general internet news - 21 June

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

Don't forget to check out http://auda.org.au/domain-news/ for a more recent 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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Sponsored by the Singapore Internet Research Centre
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/sci/sirc/

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Wikipedia partly unblocked in China
http://www.infomaticsonline.co.uk/vnunet/news/2192259/wikipedia-unblocked-china

Web users rage against China's 'Great Firewall' (Reuters)
http://news.com.com/2100-1028_3-6191956.html

Banned game a 'fine piece of art'
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/06/21/1182019254585.html

Escape asylum, stab nurse, kill prostitutes. Not here you won't, say British censors
http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2106896,00.html

Police smash child porn ring
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6763817.stm

To Catch a Pedophile (Newsweek)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19314724/

Does Google know too much about you?
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/06/18/1182018977067.html

Is Google just the tip of the iceberg of concerns about online privacy? by Seth Finkelstein
http://technology.guardian.co.uk/opinion/story/0,,2107262,00.html

Gangs infect 10,000 websites to steal users' bank details
http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2106982,00.html

McAfee: attacks coming for infrastructure, digital home
http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;638028881;fp;2;fpid;1

Forget Porn And Gambling, Everyday Searches Can Be Dangerous
http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=5Y5GMKRHDICI0QSNDLPSKH0CJUNN2JVN?articleID=199905711

Warnings sounded over net neutrality in Asia
http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/06/19/net-neutrality-in-Asia_1.html

Half of Britons cannot exist without email
http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2105323,00.html

Image Attachments for Spam Decline (AP)
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/06/20/financial/f132032D76.DTL

Cable duopoly chokes Australian fibre speeds
http://australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,21926920-5013040,00.html


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RESEARCH PAPERS
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American Parents Say They’re Gaining Control Over Their Children’s Exposure to Sex and Violence in the Media
Parents say they are gaining control over their children’s exposure to sex and violence in the media, but they remain more broadly concerned about inappropriate content in the media, according to a new national survey of parents released by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The survey explores such issues as media content, media ratings and the V-Chip, media monitoring, educational media, advertising, and the Internet.
http://kff.org/entmedia/entmedia061907pkg.cfm
http://kff.org/entmedia/entmedia061907nr.cfm

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CENSORSHIP
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Wikipedia partly unblocked in China
Sources in China have reported that the English language version of Wikipedia is no longer blocked for internet users inside the country, after being unavailable for most of the past 18 months.
http://www.infomaticsonline.co.uk/vnunet/news/2192259/wikipedia-unblocked-china

Web users rage against China's 'Great Firewall' (Reuters)
Yang Zhou is no cyberdissident, but recent curbs on his Web surfing habits by China's censors have him fomenting discontent about China's "Great Firewall". Yang's fury erupted a few days ago when he found he could not browse his friend's holiday snaps on Flickr.com, due to access restrictions by censors after images of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre were posted on the photo-sharing Web site.
http://news.com.com/2100-1028_3-6191956.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/gadgets_and_gaming/article1957433.ece
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=internetNews&storyID=2007-06-19T152251Z_01_PEK218139_RTRUKOC_0_US-PRIVACY-CHINA.xml

British censors ban 'brutal' video game
The video game Manhunt 2 was rejected for its "unrelenting focus on stalking and brutal slaying", the British Board of Film Classification said.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/leicestershire/6767623.stm
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/gadgets_and_gaming/article1957433.ece

Ireland Bans 'Gross' Video Game
Ireland imposed its first ban Wednesday on a video game, citing what it called "gross, unrelenting and gratuitous violence" in the latest offering from Rockstar Games. Irish film censor John Kelleher said "Manhunt 2," which has already been banned in neighboring Britain, features "sustained and cumulative casual sadism." He said some games could justify their depictions of bloodshed on storytelling grounds.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/06/21/1182019222476.html

Banned game a 'fine piece of art'
The makers of a video game banned in Britain and Ireland due to its violent content defended their creation.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/06/21/1182019254585.html

