Friday, May 31, 2013

Is this part of “nature always finds a way” as explained in “Jurassic Park” or a biological version of Skynet from the Terminator?
"NPR reports that an Oregon wheat farmer found a patch of wheat growing where he did not plant.[Oops! Bob] After RoundUp failed to kill the plants,[Oops! Bob] he sent them to a lab for testing. Turns out the wheat in question is a GMO strain created by Monsanto but never sent to market. Oregon field trials for the wheat ended in 2001. 'Nobody knows how this wheat got to this farm. ... After all such trials, the genetically engineered crops are supposed to be completely removed. [Oops! Bob] Also, nobody knows how widely this genetically engineered wheat has spread, and whether it's been in fields of wheat that were harvested for food.' The USDA is currently investigating and says there is no health-risk. Meanwhile, Monsanto has released a statement and Japan has suspended some wheat imports from the U.S. 'The mystery could have implications on wheat trade. Many countries around the world will not accept imports of genetically modified foods, and the United States exports about half of its wheat crop.'"


Probably applies to drones as well.
"It seems that the UN has started a debate on whether to place limits or bans on robots that can kill without manual supervision. It seems that bombs are viewed as 'kinder' than robots which might be programmed to achieve specific ends (e.g. destroy that bridge, kill anyone carrying a gun, etc.)."


Apparently, moneylenders are a dime a dozen. Instead of playing wack-a-mole, why not run one and trace the money from the inside?
Velcroman1 writes
"On May 15, the Department of Homeland Security seized a digital bank account used by 'MtGox,' the world's largest exchange, where people buy and sell bitcoins. DHS alleged, and a judge agreed, that there is 'probable cause' that MtGox is an 'unlicensed money service business.' If proven, the penalty for operating such a business is a fine and up to 5 years in jail. FoxNews.com caught up with several bitcoin exchanges, including CampBX, MtGox, CoinLab and more, to ask them how they've navigated the regulatory waters — and how to go legit."
In other shady bitcoin news, it appears the demise of Liberty Reserve has caused hackers to find a new alternative. twoheadedboy writes
"Despite suggestions Bitcoin might be the ideal currency for dealers on the dark web, it appears Perfect Money, a Panama-based operation, is proving the most popular alternative to the now-defunct Liberty Reserve. A source working the underground forums told TechWeekEurope that, for now, fraudsters are rapidly migrating to Perfect Money. Many vendors have started accepting it, having previously primarily used Liberty Reserve, which was shut down following the arrest of its founder and four other members this past week. Internet fraudsters might be interested in Perfect Money as it has distanced itself from the U.S., cutting off all new American registrations. However, one forum user said he was turned down by Perfect Money as their 'type of activity is not welcome.' Other currencies may yet win out."


Just keep doing what you're doing. I'm sure you can undo it later if we need to.
Judge orders Google to comply with FBI's secret NSL demands
A federal judge has ruled that Google must comply with the FBI's warrantless requests for confidential user data, despite the search company's arguments that the secret demands are illegal.
CNET has learned that U.S. District Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco rejected Google's request to modify or throw out 19 so-called National Security Letters, a warrantless electronic data-gathering technique used by the FBI that does not need a judge's approval. Her ruling came after a pair of top FBI officials, including an assistant director, submitted classified affidavits.


From my Ethical Hackers.
The mutual-friends feature on social networks such as Facebook, which displays users’ shared friendships, might not be so “friendly.”
Often revered for bringing people together, the mutual-friends feature on Facebook actually creates myriad security risks and privacy concerns according to a University of Pittsburgh study published in Computers & Security. The study demonstrates that even though users can tailor their privacy settings, hackers can still find private information through mutual-friends features.
Read more on Phys.Org.
The paper, "Mutual-friend Based attacks in Social Network Systems," was first published online April 22 in Computers & Security.

(I'm not saying it's related) In theory, a group of graduating Ethical Hackers might amuse themselves by sending each other congratulations from the President, and then supplementing that by reporting that the President sent congratulations. Theoretically.
White House Press Corps Website, Twitter Feed Appears To Have Been Hacked


Using my tax dollars to avoid telling me how they are misusing my tax dollars?
"The Justice Department may soon be forced to reveal a classified document that details unconstitutional surveillance of American citizens. The Justice Department has fought to keep the document secret for about a year, but a recent court order demands that they respond to a formal request filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation by next week, June 7, 2013."


More on “The Wisdom of Governments (or, what the lobbyists explained was wisdom)” Fortunately, no individuals actually work for governments!
U.S. lifts ban on computer exports to people in Iran
The U.S. government is easing sanctions that for more than two decades have prohibited companies from selling electronic devices such as computers, cell phones, and wireless routers to Iran.
The move, announced Thursday by the Treasury Department, allows U.S. residents to export electronic equipment to individuals but not to the Iranian government or "to any individual or entity on the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list." The SDN list is a compilation of individuals and groups with whom U.S. residents are prohibited from doing business, such as Al-Qaeda.


