general internet news - 29 June

[David Goldstein <goldstein_david@yahoo.com.au>]

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us: Online Effort Is Planned Against Child Pornography
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/27/technology/27porn.html
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6088259.html

nz: Mobile watershed dropped
http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3711099a28,00.html

nz: Kiwi Telecom to split retail and wholesale
operations
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/06/27/telecom_nz/

uk: Child porn convictions to be reported to banks
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/06/27/child_convictions_passed_to_banks/

ca: Big Brother watching you surf?
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060627.gtsecurity0627/BNStory/Technology/home

uk: Child porn control goes too far, says privacy
chief
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/06/28/child_convictions_passed_to_banks/
http://www.out-law.com/default.aspx?page=7042

us: Lawmakers to Tackle Online Child Porn
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CONGRESS_CHILD_PORN
http://news.com.com/Congress+mulls+slew+of+Net-sex+rules/2100-1028_3-6088627.html

Spam once again on the rise
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9001482

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CENSORSHIP, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
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us: Online Effort Is Planned Against Child Pornography
In the face of government pressure, a group of
Internet companies is undertaking a cooperative effort
to help combat child pornography online.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/27/technology/27porn.html
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6088259.html
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/INTERNET_CHILD_PORN
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/business/technology/14909235.htm
http://go.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=12654785
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/INTERNET_CHILD_PORN
http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,19615452%5e16123%5e%5enbv%5e,00.html
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/06/28/isps_illegal_image_crackdown/

au: Long wait for porn filters
IT will be six months before families can obtain a
free filter to block offensive material on home
computers. The technology is, however, available at
cost price from internet service providers under an
existing child protection scheme.
http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,19600685%5e16123%5e%5enbv%5e,00.html

nz: Mobile watershed dropped
The Telecommunications Carriers Forum has approved a
content code for mobile carriers, but without a
controversial proposal to allow mobile companies to
show restricted content after a "watershed" time, as
applies to TV broadcasts.
http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3711099a28,00.html

China caught up by net nasties
THE internet is becoming the new area in Chinese life
in which emotion has comparatively free rein. It is
the battleground for ideas, information and morality.
It is potentially the nation's conscience, as well as
reflecting its dark side.
http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,19584256%5e16681%5e%5enbv%5e,00.html

uk: 14 fired as porn goes viral at DVLA
Up to 115 employees at the Driver and Vehicle
Licensing Agency (DVLA) have been disciplined over the
sending of pornographic emails. The government body
has dismissed 14 of those people.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/06/26/dvla_email_smut_affair/

eg: Court Upholds Government's Right to Block
Opposition Websites
Reporters Without Borders has condemned a ruling by an
administrative court attached to Egypt's council of
state upholding an information and communication
ministry decision in mid June 2006 that the
authorities can block, suspend or shut down any
website liable to pose a threat to national security.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200606270903.html
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=18136

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CYBERCRIME, CYBERSECURITY AND PRIVACY
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uk: Child porn convictions to be reported to banks
Police will be able to pass details of child
pornography offenders on to banks so that offenders'
credit cards can be revoked.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/06/27/child_convictions_passed_to_banks/
http://www.out-law.com/page-7039

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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
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ca: Big Brother watching you surf?
One of Canada's largest Internet service providers is
warning its customers that Big Brother is lurking
on-line, with the federal government expected to
revive an Internet surveillance bill. If the
legislation is reintroduced, it could allow police
unfettered access to personal information without a
warrant, experts warn.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060627.gtsecurity0627/BNStory/Technology/home

uk: Child porn control goes too far, says privacy
chief
The Information Commissioner advised the Home Office
against a key measure of its recent Data Protection
Act amendment giving banks the power to administer an
account without the knowledge of the account holders.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/06/28/child_convictions_passed_to_banks/
http://www.out-law.com/default.aspx?page=7042

us: Lawmakers to Tackle Online Child Porn
Internet providers told Congress on Tuesday they're
doing all they can to combat online child pornography,
but they were told to expect legislation.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CONGRESS_CHILD_PORN
http://news.com.com/Congress+mulls+slew+of+Net-sex+rules/2100-1028_3-6088627.html
http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060628/NEWS/606280421

