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[APPLe list] general internet news - May 22
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Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
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OECD Report: 235m broadband subscribers in OECD countries; Up 18% in 2007; More work to be done [news release]
http://www.oecd.org/document/54/0,3343,en_2649_34225_39575670_1_1_1_1,00.html
The internet revolution: adapt or get left behind
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article3952518.ece
Connected Aussies spend more time online than watching TV
http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;614216176
Broadband Kiwis spend 22 hours a week online
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/netw/F537CFD8F158A33ECC25744F0019D33A
us: Court: Don't blame MySpace for offline sexual assault
http://www.news.com/8301-13577_3-9947452-36.html
Most Spam Sites Tied to a Handful of Registrars
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2008/05/most_spam_sites_tied_to_a_hand_1.html
Mobile web will split world in two
http://www.vnunet.com/computing/news/2217208/mobile-web-split-two-4012479
Fears of UK digital divide groundless as online access soars in rural areas
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/may/22/internet.digitalmedia
FBI warns of e-mail scams offering to help Chinese quake victims
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9087818
Tracking Hate 2.0 on the Web
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/20/tracking-hate-20-on-the-web/index.html
38 in U.S., Romania charged in phishing schemes [IDG]
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9086678
BitTorrent tracker Mininova faces legal action
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/05/19/mininova_faces_legal_action/
Hamas bans pornographic websites in Gaza Strip
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKL1920867720080519
Chinese officials net online earthquake rumour-mongers
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23718898-25837,00.html
Chinese bloggers get free rein as earthquake slows censors
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9087278
Cisco denies aiding Chinese censorship
http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1451235143
US Supreme Court Upholds Child Pornography Law
http://nytimes.com/2008/05/20/washington/20scotus.html
uk: Net downloads to get age ratings
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7412336.stm
Senator Lieberman Wants Terrorist Videos Removed From YouTube
http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/google/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207801148
Google may be Yahoo's white knight
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/may/20/yahoo.yahoo
Google Says It Will Defend Competitive Rationale of a Yahoo Deal
http://nytimes.com/2008/05/22/technology/22google.html
VoIP joins cellular in eating away at telecom landlines
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080520-voip-joins-cellular-in-eating-away-at-telecom-landlines.html
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RESEARCH PAPERS
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OECD Report: 235m broadband subscribers in OECD countries; Up 18% in 2007; More work to be done [news release]
The number of broadband subscriber in the OECD reached 235 million by December 2007, an increase of 18% from 200 million subscribers in December 2006. This growth increased broadband penetration rates to 20.0 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants up from 16.9 in December 2006. Denmark, the Netherlands, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, Finland, Korea and Sweden lead the OECD with broadband penetration well above the OECD average, each surpassing the 30 subscribers per 100 inhabitants threshold.
http://www.oecd.org/document/54/0,3343,en_2649_34225_39575670_1_1_1_1,00.html
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INTERNET USE
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Andrew Keen on New Media: I came to bury journalists but in the end I could only praise them
Rather than marching for international brotherhood, I celebrated a belated May Day this year by burying journalists. Fortunately, the dead hacks were all imaginary. I came to London for the Unesco World Press Freedom Day debate "Is New Media Killing Journalism?" And I drew the short straw. Unesco handed me the spade. It was my job to argue that the internet is killing journalists.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/andrew-keen-on-new-media-830552.html
The internet revolution: adapt or get left behind
Firms that ignore the rapid changes in the way business is done today risk their very survival: An economic revolution is under way, as profound and irreversible as the industrial transformation of the 18th and 19th centuries. The driver of this change is the internet.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article3952518.ece
au: Net starts to overtake TV
A new survey of internet consumer trends has revealed that people with broadband connections spend more time on the net than watching television.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/05/21/2251210.htm
Connected Aussies spend more time online than watching TV
Australians are spending more time accessing media on the Internet than they are watching television or movies, according to a study of more than 850 broadband users.
http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;614216176
Kiwis among world's biggest internet addicts
New Zealand broadband users are right up with the most internet-addicted nations in the world, spending on average 22 hours per week online, according to a new survey.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10511500
Broadband Kiwis spend 22 hours a week online
New Zealand broadband users are right up there with the most internet addicted nations in the world, spending on average 22 hours a week online.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/netw/F537CFD8F158A33ECC25744F0019D33A
NZ inches up OECD broadband rankings
New Zealand has climbed one place to 19th in the latest OECD broadband, or high-speed internet, rankings.
