Hi all, I'm currently in LA at the ICANN meeting, so for anyone who is here and wants to meet up, do let me know!
Cheers David 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. ********************************************************** Sponsored by the Singapore Internet Research Centre Nanyang Technological University, Singapore http://www.ntu.edu.sg/sci/sirc/ ********************************************************** EU tightens child porn laws http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/071025-child-sex-abuse 23 Council of Europe member states sign Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse [news release] https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=1201419 ph: Online child porn should be made a heinous crime--CICT chair http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech/view_article.php?article_id=96972 Japanese Poll: 87% Accept Manga Child Porn Regulation http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-10-25/japanese-poll-87-percent-accept-manga-child-porn-regulation nz: Safety button protects children from bullies http://stuff.co.nz/4251742a6479.html nz: Hector's World Safety Buttons launched at parliament [news release] http://www.netsafe.org.nz/isgnews/hwl_buttons_launched.aspx nz: New poster connects very young children to online safety [news release] http://netsafe.org.nz/isgnews/hwl_connect_poster.aspx au: ACMA asks for suggestions on restricted content http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/ACMA-asks-for-suggestions-on-restricted-content/0,130061791,339283325,00.htm US Senators Want Probe on Content Blocking [AP] http://www.thestate.com/technology-wire/story/212249.html de: Schäuble renews calls for surreptitious online searches of PCs http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/97755 NZ set to stagnate in broadband rankings http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,0a28,00.html Google Scares The Search Crowd http://www.forbes.com/technology/2007/10/24/google-web-traffic-tech-cx_ag_1024google2.html Google algorithm tweak spooks WWW http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/10/26/1192941308334.html Loving the Internet [Reuters] http://stuff.co.nz/4251363a19716.html http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10472040 NEC will be world supercomputer speed title contender http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10472744 Sophos reveals "dirty dozen" spam-relaying countries for Q3 2007 [news release] http://sophos.com/pressoffice/news/articles/2007/10/dirtydozoct07.html uk: Record industry pushes ISPs to cut off file sharers http://www.theregister.com/2007/10/25/triesman_isps_music/ nz: Telecom plans for 'separation day' http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10472267 ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** my: 11 sites shut down by MCMC A total of 11 websites, including those created by bloggers, have been shut down by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) this year for contravening rules and regulations concerning the publication of information on the Internet. http://star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2007/10/22/technology/20071022143857&sec=technology ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ EU tightens child porn laws Europe wants to clamp down on child sex abuse. Looking at child pornography online - even without downloading it - is to become a criminal offence in the EU, as is "grooming", gaining a child's trust online with the aim of meeting for sexual contact. But are the agreements workable in practice? http://www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/071025-child-sex-abuse 23 Council of Europe member states sign Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Abuse [news release] Twenty-three Council of Europe member states today signed the Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse (CETS n° 201), which represents a major step in the prevention of sexual offences against children, the prosecution of perpetrators and the protection of victims. https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?id=1201419 nl: Viewing online child porn to become crime Looking at child pornography on the internet will become a criminal offence in the Netherlands under new legislation being drawn up by justice minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin, ANP news service reports. The possession of child porn is already a crime. http://dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2007/10/new_law_makes_looking_at_onlin.php nl: New child porn law legally problematic Government plans to make viewing online child pornography a criminal offence are criticised by lawyers in today's Volkskrant. http://dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2007/10/new_child_porn_law_legally_pro.php ph: Online child porn should be made a heinous crime--CICT chair The peddling of online child pornography should be made a heinous crime, the chair of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) said Friday. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech/view_article.php?article_id=96972 Japanese Poll: 87% Accept Manga Child Porn Regulation The Japanese government's Cabinet Office issued on October 25 the results of its Special Opinion Poll on Harmful Materials, in which 86.5% of those who responded said that manga and art should be subject to regulation for child pornography, if they had to decide. 