[APPLe list] general internet news - May 26

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

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Sponsored by the Singapore Internet Research Centre
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/sci/sirc/

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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!


And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings.


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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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The Internet and Consumer Choice: Online Americans use different search and purchase strategies for different goods
http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/248/report_display.asp

Next-gen Internet will create bigger digital divide [AP]
http://news.theage.com.au/technology/access-to-nextgen-internet-may-be-uneven-20080523-2hdv.html

Web users 'getting more selfish'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7417496.stm

Online love is often blind, brief: study
http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKEIC24283020080522

Browsers Are a Battleground Once Again
http://nytimes.com/2008/05/26/technology/26firefox.html

'Hyperconnected' users on the increase: survey
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/mgmt/40820667AD5633AFCC25745200095219

Internet key to Obama victories
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7412045.stm

Dial I for internet: Phone-book companies are heading for a long, slow decline
http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11413206

Craigslist tops US mobile browsing [IDG]
http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;2076266713

World's mobile phone users top 3.3 billion [AFP]
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/05/25/1211653822824.html

Least developed countries need low-cost computers, expert tells UN meeting [news release]
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=26726

Yahoo! Successfully Disposes Of Trade Mark Infringement In Relation To Sponsored Links by Matthew Hall, SWaab Attorneys
http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=5039

Web Site Puts Focus on the Fix in Sports Bets
http://nytimes.com/2008/05/25/sports/othersports/25betfair.html

Cops Describe International Phishing Gang
http://techworld.com/security/news/index.cfm?newsID=101572

Aussies lose millions to Nigerian scams
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23741774-15306,00.html

Singaporean Blogger Arrested, Charged With Racism [IDG]
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/146169/singaporean_blogger_arrested_charged_with_racism.html

us: Editorial: Joe Lieberman, Would-Be Censor
http://nytimes.com/2008/05/25/opinion/25sun1.html

The Sad State of U.S. Broadband
http://businessweek.com/technology/content/may2008/tc20080522_340989.htm

Does the U.S. need a new broadband policy? [IDG]
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,146271-c,businesscenter/article.html

uk: North Solihull community will ‘plug’ into free Internet over power lines
http://publictechnology.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=15835

NZ Broadband plan 'underwhelming but pragmatic'
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10512127


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RESEARCH PAPERS
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The Internet and Consumer Choice: Online Americans use different search and purchase strategies for different goods
The internet plays an important role in how people conduct research for purchases, but it is just one among a variety of sources people use and usually not the key factor in final purchasing decisions.
http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/248/report_display.asp

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INTERNET USE
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Next-gen Internet will create bigger digital divide [AP]
The lack of high-speed Internet access in some areas of the U.S. has been hotly debated, even as that digital divide has narrowed. But a new, wider gap is being created by technology that will make today's broadband feel as slow as a dial-up connection.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/services/2008-05-22-next-generation-internet_N.htm
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10512046
http://news.smh.com.au/technology/access-to-nextgen-internet-may-be-uneven-20080523-2hdv.html
http://news.theage.com.au/technology/access-to-nextgen-internet-may-be-uneven-20080523-2hdv.html

Web users 'getting more selfish'
Web users are getting more ruthless and selfish when they go online, reveals research. The annual report into web habits by usability guru Jakob Nielsen shows people are becoming much less patient when they go online.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7417496.stm

Online love is often blind, brief: study
Matches made over the Internet often do not last because people end up choosing unsuitable partners and forming emotional bonds before meeting face-to-face, an Australian university researcher has found.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKEIC24283020080522

nz: Internet can save some '$721 a year' on fuel
The price of petrol is driving people in rural areas to use the internet rather than their cars, says rural broadband provider Farmside.
http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/4560917a28.html

Browsers Are a Battleground Once Again
The browser, that porthole onto the broad horizon of the Web, is about to get some fancy new window dressing.
http://nytimes.com/2008/05/26/technology/26firefox.html

'Hyperconnected' users on the increase: survey
Enterprises are facing an exploding "culture of connectivity", with global information workers using an increasing number of devices and applications, according to an IDC study.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/mgmt/40820667AD5633AFCC25745200095219

