[DNS] domain name news - 6 September

[DNS] domain name news - 6 September

From: David Goldstein <goldstein_david§yahoo.com.au>
Date: Sun, 5 Sep 2010 19:18:38 -0700 (PDT)
Don't forget to check out http://www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the archive of 
the last 3 months of the news.


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


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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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Internet governance issues arise in Pacific (includes audio report)
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/stories/201009/s3003339.htm

Obama seeks action on online pharmacies domain names
http://www.securingpharma.com/40/articles/567.php

co: How to Become an Internet Land Baron
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shane-snow/how-to-become-an-internet_b_705175.html

ITU head: Cyberwar could be 'worse than tsunami'
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/security-threats/2010/09/03/itu-head-cyberwar-could-be-worse-than-tsunami-40089995/


The future of the internet: The internet has been a great unifier of people, 
companies and online networks. Powerful forces are threatening to balkanise it
http://www.economist.com/node/16941635?story_id=16941635

au: UNSW reassures reliability to users after outages
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/359457/unsw_reassures_reliability_users_after_outages/



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GOVERNANCE
**********************
Internet governance issues arise in Pacific (includes audio report)
An important workshop on Internet governance and communications technology was 
held in Fiji last week, but at least one invitee refused to attend due to Fiji's 
strict media censorship.
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/pacbeat/stories/201009/s3003339.htm

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DOMAIN NAMES
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**********************
 - ICANN
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Obama seeks action on online pharmacies domain names
US President Barack Obama has called for a meeting with ICANN and other 
stakeholders to see what can be done about rogue online pharmacies peddling 
illegal medicines.
http://www.securingpharma.com/40/articles/567.php

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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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The .CA Registry (CIRA) and ?Public Interest? by Zak Muscovitch
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (?CIRA?) operates Canada?s .CA 
domain name registry in the ?public interest?. Where does this authority come 
from and what is the ?public interest?? During the current 2010 election for 
CIRA?s Board of Directors, these questions should be raised and debated. CIRA 
has an important role to fill as the operational manager of the registry, but 
has an equally important role to fill in terms of governing the .CA space in the 
public interest.
http://www.domainnamenews.com/cctlds/ca-registry-cira-public-interest/8022

co: How to Become an Internet Land Baron
When entrepreneur Juan Diego Calle asked the Colombian government to let him 
sell their Internet real-estate, he knew it was a long shot. The 
Harvard-educated Colombian native was battling over only two letters of the 
alphabet, but his request was tall: Let me commercialize the nation's Internet 
identity.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shane-snow/how-to-become-an-internet_b_705175.html

Huffington Post Spotlight on .CO Registry and Juan Calle
.CO Registry Founders ProgramThere was a neat article today on Huffington Post 
about Juan Calle and the .CO Registry. Aside from the mildly insulting comment 
that seems to equate domain parking with cybersquatting, it?s a pretty good 
article about the Registry and its marketing efforts, which have been led by 
Lori Anne Wardi and her marketing team.
http://www.elliotsblog.com/huffington-post-spotlight-on-co-registry-and-juan-calle-5789


.KE Domain Names Hit 14,000
The .KE domain names hit the 14,000 mark on the 1st September 2010.
http://www.kenic.or.ke/

12 firms to register ?dot tz? domain name
A total of 12 IT companies have been certified as ?Dot tz? (.tz) accredited 
registrars as part of efforts by the Tanzania Information Network Centre 
(.tzNIC) to make services readily available in the country.
http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/business/13-local-business/3956-12-firms-to-register-dot-tz-domain-name


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 - DNS SECURITY
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ITU head: Cyberwar could be 'worse than tsunami'
International cyberwar would be "worse than a tsunami" and should be averted by 
a global cybersecurity peace treaty, according to the head of the International 
Telecommunications Union.
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/security-threats/2010/09/03/itu-head-cyberwar-could-be-worse-than-tsunami-40089995/


DHS to expand cybersecurity program for researchers
The Homeland Security Department asked on Wednesday for comments on the latest 
version of forms that determine who is eligible to access a repository of 
computer and network data for cybersecurity research and development.
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20100903_1096.php

