I got excited about some of the lower end packages (100-200mbps) but they are being disingenuous with pricing yet again... Their site offers 2 options... contract and no contract, but their no contract price is still only good for 12 months, then it skyrockets 25%... So yeah, I'll keep what I have.
Its these kinds of practices that definitely wish we had alternatives in my area, but I don't :(
Also, check out the wording on some of their promotional stuff... it shows 'Enjoy on 1 to 2 devices at the same time'... I wonder what kind of shenanigans they are pulling with this...
Who thinks this will be the next type of throttling that will come into play? Can't futz with what sites you visit due to net neutrality? Fine... we'll just tell you how many devices you can connect to our services... If anyone has any info on that, I'd definitely like to know... I've had my fill of Comcast Customer Support today...
I've never understood why these people are so quick to shoot themselves in the foot over this stuff. The marketing team could have had a field day with this in terms of cross-branding endorsements etc.
Until these Senators start actually holding these guys accountable and not renew their authority of Section 702, these hearings are just bluster. I like Wyden and what he's doing (it seems single handedly), but unfortunately it doesn't mean much to the NSA. Withholding the information won't change any politicians views of it and its 'necessity', so they might as well err on the side of caution. I'm sure the number of American's spied upon is pretty damning and might actually cause some blowback (especially if it's 90-100% of the population as I suspect), which could put its use in jeopardy.
Do you want blacklisted? Because this is how you get Blacklisted...
If I were in that industry, I'd make sure to have a list I'd pass around to other new organizations about litigious ass-hats that try and pull this crap. Want to sue me for perfectly legal dealings? Good luck getting a paycheck as a freelance photographer when no one wants to buy from you. Whatever value the picture may have is worth far less than the lawsuit that will be coming once the image is actually used.
So I saw this a while back where travel to the US is down 11%, and we are only 4 months into this regime. Let's see if this trend keeps up, which I expect it will seeing how the laptop and tablet bans on flights are going to go into effect. Add on top of that the xenophobic and racist comments our Incompetent-in-Chief has been making; who would seriously want to come here?
Colorado just passed a teen sexting bill that makes it a misdemeanor with a MAXIMUM of 2 years in prison assuming both teens are under 18 with no minimums. It seems like the idea is to have an educational class on why it is wrong, etc, etc, etc. as the most common punishment.
No sex offender registry or other lifelong hurdles to jump over for a bad decision when you were young...
Call me crazy, but 'sex offender' reform really needs to happen in this country.
Peeing outside while drunk? Sex offender.
Mooning your buddy driving down the road? Sex offender.
'Statutory Rape' of a 17 year old by an 18 year old even when the relationship had been underway previously? (certain states) Sex offender...
Good luck getting a career politician throwing himself in with that lot, because they are 'sex offenders'....
What kills me is that the FCC refuses to use even the most basic of anti-bot deterrents... I know that captcha isn't perfect, but hell, it makes the barrier of entry to these types of attacks a lot higher... and damage is mitigated quicker.
I also find it interesting that the same people rolling back customer privacy issues don't have an issue with a bot stealing people's identities...
I think the point of the article is literally arguing against using our intelligence community in this way. Today we use it 'because it is just against an unfit commander in chief'... but what stops this from being used against a Democrat/Republican Senate seat in a closely tied election? What stops them from using this to dredge up unflattering information about a journalist that is investigating the government on corruption? What stops them from using this against human rights activists that are protesting against the government on civil liberties violations?
The answer is nothing.... any time this power is abused, we all lose.
The problem is the sheer amount of power and no oversight and no accountability. The sooner people understand this, the sooner reforms can be had. Until then, the intelligence establishment will continue to play left and right and keep gaining more and more powers.
No tech company in their right mind would want to have a company in the UK if they implement this... Have fun going back to MSN Messenger and MySpace guys... You won't have any modern apps after those morons get done shooting themselves in the foot.
If a person can do it, a computer should be able to do it.
So I'm definitely going to swim against the current on this one a little bit... This technology isn't inherently bad, just how it is used (like license plate scanners).
If the police were told 'Bob Jones is a bail jumper wanted for murder, here's his picture, be on the lookout' and then a cop pulls over someone that meets this description, I'd say that the officer is using his best judgement. I don't think anyone would fault the officer for doing this. I would also bet money, that the officer is wrong much higher than 15% of the time. I can see this technology being great at catching criminals assuming they don't take it too far.
