Hi all, Welcome to the first posting of the news for 2007! And 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. Cheers David +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Proposal for porn domain revived http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6240725.stm Taiwan Quake Resulted In Loss Of 10,000 Internet Domains http://bizreport.com/2007/01/taiwan_quake_resulted_in_loss_of_10000_internet_domains.html Internet infrastructure 'too fragile' http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/12/29/1166895452688.html UK domain name dispute rules could change http://out-law.com/page-7619 ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** Proposal for porn domain revived Plans to create an internet domain for pornographic websites have been resurrected. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6240725.stm http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/01/07/2316225 Porn domain name plans revived (AP) ICANN has revived a proposal it earlier rejected to create an online red-light district, after adding stronger provisions to prohibit child pornography and require labeling of web sites with sexually explicit materials. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/01/07/1168104897906.html http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\01\08\story_8-1-2007_pg6_5 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/World/The_United_States/xxx_red-light_domain_plan_is_back_with_riders/articleshow/1077364.cms http://www.christianpost.com/article/20070106/24819.htm http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/01/06/tech/main2335022.shtml http://www.chicagotribune.com/technology/sns-ap-internet-pornography,0,4859408.story ICANN Reconsiders Virtual Red Light District Nearly seven years after its initial proposal, the controversial .XXX domain, intended as an online "red light district" for pornographic websites, is soon to be reconsidered by the International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which voted not to approve (but did not reject) the proposal in May of 2006. http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/topnews/wpn-60-20070108ICANNReconsidersVirtualRedLightDistrict.html http://www.pittnews.com/media/paper879/sections/20070108Opinion.html?norewrite200701081941&sourcedomain=www.pittnews.com&200701081927> Comeback for internet porn domain The controversial proposal to launch a porn-only .xxx internet domain, which many assumed dead and buried, is back. And the firm behind it is confident that this time it will be finally approved. http://www.cbronline.com/article_news.asp?guid=CBA2011D-5A91-4EA2-B9A4-967782DC65C1 .XXX is Back on the Radar Screen by Patrick Vande Walle The DoC seems to have finally realized it went too far by using ICANN to serve the interests of some conservative groups, as mentioned in a previous post. http://www.circleid.com/posts/xxx_back_on_radar_screen/ ICANN Publishes Revised Proposed Agreement on .XXX A revised proposed agreement with ICM providing for designation of a .XXX sTLD registry is published for public comment. The public comment period will be open until 5 February 2007. http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-05jan07.htm Taiwan Quake Resulted In Loss Of 10,000 Internet Domains China International Network Information Center on Sunday said that about 10,000 dotcom Internet domain names have been lost because of the disruption caused by the Dec. 26 earthquake in Taiwan. http://bizreport.com/2007/01/taiwan_quake_resulted_in_loss_of_10000_internet_domains.html http://english.people.com.cn/200701/05/eng20070105_338568.html http://asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=60501 http://chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-01/06/content_776083.htm http://dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\01\08\story_8-1-2007_pg6_1 http://zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=346225&ssid=29&sid=env http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/8400/53/ http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,21026149%5e16123%5e%5enbv%5e,00.html http://technewsworld.com/story/K4u9NLEIpM0hUJ/China-Loses-Over-9000-Domain-Names-in-Earthquake.xhtml http://redorbit.com/news/technology/789561/china_loses_10000_internet_domain_names_due_to_quake_disruption/index.html?source=r_technology http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=technologyNews&storyid=2007-01-05T160404Z_01_SHA150678_RTRUKOC_0_US-CHINA-EARTHQUAKE-DOMAIN.xml Taiwan quakes cost Chinese 10,000 domain names The 26 December earthquakes off Taiwan - which cut undersea telecoms cables and severely disrupted internet connections across Asia - also cost the Chinese 10,000 domain names, Reuters reports. