********************************************************** Sponsored by the Singapore Internet Research Centre Nanyang Technological University, Singapore http://www.ntu.edu.sg/sci/sirc/
********************************************************** Don't forget to check out http://www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for today's edition of the complete domain news, already online! And see my website - http://GoldsteinReport.com/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** Final Microsoft bid to launch Google killer http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/biztech/final-microsoft-bid-to-launch-google-killer/2009/05/27/1243456658546.html Networking Sites Extend Reach: Handset Makers Ramp Up Ways to Tap Broader Mobile Phone Market http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124345957503159855.html Facebook increasingly trumps Google in online search war http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/facebook/5384743/Facebook-increasingly-trumps-Google-in-online-search-war.html Sexting 'no worse than spin-the-bottle' [AFP] http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/sexting-no-worse-than-spinthebottle-study-20090527-bmhj.html Sexting just teens exploring their sexuality, child-culture expert says http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Sexting+just+teens+exploring+their+sexuality+child+culture+expert+says/1633268/story.html au: Review of website blacklist in wind http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/web/review-of-website-blacklist-in-wind/2009/05/26/1243103573711.html Illegal downloads soar for Australians as hard times bite http://www.theage.com.au/news/home/technology/illegal-downloads-soar-as-hard-times-bite/2009/05/27/1243103577467.html More American Households Cut the Cord on Cable http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124347195274260829.html Mobile phones to be banned in French primary schools to limit health risks http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6366590.ece Texting May Be Taking a Toll on America's Teenagers http://nytimes.com/2009/05/26/health/26teen.html Report: Spam now 90 percent of all e-mail http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10249172-83.html 90 Percent of E-mail Is Spam, Symantec Says [IDG] http://www.pcworld.com/article/165533/.html Symantec Announces May 2009 MessageLabs Intelligence Report [news release] http://www.messagelabs.co.uk/resources/press/30602 Judge Sotomayor Is First Nominee With Cyberlaw Record http://bnablog.bna.com/techlaw/2009/05/judge-sotomayor-is-first-nominee-with-cyberlaw-record.html EBay has 'no legal duty' to protect others' trade marks, says UK High Court http://out-law.com/page-10039 Obama Cybersecurity Review Due Friday http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/05/obama-cybersecurity-review-due.php More Than 80% Of Phishing Attacks Use Hijacked, Legitimate Websites http://www.darkreading.com/security/attacks/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=217700470 au: Net filtering may not be mandatory http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25542310-15319,00.html Chinese academic wins court fight over website closed by censors http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/25/china-internet-court-censors EU sues Sweden, demands law requiring ISPs to retain data http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/05/eu-sues-sweden-demands-law-requiring-isps-to-retain-data.ars Twitter Founders Say They’re In for the Long Haul http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/27/the-twitter-guys-were-in-it-the-long-haul/ COMMENT: Newspapers need to control internet 'parasite' http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10574703 Facebook accepts $US200 million Russian investment http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124335674958054943.html What Is Facebook Actually Worth? http://nytimes.com/2009/05/27/business/27views.html Telstra confirms network backflip http://business.smh.com.au/business/telstra-confirms-network-backflip-20090526-bmaf.html Obama Adviser Eyes Australian Government-Built Broadband System http://www.nationaljournal.com/congressdaily/cd_20090202_7042.php ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** Microsoft revs up its search engine An overhaul of Microsoft’s internet search engine could finally put the quality of its service more on a par with search group Google, but the software company is still likely to struggle to win back market share it has lost in recent years, according to analysts. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/16c17854-495a-11de-9e19-00144feabdc0.html Final Microsoft bid to launch Google killer Microsoft will unveil plans tomorrow for its biggest, and probably final, attack on Google's $20 billion global search cash cow, spearheaded in Australia by ninemsn. http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/biztech/final-microsoft-bid-to-launch-google-killer/2009/05/27/1243456658546.html http://business.theage.com.au/business/microsoft-v-google-in-battle-of-titans-20090527-bno8.html Google's Brin: 'Don't Give Up, Newspapers!' A few days after Google CEO Eric Schmidt revealed that the company had discarded the idea of buying a newspaper, Google co-founder Sergey Brin offered some encouragement for struggling print operations. http://www.pcworld.com/article/165626/.html SMS and Internet campaigns controversial in Iran election "If you plan not to vote, just think about June 13 when you hear Ahmadinejad has been re-elected." Young, urban mobile phone users in Iran are being bombarded with this and similar text messages in run-up to the poll on June 12 when hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will seek a second term. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE54Q2WW20090527 Auctions Fade in eBay's Bid for Growth EBay Inc. is remaking its e-commerce marketplace to combat declining sales. In the process, it has pitted merchants such as Jack Sheng and Walt Kolenda against each other. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124329254255652425.html YouGov study finds struggling British companies turning to eBay to raise funds Cash-strapped British consumers are raiding their attics for items to sell on eBay, while businesses are increasingly using the online auction site to offload office equipment no longer needed as they cut staff in the recession. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/may/25/online-shopping-recession YouTube rocked by hackers' Porn Day On the same day it was revealed that users of YouTube, the world's largest video-sharing site, were uploading more than 20 hours of video footage every minute, the site was hit by a porn scandal which threatened to bring the service into disrepute. http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/youtube-rocked-by-hackers-porn-day-1689434.html http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10574458 ********************** SOCIAL NETWORKING ********************** Networking Sites Extend Reach: Handset Makers Ramp Up Ways to Tap Broader Mobile Phone Market Social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace are popular services on high-end cellphones like the iPhone and the BlackBerry. But extending their reach to the broader wireless market has been challenging, because most basic phones tend to have clunky Web browsers and can't support fancy software. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124345957503159855.html Facebook increasingly trumps Google in online search war Facebook and other online networking websites are increasingly challenging Google's status as the king of the online search, a Google official has admitted http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/facebook/5384743/Facebook-increasingly-trumps-Google-in-online-search-war.html ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Google: The browser is the computer Google spent Wednesday morning trying to get developers excited about the next generation of Web technologies by showing off how future Web applications will mimic desktop apps. http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10250196-2.html ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ Safer Internet Forum 2009 The 2009 edition of the Safer Internet Forum will take place in Luxembourg on 22 and 23 October and its main theme will be "Promoting internet safety in schools". The Forum will be open for stakeholders from NGOs, governments, researchers, industry representatives, including Internet Service Providers, mobile network operators, social networking sites, software developers. http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/sip/events/forum/forum_oct_2009/index_en.htm Sexting 'no worse than spin-the-bottle' [AFP] Youths exchanging nude photos of themselves over mobile phones – known as "sexting" – should not face child pornography charges, as some have in the United States, a humanities conference heard. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/sexting-no-worse-than-spinthebottle-study-20090527-bmhj.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/sexting-no-worse-than-spinthebottle-study-20090527-bmhj.html http://www.news24.com/News24/Technology/News/0,,2-13-1443_2522669,00.html Sexting just teens exploring their sexuality, child-culture expert says Teens who use cellphones to disseminate suggestive messages and images are just doing what teens have always done -- exploring their sexuality -- a researcher in child and youth culture says. http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Sexting+just+teens+exploring+their+sexuality+child+culture+expert+says/1633268/story.html au: SA principals given power to crack down on cyber bullies Principals now have the power to suspend students who use the internet and mobile phones to bully other students out of school hours. http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25548958-5006301,00.html New cyber-bullying measures for SA School principals will be able to refer cyber-bullying cases to police under powers being introduced by the South Australian Government. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/05/28/2582873.htm http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/australian-news/5608183 SA Schools target cyber bullying South Australian school principals have been given greater powers to combat students who bully others outside school hours. http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,25550084-5001028,00.html http://bigpondnews.com/articles/Technology/2009/05/28/Schools_target_cyber_bullying_336443.html au: AFP 'busy targeting internet child porn' [AAP] Australian Federal Police don't have the resources to raid milkbars, corner shops and service stations in search of pornographic material, a Senate committee has heard. http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/latest/5598203/afp-busy-targeting-internet-child-porn/ http://bigpondnews.com/articles/National/2009/05/26/AFP_busy_targeting_internet_child_porn_335834.html au: Watchful eye better than web filters The Australian federal government's Internet filters will be outpaced by the emergence of offensive web pages and won't stop offensive material appearing in email inboxes, according to the internet Society of Australia. http://computerworld.com.au/article/304382/ http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/857EDFE9475118DCCC2575C100737006 au: Net filtering may not be mandatory The Rudd Government has indicated that it may back away from its mandatory internet filtering plan. Communications Minister Stephen Conroy today told a Senate estimates committee that the filtering scheme could be implemented by a voluntary industry code. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25542310-15319,00.html au: Review of website blacklist in wind The Federal Government is considering having a secret blacklist of banned websites reviewed by a panel of eminent Australians or a parliamentary committee to try to get more transparency in the controversial internet censorship regime. http://www.watoday.com.au/national/review-of-website-blacklist-in-wind-20090527-bmng.html http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/technology/review-of-website-blacklist-in-wind-20090527-bn9o.html http://www.theage.com.au/news/technology/web/review-of-website-blacklist-in-wind/2009/05/26/1243103573711.html http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/web/review-of-website-blacklist-in-wind/2009/05/26/1243103573711.html Hacker reverse-engineered ACMA blacklist An Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) executive has told a Senate Estimates hearing that the alleged leak of its blacklist in March was the result of a hacker "reverse engineering" the filters used by a "Family Friendly" ISP. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Hacker-reverse-engineered-ACMA-blacklist/0,130061791,339296660,00.htm au: New cyber-bullying measures for SA School principals will be able to refer cyber-bullying cases to police under powers being introduced by the South Australian Government. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/05/28/2582873.htm au: Internet filter trials: Smooth sailing with one ISP not started The majority of ISPs participating in the Federal Government’s controversial Internet filter trials report smooth sailing but one is still scrambling to get the service online. http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/304474/ Conroy mulls review of ACMA blacklist Senator Conroy has revealed the Government is considering appointing a panel to conduct a regular audit of ACMA's blacklist of banned web sites. http://www.itnews.com.au/News/NewsStory.aspx?story=104202 au: Christians upset at Conroy's net policy 'backtrack' The Australian Christian Lobby has accused the Federal Government of breaking its election promise to censor the internet after the policy was softened in the face of relentless criticism. http://www.theage.com.au/news/technology/web/christians-upset-at-conroys-net-policy-backtrack/2009/05/27/1243103585180.html http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/web/christians-upset-at-conroys-net-policy-backtrack/2009/05/27/1243103585180.html http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/technology/christians-upset-at-conroys-net-policy-backtrack-20090527-bn9n.html http://www.watoday.com.au/articles/2009/05/27/1243103585180.html Passage of Philippines anti-child porn bill pressed A lawmaker and child welfare groups on Wednesday pressed the House of Representatives to pass the anti-child pornography bill before Congress adjourns next week. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090527-207440/Passage-of-anti-child-porn-bill-pressed uk: Police chief Colin Port risks career by refusing to return child abuse data A chief constable could face jail and an end to his 35-year police career for defying a High Court order to return computers suspected of holding a huge collection of child abuse images to a controversial expert witness. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article6368314.ece us: Gov't Still Doesn't Know How To Deal With Internet Sex The way state attorneys general have been dealing with sex in the digital age lately shows government officials have no idea how to deal with sex in the digital age. Two cases in point: craigslist erotic services listings and teen sexting. http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2009/05/27/gov%27t-still-doesnt-know-how-to-deal-with-internet-sex Cory Doctorow discusses "SEXTING" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzNHuf9gLYY ********************** ONLINE TV & MUSIC ********************** Illegal downloads soar for Australians as hard times bite Hundreds of thousands more Australians have turned to illegal download sites in the past year to save money on movies, music, software and TV shows during the economic downturn, new figures show. http://www.theage.com.au/news/home/technology/illegal-downloads-soar-as-hard-times-bite/2009/05/27/1243103577467.html More American Households Cut the Cord on Cable Amid tighter budgets, more people are trying to save money by cutting their cable cords. In response, cable companies are beginning to experiment with new Internet services. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124347195274260829.html Music Labels Cut Friendlier Deals With Start-Ups With CD sales dropping fast, it is not hard to imagine how the major music labels could benefit from the growth of Web start-ups like Imeem. The company’s service lets people listen to songs, discover new artists and share their favorites with friends. And in return, Imeem owes the labels licensing fees for use of the music. http://nytimes.com/2009/05/28/technology/start-ups/28music.html Landmark study: DRM truly does make pirates out of us all A UK researcher has spent years interviewing people about whether DRM has affected their ability to use content in ways ordinarily protected by the law. Surprise! It has, even leading one sight-impaired woman to piracy. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/05/landmark-study-drm-truly-does-make-pirates-out-of-us-all.ars Apple lobbies for Europe-wide iTunes pricing Apple wants European officials to change the law so that iTunes customers across the continent can pay the same amount for their downloads no matter where they live. That's according to chief executive Steve Jobs, in documents released today by the European Commission. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/may/27/itunes-europe EU tells music industry: Sort out online licenses [AP] EU antitrust regulators have told the music industry to move quickly and change licenses that currently restrict online music stores such as iTunes from offering the same songs for sale across Europe. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10574814 uk: New rate for music digital stream The music collection society - PRS - have unveiled a new pricing plan it hopes may entice YouTube and Pandora back to the UK market. From 1 July 2009, firms will have to pay 0.085p for each track streamed, down from the previous rate of 0.22p. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8068154.stm YouTube may revive music streaming as PRS for Music cuts royalties The music royalties collection body for the UK has sharply cut its prices for internet music tracks, paving the way for more online streaming services. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article6367121.ece Google Bans Music Uploads From South Korean Blogs Google has banned subscribers to its Korean blogging platform, Textcube, from uploading songs onto their blogs, citing the country's new anti-file sharing provisions aimed at thwarting online piracy. This is the first time that the U.S. giant has disabled its bloggers from posting music files on their personal Web pages. http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/tech/2009/05/133_45720.html Last.fm rejects Techcrunch claims of illegal behaviour The war of words between music website Last.fm and Techcrunch has cranked up several gears, after the Silicon Valley news blog repeated its accusations that Last.fm broke its privacy policies - and the law - by handing over user data to the US music industry. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/may/24/last-fm-techcrunch-war ********************** MOBILE/WIRELESS ********************** Mobile phones to be banned in French primary schools to limit health risks Mobile telephones are to be banned from French primary schools, and operators must offer handsets that allow only text messages, under government measures to reduce the health risk to children. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article6366590.ece Texting May Be Taking a Toll on America's Teenagers They do it late at night when their parents are asleep. They do it in restaurants and while crossing busy streets. They do it in the classroom with their hands behind their back. They do it so much their thumbs hurt. http://nytimes.com/2009/05/26/health/26teen.html Mobile sales ring up record down under The Australian consumers' love of gadgets and a glut of capped plans for expensive handsets has helped create record mobile phone sales this year. http://www.theage.com.au/national/mobile-sales-ring-up-record-20090526-bm53.html New 02 service will block unwanted messages A new service allowing mobile phone users to block unwanted messages from other phones will be available from next month. http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0526/1224247404247.html ********************** SPAM ********************** Report: Spam now 90 percent of all e-mail Spam now accounts for 90.4 percent of all e-mail, according to a report released Monday from security vendor Symantec. This means that 1 out of every 1.1 e-mails is junk. The report also notes that spam shot up 5.1 percent just from April to May. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10249172-83.html 90 Percent of E-mail Is Spam, Symantec Says [IDG] Spammers seem to be working a little bit harder these days, according to Symantec, which reported Tuesday that unsolicited e-mail made up 90.4 percent of messages on corporate networks last month. http://www.pcworld.com/article/165533/.html http://computerworld.com.au/article/304593/ http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/052609-90-percent-of-e-mail-is.html http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9133526 Report says spam rises in May Spam is increasing as spammers become more intelligent, according to a report by Symantec. In its May 2009 Messagelabs Intelligence Report the security company said the number of spam emails sent out in the month had increased by five per cent. http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2242924/spam-tops-90-per-cent http://www.computeractive.co.uk/computeractive/news/2242938/spam-rises-security-compnay Symantec Announces May 2009 MessageLabs Intelligence Report [news release] Symantec Corp. today announced the publication of its May 2009 MessageLabs Intelligence Report. The analysis highlights that spam experienced a further increase of 5.1 percent since last month, reaching heights of 90.4 percent. Also in May, MessageLabs Intelligence revealed that geographic location determines the time of day when spam is received, the data also highlights where spammers are most heavily concentrated. http://www.messagelabs.co.uk/resources/press/30602 Is Facebook the New Spam Heaven? Almost every few hours for a week I’ve been getting messages from my Facebook acquaintances with links to some phishing sites. These are not even very sophisticated messages — instead, they’re random links to utterly evil sites such as atreps.at, greenbuddy.be and nudz.ru. There have been reports of these phishers using TinyURL Web address shorteners. Some have subject lines such as “Look at This” or “Hello.” According to Inside Facebook, these attacks impact less than 1 percent of Facebook users. http://www.salon.com/tech/giga_om/tech_insider/2009/05/25/is_facebook_the_new_spam_heaven/index.html ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Judge Sotomayor Is First Nominee With Cyberlaw Record President Obama's choice today for Associate Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor, authored a handful of cyberlaw