I alluded to license plate scanners... if you just scan and dump when there is no reason to keep the information (or even a transient 72 hour hold), I don't see a big deal with this. A cop could do the exact same thing with his brain. You are just automating it... But the problem comes in when you begin to perpetually store this stuff and start using that data to cross check and query... THAT is where it crosses a line.
I would also say giving personal information to the officer about a person that he doesn't have a reason to know is also a step too far... hooking in facial recognition to Facebook or a database of non-violent felons. Assuming they are just doing this stuff behind the scenes in a computer somewhere (and the data is dumped after a period), I'm ok with this.
However, this isn't the software or technology's fault, it is how it is implemented and used.
And yes... I know that they will totally be abusing this... but assuming they put in proper safe guards (which they probably won't...) I would be fine with this.
Re: I don't think you would like the world you are creating...
You are blaming the app developer for the local user's actions. Do not confuse the two. If I take your argument at face value, you would also want Google Maps / Waze to be shut down without 'prior permission from the local municipality'. They augment reality by overlaying streets with colors or mark objects on a map that updates as you move around... much like Pokemon Go...
Developers of the AR do not need to 'program' things specifically... they just use a random generator and things 'show up' there. And given that developers are creating AR games ALL OVER THE WORLD... it's not their responsibility (and in fact impossible) to know every municipalities set of archaic and overly broad rules... And trying to make a system that 'blocks' these areas does nothing but increase costs to small companies, which then limits the ability of all but the richest to compete and create.
Good for this company for suing Milwaukee and their moronic policies.
This is a classic example of blaming the 'tech' for problems and not the person using it...
What I really wish was that there was an open API that would allow a user to create subtitles and add them programmatically to video on a legitimate service (e.g. netflix, hulu, etc).
There's a lot of reasons for this other than just the obvious it-doesnt-exist-in-a-language-i-need. I've seen deplorable 'official' subtitles that ruin shows. I've seen anime subs that do 'translations' where it takes a serious anime and turns it into a comedy (think MST3K). Also having descriptive subtitles for cultural differences or for commentary are a valid use case; no different than actor commentary on movies.
I will agree that these types of use cases are few and far between, but there is an untapped market of creativity that could be unleashed if it were easy to use and on a legitimate service.
While the MPAA and RIAA will burst a blood vessel over this... I do owe a lot of my computer knowledge to the early days of file sharing and piracy (KaZaa/Napster days, so it has been a while...). I learned what kinds of files could be trusted, which would give me viruses, how to clean up viruses, and other very handy tricks and tips of keeping a computer clean. This sparked an interest in computer science and changed my trajectory in middle school. Now I work in tech and have a career that I thoroughly enjoy.
No wonder the UK has such a huge skills gap for cybersecurity professionals... you'd rather hyperventilate over their 'illegal' activity of modifying a game that they own.... rather than encourage them to make their passion a career.
Criminalizing a 'toy'... I can't wait to see that armed-to-the-hilt SWAT raid...
*flash bang* "DROP THE BARBIE! GET ON THE GROUND!" *flash bang* *smoke grenade* *taser* "That'll teach you to have contraband toys! It could spy on you! We are doing you a favor!"
Or... the more sensible option... remove the batteries... *gasp*
Seems Germany has the Furby-Crazies of China right now.
Thoughts and prayers go out to you in this fight. I think it is a slam dunk win for you, but I would have thought the same for the Gawker case as well... Harder and Ayyadurai are scum of the earth and its unfortunate that this lawsuit is even a thing.
Are these blocks by DNS or by IP? If its by DNS, I could see ways around that. If its by IP, then I could see collateral damage to sites happening to share an IP (wordpress, etc.) or having a non-sticky IP (like AWS)...
Better start prepping the stories about the 'good old days' of the internet...
Once one of these companies piss off Google, Facebook, Twitter, etc. with a blanket ban on their site, that'll wake people up to how horribly dumb this idea is.
I would love for one of these copyright mafia companies to request a block on Google for a day and have Google countersue for losses of millions of dollars (given that is a reality and they would have standing).
Time will tell... Keep in mind this is the same country to prosecute scientists over a prediction of seismic activity... So this isn't all that surprising...
It's worst argument was that the documents weren't of sufficient public interest to expedite handling.
How is this even allowed to be used? If a journalist is using this to write a story or whatever, I don't see how this argument could EVER hold up. If that was the case, agencies would never be compelled to release anything... not that isn't already par for the course...
