[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
[APPLe list] general internet news - September 25
Don't forget to check out www.auda.org.au/domain-news/ for today's edition of the complete domain news, already online!
And see my website - http://technewsreview.com.au/ - for daily updates in between postings.
***************************************************
The domain name news is supported by auDA
***************************************************
Kiwi broadband not sufficient for new web applications
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/netw/DE97622D8B8A88CDCC2574CC000D6DBA
Facebook ban for odd names
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/09/25/1222217399252.html
Nokia tops latest Greener Electronics Guide [news release]
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/guide-greener-electronics-9-edition-160908
Google Introduces an iPhone Rival Open to Whims
http://nytimes.com/2008/09/24/technology/internet/24phone.html
Barracuda opens up spam blocking list
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2226879/barracuda-opens-spam-blocking
uk: Defiant Brown prepares to face down Labour rebels; address digital divide
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/sep/23/gordonbrown.labourleadership
Brown promises internet access for all children
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/sep/23/elearning.schools
Internet Shuns U.S. Based ISP Amid Fraud, Abuse Allegations
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2008/09/internet_shuns_us_based_isp_am.html
Accused of tolerating scammers, an ISP goes dark [IDG]
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;6060673
Controversial ISP Intercage Now Back Online [IDG]
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/151437/controversial_isp_intercage_now_back_online.html
Computer Users Overeager to Click Popup 'OKs' [IDG]
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/151505/computer_users_overeager_to_click_popup_oks.html
au: ACCC to name and shame dodgy Web sites
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;1251728857
us: Battle Over Stolen Goods Sold Online Goes to Washington
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/22/battle-over-stolen-goods-sold-online-goes-to-washington/
us: Judge grants new trial in music downloading case [AP]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/24/AR2008092403106.html
MySpace finally rolls out music site with all labels
http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKTRE48O0WO20080925
An epidemic in illegal downloading
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/09/23/1221935645031.html
China sends its troops into cyberspace
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/sep/22/chinathemedia.marketingandpr
Euro MPs to vote on anonymous blog ban
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/3059617/Euro-MPs-to-vote-on-anonymous-blog-ban.html
YouTube treads fine line over Finnish gunman video
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article4810236.ece
Finland massacre raises fears of online network for school killers
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4821331.ece
uk: Hi-tech help for children at risk
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7625714.stm
MySpace, Facebook show off tools that can ward off child predators
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9115465
Microsoft plans $40bn stock buyback
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article4805669.ece
EU adopts law to raise telecom competition [Reuters]
http://iht.com/articles/2008/09/24/business/telecom.php
The mobile Internet you'll be using in 10 years
http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;927863099
Taking the next step to rein in European mobile phone industry
http://iht.com/articles/2008/09/21/business/REDING.php
**********************
INTERNET USE
**********************
uk: Google in Shift on 'Abortion' as Keyword
After a lawsuit from a Christian anti-abortion group, Google is allowing religious organizations to take out ads using the keyword “abortion,” a rare case of the search giant admitting it was wrong.
http://nytimes.com/2008/09/22/technology/22google.html
http://iht.com/articles/2008/09/22/technology/22google.php
Aussie wireless broadband use doubles
Australian wireless broadband subscriptions have almost doubled in the last six months to reach 809,000, according to a report released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Aussie-wireless-broadband-use-doubles/0,130061791,339292145,00.htm
Internet Activity, Australia, Jun 2008
http://abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/ProductsbyReleaseDate/6445F12663006B83CA256A150079564D
Kiwi broadband not sufficient for new web applications
Broadband speeds in the UK, Italy and Australia and many other countries are barely keeping pace with the demands of web-based applications and video services, whose bandwidth needs are expected to only rise, according to a new survey.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/netw/DE97622D8B8A88CDCC2574CC000D6DBA
Microsoft research tackles teen social networking
Microsoft Corp. is throwing computer scientists and physicists together with economists and psychologists in its new East Coast research facility.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9115369
Blogs becoming entrenched in mainstream, and more profitable
Blogs have become entrenched in mainstream life, according to the 2008 "State of the Blogosphere" report that found bloggers are adding new posts at a staggering rate - more than 37,000 per hour - to their increasingly profitable blogs. That growth, the report said, has attracted the attention of companies who are turning to such blog sites to promote their brands.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9115367
http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;677051710
**********************
SOCIAL NETWORKING
**********************
Facebook ban for odd names
Facebook users with even slightly unusual names beware: your account can be suspended by the site's draconian administrators without warning and your personal information held to ransom until you show them a government-issued ID.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/09/25/1222217399252.html
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4705627a28.html
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/09/25/1222217399252.html
**********************
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
**********************
Nokia tops latest Greener Electronics Guide [news release]
Company scores plummeted in the previous edition of Greenpeace's Guide to Greener Electronics, when new criteria on climate change were introduced. However, leading brands like Nokia and Samsung are now making significant progress in greening their electronics products, with improved environmental policies responding not only to these new energy criteria, but also to the more stringent chemical and e-waste criteria.
