[APPLe list] general internet news - 2 July

[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://GoldsteinReport.com/ - for daily updates in between postings.


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The domain name news is supported by auDA

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Google isn't making us dumb – or smart. That's the problem
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jul/01/read-me-first-google-intelligence

Future of Australia's newspapers is bright, says Hartigan
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,,25720795-7582,00.html

Firefox 3.5: Excellent for fans, but competition getting tougher
http://download.cnet.com/8301-2007_4-10276351-12.html

Google Makes a Case That It Isn’t So Big
http://nytimes.com/2009/06/29/technology/companies/29google.html

ANALYSIS - Cybercrime spreads on Facebook
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-40682020090701

Greenpeace guide frowns on HP, still loves Nokia
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10276905-54.html

HP, Lenovo and Dell penalised for breaking their green IT promises [news release]
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/hp-lenovo-and-dell-010709

Online pedophiles blackmail children into meetings
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25710535-5013404,00.html

ICANN says Web filters will "embarrass" Aussie govt
http://computerworld.com.au/article/309524/

Pirate Bay site sold to Swedish game firm
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article6612841.ece

Pirate Bay to be heart of legal content distribution network, say new owners
http://out-law.com/page-10139

North Korean 3G network hits 19,000 subscribers [IDG]
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/062909-north-korean-3g-network-hits.html

Mobile roaming charges drop across Europe
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/jul/01/roaming-charges

Mobile phone giants to make European one-size-fits-all charger from 2010
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/personal_tech/article6604898.ece

'Life or death' SPASMS alert
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/security/life-or-death-spasms-alert-20090701-d4sz.html

Fly-by SMS death threats hold Aussies to ransom
http://techworld.com.au/article/309567/

Report: botnets sent over 80% of all June spam
http://arstechnica.com/security/news/2009/06/report-botnets-send-over-80-of-all-spam-in-june.ars

Google: Spammers regroup after ISP takedowns [IDG]
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/070109-google-spammers-regroup-after-isp.html

How wide is the world's digital divide, anyway?
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/07/how-wide-is-the-worlds-digital-divide-anyway.ars

Michael Jackson's death spawns malware, more scams
http://computerworld.com.au/article/309331/

CDT: New US privacy law getting closer [IDG]
http://computerworld.com.au/article/309467/

Facebook simplifies privacy settings, calls them too complex [IDG]
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9135070

After Outcry, China Delays Requirement for Web-Filtering Software
http://nytimes.com/2009/07/01/technology/01china.html

China thinks twice – and its 300m internet users scent a rare victory
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/30/censorship-china-internet-software

Chinese bloggers hail Green Dam ‘victory’
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/744ae9be-6639-11de-a034-00144feabdc0.html

In China, New Limits on Virtual Currency
http://nytimes.com/2009/07/01/technology/internet/01yuan.html

Iran, social media and intelligence
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/30/2612088.htm

Net surveillance and filters are a reality for Europe, too
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jun/24/kevin-anderson-internet-filtering

Child abuse ring involving more than 2,000 people uncovered
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/switzerland/5675748/Child-abuse-ring-involving-more-than-2000-people-uncovered.html


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INTERNET USE
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Google isn't making us dumb – or smart. That's the problem
Last year, Nick Carr wrote a forceful article for the Atlantic magazine, arguing that Google was making us stupid. It's not just Google, of course, but the whole chaotic wave of technology that seems to be sweeping us into the future, surrounded and sometimes battered by the flotsam and wreckage of old certainties. And that was before Twitter hit the big time.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jul/01/read-me-first-google-intelligence

Future of Australia's newspapers is bright, says Hartigan
The head of Australia's largest newspaper company, John Hartigan, has delivered an optimistic verdict on the future of journalism, arguing that Australian newspapers are holding up well compared with their counterparts in Britain and the US.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,,25720795-7582,00.html

Readers key to future of journalism
The future of journalism will not depend on bloggers, comment sites, Google or Yahoo, News Limited chairman and chief executive John Hartigan says.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/business/story/0,28124,25717846-7582,00.html

FULL TEXT: Read John Hartigan's speech
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/files/hartiganspeech.pdf

