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And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for regular updates in between postings. ********************************************************** Sponsored by the Singapore Internet Research Centre Nanyang Technological University, Singapore http://www.ntu.edu.sg/sci/sirc/ ********************************************************** Sexual Threats Stifle Some Female Bloggers http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/29/AR2007042901555.html Experts: Google AdWords needs policing http://infoworld.com/article/07/04/26/HNgoogleadshack_1.html nz: Website to be set up for victims of hacking http://stuff.co.nz/4043166a11275.html nz: Use of teen sex webcams growing - expert http://stuff.co.nz/4042533a11.html uk: Warning on wi-fi health risk to children http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6602561.stm Three billion to have cellphones by end of '07 - Nokia http://ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2884&iArticleId=3803023 nz: One million households now online http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10436435 Two-thirds of New Zealand Homes Online (news release) http://www.stats.govt.nz/products-and-services/media-releases/household-use-of-information-and-communication-technologies-survey-2006/household-use-ict-06-mr.htm it: Nuns get into internet habit http://www.guardian.co.uk/religion/Story/0,,2066752,00.html Asian countries advance in the Economist Intelligence Unit's 2007 e-readiness rankings (news release) http://eiuresources.com/mediadir/default.asp?PR=2007042601 au: Rudd's broadband offer calls time on Howard's telecoms regime http://theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21634142-643,00.html nz: Grim warning over broadband prospects http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411415/1087410 New fibre to link US, Asia http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,21644115%5e15306%5e%5enbv%5e15306,00.html *************** RESEARCH PAPERS *************** Wikipedia users: 36% of online American adults consult Wikipedia (Pew Internet & American Life Project) More than a third of American adult internet users (36%) consult Wikipedia, according to a new nationwide survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. And on a typical day in the winter of 2007, 8% of online Americans consulted Wikipedia. Wikipedia is far more popular among the well-educated than it is among those with lower levels of education. For instance, 50% of those with at least a college degree consult the site, compared with 22% of those with a high school diploma. And 46% of those age 18 and older who are current full- or part-time students have used Wikipedia, compared with 36% of the overall internet population. http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/212/report_display.asp 'Net Neutrality', Non-Discrimination and Digital Distribution of Content Through the Internet by Nicholas Economides (NET Institute Working Paper) Abstract: The vast majority of US residential consumers face a monopoly or duopoly in broadband Internet access. Up to now, the Internet was characterized by a regime of net neutrality where there was no discrimination in the price of a transmitted information packet based on the identities of either the transmitter or the receiver or based on the application or type of content that it contained. The providers of DSL or cable modem access in the United States, taking advantage of a recent regulatory change that effectively abolished net neutrality and non-discrimination protections, and possessing significant market power, have recently discussed implementing a variety of discriminatory pricing schemes. This paper discusses and evaluates the implication of a number of these schemes on prices, profits of the network access providers and those of the complementary applications and content providers, as well as the impact on consumers. We also discuss an assortment of anti-competitive effects of such price discrimination, and evaluate the possibility of imposition of net neutrality by law. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=977096 Security Aspects of Internet Voting by Guido Schryen (37th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences) Abstract: Voting via the Internet has become a feasible option for political as well as non-political ballots. However, there are many obstacles which have to be overcome, especially legal restrictions have to be transformed into technical and security solutions. The article starts with a brief presentation of advantages and disadvantages of Internet ballots and presents application fields and pilot schemes. Then, technological security aspects are derived due to democratic basic principles. Especially the applied voting procedures are critical in security terms. Hence, the most relevant cryptographic protocols are presented and their drawbacks and shortcomings are identified. However, this article does not propose a new voting protocol. Beyond fixing cryptographic procedures for ballots, more elements are to be specified, e.g. responsibilities and rights of involved authorities or security precautions regarding hardware and software. For this reason, a structural security framework for electronic voting systems is presented which can be used for their composition and analysis. