- KICTANet - KICTANet

Welcome Goooogle!
by Alex Gakuru 20 Mar '07

20 Mar '07

I just pick this from Kenyalinux mailing list and considering recent posts, I reckon it's relevant! http://skunkworks- ke.blogspot. com/2007/ 03/google- in-kenya. html Don't you just love Google? Alex --------------------------------- Food fight? Enjoy some healthy debate in the Yahoo! Answers Food & Drink Q&A.

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Re: [kictanet] [Fwd: [DigAfrica] Kenya cancels SNO offer to Indian firm]
by Edith Adera 20 Mar '07

20 Mar '07

Well articulated Muriuki! We need "out of the box" debates on alternative licensing regimes, what has worked, what has not (under varying circumstances). I believe we can draw on some of these experiences from the region. regards At / À 11:30 AM 3/20/2007, Muriuki Mureithi wrote / a écrit: >Thanks Alice >The government and indeed the country can easily be arm twisted because the >focus is on the short term money considerations paid by the applicant but >the loser is the country in terms of the long term build out of the >network, quality and lower prices through competition > >After the current licensing failed in 1) 8 regional telecommunications 2) 2 >trunking radio 3) SNO on two occasions 4) third cellular --- do we need to >use the regime again? > >If we do the same thing the same way we get the same results. Our attempts >apart from Kencell licence proves beyond doubt the need of a paradigm shift > >I am just wondering loudly how much it costs to go through such a licence >process and how such a colossal loss is accounted for > >Finally, I expect that any new applicant will demand even more 'privileges' >because the market is well taken up by competition. The incumbents had >privileges of the huge market and three years of guaranteed market. TKL >itself had a privileged captive market for 118 years. > >Cheers >Muriuki Mureithi > >--------------------------------------- >Summit Strategies Ltd - >ICT Consultancy & Research in Eastern & Central African markets >Contacts : Tel +254 (20) 3875824 , Cell + 254 (722) 520090, >email: mureithi(a)summitstrategies.co.ke > alternate email : muriuki.mureithi(a)gmail.com > > > >-----Original Message----- >From: kictanet-bounces+mureithi=summitstrategies.co.ke(a)kictanet.or.ke >[mailto:kictanet-bounces+mureithi=summitstrategies.co.ke@kictanet.or.ke] On >Behalf Of alice >Sent: 20 March 2007 08:45 >To: mureithi(a)summitstrategies.co.ke >Subject: [kictanet] [Fwd: [DigAfrica] Kenya cancels SNO offer to Indian >firm] > >They demanded one "too many" privileges > >Kenya cancels SNO offer to Indian firm >By A STAFF WRITER > >Investigations by The East-African have revealed that Kenya cancelled >negotiations with Reliance Communications of India - the company that >had been negotiating with the government for a licence to operate >both fixed-line and mobile services - because the Indians >demanded "too many" privileges. > >Just a day before the deadline within which the Indian company was >asked to formally submit its application, the president of the >company, Punit Garg, wrote to the government making demands that were >way outside the condition of the tender. According to informed >sources, the privileges Reliance wanted were in three sets - namely >duties, relaxation of rules for listing of its local subsidiaries on >the Nairobi Stock Exchange, and a commitment to share infrastructure >from existing mobile companies. > >With respect to duties, the Indian company wanted the following. >First, zero import duties on import of telecommunications >infrastructure and equipment; zero import duties on new and used >handsets and zero value-added tax. > >The privileges requested with respect to listing requirements were >not only excessive but were of the type that the government could >only give at the risk of bending the rules governing capital markets. > >First, the Indian company wanted the government to give it a >commitment that it would allow any local subsidiaries it formed to go >to the market to raise money on the Nairobi Stock Exchange regardless >of whether or not the company met the requirements for listing. > >The Indian investor suggested that the local subsidiary it intended >to create be listed on the basis of compliance of the parent company >in India. > >Secondly, it wanted the government to permit the listing of at least >10 per cent of the equity of the SNO on the Nairobi Stock Exchange. > >Thirdly, it asked that the government allow dual listing of the >company that it intended to establish in Kenya. > >On the sharing of infrastructure, the Indian investors wanted >assurances on the sharing of towers, co- location of equipment for >interconnection and long distance networks. > >The company argued that duplication of infrastructure in >telecommunications networks was costly. The Indian investor further >argued that only a harmonised system can ensure ready availability at >regulated cost-based tariffs. > >Reliance also said that it was not willing to put in an application >without these assurances and privileges. > >It is understood that on receiving the demands, a meeting of the >board of the Communications Commission of Kenya was hurriedly >convened at which the regulator formally announced the cancellation >of negotiations with the Indians and the decision to tender afresh. > >The government will now be hoping that Vtel of Dubai, who had offered >to pay a whopping $169 million for the licence, will still want to >come and invest in Kenya. > >Kenya's telecommunications industry is changing rapidly. The two >mobile players - Safaricom and Celtel - continue to maintain a >stranglehold in a market that more or less operates like a duopoly. > >Currently, it is estimated that Safaricom has around 75 per cent of >the market and Celtel 25 per cent. > >Both companies have recently been licensed to operate international >gateways. > >Kenya tried unsuccessfully to auction an SNO licence in 2003. In May >last year, the CCK put out an international tender for the licence. > >The successful bidder, Vtel Ltd, was consequently invited to take up >the offer but failed to do so following disagreements with its local >partners. > >In accordance with the tender regulations, the offer was subsequently >withdrawn and extended to Reliance Communications, the second highest >bidders. Upon receipt of the invitation by CCK, Reliance >Communication confirmed that they would take up the offer and >requested more time to enable them to comply with the various >formalities. > >The CCK board agreed to the request by the Indian investors and >granted an extension of the application deadline to March 15 this >year. > >By the expiry of the set deadline of 4.00 pm on Friday last week, the >Indian investors had not made a formal application for the licence. > >http://www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican/current/News/News19030715.htm ><http://www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican/current/News/News19030715.htm> > >__._,_.___ >Messages in this topic ><http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigAfrica/message/5760;_ylc=X3oDMTM0NmQ2MHN0B >F9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzI5MDI0NDQEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MTE2MjkxBG1zZ0lkAzU3NjAEc >2VjA2Z0cgRzbGsDdnRwYwRzdGltZQMxMTc0MzMyMDE3BHRwY0lkAzU3NjA-> >(1) Reply (via web post) ><http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigAfrica/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJwcWdqYzU3BF9TAzk3M >zU5NzE0BGdycElkAzI5MDI0NDQEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MTE2MjkxBG1zZ0lkAzU3NjAEc2VjA2Z0c >gRzbGsDcnBseQRzdGltZQMxMTc0MzMyMDE3?act=reply&messageNum=5760> >| Start a new topic ><http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigAfrica/post;_ylc=X3oDMTJlZ3R2azduBF9TAzk3M >zU5NzE0BGdycElkAzI5MDI0NDQEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MTE2MjkxBHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA250cGMEc >3RpbWUDMTE3NDMzMjAxNw--> > >Messages ><http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigAfrica/messages;_ylc=X3oDMTJldnVua3Q5BF9TA >zk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzI5MDI0NDQEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MTE2MjkxBHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA21zZ >3MEc3RpbWUDMTE3NDMzMjAxNw--> >| Links ><http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigAfrica/links;_ylc=X3oDMTJmb2s0cXYwBF9TAzk3 >MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzI5MDI0NDQEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MTE2MjkxBHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA2xpbmtz >BHN0aW1lAzExNzQzMzIwMTc-> >| Polls ><http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigAfrica/polls;_ylc=X3oDMTJmaTVyMmlqBF9TAzk3 >MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzI5MDI0NDQEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MTE2MjkxBHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA3BvbGxz >BHN0aW1lAzExNzQzMzIwMTc-> >| Calendar ><http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigAfrica/calendar;_ylc=X3oDMTJkYTVzcjRuBF9TA >zk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzI5MDI0NDQEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MTE2MjkxBHNlYwNmdHIEc2xrA2Nhb >ARzdGltZQMxMTc0MzMyMDE3> > >Dig Africa site welcomes you to join us at >http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/Digafrica on IT in Africa > >Aids-Africa is a forum for communication and information on AIDS related >issues in Africa and all are welcome to join us at >http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/aids-africa > >Join us on hiv/aids forum on Kenya at >http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/kenya-aids > >Join us at a Kenyan networking forum and NGOS at >http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/kenyainternational >Yahoo! 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joining the mail list
by Fatma Bashir 20 Mar '07