http://stuff.co.nz/4554751a13.html
U.S. Broadband Penetration, Speeds Lag Behind Other Countries
The United States ranked 15th out of 30 countries for broadband penetration at the end of last year, slipping from 12th place in 2006, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/services/data/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207801621
au: Players, families caught in vicious web
THE mother of an AFL player with depression last night lashed out at the viciousness of internet fan forums. "Donna", the mum of a player at a Melbourne-based club, believes the forums contribute to her son's depression.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23738794-19742,00.html
au: Players cop a blogging
AFL players have been banned from scouring fan websites, for fear the vicious player appraisals could lead to depression. At one club, support staff also have been threatened with the sack if they are caught blogging or leaking valuable information to the websites.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23732964-19742,00.html
Google Offers Personal Health Records on the Web
After a year and half of development, Google began offering online personal health records to the public on Monday. The Internet search giant’s service, Google Health, at google.com/health, is the latest entrant in the growing field of companies offering personal health records on the Web. Their ranks range from longtime online health services like WebMD to the software powerhouse Microsoft to start-ups like Revolution Health.
http://nytimes.com/2008/05/20/technology/20google.html
Online Search Ads Faring Better Than Expensive Displays
In the past few years, Web publishers have made a big bet on booming online advertising revenues. But the economic slowdown may be throwing a wrench into those plans.
http://nytimes.com/2008/05/19/technology/19online.html
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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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us: Court: Don't blame MySpace for offline sexual assault
MySpace can breathe a little easier. A federal appeals court ruled last week that the News Corp.-owned social network can't be held responsible for the sexual assault of an Austin, Texas, teen by a man she met on the site.
http://www.news.com/8301-13577_3-9947452-36.html
Group says MySpace cyber-bully prosecution goes too far [IDG]
A US digital advocacy group has blasted the federal government's prosecution of a Missouri woman whose fake MySpace profile allegedly drove a 13-year-old neighbor to suicide.
http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1366972404
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,146069-c,businesscenter/article.html
Viral warfare: YouTube battleground for the US election
This is America's first YouTube election. Since the Orwellian anti-Hillary advert Vote Different appeared online in March 2007, the site has become a vibrant new political battleground, where candidates' images are cheerfully reshaped via spoofs, sketches and songs. Ideas, not campaign dollars, are the crucial currency. One major downside to this innovation if you're a presidential candidate: your every gaffe will be recorded, remixed and rewatched for months to come. One upside: you don't have to generate your own campaign songs any more.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/may/19/youtube.uselections2008
Ads blow for social networking sites
The failure of websites such as Facebook and MySpace to translate their global popularity into ad revenue has led one research company to downgrade ad spend forecasts for the social networking sector by around £250m by 2011.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/may/21/facebook.myspace
uk: Social networking site bans the over 36s in sex offender claims
A social networking site has deleted most of its users over the age of 36 because it claims older users pose a danger of sex offending. It claims to be forced into the action by the Government, but the part of a law it cites is not yet in force.
http://out-law.com/page-9136
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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
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Mobiles linked to hyperactivity in kids [AAP]
A study linking mobile phone use in pregnancy to behavioural problems in children has been dismissed as inconclusive by the industry in Australia.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/080520/2/16xeg.html
http://stuff.co.nz/4553757a28.html
Most telecom services resume in China's quake-hit areas
Telecom services in most of the worst-hit counties and towns in Sichuan province resumed operation yesterday but networks in many villages remained paralyzed due to bad weather and road blockages.