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=981870 The Impact that Placing Email Addresses on the Internet Has on the Receipt of Spam - An Empirical Analysis by Guido Schryen (Computers & Security) Abstract: Email communication is encumbered with a mass of email messages which their recipients have neither requested nor require. Even worse, the impacts of these messages are far from being simply an annoyance, as they also involve economic damage. This manuscript examines the resource “email addresses”, which is vital for any potential bulk mailer and spammer. Both a methodology and a honeypot conceptualization for implementing an empirical analysis of the usage of email addresses placed on the Internet are proposed here. Their objective is to assess, on a quantitative basis, the extent of the current harassment and its development over time. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=981876 Reluctant Gatekeepers: Corporate Ethics on a Filtered Internet by John G. Palfrey Jr (Global Information Technology Report) Abstract: Corporations are increasingly finding themselves caught in the crosshairs as they are asked by local authorities to carry out censorship and surveillance online. This chapter describes this growing, thorny problem and some possible means to resolve it. The most promising approach is neither local law nor a new international covenant, but rather a strong, enforceable code of conduct created by the corporations themselves, in concert with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), academics, states, and other stakeholders. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=978507 Bittorrent, Grokster, and Why Entertainment and Internet Lawyers Need to Prepare for the Fair Use Argument for Downloading Television Shows by Charles B. Vincent (Journal of Internet Law) Abstract: This article examines the legal issues facing copyright holders of television shows whose product is available online through modern peer-to-peer networks such as BitTorrent. In a copyright infringement suit against these distributors or end users who download the files, the court will first have to determine whether liability based on the fair use doctrine applies, as explained by the Supreme Court's 2005 Grokster decision. Although the opinion provides guidance for litigants and courts in these particular infringement cases, many of the recent downloading programs have already taken a more proactive position to deter piracy. In these situations, these distributors may be absolved from Grokster-liability due to active monitoring and other affirmative steps. Regardless of how the court weighs this issue, however, it will have to address whether the fair use doctrine applies to television shows obtained through this technology. While fair use has generally been undisputed in music copyright litigation, this article suggests that the fair use analysis may produce different results depending on whether the end user downloads for a private viewing experience or whether the end user downloads and extends the use beyond mere private viewing. The latter download and distribution, particularly in the case of unlicensed commercial distributors makes any fair use argument more tenuous. This article concludes with presenting practical solutions to the television downloading problem. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=979741 Dark Clouds Over the Internet? by Jens Prufer & Eric Jahn (Telecommunications Policy) Abstract: Currently, the Internet is characterized by excess capacity, which benefits consumers and producers of Internet-based services alike. High quality and declining prices of interconnection are the basis for many e-commerce, software and equipment businesses. However, tough competition in the Internet backbone market driving these developments could ruin network operators and threaten other markets, too. This paper will pursue the idea of the Internet backbone market's decline based on standard economic theory. The paper will present several scenarios and discuss potential market- and policy-based remedies. It is argued that due to a phenomenon called capacity paradox the industry's future development is overshadowed by "dark clouds". http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=980877 The Structure of Search Engine Law by James Grimmelmann (Iowa Law Review) Abstract: Search engines are the new linchpins of the Internet, and a new body of law - search engine law - will increasingly determine the shape of the Internet. Making sensible search policy requires a clear understanding of how search works, what interests are at stake, and what legal questions intersect at search. This article offers the first comprehensive overview of search engine law, which it organizes into a systematic taxonomy. It then demonstrates the dense legal interrelationships created by search by discussing a series of important themes in search engine law, each of which cuts across many doctrinal areas. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=979568 Social Networking and Age Verification: Many Hard Questions; No Easy Solutions by Adam Thierer (Progress & Freedom Foundation Progress on Point) Abstract: At the heart of the debate over age verification requirements for social networking lie the same concerns that have motivated previous Internet regulatory initiatives: underage access to objectionable material and fears about child predators. However an age verification requirement could have many unintended consequences involving privacy and First Amendment issues. Since most websites today contain some aspect of user interaction, lawmakers would have great difficulty in defining social networking sites when drafting legislation or mandates. Moreover, collection and verification of the personal information of minors raises serious concerns of privacy and data protection. Logistical issues include access to documents minors would need for verification of identity and age, as well as documents which could be easily falsified in the online environment. Using any sort of government issued identification for verification would require establishing a centralized database to coordination with websites, raising questions regarding who would control these databases. Other proposals suggest sites seek parental permission or contact a child's school for verification of age, which can be easily circumvented and could put undue burden and costs on schools. Even with these measures, popular networking sites may in turn be pushed offshore, out of reach of US laws. Policymakers should not present age verification mandates as a comprehensive solution that could provide a false sense of security for both parents and their minor children who use social networking websites. Education and parental involvement still should play a vital role in keeping children safe online. Policymakers and law enforcement should also focus their efforts on the prosecution of online predators under existing laws and ensure adequate punishment for the crimes. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=976936 Regulatory Status of VoIP in the Post-Brand X World by Jerry Ellig & Alastair Walling (Santa Clara Compuer and High Technology Law Journal) Abstract: During the past several years, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has engaged in a series of rulemakings to determine the regulatory status of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). The Supreme Court's recent decision in the consolidated cases of National Cable and Telecommunications Ass'n v. Brand X and FCC v. Brand X clarifies that even if the FCC's determination conflicts with that of a court, the FCC's judgment holds sway as long as the decision is reasonable. We believe that VoIP should be classified as an information service, rather than a telecommunications service, for several reasons. First, the Internet Protocol nature of VoIP technology means that it functions like an information service, rather than a telecommunications service. Second, in the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Congress clearly sought to bring competition to all communications markets; encouraging the development of VoIP by classifying it as an information service comports with congressional intent. Third, economic analysis demonstrates that subjecting VoIP to the full panoply of regulation under Title II of the Telecommunications Act would significantly reduce consumer welfare. Fourth, the FCC's own experience shows that, if the FCC believes that some selective regulation is necessary, it has ample authority to impose targeted regulation without subjecting VoIP to all regulations that affect telecommunications services. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=982613 A Formal Approach Towards Assessing the Effectiveness of Anti-Spam Procedures by Guido Schryen (39th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences) Abstract: Spam e-mails have become a serious technological and economic problem. So far we have been reasonably able to resist spam e-mails and use the Internet for regular communication by deploying complementary anti-spam approaches. However, if we are to avert the danger of losing the Internet e-mail service as a valuable, free, and worldwide medium of open communication, anti-spam activities should be performed more systematically than is done in current, mainly heuristic, anti-spam approaches. A formal framework within which the modes of spam delivery, anti-spam approaches, and their effectiveness can be investigated, may encourage a shift in methodology and pave the way for new, holistic anti-spam approaches. This paper presents a model of the Internet e-mail infrastructure as a directed graph and a deterministic finite automaton, and draws on automata theory to formally derive the modes of spam delivery possible. Finally the effectiveness of anti-spam approaches in terms of coverage of spamming modes is assessed. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=981867 Effectiveness of Anti-Spam Approaches by Guido Schryen (Wirtschaftsinformatik) Abstract: Spam as unsolicited email has certainly crossed the border of just being bothersome. In 2003, it surpassed legitimate email growing to more than 50% of all Internet emails. Annually, it causes economic harms of several billion Euros. Fighting spam, beside legal approaches especially technical means are deployed in practical systems, mainly focussing on blocking and filtering mechanisms. This article introduces into the spam field and describes, assesses, and classifies the currently most important approaches against spam. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=981882 Armed for the Spam Battle: A Technological and Organizational Infrastructure Framework by Guido Schryen (Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences) Abstract: Spamming remains a form of Internet abuse, which burdens the Internet infrastructure, is generally regarded as an annoyance, and is said to cause economic harm to the tune of about several billion US$ per year. Many technological, organizational, and legislative anti-spam measures have already been proposed and implemented, but have not led to any substantial decrease in the number of spam emails. We propose here a new infrastructure framework that combines several anti-spam measures in a framework that features both a technological and an organizational facet. The key element of our infrastructure is a new organizational unit that reliably and transparently limits the number of e-mails that can be sent per day and per account. This paper first gives an overview of the framework, then it provides technological and organizational details of the infrastructure, the deployment of which depends to a large degree on its acceptance and propagation by the ICANN, the ISOC, and by large email service providers. Finally, the paper discusses the limitations and drawbacks of the proposed framework. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=981203 Who? What? When? Where?: Personal Jurisdiction and the World Wide Web by Yvonne A. Tamayo (Richmond Journal of Law and Technology) Abstract: The article examines federal courts' decisions regarding whether personal jurisdiction may be established over a defendant whose contacts with the forum state exist primarily, or exclusively, through the defendant's Internet web page. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=976449 Introduction to Content Protection and Potential Government Roles by Isa Seow Abstract: Movies and television are delivered to consumers using a wide variety of evolving methods including Digital Versatile Disks (DVDs), satellite, cable, terrestrial, Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), web-based download, peer-to-peer downloads and mobile. Each time a movie or TV show is delivered it is as part of a particular business offer to a consumer. Content protection systems enforce these offers and ensure a healthy competitive distribution market for these programs that entertain and inform us. This paper presents an introduction to current worldwide content protection systems for motion pictures. Additionally, it suggests potential roles that government and industry associations can play in supporting content protection in Asia Pacific. Finally, the paper highlights the relevance of the Analog Hole problem which requires concerted government action to improve digital content distribution. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=975010 *********** CENSORSHIP *********** Iran to Filter 'Immoral' Mobile Messages (Reuters) Iran's Telecommunications Ministry will start filtering "immoral" video and audio messages sent via mobile phones, state television reported on Saturday. The Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution, a body set up after Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, has instructed the ministry to buy the equipment needed to prevent any misuse of Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), it said. http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2123668,00.asp?kc=EWRSS03119TX1K0000594 http://iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=51241&NewsKind=Current%20Affairs http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKDAH83913820070428 Harassment forces Egypt blogger to quit One of Egypt's most prominent political bloggers has decided to call it a day, citing harassment by security services as his main reason to quit. The Egypt-based blogger, known only as "Sandmonkey" - a derogatory term for people of Arab descent - posted his last entry on Saturday. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/04/30/1177788012572.html ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ au: Bullying on teen's sad road to oblivion Sad roads have many signposts, but Stephanie Gestier needed little encouragement to melancholy. No song or website, parent or poem, culture or clique had to whisper what she knew, and wore openly: she'd arrived at misery quickly, without detour or directions. The question is how she got there. The tragedy is what she did next. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/04/27/1177459984314.html au: Planet Girl is in crisis What could have caused two 16-year-old girls to kill themselves in a pact, after posting suicide messages on the internet? The shock of the parents of Stephanie Gestier and Jodie Gater was palpable. http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21630982-23272,00.html us: Internet remains dangerous place for kids, FBI agent says Although surveys show fewer youths in contact with strangers on the Internet, there still is plenty to be concerned about when it comes to keeping kids safe from child pornography and predators, said FBI Special Agent Dan Vierthaler. http://billingsgazette.net/articles/2007/04/28/news/local/60-internet.txt ca: A passionate voice speaks out for porn's youngest victims (book - The Global Fight to Rescue Children From Online Predators by Julian Sher) If you were told that there was a book about a subject that is so shocking and disturbing that even a hardened true-crime reader would wince -- would you be intrigued? If you knew that this disturbing subject had a global presence and that this book would help you understand it -- would you be compelled to buy it? What if you were told that by understanding it, you could make a difference, prevent a crime or even save a life -- would you read it? http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20070428.BKSHER28/TPStory/Entertainment us: Documentary Tackles Issue of Internet Porn "Traffic Control" will address the problem of minors accessing