20 Mar '07

please include me in the mail list Fatma A Bashir Chief Marketing Officer Cyber School Technology Solutions Ltd. P.O. Box 14636-00100 Nairobi, Kenya. T: 4452870/1 ; 0726/0734 880864 F: 4452873 M: 0722 5070 50 www.cyberschooltech.com ---------------------------------------------- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is believed to be clean. --------------------------------------------- "easy access to the world"

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Re: [kictanet] RELIANCE & ICT Board
by Florence Etta 19 Mar '07

19 Mar '07

Hi all, Seems to me, like Eric says, that KICTANet should waste no time to call a series of emergency meetings or convenings to take proactive action on the ICT Board; delibrate and elaborate on who ought to be represented on that board before the decision is taken and it will be too late to influence it. Or is the board already constituted? If so what part did KICTANet play in this? Or what does it envisage for its ( the ICT Board) future actions and directions? Secondly, it is time to call a cross sectoral meeting to discuss the serious consequences of the absence of an SNO and devise a practical way forward which should then be forwarded to the appropriate government or other responsible for their attenion e.g. CCK, Infocom Ministry. The problem affects all of us and we all should show good will by being involved in a constructive way. Cheers, FE Florence Etta P.O. Box 14285,00800 Westlands-Nairobi, Kenya Tel: Mobile + 254-733-621851 Terrestrial: + 254-20-7121506 Fax: + 254-20-7125732 Alternative Email:florence.etta@gmail.com ----- Original Message ---- From: Eric Osiakwan <eric(a)afrispa.org> To: feanywhere(a)yahoo.co.uk Sent: Monday, 19 March, 2007 12:45:24 PM Subject: Re: [kictanet] RELIANCE MISSES OUT ON SNO LICENCE IN KENYA Muriuki, Issues well raised and am sure the government would like to listen. I would suggest that a KICTANET meeting at which the larger framework of vertical as opposed to horizontal layering or unified licensing as opposed to Open Access of the communication system is discussed in detailed with the pros and cons. This meeting should end with some majority consensus and should have all the stakeholders so that as sector we are clear at least on the framework of our engagement going forward. I would also submit that a seperate meeting at which the local ownership of foreign stake and the mechanism for SME uptake as well as growth path is clearly outlined so that whiles you need some big fishes now you can also create your own big fishes in the future and more so as the sector progress with time. Eric here On 19 Mar 2007, at 11:58, Muriuki Mureithi wrote: It is time we reviewed the bidding system this country has adopted to remove conflict of policy interest and move this country forward. We must address ourselves to the purpose of the licence - is it to make money for the government to fill treasury gaps or to expand the telecommunications infrastructure. By demanding to have the cake and eat it, we are nowhere 5 years after starting the process of SNO and Third Cellular Operator. It is a lesson well documented in countries that Kenya copied ref Senegal and Malawi among others. At the heart of the conflict is a government stating that ICT is the driver of growth yet put barriers which cripple the operators even before they start. The requirements of local partnership while sweet for political reasons is difficult to realise because the international partners have inadequate time to assess the right partner and hence the problems for SNO and third cellular We need immediate action - first, scrap the requirement of 30% local owner by the time of application of licence but require that within 3 years the winner has brought on board local shareholders through the stock exchange and raise ownership to at least 49% by year 5 of operation . This has worked well for Tz - Second, the licence is not a cash cow - we need infrastructure badly now therefore that licence money should be invested to enable the new entrant to compete with the incumbents and roll out rapidly . Licence should not cost more that USD1. What the entrants should compete with is the cash they will invest in Kenya and the timeline. -finally, CCK should address the anomaly of conflicting policies it issues. In 2004, CCK issued a policy which translates to adoption of horizontal licensing regime to move away from vertical licensing regime. The SNO licence is in direct contradiction of the 2004 policy. Was the policy rescinded? The danger of the unified licence is that it denies Kenyan ICT entrepreneurs a natural growth path and condemns Kenya to permanently have few mega operators and many small operators without a path to migrate from small to big. Should the envisaged fast growing economy to vision 2030 be hinged on few mega operators whose power can sometimes rival the regulator? We need a paradigm shift towards horizontal licensing Cheers Muriuki Mureithi --------------------------------------- Summit Strategies Ltd - ICT Consultancy & Research in Eastern & Central African markets Contacts : Tel +254 (20) 3875824 , Cell + 254 (722) 520090, email: mureithi(a)summitstrategies.co.ke alternate email : muriuki.mureithi(a)gmail.com -----Original Message----- From: kictanet-bounces+mureithi=summitstrategies.co.ke(a)kictanet.or.ke [mailto:kictanet-bounces+mureithi=summitstrategies.co.ke@kictanet.or.ke] On Behalf Of alice Sent: 19 March 2007 09:01 To: mureithi(a)summitstrategies.co.ke Subject: [kictanet] RELIANCE MISSES OUT ON SNO LICENCE IN KENYA From BALANCING ACT: RELIANCE MISSES OUT ON SNO LICENCE IN KENYA The Communications Commission of Kenya has cancelled a tender for the second national operator (SNO) licence that it had awarded Reliance Communications, after the consortium failed to pay for the fees. This is the second cancellation, after CCK annulled the licence it had given a consortium led by Dubai-based Vtel Holdings in January, for failing to pay the US$169 million (Sh12 billion) licence fee it had bid. Reliance, which was the second highest bidder at US$111 million (Sh7.8 billion), was allowed to apply for the licence, but on condition that it pay Sh12 billion to match Vtel's bid. Reliance confirmed that it would take up the offer and requested for more time to prepare for the licence. CCK said last week Reliance had a deadline of March 15. "By the expiry of the said deadline at 4.00 p.m. yesterday (Thursday) Reliance Communications had not made a formal application for the licence as required," CCK said. The Commission's director-general John Waweru said they had resolved to immediately restart the tendering process for the licence. (SOURCE: The Nation) _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Please unsubscribe or change your options at http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/mureithi%40summitstrategies.c o.ke -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.11/721 - Release Date: 13/03/2007 16:51 _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Please unsubscribe or change your options at http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/eric%40afrispa.org Eric M.K Osiakwan Executive Secretary AfrISPA (www.afrispa.org) Tel: + 233.21.258800 ext 2031 Fax: + 233.21.258811 Cell: + 233.244.386792 Handle: eosiakwan Snail Mail: Pmb 208, Accra-North Office: BusyInternet - 42 Ring Road Central, Accra-North Blog: http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/eric/ Slang: "Tomorrow Now" _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet(a)kictanet.or.ke http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Please unsubscribe or change your options at http://kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/feanywhere%40yahoo.co.uk ___________________________________________________________ To help you stay safe and secure online, we've developed the all new Yahoo! Security Centre. http://uk.security.yahoo.com