Escape asylum, stab nurse, kill prostitutes. Not here you won't, say British censors
In the world of video games, few companies have baited parents and politicians quite like Rockstar. In Grand Theft Auto, for instance, it created a virtual American city where players assumed the identities of gang members and committed random acts of extreme violence against pimps and prostitutes. All directed from the safety of their bedrooms.
http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2106896,00.html

us: Pirated 'Sicko' taken down by YouTube (AP)
Viewers hoping to get a free look at Michael Moore's newest film, Sicko, were out of luck Monday after YouTube pulled links to pirated versions of the health care documentary that surfaced on the video-sharing website over the weekend.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2007-06-18-sicko-youtube_N.htm

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CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
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Police smash child porn ring
More than 30 children have been rescued from possible abuse after police shut down an international paedophile ring. It was run from the UK by 27-year-old Timothy Cox, who is due to be sentenced for child porn offences. Agencies in 33 countries, led by the UK Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre (CEOP), investigated more than 700 suspects - 200 in the UK.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6763817.stm
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article1951385.ece
http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,2106177,00.html
http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/06/19/1955245.htm
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/06/19/1182019059879.html
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/articles/2007/06/19/1182019063760.html
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/06/19/1182019118061.html
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/06/19/1182019116346.html
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=273855
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/article2673559.ece
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/article2675745.ece
http://ecommercetimes.com/story/57902.html
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKL1874559420070618
http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=199905231
http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/91315 (German)

To Catch a Pedophile (Newsweek)
A technology expert explains how police broke up a global online porn ring—and why their methods should be a deterrent to future networks.
British police spent months infiltrating one of the world’s largest online child porn rings. They arrested its ringleader, Timothy Cox, at his Suffolk home last September, then assumed his online identity to gather evidence on the Web site’s members. Their global investigation—dubbed Operation Chandler—led them on a trail stretching from Australia to North America and Europe, netting over 700 suspects around the world and rescuing 31 abused children. Yesterday, they finally made the case public after Cox was convicted of distributing indecent images and sentenced to jail for an indeterminate period—meaning he will be incarcerated until he is no longer considered a threat to children.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19314724/

ie: Call for funding to tackle child pornography
The Children at Risk in Ireland Foundation has said gardaí need to be more adequately resourced to deal with Internet child pornography. Speaking on RTÉ Radio's Morning Ireland, Mary Flaherty, CEO of CARI, said Ireland could not afford to be complacent.
http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0619/paedophile.html

nz: Internet Safety Focus of Evening at College
Technology dangers facing young people in the digital age will be the topic of discussion at Opihi College tonight. An hour long presentation by Netsafe -- the programme of New Zealand's Internet Safety Group -- will address such issues as cyber safety, the increased use of social networking sites, and cyber bullying.
http://redorbit.com/news/technology/974988/internet_safety_focus_of_evening_at_college/

sg: Educators concerned about increasing trend of cyber-bullying
Educators say cyber-bullying is becoming increasingly common all over the world and it is no different in Singapore, where over 70 percent of students have access to the internet at home.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/282978/1/.html
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/070618/5/singapore282978.html

uk: New rules on paedophiles: The enforcer bows out (this does not deal with the internet)
Tough talk but measured action to curb sex offenders who target children: When John Reid took over the job of home secretary in May 2006, it was in the wake of two damaging scandals involving sex offenders. His predecessor, Charles Clarke, had been sacked after it emerged that on his watch foreign criminals, including some convicted for sexual crimes, had been released instead of deported after finishing their prison sentences. A few months earlier Ruth Kelly, then education secretary, had faced criticism when it transpired that more than 150 individuals on the sex offenders' register had been cleared to work with children.
http://economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=9341107

us: Parents report more clout in TV oversight
Parents are growing more confident that they can protect their kids from inappropriate content on TV, the Internet and video games, a new poll has found, but still worry that their children are exposed to too much sex and violence. The mixed results from the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation will probably provide ammunition for both sides in the increasingly heated debate over shielding children from excessive sex and violence in the media. ... Overall, 65% of parents said they "closely" monitored how their children use the media. Parents were particularly confident of their ability to monitor the Internet, with 73% saying they know "a lot" about what their kids were doing online.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-kaiser20jun20,1,1636071.story

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CYBERCRIME, CYBERSECURITY AND PRIVACY
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Does Google know too much about you?
Most people missed the announcement about how Google wants to burrow inside your brain and capture your most intimate thoughts. That's because it never happened. But Google, the world leader in web search services, is the focus of mounting paranoia over the scope of its powers as it expands into new advertising formats from online video to radio and TV, while creating dozens of new internet services.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/06/18/1182018977067.html
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,132989/article.html

