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Submission + - Avatar - an open-source operating system for the Internet with privacy built-in (avatar.ai)

Submitted by zer0point
zer0point writes: A new project aiming to help people to communicate and share more securely without sacrificing user experience or privacy. Avatar runs on top of Avatar Network which is a decentralize, anonymous p2p network based on the Phantom protocol. Users can send messages either inside Avatar Network, or to other social networks like Facebook or Twitter, store/share any data and access popular internet services with few clicks. The project is currently looking for architecture/security experts to help audit the protocol designs.
The Military

Submission + - U.S. expands secret intelligence operations in Africa (washingtonpost.com)

Submitted by zer0point
zer0point writes: The U.S. military is expanding its secret intelligence operations across Africa, establishing a network of small air bases to spy on terrorist hideouts from the fringes of the Sahara to jungle terrain along the equator, according to documents and people involved in the project.

At the heart of the surveillance operations are small, unarmed turboprop aircraft disguised as private planes. Equipped with hidden sensors that can record full-motion video, track infrared heat patterns, and vacuum up radio and cellphone signals, the planes refuel on isolated airstrips favored by African bush pilots, extending their effective flight range by thousands of miles.
Privacy

Submission + - Why Privacy Matters Even if You Have 'Nothing to Hide' (chronicle.com)

Submitted by zer0point
zer0point writes: When the government gathers or analyzes personal information, many people say they're not worried. "I've got nothing to hide," they declare. "Only if you're doing something wrong should you worry, and then you don't deserve to keep it private."

"The nothing-to-hide argument pervades discussions about privacy. The data-security expert Bruce Schneier calls it the "most common retort against privacy advocates." The legal scholar Geoffrey Stone refers to it as an "all-too-common refrain." In its most compelling form, it is an argument that the privacy interest is generally minimal, thus making the contest with security concerns a foreordained victory for security."

Excellent article that highlights why Mark Zuckerberg's "end of privacy" mandate will never be the norm.
Google

Submission + - UK reopens investigation into Google Street View (msn.com)

Submitted by Pigskin-Referee
Pigskin-Referee writes: Britain's data regulator has reopened its investigation into Google's Street View, saying Tuesday that an inquiry by authorities in the United States raised new doubts about the disputed program.

Steve Eckersley, enforcement chief of the British Information Commissioner's Office, said Google Inc. had questions to answer about Street View, an attention-grabbing project which sent camera-toting vehicles across the globe to create three-dimensional maps of the world's highways and byways.

But the cars weren't just taking pictures: They were scooping up passwords, Web addresses, emails, and other sensitive data transmitted over unsecured wireless networks.

There was outrage on both sides of the Atlantic when the data-slurping was exposed in early 2010, and the Information Commissioner's Office was one of several European agencies which investigated Street View in the aftermath of the scandal. But in November of that year, the ICO gave Google a mere slap on the wrist, saying that while Google had violated British data protection laws it would escape any fines so long as it pledged not to do it again.

At the time, Google insisted that the breach was an accident.

"We did not want this data, have never used any of it on our products and services, and have sought to delete it as quickly as possible," the company claimed back then.

Evidence made public earlier this year by the Federal Communications Commission has since punctured Google's "oops-I-took-your-data" defense.
Blackberry

Submission + - iOS apps made to run on the BlackBerry PlayBook (theverge.com)

Submitted by zer0point
zer0point writes: Businesscat2000, over on the CrackBerry Forums, has posted multiple videos of a rather incredible feat he has achieved: porting iOS apps to run on the PlayBook OS. His initial claim has been met with a wave of dubiety and skepticism, as it should be given the general difficulty of porting anything iOS-related, but he has silenced the doubters by porting over an iPhone-only app sent to him directly by CrackBerry's Kevin Michaluk, getting it up and running on the PlayBook within an hour. We've also seen the iOS versions of Tiny Tower, TomTom's navigation app, and a number of others demonstrated.
Firefox

Submission + - Firefox 14 Beta Arrives with an Extra Shot of Security (pcworld.com) 1

Submitted by zer0point
zer0point writes: Mozilla's new Firefox 13 browser may have just barely landed on users' PCs, but already forward-looking fans can check out the beta version of Firefox 14. Most notable in Firefox 14 are new security features that “make it easier for users to control their Web experience,” according to the official announcement late last week on the Mozilla blog.

Several new features in the upcoming version of this popular free and open source browser are designed to make life better for users, in fact.
Portables (Apple)

Submission + - Apple announces next-generation 15-inch Macbook Pro with Retina Display (theverge.com)

Submitted by zer0point
zer0point writes: Apple has just announced the next-generation Macbook Pro with a retina display. It goes along the rest of the Macbook line, but Apple is looking foward with this model: removing the optical drive to enable a laptop that's only 0.71 inches thick. The premiere feature, however, is clearly the Retina Display, which packs a a 2880 x 1800 screen into 15.4 inches, which adds up to 220 ppi.

Submission + - US senators concerned with surveillance bill 'loophole' (wsj.com)

Submitted by zer0point
zer0point writes: The law lets U.S. agencies monitor the communications of foreigners outside the U.S. But two senators are questioning whether a loophole allows the storage and search of messages from Americans that are picked up inadvertently while foreigners are being monitored. The intelligence community has repeatedly said it takes steps to minimize the data collected on Americans.

Submission + - The Tricks Investors Use Against Founders (theprivateequiteer.com)

Submitted by zer0point
zer0point writes: While you have very limited sources of potential funding, we have virtually unlimited investment opportunities. If you don’t agree to our terms, there are plenty of other businesses willing to take our money (at least that’s what we want you to think).

With this in mind, what negotiating chips do I have left?

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