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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 domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** Firefox nears 30% market share in Europe http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;775685232;fp;2;fpid;1 Cable cuts force re-routing of Internet traffic around the world http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9060463 Study: U.S. broadband goal nearly reached [AP] http://www.thestate.com/technology-wire/story/302146.html Tech usage rankings released - but NZ ignored http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10489837 us: Teen's suicide after Internet bullying inspires Missouri effort to change harassment laws [AP] http://news.theage.com.au/teens-suicide-after-internet-bullying-inspires-missouri-effort-to-change-harassment-laws/20071117-1axp.html Silicon Valley's hippy values 'killing music industry' http://music.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2248544,00.html EU court says file sharers don't have to be named [Reuters] http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/30/2149425.htm Sweden to charge Pirate Bay in copyright case [Reuters] http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKL2723733820080128 au: ACMA report finds SMEs have keen interest in VoIP http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;226576474;fp;2;fpid;1 ********************** RESEARCH PAPERS ********************** Is the internet a viable threat to representative democracy? by David M. Thompson Abstract: The Internet, despite its relatively recent advent, is critical to millions of Americans’ way of life. Although the Internet arguably opens new opportunities for citizens to become more directly involved in their government, some scholars fear this direct involvement poses a risk to one of the Constitution’s most precious ideals: representative democracy. This iBrief explores whether the constitutional notion of representation is vulnerable to the Internet’s capacity to open new vistas for a more direct democracy by analyzing statistics and theories about why voters in the United States do or do not vote and by examining the inherent qualities of the Internet itself. This iBrief concludes that the Constitution will adapt to the Internet and the Internet to the Constitution, such that even if there are advances in direct democracy, representative democracy will not be unduly threatened. http://www.law.duke.edu/journals/dltr/articles/2008DLTR0001.html Wikipedia: More Than Just a Footnote for Lawsuits by David M. Kelly and Anna C. Bonny Since its inception in 2001, the online encyclopedia Wikipedia has grown to be the largest encyclopedia ever assembled. Currently ranked among the world’s top ten most-visited websites, Wikipedia boasts 6.8 million registered users and 8.29 million articles worldwide. Wikipedia has even made its way into numerous U.S. judicial opinions. More than 100 judicial rulings have cited Wikipedia, including 13 circuit courts of appeal. Use of Wikipedia by courts, however, has not been without controversy. Due to concerns about the ability of anonymous users to edit Wikipedia entries, some courts have questioned Wikipedia’s reliability and subsequent admissibility. Two recent trademark cases, though recognizing Wikipedia’s shortcomings, have distinguished these earlier cases, and considered Wikipedia entries where the non-offering party has had an opportunity to rebut the evidence. http://www.finnegan.com/publications/news-popup.cfm?id=2306&type=article Information Technology and the Gender Digital Divide in Africa: The Case of Ethiopia by WONDWOSEN TESHOME B. & MAG JERUSALEM NEGASH W. [Icfai Journal of Information Technology] Abstract: This paper examines the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and the gender digital divide in Africa by analyzing the situation in Ethiopia as a case study. The progress of the ICT in Africa is very slow when compared to Europe, North America and Asia. Ethiopia is characterized by poor telecommunication infrastructure and Internet access is confined only to cities. Therefore, one of the future challenges of the country is to expand ICT in the rural areas and tackle the gender digital divide. http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1079248 Regulating Cyberstalking by Subhajit Basu & Richard Jones Abstract: Through the use of examples of cyber stalking the paper will consider the nature of regulation required in relation to this behaviour in cyberspace. The paper will consider the differences between off line and cyber stalking, and review how these differences affect the regulation of such activities. The paper will review the boundaries between public and private law, between national and international law and between state law and self regulation, and consider whether the traditional positivist methodology of law, within these boundaries offers an adequate intellectual framework in which to consider the nature and form of regulation in cyberspace. http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/law/elj/jilt/2007_2/basu_jones Internet Law — Communications Decency Act — Texas District Court Extends § 230 Immunity To Social Networking Sites — Doe v. MySpace, Inc., 474 F. Supp. 2d 843 (W.D.Tex. 2007). With well over