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/guide-greener-electronics-9-edition-160908
With Google Phone, HTC Comes Out of the Shadows
When executives from Google and T-Mobile converge on a stage in New York Tuesday to unveil the first mobile phone powered by Google’s software, the event will be a coming-out party of sorts for another, far more obscure, but no less ambitious company — HTC.
http://nytimes.com/2008/09/23/technology/23phone.html
Google's Android mobile unveiled
The first mobile telephone using Google's Android software has been unveiled. The T-Mobile G1 handset will be available in the UK in time for Christmas.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7630888.stm
Google G1: A first look at the first phone
Neither Google nor T-Mobile would even pronounce the name of their obvious rival at the launch event for the search giant's first mobile phone today, but anyone picking up a G1 when it comes to the UK in November will immediately compare it to the iPhone.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/sep/23/google.technology
Google Introduces an iPhone Rival Open to Whims
Google and T-Mobile unveiled their answer to the iPhone on Tuesday, pulling the wraps off a slick mobile device that combines a touch screen and a keyboard and is aimed at putting the Internet in the pockets of millions of cellphone users.
http://nytimes.com/2008/09/24/technology/internet/24phone.html
Google’s First Phone: The iPhone With More Buttons
If the HTC’s new G1 cellphone, featuring Google’s Android software, were introduced two years ago, jaws would drop. But Apple’s iPhone already won the wows that go to the first small phone that is truly good at Web browsing. So the G1 offers some interesting evolution, but not a revolution in the concept.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/23/googles-first-phone-the-iphone-with-more-buttons/
Android phone makes its debut [IDG]
Open-source HTC smart phone sold by T-mobile has a touch screen similar to the iPhone's, sports 'Chrome-light' browser
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9115359
Android to debut in T-Mobile's G1 smartphone
When Google announced the Open Handset Alliance (a group of wireless industry players looking to get their names associated with Google's Android open mobile platform project), true open-source smartphones were a great idea that seemed far from commercial realization. This will change on October 22, when the T-Mobile G1 – the product of an exclusive partnership among T-Mobile, Google, and Asian handset manufacturer HTC -- becomes the first shipping mobile device based on the Android platform.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/09/23/Android_to_debut_in_T-Mobiles_G1_smartphone_1.html
G1 Android phone is only half 'open,' with T-Mobile lock-in
"It appears they have provided an Android phone that is only half open," said Jack Gold , an analyst at J. Gold Associates in Northboro, Mass.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9115360
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/09/23/G1_Android_phone_is_only_half_open_with_T-Mobile_lockin_1.html
**********************
SPAM
**********************
Barracuda opens up spam blocking list
Barracuda has announced it is opening up its spam blocking list for companies to use for free.
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2226879/barracuda-opens-spam-blocking
What's the Deal with Skype Spam?
How long before Skype Ltd. ends up as an item for bid on eBay? Ever since its acquisition by the Internet auction site, Skype has been a rudderless boat — and without a captain, following the departure of cofounder Niklas Zennstrom, who took $1.4 billion of Skype’s $2.6 billion value with him. Now, after a wave of complaints regarding Skype’s complete lack of real-time customer service, comes a new trend: Skype spam.
