Here are another couple of links: http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2012/12/12/a-comparison-of-the-2008-and-2012-nctc-guidelines/ and http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324478304578171623040640006.html.

From what I can tell, it appears to mostly be changes in 1) what information can be gathered, 2) on whom (don't need suspicion of terrorist activity anymore to search through someone's files), 3) how long it can be retained (5 years for innocent people, forever for anyone suspected of criminal activity), and 4) more importantly, the methods that can be used to gather it. In the past, it wasn't possible to do "dragnet" type searches looking for a specific pattern (i.e., show me everyone who searched for "how to make a bomb" on Google in the past 6 months and purchased more than 500 rounds of ammunition), but had to be a search on a specific person of interest (i.e., show me what Mohammad Mohammad searched for on Google last week).

As far as I can tell, there hasn't yet been a change in what actions can be taken based on the findings in that info, but the groundwork for action without due process has been laid for some time already.

Ok. I just can't resist this anymore. Who, in the bloody hell, is so stupid that they follow their stupid GPS device around like a damn lemming - so the extent that they walk in the middle of the damn street and get their ass plastered by oncoming traffic? What a really top-notch example of natural selection - follow that up with the fact that she sued Google for her own stupidity, and I'm having real trouble feeling any sympathy.

Come on, people - GPS is a tool to help you get your general bearings in unknown territory; always has been, always will be. It won't ever be perfect and it doesn't have to be. Computers cannot (and should not) think for you.

Being a good programmer takes discipline, no? It's a lot of work to get really good at what you do. That kind of dedication takes a lot of discipline.