us: Congress mulls slew of Net-sex rules
When it comes to topics conducive to political
speechifying, few compare to the volatile mix of the
Internet, sex and children. At a hearing before the
House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Oversight
and Investigations, politicians served up a dizzying
slew of suggestions about what kind of new federal
laws should be enacted.
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6088627.html

us: State governments push for Net neutrality laws
As a U.S. Senate panel prepares for a vote on Net
neutrality legislation this week, state attorneys
general in New York and California are joining
Internet companies in saying that network operators
must not be permitted to prioritize certain broadband
content and services.
http://news.com.com/State+governments+push+for+Net+neutrality+laws/2100-1028_3-6088164.html

An Internet for the few or the many?
Michael Copps has a message for the technology
industry when it comes to Net neutrality: Get
involved. Copps, a Democratic commissioner in the
Republican-controlled Federal Communications
Commission since May 2001, recently urged an audience
of technology executives to participate in the
political process and public debate on preserving the
Internet's freedom and diversity. That hallmark of the
Internet, many say, could be jeopardized by operators
seeking to control distribution and content, meaning
the Net could quickly be dominated by the interests of
only a few media giants in this country.
http://news.com.com/An+Internet+for+the+few+or+the+many/2008-1028_3-6088206.html

cn: Bill would step up censorship during crises
Under a proposed new law, news media would face fines
of 50,000 to 100,000 yuan (5,000 to 10,000 euros) for
publishing unauthorised information about epidemics or
industrial accidents. These provisions will be new
instruments of censorship, Reporters Without Borders
warns.
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=18129

*****
SPAM
*****
Spam once again on the rise
Spam is again on the rise, led by a flood of junk
images that spammers have crafted over the past few
months to trick e-mail filters, according to security
vendors.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9001482

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INTERNET & NEW TECHNOLOGY USE
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uk: Texting levels reach record high
The number of texts sent by UK mobile phone users
rises again - reaching a record 3.3 billion in May.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5117656.stm
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/06/26/uk_sms_record/

uk: UK mobile phone users can now access Google news
and email
British mobile phone users can access Google's news
and email services using their handsets and
personalise their own mobile version of the search
engine's homepage, as the American company pushes ever
further into the mobile internet.
http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1806841,00.html

eu: Europe to look at cost of sending text messages
The European Commission is planning to review rules
governing telecoms and is likely to introduce tougher
regulation for text message pricing
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,20409-2240951,00.html

au: Social isolation linked to web
The internet may be contributing to a long term
decline in the social networks in the US, according to
to a study that reveals fewer close ties are now
shared with family and friends than twenty years ago.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/web/social-isolation-linked-to-web/2006/06/26/1151174125631.html

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COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS
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French Google Earth rival crashes and burns
A French alternative to Google Earth - offering hi-res
coverage of the entire country - went into meltdown
last Friday shortly after its launch and is still
unavailable due to a stampede of punters eager to
avail themselves of the free service.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/06/26/geoportail_shut/
http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,19590255%5e16123%5e%5enbv%5e,00.html

PC users 'want greener machines'
Consumers say they are willing to pay extra for
computers that contain fewer chemicals, research
shows.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5107642.stm

eu: Microsoft faces ?2 million daily fine
EU antitrust authorities plan to recommend that
Microsoft pay as much as ?2 million for every day that
it failed to disclose information about Windows to its
competitors.
http://iht.com/articles/2006/06/26/yourmoney/msft.php

au: Broadband in Australia - Enter the fast lane
Much has been made of Australia's woeful performance
in broadband in terms of population penetration and
average speed compared with other countries. Less
considered is the effect that faster broadband will
have on companies and industries, and what might
happen if it arrives here sooner than expected. As
BRW's news editor, Stuart Washington, writes in this
week's Cover Story: "Australia is on the edge of a
broadband shift that will shake industries to their
foundations ... It is clear that most Australian
households will have access to reasonably cheap
high-speed broadband within months rather than years."
http://brw.com.au/freearticle.aspx?relId=20178

