Wednesday, March 05, 2014

Why would the CIA provide computers? Are Senate computers not adequately secured? Why did this not raise red flags? (Didn't the NSA provide security?)
McClatchy News is reporting that the CIA may have monitored computers that the agency provided to the Senate Intelligence Committee. The computers were used by Senate aides to prepare the Committee’s (still unreleased) report on the CIA’s secret detention and interrogation programs.
… The CIA Inspector General has reportedly requested the Justice Department to investigate the case as a criminal matter. Notably, McClatchy suggests that Senator Wyden was “apparently” referring to these monitoring practices when he asked CIA Director John Brennan earlier this year, “Does the Federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act apply to the CIA?” Wyden did not get an answer, at least not at the hearings (full transcript). Close observers of those hearings had speculated that Wyden’s questions suggested that the CIA was accessing the American public’s computers (here and here). The McClatchy report provides a new and different explanation.


Are “professionals” more “understanding” or just crazy?
Fewer Than Half of RSA Attendees Think NSA Overstepped: Survey
A survey of 341 attendees of the recent RSA Conference in San Francisco revealed that less than half (48 percent) felt the NSA overstepped its boundaries with its surveillance programs.
This year's conference faced controversy due to allegations that RSA accepted a $10 million payment from the NSA several years ago to use a weak number generating algorithm by default in its BSAFE toolkits. The resulting furor led several scheduled speakers to pull out of the conference, while other people created a rival event known as Trustycon, which took place Feb. 27 at a nearby location.
… Of the 52 percent of the respondents who felt the NSA did not overstep, 21 percent believe the government needs to be aware of citizens' communications data in order to protect the nation from terrorist activity. Thirty-one percent meanwhile, said they were conflicted about the issue.


After spending $19 Billion, this is chump change. What's it worth to capture all the Internet users on an entire continent?
Facebook reportedly in talks for drone maker Titan Aerospace
Facebook is in talks to acquire Titan Aerospace, the maker of a solar-powered high-altitude drone that can stay aloft for five years, according to a TechCrunch report.
The acquisition would reportedly further the efforts of Internet.org, a coalition of mobile technology companies spearheaded by Facebook that is working to bring Internet access to the 5 billion or so people around the world without it. The acquisition is valued at $60 million, a source "with access to information about the deal" told TechCrunch.
… Facebook is interested in dispatching some 11,000 unmanned aerial vehicles over parts of the globe that lack Internet access, beginning in Africa, according to the report. The company is said to be especially interested in the Solara 60, a featherweight aircraft built of composite materials that the New Mexico-based company claims can maintain an altitude of 65,000 feet for years without refueling, thanks to thousands of solar cells blanketing the aircraft.


Some day, all TVs will be streamed from your computer/smartphone.
Roku unveils updated Streaming Stick with support for all HDMI TVs


This would be the kind of project I would expect from a Privacy Blog. Written by law school students (guided by practicing lawyers?) and updated every year or so.
FREE EBOOK: How To Write A Privacy Policy For Your Website
Launching a website? This guide goes through what you need to know about creating, and writing, a privacy policy for your website. Don’t know if you do need a privacy policy? A very simple question will answer this for you: do you collect any kind of personal data from your users? If yes, then you need a privacy policy – it’s required by law in most countries.
Read online or download PDF, EPUB version free of charge; Kindle version $1


For my peers.
New Draft of Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education
by Sabrina I. Pacifici on March 4, 2014
Association of College and Research Libraries - Draft Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, February 2014 [snipped]
“Introduction. The changes in higher education, coupled with a more complex information ecosystem than existed at the end of the last century, demand new engagement with the concept of information literacy. This Introduction explores the reasons for the dramatic shift from standards to a framework; discusses the key elements upon which the new Framework rests, threshold concepts and metaliteracy; and includes the components of the Framework that help to move it from a conceptual rendering to a full-fledged, living entity upon which to develop collaborative programs suitable for unique situations. The concluding section acknowledges the stakeholders and community who are engaged in this conversation.”
[From the Draft:
Information Literacy: A New Definition
Information literacy combines a repertoire of abilities, practices, and dispositions focused on expanding one’s understanding of the information ecosystem, with the proficiencies of finding, using and analyzing information, scholarship, and data to answer questions, develop new ones, and create new knowledge, through ethical participation in communities of learning and scholarship.


This might be a simple way to organize my Math formulas.
Lucid Chart Adds Interactive Tables and Notations to Mind Maps
Lucidchart is a great tool for creating flowcharts, mindmaps, and graphic organizers. This week Lucid Chart added the option to include interactive tables and notations to your charts. Now you can right-click on any shape in your mind map to write and add a note about it. The new tables option allows you to add spreadsheets to your Lucid Chart flowcharts.
Lucidchart offers a simple drag and drop interface for creating flow charts, organizational charts, mind maps, and other types of diagrams. To create with Lucidchart just select elements from the menus and drag them to the canvas. You can re-size any element and type text within elements on your chart. Arrows and connecting lines can be re-sized, repositioned, and labeled to bring clarity to your diagrams. Google Chrome users can use Lucidchart offline through the Lucidchart Chrome app.
Applications for Education
Lucidchart charges business customers, but makes all of their tools free for teachers and students. Lucidchart is a good tool for students to use to create charts that explain processes in science or to simply show the connections between key concepts in a course.


This is not funny. Who said this was funny?
KIDS REACT TO ROTARY PHONES


Found all my Dave Brubeck albums too.
– is a music encyclopedia that contains everything you ever wanted to know about artists, what they released, what tracks they have written, recorded or produced, who they’ve been involved with, the latest news, etc. Bandtrace can be described with one word – simplicity.


Can I make it work with my Maverick Missile App?
FLIRone
PERSONAL THERMAL IMAGING DEVICE FOR YOUR iPHONE5 & 5s*

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