internet pornography, and what can be done to restict availability without infringing on free speech. An independent film company is tackling the next pressing issue of our age: Internet pornography. On Monday, Living Biographies announced the release of their latest documentary, “Traffic Control: The People’s War on Internet Porn.” The film will cover the ease of access to Internet pornography and what can be done to regulate it. According to the company, the film was compiled from more than 200 hours of interview footage with adult entertainment sellers, ex-porn stars, psychological experts, business owners, technologists, Internet porn addicts, educators, members of the Free Speech Coalition, and hundreds of teenagers. http://news.digitaltrends.com/article12782.html http://trafficcontrolthemovie.com/ *************************************** CYBERCRIME, CYBERSECURITY AND PRIVACY *************************************** Sexual Threats Stifle Some Female Bloggers A female freelance writer who blogged about the pornography industry was threatened with rape. A single mother who blogged about "the daily ins and outs of being a mom" was threatened by a cyber-stalker who claimed that she beat her son and that he had her under surveillance. Kathy Sierra, who won a large following by blogging about designing software that makes people happy, became a target of anonymous online attacks that included photos of her with a noose around her neck and a muzzle over her mouth. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/29/AR2007042901555.html Experts: Google AdWords needs policing Google could avoid future malware attacks carried out using advertisements posted on its Web sites if the company more thoroughly investigated customers of its AdWords system, according to security and legal experts. On April 25, researchers with security software maker Exploit Prevention Labs announced that they had uncovered hard evidence that malware distributors were using advertisements placed via Google's automated AdWords system to infect unsuspecting end-users with virus code. http://infoworld.com/article/07/04/26/HNgoogleadshack_1.html au: Internet eroding child porn taboo The so-called "pervert prosecutor", Patrick Power, SC, is no object of pity and, judging by the 59 character references he amassed for his sentencing hearing last week after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography, he still has plenty of friends in the legal fraternity. But his handsome, stricken face leaving Downing Centre Local Court holds the greatest mystery. How can a man said by so many upstanding citizens to be such a pillar of the community, a distinguished senior counsel, holding one of the most important positions in the law, a "good man . . . a person with integrity", as his barrister said, "a person of utmost propriety and professionalism", as one of his colleagues said, be a heavy user of the most vile images of child sexual abuse and video rape of boys as young as seven? http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/04/28/1177460041331.html http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/articles/2007/04/28/1177460041331.html nz: Website to be set up for victims of hacking New Zealanders will soon be able to report computer security breaches they have suffered such as hacks, viruses and trojans anonymously online. http://stuff.co.nz/4043166a11275.html nz: Use of teen sex webcams growing - expert More teenagers are posting sexual images of themselves on the internet and stripping naked in front of webcams, an international expert has said. Dr Ethel Quayle, of Ireland, a consultant with the research organisation Copine (Combating Paedophile Information Networks in Europe), has been in New Zealand speaking about the "astronomically large" increase in internet child pornography. http://stuff.co.nz/4042533a11.html uk: ISPs urged to provide police with emergency contacts ISPs should provide 24-hour emergency contacts for police and security services, according to the ISP industry body the Internet Service Providers' Association (ISPA). http://out-law.com/page-8001 THAT YOU? Internet playing name games ... Mistaken identities and mixed-up names are nothing new. But with the growth of the Internet it’s easier to find people who share the same name and confuse them. People often Google their next-door neighbors, their favorite celebrities and themselves online. Some people who indulge in vanity searching find not only their own information, but also that of an adult entertainer. http://journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173350979283&path=!living&s=1037645509005 us: High-Tech Execs Meet With Lawmakers Over Web Search Keyword Law (AP) A Utah law that sets up a trademark registry aimed at restricting rival advertisers on the Internet likely won't be enforced when it takes effect Monday, lawmakers said after meeting with high-tech executives. http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1177578267297 us: Finding of No Sexual Contact Leads to Reduced Offense Level in N.Y. Cybercrime Case A man convicted of second-degree attempted rape for arranging on the Internet to have sex with an undercover police officer he believed to be a 14-year-old girl has successfully contested New York's proposed Level 2 sexual-offender risk assessment. http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1177491874105 us: How child pornographers get caught Kevin Richard House logged on to an online chat room to find some child pornography. Instead, he found his way into a prison cell. House, a Visalia resident, entered a chat room called Little Girl Pics 1, made sexually explicit comments and posted a link to a child pornography image. http://visaliatimesdelta.