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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/ ********************************************************** Asia's battle against the Web http://atimes.com/atimes/Asian_Economy/IE16Dk01.html us: Troops lose video link with home as Army puts a block on MySpace http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article1790434.ece hk: Porn complaints about bible http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21741635-5001021,00.html MySpace Locks Horns With State AGs Over Sex Offender Data Demand http://ecommercetimes.com/story/57415.html ‘Swinger couple had web sex’ in front of girl and grandfather http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article1790543.ece Australia vulnerable to cyber terror http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/05/15/1178995118994.html Police investigate ‘sex abuse’ in virtual world http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article1782086.ece One in ten websites 'is infected with malware' http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article1787714.ece uk: Web terms baffle Internet terrorism trial judge http://stuff.co.nz/4062878a28.html US court okays Google tiny sex images (Reuters) http://stuff.co.nz/4062909a28.html au: Push for new video game rating http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/05/16/1178995215240.html US ISPs slam into wiretap deadline http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/15/AR2007051500716.html us: Senators demand more regulations on Net pharmacies http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6184455.html Out-googling Google http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;293201527;fp;4194304;fpid;1 *********** CENSORSHIP *********** Asia's battle against the Web As the nations of Asia strive to compete with their Western counterparts in terms of economic prowess and technological advancement, a new battlefield is forming - and it lies in cyberspace. The battle is not between corporate giants for the next big deal, but between governments and the people fighting for their rights of freedom of speech online. The Internet, since its birth in the mainstream in the late 1970s, has grown to become the most powerful communication tool the world has known. But with that power comes a danger - an overwhelming sense of control by some of the less democratic governments of the region. http://atimes.com/atimes/Asian_Economy/IE16Dk01.html us: Troops lose video link with home as Army puts a block on MySpace US soldiers in Iraq reacted with dismay yesterday after the Pentagon blocked their access to websites including YouTube and MySpace, used widely to send and receive messages and pictures to loved ones at home. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article1790434.ece Troubling News for the Front The Washington Post reported the Department of Defense is now preventing soldiers from accessing several social networking, video and photo sharing, and other popular websites — including MySpace and YouTube — via the Department’s computers and network. This strikes us as a poorly considered decision by military leadership. The blocked websites are invaluable channels of communications — both for military families and the broader public. CDT encourages the Pentagon to reconsider its position given the value that these websites provide. http://blog.cdt.org/2007/05/15/troubling-news-for-the-front/ hk: Porn complaints about bible More than 200 complaints about the Bible have been received by Hong Kong's anti-porn watchdog after a Chinese website said the holy book was full of stories of rape, incest and violence, a media report said Wednesday. http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21741635-5001021,00.html ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ 8 U.S. states fault MySpace on sex offenders Some of the top law enforcement officials in the United States are asserting that the online social network MySpace has discovered thousands of known sex offenders using its service but that it has failed to act on the information. In a letter sent on Monday to a lawyer for MySpace, a division of News Corp., attorneys general from eight states said that MySpace had not done enough to block sexual predators from the service and that it had failed to cooperate with the authorities. http://iht.com/articles/2007/05/15/business/myspace.php http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/15/technology/15myspace.html Thousands of sex offenders discovered on MySpace (Reuters) Thousands of convicted sex offenders have registered for profiles on social networking Web site MySpace, posing a risk to children who are among the site's most avid users, eight U.S. attorneys general said on Monday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKN1429244520070515 MySpace Locks Horns With State AGs Over Sex Offender Data Demand MySpace won't comply with a request by eight state attorneys general for it to supply information about sex offenders registered on the site, the company announced Tuesday. Citing the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, MySpace said it is prohibited by law from turning over the information without a subpoena. "We are doing everything short of breaking the law to ensure that the information about these predators gets to the proper authorities," said Hemanshu Nigam, chief security officer for MySpace. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/57415.html ‘Swinger couple had web sex’ in front of girl and grandfather A middle-aged couple from Gloucestershire have gone on trial accused of having sex in front of a webcam knowing that a nine-year-old American girl was viewing from her home in New York. Ronald and Denise Edwards allegedly encouraged the girl’s grandfather to perform sex acts with her before having sex themselves. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article1790543.ece au: Victoria bans school cyber bullying Cyber bullying will no longer be tolerated in Victorian schools. It will be banned after an increase in bullying via websites, email and mobile phones. http://abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200705/s1925156.htm au: Bullying 'goes beyond playground' BULLYING was an "insidious" issue that reached far beyond the schoolyard, and parents needed to become part of the solution, a leading educationalist said. http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21733578-5001028,00.html au: NetAlert Sponsors Library and Information Week 2007 (news release) NetAlert is pleased to announce that it will sponsor Library and Information Week 2007. This is a great opportunity to raise awareness of safe Internet use in libraries. The event is being held from 21-27 May 2007. http://netalert.net.au/03896-NetAlert-sponsors-Library-and-Information-Week-2007.asp au: More action essential to curb bullying by adolescent psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg IF any evidence was required of the potential psychological damage that can result from school bullying, it was provided on Monday by NSW Supreme Court judge Carolyn Simpson when she awarded 18-year-old Ben Cox about $1 million for the pain and suffering he endured as a result of years of harassment at school. ... As a frequent visitor to schools across Australia, I know there is enormous variation in the content and implementation of bullying and harassment policies; and when it comes to cyber-bullying, many schools have no policy at all. http://theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21738068-7583,00.html *************************************** CYBERCRIME, CYBERSECURITY AND PRIVACY *************************************** Australia vulnerable to cyber terror The computer systems powering Australia's essential services, such as electricity, gas, water, sewerage, transport and communications utilities, are outdated and not secured against cyber terrorist attacks, the Federal Government has warned. Security analysts in the United States said simplistic attacks originating from the internet could shut down the electric grid, interrupt the transport network and compromise drinking water systems. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/05/15/1178995118994.html Police investigate ‘sex abuse’ in virtual world Second Life is under police investigation in Britain, Belgium and Holland over claims of online sexual abuse. Some users of the site claim they are so emotionally involved that attacks on “their” avatars leave them traumatised and upset. They term the experience “online rape”. Experts believe that those misusing the site in Britain, where more than 100,000 “residents” have logged on in the past six months, could be vulnerable under laws prohibiting harassment and the sending of malicious messages. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article1782086.ece One in ten websites 'is infected with malware' About one in ten websites is infected with malicious software that could result in a user’s personal information being stolen, according to Google. Sensitive data such as banking passwords and e-mail addresses could unwittingly be handed over to criminals as a result of visiting infected pages, which work by exploiting a vulnerability in the user’s internet browser, a study by the search company suggests. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article1787714.ece hk: Man fined for sending porn link in an internet message A man has been fined 5,000 Hong Kong dollars (640 US dollars) for incorporating a pornographic link in an internet message in the first case of its kind in Hong Kong, a media report said Friday. http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/theworld/2007/May/theworld_May328.xml§ion=theworld&col= Author Protests 'Cyber-Stalker' There's no mystery about it. Patricia Cornwell knows whodunit, and she wants him to stop. The best-selling crime author has filed a federal lawsuit against a lesser-known Virginia author, asking the court to force him to stop writing "defamatory and contemptuous" material about her on the Internet, including calling her racist and claiming she stole part of his novel. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/14/AR2007051401364.html MySpace deletes sex offender profiles (Reuters) Popular online social network MySpace says it has identified, removed and blocked "a few thousand" user profiles of convicted sex offenders among its 175 million profiles on its service as part a previously announced program to protect its youth members from adult predators. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKWEN814320070516 uk: Web terms baffle Internet terrorism trial judge A British judge has admitted he was struggling to cope with basic terms like "Web site" in the trial of three men accused of inciting terrorism via the Internet. http://stuff.co.nz/4062878a28.html http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKL1667622520070516 US court okays Google tiny sex images (Reuters) A federal appeals court lifted a preliminary injunction on Wednesday against Google from showing thumbnail-size photos from sexually explicit sites, but said the company might be liable for allowing links to sites displaying unauthorised photos. http://stuff.co.nz/4062909a28.html YouTube hit with another lawsuit Google Inc.'s YouTube unit was sued by David Grisman, a mandolin player who once performed with the Grateful Dead, over what he says are unauthorized postings of his music, the latest suit against the popular video-sharing site. http://www.contracostatimes.com/business/ci_5899836 Google wins adult photos appeal A judge overturns a ruling preventing Google displaying thumbnail pictures from an adult website. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6663527.stm http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKN1622784520070516 Warner Music sues social network site for piracy (Reuters) Warner Music Group Corp. sued Imeem Inc., a music-based social networking Web site, on Tuesday for infringing the copyright of its artists including Madonna, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Green Day. http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSN1537407020070516 us: 'Rogue' Net Pharmacies Fuel Abuse A sharp increase in the number of online pharmacies offering highly controlled drugs without requiring a prescription is feeding a similar rise in the abuse of powerful pharmaceuticals in the United States, particularly among teens, witnesses told a Senate panel Wednesday. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/16/AR2007051602015.html Estonia reels from massive attacks Estonia has urged its allies in the European Union and NATO to take firm action against cyber attacks. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/05/16/1178995223644.html ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** au: Push for new video game rating The Australian video games industry has stepped up its efforts to convince the Government to introduce an R18+ classification for video games. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/05/16/1178995215240.html US ISPs slam into wiretap deadline U.S. broadband and VOIP providers on Monday hit a deadline to prove they could accommodate law-enforcement wiretaps. The Federal Communications Commission in 2005 required broadband ISPs and VOIP carriers that connect to the public telephone network to comply with a wiretap access law. Under the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), service providers have to prove they're equipped for investigators to carry out the equivalent of a traditional wiretap. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/15/AR2007051500716.html us: Senators demand more regulations on Net pharmacies Politicians on Wednesday endorsed new laws designed to rein in "rogue" online pharmacies that dispense drugs without government-approved prescriptions--and said they're considering a requirement that Internet service providers block those Web sites or ads for them. http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6184455.html http://news.com.com/2100-1028_3-6184455.html ***************************** INTERNET & NEW TECHNOLOGY USE ***************************** uk: Dial M for entertainment, the mobile revolution The phone company Orange reveals today how its 15 million customers are using their mobiles as entertainment centres for music, videos and games. The company's first digital media index shows its customers send 872m text messages a month, with most sent between 4pm and 8pm as people plan a night out. Despite being launched five years ago, picture messaging, however, remains something of a niche service with 5.4m sent a month. Many mobile phones can access the internet - Orange also has more than 2.1 million customers accessing the web each month - as well as downloading games, ringtones and video clips. http://www.guardian.co.uk/mobile/article/0,,2079818,00.html Web 2.0 'neglecting good design' Hype about Web 2.0 is making web firms neglect the basics of good design, web usability guru Jakob Nielsen has said. He warned that the rush to make webpages more dynamic often meant users were badly served. He said sites peppered with personalisation tools were in danger of resembling the "glossy but useless" sites at the height of the dotcom boom. Research into website use shows that sites were better off getting the basics right, said Mr Nielsen. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6653119.stm Kids' Chores Turn Wired Parents ask their kids to gather information and even conduct transactions online. According to "Surfin' on Mom's Turf: Cyber Chillin' With 8-14 Year-Olds," a report released by Stars for Kidz, 14 percent of kids have helped parents prepare their income tax return online. "In this 8 to 14 age group, these kids are the first strong generation where they have had all these sophisticated levels of technology from childhood, and they function intuitively," said Adele Schwartz, research director at Stars for Kidz. http://clickz.com/stats/sectors/demographics/article.php/3625858 Today Second Life, tomorrow the world The founder of the virtual world Second Life believes that his company, Linden Lab, is at the forefront of the internet's next big revolution - the 3D web http://technology.guardian.co.uk/weekly/story/0,,2080906,00.html Google creates uber search site In its biggest revamp ever to its home page, Google on Wednesday launched its version of universal search, a redesign that will list in one place search results from a variety of media. http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6184416.html http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/488120/1127635 BBC counters kids' TV bashing The BBC is fighting back against the growing number of reports claiming TV is bad for children with an independent assessment of their scientific validity. The BBC children's controller, Richard Deverell, has commissioned one of his former executives to compile a study of the many reports on the impact of kids' TV and to sort "the wheat from the chaff". http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,,2080272,00.html eu: 4 European regional projects win "European 2007 Broadband Project" awards All across Europe, different projects aim to connect rural and remote areas to broadband and try to promote its use to spur rural and regional development. To exploit the diversity of approaches and experiences from different regions, an exhibition at the "Bridging the Broadband Gap" showcased projects that constitute good practice from across Europe. http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/newsroom/cf/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=3426 eu: "Bridging the broadband gap" conference showcases local initiatives For the first time, information and communications technology actors and stakeholders gather in Brussels for a two-day conference on the strategic use of ICT to support regional and local development. Leading speakers from all over the world discuss how ICT and broadband (fast Internet access) can boost and diversify economic activity. The conference is accompanied by an exhibition of 50 outstanding examples of ongoing broadband activities in Europe, with prizes awarded to the top three. http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/newsroom/cf/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=3420 ********************************* COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS ********************************* uk: Health concerns over mobile phone masts prompt review Ministers are to investigate arrangements for erecting mobile phone masts in the light of growing fears that they may cause cancer and other diseases because of "electronic smog". They will review the exceptionally favourable rules that allow mobile phone companies to escape normal planning regulations and stop councils from considering the effects of the masts on health, even when they are sited near homes and schools. http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/article2536863.ece Out-googling Google "Baidu understands Chinese better," the Baidu.com advertisement says, needling the company's former investor and current rival, Google. And statistics seem to bear that out: Baidu accounts for 62 percent of the country's search traffic, up from 52 percent in 2005, according to the China Internet Network Information Center in Beijing. For Western companies trying to establish a Web presence in China, understanding how Baidu plays the game could be key. http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;293201527;fp;4194304;fpid;1 http://pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;293201527;fp;2;fpid;2 Microsoft takes on the free world Great headline (above) in Fortune magazine, where an article suggests that Microsoft is threatening a sort of patent Armageddon. The story says: Microsoft General Counsel Brad Smith and licensing chief Horacio Gutierrez sat down with Fortune recently to map out their strategy for getting FOSS [free/open source software] users to pay royalties. Revealing the precise figure for the first time, they state that FOSS infringes on no fewer than 235 Microsoft patents. Fortune compares the situation to MAD, the threat of "mutually assured destruction" during the cold war. As soon as one side uses nukes, everyone loses. The warhead-rattling is probably Microsoft creating FUD (an IBM invention for Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) to discourage risk-averse large companies from using Linux, or at least using a Microsoft-approved version from Novell. It doesn't really matter unless Microsoft lists the patents and launches some lawsuits. http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/technology/archives/2007/05/14/microsoft_takes_on_the_free_world.html Free tool offers 'easy' coding A free programming tool, primarily aimed at children, that allows anyone to create their own animations and video games launches. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6647011.stm Schmidt says he didn't grasp the power of Google at first When CEO Eric Schmidt joined Google from Novell in 2001, it was an unprofitable but up-and-coming search engine. Now, Google has surpassed Microsoft and Yahoo as the world's most-visited website. It just announced a record $1 billion in quarterly profit, virtually all from those little 10-words-or-less text ads that appear near search results. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/techinvestor/corporatenews/2007-05-15-google-schmidt-qa_N.htm Next gen of Wi-Fi products arrive this summer (AP) The next generation of wireless Internet products certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance is expected to hit shelves this summer, even though a final standard for the technology isn't due for another year, the industry group says. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/2007-05-16-wi-fi-n_N.htm http://news.com.com/2100-7351_3-6184282.html The net is being carved up into information plantations Search at Google.com on evolution or Iraq or Aids or Gordon Brown, and the same site will appear at the top of the list of results: Wikipedia. Alter your search into one for John Keats or Muhammad Ali or Christianity or platypus or loneliness, and the same thing will happen. Pacific Ocean? Wikipedia. Catherine de Medici? Wikipedia. Human brain? Wikipedia. http://technology.guardian.co.uk/weekly/story/0,,2080775,00.html ******************* TELECOMMUNICATIONS ******************* nz: Telecom 'should keep fixed line network' InternetNZ is against Telecom's proposal to sell off its fixed line network, its deputy executive director Jordan Carter saying the plan does not provide a suitable basis for further discussion. http://stuff.co.nz/4062907a13.html nz: Telecom's threats 'same old same old' Phone companies are urging the Government to stick to its plan to split up Telecom and ignore the telco's threats to cut investment. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/3/story.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=10439937 au: OECD hits back at broadband stats inaccuracy claims In a letter to iTWire, OECD economist, Taylor Reynolds, has responded to claims by research firm Market Clarity that the OECD's regular reports comparing broadband uptake in member nations are based on inaccurate source data. According to the OECD, Market Clarity's report "has serious methodological and factual errors". http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/12224/127/ ***** VoIP ***** Subscriber numbers doubled during 2006, reports Point Topic. Retail VoIP subscriber numbers more than doubled during 2006 from 19 million to 40 million worldwide, new research reports. http://itnews.com.au/newsstory.aspx?CIaNID=52196 ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** au: Man in court over internet sex charge A perverted online chat with what he allegedly thought was a 13-year-old girl landed a 42-year-old Brisbane man in court today after the teenager turned out to be a policeman. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/05/15/1178995142984.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 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 ___________________________________________________________________________________ How would you spend $50,000 to create a more sustainable environment in Australia? 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