U.S. National Science Foundation funds research on social impact of network 
surveillance technologies by Milton Mueller
Syracuse University Professor Milton Mueller was awarded $304,000 by the U.S. 
NSF for his research on ?Deep Packet Inspection and the Governance of the 
Internet.? The research grant was made by the Science, Technology and Society 
program of the Social, Economic and Behavioral Science Directorate of NSF. The 
research will take place over two academic years, 2010-11 and 2011-2012.
http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2010/8/30/4617647.html

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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Revealed: how new domain registries are preparing to protect trademarks [reg 
req'd]
It will take many long years before the trademark community ever starts to feel 
comfortable in the domain name world. The impending launch of infinite new gTLDs 
will only prolong this problem. But companies intending to apply to run new gTLD 
registries have told WTR that they are keen to offer rights protection 
mechanisms and will learn from the recent successful re-launch of the '.co' 
ccTLD.
http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/daily/detail.aspx?g=13b6dd8f-87da-444d-905a-d578b6eadcfe


Web address customers 'should check domain history'
Businesses should check on the history of a web portal when purchasing online 
real estate from a domain name consultancy, it has been suggested.
http://www.globalgold.co.uk/web-hosting-news/domains-news/domain-news-web-address-customers-should-check-domain-history-800051292


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 - IPv4/IPv6
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IPv6 Transition Poses New Security Threats
The countdown to the saturation of the IPv4 address supply is now down to a 
matter of months: and along with the vast address space of the next-generation 
IPv6 architecture comes more built-in network security as well as some new 
potential security threats.
http://www.darkreading.com/vulnerability_management/security/perimeter/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=227300083


Retooling Vulnerability Scanning, Penetration Testing for IPv6
IPv6 brings some welcome security and other features, but there are some 
'gotchas' for IP professionals that may not be immediately apparent.
http://www.darkreading.com/vulnerability_management/security/vulnerabilities/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=227300150


IPv6 Prep Warnings Get More Urgent
Service providers are banging the drum for the coming shift to IPv6, hoping to 
convince business customers that they need to prepare well in advance of the 
exhaust of IPv4 addresses, expected to happen in 2011.
http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=196456

Analysis: What's holding back IPv6?
Buying a nice address on the Internet will soon cost a bomb. The number of 
addresses available under IPv4, the predominate protocol for routing requests 
between hosts on today's internet, is dwindling rapidly.
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/231050,analysis-whats-holding-back-ipv6.aspx

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 - MISCELLANEOUS
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The future of the internet: The internet has been a great unifier of people, 
companies and online networks. Powerful forces are threatening to balkanise it
The first internet boom, a decade and a half ago, resembled a religious 
movement. Omnipresent cyber-gurus, often framed by colourful PowerPoint 
presentations reminiscent of stained glass, prophesied a digital paradise in 
which not only would commerce be frictionless and growth exponential, but 
democracy would be direct and the nation-state would no longer exist. One, 
John-Perry Barlow, even penned ?A Declaration of the Independence of 
Cyberspace?. ... Not every request or barrier has a sinister motive. Australia?s 
firewall is a case in point, even if it is a clumsy way of enforcing the law. It 
would be another matter, however, if governments started tinkering with the 
internet?s address book, the Domain Name System (DNS). This allows the network 
to look up the computer on which a website lives. If a country started its own 
DNS, it could better control what people can see. Some fear this is precisely 
what China and others might do one day.
http://www.economist.com/node/16941635?story_id=16941635

au: UNSW reassures reliability to users after outages
The University of New South Wales has sought to reassure students of its 
reliability, after its domain name registration expired, resulting in outages in 
all external-facing UNSW websites and email bounce backs.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/359457/unsw_reassures_reliability_users_after_outages/


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 - DOMAINING & AFTERMARKET
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Want to Bid on Sex.com? Deposit $1 Million.
We might never see an auction for Sex.com. But if we do, expect to put up a 
significant deposit if you wish to bid.
http://domainnamewire.com/2010/09/02/want-to-bid-on-sex-com-deposit-1-million/

.CO landrush auctions could top $10 million
The ongoing .co landrush auctions could finish up raising more than $10 million 
for .CO Internet, according to some quick back-of-the-envelope calculations.
http://domainincite.com/co-landrush-auctions-could-top-10-million/

