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[APPLe list] general internet news - 19 January
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Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/sci/sirc/
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OECD Information Technology Outlook 2008
http://www.oecdbookshop.org/oecd/display.asp?sf1=identifiers&st1=932008041P1&LANG=EN
BlackBerry-using Barack Obama set to become first President 2.0
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article5542182.ece
uk: TV waits to see a preview of its new world
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jan/18/lord-carter-digital-britain-broadcasting
Internet generation leave parents behind
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jan/19/internet-generation-parents
Internet security task force downplays online threats to children; critics blast report
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9126040
uk: Police trawl internet in hunt for missing girl, 15
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/jan/19/laura-stainforth-missing-girl
uk: Missing girl 'met man in chatroom'
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/jan/18/laura-stainforth-missing-schoolgirl
Music world embracing unlimited downloads
http://iht.com/articles/2009/01/18/technology/midem.4-410564.php
Online piracy: 95% of music downloads are illegal
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/jan/17/music-piracy
Digital music industry grows by 25% in 2008
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article5527605.ece
Obama plans to keep his BlackBerry
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9126258
Mobile Internet To Grow Rapidly By 2010
http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/business/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212900847
Mobile carriers answer call for new services [Billboard]
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE50G0CU20090117
China Mobile named the most valuable telecom brand
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-01/15/content_7402000.htm
Germany to order ISPs to censor child porn
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10144413-93.html
Vietnamese Authorities Rein In the Country's Vigorous Blogosphere
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/17/AR2009011702552.html
nz: Tech industry makes late bid to stop copyright law [NZPA]
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/dominionpost/4819682a27483.html
nz: Copyright law an 'opportunity', not a problem
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/257775653538F293CC257540000F222E
EU accuses Microsoft of harming browser competition
http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKTRE50F6LW20090117
FCC: How will changing of the guard impact big telecom issues?
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/011509-fcc.html
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RESEARCH PAPERS
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OECD Information Technology Outlook 2008
Information technology (IT) and broadband are major drivers of economic change, restructuring businesses, affecting skills and employment, and contributing to growth and consumer benefits. This volume describes recent market dynamics and trends in industries supplying IT goods and services and offers an overview of the globalisation of the information and communication technology (ICT) sector and the rise of ICT-enabled international sourcing.
http://www.oecdbookshop.org/oecd/display.asp?sf1=identifiers&st1=932008041P1&LANG=EN
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INTERNET USE
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BlackBerry-using Barack Obama set to become first President 2.0
Barack Obama looks likely to win his battle to keep his beloved BlackBerry smartphone, when he goes inside the White House bubble.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article5542182.ece
uk: TV waits to see a preview of its new world
This week, two major reports will set out the shape of broadcasting's future. James Robinson and Richard Wray of The Observer explore who the winners and losers will be in a radical overhaul of the industry
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jan/18/lord-carter-digital-britain-broadcasting
Internet generation leave parents behind
Children are spending increasing amounts of their lives in front of televisions, computers and games consoles, cramming in nearly six hours of screen time a day, according to research.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jan/19/internet-generation-parents
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CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
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Internet security task force downplays online threats to children; critics blast report
A report released Wednesday by a multi-organization task force whose formation was spearheaded by MySpace Inc. paints a surprisingly benign picture of the online security and privacy threats faced by children. But the report's conclusion — that some of the common concerns about those threats may be overstated or misplaced — is drawing sharp criticism from some quarters.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9126040
http://computerworld.com.au/article/273307/
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/011509-study-blasted-for-downplaying-online.html
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/273307/
http://www.pcworld.com/article/157910/.html
uk: Police trawl internet in hunt for missing girl, 15
Police are trawling internet traffic and social networking sites in the search for 15-year-old Laura Stainforth, who has been missing for four days with a middle-aged man who is known to befriend teenagers on the MSN Messenger and Facebook websites.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/jan/19/laura-stainforth-missing-girl
Search for schoolgirl Laura Stainforth
Police search for schoolgirl Laura Stainforth, from Lincolnshire, who may be on the run with a 49-year-old she met online
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article5542642.ece
Police search missing schoolgirl's computer for clues
Police have begun trawling schoolgirl Laura Stainforth's computer files for clues as to where she has run away with a 49-year-old man, who she met through an internet chatroom as concerns for her safety mount.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/4283687/Missing-schoolgirl-Laura-Stainforth-police-trawl-computer-files-for-clues.html
uk: Missing girl 'met man in chatroom'
Police searching for a missing schoolgirl believe that she may have been taken out of the country by a middle-aged man she met on the internet.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/jan/18/laura-stainforth-missing-schoolgirl
Missing girl, 15, was ‘groomed’ for six months
A MISSING teenage girl, feared to be abroad with a man three times her age, was “groomed” through an internet chatroom for almost six months, police revealed last night.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article5537248.ece
au: Qld police praised for busting global child porn ring
Queensland police officers have been praised by the State Government after helping to break an international child pornography ring.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/01/17/2468237.htm
us: 'Girls' takes look at bullying
“The Secret Life of Girls” is an “important play to see and discuss with your teen,” according to Aberdeen Community Theatre's Young People's Theatre.
