Perhaps we could do this next time…
http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=10/04/02/0050221
Indian Census To Collect Fingerprints, Photos
Posted by timothy on Friday April 02, @02:08AM
adityamalik writes
"The Indian census kicks off on Thursday, with approximately 2.5 million people charged with conducting it across the billion-plus strong country. "Officials will collect fingerprints and photograph every resident for the first time for the register — a process described by Home Minister P. Chidambaram as 'the biggest exercise... since humankind came into existence.' Sensitivity towards collection of biometrics and personal details is quite low in India currently. Wonder how effective — and how powerful — the exercise will turn out to be for the country. Am also struggling to imagine how the photo and fingerprint collection is going to happen, technology-wise."


“Well yes, it does work the way the manual says it works. But we would never use it that way…”
http://www.bespacific.com/mt/archives/023908.html
April 01, 2010
EPIC: TSA Concedes Body Scanners Store and Record Images
Follow up to previous postings on government implementation of whole body scanning technology at airports, via EPIC: "In response to a Congressional inquiry, led by Congressman Bennie Thompson, the Transportation Security Agency acknowledged that images on body scanner machines would be recorded for "testing, training, and evaluation purposes." The TSA also did not dispute that test mode could be activated in airports, but said this "would" not happen. As part of an ongoing lawsuit, EPIC had previously obtained TSA documents describing the machines' capabilities to store and transmit detailed images of travelers' naked bodies."
• Homeland Security Blog: "TSA's deployment of new screening technology known as AIT. Public discussion and debate is good, and we at TSA have worked hard to inform, educate and adjust our screening protocols in the interests of security, efficiency, safety and privacy. Our FY 2011 budget request includes $573 million to purchase 500 Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) units and to operationally staff, operate and maintain 1,000 units, which includes the 500 units we are deploying now. This is indeed an important investment decision and not something we take lightly. We don't take the threats we're facing lightly either."


A modern Solomon? (When was this article published?)
http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=10/04/01/2324239
Judge Chin Says He Will Cut the Google Book Settlement
Posted by timothy on Thursday April 01, @07:42PM
Miracle Jones writes
"In a move that has shocked the publishing world, Judge Denny Chin has filed a brief saying that he has decided to cut the Google Book Settlement in half, letting Google host the first half of every book the company has scanned, and letting other interested stakeholders fight for the rights to the rest. 'We think this is a hard decision, but a fair one,' said John Peter Franks for Google. 'We would like to be able to host and control whole books, but at least we get the front half.'"


So maybe that business model might work after all?
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-20001553-56.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
Microsoft's big gamble with free Office
SAN FRANCISCO--Microsoft has a new plan to make more money from Office: give it away.


You can make money in the high-tech world with low tech services.
http://www.killerstartups.com/Web20/driveburn-com-destroy-your-hard-drive-securely
Driveburn.com - Destroy Your Hard Drive Securely
http://www.driveburn.com/
Driveburn is a secure hard drive data destruction company. The way it all works is easy and direct: you pay a set price (currently $ 25), you are sent a prepaid Ship Kit, and you send the drive back to Driveburn in order to be melted down. Free USPS priority shipping is paid by the company.
The destruction of the drive itself happens under video surveillance, and you will receive a photo certificate as confirmation that you drive has actually been toasted and wiped from the face of the Earth.
The Ship Kit that you are sent has a security seal that is unique - no other order has the same seal. This enables you to track and secure your data. Upon being received by the company, the driver itself is never installed or viewed - the moment the security seal is broken the drive is destroyed. And once the driver has been obliterated, then the remains (along with most of the actual packaging) are recycled in order to do something good for the environment.


For my geeks…
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/build-remote-control-internet-tv-drop-cable-company/
Build A Remote Control Internet TV & Drop Your Cable Company

Ditto
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/develop-simple-iphone-app-submit-itunes/
How To Develop A Simple iPhone App & Submit It To iTunes