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********************************************************** Don't forget to check out http://auda.org.au/domain-news/ for today's edition of the complete domain news, including an RSS feed - already online! And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The Internet News is brought to you with the support of auDA *************************************************** Microsoft faces crucial ruling over record fine imposed by EU http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/sep/17/eurocommission Reputations on the line as court rules on Commission's Microsoft fight http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article2469337.ece Web ad blocking may not be (entirely) legal http://www.news.com/2100-1030_3-6207936.html How law enforcement uses Google Earth http://www.news.com/2100-1025_3-6208034.html Internet crime 'is big business' http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6998068.stm Austria's 'Jihad by Telecommute' http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,505618,00.html au: 2Clix lawsuit a 'chilling' attack on free speech http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1626383484;fp;2;fpid;1 Google urges UN to set global internet privacy rules http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/sep/14/news.google Google says world could use Kiwi-style approach to privacy http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10463578 Google proposes global privacy standard http://www.news.com/2100-1030_3-6207927.html Australian spy laws track mobile phones, internet http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/09/16/1189881342905.html nz: People's Network gets $4.4m under digital content plan http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/4204696a28.html Germany backs online monitoring to fight terrorism [Reuters] http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=137&objectid=10464174 BT set to study British internet novices http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6979849.stm Google, at age 10, is the official heart of the Internet [AFP] http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/09/14/1189276975872.html Do social network sites genuinely care about privacy? http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/sep/13/guardianweeklytechnologysection.news1 Yahoo Mash: The Social Network for Graffiti Lovers http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/09/15/yahoo-mash-attempts-hip/ Phone makers and Internet companies competing more on each other's turf http://iht.com/articles/2007/09/02/business/wireless03.php Forrester Research: The Five-Year Forecast For Consumer Technology Growth [news release] http://www.forrester.com/ER/Press/Release/0,1769,1167,00.html iPhone is only tip of mobile Internet device onslaught http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;738833360;fp;2;fpid;1 Where broadband Internet is headed: To the kitchen http://iht.com/articles/2007/09/16/news/novel17.php nz: Flood of spam complaints for Internal Affairs team http://stuff.co.nz/4204691a28.html Upwardly Mobile In Africa http://businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_39/b4051054.htm Prince sues internet sites for breaching his copyright http://news.independent.co.uk/media/article2961321.ece First Prince, now Village People target YouTube http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9778541-7.html This Is What It Sounds Like When Prince Sues? http://ecommercetimes.com/story/MXBUkGTEtWfA1S/This-Is-What-It-Sounds-Like-When-Prince-Sues.xhtml YouTube conundrum for vintage acts http://www.news.com/2100-1027_3-6208130.html Kiwi who turned down Google job offer (once) http://nbr.co.nz/home/column_article.asp?id=19024&cid=3&cname=Technology EU watchdog calls for urgent action on Wi-Fi radiation http://environment.independent.co.uk/lifestyle/article2966951.ece uk: The elegant businesswoman and her middle-class paedophile ring http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article2448998.ece Brtish actor Chris Langham jailed for downloading child abuse http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,2169644,00.html ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** China Releases Jailed New York Times Employee Zhao Yan, a Chinese researcher for The New York Times, walked out of a prison here shortly after 8 a.m. Saturday after serving three years on a fraud conviction that prompted international outrage and criticism of Chinas legal system. Mr. Zhao was greeted with hugs by a gathering of family and friends. He looked relieved, noticeably thinner and a little shaken. http://nytimes.com/2007/09/15/world/asia/15zhao.html Internet writer beaten in prison, say reports Press freedom activists are alarmed by reports that Chinese Internet journalist and activist Guo Qizhen is being abused in prison. Guo's wife, Zhao Changqing, said she was banned from visiting him after discovering his body covered in bruises in June. The injuries were caused by fellow inmates in beatings "orchestrated by prison guards," according to Australian PEN. http://asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=77885 cn: Jailed New York Times researcher to be freed Despite past appeals for an early release, Zhao Yan completes his three-year sentence this weekend. He is expected to be freed Saturday morning. According to The New York Times, Beijing prison officials told Zhaos sister that he would be released by 9 a.m. on Sept. 15. http://asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=77966 ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ au: COMMENT: Ministry's web of deception needs a virtual reality check The Federal Government recently began an unsavoury campaign to win votes by abusing parents' concern for their children. It is trying to whip up fear about the largely non-existent threat of online sexual predators. You must have seen the ads that have sprung up over the past few weeks. They're everywhere, on radio and television, in newspapers, in cinemas, on buses and at bus stops. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/09/14/1189276986747.html http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/articles/2007/09/14/1189276986747.html au: Taskforce: is Facebook being used by sex offenders? The Federal Government yesterday announced a working group to investigate the potential of social networking sites such as Facebook to be used by paedophiles and sex offenders to contact and groom children. http://pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;827967157 au: COMMENT: Better to be alert than NetAlarmed The internet will kill your children, or something. At least, that is the message of the Federal Government ads plastered on the side of every second tram trundling down Swanston Street. The Government's approach to internet safety has all the hyperbole and sensationalism of tabloid current affairs programs. This is not surprising. Scare campaigns about the dangers of chatting or stumbling upon nudity usually have little to do with children, and all to do with raising fear in parents. Parents vote. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/09/15/1189277042177.html au: Coonan considers making NetAlert research public The Federal Government has defended the research quoted in its internet safety initiative NetAlert. http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/16/2034184.htm http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/16/2034075.htm au: 'Child porn' disks found under rock A man playing a high-tech version of hide-and-seek has stumbled across a possible cache of child pornography buried under a rock in a northern beaches park. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/09/16/1189881342983.html EU commission plans to block internet searches containing "dangerous" words As part of the EU's new anti-terror plans, Franco Frattini, EU commissioner responsible for justice and security, intends to have internet searches for instructions on making bombs and access to corresponding sites blocked by internet service providers in the EU. In an interview for Reuters, he has now revealed exactly what he has in mind. http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/95899 uk: £1,000 fines for parents whose children are cyber bullies Parents whose children bully classmates using text messages or the internet face £1,000 fines. The Government is cracking down on 'cyber bullies' who use mobile phones, email and social networking websites to threaten or torment fellow pupils. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=481891&in_page_id=1766&ito=1490 uk: Net makes thought crime real The actor Chris Langham, 58 and a father of five, has been jailed for 10 months, of which he will serve five, minus the 43 days he has spent in custody, for downloading child pornography. A jury convicted him last month of 15 counts of making indecent images of children. He was cleared of indecent assault charges involving a teenage female fan. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/india_knight/article2461236.ece us: As bullies go online, schools crack down When students arrived this year for the start of school in Arlington, Texas, they were given a one-page contract to sign. They would not send harassing e-mails to other students. They would not send offensive digital pictures, download video footage or hack into another student's e-mail account. They would not instant-message at all. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-cyberbullyingsep14,1,3035863.story us: Prepared Remarks of Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales at the Press Availability Following the Project Safe Childhood Roundtable In the first half of Fiscal Year 2007, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces which are made up of state and local law enforcement and supported by Department of Justice funds made 1,139 arrests for online child exploitation crimes across the nation, an increase of nearly 20 percent over the number of arrests during the same period in Fiscal Year 2006. http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/speeches/2007/ag_speech_070913.html InternetSafety.com Partners with Australian Government to Keep Families Safe Online [news release] The Australian Government is partnering with U.S.-based InternetSafety.com to provide parents down under with free access to the leading Internet filtering software, Safe Eyes. The move is part of the Australian Governments extensive Internet safety initiative known as NetAlert Protecting Australian Families Online. http://internetsafety.com/corporate/press/07/09.13.07.Australia.php ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Microsoft faces crucial ruling over record fine imposed by EU Microsoft faces a crucial court decision today in Luxembourg that will define its future as the world's biggest software group as well as that of the European commission as a global antitrust authority. The verdict of Europe's second highest court on an appeal by Microsoft against Brussels' ruling that it had abused its dominance of the PC market, marks the culmination of a nine-year dispute that could reshape EU competition law. