News

The digital Dark Age

They fear that rather than ushering mankind into a techno-utopia of paperless offices and clean, eco-friendly, endlessly flexible, virtual communication, it threatens to cast future generations into what Connell describes as a “digital dark age”.

“It all seems very attractive – scanning documents, taking pictures, putting them into the computer for safekeeping, allowing us to throw away hard copies and to save space.” Indeed, it is the most dramatic record-keeping revolution since the invention of printing.

“But what happens some time later,” asks Connell, “when we discover that we no longer have the machines, the programs – the hardware, the software – the know-how, to access all that computer-based, digital material?”

The digital Dark Age – Technology – smh.com.au

Posted on by mklang

Expanding the Public Domain

James Boyle on the Public Domain

“My goal here has been to offer a theory, and a practice, of the public domain. The theory and practice come with a change in attitude. It’s time to think about expanding the public domain, not just defending or salvaging it. Some of the decisions that have already been made were unfortunate. There was no need to extend the copyright terms, in my view. It was not economically justified, it didn’t harmonize the law, and we’ve locked up 20 years of culture for no good reason. But the good news is, I don’t think that the term extension would pass today. What we have to do now is to think of all of the ways in which we can use the wonderful technology that is available to us, and build a public domain that people can get access to practically, but also a public domain they are aware of. Because if people have a sense of this world of available, accessible information, and understand what they can do with it, not just as passive consumers, but as people who can actually use and build on it, then we will solve the theoretical problem I started out with. We will have our rich and complex idea of public domain because we will all be living it every day.”

ARL 241: Expanding the Public Domain

Posted on by mklang

Privacy, GPS & Children

After taking a short look at some of the products available on the market (and it is a growing market, I did a similar small survey about a year ago) it is obvious that GPS surveillance of children (but obviously not only children) is only going to grow. Privacy & childrens rights be damned this fear of the terrible has led to “paranoid parenting” (Furedi 2001).

Here are some of the products and services available for parents and other amateur Big Brothers:

ULocate http://www.ulocate.com/
uLocate Communications is a leading provider of wireless location-based services (LBS) that leverage an individual’s location to deliver customized, actionable information:
â?¢ last known locations
â?¢ maps
â?¢ directions
â?¢ location-based alerts
â?¢ proximity-based points of interest

Wherify Wireless http://www.wherifywireless.com/
The GPS Wheriphone: Through the convergence of Global Positioning System (GPS) and digital wireless technology – along with Wherify’s patented location technologies – the GPS Locator Phone offers parents, family members and business people peace of mind knowing they can locate loved ones or valuable property, 24-hours a day, seven days a week. The slim, small and lightweight GPS Locator Phone can fit almost anywhereâ?¦from a backpack to a purse to a coat pocket to the family car.

Teen Arrive Alive http://www.teenarrivealive.com/
Features of the Teen Arrive Alive GPS service:
â?¢ Locations are updated every 2minutes.
â?¢ 7 days of location history is available.
â?¢ Location data can be downloaded to your computer.
â?¢ Our service provides physical address, speed, and heading for each location with a corresponding data point plotted on a map. See the route your teen has taken each day.
â?¢ Our patent-pending locator hotline allows parents to locate their teen anytime, from anywhere in the world from any phone.
â?¢ Location data is available in real time, 24 hours a day, everyday.
â?¢ You have unlimited access to location information with no additional fees or charges.
â?¢ Our service is as mobile as your teen. We locate the phone, not the car.
â?¢ The java application on the phone allows the teen to get their physical address and a corresponding street map directly on the phone – useful if they get lost.
â?¢ Choose from 5 different reports to analyze travel data.

