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[APPLe list] general internet news - 26 March
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Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
http://www.ntu.edu.sg/sci/sirc/
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Mobile use up, consumer prices down: Europe's telecoms sector weathering economic downturn, says Commission report [news release]
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/473
Faster and cheaper broadband: Commission study shows significant fall in prices in 2008 in Europe [news release]
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/09/129
Google's surveillance is taking us further down the road to hell
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/mar/26/seth-finkelstein-google-advertising
Google ups stakes in search engine battle
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article5971181.ece
Now 'Big Brother' targets Facebook
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/now-big-brother-targets-facebook-1653407.html
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10563504
Facebook, Bebo and MySpace 'to be monitored by security services'
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5973731.ece
UK monitoring may extend to social networking sites
http://out-law.com/page-9905
Germany Cracks Down on Child Porn Sites But Critics Want More Action
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4126813,00.html
The EU Commission cracks down on modern slavery and child sexual abuse [news release]
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/472
Kiwi government's about-face over Internet content throws Australian regime's authoritarian inclinations into harsh relief
http://web20.telecomtv.com/pages/?newsid=44699&id=e9381817-0593-417a-8639-c4c53e2a2a10
Wikileaks raided by German police
http://computerworld.com.au/article/296861/
de: Police raid Wikileaks.de domain owner Theodor Reppe's home
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25240381-663,00.html
Govt undeterred by blacklist leaks
http://computerworld.com.au/article/296839/
iiNet readies copyright defence
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25244104-15306,00.html
SMS to Drive African, Middle East Mobile Data Uptake
http://www.vanguardngr.com/content/view/31678/88/
http://allafrica.com/stories/200903231001.html
Asia to drive mobile broadband Internet access [AFP]
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/asia-to-drive-mobile-broadband-internet-access-20090326-9c1w.html
Conficker time bomb ticks, but don't expect fireworks
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10204590-83.html
Will PC worm turn nasty on April Fool's Day?
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5960303.ece
Conficker's next move a mystery to researchers
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9130228
NZ telco hires hacker
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/25/2525532.htm
China becoming the world's malware factory [IDG]
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9130402
Privacy group: Facebook principles still lacking [IDG]
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9130403
Pirate Bay founders to launch new service [IDG]
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9130319
Brits Want Google Street View Shut Down
http://www.pcworld.com/article/161831/.html
YouTube Blocked in China, Google Says
http://nytimes.com/2009/03/25/technology/internet/25youtube.html
http://iht.com/articles/2009/03/25/technology/25youtube.php
Film of Tibet violence may have prompted China to block YouTube
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5975252.ece
China Blocks Access to YouTube -- But Why?
http://www.pcworld.com/article/161909/.html
New Zealand withdraws internet anti-piracy law
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5966219.ece
NZ Government throws out section 92A
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/61A3AA59631F4CB7CC25758200175796
Shift, alt, delete for internet copyright law
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/2285139/Shift-alt-delete-for-internet-copyright-law
Skype Is Largest International Voice Carrier, Says Study [IDG]
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/161929/.html
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INTERNET USE
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Mobile use up, consumer prices down: Europe's telecoms sector weathering economic downturn, says Commission report [news release]
Europe leads the world in mobile phone services with the number of subscriptions in 2008 at 119% of the EU population (up 7 percentage points from 2007), well ahead of the US (87%) and Japan (84%). This is a finding of today's Commission progress report on the single telecoms market. Despite the economic crisis, the EU's telecoms sector (worth about 3% of EU GDP) continued to grow in 2008 with revenues estimated at above €300 billion, up 1.3% compared to 2007 and outperforming the rest of the economy (up by 1% only).
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/473
Faster and cheaper broadband: Commission study shows significant fall in prices in 2008 in Europe [news release]
European consumers paid less for their fixed broadband internet access (DSL, cable modem, fibre) in 2008 than a year ago according to a study released today by the European Commission. However, there are significant differences between Member States in broadband retail prices and cost structure for similar products. EU rules should be consistently applied in a telecoms single market for all businesses and consumers equally.
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/09/129
Google's surveillance is taking us further down the road to hell
Google recently took another step along the path of surveillance as a service, launching what it called "interest-based advertising", and which everyone else calls "behavioural targeting". These are systems that collect extensive personal data, for marketing purposes. To best understand the issues, it's important to separate out the social ends – refining ads – from the technological means, which is massive monitoring of user activity. Too many discussions of the topic get bogged down in what's essentially an argument of "the end justifies the means", where a nominally beneficial goal of better advertising is presented as sufficient to trump all further implications.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/mar/26/seth-finkelstein-google-advertising
Google ups stakes in search engine battle
Google has upped the stakes in the battle to provide the best search results for internet users with two improvements to its service.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article5971181.ece
Google adds new depth to complicated searches
Google on Tuesday announced it has broadly released changes that it expects will produce better results for complicated searches.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10203114-2.html
Google search gets Aussie algorithm update
Google is today rolling out a key upgrade to the algorithm powering its search engine which is based on "Australian-made" technology originally developed by a PhD student at the University of New South Wales.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/03/25/1237656934426.html
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/03/25/1237656934426.html
The new Explorer will appeal to ordinary mortals
Internet Explorer 8 is much snappier and far more secure than IE6 and IE7, has many usability improvements, and some innovative features that are not available elsewhere
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/mar/26/internet-explorer-8
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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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Now 'Big Brother' targets Facebook
Millions of Britons who use social networking sites such as Facebook could soon have their every move monitored by the Government and saved on a "Big Brother" database. Ministers faced a civil liberties outcry last night over the plans, with accusations of excessive snooping on the private lives of law-abiding citizens.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/now-big-brother-targets-facebook-1653407.html
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10563504
Facebook, Bebo and MySpace 'to be monitored by security services'
The private correspondence of millions of people who use social networking sites could be tracked and saved on a “big brother” database, under new plans being drawn up by the UK government.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5973731.ece
UK monitoring may extend to social networking sites
The Government may expand its plans to keep a record of all email, internet and phone communications to include communication over social networking sites. Users of services such as Facebook and Bebo can send each other messages via the sites.
