The "Informed" Cyberworld

We live in the age where the Internet is Big Brother –the all knowing and omnipresent. And it’s not just limited to Google. It's actually the social networking sites that feeds most of the netizens "information" at their clicking. In fact, according to Pew Research Center Facebook has become a driving force in the News arena - "Its role has evolved from a network for friends to share personal information to a way for people to share, recommend and link together all kinds of information, including news." The simple act of clicking "share" or "retweet" has made News into a social experience.

Image Source: http://www.journalism.org

However, with this clicking, re-tweeting, sharing (which has somehow become an auto-response programmed in the body of netizens worldwide) comes the issue of truth and authenticity of the things we read online. In today's fact paced world, most of us have been spoon-fed with too much information. We want things concise, brief and easy to digest. Just look at Twitter's 140-character limit! And with this compression comes misinformation. In her article, Lian Nami Buan, talked about the problem of spreading unverified news and points to some examples. She also points out that it is not difficult at all to verify online information and suggests that "the first step to achieving a properly-informed cyber world: Read More."

What does it mean to Read More? It's taking time to read the entire article rather than settling for more often than not hugely controversial headlines. It's learning the real issues and not getting caught up with hearsays of your social grapevine. It's being responsible in creating and sharing information on the web. 

Think before you click. Simple. Easy. Painless.

(You may read the complete article here:  Read More: Why you should really click this link )

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Entry No. 16

Soleil Flores

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Piracy for the Love of Fandom

Image Source: http://www.anigamers.com

A fansub (short for fan-subtitled) is a version of a foreign film or foreign television program which has been translated by fans and subtitled into a language other than that of the original. This is usually common with animes and asian dramas.  Most of these shows in order to get "dubbed" or "subbed" in another language, needs to be licensed in another country. This happens when the series has already finished airing in the home country. Also, when it takes a while for these shows to be officially released in DVDs. Fansubs, however, does it semi-real-time. When an episode is aired, give or take in less than a week, a fan sub will be out, thereby giving non-east asian speakers almost the same pace as their home country counterparts.

Scanlation on the other hand, is pretty much the same thing, although it involves comics, particularly manga. It involves scanning the pages and translating, hence the word. Again, fans do this because it takes ages for manga to be released and more often than not only those popular titles make their way into the English market.

While most of the fansubbers (the people who do the translation and the actual subs) and scanlators (for manga) do it for free and do not gain any profit whatsoever (except maybe the eternal gratitude of the fans), it cannot be denied that under the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, such an act is illegal, to wit:

Authors of literary and artistic works protected by this Convention shall enjoy the exclusive right of making and of authorizing the translation of their works throughout the term of protection of their rights in the original works. (Article 8,  Right of Translation)

In the recent years, Japanese Copyright Holders have been aggressive in their fight against piracy, taking down streaming sites as well as actually arresting persons related to such offenses. What has been controversial about this is that minors are involved -since most of the people who do these works are below 20. In fact, just last year a 14-year old boy was arrested for leaking manga in Youtube. This reminds me of  Lawrence Lessig's lecture on Remix and how we need to change the current copyright rules in place. This only reiterates his claim that children are now being viewed as criminals.

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Entry no. 15
Soleil Flores

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Cyber Attack: The New Act of War?

Photo Source: http://ramkshrestha.wordpress.com

There have been a lot of cyber attacks incidents globally targeting both private enterprises and government agencies. Some limited to "seemingly harmless practical jokes” –such as defacing websites; while others involve serious DDOS attacks causing site downtime or information leak, translating to monetary losses in sales and advertising or worse classified data.

The most recent of these attacks is against Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan's biggest defense contractor. MHI is the country's topmost weapon manufacturer from missiles to warships and submarines.

BBC reported that last August, MHI's 5 network servers and 38 PCs were infected with malware from an outside source, allegedly through spear phishing. The attacks infected 10 facilities across Japan, notably its Kobe and Nagoya sites which makes engine parts for missiles. While there is no lead yet as to the motive and the person behind the attack. The MHI assured the public that no sensitive information has been leaked.

