[APPLe list] general internet news - 23 April

[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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Internet has only just begun, say founders [AFP]
http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/web/2009/04/23/1240079767277.html

Calls for study into effect of computer games on children's brains
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/apr/22/games-children-study

The Cost of Downloading All Those Videos
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/20/the-cost-of-downloading-all-those-videos/

As Costs Fall, Companies Push to Raise Internet Price
http://nytimes.com/2009/04/20/business/20isp.html

Facebook Users -- and Research -- Need Further Study - Good News: The Social-Networking Site Likely Doesn't Cause Poor Grades. Bad News: Students Achieve Them on Their Own
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124034974305240495.html

Facebook and MySpace users 'fed up with spam marketing messages'
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/apr/21/facebook-users-marketing

First steps in the online world: Growing numbers of children are using social networking sites; but can they ever be safe?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/apr/21/schools-child-protection

Second Life cracks whip on adult content
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10224636-36.html

German cabinet backs new law against child porn
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE53L3PF20090422

A Lawyer, Some Teens and a Fight Over 'Sexting'
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124026115528336397.html

The European Framework for Safer Mobile Use- Pricewaterhouse Coopers implementation report
http://gsmeurope.org/documents/PwC_Implementation_Report.pdf

European Plan to Fight Illegal Downloads Faces Opposition
http://nytimes.com/2009/04/21/technology/internet/21net.html

Study: pirates biggest music buyers. Labels: yeah, right
http://arstechnica.com/media/news/2009/04/study-pirates-buy-tons-more-music-than-average-folks.ars

Sorting out the Pirate Bay verdict
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10224201-93.html

Paul McCartney: Pirate Bay verdict is 'fair'
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10223914-93.html

Pirate Bay says appeal is filed
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10223683-93.html

Cost of roaming texts, calls and data services in EU to plummet from 1 July [news release]
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/620

One bot-infected PC = 600,000 spam messages a day
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9131984

Tech giants to pay Aust science agency, CSIRO, $1 billion
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25370534-15306,00.html

Australian courts use social networking sites as evidence
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/04/20/1240079605140.html

Pentagon to Create Command Focusing on Cyber Security
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/22/AR2009042202742.html

A Pentagon Cyber-Command Is in the Works
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/22/AR2009042200029.html

New Military Command to Focus on Cybersecurity
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124035738674441033.html

Gates: Cyberattacks a constant threat
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10224637-83.html

Computer Spies Breach Fighter-Jet Project
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124027491029837401.html

Finjan finds botnet of 1.9 million infected computers
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10223716-83.html

Blogger Acquitted in Seoul
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124020587524334285.html

EBay pledges to work with police, opposes e-fencing bills [IDG]
http://www.pcworld.com/article/163535/.html


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INTERNET USE
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Internet has only just begun, say founders [AFP]
While the internet has dramatically changed lives around the world, its full impact will only be realised when far more people and information go online, its founders said on Wednesday.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/technology/web/2009/04/23/1240079767277.html
http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/web/2009/04/23/1240079767277.html

Calls for study into effect of computer games on children's brains
The leading neuroscientist and director of the Royal Institution, Lady Greenfield, will today call for ministers to fund a study into the impact of repeated use of computer games and social network sites on the development of children's brains.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/apr/22/games-children-study

Google rolls out search changes
Google has launched two experimental products it hopes will change the way users search for pictures and news. A feature known as Similar Images uses a picture rather than text to find other matching images.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8009400.stm

Google News, and More, on a Timeline
Google on Monday unveiled a new experimental product called Google News Timeline that displays news and related search results on an interactive timeline. It offers interesting possibilities for exploring stories, especially older ones, that are largely hidden in newspaper and magazine archives. It is also a powerful way to view trends in culture and society or the careers of famous people.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/20/google-news-and-more-on-a-timeline/

Google gives users control over their searchable life
Come on. Admit it. You've searched for your own name on Google. Likely, you've done it way more than once or twice.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9131938

Why did Google create News Timeline and not newspapers?
Google Labs has launched News Timeline that allows internet users to search news by date. Why have so few news organisations launched an innovative services like this?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/apr/21/google-newspapers