Sedo Launches New Search!
We proudly invite you to check out the new innovations we?ve added to the domain 
search on Sedo.com.
https://sedo.com/links/showlinks.php3?tracked=&partnerid=&language=us&Id=2695

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REPORTS & RESEARCH PAPERS
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Cell phones and American adults
Overview: Texting by American adults has increased substantially over the past 
year, but still does not approach the magnitude of text messages exchanged by 
adolescents. Some 72% of adult cell phone users send and receive text messages 
now, up from 65% in September 2009. Fully 87% of teen cell users text. Teens 
text 50 messages a day on average, five times more than the typical 10 text 
messages sent and received by adults per day.
http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Cell-Phones-and-American-Adults.aspx

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INTERNET USE
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The future of the internet: The internet has been a great unifier of people, 
companies and online networks. Powerful forces are threatening to balkanise it
The first internet boom, a decade and a half ago, resembled a religious 
movement. Omnipresent cyber-gurus, often framed by colourful PowerPoint 
presentations reminiscent of stained glass, prophesied a digital paradise in 
which not only would commerce be frictionless and growth exponential, but 
democracy would be direct and the nation-state would no longer exist. One, 
John-Perry Barlow, even penned ?A Declaration of the Independence of 
Cyberspace?.
http://www.economist.com/node/16941635

The web's new walls: How the threats to the internet?s openness can be averted
When George W. Bush referred to ?rumours on the, uh, internets? during the 2004 
presidential campaign, he was derided for his cluelessness?and ?internets? 
became a shorthand for a lack of understanding of the online world. But what 
looked like ignorance then looks like prescience now. As divergent forces tug at 
the internet, it is in danger of losing its universality and splintering into 
separate digital domains.
http://www.economist.com/node/16943579

Online advertising still doesn't pack a fraction of print's punch
You can have opinion (and hope, and aspiration) or you can have facts. Benedict 
Evans, at Enders Analysis, has just trawled through all the data of newspaper 
finances present and future ? and he has concluded that one current print reader 
is worth four times as much as any prospective online website reader.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/global/2010/sep/05/preston-online-advertising

YouTube Ads Turn Videos Into Revenue
Last month, a YouTube user, TomR35, uploaded a clip from the AMC series ?Mad 
Men? in which Don Draper makes a heartfelt speech about the importance of 
nostalgia in advertising.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/technology/03youtube.html

Craigslist Blocks Access to 'Adult Services' Pages
Craigslist, the popular Web site for classified ads, has blocked access to its 
?adult services? section and replaced the link with a black label showing the 
word ?censored.?
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/technology/05craigs.html

Craigslist stops offering links to 'adult services' ads
One of the world's biggest providers of Internet classified advertising abruptly 
shut down the "adult services" section of its U.S. Web sites this weekend, 
apparently in response to criticism from prosecutors that it had become a tool 
for prostitution.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/04/AR2010090401719.html


Internet an equalizer for people with disabilities [AFP]
Sally Harrison is developmentally disabled, but on Facebook the 35-year-old 
woman is just like anyone else.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/internet-an-equalizer-for-people-with-disabilities-20100906-14wa4.html

http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/internet-an-equalizer-for-people-with-disabilities-20100906-14wa4.html


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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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Mining social networks: Software: From retailing to counterterrorism, the 
ability to analyse social connections is proving increasingly useful
Telecoms operators naturally prize mobile-phone subscribers who spend a lot, but 
some thriftier customers, it turns out, are actually more valuable. Known as 
?influencers?, these subscribers frequently persuade their friends, family and 
colleagues to follow them when they switch to a rival operator. The trick, then, 
is to identify such trendsetting subscribers and keep them on board with special 
discounts and promotions. People at the top of the office or social pecking 
order often receive quick callbacks, do not worry about calling other people 
late at night and tend to get more calls at times when social events are most 
often organised, such as Friday afternoons. Influential customers also reveal 
their clout by making long calls, while the calls they receive are generally 
short.
http://www.economist.com/node/16910031