Over the years of technological development, cyber crime has likewise evolved. What was once considered as a form of annoyance -such as the introduction of virus, have turned into destructive mechanisms destroying business networks and causing financial losses globally. However, what is alarming about this written attack is that the thrust of cyber crime is not about destruction anymore. It has shifted to information war, to be specific -stealing highly classified data, which could be valuable not only financially but more importantly politically.

As Matthew Lesko puts it, "Information is the currency of today's world. Those who control information are the most powerful people on the planet." Thus, we can only expect two things: more attacks in the future and the government as well as private entities taking active participation in online security development in terms of technology as well in law or policy.

News Source:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14982906

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Entry No. 14

Soleil Flores

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Trolling is Serious Buisiness

Image Source:
http://artoftrolling.memebase.com

According to Wikipedia, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.  

The term derives from "trolling", a style of fishing which involves trailing bait through a likely spot hoping for a bite. The troll posts a message, often in response to an honest question, that is intended to upset, disrupt or simply insult the group. (from http://www.flayme.com/troll/)

While there is a general argument that forwards the view that trolling is part of freedom of speech, but in other jurisdictions, it is considered a criminal offense. In the UK, Colm Coss and Sean Duffy, on different incidents, were sentenced for 18 weeks in jail for posting obscene messages on social networking sites dedicated as a memorial tribute.

One of the difficulties in regulating trolling is the difficulty in its classification. Where does one draw the line between free speech and criminal behavior? When does it stop of fun and turn into an abusive offense? Do we apply the Constitutional tests in each and every comment posted? Another issue is anonymity. Most of these trolls create numerous accounts and fake online identities to further their goals. The internet is a blanket where anyone can be whoever they want to be. How does one identify and charge a troll having over a gazillion accounts and online identities? Would such measures violate the right to ones privacy?  These are some of the many questions that need to be taken in consideration when drafting regulations regarding the matter.

Trolling is not entirely criminal or evil. Some in fact provide hilariousness in some otherwise boring topic. However, in the internet, a thin line does not exist separating the good from the evil. More of often than not, issues are often placed in various shades of gray until some form of determination arises from them. Whether or not regulations are needed for "trolling" activities, it is for the legislature and the policy makers to decide. Until then, the burden lies in the moderators and site administrators of forums and websites to exercise their godly-forum-site powers to control the menace. And for us, usual netizens, lurking around, it's pretty simple: Do. Not. Feed. The. Trolls.


Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14898564
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Entry No. 13
Soleil Flores

"You will not use Facebook if you are under 13."

Image Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Facts: A 12-year old girl from Northern Ireland posted suggestive pictures of herself on Facebook. The pictures portray the girl as heavily made-up doing provocative poses, making her appear much older than her actual age. Her father now sues Facebook for allowing his daughter to post the 'explicit photos'.

Issue: W/N Facebook can be made liable on the ground of negligence, for failing to verify the age of its users.

Discussion: Petitioner-father anchors his claim on the site's Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, particularly on item 4.5 which bars membership to those below 13 years of age. By failing to verify the age of the girl, Facebook allegedly failed to uphold it's own policy thereby making it liable for negligence as well for exposing the child at risk for sexual and physical harm.

Held: Case has not been decided yet and Facebook has not yet responded/commented as of 09/06/2011.

Notes (a.k.a Reality Check):

Perhaps (and I am not so sure about this) the only way that Facebook actually verifies the age of its members is by ticking the "I agree to the Terms and Conditions" and "I am over 13 years of age" boxes. Realistically speaking, with a gazillion users growing each day, checking violations of the age policy might prove to be impossible. Even if the company decides to place verification procedures, kids these days will find a way to circumvent the age requirement. It is worth noting that even child protection experts admitted that children will lie.

