[DNS] domain name news - 3 February

[DNS] domain name news - 3 February

From: David Goldstein <goldstein_david§yahoo.com.au>
Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2011 11:32:35 -0800 (PST)
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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Status Report on the DNS in Egypt by Rod Beckstrom
http://blog.icann.org/2011/01/status-report-on-the-dns-in-egypt/

US government submission to the ICANN Board-GAC meeting on new gTLDs by Kieren 
McCarthy
http://gibc.biz/2011/01/us-government-submission-to-the-icann-board-gac-meeting-on-new-gtlds/


Details of ICANN?s government showdown emerge
http://domainincite.com/details-of-icanns-government-showdown-emerge/

au: Free websites for flood-affected councils
http://www.governmentnews.com.au/2011/02/01/article/Flood-affected-Victorian-councils-offered-free-web-sites/BQATIVOZXR


Poland wants Auschwitz website to drop .pl suffix
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8298910/Poland-wants-Auschwitz-website-to-drop-.pl-suffix.html


Is a net blackout possible down under?
http://www.zdnet.com.au/is-a-net-blackout-possible-down-under-339308850.htm

Is an Aussie net blackout constitutional?
http://www.zdnet.com.au/is-an-aussie-net-blackout-constitutional-339308915.htm

Noel Gallagher woos Oasis fan to get web domain name back - Daily Gossip
http://www.nme.com/news/daily-gossip/54749

Federal Officials Seize Websites Accused Of Streaming Sports Events
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/02/federal-officials-seize-websit.php


Major Announcement Set on Dwindling Pool of Available IPv4 Internet Addresses: 
Leading Global Internet Groups Schedule Miami News Conference
http://icann.org/en/news/advisories/advisory-01feb11-en.pdf

Web Running Out of Addresses - Internet Sites, Carriers Are Laying the 
Groundwork for a New Routing System
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704254304576116401267588510.html

Two /8s allocated to APNIC from IANA
http://www.apnic.net/publications/news/2011/delegation


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DOMAIN NAMES
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**********************
 - ICANN
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Status Report on the DNS in Egypt by Rod Beckstrom
Along with the entire global Internet community, ICANN is watching the events 
unfolding in Egypt with great concern for the safety of the people of Egypt and 
for their ability to use the Internet. On January 27, most Internet connectivity 
to Egypt was shut down, apparently on the instruction of the national 
government. This has led to the inaccessibility of the main domain name system 
(DNS) server of the Egyptian ccTLD (.eg).
http://blog.icann.org/2011/01/status-report-on-the-dns-in-egypt/

US government submission to the ICANN Board-GAC meeting on new gTLDs by Kieren 
McCarthy
Below is the full text of what is believed to be the final submission from the 
US government to ICANN?s Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) for a special 
ICANN Board-GAC meeting to be held in Brussels on 28 February-1 March. The US 
government plays a dominant role in the GAC and until recently was directly 
overseer of ICANN.
http://gibc.biz/2011/01/us-government-submission-to-the-icann-board-gac-meeting-on-new-gtlds/


Details of ICANN?s government showdown emerge
Eight governments will face off against nine ICANN directors and an outside 
lawyer at the Governmental Advisory Committee showdown in Brussels at the end of 
the month.
http://domainincite.com/details-of-icanns-government-showdown-emerge/

Will Cisco Products phone home to ICANN? by Brenden Kuerbis
IGP has spent a lot of time trying to get people to appreciate the massive 
global governance issues caused by adding security to the Internet's core 
infrastructure. We just didn't expect them to become this obvious so quickly. 
Case in point: various technical lists are abuzz with news that Cisco, the 
world's largest router manufacturer, is discussing the possibility of making 
every one of its products do DNSSEC validation by default:
http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2011/1/31/4737395.html

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 - ccTLD & gTLD NEWS
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au: Free websites for flood-affected councils
Domain name orgasnisation, au domain Administration (auDA) has offered mayors, 
council CEOs and relevant disaster and management recovery authorities, free 
websites.
http://www.governmentnews.com.au/2011/02/01/article/Flood-affected-Victorian-councils-offered-free-web-sites/BQATIVOZXR