I would hope that some organization like the EFF or ACLU would help this guy out. This is ridiculous.
Also, it seems like a waste of FBI resources... I mean, if he can 'shut off' copies of software used for nefarious purposes, wouldn't it be in the FBI's best interest to work with him to find the people who bought and were administrating these 'infected' machines?
If you don't have Greenhouse extension for Chrome, get it. It shows you that Mr. Goodlatte's biggest donor is TV/Music/Movies... and is representing constituents in Virginia.... I don't know of very many TV/Music/Movie producers or content that come out of Virginia. Something smells fishy, but at least now we know the cost to buy a bill is $164,000.
On the post: Cable Lobby Again Makes It Clear That Net Neutrality Didn't Hurt Broadband Investment
Checked it out... still scammy on their pricing
Its these kinds of practices that definitely wish we had alternatives in my area, but I don't :(
Also, check out the wording on some of their promotional stuff... it shows 'Enjoy on 1 to 2 devices at the same time'... I wonder what kind of shenanigans they are pulling with this...
Who thinks this will be the next type of throttling that will come into play? Can't futz with what sites you visit due to net neutrality? Fine... we'll just tell you how many devices you can connect to our services... If anyone has any info on that, I'd definitely like to know... I've had my fill of Comcast Customer Support today...
On the post: Kellogg's Takes Australian Tennis Player To Court For Branding Himself 'Special K'
Yet another lost opportunity...
Oh well.. gotta protect that IP?
On the post: Congress Getting Pissed Off Over Failure Of Intel Community To Reveal How Many Americans Are Being Spied On
No Stakes, No Game
On the post: Photographer Sues News Agency For Embedding A Tweet Containing His Photo
Do you want blacklisted? Because this is how you get Blacklisted...
On the post: DHS Steps Up Demands For Visa Applicants' Social Media Account Info
Who needs tourism jobs anyway...
So I saw this a while back where travel to the US is down 11%, and we are only 4 months into this regime. Let's see if this trend keeps up, which I expect it will seeing how the laptop and tablet bans on flights are going to go into effect. Add on top of that the xenophobic and racist comments our Incompetent-in-Chief has been making; who would seriously want to come here?
On the post: Congress 'Fixes' Child Porn 'Loophole' With 15-Year Prison Sentences For Teen Sexting
Follow Common Sense Colorado
No sex offender registry or other lifelong hurdles to jump over for a bad decision when you were young...
Call me crazy, but 'sex offender' reform really needs to happen in this country.
Peeing outside while drunk? Sex offender.
Mooning your buddy driving down the road? Sex offender.
'Statutory Rape' of a 17 year old by an 18 year old even when the relationship had been underway previously? (certain states) Sex offender...
Good luck getting a career politician throwing himself in with that lot, because they are 'sex offenders'....
On the post: Consumers Who Had Their Identities Stolen By A Spam Bot Demand FCC Investigate Bogus Net Neutrality Comments
Captcha anyone?
I also find it interesting that the same people rolling back customer privacy issues don't have an issue with a bot stealing people's identities...
On the post: Intelligence Community Leaks Are Normalizing Domestic Surveillance Abuses
Re:
The answer is nothing.... any time this power is abused, we all lose.
The problem is the sheer amount of power and no oversight and no accountability. The sooner people understand this, the sooner reforms can be had. Until then, the intelligence establishment will continue to play left and right and keep gaining more and more powers.
On the post: UK Government Using Manchester Attacks As An Excuse To Kill Encryption
So much for the UK being a tech player
On the post: Yet Another Bad Idea: Dropping Facial Recognition Software Into Police Body Cameras
If a person can do it, a computer should be able to do it.
If the police were told 'Bob Jones is a bail jumper wanted for murder, here's his picture, be on the lookout' and then a cop pulls over someone that meets this description, I'd say that the officer is using his best judgement. I don't think anyone would fault the officer for doing this. I would also bet money, that the officer is wrong much higher than 15% of the time. I can see this technology being great at catching criminals assuming they don't take it too far.
I alluded to license plate scanners... if you just scan and dump when there is no reason to keep the information (or even a transient 72 hour hold), I don't see a big deal with this. A cop could do the exact same thing with his brain. You are just automating it... But the problem comes in when you begin to perpetually store this stuff and start using that data to cross check and query... THAT is where it crosses a line.
I would also say giving personal information to the officer about a person that he doesn't have a reason to know is also a step too far... hooking in facial recognition to Facebook or a database of non-violent felons. Assuming they are just doing this stuff behind the scenes in a computer somewhere (and the data is dumped after a period), I'm ok with this.