A lot of the comments/reactions regarding this news goes in the line of "Why blame FB when it was the child who posted her own photos?" or "The father's a failure." More than finger pointing to who's at fault -the child at her own volition; Facebook for violating its own policy; the Father for being a "failure" parent, -this case raises the issue of responsibility of child safety in the world wide web. Not only limited to social networking sites but child online privacy and protection in general. Parents cannot expect websites to police their own children. Likewise, sites cannot assume that everyone is complying with the age restriction. Again, online child safety (much like every policy formulation) requires a balancing act. But it is a much more complex set of relationships because according to Jim Gamble "there is a duty of care for the company, a clear duty of care for parents and a clear duty of care for anyone in whose care a child is put."

Source:

(1) http://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/facebook-sued-by-father-over-explicit-photos-of-12-year-old-daughter/
(2) http://ph.news.yahoo.com/facebook-sued-father-over-explicit-photos-12-old-185907158.html

(3) http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-14803664

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Entry No. 12

Soleil Flores

An Attempt at Finding the Balance: Creative Commons

Image taken from:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Palmtree3000

I came across Jamendo while watching a video on YouTube. I happened to like the background music used and I ended up downloading the same, legally.

Yes. The words “free” “legal” and “download” can harmoniously co-exist in a sentence and made possible by the Creative Commons licenses.

A CC or Creative Commons license is based on copyright. However, unlike the traditional and encompassing “all-rights reserved” ,  it creates a more flexible copyright model for the modern day creator by transforming it to “some rights reserved”. Depending on the creator, there are six types of licenses to choose from. These licenses allow creators to communicate which rights they reserve, and which rights they waive for the benefit of recipients or other creators -such as but not limited to copying, distribution and derivative works. Generally anything that can come under the traditional copyright can be covered by CC such as books, websites, blogs, photographs, films, videos, songs and other audio & visual recordings, just to name a few.

In an era where media is created and transformed by remixes and mash ups, there is a need for a more flexible way of protecting the owners against intrusions brought about by technological advancement. This is where CC supposedly comes into play -by giving the creators the freedom to choose how their work is to used. In doing so CC aims to "develop, support and steward the legal and technical infrastructure that maximizes digital creativity, sharing and innovation."

While CC may address some of the issues concerning intellectual property, it does not totally eradicate the copyright wars and the prevalent infringement which are top concerns in the age of globalization and information technology. These issues are best addressed by policy makers, with the assistance of nonprofit organizations who have in-depth knowledge of the matter at hand. Like in all things, balance must be achieved between restriction and permission. Until such tension is attained CC is an alternative method upon which creators/owners can protect themselves and remixers to find new material without violating the law.

Fore more information, please visit http://creativecommons.org/

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Entry No. 11

Soleil Flores

To Kill the (Twitter)Bird

They say that for every market, a submarket grows.

Introducing the Web 2.0 Suicide Machine! According to the site:

"This machine lets you delete all your energy sucking social-networking profiles, kill your fake virtual friends, and completely do away with your Web2.0 alterego."

Termed by Mark Gibbs as "Social Suicide", this application will "kill for FREE" accounts on Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn and Twitter in a mere 52 minutes, as opposed to 9.5 hours of DIY.

The aim of the machine is NOT TO DELETE the account, but to remove private content and friend relationships. By doing this, they hope to remove the data being stored (forever) and cached out of the servers of these social networking sites, which cannot be entirely done with just account deactivation.

web 2.0 suicide machine - untwitter from moddr_ on Vimeo.

The developers premise this application on the right of everyone to disconnect as opposed to the seamless connectivity these sites offer. While Twitter or FB Suicide might sound morbid and anti-social, the underlying issue being addressed here is the right to privacy.