http://www.aberdeennews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090118/LIVING/901180316
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ONLINE TV & MUSIC
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Music world embracing unlimited downloads
After years of futile efforts to stop digital pirates from copying its music, the music business has started to copy the pirates.
http://iht.com/articles/2009/01/18/technology/midem.4-410564.php
Internet piracy regulations planned for UK
Ministers intend to pass regulations on internet piracy requiring service providers to tell customers they suspect of illegally downloading films and music that they are breaking the law, says the draft report by Lord Carter.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/48141a1a-e35c-11dd-a5cf-0000779fd2ac.html
Online piracy: 95% of music downloads are illegal
The music industry is still losing out to internet pirates on a huge scale, with an estimated 95% of music available online being downloaded illegally.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/jan/17/music-piracy
Digital music industry grows by 25% in 2008
The digital music industry grew by 25 per cent worldwide last year, with sales of $3.7 billion, despite the fact that 95 per cent of all downloads were illegal, according to a report by IFPI, the international record industry body.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article5527605.ece
Legal downloads swamped by piracy
Ninety-five per cent of music downloaded online is illegal, a report by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) has said.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7832396.stm
Music sales worldwide fall by 7 percent
Music sales worldwide fell by about 7 percent last year as another sizable jump in digital sales failed to make up for a deepening decline in the compact disc market, according to John Kennedy, chief executive of the industry's main international trade group.
http://iht.com/articles/2009/01/15/technology/digital.4-408839.php
Global digital music sales up 25 percent
Legitimate digital music sales grew strongly in 2008 but were still dwarfed by the scale of illegal downloads, despite industry efforts to adapt to the Internet and offer more choice to customers.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE50F1LJ20090116
ISPs can profit from busting file sharers
Jerry Scroggin, the owner of a Louisiana Internet Service Provider, says he's skeptical of a service that proposes to pay ISPs to police their networks for pirated music and movies.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10144105-93.html
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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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Obama plans to keep his BlackBerry
President-elect Barack Obama told CNN today he had a plan to "hang onto" his beloved BlackBerry, but did not explain how he would overcome legal and security concerns..
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9126258
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/011709-obama-plans-to-keep-his.html
http://computerworld.com.au/article/273491/
Mobile Internet To Grow Rapidly By 2010
There are more than one billion Internet users around the globe, but a new study from ReportLinker said that number could be dwarfed by the amount of mobile Web surfers in a few years.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/business/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212900847
New phone features 'baffle users'
The complexity of modern mobile phones is leaving users frustrated and angry, research suggests. Setting up a new handset is as challenging as changing bank accounts, said 61% of those interviewed.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7833944.stm
Mobile carriers answer call for new services [Billboard]
Wireless carriers appear poised to deliver on what the mobile industry has long seen as its holy grail -- location-based services.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE50G0CU20090117
China Mobile named the most valuable telecom brand
China Mobile was named the most valuable telecom brand, worth $30.8 billion, in a recent report.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-01/15/content_7402000.htm
Sweden pushes ahead with 4G network
The Swedish telecommunications operator TeliaSonera has signed contracts towards the launch of an 4G high-speed wireless network in 2010, saying it aims to be one of the first with an LTE network up and running.
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,39593279,00.htm
Australians can crank RFID up to four watts
After four years of testing, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has approved the use of four watt RFID devices. The authorization opens the door to devices which operate in the 920 and 926 MHz band, removing major barriers to adoption of the technology in Australia.
http://www.rfidnews.org/2009/01/16/australians-can-crank-rfid-up-to-four-watts
Passive RFID users granted four-watt reprieve
Ultra high frequency (UHF) RFID devices up to four watts have been approved for use by the Australian Communications and Media Authority following four years of successful tests.
