[APPLe list] general internet news - 5 January

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

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

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Don't forget to check out http://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.


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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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Web worldwide: UK housewives love it, Chinese use it most, Danes are least keen
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jan/01/internet-web-worldwide-international

Gaza: secondary war being fought on the internet
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5424671.ece

eBay bans sale of ivory products
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/ebay-bans-sale-of-ivory-products-1220035.html

Tough year ahead for IT industry, warns OECD
http://www.oecd.org/document/36/0,3343,en_2649_34223_41915748_1_1_1_37441,00.html

IE's European share falls under 60%, Firefox's growth stalls
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9124263

Twitter and Facebook hit by phishing attacks
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/jan/04/twitter-phishing

How Green Is Apple?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123066532721343231.html

For the Blind, Technology Does What a Guide Dog Can’t
http://nytimes.com/2009/01/04/business/04blind.html
http://iht.com/articles/2009/01/04/technology/blind.php

US cyberbullying laws do little to deter behaviour, experts say [McClatchy newspapers]
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/17/cyberbullying-laws-myspace-stalking

Culture secretary Andy Burnham wants cinema-style age ratings for websites
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/dec/27/website-rating-plan-government-obama

nz: Warning over kids' holiday photos on internet [Sunday Star Times]
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sundaystartimes/4808747a6005.html

Fatal flaws in Australian web censorship plan, says report
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/12/22/1229794328860.html

us: Music Industry to Abandon Mass Suits
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122966038836021137.html

What Carriers Aren't Eager to Tell You About Texting
http://nytimes.com/2008/12/28/business/28digi.html
http://iht.com/articles/2008/12/28/technology/digi.php

Mobiles give Africa's farmers the chance to set out their stall
http://www.guardian.co.uk/katine/2009/jan/04/katine-uganda-africa-mobile-phones

British police set to step up warrantless hacking of home PCs
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5439604.ece

Editorial: More Privacy Online
http://nytimes.com/2008/12/24/opinion/24wed3.html

Private firm may track all British email and calls
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/dec/31/privacy-civil-liberties

UK's database plan condemned by Europe
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uks-database-plan-condemned-by-europe-1218246.html

Battle lines drawn over UK Bill to ban 'extreme' porn
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/battle-lines-drawn-over-bill-to-ban-extreme-porn-1216231.html

Facebook Won’t Budge on Breastfeeding Photos
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/02/breastfeeding-facebook-photos/

Mums furious as Facebook removes breastfeeding photos
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/dec/30/facebook-breastfeeding-ban

Fury as Mafia godfathers idolised on Facebook
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article5424356.ece

Reboot the FCC by Lawrence Lessig
http://www.newsweek.com/id/176809

au: Unless TV networks adapt they will be eaten alive by the internet
http://business.theage.com.au/business/unless-tv-networks-adapt-they-will-be-eaten-alive-by-the-internet-20090102-7941.html

BT faces tough year as broadband nears saturation
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/telecoms/4093671/BT-faces-tough-year-as-broadband-nears-saturation.html

FCC's Martin Drops Porn Filtering Idea
http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/techbeat/archives/2008/12/fccs_martin_dro.html


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RESEARCH PAPERS
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Defamation Litigation and the Press in China by Xiaoyan Chen and Peng Hwa Ang [International Journal of Communications Law & Policy]
Abstract: This paper analyses 145 defamation cases in the court dockets in Chengdu from January 1987 to July 2005. Chengdu, the fourth most populous city in China, was chosen because the city trailblazed a number of reforms in the media in China. Lawyers and staff handling legal matters for all the newspaper groups in Chengdu were interviewed. Also interviewed were administrative personnel of the newspapers and senior officials from Chengdu Municipality Propaganda Bureau. Analyses of the cases show a marked increase in the number of defamation suits since the law was changed, probably attributable to an increasing awareness and consciousness of individual rights. This study also found that the success rate for plaintiffs depended more on the climate of the period in question than on whether the government or private sector is the owner. The success rate could also be divided over three periods, corresponding to the development of the media in China. This
 study suggests that the authority have not used defamation laws as a weapon to suppress the media; neither do the media nor journalists regard defamation litigation and defamation law as a major threat to their freedom of expression. This is not to deny the element of power in defamation litigation: ordinary individuals had the hardest time in defamation. This paper argues that it is simplistic to try to attain greater media freedom and freedom of expression through a mere reshaping of defamation law.
http://ijclp.net/files/ijclp_web-doc_4-12-2008.pdf

Filtering in Oz: Australia's Foray into Internet Censorship by Derek E. Bambauer [Brooklyn Law School, Legal Studies Paper]
Abstract: Australia's decision to implement Internet censorship using technological means creates a natural experiment: the first Western democracy to mandate filtering legislatively, and to retrofit it to a decentralized network architecture. But are the proposed restrictions legitimate?
http://ssrn.com/abstract=1319466

Regulating Mobile Content: Convergences and Citizenship by Gerard Goggin [International Journal of Communications Law & Policy]
Internet and media convergence has been for sometime concentrated on mobile technologies. Most notable, perhaps, has been the emergence of a cluster of online, mobile data and content services and technologies that have been precursors of fully-fledged mobile media themselves. With these important, lucrative, and potentially farreaching developments in mind, this paper focusses on international approaches to regulation of mobile content with case studies of the US, Canada, Britain and Australia.
http://ijclp.net/files/ijclp_web-doc_7-12-2008.pdf

Kids' Ad Play: Regulating Children's Advergames in the Converging Media Context by Sara M. Grimes [International Journal of Communications Law & Policy]
Abstract: This article explores possibilities for regulating emerging forms of advertising within children’s online culture, focusing specifically on the rising phenomenon of advergames. An immensely popular form of entertainment among children and teens, advergames integrate advertising and market research strategies directly into the fabric of online games and environments. I begin by situating advergames within broader traditions of advertising to children. I then present and discuss four potential “points of entry” for the regulation of these new media advertising practices, which include media regulation, consumer protection law, industry self-regulation and contract law. As media regulation in Canada and the US share many similarities, and because children’s digital media is most often transnational with a large proportion of content originating from the US, the discussion draws upon both Canadian and US legislation, providing comparisons
 where relevant. I discuss different courses of action that could potentially establish clearer restrictions on marketers’ interactions with children online, as well as enforce regulation of the role of advertising in children’s online games. The aim of this paper is to explore the Canadian government’s position that existing regulatory frameworks can be effectively extended to digital media, as well as demonstrate the necessity of enhanced coordination and integration if these regulatory regimes are to remain relevant within the converging media context.
http://ijclp.net/files/ijclp_web-doc_8-12-2008.pdf