http://out-law.com/page-9905
Facebook attacks UK govt Web-monitoring plans
Social-networking site Facebook has criticised government suggestions that intelligence services should monitor the web communications of all U.K. citizens.
http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/business/0,39044229,62052487,00.htm
UK Govt may spy on Facebook to fight terrorism
Social networking websites like Facebook could be forced to pass on details of users' friends and contacts under British Government proposals to fight terrorism.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/26/2526412.htm
British pupils to study Twitter and blogs in primary schools shake-up
Children will no longer have to study the Victorians or the second world war under proposals to overhaul the primary school curriculum, the Guardian has learned.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/mar/25/primary-schools-twitter-curriculum
Firms Seek Profit in Twitter's Chatter
In the three years since its launch, the messaging service Twitter has attracted millions of users, but its fast growth hasn't translated into significant revenue. Now, other companies are trying to profit from Twitter's popularity by experimenting with business models that incorporate parts of the free messaging service.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123793945676332341.html
Social websites face transparency questions [AP]
Yelp.com prides itself on being a site where people can write reviews about pretty much anything and connect with similarly critical peers. Yet as the site grows, some of the businesses scrutinised on Yelp are turning the tables and griping about the company itself.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10563465
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CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
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Germany Cracks Down on Child Porn Sites But Critics Want More Action
Plans to make it harder for pedophiles to access Internet child pornography were agreed Wednesday by the German cabinet, but critics claim that the proposed changes will have only a limited effect on hardcore consumers.
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4126813,00.html
EU acts against child sex abuse
The European Commission - the EU's executive arm - has set out plans for tightening EU law to protect children from sexual predators. The proposals - yet to be adopted by the 27 member states - would make online grooming and the viewing of child pornography criminal offences.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7963902.stm
The EU Commission cracks down on modern slavery and child sexual abuse [news release]
The European Commission has today adopted two proposals for new rules to step up the fight against trafficking in human beings and child sexual abuse, sexual exploitation and child pornography. These new proposals replace existing legislation which has been in place since respectively 2002 and 2004. The new proposals will guarantee full alignment with the highest European standards, provide better assistance for victims and tougher action against criminals responsible for child sexual abuse and trafficking. The proposals also deal with the rapidly changing technologies in the cyberspace.
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/472
uk: Thousands turn to cyberbully site
A new website set up to help people being cyberbullied has already prompted tens of thousands of children to look for help.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/technology/newsid_7959000/7959947.stm
Bullying made Calzaghe a 'wreck'
Retired world champion boxer Joe Calzaghe has described how school bullies turned him into a "introverted wreck" as a youngster.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/7960615.stm
Joe Calzaghe fronts anti-bullying campaign
A high-profile anti-bullying ad campaign is to be launched today by undefeated former boxing champion Joe Calzaghe, himself a victim of bullying in his youth, featuring images of young people committing suicide as the result of taunts.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/mar/24/joe-calzaghe-bullying
Sexting and the Law of Unintended Consequences
Sexting -- teens sending sexually explicit photos of themselves via cell phones -- has become the latest in a line of highly charged issues involving kids and the internet. A recent survey on sexting has claimed that one in five teens have sent nude or semi-nude photos of themselves, although at least one academic has questioned this finding.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-balkam/sexting-and-the-law-of-un_b_178223.html
Kiwi government's about-face over Internet content throws Australian regime's authoritarian inclinations into harsh relief
As the Australian government digs an ever bigger and deeper hole for itself over its plans to protect its citizens from troublesome reality by censoring the Internet on their behalf (whether they want it or not) across the Tasman Sea the administration in New Zealand has decided to dump proposals to police illegal online file-sharing that, had they been passed into law, would have forced the country's ISPs to disconnect repeat offenders, reports Martyn Warwick.
http://web20.telecomtv.com/pages/?newsid=44699&id=e9381817-0593-417a-8639-c4c53e2a2a10
Website watchdog ACMA says it wasn't behind German police raid of Wikileaks.de
THE Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has denied it was behind a raid on whistleblowing website Wikileaks.
