They are even considering a reward for ratting out the hackers. Might be fun to see how many thousands of bad leads that generates.
Sony PlayStation Network may not be back online before May 31
Last week, Sony were strongly suggesting that services could be restored within a week - they said in a statement that they were in 'the final stages of internal testing of the new system' - but over the weekend they announced that the return of the PSN had been delayed.
And now that date looks to have slipped even further, with a Sony spokesman telling Bloomberg that they were uncertain of when the networks would be back, with May 31 the only firm date they would give for the complete restart of services.
It will be interesting to see how they implement this... Can you say: “Shrink Wrapped Websites?”
http://www.pogowasright.org/?p=22756
UK: ICO advice on new EU cookies law published
May 9, 2011 by Dissent
Advice on how UK businesses and organisations can comply with a new EU law on the use of cookies technology has been published today by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
The law, which will come into force on 26 May 2011, comes from an amendment to the EU’s Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive.
The advice, which follows the publication of UK regulations by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, will help people to consider what type of cookie or similar technology their website uses and for what purpose, how intrusive their use is, and offers advice on what solution for obtaining consent will suit them.
From the advice:
What do the new rules say?
The new requirement is essentially that cookies can only be placed on machines where the user or subscriber has given their consent.
6 (1) Subject to paragraph (4), a person shall not store or gain access to information stored, in the terminal equipment of a subscriber or user unless the requirements of paragraph (2) are met.
(2) The requirements are that the subscriber or user of that terminal equipment–
(a) is provided with clear and comprehensive information about the purposes of the storage of, or access to, that information; and
(b) has given his or her consent.
(3) Where an electronic communications network is used by the same person to store or access information in the terminal equipment of a subscriber or user on more than one occasion, it is sufficient for the purposes of this regulation that the requirements of paragraph (2) are met in respect of the initial use.
“(3A) For the purposes of paragraph (2), consent may be signified by a subscriber who amends or sets controls on the internet browser which the subscriber uses or by using another application or programme to signify consent.
(4) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to the technical storage of, or access to, information–
(a) for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network; or
(b) where such storage or access is strictly necessary for the provision of an information society service requested by the subscriber or user.
As we suspected...
File-hosting Sites Not a Safe Haven For Private Data
"Academic researchers say they've uncovered weaknesses in dozens of the most popular file hosting sites that allow people to gain unauthorized access to data that's supposed to be available only to those selected by the user."
I can see this genre of phone apps expanding until it reproduces the classic “Stalking the Wild Asparagus”
For The High-Tech Naturalist: LeafSnap Identifies Leaves Using Your iPhone’s Camera
This is just plain fantastic. The LeafSnap app for iPhone identifies any leaf you take a picture of, as long as it’s in their library. Check out the video inside.
Download the free editions...
2 RMS Books Hit Version 2.0
"The Free Software Foundation (FSF) has just released in tandem the second edition of its president and founder Richard Stallman's selected essays, Free Software, Free Society, and his semi-autobiography, Free as in Freedom: Richard Stallman and the Free Software Revolution."
http://www.gnu.org/doc/fsfs-ii-2.pdf
http://static.fsf.org/nosvn/faif-2.0.pdf
Speaking of books... I am a fan of Science Fiction. Occasionally, a SciFi writer hits the “prediction” nail on the head. Deep State, by Walter Jon Williams seems to do just that. Published in February 2011, it documents an “Astroturfing” (synthetic 'grass roots') project that provokes peaceful demonstrations against a military dictatorship. Warning: It is not “great literature” or even really good science fiction, but the technology (cell phones) and the “flash mob” response provoked seem to match recent history all too well. Is it possible “Arab Spring” was a CIA plot? Naaah...
Timeline of “Arab Spring” http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2011/mar/22/middle-east-protest-interactive-timeline
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