Poland wants Auschwitz website to drop .pl suffix
Poland wants to ditch the .pl suffix to the Auschwitz.pl website in an effort to 
ensure people realise that Nazi Germany?s most infamous death camp was not 
Polish.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/8298910/Poland-wants-Auschwitz-website-to-drop-.pl-suffix.html


Poland asks Nazi camp museums to drop .pl websites [AFP]
Poland's culture minister said Tuesday he had asked museums at former Nazi death 
camps to drop their Polish .pl Internet suffix to help counter the false 
impression they were Polish-run.
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/poland-asks-nazi-camp-museums-to-drop-pl-websites-20110202-1acoc.html

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/poland-asks-nazi-camp-museums-to-drop-pl-websites-20110202-1acoc.html


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 - NEW TLDS
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US Wants To Make Loser Pay For All Costs & Domain Transferred Under New Uniform 
Rapid Suspension (URS): ICA Responds
According to the letter the U.S. wants the GAC to ask ICANN to make the Uniform 
Rapid Suspension (URS) into a ?loser pays? system.
http://www.thedomains.com/2011/01/31/us-wants-to-make-loser-pay-for-all-costs-the-domain-transferred-to-trademark-holder-in-new-uniform-rapid-suspension-urs/


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 - DNS SECURITY
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Is a net blackout possible down under?
After internet connectivity in Egypt was reportedly severed for political 
reasons, what would it take to blackout network access in Australia? ... "If 
ISPs stop resolving, unless you are operating with a provider that is outside 
the country [which] ignores the directive or is not asked, everyone would be 
stuck," The Australian Domain Administrator (auDA) chief executive Chris 
Disspain said.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/is-a-net-blackout-possible-down-under-339308850.htm

Is an Aussie net blackout constitutional?
analysis Given the state of affairs in Egypt, ZDNet Australia asked several law 
experts about whether a communications shut-down here would be legally possible, 
following expert opinions that it is technically possible.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/is-an-aussie-net-blackout-constitutional-339308915.htm

African TLD registries yet to deploy DNSSEC
Lack of political willingness and weak management of country code top-level 
domains has led to slow implementation of DNS Security Extensions in Africa.
http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=0742C204-1A64-67EA-E484B6A9FD9A5DCF

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 - DOMAIN DISPUTES
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Noel Gallagher woos Oasis fan to get web domain name back - Daily Gossip
Noel Gallagher has managed to recover his rightful domain name after a decade 
without it.
http://www.nme.com/news/daily-gossip/54749

Federal Officials Seize Websites Accused Of Streaming Sports Events
Just days before the Super Bowl, federal officials seized the Web addresses of 
10 websites accused of illegally offering access to sports events and other 
copyright-protected content.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/02/federal-officials-seize-websit.php


US Customs begins pre-Super Bowl online mole-whack
With the Super Bowl less than a week away, US Customs has shut down a new set of 
Internet domain names for sites that linked to live sports broadcasts on the 
Web. As usual, the underlying servers were not affected and many sites are 
already running at new, non-US-controlled addresses.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/02/us-customs-begins-pre-super-bowl-mole-whacking.ars


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 - IPv4/IPv6
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Major Announcement Set on Dwindling Pool of Available IPv4 Internet Addresses: 
Leading Global Internet Groups Schedule Miami News Conference
Much has been written in the international media over the last few weeks about 
the dwindling pool of Internet addresses using the original Internet protocol, 
called IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4). These news stories have piqued 
international interest and raised important questions about the future of the 
Internet?s addressing system. The answers to those questions are of interest to 
2-billion Internet users.
http://icann.org/en/news/advisories/advisory-01feb11-en.pdf

Web Running Out of Addresses - Internet Sites, Carriers Are Laying the 
Groundwork for a New Routing System
The Internet is about to run out of new addresses, a milestone that is spurring 
Web giants like Facebook Inc. and Google Inc. to develop new versions of their 
sites and prompting carriers like AT&T Inc. and others to upgrade networks.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704254304576116401267588510.html

Lack Of Internet Addresses No Cause For Concern
The sky is not falling. The internet is not about to collapse. The last tranche 
of internet address numbers may have been issued but this is not the end of the 
internet as we know it, says the chairman of the regional authority responsible 
for issuing addresses in EMEA.
http://blogs.wsj.com/tech-europe/2011/02/01/lack-of-internet-addresses-no-cause-for-concern/


