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UK government has its own AI for detecting extremist videos
Stemming the tide of extremist online content has been a major focus for tech giants in recent times, but despite their efforts, the UK parliament has condemned companies such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for "consciously failing" to take robust enough action. To mitigate the problem, the Home Office has developed its own AI program that can detect Islamic State (IS) propaganda online with a 99.99 percent success rate.
Review concludes UK bulk surveillance powers are necessary
Prior to the UK's Investigatory Powers Bill being voted through the House of Commons in June, the surveillance legislation faced criticism from several top Labour MPs. Former Home Secretary and now Prime Minister Theresa May was able to get the Labour Party on board, due in large part by agreeing to an independent review of bulk powers provided in the bill. These allow security and intelligence agencies to collect large amounts of data in various, untargeted ways -- putting the haystack before the needle. David Anderson QC, a respected authority on this type of legislation, has now published his review, providing the opinion that bulk powers are useful and fundamentally necessary.
Which printers are worth buying?
You probably don't print as much as you used to, if at all. However, on the rare occasion that you need a crisp copy of your resume to bring to an interview or want some framed photos of the kids for your office, a printer can be pretty handy. But not every printer works for every job, so we've scoured critics' reviews across the web and assembled a list of some of the best devices out there. Whether you're looking to send out photo cards for the holidays or just need an everyday workhorse, check out the gallery below to see which printer might be up to the task.
The best tech and apps for your home office
By The Wirecutter Staff This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. Read the full article here. You don't need the thinnest, lightest, or most elegantly designed items for your home office. You want reliable, comfortable, efficient tools—but it doesn't hurt if they look nice, too. That's why a team of three experienced remote workers spent more than 150 hours researching and testing new gear and apps, and picking the most office-friendly items from The Wirecutter's guides, to give you a selection of tools that we're sure will earn a place in your workspace.
Investigatory Powers Bill gets vote of approval from MPs
The Investigatory Powers Bill passed its latest milestone yesterday, as the proposed surveillance legislation passed through the House of Commons. MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of the bill, with 444 ayes to only 69 noes. In the run-up to the vote, Shadow Home Secretary Andy Burnham voiced several concerns, saying the draft law needed "significant improvement" before his support was guaranteed. The Home Office did manage to secure the Labour Party vote, however, thanks to several concessions on its part, including submitting to an independent review of untargeted, bulk surveillance powers.
Home Secretary submits to review of bulk surveillance powers
In an attempt to get the Labour Party on board with the Investigatory Powers Bill, Home Secretary Theresa May has committed to an independent review of the bulk powers it affords law enforcement and intelligence agencies. The controversial surveillance legislation is currently being debated in parliament, but it needs broad support if it's ever going to make it into law. That's not something Labour MP and Shadow Home Secretary Andy Burnham is willing to do without "significant improvement" to the bill.
Labour party says redrafted surveillance bill needs work
The UK government is trying to push through a new piece of surveillance legislation, despite facing strong opposition from technology companies and the intelligence community. Following a cross-party investigation, the Home Office has issued a redrafted bill -- but little has changed, and the Labour Party says it still needs "significant improvement." In a letter to the home secretary Theresa May, Andy Burnham MP has asked for a stronger definition of Internet Connection Records (ICRs). With these, investigators could access the basics of your online communications -- the who, when, where and how of a particular conversation on WhatsApp, for instance.
UK intelligence committee slams IP Bill for being too vague
The UK's Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) has struck out at a controversial surveillance law being proposed by the UK government, the Investigatory Powers Bill (IP Bill). The response is notable because the Committee is one of three groups that were commissioned to look into the UK's patchwork of laws before the IP Bill was drafted. The authors believe the new bill has "suffered from a lack of sufficient time and preparation" and doesn't cover some important powers held by the UK's intelligence agencies. Given the purpose of the law is to collect, update and explain these abilities, the Committee calls the bill "a missed opportunity."
Parliamentary committee finds UK snooping bill too vague
The Joint Committee on the Draft Investigatory Powers Bill is preparing to lay out its concerns and recommendations for the new surveillance legislation, following its final evidence session with primary author, Home Secretary Theresa May. The committee's report will fuel further debate on several controversial powers, but the government's Science and Technology Committee has also been keeping a close eye on proceedings. Today, that committee published its own findings on the IP Bill, urging the Home Office to provide greater clarity on some of the proposals, and to further consider the cost and feasibility of data-gathering systems.
