Australian Government Moving Forward With Anti-Piracy Mandate For ISPs
Australia is moving closer to a regime under which ISPs will be forced to block access to websites whose "dominant purpose" is to facilitate copyright violations. A secret government discussion paper (PDF) has been leaked and proposes a system of website blocking and expanded liability for ISPs when it comes to… Read More ⊳
Posted on 26 July 2014 | 12:00 am
Cable Companies: We're Afraid Netflix Will Demand Payment From ISPs
While the network neutrality debate has focused primarily on whether ISPs should be able to charge companies like Netflix for faster access to consumers, cable companies are now arguing that it's really Netflix who holds the market power to charge them. This argument popped up in comments submitted to the FCC by Time… Read More ⊳
Posted on 25 July 2014 | 9:19 pm
FBI Studied How Much Drones Impact Your Privacy -- Then Marked It Secret
When federal agencies adopt new technology, they're required by law to do Privacy Impact Assessments, which is exactly what the FBI did regarding its secretive drone program. The PIAs are created to help the public and federal government assess what they're risking through the adoption of new technology. That part is a little… Read More ⊳
Posted on 25 July 2014 | 7:29 pm
The Truth About Solar Storms
On Wednesday, The Washington Post ran a story about a very large solar flare two years ago that missed Earth, but not by too much. From a scientific point of view, what is it that happens when a solar flare interacts with Earth, and what are the potential dangers to both humans and humanities infrastructure? A very… Read More ⊳
Posted on 25 July 2014 | 6:27 pm
Compromise Struck On Cellphone Unlocking Bill
The U.S. Senate has passed a bill (S.517) today, allowing users to unlock their phones when moving to another provider. From a recent article at thehill.com: "Consumers should be able to use their existing cell phones when they move their service to a new wireless provider," [Sen. Patrick] Leahy said in a statement.… Read More ⊳
Posted on 25 July 2014 | 5:56 pm
The Army Is 3D Printing Warheads
In its latest bid to kill more people, more efficiently, and at less cost, the army is planning to print warhead components, according to the latest issue of Army Technology (PDF). "3D printing of warheads will allow us to have better design control and utilize geometries and patterns that previously could not be produced or… Read More ⊳
Posted on 25 July 2014 | 5:15 pm