Internet key to Obama victories
With Barack Obama moving close to victory in the Democratic presidential primary campaign, the internet has proved one of the key tools to his success. And it may well give the Democrats a big advantage during the Presidential race itself.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7412045.stm

Txt msgng in Frnc: Parlez-vous SMS? A new threat to the French language
The baccalauréat exam season approaches, and with it ritual agonising over the standard of French spelling. These days, fingers are pointed not only at progressive teaching, the decline of the dictée or the legacy of May 1968. The new culprit is text-messaging.
http://www.economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11412629

in: Online gaming companies await demand boom
Companies are struggling to grow India's nascent online games market by collecting content and building distribution channels, as they wait for higher broadband penetration for sizeable returns, company officials say.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKBOM21779720080523

Computers and the environment: Buy our stuff, save the planet
The internet could become as ungreen as aviation. A self-serving solution beckons: ... Data centres consumed 0.6% of the world's electricity in 2000, and 1% in 2005. Globally, they are already responsible for more carbon-dioxide emissions per year than Argentina or the Netherlands, according to a recent study by McKinsey, a consultancy, and the Uptime Institute, a think-tank. If today's trends hold, these emissions will have grown four-fold by 2020, reaching 670m tonnes. By some estimates, the carbon footprint of cloud computing will then be larger than that of aviation.
http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11412495

Dial I for internet: Phone-book companies are heading for a long, slow decline
When the drains are blocked, the air-conditioning has given up or your life depends on someone delivering a take-away, you pick up the phone book. In most countries the companies that produce them have big chunks of the advertising market and enjoy some of the fattest margins in the media business. But now, because of the internet, investors have taken fright. Shares in Yell, which owns phone books in Britain, America and Spain, fell by 26% on May 20th when it announced its results. That was partly due to concerns about slowing economic growth and the company's debt load, but also because of worries about its long-term future. The firm's shares have now fallen by 75% in the past 13 months.
http://www.economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11413206

Craigslist tops US mobile browsing [IDG]
Mobile Web surfers in the U.S. spend more time on classified-ad site Craigslist than on any other Web site, and they spent nearly twice as much time browsing as their British counterparts in March.
http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;2076266713
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/052308-craigslist-tops-us-mobile.html
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,146214-c,businesscenter/article.html

MIT researchers: morphing Web sites could bring riches
Web sites that automatically customize themselves for each visitor so they come across as more appealing or simply less annoying can boost sales for online businesses by close to 20%, MIT research says.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/052208-mit-researchers-morphing-web-sites.html

German post prints Hess stamps
German neo-Nazis have used a personalised stamp service to send letters bearing the image of Hitler's deputy Rudolf Hess.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7412827.stm

uk: ABCe: Web traffic standards to be reviewed
The web measurement standards for the UK's national newspaper websites are to be reviewed after rival publishers questioned Telegraph.co.uk's dramatic recent traffic growth, adding 6.3 million unique users in two months.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/may/22/abcs.telegraphmediagroup

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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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Web worlds 'useful' for children
Virtual worlds can be valuable places where children rehearse what they will do in real life, reveals research. They are also a "powerful and engaging" alternative to more passive pursuits such as watching TV, said the BBC-sponsored study.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7415442.stm

uk: Schools ‘must monitor gang tags, clothing and Facebook’
School staff should trawl social networking sites such as Facebook and Bebo to identify whether their pupils are gang members, according to advice in a government report.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article3987758.ece

uk/it: Chat room youth and a good deed that went bad
An Italian teenager swore never again to use internet chatrooms after being held in Britain for nearly a month when he tried to see a girl who had complained of being maltreated.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article3987882.ece

Popular blogger ignites uproar over Twitter harassment
Some Web enthusiasts find microblogging service Twitter to be addictive because you can say absolutely anything you want--as long as it's 140 characters or less. So what happens when "saying anything" translates into harassment?
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-9951197-36.html

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
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'Wireless Telephone' Now 100 Years
Last week marks the 100th anniversary of what is thought to be the first ever patent for a wireless telephone device.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200805220317.html

World's mobile phone users top 3.3 billion [AFP]
The number of mobile phone users worldwide soared to over 3.3 billion by the end of 2007, equivalent to a penetration rate of 49 per cent, the International Telecommunications Union said in a report this week.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/05/25/1211653822824.html
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/05/25/1211653822824.html