Firefox 3.5: Excellent for fans, but competition getting tougher
Firefox 3.5 brings the world's second-most popular browser up to speed with current browsing technology and trends, and perhaps nudges it just a bit ahead of the competition. However, it is by no means the leap ahead that its predecessor Firefox 3 was, and it's clear that the competition isn't going away anytime soon.
http://download.cnet.com/8301-2007_4-10276351-12.html

Google Makes a Case That It Isn’t So Big
Google handles roughly two-thirds of all Internet searches. It owns the largest online video site, YouTube, which is more than 10 times more popular than its nearest competitor. And last year, Google sold nearly $22 billion in advertising, more than any media company in the world.
http://nytimes.com/2009/06/29/technology/companies/29google.html

Google hits back at WSJ's 'internet vampire' claims
Google has vowed to heal the rift with newspaper publishers facing up to the digital age, rejecting claims that it is an "internet vampire". The internet search portal's comments came after Les Hinton, the chief executive of The Wall Street Journal, last week criticised Google for "sucking the blood" out of the newspaper business.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/google-hits-back-at-wsjs-internet-vampire-claims-1723092.html

Foes No More, Ad Agencies Unite With Internet Firms
Advertising agencies and Internet companies once viewed each other as foes, but are now coming together to harness the potential for online advertising. Like many other segments, online ad spending has slowed from its previous breakneck pace during the deep recession, forcing companies to devise new ways to chase fewer dollars.
http://nytimes.com/2009/06/30/business/media/30digital.html

With 3.5 launch, Firefox faces new challengers
A funny thing to happened to Firefox on the way to vanquishing Internet Explorer: the Mozilla browser's success opened the door for a host of its other competitors.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10275396-2.html

UK Ministry of Defence blocks Wikileaks
The Ministry of Defence is trying to block all internet access to the whistleblowing site Wikileaks from thousands of its own computers after discovering that dissidents have been using it to leak copies of British military manuals.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/jun/25/wikileaks-blocked-ministry-defence

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SOCIAL NETWORKING
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ANALYSIS - Cybercrime spreads on Facebook
Cybercrime is rapidly spreading on Facebook as fraudsters prey on users who think the world's top social networking site is a safe haven on the Internet.
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-40682020090701

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES
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Greenpeace guide frowns on HP, still loves Nokia
Greenpeace released its latest Guide to Greener Electronics on Wednesday, revealing that promises aren't always kept. The Greenpeace guide, which started in 2006, ranks the top 17 PC, cell phone, TV, and gaming console manufacturers based on their policies regarding e-waste, climate change, and use of toxic chemicals.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10276905-54.html

Greenpeace pans PC makers for toxic products [IDG]
Greenpeace International on Wednesday criticized some major PC makers for backtracking on commitments to reduce hazardous substances in hardware.
http://computerworld.com.au/article/309692/
http://www.pcworld.com/article/167751/.html
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/309692/

HP, Lenovo and Dell penalised for breaking their green IT promises [news release]
We're giving HP, Lenovo and Dell--the world's biggest PC makers--a penalty point in our updated Guide to Greener Electronics, for backtracking on their commitments to eliminate PVC plastic and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) from their products by the end of 2009.
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/hp-lenovo-and-dell-010709

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CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION
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Child Porn Is Apple’s Latest iPhone Headache
A photo ostensibly showing a 15-year-old nude girl has appeared in an iPhone app, highlighting Apple’s inability to safeguard its application store from prohibited content.
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/07/beautymeter

Online pedophiles blackmail children into meetings
Online pedophiles are becoming more aggressive in their pursuit of children, often using suggestive photographs or inappropriate online conversations to blackmail their victims into face-to-face meetings.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25710535-5013404,00.html

ICANN says Web filters will "embarrass" Aussie govt
An ICANN chief has said the Australian government will “embarrass itself” if it pushes ahead with plans to install a national Internet content filter.
http://computerworld.com.au/article/309524/
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/B07BABC9258525F4CC2575E60005258B
http://www.cio.com.au/article/309524/
http://techworld.com.au/article/309524/
http://www.infoworld.com/d/networking/icann-says-web-filters-will-embarrass-aussie-govt-707
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/070109-icann-says-web-filters-will.html

au: Bullying videos on internet
The ugly side of the YouTube phenomenon has reared its head in Bundaberg. An increasing number of unpleasant videos, filmed in Bundaberg, are appearing on the internet site.
http://www.news-mail.com.au/story/2009/06/29/bullying-videos-on-internet/