Is Google just the tip of the iceberg of concerns about online privacy? by Seth Finkelstein
Is Google the biggest internet privacy threat? Privacy International's recent report, A Race to the Bottom: Privacy Ranking of Internet Service Companies, set off more debate on this issue by giving Google its worst rating of all. "We are aware that the decision to place Google at the bottom is likely to be controversial, but throughout our research we have found numerous deficiencies and hostilities in Google's approach to privacy that go well beyond those of other organisations."
http://technology.guardian.co.uk/opinion/story/0,,2107262,00.html

Hyper-personal search 'possible'
Google says it would consider keeping search data for longer than 18 months in an opt-in scheme.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6221256.stm

Gangs infect 10,000 websites to steal users' bank details
Hackers have launched an assault on websites in Italy and around the world dubbed the Italian Job in a move seen by internet security experts as the next step in the escalating problem of cyber crime. Gangs presumed to be based in eastern Europe have probably infected more than 10,000 web pages on popular websites including travel agents, hotels, charities and government departments. Most of the sites are in Italy, though the attack has also spread to Spain and the US.
http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2106982,00.html
http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1851322309;fp;16;fpid;1
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9025198
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,133042-c,onlinesecurity/article.html

McAfee: attacks coming for infrastructure, digital home
Online criminals looking for new areas to attack in the next few years will find green fields in the Internet infrastructure and the digital home, researchers with McAfee's AVERT labs said this week.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;638028881;fp;2;fpid;1
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=spam__malware_and_vulnerabilities&articleId=9025364

Forget Porn And Gambling, Everyday Searches Can Be Dangerous
Users may be wary about malware embedded in gambling and porn sites, but one researcher is warning that simple, benign searches could land them in heaps of trouble. Roger Thompson, a security researcher at Exploit Prevention Labs, reported that users doing online searches can easily stumble upon malicious Web sites -- normally legitimate sites that hackers have broken into to embed malicious code. Thompson is posting the problematic search terms on his blog.
http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=5Y5GMKRHDICI0QSNDLPSKH0CJUNN2JVN?articleID=199905711

us: No E-mail Searches Without Warrants, Federal Judge Says
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that e-mail users have a reasonable expectation that their stored e-mail will be as private as a telephone call.
http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=199905509
http://www.ca6.uscourts.gov/opinions.pdf/07a0225p-06.pdf (decision)

How U.S. Companies may Shield from Internet Business Bullies?
Business defamation on the Internet, others hilariously call them 'business bullies', is a growing phenomenon. Chat rooms, blogs, massive e-mails, even websites purportedly created to defame companies, are being used to post malicious, false, and defamatory information about companies. Any company, small, medium or large, may suffer devastated effects from defamatory information on the Internet. Indeed, business bullies may manipulate stock prices by posting false or inaccurate information about large corporations, and they may even drive stocks down.
http://www.ibls.com/internet_law_news_portal_view.aspx?s=latestnews&id=1788

us: The U.S. Communication Deceny Act and liability of ISPs
ISPs provide a wide variety of Internet related services to millions of users. This huge spectrum of services undoubtedly subjects ISPs to potential tort liability. ISPs’ tort liability have a chilling effect on the vibrancy of Internet communication because it would be impossible for ISPs to screen all Internet content posted by millions of third parties using their services. Thus, in the Communication Decency Act (“CDA”) of 1996, the U.S. Congress introduced Section 230 to protect ISP from liability and to maintain the robust nature of Internet communications. Even though a significant part of the CDA was struck down by the Supreme Court in 1997, Section 230 of the CDA remains intact to protect ISPs from tort liability. This article illustrates on the specific protection offered by Section 230 of the CDA to ISPs, its limits, and immunities.
http://www.ibls.com/internet_law_news_portal_view.aspx?s=articles&id=55CCDE24-5987-4267-9430-F54B153A74F9

Revoke the phishing licence
The effect of having your details stolen via a bogus website can be devastating. Danny Bradbury looks at what the big players are doing to stamp out the problem: Carl Robertson still shudders when he remembers it. "You have to live through it to understand the damage that can happen, not only emotionally, but financially." A death? A robbery? No. The 63-year-old California-based estate agent is talking about phishing, the stealing of personal credentials using spoof emails pointing to fake websites.
http://technology.guardian.co.uk/weekly/story/0,,2107221,00.html