Facebook: Teens want to unfriend their cyber-stalking moms
More than three-quarters of parents on Facebook are friends with their kids -- 
to many of those kids' dismay, Tiffany Hsu writes.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/08/facebook-teens-want-to-defriend-their-cyberstalking-moms.html


au: Mother's worst nightmare: Facebook won't shut down stalker
A Sydney mother-of-three, her daughter and daughter's friends have been 
subjected to a two-week ordeal at the hands of a Facebook stalker and they have 
been unable to get the social networking company to intervene.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/mothers-worst-nightmare-facebook-wont-shut-down-stalker-20100902-14rr7.html

http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/4092154/Facebook-won-t-shut-down-stalker

http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/mothers-worst-nightmare-facebook-wont-shut-down-stalker-20100902-14rr7.html


Facebook to roll out security feature
Facebook is rolling out a new security feature that lets users log out of their 
accounts remotely from another computer. It follows the news of a Sydney 
mother-of-three, her daughter and daughter's friends being subjected to a 
two-week ordeal at the hands of a Facebook stalker they have been unable to get 
the social networking company to do anything about.
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/facebook-to-roll-out-security-feature-20100903-14svb.html

http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/facebook-to-roll-out-security-feature-20100903-14svb.html

http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/4091513/Facebooks-new-security-feature-remote-logouts


Facebook adds new remote log-out security feature
Facebook users who log in from multiple devices will soon have a way to make 
sure they are only logged in on the computer they are currently using.
http://www.zdnetasia.com/facebook-adds-new-remote-log-out-security-feature-62202660.htm


Brands loosen grip on social media
MORE companies are handing over the control of their social media activity to 
external agencies in a trend that concerns even those who earn business out of 
it.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/brands-loosen-grip-on-social-media-20100903-14spq.html

http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/brands-loosen-grip-on-social-media-20100903-14spq.html


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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
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Memristor revolution backed by HP
Electronics giant HP has joined the world's second-largest memory chip maker 
Hynix to manufacture a novel member of the electronics family.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11165087

Tiny solar cells fix themselvesDevice containing nanometre-scale solar cells
A mix of chemicals borrowed from plants with tiny tubes of carbon can 
spontaneously create tiny, self-repairing solar cells.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11181753

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CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
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eu: Not Just a Picture Conference
To mark the end of the pilot phase of the European Financial Coalition, we are 
pleased to announce the Not Just a Picture Conference will be taking place on 
the 15-16th September 2010, at the Concert Noble in Brussels.
http://www.ceop.police.uk/EFC/Public-Library/Latest-News/Final-conference/

The role of technology in the sexualisation of children: Thursday 23rd September 
2010, Netherlands Institute of Sound and Vision, Hilversum
Understanding the risks: The internet is a natural part of life for children. 
It?s part of the world in which they grow up, a place to meet and play, to share 
experiences and explore. A place to learn about the world, good and bad.
http://www.ceop.police.uk/Documents/Netherlands_FLYER.pdf

au: School uses anti-bullying app after suicide
A school district in South Hadley, Massachusetts, is hoping a specialized 
software application will help stop tragedies like the one that befell Phoebe 
Prince, an Irish-born teen who committed suicide in January after an alleged 
bullying campaign by fellow students.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/359534/school_uses_anti-bullying_app_after_suicide/


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ONLINE TV & MUSIC
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Online television: Old-media firms are firmly in control of internet video
Like stallholders in a busy market, technology companies hawked their 
online-video services this week. In Berlin, Sony announced it would begin 
selling films over the internet to Europeans. In San Francisco, Apple unveiled a 
smaller, cheaper Apple TV, a set-top box designed to play videos. It also said 
some television shows would be available ? la carte for 99 cents. YouTube, a 
video-streaming website owned by Google, is trying to cut deals with studios 
that would allow it to rent newly released films. Amazon too is reportedly 
trying to build a subscription service. But while technology companies are 
making all the noise, old-media firms are quietly steering the market.
http://www.economist.com/node/16944911

Apple, Google to clash in music space by Christmas
Google Inc is in talks with music labels on plans for a download store and a 
digital song locker that would allow its mobile users to play songs wherever 
they are as it steps up its rivalry with Apple Inc, according to people familiar 
with the matter.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE68151J20100902

