division within internet security circles about whether what is happening is in fact 'cyber-warfare', whether the Russian government is actually involved and also how significant the event really is. Jart Armin, a London-based internet security analyst, and Gadi Evron, an Israel-based internet security analyst, are interviewed. http://www.abc.net.au/rn/mediareport/stories/2008/2342237.htm Georgia Cyberwar Overblown [Network World] Last week Russian tanks rolled into South Ossetia while Russian bombers were taking out critical communications infrastructure. But even before the first tank rolled across the disputed borders, another war was brewing in cyberspace. http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/150021/georgia_cyberwar_overblown.html Cybersecurity and the Law: Dangerous Cybersilence Sometimes no news is worse than bad news. When a company's data is stolen by hackers, affected customers typically receive a disturbing note from the breached firm, warning that they could soon become victims of identity theft. http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/08/19/cybersecurity-infected-software-tech-security-cx_ag_0819infected.html Computer games industry threat to downloaders: 'pay up or we'll sue' The computer games industry has launched an unprecedented assault on illegal downloads, demanding payment from thousands of families who obtained the latest releases over the internet without paying. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/gadgets_and_gaming/article4569180.ece Computer games developers to target filesharers Five of the world's top computer games developers are hoping to serve notice on the users, many of them families, with each one required to pay ?300 immediately to settle or risk being taken to court. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2587924/Computer-games-developers-to-target-filesharers.html uk: Computer game pirate to pay US firm ?16,000 A British woman has been ordered to pay more than ?16,000 to an American computer games company after illegally sharing its files over the internet. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/19/piracy.games Scammers defraud Aussies of $36m a year: police Australians lose at least $36 million a year to so-called Nigerian scammers who continue to fleece naive internet users because victims fail to report incidents. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/08/20/1218911772460.html http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/08/20/1218911772460.html Web scammers keep fleecing Aussies Australians lose at least A$36 million (NZ$44.6 million) a year to so-called Nigerian scammers via the internet. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10528220 ************************** PRIVACY ************************** No such thing as privacy: top Australian judge People's willingness to talk loudly on mobile phones and reveal personal information about themselves online indicates that the privacy laws may require a rethink, says the country's top judge, Murray Gleeson. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/08/20/1219262357987.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/08/20/1219262357987.html Internet Providers' New Tool Raises Deep Privacy Concerns ... Peering inside the digital packets of data zipping across the Internet -- in real time, for tens of thousands of users at once -- was commercially impractical until recently. But the ceaseless march of processing power has made it feasible. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/20/AR2008082003259.html Germans urge tougher laws after new privacy scandal German politicians called for tougher privacy laws on Tuesday after officials revealed personal and financial information on millions of Germans was readily available for cash on the Internet. http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSLJ8331920080819 Sale of bank data alarms Germany Data protection officials in Germany have called for privacy laws to be tightened amid a scandal over illegal sales of personal data. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7572774.stm ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** 'Rampant piracy' of Olympics footage must be stopped, says IOC [AP] The International Olympic Committee asked Sweden to help stop file-sharing website The Pirate Bay from spreading illegal downloads of ceremonies at the Beijing Games, government officials said. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10528075 Thousands of UK file-sharers face legal action Thousands of people suspected of sharing music, films and games over the Internet will be pursued through the courts for damages, lawyers for entertainment companies said on Wednesday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKLK9620920080820 Comcast to Slow Web Service at Times to Its Heaviest Users The Comcast Corporation plans to slow service to its heaviest Internet users during periods of congestion after regulators ordered the company to devise a new method for managing its Web traffic. http://nytimes.com/2008/08/21/technology/21comcast.html FCC Orders Comcast to Stop Blocking Some Large Files Comcast is testing new technologies that would slow the transmission of Internet files for its biggest users by as much as 20 minutes during times of heavy network congestion. But the nation's largest cable provider has promised not to target specific content, such as video files that compete with its cable television business. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/20/AR2008082003321.html ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** iTunes blocked in China after protest stunt Access to Apple's online iTunes Store has been blocked in China after it emerged that Olympic athletes have been downloading and possibly listening to a pro-Tibetan music album in a subtle act of protest against China's rule over the province. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/08/20/1218911831534.html http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/08/20/1218911831534.html ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ Global reach of paedophile mastermind Philip Thompson A global investigation into internet child abuse has led to 50 arrests in Britain with dozens more expected, police said yesterday. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article4561092.ece Disney Dialing Up Kids Again Two years after its mobile ventures failed, Disney launches new effort to connect with young cell phone users. http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/08/20/disney-mobile-services-tech-wire-cx_ew_0820disney.html ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** The European Broadband Portal The European Broadband Portal (EBP) is a follow up action of the European Commission resulting from the Bridging the Broadband Gap Conference (14-15 May 2007, Brussels) which concluded that there was a need to support public authorities in areas under-served by broadband to improve supply and conditions of supply. The project seeks to create a coherent on-line community of relevant stakeholders, providing them with the tools for effective sharing of experiences and good practices and a participatory environment for seeking common and shared solutions. http://www.broadband-europe.eu/ au: RBA goes after eBay, PayPal The Reserve Bank has issued a stern warning to online auction giant eBay Australia, urging it to stop forcing PayPal onto its sellers. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24212649-15306,00.html Reserve Bank tackles PayPal The Reserve Bank of Australia today said it would shortly hold meetings with eBay subsidiary PayPal over the online auction giant's attempt to force sellers to offer PayPal as a payment option. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/business/soa/Reserve-Bank-tackles-PayPal/0,139023166,339291389,00.htm Reserve Bank weighs in on eBay?s PayPal push The Reserve Bank of Australia?s Payment Systems Board is entering discussions with PayPal and its owner eBay to encourage the payment provider to voluntarily remove the no-surchage and no-steering rules that have come under fire by the ACCC for being anti-competitive. http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;537738192 ********************************* COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS ********************************* Palm, Once a Leader, Seeks Path in Smartphone Jungle ... In 1997 the former Hewlett-Packard engineer was asked by Apple's founder, Steven P. Jobs, to lead the hardware engineering division at the company, which was then struggling. ... Those experiences should serve him well as he seeks to resuscitate Palm, whose roots in Silicon Valley go back to the PalmPilot, the revolutionary handheld computer, and the Treo, which turned heads as one of the first smartphones. http://nytimes.com/2008/08/20/technology/20palm.html http://iht.com/articles/2008/08/20/technology/20palm.php What is going to be new in Microsoft's Windows 7? We don't know: it's a secret. However, Microsoft has finally started to talk about its next operating system via a new blog called Engineering Windows 7. This is being written by the top two people on the project, senior vice-presidents Steve Sinofsky and Jon DeVaan. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/aug/21/microsoft.windows ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** Google, other tech giants start battle with broadcasters Using YouTube videos and old-fashioned lobbying, Google launched a campaign Monday to mobilize public support for opening up unused portions of the TV spectrum for unlicensed Internet devices and expanded broadband access. http://www.siliconvalley.com/news/ci_10238656 ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** US 'white space' spectrum debate to get hotter Over the next few weeks, the Federal Communications Commission is expected to make a decision that could completely change the mobile-broadband landscape in the United States for years to come. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/082008-white-space-spectrum-debate.html Push to sell TV spectrum for mobiles in Australia Suppliers of Australia's mobile phone handsets are urging the federal Government to accelerate the sale of TV spectrum for mobile phones after huge demand crashed some of Telstra's 3G-based mobile videos during the Olympics. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24217013-5013041,00.html ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** uk: Paedophile who had 241,000 child porn images is jailed indefinitely A paedophile who acted as a "librarian" for a global internet child abuse ring was handed an indefinite jail term yesterday after one of the biggest undercover police investigations into online child abuse. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/aug/19/childprotection Six men facing child pornography charges Two men from Western Australia are among six men facing Australian courts for allegedly downloading child abuse images on a worldwide child pornography network. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/19/2339693.htm +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2008 --------- David Goldstein address: 4/3 Abbott Street COOGEE NSW 2034 AUSTRALIA email: Goldstein_David §yahoo.com.au phone: +61 418 228 605 (mobile); +61 2 9665 5773 (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 Win a MacBook Air or iPod touch with Yahoo!7. http://au.docs.yahoo.com/homepagesetReceived on Thu Aug 21 2008 - 01:28:46 UTC
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