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!
Headlines from the December 3 edition of the news include: Taking Stock of the Rio Internet Governance Forum by Milton Mueller | How Fragile Is Our Backbone? | One millionth .au domain name registered | uk: MI5 alert on China’s cyberspace spy threat | World faces 'cyber cold war' threat | 'Cyber warfare instigator' label rejected by China | Dell Fights Cybersquatters And Rogue Resellers In Court | Cybersquatting daisy-chain leads to Dell trademark infringement lawsuit | The Pirate Bay Loses IFPI.com Domain And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings. *************************************************** The domain name news is supported by auDA *************************************************** ICANN gets test results on internationalised domains http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/28/idn_beta_results/ 6 week IDNwiki report - user statistics by Tina Dam http://blog.icann.org/?p=239 An Important Step toward the Implementation of IDN Top-Level Domains: New Versions of IDNA Protocol Revision Proposals Posted http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-26nov07.htm fr: The AFNIC proposes a new framework for access to data concerning .fr domain names ("Whois data") [news release] http://www.afnic.fr/actu/nouvelles/juridique/NN20071127?PHPSESSID=8d4a81e560517542bf5f434a3edaae69 uk: Nominet sees opportunities and risks http://www.itweek.co.uk/itweek/analysis/2204641/nominet-sees-opportunities-3680451 uk: Nominet plots one registry to rule them all http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/26/nominet_enum/ Reputation of UK Brands Dramatically Affected by Phishing Attacks according to Survey Commissioned by Cloudmark [news release] http://www.cloudmark.com/serviceproviders/media/releases/?release=2007-11-26 uk: Phishing affects consumer confidence http://www.itweek.co.uk/itweek/news/2204421/phishing-affects-consumer How Do You Tell a Domain Name From A Typo? http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/27/AR2007112702321.html UK headed for cyber 'cold war' http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article2962570.ece Attackers use search-engine optimization to hijack prominent terms http://www.scmagazineus.com/Attackers-use-search-engine-optimization-to-hijack-prominent-terms/article/99325/ au: Cyber spy force to shield parliament http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22834178-601,00.html State Of Typosquatting (and How Google Benefits From It) http://www.searchnewz.com/blog/talk/sn-6-20071127StateofTyposquattingandHowGoogleBenefitsFromIt.html Bodog Patent Case Gets Technical - are domain names property to be asked in court http://online-casinos.com/news/news5757.asp Dell Takes Cybersquatters to Court http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/28/AR2007112801679.html ********************** GOVERNANCE ********************** APC makes recommendations to UN internet governance forum The second IGF concluded on November 15 and the Association for Progressive Communications (APC) presents an initial assessment of the event and makes suggestions for moving towards the third forum in New Delhi in a year’s time. The Rio IGF, like the first IGF in Athens, succeeded as a space for inclusive policy dialogue. The openness of the event’s format and the quality and diversity of the participants deepened understanding of complex and controversial issues. The format of the workshops enabled participants to gain a better grasp of both commonality and difference in their positions and opinions. It is this nuanced approach that enables the IGF to influence and inform policy without the constraints of needing to create consensus on negotiated text. http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=5340227 ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** ********************** - ICANN ********************** ICANN gets test results on internationalised domains ICANN made a serious public relations push about its long-standing attempts to implement IDNs the week prior to the October ICANN meeting, and the initial public test results are in. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/28/idn_beta_results/ ICANN – Released Results on IDNs ICANN has tested and is looking to implement IDNs, the initial public test results have been collected. ICANN released preliminary statistics Monday covering the first public tests of the long awaited localised domains. In truth, IDNs have been in the testing phase for years, but only in the weeks leading up to the latest ICANN meeting did ICANN allow the Joe Sixpacks of the non-English speaking world to test the system out, albeit in a very limited capacity. This correspondent was fortunate enough to get a personal walk-through of the system at the Los Angeles meeting courtesy of ICANN's IDN honcho Tina Dam. http://www.webhostdir.com/news/articles/shownews.asp?id=23180 Iron Mountain lands ICANN data escrow agreement Iron Mountain announced today that it has begun providing long-awaited data escrow services to ICANN and its panoply of approved registrars. Ever since the RegisterFly debacle exposed ICANN’s failure to account properly for the data escrow requirements of its Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA), data escrow has been at or near the top of the ICANN agenda. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/29/icann_iron_mountain_data_escrow/ 6 week IDNwiki report - user statistics by Tina Dam The IDNwiki was released at 4.10am PDT 15 October 2007 (UTC - 7hours). Now, 6 weeks later, here are some updated user statistics and related information. As mentioned previously we will also provide a report that focuses on the initial results with the evaluation of fully localized domain names, as the wiki has been set up for. http://blog.icann.org/?p=239 An Important Step toward the Implementation of IDN Top-Level Domains: New Versions of IDNA Protocol Revision Proposals Posted Revised papers of the technical standards that define the implementation of IDNs — the standards are called IDNA — were recently released via the IETF editors. These revisions are an important step toward the delegation of IDN top-level domains. An informal expert panel, working as what the IETF calls a "design team," evaluated experiences gained in the implementation of the previous version of IDNA since its introduction in 2003, and identified several key areas of future work. These key areas were described in several documents that triggered a formal revision of the IDNA protocol. New versions of the internet-drafts proposing the revisions to the IDNA protocol have been released and are as follows: http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-26nov07.htm A Root with a view... by John L. Crain Running a DNS server that serves the root gives an interesting view into the world of the DNS.With the ongoing improvements to the ICANN operated L-ROOT we’ve been fortunate enough to be able to make use of the “DNS Statistics Collector” tool. http://blog.icann.org/?p=240 ********************** - (cc)TLD NEWS ********************** Latest 'Net gold may rest in Asia's domain A land rush is happening in Hong Kong, but it doesn't involve the high-rise properties for which the city is famous. Instead, it's the epicenter of a brand new patch of cyber real estate soon to go on the global market. Starting in December, online auctions will begin for companies vying to register on the new .Asia top-level domain registry. Like .com, .info and .biz before it, this new Asia-wide category of Web address opens opportunities for cyber squatters to pan for Internet gold -- or dig up fresh disputes over claims on this potentially valuable new piece of cyberspace. http://edition.cnn.com/2007/BUSINESS/11/28/digital.dotasia/ Prospects of next generation Internet application in China Since the beginning of this century, the robust growth of broadband access technology and service has pushed the development of the Internet in China onto a fast track. By September 2007, China's Internet subscribers had grown to 172 million, with a penetration rate of 13 percent. Thanks to the open access policy adopted by the government, the number of Internet service providers has been increasing dramatically in the past few years, reaching 14,446 by June 2007, among which 9,791 are service providers based on mobile Internet. Internet-related revenue, already totalling more than 100 billion yuan, is growing by 35 percent annually. Telecom carriers are mainly engaged in providing Internet access and information service, IDC and WAP services. The size of China's Internet market amounts to approximately 30 billion yuan, or about 9 percent of the country's total telecom revenue. ... Today, there are 65,000 WAP websites with independent domain names operating in China. About 44.3 million people, or 27.3 percent of Internet subscribers, are using mobile phone to access the Internet in China. With 500 million mobile phone subscribers and 38.3 percent penetration rate, the Internet and mobile Internet have tremendous potentials in China. http://www.china.org.cn/english/China/233297.htm fr: The AFNIC proposes a new framework for access to data concerning .fr domain names ("Whois data") [news release] The AFNIC is developing its data access policies to enable better surveillance of infringements of the rights of third parties, whilst providing a legal framework for use made of its data. As part of this framework it will soon be proposing: "A relaxing of the conditions for resolving anonymity of holders who are physical persons." Aware that the current system for protecting individuals' personal data could be perceived as a hindrance to the rightful owner's attempt to protect himself/herself from abusive registrations, the AFNIC is developing its procedure for resolving anonymity. The AFNIC will continue to protect individuals' personal data, but it will soon be possible to ask AFNIC to reveal the identity and details of a person who has registered a .fr domain name. http://www.afnic.fr/actu/nouvelles/juridique/NN20071127?PHPSESSID=8d4a81e560517542bf5f434a3edaae69 Latino groups seek .LAT domain to transcend political boundaries The Latino community may soon have its own top-level domain, .LAT, if a proposal by two organizations goes through. eCOM-LAC, an organization that works to ensure regional representation