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EU ACTA Chief Resigns In Disgust

This just after 22 EU members signed the controversial ACTA treaty

Stop ACTA and Carry On‘This just in: the European Parliament’s rapporteur of the ACTA agreement, an agreement which is about as bad as SOPA and creates seriously repressive legislation – that rapporteur has just quit in disgust over how the whole process has been designed to keep citizens and lawmakers in the dark…’
http://falkvinge.net/2012/01/26/eu-acta-chief-resigns-in-disgust-over-disrespect-at-citizens-next-steps/

What is ACTA?
Do you like the Internet?
Or do you want Hollywood to take it away?
Video: http://www.forbiddenknowledgetv.com/videos/bad-governance/what-is-acta.html

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The Right to Be Forgotten

Facebook hosted information regarding their Wi...

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European Lawmakers Want it on Facebook, Google

‘European Internet users may be getting better control over information posted online, thanks to some proposed sweeping reforms lawmakers proposed Wednesday designed to protect digital privacy.

‘The suggested law calls for a “right to be forgotten” and a “right to data portability.” The former would require Internet companies such as Facebook and Google to completely wipe all of a user’s info from their servers if such a request was made. The latter demands users be allowed to easily transfer data from one online service to another, a currently difficult task.

‘The “right to be forgotten” wouldn’t be granted to users attempting to remove information relevant to a criminal investigation…’
http://mashable.com/2012/01/25/europe-facebook-google/

Help Stop ACTA
Europe is deciding right now whether to sign ACTA — and without them, this global attack on Internet freedom will collapse. We know they have opposed ACTA before, but some members of Parliament are wavering – let’s give them the push they need to reject the treaty. Sign the petition — we’ll do a spectacular delivery in Brussels when we reach 500,000 signatures:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/eu_save_the_internet/?vl

Google’s Privacy Update: What You Need to Know
Google will be different for each individual

‘Nothing will change tangibly on March 1 — Google products will all still look and function the same. Users can already share data across services such as Picasa and Google+. And Google already has numerous intuitive functions: the Google calendar can autocomplete using names in your Gmail account. But the new privacy rules give the company leeway to combine your Google products in cool ways in the future…’
http://mashable.com/2012/01/25/google-privacy-update/

Boxee’s Live TV Add-on
A Cable Cutter’s Dream

‘Boxee is bringing live TV to the Boxee Box with its new live TV add-on and version 1.5 of the Boxee software. The company hopes that the combination of the $49.99 Boxee Live TV dongle and a Boxee Box will appeal to users looking to cut the cable cord…’
http://mashable.com/2012/01/25/boxee-live-tv-review/

Anonymous’ OpGlobalBlackout FACEBOOK ATTACK
How to join if you want to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSgoLz3Up6A

How to Get Old Facebook Back
‘Much to the annoyance of many of its users, Facebook is always changing. The recent Timeline revamp is the last in a series of tweaks to the social networking service, some good, some bad, and some just plain ugly.

‘Do you like the news “ticker?” How about the revamped chat? Does the highlighted news style bother you when you miss out on gossip?

‘We have identified five older Facebook features and functions that we used to enjoy, and found extensions for Google’s Chrome and Mozilla’s Firefox browsers that get them back…’
http://mashable.com/2012/01/25/get-old-facebook-back/

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Dangerous Software Piracy

English: Logo of StealthNet Anonymous File Sha...

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I never realized how dangerous using pirated operating systems is until a friend used one. If you try to update one, the manufacturer will trace you and you know what happens next. In short, you
practically can’t update one. And if you don’t update, virus and malware infection is sure. Why waste a brand new PC when you can use free OS’s like Ubuntu and Jolicloud!?

Last year, $59 billion was lost to pirated software. Some software manufacturers are greedy but retaliating by using pirated OS’s is just plain dumb.

‘With all the focus on digital media piracy—movies and music—during the SOPA/PIPA debates and protests (and the Megaupload takedown) over the past couple of weeks, one major victim of digital piracy largely escaped notice: Software. According to the Business Software Alliance’s most recent report, 42 percent of all software used in the world is pirated, and the commercial value of unlicensed software put into the market last year totaled $59 billion—nearly double the figure from 2003. By comparison, a study cited by the Recording Industry Association of America claims a total annual loss of $12.5 billion. The Motion Picture Association of America doesn’t break out its own share but cites the total loss to digital piracy of all kinds as $58 billion…’
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2399315,00.asp

File-Sharing Sites in Panic
‘The federal shutdown of Megaupload has other file sharing sites scrambling to cut back on sharing content that could get them into legal trouble.