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/05/missing_domains/ ICANN Announces Plans for Conclusion of sTLD Application Process As ICANN looks toward completion of the process for consideration of the proposed sTLD strings submitted during the application period in 2003-4, this notice reports on the status of each application, as well as the anticipated steps to full closure of this round of applications. Briefly, of the ten original applications: four sTLDs are delegated in the root zone, two agreements are signed and will be delegated, two applications have been withdrawn and two applications remain open: .post and .xxx. Next steps for each of the open applications are identified. http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-04jan07.htm RSSAC and SSAC Seek Community Feedback on Firewall Support for IPv6 DNS Records and DNS Extensions (EDNS0) The joint committees are soliciting feedback from the Internet community on whether commercial firewalls that organizations use to protect name server resolvers will allow priming responses containing IPv6 (AAAA) resource records and priming responses greater than 512 bytes (the desired results) or block such responses. http://icann.org/committees/security/sac016.htm Internet infrastructure 'too fragile' The chaos in Asia's internet service sparked by an undersea earthquake shows the network is too fragile, industry observers say. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/12/29/1166895452688.html UK domain name dispute rules could change The rulebook used in most disputes over .uk domain names is out of date, according to Nominet, the .uk domain name registry. Its suggestions for revision include the introduction of a financial deterrent against cybersquatting. http://out-law.com/page-7619 http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/08/uk_domain_name_dispute_rules_could_change/ ir: Rules for Persian weblogs eased The Department of Press Affairs at the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance announced that registration of Persian weblogs without special domain names are not mandatory, Iran Daily reported. http://iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=48625 MGM seeks control of Wargames.com site name The owner of the Web domain Wargames.com has been accused by MGM of "unauthorized use and registration" of that name and three other names related to MGM's "Rocky" movie franchise. http://iht.com/articles/2006/12/25/business/games.php 330,000 dotMobi names registered DotMobi gained 330,000 name registrations by the end of the year. Since October numerous companies have set up their own mobile optimised .mobi sites. http://www.mobilemonday.net/mm/story.php?story_id=5186 http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/article/20070104143710128 Where to Invest in Domain Names in 2007 You can earn money investing in domains related to overall trends in 2007. This time of year every publication likes to run an article about predictions for the coming year. Savvy domain investors should pay attention to these articles. Overall business and lifestyle trends can have a big affect on the value of domain names. People who noticed the trends toward user-generated content and self publishing banked on blog and social networking domains over the past few years. http://domainnamewire.com/2007/01/08/where-to-invest-in-domain-names-in-2007/ December Domain Name Parking Results My domain name parking results continued to impress, including a TrafficClub RPM over $100. I’m not sure if everyone is experiencing an increase in revenue from parked domain names, but my results steadily improved during 2006. In December my revenue per 1,000 views (RPM) with TrafficClub was $112.28, second only to November. http://domainnamewire.com/2007/01/08/december-domain-name-parking-results/ Internet Zombies by Karl Auerbach Today on Dave Farber's IP list, someone revived the ancient argument that ICANN imposes limits on the number of top level domains (TLDs) because to have more than a few will cause DNS to wobble and cause the internet to collapse. Although long discredited, that argument hangs around like a zombie. ICANN has never been able to adduce a shred of proof that there is anything to support that assertion. http://www.circleid.com/posts/internet_zombies/ ABOUT 2,145 .UZ DOMAINS REGISTERED IN 2006 UzInfoCom registered over 2,145 .uz domains and deleted 1,226 domains in 2006. Number of active domains in .uz zone increased by 34 per cent in 2006. http://au.biz.yahoo.com/070105/17/11gp3.html Dot VN, Inc. Announces Online Domain Name Registration Increased Over 350% >From 2005 (news release) Dot VN announced today that the total number of .vn domain names registered by the Company via online has increased over 350% since 2005. New .vn registrations under Dot VN management grew from 919 total domain names registered in 2005 to over 4,100 for the 2006 year. http://www.domaininformer.com/news/press/070108DotVN.html http://tickertech.com/cgi/?a=news&ticker=a&w=&story=20070107005093r1.xml ru: Number of domain names in the Russian Internet to exceed one million in 2007 The Russian domain name registrar Ru-Center has published a forecast according to which the number of domain names in the top level domain .RU will exceed one million. A 700-thousandth domain name was registered recently. http://webplanet.ru/english/2007/01/07/million_eng.html ICANN Update on the 2007 Nom Com Meeting in São Paulo, Brazil