NSA likely targets anybody who's 'Tor-curious'

"An analysis of X-Keyscore's source code (text only) indicates that the program has targeted a German student who runs a Tor node, and can add to the NSA's surveillance lists anybody who uses popular Internet privacy tools such as Tor. The reports were prepared by reporters for the German public television broadcasters NDR and WDR, and people employed by and volunteering for Tor, who said that "former NSA employees and experts are convinced that the same code or similar code is still in use today."
Primarily funded by the US government, the Tor network anonymizes Internet traffic by relaying the communication through a series of encrypted, anonymizing hubs called nodes. It's often used by reporters and activists, and it was estimated in 2012 that 50,000 to 60,000 Iranians use the service daily.
Tails is a variant of the Linux operating system that can be launched from a USB key and comes with Tor and other common tools pre-configured with privacy settings. Each time it boots, it automatically wipes everything that isn't saved elsewhere. Tails is described in the X-Keyscore source code as, "a comsec mechanism advocated by extremists on extremist forums."
The Electronic Frontier Foundation cautioned people to not abandon the services just because the NSA was spying on them.
"The more ordinary people use Tor and Tails, the harder it is for the NSA to make the case that reading about or using these tools is de facto suspicious," wrote EFF staffers."

Microsoft Surface Pro 3 hands on: The tablet to end all tablets? - Tech Review - Digital Spy

I, am an Apple and Android guy but I played with the new Surface 3 today at Best Buy and Microsoft nailed it with this one.   This is a fabulous device.  It has all of the essential tablet and ultra book functions in a thing to device it a very good keyboard.  The screen is excellent,  better the next HD in a twelve inch device.  Microsoft is a player once again.  John H. Armwood

Samsung Galaxy Tab S 8.4 Review

Article: FACEBOOK'S SHERYL SANDBERG: 'We Never Meant To Upset You'

China boasts high rates of older tech users - CNET

"But the highlight of GfK's report underlines a demographic of technology adopters that aren't frequently discussed. A large percentage of technology users between the ages of 50 and 59 identified as being someone who "uses technology as much as possible." As much as 41 percent of Chinese 60-years-old or older are frequent technology users."
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Apple scores $30 million to sell iPads to LA schools - CNET

"Apple will add $30 million to its coffers in a deal to outfit students in the LA school district with an iPad.

On Tuesday, following a collective thumbs-up for Apple from both students and senior staff, the Los Angeles Board of Education voted 6-0 to approve the contract, The Los Angeles Times reported.

Among the devices considered, the iPad came out on top in both quality and price, at least according to the school district's requirements. The vote means that an iPad will be doled out to every student across 47 campuses of the LA district, one of the largest school districts in the U.S."

A Letter to our consumers | Aereo.com

A little over three years ago, our team embarked on a journey to improve the consumer television experience, using technology to create a smart, cloud-based television antenna consumers could use to access live over the air broadcast television.

On Wednesday, June 25, the United States Supreme Court reversed a lower court decision in favor of Aereo, dealing a massive setback to consumers.

As a result of that decision, our case has been returned to the lower Court. We have decided to pause our operations temporarily as we consult with the court and map out our next steps. All of our users will be refunded their last paid month. If you have questions about your account, please email support@aereo.com or tweet us @AereoSupport.

The spectrum that the broadcasters use to transmit over the air programming belongs to the American public and we believe you should have a right to access that live programming whether your antenna sits on the roof of your home, on top of your television or in the cloud.

On behalf of the entire team at Aereo, thank you for the outpouring of support. It has been staggering and we are so grateful for your emails, Tweets and Facebook posts. Keep your voices loud and sign up for updates at ProtectMyAntenna.org — our journey is far from done.

Yours truly,



Chet Kanojia

A Letter to our consumers | Aereo.com

Recommended read from Salon.com: The Supreme Court's baffling tech illiteracy is becoming a big problem

"But this fixation on technological analogies is more than just an idle curiosity. It has real-world implications that are not to be underestimated. Recent years have borne out that if a technology under scrutiny cannot be analogized to a historically protected invention, it may be doomed. In 2006, for example, Chief Justice Roberts doubted that eBay was an actual invention. He asked the lawyer, Seth Waxman, what the invention of eBay was, and when Waxman explained it as an electronic market, Chief Justice Roberts responded flippantly, saying, “I mean, it's not like he invented the internal combustion engine or anything. It's very vague.”

When Waxman pushed back at Roberts, pointing out that "I'm not a software developer and I have reason to believe that neither is Your Honor,” Roberts fully explicated his contempt for the technology. “I may not be a software developer, but as I read the invention [of eBay], it’s displaying pictures of your wares on a computer network and, you know, picking which ones you want and buying them.” He next said about the multibillion-dollar Internet corporation: “I might have been able to do that.”

This came from the man who four years later asked the difference between a pager and an email.