APNIC IPv4 allocation signals change in tact
After years of speculation around timing of what has been referred to as the 
?IPocalypse?, the internet protocol version 4 (IPv4) standard address stock has 
been exhausted.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/375032/apnic_ipv4_allocation_signals_change_tact/


Two /8s allocated to APNIC from IANA
Dear Colleagues, The information in this announcement is to enable the Internet 
community to update network configurations, such as routing filters, where 
required. APNIC received the following IPv4 address blocks from IANA in February 
2011 and will be making allocations from these ranges in the near future:
http://www.apnic.net/publications/news/2011/delegation

2011 is the year of IPv4 exhaustion
The New Zealand IPv6 Task Force advises that 2011 is the year when allocations 
of IPv4 addresses from the world?s Internet address registries will be 
exhausted.
http://www.ipv6.org.nz/2011/02/02/media-release-2011-is-the-year-of-ipv4-exhaustion/


IANA Allocates Two /8s of IPv4 Space to APNIC
On 1 February 2011, the IANA allocated two /8s of IPv4 address space to APNIC, 
the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) for the Asia Pacific region.
http://ripe.net/news/2011-iana-ipv4-apnic.html

Last blocks net addresses set to be shared
The internet has taken a big step closer to running out of addresses. In the 
early hours of 1 February, the organisation that oversees net addresses in the 
Asia Pacific region put in a request for more addresses.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12334734

DIA pitches IPv6 to govt agencies as IPv4 deadline nears
The New Zealand government has begun moving to encourage public-sector agencies 
to adopt IPv6 internet addressing. The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) and 
its Government Technology Services unit have launched a website, 
www.ipv6.govt.nz, containing advice and links to help smooth the path to IPv6 
adoption.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/dia-pitches-ipv6-to-govt-agencies-as-ipv4-deadline-nears

http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=E7E88613-1A64-67EA-E4A6836A25AF6903
http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=E7E8861A-1A64-67EA-E40CB264A1EFA26C

End of the line for internet addresses
The remaining slices of the internet were shared out this week and now growth 
will come at a cost, says internet New Zealand.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10703753

IPv4 Internet addresses: 251 blocks down, 5 to go
Yesterday marked an important step toward the end of Internet plumbing as we 
know it. Specifically, the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) allocated 
two of the last seven blocks of Net addresses that use today's Internet Protocol 
version 4 (IPv4). That will trigger the automatic distribution soon of the last 
five, one each to the five regional Internet registries (RIR) that oversee the 
distribution of the numbers farther downstream, to the Internet service 
providers and other companies that actually need the IPv4 addresses.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20030105-264.html

Address allocation kicks off IPv4 endgame [IDG]
The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority has assigned two large blocks of IPv4 
addresses to the Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre, activating a rule 
under which the agency will give out the last of its IPv4 addresses.
http://www.techworld.com.au/article/375029/address_allocation_kicks_off_ipv4_endgame/

http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/375029/address_allocation_kicks_off_ipv4_endgame/

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9207438/Address_allocation_kicks_off_IPv4_endgame

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/020111-address-allocation-kicks-off-ipv4.html


Internet almost out of space with allocation of last addresses
Delays in transition to IPv6 system mean some households and businesses will 
face connection problems in coming months
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/feb/01/internet-last-addresses-ipv4-ipv6


IPv4 Addresses Dwindling Fast as Final Blocks Soon To Be Allocated
With the handing out of two large blocks of IPv4 addresses to the Asia-Pacific 
Network Information Centre, a rule has been activated that sees the Internet 
Assigned Numbers Authority allocating the last of the IPv4 addresses.
http://goldsteinreport.com/article.php?article=13572
http://www.domainpulse.com/2011/02/01/ipv4-addresses-dwindling-fast-as-final-blocks-soon-to-be-allocated/

http://domainnews.com/en/ipv4-addresses-dwindling-fast-as-final-blocks-soon-to-be-allocated.html


As IPv4 disappears, transition poses hazards [IDG]
With the last IPv4 addresses about to be allocated, the good news is that IT 
managers -- at least in the U.S. and Europe -- don't suddenly have to get the 
next Internet Protocol working.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9207278/As_IPv4_disappears_transition_poses_hazards