The 2007 ICANN Nominating Committee (NomCom) has been convened and met for the first time on 8-9 December, immediately following the ICANN Annual Meeting in São Paulo, Brazil. http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-20dec06.htm The Closing Window: A Historical Analysis of Domain Tasting Frank Schilling wrote this history and analysis of domain tasting for the ICANN Business Constituency membership. It’s by no means perfect but he decribes it as he thought he’d share it with those who would like a bit more color on the subject. http://www.circleid.com/posts/historical_analysis_domain_tasting/ Woman willing to give up Yao Ming' domain address - for a price (AP) A Chinese woman who registered the name of NBA star Yao Ming as an internet domain address is willing to give it up - for a price. http://news.corporatecounselcentre.ca/ap/o/51/01-05-2007/f6600005a02a34f7.html Top Domain Name News Stories of 2006 The domain name industry had a heck of a year. It’s impossible to rank the top news stories of 2006, but Andrew Allemanntries to make an attempt. If you disagree, be sure to participate in the upcoming 2007 Domain Name Wire survey in which you’ll be able to vote on which news story was biggest. http://www.circleid.com/posts/top_domain_name_news_stories_2006/ Domain Name Stocks Mixed in 2006 Some up, some down, but enthusiasm for domain name companies remains high. http://domainnamewire.com/2007/01/02/domain-name-stocks-mixed-in-2006/ Map of the Internet: The IPv4 Space of 2006 An intersecting representation of the IP Address space on a plane using a fractal mapping that preserves grouping... Section of the map also shows the blocks sold directly to corporations and governments in the 1990's before the RIRs took over allocation. http://www.circleid.com/posts/map_internet_ipv4_space_2006/ Harry Potter 7 domains already protected As fans of Harry Potter go crazy online analysing the possible implications of the name of the final book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, author JK Rowling's agent has already taken steps to ensure cyber-squatters don't exploit the newly-revealed title. http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/8262/53/ Spider's web of "OEM downloads" domains, growing out of control Spam is hardly news to anyone with a mail box. What is new is that some spammers are spinning a large spiders' web of different domain names leading to a site peddling dubious "OEM software" downloads. http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=36634 ie: Ryanair loses bitch site name-grab claim Ryanair has lost its claim against a website which helps customers of the airline complain about the service they receive. The airline took its case to WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center. Ryanair claimed the website - www.ryanaircampaign.org - was misleading. It went to WIPO to gain control of the website claiming that it infringed on its trademarks. It also claimed the site was set up in bad faith for: "the purpose of unfairly disrupting the business of the Complainant and causing it unfair loss and damage". But the one man WIPO panel ruled otherwise. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/12/29/wipo_rules_against_ryanair/ http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/ireland/business/article2108371.ece http://www.sbpost.ie/breakingnews/breaking_story.asp?j=108813056&p=yx88y343x&n=108813527&x= http://www.sbpost.ie/breakingnews/breaking_story.asp?j=108792860&p=yx8793z34&n=108793331&x= http://www.sharewatch.com/story.php?storynumber=283899 http://www.siliconrepublic.com/news/news.nv?storyid=single7549 Cost of registering domain name down 13% The IE Domain Registry has reduced the cost of registering and renewing a website by 13% because registrations have now passed 70,000 - which is a 30% jump in the past year. http://www.rte.ie/business/2006/1221/IEDR.html http://www.businessworld.ie/livenews.htm?a=1593784 http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story_business_island.asp?j=168367040&p=y683676zx eu: Code of Conduct for .eu registrars during 2007 (news release) As from the second quarter of 2007 .eu registrars providing a best in class service will be entitled to a quality label (logo) and listed on EURid’s website, provided they subscribe to the .eu Code of Conduct that is currently being drafted. http://www.eurid.eu/en/general/news/code-of-conduct-for-eu-registrars-during-2007 Residents of Romania and Bulgaria can register .eu domain names as of January 1, 2007 (news release) Upon joining the EU next year, Romanian and Bulgarian residents will be able to register .eu domain names like any other eligible party, i.e. anyone living in an EU member state. Registration of domains will be possible from midnight of the 31st of December (New Year’s Eve) onwards. http://www.eurid.eu/en/general/news/residents-of-romania-and-bulgaria-can-register-eu-domain-names-as-of-january-1-2007 .EU coming to Romania and Bulgaria, New .EU Code of Conduct First, residents of Romania and Bulgaria will now be able to register .eu domains. Second, EURid announced