http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,28348,25244836-5014239,00.html
Wikileaks taken offline after publishing Australia's banned websites
Whistleblowing website Wikileaks has gone offline just hours after publishing what appeared to be a complete list of the websites banned by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/mar/19/wikileaks-banned-australian-websites
Wikileaks raided by German police
The owner of whistleblower Web site wikileaks has been raided by German police days after it controversially published the Australian government's Internet blacklists. The home of Theodor Reppe, who owns the domain wikileaks.de used by the site, was raided early this week under the guise of a search for pornographic material.
http://computerworld.com.au/article/296861/
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/296861/
http://techworld.com.au/article/296861/
http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/296861/
http://www.itworld.com/internet/65056/wikileaks-raided-german-police
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/AD84CE87F3D3D69FCC2575840081A2EF
http://pcworld.co.nz/pcworld/pcw.nsf/feature/F47622C83C21B6E1CC257584007BC453
de: Police raid Wikileaks.de domain owner Theodor Reppe's home
Police have raided a Wikileaks associate's homes in Dresden and Jena after the website published a list of banned websites. Theodor Reppe owns the German domain registration for "wikileaks.de", one of the many URLs used by the whistleblowing website.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,25240192-2,00.html
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25240381-663,00.html
Govt undeterred by blacklist leaks
Further leakages of the government's Web site blacklist will not affect plans to deploy a national Internet content filter, according to Communications Minister Stephen Conroy. Speaking at a Sydney press conference this morning, Conroy said the leaked list would serve only to publicise Web sites that promote terrorism, hate and child porn.
http://computerworld.com.au/article/296839/
http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/296839/
http://www.cio.com.au/article/296839/
http://techworld.com.au/article/296839/
URL blacklist 'creep' possible: Conroy
Federal communications and IT minister Stephen Conroy has admitted public concern about the possibility of ACMA's Internet filtering blacklist “creeping” to include legal content Web sites is justified, but stopped short of guaranteeing the government will be able to prevent it.
http://computerworld.com.au/article/296842/
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/296842/
http://techworld.com.au/article/296842/
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/032509-url-blacklist-creep-possible.html
ISPs 'profit' from lack of filter [AAP]
Australian internet service providers are against any internet filter because they reap large profits from content downloads, a RMIT academic said this week. "It is possible" to regulate the internet, Dr Mark Gregory from RMIT University's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering said, likening the web to the "wild west" before criminals were brought into line.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/ISPs-profit-from-lack-of-filter/0,130061791,339295623,00.htm
ISP pulls out of internet filter trial
Australia's third largest internet service provider has dealt the Rudd Government's plans for a mandatory internet filter another blow only days after a top-secret blacklist of banned web pages was leaked.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,,25230591-5013040,00.html
Stephen Conroy says leaked list of banned websites 'seems like ACMA's blacklist'
Despitedenial last week, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy claims the leaked website blacklists published on Wikleaks now closely resemble the Government watchdog's official list.
http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,28348,25240699-5014239,00.html
iiNet pulls out of net censorship trials
Australia's third largest internet provider, iiNet, has withdrawn from the Government's internet censorship trials, saying it could not "reconcile participation in the trial with our corporate social responsibility".
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/03/23/1237656833566.html
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/03/23/1237656833566.html
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/2287764/
iiNet pulls out of Govt 'censorship' trials
Australia's third largest internet provider, iiNet, has pulled out of negotiations with the Federal Government over the proposed internet filtering trial.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/23/2524090.htm
Minchin attacks internet filtering trial after iiNet pulls out
The Federal Opposition has stepped up its attack on the Government's internet filtering trial following the withdrawal of the country's third largest internet provider.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/24/2524199.htm
More doubts surface over enforceability of ACMA's blacklist
With the leaking of the supposed Australian Communication & Media Authority's (ACMA) URL “blacklist”, further doubts have been raised over whether such a list, and even Web Filtering itself, can successfully achieve the federal government's goal of protecting Australians from undesirable content like child pornography.
http://computerworld.com.au/article/296656/
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/296656/
ISPs show support for Internet filter trial
The remaining ISPs participating in the Federal Government’s Internet filtering trial have declared their continuing support for the controversial scheme.
http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/296613/
http://computerworld.com.au/article/296613/
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/296613/
http://techworld.com.au/article/296613/
ISP: Internet filter trial has been misconstrued
A NEW blacklist of websites has appeared online just days after the Government was left red-faced by a similar leak.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25235298-5005961,00.html
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,25235298-5001028,00.html
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25235298-5005962,00.html
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,25235298-5003402,00.html
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25235298-12377,00.html
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25235298-1702,00.html
http://www.news.com.au/technology/story/0,28348,25235262-5014239,00.html
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ONLINE TV & MUSIC
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As Rights Clash on YouTube, Some Music Vanishes
In early December, Juliet Weybret, a high school sophomore and aspiring rock star from Lodi, Calif., recorded a video of herself playing the piano and singing “Winter Wonderland,” and she posted it on YouTube. Weeks later, she received an e-mail message from YouTube: her video was being removed “as a result of a third-party notification by the Warner Music Group,” which owns the copyright to the Christmas carol.
