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 Gives Final Approval for Four Countries to Use Non-Latin Languages in Internet Address Names [ICANN news release] http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=11088 ICANN's Going to Colombia in December http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=11081 Kurds seek new cultural gTLD http://dotkurd.org/en/archives/79 au: CSIRO: IT driving global megatrends http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/344212/csiro_it_driving_global_megatrends/ APNIC hands out record IPv4 addresses http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/344048/apnic_hands_record_ipv4_addresses/ Year's Biggest Sale To Date - Flying.com at $1.1 Million - Soars to Top of Our Weekly Sales Chart http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2010/20100414.htm ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** ICANN Gives Final Approval for Four Countries to Use Non-Latin Languages in Internet Address Names [ICANN news release] The ICANN Board of Directors has approved the last application step for four countries to use their national language scripts in the last portion of Internet address names. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=11088 http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/04/26/icann-gives-final-approval-for-four-countries-to-use-non-latin-languages-in-internet-address-names/ Public Comment: Community Comment Invited on Recommended New GNSO Work Prioritization Process At its 21 April 2010 meeting, the GNSO Council approved the use of a set of recommended new operating procedures designed to enable GNSO Councilors to begin categorizing and prioritizing their major work projects so that the Council can fulfill its new role as a strategic manager and coordinator of policy development activities within the GNSO. The ICANN community is invited to provide comments on those recommended new procedures. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-23apr10-en.htm Public Comment: Community Comment Invited on the Communications and Coordination Work Team (CCT) Final Consolidated Recommendations Pursuant to a Resolution passed by the GNSO Council at its meeting on 21 April 2010, the community is invited to provide comments on a set of GNSO Improvements recommendations submitted by the Communications and Coordination Work Team (CCT) on 9 April 2010. The recommendations are part of the overall GNSO Improvements effort and are designed to help the GNSO Council and the GNSO Constituencies and Stakeholder Groups improve communications, cooperation and coordination among themselves and with other ICANN structures. http://icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-23apr10-en.htm New gTLD Consultation: PDDRP and Agreement Amendment Processes On 13 April 2010, ICANN convened an open consultation on the Trademark Post-Delegation Dispute Resolution and Registry Agreement Amendment Processes in the new gTLD program. This consultation was organized in response to a request from the Registry Stakeholder Group (RySG) to discuss concerns they have raised in their stakeholder meetings and public comments fora on new gTLDs. http://blog.icann.org/2010/04/new-gtld-consultation-pddrp-and-agreement-amendment-processes/ ICANN's Going to Colombia in December The 39th ICANN meeting will be held in Cartagena, Columbia from December 5 to 10, 2010. The meeting was approved at the Special Meeting of the ICANN Board of Directors held on April 22. http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=11081 http://www.domainpulse.com/2010/04/24/icanns-going-to-colombia-in-december/ http://www.domainnews.com/en/icann-s-going-to-colombia-in-december.html Gulf countries can now register Arabic domains Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have become some of the first countries in the world to be able to register domain names entirely in a language other than English, marking an important milestone in the history of the Internet. http://www.itp.net/580094-gulf-countries-can-now-register-arabic-domains Microsoft, Google eye Arabic web growth potential The further integration of Arabic language capabilities in internet and other technological architecture will grant millions access to the digital world, Microsoft and Google executives said. ... Egypt and Saudi Arabia registered the first domain names written in the right-to-left Arabic script late last year, after global internet regulator ICANN voted to allow non-Latin script to be used in web addresses in November. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-47968120100424 ********************** - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS ********************** DENIC General Assembly: Executive Board and Supervisory Board Confirmed in Office Helga Kr?ger replaces Marcus Sch?fer as honorary member of the Executive Board http://www.denic.de/en/denic-in-dialogue/news/2600.html?cHash=d2b887b0c1 Greens to have exclusive Internet domain name [IANS] Very soon, the global green community will have its very own domain name on the Internet, according to the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF). http://www.calcuttanews.net/story/626208 http://www.newkerala.com/news/fullnews-94405.html Greens to receive new .eco domain name ICANN will soon be releasing a host of new domain names, including one specifically designated for green-friendly websites. http://www.techday.co.nz/netguide/news/greens-to-receive-new-eco-domain-name/16200/ WWF creating 'green' domain name on Internet [PTI] Want to show your love for environment in the virtual world? World Wide Fund for Nature-international has initiated the process for creation of a 'green' domain name on the internet. http://www.ptinews.com/news/621732_WWF-creating--green--domain-name-on-Internet ICANN Green Lights 1 and 2 Letter .Info Domain Names The ICANN Board approved a resolution granting Afilias the right to register one and two character .info domain names during its Board meeting last Thursday. http://domainnamewire.com/2010/04/25/icann-green-lights-1-and-2-letter-info-domain-names/ Internet address for Jordan in Arabic gets OK [AP] Jordan is the latest country to win preliminary approval for Internet addresses written entirely in its native script. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/04/22/financial/f115911D92.DTL http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/22/AR2010042204082.html .ku Top domain for Kurdistan You ?as the reader of this article? might be a Kurdish citizen and one of the 35 million Kurds without a country of your own. Kurds have been denied the right to rule their motherland, Kurdistan, since the Allies divided the Middle East after the fall of the Ottoman Empire (post-WWI) in the 1920s. http://dotkurd.org/en/archives/81 Kurds seek new cultural gTLD A Kurdish company will apply to ICANN for a .kurd or .kur top-level domain to represent cultural Kurds. The application will join the likes of .cat, and expected gTLD applications including .scot, .cym, .bzh, and .gal, which promise representation to ?cultural?, but non-geographic, user bases. http://dotkurd.org/en/archives/79 New Policy of .?? Domains Sunrise Registration On May 12, 2010 RU-CENTER launches the second stage of sunrise registration for .?? domains - available for the owners of trademarks which verbal part contains scripts, other than Cyrillic. http://www.nic.ru/news/en/2010/20.04.regl-ch.html Public urged to take action to prevent .xxx web domain A former U.S. Department of Justice employee is urging people to speak out against the proposed formation of an Internet domain exclusively for pornographic websites. http://www.bpnews.net/BPnews.asp?ID=32761 ********************** - DNS SECURITY ********************** Conficker a year later is a 'loaded gun' It's been about a year since Conficker/Downadup hit in 2009, and although the threat didn't turn out to be as grave as it had the potential to be, the 6.5 million PCs that remain infected today represent what Symantec Corp. calls a "loaded gun, waiting to be fired." http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/344184/conficker_year_later_loaded_gun_/ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/042210-conficker-a-year-later-is.html ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** The Limitations of UDRP to Recover Stolen Domain Names Companies often use UDRP to recover stolen domain names. I?ve seen several cases of three character domain names being recovered this way. http://domainnamewire.com/2010/04/23/the-limitations-of-udrp-to-recover-stolen-domain-names/ NAF Panelists and Complainants Caught Systematically Copying/Pasting Nonsense Into UDRP Decisions In a recent article at DomainNameWire.com, CitizenHawk was called out by a National Arbitration Forum (NAF) panelist for the submission of automated complaints which contained complete nonsense. Through the discussion in the comments to that article, the community discovered that the problem is far deeper. http://www.circleid.com/posts/20100423_naf_copying_pasting_nonsense_into_udrp_decisions/ ********************** - IPv4/IPv6 ********************** au: CSIRO: IT driving global megatrends The CSIRO has included the convergence of the digital and natural worlds driven by the rapid growth in Internet usage and skyrocketing number of connected devices as one of five "megatrends" changing the world. ... Supporting its claim, the CSIRO pointed to the exhaustion of IPv4 Internet addresses, which has quickened in recent months to now be down to 7.8 per cent, and cited the explosive growth in social networking on sites such as Twitter and Facebook and the growth in the online retail marketplace ? estimated by Forrester to reach $US335 billion in the US by 2012. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/344212/csiro_it_driving_global_megatrends/ Consultation ? Transfer Listing Service ARIN is seeking community input regarding the implementation of a Transfer Listing Service for parties with documented need who are seeking IPv4 address space and parties who are authorized resource holders that may potentially be able to make IPv4 number resource available for transfer. https://www.arin.net/announcements/2010/20100421_tls.html Regulate and deploy rationally by Vinton Cerf (October 09) On the regulatory front, let?s look at broadband deployment and the regulatory frameworks that appear to have worked. Where regulation seems strong (for example, Australia, New Zealand, France, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Singapore) we see very robust and very high speed wired and wireless Internet services available. http://iicom.org/intermedia/IM October 2009 Vinton Cerf.pdf China's IP addresses under strain with 404m users China's Internet users increased 20 million in the first quarter of this year, hitting the 404 million mark, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) said on Thursday, the Shanghai Securities News reported. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-04/23/content_9768229.htm APNIC hands out record IPv4 addresses The Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) doled out nearly a record 27 million IPv4 addresses during the first three months of 2010. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/344048/apnic_hands_record_ipv4_addresses/ http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=263F5BFD-1A64-6A71-CE3B140341B3F30A ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** Postel Network Operator's Scholarship 2010 On behalf of the North American Network Operators' Group (NANOG) and the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN), I would like to take this opportunity to draw your attention to the 2010 Postel Network Operator's Scholarship. https://www.arin.net/announcements/2010/20100420_postel.html ********************** - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET ********************** Year's Biggest Sale To Date - Flying.com at $1.1 Million - Soars to Top of Our Weekly Sales Chart The past week was a very solid one for domain sales, led by the year's biggest sale to date and a trio of six-figure deals. Flying.com set the pace after changing hands for $1,100,000 in a private transaction. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2010/20100414.htm ********************** REPORTS & RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Megatrends and megashocks: a new view of our future world [news release] A new report from CSIRO identifies five global megatrends and eight megashocks that are changing the world. ?Megatrends are collections of interlinked trends that will change the way people live and the science and technology products that they demand,? report co-author CSIRO?s Dr James Moody says. http://www.csiro.au/news/Megatrends-and-megashocks-a-new-view-of-our-future-world.html ACTA: Protecting Innovation or Safeguarding Imperialistic Needs? by Satabdee Mohanty & Tanay Kumar Nandi Abstract: ... This paper starts off by foraging the need and motivation for such an agreement. It then proceeds to look into the various other concerns and issues that will rise out of the ratification of ACTA. The three major issues that will be thoroughly discussed are (un)constitutionality of ACTA, its impact on public interests and its impact on the current WIPO/WTO regime. http://ssrn.com/abstract=1593097 ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** au: CSIRO: IT driving global megatrends The CSIRO has included the convergence of the digital and natural worlds driven by the rapid growth in Internet usage and skyrocketing number of connected devices as one of five "megatrends" changing the world. The trend recognises a point of convergence between the natural and its digital counterpart as social interactions, information systems, transactions and sensory systems are replicated on the Internet. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/344212/csiro_it_driving_global_megatrends/ Online retailing in China: Clicks trump bricks - after a slow start, internet shopping explodes in China A woman living in Shanghai takes a long time to list all the items she has bought online in recent months: an iPod, a blender, a lamp, a rice cooker, a mobile phone, credit for it, a coffee-maker, coffee to put in it, Levi?s jeans (both real and counterfeit), underwear, paper, milk, snacks, toilet paper, butter, shampoo, DVDs and even some pretty orange fish for her aquarium. She also bought a few electric bicycles online and resold them at a profit to Americans via eBay, but has had to scrap this sideline thanks to stiff competition from other online entrepreneurs. Consumers in some places (notably America) have been slow to use the internet to make everyday purchases such as groceries. But in China the low cost of delivery and the high cost of property are feeding an e-tailing frenzy. http://www.economist.com/business-finance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15955376 Average NZ internet speed just 2.97Mbit/s - Akamai Chorus is rolling out faster broadband, at 10Mbit/s-plus, but people aren?t buying. The Telecommunications Commissioner has a theory why - and it involves a new focus for the commission - TV. http://www.nbr.co.nz/opinion/chris-keall/average-nz-internet-speed-just-297mbits-akamai Two million South Korean internet addicts [AP] Day and night, Lee Mi-hwa's son stays on his computer, slaying dragons in his online fantasy world while his dinner and homework sit untouched on a dinner table in Korea. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/two-million-internet-addicts-20100423-tgky.