Perhaps the French noticed that comment by Eric Schmidt that suggested Google had the ability to do this...
On May 30, 2013, the French Data Protection Authority (“CNIL”) launched a public consultation on the digital “right to be forgotten.”


What do you learn as an Education Major? Apparently not good management practices. Anything not directly related to your mission (that's education in case you forgot) may need to be communicated to parents. (This is the same district, incidentally, that recently expelled high school student Kiera Wilmot for causing an explosion in her chemistry class.)
RT reports:
Parents in Polk County, Florida are outraged after learning that students in area schools had their irises scanned as part of a new security program without obtaining proper permission.
Students at three facilities — an elementary school, a grade school and a high school — had their eyeballs scanned earlier this month as part of a ‘student safety’ pilot program [“It's for the children!” Bob] being carried out by Stanley Convergent Security Solutions.
Read more about the Eye Swipe Nano program on RT.
The parental response was so negative and immediate that the program has been put on hold – at least temporarily. Merissa Green of The Ledger reports:
The Polk County School District has suspended a pilot program that scanned the eyes of students to track their comings and goings on school buses. [...or maybe it's to make the teacher's lives easier. Bob]
The program was conducted May 22-23 at Bethune Academy and Jenkins Academy in Haines City and Davenport School of the Arts.
Some parents at those schools were outraged that they weren’t notified about the program. As a result, the program has been placed on hold although district officials are still considering implementing the program, which would require School Board approval. It was scheduled to begin districtwide in the fall, when the new school year starts.


Sometimes it not just who you sue, it's how you sue. (This might work is other breaches as well.)
Jacob Hale Russell of Thomson Reuters reports that because data breach lawsuits generally get dismissed if plaintiffs cannot show financial harm, lawyers are shifting away from lawsuits based on privacy claims to lawsuits based on theories:
But plaintiffs’ lawyers of late have been switching tack: Rather than framing lawsuits stemming from data breaches as privacy claims, they are accusing hospitals and insurance companies of unjust enrichment and breach of contract. Also, more cases are being filed on behalf of classes of plaintiffs rather than individuals.
So far, only a dozen or so lawsuits along these lines have been filed, lawyers said, but both the plaintiffs and defense bars are watching carefully to see how they fare and whether the trickle could turn into a flood.
Read more on Thomson Reuters.
[From the article:
In unjust enrichment suits, plaintiffs argue that their purchase decisions were based partly on expectations of privacy. When their data was compromised, they say, the defendants got to keep their payments, but plaintiffs lost the benefit of the bargain.
In breach of contract claims, plaintiffs point to specific provisions in contracts and terms of service agreements that mention privacy, arguing that these provisions were part of what led them to purchase the service. In contrast to the privacy suits, these ones allege that plaintiffs were financially harmed by spending money on the health service in the first place.


Why? Simple. Your security can impact my security. (Let's hope they go beyond passwords into real security...)
Google Resources on Password Security
Google Official Blog: “Knowing how to stay safe and secure online is important, which is why we created our Good to Know site with advice and tips for safe and savvy Internet use. Starting today, we’ll also be posting regularly with privacy and security tips. We hope this information helps you understand the choices and control that you have over your online information.”


This is not quite difference between “We gotta do something!” and “We gotta do something rational.”
EPIC Announces TSA “Unplugs, Boxes Up, and Ships Back” X-Ray Body Scanners
EPIC: “The TSA has completed removal of the x-ray body scanners from US airports. The devices revealed detailed images of a person’s naked body and have been described as “digital strip searches.” The TSA action follows an Act of Congress and several lawsuits by EPIC. The TSA was forced to remove the machines after Congress required that the devices produce only generic image. And as result of EPIC v. TSA the TSA is currently required to accept public comments on its airport screening procedures. The public has until June 24, 2013 to voice its opinions. The millimeter wave devices remain in US airports. For more information, see: EPIC: Comment on the TSA Nude Body Scanner Proposal and EPIC: ATR lawsuit.”


This looks less and less like a legitimate criminal case and more like a media event staged for the RIAA and MPAA. What else did they do with no legal basis?
Kim Dotcom wins access to seized property from 2012 raid
Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom has won another one.
A New Zealand court on Friday ruled that the warrants used by law enforcement officials to raid Dotcom's home in 2012 were illegal. Therefore, the court said, police is required to provide copies of all evidence it deems relevant in its prosecution of Dotcom for alleged piracy. Anything that is deemed by the court to not be relevant must be returned to Dotcom.
Until now, Dotcom's defense attorneys did not have access to the seized evidence.
According to a report from January 2012, $42 million in assets were seized from Megaupload and Kim Dotcom. It's not clear how much of that will be returned to him.