‘Torrentfreak.com, a blog that tracks various file sharing sites, has reported that at least nine different websites have made significant changes to the types of files users can upload. A few sites including Uploadbox.com and x7.to are in the process of shutting down entirely, while the website Uploaded.to has blocked all IP addresses originating from the U.S.

‘Peter Swire, a law professor from Ohio State University and cyber law expert, says that with the shutdown of Megaupload and the continuing discussion of proposed federal anti-piracy laws known as SOPA and PIPA has file sharing websites calculating what they can do to protect themselves from prosecution…’
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2012/01/file-sharing-sites-scatter-after-megauploads-shutdown/

Gingrich Wants Cuba Freed Like Libya
Free Cuba? Libya was one of the best nations to be living in until Gaddafi was murdered
44% in a poll, the highest, found this ‘annoying’

‘At both events, Gingrich said the United States has been remiss in not taking a more forceful stand against Castro’s Cuba.

‘“I find it fascinating that Obama is intrigued with Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Syria, but doesn’t quite notice Cuba,” Gingrich said. “Now I would just argue if there was a genuine legitimate uprising, we would of course be on the side of the people and we should be prepared to be on the side of the people. But in that sense, I don’t see why Cuba should be sacrosanct. We’re very prepared to back people in Libya. We may end up backing people in Syria. Now Cuba, hands off Cuba. That’s baloney. The people of Cuba deserve freedom.”…’
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/gingrich-mocks-romneys-self-deportation-plan-for-illegal-immigrants/2012/01/25/gIQAlxzaQQ_story_1.html

NASA Has ‘Most Amazing’ Blue Marble Photo Yet
Agency releases new high-resolution image of Earth
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc/6760135001/sizes/l/in/photostream/

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Philippines Wants US Military Back?

US Navy 031023-N-7683J-043 President George W....

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A WaPo report says that talks are under way to increase presence as check against China.
Expect ex-President Estrada to say something about this. I already asked him.

‘The sudden rush by many in the Asia-Pacific region to embrace Washington is a direct reaction to China’s rise as a military power and its assertiveness in staking claims to disputed territories, such as the energy-rich South China Sea.

‘“We can point to other countries: Australia, Japan, Singapore,” said a senior Philippine official involved in the talks, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the confidentiality of the deliberations. “We’re not the only one doing this, and for good reason. We all want to see a peaceful and stable region. Nobody wants to have to face China or confront China.”…’
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/philippines-may-allow-greater-us-presence-in-latest-reaction-to-chinas-rise/2012/01/24/gIQAhFIyQQ_story.html

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PALEA Testifies at Washington DC

Closing of the Regional Workshop with Key Stak...

Image by OEA - OAS via Flickr

Philippines
Will this event get positive results for PALEA? I hope so but I don’t think so

‘The Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) president Gerry Rivera testified at Washington DC at dawn today (noon January 24 EST) on the suppression of labor rights by the Philippine government. Rivera faced-off with government officials led by Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz at the hearing held by the US Trade Representative (USTR).

‘“PALEA presents a significant case in reviewing whether or not the Philippines have taken or taking steps to afford workers their internationally recognized rights. We submit that Philippine government has abused its power to assume jurisdiction (AJ) of strikes thereby curtailing workers’ rights to freely organize and bargain collectively. PALEA was not allowed to strike on two crucial occasions to protest the mass termination of some 2,600 workers and yet Philippine Airlines (PAL) was permitted to proceed with the layoff despite a pending case at the Court of Appeals,” Rivera argued before the USTR subcommittee on the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP)…’
http://hronlineph.com/2012/01/25/press-release-palea-testifies-at-washington-dc-on-labor-rights-in-the-philippines/

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Phone Service Scatters Personal Numbers

While Apple has not listened to my complaints ...

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Your smartphone might be doing the same
‘O2 mobile users in the UK are venting on Twitter today, fuming at their discovery that their phone number is being shared with every website that they visit over the network.

‘I found a colleague who owns an iPhone on the O2 network, and we tried it out for ourselves. Making sure we turned off his WiFi connection, we used the O2 mobile network to access the web.
Sure enough, his mobile number was being secretly communicated to websites he visited, embedded inside an http header called HTTP_X_UP_CALLING_LINE_ID…’
http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2012/01/25/smartphone-website-telephone-number/

A Bigger Privacy Issue
Google Launches One Privacy Policy
‘Offering users what it calls less “legal gloop to wade through,” Google announced a new master privacy policy and terms of service on Tuesday via the company’s blog.

‘Google began notifying users of the change coming to its terms of service and privacy policies, which will take effect on March 1.