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/sep/17/eurocommission Reputations on the line as court rules on Commission's Microsoft fight The reputations of Europes top anti-trust regulator and of one of the worlds most powerful multinational companies are on the line today as a nine-year legal battle comes to a head in an austere Luxembourg courtroom. The European Court of Justice will deliver its verdict on a decision by the European Commission in March 2004 to find Microsoft guilty of illegal business practices. The Commission ordered the software group to make concessions to competitors and fined it 497 million. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article2469337.ece Web ad blocking may not be (entirely) legal Advertising-supported companies have long turned to the courts to squelch products that let consumers block or skip ads: it happened in the famous lawsuit against the VCR in 1979 and again with ReplayTV in 2001. Tomorrow's legal fight may be over Web browser add-ons that let people avoid advertisements. These add-ons are growing in functionality and popularity, which has led legal experts surveyed this week by CNET News.com to speculate about when the first lawsuit will be filed. http://www.news.com/2100-1030_3-6207936.html http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6207936.html How law enforcement uses Google Earth When a Wisconsin man was arrested last October on suspicion of harvesting 18 pounds of marijuana, it was partly thanks to Google Earth. The sheriff's deputies who pulled the man over found, in addition to what they estimated was at least $63,000 worth of pot, a GPS unit around his neck that was filled with a series of local coordinates, according to The Journal Times of Racine, Wis. After plugging those coordinates into Google Earth, the police were able to identify the location of several marijuana fields to which the man was allegedly connected. http://www.news.com/2100-1025_3-6208034.html Internet crime 'is big business' Internet crime is becoming a major commercial activity, according to a report by the security firm, Symantec. Its report into threats to internet security describes underworld auction sites where bank details and credit cards are on sale. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6998068.stm Austria's 'Jihad by Telecommute' They translated and prepared terror videos, claims of responsibility and al-Qaida propaganda on the Internet. Austrian police have now attributed this handiwork to the Global Islamic Media Front and the leader of this network is reportedly among the arrested. http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,505618,00.html German police raid home of man who operated Tor server A German operator of a Tor server used to anonymously route traffic over the net said he was arrested in a midnight raid on his residence that stemmed from an investigation into bomb threats said to have passed through an internet protocol address under his control. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/16/bomb_threat_leads_police_to_raid_tor_operator/ Germany arrests 10 in global Internet scam raids [Reuters] German police have arrested 10 people suspected of being involved in an international Internet scam that could have cost victims hundreds of thousands of euros, the Federal Police Office said on Thursday. http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6207739.html http://www.news.com/2100-7348_3-6207739.html http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKL1360468620070913 German Police Arrest 10 International Phishing Suspects An 18-month police investigation led to the arrests of an alleged group of Russian, Ukrainian, and German phishers who were spending their loot on luxury cars and jewelry. http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201806309 Dutch police raid illegal DVD plant [Reuters] Dutch police have raided an illegal DVD-manufacturing plant capable of making 900 copies of movies an hour, antipiracy officials said Thursday. http://www.news.com/2100-7348_3-6207772.html http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKL1362255820070913 China Emerges As Leader In Cyberwarfare When suspected Chinese hackers penetrated the Pentagon this summer, reports downplayed the cyberattack. The hackers hit a secure Pentagon system known as NIPRNet - but it only carries unclassified information and general e-mail, Department of Defense officials said. Yet a central aim of the Chinese hackers may not have been top secrets, but a probe of the Pentagon network structure itself, some analysts argue. The NIPRNet (Non-classified Internet Protocol Router Network) is crucial in the quick deployment of U.S. forces should China attack Taiwan. By crippling a Pentagon Net used to call U.S. forces, China gains crucial hours and minutes in a lightning attack designed to force a Taiwan surrender, experts say. http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0914/p01s01-woap.html http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/14/tech/main3261199.shtml kr: Internet security to be strengthened New bill requires portal sites to use personal identification and mobile phone registration numbers, instead of social security numbers http://asiamedia.ucla.edu/article-eastasia.asp?parentid=77962 Cybercrime purge: Authorities net Nigerian scammer, Web hoaxer and identity thief Looks like these guys picked a bad week to commit cyber crimes. First we have an arrest of one of those annoying Nigerian "please help me with my inheritance" email scammers. Canadian police today arrested a