http://nytimes.com/2009/03/23/business/media/23warner.html
http://iht.com/articles/2009/03/23/technology/warner.php
iiNet readies copyright defence
Perth internet service provider iiNet stuck to its guns yesterday, refusing to admit its customers engaged in illegal file sharing, as its battle against piracy claims headed for another Federal Court hearing.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25244104-15306,00.html
iiNet faces the music in landmark case
iiNet is steadfastly refusing to admit that any of its users engaged in illegal downloading, despite forensic evidence presented by movie studios that apparently shows the date and time of thousands of individual copyright infringements.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/03/25/1237656984092.html
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/03/25/1237656984092.html
Crux of iiNet defence due by April
ISP iiNet undertook today to stop sitting on the fence on whether it will admit that its users have been infringing copyright, in a Federal Court hearing today for the court case brought against it by the Australian Federation for Copyright Theft.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Crux-of-iiNet-defence-due-by-April/0,130061791,339295644,00.htm
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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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SMS to Drive African, Middle East Mobile Data Uptake
The way crusade for mobile broadband is going, one would think that such mobile features like the text messages would either go into extinction or at best be brushed aside for a while. The basic functionalities expected to lead the market and incidentally become trendy as the world embraces 3G are Multimedia Messaging, file sharing and mobile data processing among other features.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/content/view/31678/88/
http://allafrica.com/stories/200903231001.html
Asia to drive mobile broadband Internet access [AFP]
Broadband-service providers will see their revenue from mobile services jump to 137 billion US dollars worldwide by 2014, up 450 percent from 2008, a report said Thursday.
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/asia-to-drive-mobile-broadband-internet-access-20090326-9c1w.html
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/asia-to-drive-mobile-broadband-internet-access-20090326-9c1w.html
EU Telecoms Commissioner calls for consumer right to change phone operator in 1 day [news release]
In a video message posted this morning on her website, Viviane Reding, the EU's Telecoms Commissioner, calls on the European Parliament and the Council of EU Telecoms Ministers to be ambitious in the coming days as they enter the final negotiations on a new set of EU rules strengthening competition and consumer rights in a single market for telecoms like mobile phone services and internet connections. While consumers in all 27 Member States currently have the right to change their (fixed and mobile) phone operator while keeping their number, at the moment not everyone can expect it to happen in one day, and some face a wait of two to three weeks, reducing the impact of this important right on competition and consumer choice. On average across the EU, it takes 8.5 days for a mobile number and 7.5 days for a fixed number to be ported.
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/09/126
iPhone Drives 50% Of U.S. Mobile Web Traffic
Apple iPhone users in the United States are more likely to surf the Web than Android, BlackBerry, or Windows Mobile users, according to data released by AdMob.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/reporting/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=216300020
Killer SMS rumours sweep Egypt [AFP]
The Egyptian Government has sought to dispel rumours that a mobile phone text message "from unknown foreign quarters" is spreading around the country and killing those who receive it.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/26/2526411.htm
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SPAM
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ACMA issues formal warning to PR Marketing and Media Group for allegedly sending unsolicited SMS messages [news release]
The Australian Communications and Media Authority has issued a formal warning to PR Marketing and Media Group Pty Ltd, a mobile telephone subscription chat service, for allegedly contravening the Spam Act 2003.
http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311682
Australian Firm Warned to Stop Sending Spam SMS
The Australian Communications and Media Authority has issued a formal warning to PR Marketing and Media Group Pty Ltd, a mobile telephone subscription chat service, for allegedly contravening the Spam Act 2003.
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/36669.php
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ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
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Conficker time bomb ticks, but don't expect fireworks
There's been lots of hype about the fact that the latest variant of the Conficker worm is set to start communicating with other computers on the Internet on April 1--like an April Fool's Day time bomb with some mysterious payload.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10204590-83.html
Will PC worm turn nasty on April Fool's Day?
The Conficker C internet worm could strike at infected computers around the world on April 1, a security expert warned on Monday. Conficker C is a sophisticated piece of malicious computer software, or malware, that installs itself on a PC hard drive via specially written web pages. It then conceals itself on a computer.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5960303.ece
Conficker's next move a mystery to researchers
Security researchers are in the dark about what will happen next week when the newest variant of Conficker, 2009's biggest worm by a mile, begins trying to contact its controllers.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9130228
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/1F06A018DB681899CC2575830013EC0A
Conficker computer worm threatens chaos
Somewhere out there, perhaps in Eastern Europe, perhaps next door to us, a very clever hacker is spreading a sophisticated little computer worm called Conficker.