‘Rather than 70 privacy documents, Google has created one main privacy policy to govern its many products. What this means: Google can pull information from one service and deliver it to you via another, fusing Google+ with Gmail with YouTube, for example, and whatever other Google products you use…’
http://mashable.com/2012/01/24/google-changes-again-launches-one-privacy-policy-to-rule-them-all/

The Best Free Way to Manage your Money
Mint brings all your financial accounts together online or on your mobile device, automatically categorizes your transactions, lets you set budgets and helps you achieve your savings goals.
Watch the video | Learn more
https://www.mint.com/?PID=3607085&priorityCode=4216102399&source=cj_pfm

USB Backup Battery
‘Have you ever had the battery on your gadget run down while you’re far way from charger? That’s what this is for.

‘Radio Shack was giving these out like candy. This model comes with number of tips including the usual USB as well as Apple’s 30 pin connector. It was charged but not used. I had my own battery pack with me.

‘I’m having trouble finding product listing, but it is similar to this one:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10912265

Rules:

This raffle runs until tomorrow night.
You can enter by leaving comment. (Email subscribers will need to come visit the site.)
I will randomly pick the winner tomorrow and pay for shipping.
US only, sorry…’
http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2012/01/24/ces-swag-giveaway-usb-backup-battery/

TinyWall
What I discovered with this lightweight firewall app is that you could automatically block all Internet access from the system tray — which might be useful if an infected website persists in coming in. You can then block that specific site by choice.
TinyWall is a free software to harden and control the advanced firewall built into Windows Vista and Windows 7.
http://tinywall.pados.hu/

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3-D Printing Could Render SOPA Meaningless

English: A screenshot from The Pirate Bay's ma...

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‘The Pirate Bay loves to be controversial–how could it not be, with its very existence an affront to much of the political mechanisms of American government? And now the organization is suggesting something that, in the light of the semi-failed SOPA/PIPA attempt to regulate the Net and squash piracy, casts an interesting light on the future of file pirating: What will happen in terms of IP rights and piracy when 3-D printed objects become commonplace?…’
http://www.fastcompany.com/1810904/in-the-printable-3d-object-world-piracy-of-ip-gets-even-trickier?partner=gnews

Get Your Free and Safe Yearly Credit Reports
And get it without getting scammed

‘Without a doubt you have probably seen many advertisements on TV and online which emphasize the importance of your credit rating. While these advertisements may be a bit of an exaggeration, your credit report is never-the-less important as it details accounts which have been opened in your name. As such, it is a good idea to periodically review your credit report as any suspicious activity could be an indication of identity theft.

‘On that note, did you know that US law entitles you to free credit report from each of the three major reporting bureaus every year? Here we will walk you through exactly how to get them…’
http://www.howtogeek.com/103538/how-to-get-your-free-yearly-credit-reports-without-getting-scammed/

How to Declutter Your PC Hard Drive
‘Your home folder is the base of operations on your computer, where you throw every document, app installer, photo, and other file you’ll need later. So why does it look like it’s been ravaged by a virtual tornado? Here’s how to organize all of your documents so you never have to rummage through a mess of files again.

‘We’ve already talked about how to clean up and organize your desktop, but your documents folder can get just as cluttered, especially since a lot of what you keep on your desktop is temporary—while your home folder builds up every project you’ve ever worked on, not to mention half the files you download. Building off of Gina’s original document-organizing method, we’re going to show you an updated folder structure for your documents, how to integrate it with Dropbox so you have it everywhere you go, and how to keep it clean without ever having to touch it…’
http://lifehacker.com/5878795/ditch-hard-drive-clutter-with-an-organized-automated-home-folder

6 Must Have Firefox Tools for 2012
https://awesomeness.mozilla.org/pub/sf/FormLink

Pegby
Pegby is a new and unique productivity tool. I tried it as a ‘things-to-do’ reminder and it’s the one I’m using now. Try it here:
https://pegby.com/home/view

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The Obscene Disease of Celebrity

Jay Leno has been the subject of criticism sin...

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Maybe Sean Penn means stardom or idolatry. Whatever, I couldn’t agree with him more

“Turning one’s back on stardom might be the highest form of common sense. One that I would aspire to be more complete with,” he said.

“I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that it’s an obscene disease of celebrity that’s taken over far too much of the life that we do live. I think it’s a disease. I think that it’s diminished the quality of life. Not particularly for the people who are the focus of it, though that is clearly something that I’ve been compromised by. But for the culture at large, there is this kind of herd commitment. … I think it’s just become cheap.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/23/sean-penn-celebrity-is-a-disease_n_1223207.html?hpent=y

India Fumes Over Leno Joke
Minister Ravi wants case discussed with State Department
I am not defending the Sikh religion. I’m just pointing out that this dumb Leno thinks that the brown race or Asians are not real people. He already insulted Filipinos before. Makes me wonder what kind of people idolizes him.

