[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
[APPLe list] general internet news - March 3
**********************************************************
Sponsored by the Singapore Internet Research Centre
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/sci/sirc/
**********************************************************
Don't forget to check out my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings.
***************************************************
A Portrait of Early Adopters: Why People First Went Online - and Why They Stayed
http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/240/report_display.asp
British digital kids ditch homework for networking
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/03/socialnetworking
Lightning internet on way for Australia
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/03/01/1204227055167.html
au: Blogging boosts your social life: research
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/03/2178512.htm
nz: Cyberspace confessions come back to bite
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4420572a11275.html
NZ kids use net for bullying
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/sundaystartimes/auckland/4419261a22398.html
Green computing finds its place at Cebit [IDG]
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/02/29/Green-computing-finds-its-place-at-Cebit_1.html
Researchers Name Top Six Spamming Botnets
http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=147240
Six botnets behind 85% of all spam, says Marshal
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/C70ED4E3A608806CCC25740100186FC6
Ask the economists: Internet and development - towards a Wider World Web?
http://www.oecd.org/document/29/0,3343,en_2649_37441_40067741_1_1_1_37441,00.html
Online Scrabble Craze Leaves Game Sellers at Loss for Words
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/business/02game.html
Australians duped out of more than $700 million in online scams
http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;770100811;fp;2;fpid;1
New Zealand Teen Charged in Cyber Crime
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/29/AR2008022902149.html
18-year-old alleged botnet king appears in New Zealand court - Owen Thor Walker charged with computer crimes [news release]
http://sophos.com/pressoffice/news/articles/2008/02/nz-teen-charged.html
German Court Prohibits Government Surveillance of PCs
http://ecommercetimes.com/story/61852.html
Steps to protect your intellectual property
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4422896a1864.html
HK star's nude photos lead to arrests in China [Reuters]
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6232709.html
Peter Griffin: ISPs in danger of becoming data cops
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10494976
In Pakistan vs. YouTube, it's not all about technology by Declan McCullagh
http://www.news.com/8301-13578_3-9880244-38.html
How Dangerous Is the Internet for Children?
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/28/technology/personaltech/28pogue-email.html
EU extends net safety programme
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7270790.stm
Safer Internet Day sees NZ launch ‘Cybercitizenship Pathway’ [news release]
http://www.netsafe.org.nz/isgnews/sid_cybercitizenship_pathway.aspx
nz: NetSafe launches schools programme to mark Safer Internet Day
http://m-net.net.nz/2194/latest-news/latest-news/netsafe-launches-schools-programme-to-mark-safer-internet.php
Bush Calls Surveillance Bill an ‘Urgent Priority’
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/28/washington/28cnd-bush.html
EU fine sends message to Microsoft and others
http://iht.com/articles/2008/02/27/business/msft.php
The EU's New Heat on Microsoft
http://businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2008/tc20080227_967982.htm
NZ Govt rejects Telecom separation plan
http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/4420632a6425.html
NZ Telecom's separation knock-back
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10495762
Telecom NZ's operational separation plan knocked back
http://www.itwire.com/content/view/16942/127/
ACMA report claims high satisfaction rates for telco services
http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;184421416;fp;2;fpid;1
**********************
RESEARCH PAPERS
**********************
OECD: Measuring Security and Trust in the Online Environment: A View Using Official Data
This paper reviews available official statistics on trust and security in the online environment. It discusses whether security concerns are an obstacle to Internet use and examines how people and companies protect their equipment and networks.
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/47/18/40009578.pdf
OECD: Measuring User-Created Content: Implications for the ICT Access and Use by Households and Individuals Surveys
User-created content (UCC) on line is emerging as a significant area of economic and social activity worthy of consideration for official measurement. This paper reviews recent measurement work on UCC undertaken in OECD countries.
