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UN says US fears over Huawei’s 5G are politically motivated
The secretary general of the UN's internet and telecoms agency has suggested US concerns about 5G networks built using Huawei equipment have more to do with politics and trade, rather than legitimate worries over security. "There is no proof so far," Houlin Zhao, head of the International Telecommunication Union, said regarding claims about Huawei's security. He noted it's in telecoms' best interests to make sure their infrastructure is secure as they might otherwise feel the wrath of authorities.
US senate passes bill to shield the public from false emergency alerts
The US Senate has just passed the Authenticating Local Emergencies and Real Threats (ALERT) bill with unanimous approval. Senator Brian Schatz first introduced the ALERT Act in the wake of a false emergency warning, which in January incorrectly warned a ballistic missile was on target for Hawaii. If passed, ALERT will grant federal representatives greater authority with respect to cautioning the public against false emergency threats.
Google Search will help you find your next job
Finding a new job can be tough. With so many recruitment sites to keep track of, it can be difficult to know what's out there, never mind applying and getting through the interview process. Now, there's a new way to keep tabs on the work in your local area: Google. An update to Search on desktop and mobile allows you to, well, search for new employment with conversational queries like "jobs near me" and "teaching jobs." You'll then see a list of results from across the web, each of which includes the company's name, the role, the hours and when the job was posted.
How artificial intelligence can be corrupted to repress free speech
The internet was supposed to become an overwhelming democratizing force against illiberal administrations. It didn't. It was supposed to open repressed citizens' eyes, expose them to new democratic ideals and help them rise up against their authoritarian governments in declaring their basic human rights. It hasn't. It was supposed to be inherently resistant to centralized control. It isn't.
Yahoo's latest transparency report reads like tonedeaf fluff
Following all the trouble it has had lately, Yahoo has released its annual transparency report. Globally, the firm had 20,511 data requests, with almost half of them coming from the United States government (9,408). This doesn't tell the entire story, though. The company also issued a "users first" outline that reads like little more than PR fluff. "Our users place their trust in us, and we take seriously their privacy and our role in promoting freedom of expression," the report reads. "Our commitment to and concern for your privacy, security and freedom of expression are demonstrated in our users first approach to government activities." Sure, Yahoo.
The robots of war: AI and the future of combat
The 1983 film WarGames portrayed a young hacker tapping into NORAD's artificial-intelligence-driven nuclear weapons' system. When the hit movie was screened for President Reagan, it prompted the commander in chief to ask if it were possible for the country's defense system network to be compromised. Turns out it could. What they didn't talk about was the science fiction of using AI to control the nation's nuclear arsenal. It was too far-fetched to even be considered. Until now.
Kim Dotcom promises to launch an open-source competitor to Mega (updated)
Third time's a charm. Kim Dotcom -- creator of Megaupload and Mega file-sharing sites, New Zealand politician, US fugitive -- plans to launch a third cloud-storage company when his existing non-compete clause runs out at the end of the year. Dotcom briefly outlined his plans for a new site in a Slashdot user interview, saying, "I will create a Mega competitor that is completely open source and non-profit, similar to the Wikipedia model. I want to give everyone free, unlimited and encrypted cloud storage with the help of donations from the community to keep things going."
Army scientists build smaller, tougher, cheaper solar cells
Army researchers at the Redstone Arsenal have announced a significant breakthrough in solar energy production. They've created a photovoltaic solar panel that is smaller, more robust and less expensive to build and operate than any other panel currently available. Virtually every solar panel currently in existence relies on a pure silicon construction, however the band gap (the wavelength of light that it can actually be absorbed and converted into electricity) of single crystal silicon is exceedingly narrow compared to the full spectrum shining down from the Sun. Not only does this mean that conventional panels are missing out on potential power, the ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths actively damage the panels by causing them to heat, warp and crack.
