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Greplin

Find That One Thing You Lost Online. Find anything. Quickly.
You can even find your lost files and messages. Search past information overload.
Somewhere in your tens of thousands of messages is that piece of information you need. Greplin makes it easy to find it, really fast.
https://www.greplin.com/

Dashlane
I really don’t store sensitive data like passwords and credit card numbers on-line but if Dashlane convinces you, why not?

Dashlane is your Personal Internet Assistant. It offers a comprehensive feature set to facilitate your life on the Internet. Dashlane is Simple, Secure and Trusted.
Store addresses, phone numbers, passport numbers, credit card info and more in a secure vault and sync them between multiple computers.
https://www.dashlane.com/en/features/

Lego figurines, Kinder surprises and other toys played the role of 'demonstrators'. Photograph: Sergey Teplyakov/vkontakte

Russian police don’t take kindly to opposition protesters – even if they’re 5cm high and made of plastic.

‘Police in the Siberian city of Barnaul have asked prosecutors to investigate the legality of a recent protest that saw dozens of small dolls – teddy bears, Lego men, South Park figurines – arranged to mimic a protest, complete with signs reading: “I’m for clean elections” and “A thief should sit in jail, not in the Kremlin”.

‘”Political opposition forces are using new technologies to carry out public events – using toys with placards at mini-protests,” Andrei Mulintsev, the city’s deputy police chief, said at a press conference this week, according to local media. “In our opinion, this is still an unsanctioned public event.”…’
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/26/doll-protesters-problem-russian-police

UFC Challenges Hackers, Gets Rehacked
Dana White should know by now that it doesn’t work to be macho on the Net

‘Five days ago, the UFC website was hacked for the first time. Instead of the usual articles and pictures on the website, there was only a drawing of Adolf Hitler and the “names” of the supposed hackers.

‘White was initially laconic about the incident until a recent interview with Ariel Helwani in which a boisterous White referred to the hackers as “terrorists” and even challenged them to attack the UFC website again.

‘The challenge was accepted.

‘The above video depicts the UFC website being hacked for a second time since five days ago (although, at the time of writing, the UFC website is fine)…’
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1041763-sopa-pipa-and-ufc-hacker-group-responds-to-dana-whites-challenge

Jon Stewart on Gingrich’s Moon Colony
Newt Wants to Divorce Earth, Head to Moon
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-january-26-2012/indecision-2012—2012–a-space-oddity

Deleting Harmful Comments
On the Internet, silence cannot be misquoted
‘There have been occasions right here on PoliceOne that a comment has been posted we felt might be harmful to the person posting — we delete those whenever we find them…’
http://lauristevens.visibli.com/share/8l2NQO

Activist Probes Teen Illness Mystery
‘Environmental activist Erin Brockovich has started her own investigation into the mysterious illness that’s caused symptoms of facial tics and verbal outbursts among teenagers in Le Roy, N.Y., in light of new evidence about a toxic chemical spill more than 40 years ago that caused water and ground contamination nearby…’
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-01-26/new-york-school-mystery-disease/52804710/1?csp=34news

Philippines
Proposal to Punish Negligent Parents

This should have been implemented a long time ago. If there are no irresponsible parents, there would be no street children. The only problem is if we punish poor parents, they wouldn’t be able to work and the children would suffer more.

‘To reduce the number of out-of-school youths and the incidence of gang wars, a Quezon City councilor wants parents fined and imprisoned for refusing to send their children to school.
Councilor Ranulfo Ludovica, president of the city’s Liga ng mga Barangay is proposing to make it mandatory for all parents in the city to enroll their children in elementary and high school to ensure their welfare.

‘Included in the Ludovica’s proposal are the guardians or relatives having care and custody of the child/children…’
http://hronlineph.com/2012/01/27/proposal-to-punish-negligent-parents-the-manila-bulletin-newspaper-online/

Image by Alrunia via Flickr

‘Note that our own Scott Fulton observes that some of the protests against ACTA object to provisions that have been removed from the treaty. What this doesn’t note is that many other objectionable provisions remain. Fulton also says “you can’t be arrested for an ACTA violation.” This is true, but only half the story. People can and will be arrested for violations of laws that result from nations complying with the treaty.