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/44/58/40003289.pdf
A Portrait of Early Adopters: Why People First Went Online - and Why They Stayed Pew Internet & American Life Project
Our canvassing of longtime internet users shows that the things that first brought them online are still going strong on the internet today. Then, it was bulletin boards; now, it's social networking sites. Then, it was the adventure of exploring the new cyberworld; now, it's upgrading to broadband and wireless connections to explore even more aggressively. Yet there are changes in their activities and motives. In the early days, most internet users consumed material from websites. These days they are just as likely to produce material. One common refrain is that they think more change lies ahead and they are eager to watch and participate.
http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/240/report_display.asp
**********************
INTERNET USE
**********************
us: Over 50% of companies have fired workers for e-mail, Net abuse [IDG]
Think you can get away with using e-mail and the Internet in violation of company policy? Think again. A new survey found that more than a quarter of employers have fired workers for misusing e-mail and one third have fired workers for misusing the Internet on the job. The study, conducted by the American Management Association (AMA) and The ePolicy Institute, surveyed 304 U.S. companies of all sizes.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9065659
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/02/28/companies-fire-workers-for-e-mail-net-abuse_1.html
British digital kids ditch homework for networking
British 15-to-19-year-olds admit spending significantly less time doing homework than they used to as a result of their use of social-networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Bebo, according to research published today.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/03/socialnetworking
YouTube goes live to take on TV
YouTube, the popular video sharing website, is set to challenge established TV broadcasters by offering its own live channels. The plans would enable YouTube's millions of users to chat from their bedrooms, perform music or report on a breaking news story to a worldwide audience in real time. A birthday party or wedding could be broadcast live to family and friends who are unable to attend. The truly committed could start a 24-hour 'lifecast' of their daily activities reminiscent of television's Big Brother. ... But [Bill Thompson, a technology commentator] warned that, with the iPlayer already pressuring home internet connections, mass streaming on YouTube could stretch the network to breaking point. 'If 10 million people are trying to stream live video, it may be the point at which internet bandwidth becomes an issue. If you've got a family of four and two teenagers are trying to stream video to YouTube, your emails aren't going to be delivered,
potentially.'
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/mar/02/youtube.realitytv
Lightning internet on way for Australia
Most Australian homes will have broadband communication speeds up to 100 times faster than what is currently available, under the Rudd Government's plan to wire Australia for the 21st century. ... But by deploying VDSL (Very High Speed DSL) technology, Senator Conroy said the new network would be able to carry up to 25 megabits per second.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/03/01/1204227055167.html
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/03/01/1204402249626.html
Aust internet speed OK: Wozniak
One of the co-founders of Apple has described the targeted data transmission speeds of Australia's national broadband network as "adequate ... though not ultimate".
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23309430-15306,00.html
The porn supremacy
Where does the adult entertainment industry go with the increasing spread of porn into popular culture? Suzy Freeman-Greene examines the evidence of two new books.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/02/28/1203788544143.html
More Americans Go Online for News [Reuters]
Young people rely first on Web sources, but many are online editions of traditional media, Poynter study finds. Nearly 70 percent of Americans believe traditional journalism is out of touch, and nearly half are turning to the Internet to get their news, according to a new survey.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKN2824760420080301
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,143017-c,researchreports/article.html
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6232574.html
**********************
SOCIAL NETWORKING
**********************
Harvard Law Researchers to Helm Social Net Safety Group
Some legal minds are getting together to see what can be done to make sure that social networking Web sites like MySpace are exclusively kids' space. Researchers at Harvard Law School's Berkman Center for Internet and Society have been chosen to head up the Internet Safety Technical Task Force -- at the behest of 49 state attorneys general -- to look into possible technology-aided barriers to throw in front of predators and online bullies looking to hang out on Web sites the minors frequent.
http://ecommercetimes.com/story/Harvard-Law-Researchers-to-Helm-Social-Net-Safety-Group-61882.html
Cyberspace confessions come back to bite
Social networking sites are the ultimate in keeping friends together, but their rapid growth is prompting fears about what strangers can do with the seemingly innocent information that is posted.