http://www.voip-news.com/feature/Whats-the-deal-012808/
Skype spam on the rise
For those who regularly use instant-messaging services like Yahoo Instant Messenger and Microsoft's MSN Messenger, you know that IM spam arrived long ago and shows no signs of leaving. Tuesday, however, I received my first Skype spam. Lucky me.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-10049722-16.html
**********************
DIGITAL DIVIDE
**********************
UK PM pledges internet access for all children
Parents are to receive vouchers worth up to £700 to ensure that all 1.4 million children growing up in homes without computers can have access to the internet, Gordon Brown will announce today. In his speech to the Labour conference, Mr Brown will trumpet the £300m scheme as evidence that the Government has not run out of steam and still has a radical agenda for the next 10 years.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/pm-pledges-internet-access-for-all-children-938934.html
uk: Defiant Brown prepares to face down Labour rebels; address digital divide
Gordon Brown will seek to end the corrosive speculation surrounding his premiership today with a speech in which he will promise to extend the welfare state, close the digital divide and steer Britain through the global fiscal turmoil. ... Rather than dwelling on the setbacks and mistakes of the past 12 months, Brown will unveil a series of initiatives specifically aimed at lifting families and pensioners who are most vulnerable to the steep economic downturn, including computers and free broadband access for children deprived of internet usage. ... He will tell delegates that to "ensure we are prepared for the times to come" he will spend £300m over the next three years giving 1.4 million children access to the internet with free broadband and computers.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/sep/23/gordonbrown.labourleadership
Brown promises internet access for all children
Gordon Brown's plans to give families £700 so that all children have internet access at home has been warmly welcomed by teachers and educationalists.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/sep/23/elearning.schools
Low-income homes to get net links
Parents on low incomes who have not provided their children with computers and internet access will get "vouchers" to do so, the government has said.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/7631940.stm
uk: It's speed the British people need
Helping children access the net is great, but the government needs to invest in faster broadband to aid the UK economy
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/sep/23/labour.labourconference1
**************************
ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
**************************
Internet Shuns U.S. Based ISP Amid Fraud, Abuse Allegations
A California based commercial Internet service provider whose clients included a laundry list of spammers and scammers is now offline, after the last of the company's upstream Internet providers decided to the pull the plug.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2008/09/internet_shuns_us_based_isp_am.html
Accused of tolerating scammers, an ISP goes dark [IDG]
Internet service provider Intercage has been knocked offline after being linked with malicious Web sites.
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;6060673
http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;6060673
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/092308-accused-of-tolerating-scammers-an.html
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/151386/accused_of_tolerating_scammers_an_isp_goes_dark.html
http://techworld.com/security/news/index.cfm?newsID=104718
Controversial ISP Intercage Now Back Online [IDG]
Pressure from computer security researchers may have knocked ISP (Internet service provider) Intercage offline, but not for long.
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/151437/controversial_isp_intercage_now_back_online.html
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9115471
Computer Users Overeager to Click Popup 'OKs' [IDG]
Web surfers have a standard reaction to error messages that pop up in their Web browsers, according to new research published this week: They click "OK" and hope it will disappear.
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/151505/computer_users_overeager_to_click_popup_oks.html
Users fail to spot fake pop-ups
Internet users are unable to distinguish between genuine pop-up warnings messages and false ones, a study at North Carolina State University has found. The study examined the responses of undergraduates to messages which popped up while they did other tasks on a PC.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7633402.stm
Study shows pop-up warnings are ineffective
A study by the Department of Psychology at North Carolina State University has shown that computer users largely ignore pop-up windows that warn of potential danger.
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2226765/study-shows-pop-warnings
au: ACCC to name and shame dodgy Web sites
More than 20 agencies worldwide - including several from Australia – will sweep thousands of sites for misleading or fraudulent claims in the next 24 hours.
http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1251728857
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;1251728857
International internet sweep targets false claims [news release]
Loose with the truth on claims on your website? Beware -- in the next 24 hours, thousands of websites will be examined by consumer protection agencies worldwide with just one question in mind -- is the message true or false?
http://accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/843633
us: Battle Over Stolen Goods Sold Online Goes to Washington
Does the freedom of selling on the Web lure otherwise law-abiding citizens into an addictive world of organized Internet crime?
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/22/battle-over-stolen-goods-sold-online-goes-to-washington/
us: Bills Take Aim at Online Sale of Stolen Goods [IDG]
Three bills focusing on the sale of stolen goods online would impose new obligations on Web auction sites while not putting enough responsibility on brick-and-mortar stores to protect themselves against shoplifting, two e-commerce representatives said Monday.