Criminality on the Internet by Sally Serena Ramage
Abstract: The internet is without boundary and the legislation as to jurisdition is still unclear. This is an initial study into criminality on the internet.
http://ssrn.com/abstract=1319341

An Analysis of E-Commerce: E-Risk, Global Trade, and Cybercrime by Katherine T. Smith
Abstract: E-commerce is extensively used in all types of business, including manufacturing companies, retail stores, and service firms. This paper reviews prior research, examines the origins of e-commerce, identifies e-risks, describes retail trade on the Internet, defines virtual business, identifies aspects of website design, and describes types of cybercrime that hamper e-commerce. E-commerce has made business processes more reliable and efficient. Participating in e-commerce is essential for businesses to be able to market their products and services in the global marketplace.
http://ssrn.com/abstract=1315423

The Reclassification of Extreme Pornographic Images by Andrew D. Murray [Modern Law Review]
Abstract: ... This article examines the UK Government's attempt to control the availability of such material through s.63 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, which criminalises possession of such images. It begins by examining the consultation process and concludes that an underlying public policy objective was the root of the new offence despite the lack of a clear mandate for such a policy. The article then examines whether this weakness in the foundations for the proposed new offence caused the proposal to be substantially amended during the Committee Stage of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill: to the extent that the final version of s.63 substantially fails to meet the original public policy objective. The article concludes by asking whether s.63 may have unintended consequences in that it fails to criminalise some of the more extreme examples of violent pornography while criminalising consensual BDSM images, and questions
 whether s.63 will be enforceable in any meaningful way.
http://ssrn.com/abstract=1321578

The Problem of ‘Free Speech’ in the Idea(l) of Freedom of Speech by James Ressel
https://elaw.murdoch.edu.au/issues/2008/2/elaw_15_2_Ressell.pdf

Rethinking Broadband Internet Access by Daniel F. Spulber & Christopher S. Yoo [Harvard Journal of Law & Technology]
Introduction: ... This Article seeks to address these shortcomings. Part II reviews the manner in which the leading last-mile broadband technologies have been regulated. Part III describes the theories invoked to justify mandating access to telecommunications in the past — including natural monopoly, network economic effects, vertical exclusion, and ruinous/managed competition — and evaluates their applicability to last-mile broadband networks. It concludes that each of these previous theories has little bearing on an industry characterized by vibrant intermodal competition, rapid customer growth, and dynamic technological change. Part IV employs a five-part conceptual framework that we have developed based on a branch of mathematics known as graph theory to analyze the impact of various types of access in a more systematic manner. This framework illustrates the divergent impact that the different types of access can have on networks and how mandating
http://jolt.law.harvard.edu/articles/pdf/v22/22HarvJLTech001.pdf

Obstacles and Solutions to Internet Jurisdiction: A Comparative Analysis of the EU and US laws by Faye Fangfei Wang [Journal of International Commercial Law and Technology]
Abstract: In an era of information technology, businesses, through the use of the boundless Internet, can enter into international electronic contracts from anywhere in the world. The potential for cross-border disputes in electronic contracts is obviously much greater than in a paper-based environment, where a high degree of commercial contracts are domestic in nature. Can the traditional rules on jurisdiction, which are geographically orientated and generally rely on the place of performance, apply to the modern electronic contract disputes? This paper will analyse the EU and US approaches for determining jurisdiction in e-contracting cases and discuss the possibility of proposing specific jurisdiction rules for online contracts.
http://jiclt.com/index.php/JICLT/article/view/82

File-sharing and downloading: goldmine or minefield? by Stuart Helmer and Isabel Davies [Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice]
Legal context: Major copyright owners have been slow to rise to the challenge presented by illegal file-sharing and downloading. In recent years, they have scored a number of significant Court victories against file-sharers, but the recent decision in Promusicae v Telefónica, in which the ECJ held that the right to the protection of industrial property does not necessarily outweigh the right to privacy, indicates that rights holders may benefit from a more creative and co-operative approach to file-sharing.
http://jiplp.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/4/1/51

Should Anti-Cyberbullying Laws Be Created? by Matthew C. Ruedy [North Carolina Journal of Law and Technology]
Abstract: In 2006, thirteen-year-old Megan Meier met a teenage boy named Josh Evans on the social networking website MySpace. The two had an amicable relationship until Josh began making derogatory comments to Megan. The correspondence ultimately resulted in her suicide. Months later, “Josh” was revealed to be the collective creation of forty-seven-year-old Lori Drew, her teenage daughter, and her part-time employee, Ashley Grills. Megan’s suicide has pushed forward legislation for the criminalization of cyberbullying, which can be defined as action or behavior on the Internet intended to hurt or harass another person. This Comment discusses the issues and challenges associated with creating cyberbullying laws, from the decision to create such laws in the first place, to the difficult First Amendment restrictions posed by the “true threat” and “imminent incitement” doctrines.
http://jolt.unc.edu/abstracts/volume-9/ncjltech/p323

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INTERNET USE
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Web worldwide: UK housewives love it, Chinese use it most, Danes are least keen
... The poll of more than 27,500 people in 16 countries found that housewives in the UK spend 47% of their leisure time on the web, compared with 39% for students and 32% for the unemployed. Globally, the average across all occupations was 29%.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jan/01/internet-web-worldwide-international

UK housewives rule in online time
A survey of more than 27,000 web users in 16 countries has shown that the Chinese spend the largest fraction of their leisure time online. However, UK housewives spend even more than China's average - 47%.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7789494.stm

