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Obama orders 40 percent cut in federal government's carbon emissions
No matter how hard his opponents try to ignore or deny climate change, President Barack Obama won't back down. That's why the commander in chief has signed an executive order that'll ensure the federal government cuts its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent in the next decade. In addition, agencies will be required to increase the amount of renewable energy it uses up to at least 30 percent in the same period of time.
Obama's executive order urges companies to share cyberthreat data
Attacks on the computers of large corporations were constantly in the headlines last year and now President Obama is taking steps that he says will help fight back. A month ago he announced a push for new legislation that would lay out ways for companies to share information about hacking activity so it can be investigated, while also protecting the privacy of consumers. Pushing that through Congress has been a failure since 2011, so he's following up with an executive order that mandates companies to do so. "There's only one way to defend America from these cyberthreats, and that is with government and [private] industry working together, sharing appropriate information," Obama said at today's White House cyber security summit at Stanford. The announcement comes just a few days after the President unveiled a new cyber warfare agency intended to "quickly assess and deter cyberthreats."
President Obama wants America to have faster, cheaper internet
In parts of the US, broadband internet options are limited. And as competition dries up (or gets bought out), things could get worse. Well, President Obama reckons this should stop and will reveal a series of initiatives aimed at opening up choice and competition, dropping the price of high-speed internet and opening up better connection speeds to millions of you, American readers. According to the Washington Post, the measures will center on city-based efforts to offer connectivity alternatives alongside services offered by companies like Comcast and Verizon.
President's proposals would protect hack victims and student data
President Barack Obama's State of the Union address is going to include at least two proposals that will affect how companies handle your data. One, the Personal Data Notification and Protection Act, would require that firms tell their customers about data breaches within 30 days after discovering that hackers got in. The varying state data laws that exist today both leave people vulnerable and create headaches for businesses, the president argues. The speech will also include a voluntary deal that makes it easier to get your credit score and find out if a data thief wrecked your financial reputation.
President Obama uses Facebook and Vine to preview his free college plan
President Barack Obama is previewing parts of his State of the Union address in a bid to drum up support ahead of the big speech, and his latest effort is breaking some ground -- both in the policy and how he's presenting it. The head of state took to Facebook, Twitter and Vine to unveil a proposal that would give Americans two free years of community college so long as they maintain good grades and graduate. It's a rare move for discussing politics online. While the president regularly makes announcements on social networks, it's not often that you get a peek at the State of the Union while you're catching up on friends' status updates and looping cat videos.
Top stories from 2014, Google talks Title II and other stories you might've missed
Happy New Year, folks! To celebrate the start of 2015, we rounded up all stories that helped make the past 365 days so memorable -- and they're just a click away. Head on down to the gallery below for the stories that defined 2014 and more, including The Interview's aftermath, why sitting will kill you and Google's plan for Fiber under Title II. You know you want to.
Obama doesn't believe the Sony hack was an act of war
If you were worried that the US government would see the Sony Pictures hack as grievous enough to prompt a larger conflict with North Korea, you can relax. President Obama tells CNN that he doesn't see the digital assault as an "act of war" -- it was a serious instance of "cybervandalism," but that's it. He still isn't giving any clues as to what the previously mentioned proportional response will be, but the remarks suggest that it won't involve an especially damaging retaliatory hack or any real-world weaponry. If leaks are correct, the White House may be more interested in stopping future attacks by North Korea than launching one of its own. [Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images]
Sony Pictures CEO claims 'we have not caved'
While President Obama has joined the voices criticizing Sony Pictures for its decision to pull The Interview, its CEO claims he " In an interview with CNN set to air tonight during Anderson Cooper 360, Michael Lynton tells Fareed Zakaria that "We have not caved. We have not given in." In the pieces CNN has teased, he even says the company would still like for people to see this movie. Lynton claims that he personally did speak to senior officials in the White House about the situation, and asked for help in dealing with it, although they did not speak with Obama directly. Specifically, Lynton said that while the December 25th release will not proceed because there is no movie theater in America that will show it, there is still a possibility of premiering it in the future. In response to the question about releasing the movie in another format like streaming or on cable, Lynton said "we have considered those, and we are considering them...there has not been one major distributor, one major e-commerce site that has stepped forward." Really? Not even Crackle? [Image credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Why North Korea's Sony hack made 'The Interview' required viewing
Congratulations, Guardians of Peace (and North Korea!) -- you've successfully prevented a "dangerous" Seth Rogen/James Franco comedy from getting released. But guess what? You've also made The Interview, which appeared to be just another slacker comedy from the Freaks and Geeks alums, vastly more important than it ever would have been on its own. That's what we in America call delicious irony. Sony, in a move President Barack Obama has called "a mistake," has vowed never to release the film in any form -- no VOD, no special digital download -- but it's only a matter of time until it's on every torrent and illegal video-streaming site on the web. And how long do you think it'll be until it makes its way into North Korea? You've won this battle, but you've also ignited a war against censorship that could end up dismantling your fascist control of information. Also, didn't you realize people always want what they can't have?
