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Jay McDaniel
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23 May 21:44
5-Pound UAV Flies For 50 Minutes, Streams HD From Over 3 Miles
by timothy
An anonymous reader writes "Looks like those guys from Aeryon Labs are at it again. Today they announced the SkyRanger a bigger brother to their Scout drone (the one that the Libyan rebels used back in 2011). This one claims flight time of close to an hour, streaming 1080p30 HD video, a range of over 3 miles and a camera that can shoot 15 Megapixel stills and thermal video simultaneously. Not only that but it pops out of a backpack and is ready to fly instantly. It ain't cheap, but it can fly at 40 mph!"
Pierrer likes this
23 May 21:23
Patents: 3D Printing
by David K. Levine
If you read this blog you must have an internet connection, so presumably have heard of 3D printing. It is a very disruptive technology with potential to change manufacturing in a variety of ways - and indeed even things such as medicine. I recently had some correspondence with Joshua Pearce whose engineering group is working on materials for use in 3D printing. He is concerned about a patent arms race in this area being drag on innovation. He is looking at creative ways to preempt some of the patent nonsense.
Joshua has also been active in nanotechnology, another important areas of innovation. His article in Nature highlights how patents are helping to obstruct rather than help progress - again with innovative ideas for an open source model for key building blocks that will enhance rather than hinder innovation.
It is not a tribute to our system that genuine innovators have to spend their time trying to figure out how to avoid the hindrance of patents rather than devoting their effort to innovation.
23 May 21:22
Patents: Mark Cuban and small business
by David K. Levine
Do we want to innovate our way out of crisis? How about government getting out of the way of innovators? Real innovators and small businesses are obstructed not helped by patents. Don't listen to me. Listen to someone in business.
23 May 21:17
A question about proper disposal of unwanted items with an unhelpful answer
by Raymond Chen - MSFT
On an internal mailing list about home maintenance and ownership, somebody asked:
I have a handful of items that I need to get rid of and probably should not toss into the regular garbage. Any thoughts?
- Older TV — 32″
- Propane tanks (full)
- Lighter fluid
- Carpet glue adhesive
- Lawn fertilizer
The best reply was an unhelpful one.
You've pretty much got all the components you need to build a bomb. Why dispose of them?
23 May 21:16
How do I get a window back on the screen when it moved far, far away? Windows 7 (and 8) edition
by Raymond Chen - MSFT
Some time ago, I showed how to get a window back on the screen when it moved far, far away. That technique still works in Windows 7 and 8, but there's an easier shortcut that takes advantage of window arrangement features added in Windows 7.
First, you switch to the application by whatever means. Then hit Win+UpArrow to maximize the window. That should put the window on-screen, albeit at the wrong size. Now you just grab the title bar of the window with the mouse and drag it off the top edge of the screen. Bingo, the window returns to its original position, and you can use the mouse to put it wherever you like.
This trick doesn't work for windows that cannot be resized (such as Calculator), but for those windows, you can use the old version of the trick.
23 May 06:13
The March Toward Patent Reform Continues
by Julie Samuels and Julie Samuels
Jay McDanielIts a start.
Today, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) introduced the Patent Abuse Reduction Act, a wide-ranging bill targeting abusive litigation tactics—a favorite tool of the patent troll.
The good news first. The bill would do significant harm to the patent troll business model, making it harder to be a troll and easier to fight one in court. Patent trolls have long taken advantage of the fact that patent litigation is expensive (costing into the millions of dollars) and can take years, draining companies of resources. Patent trolls are in the very business of litigation and deploy a variety of techniques (shell companies and contingency fee arrangements, for example) to keep their own costs much lower.
The proposed legislation would level this playing field by incorporating one of our favorite reforms, fee shifting. This means that if a party accused of infringing a patent actually fights back in court and wins, the troll could be on the hook. (Unfortunately, the legislation doesn't require the suing party to post a bond—an important tool for deterring patent trolls.) The bill also includes provisions limiting the type and amount of discovery a troll can get and what kind of information a troll needs to disclose at the outset of a lawsuit. The latter is particularly promising because it would force patent trolls to do true due diligence before they sue and to name who is really behind the lawsuit (information that is currently quite difficult to find). These provisions make the troll's case more expensive and takes away another of its favorite tools—secrecy.