Gaza: secondary war being fought on the internet
As fighting rages in the Gaza Strip an unprecedented 'virtual war' is being joined in cyberspace. A furious public information battle is taking place on sites ranging from YouTube to Facebook between the Israeli state and Hamas.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5424671.ece

Social networking sites new frontiers of the Gaza conflict [AP]
Israel's bruising war on the Islamic militants who control Gaza has moved online, where sites like YouTube and Facebook are the new battlegrounds.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10550208

More and More, US Schools Got Game
Lifelong gamer Russell Alford, 15, usually has to wait until his homework and chores are finished before he can play Call of Duty 4, but this semester he got to play another video game at school. His finance class at Marshall High School in Fairfax County designed avatars and saved a virtual city from an oil spill -- earning points for teamwork, research on the world's water supply, business ethics and negotiating skills.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/03/AR2009010301556.html

Robot dives in to find Mediterranean internet sea break
Engineers are engaged in a deep-sea operation to restore internet and telephone access to millions of people in the Middle East, Africa and Asia after the undersea cables that form one of the world’s main communication arteries were severed.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article5385679.ece

eBay bans sale of ivory products
The internet auction site eBay has finally banned the sale of virtually all ivory products from its website after coming under intense pressure from conservationists who accused the site of acting as a major black market source for forbidden elephant tusks.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/ebay-bans-sale-of-ivory-products-1220035.html

Third subsea cable repairs begin
Two ships have started repairs undersea cables that were cut on 19 December, disrupting telephone and net services to Asia and the Middle East.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7797162.stm

Undersea robot searches for severed cables [IDG]
A robot submarine was scouring the seabed 200 meters under the Mediterranean Sea trying to locate the ends of undersea cables that were cut on Friday, disrupting voice and Internet traffic.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9124163
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/155872/.html

Tough year ahead for IT industry, warns OECD
The economic downturn will hit the Internet economy hard in 2009, according to the latest available OECD estimates. The IT Outlook 2008 says that the IT industry is likely to have grown by 4% at most in 2008 compared to the previous year. But with the outlook for the global economy worsening and business and consumer confidence plumetting, growth will remain flat or decline in 2009.
http://www.oecd.org/document/36/0,3343,en_2649_34223_41915748_1_1_1_37441,00.html

Internet economy could shrink in 2009: OECD [AFP]
The internet economy could shrink in 2009 because of the worldwide downturn, the OECD warned Monday in a report that forecast contraction of the semiconductor industry and cutbacks by corporate customers.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24836685-15317,00.html
http://news.smh.com.au/technology/internet-economy-could-shrink-in-2009-oecd-20081223-73pz.html
http://news.theage.com.au/technology/internet-economy-could-shrink-in-2009-oecd-20081223-73pz.html

OECD: IT economy in for some serious battering in 2009
The OECD is comprised of thirty member states, primarily Western and Asian industrial democracies. Information and communications technology (ICT, in its parlance) is among the industries that it tracks, and the group has just issued its annual report for 2008. It concludes that the information and communication technology (ICT) economy is slowing down in line with the drop in GDPs, and may be in for a decline in 2009. But that decline won't be uniform, as at least some sectors are likely to see growth.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081222-oecd-it-economy-in-for-some-serious-battering-in-2009.html

Kiwi broadband performance improved in 2008: report [NZPA]
Industry investment drove continuous improvement in New Zealand's national broadband performance during the past six months, a report prepared for the Commerce Commission says.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10549534

NZ broadband growth threatened by recession
The Commerce Commission’s third quarterly report on broadband quality shows while New Zealand’s broadband growth rate puts us among the top ten OECD countries, the credit crunch is expected to moderate broadband uptake and investment in 2009.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4801760a28.html

The Internet's Cool, But TV Remains Ad King
A Deloitte survey also finds that nearly six in 10 U.S. consumers would like to easily integrate their televisions with their computers to download or watch online content.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212700357

IE's European share falls under 60%, Firefox's growth stalls
Fewer than 60% of European Web users run Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer, while more than 31% have switched to Mozilla's Firefox, a French-based metrics company reported yesterday.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9124263
http://computerworld.com.au/article/271741/
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/271741/
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/155987/.html

Why Online Ads Are Weathering the Recession
It hardly matters what sector of the economy you're in—it's none too soon for 2008 to be over. In the advertising business, the pain has proved especially acute, compounded by the latest estimates of where ad budgets are heading in 2009.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/dec2008/tc20081224_411499.htm

Ebay changes backfire as it loses ground to rivals
John Donahoe, chief executive of eBay, is facing questions over his leadership of the online auctions pioneer which has been trying to turn itself into a more traditional e-commerce website.
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/ebay-changes-backfire-as-it-loses-ground-to-rivals-1210084.html

Web overtakes newspapers as source of news in US survey
As Barack Obama marched towards the White House and the economy plunged, more Americans ditched newspapers for the internet.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/dec/27/us-media-internet-newspapers-television

Print news is fading, but the content lives on
It's been about 20 years since Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web on the back of the Internet. For more than a billion people on the planet, the Web today is an alternate, digital universe that is gradually overtaking the analog, physical world as a source of information and connections.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13953_3-10128881-80.html

UK behind in global rush to broadband
Britain is falling badly behind the rest of the world in the use of broadband technology and the consequences could prove disastrous for education, health care, entertainment and the fight against global warming, one of the country's leading computer experts has warned.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/dec/28/broadband-uk-ri-christmas-lectures

Alternative health capital turns its 'negative energy' on pioneering wi-fi system
It is regarded as an oasis of calm and tranquility, and the nation's capital for alternative health therapies and spiritual healing remedies.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/3966373/Alternative-health-capital-turns-its-negative-energy-on-pioneering-wi-fi-system.html

Internet Use Grows at Meetings, as Do Challenges
Until recently, travelers attending conferences or trade shows had simple Internet needs. They would check e-mail messages and maybe look up information on the Web or connect to the home office.
http://nytimes.com/2008/12/30/business/30internet.html
http://iht.com/articles/2008/12/30/technology/internet.php