http://stuff.co.nz/4420572a28.html
Websites ‘should face charges over happy-slapping videos’
YouTube should be prosecuted for carrying “happy-slapping” clips on its site, experts on internet safety say. They told MPs yesterday that after a court case this month, a legal precedent had been set that will allow those who video assaults to be prosecuted. A 15-year-old girl was found guilty of aiding and abetting manslaughter after she used a mobile phone to film a man being kicked and punched to death – the first conviction of its kind.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3441614.ece
au: Blogging boosts your social life: research
Blogging can help you feel less isolated, more connected to a community and more satisfied with your friendships, both online and face-to-face, new Australian research has found.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/03/03/2178512.htm
http://au.news.yahoo.com/080303/21/160vq.html
nz: Cyberspace confessions come back to bite
Social networking sites are the ultimate in keeping friends together, but their rapid growth is prompting fears about what strangers can do with the seemingly innocent information that is posted.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4420572a11275.html
NZ kids use net for bullying
Schoolchildren as young as 10 are using internet sites to bully and harass their classmates. Intermediate schools say pupils are using social networking website Bebo to create a false profile and post offensive information about their peers.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/sundaystartimes/auckland/4419261a22398.html
**********************
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
**********************
Green computing finds its place at Cebit [IDG]
Cebit is taking on a green tinge this year, with the Climate Savers Computing Initiative playing a central role at the trade show, which opens March 4 in Hanover, Germany. The climate initiative aims to reduce IT's carbon dioxide emissions from computer operations by 50 percent between 2007 and 2010.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/02/29/Green-computing-finds-its-place-at-Cebit_1.html
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,142991-c,technology/article.html
**********************
SPAM
**********************
Researchers Name Top Six Spamming Botnets
Researchers with Marshal’s TRACE team have identified six botnets that together are currently responsible for distributing 85 percent of all spam, Dark Reading has learned. And the results might surprise you.
http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=147240
Six botnets behind 85% of all spam, says Marshal
Marshal’s TRACE team, headquartered in Auckland, claims it has identified six botnets that are responsible for 85% of all spam.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/C70ED4E3A608806CCC25740100186FC6
http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;481069848;fp;2;fpid;1
First spam felony conviction upheld: no free speech to spam
Virginia's Supreme Court on Friday upheld the first US felony conviction for spamming. The spammer will serve nine years in prison for sending what authorities believe to be millions of messages over a two-month period in 2003.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080302-first-spam-felony-conviction-upheld-no-free-speech-to-spam.html
E-Marketers Getting Crafty in Spam-Flooded World
Even in a post CAN-SPAM (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act) world, where legal protections and technological advances give consumers more control than ever over their inboxes, e-mail remains a key component of many interactive marketing strategies.
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/61892.html
Virginia Supreme Court Rejects First Amendment Challenge to Spam Statute by Venkat Balasubramani
Thanks to Prof. Goldman I see that the Virginia Supreme Court issued its opinion in Jaynes, the state-law criminal spam case that has wound its way through the courts there. It affirms the conviction and rejects the various challenges to Virginia's spam statute... As a side note I should say that it's not often one is actually excited to read an order in a case you're not involved with. This is definitely one of those instances where the excitement is palpable... The news reports billed the case as the first felony conviction for sending spam.
http://www.circleid.com/posts/82293_virginia_court_first_amendment_spam_jaynes/
Spam King trial set to start next month [IDG]
Notorious spammer Robert Soloway will get his day in court next month when his criminal trial kicks off in Seattle. Soloway was arrested in May and charged with sending out tens of millions of unsolicited messages; so many, in fact, that investigators called him the "Spam King," and his arrest was hailed as a major blow in the fight against spam. Many of Soloway's unsolicited messages were sent out using hacked "zombie" computers infected with botnet software, prosecutors allege.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9065758
**********************
DIGITAL DIVIDE
**********************
Ask the economists: Internet and development - towards a Wider World Web?
What benefits would the Internet bring to the developing world? And what impact would the arrival of several billion new users have on the Internet as we know it today? Click here to read the questions and answers from this online debate with OECD economist Sam Paltridge.