This rationale finds support in the case of Olmstead v. United States (1928) wherein Justice Brandeis elaborated that the right to privacy, the right to be let alone as "the most comprehensive of rights and the right most valued by civilized men." While the case was decided almost a century ago, this doctrine proves to be true in the current information age we live in. The development of technology has posed numerous issues and gray areas which the law did not foresee and central to this is our inherent right to privacy. While we may be enjoying our "friends only" updates and tags; every time we hit that post/tweet/like button, it becomes recorded and stored for God knows how long. "Forever" is just another word to describe the unknown.

"Privacy is one of the biggest problems in this new electronic age. At the heart of the Internet culture is a force that wants to find out everything about you. And once it has found out everything about you and two hundred million others, that's a very valuable asset, and people will be tempted to trade and do commerce with that asset. This wasn't the information that people were thinking of when they called this the information age."

--"What I've Learned: Andrew Grove", co-founder and former CEO of Intel Corporation, May 1, 2000

Soleil Flores
Entry No. 10

Out of Reach: Broadband in the PH

According to a report by Australian research firm Ovum, the Philippines has the cheapest price for broadband access among 19 emerging countries surveyed. However despite its "cheapness", broadband still remains completely out of reach for the majority of the population. (Read story here.)

Broadband Internet access is a high data rate connection to the Internet at 256 kbit/s or greater, without the use of a telephone line, as contrasted to dial-up which is limited to a bitrate of about 60 kbit/s and require the dedicated use of a telephone line. In the country, broadband is usually available to consumers through cable and DSL. Broadband providers in the country include: (Source: Wikipedia)

Photo Credit: http://www.maheshkukreja.com

• wi-tribe stats at 598
• Bayan DSL starts at 899
• PLDT my DSL starts at 990
• Globe Tattoo starts at 995
• SKYBROADBAND starts at 999
• Smart Bro starts at 999

While the cost "may seem" affordable, there are a lot of other factors that need to be taken in consideration. First, this is just the basic cost at the basic speed, which is on the average around 512Mbps. If you want anything greater than that, you have to pay the price. Second, the price represent only the monthly service fee. The subscriber will have to pay for the additional hardware he will avail of such as the modem or a wireless router or worse "installation fees". Third, most of these plans have a lock-in period of a minimum of one year, which is subject to fees if terminated sooner. Fourth, as with other post paid plans, there is usually a one month advance payment required. Fifth, based on experience, customer service sucks. Not so much cost friendly when you think about it.

Another consideration is that most of these companies are found in the highly urbanized cities, for the obvious reason that this is where the money is! rural or provincial areas do not have the infrastructures to support broadband development. Thus broadband access is concentrated on the urbanites and the upper-middle class members of society who can afford to pay such monthly fees, which is just a tiny percentage in the 101,833,938 million people in the country. And there are those who'd rather go to malls or coffee shops than blow a thousand bucks for slow connections and crappy customer service. :)


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Entry No. 9
Soleil Flores

Cybersecurity is not on top of PH priorities

“In light of the recent spate of hacking directed toward its websites, the government reiterated its support for the passage of the cybercrime and data privacy bills, saying they are not taking these attacks lightly.”

--- Read full story here c/o GMA News

Image from the movie "The Matrix" 
(Photo Credit: http://www.moviespictures.tk/the-matrix.html)

This only shows how backward PH is in terms of ICT development. First, the coding practices used by the Government and perhaps other institutions in the country are below standards, if not obsolete. Most of these did not undergo rigorous security testing, for the simple reason that the establishment of safeguards require a lot of technical and monetary resources -which is very limited in this part of the world. Not everyone can afford to hire a professional systems analyst, more so the government. Second, cybersecurity is not a priority in the government's budget.  This is understandable considering that there are more pressing matters at hand such as education, social welfare and servicing foreign debts. For a developing country, the development of it's websites is the least of its concerns.

At present, the cybercrime bill and the data privacy bill are already pending in Congress on different levels. While everyone is hoping that the enactment of these bills would solidify government policy regarding online security, they are not an assurance that internet crimes will stop. At most, they will provide a sense of security for the users and a deterrent for hackers and the goons of the internet. Furthermore, an effective enforcement mechanism is necessary in order to fully implement the laws.