Google's music entreaties fall favorably on record companies' ears
Google Inc., which is developing a digital music service, is finding a warm 
welcome at record companies that are hoping the technology company can loosen 
Apple Inc.?s grip on the digital music market with its iTunes music store.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/09/googles-entreaties-music-to-record-companies-ears.html


Apple's move pushes TV toward Internet delivery
The slow-moving struggle to unplug TV viewing from its traditional business 
model just got more interesting -- and messier.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/01/AR2010090106419.html


Internet TV just around the corner
Internet television, or IPTV, is coming to a living room near you.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/business/4092871/Internet-TV-just-around-the-corner

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/4092871/Internet-TV-just-around-the-corner


A New Digital Battlefield
TV shows are emerging as a new front in the war over digital media between 
Amazon.com and Apple amid their ongoing battles over electronic books and online 
music.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703431604575468051468814036.html

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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Mobile internet in emerging markets: How the mobile internet will transform the 
BRICI countries
Buying a mobile phone was the wisest $20 Ranvir Singh ever spent. Mr Singh, a 
farmer in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, used to make appointments in 
person, in advance, to deliver fresh buffalo milk to his 40-odd neighbours. Now 
his customers just call when they want some. Mr Singh?s income has risen by 25%, 
to 7,000 rupees ($149) a month. And he hears rumours of an even more bountiful 
technology. He has heard that ?something on mobile phones? can tell him the 
current market price of his wheat. Mr Singh does not know that that ?something? 
is the internet, because, like most Indians, he has never seen or used it. But 
the phone in his calloused hand hints at how hundreds of millions of people in 
emerging markets?perhaps even billions?will one day log on.
http://www.economist.com/node/16944020

Taiwan's HTC: iPhone's quiet challenger [AP]
East Asia is the world's electronics factory, yet unless they are Japanese, 
producers are largely anonymous. Now HTC Corp, a Taiwanese maker of smart 
phones, is moving out of the shadows and trying to establish its own brand name 
as it competes with Apple's iPhone.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/4100199/Taiwans-HTC-iPhones-quiet-challenger

http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/taiwans-htc-iphones-quiet-challenger-20100905-14vti.html

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/taiwans-htc-iphones-quiet-challenger-20100905-14vti.html


BlackBerry should share data: UN [AP]
Blackberry's Canadian manufacturer should give law enforcement agencies access 
to customer data, the United Nations telecommunications chief said.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/blackberry-should-share-data-un/story-e6frgakx-1225913667884


More U.S. Adults Embrace Texting, Survey Finds
A survey released Thursday found that U.S. adults are following teens in 
embracing text messaging, with 72 percent of adults saying they have sent or 
received text messages compared with 65 percent in a September 2009 survey. 
Adults, however, still have a ways to go to catch up to the 87 percent of teens 
who reported using their mobile phones for texting.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/09/more-us-adults-embrace-texting.php


Pew: Adults text, but teens do it five times as much
Nearly three-quarters of adult mobile phone users text message others, but the 
average teenager sends and receives five times as many messages as an adult, Pew 
Internet found in a recent study.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-20015588-17.html

Israeli mobile phone interconnect fees slashed 80 percent
Israel's telecom regulator on Thursday ordered mobile phone operators to cut 
fees they charge each other to connect calls by nearly 80 percent, a move the 
companies say will hurt profits and revenue.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE68134D20100902

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DIGITAL DIVIDE
*********************
UN reveals global disparity in broadband access
The global disparity in fixed broadband access and cost has been revealed by UN 
figures.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11162656

Developing world leaps digital divide
The number of internet users in five emerging economies will nearly double by 
2015, a new report says.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/03/3001556.htm

The growth of the Internet in Africa
The Internet has achieved less penetration in Africa than on any other inhabited 
continent. In part this is a product of the majority's drastically low 
disposable income in most countries, but it is also a reflection of extremely 
poor digital infrastructure outside of a few comparatively developed countries, 
such as Egypt, Morocco, Mauritius, and South Africa. Nevertheless, new 
investments are occurring every year - and because Africa is so far behind, 
Internet in Africa will likely appear to grow extremely rapidly over the coming 
decade.
http://www.helium.com/items/1941257-growth-of-the-internet-in-africa