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/6414156.html
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-05/20/content_6697522.htm
WCIT 2008: Rebirth of the digital age
ICT (information and communications technology) has the potential to bring about a rebirth of the digital age, according to Witsa secretary-general Dr Jim Poisant. But to actually deliver on that potential, he called on the ICT industry, governments and citizens to address what he said are four key issues and challenges.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/5/19/nation/20080519193035&sec=nation
Dutch government bans electronic voting By: Andreas Udo de Haes
The government of the Netherlands has banned electronic voting machines from future elections because of a risk of eavesdropping. The nation will return to paper voting.
http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;676756603
Your Future Web Life
Feel overwhelmed by the firehose of data that the Internet delivers to your personal computer every day? Get ready for more. Anywhere. Anytime.
http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/05/20/mobile-internet-devices-tech-wire-cx_ew_0520mobile.html
US lifts Cuba mobile phone ban
US President George W Bush has said Americans will soon be allowed to send mobile phones to relatives in Cuba.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7413300.stm
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SPAM
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Most Spam Sites Tied to a Handful of Registrars
New research suggests that more than three quarters of all Web sites advertised through spam are clustered at just 10 domain name registrars. The data comes from millions of junk messages collected over the past year by Knujon ("no junk" spelled backwards and pronounced "new john"), an anti-spam outfit that works by convincing registrars to dismantle spam sites.
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2008/05/most_spam_sites_tied_to_a_hand_1.html
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DIGITAL DIVIDE
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Mobile web will split world in two
Businesses may be forced to deal with two separate tiers of mobile internet, as the technology gap between developing and developed countries grows.
http://www.vnunet.com/computing/news/2217208/mobile-web-split-two-4012479
Fears of UK digital divide groundless as online access soars in rural areas
A hunger for online shopping, internet banking, online entertainment and email has given rural Britain the lead in the race to install broadband, with the number of homes with high-speed connections in isolated areas overtaking those in urban areas for the first time.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/may/22/internet.digitalmedia
Rural homes dominate broadband UK
Rural households are now more likely to have a broadband connection than residents of towns, says Ofcom.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7413244.stm
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ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
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uk: 'Big Brother' database for phones and e-mails
A massive government database holding details of every phone call, e-mail and time spent on the internet by the public is being planned as part of the fight against crime and terrorism. ISPs and telecoms companies would hand over the records to the Home Office under plans put forward by officials.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/telecoms/article3965033.ece
uk: Alarm at plan for central store of telecoms records
A government database holding details of every phone call made, email sent and minute spent on the internet by the public could be created as part of a centralised fight against crime and terrorism, it emerged today.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/may/20/justice.privacy
Criticism for 'UK database' plan
Plans for a super-database containing the details of all phone calls and e-mails sent in the UK have been heavily criticised by experts.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7410885.stm
FBI warns of e-mail scams offering to help Chinese quake victims
The FBI is warning Americans looking to send donations in the aftermath of the massive May 12 earthquake in China to beware of a rising number of e-mail scams that tout "relief" efforts.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9087818
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/052108-fbi-warns-of-china-earthquake.html
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,146160-c,security/article.html
Scam Emails Seek Donations to Help Chinese Earthquake Victims [news release]
The FBI is asking people to beware of emails claiming to be raising money to help the victims of the recent earthquake in China. Tragic incidents such as 9/11, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Minnesota Bridge collapse, and the Virginia Tech shootings have all prompted individuals with criminal intent to solicit contributions for a charitable organization and/or a good cause. Some of the Chinese earthquake scam message claim to be offering free vacation trips to the largest donors and even use fake logos of legitimate online pay services to fool people.
http://ic3.gov/media/2008/080520.htm
Tracking Hate 2.0 on the Web
The Internet is seeing a stark rise in the number of hate and terror sites and Web postings, according to a Congressional briefing last week entitled “Hate in the Information Age.”
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/20/tracking-hate-20-on-the-web/index.html
Report sees 'Hate 2.0' on the rise
No, we're not talking about vile blog commenters. A Jewish human rights group, the Simon Wiesenthal Center, released a report last week that says online terror and hate is on the rise, particularly on social-media sites.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-9949275-36.html
au: Online users lack security skills: AusCERT
A first-time survey of ordinary users' online behaviour has revealed dangerous misunderstandings about internet safety and a lack of security skills that results in one in five home computers being infected by malicious software.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23722872-15306,00.html
38 in U.S., Romania charged in phishing schemes [IDG]
Thirty-eight people in the U.S. and Romania have been charged in two federal indictments alleging that they used complicated Internet phishing schemes to steal thousands of credit and debit card numbers, U.S. and Romanian authorities said today.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9086678
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,146050-c,security/article.html
38 charged in international phishing scheme [AP]
Thirty-eight people were charged Monday with stealing names, Social Security numbers, credit card data and other personal information from unsuspecting Internet users as part of a global crime ring.