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Google Summer of Code - OpenMRS
by alice 19 Mar '07

19 Mar '07

Excellent opportunity. Please disseminate widely! -----Original Message----- From: Steve Song [mailto:ssong@idrc.ca] Sent: Sunday, March 18, 2007 7:33 PM To: aubc planning Subject: [aubc-planning-cl] Google Summer of Code - OpenMRS Hi all, Apologies for cross-posting. Please pass share this with anyone you think might have an interest. Particularly if you are at an African university, I would be grateful if you could you ensure that this notice is circulated among your colleagues in the computer science and engineering depts. Deadline is short I am afraid, March 24th. Cheers... Steve -------------------------------- Computer science students, need a summer job? Have you ever imagined that writing code could save lives? Why not apply to OpenMRS for the Google Summer of Code 2007? * Help develop free, open source software * Gain experience by working alongside experienced open source developers * Earn a summer-long stipend so that you can focus on your work * Make a difference in the world by helping in the fight against HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria... This summer, students around the world have the opportunity to participate in an exciting collaboration between OpenMRS (http://openmrs.org) and Google, Inc. to further develop an open-source medical record system that improves the care of patients with HIV/AIDS, TB, and Malaria. The Google Summer of Code 2007 program provides promising student software developers an opportunity to help these vulnerable populations by spending their summer vacation writing new code that will be used in countries throughout the developing world. During this twelve week program, successful applicants will work directly with assigned mentors to complete their choice of a variety of focused development tasks laid out by the OpenMRS collaborative. Interested? Visit http://soc2007.openmrs.org or http://code.google.com/soc for more information. Applications are now being accepted, the deadline for all submissions is March 24th, 2007. --------------------------------------------

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RELIANCE MISSES OUT ON SNO LICENCE IN KENYA
by alice 19 Mar '07

19 Mar '07

From BALANCING ACT: RELIANCE MISSES OUT ON SNO LICENCE IN KENYA The Communications Commission of Kenya has cancelled a tender for the second national operator (SNO) licence that it had awarded Reliance Communications, after the consortium failed to pay for the fees. This is the second cancellation, after CCK annulled the licence it had given a consortium led by Dubai-based Vtel Holdings in January, for failing to pay the US$169 million (Sh12 billion) licence fee it had bid. Reliance, which was the second highest bidder at US$111 million (Sh7.8 billion), was allowed to apply for the licence, but on condition that it pay Sh12 billion to match Vtel's bid. Reliance confirmed that it would take up the offer and requested for more time to prepare for the licence. CCK said last week Reliance had a deadline of March 15. "By the expiry of the said deadline at 4.00 p.m. yesterday (Thursday) Reliance Communications had not made a formal application for the licence as required," CCK said. The Commission's director-general John Waweru said they had resolved to immediately restart the tendering process for the licence. (SOURCE: The Nation)

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Kibaki sets up ICT advisory body
by alice 19 Mar '07

19 Mar '07

thats encouraging massage from the president of Kenya ----- Original Message ---- From: Chifu <chifu2222@gmail. com> To: DigAfrica(a)yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, March 17, 2007 2:43:10 AM Subject: [DigAfrica] Kibaki sets up ICT advisory body Kibaki sets up ICT advisory body By John Oyuke A new parastatal has been set up to spearhead development of information and communications technology (ICT) in the country. The Kenya Information and Communications Technology Board will advise the government on all relevant matters on development, co-ordination and promotion of ICT industries in the country. President Mwai Kibaki authorized setting up of the new Corporation through an order in a Kenya Gazette supplement dated March 2 this year. Kenya Information Communications and Technology Board Order details how the board of the corporation would be instituted and functions. The corporation will be expected to promote — both locally and internationally — opportunities for investment in ICT and also appoint agents within and outside the country to carry out defined functions. It will also facilitate and manage ICT products and services, and industrial incubation and technology parks. The development comes at a time when the government is promoting large-scale communications infrastructure capable of delivering efficient and affordable services as a critical prerequisite for economic growth. It is also seen as part of a broader strategy that seeks to make the country the regional ICT hub by 2010 and create employment. Speaking during the opening of an Information Communication Technology (ICT) strategy conference in Nairobi last year, President Kibaki noted that development of any country is dependent on accessibility to knowledge, information and communications. He said the Government would set aside funds in the next Financial Year to re-skill and re-orient Kenyans towards the demands of ICT. Information and Communication Permanent Secretary, Mr Bitange Ndemo, said local ICT standards must be in line with global expectations to enable the country compete in the $300 billion (Sh2 trillion) outsourcing market. http://www.eastanda rd.net/hm_ news/news. php?articleid= 1143966148 <http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=1143966148>

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KENYA TAKES PUBLIC JOB APPLICATIONS ONLINE
by alice 19 Mar '07

19 Mar '07

>From BALANCING ACT: KENYA TAKES PUBLIC JOB APPLICATIONS ONLINE People can now apply for Public Service Commission jobs online. The commission launched automated recruitment to improve service delivery. The Head of Public Service, Francis Muthaura, said the move is part of the ongoing reforms in the Public Service. The commission chairman, Titus Gateere, said apart from accessing vacancies and applying for them, the public could also obtain information regarding the status of their applications. The project, which was developed by experts from different ministries, is expected to save over Sh300 million that would have been spent on outsourcing, Applications should be made through www.publicservice.go.ke and applicants can find out about the status of their applications after one week via sms, by sending the words: "PSCK ON" to 5556 on both mobile phone service providers. For now the commission will operate the online and manual systems since access to online facilities are still limited. The recruitment will take 70 working days instead of the earlier 160 days. (SOURCE: The East African Standard) *