Google’s Black-Box Social Network
Google wants to conquer the social networking world without creating an explicit social network.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/21/googles-black-box-social-network/

The Cost of Downloading All Those Videos
In an article in today’s New York Times, I wrote about the controversy over the now-abandoned plan by Time Warner Cable to impose additional fees on customers who upload and download more than a set quota.
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/20/the-cost-of-downloading-all-those-videos/

As Costs Fall, Companies Push to Raise Internet Price
Internet service providers want to end the all-you-can-eat plans and get their customers paying à la carte. But they are having a hard time closing the buffet line.
http://nytimes.com/2009/04/20/business/20isp.html

Fears over web health revolution
Concerns have been raised about the use of the internet and new technologies to revolutionise health care. There has been a rise in the use of online drug sales and private DNA tests and scans in recent years, says the Nuffield Council on Bioethics.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8008361.stm

Internet leading to cultural 'black hole'
Australia is in danger of losing its cultural heritage and much of its recent history if ephemeral material on the web isn't archived for future generations, the National Library of Australia has warned.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/04/20/1240079578676.html
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/04/20/1240079578676.html

Online slacking not all bad - study [The Press]
Employee cyberloafing - using work internet for personal use - may be good for the economy, a new study shows. Massey University PhD student Andrea Polzer-Debruyne surveyed 300 people from around the world about how internet use had changed their work and personal boundaries.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/2348678/Online-slacking-not-all-bad-study

Microsoft delivers a vision of hope
Online social networking sites and digitised libraries have become important sources of modern information, but until now they have been inaccessible to the 300,000 Australians who are blind or who have low vision.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25368314-5013404,00.html

Yahoo Posts 78% Profit Drop, Cuts Jobs
Yahoo Inc. posted a 78% quarterly profit decline as the recession hit its slumping advertising business and the Internet company said it would eliminate about 675 more jobs, or 5% of its work force.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124034487471340099.html

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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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Facebook Users -- and Research -- Need Further Study - Good News: The Social-Networking Site Likely Doesn't Cause Poor Grades. Bad News: Students Achieve Them on Their Own
College students who have defriended Facebook after news broke of a link between the social-network site and lower grades, or younger users whose parents have made them, can rest easy. The grade numbers arise from a study that is preliminary -- so much so that it cries out for further study even more than many other pilot experiments.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124034974305240495.html

Facebook and MySpace users 'fed up with spam marketing messages'
Almost a third of users of social networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace are fed up with receiving requests to join online groups or try new applications, according to a study.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/apr/21/facebook-users-marketing

First steps in the online world: Growing numbers of children are using social networking sites; but can they ever be safe?
Social networking websites, particularly those popular with children and young people, are frequently on the receiving end of criticism. When a Lincolnshire schoolgirl ran away to France with a 49-year-old man in January, reports soon began to circulate that they had met on Facebook and MSN messenger.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/apr/21/schools-child-protection

To Nonprofits Seeking Cash, Facebook App Isn't So Green - Though Popular, 'Causes' Ineffective for Fundraising
It seems foolproof: nonprofits using the power of the Internet to raise money through a clever Facebook application. After all, the Web earned gobs of cash for Barack Obama's presidential campaign. And besides, going online means sending fewer fundraising letters, which makes it appealing to penny-pinchers and environmentalists alike.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/21/AR2009042103786.html

Ignore Twitter? Major brands learn they'd better respond -- and quick
Separate incidents involving CNN, Amazon and Domino's Pizza reveal that fluency in the evolving language of digital public relations comes easier to some companies than others.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-twitter20-2009apr20,0,2701874.story

Second Life cracks whip on adult content
Virtual world Second Life has put in effect some new measures to keep adult content away from users who might not want to run into it. Or fly into it, as avatars might do.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10224636-36.html

Linden Lab will rate parts of Second Life adults only [IDG]
Inhabitants of Second Life, the virtual world run by Linden Lab, will soon have new options to customize how they see the world. The first will be the ability to filter adult content, Linden Lab said on Wednesday.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/042209-linden-lab-will-rate-parts.html
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/163599/.html
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/300339/