Writing the Web’s Future in Numerous Languages
The next chapter of the World Wide Web will not be written in English alone. Asia already has twice as many Internet users as North America, and by 2012 it will have three times as many. Already, more than half of the search queries on Google come from outside the United States.
http://nytimes.com/2008/12/31/technology/internet/31hindi.html
http://iht.com/articles/2008/12/31/technology/31hindi.php

IE share slides record amount, ends 2008 down 10%
Internet Explorer's market share plunged by a record-setting amount during December, Web metrics vendor Net Applications Inc. said today.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9124678

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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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Get-Rich Offers Swell on Facebook
On Facebook, a target-rich environment of the young and potentially real estate-less, D.C. resident Omari West can't help but notice all the advertisements spinning the economy's nose dive into can't-miss opportunities.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/28/AR2008122801765.html

Twitter and Facebook hit by phishing attacks
Twitter users have become used to giving their Twitter passwords to other sites, and now they've been hit with a phishing attack
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/jan/04/twitter-phishing

Cyber ID theft concern as 'space faking' soars
The growing trend of online "space faking", where users masquerade as other people, has reignited concerns about the safety and security of social networking sites.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/01/03/1230681809486.html
http://www.theage.com.au/national/beware-in-cyberspace-no-one-can-hear-you-scam-20090103-79hs.html

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
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How Green Is Apple?
Apple Inc.'s eye-catching logo - an apple with a bite taken from it - has come in many colors in the past. Now, the iconic computer company is trying to prove its commitment to the color green.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123066532721343231.html

us: Bush Data Threatens to Overload Archives
The National Archives has put into effect an emergency plan to handle electronic records from the Bush White House amid growing doubts about whether its new $144 million computer system can cope with the vast quantities of digital data it will receive when President Bush leaves office on Jan. 20.
http://nytimes.com/2008/12/27/washington/27archives.html

WiFi tops poll for best technological innovation of last decade
Logging onto the internet in a café has made many people's lives significantly easier. And now it has been voted the greatest technological advance of the last decade.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/technologynews/3901749/WiFi-tops-poll-for-best-technological-innovation-of-last-decade.html

For the Blind, Technology Does What a Guide Dog Can’t
T. V. Raman was a bookish child who developed a love of math and puzzles at an early age. That passion didn’t change after glaucoma took his eyesight at the age of 14. What changed is the role that technology — and his own innovations — played in helping him pursue his interests.
http://nytimes.com/2009/01/04/business/04blind.html
http://iht.com/articles/2009/01/04/technology/blind.php

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CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
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Czech move to stop cyber bullying
The Czech education ministry has drawn up guidelines for teachers to halt the spread of cyber bullying in schools.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7804617.stm

In Several US States, A Push to Stem Cyber-Bullying
In California, a hateful Internet campaign followed sixth-grader Olivia Gardner through three schools. In Vermont, a humiliated Ryan Halligan, 13, took his own life after being encouraged to do so by one of his middle-school peers. And in perhaps the most notorious case, Lori Drew, 49, was recently convicted on misdemeanor charges for posing as a teenage boy on MySpace to woo and then reject 13-year-old Megan Meier of Missouri, who later hanged herself in her closet.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/31/AR2008123103067.html

US cyberbullying laws do little to deter behaviour, experts say [McClatchy newspapers]
Legal experts say the long-term impact of cyberbullying laws in America just beginning to take shape
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/dec/17/cyberbullying-laws-myspace-stalking

Internet sites could be given 'cinema-style age ratings', UK Culture Secretary says
Internet sites could be given cinema-style age ratings as part of a Government crackdown on offensive and harmful online activity to be launched in the New Year, the Culture Secretary says.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/technologynews/3965051/Internet-sites-could-be-given-cinema-style-age-ratings-Culture-Secretary-says.html

Website age ratings 'an option'
 for UK

Film-style age ratings could be applied to websites to protect children from harmful and offensive material, Culture Secretary Andy Burnham has said.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7800846.stm

Culture secretary Andy Burnham wants cinema-style age ratings for websites
Internet sites could be given government-approved age ratings to prevent children accessing inappropriate material, a cabinet minister has suggested, in a move that is likely to trigger fears over web censorship.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/dec/27/website-rating-plan-government-obama

Age-ratings plan for websites
Internet websites could be given cinema-style age-ratings under plans by the Government to limit access to "unacceptable" material, Culture Secretary Andy Burnham has warned.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/online/ageratings-plan-for-websites-1212985.html

Web sites could get cinema-style ratings - UK minister
The kind of ratings used for films could be applied to Web sites in a bid to better police the Internet and protect children from harmful and offensive material, Britain's minister for culture has said.
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-37201420081227
http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKTRE4BQ0JV20081227

Watch Out for Cinema-Style Web Ratings
Have you ever been to a PG-13 rated Website? Well, you could, if British Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sports Andy Burnham's plan follows through. In an interview with the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph, Burnham said that "cinema-style ratings" should be given to Websites to grade them based on content and decency. And while I would agree with his assessment that the Internet can be "quite a dangerous place," I just don't see a movie-style rating system as a viable solution.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/156106/.html

nz: Warning over kids' holiday photos on internet [Sunday Star Times]
Experts are warning parents not to put holiday snaps of their children online because they could end up in a child porn collection.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4809055a11.html
http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelsonmail/4809055a6417.html
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sundaystartimes/4808747a6005.html

Fatal flaws in Australian web censorship plan, says report
Trials of mandatory internet censorship will begin within days despite a secret high-level report to the Rudd Government that found the technology simply does not work, will significantly slow internet speeds and will block access to legitimate websites.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/12/22/1229794328860.html
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/12/22/1229794328860.html

Internet filters won't work: ISP
Two of the country's major internet providers say the Government appears unlikely to meet its own deadline for trials of mandatory internet filtering.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/12/23/2453663.htm

Howard Government report into ISP filtering [news release]
The Howard Government, at the instigation of the Internet Industry Association (IIA), commissioned a report to be conducted by Mr Peter Coroneos, IIA's CEO. The previous government provided funding for the research and it was based on terms of reference agreed to by the IIA and the previous government. The report was to inform the previous government of the IIA's and other stakeholders' views, and international experience.
http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2008/101

