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********************************************************** Sponsored by the Singapore Internet Research Centre Nanyang Technological University, Singapore http://www.ntu.edu.sg/sci/sirc/ ********************************************************** The Pitfalls of Behavioral Targeting http://ecommercetimes.com/story/The-Pitfalls-of-Behavioral-Targeting-61019.html Widespread Facebook application installs adware Secret Crush leads to unwanted advertising [news release] http://sophos.com/pressoffice/news/articles/2008/01/facebook-adware.html Virtual worlds will soon be as important as Web to companies http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9056602 Logging off: Gates says farewell to CES - what were his successes and failures http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/10/billgates.microsoft Yahoo chief opens the mobile web http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7176077.stm Yahoo moves to counter Google mobiles push http://www.ft.com/cms/s/b854cdfa-bcad-11dc-bcf9-0000779fd2ac.html Intel predicts the personal net http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7176177.stm Coming Soon: Spam on Your Printer From the Web [IDG] http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/01/09/Spam-your-printer-from-the-Web-Researcher-shows-how_1.html Intel 'undermined' laptop project http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7178241.stm Ban Will Be Lifted For Chinese Internet Cafes http://www.chinatechnews.com/2008/01/09/6273-ban-will-be-lifted-for-chinese-internet-cafes/ China cracks down on sex-drug Web sites [Reuters] http://news.zdnet.com/2110-9588_22-6225299.html Monitoring Kids' Use of Tech Is Key [AP] http://news.theage.com.au/monitoring-kids-use-of-tech-is-key/20080109-1kxz.html fr: Sarkozy proposes taxing new technology to finance the old http://iht.com/articles/2008/01/08/business/france.php uk: Copying music legally in the digital age http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/09/copyrightlaws Apple forced to drop iTunes prices in UK http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3158993.ece Apple lowers UK prices but might cut catalogue http://out-law.com/page-8786 us: Comcast welcomes FCC inquiry into traffic management [IDG] http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,141223-c,ces/article.html Sony BMG to drop copy protection for downloads [Reuters] http://www.news.com/2100-1027_3-6224807.html ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** The Pitfalls of Behavioral Targeting Behavioral targeting has been around since the first dot-com days, but it got really hot again in late 2007, thanks to a few big promoters like Facebook Latest News about Facebook. So, What exactly is it, and does it really work the way it sounds? BT tracks a Web visitor's browser clickstreams -- typically in the last six visits -- to predict what the visitor may want in the future, and to target ads, content or products based on those "personalized" past behaviors. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/The-Pitfalls-of-Behavioral-Targeting-61019.html ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Widespread Facebook application installs adware Secret Crush leads to unwanted advertising [news release] IT security and control firm Sophos has warned users of the popular Facebook social-networking site to exercise care over which applications they install following the discovery of a "Secret Crush" app that downloads adware onto their PC. http://sophos.com/pressoffice/news/articles/2008/01/facebook-adware.html Sophos urges caution on Facebook apps Facebook users have been advised to exercise caution before downloading applications on the social-networking site, after an application was identified as downloading adware onto users' PCs. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39291981,00.htm Virtual worlds will soon be as important as Web to companies While virtual worlds like Second Life have come under fire for failing to provide enough value to businesses with established storefront operations, a new Forrester Research Inc. report argues that the 3-D Internet will be as important to companies in five years as the Web is today. The "Getting Work Done in Virtual Worlds" report released by the IT research firm this week concludes that executives should begin investigating and experimenting with virtual worlds soon because of their promise for remote collaboration, training and the ability to build and share 3-D models. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9056602 ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Logging off: Gates says farewell to CES - what were his successes and failures On Sunday, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates gave his 11th, and last, keynote speech at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas; in future he will focus his efforts on the Gates Foundation and its fight against disease. So, after 14 years, we can look back and ask: how did he do? Well, he gets a mixed report. He did well for the show, reasonably well in tracking the industry, and badly when launching new products. (Transcripts of Gates's speeches from 1996 to 2008 are on Microsoft's site at tinyurl.com/2a8nox; the first from CES is the 1998 one.) http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/10/billgates.microsoft Yahoo chief opens the mobile web Yahoo chief Jerry Yang has revealed the firm's future ambitions for an open and mobile web. Central to the company's aims is allowing third party software developers to create small applications which can run in Yahoo portals. The first Yahoo platform to allow these widgets, as they are known, will be Go 3.0, developed for mobile phones. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7176077.stm CES : Yahoo invites third-party mobile widget developers [IDG] Yahoo Inc. today plans to introduce new versions of its two primary mobile services, and it expects to launch documentation that will let any developer or publisher write mobile widgets for the Yahoo services. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9055818 Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang: The Mobile Web Needs Openness Yahoo is going more mobile than ever. The company announced a new version of its mobile client application, Yahoo Go 3.0, and a new developer platform for mobile applications at the Consumer Electronics Show on Monday. http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=205600088 Yahoo moves to counter Google mobiles push The internet group has unveiled technology aimed at developers and publishers who want to create applications that will run on many different mobile handsets http://www.ft.com/cms/s/b854cdfa-bcad-11dc-bcf9-0000779fd2ac.html Intel predicts the personal net Mobile devices will deliver a more personal internet within five years, using chips with the power of today's desktop PCs, Intel's head has said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7176177.stm Intel CEO sees Net boosting consumer electronics The ability to connect practically all electronic devices to the Internet will unleash a burst of innovation and business opportunities that will rival the impact on personal computers, Intel CEO Paul Otellini said Monday. http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9584_22-6225031.html Internet changing consumer electronics world: Intel chief [AFP] The Internet is a magnificent "disruptive force" changing the world's gadgets along with lifestyles, computer giant Intel's top executive said Monday at the top consumer electronics show. http://news.smh.com.au/internet-changing-consumer-electronics-world-intel-chief/20080108-1kt3.html http://news.theage.com.au/internet-changing-consumer-electronics-world-intel-chief/20080108-1kt3.html ********************** SPAM ********************** Coming Soon: Spam on Your Printer From the Web [IDG] Aaron Weaver has made a discovery the world could probably do without: He's found a way to spam your printer from the Web. By using a little-known capability found in most Web browsers, Weaver can make a Web page launch a print job on just about any printer on a victim's network. The Web site could print annoying ads on the printer and theoretically issue more dangerous commands, like telling the printer to send a fax, format its hard drive or download new firmware. http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,141239-c,spam/article.html http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/01/09/Spam-your-printer-from-the-Web-Researcher-shows-how_1.html Spam King Indicted for Stock Scheme The indictment against Alan Ralsky, said to be one of the world's most prolific spammers, indicates that Ralsky used botnets as part of his pump-and-dump stock scheme. While Ralsky was the mastermind behind the scheme, John Hui, a dual national of Canada and Hong Kong, acted as a "conduit" for Chinese companies who wanted their stocks pumped. http://www.cio-today.com/story.xhtml?story_id=57548 ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** Intel 'undermined' laptop project Intel repeatedly undermined a not-for profit scheme to bring cheap laptops to children in the developing world, the head of the charity told BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7178241.stm Negroponte turns up the heat on Intel Intel has hit back at claims made by One Laptop per Child that the chip giant broke a "non-disparagement" agreement. On Monday One Laptop per Child (OLPC) founder Nicholas Negroponte claimed that one of the reasons for tensions resulting in Intel leaving the OLPC board was that the chip giant had "disparaged" OLPC XO laptops to partners and potential buyers. Negroponte claimed Intel had attempted to discredit XO laptops, despite having signed a non-disparagement agreement. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/hardware/0,1000000091,39291975,00.htm http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/hardware/soa/Negroponte-turns-up-the-heat-on-Intel/0,130061702,339284942,00.htm ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** U.S. government needs new cybersecurity steps, Symantec warns [IDG] U.S. government agencies need to take additional steps to protect against cybersecurity problems after a series of congressional hearings and reports exposed several weaknesses in 2007, representatives of Symantec Corp. said. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9056002 http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/01/07/Symantec-says-government-needs-to-take-new-cybersecurity-steps_1.html http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,141113-c,cybercrime/article.html Beijing Police: Chinese Internet Services Frequently Used By Thieves Beijing Police have issued an emergency reminder that with the increase of online fraud in recent days, eight online services, including Sina.com, qq.com, ourgame.com and Taobao.com, have become the hangouts for thieves seeking to deceive Chinese netizens. http://www.chinatechnews.com/2008/01/09/6274-beijing-police-chinese-internet-services-frequently-used-by-thieves/ 70,000 Web Pages Hacked By Database Attack Web sites that naively call for user input, then fail to put strict checks on what that input may be, are susceptible to SQL injection attacks. That vulnerability appears to be the cause of up to 70,000 Web pages getting hacked by malicious code between Dec. 28 and Jan. 5. http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=205600157 ************************** PRIVACY ************************** Global Privacy Index Criticizes Falling Standards in Germany Individual privacy is under siege as governments worldwide introduce ever-increasing surveillance measures, according to a global privacy index in which Germany slipped from number one to seventh spot in Europe. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,3036544,00.html ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Ban Will Be Lifted For Chinese Internet Cafes According to local media reports, Chinese government agencies will soon fully open netcafe license applications after implementing a one-year hiatus in early 2007. http://www.chinatechnews.com/2008/01/09/6273-ban-will-be-lifted-for-chinese-internet-cafes/ China cracks down on sex-drug Web sites [Reuters] China is shutting down about 200 Web sites for carrying illegal sex-drug advertisements, state media said on Wednesday, the latest in a string of measures to clean up the Internet. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKPEK13367220080109 http://www.news.com/2110-1028_3-6225299.html http://news.zdnet.com/2110-9588_22-6225299.html Will Australia Censor Online Poker and Online Gambling? Australia's new federal Labor government has introduced controversial Internet legislation, proposing censorship laws to stop computer-savvy children from looking at banned sites, including online gambling (including online poker and casinos) and pornography. http://www.pokerpages.com/poker-news/news/will-australia-censor-online-poker-and-online-gambling-30254.htm ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ us: L.A. grand jury issues subpoenas in Web suicide case A federal grand jury in Los Angeles has begun issuing subpoenas in the case of a Missouri teenager who hanged herself after being rejected by the person she thought was a 16-year-old boy she met on MySpace, sources told The Times. http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-me-myspace9jan09,1,6037466.story uk: One Click from Danger During the BBC's Panorama's investigation into the vulnerability of youngsters online, we found a number of cases in which teenagers and younger children had been approached by predators on social networking sites. The Panorama researcher set up a virtual identity of a 14-year-old girl on three social networking sites. Keen to understand more about how this works and, by extension, how children might avoid such dangers, a researcher in our office set up a virtual identity of a 14-year-old girl on three social networking sites. She took on the name Jane Brown and this is her diary. To watch the programme see: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/panorama/7174814.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/panorama/default.stm au: Conroy wades into child porn net flood Broadband Minister Stephen Conroy faces an uphill struggle in his plans to increase internet censorship by boosting the official blacklist from a puny 1000 web pages to many millions of banned websites. Industry commentators say the task may be beyond the capabilities of filtering mechanisms and procedures, and it would be impossible to block all such material. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23021645-15306,00.html http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,23019670-7582,00.html au: Net porn filter plan needs facelift The controversial internet filtering scheme proposed by the federal Government requires a drastic upgrade as it currently would only block a tiny proportion of pornographic websites. In its current form the scheme would block only about 1000 websites containing child and extreme pornography. Industry estimates of child pornography sites range from 100,000 to above 30 million. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23021650-15306,00.html Filters needed to battle child porn by Bernadette McMenamin It is beyond belief that some representatives of the Australian internet service provider industry are reluctant to install filters that would prevent access to child pornography. Child pornography is one of the fastest growing online businesses generating approximately $US3 billion each year, says Child Wise CEO Bernadette McMenamin: Surely any decent person would do all they can to protect children. However there exists a small but vocal group in Australia which is opposed to the federal Government’s proposal to introduce mandatory ISP filtering to block child pornography and other illegal content. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23021828-15306,00.html Australia cracks down on internet content The Australian government is taking steps to insure that children will not be subject to pornography, violence and online gambling (including poker). http://www.net4now.com/isp_news/news_article.asp?News_ID=6155 Australische Regierung will Filter für das Internet Im Kampf gegen Pornografie und Gewalt sollen Internet-Provider nach dem Willen der australischen Regierung künftig Filter einbauen, damit ihre Kunden bestimmte Websites nicht mehr abrufen können. Der Kommunikationsminister Stephen Conroy kündigte an, Kinder sollten dadurch künftig besser vor Pornografie und Gewalt geschützt werden. http://www.krone.at/index.php?http%3A//www.krone.at/krone/S96/object_id__88014/hxcms/index.html Monitoring Kids' Use of Tech Is Key [AP] The International Consumer Electronics Show is such a glitzy celebration of technology that its was striking to see a set of panel discussions here Tuesday exploring whether electronic connectedness is valuable for children. http://news.smh.com.au/monitoring-kids-use-of-tech-is-key/20080109-1kxz.html http://news.theage.com.au/monitoring-kids-use-of-tech-is-key/20080109-1kxz.html at: Paedophilia page linked to public health site [AFP] Austrian officials have discovered that computer hackers established an Internet link between a public health website and a paedophilia site, the regional newspaper Tiroler Tageszeitung reported on Tuesday. http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2885&iArticleId=4198929 ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** fr: Sarkozy proposes taxing new technology to finance the old In a move that could profoundly reshape the media landscape in France, President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday proposed banning commercials from public television and making up for some of the lost revenue with a first-of-its-kind tax on the Internet and mobile phones. http://iht.com/articles/2008/01/08/business/france.php fr: Sarkozy proposes new internet tax French President Nicolas Sarkozy has proposed new taxes on internet access and mobile phone use. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7178340.stm French consider effects of Sarkozy TV revolution ... The aim of the advertising change, according to Mr Sarkozy, was to create a clearer division between the public channels with a public service remit to produce high-quality content and to promote French productions, and the commercial sector. Together with a shake-up of French international broadcasting, the reforms could create a high-quality public television service inspired by the BBC, Mr Sarkozy’s advisers say. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1a042e50-beee-11dc-8c61-0000779fd2ac.html ********************** FILE SHARING ********************** uk: Copying music legally in the digital age Fans of the Clash, and other music lovers, will no longer be fighting the law every time they fill up their iPod, under government proposals unveiled yesterday. Owners of digital music players will be acting lawfully when they transfer music from their computer to a digital player or copy a CD for their own use, under proposed amendments to bring copyright law into the digital age. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/09/copyrightlaws uk: Copying CDs could be made legal Copying music from a CD to a home computer could be made legal under new proposals from the UK government. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7176538.stm Apple forced to drop iTunes prices in UK British customers of iTunes will soon be charged up to 10 per cent less for their downloads, after pressure by the European Commission forced Apple into a change of policy. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3158993.ece Apple Settles Score With EU, Trims UK iTunes Pricing Apple has reached a deal that will have it equalize prices on the European version of its iTunes Music Store and end a European Union probe into the legality of the original pricing policy. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/Apple-Settles-Score-With-EU-Trims-UK-iTunes-Pricing-61122.html Apple lowers UK prices but might cut catalogue Apple will lower its prices for music downloads in the UK following pressure from consumer lobby group Which? to the European Commission. The Commission has welcomed the move, but Apple has warned it could lead to cuts in its UK catalogue. http://out-law.com/page-8786 Apple Flattens Fees For Europe Apple's compliance with the European Union over the pricing of iTunes downloads in the EU just goes to show that its journey from computers to music retail has been anything but smooth on the continent. The company has avoided getting fined 10% of its worldwide annual sales for not allowing customers in certain parts of the European Union to buy songs from other member states, an issue at the heart of the region's mandate as a single economy. http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/01/09/apple-itunes-europe-markets-equity-cx_po_0109markets08.html iTunes downloads to become cheaper [Reuters] British music fans will pay less for downloads from Apple's online iTunes store after Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs reached a deal with the European Commission. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKBRU00622120080109 http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6225272.html Apple to Cut the Prices of iTunes in Britain Apple said on Wednesday that it had agreed to cut the prices on its iTunes digital music store in Britain to align them with those on the Continent, settling an antitrust case brought by European regulators. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/10/technology/10apple.html EU Reaches ITunes Deal With Apple Apple Inc. will scrap its iTunes pricing policies across Europe and charge consumers in Britain and the rest of Europe the same for music downloads, the company and the European Union said Wednesday. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/09/AR2008010900648.html us: Comcast welcomes FCC inquiry into traffic management [IDG] Cable-modem service provider Comcast said Wednesday that it would welcome a U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) investigation into its broadband traffic management practices. http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/01/09/Comcast-welcomes-FCC-inquiry-into-traffic-management_1.html http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,141223-c,ces/article.html The FCC examines Comcast's traffic-blocking plan Late last year, in a blockbuster bit of investigation, the Associated Press discovered that Comcast was running software on its network that actively blocks its customers' peer-to-peer file-trading applications (even when what they're trading is perfectly legal -- like, in the AP's test case, the Bible). http://machinist.salon.com/blog/2008/01/09/comcast_fcc/ F.C.C. to Look at Complaints Comcast Interferes With Net [AP] The Federal Communications Commission will investigate complaints that Comcast actively interferes with Internet traffic as its subscribers try to share files online, the commission’s chairman, Kevin J. Martin, said Tuesday. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/09/business/media/09fcc.html Sony BMG to drop copy protection for downloads [Reuters] Sony BMG Music Entertainment, the world's second-largest music company, will this month become the last of the big four majors to drop copy protection software on music downloads, also known as digital rights management, or DRM. http://www.news.com/2100-1027_3-6224807.html Dutch rights group loses bid for MP3 player levy [Reuters] A Dutch rights organization which compensates artists for the use of their copyrighted material on Tuesday lost its court bid to remove a government block on new levies on MP3 media players. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKL0810353620080110 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080108.wgtdutch0108/BNStory/Technology/ ********************** VoIP ********************** Cambridge University dials up VoIP - 17,000 users get 20,000 VoIP phones BT and Cisco have landed a deal to provide VoIP connectivity to Cambridge University users, replacing their current telephone system which provides communications across 200 locations. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01/08/cambridge_uni_voip/ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Check out http://auda.org.au/domain-news/ for the most recent edition of the domain news, including an RSS feed - already online! 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