http://www.oecd.org/document/29/0,3343,en_2649_37441_40067741_1_1_1_37441,00.html
Web desktop targets 'cybernomads'
A virtual desktop aimed at users who access the web via cybercafes is attracting interest from organisations set up to bridge the digital divide. Offered by Luxembourg-based start-up Jooce, it is being billed as a way of personalising any computer. Jooce is targeting the estimated 500 million people who log on to the internet from a cybercafe every day.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7267534.stm
**************************
ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
**************************
Online Scrabble Craze Leaves Game Sellers at Loss for Words
The latest bane of office productivity is Scrabulous, a virtual knockoff of the Scrabble board game, with over 700,000 players a day and nearly three million registered users. The extremely popular game Scrabulous is played primarily on the Facebook social-networking site. Fans of the game are obsessive. They play against friends, co-workers, family members and strangers, and many have several games going at once. Everyone seems to love the online game -- everyone, that is, except the companies that own the rights to Scrabble: Hasbro, which sells it in North America, and Mattel, which markets it everywhere else.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/business/02game.html
http://iht.com/articles/2008/03/02/business/scrabble.php
http://www.news.com/2100-1043_3-6232770.html
Australians duped out of more than $700 million in online scams
The Australasian Consumer Fraud Taskforce (ACFT) kicked off its Fraud Fortnight initiative this week, amid initial findings that Australians have dished out more than $700 million falling for online scams.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;770100811;fp;2;fpid;1
http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;770100811;fp;2;fpid;1
New Zealand Teen Charged in Cyber Crime
A New Zealand teenager allegedly at the center of an international cyber crime network appeared Friday in court where he was charged with computer hacking crimes. Computer programmer Owen Thor Walker, 18, was charged with two counts of accessing a computer for dishonest purpose, damaging or interfering with a computer system and possessing software for committing crime, and two counts of accessing a computer system without authorization.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/29/AR2008022902149.html
18-year-old alleged botnet king appears in New Zealand court - Owen Thor Walker charged with computer crimes [news release]
Experts at SophosLabs, Sophos's global network of virus, spyware and spam analysis center, have reminded organizations of the threat posed by zombie networks after a teenager was accused of being at the center of an international cybercrime network. 18-year-old Owen Thorn Walker, a computer programmer from Hamilton, New Zealand, has been charged with two counts of accessing a computer for dishonest purposes, damaging with a computer system, possessing software for committing crimes, and two counts of accessing a computer system without permission. If found guilty, Walker could face up to 10 years in jail.
http://sophos.com/pressoffice/news/articles/2008/02/nz-teen-charged.html
'Safe' websites stealing info
THE next time you visit a website you could be exposing yourself to identity theft and fraud without even knowing it, thanks to a new internet security threat called "drive-by downloading."
http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,25642,23301090-5014239,00.html
German Court Prohibits Government Surveillance of PCs
Government surveillance of personal computers violates the individual right to privacy, Germany's highest court found Wednesday, in a ruling that German investigators say will restrict their ability to pursue terrorists.
http://ecommercetimes.com/story/61852.html
German Court Endorses Online Privacy Rights [IDG]
Digital rights activists Wednesday celebrated reports of a decision by Germany's Constitutional Court that limits authorities' ability to secretly collect data from individuals' personal computers. The ruling allows security authorities to use techniques such as spy software only in certain cases, and only with judicial permission. The decision, by Germany's highest court, is widely seen as establishing a right to privacy.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,142905-c,onlineprivacy/article.html
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,142905-page,1/article.html
German high court throttles government net snooping
Germany's highest court set tough new restrictions on the government's ability to intercept internet communications in a landmark ruling that said data stored on computers was covered under constitutional guarantees to personal privacy.
"Collecting such data directly encroaches on a citizen's rights, given that fear of being observed ... can prevent unselfconscious personal communication," presiding judge Hans-Juergen Papier said, according to the Associated Press.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/27/german_privacy_ruling/
Senate antiphishing bill outlaws...what's already illegal
Using the Internet to steal someone's account information by masquerading as a bank, brokerage, or credit card company has been illegal for many, many years. Back in 2004, the Justice Department won a criminal conviction against a phishing scammer who pretended to be AOL's billing center. The Federal Trade Commission has been busy filing civil lawsuits.
http://www.news.com/8301-13578_3-9879859-38.html
Interpol to create database for intellectual property crimes
In a bid to curtail intellectual property (IP) crimes, the Interpol has joined hands with the US Chamber of Commerce to create a full-fledged database for all the member-countries.