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/94190,passive-rfid-users-granted-fourwatt-reprieve.aspx
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SPAM
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Optus pays second highest penalty to date for alleged breaches of the Spam Act [news release]
The Australian Communications and Media Authority has issued two infringement notices to the value of $110,000 to Optus Networks Pty Ltd for allegedly sending electronic messages without accurate sender identification, in contravention of the Spam Act 2003.
http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311594
ACMA commences proceedings against Mobilegate and Winning Bid for sending unsolicited SMS spam [news release]
The Australian Communications and Media Authority has commenced proceedings in the Federal Court in Brisbane under the Spam Act 2003 against Mobilegate Limited, Winning Bid Pty Ltd, Jobspy Pty Ltd and individuals associated with these companies.
http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311593
Telcos called to task for calls
THE communications watchdog has scolded telecommunications companies for calling people who had listed themselves on the Do Not Call register to promote phone plans and other offers.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/telcos-called-to-task-for-calls-20090115-7i6q.html
au: Telcos the worst offenders for Do Not Call breaches
Telcos trying to promote new phone plans and other related services accounted for over half of all Do Not Call Register complaints in the last 12 months.
http://www.crn.com.au/News/94093,telcos-the-worst-offenders-for-do-not-call-breaches.aspx
Telcos are the worst for breaching do-not-call rules
The ACMA says that telecommunications companies are responsible for 55 percent of complaints from people who have listed their phone numbers on the do-not-call register in order to avoid unsolicited telemarketing calls.
http://www.itwire.com/content/view/22692/127/
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DIGITAL DIVIDE
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Intel's Barrett Says Time Is Right to Close Digital Divide [IDG]
Craig Barrett spent decades using his business skills to make Intel the world's most powerful semiconductor company. He has now turned his attention to an even bigger challenge -- spreading computers and education throughout the developing world.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/157822/.html
http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/273348/
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ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
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us: Intelligence Court Rules Wiretapping Power Legal
A federal intelligence court, in a rare public opinion, issued a major ruling validating the power of the president and Congress to wiretap international phone calls and intercept e-mail messages without a specific court order, even when Americans’ private communications may be involved.
http://nytimes.com/2009/01/16/washington/16fisa.html
http://iht.com/articles/2009/01/16/news/tap.php
uk: Postman lost £130k to Nigerian scam
32-year-old lost £100,000 on an internet scam involving Nigerian fraudsters and then lost a further £30,000 as he attempted to get it back.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/4249276/Postman-loses-130000-to-Nigerian-fraudsters-in-internet-scam.html
Tricky Windows Worm Wallops Millions
A sneaky computer worm that uses a virtual Swiss army knife of attack techniques has infected millions of Microsoft Windows PCs, and appears to be spreading at a fairly rapid pace, security experts warn.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/01/tricky_windows_worm_wallops_mi.html
Three million hit by Windows worm
A worm that spreads through low security networks, memory sticks, and PCs without the latest security updates is posing a growing threat to users. The malicious program, known as Conficker, Downadup, or Kido was first discovered in October 2008.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7832652.stm
'Amazing' worm attack infects 9 million PCs
Calling the scope of the attack "amazing," security researchers at F-Secure Corp. today said that 6.5 million Windows PCs have been infected by the "Downadup" worm in the last four days, and that nearly 9 million have been compromised in just over two weeks.
http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9126205
COMBATING CYBER CRIME: Global Network Operates 24/7
Cyber crooks have become so organized and businesslike that they use online forums to advertise illegal wares, buy and sell computer viruses, and traffic in stolen identities—all for huge profits.
http://www.fbi.gov/page2/jan09/fordham_011409.html
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PRIVACY
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Internet privacy: UK government warns email providers over targeted online advertising
Online services which scan users' email to generate targeted advertising are being "closely scrutinised" by the Government over internet privacy concerns.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/technologynews/4277433/Internet-privacy-Government-warns-email-providers-over-targeted-online-advertising.html
us: Advertisers collaborate on privacy principles for behavioural ads
Advertisers and agencies in the US have promised to create a code of practice to allay fears about increasingly intrusive forms of online advertising. Four major advertising trade associations said that they will work together on self-regulation.
http://out-law.com/page-9712
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CENSORSHIP
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Germany to order ISPs to censor child porn
In a move to stop the spread of child pornography on the Internet, German officials will soon be asking ISPs to filter out Web sites they deem offensive, according to news magazine Der Spiegel.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10144413-93.html
Vietnamese Authorities Rein In the Country's Vigorous Blogosphere
Vietnam's government has issued several decrees in recent months to curtail blogging, as the number of Internet users soars in the communist country.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/17/AR2009011702552.html
China porn clamp no 'flash in pan' [Reuters]
China has extended a crackdown on internet porn to include "vulgar" content in mobile phone games, online novels and radio programs, while promising the campaign will be no "flash in the pan", state media have said
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/01/16/2467734.htm
China makes arrests in Internet porn campaign
Chinese police have arrested 28 suspects in an expanding crackdown on Internet pornography that authorities vowed will be no "flash in the pan", official media said on Friday.