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ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
**************************
Austria far-right says anti-mosque web game banned
Austrian authorities have banned a far-right online game where players eliminate 
animated mosques and Muslims, the political party behind the game said on 
Friday.
http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-51275120100903

jp: No. of Internet crime cases hits record high in 1st half
Police responded to a record 2,444 Internet crime cases nationwide in the first 
half of this year, a National Police Agency survey showed Thursday. The number, 
up 586 or 31.5% from a year earlier, represented a new high since the NPA 
started gathering statistics for Internet crimes, defined as crimes which use a 
computer network, on a half-year basis in 2004.
http://www.japantoday.com/category/crime/view/no-of-internet-crime-cases-hits-record-high-in-1st-half


Record 2,444 Internet crimes handled in first half
Police responded to a record 2,444 Internet crime cases nationwide in the first 
half of this year, a National Police Agency survey showed Thursday.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20100903a3.html

Texas Probes Google on Ranking of Search Results
The Texas attorney general has opened an antitrust investigation into how Google 
ranks search results, the first United States case to strike at the heart of the 
company?s main search business.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/04/technology/04google.html

Texas Attorney General Investigates Google Search
Google said Friday that the Texas attorney general, Greg Abbott, is conducting 
an antitrust review of its search business.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/texas-attorney-general-investigates-google-search/


Google faces Texas AG inquiry, settles privacy suit
Google Inc said on Friday it was the target of an investigation by the Texas 
Attorney General's office into the fairness of its search engine rankings.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE68253J20100904
http://in.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-51275620100904

Texas attorney general to investigate complaints about Google's search engine 
[AP]
Google's methods for recommending Web sites are being reviewed by the Texas 
state attorney general in an investigation spurred by complaints that the 
company has abused its power as the Internet's dominant search engine.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/03/AR2010090305857.html

http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/texas-opens-inquiry-into-google-search-rankings-20100904-14uso.html

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/texas-opens-inquiry-into-google-search-rankings-20100904-14uso.html


Texas watchdog reviews Google?s practices
The company faces the first broad antitrust probe of its core search business, 
in its latest fight to contain legal challenges prompted by its spreading 
influence on online life
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/587ea3c2-b7b1-11df-8ef6-00144feabdc0.html

Texas Launches Antitrust Probe Of Google
Google revealed Friday that Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott is conducting an 
antitrust probe of the Internet firm, focusing on whether the company 
manipulates its search results.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/09/texas-launches-antitrust-probe.php


German court rules against YouTube over copyright
A German court ruled Friday that Google Inc.'s subsidiary YouTube LLC must pay 
compensation after users uploaded several videos of performances by singer Sarah 
Brightman in violation of copyright laws.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/03/AR2010090303415.html


Google Loses German Court Ruling Over YouTube Videos [Bloomberg]
Google Inc.?s YouTube video service lost a Hamburg court ruling over copyrighted 
material that was posted online without permission for rebroadcast.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-09-03/google-loses-german-court-ruling-over-youtube-videos.html


Nigerian scam tops list of decade's online cons
We've all received e-mails from deposed Nigerian princes asking for help in 
getting lots of money out of their country. But that's just one of several scams 
that made Panda Security's list of the most frequent online cons of a decade.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-20015433-83.html

Libel tourism is a very rare thing in UK courts, finds study
Just three out of 83 defamation cases reported in the UK in the past year 
involved libel tourism, according to a study. Concern about foreign residents 
suing foreign publishers in UK courts greatly outweighs its actual occurrence, 
the figures suggest.
http://out-law.com/page-11343

au: PS3 hack ban upheld by court as free version released
Sony's battle to block the distribution of a hack for its PlayStation 3 (PS3) 
has been won in an Australian court but lost on the internet.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11176441

**************************
PRIVACY
**************************
Google to Simplify Its Privacy Policies
It?s no secret that privacy policies on the Web are incomprehensible to most of 
the public. They?re long, convoluted and contain acronyms and language that 
require a master?s degree if you want to figure out what the company is doing 
with your personal information.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/google-to-simplify-its-privacy-policies/