The not-so-good news is that these reforms are all litigation focused and, thus, limited. We believe the problem is much bigger. The bill does not address patent quality and fails to consider what the Patent Office could do to help those facing lawsuit threats. It does not include protection for end users, consumers who find themselves staring down patent trolls over widely available technologies. And it fails to address the very root of the problem by not considering whether we should be able to patent software to begin with.
We will continue to raise those issues and fight those fights. In the meantime, we are encouraged to see the introduction of large scale-reform that would go to the heart of the patent troll business model. We hope that those policy makers who have publicly recognized the patent troll problem will join in the upcoming debate on this important legislation.
Related Issues:
23 May 06:12
EFF Takes FOIA Fight Over Secret Wiretaps to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court
by Mark Rumold
Today, EFF filed a motion in a secret court.
This secret court isn’t in a developing nation, struggling beneath a dictatorship. It’s not in a country experimenting for the first time with a judiciary and the rule of law. And, as Wired recently noted, it’s “not in Iran or Venezuela, as one might expect.” No, the court is here, in the United States (it’s in Washington, D.C., in fact). It’s called the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (or the FISC), and it reviews the federal government’s applications to conduct surveillance in national security cases. It’s comprised of 11 district court judges from around the country, and its opinions and orders are the law of the United States, like other federal courts.
But the FISC is different from typical courts in one fundamental way: almost everything about the FISC is secret.1 In fact, just being able to publicly say that we filed a motion with the FISC is unusual. Most proceedings are done ex parte (in this context, meaning just with the government and the judge), and any non-governmental parties involved in proceedings are typically forbidden from ever disclosing it. Even when the FISC finds that the government has acted illegally, so far, that illegality has been been kept hidden from public scrutiny and accountability.
EFF is trying to change that. We filed a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) after the Department of Justice refused to disclose a FISC opinion we requested. The FISC opinion held that the government engaged in surveillance that was unconstitutional and violated the spirit of federal surveillance laws. We only know the opinion exists because Senators, like Ron Wyden and Mark Udall, essentially forced the government to publicly acknowledge its existence.
So why did EFF file something with the FISC? In response to our FOIA lawsuit—and in an attempt to justify hiding the government’s unconstitutional conduct—the DOJ pointed to the FISC. The DOJ argued the FISC’s procedural rules prohibited DOJ from releasing the opinion under FOIA. But, five years earlier (in response to a separate case brought by the ACLU), the FISC itself said FOIA was the proper avenue to access FISC opinions. In fact, in that case, the DOJ argued that FOIA was the only way the public could access the opinions. So we filed a motion with the FISC to allow that court to definitively resolve whether its rules prohibit the disclosure of its opinions.
But, for the time being, a DOJ-imposed Catch-22 blocks the public from knowing more about the government’s illegal surveillance. According to the DOJ, we can’t use FOIA, because the FISC rules prevent it; and we can’t go to the FISC, because the FISC says FOIA is the proper avenue. If Joseph Heller were alive today, he would be impressed. So, too, would Franz Kafka. A public trapped between conflicting rules and a secret judicial body, with little transparency or public oversight, seems like a page ripped from The Trial.
In fact, simply figuring out how to file the motion was a bit of a nightmare. Not surprisingly, there’s no e-filing with the FISC or public mailing address to send the motion. All we had was a phone number. And all we could do was leave messages and hope the court staff would return our calls.
But, sadly, this isn’t a work of dystopian fiction. This is a product of our democratic system. The government may assert that FISC opinions can’t be disclosed because they would reveal the legal limits of our nation’s intelligence collection capabilities, but the fact that we are a nation of laws is not a vulnerability our enemies may exploit. It is among our greatest national assets.
Granted, it’s likely that some of the information contained within FISC opinions should be kept secret; but, when the government hides court opinions describing unconstitutional government action, America’s national security is harmed: not by disclosure of our intelligence capabilities, but through the erosion of our commitment to the rule of law.
