LandoftheFreeish.com

FBI claims default use of HTTPS by Google and Facebook has made it difficult to wiretape

admin — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:48:52 +0000

A government task force is preparing legislation that would pressure companies such as Facebook and Google to enable law enforcement officials to intercept online communications as they occur, according to current and former U.S. officials familiar with the effort. Driven by FBI concerns that it is unable to tap the Internet communications of terrorists and [...]

Apple’s iMessage encryption trips up feds’ surveillance

admin — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 15:31:04 +0000

The DEA is not happy about Apple's iMessage transmissions, which it says are "considered encrypted communication and cannot be intercepted."

15 Dangerously Mad Projects for the Evil Genius

admin — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 17:01:06 +0000

A few months ago I had fun playing with Simon Monk’s 30 Arduino Projects for the Evil Genius, and noticed that his 15 Dangerously Mad Projects included a coil gun… and I’ve always wanted to make a coil gun! Since the coil is wrapped around the tube from a plastic pen, and the iron projectile [...]

Bing Translate is awesome

admin — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:29:38 +0000

Ron Paul wants to expropriate RonPaul.com from his supporters without compensation

admin — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 18:10:38 +0000

Earlier today, Ron Paul filed an international UDRP complaint against RonPaul.com and RonPaul.org with WIPO, a global governing body that is an agency of the United Nations. The complaint calls on the agency to expropriate the two domain names from his supporters without compensation and hand them over to Ron Paul. On May 1st, 2008 [...]

Watch the motorcycle marriage proposal that shut down a Los Angeles freeway

admin — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:21:04 +0000

Cyclists in Los Angeles effectively closed the 10 freeway in West Covina for about ten minutes on Sunday, as one of them proposed to his girlfriend in a cloud of pink smoke. Apparently, she loved it. The California Highway Patrol did not. The biker club members face possible citations including impeding or blocking traffic. LA [...]

Understanding Lenses: The Book

admin — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 21:32:21 +0000

The wonderful photographer and writer NKG writes: As photographers and geeks we tend to obsess about the products we buy. Countless hours are spent poring over catalogues, reading reviews, arguing in forums. All to find the perfect camera. There’s just one thing missing here: the /lens/ is also a key part in creating high-quality images. [...]

Televised police chase zips past man recording it on his TV

admin — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 17:45:46 +0000

A guy was purportedly recording a police chase on TV when the chase went right by his house.

Remixable video of Norway’s four seasons from a train

admin — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 20:49:01 +0000

Eirik Solheim is an amazing geek and CC activist at NRK, the Norwegian public broadcaster. He writes, “We filmed a train ride four times. One time for each season; winter, spring, summer and autumn. Then we used an accurate GPS-track to sync the four videos using some clever programming in combination with after effects. Giving [...]

Easiest excuse for taking freedom: security

admin — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 18:03:03 +0000

Here, in concise and precise language, is the best pricking of the security bubble I’ve seen… Security is an ideal language for suppressing rights because it combines a universality and neutrality in rhetoric with a particularity and partiality in practice. Security is a good that everyone needs, and, we assume, that everyone needs in the [...]