Perspective What else would people pay more for?
Accenture: Public Transportation Users Predict Big Increases in the Use of Smartphones, Paperless Travel and Social Media
News release: ‘Three out of four travelers (75 percent) who use public transportation in some of the world’s major cities believe that electronic ticketing would make travel easier, and an overwhelming 92 percent would welcome paperless travel, a new global survey by Accenture reveals. The survey of 4,500 urban travelers in nine major cities in Brazil, France, Germany, South Korea, Spain, UK and the United States showed that approximately 90 percent of people in these cities use public transportation on a regular basis, and they are willing to pay more for technology improvements. According to the survey, 52 percent of respondents would be willing to pay at least 10 percent more for travel if they were offered such technological enhancements as the ability to use a smartphone as a ticket while traveling, an app from transport providers and/or a paperless travel option.


Perspective and something for my geeks. Has Microsoft made a strategic error?
Acer $400 'PC' will run Android, pack Intel's Haswell chip
… Expect this trend to pick up steam as PC vendors announce new systems based on Intel's upcoming Haswell and Bay Trail chips. Intel is already dropping not-so-subtle hints that Android laptops running on the Bay Trail chip are on the way and will be priced between $200 and $300.
… Systems sans Windows 8 can be priced lower and require less hardware.
The Acer AIO will come with only 1GB of memory and storage configurations will be as small as 8GB.


Because Google loves us? Something for my Intro to IT class...
Google introduces nutrition info in search
Google Inside Search Blog: “Figuring out how to make smart choices about some of our favorite foods can often be a cumbersome and daunting process. So we’re hoping we can make those choices a little bit easier: starting today you will be able to quickly and easily find extensive nutrition information for over 1,000 fruits, vegetables, meats and meals in search. From the basics of potatoes and carrots to more complex dishes like burritos and chow mein, you can simply ask, “How much protein is in a banana?” or “How many calories are in an avocado?” and get your answer right away. You’ll hear the answer to your specific question, see relevant nutrition information under an expansion, and be able to switch to other related foods or serving sizes.”


But then I'll need a really big 3-D printer...
"Think of a world where you could simply download the blueprints of your future home for free just like you download any open source software today. A team of British architects developed just that and they are hoping their project called WikiHouse will radically change the way we think about building homes."


For my students who like to argue.
If you are looking for a cool way to discuss almost any issue with other Internet users, a new website called Quibl is perfect for you.


Perfect! Now all I need is a Kindle...
… there are now a large number of people who own Kindle devices to read their eBooks on. However, eBooks are not the only thing these Kindle owners read. They also read articles that are online on various websites. Having to switch from their Kindle to the computer and then back for reading can be quite inconvenient. Here to help you shift all of your reading to a Kindle device is a service called Tinderizer.
Tinderizer is a free to use web service that Kindle users will highly appreciate. The service helps you port web articles in a readable form to your Kindle device for better and more convenient reading. You start by heading to Amazon’s Kindle settings and adding kindle@darkhelmetlive.com to your Kindle approved email list. Next, you provide Tinderizer’s website with your Kindle email address.
After that you are simply given a bookmarklet that you can drag to your web browser’s bookmarks toolbar. Anytime you want to send an article you are viewing on your computer to your Kindle, simply click on this bookmarklet. You are also given an alternate way through which you can send articles to your Kindle by sending the URL as an email to an address that Tinderizer provides to you.


I may print up a few hundred of these for our grads...
Twelve Rules for New Grads


And just because I find this amusing each week.
… This week, Coursera announced a series of deals with 9 state university systems: the State University of New York, the University of Tennessee system, The Tennessee Board of Regents, the University of Colorado system, the University of Houston system, the University of Kentucky (The Chronicle of Higher Education has a copy of this contract), the University of Nebraska, the University of New Mexico, the University System of Georgia, and West Virginia University. According to its blog, “the partnership with Coursera will give professors the option to experiment with and improve upon the ‘blended learning’ model, which combines online video lectures and content with active, in-person classroom interactions.” Inside Higher Ed offers a lot more details on the deals, arguing that they will “help the company test new business models and teaching methods and potentially put Coursera in competition with some of the ed tech industry’s most established players.” Many education bloggers have chimed in too, noting that this makes Coursera less of a “disruptive innovation” and more of an learning management system, a courseware provider, or an academic publisher. “You can stop worrying about MOOCs now,” says Martin Weller, who says this move shows that the MOOC bubble is already bursting.
… The German business software giant SAP has launched its own “MOOC” and its own “MOOC” platform — Open.SAP.comto teach its employees about the company.
… One of the leading scholars in technology and learning, Candace Thille, is moving from Carnegie Mellon University to Stanford. Thille heads the CMU Open Learning Initiative, and it’s not clear how much of the program or its grant funding will move with Thille. More on her relocation west via Inside Higher Ed.

(Related)
Northern Arizona U Launches Online Competency Based Degree Programs
Northern Arizona University (NAU) has launched a competency-based online degree program using a subscription model for tuition.
Dubbed "Personalized Learning," the program's first degrees include Computer Information Technology, Liberal Arts, and Small Business Administration, offered for $2,500 per six-month term, with costs such as books and lab fees included.
The new program will also allow students to skip some classes by demonstrating mastery of the material.

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