Swiss trial opens for two Muslims accused of supporting terror on Internet
The prosecutors in Switzerland's first Internet terrorism trial on Wednesday requested prison sentences of one and two years for two Muslims accused of running websites that supported al-Qaida-linked groups and showed terror executions.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/06/21/1182019236321.html
http://iht.com/articles/ap/2007/06/20/europe/EU-GEN-Switzerland-Internet-Terror.php

au: BACKGROUND BRIEFING – Your Money Dot Con
No one's telling how much of our money is being stolen through the internet because no one wants us to lose confidence in the system. The banks are making so much money out of it, they prefer to wear the costs or push them down to the customer. In the meantime, everyone has a story and global criminals are stalking our accounts, our phones, our PCs.
http://abc.net.au/rn/talks/bbing

au: Blogger learns how to monetise hate
The man known on the internet as "the world's most hated blogger" is cooling his heels at an undisclosed location near Sydney, working on a way to climb back out of the very deep hole he now finds himself in.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/06/19/1182019071972.html

nz: Internal Affairs probes paedophile, porn and spam company with Wellington links
A Wellington company has been duped into providing cover for an internet spam, fraud and pornography ring that is likely to also be involved in paedophile websites. The Department of Internal Affairs has confirmed that its Censorship Compliance Service has spoken to the owner of Johnsonville company, Private Box, following numerous complaints it has received from overseas.
http://m-net.net.nz/1711/latest-news/latest-news/internal-affairs-probes-paedophile-porn-and-spam-company-with-wellington-li.php

Sweden tries to lose reputation as snoopers' paradise
For those of an inquisitive disposition, Sweden has long been a paradise. Thanks to its long tradition of openness, tabloid journalists, employers and ordinary nosey parkers are legally able to access information on the salaries and tax bills of their fellow countrymen. But 241 years after its first freedom of information law, there are signs that Sweden is rediscovering a taste for privacy.
http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2106189,00.html

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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
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OFT to help shoppers and firms get more out of Internet (Reuters)
The consumer affairs watchdog said on Tuesday it would develop a plan over the next six months to help consumers and business get more out of the UK's 21.4 billion pound online shopping market.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKL1917408520070619

EU seeks compensation from U.S. for banning online gambling
The European Union told the United States on Tuesday that it wanted compensation for a U.S. ban on foreign online gambling sites that does not comply with global trade rules.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/06/20/1182019139226.html

EC launches tech scheme for elderly
The European Commission has outlined plans to use technology to improve the lives of older people and create more personalised health and social services.
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/itmanagement/0,1000000308,39287590,00.htm

Warnings sounded over net neutrality in Asia
Asian regulators should think twice about following the U.S. lead on net neutrality, or risk undermining the economic incentive for Asian carriers to build and maintain faster networks, according to speakers at the CommunicAsia Summit in Singapore. Regulators in Hong Kong and Singapore show signs of enshrining a policy of net neutrality for future networks, and that's not necessarily a positive development, said Peter Waters, a partner at law firm Gilbert+Tobin. Net neutrality is a term for policies that prevent carriers from giving preference on their networks to traffic from their own sites, or charging Web sites extra for preferential treatment.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/06/19/net-neutrality-in-Asia_1.html

us: Maine Is First State in Nation to Pass Net Neutrality Resolve
A diverse coalition of Mainers applauded the enactment today of the first net neutrality resolve in the nation. The resolution, LD 1675, recognizes the importance of “full, fair and non-discriminatory access to the Internet” and instructs the Public Advocate to study what can be done to protect the rights of Maine internet users.
http://business.mainetoday.com/newsdirect/release.html?id=4492

za: Showdown Looms Over Cellphone Snooping Law
Despite months of painstaking attention to detail, legislation allowing government to intercept the communications of individuals could still face legal challenges from the telecommunications industry if it is enacted.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200706180181.html

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INTERNET & NEW TECHNOLOGY USE
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Half of Britons cannot exist without email
Half of Britons cannot exist without email and 30- and 40-somethings are more reliant on it than teenagers, a survey reveals.
http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2105323,00.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6761601.stm