Obama to provide 10,000 free e-books through your library
President Barack Obama announced a new program on Thursday aimed at delivering access for more than 10,000 e-books to financially strapped schoolchildren throughout the United States. The $250 million program will feature titles from numerous publishers including Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, Penguin Random House, HarperCollins and Hachette, selected by volunteers from Digital Public Library of America. The New York Public Library has signed on to develop the free app. "It's very different than from our generation," Cecilia Muñoz, Obama's domestic policy adviser, told Reuters. "More and more, you're going to be seeing kids using devices, and what we're doing is making sure that there's more books available on those devices." As the president's top economic advisor Jeff Zients pointed out to Reuters, research shows that some 80 percent of low-income children are behind the rest of their grade in terms of reading skills. Few of them have books at home. That's why Obama's program will also work with local libraries, boosting their enrollment of local kids in order to provide them with hardware necessary to enjoy these books. Each age-appropriate title will be made available from the publishers' online libraries, though there's no word on whether the e-title will be given away or simply checked out as traditionally lent books are. Still, any excuse to get kids into the library is a good one. [Image credit: Getty]
Most of the government's anonymous tiplines aren't secure
When it comes to whistleblowing, privacy is paramount -- just ask Edward Snowden. It's also why news from an American Civil Liberties Association report (PDF) about anonymous government tiplines not using HTTPS encryption is all the more alarming. In a letter to Tony Scott -- not the late filmmaker, the United States chief information officer -- the ACLU's Michael W. Macleod-Ball and Christopher Soghoian implore the government to fast-track efforts to swap the some 29 websites that are required by law to protect the anonymity of tipsters over to HTTPS. If that can't happen immediately (Scott has a two-year plan to encrypt all government websites) then the ACLU suggests allowing people to use the Tor browser for alerting the authorities about fraud or waste in the interim. Currently, the anonymity-minded browser is blocked by certain federal agency websites.
Samsung's Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge will debut in the US on April 10th
Yes, you can lay claim to an HTC One M9 of your very own at the stroke of midnight on March 27th, but what if your craving for a flagship leads you in another direction? No problem: Samsung has just announced that you'll be able to pre-order the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge also starting on the 27th, with a full nationwide debut to follow on April 10th. Frankly, between these two bitter smartphone rivals and their near-identical announcement times this morning, it's hard to say whose actually managing to steal the other's thunder. It's the thought that counts, right?
Why Tesla Motors can't sell cars in most of the United States
Tesla Motors makes beautiful, quality electric automobiles. Don't just take it from us; Consumer Reports rated the Tesla Model S the "best overall" car in its 2014 Top Picks report (which includes all non-electric cars as well). Yet, despite Tesla CEO Elon Musk's ongoing effort to expand his EV empire, state after state in the United States is pushing back. Not because those states are against electronic vehicles, Musk or even Tesla; it's about the way Tesla wants to sell its cars. Specifically, it's about money.
White House responds to Tesla direct sales: We love Tesla, can't help
Though nearly 150,000 people signed a petition last summer asking the United States government to allow Tesla Motors the ability to sell cars directly to consumers, the White House won't help. "We believe in the goal of improving consumer choice for American families, including more vehicles that provide savings at the pump for consumers," special assistant to the president for energy and climate change, Dan Utech, wrote in a response to the petition last Friday. "However, we understand that pre-empting current state laws on direct-to-consumer auto sales would require an act of Congress." As it stands, state laws protecting entrenched automakers like Ford, Honda and other industry leaders make it a state-by-state fight for Tesla to open dealerships. The company most recently broke through in Pennsylvania, where it's opening five shops; that required a bill to be written, passed through the state legislature, and then signed into law by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett. Seriously.
The United States Congress edits Wikipedia constantly
Members of the United States House of Representatives and Senate -- or, more likely, their interns and aides -- spend an awful lot of time editing Wikipedia entries. Not just entries about themselves, either: the list ranges from autobiographical changes to this crucial edit involving President Barack Obama shaking hands with a minotaur. We'll spare you the obvious, "so that's what the United States Congress spends its time on!" joke (or was that it?), and jump right to the credit. A new Twitter account named "congressedits," set up by self-described "web developer/armchair activist" Ed Summers, scans for Wikipedia edits across a variety of IP addresses associated with Congress. Summers got the idea from a similar robot in the United Kingdom. Other versions have since sprouted in Canada and Sweden.