of Latin America, and NIC Mexico, the entity that manages the top-level domain of .MX for Mexico, announced the new extension earlier this month as an effort to "identify, differentiate, and add value to Internet resources related with Latinos." http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20071126-latino-groups-seek-lat-domain-to-transcend-political-boundaries.html Take-off Speed for the .mobi Domain? The .mobi domain has been established for about 18 months now, and aims to specifically address sites for the mobile web. Of course mobiles have very specific needs, in that the screen is small and data can be expensive. Data can also be slow, unless you have the latest 3G HSDPA features in your phone, and are in a coverage area. So .mobi sites should fit into the size constraints (especially screen width) and minimize the graphical content, to speed up access. http://uk.blognation.com/2007/11/27/take-off-speed-for-the-mobi-domain/ uk: Nominet sees opportunities and risks Experts debated what 2008 will mean for the domain name industry at last month’s registrar conference held by .uk registry Nominet, predicting strong growth for the suffix. There were also warnings from some quarters over the continued rise of the practice of domain tasting, and firms were urged to tightly manage their domain name portfolios. Lesley Cowley, chief executive of Nominet, predicted the UK top-level domain would reach 10 million subscribers next year, but she added that trust and security would increasingly be differentiators for registrars as they seek to retain customers. http://www.itweek.co.uk/itweek/analysis/2204641/nominet-sees-opportunities-3680451 http://www.pcw.co.uk/itweek/analysis/2204641/nominet-sees-opportunities-3680451 http://www.vnunet.com/itweek/analysis/2204641/nominet-sees-opportunities-3680451 uk: Nominet plots one registry to rule them all Nominet, the not-for-profit that runs the .co.uk domain name database, has been awarded the contract to build the new Enum registry. Enum domains will map telephone numbers to web addresses. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/26/nominet_enum/ uk: Enum registry could revolutionise VoIP A registry is to be created that could reduce businesses' phone bills by forcing VoIP providers to interconnect their networks. The so-called Enum (from tElephone NUmber Mapping) registry is to be created by Nominet, the company that already runs the .uk registry, after it won the UK contract on Thursday. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,39291093,00.htm http://uk.webhostdir.com/news/articles/shownews.asp?id=23139 uk: Nominet – You Could Loose Your .co.uk One in 14 .co.uk domain names is registered within 10 seconds of becoming available, according to Nominet. The data, contained in a Nominet report on the domain name system, serves as a warning to firms that fail to keep their contact details up to date, or fail to monitor messages sent to the registered email address, or fail to scribble renewable reminders on their kitchen calendar. http://www.webhostdir.com/news/articles/shownews.asp?id=23124 uk: Nominet examines .uk domain dropcatching Yesterday Lem Bingley began looking at the registration of recently expired .uk domains, prompted by this month’s Nominet report on the state of the domain name system. The report shows that a significant minority of expired domains (about one in 14) is registered within 10 seconds of becoming available for new ownership. http://lembingley.itweek.co.uk/2007/11/nominet-examine.html Nominet Position Paper on Front Running by Michele Neylon Nominet has published a very detailed and comprehensive position paper on “front running”. Although the paper is a mere 5 pages long it covers all the areas that the topic encompasses very well and is well worth a read. The topic of “front running” has received some publicity in the last few months. http://www.isquattedyour.eu/2007/11/27/nominet-position-paper-on-front-running/ http://www.circleid.com/posts/7112810_nominet_on_front_running/ ********************** - DOMAIN SECURITY ********************** Reputation of UK Brands Dramatically Affected by Phishing Attacks according to Survey Commissioned by Cloudmark [news release] Cloudmark Inc., the global leader in carrier-grade messaging security, today announced the results of a survey conducted on its behalf by YouGov, which revealed that public confidence in consumer brands is dramatically affected by phishing attacks, with 42% of people surveyed feeling that their trust in a brand would be greatly reduced if they received a phishing email claiming to be from that company. The survey also showed that the majority of consumers feel that the responsibility for protection against phishing attacks lies with themselves, their service provider and the service provider that transported the phishing emails. http://www.cloudmark.com/serviceproviders/media/releases/?release=2007-11-26 uk: Phishing affects consumer confidence Natwest Bank is the most phished brand in the UK, according to research among its own users by messaging security firm Cloudmark. The research also found that the majority of unique phishing sites in Europe are created using the .uk domain name. http://www.itweek.co.uk/itweek/news/2204421/phishing-affects-consumer How Do You Tell a Domain Name From A Typo? Among the many things the Internet has added recently to contemporary life, there is this: Many grown-ups now sound like babbling toddlers when speaking about the digital world -- because many corporate names now have the ring of a collection of Dr. Seuss characters. Friends tell friends about the hot new videos on Bebo and Joost, or Hulu and Revver. They buy movie tickets on Fandango, trade songs on Kazaa and find amusing news items on Fark. Zug is a comedy site, Yelp is a review site, Woozyfly a music-sharing site. Zune? Not a Web site at all, but rather a music player. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/27/AR2007112702321.html UK headed for cyber 'cold war' Government and military computer systems in the UK are coming under sustained attack from China and other countries, a major new study gives warning today. The closely-read annual Virtual Criminology Report, which draws on interviews with senior staff at organisations including the Serious Organised Crime Agency, Nato and the FBI, says that the UK has entered a “cyber cold war” in which web-based espionage poses the biggest threat to national security. It envisages a future where rogue governments and criminal gangs regularly target the computer systems that run electricity, air traffic control, financial markets and Government computer networks. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article2962570.ece Attackers use search-engine optimization to hijack prominent terms Cyberattackers have hijacked thousands of search terms on Google, leading end-users to unexpected malware installations. Although hijacked search terms are common, the sheer size of this operation – including tens of thousands of pages created to obtain high search-engine ranking – is unprecedented, according to researchers from Sunbelt Software. http://www.scmagazineus.com/Attackers-use-search-engine-optimization-to-hijack-prominent-terms/article/99325/ Global hackers threaten net security in cyber warfare aimed at top targets A "cyber cold war" is developing as international web espionage and cyber-attacks become the biggest threats to internet security, according to a report. The computer security firm McAfee said governments and government-allied groups were engaging in increasingly sophisticated cyber spying, with many attacks originating from China. Some 120 countries could be developing the capacity for such activities. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/nov/29/hacking.news au: Cyber spy force to shield parliament Australia's most secretive spy agency will be asked to step up its protection of Canberra's Parliament House against cyber attacks by foreign government hackers. The Defence Signals Directorate will oversee security for a proposed new wireless internet system at Parliament House to ensure foreign powers cannot exploit it to steal political secrets. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22834178-601,00.html State Of Typosquatting (and How Google Benefits From It) McAfee released a report on typosquatting, the act of cashing in on a users misspelling of a domain they want to visit. What typosquatters do... http://www.searchnewz.com/blog/talk/sn-6-20071127StateofTyposquattingandHowGoogleBenefitsFromIt.html Beware of typo-squatters If you ever make a mistake spelling the name of a product or a person on the Internet, you may end up at a site of a “typo-squatter” that you will regret having visited. http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage.php?autono=305743&leftnm=8&subLeft=0&chkFlg= ********************** - DOMAIN DISPUTES ********************** Bodog Patent Case Gets Technical - are domain names property to be asked in court The ongoing and acrimonious patent and domains dispute between 1st Technologies and Bodog Entertainment Group SA took a new direction last week with a novel motion filed by the Bodog legal team. The motion, filed on November 13 in the same court which ordered the confiscation of Bodog domains in a $47 million default judgement that is still being contested, asks the court to answer a question which has not yet been answered in Washington law: "Are Internet domain names considered "property" that can be subject to seizure to collect on a judgment?" http://online-casinos.com/news/news5757.asp http://allinmag.com/article.php?article=1148 http://www.pokerlistings.com/bodog-strike-back-at-patent-trolls-21049 Dell Takes Cybersquatters to Court Personal computer giant Dell Inc. is pursuing a major "cybersquatting" lawsuit against several companies that buy and sell Web site addresses, alleging that the entities earned millions of dollars from Internet traffic intended for Dell and dozens of other Fortune 500 companies. In a case quietly filed with the U.S. District Court for Southern Florida in October and unsealed last Wednesday, Dell took aim at a stable of registrars -- companies that are licensed to register and sell new domain names to the public -- allegding that they are responsible for registering and profiting off of nearly 1,100 domains that were "confusingly similar" to Dell's various trademarks. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/28/AR2007112801679.html ********************** - MISCELLANEOUS ********************** au: Domain Central Wins Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Award [news release] Domain Central has ranked 2nd in the Internet category, and 6th place overall in the Australian 2007 Deloitte Technology Fast 50 awards, achieving 1,055% per cent revenue growth over the last three years. http://www.prweb.com/releases/DomainCentralWins/DeloitteTechFast50/prweb571630.htm ********************** - AFTERMARKET ********************** Top Benelux Domains Auction Now Running Sedo is hosting a premium auction event for top Benelux domains including dames.nl, podcast.nl and lcd.nl. What’s so interesting about .nl domains? .nl is the third biggest ccTLD in Europe (after .de and .co.uk) with more than 2.500.000 registered domains. Check out the list below to see the list of domains with their respective translations. http://www.sedo.co.uk/links/showhtml.php3?Id=1594&tracked=&partnerid=&language=e Ringing in the Holidays with Cheer: Last 2007 dotMobi Premium Domain Name Online Auction with Sedo Begins Nov. 28 Third Sedo-hosted auction in 2007 series offers names for leisure and sports verticals as well as alcohol-related names like vodka.mobi, tequila.mobi and wine.mobi http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/071127/netu040.html Affiliate.us gets EUR 120,000 Bid An auction for Affiliate.us is underway after receiving a 120,000 EUR bid at Sedo. http://domainnamewire.com/2007/11/26/affiliateus-gets-eur-120000-bid/ SportingGoods.com Bowls Over the Competition to Reach Top Spot on the Weekly Domain Sales Chart A huge wave of completed sales from last month's Moniker/T.R.A.F.F.I.C. East auction were reported this week, prompting us to expand our Top 20 chart to 50 positions. SportingGoods.com fought its way through the crowded pack to reach the top spot at $450,000. That was one of 29 domains from the live/silent auction event that landed on the elite list. http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2007/domainsales11-27-07.htm ********************** INTERNET USE ********************** The digital embrace: rival British broadcasters unite to avoid fate of music industry They have traditionally scrapped for audiences, tussled over key talent and furiously briefed against one another. But Britain's biggest broadcasters united yesterday to unveil a new video-on-demand download service designed to take on the US giants, such as Apple, and the bedroom pirates alike, offering thousands of classic programmes at the touch of a button. By offering the massive online library, with everything from mainstream hits to niche interest and cult classics, the BBC's commercial arm, ITV and Channel 4 hope to help maintain their relevance in the digital age. They also hope to avoid the fate of a music industry, which was brought to its knees by piracy and left to rely on digital giants such as Apple and its iTunes service for survival. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/nov/28/television.bbc ITV, Channel 4 and BBC to launch online TV Britain’s three most popular broadcasters will next year launch a joint television over internet service in an attempt to compete with the likes of YouTube for online audiences. ITV, Channel 4 and the BBC’s commercial division are each planning to take a one-third stake in the “Freeview online” venture, and will make available current and archive programming to watch over the internet on demand. The supply of ITV and Channel 4 programmes promises to be comprehensive, although the BBC plans to keep separate programmes released in the past seven days. These will instead be released through its iPlayer software. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article2954506.ece Study: Europeans switching to mobile phones [Reuters] Almost one in five European Union households has gone wireless, cutting off their landline cables to use a mobile telephone only, a study by the EU statistical office showed on Tuesday. Eurostat said that last year 18 percent of households had mobile phone access only as subscriptions for wireless handsets soared to 95 per 100 habitants in 2005 from eight in 1996. http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1035_22-6220270.html French are Europe's top bloggers French Internet users aged between 12 and 24 are Europe's keenest bloggers, according to a study by Forrester marketing consultancy. But Swedish youngsters out-paced all others in terms of daily Internet use, with 88 percent in the 12 to 24 year age bracket consulting the web every day compared to an average 79 percent in the seven European countries researched in the third quarter this year. http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2891&iArticleId=4150795 Prospects of next generation Internet application in China Since the beginning of this century, the robust growth of broadband access technology and service has pushed the development of the Internet in China onto a fast track. By September 2007, China's Internet subscribers had grown to 172 million, with a penetration rate of 13 percent. Thanks to