Govt denies trialling flawed internet filter
THE federal Government has distanced itself from a report that found internet censorship technology under consideration is seriously flawed.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24840273-15306,00.html

Minchin says Govt needs internet filter to work
THE federal opposition says the Government is finding it increasingly difficult to make good on its promise of an internet filter.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24840275-15306,00.html

Net filtering trial delay 'another Govt bungle'
The Federal Opposition says it is not surprised the Government's mandatory internet filtering trial has been delayed.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/12/24/2454789.htm

Government rejects negative internet filter report
A REPORT showing a mandatory internet filter will not work has been dismissed as untested by the Rudd Government.
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,20797,24839172-8362,00.html

Australia's ISP Filtering Pilot Could Affect P2Ps
Australia's broadband ministry on Monday defended the country's upcoming Internet filtering pilot, and acknowledged that the plan could include P2P traffic like BitTorrent.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2337430,00.asp

CHRISTMAS SHOCK: Australian government to trial P2P filters
The Rudd government didn't tell voters before the election, but now it has revealed it will filter illegal P2P transfers at a government level as part of its ISP filtering plan.
http://apcmag.com/christmas_surprise_australian_government_to_trial_p2p_filters.htm

Government defends internet censorship technology [AAP]
The federal government has distanced itself from a report that found internet censorship technology under consideration is seriously flawed.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/12/24/1229998578450.html

Australia to test Internet filter next month [AFP]
The Australian government said Tuesday it would begin testing a pilot system next month to filter harmful information from the Internet, amid criticism that any such plan would be a technical failure.
http://news.smh.com.au/technology/australia-to-test-internet-filter-next-month-20081224-74fm.html
http://news.theage.com.au/technology/australia-to-test-internet-filter-next-month-20081224-74fm.html

'Great Aussie Firewall' set to go live
The Australian government has a new year's resolution - to make the internet safe for everyone.
http://www.3news.co.nz/ScienceTech/Story/tabid/412/articleID/85861/cat/74/Default.aspx

'Aussie firewall' may slow internet speeds - Internet NZ
Internet experts in New Zealand believe Australian moves to censor cyberspace are doomed to failure. The Australian government plans to force Australian ISPs to filter out more than a thousand websites with content including child pornography, excessive violence, crime and drug information and promotion of terrorism.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/stories/2009/01/02/12459765f1a8

Internet filter trials delayed, P2P now included!
Although due to begin on or before the 24th of December 2008, Australia’s draconian Internet content filter trials have now been postponed until mid-January 2009, with peer-to-peer and BitTorrent traffic filtering also set to be performed. Here’s an idea – delay to trial all right – but to mid-Jan, 2099!
http://www.itwire.com/content/view/22459/1103/

Australia: Growing opposition to Labor’s Internet censorship
More than 2,000 opponents of the federal Labor government's plans to censor the Internet rallied in cities across Australia on December 13—the second national protest in the past two months. The demonstrations, which were convened by the Digital Liberty Coalition (DLC), are another indication of the growing concern of industry technicians, scientists and a broad range of ordinary people over the government's attempts to control and regulate Internet access in Australia.
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/dec2008/cens-d27.shtml

Aussie government's own report trashes 'Net filtering
Australia's hugely controversial ISP filtering plan received a lump of Christmas coal in its stocking with the release this week of a new report that points out the many difficulties with such a scheme.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081224-aussie-governments-own-report-trashes-net-filtering.html

Uproar over Australian Internet filter [AP]
A proposed Internet filter dubbed the "Great Aussie Firewall" is promising to make Australia one of the strictest Internet regulators among democratic countries.
http://technology.inquirer.net/infotech/infotech/view/20081228-180330/Uproar-over-Australian-Internet-filter
http://news.smh.com.au/technology/uproar-in-australia-over-plan-to-block-web-sites-20081228-762m.html

Great Firewall of Australia: What’s not mentioned makes it even more scary
Many in Australia, and those overseas interested in censorship would have now read a post from the Australian Minister for Censorship Stephen Conroy responding to concern over the implementation of the Great Firewall of Australia.
http://www.inquisitr.com/12909/great-firewall-of-australia-whats-not-mentioned-makes-it-even-more-scary/

Australia's ISP Filtering Pilot Could Affect P2Ps
Australia's broadband ministry on Monday defended the country's upcoming Internet filtering pilot, and acknowledged that the plan could include P2P traffic like BitTorrent.
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,2845,2337476,00.asp

Aussie Internet Filtering Plan to Include P2P Traffic
Government to "examine how technology can assist in filtering internationally-hosted content."
http://www.zeropaid.com/news/9913/Aussie+Internet+Filtering+Plan+to+Include+P2P+Traffic

Australian Gov to begin live pilot of P2P Filters
The now extremely unpopular government in Australia is planning to launch a trial of its P2P filtering over the Christmas holidays.
http://www.tweaktown.com/news/10918/australian_gov_to_begin_live_pilot_of_p2p_filters/

Australien: Familienbeihilfen kurbeln Spielkonsolen-Absatz an
Ähnlich wie hierzulande überlegte auch die australische Regierung, inwieweit sie der erwarteten Konjunkturkrise mit einer Ankurbelung des Binnenkonsums vorbeugen könnte. Heraus kam dabei eine Familienbeihilfe in Höhe von 1000 australischen Dollar pro Kind, umgerechnet etwa 500 Euro. Damit verbunden war ein Appell der Regierung, das Geld nicht zu sparen, sondern möglichst sofort zum Konsum zu verwenden.
http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Australien-Familienbeihilfen-kurbeln-Spielkonsolen-Absatz-an--/meldung/120896

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ONLINE TV & MUSIC
**********************
us: Music Industry to Abandon Mass Suits
After years of suing thousands of people for allegedly stealing music via the Internet, the recording industry is set to drop its legal assault as it searches for more effective ways to combat online music piracy.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122966038836021137.html

Warner Music pulls videos from YouTube
Warner Music Group ordered YouTube on Saturday to remove all music videos by its artists from the popular online video-sharing site after contract negotiations broke down.
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-37124720081221

