WASHINGTON (CNNMoney) -- Free isn't free.
http://money.cnn.com/2011/01/28/technology/google_data_privacy_day/index.htm
"The cost of reading the New York Times for free is being tracked. The cost of being on Facebook is being data-mined," Peter Eckersley, a senior staff technologist for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said Friday at a panel discussion on the intersection of technology and privacy.
Eckersley's comments came at an event organized by Google at its Washington, D.C., office to mark Data Privacy Day -- an international effort by governments and businesses to draw attention to the issues surrounding individuals' online privacy.
A seemingly constant stream of breaches, accidents and misfires have given the issue fresh visibility this year, and prompted lawmakers and regulators to consider new mandates aimed at protecting their constituents.
So as the fourth annual Data Privacy Day kicked off on Friday, the feeling of urgency in the room at Google's event was palpable.
Getting the "wonks" and "geeks" talking in the same language is the first challenge. Engineers think linearly, like computers running code, said Alma Whitten, Google's director of privacy product and engineering. Policymakers come at it from a different angle.
And then both sides need to be able to communicate with users, who don't want to muck around with complicated controls and account settings.
"The people that understand tech and understand the policy side and engage really have a challenge to live up to in making how this works clear to everyone," she said.
Unsurprisingly, the tech companies would prefer to see these problems solved through tools, not rules. Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) touted the new "two-step verification" option it will be rolling out to all accounts within the next few weeks.
The new opt-in setting gives users a second security wall. When someone logs into a Google account for first time from a new computer, a code will be sent to the phone (typically a mobile, but a landline will also work) associated with the account. That code is required for access -- a step intended to keep out intruders who have obtained the account's password.
Facebook also launched new data-protection tools this week. The biggest was a "safe browsing option" that integrates the HTTPS protocol for secure connections. That technical tweak will help solve a gaping hole that let hijackers grab control of Facebook accounts accessed through public Wi-Fi hotspots
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Posted by Kai Ajala Dupé
What Are Your Family Technology Goals?
Does your family have a technology plan? Next month is National Black Family Technology Awareness Week (February 13 – February 19). In light of that, I began wondering how many black families actually have a household technology plan. Many of us have plans for everything in our household. Why not a technology plan?
We have budgets, which is nothing more than a plan for your money. We have health plans. Some of us spend a great deal of money monthly for expensive gym memberships in attempt to stay in shape and lead a healthier lifestyle. But how many of us have a technology plan?
Most businesses and some schools have a technology plan. This is something you should know about the school your child attends. It is not a good idea to assume there is a plan and that the plan is adequate. It is time we take some responsibility in terms of engaging and nurturing our children to pursue technology.
Especially in light of the results of a recent study of female and minority chemists and chemical engineers the nation’s K-12 education get an average grade of ‘D’ for the job it does engaging and nurturing minorities to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
This would be a great time to also setup your technology plan for the year. The first thing that must be done before you can setup a plan (which is defined as activity you will engage in to reach your goal), is to determine your goals. So, a better question here might be. What are your family’s technology goals?
Posted by Kai Ajala Dupé
What Are Your Family Technology Goals?
Does your family have a technology plan? Next month is National Black Family Technology Awareness Week (February 13 – February 19). In light of that, I began wondering how many black families actually have a household technology plan. Many of us have plans for everything in our household. Why not a technology plan?
We have budgets, which is nothing more than a plan for your money. We have health plans. Some of us spend a great deal of money monthly for expensive gym memberships in attempt to stay in shape and lead a healthier lifestyle. But how many of us have a technology plan?
Most businesses and some schools have a technology plan. This is something you should know about the school your child attends. It is not a good idea to assume there is a plan and that the plan is adequate. It is time we take some responsibility in terms of engaging and nurturing our children to pursue technology.
Especially in light of the results of a recent study of female and minority chemists and chemical engineers the nation’s K-12 education get an average grade of ‘D’ for the job it does engaging and nurturing minorities to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
This would be a great time to also setup your technology plan for the year. The first thing that must be done before you can setup a plan (which is defined as activity you will engage in to reach your goal), is to determine your goals. So, a better question here might be. What are your family’s technology goals?
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Why worry about Software these days?
CLOUD COMPUTING
or, why it’s ok for a truck to crush your laptop
Modern computing in the age of the Internet is quite a strange, remarkable thing. As you sit hunched over your laptop at home watching a YouTube video or using a search engine, you’re actually plugging into the collective power of thousands of computers that serve all this information to you from far-away rooms distributed around the world. It’s almost like having a massive supercomputer at your beck and call, thanks to the Internet.
This phenomenon is what we typically refer to as cloud computing. We now read the news, listen to music, shop, watch TV shows and store our files on the web. Some of us live in cities in which nearly every museum, bank, and government office has a website. The end result? We spend less time in lines or on the phone, as these websites allow us to do things like pay bills and make reservations. The movement of many of our daily tasks online enables us to live more fully in the real world.
Cloud computing offers other benefits as well. Not too long ago, many of us worried about losing our documents, photos and files if something bad happened to our computers, like a virus or a hardware malfunction. Today, our data is migrating beyond the boundaries of our personal computers. Instead, we’re moving our data online into “the cloud”. If you upload your photos, store critical files online and use a web-based email service like Gmail or Yahoo! Mail, an 18-wheel truck could run over your laptop and all your data would still safely reside on the web, accessible from any Internet-connected computer, anywhere in the world.
or, why it’s ok for a truck to crush your laptop
Modern computing in the age of the Internet is quite a strange, remarkable thing. As you sit hunched over your laptop at home watching a YouTube video or using a search engine, you’re actually plugging into the collective power of thousands of computers that serve all this information to you from far-away rooms distributed around the world. It’s almost like having a massive supercomputer at your beck and call, thanks to the Internet.
This phenomenon is what we typically refer to as cloud computing. We now read the news, listen to music, shop, watch TV shows and store our files on the web. Some of us live in cities in which nearly every museum, bank, and government office has a website. The end result? We spend less time in lines or on the phone, as these websites allow us to do things like pay bills and make reservations. The movement of many of our daily tasks online enables us to live more fully in the real world.
Cloud computing offers other benefits as well. Not too long ago, many of us worried about losing our documents, photos and files if something bad happened to our computers, like a virus or a hardware malfunction. Today, our data is migrating beyond the boundaries of our personal computers. Instead, we’re moving our data online into “the cloud”. If you upload your photos, store critical files online and use a web-based email service like Gmail or Yahoo! Mail, an 18-wheel truck could run over your laptop and all your data would still safely reside on the web, accessible from any Internet-connected computer, anywhere in the world.
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