MySpace Founders Pushed Aside
News Corp. is in discussions with former Facebook Chief Operating Officer Owen Van Natta to head its MySpace social networking business, according to people familiar with the situation.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124043324710044929.html

Telstra sets staff rules on social media sites
Australian telecoms group Telstra has been forced to rush out guidelines that instruct its more than 35,000 employees on how they should conduct themselves when using social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d8734dfc-2dca-11de-9eba-00144feabdc0.html

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
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One in ten computer gamers are 'pathologically addicted'
Nearly one in 10 American children who play computer games are pathologically addicted, according to new research. Some young gamers show at least six symptoms of gambling addiction, such as lying to family and friends about how much they play games, using the games to escape their problems and becoming restless or irritable when they stop playing. They may also skip homework to play games or spend too much time playing and do poorly in school, the study shows.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/gadgets_and_gaming/article6139935.ece

Study Finds Some Youths 'Addicted' to Video Games
A new study concludes that children can become addicted to playing video games, with some skimping on homework, lying about how much they play and struggling, without success, when they try to cut back.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/19/AR2009041902350.html

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CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
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German cabinet backs new law against child porn
The German cabinet backed a new draft law Wednesday that would make it harder to access child pornography online and easier to prosecute those who use it.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE53L3PF20090422

A Lawyer, Some Teens and a Fight Over 'Sexting'
Revealing Images Sent Via Cellphones Prompt District Attorney to Offer Seminars but Threaten Felony Charges: The group of anxious parents crowded around District Attorney George Skumanick Jr. as he sat behind a table in a courtroom here and presented them with an ultimatum.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124026115528336397.html

Internet pornography: naked bodies are cheaper than ever before
It is estimated that about 25% of total search engine requests are porn-related. Accessing x-rated material on the Internet is the fastest and most anonymous way to watch porn. Nowadays, it has also become very cheap. With the introduction of numerous free websites and torrents, the cost of online pornography significantly decreased.
http://ecommerce-journal.com/articles/14792_internet_pornography_naked_bodies_are_cheaper_than_ever_before

The European Framework for Safer Mobile Use- Pricewaterhouse Coopers implementation report
Two years on from the introduction of the European Framework for Safer Mobile Use by Younger Teenagers and Children, Pricewaterhouse Coopers published a report summarising the status of its implementation in the EU. The report shows that the Framework has been transposed into codes of conduct in 22 EU Member States and that mobile operator signatories have taken substantial action to implement these codes alongside other voluntary activities. Consequently around 580 million mobile customers, representing 96% of all EU mobile subscriptions, currently benefit from the self-regulatory initiative.
http://gsmeurope.org/documents/PwC_Implementation_Report.pdf

au: Optus joins internet filter trial
Australia's second largest internet service provider, Optus, has agreed to take part in the Federal Government's internet filtering trial.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/22/2549860.htm

Optus to participate in ISP filtering pilot [news release]
The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, today announced that Optus will participate in the Australian Government's Internet Service Provider (ISP) filtering pilot.
http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2009/027

Optus says yes to filtering trial
After months of negotiation, Australia's second-largest internet provider, Optus, has finally agreed to participate in the federal Government's live ISP internet filtering trial.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,,25370155-15319,00.html

Optus says 'yes' to internet filter plan
Optus customers in Sydney and Newcastle will be asked to take part in the Federal Government's controversial test of internet filters.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/04/22/1240079731058.html
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/04/22/1240079731058.html
http://www.watoday.com.au/technology/optus-says-yes-to-internet-filter-plan-20090423-afqj.html
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/technology/optus-says-yes-to-internet-filter-plan-20090423-aft9.html

Analyst: Optus' Internet filter participation shocking and disappointing
A leading telco analyst has expressed surprise and disappointment at Optus’ decision to join the Federal Government’s controversial Internet filtering trial.
http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/300333/
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/300333/
http://computerworld.com.au/article/300333/
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/042209-analyst-optus-internet-filter-participation.html