http://www.newkerala.com/one.php?action=fullnews&id=27186
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Interpol-launches-intellectual-property-crime-database/277433/
ca: How the media can misrepresent the Web
A couple of weeks ago, Canadian media outlets reported that, across the country, 44,970 computers were actively engaged in trading child pornography - 15,140 of them in Ontario. The numbers came from cyber-sleuthing done by Flint Waters, a special agent for the Wyoming Attorney General and commander of the Internet Sex Crimes Against Children task force in the U.S. Waters developed software that can track IP addresses associated with child porn images traded on peer-to-peer networks.
http://www.rabble.ca/news_full_story.shtml?x=68092
Intellectual property safer in Korea
Contrary to views that protection for intellectual property rights is weaker in Korea than for general property rights, the country's ranking is higher for intellectual property rights protection, according to a survey by the Property Rights Alliance, an international think tank and lobbying group.
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2886747
Steps to protect your intellectual property
Intellectual property rights protect creations of the mind. Ruvini Rendle, an intellectual property specialist at law firm Duncan Cotterill, demystifies some of the major forms of intellectual property.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4422896a1864.html
HK star's nude photos lead to arrests in China [Reuters]
China has arrested two more people for posting nude photos of Hong Kong pop stars on the Internet, state media said on Saturday. The two were sentenced to five days detention for spreading at least 10 photos of singer and actor Edison Chen in bed with female celebrities, a scandal that has touched off a media frenzy in Hong Kong and feverish downloading of the photos.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKPEK13703920080301
http://www.news.com/2100-1030_3-6232709.html
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6232709.html
**********************
FILE SHARING
**********************
More teenagers ignoring CDs, report says
... For the first time last year, nearly half of all teenagers bought no compact discs, a dramatic increase from 2006, when 38% of teens shunned such purchases, according to a new report released Tuesday.
http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-music27feb27,1,2860590.story
U.S. judge pokes hole in file-sharing lawsuit [IDG]
Legal experts say a recent U.S. court ruling could force the music industry to provide more evidence against people accused of illegal file sharing. The ruling was handed down in a case filed a year ago against Christopher David Brennan of Waterford, Conn., by plaintiffs Atlantic Recording, Electra Entertainment Group, Interscope Records, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, and BMG Music.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/02/26/US-judge-pokes-hole-in-file-sharing-lawsuit_1.html
Peter Griffin: ISPs in danger of becoming data cops
Serious discussions are going on in Europe and America about the shape of the internet and the debate keeps coming back to the F word - file-sharing.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10494976
Chinese music industry groups file suit against Baidu [Reuters]
Two industry groups representing China's local musicians and songwriters have filed a lawsuit against the country's Web search leader, Baidu.com Inc, accusing it of copyright violation. The move signaled that domestic artists as well as international firms are disgruntled at the firm's free music search service.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKSHA8649720080229
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,142939-page,1/article.html
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6232379.html
**********************
CENSORSHIP
**********************
In Pakistan vs. YouTube, it's not all about technology by Declan McCullagh
The flap earlier this week in which Pakistan Telecom knocked YouTube.com off the Internet for two hours seems almost inexplicable. It's not like when a court in Turkey blocked access to YouTube from within the country, or when China restricts Western news sites.
http://www.news.com/8301-13578_3-9880244-38.html
French Police extends the Internet blacklist
French Internal Affairs Minister, Michèle Alliot-Marie, announced on 14 February 2008 new measures to fight against cybercrime, including extending the websites blacklist and pushing for computer online investigations, without the permission of the country of the hosting company.
http://www.edri.org/edrigram/number6.4/french-internet-blacklist
************************************************
CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
************************************************
How Dangerous Is the Internet for Children?
A few years ago, a parenting magazine asked me to write an article about the dangers that children face when they go online. As it turns out, I was the wrong author for the article they had in mind. The editor was deeply disappointed by my initial draft. Its chief message was this: “Sure, there are dangers. But they’re hugely overhyped by the media. The tales of pedophiles luring children out of their homes are like plane crashes: they happen extremely rarely, but when they do, they make headlines everywhere. The Internet is just another facet of socialization for the new generation; as always, common sense and a level head are the best safeguards.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/28/technology/personaltech/28pogue-email.html
EU extends net safety programme
The European Commission is spending 55m euros (£42m) on making the net a safer place for children. The money will be spent over four years on educational efforts and ways to protect children from inappropriate content and cyber bullying. It will also research the ways that children use the net on computers and other devices such as mobile phones.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7270790.stm
An even safer internet for children [news release]
Today, the European Commission proposed a new Safer Internet programme to enhance the safety of children in the online environment. Encompassing recent communications services from the Web 2.0, such as social networking, the new programme will fight not only illegal content but also harmful behaviour such as bullying and grooming. With a budget of €55 million, the programme, which builds further on the successful Safer Internet programme started in 2005, will run from 2009 to 2013.
