Wall Street Journal (October 11)
“Jordan last month amended its already restrictive press-and-publications law to include Internet firms and organizations. The move risks chilling business development in what had been a promising site of economic progress in a changing region” The new restrictions are bad for Jordan. “Emerging markets have a unique opportunity to embrace the Internet as their central business platform. Singapore, South Korea and Israel did so and became world-class technology players.” By embracing “open, globally competitive access to technology,” these countries could get ahead in ways that Jordan will not be able to under the new restrictions.
Chicago Tribune (September 24)
First Harry, then Kate…Britain’s Royal flesh scandal drags on. Now the Royals are fighting the pictures in court: a futile prospect in the Internet age. “We can recommend a far simpler remedy for modest, camera-shy royals: When you’re anywhere that an unnoticed camera might be present, keep your clothes on. If you can’t do that, make sure to smile — and use sunscreen.”
PC World (June 6)
The newest internet protocol (IPv6) launched today. IPv6 replaces IPv4 which will continue to be supported. IPv6 provides better efficiency and security, and solves a major problem. IPv4 only offered 4.3 billion addresses and they’ve all been used. “IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses and is capable of 340 undecillion addresses. That is 340 times 10 to the 36th power, or 340 trillion trillion trillion possible IP addresses.”
New York Times (February 26, 2012)
“Are people getting dumber?” Not according to four of five experts. Based on IQ tests, “the average person today would be 30 points above his or her grandparents, so we are not getting any dumber.” And yet, the increasing pace of complexity leaves many feeling left behind and technology has dulled some skills, like mathematics or spelling, once taken for granted. Moreover, “the really dumb things that people do…get amplified almost instantaneously” thanks to the internet. Still, we are far more advanced in terms of “abstract reasoning: the ability to ignore appearances and reckon in formal categories.”
“Are people getting dumber?” Not according to four of five experts. Based on IQ tests, “the average person today would be 30 points above his or her grandparents, so we are not getting any dumber.” And yet, the increasing pace of complexity leaves many feeling left behind and technology has dulled some skills, like mathematics or spelling, once taken for granted. Moreover, “the really dumb things that people do…get amplified almost instantaneously” thanks to the internet. Still, we are far more advanced in terms of “abstract reasoning: the ability to ignore appearances and reckon in formal categories.”
Tags: Complexity, Intelligence, Internet, IQ, Reasoning, Technology
LA Times (October 23)
Lurid Downloader “has been systematically and silently stealing data from carefully targeted government computers in 61 countries.” Advanced persistent threats (APTs), such as Lurid Downloader, are “the latest trend in cyberattacks.” Because the Internet was designed to be open, it is now creating massive risk as so much vital infrastructure and communication depends on it. “As modern society leans ever more heavily on the Internet…, its fragility becomes an ever greater concern.” Unfortunately, the “only answer to the persistent problem of malware may be to rebuild the Internet from scratch.”
Tags: APTs, Cyberattack, Internet, Malware, Risk