What is driving the future?
Back at the second day at Oxford, pondering the future. We're starting off talking about things driving, guiding or possibly hindering future technological developments more in a political and social sense than in a scientific or a technological sense. The rise of China, the assessment of risk, different world views, the role of the media, privacy concerns all came up in the discussion. Some fear technological development, some embrace it. But what drives it?
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/technology/archives/2007/06/19/what_is_driving_the_future.html

us: U.S. newspapers adjust Web image as print dims (Reuters)
U.S. newspaper publishers on Tuesday tried to persuade analysts and investors that the information they provide will continue to be valuable despite waning revenue from their print operations. At the Newspaper Association of America's annual Mid-Year Media Review in New York, publishers touted their online strategies and efforts to rein in costs as print advertising revenue falls.
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6192095.html

uk: Straw calls for right to email during debates
The BlackBerry will notch up another victory in its campaign for world domination today as Jack Straw and other MPs call for the right to use handheld devices during parliamentary debates.
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/commons/story/0,,2106911,00.html

YouTube makes international move
The video site, owned by Google, has launched nine versions across Brazil, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the UK. 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6757525.stm
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article1953539.ece
http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,,2106387,00.html

Popularity of Facebook soars in Australia
First came MySpace, now comes Facebook. They are both Internet sites for people to stay in touch with each other and share their opinions, music or artwork. People can also use the sites to chat publicly or send messages privately. But Facebook is the newcomer as far as the Australian market is concerned and it is threatening MySpace's dominant position.
http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/06/19/1955365.htm

za: The Changing Face of Internet Communicating
Many South Africans have only a vague notion of what wikis, blogs, internet-based social networks and cellphone applications are, but these technologies are changing the way people communicate.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200706200419.html

Opinion: The Next Convergence of Games and Video: DVD?
Often ignored by more hardcore segments of the industry, are DVD games are a casual force to be reckoned with? In this opinion piece from Scope Seven general manager Brian Ring, he argues that not only do DVD games point toward an interesting future, but other video services like TiVo, YouTube, and the iPhone are ripe for gaming.
http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=14393

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SPAM
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Image Attachments for Spam Decline (AP)
A common spamming technique of sending unwanted e-mail pitches as image attachments rather than text is on the decline, as spammers continue adapting their methods for sneaking past e-mail filters. This week, security company McAfee Inc. revised its top 10 predictions for the year to account for the reversal. Another company, IronPort Systems Inc., said image spam now accounts for about 20 percent of all spam, down from 33 percent two months ago.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/06/20/financial/f132032D76.DTL
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/T/TECHBIT_IMAGE_SPAM?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-06-20-16-20-34

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DIGITAL DIVIDE
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AFRICA: Literacy: the best operating system
Elinor Sisulu: COMMENT: Of late, there has been much talk of the “digital divide” separating Africa and the industrialised world. African governments and institutions have committed large sums of money to the problem and hardly a week passes when we do not hear of some private donation of computers to a community. While these efforts are commendable, my concern is that it will hardly matter unless we bridge the “literacy divide” -- a subject that seems to receive far less attention these days. Without a high standard of literacy, it won’t matter how many computers sit in our schools.
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=311602&area=/insight/insight__comment_and_analysis/

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COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS
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Masked crusaders
Not many people use their real names to post comments on Cif. To encourage a level of self-censorship, should the site reject this anonymity?
The article concludes "This is far from trivial - it's hard to imagine a country surviving when its citizens know that they can only speak freely when masked. Rather than decry the anonymous nature of their critics - yes Polly Toynbee, I'm thinking of you - Guardian columnists really should consider why these individuals feel they need a mask. True, anonymity and abuse are not features of liberalism, but then neither are witch-hunts."
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/frank_fisher/2007/06/masked_crusaders.html

News Corp explores swap of MySpace site for Yahoo! stake
News Corporation has discussed swapping MySpace, its internet social networking unit, with Yahoo! in return for a 25 per cent stake in the enlarged group. The discussions remain tentative and could collapse after the departure of Terry Semel as Yahoo!’s chief executive and his replacement by Jerry Yang this week. Mr Yang, co-founder of Yahoo! and incoming chief executive, yesterday pledged to “dig in” to his new role, and acknowledged the difficult task he faces to arrest the decline in the internet portal’s shares.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article1957867.ece