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news/technology&id=6728349
Conficker worm no April Fool's day joke
Users are being warned the Conficker worm is ready for action on the 1 April - although no one is certain what the worm will do.
http://www.crn.com.au/News/99562,conficker-worm-no-april-fools-day-joke.aspx
CIRA working with international partners to counter Conficker C [news release]
The Canadian Internet Registration Authority, the non-profit organization responsible for operating the dot-ca Internet domain, today announced it is taking prudent steps to counter possible misuse of the dot-ca domain by the Conficker C worm.
http://www.cira.ca/pr-conficker-c/
Canadian .ca domain prepares united Conficker.C defense
April 1, 2009 is approaching and the Conficker.C worm is prepping to go live on that day. Canada has announced that it's taking preemptive action to limit the worm's ability to spread—hopefully we'll see this infection retarded from birth.
http://arstechnica.com/security/news/2009/03/canadian-ca-domain-prepares-united-confickerc-defense.ars
ca: Group warns of new Internet worm [Canadian Press]
A malicious cyber worm could wreak havoc on millions of potentially infected computers April 1 — or it could all be one big April Fool’s joke. But the Canadian Internet Registration Authority isn’t taking any chances when it comes to the latest variant of the Conficker worm.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090324.wgtworm0324/BNStory/Technology/
http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/National/2009/03/24/8869726.html
http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2009/03/25/8873371-sun.html
Computer worm set to strike April 1 [Canwest]
A malicious computer worm, which has already infected potentially millions of computers around the world, could cause major cyber headaches on April 1, say computer experts.
http://www.canada.com/news/Computer+worm+strike+April/1423412/story.html
Group launches strategy to block Conficker worm from .ca domain [CBC News]
The group that manages Canada's .ca internet domain is working to foil an internet worm set to attack starting April Fool's Day. "We're going to do everything possible to make this extremely inhospitable terrain for any worm, this one in particular," said Byron Holland, CEO of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, a non-profit organization that represents those who hold a .ca domain.
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2009/03/24/tech-090314-conficker.html
New £21m police unit to tackle UK e-crime [IDG]
A new UK police force dedicated to tracking down cybercriminals is gearing up to make the most of what one senior police official acknowledges is limited funding. The Police Central e-crime Unit, due to begin operations soon, came to be as part a comprehensive overview of how the UK handles fraud and e-crime after years of criticism that the government wasn't doing enough.
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?NewsID=113365
http://www.techworld.com/news/index.cfm?NewsID=113359
http://www.pcworld.com/article/161940/.html
NZ telco hires hacker
A telecommunications company in New Zealand has hired a former computer hacker to give advice to its internet customers on how to avoid cyber-crime. Teenager Owen Walker was the subject of an international manhunt.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/25/2525532.htm
au: Model trap: plea to victims of accused Facebook predator
Police are looking for more victims of an alleged Sydney sexual predator they believe was posing online as a modelling agent to lure young women to meet him.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/model-trap-plea-to-victims-of-accused-facebook--predator-20090326-9bcw.html
http://www.theage.com.au/national/model-trap-plea-to-victims-of-accused-facebook--predator-20090326-9bcw.html
Sydney Facebook predator targets aspiring models: police
Police are looking for victims of an alleged Sydney sexual predator who they say has posed on social networking websites as a modelling agent to try to lure women to meet him.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/26/2526817.htm
China becoming the world's malware factory [IDG]
With China's economy cooling down, some of the country's IT professionals are turning to cybercrime, according to a Beijing-based security expert.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9130402
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/032409-china-becoming-the-worlds-malware.html
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/161920/.html
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/296818/
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PRIVACY
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The Economics of Snooping on Internet Traffic
Kurt Dobbins, the chief technical officer of Arbor Networks, has what he sees as a very good reason to use a machine — which his company makes — that can see every word and every picture people send and receive over their Internet service provider: Internet service providers could offer a complex menu of price plans, as cellphone companies do. He predicts you will soon see many plans that impose usage caps in peak times, but unlimited use off peak.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/25/the-economics-of-snooping-on-internet-traffic/
Privacy group: Facebook principles still lacking [IDG]
Facebook's recent decision to back off proposed changes in its terms of service still leaves the social media site with a "huge loophole" in privacy protections, a privacy group said Tuesday.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9130403
http://computerworld.com.au/article/296783/
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/161903/.html
Pirate Bay founders to launch new service [IDG]
The founders of widely used BitTorrent tracker The Pirate Bay are getting ready to launch IPREDator, a network service that makes people online more anonymous by using a VPN (virtual private network).
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9130319
http://computerworld.com.au/article/296720/
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/9D368CB87FB57D05CC257583007C2658
http://www.pcworld.com/article/161859/.html
Big UK websites urged to avoid Phorm
Seven of the UK's biggest web firms have been urged to opt out of a controversial ad-serving system. Phorm - aka Webwise - profiles users' browsing habits and serves up adverts based on which sites they visit.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7959099.stm
Privacy group asks web's biggest names to reject Phorm system
A digital rights group has written to the internet's major companies asking them to opt out of a controversial behavioural advertising system in order to protect site users' privacy. Companies can choose to have their sites excluded from the system.