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/013111-as-ipv4-disappears-transition-poses.html

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/218250/.html

Africa to continue using IPv4 [IDG]
Africa will continue using Internet Protocol version four (IPv4) after the 
global supply is exhausted in coming weeks.
http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/374974/africa_continue_using_ipv4/
http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/374974/africa_continue_using_ipv4/
http://www.cio.com.au/article/374974/africa_continue_using_ipv4/
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/218332/.html

Global Patterns in IPv4 Allocation Statistics by Mirjam Kuehne
In January 2007 we highlighted that the IPv4 allocation rate had increased 
significantly since early 2004. By 2006 it was clear that continued growth would 
see IPv4 exhaustion occur sometime between 2010 and 2015. In October 2010 we 
revisited the subject in the CircleID articled 'Graph Shows Decline of IPv4 
Almost Linear'. ... Now, in January 2011, we are very close to the exhaustion of 
the IANA pool of IPv4 address space.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/20110131_global_patterns_in_ipv4_allocation_statistics/


Internet runs out of addresses as devices grow [sub req'd]
The spread of Internet use in Asia and the proliferation of Internet-connected 
phones worldwide are causing the Internet to run out of numerical addresses, 
which act as ?phone numbers? to ensure that surfers reach websites and e-mails 
find their destination.
http://www.afr.com/p/business/technology/internet_runs_out_of_addresses_as_uLUpHYfMt9ctLBcEx21dWP


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INTERNET USE
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us: Health information remains high on the list of popular uses for the Internet
Seeking health information is the third-most-prevalent activity among American 
Internet users, according to a report being issued Feb. 1 by the Pew Internet 
Project. The only things more universal were exchanging e-mail and using search 
engines. (Of course, if someone uses Google to look up "shingles," there's 
obviously some overlap.) Eight out of 10 Internet users report going online for 
health information, even if it's only occasionally. "Health-care information is 
there when they need it," said Susannah Fox, associate director. People most 
commonly look up diseases, treatments and doctors, often on behalf of a child or 
other dependent.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/01/AR2011020106916.html


Health Care Is High Among Web Searches
Four in five Internet users have searched the Web for health care information, 
most often checking on specific diseases and treatments, a Pew Internet Project 
survey reported on Tuesday.
http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/health-care-is-high-among-web-searches/


Health Topics
Overview: Health information remains one of the most important subjects that 
internet users research online. Symptoms and treatments continue to dominate 
internet users' health searches, but food safety, drug safety, and pregnancy 
information are among eight new topics included in the current survey. In all, 
80% of internet users gather health information online.
http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/HealthTopics.aspx

au: TV still children's top media choice
Children watch less television than they did five years ago, but the drop is 
small despite the increased competition for attention posed by the internet, a 
survey says.
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/tv-still-childrens-top-media-choice-20110201-1acka.html


Google Takes Street View Into Art Museums
Now that Google has conquered a majority of the earth?s major streets with its 
Google Street View project, the company is starting to move inside. It?s 
creating the Google Art Project, a virtual equivalent of 17 major art museums, 
including the the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New 
York, the Tate Britain and the National Gallery in London, and the Van Gogh 
Museum in Amsterdam, among many others.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/google-takes-street-view-into-art-museums/


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SOCIAL NETWORKING
**********************
US State Department's use of social media in Egypt gets mixed reviews
Experts disagree about how effectively the State Department is using social 
media to understand and influence the public uprising in Egypt.
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20110131_9278.php

Opinion: These Revolutions Are Not All Twitter
The Middle East?s latest unrest has revived once again a tired debate about the 
power of social media.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/02/opinion/02iht-edwoods02.html

Privacy advocates don't 'like' Facebook's ad plans
A new Facebook advertising format that turns members' actions into promoted 
content on their friends' profile pages could be a gold mine for the 
social-networking company.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2011-01-31-facebook31_ST_N.htm

Facebook Places Deals to target local business ads in UK and Europe
Facebook made a significant move into the potentially lucrative local business 
advertising space on Monday with the launch in the UK and other European 
countries of Places Deals, which gives users discounts and benefits with nearby 
shops, restaurants and venues through their mobile phones.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jan/31/facebook-places-deals-uk-europe