Yahoo boss steps down from post
Terry Semel quits as the chief executive of internet search firm Yahoo and is replaced by co-founder Jerry Yang.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6765893.stm

Yahoo! to fight bidders after Semel steps down
Jerry Yang to defend against takeover and break-up approaches after Terry Semel was forced to stand aside
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article1955103.ece

Is Yang right to run Yahoo?
Thirteen years ago, Jerry Yang was working on his doctoral degree in electrical engineering at Stanford University when he and fellow student David Filo created "Jerry Yang's Guide to the World Wide Web."
http://news.com.com/2100-1030_3-6191807.html
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6191807.html

Yahoo CEO has credibility problem
Jerry Yang isn't like Michael Dell, Steve Jobs and other high-profile executives who returned to rescue the companies they founded. Yang, Yahoo Inc.'s new chief executive, never left.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-yahoo20jun20,1,7410102.story

Analysts: Yahoo lags in social media
After 18 months of floundering, Yahoo finally swallowed a bitter pill Monday and replaced Chief Executive Terry Semel with co-founder Jerry Yang. But just promoting "Chief Yahoo" Yang and giving Semel a ticket back to his old stomping grounds in Hollywood won't be enough to get the company back on track, Yahoo watchers said in interviews Tuesday. The company has a beast of a competitor in Google and a shaky product lineup. Plus, employee morale is low, and at least one key management position remains unfilled.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/cnet/2007-06-20-yahoo-social-media_N.htm

Google scores (another) hit against Microsoft
Google has scored a significant victory against Microsoft, forcing the software company to make it easier for rival companies to provide alternative search facilities for PC users on the Vista operating system.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article1960708.ece

Antitrust gripes prompt Vista changes
Microsoft has agreed to modify its new Vista operating system in response to complaints that its desktop search function puts Google and other potential competitors at a disadvantage, a source familiar with the case told Reuters on Tuesday.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10446838
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/19/technology/20softcnd.html
http://iht.com/articles/2007/06/20/business/msft.php

Study: Over Half of Inkjet Printer Ink is Thrown Away
As much as 60 percent of the ink in inkjet cartridges is wasted when printers ask users to throw away half-full cartridges.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,132969-pg,1/article.html

Review: PC Safari Spartan, Not Essential (AP)
Computer users can be forgiven for yawning at Apple's recent decision to bring its Safari Web browser to machines running Microsoft Windows.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/T/TECH_TEST_SAFARI_3?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-06-20-16-30-42

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS
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Cable duopoly chokes Australian fibre speeds
A ROUND of price increases over the past six months has left Australia's download-hungry internet users scrambling to find affordable ways to feed their appetite for online videos and music, and is raising some bigger questions about the future of Australia's broadband. ... "Right now, in international capacity there are only two routes out - AJC and Southern Cross," Mr Schoonover said. "Because of that, they've been able to have some sort of control on the price and keep it from falling as precipitously as prices fell around the rest of the world."
http://australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,21926920-5013040,00.html

Lack of broadband infrastructure stalling Australian business on the Internet
Without adequate broadband infrastructure, Australia will continue to lag behind the rest of the world when it comes to creating business online. Incredibly, only nine percent of Australian small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) are open for business over the Internet, according to the Australian Internet Industry Association (AIIA).
http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;358238253;fp;16;fpid;1

au: Opposition leader labels wireless technology as "second rate"
Stoking the fires that have ignited political debate about the future of Australian broadband, opposition leader Kevin Rudd sent telecommunication vendors into a spin today by labelling wireless technology as "second rate".
http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;55866352;fp;16;fpid;1

au: Leaked e-mail: Broadband plan 'to seduce marginals'
Labor leader Kevin Rudd has claimed that a leaked e-mail proves the government's AU$2 billion plan to banish rural broadband blackspots is in fact a ploy to win over key electoral areas.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Leaked-e-mail-Broadband-plan-to-seduce-marginals-/0,130061791,339278753,00.htm

au: Coonan slams Labor's broadband plan
Communications minister Helen Coonan has fired a shot at Labor's broadband policy, claiming it was "unworkable" and that the opposition had "underestimated" its costs.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Coonan-slams-Labor-s-broadband-plan/0,130061791,339278757,00.htm