http://out-law.com/page-9900
Call to 'shut down' Street View
A formal complaint about Google's Street View has been sent to the Information Commissioner (ICO). Drawn up by lobby group Privacy International (PI), it cites more than 200 reports from members of the public identifiable via the service.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7959362.stm
Brits Want Google Street View Shut Down
Privacy watchdogs in the United Kingdom want to close down Google Street View, only days after the service was launched in the country. Google has already received hundreds of requests to take down photos of various areas in the U.K. and could even face legal actions.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/161831/.html
UK Google boss escapes cameras
The £2m home of the UK head of Google, the internet search engine, is not visible in the company’s new Street View service. The web function allows users to view photographs of thousands of UK streets and houses, with the option to swivel 360 degrees and zoom in on homes.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5951455.ece
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CENSORSHIP
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YouTube Blocked in China, Google Says
Google said Tuesday that its YouTube video-sharing Web site had been blocked in China. Google said it did not know why the site had been blocked, but a report by the official Xinhua news agency of China on Tuesday said that supporters of the Dalai Lama had fabricated a video that appeared to show Chinese police officers brutally beating Tibetans after riots last year in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital.
http://nytimes.com/2009/03/25/technology/internet/25youtube.html
http://iht.com/articles/2009/03/25/technology/25youtube.php
Film of Tibet violence may have prompted China to block YouTube
Video images of Chinese police beating Tibetans as they lie trussed-up on the ground may have prompted the country’s censors to block access to YouTube, the popular video-sharing website.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article5975252.ece
China blocks YouTube
China has blocked the video-sharing network YouTube after Beijing denounced footage appearing to show security forces beating Tibetans in Lhasa last year as "a lie".
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/mar/25/china-blocks-youtube
China appears to block YouTube
China is not afraid of the Internet, its Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday, even as access to the popular video sharing site YouTube appeared to be blocked. YouTube has unavailable for users in China, which filters the Internet for content critical of Communist Party rule, since late on Monday.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE52N1W220090324
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-38673620090324
YouTube Says China Blocks Site
Access to GoogleInc.'s YouTube service was blocked by Chinese authorities, as the video-sharing site continues to wrestle with governments offended by some of its content.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123791575627627223.html
China blocks YouTube as internet crackdown spreads
The online video website YouTube has been blocked in China for more than a day, the company said. YouTube, owned by Google, first noticed a slow down in its traffic from China on Monday March 23 and is now unavailable across the country, a spokesman said.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article5971257.ece
China 'blocks YouTube video site'
China is reported to have blocked the YouTube video-sharing website because it has been carrying video of soldiers beating monks and other Tibetans.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7961069.stm
China Blocks Access to YouTube -- But Why?
China appears to be blocking all access to YouTube. Now, why in the world would it do something like that? I've got some theories.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/161909/.html
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/032409-china-blocks-access-to-youtube.html
Civil rights group criticizes China for blocking YouTube
A civil liberties advocacy group yesterday stepped up criticism of the Chinese government's decision to block access to the YouTube video-sharing site to users in the country, at least the second time it has done so in a year.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9130498
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/032509-civil-rights-group-criticizes-china.html
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GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
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New Zealand withdraws internet anti-piracy law
A controversial law that could have forced firms to disconnect internet users accused of illegally downloading music or films has been withdrawn by the New Zealand government.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article5966219.ece
NZ Government throws out section 92A
Cabinet today announced that section 92A of the Copyright Act will not come into force on 27 March as scheduled, but will be amended to address "areas of concern", says commerce minister Simon Power.
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/61A3AA59631F4CB7CC25758200175796
Rewrite of copyright law changes 'a relief'
A cabinet decision to scrap and rewrite a controversial change to copyright law that would have obliged internet providers to cut off customers who infringed copyright has been welcomed by the recording industry and internet providers.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/2287291/
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/features/technology/2287291/
Sanity prevails - RIP Section 92A
Like a Mainland cheese advert, good things can take time, and in the case of Section 92A of the Copyright Amendment (New Technologies) Act this was definitely the case.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10563178
Shift, alt, delete for internet copyright law
A controversial internet copyright law will not be going ahead and will be replaced following a review by the Government, Prime Minister John Key confirmed today.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/2285139/Shift-alt-delete-for-internet-copyright-law
New Zealand withdraws controversial Internet law
New Zealand Monday withdrew a controversial law which could have forced firms to disconnect Internet users accused of illegal use of material such as music or films.
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-technology/new-zealand-withdraws-controversial-internet-law-20090323-97d5.html
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-technology/new-zealand-withdraws-controversial-internet-law-20090323-97d5.html
Kiwis scrap 'three strikes' P2P policy
New Zealand has temporarily abandoned its plans to enact a French-style "three-strikes" internet policy that forces ISPs to disconnect customers repeatedly accused of illegally downloading copyrighted materials.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/03/24/new_zealand_delays_three_strikes_policy/
NZ kills copyright amendment
New Zealand's controversial amendment to its Copyright Act, known as Section 92A, will be scrapped in its current form, NZ Commerce Minister Simon Power announced today.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/NZ-kills-copyright-amendment/0,130061791,339295590,00.htm
"3 strikes" strikes out in NZ as government yanks law
The New Zealand government has withdrawn support for a tough new "graduated response" law that was to go into effect this week. The provision will now be rewritten from scratch to take vocal criticism into account.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/03/3-strikes-strikes-out-in-nz-as-government-yanks-law.ars
New Zealand abandons ISP law
The New Zealand government has abandoned a controversial clause in its amended copyright Act that would have made ISPs terminate the connections of repeat copyright infringers
http://managingip.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=2165228
New Zealand "Three-Strikes" File-sharing Law Scuttled for Now
Following public outcry and the staunch refusal of at least one ISP to participate, the government of New Zealand has abandoned plans to enact a "three-strikes" policy that would have seen the Internet accounts of repeat music file-swappers disconnected.