‘A Leno skit showed the temple as the summer home of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

‘Mr Romney has faced taxation questions over his huge wealth and many Sikhs are angry the temple has been depicted as a place for the rich.

‘The Sikh community has launched an online petition and an Indian minister called the comments “objectionable”.

‘Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi told reporters: “It is quite unfortunate and quite objectionable that such a comment has been made after showing the Golden Temple.”

‘Mr Ravi said the Indian embassy would take up the matter with the US state department, the Press Trust of India reported…’
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-16676254

Getting Warm and Slim with Brown Fat
Why do we eat more when it’s cold?

‘Canadian researchers may have discovered why some people are able to stay warm in cold temperatures: more brown fat. And it’s a finding that might one day be used a tool in the fight against obesity.

‘Brown fat is a kind of “good fat” that researchers are only just beginning to understand.

‘Unlike white or yellow fat, which gathers around our waists and thighs, brown fat seems to be concentrated around the front and back of the neck. While our white fat helps store excess calories, the brown kind appears to burn through calories, to generate heat…’
http://edmonton.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20120124/brown-fat-cold-obesity-12-124/20120124/?hub=EdmontonHome
I wonder how Jay Leno would abase brown fat

Dangerous Dentistry
Dentist Used Paper Clips for Root Canals
And how sure are we that our dentists are using sterilized tools?

‘Michael Clair, 53, of Crofton, Maryland, pleaded guilty last week to a raft of charges. His guilty plea includes the admission that he used part of a paper clip, instead of a stainless steel post, to support a root canal he performed on a patient.

‘He is scheduled for sentencing Monday before Superior Court Judge Richard Moses on two counts of assault and battery, three counts of larceny, five counts of Medicaid fraud, three counts of illegally prescribing controlled substances and one count each of tampering with evidence and witness intimidation…’
http://www.heraldnews.com/police_and_fire/x2018890459/Fall-River-dentist-who-used-paper-clips-pleads-guilty-before-trial

Top 10 Amazing (Yet Uninspiring) Achievements
‘We’ve all achieved something in our lives, and some of these feats are quite amazing. Just today, for example, TopTenz sent this page to hundreds of millions of homes, and made billions of people happy when they read it aloud for the amusement of friends and family. If you aren’t doing that now, by the way, get on it. Even if you have to shout to be heard over whatever it is they’re watching or listening to.

‘Pretty amazing right? But it doesn’t inspire anyone to want to live a better life or anything. No, it’s more akin to the subjects below, whose achievements are so uninspiring that you shake your head in wonder at how they could possibly have seen the task through to the end…’
http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-amazing-yet-uninspiring-achievements.php

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Could the Internet Ever Be Destroyed?

Where the Internet is stored

Image by debs via Flickr

What if Hollywood, mainstream media, and governments decide to do that to kill competition and truth? They probably can’t destroy the Internet but they have ways to cripple it. And I believe it’s already being done

‘…If, in future, the U.S. government sought to shut down or limit Internet access, similar workarounds would crop up, and they would grow more sophisticated as the regulatory methods became more extreme — a “weapons race,” Lehr called it. “The tools for fighting the war are mostly defensive (fire walls, shutting down interconnects, monitoring, locking up folks who have violated ‘laws’) but also can be offensive (viruses to attack hostile websites/destroy content, locking folks up preemptively, etc.).”

‘Governments could also simply tax Internet access, or providers could jack up the prices, in such a way as to price it out of reach of most people.

‘Lehr added that, while no single government could destroy the Internet everywhere, it could certainly cripple it sufficiently to render its use unattractive for people within its country of governance…’
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=could-internet-ever-be-destroyed&page=2

Is NDAA Worse than SOPA?
Why you should be angrier about NDAA than you were about SOPA
by Brandon Sheffield

‘…The internet blacklist pretty much united everyone in game development against them (the ESA aside), and after a recent day of internet blackouts, voting on them has been postponed. But another, far more dangerous bill passed in late 2011 that could limit our freedom of expression in an even grander scope than SOPA/PIPA ever would.

‘No citizen voted for or against this law. Much like with SOPA, that opportunity was not afforded us. The article in question is the National Defense Authorization Act, and it is the greatest threat to intellectual and personal freedom in America…’
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/39773/Opinion_Why_you_should_be_angrier_about_NDAA_than_you_were_about_SOPA.php

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