Sources: YouTube, not Warner Music, pulled videos
Warner Music Group has been saying since Saturday that it was the one who asked that the label's videos be removed from YouTube after talks to renegotiate its licensing deal with Google's video site stalled.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10128454-93.html

Recording labels and websites in a music video tussle
The removal of Warner Music Group's videos from YouTube over the weekend highlights the growing tension between music labels and websites over what is becoming an important source of revenue for the beleaguered recorded-music industry: advertising and licensing fees from music videos, the foundation that built MTV but which has now largely migrated to the Internet.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-musicvid23-2008dec23,0,6294858.story

Music companies plan music rival to YouTube
Music companies are working on plans to launch their own video site, in direct competition with Google’s YouTube. The move comes as Warner Music pulls all its videos from the site after the two firms failed to agree on a new contract.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article5404035.ece

Online video ads put message into the medium
Online video technology firm Blinkx has developed an integrated advertising system it hopes will help generate revenues from the growing amount of video on the web.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/dec/29/blinkx-internet-video-advertising

Online piracy menaces pro sports
An important National Football League game on a recent Saturday night was dark on millions of U.S. television screens, but it lit up an untold number of laptops.
http://iht.com/articles/2008/12/29/business/29piracy.php

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
**********************
What Carriers Aren't Eager to Tell You About Texting
Text messaging is a wonderful business to be in: about 2.5 trillion messages will have been sent from cellphones worldwide this year. The public assumes that the wireless carriers’ costs are far higher than they actually are, and profit margins are concealed by a heavy curtain.
http://nytimes.com/2008/12/28/business/28digi.html
http://iht.com/articles/2008/12/28/technology/digi.php

Mobiles give Africa's farmers the chance to set out their stall
The latest technology is enabling villagers to bypass middlemen and find out the prices their crops will command
http://www.guardian.co.uk/katine/2009/jan/04/katine-uganda-africa-mobile-phones

In Cuba, Cellphone Calls Go Unanswered
Tatiana González stood transfixed before the glass display case watching a single cellphone spin around and around on a carousel at the government-run store. It was a Nokia 1112, a simple, boxy gray workhorse of mobile telecommunications technology -- and González was in love.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/02/AR2009010202409.html

Nokia vows revenge as storm brews in touchphone market
Mobile phone maker Nokia has vowed to wreak revenge on its competitors in 2009 after slipping behind in the battle of the 'touchphones'.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/telecoms/4074808/Nokia-vows-revenge-as-storm-brews-in-touchphone-market.html

Mena Telecom reports high demand for WiMAX in Bahrain
Mena Telecom, the first WiMAX operator in Bahrain, is reporting high demand for its services across the Kingdom.
http://www.itp.net/news/542466-mena-telecom-reports-high-demand-for-wimax

China Plans to License 3 Wireless Standards
After years of delays, the Chinese government said late Wednesday that it would issue licenses for next-generation 3G wireless services, which could fuel growth in what is already the world’s biggest market for wireless services.
http://nytimes.com/2009/01/01/technology/01wireless.html

China lifts roadblock for 3G phones
China's state council said it's approved licenses for higher-speed 3G mobile networks, a move expected to help bring higher-end services to phone users in the country.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10130095-94.html

Smartphones drive mobile markets
... But all is not rosy in the smartphone garden. The popularity of these devices has brought to light several problems that look set to become acute in 2009.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7797908.stm

Mobile booms in India even as PC growth flattens [IDG]
India's mobile market continues to boom despite the global economic downturn, though its PC market is seeing flat growth.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/122908-mobile-booms-in-india-even.html
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/156087/.html

Fresh delay in auction of 3G licences in India
India’s auction of third-generation (3G) telecommunications services faced fresh delays on Friday after its finance ministry recommended doubling the base price of the sale.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5d7b096a-d8fb-11dd-ab5f-000077b07658.html

Indian government cracks down on spurious mobile phones [IDG]
The Indian government has notified the customs department that import of mobile handsets is to be allowed only after declaration of the phones' International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/122308-indian-government-cracks-down-on.html
http://www.pcworld.com/article/155946/.html

Building The Next Generation Of Text Messaging
CTIA has laid the groundwork for Enhanced Messaging, which is similar to SMS but enables users to include sound, animation, and presence in messages.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/messaging/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212501714

D.Telekom and Vodafone combine to expand German VDSL
Telecom giants Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone will work together to expand high-speed VDSL internet broadband services in Germany, the companies said on Tuesday.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE4BM17220081223

Thai regulator reports steady progress on 3G
Thailand's National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) says it has finishing drafting third-generation terms and conditions, paving the way for it to start fixing policies and hold public hearings prior to issuing licenses in mid-2009.
http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/communications/0,39044192,62049567,00.htm

India hopeful of strong bids at 3G auction: official
India is hopeful an auction for third-generation (3G) radio waves next month will draw in bids at a "few times" the reserve price of 20.20 billion rupees ($415 million), a senior government official said on Tuesday.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKTRE4BM0NI20081223
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-37163620081223

Mobile Web use hits an upward curve at last
Data traffic to mobile phones jumped 463 percent in November compared to the same month last year, according to the latest State of the Mobile Web report from Opera Software.
http://computerworld.com.au/article/271721/

Mobile web browsing on the up
The levels of mobile web browsing of increasing dramatically, accorind to the latest report from browser maker Opera.
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2233071/mobile-web-browsing

**********************
SPAM
**********************
Australian SMS Firm Agrees to Abide by Anti-Spam Laws
The Australian Communications and Media Authority has accepted an enforceable undertaking from Oxygen8 Communications, after investigating complaints under the Spam Act 2003 that commercial messages in the form of SMS were sent by content providers using Oxygen8 Communications’ technology platforms.
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/35301.php

How Does So Much Spam Come From One Place?
At roughly 4:30 p.m. Eastern time last Tuesday, the volume of junk e-mail arriving at inboxes around the world suddenly plummeted by at least 65 percent, an unprecedented drop caused by what is believed to be a single, simple act.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/19/AR2008111903075.html

au: Coffs Harbour warned on 'dangerous' email scam
People in the Coffs Harbour area are being warned about an email scam that is currently circulating.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/01/02/2458046.htm

