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[APPLe list] general internet news - June 12
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Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
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Mobile to displace fixed-line internet 'within two years'
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article4112268.ece
us: Blackberry Deprivation - Why President Bush won't send you an email
http://weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/015/166ljydr.asp
Google lets users measure the power of words
http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKN1037635920080611
Barack Obama sets up internet 'war room' to fight slurs
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article4100170.ece
uk: Facebook profiles need shielding from media intrusion, say users
http://out-law.com/page-9172
Health risk of long-term mobile phone use to be studied by scientists
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/health-risk-of-longterm-mobile-phone-use-to-be-studied-by-scientists-842489.html
Social networking spam on the rise
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2218703/social-networking-spam-rise
us: Wolf Warns Of Foreign Attacks on Computers-Va. Lawmaker Suspects China Targeted Office
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/11/AR2008061102790.html
Aussies top US, Europe in falling victim to cyber crime - Survey finds women "might be" more gullible than men
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;394015083
Google says it would support U.S. privacy law
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-34003820080610
UK watchdog rules out punishment over Phorm trials
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39431420,00.htm
uk: Virgin warns illegal downloaders: stop or face prosecution
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/virgin-warns-illegal-downloaders-stop-or-face-prosecution-842086.html
us: 3 Net Providers Will Block Sites With Child Sex
http://nytimes.com/2008/06/10/nyregion/10internet.html
Do ISPs Stand a Chance Against Child Pornographers?
http://ecommercetimes.com/story/63371.html
ISPs Agree To Block Child Pornography - Deals Cast Telecom Firms as Censors
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061001085.html
Anti-Child-Porn Tactic Criticized: Thwarting Payments Makes Users Hard to Track, Report Says
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061002544.html
France to Block Child Pornography Websites
http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKL1077696620080610
Australia risks digital divide': Kirk [AAP]
http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=489211
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INTERNET USE
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Mobile to displace fixed-line internet 'within two years'
The mobile phone network may replace the copper wire as the principal method by which people connect to the internet in as little as two years, broadband experts predict.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article4112268.ece
us: Blackberry Deprivation - Why President Bush won't send you an email
John McCain and Barack Obama are often seen sending emails between campaign rallies as they barnstorm the country. But whichever man is elected president will face a predicament: unholster his Blackberry or risk political suicide. As George W. Bush told a small group of friends just days before being sworn in, "Since I do not want my private conversations looked at by those out to embarrass, the only course of action is not to correspond in cyberspace." In the last eight years, President Bush has not sent a single message. And future presidents are all but certain to follow in his footsteps.
http://weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/015/166ljydr.asp
Google lets users measure the power of words
Number-crunchers can rejoice as Google offers deeper access to the underlying figures for users' Web searches, giving some insight into trends based on the relative popularity of various words.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKN1037635920080611
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-34005220080611
UK online ad spend reaches record £3bn
Online advertising spending leapt over the £3bn level for the first time in the UK last year, according to new research, grabbing market share from other parts of the media such as newspapers, magazines and direct mail.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/jun/10/advertising.digitalmedia
Barack Obama sets up internet 'war room' to fight slurs
A crack team of cybernauts will form a rapid response internet “war room” to track and respond aggressively to online rumours that Barack Obama is unpatriotic and a Muslim.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article4100170.ece
uk: BT offers to 'speed up broadband'
A service launched by BT which offers to improve broadband speeds or "your money back" has been branded expensive. As part of its Home IT Support service, BT has pledged to improve broadband speeds by at least 0.5Mbps (megabits per second). But with a price tag of £90, some industry watchers suggest users find alternative ways of upping speeds.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7446999.stm
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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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Big money chasing social network sites may be in for small returns
Is the social networking boom of the past three years falling apart before the real fun has even begun? It's early days, but there have been several hints that the internet's next big thing may not be turning out to be as big as its backers hoped.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23837194-5013640,00.html
Social-networking sites: the complete guide
Whether you're looking for a job, a party or long-lost friends, your ideal online meeting place is out there. We uncover the best social-networking sites on the web. With hundreds of millions of user accounts, MySpace is the internet's most recognisable (and reviled) social network. From teenagers to grandmas, seemingly everybody has a page. But Rupert Murdoch's online leviathan may not be the best option for satisfying your web-communication needs.
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;432378641
uk: Facebook profiles need shielding from media intrusion, say users
Nine in ten web users want guidelines on what information the media can use from social networking sites and 78% would change the information they publish about themselves online if they thought it would later be reproduced in the mainstream media.
http://out-law.com/page-9172
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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
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Health risk of long-term mobile phone use to be studied by scientists
Scientists have started work on a massive official study to discover whether the long-term use of mobile phones causes brain cancer, and Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-wellbeing/health-news/health-risk-of-longterm-mobile-phone-use-to-be-studied-by-scientists-842489.html
The £100 iPhone aimed at boosting sales, but is Apple eating humble pie?