http://iht.com/articles/2008/05/19/technology/webphish.php
http://www.thestate.com/technology-wire/story/409595.html
DOJ Busts Up Global Phishing Ring, Charges 38
Law enforcement authorities in two countries on Monday charged 38 people in the U.S. and Romania with taking part in two different phishing-related fraud schemes that authorities say were tied to organized crime worldwide.
http://ecommercetimes.com/story/63065.html
38 Individuals in U.S. and Romania Charged in Two Related Cases of Computer Fraud Involving International Organized Crime [news release]
Thirty-eight individuals with ties to international organized crime have been charged in two separate indictments involving computer and credit card fraud schemes, Deputy Attorney General Mark R. Filip, Romanian Prosecutor General Laura Codruþa Kövesi, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Thomas P. O’Brien and Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut Nora R. Dannehy announced today. The Deputy Attorney General made the announcement with the Romanian Prosecutor General to highlight the extensive and continued cooperation between the two countries in addressing these types of international crimes. The announcement comes less than one month after U.S. Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey announced the Department’s new Law Enforcement Strategy to Combat International Organized Crime.
http://justice.gov/opa/pr/2008/May/08_odag_434.html
NZ ranks second in world for hacking
According to a study by internet security company TippingPoint, hack attacks in New Zealand are second only to the UK.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/2BF1474B3E55F938CC25744F0079C53B
Questions raised about NZ hacking study [NZPA]
A recent study which said New Zealand was the second-most "hacked" country in the world has come under fire from computer users.
http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/4555699a28.html
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10511706
Victims turn vigilante in hunt for eBay conmen
The world of online auctions is becoming as notorious as the Wild West. Unscrupulous thieves con innocent buyers and the authorities seem powerless to intervene.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3944813.ece
Canberra moves into global cyber-law net
AUSTRALIA is considering its position on the Council of Europe's Convention on Cybercrime.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23725136-15306,00.html
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PRIVACY
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us: FTC Wants to Know What Big Brother Knows About You
... The growing practice of "behavioral targeting," or sending ads to online users based on their Internet habits, is now under scrutiny by the Federal Trade Commission, whose review could shape not only Web advertising rules but the character of the Web itself.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/21/AR2008052102989.html
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ONLINE TV & MUSIC
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The great British tradition of media piracy - from music radio to online music
... As a society we've allowed the pirates to stay in business because enough of us recognise they add an extraordinary amount of value to British culture in a way mainstream commercial radio simply cannot. It's sad to see us punishing some of our greatest pirates today, instead of figuring out how to compete with them. When file-sharing site OiNK, arguably one of the finest repositories of recorded music ever assembled, had its Teesside HQ raided last October, we lost a great site that should have somehow been allowed to exist legally. People are consuming music in a new way that is adding value to their lives (which is why OiNK was replaced about five minutes later), and adding value to every other part of the music business. Outside of the business of selling people CDs, every other part of the music business is growing because today music, as David Bowie put it, flows like water.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/the-great-british--tradition-of-media-piracy-830551.html
BitTorrent tracker Mininova faces legal action
Dutch anti-piracy body BREIN says it will ask a judge to halt all activities of Dutch BitTorrent-tracker Mininova, which draws over 30 million unique visitors and five billion downloads a month.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/05/19/mininova_faces_legal_action/
BBC iPlayer hits 75 million downloads
The BBC iPlayer online on demand TV service has hit 75 million in streamed or downloaded programmes since it launched last year.
http://networks.silicon.com/webwatch/0,39024667,39226413,00.htm
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CENSORSHIP
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af: I was tortured to confess, Pervez tells appeal court
Pervez Kambaksh, the Afghan student sentenced to death after being accused of downloading internet reports on women's rights, yesterday pleaded innocent to charges of blasphemy. He told an appeal court in Kabul that he had been tortured into confessing.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/i-was-tortured-to-confess-pervez-tells-appeal-court-830587.html
Hamas bans pornographic websites in Gaza Strip
Islamist group Hamas has told the main Palestinian telecoms company to block access to pornographic Internet sites in the Gaza Strip, a Hamas government official said on Monday.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKL1920867720080519
Hamas to Censor Internet Sites in Gaza
The Hamas-run Telecommunications Ministry will start blocking Web sites deemed unfit according to Islamic rules, said Ihab al-Hussain, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry in Gaza, adding that the plan went into effect last week.