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DIGITAL DIVIDE
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Least developed countries need low-cost computers, expert tells UN meeting [news release]
Mobile phones were not the solution to the problems of least developed countries, an information and communication technologies (ICT) expert said today at a United Nations meeting in Kuala Lumpur that brought together 150 participants from around the world.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=26726

UN telecommunication official warns of widening Internet broadband divide [news release]
With more than half of the world’s population now becoming mobile telephone subscribers the digital divide in such phones has been largely bridged, but there remains a widening risk of an Internet broadband divide, the head of the United Nations agency for telecommunication warned today.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=26712

UN's information technology alliance to focus on major concerns [news release]
A leading United Nations body working to spread the benefits of information technology should concentrate on the areas that most concern people around the world, the chair of that body said today.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=26704

European Commission launches the 2008 European e-Inclusion Awards to help fight the digital divide [news release]
The European Commission has just launched the first ever European e-Inclusion Awards. As part of the European Commission's e-Inclusion Initiative, the Awards will celebrate the best and most imaginative uses of Information and Communications Technology to reduce digital and social exclusion.
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/newsroom/cf/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=4116

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ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
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Yahoo! Successfully Disposes Of Trade Mark Infringement In Relation To Sponsored Links by Matthew Hall, SWaab Attorneys
Are you a trade mark owner? Have you done a search on Google or Yahoo recently to see what results are returned when your trade mark is entered? Are there a number of sponsored sites, possibly competitors, whose results are returned? The use of trade marks as sponsored keywords by search engine operators has become a great concern to trade mark owners. To date the courts have sided with search engine operators. On 20 February 2008 the English High Court gave judgment in the favour of Yahoo! UK Ltd and its sister company Overture Services Ltd (Yahoo!), in relation to a claim brought by a Mr Wilson, for infringement of his Community Trade Mark by Yahoo! in relation to sponsored links.
http://technewsreview.com.au/article.php?article=5039
http://domainpulse.com/2008/05/22/yahoo-successfully-disposes-of-trade-mark-infringement-in-relation-to-sponsored-links/

Web Site Puts Focus on the Fix in Sports Bets
With Internet gambling predicted to surpass $20 billion in 2008, and with illegal wagering accounting for $150 billion in the United States, by some estimates, the temptation for those seeking to influence the outcome of games has never been greater. Now, a raft of gambling scandals in sports, from cricket to soccer and most recently tennis, has raised an uncomfortable question: Are the games we watch fixed?
http://nytimes.com/2008/05/25/sports/othersports/25betfair.html

Cops Describe International Phishing Gang
Police in the U.S. and Romania have arrested 38 people accused of running one of the most sophisticated international phishing operations ever uncovered.
http://techworld.com/security/news/index.cfm?newsID=101572
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/146290/cops_describe_international_phishing_gang.html

Aussies lose millions to Nigerian scams
Nigerian authorities are presently prosecuting nine "advance fee" fraudsters who conned unsuspecting Queenslanders, but millions of dollars continue to flow out to African scammers, Queensland Police warns.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23741774-15306,00.html

QLD, Nigeria partner with industry to combat million dollar cybercrime
Local victims of Nigerian online scams now have a new ally in the fight against fraud with a partnership between the Queensland Police Service, Nigeria's Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and industry.
http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;993738251

nz: $500,000 ... that's not right
A Hamilton student has been drawn into an internet money-laundering scam by a mystery $500,000 deposit which has led to her bank freezing her account.
http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/4558214a28.html

German Parents Offer Baby on eBay [Reuters]
German police are investigating a couple after their 8-month-old son appeared for sale on the auction Web site eBay.
http://nytimes.com/2008/05/25/world/europe/25ebayby.html

Real or Illusory — Legal Rights in a Virtual World? [reg req'd]
The question of whether video gamers acquire real-world legal rights for their in-game property has spilled over into the US Southern District Court of Florida. A longtime player of World of Warcraft commenced a class action lawsuit against Internet Gaming Entertainment, Ltd. (IGE), claiming IGE breached the World of Warcraft terms of use and End User License Agreement (EULA). He accuses IGE of "gold farming" — it allegedly pays workers in developing counties to amass currency in the game, which it then sells to other users for real money. In January, IGE filed an answer to the suit, denying the allegations. The action has yet to be certified.
http://www.mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=60750