Facebook shopping discount service reaches Europe
Facebook expanded its shopping discount service to five European countries and 
Canada on Monday, part of its push to help brands communicate with its users.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/01/31/uk-facebook-europe-idUKTRE70U2BI20110131

http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/01/31/idINIndia-54531620110131

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CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
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Blocking child porn sites "exacerbates policing problem"
Handing the responsibility of shutting down child porn sites to web firms and 
watchdogs removes any incentive for police to investigate the crimes, according 
to a European digital rights group.
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/364726/blocking-child-porn-sites-exacerbates-policing-problem


ae: TRA newsletter aims to promote safe use of Internet for students
A newsletter on cyber bullying and online abuse has been released by the 
Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA).
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=297423

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ONLINE TV & MUSIC
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Study: Nearly A Quarter Of Internet Traffic Infringes On Copyrighted Material
A report commissioned by NBCUniversal has concluded that nearly a quarter of all 
Internet traffic infringes on copyrights, with the open source file sharing 
application BitTorrent accounting for nearly half of the infringing content.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/01/study-nearly-a-quarter-of-inte.php


iTunes films bust copyright laws
Russian films are being made available through Apple's iTunes service without 
the consent of the copyright holders, the BBC has learned.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12310070

Pirate Bay an Aussie favourite: AFACT
The Australian organisation tasked with protecting the copyright of film and 
television studios locally has warned that the nation has a love affair with 
BitTorrent sites such as The Pirate Bay which allow files to be traded online 
through peer-to-peer file sharing technologies.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/pirate-bay-an-aussie-favourite-afact-339308930.htm

au: Forget piracy law until iiNet's over: Telstra
Telco giant Telstra has asked the government to keep potential reviews of policy 
surrounding copyright infringement off the table until a court case being heard 
on the matter is completed.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/forget-piracy-law-until-iinet-s-over-telstra-339308927.htm


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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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Battling a Wireless Deluge: AT&T, Other Carriers Use Wi-Fi 'Hotzones' to Siphon 
Off Smartphone Traffic
As cellular networks grapple with a deluge of data traffic from smartphones, a 
growing number of companies are offering to help wireless carriers shift the 
heavy load to a longtime Internet standby: Wi-Fi.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704124504576118353354099780.html

au: Telcos urged to get smart as mobile usage explodes
Australians are consuming so much video and internet on their smartphones that 
mobile data usage is forecast to grow 32-fold from 2010 to 2015, according to 
the world's largest provider of network equipment, Cisco Systems.
http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/mobiles/telcos-urged-to-get-smart-as-mobile-usage-explodes-20110202-1ad69.html


Google Searches for Mobile-App Experts
Google Inc. plans to hire dozens of software developers to create applications 
for smartphones and other mobile devices, people familiar with the matter said, 
a new strategy aimed partly at helping Google counter Apple Inc. in one of high 
tech's hottest sectors.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703554204576112723686094898.html

Android overtakes Symbian in smartphone sales
Google's Android overtook the long-time market leader, Nokia's Symbian, as the 
world's most popular smartphone platform in the fourth quarter, according to the 
research firm Canalys.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jan/31/android-symbian-smartphone-sales


Android System Overtakes Symbian
Google?s operating system for cellphones has overtaken Nokia?s Symbian system as 
the market leader, ending the Finnish company?s long reign, a British research 
firm said Monday.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/technology/01android.html

Google topples Nokia from smartphones top spot
Google Inc's Android dethroned Nokia's Symbian as the global leader in 
smartphone software during the last quarter of 2010, ending a reign that began 
with the birth of the industry a decade ago.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/01/31/oukin-uk-google-nokia-idUKTRE70U1YT20110131

http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/01/31/idINIndia-54532320110131

Google?s Android overtakes Nokia?s Symbian
The rapid growth of Google?s Android smartphone operating system is captured by 
figures showing that it overtook Nokia?s equivalent to become the most popular 
platform in the last three months of 2010.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/17433c60-2d31-11e0-9b0f-00144feab49a.html