http://www.palestine-pmc.com/details.asp?cat=1&id=1721
Chinese officials net online earthquake rumour-mongers
Dozens of people have been detained all over China in the past few days for spreading dangerous rumours following the Sichuan earthquake - most of them apprehended by the "net police".
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23718898-25837,00.html
Voices of Dissent - Censorship Chinese Style: ABC TV 4 Corners
Olympics organisers have hit the home straight in full stride. Games venues are getting their final touches. Beijing's stunning "bird’s nest" stadium has been unveiled to international acclaim. Hundreds of thousands of volunteers wait impatiently as the torch teasingly approaches. With about 80 days to go, China is seizing its chance to showcase the Olympics - and its own economic marvel - to the world. Nothing can quell the excitement or spoil the nation's finest hour… not even the horrific earthquake in China's southwest – and certainly not a small group of activists for human rights. This programme also available for viewing from:
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2008/s2246032.htm
Chinese bloggers get free rein as earthquake slows censors
Chinese blogger Paul Denlinger noted in his blog Monday that for the first time ever, Chinese flags are lowered to half mast to commemorate the loss of ordinary citizens. The flags have been lowered for the tens of thousands of victims of last week's earthquake during a three-day national mourning period that ends on Wednesday.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9087278
Cisco File Raises Censorship Concerns in China
Cisco Systems, seeking to penetrate the Chinese market, prepared an internal marketing presentation in which it appeared to be willing to assist the Chinese Ministry of Public Security in its goal of "combating Falun Gong evil cult and other hostile elements," according to a translation of a document obtained by congressional investigators.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/19/AR2008051902661.html
Cisco denies aiding Chinese censorship
Cisco this week denied allegations that it aided the Chinese government in its effort to censor the Internet.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/052008-cisco-chinese-censorship.html
http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1451235143
Cisco Denies Censorship Role in China
A Cisco Systems executive told a Senate subcommittee that comments in an internal document about China's goal to "combat" a religious group did not reflect the company's views on censorship.
http://businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/may2008/gb20080521_291725.htm
Cisco File Raises Censorship Concerns
Cisco Systems, seeking to penetrate the Chinese market, prepared an internal marketing presentation in which it appeared to be willing to assist the Chinese Ministry of Public Security in its goal of "combating Falun Gong evil cult and other hostile elements," according to a translation of a document obtained by congressional investigators.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/19/AR2008051902661.html
Chinese bloggers get free rein as earthquake slows censors
Chinese blogger Paul Denlinger noted in his blog this week that for the first time ever, Chinese flags have been lowered to half mast to commemorate the loss of ordinary citizens. The flags have been lowered for the tens of thousands of earthquake victims during a three-day national mourning period that ends on Wednesday.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/6A30057C03EE103DCC25745000000EEC
Iranian Activists Criticize New Restrictions on Web Sites
Iranian bloggers and activists on Tuesday condemned a move by a government panel to block access to several Web sites related to women's issues and human rights.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/20/AR2008052001624.html
Iran launches fresh crackdown on websites: report [AFP]
Iranian authorities have blocked access to several websites and blogs of women's rights advocates and journalists critical of the government, a press report said on Tuesday.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080520/ttc-iran-rights-internet-0de2eff.html
Hadeel Alhodaif, leading female Saudi blogger, dies aged 25
The Saudi blogosphere is in mourning after the sudden death of a young female web-diarist and author who battled for a freer media in the restrictive kingdom.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article3961731.ece
Senators weigh new laws over China online censorship
Senators on Tuesday pressed executives from Yahoo, Google, and Cisco Systems to justify their business practices in China and other Internet-censoring countries, with Cisco in the hot seat over new allegations of cozier-than-confessed ties with the Chinese police.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9948331-7.html
us: Sen.: Iron Curtain swapped for Virtual Curtain of censorship
Yahoo, Google, and Cisco all trekked over to the Senate today to sit for an hour under the grandfatherly, but strangely stern eye of Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL). The subject was "Internet freedom," but this turned out to be code for "censorship in China." While all three companies lamented censorship and the role that their products or services played in supporting it, each suggested that it was really the role of the US government to take up the censorship issue. But when Durbin pressed the idea of legislation that would outlaw certain behaviors of US-based companies operating in other countries, the "we need more government involvement" rhetoric seized up faster than an unventilated Xbox 360.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080520-sen-iron-curtain-swapped-for-virtual-curtain-of-censorship.html
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CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
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US Supreme Court Upholds Child Pornography Law
The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the latest Congressional effort to curb the spread of child pornography on the Internet, a 2003 law that makes it a crime to offer or solicit sexually explicit images of children.