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/310
EU backs self-regulation of web
THE EUROPEAN UNION has proposed that industry, parents and regulators should create a Safer Internet Programme to provide a system of self-regulating the Internet to protect children.
http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/02/27/ec-backs-self-regulation-web
EU’s Safer Internet plan to target content harmful to kids
Back when the dot-com boom was first booming, the European Union created a four-year Safer Internet Action Plan, designed to limit illegal and harmful activities on the 'Net. That plan got a two-year extension, and then morphed into the four-year Safer Internet plus Programme. With that program's term coming to a close at the end of 2008, the EU has decided to drop the plus and add a year, as they approved a new Safer Internet Programme, which will receive €55 million over the course of the next five years.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080228-eus-safer-internet-plan-to-target-content-harmful-to-kids.html
Safer Internet Day sees NZ launch ‘Cybercitizenship Pathway’ [news release]
Today is International Safer Internet Day and NetSafe has marked the occasion by launching the ‘Cybercitizenship Pathway’ - a pioneering initiative to help teachers integrate online safety and security education into their classroom programmes.
http://www.netsafe.org.nz/isgnews/sid_cybercitizenship_pathway.aspx
nz: NetSafe launches schools programme to mark Safer Internet Day
In case you didn't know, today is Safer Internet Day, an annual event that involves over 40 nations and kicks off a week-long blogathon highlighting safety issues facing children online.
http://m-net.net.nz/2194/latest-news/latest-news/netsafe-launches-schools-programme-to-mark-safer-internet.php
Childnet gives evidence to Culture, Media and Sport Committee on harmful content on the Internet
Childnet gave evidence on Tuesday 26th February 2008 to the Culture Media and Sport Select Committee in response to their inquiry on Harmful Content on the Internet and in Video Games.
http://www.childnet-int.org/news/
Australia moving ahead with plans to erect ISP porn filters
Australia is preparing to launch a public test of Internet filtering systems designed to block pornographic content at the ISP level even though government-funded studies from 2006 show that ISP-level filtering won't work. Plans for the filtering were first revealed last year as part of a $189 million anti-porn initiative that was announced by lawmakers at an event hosted by the Australian Christian Lobby and broadcast to over 700 Australian churches.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080227-government-reports-say-89-million-porn-filter-wont-work.html
Australian Government Calls Porn Filters A Failure
The Australian government is calling its $85 million plan to filter online pornography a failure.
http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2008/02/20/australian-government-calls-porn-filters-a-failure
au: R rating for games dismissed as 'porn'
The head of Australia's videogames industry body says there is a way to solve the R18+ videogame rating issue but the South Australian attorney-general has dismissed it as "pornography".
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23295683-16123,00.html
Free internet filter take-up disappointing [sub req'd]
http://www.telecom.paper.nl/news/article.aspx?id=204978
MySpace picks Harvard scholars to lead task force on Internet safety [AP]
Leading Internet scholars at Harvard Law School will head a task force exploring the safety of users at MySpace and other popular online hangouts amid growing fears that youngsters have become targets of sexual predators.
http://www.siliconvalley.com/news/ci_8393034
us: Proposed Utah bill would give special designation to ISPs that block porn
A bill introduced this month in the Utah House of Representatives would give Internet service providers that block access to pornographic material a special designation and an official seal that they could display on their Web sites and use in their promotional materials.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9065226
**************************
GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
**************************
Japan seeking to govern top news Web sites
A Japanese government panel is proposing to govern "influential, widely read news-related sites as newspapers and broadcasting are now regulated."