Passing a law is not the solution, but only a part of it.  Website developers, system analysts, programmers, and all internet users in general have to do their share to ensure the integrity and safety of their data and transactions across the web.


Entry No. 8
Soleil Flores

Operation Shady RAT (Remote Access Control)

The internet is perhaps the most dangerous place on the planet. No one is safe. Not even the United Nations.

Photo Source: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/163926.html

Security company McAfee, discovered the biggest series of cyber attacks in the last 5 years which involved the the infiltration of the networks of 72 organizations including the United Nations, governments (US, Taiwan, India, South Korea, Vietnam and Canada) and companies around the world. It believed there was one "state actor" behind the attacks but declined to name it, though the evidence "allegedly" points to China. (Source: Reuters)

Cyber attacks are perhaps as old as the internet. However, what is alarming about this report is that a "state actor" is involved in the attacks against various governments of different countries. Should the "state actor" be proven, could such cyber attacks escalate to a dispute under the principles of international law?

In international law, the state is responsible for all actions of its officials and organs, even if the organ/actor/official is acting ultra vires. However, before a state can be held responsible for any action, it is necessary to prove a causal connection between the injury and an official act or omission attributable to the state alleged to be in breach of its obligations.

In the case at bar, it is not clear whether the "hacker-state-actor" owed an international obligation to the injured governments under either a treaty or customary law. So far, the only relevant document regarding the matter is the 2007 resolution passed by the UN Disarmament and International Security Committee related to IT security concerns related to organized crime, terrorism and politically motivated cyber attacks. Take note that this is not even the General Assembly or the Security Council, but a Committee. Hence, no "force" so to speak.

While the use of all the illegally obtained data is still largely an open question, the need for an international legal framework to combat malicious or illegal use of information technology is called for by many sectors around the world. After all, we live in the age where information is power ---political or economic.

Entry No. 7

Soleil Flores

Overly Airbrushed L'oreal Ads Banned in the UK

L'oreal ads featuring Julia Roberts (for Lancôme Teint Miracle Foundation) and Christy Turlington (for Maybelline's The Eraser) were banned by the ASA after assessing that both ads violated clauses 3.1 (Misleading advertising) and 3.11 (Exaggeration) of "UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing" aka CAP Code. (Read full story here.)

Image Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/14308714

The ASA or Advertising Standard's Authority is an independent organization, applying the mandatory Advertising Codes to ensure that advertisements remain legal, decent, honest and truthful. The ASA’s authority is recognized by the Government, the courts, and other regulatory offices.

At present, RA 7394 or The Consumer Act of the Philippines is the main law used to safeguard the interests of the consumers and to establish standards of conduct for business and industry. However, it does not address the unethical practices of advertisers regarding fallacious and misleading claims. On the other hand, the Advertising Board of the Philippines (AdBoard) is a mere self-regulatory board composed of various organizations within the industry itself, without any adjudicatory powers like the ASA. While they do have their own Advertising Code of Ethics, there are no consequences for violations. At best, it only serves as a general model for the industry to follow.

Technology has made it possible for airbrushing and digital manipulation (Photoshop) to be the norm by which the world of advertising revolves. In fact L'oreal admitted that the image had been digitally retouched but still "accurately illustrated" the achievable results. In a world where paradigms do not equate to reality, consumers have the right to be informed of the products they are buying as well as be protected against abuses against misleading advertisements. After all, who wouldn't want to look 20 or even 30 years younger?

Advertising is an excellent tool in the field of marketing. However, maintaining good standards to keep good taste, as well as ethical parameters in the business world, is a must. --- From a 39 yr. old Dad

Entry No. 6

Soleil Flores

Faster FastFood at Your Fingertips

Image from: http://ilovegr8food.com

The prevalence of Internet-based services has revolutionized not only the way people do business but also consumer interaction. Traditional personal customer service, while still preferred, is now but a part of the web of communication channels set up by business conglomerates in order to reach their clients. In a world that moves in a per second rate, even the fast food industry has to step up their service in order to keep up with the times.