http://nytimes.com/2008/05/20/washington/20scotus.html
US Supreme Court Upholds Child Pornography Law
The Supreme Court on Monday upheld a 2003 federal law aimed at child pornography, concluding in a 7-to-2 opinion that a federal appeals court was wrong to find the law unconstitutionally vague.
http://nytimes.com/2008/05/20/washington/19cnd-scotus.html
us: Editorial: A Discomfiting Threat to Free Speech
The Supreme Court upheld a law on Monday that sweeps too broadly in its attempt to ban child pornography, which is repellent and illegal. Those who traffic in it must be punished, but this law is drawn in a way that also criminalizes speech that should be protected by the First Amendment.
http://nytimes.com/2008/05/21/opinion/21wed2.html
Justices: Child porn is not protected speech
The Supreme Court on Monday upheld a law aimed at preventing child pornography, ruling a provision dealing with "pandering" illicit material does not violate constitutional protections on free speech.
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/05/19/scotus.porn/
Justices Uphold Child Porn Law: Case Involved Criminalization Of 'Pandering'
The Supreme Court yesterday upheld an expansive federal law that punishes people who peddle or seek child pornography, saying Congress's remedy for a growing problem on the Internet does not violate free-speech guarantees.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/19/AR2008051900948.html
US high court upholds child pornography law [Reuters]
The Supreme Court on Monday upheld a provision of a 2003 federal law making it a crime to promote or present material as child pornography.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/19/AR2008051901063.html
Supreme Court upholds child-pornography law
The Supreme Court gave prosecutors a powerful tool Monday to attack the spread of child pornography online, ruling that people who send messages over the computer offering or seeking sexual images of children can be sent to prison, even when no such pornography exists.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-scotus20-2008may20,0,7137841.story
Part of Anti Child Porn Law Upheld [AP]
The Supreme Court upheld criminal penalties Monday for promoting child pornography. The court, in a 7-2 decision, brushed aside concerns that the law could apply to mainstream movies that depict adolescent sex, classic literature or innocent e-mails that describe pictures of grandchildren.
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1807785,00.html
High Court Upholds Broad Child Porn Law [includes audio of NPR story]
The Supreme Court has upheld a provision of a 2003 federal law making it a crime to promote child pornography — even fake child pornography. Opponents said the law was too broad and could apply to mainstream movies that depict adolescent sex.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90603024
au: Labor proceeding with cyber safety policy to protect children from illegal internet content.
Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, has confirmed that labor will proceed with the cyber safety policy.
http://www.australia.to/story/0,25197,23040467-063,00,00.html
Schools program to promote cyber-smart behaviour in Australia
The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, has welcomed an Australian Communication and Media Authority (ACMA) cyber-smart initiative to teach children how to be responsible cyber-citizens.
http://egovmonitor.com/node/18934
au: Cyber Detectives Protect Children Online
ACMA is partnering with the Victoria Police for the launch of a program, which will take place tomorrow at Coburg North Primary School, giving school children access to the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s (ACMA) online safety activity, Cybersmart Detectives.
http://smarthouse.com.au/Home_Office/Software/E3Q5A7G6
uk: McKee to star in BBC child porn drama
Atonement actor Gina McKee and Jeremy Northam, who was last seen in The Tudors, have signed up for BBC1's hard-hitting drama about a family torn apart when the husband downloads child pornography.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/may/19/bbc.television2
uk: Net downloads to get age ratings
Age ratings for downloaded video content and video games are to be introduced in the UK. Overseen by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), the scheme will see certificates appear on websites, via set-top boxes and portable players.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7412336.stm
The phone for six-year-olds
Hello Kitty mobile phones will hit the high street in July sparking further fears over marketing of phones for children
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3965074.ece
Invisible bullies that stalk the playground
THE ease of access to powerful communication tools means that, all over the world, people are saying things in new ways with their friends and to new audiences.