http://iht.com/articles/2008/02/27/technology/wireless28.php
Bush Calls Surveillance Bill an ‘Urgent Priority’
Using some of his toughest language in weeks, President Bush prodded Congress on Thursday to pass his preferred version of surveillance legislation, asserting that every day of delay could put the country in danger. Mr. Bush said again that renewing the surveillance legislation is “a very urgent priority,” and that it must include controversial provisions that would shield telecommunications companies from wholesale lawsuits over their assistance in monitoring the phone calls and e-mail messages of suspected terrorists without warrants.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/28/washington/28cnd-bush.html
*********************************
COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS
*********************************
EU fine sends message to Microsoft and others
The European antitrust regulator levied a record €899 million fine against Microsoft on Wednesday in a ruling designed to send a clear message to the world's biggest software maker - and to any other company - of the dangers of flouting its competition rulings.
http://iht.com/articles/2008/02/27/business/msft.php
The EU's New Heat on Microsoft
Will Microsoft's struggle with the European Union's antitrust watchdog never end? The announcement Feb. 27 that the European Commission is slapping more than $1.3 billion in new fines on the software maker is the clearest signal yet that the battle between Redmond and Brussels is far from over.
http://businessweek.com/technology/content/feb2008/tc20080227_967982.htm
EU fines Microsoft record $1.4bn
The European Commission has fined US computer giant Microsoft for defying sanctions imposed on it for anti-competitive behaviour. Microsoft must now pay a record 899m euros ($1.4bn; £680.9m) after it failed to comply with a 2004 ruling that it abused its position.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7266629.stm
Ten years of legal wrangling between Microsoft and EU
The milestones since the EU began investigating Microsoft's business practices in 1988
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/feb/27/microsoft.europe1
Top ten: Biggest company fines by the EU
The biggest individual company fines under EU competition commissioner Neelie Kroes
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/feb/27/microsoft.europe2
Microsoft fined record $1.4bn by EU
The European Commission fined Microsoft a record €899 million (£673 million, $1.4 billion) today for defying sanctions imposed on the company for abusing its dominant position in the software market.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article3445288.ece
Europe Fines Microsoft $1.3 Billion
European antitrust regulators on Wednesday fined Microsoft $1.3 billion for failing to comply with a 2004 judgment that the company had abused its market dominance. The new fine by the European Commission was the largest it has ever imposed on an individual company, and brings the total in fines imposed on Microsoft to about $2.5 billion, in current exchange rates.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/28/business/worldbusiness/28msoft.html
New York Times under fire for slow switch to online
A battle is brewing over the future of America’s most influential paper: Last month, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Jr, publisher of The New York Times, was spotted lunching with top lawyer Martin Lipton at the 21 Club, a former speakeasy that is now a favoured dining spot for Manhattan fatcats.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article3465299.ece
**********************
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
**********************
NZ Govt rejects Telecom separation plan
The Government has rejected Telecom’s plans to split itself into three businesses and has told the telecommunications company to try again.
http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/4420632a6425.html
NZ Telecom's separation knock-back
With Telecom's plan for handling operational separation getting the thumbs down from the Government on Friday it is up in the air as to whether everything will be drafted, lawyered and approved by the March 31 "separation day" everyone initially had in mind.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10495762
Telecom NZ's operational separation plan knocked back
New Zealand's communications minister, David Cunliffe has rejected the operational separation regime proposed by Telecom New Zealand.
http://www.itwire.com/content/view/16942/127/
Deutsche Telekom reports 61% surge in data traffic
Deutsche Telekom said Thursday that the level of wireless data traffic on its high-speed cellphone networks surged 61 percent in the final three months of 2007 from the previous quarter. The jump was driven by data-intensive applications like the mobile Internet search function from Google and devices like the Apple iPhone. The spike has been long awaited by operators as a lucrative new source of revenue.
http://iht.com/articles/2008/02/28/technology/telekom.php
Australia’s communications industry proposes blueprint for broadband policy development [news release]
Australia’s communications industry has agreed on a series of “fundamental principles” that should be the basis for development of policy governing the broadband environment. The Board of Communications Alliance, the industry’s peak representative body, has signed off on the principles and will advocate that the Federal Government adopt them as the framework for its broadband policy development.