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/151385/bills_take_aim_at_online_sale_of_stolen_goods.html
in: Scrabble wins word game with Scrabulous
Toy maker Mattel has won its trade mark battle against Indian company RJ Software, makers of the online word game Scrabulous, in the Delhi High Court. On September 17 Judge S Ravindra Bhat of the Delhi High Court restrained the brothers Rajat and Jayant Agarwalla from using the trade marks Scrabble, Scrabulous or any other deceptively similar trade mark.
http://managingip.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=2015599
Cybercriminals go mobile
The increasing use of smart mobile devices will make them a major target for cybercriminals, a security analyst warned today.
http://www.pcw.co.uk/personal-computer-world/news/2226843/cybercriminals-mobile
http://www.vnunet.com/personal-computer-world/news/2226843/cybercriminals-mobile
uk: Internet gamer 'may have been murdered by fellow gamer'
Matthew Pyke, 20, who ran a web-based gaming forum, was found dead in his Nottingham flat on Friday evening.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/3074811/Internet-gamer-may-have-been-murdered-by-fellow-gamer.html
**********************
ONLINE TV & MUSIC
**********************
us: Judge grants new trial in music downloading case [AP]
A federal judge granted a new trial to a Minnesota woman convicted of pirating music files in the nation's first file-sharing trial, ruling Wednesday he made an error in the jury instructions that "substantially prejudiced" her rights.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/24/AR2008092403106.html
http://news.smh.com.au/technology/judge-grants-new-trial-in-music-downloading-case-20080925-4nle.html
http://news.theage.com.au/technology/judge-grants-new-trial-in-music-downloading-case-20080925-4nle.html
MySpace finally rolls out music site with all labels
News Corp's MySpace, the world's largest social networking site, on Wednesday unveiled a long-expected joint venture with all four major music companies in a bid to compete with Apple Inc's market-leading iTunes store.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKTRE48O0WO20080925
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/24/AR2008092404148.html
An epidemic in illegal downloading
More Australians are illegally downloading entertainment files, with little to fear from the copyright police.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/09/23/1221935645031.html
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/09/23/1221935645031.html
**********************
CENSORSHIP
**********************
China sends its troops into cyberspace
The authorities are paying bloggers 50 cents a go to push messages on online forums: John McCain's campaign team has been at it. Wal-Mart was revealed as doing it. Sony in the past dabbled with it. Online, astroturfing - whereby stealth PR tactics are passed off as grassroots enthusiasm for a product or candidate - is flourishing. But in China, things have gone one step further - with the establishment of the country's 50-cent army.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/sep/22/chinathemedia.marketingandpr
Euro MPs to vote on anonymous blog ban
Euro MPs are preparing to vote on proposals for European Union regulation of blogs with the aim of countering a "dangerous" and unregulated blogosphere.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/3059617/Euro-MPs-to-vote-on-anonymous-blog-ban.html
Kuwait plans to block YouTube over Islam content
Kuwait has ordered local Internet service providers to block online video-sharing website YouTube over clips that could offend Muslims.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKLM28138520080922
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE48M2MJ20080923
Malaysian blogger jailed for inciting racial tensions
A high-profile anti-government blogger has been jailed for up to two years in Malaysia, his lawyer said today.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/sep/23/malaysia.blogging
Malaysian blogger jailed for 2 years [AP]
Malaysia jailed a prominent anti-government blogger for two years under a strict security law that can keep him in prison indefinitely for allegedly inciting racial tensions with his writings, a lawyer said today.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/malaysian-blogger-jailed-for-2-years-939340.html
uk: Net Suicide Bill would breathe life into government censorship
Government moves to reduce the availability of suicide sites on the internet may herald a new era of online censorship in the UK.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/09/24/suicide_bill_censorship/
************************************************
CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
************************************************
YouTube treads fine line over Finnish gunman video
Within a couple of hours of the shootings in Kaujahoki, several videos posted by the YouTube user Wumpscut86 had been taken down by the site.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article4810236.ece
Finland massacre raises fears of online network for school killers
Police in Finland are investigating a possible link between the catering student who shot ten people on Tuesday and the teenage gunman who went on a rampage last November at a school near Helsinki. ... Tuesday’s shooting horrified Finland and was seen widely as a carbon copy of the attack in Jokela, where Pekka-Erik Auvinen killed eight people. Both had placed videos of their intentions on YouTube shortly before their attacks, and both killed themselves with a shot to the head rather than face arrest.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4821331.ece
Authorities look for answers after Finnish mass shooting
A deadly shooting at a Finnish school has raised questions about tougher policing of the internet, and whether the thrill of posting threatening videos encourages other potential killers.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/09/24/2372870.htm
Finland deaths spark gun law and internet call
Finland's prime minister has called for gun laws to be tightened after a school shooting that left 11 people dead. ... Questions will also be raised about the police handling of the case and the role of the internet.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7632661.stm
uk: Hi-tech help for children at risk
Children at risk of abuse will soon be able to use text messages and the internet to get help from ChildLine.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7625714.stm
MySpace, Facebook show off tools that can ward off child predators
MySpace is using technology to analyze whether potential users trying to sign up for the social network may be registered sex offenders, the company's chief security officer said today.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9115465
http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1044855293
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;1044855293
Making The Internet Safer For Children - European Parliament
Children and teenagers are keen internet users - 12 to 15-year-olds spend at least three hours a day on screen - but they are not always aware of the dangers of certain sites or content: not only material containing child pornography or violence but also the risk of harassment by individuals with harmful intentions. The EP Civil Liberties Committee called on Monday for children to be better protected against these dangers.