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domain name news
by Rebecca Wanjiku 19 Mar '07

19 Mar '07

The Real Problem with dot-XXX by Michael Roberts ... So what we have, stripped down to essentials, is a moral contest. On the one side are the free expression advocates, such as Milton, who see the greater good in the avoidance of any form of censorship, accompanied by a laissez faire economic conviction that markets will solve most any problem in sight. On the other side are those who wonder how ICANN could have gotten itself entangled in a tawdry business that not infrequently preys on innocent youngsters and enjoys a lot of profit at the same time. How could any amount of rational sounding registry approval process be used as insulation from the downright evil acts which seek cover under the First Amendment? http://www.circleid.com/posts/real_problem_with_dot_xxx/ ********************** DOMAIN NAMES ********************** Cybersquatting remains on the rise with further risk to trademarks from new registration practices (news release) The number of cybersquatting disputes filed with WIPO in 2006 increased by 25% as compared to 2005. In a related development, the evolution of the domain name registration system is causing growing concern for trademark owners, in particular some of the effects of the use of computer software to automatically register expired domain names and their 'parking' on pay-per-click portal sites, the option to register names free-of-charge for a five-day 'tasting' period, the proliferation of new registrars, and the establishment of new gTLDs. The combined result of these developments is to create greater opportunities for the mass, often anonymous, registration of domain names without specific consideration of third-party intellectual property rights. http://www.wipo.int/edocs/prdocs/en/2007/wipo_pr_2007_479.html http://www.wipo.int/edocs/prdocs/en/2007/wipo_pr_2007_479a.pdf Cybersquatting complaints rise 25 percent, U.N. says (AP) WIPO saw cybersquatting complaints increase 25 percent in 2006. WIPO received 1,823 complaints in 2006 alleging abusive registrations of trademarks as Internet domain names. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/03/13/1173722427174.html http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/16888915.htm http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/03/13/1173722464147.html Domain name chaos needs measured response Imagine a Wild West town where the street signs can be hired by the year. For that year, the hirer gets to say where they point but if they don't renew quickly enough, someone else can nip in and swing them around. Follow the sign to the town library, and you'll end up at the liquor shop the shopkeeper has more money than the librarian, and has a gang of kids wandering around nabbing old signs and putting up new confusing ones as quickly as they can. It would be frustrating chaos, and you'd soon be looking for a saner place to live. Yet that's not so far from the way internet domain names are currently managed, with predictable results documented by WIPO. http://opinion.zdnet.co.uk/leader/0,1000002208,39286281,00.htm Cybersquatting cases rose 25% in 2006 WIPO has reported that cybersquatting incidents have increased 25 percent to 1,823 complaints in 2006. http://technology.inquirer.net/infotech/infotech/view_article.php?article_i… 'Cybersquat' threat to trademarks Trademark owners face a disturbing new "cybersquatting" threat from internet developments that enable automatic registering of website addresses, WIPO warned on Monday. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/62a5d2ae-d109-11db-836a-000b5df10621.html Do Speculative Domains Threaten the Internet? (Reuters) The Internet's key site identity system is in mounting danger from new techniques that could cause havoc by turning it into a free-for-all market, the World Intellectual Property Organization WIPO warned on Monday. http://networks.silicon.com/webwatch/0,39024667,39166311,00.htm http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/3991579a28.html http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=137&objectid=10428563 http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/0,1000000097,39286280,00.htm Domain name system in danger from speculators, cybersquatters, says U.N. agency (Reuters) The Internet's key site identity system is in mounting danger from new techniques that could cause havoc by turning it into a free-for-all market, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) warned yesterday. http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonom… McAfee Reveals List of Riskiest Country Web Sites for Malicious Downloads, Browser Exploits and Unwanted E-Mail (news release) McAfee, Inc. announced the results of their SiteAdvisor research report that creates a global road map of the riskiest, and the safest, places to surf and search on the World Wide Web. McAfee analysed and ranked 265 TLDs based on McAfee's Web safety tests for spyware, spam, exploits and scams. The report, "Mapping the Mal Web," revealed surprisingly large differences in safety from one domain to another. This global portrait estimates that each month, Internet users make more than 550 million clicks to risky Web sites and that even relatively safe domains like .de or .uk account for millions of risky clicks. The safest 10 TLDs are .gov, .fi, .ie, .no, .is, .se, .au, .co, .sg and .si. http://www.siteadvisor.com/studies/map_malweb_mar2007.html Study shows .info domain is a Net ghetto The .info domain is the online equivalent of an unsafe neighbourhood, according to a new SiteAdvisor report from McAfee. McAfee said there was a 73.2 per cent chance of receiving spam after registering an email address at a random .info domain. This domain was also the most unsafe top-level domain with 7.5 per cent of sites labelled 'risky'. http://www.pcpro.co.uk/security/news/107158/study-shows-info-domain-is-a-ne… McAfee names most risky domains Ireland has the second least risky country domain name (.ie), according to a new report by McAfee. The report found that internet users make more than 550 million clicks to risky websites a month. http://www.siliconrepublic.com/news/news.nv?storyid=single7940 http://businessworld.ie/livenews.htm?a=1664497 http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2007/0313/breaking74.htm Vikings Best, Polynesians Worst In Domain Safety SiteAdvisor has completed an extensive scan of 265 TLDs on the Internet, ranking sites by the percentage of malicious code found in visiting the site. The survey found that 4.1 percent of all Web sites pose some sort of risk to a visitor, whether it's viruses, adware, spyware, phishing or some other form of malware. http://www.internetnews.com/security/article.php/3665441 http://www.forbes.com/technology/2007/03/12/web-domain-risk-tech-security-c… East European domain names pose most risks to users (Computeract!ve) People who surf on sites with Romanian and Russian domain names are more likely to fall victim to scammers than those who access websites from Japan and Australia, a report has found. http://www.computeractive.co.uk/computeractive/news/2185379/russian-romania… http://www.whatpc.co.uk/computeractive/news/2185379/russian-romanian-domain… Internet Map: Here There Be Malware Where are the Web's most dangerous neighborhoods? Security firm McAfee analyzed and ranked 265 top-level domains to find out. It released its findings Monday. The most risky country domain names belong to Romania and Russia, with China rapidly ascending. Least risky are Finland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Ireland. http://www.technewsworld.com/story/56252.html Dot-gov safest domain around, says McAfee The safest websites on the internet end in dot-gov, according to McAfee. McAfee found no risky websites within the domain for US government agencies, it said in a report. In contrast, one in 10 sites that end in dot-tk, the domain for the tiny island of Tokelau, either spread malicious software or warrant a warning because of pop-ups or other nuisances, McAfee said. http://software.silicon.com/malware/0,3800003100,39166312,00.htm http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1009_22-6166564.html McAfee publishes statistics on dodgy domains McAfee have released research to provide consumers with a global road map, which uncovers the riskiest and the safest places to surf and search on the Internet. http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news/news.phtml/6995/8019/mcaffee-publishes-do… http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&article… Profitable mistakes - typosquatting We all make mistakes when typing website addresses but a new breed of online fraudsters known as "cybersquatters" are generating huge profits from illegal businesses set up to exploit our errors. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/corporate/article1515229… Coming to terms with the language of cybersquatting The Financial Times provides a handy guide defining cybersquatting, typosquatting, domainer, dropcatcher, domain tasting and domain parking. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/e2356676-d17f-11db-b921-000b5df10621.html Microsoft hits 'cybersquatters' Microsoft is pursuing five alleged UK-based cybersquatters in its battle against firms and individuals who have registered variations or misspellings of its key brands, such as Xbox. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6449363.stm Microsoft files lawsuits against cybersquatters Microsoft has filed two new lawsuits against companies it accuses of registering domain names similar to certain Microsoft trademarks. It has also settled three similar suits with other companies, it said Wednesday. http://infoworld.com/article/07/03/14/HNmssuescybersquatters_1.html Microsoft to sue 'cybersquatters' over related web domain names Microsoft Corp. said it plans to file a new round of lawsuits in the U.S. and Britain this week against people it says are profiting from registering Internet domain names that contain the company's trademarked terms. http://www.mddailyrecord.com/article.cfm?id=133607&type=Daily http://www.ft.com/cms/s/fbddb398-d19e-11db-b921-000b5df10621.html http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,21385687%5e15306%5e%5enbv%5… http://news.com.com/2110-7355_3-6167004.html http://informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=198000845 Microsoft pursues UK "cybersquatters" (Reuters) Microsoft Corp. took its fight against so-called "cybersquatters" overseas, seeking a payment of damages from five U.K. companies for registering Web site domain names that infringe on its trademarks and brand, Microsoft said on Tuesday. http://in.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=technologyNews&story… Google finds itself stymied by cybersquatters Google, which should be one of the most internet savvy companies in the world, has recently been struggling with a rash of cybersquatting. The internet search company is facing several obstacles as it tries to secure rights to domain names for its Gmail internet e-mail service around the world. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/c1934d34-d17f-11db-b921-000b5df10621.html ICANN RegisterFly update: March 13, 2007 This shows the number of domains transferred away from RegisterFly.com for the dates of March 9, 10, 11, 2007, these being 1,114, 707 and 345 respectively. http://blog.icann.org/?p=47 RegisterFly update: March 12, 2007 After discussions today with RegisterFly it seems clear that RegisterFly now has no technical impedements to do whats necessary to service its eNom customers, including obtain auth-codes. http://blog.icann.org/?p=46 Two RegisterFly Sites Online as Ousted CEO Returns ICANN is continuing to press RegisterFly to repair its management systems so domain owners can manage their names, but is now dealing directly with company founder Kevin Medina, who has been awarded control of RegisterFly by a New Jersey court. ICANN met Saturday with Medina to demand immediate action on RegisterFly's failure to provide adequate WHOIS information and make critical transfer codes (known as auth-info codes) available to customers. http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2007/03/12/two_registerfly_sites_online_a… International Domain Names May Be Introduced By 2008 ICANN is running tests to see if spelling Internet domains with non-English characters like Chinese or Arabic will affect the Net's efficiency. http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7006729310 Recent Submissions by Proposed ICM Registry in Support of Sponsorship Criteria Adopted by the Board http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-13mar07.htm ICANN: Anycast And Communication Foiled February's Root Server Attack ICANN's evaluation analyzes what happened during the attack on the root servers, which ones were hit the hardest, and what kept them running. http://informationweek.com/security/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=198000575 GoDaddy Makes Reporting Invalid Whois Easy Want to report an invalid whois record? Just click the link. http://domainnamewire.com/2007/03/13/godaddy-makes-reporting-invalid-whois-… Whirlpool gives IP address management a spin While Whirlpool focuses on the business of making kitchen and laundry appliances, lead network engineer Gregory Fisbeck keeps his eye on thousands of IP addresses. With some 80,000 employees and 200 locations worldwide, Whirlpool network staff has always had its hands full managing multiple DNS zones and thousands of IP addresses. But last year's acquisition of Maytag increased Whirlpool's eight or nine DNS zones under management to some 16, shining a spotlight on a much-needed operational upgrade, Fisbeck says. http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;1806000247;fp;2;fpid;2 http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;1806000247;fp;4;fpid;78268965 U.K. Secondary Domain Name Market Sees a Growth of More than 150% in 2006 - Growth in .co.uk domain value exceeds that of .com (news release) Annual statistics for 2006 compiled by domain marketplace Sedo and DNJournal reveal a surge of 153% in the value of all published .CO.UK domain sales worldwide, in comparison to a growth of 79% in 2005. Already one of the worlds most expensive online addresses with an average sales value of £2,062.15. The increasing scarcity of quality .CO.UK domains, and the continued recovery in the UK online industry, have steadily driven prices higher in the past years http://www.sedo.co.uk/presse/presse_130307.php4?tracked=&partnerid=&languag… Hundreds of Thousands of .mobi Domains Registered Over 400,000 .mobi domains have been registered since the domain for mobile devices was launched last October, according to dotMobithe organization charged with managing .mobi, which includes the allocating of top level names. http://www.psionplace.com/articles/2007/3/2007-3-9-Hundreds-of-Thousands.ht… Topix.com Sells for $1M An article in the Wall Street Journal confirmed that the domain name Topix.com was purchased for $1M in January. The new owner is Topix.net, which receives 10M visitors per month. The company understood the user confusion of not owning the .com version of the domain and negotiated the purchase. http://domainnamewire.com/2007/03/13/topixcom-sells-for-1m/ Domain Sales Explode as Buyers Brush Off Signs of a Slowing Economy What a roller coaster ride the past couple of weeks have been. Last week we witnessed one of the slowest domain sales weeks we've seen in some time. Yesterday former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan said we may see an economic recession by the end of the year and today (Feb. 27) the stock market plunged a breathtaking 416 points in the biggest drop since the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001. So, does that mean the domain market's steady ascent is about to end? From the numbers out this week, we can only say "Forget about it!" http://dnjournal.com/archive/domainsales/2007/domainsales03-06-07.htm Net copes with key character test Tests are carried out to see how the net's addressing system copes with international character sets such as Chinese and Arabic. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6441093.stm ____________________________________________________________________________________ No need to miss a message. Get email on-the-go with Yahoo! Mail for Mobile. Get started. http://mobile.yahoo.com/mail