South Australia Govermnment announces cyber bullying crackdown
School students will be taught the dangers of new cyber crimes such as "sexting" as part of a state government initiative to crack down on cyber bullying.
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25713038-2682,00.html

Children exposed to porn in Coast libraries
Children are being exposed to hard-core pornography at Sunshine Coast public library computers. However, the Coast council refuses to install internet filtering software that would help prevent offensive images from being accessed.
http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2009/jun/30/children-exposed-porn-coast-libraries/

Internet filter sparks gaming war
Online games played by millions of Australians could be blocked by the Federal Government's controversial internet filter.
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,25722428-8362,00.html

The gaming classification farce and Conroy’s internet filter
In politics, policy-making that alienates the key constituencies affected can be a risky move. No-one knows that better than the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Stephen Conroy. His proposed internet filtering plan has caused plenty of outcry since late 2007. With the GFC and ETS to distract, Conroy may have started to feel the pressure was easing a little.
http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/06/30/the-gaming-classification-farce-and-conroys-internet-filter/

Final Declaration International Conference Berlin, 30 June 2009: Protecting Children and Young People from Sexual Violence with a Focus on the New Media: Perspectives for Europe
We declare, considering that children and young people are increasingly and intensively making use of new technologies and that an increasingly significant part of the social life of children and young people takes place online, where continuously evolving advanced technologies and communication tools are used; ...
http://www.child-protection-conference.org/download/Abschlusserklaerung-englisch.pdf

Nearly 1 in 10 Kids Report Cyber Bullying
New research shines a light on the phenomenon of “cyber bullying,” suggesting that nearly 1 in 10 children are bullied through electronic means such as text messages, and girls are more likely to be victims than boys are.
http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/553308/

China delays Net filtering; Australia sticks to its guns
As China backs off from controversial PC filtering plans, Australia is looking to expand its censorship net, with plans to ban computer games too.
http://apcmag.com/china-delays-net-filtering-australia-sticks-to-its-guns.htm

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ONLINE TV & MUSIC
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Pirate Bay site sold to Swedish game firm
A little-known Swedish software firm has snapped up file-sharing website The Pirate Bay with the hope of turning the source of legal controversy into a money-spinner that appeals to both users and content providers.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article6612841.ece

Pirate Bay founders get rich in jail
A little-known Swedish software firm has snapped up file-sharing website The Pirate Bay with the hope of turning the source of legal controversy into a money-spinner that appeals to both users and content providers.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE55T2E420090630

Pirate Bay starts video streaming
The world's most high-profile file-sharing website, The Pirate Bay (TPB), has lifted the lid on its new video sharing website, The Video Bay. Billed as a rival to YouTube, the service will offer unrestricted video content, in violation of copyright law. It is not clear when the service will actually go live; the site's founders said "it will be done when it's done".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8123989.stm

The Pirate Bay to take on YouTube, Hulu with The Video Bay
Watch out, Hollywood -- another threat to your profits appears to be setting sail and headed in your direction. A site called The Video Bay aims to make pirated TV shows and Hollywood movies available in hi-def quality for streaming through your Web browser -- no hefty downloads required. The site, reportedly in development by the people behind the controversial site The Pirate Bay, is aiming to compete with Hulu and YouTube. As far as I can tell, the new venture isn't bothering with any cumbersome legal issues such as copyrights and content licences.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/167531/.html
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/309298/

Innocents accused of net piracy in Britain
Some 20 net users have come forward claiming they have been wrongly accused of illegally sharing video games. It follows an investigation by Which? Computing magazine into a couple who were accused of playing a game they claim they had never heard of.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8129261.stm

Buyer of Pirate Bay, a File-Sharing Site, Plans to Go Legal
Free music and movies, mostly pirated, abound on the Internet. But Hans Pandeya says he thinks he has an even better offer. He wants to pay Web users to share songs or films — with the full approval of the copyright owners.
http://nytimes.com/2009/07/01/technology/companies/01pirate.html

Pirate Bay to be heart of legal content distribution network, say new owners
The world's biggest distributor of links to copyright infringing material is to be bought by a software entrepreneur and turned into a legitimate business, the site has announced. The Pirate Bay has agreed to be acquired for £4.8 million.
http://out-law.com/page-10139

Cash for Pirate Bay file-sharers
The new owners of file-sharing website The Pirate Bay say users will be paid for sharing files. Global Gaming Factory (GGF) paid 60m kronor (£4.7m) to take over the site.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8128551.stm