http://www.dmwmedia.com/news/2009/03/23/new-zealand-%2526quot%3Bthree-strikes%2526quot%3B-file-sharing-law-scuttled-now
Kiwis Scrap Controversial ‘3 Strikes’ Anti-Piracy Law
Following a mountain of bad publicity and strong objections from just about everyone except the entertainment industries, New Zealand’s proposed ‘guilty upon accusation’ Section 92A anti-piracy law has been scrapped.
http://torrentfreak.com/kiwis-scrap-controversial-3-strikes-anti-piracy-law-090323/
New Zealand scraps copyright law on file-sharing
The New Zealand government has scrapped proposals for fighting illegal online file-sharing that would have forced ISPs to disconnect repeat offenders.
http://www.telecompaper.com/news/article.aspx?cid=664006
La Nouvelle-Zélande fait machine arrière concernant sa loi Hadopi
Pendant que l'Australie tente de mettre en place avec plus ou moins de succès un dispositif de filtrage du Net, son plus proche voisin, la Nouvelle-Zélande, comme la Grande-Bretagne ou l'Allemagne il y a quelques semaines, recule dans le projet similaire à la loi Création et Internet, dite Hadopi, défendue par le gouvernement français.
http://www.lemonde.fr/technologies/article/2009/03/23/la-nouvelle-zelande-fait-machine-arriere-concernant-sa-loi-hadopi_1171684_651865.html
http://fr.news.yahoo.com/64/20090323/twl-la-nouvelle-zlande-fait-machine-arri-acb1c83.html
Riposte graduée : la Nouvelle-Zélande fait machine arrière
Le système de la riposte graduée fait toujours débat en France et à l'Assemblée nationale . Entre la coupure de l'accès à Internet et l'amende forfaitaire pour sanctionner les internautes pirates, le débat fait rage.
http://www.vnunet.fr/news/riposte_graduee_la_nouvelle_zelande_fait_machine_arriere-2030416
La Nouvelle-Zélande abandonne la riposte graduée pour de bon
Depuis que le Royaume-Uni a lâché l’affaire, la Nouvelle-Zélande était devenu le principal pays à suivre de très près le système de riposte graduée (avertissements et coupure de l’accès Internet).
http://www.ecrans.fr/La-Nouvelle-Zelande-abandonne-la,6708.html
La Nouvelle-Zélande assouplit son texte sur la risposte graduée
Fin février 2009, l'entrée en vigueur de la riposte graduée en Nouvelle-Zélande avait été repoussée d'un mois afin d'entendre les arguments des opposants à son adoption.
http://www.journaldunet.com/ebusiness/breve/international/37430/la-nouvelle-zelande-assouplit-son-texte-sur-la-risposte-graduee.shtml
Section 92A : la Nouvelle-Zélande abandonne la riposte graduée
Voilà un exemple que ne pourra plus citer en modèle du genre Christine Albanel lors de la reprise des débats sur le projet Création et Internet, le 31 mars prochain. L’ISOC France (Internet Society), vient d'annoncer à notre rédaction que la Nouvelle-Zélande abandonne finalement la controversée Section 92A, équivalent du projet de loi que défend la ministre de la Culture.
http://www.pcinpact.com/actu/news/49874-creation-internet-nouvelle-zelande-section92a.htm
"HADOPI" : la Nouvelle ZELANDE abandonne la Section 92A !
L'ISOC France a le plaisir d'annoncer que la Nouvelle Zélande a abandonné la Section 92A (“Hadopi”) et son partenaire InternetNZ (Internet New Zealand Inc.) salue la décision qu'a prise aujourd'hui le gouvernement néo-zélandais de modifier la Section 92A de la loi sur le Copyright. Et d'initier également un processus devant aboutir à l'adoption d'une loi mieux adaptée.
http://www.blog.adminet.fr/hadopi-la-nouvelle-zelande-abandonne-la-section-92...-synd0084578.html
La Nouvelle-Zélande abandonne la riposte graduée
La riposte graduée est actuellement en discussion chez les députés. Par le biais du projet de loi Création et Internet, la coupure de l’accès à Internet pour tout internaute surpris à télécharger du contenu (musique, filmes, jeux, logiciels…), obtenu illégalement, pourrait arriver sur nos côtes.
http://www.silicon.fr/fr/news/2009/03/23/la_nouvelle_zelande_abandonne_la_riposte_graduee
Riposte graduée : la Nouvelle-Zélande jette l'éponge
La Nouvelle-Zélande ne fera pas office de précurseur pour la riposte graduée. Après un long report, le texte, instaurant le même mécanisme que notre loi Création et Internet, ne sera pas mis en place. Nouveau coup dur pour notre ministre de la Culture.
