Here's an excellent patent process video used for jurors in the Apple/Samsung smartphone patents trial. This is an introduction to how patents work and the different areas of a patent to apply in the assessment of infringement.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
What Does the Mobile Phone Unlocking Bill Really Mean?
Many mobile operators in the United States add restrictions to every phone they sell. These "locks" prevent you from being able to use your phone on other networks. If you put an AT&T SIM inside a locked T-Mobile phone, the only phone calls you'll be able to make will be to 911. This lock also applies to international carriers, so travelers will be hit with extensive roaming fees for data, text messages and phone calls.
The vast majority of US carriers have policies that, under specific conditions, will grant you a code to unlock your device. This usually only happens when you're a long-term customer in good standing who has a valid reason for unlocking it (such as military service or lengthy international trips). Problem is, these operators are still in charge and they can decide whether or not they want to give you the code. Under current law, this is your only legal option; if AT&T declines your request, you're out of luck.
Fortunately this Friday, President Obama will sign the bill passed by congress that provides an extension for the policy of unlocking your mobile phone. This needs to become permanent law but will not be so for now. However, there is general agreement that "the question of locked cell phones has implications for telecommunications policy and that it would benefit from review and resolution in that context."
http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/29/phone-unlocking-bill/
The vast majority of US carriers have policies that, under specific conditions, will grant you a code to unlock your device. This usually only happens when you're a long-term customer in good standing who has a valid reason for unlocking it (such as military service or lengthy international trips). Problem is, these operators are still in charge and they can decide whether or not they want to give you the code. Under current law, this is your only legal option; if AT&T declines your request, you're out of luck.
Fortunately this Friday, President Obama will sign the bill passed by congress that provides an extension for the policy of unlocking your mobile phone. This needs to become permanent law but will not be so for now. However, there is general agreement that "the question of locked cell phones has implications for telecommunications policy and that it would benefit from review and resolution in that context."
http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/29/phone-unlocking-bill/
The Secret System Controlling Your Facebook News Feed
No one really knows exactly how Facebook decides what we see when we log in. Reverse-engineering the algorithm behind it could help us find out
WHO controls your Facebook News Feed? We are fed a specially selected diet of jokes, photos and gossip from our Facebook friends, but not by a person. Instead an algorithm does the work – giving it the power to influence us.
Citizens Lab - A White Hat group protecting us from spy agencies corrupting the Internet
When it comes to what a "people's intelligence agency" might look like, it's hard to find a better template than the one created by Citizen Lab. And its hacker ethos is reflected in those it calls its allies.
"When you think about hacking as a civic ethic—this idea of lifting the lid and seeing what's beneath the surface—this all comes together," says Deibert. "The idea of hacking and hacktivism seemed to me a really powerful way of motivating people; not hacking and breaking the law, but hacking as the spirit of curiosity about technological systems."
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Monday, July 14, 2014
Keep the Internet Open, by Vinton Cerf
Here's the viewpoint from one of the fathers of the Internet:
The Internet stands at a crossroads. Built from the bottom up, powered by the people, it has become a powerful economic engine and a positive social force. But its success has generated a worrying backlash. Around the world, repressive regimes are putting in place or proposing measures that restrict free expression and affect fundamental rights. The number of governments that censor Internet content has grown to 40 today from about four in 2002. And this number is still growing, threatening to take away the Internet as you and I know it.
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Mobile Malware Is On The Rise, McAfee Report Reveals - Forbes
When it comes to security, mobile threats are on the rise, according to the June 2014 McAfee Labs Threat Report released today. New mobile malware has increased for five straight quarters, with a total mobile malware growth of 167 percent in the past year alone. Total mobile malware has increased steadily since the first quarter of 2012.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/katevinton/2014/06/24/mobile-malware-is-on-the-rise-mcafee-report-reveals/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/katevinton/2014/06/24/mobile-malware-is-on-the-rise-mcafee-report-reveals/
Friday, July 11, 2014
IBM's $3 Billion Investment In Synthetic Brains And Quantum Computing
IBM thinks the future belongs to computers that mimic the human brain and use quantum physics... and they're betting $3 billion on it.
http://www.fastcompany.com/3032872/fast-feed/ibms-3-billion-investment-in-synthetic-brains-and-quantum-computing
http://www.fastcompany.com/3032872/fast-feed/ibms-3-billion-investment-in-synthetic-brains-and-quantum-computing
Thursday, July 10, 2014
CEO's view: Microsoft is the productivity and platform company
An interesting view of technology's future by the new Microsoft CEO: "At our core, Microsoft is the productivity and platform company" says . His full speech given to Microsoft employees is available below:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/ceo/index.html
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/ceo/index.html
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