Google Aims To Make Privacy Policies More Understandable
Google said Friday that it is "simplifying and updating" its privacy policies to 
make them more understandable for users.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/09/google-aims-to-make-privacy-po.php


Google Helps Users Learn What it Knows About Them
Ever wondered what Google knows about you? The Internet giant on Friday made it 
easier to understand and control the information it collects.
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2010/09/03/google-helps-users-learn-what-it-knows-about-them/


us: Google Privacy Practices Blasted
Consumer Watchdog, a group that has been a sharp critic of Google's privacy 
practices in the past, is at it once again.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9183539/Consumer_group_lampoons_Google_CEO_over_privacy_issues

http://www.pcworld.com/article/204882/.html

Google: Trimming our privacy policies
Long, complicated and lawyerly?that's what most people think about privacy 
policies, and for good reason. Even taking into account that they?re legal 
documents, most privacy policies are still too hard to understand.
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/trimming-our-privacy-policies.html

**********************
CENSORSHIP
**********************
Saudi telecom shuts websites violating Fatwa edict [AP]
Saudi Arabia's telecom regulator has shut down three websites that were 
violating a government decree limiting the issuance of religious edicts to the 
country's most senior group of clerics, authorities said Saturday.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2010/09/04/saudi_telecom_shuts_websites_violating_fatwa_edict/

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/saudi-telecom-shuts-websites-over-edict-20100905-14vm2.html


**************************
GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
**************************
Net Neutrality: The Struggle for What We Already Have
For something that seems so simple and straightforward, ?net neutrality? has 
sure created one big mess.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/04/business/04nocera.html

us: FCC asks for public comment on net neutrality proposals
American net users are being asked to help decide what ISPs can do to the web 
traffic flowing over their networks.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11163136

How Neutral Is the Internet?
Whether the Internet is truly a democratic forum was called into question this 
week in a dispute about Internet traffic management between AT&T and the 
consumer advocacy group Free Press, National Journal.com reported.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2010/09/how-neutral-is-the-internet.php

Google warned on China plans
Google?s technological lead over Baidu has eroded, the company?s former China 
head has said, highlighting the increasing challenges western internet companies 
face in the world?s most populous internet market
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/310ccbe2-b915-11df-99be-00144feabdc0.html

*********************************
MISCELLANEOUS
*********************************
Australian pedestrian death rise blamed on iPods
Death by iPod is being blamed as a contributing factor to the 25 per cent rise 
in the number of pedestrian fatalities in NSW.
http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mp3s/pedestrian-death-rise-blamed-on-ipods-20100905-14w4d.html

http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/mp3s/pedestrian-death-rise-blamed-on-ipods-20100905-14w4d.html


**********************
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
**********************
au: National Broadband Network is a 'soft target' for cyber crooks, say police
Cyber criminals will target Australia's high-speed broadband network, police 
have warned.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/network-soft-target-for-cyber-crooks/story-fn59niix-1225914507805

http://www.news.com.au/technology/network-is-a-soft-target-for-cyber-crooks/story-e6frfro0-1225914541370


nz: Telco networks robust in Christchurch earthquake
Telecom makes 300 payphones available free of charge
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/telco-networks-robust-in-christchurch-earthquake


Christchurch IT firms continue operations after quake
Canterbury Software Summit postponed; essential staff only at Jade centre
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/christchurch-it-firms-continue-operations-after-quake


Cable and Wireless Worldwide in SingTel's sights
Singapore Telecoms, the sovereign wealth-backed mobile phone-to-pay TV giant, is 
considering a bid for FTSE 100 group Cable & Wireless Worldwide.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/cable-and-wireless-worldwide-in-singtels-sights-2070603.html


SingTel mulls bid for C&W Worldwide [Reuters]
Singapore Telecommunications is considering a bid for FTSE 100 group Cable & 
Wireless Worldwide, The Independent reported Sunday.
http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/20100906004231/Article/
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/business/article/singtel-mulls-bid-for-cw-worldwide/

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

(c) David Goldstein 2010



 
---------
David Goldstein
email: goldstein_david&#167;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 Flannery



      
Received on Sun Sep 05 2010 - 19:18:38 UTC

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