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Posts published in “Politics”

Eolas Doesn’t Own Internet, Ubuntu Hacked & More…

By FOSS Force on July 26, 2013 |

Business, Distros, Hardware, Internet, Mobile, News, Patents and Politics

Eolas Doesn’t Own Internet, Ubuntu Hacked & More…Ubuntu Edge

FOSS Week in Review

Ubuntu Edge–computing on the go-go

Probably the biggest news in all of tech this week, not just the FOSS world, came with Canonical’s announcement on Monday of the Ubuntu Edge. In case you’ve been away camping somewhere all week, the Edge is a hybrid device that can function both as a high end smartphone, running either Android or Ubuntu Touch, or it can be hooked up to a monitor, keyboard and mouse to work as a conventional PC running Ubuntu Linux.

That news alone would be dumbfounding enough, but as the pitchman on TV always says, “Wait! There’s more…”

Continue readingEolas Doesn’t Own Internet, Ubuntu Hacked & More…
Welcome to Microsoft Trustworthy ComputingMicrosoft German camput

Welcome to Microsoft Trustworthy Computing

By Christine Hall on July 16, 2013 |

Business, Internet, Politics and Security

It used to be you only had to worry about the accidental insecurities in Windows. Now Redmond’s giving away the keys to everything they sell. Microsoft is beginning to surprise even me and I thought I was beyond surprise.

I get it. I understand patriotism. I also understand legal obligation. The guys and gals in Redmond would want you to believe that their cooperation with the feds is based mostly on the later. Their story is they were forced to give access to their customer’s data by a loaded court order being held to their collective head.

Christine Hall

Christine Hall has been a journalist since 1971. In 2001, she began writing a weekly consumer computer column and started covering Linux and FOSS in 2002 after making the switch to GNU/Linux. Follow her on Twitter: @BrideOfLinux

FOSSForce.com
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Microsoft Reorganizes, Big Brother in Iran & More…Richard Stallman and Julian Assange

Microsoft Reorganizes, Big Brother in Iran & More…

By FOSS Force on July 13, 2013 |

Business, Copyright, Internet, Media, News and Politics

FOSS Week in Review–Part 2

Now that we got last week out of the way, let’s look at what happened this week–or at least news that came to our attention this week…

You can now actually own digital comics

Digital rights and anti-DRM activists should be a little happy to learn that a major player in the comics’ world has decided to make actual ownership of its comics possible.

Continue readingMicrosoft Reorganizes, Big Brother in Iran & More…
Are You Making PRISM or Other NSA Changes?

Are You Making PRISM or Other NSA Changes?

By FOSS Force on July 8, 2013 |

Internet, Politics and Security

If you’re a regular visitor to free software sites like FOSS Force, the recent revelations regarding the NSA and PRISM were probably not news to you. Probably most of us who are concerned about such luxuries as civil liberties understood from the first time we went online that we might as well assume we’re being watched and that there might one day be personal legal consequences, even if we never do anything illegal.

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RMS Inducted, Nook Tablet RIP & More…

RMS Inducted, Nook Tablet RIP & More…

By FOSS Force on June 28, 2013 |

Desktops, Hardware, Internet, News, Politics and

Friday FOSS Week in Review

Texas stands up for email rights

Texas? Did you really say Texas? The state that leads the world in the number of executions–that Texas? Well, la-di-da, who would’ve ever thought the folks down there in the Lone Star State would be the first to stand up and protect our inboxes? Does this mean that the spirits of Ann Richards and Maury Maverick, Jr. are looking over the Texas legislators?

Continue readingRMS Inducted, Nook Tablet RIP & More…
Microsoft Nemesis Dies, SCO Lives & More…Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson

Microsoft Nemesis Dies, SCO Lives & More…

By FOSS Force on June 21, 2013 |

Internet, Mobile, News, Obits, Politics and Security

Friday FOSS Week in Review

We may be paranoid but they are out to get us

In week three (or is it week four?) of the Spy vs. Spy scandal, the Obama folks keep saying things like “what’s the big deal?” while trying to convince us that the secret oversight court called FISA (we prefer “the Star Chamber”) has nothing but our constitutional rights in mind when it rubber stamps requests to secretly steal our privacy. Obama likes to talk about transparency. Indeed, he becomes more transparent by the moment; we’re beginning to see right through him. The 22nd amendment should now be seen as a face saver for Mr. Obama–as we would think no self respecting liberal or progressive would vote again for this man who once represented our best hope. Pity.

Continue readingMicrosoft Nemesis Dies, SCO Lives & More…

Windows Blue Blues, Symantec’s Kernel Confusion & More…

By FOSS Force on June 14, 2013 |

Hardware, Internet, News and Politics

Friday FOSS Week in Review

Looking at life through the prism of the NSA

We thought last week was the week for leaked government secrets on government spying. Nope. Last week was just the tip of the iceberg coming over the horizon, with the helmsman going into full reverse attempting to avoid a collision. This week the slow motion ship of state made contact with the iceberg. Damage assessment is being done now as we write these words.

Continue readingWindows Blue Blues, Symantec’s Kernel Confusion & More…
Seeking Surveillance Safe Search Enginesixquick Safe Search Engine

Seeking Surveillance Safe Search Engines

By Christine Hall on June 14, 2013 |

Internet, Politics and Security

While helping our colleague Dave Bean as he worked to get his essay on Google and the NSA ready for publication, I found myself wondering if any of this latest news on the government’s forcing their nose into everybody-in-the-world’s business would have any lasting effect. Sadly, I figured not–if there was any change, it’d only be temporary. I’ve spent too many years on this planet to expect too much in the way of permanent change for the better.

Christine Hall

Christine Hall has been a journalist since 1971. In 2001, she began writing a weekly consumer computer column and started covering Linux and FOSS in 2002 after making the switch to GNU/Linux. Follow her on Twitter: @BrideOfLinux

FOSSForce.com
Continue readingSeeking Surveillance Safe Search Engines
Google: The Thin Line between Search and Surveillance

Google: The Thin Line between Search and Surveillance

By Dave Bean on June 14, 2013 |

Copyright, Internet, Politics and Security

One could argue that Google is a corporation whose content and cash flow results from their ability to survey the Internet with unfettered access to users’ information under protection of the Safe Harbor Provision of the DMCA. The provision is a corporate loop-hole that allows Google to not be held responsible for content that might otherwise be personal, private, or illegal as defined by the U.S. Constitution and The Geneva Accords. Google claims to be software without moral judgment and purposely refuses to admit that it may be facilitating mafia-style corporations counterfeiting without license and thus profiting through illegal gain by eradicating people’s property rights as otherwise guaranteed.

Dave Bean

Dave Bean is an Internet Radio pioneer who has worked for Musicmatch Internet Radio, baseBeat.com, OnRadio.com; and currently as a Music Curator for Internet Radio at Slacker.com. As an owner of independent record labels, he was one of the first to license songs to eMusic and iTunes.

Continue readingGoogle: The Thin Line between Search and Surveillance
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