DriveDiagnostics http://www.drivediagnostics.com/
Parents can receive:
â?¢ Recieve real time warnings when their child drives aggressively or dangerously.
â?¢ Be informed of specific and recurring aggressive and dangerous maneuvers performed by their teenager.
â?¢ Recieve real time warning messages to the parent via mail, SMS or phone call
â?¢ Gain access to driver profile, guidance and advise as to how to improve the teens driving
http://www.drivediagnostics.com/site/industry.asp?subMenu=teen

GPS Kid Locator Tracker Backpack http://www.spyshops.ca/trackerbackpack.htm
â?¢ Safety: The hours before and after school is in session are when parents worry most about their childâ??s safety. The GPS Kid Locator Tracker Backpack gives them an easy way to pinpoint their childâ??s location at any time.
â?¢ Convenience: The rechargeable battery operates for up to one week between battery recharges. Without having to remove the battery pack from the backpack, simply plug it into any outlet to recharge.
â?¢ Emergency Help: The GPS Kid Locator Tracker Backpack features an emergency call button that can be used to summon help or directly alert a parent to a childâ??s specific location. The child could also use the emergency call button to alert a parent should he or she become lost.
â?¢ GeoFence: Parents can easily construct a GeoFence online using the patented LOBOâ?¢ mapping software. A GeoFence is a defined are in which a parent can be alerted if the child is not inside the area or goes beyond a predefined area.
â?¢ Easy to Use: The GPS Kid Locator Tracker Backpack is self-contained and ready to use. Programming is done remotely online anytime anywhere. Our secure web site transmits programming instructions to the unit implementing them immediately.

Sentinel Watch (30 June 2004) – This may turn out to be vaporware since I have been unable to find updated information.
CPS and Xion collaborate on development of GSM based communications and security device
The new Sentinel Watch is based on a tri-band GSM engine and consistently delivers 100m accuracy in urban, suburban and rural areas. In addition the Watch can be tracked and located indoors and metal framed buildings. The watch also offers:
â?¢ parent/child communication via SMS/MMS
â?¢ a warning for parents if the child moves outside a designated or defined area
â?¢ a panic button which sends an immediate alert message to the parent
â?¢ security clasp and security strap the alert the parent when the watch is removed without authorisation
â?¢ gaming facilities
http://www.cursor-system.com/cps/news_detail.asp?ID=119

and finally the silliest of the lot…
SmartWear Technologies plans to launch a line of pajamas embedded with RFID tags (http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml;?articleID=165701942).

Posted on by mklang

Disney Parks Scan fingerprints

Tourists visiting Disney theme parks in Central Florida must now provide their index and middle fingers to be scanned before entering the front gates.

Local 6 News

The next step will be theme parks gathering DNA from customers? With millions of visitors every year this could be a valuable source of income…

Posted on by mklang

Hacking the XBox & Other copying

Since 2003 it has been illegal in the UK to modify video games consoles. The first conviction for this offence came this week.

The offender was sentenced to 140 hours community service and ordered to pay £750 in costs. The court also seized his equipment – three PCs, two printers*, three Xbox consoles and 38 hard drives. Article BBC Online.

This coincides nicely with the publishing of the report “Fake Nation: A study into an everyday crime” (Bryce & Rutter) which presents attitudes towards counterfitting and copying.

The report shows that pirating and purchasing counterfit products is viewed as acceptable social behaviour.

*What motivated the courts to sieze his printers? Since he probably wore shoes while modifying and selling why not take his shoes?

Posted on by mklang

On sharks & coconuts

Summer is here and many are heading for the water. I just want to post a small wierd note to comfort those who fear the water.

“Falling coconuts kill 150 people worldwide each year, 15 times the number of fatalities attributable to sharks,” said George Burgess, Director of the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File and a noted shark researcher.
Daily University Science News 23-May-2002

However the fear of coconuts seems to be exaggerated. Mulford et al (2001) write in the “largest review of coconut-palm related injuries,” that even though extensive studies have been carried out no fatalities have been recorded.

Well despite the academic debate on the topic of which is the most lethal (coconuts or sharks) the best thing to do is to stay away from both of these dangerous pasttimes – why not go bungee jumping instead?

Bibliography
Barss, P. “Injuries due to falling coconuts”, J Trauma. 1984 Nov;24(11):990-1. Read abstract.

Mumford et al, “Coconut Palm-Related Injuries in the Pacific Islands,” Australian and New Zealand Journal of Surgery, Volume 71 Issue 1 Page 32 – January 2001. More info.

Posted on by mklang