http://www.medilexicon.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=122371
us: School districts offer Internet safety programs
Riverside and Ellwood City Area school districts are combining efforts on a three-part series for parents and children on the positive and negative impact of the Internet.
http://www.ellwoodcityledger.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20134502
us: Help line in the works for cyberbullying victims
A grassroots organization is working on a help line to support kids dealing with cyberbullying and other online issues, particularly on social networks.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10050205-93.html
**************************
GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
**************************
Political barrels pushed in NZ internet debate
Some of the first shots in the election were fired last night, when the four main parties fronted up to a debate broadcast live over the internet and TV to discuss four of the key ICT-related issues; broadband, cyber-safety, copyright and the convergence of traditional and digital media channels. ... For the most part, discussions in the areas of broadband, cybersafety and convergence involved little more than the re-iteration of existing policy or idealogy; David Cunliffe pitched the government's recently released Digital Strategy and dissed National's Fibreco concept at every opportunity, Rodney Hide talked a lot about "choice", "competition" and "investment", Maurice Williamson doubted that regulation would or could be effective in most areas, and Metiria Turei from the Green Party talked about protecting New Zealanders from foreign interests.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10533878
nz: ICT industry moves to address copyright confusion [news release]
"A deeply flawed law that undermines fundamental rights and simply will not work.” That is what the telecommunications industry, internet service providers, user groups, internet advocates and IT professionals think of parts of the recently passed Copyright (New Technologies) Amendment Act.
http://www.internetnz.net.nz/media/2008/jointcopyright
Government buckles over Copyright Act amendment
The government has bowed to unprecedented ICT industry pressure, announcing a four-month moratorium on Section 92A of its new Copyright (New Technologies) Amendment Act.
http://www.itbrief.co.nz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2576&Itemid=808
NZ Government wavers on web cut-offs
The Government has issued mixed messages on whether it might freeze controversial new copyright law that could lead to customers being disconnected from the internet.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4705441a26513.html
Ofcom and Whitehall jointly attack EU move to cut mobile charges
The British government and the telecoms regulator Ofcom yesterday attacked as ill-judged and premature the European commission's plans to cut the fees that mobile operators charge to connect calls on rival networks.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/sep/23/telecoms.regulators
Copyright bill provisions trample Kiwi rights further, experts say
Draconian provisions in the amended Copyright Act – due to come into effect by the end of the year – effectively throw New Zealand’s ISPs under the bus.
http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/copyright-bill-provisions-trample-kiwi-rights-further-experts-say-35542
nz: New Forum pushed to see the big picture
TUANZ chief Ernie Newman believes the Digital Development Forum could democratise the Digital Strategy, making it “the nation’s strategy not just the government’s”.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/A3031B45BA59015CCC2574CC00098EFC
Politicians Push for Net Neutrality, Broadband Policy [IDG]
The U.S. needs to adopt a comprehensive broadband policy to bring connections to many areas of the country that don't yet have them, two Democratic politicians said Monday.