A year ago it was hailed as a piece of technological wizardry, prompting American fans to camp out for days to be the first to get their hands on it. Last night Apple hoped that it could recapture some of the excitement of 12 months ago by announcing the latest version of its iPhone.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jun/10/iphone.stevejobs
3G? We've Had It For Years
Talk about a reality distortion field. For mobile device makers like HTC, which has manufactured sleek, advanced cell phones for six years, it's bad enough that Apple, a neophyte in the wireless industry, can make consumers go weak at the knees just by unveiling an upgraded iPhone.
http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/06/09/3G-iphone-rivals-tech-ebiz-cx_ew_0609iphone.html
Fastest supercomputer in the world proves one in a million billion
Roadrunner was always expected to be fast out of the blocks. And after a test run one night in the city of Poughkeepsie, New York, its creators are far from disappointed.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jun/10/computing.sciencenews
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SPAM
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Social networking spam on the rise
Four out five social network users have received unwanted 'friend' invitations, messages or postings over the past year, new research suggests.
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2218703/social-networking-spam-rise
http://www.infomaticsonline.co.uk/vnunet/news/2218703/social-networking-spam-rise
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DIGITAL DIVIDE
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Africa: Why Continent is So Digitally Isolated
Imagine a major research university with tens of thousands of students trying to access the Internet through a single US household connection. That is the present situation in most African universities. Students there have access to Science through several journal archives for the developing world. In practice, most could never download it.
http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=25&newsid=125015
http://allafrica.com/stories/200806100217.html
Bridging the Global Digital Divide, One Laptop at a Time
... One thing is certain, however: The third world is the next frontier for technology companies and non-profit organizations alike. The goal: Bridge the global digital divide that separates wealthy and poor countries. Non-profits such as One Laptop per Child see technology as a way to improve education.
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1978
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ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
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us: Wolf Warns Of Foreign Attacks on Computers-Va. Lawmaker Suspects China Targeted Office
Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.) called yesterday for better measures to protect government computers and cellphones from cyber-attacks after revealing that computers in his office and several others on Capitol Hill had been targeted in recent years by hackers thought to be based in China.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/11/AR2008061102790.html
au: Conroy pushes global cybercrime fight
COMMUNICATIONS Minister Stephen Conroy will be pushing a global approach to fighting cybercrime at next week's meeting of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on the future of the internet economy, in Seoul.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23836748-15306,00.html
Aussies top US, Europe in falling victim to cyber crime - Survey finds women "might be" more gullible than men
Just days after the federal government announced its StaySmartOnline initiative, a study by security software maker AVG has found that Australians fall victim to cyber crime at a higher rate than users in the US, Brazil and seven other major European countries.
http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;394015083
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;394015083
Beware of the hoax email
What would you do if you received this email, forwarded by a trusted friend? "An important message from the Police. Please pass this along to all the women you know. This actually happened a few weeks ago on the M3 Fleet Services. It was early evening and a young girl stopped to get petrol. She filled the tank and walked into the store to pay. The cashier told her, 'A man just got into the back of your car. I've called the police and they're on their way.'"
http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/women/story/0,,2284776,00.html
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PRIVACY
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Impasse in U.S. on spying could lead to tighter rules
With Congress at an impasse over the government's spy powers and intelligence, congressional officials are bracing for the possibility that the government may have to revert to old rules for terrorist surveillance, which some officials predict could leave worrisome gaps in intelligence.
http://iht.com/articles/2008/06/09/america/intel.php
Google says it would support U.S. privacy law
Google Inc has told a senior Republican lawmaker concerned about privacy that the Internet search and advertising company supports a federal privacy law.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKN1038231320080610
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-34003820080610
UK watchdog rules out punishment over Phorm trials
The Information Commissioner's Office has ruled out an investigation of BT or Phorm, despite calls from academics for the telecommunications giant to be punished over trials of controversial ad-serving technology in 2006.
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39431420,00.htm
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ONLINE TV & MUSIC
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uk: Virgin warns illegal downloaders: stop or face prosecution
The age of illegal music downloads could soon be over. The UK's largest provider of home broadband is to warn internet users building up vast libraries of music that they could be prosecuted.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/virgin-warns-illegal-downloaders-stop-or-face-prosecution-842086.html
Comedy Central to offer Stewart and Colbert on Hulu
Viacom's Comedy Central will begin offering full episodes of "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and the "Colbert Report" on Hulu.com on Tuesday as part of a test, reversing an earlier position that it would mainly focus on offering its shows on its own sites.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKN0929694520080610
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CENSORSHIP
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Censorship in Russia: Airbrushed by the Kremlin, Again
Years ago, Soviet news agencies grew to be experts in removing unwanted comrades from official photographs. People disappeared in the developing rooms just as they disappeared in real life, and early group photos with Stalin often contracted into a picture of the Soviet dictator standing alone. That grim history makes what’s happening today on Russia’s national television networks all the more chilling.