Canadian police losing battle with cyber-criminals
A survey by the Canadian Association of Police Boards (CAPB) has found that online crime is fast approaching the number one crime in the country.
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2217481/survey-finds-cyber-crime

ca: Report finds huge boom in online crime
Canadians are more likely to be victims of crime on the Internet than they are on the streets, suggests a new survey commissioned by the Canadian Association of Police Boards.
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=1e697c84-1a96-483b-866a-fe01fddff9ad

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PRIVACY
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US lawmaker questions Google over privacy practices
The top Republican on the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee asked Google chief executive Eric Schmidt on Wednesday to detail the search engine's privacy practices since it acquired rival DoubleClick.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKN2142539620080521

us: Big Brother is watching: companies snoop e-mail to combat leaks
Forrester Consulting has published the results of its annual Outbound E-mail survey, which is commissioned by the e-mail security company Proofpoint. The survey reveals widespread concern among businesses about the potential for unauthorized information disclosure via e-mail, instant messaging, and social networking services. The survey indicates that companies are turning to systematic snooping in order to reduce the risks.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080522-companies-fear-e-mail-and-blog-leaks.html

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ONLINE TV & MUSIC
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YouTube: 'In the right place at the right time'
YouTube's co-founder and chief executive talks to Owen Gibson about the challenge of raising ad revenue, harnessing Google's power to improve the site - and why passion, not wealth, drives his ambition
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/may/26/digitalmedia.youtube

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CENSORSHIP
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Singaporean Blogger Arrested, Charged With Racism [IDG]
A 24-year-old Chinese man was arrested in Singapore on May 20 and charged with posting racist comments on his blog, according to the Singapore Police Force.
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/146169/singaporean_blogger_arrested_charged_with_racism.html

Singapore bans two porn websites in symbolic move
Singapore has banned access to two pornographic websites in a "symbolic statement" of the country's societal values, its media regulator said on Friday.
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-33729420080523

us: Editorial: Joe Lieberman, Would-Be Censor
The Internet is simply a means of communication, like the telephone, but that has not prevented attempts to demonize it — the latest being the ludicrous claim that the Internet promotes terrorism.
http://nytimes.com/2008/05/25/opinion/25sun1.html

Thai Government steps up online censorship, creates toll-free number for Internet users to call to report websites that criticise monarchy
Reporters Without Borders is alarmed about the comments made by Man Pattanotai, the Thai minister of information and communication technology (ICT), in a radio interview on 14 May. He said prosecuting websites because of their content would cause a “big scandal” and that it was better to just “suppress the news” by closing them down or blocking access.
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=27082

Almost 20 websites blocked as Iranian online censorship grows
Reporters Without Borders today criticised the Iranian government for falsely trying to improve the country’s image by shutting down at least 14 feminist websites, summoning their editors before courts and ordering Internet service providers (ISPs) to censor content.
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=27122

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CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
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uk: Censors go online to clean up murky world of digital videos
The hitherto lawless world of online entertainment has began to adopt the same ratings system that governs British cinemas. The British Board of Film Classification said yesterday that its online ratings scheme, BBFC Online, which features the familiar U, PG, 12A, 15 and 18 certificates, would give parents unprecedented information about what their children were watching via the internet. Online stores and services that sign up to the voluntary scheme will be required to rate downloaded and streamed films, video games and television programmes.
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article3981130.ece

au: Schools program to promote cyber-smart behaviour [news release]
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://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2008/037

au: New information pack promotes safe internet use for children in public libraries
The Australian Communications and Media Authority has released an information pack designed to assist library staff in promoting safe internet use in public libraries, particularly for children. The pack will be delivered to every public library in Australia.
http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311170

au: Labor's Cyber-Safety Budget 2008-2011
Although the Labor Government constantly refers to the problem of 'child pornography' in promoting its mandatory ISP blocking 'plan', there is minimal evidence to suggest that the Government is serious about doing anything effective about reducing child sexual exploitation/abuse and the use of the Internet to distribute such material.
http://libertus.net/censor/ispfiltering-au-govplan.html#budget