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/invisible-bullies-that-stalk-the-playground-1380533.html
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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
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Commentary: An Unconstitutional Interstate Sales Tax
Today, New York saddles taxpayers with the third-highest tax burden in the nation. But not content with taxing its own citizens and businesses to the max, the Empire State is now unleashing its tax collectors on the rest of the nation. A first-of-its kind law recently passed in New York places new sales taxes on catalog and online retailers in every state of the country. Retailers that have no physical presence in New York, but sell products to New Yorkers, are now expected to collect and send tax revenues to the treasury in Albany.
http://www.forbes.com/2008/05/13/amazonlaw-states-rights-oped-cx_scjw_0514amazonlaw.html
US Senator targets YouTube, but law not on his side
Sen. Joe Lieberman wants YouTube and its rivals to delete any videos produced by al-Qaida, other Islamic terrorist groups, and any suspected sympathizers. But because there's no U.S. law requiring deletion--at least not yet--there's not much the onetime veep candidate can do except complain.
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9947500-7.html
Senator Lieberman Wants Terrorist Videos Removed From YouTube
U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, on Monday asked Google CEO Eric Schmidt in an open letter to remove Islamic terrorist videos from YouTube, which is owned by Google.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/google/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207801148
South Africa parliament approves Internet gambling law
South Africa's parliament approved a new Internet gambling law to regulate an industry plagued by crime and vulnerable to money laundering and terrorism financing, parliamentary papers showed on Monday.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKL2777736820080519
au: ACMA reveals 'plain language' protection code
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has issued its telecommunications consumer protection guidelines in response to calls for a simpler set of rules for telcos and users alike.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/ACMA-reveals-plain-language-protection-code/0,130061791,339289113,00.htm
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COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS
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Google may be Yahoo's white knight
Google is still interested in a tie-up with Yahoo in the lucrative internet search market, according to Google's co-founder Sergey Brin, in a move that would provide Yahoo with a white knight to see off the attentions of Microsoft.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/may/20/yahoo.yahoo
Google Says It Will Defend Competitive Rationale of a Yahoo Deal
How can Google, the Internet search and advertising giant, contend that teaming up with Yahoo in search ads would not invite an antitrust challenge?
http://nytimes.com/2008/05/22/technology/22google.html
Google in urgent talks over Microsoft-Yahoo! deal
Google executives convened an emergency meeting last night to discuss the implications of a possible revived deal between Yahoo! and Microsoft.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article3965896.ece
Yahoo says yes to limited Microsoft talks
Yahoo has confirmed its willingness to discuss a new, more limited deal with Microsoft over combining the two companies' advertising businesses, just as the embattled web firm tries to push through a similar deal with Google.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/may/19/yahoo.microsoft
Pursuing Yahoo again, Microsoft shows need for a Web franchise
Two weeks after walking away from takeover talks with Yahoo, Microsoft made clear on Sunday that it still needed to create an Internet powerhouse that could rival Google — and that its interest in Yahoo had not waned.
http://iht.com/articles/2008/05/19/technology/19soft.php
Microsoft goes back to Yahoo! with offer of merger deal
Microsoft has contacted Yahoo! over the last few days to explore the possibility of buying part of the online search engine, and hinted that it may still consider launching another bid for the entire group.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article3959381.ece
Google mulls Microsoft response
Google's bosses are meeting in Britain on Monday evening to discuss a response to Microsoft's new talks with Yahoo.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7409294.stm
Google or Microsoft: Yahoo Should Pick Both
Yahoo might well be able to have its Google cake and eat Microsoft’s market share, too.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/19/google-or-microsoft-yahoo-should-pick-both/
What Microsoft Really Needs From Yahoo!