a new code of conduct for registrars. http://domainnamewire.com/2006/12/22/eu-coming-to-romania-and-bulgaria-new-eu-code-of-conduct/ Residents of Romania and Bulgaria can register .eu domain names as of January 1, 2007 Upon joining the EU next year, Romanian and Bulgarian residents will be able to register .eu domain names like any other eligible party, i.e. anyone living in an EU member state. Registration of domains will be possible from midnight of the 31st of December (New Year’s Eve) onwards. http://www.swbusiness.fi/portal/34/?id=16102 Comment: Kathy Foley: Homeless in cyberspace Imagine coming home to find the locks have been changed and some people you don’t know whooping it up in your house — eating your food, drinking your wine and generally having a wild old time in your lovingly furnished gaff. It happened to me last week. Well, it virtually happened. Or maybe it happened virtually. Anyway, I’ve been cybersquatted and I’m not happy about it. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2091-2517713,00.html On Contracts with Verisign by Bret Fausett John Berryhill, writing on the Registrars' List: "Be creative. Give yourself a 100 day domain tasting period and cut the .COM price down to two bucks." Mine the thread a bit for the context. It's worth it. http://blog.lextext.com/blog/_archives/2006/12/29/2605996.html 3mn .travel domain names released Three million travel destinations have been released for immediate registration, including cities; towns; heritage, iconic and sacred sites; national parks and other landmarks. http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/article/20070103175152996 http://www.dominicantoday.com/app/article.aspx?id=21153 Arabic Domain Names Set to be Auctioned Off (news release) Internet domain information and development resource, IDNcyclopedia.com, announced it will be auctioning off multiple Arabic domain names on eBay this month http://www.tophosts.com/articles/004397.html NeuStar Announces Launch of Five New International Domain Names In .BIZ TLD (news release) NeuStar announced that it has deployed five new IDN language scripts in the .BIZ top-level Internet domain. http://domaininformer.com/news/news/070104NeuStar.html Domainersmagazine.com Debuts the First Bi-monthly Magazine for the Domain Name Industry (news release) Domainer’s Magazine Inc. announced today that after several months of intense preparation they will be filling a void that has existed for some time in the domain name industry. Every other month Domainer’s Magazine will be publishing a full featured periodical containing a wide range of articles designed to help Domainers ranging in expertise from novice to seasoned pro. http://prweb.com/releases/2006/12/prweb494109.htm Hot Adult Domain Names to Be Auctioned Live at Internext (news release) More than 250 adult domain names are going to be auctioned at Internext Las Vegas in January. http://marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=199069 Malta.com name sells for $250,000 Malta’s internet address, Malta.com, sold for a quarter of a million dollars earlier this year, resulting in one of the highest sales made by specialised domain company Sedo. http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=43903 Moniker Sells Three Domain Names for over $100,000 Each Moniker has sold three domain names for over $100,000 each including two two-character .com domains. The latest domain name sales report from DNJournal shows the domain name industry is ending the year with a bang, thanks in part to domain name company Moniker. The company brokered three domains for over $100,000 including Partners.com for $130,000, and FJ.com and TJ.com for $105,000 each. http://domainnamewire.com/2006/12/28/moniker-sells-three-domain-names-for-over-100000-each/ $3 Million Sale of Vodka.com and Two Huge .Org Deals Assure Merry Christmas for Domain Market 2006 has been good to the domain business and with less than two weeks to go until the New Year the upward momentum just keeps getting stronger. Over the past seven days we saw Vodka.com go for $3 million in the year's second biggest domain sale and the two biggest .org sales of 2006, with both of those easily clearing the six-figure mark. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2006/domainsales12_26_06.htm Trio of Six-Figure Sales at Moniker Lead Domain Market to Another Big Week With one sales week to go in 2006 the domain market is still barreling down the highway at full throttle. Moniker.com/DomainSystems.com rang up three six-figure sales this week to claim the top spots on our new Top 20 chart. Every domain on the elite list (as well as five just off the Big Board) sold for at least five figures. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2006/domainsales1_2_07.htm Selecting a Domain Name At a cost of a few bucks a year, the right domain name helps your business develop a recognizable online brand. It promotes name recognition among your customers and keeps them coming back to the right place. http://www.techworld.nl/idgns/1915/selecting-a-domain-name.html Three questions for Vinton Cerf Vinton G. Cerf is vice president and chief internet evangelist at Google. He is a co-designer of the TCP/IP protocols and the architecture of the internet. In December 1997, President Clinton presented the National Medal of Technology to Cerf and colleague Robert E. Kahn for their pioneering work on the internet. Cerf spoke recently with Computerworld's Gary Anthes. http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/F349C0DFE1F5281BCC25724C004695B6 First the Net, now the Neuronet A Neuronet designed from the ground up will be the world's first, and only, real-time network designed to transmit virtual reality and next generation gaming data, say its creators, the International Association of Virtual Reality Technologies (IAVRT) group. http://p2pnet.net/story/10868 http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/01/group-promises-dedicated-vr-neuronet-skepticism-ensues/ http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070102-8527.html ******************* OTHER INTERNET NEWS ******************* Turkmenistan may lift internet ban Turkmenistan, internationally condemned for restricting access to the internet, may drop its curbs and open itself up to the World Wide Web, the leading contender for president said. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/01/05/1167777261546.html zw: Welcome to the Net, President Mugabe Three unrelated events over the past two weeks have underscored the disdain and cavalier approach of Zimbabwe's ruling elite towards press freedom issues. http://allafrica.com/stories/200612210669.html uk: IWF reforms could pave way for UK net censorship By the end of 2007, the Home Office intends that all ISPs "offering broadband internet connectivity to the UK public" will have implemented systems for content blocking, primarily intended to block access to pornographic images of children, which are illegal to view or possess in the UK. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/12/29/iwf_feature/ ID thieves target MySpace users (AP) MySpace devotee Kary Rogers was expecting to see a gut-busting video when a friend from the popular online hangout messaged him a link. First, though, he was directed to a page where he was supposed to re-enter his password. Rogers realised that someone was trying to steal his information, and he didn't take the bait. At best, he would be spammed with junk emails; worse, the web thief might steal his real-life identity. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/12/26/1166895269611.html http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/business/technology/16316654.htm au: Harsher laws target child murder, porn CHILD murderers and producers of child pornography will be permanently banned from ever working with children under changes to NSW laws taking affect from January 2. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,20986721-1702,00.html au: NSW tightens child protection rules Child murderers and producers of child pornography will be banned from working with children under changes to NSW laws taking effect from January 2. http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=344215 au: Risk to kids from cyber play needs urgent action POTENTIAL dangers associated with children as young as 13 posting their photographs and identity details on personalised websites such as MySpace and YouTube must be tackled urgently by the Federal Government, an expert on childhood behaviour says. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/12/23/1166290788714.html Australian copyright ruling has international implications, experts say A court ruling in a music piracy case could mean that Australian companies have a higher level of liability than those in the United States. http://iht.com/articles/2006/12/21/business/ip.php eu: The EU Modifies Europol’s Legal Framework to Fight Cybercrime The European Union is transforming Europol to facilitate international police cooperation in the fight against organized crime, terrorism and cybercrime. To accomplish this task, the Commission has issued a draft Council Decision to replace the Convention of July 26, 1995, which established the European Police Office. http://www.ibls.com/internet_law_news_portal_view.aspx?s=latestnews&id=1643 Unsuspecting zombies recruited for Internet crime The botnet systems, which lurk in users' computers, are also blamed for the recent spike in spam e-mails. http://iht.com/articles/2007/01/07/business/bots.php us: An U.S. Retailer may be Sued if its Website is Inaccessible to the Blind According to a recent decision by a United States (U.S.) Federal Judge in California. The U.S. National Federation for the Blind (NFB) sued Target.com in the Northern District of California (Case No. C 06-01802 MHP) alleging that Target’s website was inaccessible to the blind and therefore it violated the Americans with Disability Act (ADA), the California Unruh Civil Rights Act and the California Disabled Persons Act. Target’s defense was that ADA did not apply to websites and that no Federal law forced Target to make its website accessible. Target filed a motion to dismiss based on this