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MOBILE/WIRELESS
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Nokia's N97 brings a clash of two cultures
Smartphones are booming – even in the middle of a recession – but their design and functionality can differ remarkably
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jul/01/mobile-phones-nokia-victor-keegan

North Korean 3G network hits 19,000 subscribers [IDG]
North Korea's first and only public cellular telephone network attracted 19,200 subscribers after just over three months in business.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/062909-north-korean-3g-network-hits.html
http://www.pcworld.com/article/167523/.html

Mobile roaming charges drop across Europe
Mobile phone charges will fall for millions of holidaymakers across Europe from today, after new regulations come into force to drive down the cost of roaming.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2009/jul/01/roaming-charges

End of 'roaming rip-off': cost of texting, calling, surfing the web abroad to plummet from today thanks to EU action [news release]
As of today, sending a text message from abroad in the EU costs a maximum €0.11, almost three times cheaper than the previous EU average of €0.28 (excl. VAT). To make a roamed call in another EU country must not cost more than €0.43 per minute, and no more than €0.19 to receive a call. From today, outgoing roaming calls will be charged by the second, after the first 30 seconds, rather than by the minute, and incoming calls will be charged by the second from the first second. Holidaymakers and business travellers can also surf the web, download movies or send photos with their mobile without fear of ‘bill shocks’ while roaming thanks to a wholesale cap of € 1 per megabyte (MB) downloaded. All these measures are expected to cut roaming charges for EU consumers by a further 60% and increase mobile phone use. The EU first acted on roaming in 2007 reducing the cost of voice roaming calls by 70%.
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/newsroom/cf/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=5097

Mobile phone giants to make European one-size-fits-all charger from 2010
The world’s biggest mobile phone makers announced a deal today agreeing to a universal standard phone charger that will work on millions of handsets made by different manufacturers.
http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/personal_tech/article6604898.ece

European Commission welcomes industry's commitment to provide a common charger for mobile phones [news release]
Incompatibility of chargers for mobile phones is a major inconvenience for users and also leads to unnecessary waste. Therefore, the Commission has requested industry to come forward with a voluntary commitment to solve this problem so as to avoid legislation. As a result major producers of mobile phones have agreed to harmonise chargers in the EU. In a Memorandum of Understanding (“MoU”), which was submitted to the Commission today, the industry commits to provide chargers compatibility on the basis of the Micro-USB connector. In addition new EU standards to ensure continued safe charger use will be developed to facilitate the implementation of the MoU. The first generation of new inter-chargeable mobile phones should reach the EU market from 2010 onwards.
http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/09/1049

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SPAM
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'Life or death' SPASMS alert
The communications regulator has sounded the alarm after receiving a number of complaints from Australians who received SMS messages containing death threats.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/security/life-or-death-spasms-alert-20090701-d4sz.html
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/security/life-or-death-spasms-alert-20090701-d4sz.html

Fly-by SMS death threats hold Aussies to ransom
The federal government has issued a warning against fly-by criminals who are issuing SMS death threats to defraud victims.
http://techworld.com.au/article/309567/
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/netw/D132E80B10E96188CC2575E6006A2719
http://www.cio.com.au/article/309567/
http://www.infoworld.com/d/security-central/fly-sms-death-threats-hold-aussies-ransom-795
http://www.thestandard.com/news/2009/07/01/fly-sms-death-threats-hold-aussies-ransom
http://www.cio.de/news/cio_worldnews/890484/
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/070109-fly-by-sms-death-threats-hold.html

SMS death threat warning issued by ACMA
SMS death threats are being sent to Australian mobile phone users in a sickening scam aimed at extorting money from victims. Shameless shysters are texting the messages to scare victims into handing over money, credit card details or other personal information.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25717781-661,00.html

'Death threat' SMS being sent to mobiles [AAP]
Some people are receiving text messages containing death threats as part of an international scam - and they're been told to report them to authorities.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/latest/5695906/death-threat-sms-being-sent-to-mobiles/
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21498,25718545-5005361,00.html
http://www.dailyexaminer.com.au/story/2009/07/01/death-threat-sms-being-sent-to-mobiles/
http://www.news-mail.com.au/story/2009/07/01/death-threat-sms-being-sent-to-mobiles/