Related Issues:
Related Cases:
22 May 04:42
5 Overlooked Lessons From the AP Subpoena Controversy and Other Leak Investigations
by Cindy Cohn and Trevor Timm
The journalism world has been rightly outraged by the Justice Department dragging the Associated Press (and now a Fox News reporter) into one of its sprawling leak investigations. As we wrote last week, by obtaining the call records of twenty AP phone lines, “the Justice Department has struck a terrible blow against the freedom of the press and the ability of reporters to investigate and report the news."
But there are several other important lessons that this scandal can teach us besides how important free and uninhibited newsgathering is to the public’s right to know.
1. Weak Privacy Laws That Doomed AP Affect Everyone
The AP detailed in its letter to the Justice Department how its privacy was grossly invaded even though the government accessed only the call records of its reporters and not the content of their conversations. We completely agree. Unfortunately, this isn’t just a problem in the AP investigation. Law enforcement agencies routinely demand and receive this information about ordinary Americans over long periods of time without any court involvement whatsoever, much less a full warrant.
For example, according to information released by the phone companies to Rep. Ed Markey, Sprint alone received a staggering 500,000 subpoenas for call records data last year.
The DOJ's decision to dive into these call records shows the growing need to update our privacy laws to eliminate the outmoded Third Party Doctrine—which holds that anything you give to a service provider, or that a service provider collects as part of providing you a service—can retain no reasonable expectation of privacy. In an era where email is stored by our providers, cellphone companies keep records that track our location and cloud services hold our documents, it’s long past time to bring our interpretation of the Fourth Amendment and statutory electronic privacy laws in compliance with the 21st Century.
In response to the AP scandal, a bipartisan coalition in Congress just introduced a bill to partially fix this problem called The Telephone Records Protection Act. The bill would require the Justice Department to get a judge’s approval before seeking these records. At EFF, we think the government should have to go even further than a court order: a judicial warrant showing the kind of probable cause required by the Fourth Amendment should be the standard. But this bill is certainly an improvement over administrative subpoenas, which don’t need a sign-off from a judge at all and allow the Executive branch to seek information without any external check.
2. Phone Companies May Give Up Your Information Without Telling You
As the New York Times reported, the AP is still examining if and when any telephone companies tried to push back on the overbroad requests for its call records. “But at least two of the journalists’ personal cellphone records were provided to the government by Verizon Wireless without any attempt to obtain permission to tell them so the reporters could ask a court to quash the subpoena,” the Times said. And it also seems clear that the AP itself wasn’t given notice before their phone company turned over the records.
In EFF’s 2013 “Who Has Your Back” report, which tracks several ways in which communications companies can help protect user privacy, we give a star for promising to notify users about government demands for data whenever whenever the company is not legally prevented from doing so. Notably, Verizon does not have such a notification policy and did not receive a star. In fact, Verizon was the only company to receive zero stars.
This isn’t a small problem or just a problem for journalists. Verizon received 260,000 similar subpoenas for call records last year. The government requests this information with regularity, and given the phone companies control the data, communications company policies are all that stand between you and governmental overreach.
Users should demand that their communications companies notify them when the government comes seeking information, unless they are legally barred by a court order.
3. Government often Overstates National Security Claims, Overclassifies Information
We’ve written many times about the many ways “national security” has been invoked—and exaggerated—in order to cover up government embarrassment or wrongdoing, or to assert powers that would normally not be granted under the Constitution. The government routinely overclassifies information that should never be secret, according to reports commissioned by the White House itself.
The most glaring example for EFF is our lawsuit over the NSA warrantless wiretapping program, where the government won’t admit or deny that the program even exists, citing the danger to national security, despite thousands of pages of public evidence. The government has argued the same thing in cases about torture and the CIA drone program where, many times, the same information that they claim is secret is on the front pages of the nation’s newspapers.
In the AP’s case, while Attorney General Holder says this leak put “lives at risk,” John Brennan said the opposite around the time of the story (“Brennan said the plot was never a threat to the U.S. public or air safety,” reported Reuters). The AP also held its story for six days until the CIA told them it was safe to publish and the White House had a news conference planned the day after the story to announce the successful counterterrorism operation.