http://nytimes.com/2008/06/09/opinion/09mon2.html
ps: Hamas takes aim at Internet porn
First it went after drug dealers, then booze and car theft. Now the Palestinian movement Hamas, which seized power in Gaza a year ago, is taking on another challenge to its self-styled rule - Internet pornography.
http://www.ioltechnology.co.za/article_page.php?iSectionId=2883&iArticleId=4447471
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CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
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us: 3 Net Providers Will Block Sites With Child Sex
Verizon, Sprint and Time Warner Cable have agreed to block access to Internet bulletin boards and Web sites nationwide that disseminate child pornography.
http://nytimes.com/2008/06/10/nyregion/10internet.html
http://iht.com/articles/2008/06/10/technology/net.php
Do ISPs Stand a Chance Against Child Pornographers?
Virtually no one objects to the concept of adopting laws and policies to stem the tide of child pornography proliferating on the Internet. So, the announcement on Tuesday that Verizon, Time Warner Cable and Sprint Nextel have agreed to block access to Web sites that harbor such content was uniformly welcomed -- even if the end result will be to keep just a small percentage of child pornography offline. The Internet service providers will confront daunting technical and legal issues as they attempt to execute on their commitment.
http://ecommercetimes.com/story/63371.html
ISPs agree to block access to child porn sites, newsgroups
ISPs Verizon, Sprint, and Time Warner Cable have agreed to block Internet newsgroups and Web sites nationwide that disseminate child pornography, The New York Times reported on its Web site Monday.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9964432-7.html
ISPs Agree To Block Child Pornography - Deals Cast Telecom Firms as Censors
Three of the nation's major Internet service providers have agreed to block customer access to newsgroups and Web sites that offer child pornography, according to an agreement announced yesterday by the New York attorney general's office.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061001085.html
Anti-Child-Porn Tactic Criticized: Thwarting Payments Makes Users Hard to Track, Report Says
The decision yesterday by three Internet service providers to block access to online child pornography is the latest in a series of steps by companies and government officials to curb the distribution of such materials. But a report to be published later this month questions whether such actions are making it more difficult to track users.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/10/AR2008061002544.html
ISPs Aim to Choke Child Porn Traffic
Three Internet service providers have agreed to be more proactive in policing the dissemination of child pornography across their networks. In response to some prodding by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Verizon, Time Warner Cable and Sprint Nextel have agreed to block access to Web sites, bulletin boards and newsgroups engaged in the promotion of child pornography. The ISPs have agreed to reference a list provided by the Center for Missing and Exploited Children in the course of monitoring their traffic for offenders.
http://ecommercetimes.com/story/ISPs-Aim-to-Choke-Child-Porn-Traffic-63137.html
US net firms to block child porn
Three of the biggest US internet service providers agree to block child sex abuse groups and remove the material from servers.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7446637.stm
3 top ISPs to block access to sources of child porn
Verizon Communications Inc., Time Warner Cable Inc. and Sprint Nextel Corp. have signed an agreement with New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to shut down access to two major sources of child pornography.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9095778
Internet companies to block child porn sites
Verizon, Sprint and Time Warner Cable have agreed to block Internet bulletin boards and Web sites nationwide that disseminate child pornography, The New York Times reported on Monday.
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-33991220080610
http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKN0930574820080610
US government tries to revive Web child porn law critics call outdated and ineffective [AP]
Government lawyers tried Tuesday to revive a 1998 law designed to keep online pornography from children, but faced charges that it is significantly outdated and blocks too much legal speech while having no effect on content posted from overseas.
http://news.smh.com.au/technology/us-government-tries-to-revive-web-child-porn-law-critics-call-outdated-and-ineffective-20080611-2ovg.html
http://news.theage.com.au/technology/us-government-tries-to-revive-web-child-porn-law-critics-call-outdated-and-ineffective-20080611-2ovg.html
France to Block Child Pornography Websites
France plans to use the help of Internet service providers to block websites which disseminate child pornography, Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said on Tuesday.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKL1077696620080610
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-34001620080610
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Infrastructure/France-to-Block-Child-Pornography-Websites/
French to block web sites that have child pornography, or content with terrorism or racial hatred [AP]
The French state and ISPs have struck a deal to block sites carrying child pornography or content linked to terrorism or racial hatred, Interior Minister Michel Alliot-Marie announced Tuesday.