90.9% said that "harmful materials" on the Internet should be regulated, if they had to decide. The current child pornography laws in Japan do not regulate manga and art that depict children who are not real, or "virtual child pornography." http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-10-25/japanese-poll-87-percent-accept-manga-child-porn-regulation nz: Safety button protects children from bullies An Internet safety tool aimed at children as young as two will help protect them from paedophiles, bullies and identity fraudsters hovering on social networking sites. http://stuff.co.nz/4251742a6479.html nz: Hector's World Safety Buttons launched at parliament [news release] A new tool to keep kids safe online launched today New Hectors World Safety Buttons empower children to be involved in their own online safety http://www.netsafe.org.nz/isgnews/hwl_buttons_launched.aspx nz: New poster connects very young children to online safety [news release] A new poster campaign is being launched at Parliament today to help very young children, their families and school communities to keep safe online. The poster encourages children to connect with NZs Cybersafety Ambassador Hector Protector® on the Hectors World website. http://netsafe.org.nz/isgnews/hwl_connect_poster.aspx au: ACMA asks for suggestions on restricted content The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is calling for comments on planned changes to the way online and mobile content is regulated. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/ACMA-asks-for-suggestions-on-restricted-content/0,130061791,339283325,00.htm New regulations for Internet and mobile content set for 2008 The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is seeking comment on proposed changes to a number of legal instruments ahead of the introduction of a new regulatory framework for Internet and mobile content in January 2008. http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1811228772;fp;2;fpid;1 http://reseller.co.nz/reseller.nsf/news/72B2883152D968E5CC257383000FFA29 ACMA calls for comment on changes to Internet content regulation The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has put out a call for comment on proposed changes to a number of legal instruments ahead of the introduction of a new regulatory framework for Internet and mobile content in January 2008. http://crn.com.au/News/63880,acma-calls-for-comment-on-changes-to-internet-content-regulation.aspx http://itnews.com.au/News/63880,acma-calls-for-comment-on-changes-to-internet-content-regulation.aspx au: Year 7 sex filmed: police investigate POLICE are considering laying charges over a sex video involving a year 7 girl, which was posted on MySpace and sent to mobile phones across Sydney's eastern suburbs. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/10/27/1192941400125.html US Senators Want Probe on Content Blocking [AP] Two Senators on Friday called for a congressional hearing to investigate reports that phone and cable companies are unfairly stifling communications over the Internet and on cell phones. Sens. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, said the incidents involving several companies, including Comcast Corp., Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc., have raised serious concerns over the companies' "power to discriminate against content." http://www.thestate.com/technology-wire/story/212249.html http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/10/27/1192941375340.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/10/27/1192941375340.html http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071026.wgtcomcast1026/BNStory/Technology/ http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/D/DATA_DISCRIMINATION_SENATE ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Google Earth used to target Israel Palestinian militants are using Google Earth to help plan their attacks on the Israeli military and other targets, the Guardian has learned. Members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, a group aligned with the Fatah political party, say they use the popular internet mapping tool to help determine their targets for rocket strikes. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/oct/25/google.israel us: Comcast - Self-Appointed Traffic Cop That's been a fear of some Internet users for a long time. Now many Comcast customers are anxious after reading the Associated Press report last week that the cable-modem service interferes with the BitTorrent file-sharing program. The news has put the Philadelphia-based corporation in an awkward spot and brought the network neutrality debate back to life, just when it seemed that the issue was dead in Washington. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/24/AR2007102402568.html us: U.S. Department of Justice Leads International Effort to Combat Intellectual Property Crime [news release] The U.S. Department of Justice today announced the opening of a regional conference of approximately 70 key law enforcement officials from more than a dozen nations, with the aim of developing an international network targeting large-scale intellectual property (IP) crimes. The DOJ has organized the week-long gathering in Bangkok, Thailand, with the assistance of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and the U.S. Department of State. http://justice.gov/opa/pr/2007/October/07_crm_836.html ************************** PRIVACY ************************** uk: Privacy watchdog to lead data-sharing review The information commissioner, Richard Thomas, will work with Professor Mark Walport, director of the Wellcome Trust, in looking at how personal information is shared and protected by the public and private sectors. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39290396,00.htm ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** de: Schäuble renews calls for surreptitious online searches of PCs In his speech towards the end of the national conference of the Junge Union, the youth organization of the ruling conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), in Berlin the Federal Minister of the Interior Wolfgang Schäuble has again come out in favor of allowing authorities to search private PCs secretly online and of deploying the German Armed Forces in Germany in the event of an emergency. http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/97755 us: "The Road to Next-Generation Broadband" ITIF Research Analyst Daniel Correas article in the forthcoming issue of IEEE Internet Computing Journal that documents how other nations have more robust broadband than the United States and offers a framework for thinking about broadband policy to accelerate America down the path to next-generation broadband. http://www.itif.org/files/NextGenerationBroadband.pdf America's broadband shame In June 2004 George Bush declared that "what we are interested in is to make sure broadband technology is available in every corner of America by the year 2007." ... Since that point, however, the U.S. has continued to fall further behind. It is now ranked 15th. Indeed, the entire tenure of George Bush has been marked by a steady decline in the U.S.'s relative standing. In 2001, the U.S. was fourth. In 2004, 10th. In 2007, 15th. http://www.salon.com/tech/htww/2007/10/25/america_s_broadband_shame/ US Congress Scrambles to Extend Net Tax Ban as Deadline Looms The United States Senate has agreed upon a bill that would extend the ban on taxes on Internet services. So has the House of Representatives. However, they have not agreed on the same bill -- one extends the ban for seven years, the other for four. The current ban expires Nov. 1, and President Bush appears eager to sign an extension into law. Congress has until Thursday to hammer out their differences. http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/60021.html http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-etax27oct27,1,7595256.story Senate proposes seven-year extension of Internet tax moratorium [IDG] The U.S. Senate last night passed legislation that would extend a moratorium on Internet access taxes for seven years, giving the bill's supporters hope that an extension will be signed into law before the current moratorium expires next Thursday. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9044300 au: ACMAsphere: Issue 24 - October 2007 This issue features the launch of the new Internet Relay service that enables people who are deaf or have a hearing or speech impairment to make phone calls from their computers. There are also articles about recently released ACMA reports on local content levels and consumer attitudes to telecommunications services. Reports on ACMAs direction to an ISP to join the TIO scheme and revisions to the commercial TV code, as well as proposals for new digital radio services, are also included. http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_9030 us: Get Your Hands Off the Web by Stephen H. Wildstrom A bit over a year ago, I wrote a column arguing that innovation on the Internet would be best served if the government mostly kept its hands off. I've changed my mind. The behavior of the top telecommunications companies, especially Verizon Communications and AT&T, has convinced me that more government involvement is needed to keep communications free of corporate interference. The incident that swayed me was a decision in September by Verizon Wireless, majority owned by Verizon Communications, to block Naral Pro-Choice America from using its system to send text-message alerts to supporters. Verizon, which had cited a policy barring distribution of content that "may be seen as controversial or unsavory," quickly backed down after a public outcry. But, a spokesperson says, Verizon "reserves the right to deny other programs in the future." http://businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2007/tc20071024_623695.htm us: Comcasts Wrong Approach by Tom Evslin ISPs have to do a lot more than just provide a pipe from your residence to their facilities to assure that you have a good Internet experience. There is a raging debate, inextricable from the debate on Network Neutrality, both on what the proper responsibilities of an ISP are AND what methods are proper for carrying out those responsibilities. Recently Comcast has received a serious black eye for blocking BitTorrent traffic in what it says was just a legitimate exercise in protecting most users from the few who abuse their "unlimited access"... Even if we give Comcast the benefit of the doubt and assume they are not influenced at all in their decision of what traffic to block by the fact that P2P protocols like BitTorrent are used to distribute material which competes for precious user attention with the content that Comcast sells, what Comcast is doing is still wrong if not illegal. http://www.circleid.com/posts/710262_comcast_wrong_approach/ ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** NZ set to stagnate in broadband rankings New Zealand looks set to remain in 21st place when the OECD issues its broadband world rankings this week and, on current trends, its ranking is unlikely to change before next year's election. http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,0a28,00.html News Corp. and NBC launch online video site 'Hulu' as YouTube alternative The television networks NBC and Fox are set to launch an advertising-supported online video site that hosts programming from varied entertainment companies in a bid to seize viewers from Google Inc.'s YouTube, the broadcasters said. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/10/29/1193618787947.html http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/10/29/1193618787947.html Hulu readies its online TV, dodging insults The knives are out for Hulu.com. Hulu.com is the new-media creation of two old-media rivals, NBC, which is owned by General Electric, and Fox, owned by the News Corp. Since March, when the broadcasters announced their joint effort to bring free, ad-supported television shows to the Web, critics have pounced, predicting the venture would be doomed by diverging agendas, technical challenges and an all-powerful enemy: YouTube. http://nytimes.com/2007/10/29/business/media/29hulu.html http://www.news.com/2100-1026_3-6215702.html Hulu.com casting wide net to snag Web TV viewers The most ambitious attempt by television companies to retain their audiences on the Web begins today, and the early reviews are surprisingly good. http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-hulu29oct29,1,246038.story Google Scares The Search Crowd Google, for online businesses, has the impact that Alan Greenspan once had on the financial markets. Online companies pounce on every whisper or cryptic comment from Google about how it ranks pages as an indicator--up or down--of how online traffic will flow for millions of Web sites. On Thursday, Web site administrators for major sites including the Washingtonpost.com, Techcrunch, and Engadget (as well as Forbes.com) found that their "pagerank"--a number that typically reflects the ranking of a site in Google results for key search terms--had dropped precipitously according to Google Toolbar, a software program that tracks Google's assessment of a site. http://www.forbes.com/technology/2007/10/24/google-web-traffic-tech-cx_ag_1024google2.html Google algorithm tweak spooks WWW In the brave new world of online media, fortunes can be won and lost on the whim of Google's key search algorithm. And when, without warning, Google tweaked that mathematical formula this week, there was panic on the world wide web. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/10/26/1192941308334.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/10/26/1192941308334.html Loving the Internet [Reuters] Rather than looking for their perfect match, one in four Americans say the Internet can serve as a substitute for a significant other, according to a poll released on Wednesday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKPAR55409220071025 http://stuff.co.nz/4251363a19716.html http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10472040 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071025.wgtnetlove1025/BNStory/PersonalTech/ http://www.cioinsight.com/article2/0,1397,2207580,00.asp Google to focus on mobile Internet in China [Reuters] Google says it's grappling with an unusual challenge in China's Internet market -- how to cater to masses of Web surfers who go online for the first time via mobile devices, rather than migrating from PCs. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKSHA12677520071025 Nokia: Content is key to snapping up users [Reuters] Nokia sees content for the wireless internet as key to snapping up more mobile-phone users, including in emerging markets, the head of its key unit said on Tuesday. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,39290360,00.htm Yahoo! Remains Leading Internet Property in Japan [news release] ... Yahoo! Sites remained the top-ranked property in Japan with 40.7 million visitors, while Google Sites experienced a 4-percent gain from August to September and ranked second with more than 32 million visitors. Microsoft followed in third with 30 million visitors (up 1 percent). http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=1838 ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Second Life Becomes First Job for Adventurous Few In this simulated land, more than 9 million computer users from around the world take on digital personas -- cartoon-like characters called "avatars" -- that allow them to live out their dreams, however unlikely or impossible. People get married, start businesses, build homes, travel and hold down jobs just as they do in their "first life." They buy and sell and start businesses. http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/60006.html ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** 839 teraflops per second. Beat that IBM! [AFP] Japan's NEC Corp has announced the launch of what it called the world's most powerful supercomputer on the market, meant for advanced use in the sciences. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/10/26/1192941294254.