Death threat SMS comes to your phone
Australians were urged to ignore scam text messages that used death threats to frighten them to give the sender money, credit card details and personal information.
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/148945,death-threat-sms-comes-to-your-phone.aspx

'You will die'
The Australian Communications and Media Authority has warned people to ignore a mobile phone text message telling people they will die if they do not reply to the scam SMS.
http://www.thedaily.com.au/news/2009/jul/01/you-will-die-mobile-phone-message-scam/

Attack of the SPASMS: the new SMS danger
Scammers are using SMS text messages to con money out of Australians. Scores of Australians have reported receiving SMS messages saying they have won $123,000 but must reply to the message with their email address for instructions on how to claim the money.
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/security/attack-of-the-spasms-the-new-sms-danger-20090630-d369.html
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/security/attack-of-the-spasms-the-new-sms-danger-20090630-d369.html

Spam blacklist bids top $1m
One of the largest spam blacklists in the world, developed in Australia, is up for sale and the creator has already received offers of more than $1million.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25708610-15306,00.html

Will convicting five major spammers put an end to spam?
Sadly not – but the news that the US department of justice has secured guilty pleas from five "prolific" spammers, including Alan Ralsky, might make other US-based spammers pause for thought. And many of the most troublesome spammers are based in the US, although they use ­servers in China and other countries to serve their wares.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jun/24/spam-newly-asked-questions

Botnets pushing up spam loads
Botnet-controlled PCs are responsible for some 83 per cent of all spam messages, according to a recent report. Security firm MessageLabs said in a recent report that despite efforts to shut down service providers notorious for hosting shady operations, spam vendors are continuing to send out huge loads of junk mail through the use of botnet-infected systems.
http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2245041/botnets-pushing-spam-loads

Report: botnets sent over 80% of all June spam
There's a ton of spam on the Internet—we all are painfully aware of this already. However, what once required an actual person to send is increasingly being taken over by botnets. A new report from Symantec's MessageLabs says that more than 80 percent of all spam sent today comes from botnets, despite several recent shut-downs.
http://arstechnica.com/security/news/2009/06/report-botnets-send-over-80-of-all-spam-in-june.ars

Symantec Announces June 2009 MessageLabs Intelligence Report [news release]
Symantec Corp. announced the publication of its June 2009 MessageLabs Intelligence Report. Analysis highlights that spam levels were unchanged since May at 90.4 percent largely due to the several hours of downtime experienced by Cutwail, one of the largest and most active botnets, following the shutdown of California-based ISP, Pricewert LLC (also known as 3FN and APS Telecom) on June 5, 2009. Also in June, MessageLabs Intelligence identified 1 in 78 IM-based hyperlinks point to malicious websites.
http://www.messagelabs.co.uk/resources/press/32541

Google: Spammers regroup after ISP takedowns [IDG]
Spammers are pumping out an increasing number of garbage messages as they regain their capacity to send spam through hacked PCs, according to the latest statistics released by Google on Wednesday.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/070109-google-spammers-regroup-after-isp.html

Google sees new spam players on the horizon
A new crop of spam providers is set to emerge, according to security researchers at Google.
http://www.v3.co.uk/v3/news/2245251/google-sees-spam-players

Google Sees Spam Surging
Spam continues to proliferate, despite the shutdown of major spam sources. Google reports that the average volume of spam messages in the second quarter of 2009 was 53% higher than it was in first quarter of the year.
http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/vulnerabilities/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=218400022

Spam Rates Recovering From 3FN Takedown
Google published a report on spam rates this past quarter indicating that spam volumes declined roughly 30 percent following the Federal Trade Commission's takedown of the troubled online hosting provider 3FN early last month. Google says spammers have already made up a significant amount of ground, climbing 14 percent from the initial drop.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/07/after_3fn_takedown_spam_rates.html

Postini: Google's take on e-mail security
The computer security industry historically borrows military defense concepts to combat digital threats, literally creating war rooms where experts follow attacks in progress on huge screens with phones ringing off the hook.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10276548-83.html

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DIGITAL DIVIDE
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How wide is the world's digital divide, anyway?
New broadband penetration data shows that the majority of the world has almost no home access to high-speed Internet access; in Africa, for instance, only 2% of homes have broadband. Ars takes a look at the worldwide digital divide.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2009/07/how-wide-is-the-worlds-digital-divide-anyway.ars

