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Submission + - Huawei Successfully Tests New 802.11ax WiFi Standard at 10.53Gbps 1

Submitted by Mark.JUK
Mark.JUK writes: Chinese ICT developer Huawei has confirmed that it was able to achieve a record transmission data rate of 10.53Gbps on 5GHz frequency bands in laboratory trials of their new 802.11ax WiFi (WLAN) wireless networking standard. The testing, which was conducted at Huawei’s campus in Shenzhen, used a mix of MIMO-OFDA, intelligence spectrum allocation, interference coordination and hybrid access to achieve the result and the new technology could hit the market during 2018.

Submission + - Google to Close Moto X Factory in U.S.

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: After only one year in operation, Google's Moto X factory in Fort Worth, TX, is scheduled to close at the end of 2014. The decision to close apparently has nothing to do with Google's decision to sell Motorola Mobility to Lenovo and everything to do with poor sales numbers and high labor and shipping costs in the U.S. The factory had, at one point, employed 3,800 people. Their ranks now number at about 700. Moto E and Moto G, newer and cheaper iterations of Moto X, have sold in more profitable numbers overseas, so Google's original rationale of building phones nearer to the largest customer base to decrease time between assembly and delivery to end user will unsurprisingly force the closure of the U.S.-based factory and transfer labor overseas as well.

Submission + - Wikipedia Medical Articles Found to Have High Error Rate

Submitted by Rambo Tribble
Rambo Tribble writes: A group of researchers publishing in the Journal of the American Osteopathic Association found that 90% of the articles they sampled contained errors regarding common medical conditions. Unsurprisingly, they recommend your General Practitioner as a more reliable source, while noting, '... 47% to 70% of physicians and medical students admitting to using it [Wikipedia] as a reference.'

At issue in the study is the small sample size used in the study, 10 medical conditions, and ongoing efforts to improve the quality of Wikipedia's articles, according to a Wikipedia spokesman, '... especially in relation to health and medicine.'

The BBC has more approachable coverage, here.

Submission + - Sacked Googler claims Schmidt personally interfered with staff rankings (irishtimes.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: A sacked senior manager at Google Dublin claimed the company's executive chairman Eric Schmidt personally interfered with staff rankings. Google was found guilty of unfair dismissal by the Employment Appeals Tribunal, awarding $150,000 in damages . The senior manager claimed Google had a "unique" system of comparing performance of staff groups worldwide, in which each unit's ratings were assessed by their likeness to a template "bell curve". She said staff were ranked from one to five and someone at Google always had to get a low score "of 2.9", so the unit could match the bell curve. She was present when the ranking of a staff member was reduced electronically by Eric Schmidt even though "Mr Schmidt could not have known anything about the employee."

Posting here as it didn't seem to get coverage outside of Ireland, may be good to know for current Google employees.

Link to story [irishtimes.com]
http://www.irishtimes.com/news...

Submission + - Congress unhappy with FCC's proposed changes to net neutrality

Submitted by Presto Vivace
Presto Vivace writes: FCC Chair’s Proposed Net Neutrality Rule Not Popular At Congressional Hearing

FCC chairman Tom Wheeler took the hot seat today in an oversight hearing before the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology to testify about current issues before his agency, including net neutrality. The overriding theme of the day? Pretty much everyone who spoke hates the rule the FCC narrowly approved for consideration last week — just for different reasons.

Instructions for how to send your comment to the FCC for those so inclined. There is also a White House petition calling for the removal of Wheeler from his position as FCC Chair.

Submission + - 'NSA-Proof' Email Service 1

Submitted by Presto Vivace
Presto Vivace writes: Harvard and MIT Students Launch ‘NSA-Proof’ Email Service

The new email platform is called ProtonMail, BostInno reports. The service’s five brainy founders met while working at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Switzerland. They bonded over a shared desire to build an email service even more secure than Lavabit, Mr. Snowden’s now-defunct email service of choice.

They have incorporated in Switzerland.

Submission + - German will ban tech companies who work with the NSA from gov't contracts 1

Submitted by Presto Vivace
Presto Vivace writes: No federal contracts will go to companies that turn over data to the NSA or other agencies. There may, however, be one crucial exemption

It didn't take an Edward Snowden to figure out that American espionage service providers had access to confidential information about German citizens. It's been known for years that the Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) works for American secret services.

It's also known that a former CSC subsidiary was involved in the abduction of German citizen Khaled el-Masri, who was turned over to the CIA and subjected to abuse and degradation before the agency finally admitted his arrest and torture were a mistake.

Nevertheless, German CSC subsidiaries have in past years received more than 100 contracts from state and federal governments in Germany, as Süddeutsche Zeitung and public broadcaster NDR reported last fall.

Submission + - Free software foundation condemns Mozilla's move to support DRM in Firefox. (fsf.org)

Submitted by ptr_88
ptr_88 writes: Free software foundation has opposed Mozilla's move to support DRM in Firefox browser partnership with Adobe. This is what FSF has to say about this move : The Free Software Foundation is deeply disappointed in Mozilla's announcement. The decision compromises important principles in order to alleviate misguided fears about loss of browser market share. It allies Mozilla with a company hostile to the free software movement and to Mozilla's own fundamental ideals .

Submission + - Google may have more of your email than you think (slate.com)

Submitted by tlhIngan
tlhIngan writes: Everyone knows about GMail — Google's web-based email service. And there are a few people who refuse to use it, citing privacy amongst other reasons. However, it turns out Google may have more of your email than you think. Benjamin Mako Hill was curious and analyzed his personal email. He found out that Google handled approximately half of his personal email, despite not having a GMail account. This includes email sent to him, as well as email he sends out. While it shows how popular Google's service is, it also shows how much potential information there is for Google and others (like the NSA) could sift through.

Submission + - Which Tech Companies Help Protect You From Government Data Demands?

Submitted by Presto Vivace
Presto Vivace writes: EFF Survey Shows Improved Privacy and Transparency Policies of the Internet's Biggest Companies

San Francisco — Technology companies are privy to our most sensitive information: our conversations, photos, location data, and more. But which companies fight the hardest to protect your privacy from government data requests? Today, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) releases its fourth annual "Who Has Your Back" report, with comprehensive information on 26 companies' commitments to fighting unfair demands for customer data. The report examines the privacy policies, terms of service, public statements, and courtroom track records of major technology companies, including Internet service providers, email providers, social networking sites, and mobile services.

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