However, this isn't the software or technology's fault, it is how it is implemented and used.
And yes... I know that they will totally be abusing this... but assuming they put in proper safe guards (which they probably won't...) I would be fine with this.
On the post: Game Maker Sues Milwaukee Over Permit Requirement To Make Augmented Reality Games
Re: I don't think you would like the world you are creating...
Developers of the AR do not need to 'program' things specifically... they just use a random generator and things 'show up' there. And given that developers are creating AR games ALL OVER THE WORLD... it's not their responsibility (and in fact impossible) to know every municipalities set of archaic and overly broad rules... And trying to make a system that 'blocks' these areas does nothing but increase costs to small companies, which then limits the ability of all but the richest to compete and create.
Good for this company for suing Milwaukee and their moronic policies.
This is a classic example of blaming the 'tech' for problems and not the person using it...
On the post: Dutch Court Rules That Freely Given Fan-Subtitles Are Copyright Infringement
Free the Subs!
There's a lot of reasons for this other than just the obvious it-doesnt-exist-in-a-language-i-need. I've seen deplorable 'official' subtitles that ruin shows. I've seen anime subs that do 'translations' where it takes a serious anime and turns it into a comedy (think MST3K). Also having descriptive subtitles for cultural differences or for commentary are a valid use case; no different than actor commentary on movies.
I will agree that these types of use cases are few and far between, but there is an untapped market of creativity that could be unleashed if it were easy to use and on a legitimate service.
On the post: UK Crime Agency's Latest Moral Panic: Kids Modding Videogames May Be A Gateway To Becoming Criminal Hackers
Flip the coin
I do owe a lot of my computer knowledge to the early days of file sharing and piracy (KaZaa/Napster days, so it has been a while...). I learned what kinds of files could be trusted, which would give me viruses, how to clean up viruses, and other very handy tricks and tips of keeping a computer clean. This sparked an interest in computer science and changed my trajectory in middle school. Now I work in tech and have a career that I thoroughly enjoy.
Side note:
http://blog.indeed.com/2017/01/17/cybersecurity-skills-gap-report/
No wonder the UK has such a huge skills gap for cybersecurity professionals... you'd rather hyperventilate over their 'illegal' activity of modifying a game that they own.... rather than encourage them to make their passion a career.
On the post: German Consumers Face $26,500 Fine If They Don't Destroy Poorly-Secured 'Smart' Doll
Destroy it... or else...
*flash bang* "DROP THE BARBIE! GET ON THE GROUND!" *flash bang* *smoke grenade* *taser* "That'll teach you to have contraband toys! It could spy on you! We are doing you a favor!"
Or... the more sensible option... remove the batteries... *gasp*
Seems Germany has the Furby-Crazies of China right now.
On the post: Latest Filings In Our First Amendment Fight; Please Help Keep True Independent Journalism From Being Silenced
Good Luck Guys
On the post: MPA Gets Ireland To Crack Open The Site-Blocking Door It Plans To Bust Through
How do these blocks work?
Better start prepping the stories about the 'good old days' of the internet...
On the post: Italian Court Says Due Process Isn't Necessary For Blocking Sites Over Copyright Infringement
Wait for it...
I would love for one of these copyright mafia companies to request a block on Google for a day and have Google countersue for losses of millions of dollars (given that is a reality and they would have standing).
Time will tell... Keep in mind this is the same country to prosecute scientists over a prediction of seismic activity... So this isn't all that surprising...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_L%27Aquila_earthquake
On the post: NASA Tells MuckRock FOIA Requesters They'll Have To Start Providing Their Home Addresses
Excuses Excuses Excuses
How is this even allowed to be used? If a journalist is using this to write a story or whatever, I don't see how this argument could EVER hold up. If that was the case, agencies would never be compelled to release anything... not that isn't already par for the course...
On the post: FBI Arrests Creator Of Remote Access Tool, Rather Than Those Abusing It To Commit Crime
Is EFF all over this?
Also, it seems like a waste of FBI resources... I mean, if he can 'shut off' copies of software used for nefarious purposes, wouldn't it be in the FBI's best interest to work with him to find the people who bought and were administrating these 'infected' machines?
So much for thinking...
On the post: Congress Leaks Draft Bill To Move Copyright Office Out Of The Library Of Congress
Greenhouse & Open Secrets proves All
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