Optus joins Federal Government's contentious Internet filter trial
Optus has announced it will participate in the Federal Government’s contentious Internet filtering trial.
http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/300325/
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/300325/
http://computerworld.com.au/article/300325/
http://techworld.com.au/article/300325/
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/042209-optus-flags-participation-in-net.html

Opposition, Xenophon unswayed by Optus support for filter trials
Optus’ decision to join the Federal Government's controversial Internet filtering trial has been shrugged off by the Opposition and independent, Nick Xenophon.
http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/300478/
http://computerworld.com.au/article/300478/

uk: Thousands of kids seek help over cyberbullying
Nearly 10,000 children each week are seeking help to cope with cyberbullying, figures reveal today. The schoolkids are turning to a support website for advice after being subjected to abusive mobile phone texts and emails.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/04/22/thousands-of-kids-seek-help-over-cyberbullying-115875-21295822/

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ONLINE TV & MUSIC
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EU Telecoms Law Reforms Blocked by Dispute Over Net Access [IDG]
European Union lawmakers failed to overcome the last remaining obstacle to a broad reform of the E.U.'s telecommunications laws late Tuesday, when a committee of the European Parliament rejected a compromise on the issue of how to deal with Internet piracy.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/163600/.html

European Plan to Fight Illegal Downloads Faces Opposition
The governing party of President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, scrambling to save a national law that would cut off Internet service to those who make repeated illegal downloads, is threatening to block a European Union telecommunications bill that would undermine the legal foundation of the French plan.
http://nytimes.com/2009/04/21/technology/internet/21net.html

EU states, lawmakers on Internet collision course
European Union states headed for a collision course with the bloc's parliament on Tuesday as a spat over how to tackle illegal downloads threatened a wider telecom reform.
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-39162420090421
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE53K36I20090421

Eurocrats, MEPs clash on telecoms reform to flush out pirates
The European Parliament and its member states are reportedly on a “collision course” over tackling online piracy, after the two parties failed to agree on a final sticking point in a massive reform of the telecoms industry.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/04/22/eurocrats_meps_clash_on_telecoms_reform/

Activists rally troops against proposed EU 'Net regulations
As the EU's major telecoms reform package makes its way through the European Commission, agreement is getting harder to come by, and groups that advocate in favor of unfettered consumer access are mobilizing opposition.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/04/european-telecom-negotiations-bog-down-as-activists-mobilize.ars

EU Tackles Piracy and ISP's Rights to Cut Off Users [Reuters]
European Union states headed for a collision course with the bloc's parliament on Tuesday as a spat over how to tackle illegal downloads threatened a wider telecom reform.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2345703,00.asp

Study: pirates biggest music buyers. Labels: yeah, right
Those who download illegal copies of music over P2P networks are the biggest consumers of legal music options, according to a new study by the BI Norwegian School of Management. Researchers examined the music downloading habits of more than 1,900 Internet users over the age of 15, and found that illegal music connoisseurs are significantly more likely to purchase music than the average, non-P2P-loving user.
http://arstechnica.com/media/news/2009/04/study-pirates-buy-tons-more-music-than-average-folks.ars

Global music sales down 8 percent in 2008
Global recorded music sales fell by more than 8 percent in 2008 to $18.42 billion (12.56 billion pounds) led by a sharp drop-off in sales in the United States, according to the world music trade body IFPI.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE53K5WH20090421

Sorting out the Pirate Bay verdict
In the aftermath of the Pirate Bay trial, many Swedish law experts say they consider Friday's high-profile guilty verdict severe but fair. Very few had predicted the verdict before it was handed out.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10224201-93.html
http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/security/0,39044215,62053433,00.htm

Paul McCartney: Pirate Bay verdict is 'fair'
Singer Paul McCartney has voiced his support for the verdict rendered in The Pirate Bay trial. "If you get on a bus you've got to pay," the former Beatle told the BBC. "And I think it's fair, you should pay your ticket."
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10223914-93.html

Pirate Bay says appeal is filed
Days after four defendants in the high-profile Pirate Bay case were found guilty of violating copyright law, the Web site implored fans to stay calm, not to send donations, and to stay united.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10223683-93.html
http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/internet/0,39044908,62053382,00.htm
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/0,1000000097,39642688,00.htm