As the late Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black once said, “The word ‘security’ is a broad, vague generality whose contours should not be invoked to abrogate the fundamental law embodied in the First Amendment.”
4. There’s Not Much Recourse For Prosecutorial Misconduct
In this case, just like the case of Aaron Swartz, there has been widespread criticism that the Justice Department has abused its authority and aggressively pursued parties in an unprofessional manner. As we detailed last week, it seems the Justice Department didn’t follow its own guidelines when issuing subpoenas for the reporters records, or at least went to the very edge of its own guidelines.
Just like in the Swartz case, the specific prosecutor has a history of over-aggressive prosecutions (even being accused of overzealous prosecution by Eric Holder himself when he was in private practice). Yet when Congress asked Holder at a hearing about the allegations, just like in the Swartz case, he did not admit to any wrongdoing, and was able to deflect questions about his department’s handling of the case. Unfortunately, there is not much recourse for meaningful remedy for the public in these situations, and this case is just the latest example.
5. Journalists Need to be Pro-Active in Protecting Their Digital Security
In an age where warrantless surveillance is skyrocketing and governments potentially have access to an astonishing amount of information, journalists must learn to proactively protect both themselves and their sources.
The Committee to Protect Journalists Journalist Security Guide is an excellent place to start. It addresses concerns faced by journalists working inside the United States and internationally.
Wired published an op-ed last week about the care one needs to take from the source’s end if one wishes to send information to the press undetected. Much of the advice is applicable to reporters talking to sources as well. Additionally, the New Yorker has just released a promising—but un-tested—anonymous leak submission system, coded by Aaron Swartz before he tragically died in January. In certain circumstances physical mail remains the safest option.
Overall, the final lesson is that journalists, and sources, need to take security seriously. Trusting that the government won’t come after you because you’re engaged in journalism, serving the public interest, or helping reveal wrongdoing is plainly not sufficient.
21 May 03:16
Liberator gun made with consumer 3D printer, plastic pistol fires nine shots successfully (video)
by Michael Gorman
Defense Distributed's plan is to put the power of guns in the hands of every person with access to the internet and a 3D printer. Until now, however, we'd only seen the Liberator pistol built using an expensive industrial-grade printer -- despite the fact that the blueprints for gun have been downloaded by thousands of people who don't have access to such a high-end machine. One of those folks decided to put the Liberator in the hands of the printing proletariat by making it with a consumer-level Lulzbot A0-101 3D printer, a nail and some common screws.
This new version, called the Lulz Liberator, differs from the original in that it's got a rifled barrel and uses metal hardware to hold it together (as opposed to printed plastic pins). Printing it took around two days and used about $25 worth of generic ABS material, and the pistol produced was fired successfully nine times, but its creator claims it could've shot more. It's still a far cry from a Glock or Beretta, of course, as the gun misfired several times, and removing spent shell casings required the use of a hammer. So, it's not quite ready for prime time, but it's one more bit of proof that the age of printed pistols is officially upon us.
[Image Credit: Michael Guslick]
Source: Forbes
21 May 03:07
Reporters Threatened, Labeled Hackers For Finding Security Hole
by samzenpus
Jay McDanielThere's nothing like blaming someone else for your bad security decisions.
colinneagle writes "Scripps News reporters discovered 170,000 records online of customers of Lifeline, a government program offering affordable phone service for low-income citizens, that contained everything needed for identity theft . Last year, the FCC 'tightened' the rules for the program by requiring Lifeline phone carriers to document applicants' eligibility, which led to collecting more sensitive information from citizens. A Scripps News investigative team claims it 'Googled' the phone companies TerraCom Inc. and YourTel America Inc. to discover all of the files. A Scripps reporter asked for an on-camera interview with the COO of TerraCom and YourTel after explaining the files were freely available online. That did not happen, but shortly thereafter the customer records disappeared from the internet. Then, the blame-the-messenger hacker accusations and mudslinging began. Although the Scripps reporters videotaped the process showing how they found the documents, attorney Jonathon Lee for both telecoms threatened the 'Scripps Hackers' with violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA)." 