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070428/NEWS01/704280357 us: Lawyers say child pornography cases are hard to defend When federal agents searched the home of Visalia resident Nick Sterling, they found 200 movie files showing the sexual abuse of children. The longest file was 107 minutes long. It was enough evidence to persuade Sterling to plead guilty to possession of child pornography. He is now serving a 78-month sentence in federal prison. http://visaliatimesdelta.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070428/NEWS01/704280369 us: Builder sues Web site and Google over posting A Bergen County builder is suing a consumer-advocate Web site and Internet search-engine Google over an anonymous online posting that described his home construction as a shoddy "nightmare." http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-6/1177649121320780.xml&coll=1 us: Naked porn-surfing Army recruiter arrested A U.S. Army recruiter in Hackettstown, N.J. is charged with stripping naked, entering a home and surfing Internet pornography sites. http://upi.com/NewsTrack/Quirks/2007/04/24/naked_pornsurfing_army_recruiter_arrested/ ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** us: Democrat proposes lifting federal ban on Net gambling Just six months after President Bush signed a law outlawing online gambling, a key Democratic politician has proposed lifting the ban. http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-6179525.html http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/04/27/1177459938970.html http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2066824,00.html ***** SPAM ***** au: Greenies told to can the spam Is lobbying our Government ministers via email classified as illegal spam? That is certainly the question being asked today by the NSW National Parks Association (NPA), whose email address was blacklisted by the office of the NSW Premier, Morris Iemma. ... A form on the NPA website had allowed people to easily write to Mr Iemma, 20 of his Cabinet Ministers, five Independents and four Green parliamentary members, supporting the NPA's position on administrative changes to the environment ministry. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/04/27/1177459944516.html us: Spam Fighters Eye New Target in Fresh Legal Offensive Unspam Technologies, a Utah-based antispam provider, has filed a federal lawsuit against so-called e-mail harvesters -- anonymous parties who collect addresses from Web sites and other lists, which they then sell to spammers. The suit was filed in the Eastern District of Virginia under the federal CAN-SPAM law and the Virginia Computer Crimes Act, which is the state's antispam statute. While there have been many skirmishes between spammers and antispammers over the years, this particular legal action is unusual in a few ways. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/57130.html ***************************** INTERNET & NEW TECHNOLOGY USE ***************************** uk: Warning on wi-fi health risk to children Children should not place computers on their laps while they are using wireless internet connections because of potential health risks, according to a leading Government adviser. Professor Lawrie Challis, who heads the committee on mobile phone safety research, called yesterday for pupils to be monitored amid mounting public concern over emissions from wi-fi networks. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6602561.stm Three billion to have cellphones by end of '07 - Nokia Nokia expects more than half of the world's population to have a mobile phone, boosted particularly by strong growth in emerging markets like Africa and China, before the end of 2007. http://ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2884&iArticleId=3803023 http://www.ananova.com/business/story/sm_2306302.html nz: One million households now online More than a million New Zealand households are now online, according to latest official figures. Sending and receiving email remains the most common reason for using the internet, but online shopping is now a key area, with more than 900,000 people using the internet to make a purchase during 2006. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10436435 Two-thirds of New Zealand Homes Online (news release) Almost two-thirds (or 1 million) of New Zealand homes are connected to the Internet, Statistics New Zealand said today. Results from the Household Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Survey: 2006 show that just over half the connections use broadband technology while the remainder are dial-up connections. http://www.stats.govt.nz/products-and-services/media-releases/household-use-of-information-and-communication-technologies-survey-2006/household-use-ict-06-mr.htm it: Nuns get into internet habit Cloistered nuns at a convent in Sicily have decided that their vow of silence may rule out gossiping with locals or telephoning old friends, but it does not exclude going online to swap emails. The 12 Cistercian nuns of the 13th-century Santo Spirito convent in Agrigento have set up a website and are happy to take questions about what it is like to pray for hours in silence every day. http://www.guardian.co.uk/religion/Story/0,,2066752,00.html Britain's online sales ‘will hit £78bn’ Shoppers will spend £78 billion a year online by 2010 – doubling the web’s share of retail sales to 20%. This year internet shopping is expected to reach £42 billion – equivalent to the turnover of supermarket giant Tesco, Britain’s biggest retailer. Internet sales have exploded over the past six years, growing by 3,553% between April 2000 and December 2006. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article1719201.ece Mouse brain simulated on computer Half a virtual mouse brain is built on a supercomputer by IBM researchers. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6600965.stm Beetle that could colour the future of TV A beetle with the ability to deceive the human eye could hold the secret to better-quality pictures on mobile phones, laptops and television. Physicists looking through the microscope at the insect Plusiotis boucardi — which appears green to the naked eye — have discovered that it is a mixture of red, yellow and green, laid out in a honeycomb pattern. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/personal_tech/article1711955.ece us: The Travails of Tracking Web Traffic The practice of using consumer panels to estimate Web-site traffic is coming under increased scrutiny and fueling calls for industrywide standards http://businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2007/tc20070430_491005.htm de: Knut turns Internet star Knut the polar bear might be thrashing David Hasselhoff as the new king of the Internet. The popular cub, who came to the world's attention earlier this year, now has a number of websites dedicated to him. http://www.itv.com/news/world_66a09cd195a869e846c8d4a66dfb9f84.html au: Inmates speak out on internet A convicted armed robber turned rap singer has published the first of a series of internet blogs by prisoners currently serving time in NSW jails. http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21636051-5005941,00.html New online TV service gets blue-chip sponsors Joost, the Internet television service being developed by the founders of Skype, has lined up several blue-chip advertisers, including United Airlines, Microsoft, Sony Electronics and Unilever, as it prepares for its introduction. Those brands are among 30 advertisers listed as "launch partners" for Joost, which plans to send free, advertiser-supported programming to computer screens using the Internet. According to several people with knowledge of the company's plans, Joost will begin the broadcasts on Tuesday. http://iht.com/articles/2007/04/26/business/26joost.php http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article1719275.ece Mattel hopes to draw preteen girls with new Internet brand Barbie Girls Mattel's Barbie is joining the Internet age. The US's No. 1 toymaker on Thursday unveiled Barbie Girls, a multi-pronged brand that features a free website, BarbieGirls.com, that will allow children to create their own virtual characters, design their own room and try on clothes at a cyber mall. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/04/27/1177459938983.html Apple's iPod seals iconic status with record-breaking sales figures Apple announced that more than 10.5 million iPods had been sold in the first three months of 2007 alone, helping it to achieve the most profitable quarter in its history, up 88 per cent on the same period last year. ... Along with sales of Macintosh computers, up 36 per cent to more than 1.5 million sold, it has helped the US technology giant to record profits of £384m in its fiscal second quarter of this year - up almost 90 per cent on last year. Analysts insist this is impressive as the beginning of the year is usually a slower sales period. http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article2488854.ece *************** DIGITAL DIVIDE *************** Global net use makes rapid rise The net is helping to close the digital divide between industrialised nations, suggests a report. The annual e-readiness rankings by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) shows Asian and African nations catching up with big net users such as Denmark. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6583141.stm http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=23394 Central Europe closes in on digital elites: study (Reuters) Central European nations have closed in fastest amongst emerging economies on the digital elites in North America and western Europe, a ranking of Web-savvy nations showed on Thursday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKL2572519420070426 Asian countries advance in the Economist Intelligence Unit's 2007 e-readiness rankings (news release) Denmark and the US retain their number one and two spots in the rankings (with Sweden also tied for 2nd), but Hong Kong (4th), Singapore (6th), South Korea (16th), Taiwan (17th) and Japan (18th) have experienced a boost in 2007 in both scores and ranks. This is due in no small part to their governments' vision and commitment in pushing digital development, and to continued progress in adoption of broadband and other advanced infrastructure. http://eiuresources.com/mediadir/default.asp?PR=2007042601 Now it's one laptop per 1.75 children Nicholas Negroponte, the founder of the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project, which aims to deliver $100 laptops to schoolchildren in the developing world, has said that the machine will now cost $175 and may not start production until October. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article1715493.ece http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/04/27/1177459929278.html ********************************* COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS ********************************* How the Internet took over Twenty-five years ago the Internet as we now know it was in the process of being birthed by the National Science Foundation. Since then it's been an information explosion. From e-mail to eBay, communication and shopping have forever changed. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/top25-internet.htm Australia missing tech opportunities The head of one of Europe's largest information technology industry associations has a blunt warning before next week's CeBIT technology trade show in Sydney: Australia urgently needs to make up ground in the world IT stakes. http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,21632419%5E16123%5E%5Enbv%5E,00.html ******************* TELECOMMUNICATIONS ******************* au: Rudd's broadband offer calls time on Howard's telecoms regime "Time's up," Kevin Rudd told the National Labor conference yesterday. "Time's up for Mr Howard and his Government." That may prove a premature political assessment but time certainly seems to be up for the Howard Government's telecommunications regime. It is being helped on its way by Rudd's vague promise to spend $4.7 billion of taxpayer funds to help build a national broadband network. That has succeeded in revving up the broadband debate in a way Telstra could only have dreamed of. The ALP leader used his major address to the party conference yesterday to contrast Labor's activism on the issue with the Government's failure to fix the problem. http://theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21634142-643,00.html nz: InternetNZ releases operational separation submissions (news release) InternetNZ (The Internet Society of New Zealand) today released its submission made to the Ministry of Economic Development's "Development of Requirements for the Operational Separation of Telecom" consultation. "InternetNZ supports the operational separation process, and the path set out in the Ministry's document is by and large a good one in our view," said Deputy Executive Director Jordan Carter. http://www.internetnz.net.nz/media/opsepsub nz: Grim warning over broadband prospects The Telecommunications Users Association is worried the break-up of Telecom will not help improve our access to high-speed broadband. http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411415/1087410 Italian banks win control of Telecom Italia Telefónica and a group of Italian investors have agreed to pay €4.1 billion for a controlling 18 percent stake in Telecom Italia, allowing the Spanish telecommunication giant to expand into the Italian market and extend its presence in Latin America. http://iht.com/articles/2007/04/29/business/italia.php New fibre to link US, Asia A multinational consortium will build the first high-bandwidth optical fibre submarine cable system linking Southeast Asia and the United States at a cost of $US500 million. The system, called the Asia-America Gateway (AAG), is expected to be operational in the fourth quarter of 2008. http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,21644115%5e15306%5e%5enbv%5e15306,00.html ***** VoIP ***** VoIP Deployments Soaring, Cost Still a Barrier Plans to deploy VoIP are soaring, but enterprises still have a hard time justifying costs to upper management. According to a survey by BT INS, 62% of respondents either have deployed or are in the process of deploying VoIP across their networks -- up from 44% in 2005. Another 18% are designing or testing VoIP deployments for limited network segments. At the same time, however, cost is becoming a more significant barrier to adopting VoIP, the survey found. http://www.circleid.com/posts/voip_deployments_soaring_cost/ ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** Police arrest 11 Spanish men for alleged download of child pornography (AP) Police arrested 11 men for allegedly sharing a video on the Internet in which a 9-year-old girl is shown being sexually molested by an adult male, an official said Friday. The defendants, all Spanish and ranging in age from 18 to 41, downloaded the file from a popular peer-to-peer network, the National Police said. http://iht.com/articles/ap/2007/04/27/europe/EU-GEN-Spain-Child-Porn.php +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Check out http://auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the most recent edition of the domain news, including an RSS feed - already online! The domain name news is supported by auDA. For information on subscriptions to the domain name and/or general internet news please contact me. For archives of postings to the list, see http://lists.technewsreview.com.au/pipermail/technewsreview/. Also see http://technewsreview.com.au/ for recent updates. Sources include Quicklinks <http://qlinks.net/> and BNA Internet Law News <http://www.bna.com/ilaw/>. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2007 --------- David Goldstein address: 4/3 Abbott Street COOGEE NSW 2034 AUSTRALIA email: Goldstein_David @yahoo.com.au phone: +61 418 228 605 (mobile); +61 2 9665 5773 (home) "Every time you use fossil fuels, you're adding to the problem. Every time you forgo fossil fuels, you're being part of the solution" - Dr Tim Flannery Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ APPLe mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.apnic.net/mailman/listinfo/apple