India demands full BlackBerry access, Pakistan restricts service
India rejected on Monday Research In Motion's (RIM) offer to allow it only 
partial access to its BlackBerry data services as neighbouring Pakistan also 
moved to restrict the popular smartphone's services.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/01/31/oukin-uk-blackberry-india-idUKTRE70U2T620110131

http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/01/31/idINIndia-54535420110131

BlackBerry maker risks Indian ban
BlackBerry maker Research In Motion (RIM) could be kicked out of India, one of 
the world's fastest-growing mobile markets, after the government refused to 
accept 11th-hour security concessions on access to users' emails and messages.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/jan/31/blackberry-maker-rim-india

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ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
**************************
Governments Go Online in Fight Against Terrorism
In the Netherlands, the jailhouse recantation of a convicted terrorist 
renouncing violence has circulated online. Counterterrorism officials say it 
could make disaffected youth think twice about joining violent extremist ranks.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/31/world/middleeast/31terror.html

Cybercriminals get creative to round up mules
A shortage of money mules is hampering the real-world "cash-out" of profits from 
online crime, so global crooks are looking to more creative and complex 
recruitment arrangements.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/cybercriminals-get-creative-to-round-up-mules/story-e6frgakx-1225997699160


nz: Explorer users face security risk
Nearly two million Kiwi internet users are at risk of having their computers 
hijacked and their emails, credit cards and bank accounts hacked, but a 
Marlborough IT expert says a solution will be available by next week.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/marlborough-express/news/4608159/Explorer-users-face-security-risk

http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/4606052/Internet-Explorer-users-exposed-to-hackers

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/technology/4606052/Internet-Explorer-users-exposed-to-hackers


nz: Almost two million at risk of being hacked
Nearly two million New Zealanders are at risk of having their personal 
information, including credit card details, stolen by hackers.
http://tvnz.co.nz/technology-news/almost-two-million-risk-being-hacked-4011823

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PRIVACY
**************************
us: Rush To Reintroduce Privacy Bill Next Week
Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., plans next week to reintroduce the online privacy 
legislation he offered in the last Congress, a Rush spokeswoman said Tuesday.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2011/02/rush-to-reintroduce-privacy-bi.php


**********************
CENSORSHIP
**********************
Egypt internet comes back online
Internet access in Egypt appears to have returned to normal, according to firms 
measuring traffic levels in the country.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12346929

Egypt restores Internet as turmoil escalates
Egypt restored Internet access on Wednesday, after a one-week blackout for Web 
and cell phone users to try to stem civil unrest.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/posttech/2011/02/egypt_restores_internet_report.html


Bill Gates on Egypt's Internet Shutdown
Bill Gates spoke with Katie Couric on his reaction to President Mubarak pulling 
the plug on the internet in Egypt.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7302814n

Internet returns to Egypt
Internet services returned to Egypt on Wednesday morning, with even previously 
blocked sites such as Twitter available.
http://blogs.ft.com/fttechhub/2011/02/internet-returns-to-egypt/

Egypt Returns To The Internet
Egyptian Internet providers returned to the Internet at 09:29:31 UTC (11:29am 
Cairo time). Websites such as the Egyptian Stock Exchange, Commercial 
International Bank of Egypt, MCDR, and the US Embassy in Cairo, are once again 
reachable.
http://www.renesys.com/blog/2011/02/egypt-returns-to-the-internet.shtml

Wary of Egypt Unrest, China Censors Web
In another era, China?s leaders might have been content to let discussion of the 
protests in Egypt float around among private citizens, then fizzle out.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/world/asia/01beijing.html

Egypt's big internet disconnect by Andrew McLaughlin
As recently as a week ago, Egypt's internet was extraordinary in the Arab world 
for its freedom. For more than a decade, the regime has adhered to a hands-off 
policy, leaving unblocked everything from rumours about President Hosni 
Mubarak's health to videos of police beatings. Unlike most of its regional 
neighbours and other authoritarian regimes, Egypt's government never built or 
required sophisticated technical infrastructures of censorship. (Of course, the 
country has hardly been a paradise of free expression: the state security forces 
have vigorously suppressed dissent through surveillance, arbitrary detentions 
and relentless intimidation of writers and editors.)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jan/31/egypt-internet-uncensored-cutoff-disconnect