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-37481220090116
http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKTRE50F1MY20090116
Online gamers in China must soon register with real names
The Chinese Government will soon begin a mandatory program which will see all online video game players registering their real information for anti-addiction monitoring purposes.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20090116-online-gamers-in-china-must-soon-register-with-real-names.html
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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
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Missing White House E-Mails Traced, Justice Aide Says
A Justice Department lawyer told a federal judge yesterday that the Bush administration will meet its legal requirement to transfer e-mails to the National Archives after spending more than $10 million to locate 14 million e-mails reported missing four years ago from White House computer files.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/14/AR2009011401957.html
nz: Tech industry makes late bid to stop copyright law [NZPA]
The New Zealand Computer Society says a new law taking effect next month could see internet service providers (ISPs) having to cut off families and businesses, if a third party accuses them of copyright breaches.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/dominionpost/4819682a27483.html
nz: Copyright law an 'opportunity', not a problem
Provisions in new copyright laws requiring internet service providers to cut service to people accused of breaching copyright are "an opportunity for ISPs and rights holders to work together" to address online piracy, a coalition of organisations calling itself New Zealand Creative Industries (NZCI) says.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/257775653538F293CC257540000F222E
EU accuses Microsoft of harming browser competition
The European Commission accused Microsoft Corp on Friday of stymieing competition by bundling its Internet Explorer Web browser with Windows systems, firing the latest salvo in an expensive, years-long battle with the software titan.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKTRE50F6LW20090117
Europe takes on Microsoft again
The European Commission has taken another shot at software giant Microsoft, by saying that the US technology company could be breaking the law by packaging its Internet Explorer web browser with Windows.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jan/16/microsoft-microsoft
Microsoft is accused by EU again
The European Commission has accused Microsoft of harming competition by bundling its Explorer web browser with its Windows operating system.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7834792.stm
us: Tech Industries Set for Spending Aid
The economic-stimulus proposal contains a potential bonanza for technology companies, as well as $650 million to salvage the government's troubled effort to ease the transition to digital-television broadcasts.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123204944545386743.html
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COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS
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Microsoft and Yahoo Executives Meet
Steven A. Ballmer, Microsoft’s chief executive, met in New York earlier this week with Roy J. Bostock, Yahoo’s chairman, according to a person briefed on the meeting.
http://nytimes.com/2009/01/17/technology/companies/17yahoo.html
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TELECOMMUNICATIONS
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FCC: How will changing of the guard impact big telecom issues?
Now that Julius Genachowski has been selected by President-elect Barack Obama to chair the Federal Communications Commission, he can expect to be a very busy man over the next four years.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/011509-fcc.html
It's Just Not Julius -- There's An All New Telecom Team
Much of the buzz around Washington in telecom circles has been about the selection of Julius Genachowski as the new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). But he's only one of the all-new lineup.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/art-brodsky/change-and-opportunity-aw_b_158153.html
au: Telcos bugging customers: survey
Don't call me, I'll call you. That oft used line is not getting through to phone companies, who are responsible for most nuisance phone calls to private numbers in Australia, the Australian Communications and Media Authority says.
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/01/15/1231608934067.html
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/articles/2009/01/15/1231608941590.html
http://www.watoday.com.au/national/phone-firms-told-to-stop-being-pests-20090116-7ih3.html
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/01/15/1231608886259.html
http://www.watoday.com.au/national/phone-firms-told-to-stop-being-pests-20090116-7ih3.html
Telecommunications companies responsible for more than half of Do Not Call Register complaints [news release]
Telecommunications companies will need to significantly improve their performance when it comes to contacting people on the Do Not Call Register, with 55 per cent of complaints received by the Australian Communications and Media Authority stemming from unwanted calls promoting phone plans and other related services.
http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311596
Telecommunications groups top Do Not Call complaints
As many as 55% of complaints received by the Australian Communications and Media Authority are related to telecommunications companies making unwanted phone calls.
http://www.smartcompany.com.au/Free-Articles/The-Briefing/20090116-Telecommunications-groups-top-Do-Not-Call-complaints-.html
ca: Do-Not-Call List Criticism Mounts as Unwanted Calls Continue
Criticism over the do-not-call list has begun to mount as Canadians grow increasingly frustrated with a system that was designed to fail from the beginning.
http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/3616/125/
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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.
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(c) David Goldstein 2009
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David Goldstein
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