IWF denies wielding Pirate Bay banhammer
The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) has denied involvement in blocking the Pirate Bay BitTorrent tracker site, after BT mobile broadband users were told they had fallen foul of a filter against "over 18 sites".
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/04/21/iwf_pirate_bay/

Adobe in Push to Spread Web Video to TV Sets
The denizens of Hollywood and Silicon Valley have, by and large, vastly different value systems, role models, even tastes in cars, food and clothing. But they increasingly agree on one thing: a standard for online video called Adobe Flash.
http://nytimes.com/2009/04/20/technology/20adobe.html

LimeWire targeted in US filesharing investigation
A House committee is reopening its investigation of internet services that let computer users distribute music and movies online amid reports the same software was exploited to gain unauthorised access to government and private data.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10568009

BBC iPlayer goes high definition
The BBC's iPlayer is to start offering high definition (HD) streams and downloads of some programmes. It will mean improved picture quality on streams to web browsers.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8008886.stm

BBC iPlayer goes high definition
Selected programmes will soon be available on the BBC's iPlayer online on-demand TV service in high-definition (HD) form.
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/0,1000000097,39642650,00.htm

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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Number of new global mobile subscribers drops 15%
The most recent snapshot of the global telecoms industry has dialled up some bad numbers for managers at Vodafone and other mobile phone operators. Figures compiled by Informa Telecoms & Media, a London-based telecoms industry consultancy, show that the number of net new mobile phone subscribers in the world fell sharply in the fourth quarter of 2008 and the growth of mobile data revenues stalled for the first time.
http://www.theherald.co.uk/business/news/display.var.2503025.0.Number_of_new_mobile_subscribers_drops_15.php

Cost of roaming texts, calls and data services to plummet from 1 July [news release]
A text message sent from abroad in the EU will cost no more than €0.11 as of 1 July, instead of €0.28 today. The times where consumers had to expect "bill shocks" for downloading a picture or a movie with a mobile phone while roaming in the EU are over. The European Parliament, in its plenary session in Strasbourg, today voted by a large majority in favour of new EU rules on SMS and data roaming, proposed by the European Commission in September 2008.
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/620

EU set to adopt new mobile price curbs
It will be up to 60 percent cheaper to send mobile phone text messages while travelling in the European Union or surf the Web by laptop under price curbs to be adopted by the bloc's assembly on Wednesday.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE53L1IT20090422
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-39179020090422

EU Parliament Caps Text Roaming Charges
The European Parliament on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved the first price controls on cross-border text messaging, cutting current costs by 60 percent starting this summer.
http://nytimes.com/2009/04/23/technology/23roam.html

EU debates new mobile price caps
New price caps for mobile phone use abroad are expected to be adopted by the European Parliament. For the first time text messages and data roaming services, such as checking e-mails while abroad, will be included in EU-wide price caps.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8010352.stm

India adds record 15.6 million mobile users in March
Indian mobile operators added a record 15.64 million customers in March, helped by the expansion of networks to smaller towns and rural areas, data from the telecoms regulator showed.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKTRE53L0SF20090422

China Mobile's Net Rises
China Mobile Ltd. warned that subscriber growth is slowing as the company posted a 5.2% increase in first-quarter net profit. Meanwhile, China Telecom Corp.'s profit fell 27% as consumers switched from its fixed-line business to mobile phones.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124024820231135593.html

China Mobile Users, Music Downloads Set New Records [IDG]
More Chinese than ever have mobile phones and are using them to download music and send multimedia text messages, although revenue per user fell at China's largest carrier in the first quarter.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/163483/.html

Commission calls on mobile operators to continue to improve child safety policies [news release]
50% of 10 year-old, 87% of 13 year-old and 95% of 16 year-old children in the EU have a mobile phone, but half of European parents worry mobile phone use might expose their children to sexually and violently explicit images (51%) or bullying by other children (49%), according to a survey. The European Commission today called on mobile operators to do more to keep children safe while using mobile phones by putting in place all the measures in the voluntary code of conduct, signed by 26 mobile operators in 2007. A report just published by the GSM Association, the trade body of the mobile phone industry, showed that national self-regulatory codes based on the framework agreement brokered by the European Commission now exist in 22 Member States, 90% of them in line with the 2007 agreement, and 80% of operators have put in place measures to control child access to adult content.
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/596

