US Customs: Privacy? What's That?

To those planing to travel to the US (or simply passing through) with a laptop, beware. Now the Department of Homeland Security said that "customs agents can routinely--as a matter of course--seize, make copies of, and "analyze the information transported by any individual attempting to enter, re-enter, depart, pass through, or reside in the United States.". Excellent, eh? Repeat after me, people: "before leaving on my trip to the US, I'll set up a full disk encryption system on my laptop." If they are going to try and get to your information, make them fight for it! Here's a CNET article that better describes the situation and gives a few tricks and tips for all you travelers.

Placing Your Secrets Online? Don't Cry Later...

Gary McKinnon is a British hacker accused of hacking into 97 NASA and military computers in 2001 and 2002. He was caught in 2002 and, following a extensive legal battle, was chosen for extradition today (The USA government requested his extradition sometime in 2005). But what hit me as interesting is not the fact that a hacker will be extradited, neither is the fact that his is considered the "biggest military computer hack of all time" by the USA government. No, what hit me as interesting is that the USA government is STUPID. That's right, stupid. I mean, they go and place their secrets -their most important secrets- on a computer and then go and plug it to the intertubes. Now, I'm no computer security expert (yet), but even I know that whatever you put in the intertubes is not considered safe anymore, despite all the effort you place in securing it. If they don't want their secrets stolen, then don't give network access to the computer they are stored in, simple as that.

ACTA? No, Thanks, I Like My Freedom

The "Anti Counterfeiting Trade Agreement", or ACTA for short, is "a proposed plurilateral trade agreement that would impose strict enforcement of intellectual property rights related to Internet activity and trade in information-based goods." (according to the Wikipedia article).The problem with it (actually, it is just plain wrong, but this is the biggest problem) is that this is an invitation-only club. This means it's being discussed secretly by the G8 and by a few big companies - precisely the ones more interested in implementing the most strictest of regulations. So what does this means? This means they can pretty much push whatever stupid laws they feel like pushing, without consulting the more directly affected: the ones paying for the services. But why should you believe me? Our friend Glyn Moody from across the Atlantic has a better analysis than I could ever give you.

Won't Somebody Think Of The Children!?

This is just plain stupid (though it doesn't tops the stupidity level of some Boston residents and police force). It seems in the UK you can't take photos of EMPTY pools, without being labeled a pedophile, as Betty Robinson (82 years old) discovered. Great job guys, but I think you should be looking for pedophiles somewhere else. Like where THERE ARE CHILDREN, for example.