Convergence not always the answer
Operators and service providers may choose to continue rolling out separate services for fixed-line and mobile subscribers, instead of offering fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) services. Speaking at a CommunciAsia panel discussion Tuesday, Don Rae, chief operations advisor of Philippine mobile operator Smart Communications, said this divergence from a FMC strategy is spurred by the need for operators to be cost-effective. While operators want to deliver broadband services such as Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) over fixed lines, they also want to take advantage of falling mobile infrastructure costs to deliver more affordable mobile voice services, Rae said.
http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/communications/0,39044192,62022853,00.htm

nz: Auckland, the broadband capital?
A survey of 28 cities in Asia Pacific has Auckland in 10th place when it comes to ranking the best "broadband communities".
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10447083

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MOBILE
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RIM to France: BlackBerry is safe
RIM, the BlackBerry maker, has dismissed French concerns that foreign agencies could intercept comunications sent via the portable-email device to spy on government business. RIM’s defence of its devices came after reports that senior civil servants in France had been asked to stop using the devices because messages sent via BlackBerry pass through servers in the US and UK, and could, therefore, theoretically be intercepted.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article1962449.ece
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/06/21/1182019233098.html

France bans BlackBerries in government ministries as a security threat (AP)
French government security experts say they fear that the hand-held devices are vulnerable to eavesdropping by U.S. intelligence.
http://iht.com/articles/2007/06/20/business/secrets.php

uk: Mobile internet set for take-off? Take-up increasing, but progress is slow
The mobile internet is more toll road than superhighway, but the logjam could clear up. On the face of things there is little reason to be confident that mobile internet will ever fully catch on with consumers. It's expensive, awkward to use, and lacks the content and functionality of a traditional PC-based browser.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/18/mobile_internet/

au: WiMAX plan faces interference
The WiMAX technology being promoted by the federal Government as part of its $2 billion regional network project is being used in a growing number of countries around the world and is gaining popularity as an add-on to both fixed and mobile broadband. But some industry players are concerned that although the technology is sound, the way in which it may be applied by the OPEL consortium may render it less effective.
http://australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,21935875-16123,00.html

au: CSIRO wins another round in US WLAN court case (news release)
On Friday 15 June 2007, a federal court in Texas granted CSIRO’s application for an injunction to prevent infringement of its wireless network patent by Buffalo-group companies in the US. An injunction prevents the sales of all products until a licence to CSIRO technology is negotiated.
http://csiro.au/news/WLANInjunction.html

Yahoo's global expansion of mobile phone services (Reuters)
Yahoo said on Tuesday it would introduce later this week a faster, enhanced version of its Internet services for U.S. mobile phone users, while expanding into key markets in Asia, Canada and Europe.
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1035_22-6192113.html

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VoIP
*****
uk: T-Mobile denies blocking VoIP firm
T-Mobile has denied that it is blocking a VoIP firm from receiving calls from its network. T-Mobile is not currently allowing calls to the 07978 8XXXXX number range used by VoIP provider Truphone.
http://www.infomaticsonline.co.uk/vnunet/news/2192416/mobile-denies-blocking-voip

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ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN
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au: Child porn man faces jail (AAP)
A WEST Australian man will be sentenced next month over his connection to an international child pornography ring.
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21498,21932262-2761,00.html
http://thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=145&ContentID=31824

au: Man to face Adelaide court over child porn ring
A SOUTH Australian man accused of belonging to an international child pornography ring will appear in court on Thursday. SA Police today said a 31-year-old man from Adelaide's northern suburbs was arrested on February 22 as part of a global sting on internet child porn.
http://theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21929784-2703,00.html
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/06/21/1182019255883.html

au: Man allegedly lures girls in chatroom
A man accused of using a popular chat forum to lure teenage girls into having sex with him has been refused bail in an ACT court.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/06/21/1957318.htm

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Sources include Quicklinks <http://qlinks.net/> and BNA Internet Law News <http://www.bna.com/ilaw/>.

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(c) David Goldstein 2007

 
--------- 
David Goldstein
 address: 4/3 Abbott Street
           COOGEE NSW 2034
           AUSTRALIA
 email: Goldstein_David @yahoo.com.au
 phone: +61 418 228 605 (mobile); +61 2 9665 5773 (home)
 
"Every time you use fossil fuels, you're adding to the problem. Every time you forgo fossil fuels, you're being part of the solution" - Dr Tim Flannery





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