New Service Lets Voices From Egypt Be Heard
With the unruly sounds of protests in the background, the Egyptian man declared 
there were 50,000 demonstrators in the streets of Cairo.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/02/world/middleeast/02twitter.html

China restricts news, discussion of Egypt unrest [AFP]
Chinese censors are blocking online discussion and sanitising news reports about 
the unrest in Egypt, in a sign of official unease that the uprising could fuel 
calls for reform at home.
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/china-restricts-news-discussion-of-egypt-unrest-20110131-1aayx.html

http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/china-restricts-news-discussion-of-egypt-unrest-20110131-1aayx.html


More news websites blocked in Iran
Iranians have found their access to major news websites even more restricted 
than usual as more foreign sites were blocked by a government filter, Reuters 
witnesses observed on Monday.
http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/01/31/idINIndia-54536520110131

Test affirms United States' ability to circumvent Internet censors
A recent internal test by a federally-funded broadcaster shows that the U.S. 
government has the power to bypass foreign Internet censors by feeding news over 
a special e-mail system. How that capability might affect events in Egypt, where 
leaders have cut off Internet services despite appeals by the Obama 
administration to restore them, remains unclear.
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20110131_3828.php

Regime throws information blackout over Egypt
Egypt has silenced Arabic news channel Al Jazeera and shut down internet and 
mobile phone communications across the country, with experts saying the 
censorship is probably part of a government plan enacted in the wake of Iran's 
deadly green revolution.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/01/31/3126016.htm

Old technology finds role in Egyptian protests
Fax machines, ham radio and dial-up modems are helping to avoid the net block 
imposed on Egypt.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12322948

How Egypt is getting online
Egypt remains officially offline following the government's mass internet 
disconnection last week, but savvy citizens assisted by groups of online 
activists are still using a number of methods to access the web.
http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/onepercent/2011/01/egypt-remains-officially-offli.html


Egyptians Turn to Phone Dial-Up Service to Get Around Internet Shutdown
Egypt, following days of anti-government protests, ?withdrew? from the Internet 
after Egyptian authorities shut connections to the outside world, and Vodafone 
Group Plc said it was ordered to suspend mobile-phone services in selected 
areas. Bloomberg's Emily Chang reports. (Source: Bloomberg)
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-31/egyptians-turn-to-dial-up-service-to-get-around-government-s-web-shutdown.html


Google launches Twitter workaround for Egypt
Google Inc launched a special service to allow people in Egypt to send Twitter 
messages by dialling a phone number and leaving a voicemail, as Internet access 
continues to be cut off in the country amid anti-government protests.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/02/01/oukin-uk-egypt-protest-google-idUKTRE7100CM20110201

http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/02/01/idINIndia-54547220110201

Egypt's Net on Life Support
As we observed last week, Egypt took the unprecedented step of withdrawing from 
the Internet. The government didn't simply block Twitter and Facebook (an 
increasingly common tactic of regimes under fire), but rather they apparently 
ordered most major Egyptian providers to cease service via their international 
providers, effectively removing Egyptian IP space from the global Internet and 
cutting off essentially all access to the outside world via this medium. The 
only way out now would be via traditional phone calls, assuming they left that 
system up, or via satellite. We thought the Internet ban would be temporary, but 
much to our surprise, the situation has not changed. One of the few Egyptian 
providers reachable today, four days after the start of the crisis, is The Noor 
Group. In this blog, we'll take a quick look at them and some of the businesses 
they serve.
http://www.renesys.com/blog/2011/01/egypts-net-on-life-support.shtml

Indonesia sex tape star is jailed
A court in Indonesia has sentenced one of south-east Asia's best known pop stars 
to three-and-a-half years in prison for making and distributing sex videos on 
the internet.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12321215

**************************
GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
**************************
uk: Government to rethink Digital Economy Act's web blocks
The UK government has announced that it is to look again at plans to block 
websites that infringe copyright. The controversial measures formed part of its 
crackdown on net pirates, outlined in the Digital Economy Act.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12334075

uk: Ofcom to review Digital Economy Act
Ofcom is to review the practicalities of the controversial Digital Economy Act, 
which was rushed through parliament by the last government to deal with piracy 
and copyright infringement.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2011/02/01/uk-britain-digital-idUKTRE71041O20110201