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Buherator likes this
21 May 03:03
Motion To Delay Sanctions Against Prenda Lawyers Denied
by Unknown Lamer
rudy_wayne writes with news that the Prenda lawyers recently sanctioned by a federal judge are starting to face consequences. From the article: "On Friday, Paul Hansmeier, a Minnesota attorney who has been pointed to as one of the masterminds of the Prenda copyright-trolling scheme, filed an emergency motion to stay the $81,000 sanctions order while he and his colleagues could mount an appeal. Today the appeals court flatly denied his motion. Two appellate judges signed this order, and it gives Hansmeier the option to make a plea for delay with the district court judge. That would be U.S. District Judge Otis Wright, the judge who sanctioned Hansmeier in the first place. Hansmeier is also getting kicked off a case he was working on that was totally unrelated to Prenda's scheme of making copyright accusations over alleged pornography downloads. On Friday, the 9th Circuit Commissioner ordered Hansmeier, in no uncertain terms, to withdraw from a case involving Groupon since he has been referred to the Minnesota State Bar for investigation. The commissioner has delayed Hansmeier's admission to the 9th Circuit because of Wright's order, which refers to Wright's finding of 'moral turpitude.'" 
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
21 May 03:00
Reporter Deemed “Co-Conspirator” in Leak Case
by Steven Aftergood
Jay McDanielThis is bad!
In a startling expansion of the Obama Administration’s war on leaks, a federal agent sought and received a warrant in 2010 to search the email account of Fox News correspondent James Rosen on grounds that there was probable cause the reporter had violated the Espionage Act by soliciting classified information from a State Department official.
This previously undisclosed development was first reported in “A rare peek into a Justice Department leak probe” by Ann E. Marimow, Washington Post, May 19.
“I believe there is probable cause to conclude that the contents of the wire and electronic communications pertaining to the SUBJECT ACCOUNT [the gmail account of Mr. Rosen] are evidence, fruits and instrumentalities of criminal violations of 18 U.S.C. 793 (Unauthorized Disclosure of National Defense Information), and that there is probable cause to believe that the Reporter has committed or is committing a violation of section 793(d), as an aider and abettor and/or co-conspirator, to which the materials relate,” wrote FBI agent Reginald B. Reyes in a May 28, 2010 application for a search warrant.
The search warrant was issued in the course of an investigation into a suspected leak of classified information allegedly committed by Stephen Jin-Woo Kim, a former State Department contractor, who was indicted in August 2010.
The Reyes affidavit all but eliminates the traditional distinction in classified leak investigations between sources, who are bound by a non-disclosure agreement, and reporters, who are protected by the First Amendment as long as they do not commit a crime. (There is no allegation that Mr. Rosen bribed, threatened or coerced anyone to gain the disclosure of restricted information.)
The affidavit also highlights the government’s ability to monitor activity within classified networks with a fine mesh, and to correlate document downloads with external communications.
“So far, the FBI’s investigation has revealed in excess of 95 individuals, in addition to Mr. Kim, who accessed the Intelligence Report [containing the information reported by Mr. Rosen] on the date of the June 2009 article and prior to its publication. To date, however, the FBI’s investigation has not revealed any other individual, other than Mr. Kim, who both accessed the Intelligence Report and who also had contact with the Reporter on the date of publication of the June 2009 article,” the affidavit noted.
Some of the contacts between Mr. Kim and Mr. Rosen could be expeditiously uncovered because both of them were using desk telephones within the Department of State. Likewise, their comings and goings could be readily tracked because both used official ID badges to enter and exit the State Department building.
As evidence of Mr. Rosen’s purported culpability, the Reyes affidavit notes that Rosen and Kim used aliases in their communications (Kim was “Leo” and Rosen was “Alex”) and in other ways sought to maintain confidentiality.
“From the beginning of their relationship, the Reporter asked, solicited and encouraged Mr. Kim to disclose sensitive United States internal documents and intelligence information…. The Reporter did so by employing flattery and playing to Mr. Kim’s vanity and ego.”
“Much like an intelligence officer would run an [sic] clandestine intelligence source, the Reporter instructed Mr. Kim on a covert communications plan… to facilitate communication with Mr. Kim and perhaps other sources of information.” And so forth.