ten million users under the age of eighteen, social networking powerhouse MySpace.com (MySpace) has been facing pressure to implement additional safety measures to protect its underage users from sexual predators. Recently, in Doe v. MySpace, Inc., the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas held that the interactive website was not liable for failing to prevent an adult MySpace member from contacting and sexually assaulting a minor user. While the court’s holding rightly absolved MySpace of legal responsibilities, its conferral of immunity under § 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA) effectively grants social-networking websites blanket immunity against all negligence claims. Though § 230 is essential to the continued growth and development of the Internet, such a broad application of its immunity provisions goes significantly beyond the legislative intent and frustrates congressional attempts to bring this area of the law up to speed with the modern World Wide Web. http://www.harvardlawreview.org/issues/121/jan08/recentcases/doe_v_myspace.pdf ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Firefox nears 30% market share in Europe Mozilla Corp.'s Firefox browser finished 2007 with nearly 30% of the European browser market, a French Web metrics company reported today. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9060002 http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;775685232;fp;2;fpid;1 Firefox Gains Share In Europe Mozilla Firefox gained nearly 5% of the European Web browser market last year, ending 2007 with a 28% share, a Web metrics firm reported Tuesday. http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=205921333 uk: Ofcom seeks lower charges for texting in Europe The cost of sending a text message and accessing the mobile internet looks as if it will fall dramatically for business travellers and holidaymakers who use their phones and mobile devices abroad. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/30/mobilephones.news Andrew Keen on New Media: It won't be the internet wot won it as old media set the pace in US poll What has been the greatest shock so far in the American election? Barack Obama's meteoric Iowan rise? Hillary Clinton's tearful comeback in New Hampshire? John McCain's resurrection in South Carolina? No. The biggest surprise thus far has been the relative insignificance of the internet in determining the outcome of the election. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/andrew-keen-on-new-media-774800.html Cable cuts force re-routing of Internet traffic around the world Two fiber-optic underwater cables that were damaged yesterday in the Mediterranean Sea near Egypt have resulted in Internet traffic delays for some U.S. users trying to link to India and the Middle East. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9060463 Faulty cable blacks out internet for millions Tens of millions of internet users across the Middle East and Asia have been left without access to the web after a technical fault cut millions of connections. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/31/internet.blackout.asia Web disrupted 'across Mid-East' Internet services have been disrupted in large parts of the Middle East and India following damage to two undersea cables in the Mediterranean. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7218008.stm Undersea cables cut, disrupting Net Internet and telephone communications remained disturbed Thursday in the Middle East and the world's back office, India, after two undersea cables were damaged. http://iht.com/articles/2008/01/31/technology/net.php Porn to spice up cell phones [Reuters] Size matters in pornography, except when it comes to tiny mobile phone screens, the next frontier for erotica. If the adult entertainment industry has its way, Americans will soon get a choice of free porn on cell phones--or at least some photographs of good-looking girls in bikinis. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKN3030000720080130 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10489867 http://www.news.com/2100-1026_3-6228443.html http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206100601 Study: U.S. broadband goal nearly reached [AP] In 2004, President Bush pledged that all Americans should have affordable access to high-speed Internet service by 2007. A report to be released Thursday by the administration says it has succeeded - mostly. "Networked Nation: Broadband in America" is an upbeat assessment of the administration's efforts to spur growth and competition in the high-speed Internet market. Critics said the report's conclusion is too rosy. http://www.thestate.com/technology-wire/story/302146.html http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/01/30/national/w151745S46.DTL http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080131/NEWS/801310428 Google's Schmidt bullish on mobile web ads [Reuters] The arrival of a truly mobile web, offering a new generation of location-based advertising, is set to unleash a "huge revolution", Google chief executive Eric Schmidt said on Friday. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/0,1000000097,39292443,00.htm Study Shows eBay Buyers Save Billions of Dollars [Reuters] Buyers save billions of dollars each year bidding on eBay auctions, according to a new study that quantifies the benefits online consumers enjoy over and above what is derived by sellers, or eBay itself. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKN2742167120080128 http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,141874-c,auctionsites/article.html http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6227935.html Wisdom of the Web - importance of blogs in business travel It may be a little late to the game, but business travel is now the subject of a variety of blogs. ... According to Forrester Research, in the second quarter of 2007, 21 percent of business travelers who use the Internet read blogs, not just ones about business travel, but also those involving sports, business, finance and other topics. “This indicates that organizing a portal for business travel blogs, especially with good content, means the site has potential,” said Henry H. Harteveldt, travel analyst for Forrester, a research firm. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/29/business/29blog.html Australia getting more broadband for its buck Australian broadband users are getting more out of their Internet connections although prices have remained static, a report from the Internet Industry Association (IIA) has found. "What our most recent survey found was that the prices haven't changed but the capacities of people's connections are increasing," Peter Coroneos, chief executive of the Internet Industry Association (IIA), said. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Australia-getting-more-broadband-for-its-buck/0,130061791,339285510,00.htm Net user costs static but data quotas increase [news release] Australian Net users are getting more internet use for the same money, according to research conducted for the Internet Industry Association. Its most recent quarterly edition of the Spectrum / IIA Broadband Index tracks how competition developed through 2007. The average cost per gigabyte has dropped as plans have become more competitive. The average cost of data was $80/gigabyte at start 2007 but fell to $52/gigabyte by Q4 2007. http://iia.net.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=609&Itemid=32 ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Disney adds fantasy lands Walt Disney Co. is no stranger to fantasy worlds, transporting audiences -- whether to a cottage in the woods with a young princess in "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" or to the Great Barrier Reef aboard the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage ride at Disneyland. Now, Disney is spinning its tales in the newest mass medium -- online virtual worlds, where children adopt cartoonish avatars and play games. http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-virtualdisney28jan28,1,6067584.story Could social networking sites save the music industry? If a songbird sings in the forest and no one is there to hear it, is it really music? Not if you're a teenager. Especially among 15- to 25-year-olds, people seem to need their peers to validate their musical tastes, making the Internet a perfect medium for the intersection of MP3s and mob psychology. http://iht.com/articles/2008/01/30/technology/PTEND31.php ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** au: Aboriginal archive offers new DRM A new method of digital rights management (DRM) which relies on a user's profile has been pioneered by Aboriginal Australians. The Mukurtu Wumpurrarni-kari Archive has been developed by a community based in Australia's Northern Territory. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7214240.stm U.S. tops new tech usage ranking [Reuters] The United States, Sweden and Japan topped a new ranking that measures how well countries use telecommunications technologies -- networks, cell phones and computers -- to boost their social and economic prosperity. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKL2957064020080130 Tech usage rankings released - but NZ ignored The United States, Sweden and Japan topped a new ranking that measures how well countries use telecommunications technologies - networks, cell phones and computers - to boost their social and economic prosperity. Australia came in seventh, but New Zealand was not even considered. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10489837 Quarter of US iPhones 'unlocked' More than a quarter of US iPhones have been "unlocked" to work on rival networks, a study says. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7214873.stm Apple loses out as one iPhone in four is unlocked More than a million iPhones were unlocked last year, costing Apple as much as $500 million in lost revenue, according to research http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3270872.ece ********************** SPAM ********************** us: Three plead guilty in Nigerian spam scheme [IDG] Three people have pleaded guilty to charges related to spam that promised U.S. victims millions of dollars from an estate and a lottery, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Wednesday. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9060340 http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/01/30/Three-plead-guilty-Nigerian-spam-scheme_1.html FTC settles with advertiser for spam campaign An online advertiser that drove traffic to its Web sites by sending out spam with misleading subject lines has agreed to settle a U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FTC) complaint charging that it failed to tell consumers they had to spend money to receive so-called free products, the FTC announced Wednesday. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9060278 Spam over Internet Telephone (SPIT) Jim Lynch, MD at Voiceflex, says we all get spam in our inbox but helped by the numerous spam filters the majority of the 90% of emails which are spam are stopped before clogging up your already full inboxes. "But can you imagine the phone continually ringing only to find a message being played selling the latest spam fad. It would quickly become annoying and then change to intolerable. http://cbmagazine.co.uk/News_Article_JS.cfm?X=0&Y=0&YearViewed=&Newsmonth=&EndDay=&NoNews=0&NewsID=4721 ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** ADB gives 25 million dollars to bring Internet to rural Nepal [AFP] The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said Wednesday it would provide a grant of US$25 million to bring the Internet and other forms of information technology to remote areas of Nepal. http://news.theage.com.au/adb-gives-25-million-us-dollars-to-bring-internet-to-rural-nepal/20080130-1p1c.html http://news.smh.com.au/adb-gives-25-million-us-dollars-to-bring-internet-to-rural-nepal/20080130-1p1c.html http://www.todayonline.com/articles/235035.asp ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Researchers Expose 'Stupid Phisher Tricks' That slick phishing email posing as your bank -- identical logo and all -- may not be as sophisticated as it looks: Many phishers behind these schemes are actually careless, and even clueless, about protecting the data they steal. http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=144489 Ledger's death exploited by cybercriminals The death of actor Heath Ledger has prompted cybercriminals to trick unsuspecting fans into downloading malware via infected Web sites, a security company has warned. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/security/soa/Actor-s-death-exploited-by-cybercriminals/0,130061744,339285449,00.htm The ex-KGB man stalking the cybercriminals Not many software company bosses would have the chutzpah to distribute bright red T-shirts portraying themselves as a latter-day Che Guevara. Not many would take 50 journalists to dinner at a traditional Moscow restaurant and end up doing Cossack dances, or whirling around the ethnically costumed and somewhat embarrassed blonde singer from the balalaika band. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/31/eugene.kaspersky The hidden war on Australia NEWS.com.au takes you inside the secretive online world of Islamic extremists with a special report on how they are using the latest technology to drive propaganda campaigns, cheering Australian troop deaths and mocking our political leaders. http://www.news.com.au/online-jihad ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Chinese Dissident’s Arrest Hints at Olympic Crackdown When state security agents burst into his apartment last month, Hu Jia was chatting on Skype, the Internet-based telephone system. Mr. Hu’s computer was his most potent tool. He disseminated information about human rights cases, peasant protests and other politically touchy topics even though he often lived under de facto house arrest. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/30/world/asia/30dissident.html http://iht.com/articles/2008/01/29/asia/29dissident.php Popular blogger arrested in Myanmar: opposition [AFP] A popular Myanmar blogger who belongs to Aung San Suu Kyi's pro-democracy party has been arrested in Yangon, apparently for violating the nation's tough Internet controls, a party spokesman said Wednesday. http://news.smh.com.au/popular-blogger-arrested-in-myanmar-opposition/20080130-1p22.html http://news.theage.com.au/popular-blogger-arrested-in-myanmar-opposition/20080130-1p22.html ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ uk: Cyber bully’s sex hoax led friend to try to kill himself A teenager tried to kill himself after finding out that the boy he had fallen in love with over the internet was a fictitious character created by his best friend, a court heard. The 16-year-old boy swallowed 60 painkilling tablets after discovering that he was the victim of a hoax. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article3272992.ece us: Facebook, MySpace join NY AG in pushing e-safety bill [IDG] The Electronic Security and Targeting of Online Predators Act targets Internet predators using social-networking sites to stalk victims http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/01/29/NY-AG-pushes-e-safety-bill-Facebook-MySpace-back-it_1.html us: Cyberbullying Vs. Free Speech CBS News Technology Analyst Larry Magid Wonders If It's An Epidemic Or An Overreaction: The case of Megan Meier screams out for justice. But to be truly served, justice must based on rationality, not just revenge and emotion. It was disclosed in November that the 14-year-old Missouri girl committed suicide after an adult neighbor - the mother of one of Megan’s friends - allegedly carried out a cruel hoax. That mother, Lori Drew, reportedly set up a fake MySpace profile that appeared to belong to a hot-looking teenage boy named Josh Evans. The fake “Josh” initially befriended Megan but later cruelly told her he didn’t want to be friends with her. Megan, who had a history of taking antidepressant medication, responded by hanging herself. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/30/scitech/pcanswer/main3768945.shtml Cyberbullying In Focus A Look At What Cyberbullying Is, And How To Prevent It http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/24/fyi/main2394475.shtml ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** us: New laws to target cyber bullying A United States Senator is seeking tough penalties against people who use the internet for bullying. He's been inspired by the case of a 13-year-old girl in Missouri, who committed suicide after being harassed on a popular internet networking site. http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2008/s2150425.htm us: Experts urge tough penalties for cyber-bullying A US Senator is seeking tough punishment for people who use the internet for bullying. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/31/2150647.htm us: N.Y. legislation targets Internet predators New York sex offenders would be required to reveal their online aliases to the state under legislation that aims to protect users of MySpace, FaceBook and other Web hangouts from Internet predators. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22903731/ N.Y. lawmakers want sex offenders' email addresses [Reuters] New York lawmakers proposed legislation on Tuesday that would provide new protection from convicted sex offenders hanging out on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKSAT00233320080130 us: Teen's suicide after Internet bullying inspires Missouri effort to change harassment laws [AP] The death of a 13-year-old girl who committed suicide after becoming the victim of an Internet ruse has inspired a legislative effort to make it a felony for adults to harass children. http://news.smh.com.au/teens-suicide-after-internet-bullying-inspires-missouri-effort-to-change-harassment-laws/20071117-1axp.html http://news.theage.com.au/teens-suicide-after-internet-bullying-inspires-missouri-effort-to-change-harassment-laws/20071117-1axp.html us: Mo. Senate committee unveils cyber bullying bill A bill aimed at preventing cyberbullying that was spurred by the suicide of a 13-year-old Dardenne Prairie girl was unveiled Monday evening at a Senate committee hearing. http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stcharles/story/8C82D89C15646570862573DF00151CF1?OpenDocument us: GOP Unable to Force Vote on Bush Surveillance Bill The Senate yesterday left the fate of a new electronic surveillance law backed by the Bush administration up in the air, as a Republican-led effort to cut off a Democrat-led debate and proceed to a vote on the bill failed, mostly along party lines. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/28/AR2008012802557.html ********************** FILE SHARING ********************** U2 manager proposes novel piracy crackdown Saying that Internet and technology companies have for too long had a "free ride on music," the veteran manager of the band U2 on Monday urged them to start "sharing their enormous revenue" with singers and songwriters. http://iht.com/articles/2008/01/28/business/piracy.php Silicon Valley's hippy values 'killing music industry' U2's manager yesterday called on artists to join him in forcing the "hippy" technology and internet executives he blames for the collapse of the music industry to help save it. ... "I suggest we shift the focus of moral pressure away from the individual P2P [peer to peer] thief and on to the multibillion dollar industries that benefit from these tiny crimes," he said. http://music.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2248544,00.html U2 manager 'wants end to piracy' The manager of rock band U2 has urged ISPs to help end illegal music downloads, according to The Hollywood Reporter. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7215226.stm Music industry finds the solution to its pirate troubles - give everything away In the bars on the Croisette, champagne flows less freely this year, and corporate credit cards are wielded with unusual restraint. Music executives massing in Cannes for their annual conference this week are worried about piracy and about falling sales. But they believe they may have found a secret weapon in the battle - giving away all of their songs for free. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jan/28/piracy.digitalmedia Mainstream music industry realizes the value of 'free' The mainstream music industry is coming to recognize a price for digital songs that might be good enough to compete with the underground exchange of tunes on the Internet: free. http://iht.com/articles/2008/01/27/technology/music.php Countries can choose whether or not to force disclosure of file-sharers The European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled today that EU law does not force the disclosure of internet users' details in file-sharing cases. The judgment will be a blow to record labels but could also put ISPs in the UK at a commercial disadvantage, a copyright expert has said. http://out-law.com/page-8836 EU supremes: ISPs don't always have to finger filesharers The European supreme court has ruled that lower authorities are not compelled to order disclosure of file-sharers' identities by ISPs in civil lawsuits. The decision will hamper the efforts of rights-holder bodies to clamp down on digital copying through the courts. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01/29/eu_supreme_civil_isp_filesharing_case_law/ EU court says file sharers don't have to be named [Reuters] European Union countries can refuse to disclose names of file sharers on the internet in civil cases, the EU's top court said in a blow to copyright holders trying to fight digital piracy. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/30/2149425.htm European court strikes blow against music industry fishing [IDG] In a blow against the music industry, the European Court of Justice ruled on Tuesday that E.U. countries don't have to require Internet service providers to reveal subscriber data for use in civil cases. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9059838 EU Court Rules File-Sharers Must Remain Faceless In a blow to the music industry's worldwide campaign to crack down on copyright infringement, a European court has ruled that Internet service providers cannot turn over the identities of alleged file-sharers. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/EU-Court-Rules-File-Sharers-Must-Remain-Faceless-61433.html Kazaa User Appeals Feds' Novel Use of Child Porn Law to Supreme Court Criminal defense lawyers say they will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review a novel legal approach the government has begun using to win stiff mandatory prison terms for those who've downloaded child pornography from file-sharing sites. http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2008/01/kid_porn How Tiered Internet Pricing Could Actually Facilitate P2P by Brough Turner Time Warner Cable’s planned experiment with tiered charging for Internet access has generated a flurry of coverage in the blogsphere, but no new insights (at least that I’ve seen). http://www.circleid.com/posts/81289_tiered_internet_pricing_p2p/ Pirate Bay hit with legal action Four men who run one of the most popular file-sharing sites in the world have been charged with conspiracy to break copyright law in Sweden. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7219802.stm Swedes charge 4 in music and film sharing Swedish prosecutors on Thursday charged four men with facilitating copyright infringement via torrent downloads in connection with a Web site called Pirate Bay, the entertainment industry's No. 1 target in the fight against the unauthorized digital copying of films and music. http://iht.com/articles/2008/01/31/business/pirate.php Swedish prosecutors close in on The Pirate Bay Swedish prosecutors have until Thursday to file charges against The Pirate Bay, one of the most widely used search engines for locating music and movies on the Internet. The deadline was set by a Swedish court last year after The Pirate Bay asked the authorities to return servers seized in a raid, said Peter Sunde, one of The Pirate Bay's operators, on Monday. http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;549282210;fp;2;fpid;1 Sweden to charge Pirate Bay in copyright case [Reuters] Sweden plans this week to charge the people running Pirate Bay, one of the world's most visited Web sites, with being accessories in breaking copyright law. http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKL2723733820080128 http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,141875-c,audio/article.html http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6227965.html Website’s boasts of 25m free songs were just not connected with the truth It was billed as the “second coming” for the music industry, but it turned out that the offer of an unlimited supply of songs downloaded free turned out to be little more than a sham. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article3267255.ece Music file-share site Qtrax forced into humiliating U-turn A website which promised to give music lovers the world's first legal file-sharing service was forced into a humiliating climbdown today after it emerged that the company had not secured the backing of the record industry. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3264556.ece Labels deny deals on file sharing Three major record labels have denied signing deals allowing their music to feature on a new file-sharing service offering unlimited free downloads. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7213112.stm UK iTunes rival to hit US and Europe A London-based rival to Apple's iTunes music store has unveiled plans to expand into the US and Europe after securing £4.25m in funding. 7Digital, one of the first digital music stores on the market when it launched four years ago, has attracted investment from Sutton Place Managers, the venture capital fund in which Mark Getty is a partner, and existing investor Balderton Capital. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jan/28/digitalmedia.mediabusiness ********************************* COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS ********************************* Yahoo's global reach still exceeds its grasp Silicon Valley entrepreneur Sramana Mitra captured a common sentiment in the title of a blog post last week: "Yahoo, Please Put Up a Fight." As its growth slows, Yahoo Inc. has taken steps to reorganize its management structure, narrow its focus and jettison some underperforming businesses. But it's still being outmatched in search advertising dollars by Google Inc. and in user growth by social networks such as Facebook Inc., which are rapidly gaining members and advertisers. http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-yahoo28jan28,1,3581499.story Yahoo! Earnings Up, Stock Down Yahoo! finally had something to "yahoo" about on Tuesday as it reported fourth-quarter earnings that beat analysts by $0.04 cents per share. The struggling Internet giant reported earnings of $0.15 per share, compared to estimates of $0.11. Yahoo! also said it will cut 1,000 jobs from its workforce of 11,400 and expects to take a charge of up to $25 million in the first quarter. http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/01/29/yahoo-earnings-google-tech-enter-cx_wt_0129yhearn.html Yahoo's 4th-quarter profit drops 23% Facing rising competition and shareholder unrest, Yahoo Inc. on Tuesday took steps to reverse its flagging fortunes, including its first layoffs since 2001. The company plans to cut 1,000 jobs, or 7% of its workforce. http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-yahoo30jan30,1,501293.story Yahoo to Cut 1,000 Jobs, and Warns on Growth After announcing a sharp drop in fourth-quarter profits Tuesday, Yahoo issued a disappointing outlook for this year, suggesting that investors would have to wait until 2009 for a turnaround. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/30/technology/30yahoo.html Why Google only tells you what you already know by Farhad Manjoo ... The book examines a question that's long captivated me, a child of the Internet: Is digital technology advancing truth in the world, or is it distorting it? By truth, I mean what we call sets of observable, objective, empirical "facts." You might argue -- and many do -- that wide access to information has the capacity to create a more knowledgeable, more tolerant, more rational society. http://machinist.salon.com/blog/2008/01/29/search_anchoring/ ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** Google Eyes Free Spectrum The ongoing auction of choice, 700 megahertz radio spectrum by the Federal Communications Commission is a game for high rollers, including telco giants and Google. One company will likely pay more than $4.6 billion for the rights to that realm. Through that space, the auction winner--and competitor--could eventually beam all kinds of signals, including voice, digital video, data, to your toaster. But there is a cheaper way to get data through the airwaves. Just ask Google. http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/01/30/spectrum-auction-google-tech-wire-cx_ew_0130auction.html ********************** VoIP ********************** au: ACMA report finds SMEs have keen interest in VoIP Research released today by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) estimates 92 per cent of small to medium enterprises (SMEs) and 74 per cent of the farming community are connected to the Internet. The ACMA research also found that 93 per cent of SMEs and 85 per cent of farms in Australia report using a mobile phone. http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;226576474 http://www.arnnet.com.au/index.php/id;226576474;fp;2;fpid;1 http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;226576474;fp;2;fpid;1 Small and medium enterprises and the farming sector ‘keen adopters’ of communications technology [news release] Research released today by the Australian Communications and Media Authority shows that Australia’s small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and the rural sector are reasonably connected online and on the phone, with 92 per cent of SMEs and 74 per cent of farms having an internet connection, and 93 per cent and 85 per cent respectively reporting the use of a mobile phone. ‘The research suggests that SMEs and the farm sector are keen adopters of communications technology to assist in managing their businesses,’ said Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman. ‘Both sectors also indicated that the internet had a significant impact on transforming their business practices and improving processes.’ http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_310936 ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** au: Father jailed for trying to seduce girl with sleazy internet show A FATHER-of-three who sent live sexual footage of himself over the internet to seduce a young girl - in reality an undercover police officer - has been jailed for 18 months. http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,23126765-2682,00.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. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2008 --------- 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 Make the switch to the world's best email. Get the new Yahoo!7 Mail now. www.yahoo7.com.au/worldsbestemail _______________________________________________ APPLe mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.apnic.net/mailman/listinfo/apple