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DIGITAL DIVIDE
**********************
Bringing Broadband to the Urban Poor
To make good on a pledge to prioritize high-speed Internet access, President-elect Obama must address inner cities, where many go without a connection
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/dec2008/tc20081230_015542.htm

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ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
**************************
British police set to step up warrantless hacking of home PCs
The Home Office has quietly adopted a new plan to allow police across Britain routinely to hack into people’s personal computers without a warrant.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5439604.ece

us: Lawsuit Against NYTCo Threatens Widespread Internet Linking Practices
If successful, a lawsuit against the New York Times Co. brought by Gatehouse, a chain of local newspapers, could radically change the way information is distributed on the Internet. The suit challenges the widespread practice of reproducing samples of text with links to original published content on other sites.
http://ecommercetimes.com/story/65638.html

Hi-tech crime to boom as downturn blooms
With the economic downturn affecting every corner of the globe, it is perhaps no surprise that it is likely to affect hi-tech criminals over the next 12 months. In contrast to many ordinary people, hi-tech criminals are likely to see opportunities to prosper rather than suffer in the downturn.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7797946.stm

Chinese Court Convicts 11 in Microsoft Piracy Case
A court in southern China convicted 11 people on Wednesday of violating national copyright laws and participating in a sophisticated counterfeiting ring that for years manufactured and distributed pirated Microsoft software throughout the world.
http://nytimes.com/2009/01/01/business/worldbusiness/01soft.html

China Sentences Ringleaders Of Software-Counterfeiting Gang
The alleged ringleaders of a Chinese counterfeiting gang that sold at least $2 billion worth of bogus Microsoft software were sentenced Wednesday to prison terms of up to 6 1/2 years, in what is believed to be the harshest penalties yet under China's tightened piracy laws.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/31/AR2008123103061.html

Facebook Is No Friend of Power.com
Power.com is a start-up based in Brazil that aims to be the portal through which people access all of their favorite social networking sites. Facebook would prefer that its members access it directly, thank you very much. On Wednesday, Facebook filed a complaint against Power.com in United States District Court in San Jose, Calif., for copyright and trademark infringement, unlawful competition and violation of the computer fraud and abuse act, among other charges. “Facebook has suffered irreparable and incalculable harm,” the complaint reads (here’s a PDF). Power.com removed access to Facebook from its site after Facebook filed the complaint.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/02/facebook-sues-powercom/

Alleged Aussie cyber stalker denied bail [AAP]
A 30-year-old man asked a police officer posing as a child in an internet chat room to wear a mini skirt with no knickers when they met, a court in Perth has heard.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4808135a28.html

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PRIVACY
**************************
Editorial: More Privacy Online
Yahoo has announced that it will no longer hold some personally identifiable search information for more than 90 days. The company is hoping that the new policy will give it a competitive advantage with users who care about privacy. It also is an encouraging development for the cause of Internet privacy.
http://nytimes.com/2008/12/24/opinion/24wed3.html

**********************
CENSORSHIP
**********************
Private firm may track all British email and calls
The private sector will be asked to manage and run a communications database that will keep track of everyone's calls, emails, texts and internet use under a key option contained in a consultation paper to be published next month by Jacqui Smith, the home secretary.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/dec/31/privacy-civil-liberties

UK government to outsource internet tracking
The government is planning to get a private company to run its proposed database of every call, text, email and web site visit.
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2233212/uk-government-outsource

UK: Private firm to guard database of every phone call, e-mail
A UK plan to create a database of metadata about every phone call, text message, and e-mail has become even more controversial in the wake of reports that maintenance of the system may be outsourced to private firms.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20090101-uk-private-firm-to-guard-database-of-every-phone-call-e-mail.html

UK's database plan condemned by Europe
Britain must rethink plans for a database holding details of every email, mobile phone and internet visit, Europe's human rights commissioner has said in an outspoken attack on the growth of surveillance societies. Thomas Hammarberg said that UK proposals for sweeping powers to collect and store data will increase the risk of the "violation of an individual's privacy".
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/uks-database-plan-condemned-by-europe-1218246.html

Battle lines drawn over UK Bill to ban 'extreme' porn
To some people it is exactly the kind of protective legislation that Britain needs in a world where access to a vast array of pornography is available at the click of a mouse. To others, a new law banning "extreme" pornography gives the Government unprecedented powers to police bedrooms (and basements).
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/battle-lines-drawn-over-bill-to-ban-extreme-porn-1216231.html

Facebook Won’t Budge on Breastfeeding Photos
Facebook is standing firm on a policy that has led to the removal of some photos posted by women that show breastfeeding.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/02/breastfeeding-facebook-photos/

Breastfeeding ban sucks, say web mums [AP]
Web-savvy mums who breastfeed are irate that social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace restrict photos of nursing babies.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10550302
http://news.smh.com.au/technology/facebook-nudity-policy-draws-nursing-moms-ire-20090102-78mv.html
http://news.theage.com.au/technology/facebook-nudity-policy-draws-nursing-moms-ire-20090102-78mv.html

Mums furious as Facebook removes breastfeeding photos
Facebook has become the target of an 80,000-plus protest by irate mothers after banning breastfeeding photographs from online profiles.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/dec/30/facebook-breastfeeding-ban

Protest as Facebook removes breastfeeding photos
A mass online protest movement is gathering pace after Facebook banned some breastfeeding photos from the social network site.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5417278.ece

Facebook ban of breast-feeding photos sparks protests
Are photographs of a mother breast-feeding her child indecent? The social networking site Facebook has sparked a massive online debate and protests after removing photos that expose too much of a mother's breast.
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-37226920081230
http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKTRE4BT0UP20081230
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/facebook-ban-of-breastfeeding-photos-sparks-protests-1217396.html

Fury as Mafia godfathers idolised on Facebook
To the fury and dismay of relatives of Mafia victims, pages posted on the social networking site Facebook idolising notorious Cosa Nostra Godfathers have generated thousands of supporters in Italy.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article5424356.ece

Mafia Finds Fans on Facebook
Thousands of users have joined fan pages devoted to top Mafia bosses on the social networking site Facebook, the Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica reported Tuesday.
http://nytimes.com/2008/12/31/world/europe/31briefs-MAFIAFINDSFA_BRF.html