The real story behind broadband household penetration rates
Discussions on fixed broadband penetration rates usually focus on the extreme ends of the spectrum; impending saturation in countries with well-developed economies and the almost total lack of broadband provision in the poorer ones. TeleGeography believes issues around saturation tend to be overstated, while issues around lack of broadband cannot be overstated.
http://telegeography.com/cu/article.php?article_id=29075

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ONLINE CRIME, SECURITY & LEGAL
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Michael Jackson's death spawns malware, more scams
As security researchers expected, hackers have begun to use the death of pop star Michael Jackson to infect people's PCs. Starting late last week and continuing today, messages posing as breaking news alerts from the likes of CNN and the Los Angeles Times have been reaching users' mailboxes, said several security companies, including Sophos, Symantec and Trend Micro.
http://computerworld.com.au/article/309331/
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9134951
http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/scrt/3723E9B6B048B0C4CC2575E400754448
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/062909-michael-jacksons-death-spawns-malware.html

Online Auction Fraud: Don't Let it Happen to You [news release]
One in four complaints in 2008 to the Internet Crime Complaint Center involved online auction fraud. Computers, sports memorabilia, rare coins, designer fashions, and even cars.
http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june09/auctionfraud_063009.html

us: Cyber bullying case sentence due
Sentencing will take place this week in the first federal cyber bullying case in the US which was brought to trial after a teenage girl took her own life. Lori Drew, 50, pretended to be a boy on the MySpace website to befriend Megan Meier, who hanged herself after the virtual friendship ended.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8127533.stm

nz: Grubby emailer wins his job back
A worker sacked for sending dozens of grubby emails has got his job back after successfully arguing that the correspondence was part of a wider work culture.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10581985

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PRIVACY
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CDT: New US privacy law getting closer [IDG]
Comprehensive legislation to protect consumers' privacy is closer to becoming a reality in the U.S. Congress than it's been in several years, officials with the Center for Democracy and Technology said Tuesday.
http://computerworld.com.au/article/309467/
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/063009-cdt-new-privacy-law-getting.html
http://www.pcworld.com/article/167641/.html
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/309467/

Facebook simplifies privacy settings, calls them too complex [IDG]
Facebook will simplify the way in which it offers privacy options to its users, as it gets ready to give its members for the first time the option to make the content they post on their profiles available to anyone on the Internet.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9135070
http://pcworld.idg.com.au/article/309676/

Facebook cleans up its privacy controls
Revamped privacy settings are coming soon to Facebook. The social network's privacy controls had gotten so sprawling that they were distributed across six separate pages and 40 different settings, according to a conference call the company held on Wednesday.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-10277102-36.html
http://www.zdnetasia.com/news/internet/0,39044908,62055641,00.htm

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CENSORSHIP
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After Outcry, China Delays Requirement for Web-Filtering Software
Facing strong resistance at home and abroad, China on Tuesday delayed enforcement of a new rule requiring manufacturers to install Internet filtering software on all new computers.
http://nytimes.com/2009/07/01/technology/01china.html

China thinks twice – and its 300m internet users scent a rare victory
For the netizens of the world's biggest online community, it was a rare victory. At the 11th hour, and with no proper explanation, the Chinese government, the most assiduous internet censor on the planet, engineered a sudden climbdown.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/30/censorship-china-internet-software

Chinese bloggers hail Green Dam ‘victory’
A garden party in east Beijing billed as a protest against a government plan to fit all computers with Green Dam, a controversial web filtering software, turned into a celebration on Wednesday after the programme was postponed.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/744ae9be-6639-11de-a034-00144feabdc0.html

China's Internet backdown lauded by firms and activists
China's ambitions to strengthen control of the Internet with filtering software became a show of the limits of its power on Wednesday, as activists and industry groups welcomed an abrupt delay of the contentious plan.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE55T3BJ20090701
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-40716420090701

Chinese Delay Plan for Censor Software
China's government delayed its controversial requirement that manufacturers include Web-filtering software in all new personal computers sold in the country -- an 11th-hour move that shows the challenges Beijing faces in its wide-ranging efforts to rein in the Internet.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124636491863372821.html

China puts web censorship plans on hold
China has agreed to delay implementation of its policy to have all new computers in the country equipped with a controversial internet filtering software, averting the threat that PC makers not complying by Tuesday would face fines.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c6317230-658e-11de-8e34-00144feabdc0.html