the open access policy adopted by the government, the number of Internet service providers has been increasing dramatically in the past few years, reaching 14,446 by June 2007, among which 9,791 are service providers based on mobile Internet. Internet-related revenue, already totalling more than 100 billion yuan, is growing by 35 percent annually. Telecom carriers are mainly engaged in providing Internet access and information service, IDC and WAP services. The size of China's Internet market amounts to approximately 30 billion yuan, or about 9 percent of the country's total telecom revenue. http://www.china.org.cn/english/China/233297.htm U.S. not up to speed on broadband The federal government's latest annual report on the availability of high-speed Internet service throughout the country contains 19 pages of detailed data -- pie charts, bar graphs, maps and column upon column of numbers and percentages. The Federal Communications Commission considers any Internet connection faster than 200 kilobits per second to be high speed, even though that's too slow to effectively watch streaming video and download large files. And if broadband service is available to one home in a ZIP Code, the FCC assumes it to be available to everyone in that area because it lacks any more detailed data. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-broadband28nov28,1,6119085.story http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-broadband28nov28,1,2389351.story News Web Sites Seek More Search Control [AP] The desire for greater control over how search engines index and display Web sites is driving an effort by leading news organizations and other publishers to revise a 13-year-old technology for restricting access. Currently, Google Inc., Yahoo Inc. and other top search companies voluntarily respect a Web site's wishes as declared in a text file known as "robots.txt," which a search engine's indexing software, called a crawler, knows to look for on a site. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SEARCH_ENGINE_ACCESS?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-11-29-00-14-28 ********************** NEW TECHNOLOGIES ********************** Nintendo, Microsoft and Philips flunk toxic test [news release] The latest edition of our quarterly Guide to Greener Electronics assesses for the first time TVs and the rapidly growing games consoles market. Nintendo completely fails to show any environmental credentials and Microsoft and Philips do little better. The Greener Electronics Guide is our way of getting the electronics industry to face up to the problem of e-waste. We want manufacturers to get rid of harmful chemicals in their products. We want to see an end to the stories of unprotected child labourers scavenging mountains of cast-off gadgets created by society's gizmo-loving ways. http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/greener-electronics-ranking-6-291107 Greenpeace Slams Microsoft, Nintendo [AP] Greenpeace gave Microsoft and Nintendo abysmal rankings Tuesday on their efforts to phase out toxic chemicals from their game consoles. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/28/1196036921013.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/11/28/1196036921013.html For Toddlers, Toy of Choice Is Tech Device Cellphones, laptops, digital cameras and MP3 music players are among the hottest gift items this year. For preschoolers. Toy makers and retailers are filling shelves with new tech devices for children ages 3 and up, and sometimes even down. They say they are catering to junior consumers who want to emulate their parents and are not satisfied with fake gadgets. Consider the “hottest toys” list on Amazon.com, which includes the Easy Link Internet Launch Pad from Fisher-Price (to help children surf on “preschool-appropriate Web sites”) and the Smart Cycle, an exercise bike connected to a video game. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/29/technology/29techtoys.html ********************** SPAM ********************** Spam Kings: Book Review (Part 1&2) by Terry Zink A few months ago, Terry Zink purchased the book Spam Kings, but only recently managed to get around to reading and finishing it. In case you've never read it, it chronicles the stories of some spammers and the anti-spammers who fought them. These anti-spammers are not people like myself in industry; rather, they are users who have received spam who hunt down the source of the spam and work to bring them down. http://www.circleid.com/posts/711269_spam_kings_book_review_1/ part 1 http://www.circleid.com/posts/711269_spam_kings_book_review_2/ part 2 Spammers Giving Up? Google Thinks So Bill Gates was wildly optimistic when he said in 2004 that the problem of spam would be "solved" by 2006. The volume of junk e-mail transmitted worldwide is still enormous. But a remarkable trend is underfoot, according to Brad Taylor, a staff software engineer at Google: The number of spam attempts -- that is, the number of junk messages sent out by spammers -- is flat, and may even be declining for the first time in years. Google won't disclose numbers, but the company says that spam attempts, as a percentage of e-mail that's transmitted through its Gmail system, have waned over the last year. That could indicate that some spammers have gotten discouraged and have stopped trying to get through Google’s spam filters. http://www.wired.com/techbiz/it/news/2007/11/google_spam ********************** DIGITAL DIVIDE ********************** Politics 'stifling $100 laptop' A lack of "big thinking" by politicians has stifled a scheme to distribute laptops to children in the developing world, a spokesman has said. Walter Bender of One Laptop per Child (OLPC) said politicians were unwilling to commit because "change equals risk". But, he said, there needed to be a "dramatic change" because education in many countries was "failing" children. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7094695.stm ************************** ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL ************************** Global hackers threaten net security in cyber warfare aimed at top targets A "cyber cold war" is developing as international web espionage and cyber-attacks become the biggest threats to internet security, according to a report. The computer security firm McAfee said governments and government-allied groups were engaging in increasingly sophisticated cyber spying, with many attacks originating from China. Some 120 countries could be developing the capacity for such activities. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2007/nov/29/hacking.news Online criminals targeting networking sites: expert Law enforcement officers from around the world are in Canberra to discuss the rising tide of online crime. The Australian Federal Police are hosting the forum on 'tech' crime examining issues from identity theft to large scale service denial and extortion. The head of the Australian High Tech Crime Centre says online crime is on the rise with people becoming more careless with their personal details. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/28/2103966.htm nz: Worldwide web of intrigue America's crime hunters, the FBI, are on a worldwide computer-crime chase that has brought them to New Zealand. They are looking for a hacker who has headed up a global group using other people's computers as a vehicle for cyber crime. Since June last year, the group is thought to have attacked more than a million computers, ripping off victims to the tune of nearly $20 million. http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/1467807 ************************** PRIVACY ************************** Private email is not always hush hush by Michael Geist This past September, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency launched "Operation Raw Deal," an initiative that targeted people purchasing raw steroid materials through the Internet from China and repackaging the steroids as drugs for domestic sale. Tyler Strumbo, a 23-year-old California resident, was among the 124 people arrested. http://www.thestar.com/columnists/article/279786 http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/2410/159/ ********************** CENSORSHIP ********************** ir: Asking the Persians to roll out the red carpet Nigel Chapman, director of the BBC World Service, travelled this month to the annual Asian Broadcasting Union Conference in Tehran. It was a rare chance to meet key advisers in the Iranian government and discuss the arrival in 2008 of the BBC's Persian TV service http://news.independent.co.uk/media/article3194273.ece ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ us: Anguish for mother of suicide girl as 'cyber-tormentor' escapes the law A small US town is up in arms after a mother used MySpace to victimise her daughter's friend: Police rarely need to patrol the small suburban town of Dardenne Prairie, Missouri. Its affluent residents are mainly law-abiding professionals whose children play safely behind the picket fences of smart houses in upmarket roads. 'Small and quaint' is how it describes itself. http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,2216603,00.html us: Internet hoax that turned fatal draws anger but no charges Megan Meier died believing that somewhere in this world lived a boy named Josh Evans who hated her. He was 16, owned a pet snake, and she thought he was the cutest boyfriend she ever had. Josh contacted Megan through her page on MySpace.com, the social networking Web site, said Megan's mother, Tina Meier. They flirted for weeks, but only online — Josh said his family had no phone. On Oct. 15, 2006, Josh suddenly turned mean. He called Megan names, and later they traded insults for an hour. http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/11/28/america/28hoax.php au: Man pleads guilty to YouTube school threat A 30-year-old man has pleaded guilty to making a threat against a western Sydney high school on the YouTube video sharing website. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/27/2102721.htm Cyberbullying on the Rise As many as one in three U.S. children have been ridiculed or threatened through computer messages, according to one estimate of the emerging problem of cyberbullying. Another new study found the problem is less common, with one in 10 kids reporting online harassment. But health experts said even the lower estimate signals a growing and concerning public health issue. http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1688432,00.html New studies show cyberbullying among US children is on the rise, but mostly mild [AP] As many as one in three U.S. children have been ridiculed or threatened through computer messages, according to one estimate of the emerging problem of cyberbullying. Another new study found the problem is less common, with one in 10 kids reporting online harassment. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/11/28/1196036939348.html http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/11/28/1196036939348.html Teens take bullying to the Internet, study finds [Reuters] Hateful text messages, abusive e-mails and cyber-gossip are giving bullies new power over their victims -- even in the supposed safety of their own homes, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKN2750833620071127 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/6/story.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10478835 http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/1318360/1465810 http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22840745-1702,00.html http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6220495.html In child pornography, fight harder [AP] Millions of children around the world are being sexually abused and molested. Billions of dollars are changing hands as part of a growing crime wave of child pornography. This is anything but a victimless crime. Children -- some as young as infants -- are being barbarically assaulted for the sexual gratification of their abusers and those who view their photos. http://news.guelphmercury.com/Opinions/article/265613 ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** uk: Summit to tackle high speed broadband access in the UK [news release] Key telecom figures from around the UK were yesterday brought together for a broadband summit chaired by Competitiveness Minister Stephen Timms, aimed at moving forward the debate on rolling out ultra fast broadband in the UK. http://www.gnn.gov.uk/environment/fullDetail.asp?ReleaseID=333772&NewsAreaID=2&NavigatedFromDepartment=True ********************** TELECOMMUNICATIONS ********************** au: Labor flags telecoms shake-up LABOR will move within a week to reconstitute a panel of experts to review Australia's telecommunications industry and structure. http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,22823424-15306,00.html nz: Telecom's rivals deride split plan Telecom has less than two weeks to present a final operational separation plan to the Government after its draft plan was derided by an industry advocacy group as "death by a thousand cuts". http://www.stuff.co.nz/4288779a13.html Additional NZ undersea cable essential - InternetNZ [news release] InternetNZ (the Internet Society of New Zealand Inc) welcomes the announcement by the Minister of Communications David Cunliffe that the Government will look at subsidising an undersea fibre optic cable to provide additional international connectivity for New Zealand. http://www.internetnz.net.nz/media/mediareleases/underseacable EU telecom lobby group blasts regulatory laggards [IDG] Poland, the Czech Republic, Greece, and Belgium have the worst telecommunications regulators in Europe, according to a study carried out for the European Competitive Telecom Association (ECTA), an industry group that promotes the interests of new entrants into the market. http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/11/28/EU-telecom-lobby-group-blasts-regulatory-laggards_1.html ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** Spanish woman seeking baby info breaks child porn ring [Reuters] A woman who stumbled on evidence of child abuse while looking for information about babies on the Internet helped Spanish police break a child pornography ring. Police made 13 arrests in different parts of Spain after detecting thousands of images of child pornography following the woman's tip-off, the interior ministry said Tuesday. The woman called police after she found files with names suggesting pedophilia on an Internet file-sharing site. Investigators discovered that the files contained images of two adults sexually abusing a child. http://news.zdnet.com/2110-9588_22-6220265.html http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10478851 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Sources include Quicklinks <http://qlinks.net/> and BNA Internet Law News <http://www.bna.com/ilaw/>. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ (c) David Goldstein 2007 --------- David Goldstein address: 4/3 Abbott Street COOGEE NSW 2034 AUSTRALIA email: Goldstein_David @yahoo.com.au phone: +61 418 228 605 (mobile); +61 2 9665 5773 (home) "Every time you use fossil fuels, you're adding to the problem. Every time you forgo fossil fuels, you're being part of the solution" - Dr Tim Flannery Make the switch to the world's best email. Get the new Yahoo!7 Mail now. www.yahoo7.com.au/worldsbestemail --------------------------------------------------------------------------- List policy, unsubscribing and archives => http://dotau.org/