What makes this alarming is that “soliciting” and “encouraging” the disclosure of classified information are routine, daily activities in national security reporting. The use of pseudonyms and discreet forms of communication are also commonplace.
But for today’s FBI, these everyday reporting techniques are taken as evidence of criminal activity and grounds for search and seizure of confidential email.
“Based on the foregoing, there is probable cause to believe that the Reporter has committed a violation of 18 U.S.C. 793 (Unauthorized Disclosure of National Defense Information), at the very least, either as an insider, abettor and/or co-conspirator of Mr. Kim,” Mr. Reyes wrote.
The affidavit says that the FBI had exhausted all alternatives to a search warrant for collecting the desired evidence, except for asking Mr. Rosen to voluntarily produce his own email.
“Because of the Reporter’s own potential criminal liability in this matter, we believe that requesting the voluntary production of the materials from Reporter would be futile and would pose a substantial threat to the integrity of the investigation and of the evidence we seek to obtain by the warrant.”
The warrant application was approved and signed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Alan Kay on May 28, 2010. It was sealed until November 7, 2011 but went unnoticed until the Washington Post reported on it late yesterday.
The post Reporter Deemed “Co-Conspirator” in Leak Case appears on Secrecy News from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy.
21 May 02:58
Letter From a Passenger: “Is it embarassing having to tell people you work for TSA?”
by takingsenseaway
This question comes from Chris:
Was it embarrassing having to tell people you work for the TSA? The reason I ask is because I’m thinking of applying to TSA. Thanks!
-Chris
—-
Dear Chris,
That’s a hard question to answer, only because there does not exist a font large enough to convey a large enough “yes.” Personally, I am happy that I am no longer a TSA employee, having recently resigned in order to do something that I actually enjoy (as opposed to coming into work and finding out that, for instance, I have to direct toddlers into a nude radiation scanner or else face disciplinary measures).
But yes, having worked at TSA for several years, and having known many TSA employees, I can safely tell you that it is indeed generally embarrassing, especially for people who have the potential to be more in life than a suitcase surgeon (thanks to Avery from San Diego who emailed me the term “suitcase surgeon”).
Imagine for a moment that you’re at a party, and everyone’s asking what everyone else in the room does for a living. Here a doctor, an attorney, a web designer; there an architect, a college professor, a small business owner, and then the question comes to you. There’s no way out of it, no denying it: you pat people’s crotches down every day for a living. This is what your life has come to.
I will tell you, and anyone who works for TSA will tell you (if you ask), that no TSA employee will ever, under any circumstance, claim “the TSA” as an employer to a stranger. Every last one of them claims the Department of Homeland Security as his or her employer, because “the Department of Homeland Security” sounds much more official and potentially respectable than its little red-headed bastard step-child-black-sheep-of-the-national-security-apparatus family, TSA.
Hope that helps,
-N.J.R
Send all questions to takingsenseaway@gmail.com
21 May 02:50
What Is Fuel Efficiency Really Worth?
by Trent
A few days ago, I posted an article on saving money on fuel during your commute. While all of those tips were useful, one in particular can really reduce your fuel costs when commuting – buying a more fuel-efficient car. But what does that really mean in terms of dollars and cents?
Before you even begin talking about how much you’re saving in terms of increased fuel efficiency, you have to determine some of the numbers you’re working with.
First off, how much does a gallon of gas cost? Right now, the gas station nearest to my home charges $3.999 for a non-premium gallon. So, we’ll go with that – $4 per gallon.
You also need to know how many miles you expect to get out of your car after you buy it. It really depends on the age of the car that you buy. If you buy a new or nearly new car, you might get as many as 150,000 miles out of it. For an old car, you might be lucky to get 50,000 more miles out of it. Let’s go with a happy medium – 100,000 miles.
So, what is fuel efficiency actually worth when you’re buying gas at $4 per gallon and intend to cover 100,000 miles in that car? Let’s look at some different fuel efficiency numbers.
If the car you buy gets 15 miles per gallon, that means it’s going to slurp down 6667 gallons over the time you drive that car. At $4 per gallon, that adds up to $26,668 in fuel costs.
If you bump that up to 20 miles per gallon, that means it’s only going to use 5,000 gallons over the period that you own the car. At $4 per gallon, the total fuel cost is $20,000.