President Obama says canceling release of 'The Interview' was a mistake
Sony's already acquiescing to demands made by the North Korean hackers associated with the Guardians of Peace, and the US' commander-in-chief is none too pleased by it. In a press conference that led off with a recap of his past year in office, President Barack Obama said in no uncertain terms that Sony's decision to cancel the theatrical release of The Interview was "a mistake." "We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship here in the United States," Obama said. "If somebody is able to intimidate folks out of releasing a satirical movie, imagine what they start doing if they see a documentary they don't like or news reports they don't like. Or even worse, imagine if producers or distributors start engaging in self-censorship because they don't want to offend the sensibilities of someone whose sensibilities probably need to be offended. That's not who we are. That's not what America's about."
Here's how the first 3D-printed presidential portrait was made
One of the highlights of the White House's first-ever Maker Faire was another first: a 3D-printed portrait that recreated the President's head with uncanny detail. But just how did this eerily realistic image come to be? The White House is more than eager to explain, apparently. As you'll see in the clip below, the bust's creators (Autodesk, 3D Systems, the Smithsonian and the University of Southern California) surrounded President Obama with 50 LED lights, 14 cameras and handheld 3D scanners to capture every nuance of his skin. After that, they used high-resolution 3D printers to recreate the hyper-detailed model. It's not clear if this will become a custom for future US presidents. However, it's easy to see this technology becoming a valuable historical tool -- you could always know exactly what heads of state (and celebrities, for that matter) looked like in their prime.
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.
Exploring the best of the best at this year's White House Science Fair
The annual White House Science Fair is, above all else, an amazing public relations play. President Barack Obama hangs out with a few dozen of America's brightest students who show off their latest work and get celebrated for it. Everyone wins, right? In this instance, yes: everyone wins. Regardless of the good publicity, the annual White House gathering -- now in its fourth year -- is one of the few events we attend that's completely genuine. It's hard to keep up a facade of bullshit when brilliant, driven, passionate kids are literally surrounding you with their accomplishments.
White House miffed after Samsung uses an Obama selfie as an ad
Did you catch the selfie that the Red Sox's David Ortiz took with President Barack Obama? That was a great instance of cultural zeitgeist, wasn't it? However, Samsung also has a deal with Ortiz that let it use the shot (taken with a Galaxy Note 3) in a Twitter ad -- and the White House isn't very happy. The administration tells CBS that it didn't realize the baseball star's photo could be used as an Oscars-style marketing ploy. Officials aren't asking anyone to take pictures down after the fact, but they hint that they might not have approved the photo if they'd known about the possible financial incentives. For his part, Ortiz insists that it was a sincere, spur-of-the-moment shot -- while Samsung pays him, he couldn't exactly promise an Obama photo op. We're inclined to believe Big Papi, but something tells us that the President may be a little more camera shy in the future. [Image credit: David Ortiz, Twitter]
President Obama is meeting tech CEOs again to discuss privacy concerns
Despite a few reforms, many in the technology industry still aren't happy with the US government's aggressive approach to online surveillance. President Obama is clearly aware of that ongoing discontent, as he's meeting the CEOs of Facebook, Google and Yahoo on Friday to discuss "privacy, technology and intelligence." Leaders from other companies (including Engadget's parent company, AOL) turned down the invitation. While the exact agenda isn't available, the tech executives in attendance are likely to keep pressing for both limits on US intelligence activities as well as greater transparency. There's no way of knowing how receptive the President will be, but a similar December chat appears to have borne fruit -- we won't be surprised if there are more policy changes in the future. [Image credit: The White House, Flickr]
Secret court approves new limits on NSA-collected phone records
Just three weeks after President Barack Obama announced a series of changes designed to (partially) rein in the NSA's bulk data collection program, at least two of these measures are moving forward. The secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court has approved two of the president's measures, both of which limit the agency's access to Americans' phone records. In particular, the NSA must now seek court approval every time it wants someone's records. Additionally, the NSA can only seek information on people who are two degrees of separation, or "hops," from their main target; the limit used to be three hops.The ruling, which remains secret, is in many ways a formality for now: The government still controls the database containing metadata on billions of phone records. In his address to the nation last month, Obama called for a third party that would instead manage the database, but it remains unclear what that entity will be, or when it might assume custody of all those phone records.