opinions while on the Second Circuit. All business disputes and a privacy case, but nothing (I hope) that could provide ammunition for the World's Greatest Deliberative Body. ... In Storey v. Cello, the Second Circuit held, per Judge Sotomayor, that an adverse outcome in an administrative proceeding under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy did not have preclusive effect on a later-initiated federal suit brought under the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA). http://bnablog.bna.com/techlaw/2009/05/judge-sotomayor-is-first-nominee-with-cyberlaw-record.html EBay has 'no legal duty' to protect others' trade marks, says UK High Court Online auction site eBay has "no legal duty" to protect other companies' trade marks or stop its sellers from infringing them, the High Court has said. http://out-law.com/page-10039 ECJ rulings on Google keywords might not resolve controversy, warns High Court A widely-requested European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling on keyword advertising may fail to give businesses in the UK and Ireland the legal clarity it would give to the rest of Europe, a High Court judge has warned. http://out-law.com/page-10040 Marks & Spencer case leads to ECJ referral over AdWords The UK courts have joined their French, German, Austrian and Dutch counterparts in referring questions over the legality of Google’s AdWords programme to the European Court of Justice http://managingip.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=2210577 Studios win Australian piracy victory Australian film and music studios have claimed a victory in their war against copyright offenses, with a Sydney man convicted for selling pirated content last week. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10248869-93.html Obama Set to Create A Cybersecurity Czar With Broad Mandate President Obama is expected to announce late this week that he will create a "cyber czar," a senior White House official who will have broad authority to develop strategy to protect the nation's government-run and private computer networks, according to people who have been briefed on the plan. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/25/AR2009052502104.html Senators Continue Cyber Czar Crusade In anticipation of the release of a White House cybersecurity report later this week, Senate Commerce Chairman John (Jay) Rockefeller and Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, urged the Obama administration on Wednesday to create an Office of the National Cybersecurity Advisor within the Executive Office of the President. The proposal is part of legislation they introduced earlier this year intended to improve the nation's safeguards against high-tech attacks. The advisor "must serve as the lead official on all cyber matters -- reporting directly to the President and coordinating with the intelligence community, government agencies, Congress, and the private sector," they said in a press release. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/05/senators-continue-cyber-czar-c.php Obama Cybersecurity Review Due Friday White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters Tuesday the results of the Obama administration's 60-day review of the federal government's cybersecurity posture will be released Friday. The probe, begun shortly after Obama took office, is expected to make broad recommendations for protecting public and private sector networks from high-tech attackers. The report's release has been delayed due to internal disagreements about where a cyber czar would be housed and what kind of power that official would wield, non-administration officials familiar with the report said. http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2009/05/obama-cybersecurity-review-due.php U.S. cybersecurity report to be issued Friday A long-awaited U.S. cybersecurity report, which could lay the groundwork for how the United States will fight data-network thefts of defence and corporate secrets, money and personal identities, will be released Friday, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Tuesday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE54P6DK20090526 http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-39900320090527 Obama to release cyber security report on Friday [AFP] With US government and private computer networks facing increasing attack, the White House announced that President Barack Obama would unveil a report on US cyber security on Friday. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/obama-to-release-cyber-security-report-on-friday-20090527-bn2r.html http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/obama-to-release-cyber-security-report-on-friday-20090527-bn2r.html More Than 80% Of Phishing Attacks Use Hijacked, Legitimate Websites New research from the Anti-Phishing Working Group shows how phishers are better covering their tracks -- and what to do when phishers compromise your Website http://www.darkreading.com/security/attacks/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=217700470 ************************** PRIVACY ************************** Group calls for overhaul of US privacy regulations The United States' 35-year-old federal privacy law and related policies should be updated to reflect the realities of modern technologies and information systems, and account for more advanced threats to privacy and security, according to a report sent today to OMB Director Orszag. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090527_8549.php ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** Chinese academic wins court fight over website closed by censors A Chinese academic has successfully sued an internet company for closing his website after he posted articles on subjects including corruption and environmental issues. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/25/china-internet-court-censors Iran: Access to Facebook Restored Without comment, Iran restored access Tuesday to the social networking site Facebook. Its blocking on Saturday generated accusations that Iran was trying to muzzle the opposition during the presidential campaign. http://nytimes.com/2009/05/27/world/middleeast/27briefs-webIran.html ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** EU sues Sweden, demands law requiring ISPs to retain data The EU passed the Data Retention Directive years ago, a law that demands ISPs and search engines hold onto data long enough to help the cops (but not long enough to cause privacy problems). But Sweden never passed it into national law, and the European Commission has now sued the country to make sure a bill appears. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/05/eu-sues-sweden-demands-law-requiring-isps-to-retain-data.ars Sweden challenges EU data retention directive [IDG] Sweden is being sued by the European Commission for not implementing a European Union directive requiring network operators to retain details of phone calls and e-mail messages. http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9133566 http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/052709-swedish-politicians-challenge-eu-data.html http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/165578/.html ********************************* MISCELLANEOUS ********************************* Twitter Founders Say They’re In for the Long Haul On Tuesday night, two of Twitter’s co-founders, Evan Williams and Biz Stone, kicked off this year’s D: All Things Digital conference, run by The Wall Street Journal. The introductory spot is a prestigious one: in previous years both Steven P. Jobs and Bill Gates spoke on opening nights. To the Twitterholics in the crowd, the onstage interview was lacking in new information, but there were a few interesting nuggets. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/27/the-twitter-guys-were-in-it-the-long-haul/ COMMENT: Newspapers need to control internet 'parasite' There was a time, not long ago, when whoever wanted to use a news story for commercial purposes would actually ask the newspaper's permission. They might even pay for the privilege. As outlandish to the Google generation as typewriters, the idea was that newspapers owned their content. And why shouldn't they? http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10574703 Russian Firm Buys a Stake in Facebook A Russian investment firm, Digital Sky Technologies, has invested $200 million in the social networking company Facebook in return for a 1.96 percent stake, the two companies said Tuesday. http://nytimes.com/2009/05/27/technology/internet/27facebook.html Facebook accepts $US200 million Russian investment Facebook Inc. said it received a $200 million investment from Russian Internet-investment group Digital Sky Technologies, representing a nearly 2% stake at a valuation of $10 billion for Facebook preferred stock. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124335674958054943.html http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,25545092-36375,00.html What Is Facebook Actually Worth? Holy cow, Facebook is worth $10 billion? That may be how the social networking Web site would like the world to interpret its latest capital infusion. But don’t be fooled. While that may represent a target valuation for Facebook, the actual worth, today, of Mark Zuckerberg’s dorm room creation may be much lower. http://nytimes.com/2009/05/27/business/27views.html How much is Facebook really worth? [AP] Facebook is getting a US$200 million investment from a Russian internet investor that values the social networking company at $10 billion (NZ$15.97bn) even though it has yet to turn a profit. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10574783 Facebook worth $5bn less as recession bites The Russian investors Digital Sky Technologies (DST) paid $200m (£125m) for a 2 per cent stake in Facebook yesterday, valuing the social networking site at $10bn – or two-thirds of what it was worth 18 months ago. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/facebook-worth-5bn-less-as-recession-bites-1691236.html Digital Sky Technologies takes $200m stake in Facebook Russian internet company Digital Sky Technologies (DST) has snapped up a small stake in Facebook for $200m (£125.5m) in a deal that values the five-year-old social networking site, which has yet to make a profit, at $10bn. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/may/26/dst-facebook-zuckerberg-microsoft-milner Russian internet investor Yuri Milner puts $200 million into Facebook A Russian internet investment company will pay $200 million (£125 million) for a 2 per cent stake in Facebook in a deal that values the social networking group at $10 billion. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article6368036.ece Russian Firm Invests $200 Million in Facebook Facebook has gotten $200 million from a Russian investment group in exchange for a small stake in the nation's largest social networking company. The deal places the value of the site, known for allowing people to connect through "SuperPokes" and virtual gifts, at $10 billion. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/26/AR2009052601458.html Yahoo and Microsoft ease off over tie-up Yahoo is no longer in serious talks with Microsoft over a deal to combine their search efforts, Carol Bartz, Yahoo’s chief executive, said on Wednesday. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c39f5c98-4b13-11de-87c2-00144feabdc0.html ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** Telstra confirms network backflip Telstra has confirmed for the first time that it will consider selling parts of its phone system to the Federal Government's proposed national broadband network company. http://business.smh.com.au/business/telstra-confirms-network-backflip-20090526-bmaf.html http://business.theage.com.au/business/telstra-joins-broadband-negotiations-20090526-bm32.html Obama Adviser Eyes Australian Government-Built Broadband System Officials have released an historic government plan to spend tens of billions of dollars constructing a nationwide, state-of-the-art broadband network featuring speeds 100 times faster than today's technology. http://www.nationaljournal.com/congressdaily/cd_20090202_7042.php Obama adviser looks at U.S.-built broadband network A senior adviser to President Obama is touting the idea of spending tens of billions of dollars in public funds to build a nationwide, state-of-the-art broadband network featuring speeds 100 times faster than today's technology. http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090526_2886.php UK broadband 'notspots' revealed Around three million homes in the UK have broadband speeds of less than two megabits per second (2Mbps) according to research commissioned by the BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8068676.stm Three million UK homes are web "Notspots" About 15 percent of homes in Britain have Internet broadband access under 2 Megabits per second (Mb), the minimum speed envisaged by the government for the whole country, research shows. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE54Q1BM20090527 Asian telcos plot 4Tbps intra-Asian cable Eight Asian carriers have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a new regional club cable, the Asia Pacific Gateway (APG). The 4Tbs subsea system will land at nine locations between Singapore and Japan and would go into service in 2011, NTT Communications said. http://telecomasia.net/article.php?id_article=13634 First commercial 4G base station being tested in Sweden The world's first radio base station in a commercial 4G network has been deployed in Stockholm, Sweden. Or at least that's what the Swedish national incumbent telecommunications operator Telia has announced. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10249578-94.html http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/communications/0,39044192,62054379,00.htm OECD calls for broadband cost-benefit analysis The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has warned that governments need to weigh up investment in telecommunications infrastructure, which the opposition has used to pressure the Federal Government to conduct a cost-benefit analysis on its $43 billion NBN proposal. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/OECD-calls-for-broadband-cost-benefit-analysis/0,130061791,339296640,00.htm Verizon trials 100G technology with UK research network Verizon Business took its next step toward deploying 100Gbps by trialing its 100G optical service with the United Kingdom's national research and education network, JANET. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/052709-verizon-trials-100g.html Don't overhype WiMAX speeds, analyst warns operators WiMAX operators who overhype their networks' peak speeds risk angering early adopters who feel their expectations haven't been met, an analyst from Pyramid Research said Wednesday. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/052709-wimax-overhype-speeds.html http://computerworld.com.au/article/304789/ http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/304789/ All roads will eventually lead to super-fast LTE, says telco boss The super-fast mobile broadband technology LTE is the way of the future, says technology giant Alcatel-Lucent. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10574504 Femtocells key to LTE deployment, claims Telenor This summer will see field trials of LTE take place in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, using equipment supplied by Huawei Technologies. The tests will involve the radio access and Evolved Packet Core (EPC) aspects of the technology, but Telenor has stressed it has also issued a separate RFQ for LTE infrastructure to cover all of the company's operations in the Nordic region. http://telecomasia.net/article.php?id_article=13613 The case for LTE femtocells The principal performance benefit femtocells bring to LTE is to ensure more users receive peak data rates more of the time, especially inside buildings where the most mobile broadband data is consumed and where the service quality is lower than outside. http://telecomasia.net/article.php?id_article=13618 ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** au: Child porn charges for six WA teachers SIX West Australian teachers have been arrested and charged for allegedly accessing child pornography as part of police Operation Richmond. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,25546836-2702,00.html au: Child porn crackdown nets six teachers A crackdown on teachers who access images of child pornography has yielded six arrests since it was launched last year, the Department of Education and Training said today. http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuId=77&ContentID=144294 Child porn loner 'obsessed' with internet A man who was arrested in a federal police investigation of internet child pornography has told Adelaide's District Court he now realises how disturbing and depraved his offences were. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/05/27/2582173.htm French police arrest 90 in paedophile web swoop French police said they had arrested 90 people across the country on Tuesday in an operation targeting a network trading paedophile pictures on the Internet. http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-39899620090526 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For information on subscriptions to the domain name and/or general internet news please contact me. 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