China delays internet filter plan
China is delaying a controversial plan requiring all new computers sold in the country to be equipped with an internet filtering software, state media says.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8126832.stm

China Delays Mandating Filtering Software [AP]
China postponed a plan to require personal computer makers to supply Internet-filtering software Tuesday, retreating in the face of protests by Washington and Chinese Web surfers just hours before it was due to take effect.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124636491863372821.html

In China, New Limits on Virtual Currency
The buying and selling of the make-believe currencies used in online gaming has become so widespread that Chinese authorities fear it will affect the real economy.
http://nytimes.com/2009/07/01/technology/internet/01yuan.html
http://business.theage.com.au/business/china-says-game-over-for-ecurrencies-20090701-d56y.html

Iran, social media and intelligence
Complaints about the barrage of confusing and contradictory Twitter messages emerging from Iran's upheavals are predictable, writes the Lowy Institute's Sam Roggeveen.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/30/2612088.htm

Net surveillance and filters are a reality for Europe, too
The internet is playing such a key role in ­getting information out of Iran that attention has focused, once again, on how much Iran controls the internet within its borders. Iran controls the internet gateways into the country, and in 2006 the government outlawed any connection faster than 128kbps – until the policy met stiff opposition from business leaders and even members of the Iranian parliament.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jun/24/kevin-anderson-internet-filtering

China filter software faces tough sell in digital bazaar [Reuters]
China's latest Internet controls have been assailed by rights advocates and Washington, and yet the real challenge to its "Green Dam" plan may be the nation's own computer market, an anarchic digital bazaar.
http://in.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idINIndia-40661520090629
http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE55S2SX20090629
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/29/AR2009062900403.html

Internet censorship
China’s internet censors have been working overtime again. PC makers have been told to add internet filtering software to every machine sold in the country from Wednesday and Google has been ordered to cut off access to foreign websites from its local Chinese service.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/fa9fc0e8-6404-11de-a818-00144feabdc0.html

*********************************
MISCELLANEOUS
*********************************
Is It Time for RealNetworks to Switch Gears?
The technology for playing songs and video on the Internet used to be synonymous with one company: RealNetworks, founded in 1994 by a former Microsoft executive, Rob Glaser.
http://nytimes.com/2009/06/28/business/28stream.html

**********************
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
**********************
African broadband costs too high [Reuters]
Many African countries should focus on lowering the cost of broadband access to help boost their economies. Seven sub-Saharan countries scored the lowest possible result in a new technology ranking by the World Bank due to low incomes, weak regulation, limited competition and a lack of private investment.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/world/rest-of-world/2554977/

NBN bill worries infrastructure players
Representatives of Australian critical infrastructure providers have expressed concern that delivering information to the government under its amended National Broadband Network legislation could be costly and conflict with anti-terrorism rules.
http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/NBN-bill-worries-infrastructure-players/0,130061791,339297146,00.htm

Six areas picked to start broadband network
The Rudd government has named six broadband-deprived areas as the first recipients of its $250 million cash injection to kickstart the $43 billion national broadband network in rural areas.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25721734-15319,00.html

Roll-out of the great broadband network to begin
The Federal Government has revealed which parts of Australia will benefit first from its broadband black-spot program, the first stage of the proposed national network.
http://business.theage.com.au/business/rollout-of-the-great-broadband-network-to-begin-20090701-d574.html

Rules Set for Distribution of U.S. Broadband Stimulus Funds
The Obama administration on Wednesday published the criteria it will use to hand out billions of dollars in stimulus funds aimed at developing the infrastructure to deliver broadband Internet access to areas that are underserved or without access.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124647954157482147.html

NZ Telecom offers unlimited downloads
Telecom will begin selling a broadband plan on Tuesday that will offer unlimited downloads for $69.95 a month.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/2557199/

Internet offer caps speed, not data
Telecom is to offer an uncapped broadband internet deal but customers will have to trade off connection speed.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10581954

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ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN
**********************************
Child abuse ring involving more than 2,000 people uncovered
Police in Switzerland have said they have uncovered a child pornography ring involving more than 2,000 people in 78 countries.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/switzerland/5675748/Child-abuse-ring-involving-more-than-2000-people-uncovered.html

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(c) David Goldstein 2009



 ---------


David Goldstein


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