Ever since, McDonald's launched www.mcdelivery.com.ph in 2009, fast food delivery in the country became a whole new interactive playing field. Gone were the days of frustration -starting from finding the right number to getting past that annoying "All circuits are busy now. Please try again later ." message. Everything seemed to be just a click away. Soon enough, a lot of other companies have followed suit like Chowking, Kenny Rogers Roasters, KFC, , Pizza Hut, Red Ribbon, Shakey's and Wendy's, just to name a few.

Why is Online Ordering Service so appealing for consumers?

First: Accessibility

According to Internet World Stats, there are 29.7 M internet users in the country as of June 2010. In fact, I think there are more people who have internet access than a conventional landline. The online delivery service makes it possible for anyone, anywhere, anytime, with an internet connection to get food -think Wi-Fi areas or even SmartBro/Globe Tattoo/Sun Internet wireless Huawei sticks; subject of course to the terms and conditions governing the service.

Second: Convenience

Less hassle. No more waiting for your calls to get through. While most delivery systems in the country are already routed to call centers, there are still instances when calls cannot be accommodated since all lines are busy. Furthermore, the menu is visual, informative and up to date. You know exactly what you are ordering and the cost of the item/s. It allows an infinite number of changes, until finalized, thus offers less chances of errors and mistakes for orders in comparison to dictation via phone.

There are a lot more reasons that could be enumerated, but those two probably summarizes them all. Indeed, E-commerce has made it possible for these establishments to reach their hungry tech-savvy customers. While the service is quite limited at the moment (covering Metro Manila in general), it is only bound to expand and even diversify as infrastructures improve, technologies develop, and people become more educated in the ways of the net. Who knows? There could even be a centralized hub for all these fast food services, or even better -an online delivery service for groceries! That's something worth looking forward to.

Entry No. 5

Soleil Flores

The DIY "iPad3" from China

There are many ways to get an iPad. It can be as easy as walking into any Apple Store and shelling out at least $500, or as creative as building yourself one. Yes, it's possible, sort of.

Photo Source: http://www.geek.com

It took two weeks and a couple of laptop hardware for this Chinese guy (allegedly a hacker/geek/genius) to create his own replica of the coveted tablet which he named "iPad3". The device runs on Windows XP and is bulkier compared to the original one but apparently it works just fine! Reportedly, his device is able to run Google Earth, read an ebook and do a bit of web surfing. A carrying case with keyboard and an Apple logo were added to complete the "iPad3".

People have called this creation insane and genius. Yeah. Sure. But it's also an impending law suit for trademark infringement, or a cease and desist order from Apple at the very least. 

Trademark Infringement happens when an identical or similar trade mark for identical or similar goods and services to a registered trade mark creates a likelihood of confusion on the part of the public. This includes the case where because of the similarities between the marks the public are led to the mistaken belief that the trade marks, although different, identify the goods or services of one and the same trader. Where the registered mark has a significant reputation, infringement may also arise from the use of the same or a similar mark which, although not causing confusion, damages or takes unfair advantage of the reputation of the registered mark. This can occasionally arise from the use of the same or similar mark for goods or services which are dissimilar to those covered by the registration of the registered mark.
Source: http://www.ipo.gov.uk/t-infringe.htm

Trademark infringements are nothing new to Apple. Almost every product they have introduced into the market involved a Trademark Infringement suit over some other company holding the rights to a particular device. The iPad is just the latest dispute in the Trademark wars. In fact in 2010, Apple almost faced a lawsuit over the iPad trademark in China, which I think was "settled", since we never heard anything anymore after the iPad dominated the market last year. As the saying goes, if you can't beat them, buy them!