Half of European 10 year olds now mobile connected
Half of 10 year old kids in the EU have mobile phones, a figure that rises to 95 per cent once they get to 16, but parents still reckon their kids aren't being protected from inappropriate content.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/04/21/eu_kids_mobile/

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SPAM
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au: SPAM A LOT - SMS Marketing, SPAM And Recent ACMA Activity
The popularity of SMS (or texting) continues to grow. With that, many businesses are using SMS to send regular communications to their customers, including account balance updates, appointment reminders and alerts about new products or services. However, while businesses may be aware of the potential benefits that SMS can deliver, they may not be so certain about the legal regulation surrounding commercial SMS communications.
http://mondaq.com/article.asp?articleid=77920

One bot-infected PC = 600,000 spam messages a day
Some bot-infected PCs can crank out as many as 25,000 spam messages per hour, new research released today claimed.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9131984
http://computerworld.com.au/article/300411/
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/042209-one-bot-infected-pc--600000.html
http://www.techworld.com/news/index.cfm?NewsID=114788

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ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
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Tech giants to pay Aust science agency, CSIRO, $1 billion
Australia's top science agency has walloped some of the world's biggest industrial giants in the US patent courts to bring the country a pay check worth up to $1 billion over the next five to 10 years.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25370534-15306,00.html

Bonanza for CSIRO after landmark patent win
The CSIRO has won a long legal battle with the some of the world's leading technology companies in an outcome that will give a substantial financial windfall to Australia's peak scientific body.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/04/22/1240079730838.html
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/04/22/1240079730838.html

CSIRO settles wireless battle
The Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organisation (CSIRO) has settled its wireless technology patent battle out of court against some of the world’s technology giants, and plans to use the financial windfall to fund new research.
http://computerworld.com.au/article/300310/

Australian courts use social networking sites as evidence
Constable Robert Hogan claimed he was just playing around outside a nightclub when an off-duty military commando bit his face so hard that he drew blood and a five-centimetre gash.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/04/20/1240079605140.html
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2009/04/20/1240079605140.html
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/2349621/Facebook-legal-traps-for-the-unwary

Pentagon to Create Command Focusing on Cyber Security
A spokesman for Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates confirmed today that the Pentagon plans to reorganize itself to confront the "persistent and growing" problem of cyber attacks, creating a new command focused on protecting military computer networks and fielding new offensive cyber-warfare weapons.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/22/AR2009042202742.html

A Pentagon Cyber-Command Is in the Works
The Obama administration is finalizing plans for a new Pentagon command to coordinate the security of military computer networks and to develop new offensive cyber-weapons, sources said last night.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/22/AR2009042200029.html

New Military Command to Focus on Cybersecurity
The Obama administration plans to create a new military command to coordinate the defense of Pentagon computer networks and improve U.S. offensive capabilities in cyberwarfare, according to current and former officials familiar with the plans.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124035738674441033.html

US ramps up cybersecurity focus
The White House should take direct control of US cybersecurity, the woman tipped to be President Obama's net security Czar has said. Melissa Hathaway told a conference in San Francisco that the net had not been built with safety in mind.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8011380.stm

We don't want to run U.S. cybersecurity efforts, NSA chief says
The director of the National Security Agency (NSA) today downplayed widespread concerns about his agency's growing role in national cybersecurity affairs.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9131933

NSA chief downplays cybersecurity power grab reports
The director of the National Security Agency on Tuesday downplayed reports of the NSA's attempt to wrest control of cybersecurity responsibilities from rival federal agencies.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-10224579-38.html

Why the Top U.S. Cyber Official is Losing Sleep
The United States' top cybersecurity official already knew the world's digital infrastructure needed help before she took on a 60-day cyberspace policy review. With the review now complete, she admits the gravity of the situation seeps into her dreams and disturbs her sleep.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/042309-why-the-top-us-cyber.html