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general internet news -
by Rebecca Wanjiku 19 Mar '07

19 Mar '07

just in case of interest.... Becky *************** RESEARCH PAPERS *************** American Latinos Online Latinos comprise 14% of the U.S. adult population and about half of this growing group (56%) goes online. By comparison, 71% of non-Hispanic whites and 60% of non-Hispanic blacks use the internet. http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/204/report_display.asp Ethical Implications of Emerging Technologies: A Survey by Mary Rundle and Chris Conley (UNESCO) This story tells of a bright future in which emerging technologies are applied to the benefit of all humanity. History suggests, however, that technology can also be used to limit rather than to promote human rights and dignity. Thus, it is important to consider how these technologies may promote or thwart the realization of infoethics goals. Conclusion: The most important part of coming to terms with this “far more connected, global computing and information-sharing” paradigm that the Information Society is entering is that (1) everyone must understand it, and that (2) each piece ultimately shares responsibility (a) for the success of the system as a whole, and (b) for the fact that a person’s actions have ramifying and amplifying effects on people far away that he might not even see. It is a challenge to educate all people to be able to live in a world like that. There are huge benefits and shared risk. To a greater extent than before because of technology, organizational heads do not represent the best knowledge to address problems. There is a systematic bias to ask only the heads to be in the room for decision-making. However, children aged 0-20 are much more aware of cultural and technological issues than older people are. They are more knowledgeable about evolving cultures than older people who assume the children will resemble them. (They will not.) Therefore it is important to incorporate children in decision-making processes more. If society cannot let them vote, it should at least listen to what they are saying and honestly try to understand the people who are adjusting to new technologies at a rapid pace. Places where de novo adoption is occurring are the places to learn. Those people are appropriating new technologies without prior constraints – and they may show the rest of the Information Society what is possible or what is useful. The $100 Laptop is a nice example: It will teach about cultural adaptation to technology. The Information Society must recognize that the scale of things is larger and the reach of things is longer systematically. People need to learn to focus not just on local phenomenon but on global phenomenon. http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001499/149992E.pdf *********** CENSORSHIP *********** Iranian blogger freed and reporting once again When a bruised Kianoosh Sanjari climbed from the police van last October, he immediately recognised the familiar drab buildings of Evin prison section 240, run by the plainclothes branch of the Revolutionary Guards. His crime? Reporting for his weblog on the violent arrest of a religious group by security forces. http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article2359096.ece Chinese surfers overturn book ban Censors in China have bowed to pressure from the country's online community to allow eight books on the banned list to remain in shops. http://www.itnews.com.au/newsstory.aspx?CIaNID=47945 ************************************************ CHILD PROTECTION, FILTERING & CONTENT REGULATION ************************************************ us: States scrutinize minors' security on MySpace Connecticut could become the first state to require social networking sites and chatrooms to verify a user's age. http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0313/p03s03-stct.html us: Keeping children safe online It hardly restricts our freedom to filter pornography out of the web in schools and libraries: The merits of filtering out internet pornography in schools and libraries is an issue which will not die. In the United States, the Children's Internet Protection Act passed in 2000 by Congress has been the subject of several legal challenges. The objection to keeping porn from children revolves around two issues: the accuracy of the filtering mechanism and free speech rights. http://mercatornet.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=500 au: Coonan's PC porn filter six months late Australians are not likely to get government-provided free online content filters for their PCs until June this year at the earliest, some six months after initially stipulated. http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/Coonan_s_PC_porn_filter_six… Mobile dangers for kids The dangers and opportunities of the internet will soon spread to mobile phones, industry experts predict, raising serious questions about how parents can control what their children see and who they contact. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/03/14/1173722475474.html nz: InternetNZ supports NetSafe with strategic partnership agreement (news release) InternetNZ (The Internet Society of New Zealand) has formed a strategic partnership with NetSafe (The Internet Safety Group), expanding further its historical support for the organisation. http://www.internetnz.net.nz/media/netsafepartnership Internet groups form alliance InternetNZ has formed a strategic partnership with internet safety group NetSafe. http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/488120/1028534 *************************************** CYBERCRIME, CYBERSECURITY AND PRIVACY *************************************** us: FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center Releases 2006 Statistics (news release) The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) today released its annual Internet Fraud Crime Report. From January 1 through December 31, 2006, the center received 207,492 complaint submissions. These filings were composed of fraudulent and non-fraudulent complaints primarily related to the Internet and included many different fraud types to include auction fraud, non-delivery, and credit/debit card fraud, as well as non-fraudulent complaints, such as computer intrusions, spam/unsolicited email, and child pornography. http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/pressrel07/ic3report031607.htm Internet Crime: The Latest Numbers - FBI report When it comes to crime, the Internet is like a Swiss Army knife—a multi-purpose tool that’s easy to use and highly versatile. That’s made crystal clear by the 2006 annual report just issued by our Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), which shows how criminals used the ‘Net to launch nine different varieties of fraud alone. http://www.fbi.gov/page2/march07/ic3031607.htm Viacom v Google: The $1bn battle for content The article notes that YouTube will cite the Citing the Digital Millennium Copyright Act claiming “‘safe harbour’ under rules that protect web hosts from having to monitor the activities of their users - as long as they ‘expeditiously disable access to material’ when informed that it breaches copyright.” YouTube claims it takes down content when asked by copyright owners. But with bloggers and websites increasingly reproducing entire articles to “provoke debate and sell advertising on their sites” this is becoming a huge issue, but a costly one for any content creator to go after legally. To deal with this, the World Association of Newspapers “is working to create an international protocol to regulate online use of newspaper content.” The article notes that “there is an urgent need for clear case law to set guidelines - and Viacom's case may provide this.” The case, assuming it goes to court, will have far reaching implications, some of which the article discusses. http://news.independent.co.uk/media/article2368890.ece They're interfering with TV: please adjust your mindset Think of it as mud-wrestling, but at a higher level. Viacom is suing Google for a billion dollars because YouTube (which Google purchased a while back for $1.6bn) continues to host clips of Viacom's video properties. The documents launching the suit express moral outrage wrapped in three coats of prime legal verbiage. The gist, however, is clear: nasty bully Google is getting rich on the back of poor little artists and the companies that support them. http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,,2036423,00.html Make Way for Copyright Chaos by Lawrence Lessig Last week, Viacom asked a federal court to order the video-sharing service YouTube to pay it more than $1 billion in damages for some 150,000 videos that Viacom claims it owns and YouTube users have shared. “YouTube,” the complaint alleges, “has harnessed technology to willfully infringe copyrights on a huge scale,” threatening not just Viacom, but “the economic underpinnings of one of the most important sectors of the United States economy.” http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/18/opinion/18lessig.html http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&article… Big media strike back at Google In a landmark battle between old and new media, Viacom is suing over copyright breaches at YouTube. Dominic Rushe reports from New York http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/… http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21404564-643,00.html Awaiting a Compromise on YouTube (sub req'd) The problem for both Google and Viacom is that copyright law is filled with compromises and ambiguity. http://select.nytimes.com/2007/03/17/business/17nocera.html Privacy bodies back Google step Privacy bodies welcome Google's decision to anonymise personal data it receives from web searches. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6453137.stm au: eBay thief stole $42,000 A man stole $42,000 after hacking into eBay and Commonwealth Bank accounts last year, with eBay now set to trial individual security keys to protect members. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/03/18/1174152882305.html us: The Ol' Bait and Click The eBay vendor had a glowing record -- more than 900 successful sales, with only a single complaint amid a long series of positive testimonials from customers. So when a Georgia bidder won the seller's auction for an Olympus digital camera in January, there seemed little reason to worry about dispatching almost $700 into cyberspace. But the camera never arrived. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/15/AR200703150… uk: Advertising guru tells of hurt caused by blogs Sir Martin Sorrell was made to sound like a "ruthless criminal" with "mafia connections" in internet postings by a disgruntled former colleague and his associate, the High Court heard yesterday. In evidence, the advertising tycoon described his "terrible upset" at the "vengeful and vindictive" blog attacks which were part of an "orchestrated" campaign against him. http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/legal/article2362762.ece uk: Tycoon tells of ‘war’ on the internet Sir Martin Sorrell told a judge yesterday that a fiery Italian colleague had portrayed him on a weblog as a ruthless Mafia don. The global advertising tycoon described the anonymous blog, allegedly posted by Marco Benatti after he had been sacked by Sir Martin, as a vindictive character assassination. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1522417.ece Webmaster Claims Spider Entered Contract In Suit The Web and artificial intelligence have brought about some surreal, science fiction like questions. The most recent mind-bending concept is whether or not robots can enter into contracts – that is, is a Web crawler implicitly entering a contract posted on a website announcing copyright conditions? http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2007/03/16/webmaster-claims-spider-entere… German Gmail blocker wouldn't sell up for millions The German businessman behind trade mark cases that could wreck Google's email branding across Europe would refuse millions of dollars for the G-Mail trade mark he owns, according to his lawyer. The man has already turned down a Google offer of $250,000. http://out-law.com/page-7882 uk: Cricket simulation beats Newsnight painting as copyright dodge, says expert A cricketing website has found what it hopes is an inventive way to bypass copyright laws to show users action from the Cricket World Cup. http://out-law.com/page-7883 http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/03/16/cricket_simulation_copyright_dodge/ us: Two plead guilty in Internet gambling case (Reuters) A Miami executive and his wife pleaded guilty to participating in a $3.3 billion (1.7 billion pound) illegal Internet sports gambling operation in New York on Friday, the Queens District Attorney's office said. http://uk.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUKN1623695620070317 ************************** GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC POLICY ************************** UNESCO states position on ethical issues in the information society UNESCO has published a brochure entitled "Ethical Implications of Emerging Technologies" dealing with the consequences of the use of RFID chips, biometric identification systems, and location-based services (LBSs). Written by lawyers from the US, the brochure was published as part of the "NGO Geneva Net Dialogue" in which non-governmental organizations stated their case after the UN World Summit on Information Freedom and the Internet Governance Forum. The results of the dialogue are to be included in the WSIS Action Line C10 ''Ethical dimensions of the Information Society." http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/86719 th: Thailand's Internet governance is a mess The state of Internet governance today in Thailand is in confusion. Online stakeholders, in government, private and civil society do not know what they are doing. Worse, they do not understand what is really going on in the cyber world. They all pursue their own agendas, thinking positively that they are indeed contributing to Internet openness and freedom of expression. http://nationmultimedia.com/2007/03/16/opinion/opinion_30029416.php eu: Mobile TV warned to standardise A European Commission (EC) official has issued a stern warning to those involved in mobile TV to agree on adopting a single technology standard. EC telecoms commissioner Viviane Reding said that if the industry did not agree on one, she would do it for them. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6459161.stm us: Net Neutrality Debate Remains Contentious The haggling over whether Internet service providers should be able to charge more money for some traffic, or whether the law should mandate equal access, is increasingly contentious. Here's a guide to the players. http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=198001557 us: Politicians press for antispyware law yet again Members of the U.S. House of Representatives vowed Thursday not to let a bill aimed at curbing spyware die for a third time. Leaders of a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee focused on consumer protection issues said they were mystified that earlier versions of the so-called Spy Act overwhelmingly passed the House in 2004 and in 2005 but were ignored by the Senate. Politicians from both parties said they hoped the third time would be the charm. http://news.com.com/2100-1028_3-6167595.html http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9588_22-6167595.html au: Labor hopes to close child porn loophole Labor will move to close a legal loophole which means there is no specific offence of sending child pornography through the mail. ... He (Senator Ludwig said federal Labor's proposed laws would: ... create a consistent maximum penalties of 10 years' imprisonment and fines of $275,000 or both for transmission of child pornography and abuse materials by any means; increase penalties from $11,000 to $275,000 for internet service providers that fail to promptly notify authorities when they become aware child pornography and abuse materials can be accessed from their service. http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/03/19/1174152895465.html http://nyngan.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?story_id=567038 us: Police want to upgrade the law This year, the GBI is asking the Legislature to update the 1999 act to include technology few imagined would be used to entice children electronically. If Senate Bill 98 passes, predators would be subject to prosecution not only for using computers but also for using cellphones, video games, removable memory devices and other electronic equipment to lure children. http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/legis07/stories/2007/03/16/0317metle… us: Rep. Frank may seek to restore online gambling (Reuters) Rep. Barney Frank plans to give details in the coming weeks on possible legislation to repeal a ban imposed last year on online gambling. Frank, chairman of the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee, said Thursday that he is in no hurry and plans to consult with others on the matter. http://news.zdnet.com/2110-9588_22-6167864.html EU consumer chief eschews another bite at Apple (Reuters) The European Union's consumer chief soft-pedalled her views on Apple Inc (AAPL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) on Tuesday, backing off the line that its iTunes online music store must become more compatible with other formats. http://www.reuters.com/article/governmentFilingsNews/idUSL139204020070313 ***** SPAM ***** If we can't sort out spam, what hope do we have for tackling global warming? Dave Rand doesn't have the air of an optimist defeated by reality, though one would have thought that someone who set up a company in 1994 with the expectation of purging the internet completely of spam within five or so years might look less happy with how things have turned out. http://technology.guardian.co.uk/weekly/story/0,,2033511,00.html ***************************** INTERNET & NEW TECHNOLOGY USE ***************************** Flat prospects: Digital media and globalisation shake up an old industry Reports of the death of paper, rampant in the 1990s, were evidently greatly exaggerated. The paperless office never materialised; nor, yet, have e-books. People still print letters and flip through pages of magazines. They