defense but the California Federal Judge denied it. http://www.ibls.com/internet_law_news_portal_view.aspx?s=latestnews&id=1647 Year of the Tech Patent Lawsuit, Part 2 One of the last cases to go before the Supreme Court, KSR v. Teleflex, was also one of the most significant, at least to patent attorneys, as the basic standards used to grant a patent are now under review. It was a fitting end to 2006, during which a number of high profile patent disputes made their way into mainstream headlines. No doubt eBay was the rock star among patent cases in 2006. However, there were other cases that could have had a huge impact on how patent law is interpreted. Some of these arguments are still under consideration. http://ecommercetimes.com/story/55029.html Cyber Crime Hits the Big Time in 2006 Call it the "year of computing dangerously." Computer security experts say 2006 saw an unprecedented spike in junk e-mail and sophisticated online attacks from increasingly organized cyber crooks. These attacks were made possible, in part, by a huge increase in the number of security holes identified in widely used software products. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/22/AR2006122200367.html au: Judge a victim of MySpace fraud High Court judge Michael Kirby has been defamed by identity thieves using the internet site MySpace. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/01/06/1167777327542.html Sex video leads Brazil court to shut YouTube A Brazilian court has ordered popular video-sharing site YouTube to be shut down until it removes a celebrity sex video starring Daniela Cicarelli, a model and ex-wife of soccer great Ronaldo, from its site, a judicial clerk said. http://news.com.com/2100-1025_3-6147271.html us: Police blotter: Detecting computer-generated porn? FBI claims that one of its analysts can simply look at a photo and detect whether it's been altered in Photoshop or generated by a computer. http://news.com.com/2100-1030_3-6145563.html Spain takes lead in closing down the websites that tell girls it's good to be anorexic Four months after the city led the world in the Size 0 debate by banning ultra-skinny models from its catwalks, health officials are shining the spotlight on the growing number of “pro-ana” websites that glorify starvation diets. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,20411-2536634.html nz: Let's educate, not regulate, on pornography The best thing to do these days when it comes to internet pornography is to educate. It is time for an informed debate about the influence of internet pornography in our community. Rather than regulation, what is needed is education. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10417532 Spam surge drives net crime spree The tussle between computer security companies trying to protect your PC and the bad guys that try to compromise it is often characterised as an arms race. Sometimes the security companies have the upper hand as they develop and deploy novel techniques to spot and stop malicious software of all stripes. And sometimes, such as in 2006, the bad guys are on top. And nowhere has this been more apparent than in the realm of that old favourite - spam. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6198113.stm Spam Volume Jumps 35% In November The volume of spam surged in November to an average of 85 billion messages a day during two periods, IronPort says. http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml;?articleID=196701527 Deluge of spam likely to worsen People tired of email delays can expect more of the same this year, as spam continues to play havoc. http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/3922742a28.html Web users driving change in 2007 It is often said the only constant in the world of hi-tech is change - a fact that makes prediction notoriously difficult. But here three tech veterans give their view about what will drive change over the next 12 months and beyond. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6198125.stm us: Teens 'turn to social websites' More than half of all net-using American teenagers use social networking sites, research suggests. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6235503.stm Teens take precautions online Who says teens don't care about online privacy? Since MySpace.com took off three years ago, parents have fretted about online risks to their children's safety, requesting meetings with local police and school officials to talk about Internet predators and even prompting hearings in Congress. http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/business/technology/16410223.htm Google overtakes Yahoo GOOGLE overtook Yahoo as the second most popular internet destination for web surfers worldwide in November, while Microsoft held on to the top spot, industry tracker ComScore reported in the US. http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,20964683%5e16123%5e%5enbv%5e,00.html Experts say Google will be No. 1 in visitors in '07 Google, which defied gravity this year, is set to become the world's most visited Internet site in 2007. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-12-27-webleader_x.htm Number of Chinese web users grows by a third China’s internet population increased by almost one-third during 2006, reinforcing the country’s position as one of the most powerful internet economies in the world. http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1979990,00.html China: two more years to Internet #1? China says it now has over 130-million Internet users. Over 50-million Chinese have broadband. China continues to trail only the U.S. in total number of web users. http://news.com.com/2061-12572_3-6146363.html Comment: Is this digital democracy, or a new tyranny of cyberspace? The hype of freedom on the web masks both disparities of power and the dangers of blurring real and virtual identities http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1980156,00.html Downloads help U.S. music sales rise U.S. album sales continued to decline in 2006 but total music sales rose thanks to a huge increase in digital downloads, according to figures made public. http://iht.com/articles/2007/01/04/business/techbrief.php Record labels sue operator of Russian music website AllofMP3.com (AP) Several major record labels sued the operator of the Russian music website AllofMP3.com on Wednesday, claiming the company has been profiting by selling copies of music without their permission. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2006-12-20-allofmp3-suit_x.htm us: Apple Faces Suit Over iPod-iTunes Link (AP) As if its options woes weren't trouble enough, Apple Computer Inc. said Friday it is facing several federal lawsuits, including one alleging the company created an illegal monopoly by tying iTunes music and video sales to its market-leading iPod portable players. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/12/30/ap/world/mainD8MB5K8G0.shtml Earthquake in Asia, Spam Plummets An earthquake on Tuesday near Taiwan caused widespread disruption to telephone and Internet networks. The quake affected an area of the sea bottom with a lot of undersea cables that broke, and since there is only a limited number of cable repair ships, it will take at least weeks to fish them up and splice them. http://www.circleid.com/posts/earthquake_in_asia_spam_plummets/ Bill Gates hails 'digital decade' Microsoft boss Bill Gates outlines his vision of the connected future, saying the "digital decade is happening". http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6239975.stm Rivals battle for connected world Microsoft and Apple will set out their rival visions of the digital future at two separate events in the coming days. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6230227.stm Microsoft chairman Bill Gates demonstrates a PC loaded with Windows Vista before his keynote address to the 2007 Computer Electronic Show in Las Vegas. Microsoft unveils in-car computer Bill Gates reveals deal with Ford which could turn millions of cars into hi-tech computers on wheels. http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1985195,00.html http://iht.com/articles/2007/01/08/business/gates.php Next steps in the 'digital decade' Bill Gates has outlined Microsoft's strategy to make the networked home a reality http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,9075-2536866,00.html At electronics show in Las Vegas, covergence grabs the spotlight Technology companies unveiled new offerings at the International Consumer Electronics show in Las Vegas on Monday that highlighted the convergence of mobile devices, media and the Internet. http://iht.com/articles/2007/01/08/business/gadgets.php Microsoft positions for robot era Bill Gates believes robots could become a "nearly ubiquitous part of our day-to-day-lives", and he's already jostling to lead the industry. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/01/04/1167777205654.html Germany quits search engine project The German government confirmed Tuesday that it had decided to opt out of a multimillion-euro research effort to build a European search engine that would compete with Google, in what one participant described as a disagreement with France over the basic design of the project. http://iht.com/articles/2007/01/02/business/search.php au: Man charged with 114 counts of child pornography - Quakers Hill (news release) A man will face court after being charged with allegedly possessing more than 100 counts of child pornography in Sydney’s west yesterday. http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/news/recent_media_unit_information?sq_content_src=aHR0cDovL2N1c3RvbXNjcmlwdHMucG9saWNlLm5zdy5nb3YuYXUvbmV3cy9kZXRhaWxzX21lZGlhLnBocD9NZWRpYUlEPTgzNzk%3D +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Sources include Quicklinks <http://qlinks.net/> and BNA Internet Law News <http://www.bna.com/ilaw/>. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2006 --------- 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 Send instant messages to your online friends http://au.messenger.yahoo.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------- List policy, unsubscribing and archives => http://dotau.org/
