Steve Gibson, the security guru and co-host of Security Now! with Leo Laporte, did an episode a few weeks ago in which he explains how PRISM works without direct access to companies’ servers. He’s determined that the process involves upstream intercepts at ISPs and major Internet companies like Google, using fiber optic splitters - hence the name PRISM. The details are very interesting, and worth a listen.
The Vitamin Myth: Why We Think We Need Supplements [The Atlantic] When Prisoners Protest [New York Times] Everything You Need to Know About PRISM [The Verge] Why I Hate Read Receipts [Ars Technica] Raising the Wrong Profile [New York Times] Existential Depression in Gifted Children [The Unbounded Spirit] What I Learned About Digital Addiction by Going Swimming with My Cellphone [GigaOm]
Heml.is (pronounced without the dot) was announced yesterday as a new messaging platform built from the ground up to be secure and private. Their goal is to develop an app for iOS and Android that uses proven open standards and high-grade private key encryption to keep your conversations totally encrypted and away from prying eyes, while being user-friendly and attractive. They’re obviously striking a nerve with users, because in less than 36 hours they’ve managed to raise nearly 90% their $100,000 funding goal.
The BMW M3 Coupe Is Officially Dead If PRISM Is Good Policy, Why Stop With Terrorism? What Snowden Needs Now Is a Good Lawyer ‘I filmed the first fight and arrest through Google Glass’ How Clothes Should Fit
The reaction to Edward Snowden’s leaking of classified documents was exactly what everyone expected: the government went crazy and leveled accusations of treason and espionage (subsequently filing charges against him under the Espionage Act), the media had a field day scraping up details about Snowden and interviewing countless people about implications, ad nauseum. The public were naturally divided between those who agree with the government’s characterization of the man and his actions, and those who support what he did as patriotic exposure of government overreach.
Instagram Video and the Death of Fantasy Despite the claims made by Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom, Instagram isn’t capturing the memories of your life - it’s a fantasy highlight reel. Demonizing Edward Snowden: Which Side Are You On? This author asserts that coverage of the Edward Snowden situation isn’t journalism but sensationalism and bandwagon jumping. Something tells me Jeff Jarvis would agree. This Virginia Driver Has The New Greatest License Plate Of All Time
