An article over at TorrentFreak this week took a look at the alternatives that ISPs can consider to deal with their BitTorrent problem . The article cites a number of different suggestions that would be more customer-friendly than the currently popular ISP practice of throttling. However, the ultimate suggestion is that ISPs need [...]
A few clueless individuals lately have proclaimed that SECURITY & PRIVACY are a Zero Sum Game. Those associated with the White House, FBI, Congress, TELCOs, DHS and DNI may need to re-read some basic American Constitutional documents. Maybe there should be a special “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader” version just for them.
Bruce Schneier [...]
BoingBoing is reporting that the FBI may be burying the existence of a document that proves US officials stole nuclear secrets for eventual sale to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. “One of the documents relating to the case was marked 203A-WF-210023. Last week, however, the FBI responded to a freedom of information request for [...]
Boing Boing’s Gadgets editor Joel Johnson was asked to appear on The Hugh Thompson Show, an AT&T-produced program that airs on the AT&T Tech Channel. Johnson was obviously supposed to speak about gadgets, but instead used his allotted time questioning AT&T’s plans to implement piracy filters across their network, which the show’s producers [...]
US Government challenges encryption keys ruling [From US Government challenges encryption keys ruling]
Spychief Mike McConnell is drafting a plan to protect America’s cyberspace that will raise privacy issues and make the current debate over surveillance law look like “a walk in the park,” McConnell tells The New Yorker in the issue set to hit newsstands Monday. “This is going to be a goat rope on the Hill. [...]
Their special report from December includes a bunch of different articles.
[From Business Week on the Department of Homeland Security]
In announcing the final Real ID rules, DHS Secretary Chertoff’s message was clear: the time for democratic debate about what kind of society we want is over; it’s time for a national ID card.
[From Chertoff on final Real ID rules: "Reconfiguring our society"]
During a panel discussion at CES, the head of the carrier’s legal team says AT&T is considering using technology that can filter and block copyrighted content. [From AT&T considers filtering for pirated content]
Hello MPAA & RIAA
So much for the NEUTRAL NET…………….as well as [...]
A comprehensive new privacy report gives the US and UK black marks, placing them on the same level as China, Russia, and Malaysia. The report puts the US dead last among democratic countries.
[From US and UK have become "endemic" surveillance societies]
AppScout directs your attention to a new database that’s part of a SEC effort to transparently track executive compensation. According to the database, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts takes home a $2.5 yearly million salary–but with bonuses, stock awards and other assorted perks, that number jumps to $26 million annually. Departed AT&T CEO Ed [...]
‘Next Generation Identification’ awaits you
“If someone steals and spoofs your iris image, you can’t just get a new eyeball.” Paul Saffo, technology industry observer…
[From FBI preps $1bn biometric database]
ATT continues seriously questionable criminal activities; first NSA, now the MPAAAT&T to Help MPAA Filter the Internet?
MPAA Sets Up Fake Site to Catch Pirates:thefickler writes “Media Defender, a company which does the dirty work for the MPAA, has been caught setting up ‘dummy’ websites in an attempt to catch those who download copyrighted videos. The site, MiiVi.com, complete with a user registration, forum, and “family filter”, offered complete downloads of movies and “fast and easy video downloading all in one great site.” But that’s not all; MiiVi also offered client software to speed up the downloading process. The only catch is, after it was installed, it searched your computer for other copyrighted files and reported back.”Read more of this story at Slashdot.
RED HERRING | AT&T to Block Pirated ContentAnd what about those of us that use BT to download legally obtainably ISOs?
FBI software doesn’t exactly work:Filed under: News, CommercialThe Washington Post reports that the FBI’s new software system had to be scrapped since it doesn’t work…. The software problem reports (SPR’s) with the system numbered in the hundreds, just as Zalmai Azmi (FBI technology chief) thought the project was mere weeks from completion. Many critics point to bad management and sloppy work by the contractor for this large scale snafu…. With that kind of money, you could hire the best code hackers from the world’s largest software companies and do the job right. That is if you feed them enough junk food, Bawls, and have all-night code jams (aka hacker parties).
Personal Data of 26.5M Veterans Stolen:
The Wall Street Journal is urging Washington to discard the 54-cent-per-gallon tariff on imported ethanol. This tariff is effectively a subsidy for corn-based ethanol produced in the USA. Yet, producing ethanol from corn is highly inefficient and consumes 1 unit of energy for each 1.3 units of energy that burning ethanol provides. By contrast, ethanol derived from sugarcane (which is the sole source of ethanol in Brazil) yields 8.3 units of energy…. Some studies even show that corn yields only 0.8 unit of energy, resulting in a net loss of energy.
Where’s the ethanol?
S.A. home to state’s lone seller of specialized ethanol-based fuel
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