Google online pay service to test this week
Internet search engine Google Inc. is set to introduce
a test version of its online-payment service as early
as this week, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing
people briefed on the situation.
http://go.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=12655981

Tech start-ups don't grow on trees outside USA
Countries on every continent want to conjure the
entrepreneurial magic of Silicon Valley. Why is it so
tough for start-ups from Sydney to Finland?
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/world/2006-06-27-silicon-culture_x.htm

Google ready to test rival to Ebay?s Paypal
Shares in Ebay fell almost 5 per cent amid speculation
that Google, the world?s biggest search engine group,
is set to unveil a test version of an online payment
system to rival PayPal, the online auction site?s
lucrative payment system.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/8932190a-0607-11db-9dde-0000779e2340.html
http://go.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=12666426

Nokia plans new mobile TV trial
Mobile handset maker Nokia said on Wednesday it would
launch a commercial mobile TV trial with radio and TV
operator Teracom in Sweden later this year.
http://go.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=12672248

W3C issues mobile web development guidelines
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), which includes
some of the world's top mobile and internet players,
wants to make it as easy to use the Web on a mobile
device as on a desktop computer. Today, W3C, claims to
have brought that mission one step closer with the
publication of a document called Mobile Web Best
Practices a Candidate Recommendation, a set of
guidelines for developing applications on mobile
phones.
http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/4784/53/

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS
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nz: Kiwi Telecom to split retail and wholesale
operations
Telecom New Zealand (Telecom) has announced plans to
create an "independent wholesale operation" in a bid
to promote telecoms competition.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/06/27/telecom_nz/
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=3&ObjectID=10388664
http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/4771/127/

au: Mixed signals from 3G survey
More Australians are becoming aware of third
generation or 3G mobile phone technology, but fewer
are considering using it.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/mobiles--handhelds/mixed-signals-from-3g-survey/2006/06/28/1151174247827.html

uk/eu: Convergence, IP telephony markets see big
growth
UK convergence and IP telephony resellers grew 23 per
cent last year, more than double the growth rate
achieved by the sector as a whole, reports IT Europa.
http://dmeurope.com/default.asp?ArticleID=16295

sg: Mobile content and digital lifestyle applications
take centre stage at region's largest tech show
Convergence has brought together a showcase of
overlapping technologies between the media,
telecommunications and IT industries at CommunicAsia,
EnterpriseIT and BroadcastAsia.
http://www.phonecontent.com/bm/news/gnews/1513.shtml

us: IPTV, Youth Market Key Drivers for Telecoms
The competitive gap to offer video services is
closing, according to the third annual survey of
GLOBALCOMM 2006 attendees by Tellabs and Telephony
magazine. More than half of respondents said that
telecommunications service providers will emerge as
competitors to cable companies in video services
within a year. This time frame narrowed from last
year's results, where 54 percent felt the gap would
close in less than three years.
http://www.wirelessiq.com/content/newsfeed/7581.html

us: Next-Generation Internet Not Guaranteed
If Congress and other lawmakers decide to treat the
Internet like telecommunications by passing net
neutrality regulations, disallowing the reform of
barriers to entry in cable and allowing for
government-run muni WiFi, then Netizens should brace
for the worst. The Internet, as we know it, will be
over.
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/51297.html

Microsoft to outline telecommunications plan
Microsoft planned to offer yesterday a strategy
describing how it intends to transform the
telecommunications world in much the same way it
changed the computing world in the 1980s.
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/worldbiz/archives/2006/06/27/2003315967

*****
VoIP
*****
au: VoIP needs in-house staff, warns school
Melbourne Grammar School's (MGS) IT director has
warned organisations examining Voice over Internet
Protocol (VoIP) telephony not to underestimate the
value of allocating in-house staff to the project.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/VoIP_needs_in_house_staff_warns_school/0,2000061791,39261328,00.htm

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ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN
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us: Child porn case stuns courtroom
The explanations by a Danville man convicted of
possessing child pornography ?stunned? a circuit
judge.
http://registerbee.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=DRB/MGArticle/DRB_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149188792888

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(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


		
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