And in case anyone is interested to attempt making their own tablets, the guy made a 20-minute video to illustrate the process. Watch the actual video here, courtesy of Youku, the Chinese version of YouTube.

Or you can just wait for the official release of the (real) iPad3 in September :)


4th Entry
Soleil Flores

The Google+ (Social Network) Project

In the age of social networking where Facebook and Twitter rule network relationships, multi-billion dollar conglomerate Google refuses to sit this one out.

Just last week I received an invite for Google+ project. My initial thought was, "It's like Facebook, only Google-fied!"

Photo from plus.google.com

While quite late it at, Google launched on June 28, the Google+ project --a social networking service aimed at "sharing the right stuff, with the right people" while integrating the wide range of Google products and services, such as GoogleBuzz (microblogging), Youtube (video hosting) and Picasa (photo sharing), just to name a few. Currently, the service is still in it's invite-only testing phase. It boasts of five features, generating mixed reactions from netizens all over:

• Circles -a place where you can sort out their contacts into respective groups via drag and drop method 
• Hangouts - a platform for Video Chats 
• Huddle - a communication tool for your circles (contacts); works like BBM groups or group IM chats 
• Instant Upload - for sharing pictures and videos directly from your mobile phone (Android only) 
• Sparks - a recommendation interface based on ones listed interests

It appears that this is just the beginning of grand plan to take over the social network business. It is reported that in the next six weeks, Google plans to rebrand Picasa and Blogger as "Google Photos" and "Google Blogs" respectively in order to tie it up with the major roll out of Google+.

Google+ indeed looks promising. However, it is highly unlikely that it would surpass Facebook's 11-year lead in the social networking game anytime soon. In terms of users and site use, Golden Sachs estimated that as of January 2011, Facebook has 600 million users. Furthermore, the features offered by Google+ is not new. In fact most of them are already contained in Facebook as well as other services albeit in a different setting.

Just looking at the odds, Google has a lot of convincing to do in order to lure users to switch sides. As Business Insider's Steve Kovach puts it, "A social network is no good unless your friends are on it too."

But then again, it's still early in the game. A lot of developments (and surprises!) can still take place considering that the site is still on beta testing and Facebook just might fight back. Let's just wait and see what happens when it finally gets mass released in the market.

For more information regarding the service, please visit the Google+ Homepage or watch the video below.

Sorry but I don't have invites. :)
3rd Entry
Soleil Flores

From Big Guns to Sleek Gadgets

If you think an iPad (or any other tablet device) is just for entertainment and ‘information on the go’ . I suggest you think, or should I say tap again.

Just recently the Singapore’s Defense Ministry announced its plans to issue the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) 8,000 sets of tablet devices, to its military recruits starting November this year. According to the report, this is to "harness our advantage of today's technologically savvy servicemen" by "exploiting the use of popular and current information and communications technology." The device's camera can be used to send photos and videos to share intelligence data and for post-mission assessments. It would also allow for group chats and live messages to commanders or other battalions. (http://www.gmanews.tv/story/224687/technology/singapore-military-adopts-ipad-2)

“This changes everything. Again.”

Back in the days, no one would have ever thought that such devices can be used for the military. In fact, can we imagine the AFP holding IPads and rifles at the same time? Probably not in a million years. But with today’s technology, a lot of things that seemed absurd and unheard of come alive. As early as 2010, the UK Military has adopted the iPad for training its soldiers. And today, special applications for military use are being worked on with third parties not only in Singapore but also in the United States as well (e.g. SoldierEyes by Textron Systems).

The recent developments in military tactics only proves that the use of tablet computer technology is not anymore limited for the gadget-hungry mass consumers looking for ways to entertain themselves. It has evolved into a different game altogether involving the government. Tablet military warfare anyone?