http://news.smh.com.au/technology/french-to-block-porn-terror-hate-web-sites-20080611-2oop.html
http://news.theage.com.au/technology/french-to-block-porn-terror-hate-web-sites-20080611-2oop.html
http://www.startribune.com/science/19714849.html
French net providers to block sites with child pornography [AFP]
French internet providers have agreed to block foreign-based websites that disseminate child pornography, Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie announced Tuesday.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=121282
au: Charity urges child porn internet block
The head of a major child protection charity says she hopes Australian internet service providers will follow the lead of their international counterparts by blocking access to online child pornography.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/11/2271798.htm
Aust Federal police anti-porn operations cut by razor gang
The Rudd government's razor gang has cut funding from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) anti-child porn operations, including its online capability.
http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;165827236
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;165827236;fp;2;fpid;1
http://cio.com.au/index.php/id;165827236
au: MP Billson wants to reverse funding cuts in stopping online pedophiles
The Federal Opposition has urged the "Rudd Government razor gang" to not cut funding allocated to tackling online child sex exploitation.
http://www.crn.com.au/News/77953,mp-billson-wants-to-reverse-funding-cuts-in-stopping-online-pedophiles.aspx
uk: Letters - Keeping a watch on child abuse sites
Clearly Richard Clayton, quoted in your article (Time taken to shut child abuse sites criticised, June 6), misunderstands how the Internet Watch Foundation operates. If someone reports a child abuse website to the IWF, it does two things: first it confirms whether or not the images complained of are likely to be found to be illegal by a UK court. If yes, the IWF then determines where the website is being hosted. If it is in the UK, it informs the hosting company and, providing the host acts promptly to remove the material (eg within 24 hours), the host will have no liability for it. Of course the police are also informed and will normally initiate an investigation to determine who put the illegal material there and who the child might be.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jun/11/ukcrime.children
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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
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UK trailing in global broadband league
Representatives from the government, the regulator Ofcom and industry will hold a crisis summit today to discuss how to prevent the UK slipping down the global broadband league.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/jun/09/telecoms.telecoms
In slight to Microsoft, EU competition chief backs open software
The EU competition commissioner Neelie Kroes delivered an unusually blunt rebuke to Microsoft on Tuesday by recommending that businesses and governments use software based on open standards.
http://iht.com/articles/2008/06/10/technology/msft.php
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COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS
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Groups raise concerns about Google/Yahoo pact [IDG]
Advocacy groups representing rural voters, farmers, and Latinos have doubts about a possible advertising partnership between Google and Yahoo, saying the pact could create a "monopolistic concentration" in the online search and search advertising markets.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/06/10/Groups_raise_concerns_about_Google-Yahoo_pact_1.html
EU takes swipe at Microsoft
The European Union's competition commissioner recommended that businesses and governments use software based on internationally accepted standards, not proprietary ones.
http://iht.com/articles/2008/06/10/technology/msft.php
Gabbing With Top Googler
Eric Schmidt has become the tech world's premiere pundit. As such, his observations on his company are both lofty and, well, a bit opaque.
http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/06/11/google-schmidt-auletta-tech-ebiz-cx_wt_0611goog.html
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TELECOMMUNICATIONS
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Australia risks digital divide': Kirk [AAP]
Fairfax Media Ltd chief executive David Kirk says Australia is moving too slowly on building the infrastructure needed to allow all householders to enjoy the benefits of broadband.
http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=489211
uk: Next gen broadband benefits outweigh cost
Widespread deployment of next-generation broadband - which is significantly faster than current fat pipes - is critical for the UK economy, according to government advisory body the Broadband Stakeholder Group (BSG).
http://networks.silicon.com/broadband/0,39024661,39243429,00.htm
Next-gen broadband 'critical' for economy
News Research by a government advisory body has found the long-term benefits of a high-speed broadband network would exceed the cost of deployment
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,39432177,00.htm
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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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Smartphones Now Ringing for Women
If recent history is any guide, roughly a third of the people snapping up Apple’s new iPhone are likely to tote it in a purse. In a big shift for the phone industry, women have emerged as eager buyers of not just iPhones but of all so-called smartphones — BlackBerrys, Treos and other models.
http://nytimes.com/2008/06/10/technology/10phone.html
http://iht.com/articles/2008/06/10/technology/10phone.php
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VoIP
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Skype: We can't comply with police wiretap requests
One of the more interesting tidbits from News.com's survey published this morning on instant messaging privacy came from Skype.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-9963028-38.html
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ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN
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au: More Qld men charged in child porn investigation
Two more Queensland men have been charged as part of an international child pornography investigation.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/080610/21/177ua.html
Australian child porn bust suicides feared
Men charged in one of Australia's largest internet child pornography investigations are being offered counselling to stop them taking their own lives.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23834994-16123,00.html
Second Mackay man arrested on internet child porn charges
A second Mackay man has been arrested as part of an international investigation into internet child pornography.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/06/12/2272198.htm
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(c) David Goldstein 2008
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David Goldstein
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