nz: Fruity link too juicy for kids
A healthy food website promoted to children on hundreds of bags of pre-packed mandarins has turned out to be a link to hardcore pornography. ... Lee Chisholm, of Netsafe, said that extreme violence or sex- ually explicit material was often a couple of mouse clicks or a mis-spelt word away.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=137&objectid=10512298

nz: Bully girls spark violence in schools
Girls' violence is rising in schools as the effects of cyber-bullying and reality television turn them into "Barbie Bitches", experts say.
http://stuff.co.nz/4558605a11.html

us: Megan Meier's MySpace by Stephen Balkam
... So what can we learn from this awful story? One thing that is clear is that we all need to address our collective responsibility about our and our children's actions on the web. While we teach our kids not to give out their personal information or to engage in risky behavior, we parents have a mountain to climb to get a hold of our duties of care in this new online landscape. Not only must we immerse ourselves in the new technologies and feel comfortable using them, but parents have to take the time to get familiar with the social networking sites, chat rooms, IM tools and texting language which is the new lingua franca of the 21st Century.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-balkam/megan-meiers-myspace_b_103316.html

Call for coalition to fight against child pornography
A report by the international law firm Allen & Overy on behalf of Missing Children Europe creates a framework for a coalition of privacy authorities, financial institutions and internet services to fight against child pornography.
http://saferinternet.org/ww/en/pub/insafe/news/articles/0508/missing_children_europe.htm

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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
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The Sad State of U.S. Broadband
Although the Internet was started here, the U.S. can't seem to catch up with other developed nations when it comes to giving citizens access to high-speed connections.
http://businessweek.com/technology/content/may2008/tc20080522_340989.htm

Does the U.S. need a new broadband policy? [IDG]
Advocates for new policy say nation is falling behind others in key broadband statistics, while providers claim they're spending billions to expand and improve networks. Ken Hubbard worries that broadband speeds in the U.S. aren't adequate for the next wave of Web content.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/05/23/Does-US-need-new-broadband-policy_1.html
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,146271-c,businesscenter/article.html

Broadband Policy: The Connected Nation Model [IDG]
In recent debates over whether the U.S. should have a more comprehensive broadband policy, one group claims significant success: Connected Nation.
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/146270/broadband_policy_the_connected_nation_model.html
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/05/23/Broadband-policy-Connected-Nation-model_1.html

Broadband: How the US Stacks up [IDG]
Groups calling for a more robust broadband policy in the U.S. say the county has fallen behind in several key statistics.
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/146269/broadband_how_the_us_stacks_up.html
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/05/23/Broadband-How-US-stacks-up_1.html

us: Gross and Inappropriate Expansion of Federal Power to Regulate Speech [news release]
The Center for Democracy & Technology Tuesday, May 20, will hold a call-in media briefing to discuss the how the indictment by the U.S. Attorney’s office in Los Angeles of the St. Louis woman at the center of the MySpace suicide case, perverts the legitimate anti-hacker federal statute and cheapens a tragic situation.
http://cdt.org/press/20080519press.php

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COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS
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Cloud Computing: So You Don’t Have to Stand Still
Cloud computing is the jargon of the moment in the technology industry. Google, I.B.M., Microsoft and Yahoo are just some of the big companies talking up the cloud, and a bunch of smaller ones are, too. What, you may be thinking, is cloud computing? Basically, it means obtaining computing resources — processing, storage, messaging, databases and so on — from someplace outside your own four walls, and paying only for what you use.
http://nytimes.com/2008/05/25/technology/25proto.html

Microsoft touts research projects in search, privacy
Characterizing research as critical to the company's survival, Microsoft officials Thursday offered glimpses into multiple research efforts in areas such as privacy and search.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/05/23/Microsoft-touts-research-projects-in-search-privacy_1.html

Microsoft Offers Rebates to Shoppers Using Its Search
With its share of the Internet search market in steady decline and its pursuit of an alliance with Yahoo in doubt, Microsoft is taking a new approach to jump-starting its search engine: offering rebates to people who use it to find and buy some products.
http://nytimes.com/2008/05/22/technology/22soft.html