http://www.degroupnews.com/actualite/n3455-riposte_graduee-nouvelle_zelande-creation_et_internet-internet-piratage.html
La Nouvelle-Zélande ne veut pas de riposte graduée
Le gouvernement néo-zélandais vient de retirer un projet d'amendement législatif qui aurait autorisé la mise en place du système de riposte graduée pour contrer le téléchargement illégal de contenu sur Internet.
http://www.journalmetro.com/mavie/article/201359
Nouvelle Zélande - France
La Nouvelle-Zélande ne fera pas office de précurseur pour la riposte graduée. Après un long report, le texte, instaurant le même mécanisme que notre loi Création et Internet, ne sera pas mis en place. Nouveau coup dur pour notre ministre de la Culture.
http://www.degroupnews.com/actualite/n3455-riposte_graduee-nouvelle_zelande-creation_et_internet-internet-piratage.html
La Nouvelle-Zélande abandonne son projet de riposte graduée
La Nouvelle-Zélande ne votera pas sa loi Création & Internet en l’état. Le gouvernement a retiré ce matin le projet de loi qui visait, comme en France, à couper l’accès à Internet aux adeptes du téléchargement "illégal" au terme de plusieurs avertissements.
http://www.electronlibre.info/+La-Nouvelle-Zelande-abandonne-son,1350+
La Nouvelle Zélande abandonne la riposte graduée à la française
Repoussée d'un mois, la riposte graduée ne sera pas mise en oeuvre en Nouvelle-Zélande, ou pas sous une forme identique au projet de loi français. Alors que le pays devait jouer les cobayes, le gouvernement a finalement entendu les arguments des opposants et souhaite remettre à plat le texte législatif pour mieux respecter les droits de la défense et la présomption d'innocence.
http://www.numerama.com/magazine/12394-La-Nouvelle-Zelande-abandonne-la-riposte-graduee-a-la-francaise.html
La Nouvelle-Zélande abandonne la riposte graduée
Alors que le débat fait rage dans la communauté européenne et plus particulièrement en France, la riposte graduée contre les internautes qui effectuent du téléchargement sans respecter les droits d’auteurs est abandonnée par la Nouvelle-Zélande.
http://www2.canoe.com/techno/nouvelles/archives/2009/03/20090325-101412.html
http://www.pcworld.fr/actualite/la-nouvelle-zelande-recule-face-a-la-riposte-graduee/63691/
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TELECOMMUNICATIONS
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European mobile giants to share infrastructure
Two of the world's largest mobile phone operators, the Spanish company Telefónica and the British giant Vodafone, said Monday they would share infrastructure in several European markets in an effort to cut costs and protect profit margins.
http://iht.com/articles/2009/03/23/business/telco.php
Telecoms in good shape to survive the recession
The telecoms industry is in good shape to survive the current economic slowdown, thanks to lessons learned at the turn of the century, according to a new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
http://www.vnunet.com/vnunet/news/2239028/telecoms-shape-survive
BT to create super-fast broadband network
BT Group is set to roll out its super-fast broadband network to six UK cities by 2010 after ending a stand-off with Ofcom over how to regulate the service.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/telecoms/5039266/BT-to-create-super-fast-broadband-network.html
Skype Is Largest International Voice Carrier, Says Study [IDG]
Skype carried around 33 billion minutes of international voice calls last year, or around 8 percent of all international voice traffic, according to market researcher TeleGeography.
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/161929/.html
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/296866/
EU set to pass new mobile roaming law in record time [IDG]
The cost of calling, texting and accessing the Internet via mobile phones while abroad is about to get cheaper for European residents, following an agreement Tuesday among lawmakers over the shape of a new mobile roaming law.
http://computerworld.com.au/article/296727/
au: Telemarketers hit with call register price hike
Telemarketers will pay more to access to the government's Do Not Call register list which is needed to remove banned phone numbers from telephone directories.
http://computerworld.com.au/article/296661/
http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/296661/
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/032409-telemarketers-hit-with-call-register.html
ACMA invites comment on new industry fees and payment methods to access the Do Not Call Register in 2009-10 [news release]
The Australian Communications and Media Authority is seeking comment on proposed new fees and payment arrangements for telemarketers to access the Do Not Call Register in 2009-10.
http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311676
New Fees and Payment Methods for Accessing the Do Not Call Register in 2009-10 [news release]
Under the Do Not Call Register Act 2006 (the Act), the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is responsible for establishing and overseeing the operation of the Do Not Call Register (the Register), including determining the fees for accessing the Register, the fee structure and the manner in which these fees are to be paid.
http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311668
NZ details Telecom reporting requirements [AAP]
New Zealand's Commerce Commission has told Telecom New Zealand that it must publish financial and other information about its separate retail, wholesale and network business activities.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/NZ-details-Telecom-reporting-requirements/0,130061791,339295643,00.htm
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ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN
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nz: Temuka urged to accept child porn user
The Temuka community has been urged to accept back to their fold a man found with child pornography on his home computer.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/2291712/Temuka-urged-to-accept-child-porn-user
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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
phone: +61 418 228 605 (mobile); +61 2 9665 5773 (home)
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