Microsoft is supposed to be the consummate fast follower. It doesn't enter a market first. Given time, however, it learns enough to dominate. The Redmond, Wash.-based company grabbed Apple's best ideas and used them to rule the market for operating systems. It walked over Netscape to seize control of Web browsers. So why are Chief Executive Steve Ballmer & Co. having so much trouble with mobile gadgets?
http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/05/19/microsoft-yahoo-mobile-tech-ebiz-cx_bc_0520msftmobile.html
A Gamble, but What if He Wins?
About a month a half ago, Carl Icahn and I went to dinner at Tse Yang, an upscale Chinese restaurant in Midtown Manhattan. Mr. Icahn, the corporate raider turned activist investor, came blustering through the dimly lit restaurant about 20 minutes late, grabbed one of the waiters — they all know him — and ordered a martini.
http://nytimes.com/2008/05/20/business/20sorkin.html
Microsoft, Yahoo Circle Game Goes Another Round
The never-ending Microhoo saga has left many investors feeling downright whipsawed as they watched events careen from one extreme to the other -- and that was after the merger was supposedly dead in the water.
http://ecommercetimes.com/story/63062.html
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TELECOMMUNICATIONS
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G9 becomes Terria
The G9 consortium, which actually comprises of just eight telcos, has rebadged itself as Terria. Derived from Terra Australis, Terria chairman Michael Egan said the new brand was in line with the organisation's objective of providing 98 per cent broadband coverage to Australians.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23735672-15306,00.html
nz: Digital dust-up looming
A host of submissions on the digital broadcasting review are now available online and point to the diverging views of the various industry players that will be affected by the Government's sweeping review.
http://blogs.nzherald.co.nz/blog/griffins-tech-blog/2008/5/21/digital-dust-looming/
uk: Ofcom deregulates more of the broadband market
Ofcom, the UK telecoms and internet watchdog has removed some of the regulations that surround the broadband market.
http://www.itweek.co.uk/itweek/news/2217152/ofcom-deregulates-broadband
http://www.vnunet.com/itweek/news/2217152/ofcom-deregulates-broadband
Deregulating the UK’s wholesale broadband markets: 70% of the country to be liberalised
Ofcom today announced the removal of regulations for wholesale broadband access in areas of the UK which are served by effective competition. The decision is part of Ofcom’s commitment to review and, where appropriate, remove regulations in markets where there is effective competition, further promoting innovation and investment.
http://ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2008/05/nr_20080521
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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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First Call Completed on North Korea's 3G Network
The unlikely story of advanced 3G cellular service in the world's most tightly controlled and secretive country has turned another chapter with the start of network trials.
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/146087/first_call_completed_on_north_koreas_3g_network.html
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/05/20/First-call-completed-on-North-Korea-3G-network_1.html
3G to get boost, with iPhone on way
When Apple boss Steve Jobs walks on to the stage to introduce the first 3G iPhone next month, you can safely bet he'll do a lot of talking about the pervasiveness of the high-speed packet access (HSPA) 3G mobile system.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23723050-39525,00.html
us: Demand for wireless Internet paying off for schools
An ambitious plan to blanket the country with wireless Internet access has an unlikely beneficiary: public and private schools. ... But technological advances have made the airwaves easier to use -- and much more lucrative to hold. For Cal State Los Angeles, Long Beach, Dominguez Hills, Fullerton and Pomona, as well as schools and religious institutions around the country, holding a license to the spectrum as the wireless industry expands has been like finding a winning lottery ticket in a dresser drawer.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-schools20-2008may20,0,6849025.story
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VoIP
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VoIP joins cellular in eating away at telecom landlines
Last week a study revealed that US consumers are dropping their traditional phone service for mobile phones. A new study, however, says that plenty of other consumers are switching to VoIP services in record numbers. In both cases, it's bad news for incumbent telcos.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080520-voip-joins-cellular-in-eating-away-at-telecom-landlines.html
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ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN
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Greek police break child porn ring, 21 charged
Greek police broke a child pornography ring, believed to be part of a wider European operation, and charged 21 people with possession and trafficking of such material on the Internet, officials said on Wednesday.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKL2151529220080521
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(c) David Goldstein 2008
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David Goldstein
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