Blackphone 2 caters to the enterprise, the security-minded and the paranoid

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Silent Circle is all about security, but security is about more than just a phone that features encryption. There is an entire ecosystem in place starting with the secure PrivatOS 1.1. The latest upgrade to the operating system introduces a feature called Spaces which allows for OS-level virtualization and the ability to keep work and personal apps and data completely separate from each other. These features are also due to rollout to first generation Blackphones through an upcoming update.

via Blackphone 2 caters to the enterprise, the security-minded and the paranoid.

Rock Band and Guitar Hero May Be Returning in 2015

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Still, the era of plastic instruments has passed. You can’t find the controllers in stores anymore, but your local Salvation Army or Goodwill probably has a giant pile of them. Even those who love Rock Band have trouble justifying all of the primo living room real estate the full suite of controllers consumes.

via Rock Band and Guitar Hero May Be Returning in 2015 | WIRED.

Stand aside for the smartphone generation

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So that much we know. What I have noticed over the past few years is something different, but possibly related: the reluctance of pedestrians to engage in negotiation for right of way. Time was, in this most self-deprecating and pointlessly apologetic of Europe’s cities that collision detection was default behaviour for pavement-dwellers. Older readers may remember a sketch in the BBC’s The Fast Show where ‘Indecisive Dave’ spent so long in trying to negotiate passage through a doorway with another person that he eventually just waved to his friends, said ‘See you later’ and went home.

via Stand aside for the smartphone generation.

The big money behind Iran’s Internet censorship

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Independent Iranian media have reported that “elements within the government and the Revolutionary Guard provide support to a number of VPN sellers,” according to a 2014 report from Small Media. “Reports hypothesize that this is a mutually profitable arrangement; lining the pockets of officials at the same time as it allows VPN sellers to continue in their work without the threat of state interference.”

BBC Persian journalist Hadi Nili says that not only do Iranian authorities sell VPN accounts, the Iranian government even uses VPNs in order to protect their own connections.

via The big money behind Iran’s Internet censorship.

The Dream of Delivery Drones Is Alive (And On A Truck)

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But there’s hope yet for drone delivery. Cincinnati-based Amp Holdings is currently developing a drone, called Horsefly, that deploys from a compartment in the roof of an electric delivery truck. After each delivery, the aircraft would return to the truck for its next package. It’s strong enough to carry parcels as heavy as 10 pounds (double what Amazon is shooting for), and durable enough to fly through, wind, rain and snow on its appointed rounds.

via The Dream of Delivery Drones Is Alive (And On A Truck) | Popular Science.

I had this idea a couple years ago when Amazon announced this.  Launching from the truck is the most feasible both logistically and technically.  The truck does not need to be connected to the Internet.  All drone coms can be done via a local wifi and perhaps a server in the truck.  This can make the truck driver more efficient and less dangerous as he/she doesn’t have to get out of the truck in traffic.

The Face Detection Algorithm Set to Revolutionize Image Search

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The great promise of this kind of algorithm is in image search. At the moment, it is straightforward to hunt for images taken at a specific place or at a certain time. But it is hard to find images taken of specific people. This is step in that direction. It is inevitable that this capability will be with us in the not too distant future.

via The Face Detection Algorithm Set to Revolutionize Image Search | MIT Technology Review.

Web privacy is the newest luxury item in era of pervasive tracking

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Another is Ekko.net, a privacy-focused service that is currently invite-only. It gives users the ability to create policies that govern specific accounts or even communications, explains Ekko.net founder Rick Peters. For example, a user might decide to assign a password to protect a specific e-mail thread, text message, or social media communication. Or they might set a “self destruct” date for a message, causing it to be erased at a predetermined time.

via Web privacy is the newest luxury item in era of pervasive tracking – CSMonitor.com.

Will tools such as Blur and Ekko.net tilt the playing field in favor of consumers and their privacy?

Privacy experts say: Probably not.

The iPod effect: how near limitless storage made content worthless

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As faster bandwidth and bigger storage have become the norm, we’ve become used to the idea of a cornucopia of content. But in the absence of tough decisions about what media to bring with us, we’re losing our appreciation of its value altogether. Without clear opportunity cost, all digital content is becoming worthless.

via The iPod effect: how near limitless storage made content worthless | Media Network | The Guardian.

Google Glass Is Being Trialled At European Airport

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In the enterprise sector the promise of wearables is increased efficiency by speeding up the dissemination/capture of information to staff out in the field, or who are in the midst of work or customer engagement. So Glass just becomes another tool for a particular type of worker.

Given Glass’ visibility, it is perhaps especially suited for workers in a position of authority, who may already be marked out by their uniform (fluorescent jackets in the case of Schiphol’s authority officers), becoming another ‘badge of office’.

via Google Glass Is Being Trialled At European Airport | TechCrunch.