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/10/26/1192941294254.html NEC will be world supercomputer speed title contender Japan's NEC has taken a serious swing at the supercomputing crown, today releasing its SX-9 - which it claims is the fastest vector computer in the world. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10472744 ********************** SPAM ********************** Report: U.S. tops list of spam-offending countries The U.S. remains the world's biggest spammer, according to security firm Sophos, which on Friday released its quarterly report on the world's top spam-offending countries--dubbed the "Dirty Dozen." http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6215444.html http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39290391,00.htm Sophos reveals "dirty dozen" spam-relaying countries for Q3 2007 [news release] IT security and control firm Sophos has published its latest report on the top twelve spam-relaying countries over the third quarter of 2007. Experts at SophosLabs scanned all spam messages received in the company's global network of spam traps, and have revealed that yet again the US relayed more spam than any other nation, accounting for a massive 28.4 percent - meaning that almost one in three of all the world's spam emails is being sent through a compromised US computer. The gap between the US and its nearest rival has also increased significantly, with second placed South Korea only responsible for relaying 5.2 percent, or one in twenty spam messages. http://sophos.com/pressoffice/news/articles/2007/10/dirtydozoct07.html ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** Africa waiting for net revolution More than a third of Africa's citizens should have access to broadband internet by 2012, a conference of technology leaders is set to hear. Fewer than four out of 100 Africans currently use the internet, and broadband penetration is below 1%. The barriers to broadband access are key talking points at the Connect Africa meeting in Kigali, in Rwanda. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7063682.stm ********************** FILE SHARING ********************** uk: Record industry pushes ISPs to cut off file sharers The record industry is pressing the UK's ISPs for a deal that would see persistent illegal file sharers automatically booted off the net. High-level talks between the ruling council of internet trade body ISPA and the Music Publishers Association are aiming to settle the historic tension between the two industries. http://www.theregister.com/2007/10/25/triesman_isps_music/ ********************************* COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS ********************************* Google Loses Face Rain fell on what should have been Googles parade Wednesday during the search giants annual analyst conference when Microsoft announced that it won a bidding war for a piece of Facebook. http://www.forbes.com/technology/2007/10/25/google-msft-facebook-tech-internet-cx_wt_1025techgoogle.html Microsoft Reports Strong Gain on Sales of PC and Server Software Microsoft reported strong quarterly sales and profit growth yesterday, surprising Wall Street analysts with the sales of its core software products. The company, the world's largest software maker, continues to trail well behind Google in the new markets for Internet services and online advertising. But the new versions of its lucrative personal computer businesses -- the Windows Vista operating system and Microsoft Office 2007 -- appear to be selling better than industry analysts anticipated. http://nytimes.com/2007/10/26/technology/26soft.html Halo effect gives Microsoft eight-year high The success of the new Halo 3 video game has helped Microsoft post its strongest first quarter results in eight years, with profits soaring by 23 per cent. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article2744334.ece ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** nz: Telecom plans for 'separation day' Telecom has released its draft plan for undertaking the operational separation of its network, wholesale and retail units which has been ordered by the Government. One thing is clear - the separation won't happen overnight. Telecom's timeline for reorganising its divisions to give the same access to its own business units and competitors alike, stretches out to 2011. But the ball starts rolling on Separation Day, March 31st, by which time Telecom has undertaken to have in place an access network services unit, separately run and branded differently to Telecom. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10472267 Google ready ring in changes to mobile sector Google is on a mission to shake up the mobile communications industry, but it does not plan to change the world single-handedly and promises to play nice with the industrys existing powers http://www.ft.com/cms/s/12f3e01e-8583-11dc-8170-0000779fd2ac.html ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** au: Tutor confesses to child porn A former casual tutor of the University of Melbourne has been convicted in Broadmeadows Magistrates' Court of possessing more than 7000 images of child pornography. Andrew Rodney Gemmell, 58, of Moonee Ponds pleaded guilty to charges of possessing child pornography and transmission of child pornography. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/10/25/1192941230790.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 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