Gates: Cyberattacks a constant threat
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday that the United States is "under cyberattack virtually all the time, every day" and that the Defense Department plans to more than quadruple the number of cyber experts it employs to ward off such attacks.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10224637-83.html
http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/security/0,39044215,62053433,00.htm
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39643172,00.htm

Computer Spies Breach Fighter-Jet Project
Computer spies have broken into the Pentagon's $300 billion Joint Strike Fighter project -- the Defense Department's costliest weapons program ever -- according to current and former government officials familiar with the attacks.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124027491029837401.html

Hackers breach defences of joint strike fighter jet programme
Computer hackers have breached the cyber defences of an advanced US fighter jet programme, stealing data on the plane's design and electronics systems.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/21/hackers-us-fighter-jet-strike

Lockheed fends off Chinese hack attack
US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin has dismissed claims that Chinese computer spies hacked into top-secret files containing information on the $500 billion Joint Strike Fighter program.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25373608-15306,00.html

Chinese hackers steal JSF secrets
Chinese computer spies are suspected of having cracked the Pentagon's $500 billion Joint Strike Fighter program, accessing top-secret files containing details of the aircraft's stealth design and electronics.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25368297-31477,00.html

Finjan finds botnet of 1.9 million infected computers
Security firm Finjan has uncovered what it says is one of the largest bot networks controlled by a single cybergang, with 1.9 million infected zombie computers.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10223716-83.html
http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/security/0,39044215,62053497,00.htm
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39643173,00.htm

Researchers Find Massive Botnet On Nearly 2 Million Infected Consumer, Business, Government PCs
Researchers have discovered a major botnet operating out of the Ukraine that has infected 1.9 million machines, including large corporate and government PCs mainly in the U.S.
http://www.darkreading.com/security/attacks/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=217000166

Hackers hijack 1.9 million computers worldwide
A gang of hackers which has hijacked 1.9 million computers around the world is being hunted by the Metropolitan Police and the FBI.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/5198275/Hackers-hijack-1.9-million-computers-worldwide.html

Botnet 'ensnares government PCs'
Almost two million PCs globally, including machines inside UK and US government departments, have been taken over by malicious hackers.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8010729.stm

Botnet expert suggests hitting cybercriminals in pocket book
Technology is not enough to help the security industry keep botnets from stealing peoples' money and committing denial-of-service attacks, a top botnet researcher said on Wednesday. His suggestion? Stop the flow of money to their coffers.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10225454-83.html

Global botnet hits Kiwis too
At least 10,000 New Zealand computers have been taken over by malicious hackers, who are already selling sensitive information online.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10568129

Call to rally against cyber crime
Security professionals are being called on to band together to fight the highly organised cyber criminals of the world. The call was made at a San Francisco conference organised by security firm RSA - the largest event of its kind.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8011160.stm

Russia Web Firm Negotiates Autonomy
Russia's most prominent Web player, Yandex NV, is in discussions to give a state company veto power over changes in its ownership while ensuring independence in other areas, amid growing Kremlin calls for more control over major local Internet companies.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124034976448440479.html

More co-operation among providers and policy makers is called for at national and pan European level to enhance the resilience of public communication networks [news release]
EU Agency ENISA presents the first ever EU wide analysis report of National Policy and Regulatory environment on resilience of public communications networks. The report analyses rules, policies and practices, which EU member States and EFTA countries develop and deploy, in order to enhance the resilience of communication networks. It provides high level and context specific recommendations to both policy and decision makers. The report concludes with a list of identified good practices. The study was done in the context of ENISA’s program on Resilience of public communication networks.
http://enisa.europa.eu/pages/02_01_press_2009_04_22_resilience_policies.html

Are We Already Losing the Cyber War?
Wouldn't it be great to read on Xinhua, the Chinese news agency, reports that American cyber spies have penetrated the Chinese electric grid and may have left software behind that would allow Washington to plunge the People's Republic into darkness?
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/163610/.html

