Articles by date
22 August 2010
Opinion: Are phone Apps killing the web's original spirit of fresh discovery? (The Observer)
According to the latest cover story in tech bible Wired, "The web is dead, long live the internet." The headline is attached to a feature by the magazine's editor-in-chief, Chris Anderson, outlining what he calls the abandonment of "the open, unfettered web... for simpler, sleeker services". It has generated a huge reaction online.
Sweden Adds to Drama Over Founder of WikiLeaks (New York Times)
Julian Assange, the founder of the WikiLeaks Web site who is embroiled in a fight with the Pentagon over the disclosure of secret military documents, was caught up in a new drama on Saturday when Swedish prosecutors sought him for questioning on allegations of rape and molestation -- and then announced the rape allegation was unfounded.
21 August 2010
The Politics of Internet Control and Delegated Censorship by Wendy Seltzer [American Society of International Law] (Social Science Research Network)
Abstract: Against the myth that the Internet breaks traditional political boundaries, we find that the Internet itself looks different depending on our vantage point. The "politics of the Internet" includes that of Internet control, identifying chokepoints and the power that can be exerted upon and through them.
How the internet is altering your mind (The Guardian)
A new book claims the amount of time we spend on the internet is changing the very structure of our brains - damaging our ability to think and to learn
eBay doubles number of traders with turnover above £1m (The Guardian)
EBay has declared that Britain's small businesses have "come of age" online, after reporting that the number of its traders who are turning over £1m a year had nearly doubled over the last 12 months.
South Korea tries to block Twitter messages from North (Washington Post)
The sour state of relations on the Korean Peninsula has led to equally sour relations on the Internet, with North and South Korea now engaged in a micro-battle over micro-blogging.
U2 manager still thinks ISPs are freeloading (CNET)
This month's U.K. edition of GQ Magazine contains a fairly substantial article from U2 manager Paul McGuinness in which he blames Internet service providers and technology companies directly for the falling sales of recorded music. As he notes in the article, he made a speech on this subject about two years ago and was roundly criticized by various "anonymous bloggers." I've never been anonymous, but I did point out some of the factual inaccuracies and weird assumptions in his speech at the time.
India sees solution on BlackBerry emails next week: source (Reuters)
BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion may provide some solution next week to help Indian security agencies access corporate email by obtaining encrypted data in readable format, a government source said on Friday.
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange accused of rape (BBC News)
Swedish authorities say they have issued an arrest warrant for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, on accusations of rape and molestation.
20 August 2010
Advertising: Now we're really going places with Facebook Places and Foursquare (The Independent)
Facebook's latest add-on is an advertiser's dream - it targets people with personalised content wherever they are
Intel's purchase of McAfee highlights cybercrime fears (Financial Times)
Chipmaker Intel's $7.7bn purchase of McAfee, the security software provider, on Thursday gave dramatic proof of how concerns about cybercrime and cyber espionage have penetrated deeply into the technology establishment.
4m .NL Domains Means One Domain Registered for Every 4 Dutch People
As previously reported, the four millionth .NL domain name was registered this week. On reaching the four million mark, SIDN also announced they are the ccTLD with the highest number of registered domain names per person in the respective country with almost one domain name registered for every four of the 16.8 million residents of The Netherlands.
Interview with Germany's Consumer Protection Minister: 'Google Cannot Allow Itself to Make any Further Mistakes' (Der Spiegel)
Of course Ilse Aigner googles. The German consumer protection minister, who has recently been one of the most vocal critics of Internet giant Google, is also a user of its services. In an interview with SPIEGEL ONLINE, Aigner discusses her problems with Street View, the government's plans to regulate geodata and the threat she sees if rules aren't put in place foor such services.
'Google Knows More about Us than the KGB, Stasi or Gestapo' (Der Spiegel)
With just weeks to go before Google launches its Street View service in Germany, the government in Berlin has finally begun to take notice. But Chancellor Merkel's cabinet is wary of specifically targeting the company. German commentators wonder if the private sphere is being redefined.
Google and Yahoo Win Appeal in Argentine Case (New York Times)
The 2-to-1 opinion said the search engines could be held liable for defamation only if they were made aware of clearly illegal content and were negligent in removing it.
Fixed broadband numbers near half billion - stalled in Europe, boom in Asia (PC Advisor)
Growth in fixed broadband subscriptions has stalled in mature, already saturated European markets but is booming in the Asia-Pacific region.
Facebook Places Will Crush Foursquare; Three Ways Business Can Take Advantage of Facebook Places (PC World)
One of the odd aspects of the Facebook event launching the new Facebook Places service was the participation, support, and partnership of competing location-based check-in services. There may be some opportunity for a symbiotic relationship with Foursquare, but more likely Facebook Places will make services like it obsolete and crush Foursquare into a fine dust unless it implements an aggressive strategy to stay relevant.
Cameron Diaz ranked most dangerous web celeb: McAfee study (Reuters)
She may be known for her playful giggles and killer looks, but now movie star Cameron Diaz has become the most dangerous celebrity on the Internet.
Wikileaks encryption use offers 'legal challenge' (BBC News)
A novel use of encryption by whistle-blowing website Wikileaks could "challenge the legal system for years to come," according to an influential observer of the hacking community.
Talks Resume on Internet Traffic - AT&T, Microsoft Are Among Companies Taking Part in Latest Round Led by Industry Lobbyists (Wall Street Journal)
Internet and telecommunications lobbyists restarted talks to develop a proposal for how Internet traffic should be managed.
19 August 2010
Geographic and Specialty Names Dominate Proposed gTLDs
Over 100 proposals have been publicly announced for when ICANN begins taking applications for new generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs) according to statistics compiled by Adrenaline TLD, themselves likely applicants for a number of sporting-related gTLDs such as .SKI, .BIKE and .SURF.
The impact of the crisis on ICT and ICT-related employment (OECD)
This paper provides an overview of short-term and long-term developments in ICT employment trends. Preliminary analysis of available indicators shows that employment is dropping in the ICT sector - notably in ICT goods sectors and mostly remaining flat in ICT services. The paper also highlights some niche ICT activities where ICT employment is increasing despite the crisis.
Foursquare: Who Elected Me Mayor? I Did (New York Times)
... While Foursquare has been talked about in corporate boardrooms as the next big thing in social media -- it has some 2.5 million users -- it has also spawned a more trivial pursuit: a petty and vicious battle over virtual pieces of turf.
Twitter After a Disaster: Is It Reliable? (Wall Street Journal)
Can you trust Twitter in a disaster? Researchers at Yahoo analyzed tweets after the Chilean earthquake earlier this year and found evidence that the Twitter community works like a "collaborative filter," questioning reports that turn out to be fake and confirming those that are true.
Germany faces obstacles in its bid to lead the global fight against Internet child pornography (Deutsche Welle)
Germany sees itself in the forefront of the fight against Internet child porn - a battle critics say it's losing due to international law discrepancies and its own protection laws.