FBI and NSA targeted prominent Muslim-American leaders for surveillance
Pictured: NSA headquarters in Fort Meade, Maryland Both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Security Agency monitored the emails of five prominent Muslim-Americans, documents from former-NSA contractor Edward Snowden reveal. The Intercept detailed those documents early this morning, which show the email addresses of Faisal Gill, Asim Ghafoor, Hooshang Amirahmadi, Agha Saeed, Nihad Awad. The list ranges from a former Department of Homeland Security staffer to the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, the secretive United States court that oversees surveillance requests from the intelligence community, is ruled by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. That act states that Americans can only be targeted if they are working for a foreign power, or if they're involved in a terrorist organization. Further, said targets must be plotting or engaging in one of a variety of nefarious acts: "espionage, sabotage, or terrorism," The Intercept states.
The NSA's 2013 transparency report is more opaque
In an attempt to offer transparency to United States surveillance tactics, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a report today offering numbers for National Security Agency actions in 2013. The report notes thousands of orders placed for use of surveillance tactics (FISA requests: 1,899 in total), but fails to mention who or what was being targeted, not to mention exactly how. It recounts thousands of requests to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court -- the court that decides which surveillance tactics are considered legal by the US government -- and thousands of "targets" (90,601). However, issues arise immediately. The word "target" is defined as such: "[It] has multiple meanings. For example, 'target' could be an individual person, a group, or an organization composed of multiple individuals or a foreign power that possesses or is likely to communicate foreign intelligence information that the U.S. government is authorized to acquire."
Motorola confirms Moto Maker isn't dying, despite US factory closure
Today's revelation that Motorola is shutting down its sole American plant is an indication that its latest flagship didn't do as well as expected in the US and the costs of operating the Texas factory were simply too high to continue operations. Since the facility focused heavily on shipping Moto Maker products to US consumers, speculation arose that the feature -- which gives you the ability to customize the color and trim of your Moto X -- would die along with it. Upon reaching out to Motorola, a spokesperson confirmed to us that Moto Maker is not going away as a result of the factory's closure.
Third-annual National STEM Video Game Challenge winners offer a taste of the future of gaming
The game developers of tomorrow are being applauded by the United States government as part of President Obama's "Educate to Innovate" initiative. The third-annual National STEM Video Game Challenge winners were announced this week, with all fourteen receiving an AMD-powered laptop packed full of "game design and educational software." Teams also get a $2,000 cash prize, which either goes to the creators or their sponsors. Unfortunately for us, we didn't see any of the familiar faces from the local STEM workshop we visited earlier this year. Many of the games focus on education in some form, though the overall goal of the contest is simply to help spur STEM education in the United States -- part of the country's initiatives to elevate science, technology, engineering and math education in the US. We've dropped just one example of the fourteen winners' games below, Pixel Star One from budding game dev (and California high school student) Sooraj Suresh, because it's a totally sweet old-school shooter.
2020 US Census expected to move online, catch up with 2010
The US Census is an expensive beast to run when paper is involved: multiply the $96 per household of the 2010 Census by millions of households and you'll feel the government's pain. When the mandate is to keep those expenses in check for the 2020 study, it's almost no surprise that the Census Bureau is now telling the Washington Post that it expects to rely on the internet for its next decennial survey in the wake of smaller-scale trials. The anticipated move is about more than just cutting the costs of lengthy forms and postage stamps, though. While frugality is the primary goal, joining the modern era should also reduce the need for follow-ups -- the Bureau would know as soon as we were done, after all. There's no question that an online Census is overdue when swaths of the US government (and society) can already skip traditional paperwork, but we still appreciate having a tentative schedule for one of the last great digital transitions. [Image credit: USDA, Flickr]
Mimobot's US Presidents flash drives give Americans patriotic storage
We wouldn't have foreseen thumb drives figuring prominently into our President's Day observations, and yet... here we are. In sync with the holiday, Mimoco has kicked off a US Presidents collection of Mimobot storage that lets Americans carry their national pride on their USB 2.0 ports. Abraham Lincoln and George Washington are the only current options -- what, no William Henry Harrison model? -- but the 8GB to 64GB of capacity should keep either stick useful once the novelty wears off. As long as you're prepared to spend between $20 to $130 to pick one up, either of the Mimobots is a decent choice for a drive. Just hurry if you want a flash-based replica of the country's key founder -- there's only 1,000 Washington drives to go around.