Toronto man, who police described as a Nigerian refugee who they have charged with several fraud-related offences, including fraud over $5,000 and possession of goods obtained by crime. http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/19426 au: 2Clix lawsuit a 'chilling' attack on free speech The lawsuit filed by 2Clix against Whirlpool forum creator, Simon Wright, could have a "chilling effect" on reasonable and factual comments people may make on Internet forums, according to David Vaile, executive director of the Cyberspace Law and Policy Centre at UNSW. "The issue is that Whirlpool is a public and very broad source of information used by people to find out the best deal, the best product, what is going on, and is based on people sharing anecdotes," said Vaile. http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1626383484;fp;2;fpid;1 au: 2Clix help site established as EFA condemns Whirlpool suit An IT consultant has set up a website to help disaffected users of accounting software supplied by 2Clix Australia Pty Ltd. Meanwhile, online civil liberties watchdog Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) has publicly condemned a $150,000 lawsuit lodged by 2Clix against online technology forum Whirlpool for allowing users to air their dissatisfaction with 2Clix online. http://itwire.com/content/view/14427/53/ http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/2Clix-scores-own-goal-with-Whirlpool-case/0,130061791,339282041,00.htm au: Hackers raid florist's database NSW Police are investigating the possible compromise of an online florist's database and theft of customers' credit card details. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/09/15/1189277023871.html http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/17/2034318.htm http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Credit-card-scammers-say-it-with-flowers/0,130061744,339282104,00.htm au: Man arrested over internet cafe frauds Computer Crime Squad detectives have arrested a man they say has used internet cafes in Perth and Fremantle to steal and launder more than $100,000. http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/15/2033762.htm http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/15/2033802.htm http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Police-charge-100-000-Web-bank-theft-suspect/0,130061744,339282107,00.htm uk: Webcam showed father's suicide A father hanged himself while using a live webcam despite attempts by other chatroom users to talk him out of committing suicide, an inquest has been told. http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2961284.ece http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/14/nchat114.xml Should the internet be policed? Asked following father's suicide A coroner has criticised online chatrooms after a man was goaded into committing suicide while dozens of users watched live on the internet. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/14/view14.xml Canadian Government Pledges No ISP Disclosure Without Warrant In a major about-face, Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day has pledged that the federal government will not introduce legislation that would force ISPs to disclose customer information without a warrant. Day says the consultation document that was the subject of considerable controversy this week was circulated without his knowledge or consent. http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/2234/125/ ************************** PRIVACY ************************** Google urges UN to set global internet privacy rules Google is calling on the UN to help protect the privacy of web surfers around the world before the internet faces a crisis of confidence. Google's privacy chief, Peter Fleischer, will address a conference in Strasbourg of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) today and ask for governments and businesses to agree on international privacy standards. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/sep/14/news.google http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6994776.stm http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/13/AR2007091302248.html Google says world could use Kiwi-style approach to privacy ... Peter Fleischer, Google's global privacy counsel, will use a regional UNESCO conference in Strasbourg as a forum to call on countries to adopt as a global standard a set of privacy principles agreed to by a variety of Asia-Pacific countries. He specifically mentioned New Zealand in a list of countries with desirable approaches to privacy. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10463578 Google proposes global privacy standard While Google is leading a charge to create a global privacy standard for how companies protect consumer data, the search giant is recommending that remedies focus on whether a person was actually harmed by having the information exposed. ... "Google believes we need to work together to create minimum global standards partly by law and partly by self-regulation," he said in a telephone conference call. "We need a collaboration between government and the private sector." http://www.news.com/2100-1030_3-6207927.html http://www.ft.com/cms/s/d969a326-6226-11dc-bdf6-0000779fd2ac.html http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/09/14/1189276947461.html http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6207927.html http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9036759 ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** Special 'cyber' law 'needed' to support Indonesian ICT development Neglect and conflicting interests are hampering the expansion of Indonesia's ICT industry so that special legislation is needed to encourage its development, an expert said Tuesday. http://asiamedia.ucla.edu/article-southeastasia.asp?parentid=77788 Australian spy laws track mobile phones, internet Security agencies would be able to secretly track people via their mobile phones and monitor their internet browsing for up to three months without obtaining a warrant under new laws due to go before the Senate this week. The powers could be used in a range of even relatively minor criminal investigations, not just terrorism cases. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/09/16/1189881342905.html au: Pollies embrace Google for the 'e-election' John Howard says the internet is "not some sort of gimmick" and has invited voters to have a conversation with him on YouTube. Peter Garrett believes the web will play a "really really critical role" in the upcoming election, which Joe Hockey has dubbed the "e-election campaign". http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/09/14/1189276949409.html http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;1446883400 au: Telstra sets watchdog on Coonan TELSTRA, continuing its pursuit of Communications Minister Helen Coonan, has asked the corporate watchdog to investigate claims of misleading conduct and has threatened further legal action against the senator. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,22415385-15306,00.html au: Investigation into media access to drive change [news release] The announcement by the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Coonan, of an investigation into access to electronic media for Deaf people and people with a hearing impairment has been warmly welcomed by the Human Rights Commissioner, Graeme Innes. http://humanrights.gov.au/about/media/media_releases/2007/67_07.html nz: People's Network gets $4.4m under digital content plan A national digital content strategy has been published by the Government after two years of deliberation. http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/4204696a28.html Germany backs online monitoring to fight terrorism [Reuters] German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday that Germany must allow security services to use the Internet to track terrorist suspects' online movements. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=137&objectid=10464174 http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKL141498420070914 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070914.wgtgermany0914/BNStory/Technology/home Canada gives lawful access another look The federal government has rekindled debates around lawful access with the launch of a consultation process that discusses the possibility of granting law enforcement agencies greater access to Internet and telecom service providers subscriber data. Public Safety Canada has issued the Customer Name and Address (CNA) Information Consultation Document in a bid to institute legislation to help law enforcement get timely access to CNA information. http://www.itworldcanada.com/a/Daily-News/088ee991-ac66-4046-91aa-ca82828d5b62.html uk: New thinktank to investigate changing media The government is to convene a new thinktank to confront the rapid pace of media change as part of a wide-ranging overhaul of the way the sector is regulated, it emerged yesterday. Setting out his broadcasting vision for the first time, the culture secretary, James Purnell, revealed that he and business secretary John Hutton would recruit senior figures from inside and outside the government to inform media policy. http://media.guardian.co.uk/ofcom/story/0,,2168885,00.html zw: 'Use ICTs to Defend Nation' Zimbabwe should use information and communication technologies to defend its sovereignty, interests, culture, and the rights of the people against Western domination, President Mugabe has said. The President said this when he officially launched the ICT Policy Framework in Harare yesterday. http://allafrica.com/stories/200709140014.html us: New Net taxes could arrive in November Americans might pay more for DSL and cable modem bills starting November 1, thanks to politicians in the U.S. Congress who have yet to extend a federal moratorium limiting taxes on those services. http://www.news.com/2100-1028_3-6208126.html http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6208126.html ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** BT set to study British internet novices BT is setting up an initiative to find out why some people resist using the internet. The project will employ psychologists to closely study a small group of people to reveal what stops them joining the net-using majority. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6979849.stm Study reveals huge disparity between news sites The topics covered by mainstream news sites are "markedly different" from those on sites that allow users to determine what is newsworthy, according to a survey released Wednesday by the Project for Excellence in Journalism. The study, called "The Latest News Headlines -- Your Vote Counts," found that while mainstream media sites focused on the immigration debate and the Iraq war during the last week of June, three sites that let users determine the story lineup -- Digg, Del.icio.us and Reddit -- focused on the release of Apple's iPhone and Nintendo surpassing Sony in net worth. http://pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;882586343 Google, at age 10, is the official heart of the Internet [AFP] Born 10 years ago, the Google Internet search engine has grown into the electronic centre of human knowledge by indexing billions of web pages as well as images, books and videos. On September 15, 1997 Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two 24 year-old Stanford University students, registered the domain name of "google.com." The word is a variation of 'googol,' which refers to the number 10 to the power of 100, a term popularized by US mathematician Edward Kasner. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/09/14/1189276975872.html http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/09/14/1189276975872.html Broadband internet: Wiring rural America FROM her remote farm in southern Kentucky, Lajuana Wilcher checks an online database for local ranchers demanding alfalfa. She can specify at what price she is willing to sell, which counties to search and whether her hay is square-baled or rolled. Without her high-speed internet connection, Ms Wilcher insists, it would take far too long to find the most generous alfalfa prices, order spare tractor parts and locate the best breeding stock for her small cattle operation. http://economist.com/world/na/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9803963 us: Internet Ad Spending Soars Despite Overall Slump With a few notable exceptions -- the Internet, primarily -- advertising spending has declined for the second quarter in a row, according to a report released Tuesday from TNS Media Intelligence. Total advertising expenditures in the first half of 2007 slipped by 0.3 percent to $72.59 billion versus the same period in 2006, TNS found. The outlook for the remainder of the year is not much better, it predicted. "For the first time since 2001, media advertising expenditures have declined for two consecutive quarters," said Steven Fredericks, president and CEO of TNS Media Intelligence. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/59311.html au: Test your broadband: Oz now on 5.5Mbps average Australia's broadband may be better than you think -- according to a survey of over 50,000 users in the country, the average connection speed is now around 5.5Mbps. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Test-your-broadband-Oz-now-on-5-5Mbps-average/0,130061791,339282051,00.htm China Internet Development Information Compiled by Fred Fortin The growth of the Internet in China is, and will be, a significant force for health care development in the country. So I thought I would put together a short compilation of some history as well as facts and statistics on this amazing social and technical phenomenon. http://www.worldhealthcareblog.org/2007/09/14/china-internet-development-information-compiled/ ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Do social network sites genuinely care about privacy? Very deeply, because it's only by guarding it jealously and parcelling it up and then selling it to someone else that they can make any money. Why, did you think that hosting websites with millions of users was something they did for fun? Not at all - there are hefty hosting bills to pay but, more importantly, big profits potentially to be made. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/sep/13/guardianweeklytechnologysection.news1 Yahoo Mash: The Social Network for Graffiti Lovers Yahoo has started an invitation-only preview of a new social networking site, Yahoo Mash. It is quite an homage to Facebook, but it adds one significant new wrinkle: users can edit each other's profiles, redecorating, changing information, and adding features. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/09/15/yahoo-mash-attempts-hip/ uk: Facebook suicide: the end of a virtual life Can online friendships ruin real-life relationships? Some users of a very popular social networking site believe so and thats why theyre taking drastic action, says Emma Justice: Stephanie Painters death was swift and painless. At 9.10pm on February 11 she bid her 121 Facebook friends goodbye with one last poke (mood: sorrowful), then left the virtual world peacefully with a quick click of the mouse. http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/body_and_soul/article2452928.ece Employers crack down on 'Facebook addicts' Employers are being forced to crack down on staff accessing social networking Web site Facebook at work because of the high levels of usage, security risks and the drain on corporate network bandwidth. http://news.zdnet.com/2424-9595_22-164541.html Not losing Facebook in China XIAONEI.COM does not just look like Facebook, the booming social-networking website. As well as borrowing its design, it has also lifted its strategy and transplanted it to China. It is not alone. All the big Web 2.0 sitesthose that let people share information, collaborate and link up with friendshave many Chinese knockoffs. YouTube, the video-sharing site that is now part of Google, has over 200 copycats in China, about 10% of them backed by venture capital, says Isaac Mao, an internet investor and a Chinese blogging pioneer. http://economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9803915 ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Phone makers and Internet companies competing more on each other's turf Nokia used to be just a cellphone maker. Google used to be just an Internet company. Now Nokia wants to be an Internet company and Google, according to rampant speculation among bloggers and technology analysts, may be about to enter the mobile phone fray. "Devices alone are not enough anymore," Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, chief executive of Nokia, said last week in London