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/151378/politicians_push_for_net_neutrality_broadband_policy.html
*********************************
COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS
*********************************
Microsoft plans $40bn stock buyback
Microsoft unveiled a second mammoth stock buyback of up to $40 billion (£21.6 billion), raised its dividend by 18 per cent and said its board has also approved taking on up to $6 billion in debt.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article4805669.ece
Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and Nike Announce Buyback Plans for Shares
Eager to project confidence in turbulent markets, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and Nike announced plans separately on Monday to buy back a combined $53 billion of their companies’ stock, a move that could benefit shareholders and attract new investors.
http://nytimes.com/2008/09/23/business/23buyback.html
Microsoft unveils $40bn buy-back
Microsoft has unveiled plans to spend $40bn (£22bn) buying back its shares from investors, the biggest single buy-back plan in history.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7630508.stm
Microsoft to take on debt in massive stock buy back [AP]
Chaos in the money markets gave Microsoft an opening to announce it would take on debt for the first time, launch a new $40 billion (NZ$58 billion) stock buyback plan and raise its dividend.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10533665
Microsoft plans debt issue, $40 bln share buyback
Microsoft Corp plans to buy back up to $40 billion of its own stock, lift its dividend and issue commercial paper for the first time in the company's history, the software maker said on Monday.
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-35600620080922
**********************
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
**********************
EU adopts law to raise telecom competition [Reuters]
The European Parliament adopted measures Wednesday to increase competition in EU telecommunications markets in a bid to give consumers a wider choice and less-costly services.
http://iht.com/articles/2008/09/24/business/telecom.php
EU Parliament calls for telecom regulatory group [AP]
The European Parliament called Wednesday for a new, independent telecommunications regulatory group to help open up competition for Internet and phone services across Europe.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/09/24/financial/f055629D19.DTL
http://www.thestate.com/techwire/story/534438.html
http://ecommercetimes.com/story/64602.html
European Parliament approves single telecoms regulator
The European Parliament has today voted in favour of a single telecoms market for Europe, albeit with some compromises.
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2226844/european-parliament-approves
nz: Broadband not like other infrastructure, argues economist
Broadband is one of the most difficult infrastructures for which to arrive at a reliable cost-benefit evaluation, says economics researcher Arthur Grimes. In fact he hesitates to describe it as infrastructure at all, or at least in the same sense as roading or water distribution.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/netw/B8F9FF8805332938CC2574CC000B167B
Ofcom sets out stall for fast net in UK
The price of super fast broadband should reflect the amount of money spent on investing in next generation networks, UK regulator Ofcom has said. It comes as part of its latest consultation on how fibre networks can flourish in the UK.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7631545.stm
au: ACCC, ACMA big failures: Burgess
VOCAL Telstra spokesman Phil Burgess has fired a parting shot at the federal Government and regulators, and warned against companies getting too caught up in politics.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24395007-15306,00.html
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,24395066-7582,00.html
**********************
MOBILE/WIRELESS
**********************
The mobile Internet you'll be using in 10 years
The US military's new space based communications network opens a glimpse at the sort of data rates and network that you might be using on mobile devices within the next decade.
http://computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;927863099
Taking the next step to rein in European mobile phone industry
The European Union's telecommunications commissioner is gearing up for the next phase of her effort to bring the Continent's mobile phone industry under control and pass the benefits on to consumers.
http://iht.com/articles/2008/09/21/business/REDING.php
EU to slash the cost of text messaging while abroad
The cost of using mobile phones to send text messages, to surf the internet and make voice calls while abroad are to be slashed under European Commissions proposals.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/3065059/EU-to-slash-the-cost-of-text-messaging-while-abroad.html
US wireless carriers trying to block free broadband
Mobile telephone service providers are trying to block a plan to create a free, nationwide wireless broadband network by insisting on protections from interference that would make it impossible to deliver wireless broadband, according to the company proposing the network.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9115473
Sprint's WiMAX network set for October launch
After months of anticipation, Sprint Nextel will make its WiMAX network available commercially for the first time in Baltimore next month.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/092308-sprint-wimax-launch.html
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/151403/sprint_sets_baltimore_wimax_event_for_oct_8.html
**********************************
ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN
**********************************
au: Jail suspended for child porn offences
A 61 year old northern Tasmanian man convicted of child pornography offences has had a nine month prison sentenced suspended.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/australian-news/5038124/jail-suspended-for-child-porn-offences/
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The domain name news is supported by auDA
For information on subscriptions to the domain name and/or general internet news please contact me. For archives of postings to the list, see http://lists.technewsreview.com.au/pipermail/technewsreview/. Also see http://technewsreview.com.au/ for recent updates.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
(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
Make the switch to the world's best email. Get Yahoo!7 Mail! http://au.yahoo.com/y7mail
