New York Times (March 17)
The U.S. economy is shutting down “as pandemic measures take hold. The fast-spreading virus has put an end to movies, date nights and other economic activity, prompting some economists to call a U.S. recession.” By Monday, “it was clear everywhere that most of the American economy was grinding to an unparalleled halt and would remain that way for months.”
Washington Post (December 11)
“To get a taste for the havoc possible in today’s digital world, consider the recent cyberattack on Sony Pictures Entertainment.” The massive 100 terabytes of stolen data has revealed “embarrassing details about executive salaries and secret movie negotiations—but the hack is also a worrisome moment in cybersecurity…. It is now a fact that many of the world’s most powerful nations are building cyberforces, either directly or with mercenary proxies. This is creating a cyberspace with plenty of risks.”
Tags: Cyberattack, Cyberforces, Cybersecurity, Digital, Embarrassing, Executives, Havoc, Mercenaries, Movies, Negotiations, Risks, Salaries, Sony, Stolen data
New York Times (October 6)
“Tablets and other devices have been around for years. It’s time regulators issued common-sense rules for their use aboard planes.” A recent recommendation from an expert panel suggests the Federal Aviation Administration (F.A.A) might loosen regulations on the use of electronic devices. The panel’s “sensible recommendation would allow passengers to read e-books, listen to music or watch movies without causing interference during takeoffs and landings.” Partial restrictions against using cell phones and Wi-Fi would, however, remain in place if the F.A.A. follows the panel’s recommendation.
Tags: Cell phones, E-books, Electronic devices, F.A.A., Interference, Landings, Movies, Music, Passengers, Planes, Regulators, Restrictions, Tablets, Takeoffs, Wi-Fi
Time (July 1)
“Japan’s upper house gave final approval on June 12 for a $500 million, 20-year fund to promote Japanese culture overseas. Called Cool Japan, the multidisciplinary campaign is designed to plug everything from anime and manga to Japanese movies, design, fashion, food and tourism…. It’s unfortunate that the name of a campaign to showcase creative originality strongly echoes Cool Britannia, the pop-cultural flowering that took place in the U.K. in the 1990s.”
Tags: Cool Britannia, Cool Japan, Creativity, Culture, Design, Fashion, Food, Japan, Movies, Tourism, U.K.
