The US government has made numerous attempts to obtain source code from tech companies in an effort to find security flaws that could be used for surveillance or investigations.
The government has demanded source code in civil cases filed under seal but also by seeking clandestine rulings authorized under the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a person with direct knowledge of these demands told ZDNet. We’re not naming the person as they relayed information that is likely classified.
With these hearings held in secret and away from the public gaze, the person said that the tech companies hit by these demands are losing “most of the time.”
Month: March 2016
Fearing no punishment, Denver cops abuse crime databases for personal gain | Ars Technica
A nurse complained she got a phone call from an officer at a hospital crime scene.
Source: Fearing no punishment, Denver cops abuse crime databases for personal gain | Ars Technica
Comcast failed to install Internet for 10 months then demanded $60,000 in fees | Ars Technica
Tech startup needs a new office because it can’t get Comcast Internet.
Source: Comcast failed to install Internet for 10 months then demanded $60,000 in fees | Ars Technica
ISPs Are Blocking Google Fiber’s Access To Utility Poles In California | Techdirt
And while this is generally an idea that would benefit all broadband providers, it would benefit new providers like Google Fiber the most. That’s why companies like AT&T, Comcast and Time Warner Cable have been blocking this pole-attachment reform, in some cases trying to claim such policies violate their Constitutional rights. The ISPs figure that if they can’t block Google Fiber from coming to town, their lawyers can at least slow Google Fiber’s progress while they try to lock customers down in long-term contracts.
Source: ISPs Are Blocking Google Fiber’s Access To Utility Poles In California | Techdirt
Florida Attorney General Endorses Trump After Taking His Money and Backing Off Trump University Investigation
Pam Bondi’s bigger favor to Trump may have been her 2013 decision not to investigate Trump’s for-profit education chain after he made a big donation to her re-election campaign.
Cops charged after pot shop’s hidden cameras show them eating snacks | Ars Technica
Officers tried to block video as evidence. They said it violated their privacy.
Source: Cops charged after pot shop’s hidden cameras show them eating snacks | Ars Technica
Donald Trump’s Get-Rich-Quick Advice Makes a Mockery of His Campaign Rhetoric
Don’t save your money, he says; spend it! In fact, live above your means — it will fill you with confidence. Getting a job is for losers; the key is to get other people to work for you.
Source: Donald Trump’s Get-Rich-Quick Advice Makes a Mockery of His Campaign Rhetoric
Web Sheriff Sent “Forged” Taio Cruz Birth Certificate to MusicBrainz – TorrentFreak
Anti-piracy outfit Web Sheriff has found itself mired in controversy after asking a music metadata site to change information relating to the artist Taio Cruz. After asking for proof that Cruz’s birth name is not Adetayo Ayowale Onile-Ere as listed, MusicBrainz received a birth certificate from Web Sheriff. However, it’s being claimed that the document is a forgery.
Source: Web Sheriff Sent “Forged” Taio Cruz Birth Certificate to MusicBrainz – TorrentFreak
VIE SHAIR: Pain-Free Social Headphones by Vie Style Inc. — Kickstarter
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1025337448/vie-shair-pain-free-social-headphones
“minimal skin contact” means it will exert greater pressure on the points it’s touching, and it looks like fairly stiff plastic, so I fail to see how this would be more comfortable. A knife has a lot less skin contact than a towel…
And the point of headphones is to listen to music in privacy. If you actually need a speaker, then get a speaker.
Warner Theme Park Pirated Artists’ Music For Six Years, Court Rules – TorrentFreak
The Supreme Court in Spain has ruled that during a six year period a Warner Bros. themed park failed to compensate artists and rightsholders. The Court found that between 2002 and 2008 Warner Park (Parque Warner) used unlicensed music in a “intense and continuous” manner and must now pay compensation of $354,000.
Source: Warner Theme Park Pirated Artists’ Music For Six Years, Court Rules – TorrentFreak