bahrain
Latest
McLaren's F1 team will 3D print parts trackside
When McLaren Racing heads to the Bahrain Grand Prix next week, the constructor will take with it something the motorsport has not yet seen trackside: a 3D printer. The Formula One team has confirmed that as an expansion of its partnership with 3D printing specialist Stratasys, it will print "race-ready" parts for the new McLaren MCL32 car in order to quickly integrate design modifications and reduce its weight.
Bahrain imposes 'internet curfew' near protests, activists say
The Bahrain government has shut down 3G and 4G services in the village of Duraz every night for the past month, according to advocacy group Bahrain Watch. Activists found that each night between 7PM and 1AM, some 3G and 4G cell towers in Duraz stop working entirely, while 2G towers broadcast notifications to phones saying mobile internet services are not supported in the area. Since the shutdowns are regular and appear to be coordinated across multiple ISPs, namely Balteco and Zain, Bahrain Watch says, "it is possible that the disruptions are a result of a Service Restriction Order from the Bahrain Government, in relation to the protests."
Watchdog says spyware violates human rights guidelines
If you think that commercial software designed to spy on computers is problematic, you're not alone. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's UK contact has determined that Gamma International's approach to selling its FinFisher spyware violates human rights guidelines. The developer not only doesn't have a human rights policy, but doesn't investigate clients for the possibility of abuse -- there's little stopping it from selling FinFisher to an oppressive government. The contact couldn't confirm that Gamma sold its software to Bahrain, which used the surveillance tool to target the political activists who prompted the investigation (shown here). However, the OECD isn't shy about pressing for change. It wants Gamma to take evidence of abuse and government advice into account whenever it sells software, and to cooperate when there are signs that someone is using FinFisher for nefarious purposes.
Web Marketplace for Windows Phone gets 22 more stamps in its passport
If you've been holed up in Thailand, waiting to browse the latest and greatest apps for your Windows Phone in your browser instead of on the device directly, then things are looking up. Microsoft has just announced that 22 new countries are being graces with their own web Marketplace. The full list covers Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Croatia, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine, Venezuela, UAE, Bahrain, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Israel, Thailand, and Vietnam. The same blog post advises that work is also underway to improve the search results delivered by the site. So you might not have to play Hungry Birds for much longer.