http://commsalliance.com.au/__data/page/21733/Broadband_framework_rls_-_final.pdf
ACMA report claims high satisfaction rates for telco services
Four out of five Australians are satisfied with their telecommunications services, according to an Australian Communications and Media Authority report. Despite the 81 per cent satisfaction rate, there is notable differences in satisfaction levels between households, small and medium enterprises and the rural sector.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;184421416;fp;2;fpid;1
http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;184421416
http://www.cio.com.au/index.php/id;184421416
Farmers not happy with phones, internet
Four out of five Australians are happy with their phone and internet services but farmers are a lot less satisfied, research shows.
http://news.smh.com.au/farmers-not-happy-with-phones-internet/20080228-1viv.html
http://news.theage.com.au/farmers-not-happy-with-phones-internet/20080228-1viv.html
http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/farmers-not-happy-with-phones-internet/20080228-1viv.html
http://news.sbs.com.au/worldnewsaustralia/farmers_not_happy_with_phones_internet_541582
Farmers 'less satisfied' with telco services: survey
A report by the Australian Communications and Media Authority says most people are satisfied with their telco services - except for farmers, who report problems with their internet and mobile phone connections.
http://ibnnews.org/localnews/farmers_less_satisfied_with_telco_services_29208_4058047120577_0000.html
ACMA: Consumers ‘happy’ with telco services – but not farmers
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has released a nearly year-old report providing a ‘snapshot of consumer satisfaction’ with landline, mobile, VoIP and Internet services.
http://www.itwire.com/content/view/16904/1103/
Consumers express overall satisfaction with telecommunication services but mobile and internet services of concern to rural sector [news release]
A report released today by the Australian Communications and Media Authority suggests that four out of five Australians (81 per cent) are generally satisfied with their telecommunications services, although there are notable differences in satisfaction levels between households, small and medium enterprises and the rural sector.
http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_310989
Australians Are "Generally Satisfied" With Their Telecoms Services
A report released by the Australian Communications and Media Authority suggests that four out of five Australians (81 per cent) are generally satisfied with their telecommunications services, although there are notable differences in satisfaction levels between households, small and medium enterprises and the rural sector.
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/29603.php
uk: Ofcom set to ban 'unfair' charges
Telecom and internet firms will soon have to stop levying extra charges that the regulator Ofcom says are unfair.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7268721.stm
Telstra's Next G handset ticks: now in 'shades of blue'
Telstra is now providing more nuanced information on Next G handset performance than simply blue ticking those handsets it recommends for use in areas of low signal strength.
http://www.itwire.com/content/view/16900/127/
Finnish TV goes Digital [news release]
Television broadcasts in Finland are all-digital as of 1 March 2008. Analogue television transmissions ended also in cable television networks at the end of February 2008. The number of digital receivers in households has increased substantially: surveys by Finnpanel indicate that 89% of all Finnish households currently have a set-top box or a digital television. Altogether 78 per cent of cable TV households have access to digital broadcasts.
http://www.ficora.fi/en/index/viestintavirasto/uutiset/P_22.html
New ratification for the European Convention on Transfrontier Television
On 13 February 2008, Montenegro ratified the European Convention on Transfrontier Television (CETS No. 132). This Convention is the first international treaty creating a legal framework for the free circulation of transfrontier television programmes in Europe, through minimum common rules, in fields such as programming, advertising, sponsorship and the protection of certain individual rights.
http://www.coe.int/T/E/Human_Rights/media/
Committee of Ministers adopts declarations on children's activities on the internet and on the digital dividend
In its declaration on protecting the dignity, security and privacy of children on the internet, the Committee of Ministers asks member states to work together to explore the feasibility of removing or deleting content created by children and traces of their online activities within a reasonably short period of time, if such content and traces can cause them prejudice. "We are determined to ensure that our children can use the internet safely, and that the internet cannot be used against them", said Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
http://www.coe.int/T/E/Human_Rights/media/
**********************************
ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN
**********************************
au: Online chat results in child sex charges
A Victorian man who arranged to meet an underaged teenage girl for sex has been charged by police.
http://news.theage.com.au/online-chat-results-in-child-sex-charges/20080229-1vs3.html
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(c) David Goldstein 2008
---------
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
Get the name you always wanted with the new y7mail email address.
www.yahoo7.com.au/y7mail