also eat cereal and drink milk from cartons, and wipe their bottoms with loo roll. Computers have, oddly, failed to do away with such habits. Even so, the vast pulp-and-paper multinationals have been hard hit by the electronic age, especially in America. Demand for many types of paper there is declining, though mill closures and shrinking capacity buoy prices. Newsprint has been worst hit (see chart), as circulation and classified advertising at newspapers fall and the Wall Street Journal and other papers grow skinnier. North America's two biggest newsprint-makers, Abitibi of Canada and Bowater of South Carolina, are merging. http://economist.com/business/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8856093 Is this the age of the online avatar? As Internet communities grow, virtual alter-egos are becoming mainstream. http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0316/p11s01-stct.html Magazine publishers see future, but no profit, in shift to Internet At conference in Hannover, industry executives from 25 countries tell of small returns for money spent on digital assets. http://iht.com/articles/2007/03/18/yourmoney/mags.php us: Social Networking Goes Niche MySpace and Friendster’s runaway popularity and exposure have helped spawn an array of targeted networking sites. Advertisers are noticing http://businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2007/tc20070314_884996.htm New Technology, Old Habits Despite world-class IT networks, Japanese and Korean workers are still chained to their desks http://businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/mar2007/gb20070315_019175.htm Crotch watch A study of how people read the internet has concluded that men “fixate on any visible genital areas in photos”. The study, by Jakob Nielsen, an expert in website usability, used an eye-tracker to measure attention. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1527803.ece Porn Industry is Booming Globally Every 39 minutes a new pornographic video is being produced in the United States. Every second, 28,258 Internet users view pornography worldwide and 372 Internet users are typing search keywords looking for adult-oriented material. http://redorbit.com/news/technology/872894/porn_industry_is_booming_globall… Italy bans mobile phones in classrooms (Reuters) Italy has banned schoolchildren from using mobile phones in class in an attempt to stop ringtones disrupting lessons and prevent pupils messing about with video cameras. The rules force schools to discipline children who persist in using their phones, with punishments ranging from the confiscation of phones to excluding pupils from final exams. http://news.com.com/2110-1039_3-6168179.html http://computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&article… *************** DIGITAL DIVIDE *************** America's Digital Divide Narrows One way or another, many Latinos and other minorities are getting online—but they're missing the full range of interactive Web features according to Latinos Online, a report by the Pew Internet & American Life Project (see below). http://businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2007/tc20070315_573361.htm Digital divide grows for older Britons as others connect to new media Mobile phones, the internet and digital televisions are increasingly transforming the lives of many British people - but also leaving millions of others stranded on the other side of the digital divide, a report from the Office for National Statistics said. http://technology.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2035468,00.html ********************************* COMMENT, MICROSOFT & DEVELOPMENTS ********************************* ‘Microsoft sucks’, says top blogger Robert Scoble, formerly Microsoft’s tame blogger has bitten the software company that made his name when it employed him as a “technology evangelist”. Scoble writes the Scobleizer web log, one of the most-read sources of technology commentary on the internet. ... At a “global summit” of its most-valued software developers, Microsoft repeatedly declared that it would “win” in search and other parts of its Windows Live internet strategy. “The words are empty,” Scoble responded. “Microsoft’s internet execution sucks (on the whole). Its search sucks. Its advertising sucks. If that’s ‘in it to win’, then I don’t get it.” He continued: “Microsoft isn’t going away. Don’t get me wrong. They have record profits, record sales, all that. But on the internet? Come on." http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/… Cool kids invade domain once held strictly by geeks Technology aficionados may know Cebit as the fair where Heinz Nixdorf introduced his legendary 820 universal computer in 1965 or where Nokia demonstrated its first GSM phone in 1987. Those impressed by size might note that it is the world's biggest technology trade fair, expected this year to draw 430,000 visitors and 6,200 exhibitors from 70 countries. For many others, however, Cebit has all the appeal of an oversized office supply store. http://iht.com/articles/2007/03/14/technology/btmedia.php uk: Church court bans phone masts on spires as work of the Devil Churches and cathedrals throughout England could lose thousands of pounds in revenue after a church court ruled against a mobile phone mast because it would “facilitate access to pornography”. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article1527809.ece Google expansion leads to impatience Wall Street seems to be losing patience with how long Google 2.0 is taking to build – and how expensive the project is turning out to be. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/72b7dede-d579-11db-a5c6-000b5df10621.html Cisco Ups Ante in War with Microsoft In an escalating arms race for control over the unified communications market, Cisco's acquisition of WebEx is its largest yet http://businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2007/tc20070316_657554.htm Google grapples with increasingly political Web With the Internet poised to be the "epicenter" of the 2008 elections, Google is contemplating how best to keep candidate information readily accessible without allowing the Web to transform into a giant tabloid. http://www.zdnetindia.com/news/communication/stories/173192.html Google Phone in the works Google Inc. is developing its own mobile phone, according to industry insiders and analysts, while a Google official in Spain last week acknowledged the company is "investigating" such a project. http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/488120/1028544 http://uk.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUKN1823690420070319 ******************* TELECOMMUNICATIONS ******************* Report highlights NZ's broadband woes A report by the Ministry of Economic Development is critical of the state of telecommunications in New Zealand, in particular the prices paid by private consumers and buinesses, and the lack of high-end broadband services. http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411419/1027447 nz: Call for faster action on fast net New Zealand needs to move faster to improve broadband services, Communications Minister David Cunliffe said yesterday after releasing a report that again highlights the country's poor international ranking. The Ministry of Economic Development report comparing New Zealand's telecommunications performance http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10429476 nz: Broadband waiting list shortens Telecom says the number of people waiting to be connected to its broadband network because all the ports in their local exchange or roadside cabinet are full has fallen in recent months, with 711 customers now in the queue. http://stuff.co.nz/3998024a28.html ***** VoIP ***** Vodafone takes hybrid approach to mobile VOIP Vodafone is demonstrating a service that allows mobile phone customers to call users of Internet phone services. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/17/AR200703170… Integration is key to effective VoIP We seem to be well along the way to converging our voice and data networks, utilising voice over IP (VoIP). As we bring everything together and allow a single group of techies to look after the voice and data, surely we will achieve efficiency and effectiveness gains? http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2007/03/15/222430/integration-is-key… ********************************** ARRESTS/COURT CASES FOR CHILD PORN ********************************** au: 17,000 child porn pics found on laptop Over 17,000 pornographic images of young children and 160 movie files have been found by police on a computer belonging to a 62-year-old man in Darwin. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/03/16/1173722718017.html au: Police charge man with child porn offences after raid A man from Armidale in northern New South Wales has been charged with multiple child pornography offences. http://abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200703/s1874490.htm http://au.news.yahoo.com/070317/21/12sbn.html http://au.news.yahoo.com/070317/21/12s8u.html ____________________________________________________________________________________ Now that's room service! 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