as the company announced plans for a digital music store, a game service, social networking links and other mobile Internet initiatives, grouped under a new brand, Ovi. "People want more; they want the complete experience." http://iht.com/articles/2007/09/02/business/wireless03.php Forrester Research: The Five-Year Forecast For Consumer Technology Growth [news release] Devices that make up the digital home, such as digital video recorders, high-definition televisions and home networks will be the consumer technologies that grow the fastest over the next five years, according to the 10th annual guide to consumers' technology adoption and attitudes by Forrester Research. "The State Of Consumers And Technology: Benchmark 2007" is based on the responses of more than 58,000 consumers in the US and Canada, and is the second-largest survey in the world after the US Census regarding consumers and technology. http://www.forrester.com/ER/Press/Release/0,1769,1167,00.html iPhone is only tip of mobile Internet device onslaught A study by ABI Research says that the iPhone may be only a precursor to what mobile Internet devices will be capable of in the near future. The study, released this week, predicts an explosion of MIDs that can be used for browsing the Web, listening to music, text messaging, and shooting photo and video. In particular, the study expects that 90 million MIDs and 5 million ultramobile PCs (UMPC) will have been shipped to buyers by 2012. According to ABI vice president Stan Schatt, these devices generally will have larger screens than the iPhone and will have a wider variety of Web browsing options than Nokia's N800 phone. http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;738833360;fp;2;fpid;1 Where broadband Internet is headed: To the kitchen Dream kitchens may soon include a computer along with the latest refrigerator or oven. That way, people gathered at the family hub can satisfy their digital needs along with nutritional ones. http://iht.com/articles/2007/09/16/news/novel17.php ********************** SPAM ********************** nz: Flood of spam complaints for Internal Affairs team The Government's anti-spam team received 155 complaints from the public about spam e-mails during the first week that the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act was in force. http://stuff.co.nz/4204691a28.html ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** Upwardly Mobile In Africa How basic cell phones are sparking economic hope and growth in emergingand even non-emergingnations ... These days, just about every tradesman, shopkeeper, and farmer in town has a phoneor at least access to one. "Customers give my number to other customers. The business has grown," says Susan Wairimu, whose tailor shop sits in the row of one-story buildings that constitute the village center. And Willson Maragua's transport business in Muruguru, which consists of him and a used pickup truck, could hardly function without mobile technology. Local farmers, members of the Kikuyu tribe prevalent in the area, summon him to haul their coffee beans to a growers' cooperative in a nearby valley. Now Maragua, an ebullient man wearing a baseball cap that says "Bachelorette Party," lives in a home with a concrete floor and a solar panel on the roof to power a radio and a lightbulband recharge his family's two handsets. With a mobile phone, he says over a lunch of corn, potatoes, and stewed goat, "You can manage your business." http://businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_39/b4051054.htm Inexpensive laptop project raises its price again, almost double original $100 goal [AP] The vaunted "$100 laptop" that Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers dreamed up for international schoolchildren is becoming a slightly more distant concept. Leaders of the nonprofit One Laptop Per Child that was spun out of MIT acknowledged Friday that the devices are now slated to cost $188 (135) when mass production begins this fall. The last price the nonprofit announced was $176 (127); it described $100 (72) as a long-term goal. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/09/15/1189277028603.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/09/15/1189277028603.html http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9584_22-6208251.html [Reuters] http://www.news.com/2100-1005_3-6208251.html ********************** FILE SHARING ********************** Prince sues internet sites for breaching his copyright ... In the first phase of his legal action, the musician will target a number of commercial and pirate internet sites including YouTube, eBay and PirateBay. http://news.independent.co.uk/media/article2961321.ece First Prince, now Village People target YouTube Somebody combined the Village People's hit song, "YMCA," with footage of a dancing Adolf Hitler and posted the clip to YouTube. Now the company that owns the rights to the band's music is preparing to sue YouTube. http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9778541-7.html This Is What It Sounds Like When Prince Sues? Enigmatic artist Prince says the Internet has allowed third parties to steal his works and may sue sites such as YouTube that benefit from the unauthorized use of his music. The bone of contention with the artist who once changed his name to a symbol is unreliable or insufficient filtering of content, which leaves artists or their representatives responsible for monitoring the sites for copyright-protected content. For now, Prince hasn't taken any legal action. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/MXBUkGTEtWfA1S/This-Is-What-It-Sounds-Like-When-Prince-Sues.xhtml YouTube conundrum for vintage acts The music industry typically sings YouTube's praises. Google's video-sharing site has signed strategic partnerships with all four of the major record labels and has emerged as a launching pad for up-and-coming artists, making it this generation's answer to American Bandstand. Then why are pop icon Prince and 1970s disco group the Village People preparing to file lawsuits against the company? http://www.news.com/2100-1027_3-6208130.html http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6208130.html Prince takes on You Tube over clips Zany pop star Prince is taking on YouTube over unauthorised use of his music. The singer is launching legal action in a bid to "reclaim his art on the internet". He wants to ban any unauthorised video clips taken of his performances. He is believed to be the first major artist to do battle with the online giant. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article2447862.ece http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/sep/14/1 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6993752.stm Prince to sue YouTube [Reuters] US pop star, Prince, plans to sue YouTube and other major web sites for unauthorised use of his music in a bid to "reclaim his art on the internet." ... "YouTube ... are clearly able (to) filter porn and paedophile material but appear to choose not to filter out the unauthorised music and film content which is core to their business success," a statement released on his behalf said. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,22416580-15318,00.html http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201806401 http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKL1364328420070913 Prince sues over internet copyright Prince, the US rock star, has joined the list of media content owners suing internet distributors to try to recoup lost copyright revenues. A spokeswoman for the artist said he had taken legal action against YouTube, Ebay and Pirate Bay for failing to filter out unauthorised Prince content. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/7a35de0a-624f-11dc-bdf6-0000779fd2ac.html ********************************* COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS ********************************* Google search finds a Nasa parking space ... Now Larry Page and Sergey Brin, co-founders of Google Inc, appear to have found an answer. For the knockdown price of $1.3 million (£650,000) a year and a few free flights (strictly for scientific reasons), they have signed an agreement to park their personal Boeing 767-200 at a Nasa airfield. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article2445757.ece Kiwi who turned down Google job offer (once) Craig Nevill-Manning laughs and manages a wry smile as he reflects on his decision nine years ago to turn down a job offer from Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page. http://nbr.co.nz/home/column_article.asp?id=19024&cid=3&cname=Technology ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** EU watchdog calls for urgent action on Wi-Fi radiation Europe's top environmental watchdog is calling for immediate action to reduce exposure to radiation from Wi-Fi, mobile phones and their masts. It suggests that delay could lead to a health crisis similar to those caused by asbestos, smoking and lead in petrol. http://environment.independent.co.uk/lifestyle/article2966951.ece us: Sprint to spend $5 billion building high-speed wireless network [Reuters] Sprint said it wanted to use the WiMax technology to blanket entire cities, enabling wireless Internet access on everything from cellphones and laptops to video game players and cameras. http://iht.com/articles/2007/08/16/business/wimax.php ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** uk: The elegant businesswoman and her middle-class paedophile ring Monica McCanch presented a well-dressed face of confident respectability to the world. She worked for Pfizer, the pharmaceutical company, in Kent before taking redundancy last year for a new life in Jamaica, where she planned to invest in eco-tourism. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article2448998.ece Brtish actor Chris Langham jailed for downloading child abuse Chris Langham, the Bafta-winning comedy actor, was last night sentenced to 10 months in prison for downloading pictures and videos of child abuse on to his home computer. The 58-year-old actor was convicted last month of 15 counts of making an indecent photograph of a child after a three-week trial. http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,2169644,00.html http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,2169606,00.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/kent/6991550.stm http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article2456596.ece http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/article2964444.ece uk: IWF intelligence leads to rescue and arrest [news release] IWF intelligence lead to rescue of three prepubescent children being sexually abused and their abuser being sentenced to 60 years in prison. http://iwf.org.uk/media/news.208.htm +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 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 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Sick of deleting your inbox? Yahoo!7 Mail has free unlimited storage. http://au.docs.yahoo.com/mail/unlimitedstorage.html _______________________________________________ APPLe mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.apnic.net/mailman/listinfo/apple
