Monthly Archives: January 2013

Man With 4th Amendment Written on Chest Wins Trial Over Airport Arrest

"Among other things, the federal lawsuit claimed wrongful detention and a breach of the First Amendment and Fourth Amendment. Tobey was on his way to Wisconsin for his grandmother’s funeral. Despite his detainment, he made his flight. According to the suit, while under interrogation, the authorities wanted to know 'about his affiliation with, or knowledge of, any terrorist organizations, if he had been asked to do what he did by any third party, and what his intentions and goals were.' Two weeks later, Henrico County prosecutors dropped the misdemeanor charge against him, and he sued the Transportation Security Administration and others." Continue reading →

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Web founder Berners-Lee: Governments are suppressing online freedom

"While Yahoo!’s chief Marissa Mayer told the forum there was a 'trade off' between privacy and the benefits of increasingly personalised services offered by Internet giants, the network’s founding father took up the ethical issues at stake. 'The dream is of a more open web,' Berners-Lee told the gathering in the Swiss ski resort, citing social media as a way of breaking down barriers. But he said the recent suicide of Aaron Swartz, a 26-year-old US Internet activist who faced charges of illegally copying and distributing millions of academic articles, highlighted government efforts to police the Internet." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWeb founder Berners-Lee: Governments are suppressing online freedom

At Davos the Elite Ponder Stale Cybersecurity Issues—and Charlize Theron

"Cybersecurity is on the minds of the Davos-ians because it could cost them money. Apparently they have just learned that 'there is barely a large company out there today which has not had its infrastructure and systems breached.' They have also realized that this is going to require some sort of collective action–and the private sector does not do collective action well. Australia and the United Kingdom are actively forcing companies to work together. Last week the European Union proposed a law that would require tech companies to report server issues and security breaches to the government." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAt Davos the Elite Ponder Stale Cybersecurity Issues—and Charlize Theron

The next frontier for 3D printing: drugs

"While the video above may not win an award for action movie of the year, it’s illustrating an exciting new breakthrough for the way we manufacture medicines and drugs. Depicting the brain child of Professor Lee Cronin, the chair of chemistry at Glasgow University, the video shows a new 3D printing process he and his team developed to synthesize chemicals. He believes his research could one day lead to low-cost chemical printers in the home that allow patients to print out their prescriptions." Continue reading →

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Tina Turner to become Swiss citizen and give up U.S. passport

"'I’m very happy in Switzerland and I feel at home here. … I cannot imagine a better place to live,' Turner told German language daily Blick. The woman behind such hits as 'Private Dancer', 'Simply the Best' and 'What’s Love Got to Do With It?' will still need a green light from the canton of Zurich as well was federal authorities before she can receive red passport, the two papers reported. Turner spokeswoman Karin Rhomberg told the Zuerichsee-Zeitung that the singer wanted to 'clarify her situation'. 'Tina Turner will therefore also give back her US citizenship,' she said." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTina Turner to become Swiss citizen and give up U.S. passport

Kim Dotcom wants to encrypt half of the Internet to end government surveillance

"The United States government says that Kim Dotcom, a German millionaire formerly known as Kim Schmitz, masterminded a vast criminal conspiracy by operating the file-storage site Megaupload. Dotcom, on the other hand, begs to differ. One year after the high-profile raid of his home and the shut-down of one of the most popular sites on the Web, Dotcom hosted a launch party for his latest endeavor, simply called Mega. On the anniversary of the end of Megaupload, Dotcom discusses the year since his arrest and what the future holds in regards to both his court case and the Internet alike." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingKim Dotcom wants to encrypt half of the Internet to end government surveillance

Unlocking Cellphones Becomes Illegal Saturday

"In October 2012, the Librarian of Congress, who determines exemptions to a strict anti-hacking law called the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), decided that unlocking mobile phones would no longer be allowed. Unlocking a phone frees it from restrictions that keep the device from working on more than one carrier's network, allowing it run on other networks that use the same wireless standard. This can be useful to international travellers who need their phones to work on different networks. Other people just like the freedom of being able to switch carriers as they please." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingUnlocking Cellphones Becomes Illegal Saturday

Major ISPs set to implement ‘six strikes’ online piracy program

"A new voluntary system aimed at rooting out online copyright piracy using a controversial 'six strikes' system is set to be implemented by US Internet providers soon, with the impact unclear. The program was created with the music and film industry and the largest Internet firms, with some prodding by US government. Participating in the program are the five largest broadband Internet providers — Comcast, Time Warner Cable, AT&T, Cablevision and Verizon — covering some 85 percent of US residential customers." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMajor ISPs set to implement ‘six strikes’ online piracy program

Feinstein Gun Control Bill to Exempt Government Officials

"Not everyone will have to abide by Senator Dianne Feinstein's gun control bill. If the proposed legislation becomes law, government officials and others will be exempt. 'Mrs. Feinstein's measure would exempt more than 2,200 types of hunting and sporting rifles; guns manually operated by bolt, pump, lever or slide action; and weapons used by government officials, law enforcement and retired law enforcement personnel,' the Washington Times reports." Continue reading →

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Idaho may be next state for lands fight with feds

"Language in statehood documents dating back to the 1800s contain a constitutional provision that the federal government intended to relinquish control of the land it held in each state. But for some states, especially those in the West, the federal government reneged, Utah state Rep. Ken Ivory says. In Idaho, more than 64 percent of the state's 53 million acres is under federal control. Both Idaho and North Dakota became states nine months apart and, Ivory claims, did so under identical statehood language. Yet, federally managed land in North Dakota accounts for less than 5 percent of the state's overall acreage." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingIdaho may be next state for lands fight with feds