Ofcom to review site-blocking in Digital Economy Act
The government has asked Ofcom to review proposals in the Digital Economy Act 
that aim to combat piracy by having ISPs block access to websites used for 
copyright infringement.
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/regulation/2011/02/01/ofcom-to-review-site-blocking-in-digital-economy-act-40091634/


*********************************
MISCELLANEOUS
*********************************
The Power of the Platform at Apple
Size is the enemy of growth. It is one of the unwritten laws of business, a 
matter of simple percentages. After all, when a company has $1 billion in yearly 
sales, an extra $1 billion doubles its size. Add $1 billion in new business to a 
$10 billion-a-year company, and it amounts to just 10 percent growth. The 
size-growth tradeoff seems inevitable, an inescapable force like gravity.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/30/business/30unbox.html

Apple Moves to Tighten Control of App Store
Apple is further tightening its control of the App Store. Some application 
developers, including Sony, say Apple has told them they can no longer sell 
e-books within their apps unless the transactions go through Apple?s system. 
Apple rejected Sony?s iPhone application, which would have let people buy and 
read e-books from the Sony Reader Store.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/01/technology/01apple.html

Define Gender Gap? Look Up Wikipedia?s Contributor List
In 10 short years, Wikipedia has accomplished some remarkable goals. More than 
3.5 million articles in English? Done. More than 250 languages? Sure.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/31/business/media/31link.html

WikiLeaks: The Guardian's role in the biggest leak in the history of the world
In an extract from WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange's war on secrecy, the 
Guardian's editor-in-chief explains why Assange remains such an important figure 
? and why the story is destined to run and run
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jan/28/wikileaks-julian-assange-alan-rusbridger


Faraway, so close: doing global iPhone dev from New Zealand
Not too long ago, I was talking to a couple of video game marketing specialists 
who were in town for a conference. Since I'm an iPhone developer, we were soon 
discussing techniques for standing out and encouraging Apple to shine a 
spotlight on your game. I was told that a good way to get Apple to "feature" 
your game on its App Store was to attend the Game Developer Conference in San 
Francisco, bump into an Apple employee, and buy him a drink.
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2011/01/sell-in-america-live-in-new-zealand.ars

Android Tablets Gain on Apple IPad in Fourth Quarter
Google Inc.?s Android software boosted its share of tablet computers almost 
10-fold in the fourth quarter, narrowing the lead of Apple Inc.?s iPad, market 
researcher Strategy Analytics said.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-31/android-tablets-gain-on-ipad-in-fourth-quarter-researcher-says.html


Google Says Bing 'Copying' Search Results; Microsoft Cites Customer Data
Google Inc., owner of the world?s most popular search engine, said Microsoft 
Corp.?s Bing is ?copying? its query results. Microsoft denied the accusation and 
said the data in question comes from customers.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-01/google-says-bing-copying-search-results-microsoft-cites-customer-data.html

http://washpost.bloomberg.com/Story?docId=1376-LFYC4Y0D9L3501-56FFQ81KIP0GA2GO84M5J8950G


Google accuses Bing of 'copying' its search results
Google has accused Microsoft of cheating, following an investigation known as 
the 'Bing Sting'.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12343597

**********************
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
**********************
au: Telstra and Optus count the cost of flood damage
Telstra and Optus have begun the mucky task of cleaning and repairing the damage 
caused by Queensland's devastating floods but full restoration of infrastructure 
is still some weeks off.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/telstra-and-optus-count-the-cost-of-flood-damage/story-e6frgakx-1225997683859


au: New numbering rules for phones
Fixed-line telephone numbers can now be taken outside geographic areas following 
a decision by the regulator to accommodate the increasing use of internet-based 
phones.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/new-numbering-rules-for-phones-20110201-1acfv.html


African Union plans single African SIM card
The African Union (AU) has unveiled plans for a single standardised Sim card for 
all African mobile phone operators. AU Commissioner for Infrastructure and 
Energy, Elham Ibrahim, said a study on the introduction of a single African SIM 
card has been underway and is expected to be completed within a month.
http://www.telecompaper.com/news/african-union-plans-single-african-sim-card
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

(c) David Goldstein 2011



 
---------
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 Wed Feb 02 2011 - 11:32:35 UTC

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