(Image Source: Image Source: http://thenextweb.com/apps/2010/07/30/uk-militarys-new-recruit-an-ipad-app)

Entry #2

The Attack of Philker Hackers

Hacking is old news. So old, that it is believed that hacking has been around pretty much since the development of the first electronic computers(1). Anyone with security vulnerabilities can be a target. No one is safe. Not even government websites. Last year isolated attacks were experienced in different government agencies particularly: Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD); TESDA; GSIS; National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC); and Philippine Information Agency (PIA) .

And you think they have learned their lesson? Well, not really.

Just recently, the latest Government web sites to join the ranks are:

• Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) on May 31

• Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) on June 13

• Bureau of Customs (BOC) on June 15

• Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on June 16

• Office of the Vice President (OVP) on June 20

• Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on June 23

What is alarming about the recent attacks is that there is one group who call themselves Philker Hackers, responsible for the attacks on the PNRI, FDA and OVP websites.

Photo Credit: http://www.techalang.com/

Philker Hackers, who are "proudly Filipino" claim that they are "white hats":

“WE ARE NOT TRYING TO DAMAGE YOU. WE ONLY WANT TO HELP PROTECT OUR COUNTRY’S CYBERSPACE BY DOING WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO GET EVERYONE’S ATTENTION. MAY THIS DEFACE SERVE AS A REMINDER THAT YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO LOOK OUT FOR INTRUDERS. NO MATTER HOW INTELLIGENT AND COMPETENT YOUR COMPUTER PERSONNEL ARE, THERE WILL BE UNETHICAL HACKERS THAT ARE CONSTANTLY WORKING ON BREAKING IN YOUR SECURITY, WHETHER IT’S YOUR MONEY OR INFORMATION THEY ARE AFTER; IN THIS CASE, YOU ARE FORTUNATE THAT IT WAS US WHO HAS SUCCESSFULLY BROKEN IN. YOU ALSO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT BOTH THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTORS ARE AT RISK HERE, THIEVES AND TERRORIST ARE ALL LURKING ONLINE POSSESSING THE SKILLS TO TAKE DOWN MULTIPLE NETWORKS AND ASSUME ACCESSIBILITY OVER ACCOUNTS, WATCHING OUT FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE TARGETS; TRUST US, WE’RE CUT FROM THE SAME CLOTH, THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT WE HAVE GOOD INTENTIONS. THEY DERIVE THEIR ENERGY FROM GREED. WE DERIVE OURS FROM OUR THIRST TO KEEP OUR COUNTRY’S CYBERSPACE SAFE. EXPECT MORE FROM US. WE ARE PHILKER.”

Philker Hackers allege that they are merely "protecting our country's cyberspace" yet under the Computer Misuse Act of 1990 in the United Kingdom, "unauthorized access even to expose vulnerabilities for the benefit of many is not legal." As Struan Robertson puts it, "There’s no defense in our hacking laws that your behavior is for the greater good. Even if it’s what you believe." (2)

Unfortunately, the current state of Philippine legislation does not offer the same protection.

Although hacking is nothing but universal occurrence nowadays, the recent events only demonstrates the quality of internet security we have in this country. It only shows how weak the Government's defenses are in terms of protecting themselves from online threats. The hacking incidents call not only for a major upgrade in the government measures regarding online data security but also a reflection on the country's current internet or cyber policies and ethics.

Entry #1

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Sources:

(1) Timeline: A 40-year history of hacking 

http://articles.cnn.com/2001-11-19/tech/hack.history.idg_1_phone-phreaks-chaos-computer-club-emmanuel-goldstein?_s=PM:TECH

(2) License to hack? - Ethical hacking

http://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/view/4611/license-to-hack-ethical-hacking/

(3) Photo Credit:  http://www.techalang.com/

(4) On the various articles related to the different attacks:

(a) http://www.gmanews.tv

(b) http://www.abs-cbnnews.com

(c) http://www.techie.com.ph

(d) http://newsinfo.inquirer.net

(e) http://www.techalang.com/