Google's Mobile Ambitions
Google never intended to become a wireless carrier, even though it had heavy involvement in the Federal Communications Commission's recent wireless spectrum auction, said Larry Page, Google's co-founder, in a talk he gave on Thursday morning.
http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/05/22/larrypage-google-tech-wire-cx_ew_0522larry.html

Microsoft-Yahoo, Version 2.0
Every day it looks more likely that Yahoo! co-founders Jerry Yang and David Filo will lose control of the company they built into the Net's first iconic brand. Days after they appeared to have dodged an unsolicited $47.5 billion acquisition bid from Microsoft, raider Carl Icahn began buying millions of Yahoo shares, building up a 4.3% stake.
http://businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_22/b4086000351097.htm

Yahoo Gets Ready for Proxy Fight
The company nominated 9 of its 10 existing directors for re-election to its board, setting the stage for a showdown with dissident shareholders at its annual meeting, which has been postponed until late July.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idUKN2253586220080523
http://nytimes.com/2008/05/23/technology/23yahoo.html
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/23/business/23yahoo.php

Yahoo postpones board meeting, director resigns [IDG]
Facing a battle for its board, Yahoo on Thursday pushed back its annual meeting until the end of July and announced the resignation of a board member.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/05/22/Yahoo-postpones-board-meeting-director-resigns_1.html
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/052208-yahoo-postpones-board-meeting-director.html
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,146211/article.html

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS
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uk: North Solihull community will ‘plug’ into free Internet over power lines
An innovative project in North Solihull plans to bridge the ‘digital divide’ by delivering free or subsidized broadband to residents in council owned multi-storey housing blocks using a cutting edge ‘leased-lines-in-the-sky’ wireless technology. Internet connectivity will be distributed to individual flats via electric plug sockets.
http://publictechnology.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=15835

NZ Broadband plan 'underwhelming but pragmatic'
The Government's $350 million five-year funding boost to speed up the roll out of faster broadband in yesterday's budget was underwhelming but pragmatic, an analyst says.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10512127

Broadband gets NZ Budget funding boost (+video)
A $350 million five-year funding boost to speed the roll out of faster broadband is among a package of infrastructure measures announced in today's Budget.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10511885

nz: Clark Vows to Hit Back on Fibre
PRIME MINISTER Helen Clark has signalled that Labour will counter the National Party's $1.5 billion fibre plan with its own policy initiative that will not favour Telecom.
http://redorbit.com/news/business/1396915/clark_vows_to_hit_back_on_fibre/

nz: Funding to improve broadband access
Government funds have been directed at improving broadband uptake, which will be welcome news to business and the general public alike.
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/1792373

Vodafone in mobile internet struggle
Vodafone is likely to undertake more acquisitions to beef up its internet services for mobile phone customers, according to people familiar with the situation.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b32523b2-2a7a-11dd-b40b-000077b07658.html

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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Is Mobile Internet Really Such a Good Thing? by Joi Ito
Just about everyone I talk to is very excited about mobile Internet. In 2006, the Japanese government proudly announced that more people used the Internet through their mobile phones than through their computers. Online services are all talking about their “mobile strategy” and VCs are flocking to fund the latest “mobile startup”.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/85238_questioning_mobile_internet/

Global Dreams for a Wireless Web
... Three years ago, aiming to create a global wireless network, [Martin Varsavsky] founded FON, a company based in Madrid that wants to unlock the potential power of the social Internet. FON’s gamble is that Internet users will share a portion of their wireless connection with strangers in exchange for access to wireless hotspots controlled by others. The swaps, in theory, would allow “Foneros” to have ubiquitous, global wireless access while traveling for business or pleasure. But despite $55.2 million in backing from such corporate heavyweights as Google and BT, the former British Telecom, as well as newer enterprises like Skype and a handful of venture capital firms, FON and Mr. Varsavsky are still missing a crucial ingredient: scale.
http://nytimes.com/2008/05/25/technology/25web.html

Google's White-Space Fixation
Google co-founder Larry Page made a rare trip to Washington this week. No, he wasn't lobbying for net neutrality or being grilled about Internet censorship in China. It was all about the white spaces—and Google's growing fixation with wireless communications.
http://businessweek.com/technology/content/may2008/tc20080522_623138.htm

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(c) David Goldstein 2008


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David Goldstein
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