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/skorea-targets-internet-addicts-2-million-hooked-20100423-tg97.html U.S. students suffering from Internet addiction: study Crackberry is no joke. American college students are hooked on cellphones, social media and the Internet and showing symptoms similar to drug and alcohol addictions, according to a new study. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-47959820100423 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/23/AR2010042303867.html http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/3619610/Students-suffering-from-Internet-addiction-study How Big Is Porn? Recently, much attention has been lavished on the pornography industry--as a business--and many have claimed it is large and profitable, especially on the Internet. Many of the claims are cut from whole cloth, but are accepted without question by the legitimate press. http://www.forbes.com/2001/05/25/0524porn.html Microsoft, Google eye Arabic web growth potential The further integration of Arabic language capabilities in internet and other technological architecture will grant millions access to the digital world, Microsoft and Google executives said. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-47968120100424 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/24/AR2010042400854.html Sex Ads Seen Adding Revenue to Craigslist Craigslist, one of the most popular Web sites in the United States, is on track to increase its revenue 22 percent this year, largely from its controversial sex advertisements. That financial success is reviving scrutiny from law-enforcement officials who say the ads are still being used for illegal ends. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/26/technology/26craigslist.html Pope warns of internet 'conformity' [AP] Pope Benedict XVI said the internet and the ongoing process of media convergence carry a risk of conformity of thought and control. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/3622199/Pope-warns-of-internet-conformity http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/pope-warns-of-internet-risks-20100425-tkt3.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/pope-warns-of-internet-risks-20100425-tkt3.html ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** nz: Beware the curse of Facebook Posting snaps on Facebook of a drunken night out with mates, or gossiping online about your neighbour's sexual habits, could trigger complaints to the privacy commissioner under proposed changes to our privacy laws, which experts say have become hopelessly out of date since they were written 17 years ago. http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/3620814/Beware-the-curse-of-Facebook For Web's New Wave, Sharing Details Is the Point Mark Brooks wants the whole Web to know that he spent $41 on an iPad case at an Apple store, $24 eating at an Applebee?s, and $6,450 at a Florida plastic surgery clinic for nose work. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/23/technology/23share.html Facebook introduces Docs, based on Microsoft Web Office At Facebook's F8 developer conference, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg announced Facebook Docs, saying: "It's all of the power of Microsoft Office suite online with a simple Facebook integration." http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/apr/22/facebook-docs-microsoft-office Facebook sets up Google-war with vast expansion through Open Graph Facebook has announced plans to spread its influence more widely across the internet by weaving its service into all websites. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article7104354.ece Facebook's bid to rule the web as it goes social Facebook set out its stall to unseat Google and be at the heart of the web experience as it becomes more social. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8590306.stm Facebook seeks more revenue, not control of Web, analysts say Contrary to a lot of online buzz, analysts say that Facebook's moves this week don't indicate that the company is looking to take over the Web. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9175931/Facebook_seeks_more_revenue_not_control_of_Web_analysts_say 1.5M stolen Facebook IDs up for sale [IDG] A hacker named Kirllos has a rare deal for anyone who wants to spam, steal or scam on Facebook: an unprecedented number of user accounts offered at rock-bottom prices. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9175936/1.5M_stolen_Facebook_IDs_up_for_sale Privacy chiefs keep watch over Facebook, social media Over the past six years, social networking has been the Internet's stand-out phenomenon, linking up more than one billion people eager to exchange videos, pictures or last-minute birthday wishes. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-47901420100422 Social Phones Offer Shortcuts to the Web Microsoft, Nokia, and Motorola are among the companies releasing a new batch of devices that make it easier for users to post comments, photos, and tweets http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2010/tc20100422_929350.htm Facebook users under friendly fire Have you been getting strange "friend recommendations" from Facebook recently? Have you wondered how the social networking site has managed to connect you with a work contact or the husband of a colleague? http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/apr/25/facebook-users-friend-finder ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Pirates rewrite script for Apple's China iPad launch [Reuters] Just three weeks after the global launch, bootleg versions of Apple Inc's hot-selling iPad tablet PCs have begun showing up on the shelves of online and real-world shops in piracy-prone China. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/pirates-rewrite-script-for-apples-china-ipad-launch-1954567.html Apple iPad ban ended in Israel Israel has ended its ban on Apple's iPad tablet computer after a technical review. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/apr/25/apple-ipad-ban-ended-israel Israel ends ban on iPad [AP] Israel on Sunday lifted a ban on Apple Inc.'s popular iPad tablet computer, ending restrictions that had been imposed over concerns the gadget's wireless signal could disrupt other devices. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/25/AR2010042500986.html http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/3623408/Israel-lifts-iPad-ban Israel lifts ban on imports of Apple iPad Israel will begin allowing people to bring Apple iPads into the country starting on Sunday, two weeks after customs began confiscating the tablet computers for fear they would interfere with other wireless devices. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-47976420100425 ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ Australia pushes net censorship in Washington Australian government reps have recently met US officials in Washington to discuss concerns over the forthcoming internet censorship regime raised by the US ambassador to Australia and the US State Department. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/australia-pushes-net-censorship-in-washington-20100423-tgkh.html http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/australia-pushes-net-censorship-in-washington-20100423-tgkh.html http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/technology/technology-news/australia-pushes-net-censorship-in-washington-20100423-tgkh.html Libs quiz Conroy over US filter concern Queensland Opposition Senator Sue Boyce has written to Communications Minister Stephen Conroy and Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith asking for more information on the US Government's inquiry about Australia's internet filtering project. http://www.zdnet.com.au/libs-quiz-conroy-over-us-filter-concern-339302623.htm au: iPhone pokie apps targeted at children, says Senator [AAP] iPhone applications that allow children to play simulated poker machines are irresponsible and should be banned, says Senator Nick Xenophon. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10640921 uk: Internet provider gives age ratings to the web (and Facebook's a 12...) The responsibility of policing children's access to the internet can weigh heavily on the shoulders of parents. That very modern problem of having a single channel into the home that delivers education, entertainment and social interaction alongside pornography, profanity and bullying is being tackled on many fronts, by websites, software companies, ISPs, charities and government. But the monitoring of online activity, and the installation and maintenance of parental control software, is still a burden borne by the parent. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/internet-provider-gives-age-ratings-to-the-web-and-facebooks-a-12-1950698.html ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** Health of 250,000 European mobile phone users to be tracked A quarter of a million mobile phone users are to have their medical records tracked for more than 20 years in the world's largest study into the health effects of the devices. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/apr/22/mobile-phones-health-survey http://mthr.org.uk/press/documents/MTHRP9.pdf [study news release] Study to examine cancer risk in mobile phone use Thousands of people are to be studied over the course of 20 or 30 years to see if the long-term use of mobile phones increases the risk of developing brain tumours and other medical disorders, as part of the largest ever study into the subject. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/study-to-examine-cancer-risk-in-mobile-phone-use-1951956.html Mobile phones, cancer and Alzheimer's disease: the ultimate study is launched The world's biggest study into whether mobile phones cause cancer and other diseases has been launched by British scientists. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/7620278/Mobile-phones-cancer-and-Alzheimers-disease-the-ultimate-study-is-launched.html British mobile phone health study to follow 250,000-plus users A new, decades-long study launches Thursday to investigate possible links between cell phone use and a series of health problems, including cancer and Alzheimer's. http://news.cnet.com/8301-27083_3-20003209-247.html Biggest study on cellphone health effects launched The biggest study to date into the effects of mobile-phone usage on long-term health was launched on Thursday, aiming to track at least a quarter of a million of people in five European countries for up to 30 years. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-47910320100422 http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE63L1WK20100422 Cuba's mobile phone boom sees few calls but plenty of chatter Roberto Machado tapped his pocket with a smile and with some ceremony fished out the phone: a Sony Ericsson, vintage 2003. For its new owner this was no clunky relic. It was beautiful. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/25/cuba-mobile-phone-boom Apple Allows a Cartoon App, and a Glimpse of Free Speech Mark Fiore?s cartoon application is now available through the Apple App Store. But a group that represents cartoonists like him is now lobbying for the company to change its rules for humorous, politically charged apps. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/26/business/media/26app.html App rejections fall far from tree The story could have been programmed to draw media coverage, were it not for its implausibility: Apple (a reader magnet) banned a future Pulitzer Prize winner's iPhone application (invoking journalists' professional pride) because it "ridicules public figures" (spurring righteous indignation among reporters who live to afflict the comfortable). http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/23/AR2010042302127.html Apple taking on porn for the iPhone ... iPorn, anyone? Steve Jobs reportedly took another shot at Google's Android operating system, saying that's where people looking for porn should go. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/04/24/BUVI1D1O7E.DTL ********************** SPAM ********************** Spammers Pay Others to Answer Security Tests Faced with stricter Internet security measures, some spammers have begun borrowing a page from corporate America?s playbook: they are outsourcing. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/26/technology/26captcha.html ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** au: City-rural divide hits computer literacy THERE has been no improvement in the computer skills of the country's most disadvantaged students but the skills of higher performers are improving, a new national snapshot of school students in years 6 and 10 has found. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/cityrural-divide-hits-computer-literacy-20100422-tg28.html ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Minnesota man charged with aiding suicides via the Web A former Minnesota nurse who told police he went on the Internet and encouraged dozens of depressed people to kill themselves for the "thrill of the chase" was charged Friday with helping a Canadian woman and a British man commit suicide, authorities said. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/23/AR2010042302708.html Minnesota man coaxed others to suicide - prosecutor A former Minnesota nurse was charged on Friday with persuading a British man and a Canadian woman through an online chat room to commit suicide, lying to some prospective victims that he would die with them. http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE63M4P920100423 Rogue McAfee update paralyzes PCs worldwide [AFP] A routine anti-virus update from Web security firm McAfee confused a valid Windows file with a virus on Wednesday, disrupting computers around the world. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/rogue-mcafee-update-paralyzes-pcs-worldwide-1951028.html Facebook hacker claims to be in NZ A Russian hacker who says he is living in New Zealand attempted to sell the login details of millions of Facebook users - an unprecedented attack on the world's biggest social networking site. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10640757 NATO's cyber-brains gaze at the future of war [AFP] Behind the walls of a high-security lab, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's top cyber-minds are trying to predict the evolution of conflict in an Internet-dependent world. http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/natos-cyberbrains-gaze-at-the-future-of-war-20100425-tksy.html http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/natos-cyberbrains-gaze-at-the-future-of-war-20100425-tksy.html ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Which country leads censorship requests to Google by population - or internet users? Always assuming, of course, that you don't include China in the 'censorship' figures released this week http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2010/apr/23/google-censorship-country-uk ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** ACTA Draft Text Released: (Nearly) Same As It Ever Was As the ACTA negotiating countries promised, a draft consolidated text was released earlier today. Unlike the earlier leaked version which provided specific attribution to country positions, this official version has removed references to those positions, so the text does not state who supports which version of the text. Those interested in deciphering that bigger picture, should look at the official release alongside the leaked version. http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/4972/125/ ACTA Analysis Across the Web There is lots of coverage of ACTA in the wake of the official release of the draft text. Notable comments include: http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/4975/125/ Draft copyright treaty has Australian web industry worried A draft global copyright treaty released today could change the way Australian internet providers deal with pirates on their networks. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/22/2880462.htm Latest copyright protection draft soft on piracy Internet providers can expect to be spared tougher online copyright laws if Australia agrees to the current draft of a new multi-lateral agreement on protecting intellectual property. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/latest-copyright-protection-draft-soft-on-piracy/story-e6frgakx-1225857096598 ACTA to spur online content deals With the shadow of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) hanging over the local Internet industry, now is the time for ISPs to strike commercial agreements with content providers, rendering the anti-piracy treaty superfluous, Professor of Law and Director of the UTS Communications Law Centre, Michael Fraser, has argued. Speaking to Computerworld Australia Fraser said both ISPs and content providers were increasingly realising that a commercial, rather than legal, resolution to the issue of piracy online was preferable. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/344210/acta_spur_online_content_deals/ iiNet plays down ACTA draft iiNet chief regulatory officer, Steve Dalby, has poured cold water on so-called ?conspiracy theories? about the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/344246/iinet_plays_down_acta_draft/ http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/australian-isp-says-acta-draft-not-so-bad http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/042310-iinet-plays-down-acta.html us: Kirk Stresses Commitment To Curbing Piracy U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk disappointed some at the Consumer Electronics Association dinner Wednesday night by failing to discuss the draft Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement released the same day, which has come under fire by some consumer advocates for failing to shut the door on harsh punishments for copyright infringers. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/04/kirk-stresses-commitment-to-cu.php InternetNZ: "No to software patents" Internet New Zealand has backed the Commerce Select Committee and Minister Hon Simon Power's view that software should not be patentable. http://www.techday.co.nz/itbrief/news/internetnz-no-to-software-patents/16195/5 ********************************* MISCELLANEOUS ********************************* Microsoft?s Income Rises 35%, Driven by Sales of Windows 7 Sometimes breaking a sales record isn?t good enough. Just ask Microsoft. In the span of a couple of weeks, analysts and investors following the technology industry have had their expectations swell for a powerful recovery. Sales at giants like Intel, Apple and EMC have surged past prerecession levels to hit new highs. Both consumers and corporations have increased their technology spending, and there is talk once again of hiring in Silicon Valley. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/23/technology/23soft.html ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** nz: ComCom sees increased telco competition Competition in all telecommunications markets has increased since 2006 and consumer choice and service quality have improved while prices have fallen, according to a new Commerce Commission report. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/telecommunications/comcom-sees-increased-telco-competition nz: 2009 annual monitoring report shows increasing competition in telecommunications markets [news release] The Commerce Commission has today released its 2009 telecommunications monitoring report analysing the state of New Zealand telecommunications markets. As well as looking at developments in 2009, the report also assesses the progress seen since the 2006 amendments to the Telecommunications Act came into effect. http://www.comcom.govt.nz//MediaCentre/MediaReleases/200910/2009annualmonitoringreportshowsinc.aspx nz: ComCom report describes a thankless world for telcos An annual industry report finds telcos investing more money than ever, but bringing in less. http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/comcom-report-describes-a-thankless-world-telcos-122031 ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR ONLINE CHILD PROTECTION ********************************** uk: Rugby World Cup star?s former business partner faces jail for child pornography A former business partner of Rory Underwood, the 1991 rugby World Cup star, was convicted yesterday of misleading high-profile contacts into giving him false alibis in an attempt to beat child pornography charges. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article7105701.ece +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2010 --------- David Goldstein email: goldstein_david§yahoo.com.au web: http://davidgoldstein.tel/ http://goldsteinreport.com/ phone: +61 418 228 605 - mobile; +61 2 9665 5773 - office/home "Every time you use fossil fuels, you're adding to the problem. Every time you forgo fossil fuels, you're being part of the solution" - Dr Tim FlanneryReceived on Mon Apr 26 2010 - 05:55:11 UTC
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