President Obama not allowed to use an iPhone for security reasons
US President Barack Obama has revealed that he is not allowed to use an iPhone due to security fears. Speaking to a group of young people at an event promoting the new healthcare law, Obama said, "I'm not allowed for security reasons to have an iPhone," reports SecurityWeek. The president then added that his daughters Sasha and Malia love their iPhones, however. It is, of course, ironic that the president is not allowed to use the iPhone, as the device and iOS are generally considered one of the most secure smartphones and mobile operating systems. However, one can reasonably see why the president of United States might require more security than normal on his mobile device. For that security, the president uses a modified BlackBerry that the Secret Service approved around the time of his inauguration.
President Obama responds to PRISM concerns, clarifies scope of snooping
If you've missed the news on PRISM and the hugely disconcerting allegations that the NSA is basically tracking everything you do on the internet and every call you make on your cellphone, we're guessing that's because you're stuck in a cave that has access to neither technology. The allegations are incredibly troubling to say the least, and President Obama this afternoon took the time to address them -- albeit briefly. For one thing, he clarified that "nobody is listening to your phone calls," indicating that people are looking at metadata about those calls (destinations, length, etc.) rather than the calls themselves. Additionally, he clarified the internet side of the program thusly: "Internet monitoring is only for those outside United States; we have to balance keeping America safe with privacy concerns." That's great for Americans, but perhaps a bit troubling for everyone else. This more or less echoes the statements made yesterday by James Clapper, Director of National Intelligence. President Obama also reminded that this program predates his taking office, and that he himself was skeptical but has come around to the program, stating that this is something "Americans should feel comfortable about." Well, then, how comfortable do you feel? Let us know in comments. Update: The Wall Street Journal has a full transcript of President Obama's comments.
President Obama to nominate Tom Wheeler as FCC Chairman tomorrow
As Julius Genachowski winds down his five-year term as Chairman of the FCC, rumors of his successor are in full swing. Now, Engadget has confirmed with a White House official that President Obama will nominate industry veteran, Tom Wheeler, for the position, in an announcement that will come tomorrow. According to Wheeler's profile on his personal blog, he currently identifies himself as a venture capitalist and sits on the boards of Roundbox, UpdateLogic, Twisted Pair Solutions, EarthLink and TNS. Wheeler's history in the cable and wireless industry spans decades. He served as president of the National Cable Television Association (NCTA) from 1979 to 1984, and later took the helm of the CTIA as its president and CEO from 1992 until 2003. According to Politico, Wheeler shares close ties with the Obama administration, and is said to have raised hundreds of thousands of campaign dollars for the President's two bids at the White House. Pending confirmation, Mignon Clyburn, will serve as interim chairman until a new leader is appointed.
President Obama signs executive order focused on improving national cybersecurity
While the President is currently giving his State of the Union address (viewable on YouTube here), earlier today he signed an executive order intended to improve the network security of "critical infrastructure." As noted by The Hill, the order charges the National Institute of Standards and Technology with the task of creating a framework of best practices for operators in industries like transportation, water and health to follow, due in the next 240 days. The Department of Homeland Security is also heading up a voluntary program works with various agencies and industry groups to make sure the policies are actually adopted, and find ways to create incentives for that to happen. The order has arrived after cybersecurity legislation failed to pass through Congress, and has been rumored heavily throughout the last few weeks. The president called for Congress to pass legislation to prevent cyberattacks during his speech, and this order is reportedly meant as a step in that direction. The Wall Street Journal indicates many businesses want liability protection against attacks in exchange for following the guidelines, which would require approval form Congress in order to happen. It includes language accounting for privacy concerns as well, with agencies required to look over the potential impact of their work, and release public assessments. The DHS is to report in a year how its work impacts civil liberties and provide recommendations on mitigating such risks. There's a lot to read through, so you can check out the document itself embedded after the break, or wait for those various agency reports for more updates.