‘The word is that ACTA probably doesn’t change U.S. law. Probably? Nobody’s entirely sure. But as Techdirt calls out “it certainly does function to lock in US law, in a rapidly changing area of law, where specifics are far from settled.” It also, of course, serves to dictate compliance in other countries…’

Why ACTA Is Unacceptable
http://www.readwriteweb.com/enterprise/2012/01/thought-sopa-was-bad-10-reason.php

‘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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Do you chat on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+? Most of my contacts do (baffles me) but I prefer the good old email. Probably they find network chat faster but again, I don’t. Here are more comments:
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/big_question_answered_worst_excel_spreadsheet.php

Worst Internet Privacy Scandals of All Time
Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and Sony named in Online Privacy Hall of Shame

‘The latest company to come under the privacy microscope is Google, which revealed a new privacy policy on Tuesday that clarified how it is combining user data across its services.

‘Meanwhile, on Wednesday the European Union unveiled stiffer penalties and higher fines for U.S. firms that fail to meet their privacy rules for cloud computing and social media applications.
With online privacy expected to remain a high-profile issue in 2012, here’s our list of the biggest online privacy breaches of all time:…’
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/012612-privacy-scandals-255357.html

Choose What You Share with Google
‘The search giant offers a couple of options on what information is associated with any given Google account. You can get an overview of all the data Google associates with your account by looking at the “Dashboard” option on your main Google account page. There’s a lot of information on this page, such as Android devices associated with the account, calendar information, contact information, Gmail history and records of activity on Google Music, Google Talk, Google Reader, Google Voice and social connections through Google contacts and chat.

‘You can edit some account preferences through this page, though other information, such as what Android devices are associated with your account, can’t be edited…’
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/how-to-choose-what-you-share-with-google/2012/01/26/gIQAZNTpSQ_story.html?wpisrc=nl_most

Google Privacy Shift Makes Android an Info Gold Mine
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/google-sees-profit-in-tracking-users/2012/01/25/gIQAfDJVRQ_story.html

The McDonald’s Social Media Disaster
‘When you are a company whose products are synonymous with fast food and poor nutrition and whose job posts have made it into the Oxford English Dictionary as a byword for “An unstimulating, low-paid job with few prospects, esp. one created by the expansion of the service sector,” you might, understandably, want to use social media to get a different message across.

‘This is exactly what McDonald’s did when it decided to pour some cash into Twitter and buy some Twitter hashtags to promote its use of fresh produce, inserting paid-for tweets into the streams of Twitter users with the hashtag #MeetTheFarmers.

‘The campaign was intended to last 24-hours and it was well-intentioned enough and, initially, at least, appeared to work. When McDonald’s however changed the hashtag to #McDStories things went south very quickly. The hashtag was hijacked by angry customers who posted Tweets like these:…’
http://socialmediatoday.com/node/434385

Instant Online Weather Reports
For six years now, Brasscheck TV has been scooping the lame stream media, giving you the real news months and sometimes years before it happens.
Now we’re going to outdo them in weather reporting too.

If you need to know the weather forecast in any zip code area in the US, just enter the number,
press send and you’ll get it instantly.
Much faster and better than the Weather Channel or the other online weather services.

Just go to the top of the Brasscheck TV .com home page – and while you’re at it, consider
making Brasscheck TV , YOUR home page.
Go: http://www.BrasscheckTV.com

Gingrich Promises Moon Colony
Just yesterday, he said he wants Cuba freed. Now this

‘“By the end of my second term, we will have the first permanent base on the moon and it will be American,” Gingrich said, drawing applause from the crowd. “I will, as president, encourage the introduction of the northwest ordinance for space to put a marker down that we want Americans to think boldly about the future and we want Americans to go out and study hard and work hard and together, we’re going to unleash the American people to build the country we love.”…’
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71991.html

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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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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/

Image via Wikipedia

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

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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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/