Cyber spying a threat, and everyone is in on it
Ghost hackers infiltrating the computers of Tibetan exiles and the U.S. electric grid have pulled the curtain back on 21st-century espionage as nefarious as anything from the Cold War — and far more difficult to stop.
http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090423/GJLIFESTYLES/904109868/-1/FOSLIFESTYLES

Nine Network loses online copyright case
An online start-up company with 15 staff has triumphed over the might of the Nine Network in a three-year legal battle that made it all the way to Australia's High Court - and forced workers to watch the Nine Network 24 hours a day.
http://smallbusiness.smh.com.au/managing/technology/nine-network-loses-online-copyright-case-620428236.html
http://smallbusiness.theage.com.au/managing/technology/nine-network-loses-online-copyright-case-620428236.html

**************************
PRIVACY
**************************
Employers Watching Workers Online Spurs Privacy Debate
By now, many employees are uncomfortably aware that their every keystroke at work, from email on office computers to text messages on company phones, can be monitored legally by their employers.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124045009224646091.html

Wikipedia latest to reject Phorm 'snooping' technology
Wikipedia has joined Amazon.com in opting out of Phorm's controversial targeted advertising technology.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article6143577.ece

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CENSORSHIP
**********************
Blogger Acquitted in Seoul
A South Korean judge ruled Monday that a blogger arrested after criticizing government economic policies was not guilty of spreading false information, the latest step in the country's struggle to balance freedom of speech with the potentially damaging effects of anonymous online postings.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124020587524334285.html

South Korean blogger cleared of spreading false information
A South Korean court today acquitted a blogger charged with spreading false information on the internet under a mysterious pseudonym, in a high-profile case that sparked heated debate over freedom of speech in cyberspace.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/20/south-korea-blogger-park

Plans to expand Internet access in Cuba prompt censorship warnings
Democracy activists are urging the Obama administration and industry leaders to prevent Cuba from restricting Internet access, as the United States moves ahead with plans to offer expanded telecommunications services in that country. But the administration says it is too early -- and could be legally difficult -- to broker preconditions barring Cuba from suppressing political dissent on the Internet.
http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090420_1575.php

**************************
GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY
**************************
EBay pledges to work with police, opposes e-fencing bills [IDG]
Officials with eBay encouraged police, prosecutors and U.S. enforcement agencies to contact them for help on investigations, saying that working with law enforcement is a top priority for the huge retail and auction site.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/163535/.html
http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/300181/
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9131920

E-commerce laws to be upgraded
Domestic e-commerce laws will be upgraded so Australia can adopt the United Nations Convention on the use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts - a new legal standard that underpins business activity conducted over the internet.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25370707-15306,00.html

**********************
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
**********************
MEPs reach compromise on telecoms reform package
An EU parliamentary committee has agreed several key components of the telecoms reform package with member states, but the two parties remain at odds over proposals to allow ISPs to block internet access for customers active in illegal file-sharing. The Industry Committee agreed with the EU Council on proposals to reform radio spectrum planning and set up a new EU telecoms regulatory agency called BEREC. However, the MEPs continued to oppose proposals for allowing ISPs to block a user's internet access. The Industry Committee reverted to its earlier position on the matter and voted in favour of an amendment that "no restriction may be imposed on the fundamental rights and freedoms of end users, without a prior ruling by the judicial authorities (...) save when public security is threatened". Negotiations between MEPs and the Czech Presidency of the EU to reach an agreement on this issue as well as proposed consumer protection legislation will continue
 ahead of an expected full parliament vote early next month.
http://www.telecompaper.com/news/article.aspx?cid=668488

Rural America goes ultra-digital [Fortune]
Rural America is about to get gold-plated broadband service, if the results of a recent survey of telecommunications companies are to be believed.
http://money.cnn.com/2009/04/21/technology/rural_broadband.fortune/

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ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN
**********************************
au: Hinch Blog: www.childporn by Derryn Hinch
The putrid crime of child pornography has turned into an international flood of filth and cruelty in recent years – mainly because of that seemingly unstoppable tide called the Internet.
http://www.3aw.com.au/blogs/blog-with-derryn-hinch/hinch-blog-wwwchildporn/20090420-acf2.html

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(c) David Goldstein 2009



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David Goldstein
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