82326701
submission
Trachman writes:
Here is the interesting case to pay attention to . Seattle man has been wrongfully convicted for a crime that took place in 1957. He finally got an an alibi, which was a telephone call which he took in 1957. While it surely is a good thing that an innocence has been proved, the case is also an evidence that American's communication records are retained infinitely.
79207725
submission
Trachman writes:
This is a fascinating article about hit and run suspect arrested after her own car reported to authorities, see the link in http://finance.yahoo.com/news/...
Currently the system activates when sensors on the car detect a sudden change of speed or movement. An emergency call is automatically placed to local first responders who can pinpoint the precise location of the incident using information supplied by the vehicle’s GPS unit. An audio recording released by the authorities reveals how Bernstein tried to convince the dispatcher that there was no cause for concern. When the dispatcher asks what’d happened, Bernstein responds, “Ma’am, there’s no problem. Everything was fine.” Suspecting there was more to the situation than Bernstein was letting on, the dispatcher responds: “OK, but your car called in saying you’d been involved in an accident. It doesn’t do that for no reason. Did you leave the scene of an accident?”
We know that Progressive is using tracking device to increase your insurance rate based on your driving habits. We also know that Emergency Assistance can and will be used to track. However a vehicle auto calling to police, is a serious implication of 4th amendment rights. What if two family members or friends collided and want to settle as private parties? Seriously, 4th amendment allows to keep the mouth shut, however the driver now has little choice. In EU this system has been mandated to be installed in all cars from 2018 and nobody is objective to this so far.
66120131
submission
Trachman writes:
Austrian scientists discovered a way to couple photon pairs. During the coupling for two identical photons, under analysis, a phase is changed in one and, using the magic of the world of quantum mechanics, the phase of other photon also changes. Scientists predict that this can advance quantum optics, quantum computations and, in the nearest future, secure fiber networks from NSA and other self appointed nosy rulers of the world.
The question to the community is following: Is there anyone who can explain in simple terms the essence of the discovery and associated potential practical applications.
64095047
submission
Trachman writes:
Popular Science magazine has published an article about a network of cell towers that are owned not by telecommunication companies but by internal US agencies that are, well... gathering, data of US citizens. Many of them are built in US military bases. The revelation states that individual users are being tracked without court order or any warrant nor the knowledge of cell service providers and are built with the sole purpose of .... data gathering (spying, monitoring).
61944931
submission
Trachman writes:
Latest news to the travelers flying into the US: you will discover that getting through security will become even more time-consuming and stressful. The US Transport Security Administration revealed on Sunday that enhanced security procedures on flights coming to the US now include not allowing uncharged cell phones and other devices onto planes.
Let's think about it. In the next decade some perverted heads will announce anal and vaginal devices as the next transportation threat. How far Americans are willing to go, how many liberties to lose for the sense of security.
57548667
submission
Trachman writes:
We are going to the next level. The people who are entrusted with the state secrets will now have be officially under automated surveillance. Sounds fair? Except that all those with the clearances have been monitored in the past albeit in less organized way. For decades employees have been taught to snitch on each other by reporting "suspicious" behavior in any self respecting organization, private or state funded. So it does not appear to illogical, in fact, quite a reasonable justifications for 5 million or so of people with clearance to completely and officially lose their privacy, right? So who knows, perhaps in ten years when federal employee tracking will be "accepted social norm", there will be a new push (under whatever the issue of the day) called "entrusted citizen and taxpayer". In order to be deemed to be trusted citizen and taxpayer one will be subjected to the scrutiny currently extended to the federal security apparatus employees. The icing of the cake is the comment made by the program leaders : “The system only works well, if it has thoughtful, educated, careful human beings behind it” . I am happy to remind that this a less romantic quote of Soviet Cheka (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A7%D0%9A), who have described themselves as patriots with flaming heart and cold mind.