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Home Secretary leaves plenty unanswered after IP Bill debate
At its heart, the Investigatory Powers Bill aims to give law enforcement and government agencies the means and powers to access Brits' online communications to aid their investigations. The bill's joint committee, whose job it is to scrutinise the legislation, has for several months been consulting with ISPs, mobile operators, tech companies, legal professionals, intelligence experts, privacy groups and other stakeholders. The last of these public evidence sessions took place on Wednesday, with Home Secretary Theresa May, the author of the IP Bill and long-time advocate of expanding the government's surveillance capabilities, being quizzed by the committee. While May attempted to provide some clarity on ambiguous parts of the bill and address concerns raised in previous sessions, plenty of uncertainty remains.
A home office that looks like a mini Apple Store
People toss around the term "fanboy" to the point where it means almost nothing, but if you're looking for a real fan of Apple's retail store aesthetic, check out David Wu's home office. Not only did he have a replica of the Apple Store's iconic Fetzers tables made, but in his version the drawers actually work! David is clearly a major Apple fan, as the boxes from his previous purchases line the shelves. The diminutive Hong Kong office is surrounded by glass walls, too. Most impressive. [via @jaredigital]
MacTech Boot Camp 2011 coming to four more cities
If you missed MacTech Boot Camp before Macworld this year, you may have a chance to attend if you live in or around Dallas, Boston, Los Angeles or Chicago. In fact, there happen to be major airports in all of those towns, so if the cost of flying to San Francisco was out of reach, you're in luck! What is MacTech Boot Camp? A one-day session geared towards the home user, small business users and anyone who may assist those users (your family's computer guy, for example). We've been quite impressed with the MacTech events we've attended so far, and attendees at the San Francisco Boot Camp were quite enthusiastic with what they learned. Full press release on the next page, but we've listed the locations and dates of the upcoming events below. Dallas, Texas: April 27, 2011 - Sessions Chair: CV Rao, and Nathan Toups Boston, Massachusetts: May 18, 2011 - Sessions Chair: Andy Espo, and Leon Lincoln Los Angeles, California: July 27, 2011 - Sessions Chair: Sean Colins Chicago, Illinois: August 31, 2011 - Sessions Chair: Douglas Ward, and Ben Greiner
T'Light lamp for major nerds with good taste (should such a thing exist)
The T'Light lamp isn't the first one we've seen which boasts things like chargers, docks and USB. It is, however, the nicest looking one we've ever seen. The modern stainless steel lamp has an iPod dock in its base, plus a USB port and a jack for charging laptops -- though there's no adapter for MacBooks as of yet, apparently. The T'Light is available now for $90 -- hit up the source for more details.
Mac + desk = Match made in heaven?
This article is old, but is still full of inspiration. I stumbled across it a few weeks ago when I was turning my dining room into a home office, and it's always neat to see how other people set up their work spaces. The News in Print selected these in 2008, but the advice in here in still relevant and you can see how people tackle different issues -- everything from small spaces to multiple monitors and how to use your Mac Mini in conjunction with two 50-inch plasma screens. My favorite? Check out the one featuring a MacBook Pro, four Apple Displays and several digital SLR cameras with zoom lenses.Unplggd also did an article back in 2008 on desk/computer combos, including pairing a MacBook Pro with a SOLo Lounge, a side table that uses solar power to charge your laptop if you have a spare $9,900 in Canadian dollars lying about. TUAW also had a Rig of the Day feature showcasing reader's setups. How have you dealt with the issue of finding a desk that's worthy enough for your Mac? Please share your thoughts (and photos) in the comments!
England's helmet camera initiative to go countrywide
As if the police and traffic wardens across the pond didn't have enough gadgetry to unwillingly tote around on the job, the Home Office is reportedly set to dole out £3 million ($6.1 million) "to equip police forces across the country with head camera technology." The decision has been made after earlier trials supposedly resulted in a reduction in violent crime, increase in arrests and convictions, and best of all, "less paperwork for the police." Notably, a set of guidelines will recommend that cops inform the culprits that they are indeed being taped, but that the footage won't end up on C.O.P.S. without their expressed written consent. Wait, we thought that human police in England were being phased out?[Via The Register]