YouTube shoots down Israeli air strike videos [AFP]
YouTube censors have removed several videos showing footage of air strikes and other attacks on Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip which were posted by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on its new YouTube channel.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2008/12/31/1230681544787.html
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/12/31/1230681544787.html

Thailand blocks 2,300 websites [AP]
The Thai government has blocked more than 2,300 websites over the past year, most of them for allegedly offending the country's monarchy, a senior official said.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10550142
http://news.smh.com.au/technology/thailand-blocks-2300-web-sites-20081230-77ay.html
http://news.theage.com.au/technology/thailand-blocks-2300-web-sites-20081230-77ay.html

Vietnam tightens rules on blogs
Vietnam has tightened restrictions on internet blogs, banning bloggers from raising subjects the government deems inappropriate. Blogs should follow Vietnamese law, and be written in "clean and wholesome" language, according to a government document seen by local media.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7798681.stm

Vietnam regulator bans subversive blogging
Vietnam's Ministry of Information and Communication, which regulates the Internet in the country, has banned blogs that are subversive or reveal state, security or economic secrets, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-37182120081225
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE4BN0E020081224

Thai infocomm minister vows to curb rogue sites
The new Information and Communications Technology (ICT) minister has vowed to make it a priority to block Web sites insulting the monarchy.
http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/internet/0,39044908,62049671,00.htm

New government plans to step up online censorship
Reporters Without Borders is more concerned than ever about the Internet’s future in Thailand after yesterday’s announcement that access to more than 2,300 websites was blocked in 2008, in most cases for lese-majeste (insulting the king), and the new information minister’s pledge to make it her priority to block such online content.
http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=29847

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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
**************************
Reboot the FCC by Lawrence Lessig
We'll stifle the Skypes and YouTubes of the future if we don't demolish the regulators that oversee our digital pipelines.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/176809

Who's Winning the Battle Over Net Neutrality?
The Internet is the greatest technical development of the 20th century, and its open competition model has been the envy of other market sectors. Internet advances are being crushed by monopolistic carriers who are more concerned with censoring content than delivering services to customers.
http://ecommercetimes.com/story/65674.html

us: Chamber backs broadband deployment--without Net neutrality laws
Broadband development should not be stifled by federal regulation that intends to make networks more "neutral," the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is arguing through two papers released Monday.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10128169-38.html

*********************************
COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS
*********************************
Google's grand ambitions
Google stretched its wings in 2008, furthering an expansion beyond its core search and search-advertising business. But the economy and the government raised the possibility that those wings could be clipped.
http://news.cnet.com/2009-1012_3-6248451.html

Microsoft poised to announce job losses
Microsoft is preparing to announce the first widescale layoffs in its 32-year history, with up to 15,000 jobs at risk, according to some predictions.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article5429969.ece

**********************
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
**********************
au: Unless TV networks adapt they will be eaten alive by the internet
The commercial television networks are quietly delighted by Telstra's exclusion from the $10 billion national broadband network (NBN) tender, write Allan Fels and Fred Brenchley.
http://business.theage.com.au/business/unless-tv-networks-adapt-they-will-be-eaten-alive-by-the-internet-20090102-7941.html
http://business.smh.com.au/business/unless-tv-networks-adapt-they-will-be-eaten-alive-by-the-internet-20090102-7941.html

BT faces tough year as broadband nears saturation
Telecoms group BT will face "one of its toughest ever years" in 2009 as revenue from landline phone calls continues to decline and broadband reaches saturation point, according to a new report.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/telecoms/4093671/BT-faces-tough-year-as-broadband-nears-saturation.html

2008 year in review: Networking and Telecoms
The networking and telecommunications world has seen something of a transformation in 2008, and we can expect more profound changes in 2009 as our reliance on being constantly connected continues to grow.
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2233014/2008-review-networking-telecoms

Australians offer advice on broadband
New Zealand must learn from mistakes made in Australia when developing a national broadband network, senior Telstra officials said yesterday.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10549377

nz: Com Com releases NGN discussion paper
Certain areas in telecommunications Next Generation Networks (NGN) may be unlikely to be economic to duplicate, a Commerce Commission discussion paper on the issue says.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4802823a28.html

FCC's Martin Drops Porn Filtering Idea
Even though Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Kevin Martin is leaving in a matter of weeks, he still hopes to push through a major policy decision he’s been backing for months: One that would create a nationwide free wireless broadband network for use by all.
http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/techbeat/archives/2008/12/fccs_martin_dro.html

Martin drops porn filtering from FCC free wireless broadband plan
Kevin Martin, the Chair of the Federal Communications Commission, called Ars Technica today to let us know that he has revised his proposal to roll out a free (and smut-free) wireless broadband service. In an effort to corral more votes, Martin has already circulated a new version of the plan, one that removes the controversial smut filtering requirement.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081229-no-more-porn-filtering-on-fcc-free-wireless-broadband-plan.html

au: 2008 a wasted opportunity for broadband: Minchin
THE Rudd Government promised 2008 to be the year of fast broadband for all Australians but instead it will be remembered as a year of "wasted opportunity" according to shadow communications spokesperson Nick Minchin.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,24859537-15306,00.html

ACMA releases new Australian Radiofrequency Spectrum Plan [sub req'd]
The Australian Communications and Media Authority has released a new Australian Radiofrequency Spectrum Plan.
http://www.telecompaper.com/news/article.aspx?cid=651869

Europe has a chance to unite on broadband
For seven years, AirData, a small wireless operator in Stuttgart, did something the largest German mobile operators, including T-Mobile, were unwilling to do: It delivered broadband Internet to consumers in remote corners of the country.
http://iht.com/articles/2008/12/28/technology/spectrum.php

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ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN
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au: Bondi man charged over child porn [AAP]
Police have seized thousands of DVDs from the home of a Sydney man charged with possessing child pornography.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/01/02/1230681729442.html


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(c) David Goldstein 2009



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David Goldstein
address: 4/3 Abbott Street
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AUSTRALIA
email: Goldstein_David @yahoo.com.au
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