Let’s say your vehicle gets 25 miles per gallon. In that case, it only uses 4,000 gallons over that 100,000 mile life span. At $4 per gallon, that adds up to $16,000.
What about 30 miles per gallon? If you’re looking at 30 miles per gallon, the vehicle consumes only 3,333 gallons of gas. At $4 per gallon, that adds up to $13,334 in fuel costs.
What about 40 miles per gallon? In that situation, you’re looking at a consumption of 2,500 gallons over the life span, which, at $4 a gallon, adds up to only $10,000 in fuel costs.
Fuel efficiency is a tremendous savings. If you choose a 40 mpg car over a 15 mpg car, you’re saving $16,668 in fuel costs over the next 100,000 miles (assuming fuel stays at $4 per gallon). That’s enough to buy your next replacement car.
A good rule of thumb to use, assuming you are going to be driving the car for a long while and assuming that fuel prices continue to inch upwards, is that for every single mpg that one car has higher than another car, you’re saving $1,000 in fuel over the lifetime of that car. It’s not a perfect rule and it particularly breaks down for comparing cars well above 25 miles per gallon, but it’s a good one for giving yourself an estimate of the value of fuel efficiency when shopping around.
Fuel efficiency is simply an enormous financial consideration when buying a car. Buying a car that is 10 miles per gallon more efficient in terms of fuel consumption than the other option can easily save you $10,000 over the lifetime that you own the car. Keep that in mind when you shop around.
The post What Is Fuel Efficiency Really Worth? appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
20 May 04:57
Medical Firm Sues IRS For 4th Amendment Violation In Records Seizure
by timothy
cold fjord writes "A healthcare provider has sued the Internal Revenue Service and 15 of its agents, charging they wrongfully seized 60 million medical records from 10 million Americans ... [The unnamed company alleges] the agency violated the Fourth Amendment in 2011, when agents executed a search warrant for financial data on one employee – and that led to the seizure of information on 10 million, including state judges. The search warrant did not specify that the IRS could take medical information, UPI said. And information technology officials warned the IRS about the potential to violate medical privacy laws before agents executed the warrant, the complaint said." Also at Nextgov.com. 
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
19 May 21:23
SmartDeblur Fixes Blurry Photos without the Fuss
by Shep McAllister
Windows: As good as our camera phones have gotten, they can still produce some blurry images, especially of moving subjects or in low light. While you could try to sharpen them up in a feature-rich app like Photoshop and futz around with a bunch of sliders and settings to get decent results, SmartDeblur does a great job with less fuss.
As far as photography apps go, this is a simple app for a single problem, but it delivers on its promise. Just load up a photo, adjust the kernel size and smoothing parameters as needed, then hit "Analyze Blur" to fix the photo. SmartDeblur is no miracle worker, the photos won't become crystal clear, but the app absolutely holds its own against real image editors. Obviously, if you have Photoshop and would rather set up a batch process to make some adjustments, that's probably going to be faster for fixing a ton of photos at once, but SmartDeblur is still handy if you just want to sharpen a photo or two. It's also a great app to send to any of your friends who don't own or aren't comfortable using full-featured image editors.
SmartDeblur (Free Trial) | Developer's Website via FreewareGenius
Screenshot by Carlos Macias.
Scott likes this
19 May 21:21
Create a Center-Pull Ball of Yarn By Hand
by Shep McAllister
If you're into knitting—or if you regularly need yarn for your DIY projects—you know it can be tough to keep your yarn under control and tangle free. A center-pull ball of yarn eliminates a lot of the hassle, and it's really easy to make your own.
Instructables user LeafingLight shares this surprisingly simple tutorial. Just take any ball or skein of yarn, and unravel it completely. Then, start wrapping it around the end of a thin dowel rod into a roughly spherical ball. Once all the yarn is re-wrapped around the rod, slip the ball off the end of the dowel, and you're good to go. Now, you shouldn't have to worry about the yarn getting stuck or unraveling too easily as you work. Check out the source link for the complete tutorial with plenty of photos.
How to Wind a Center-Pull Ball of Yarn by Hand | Instructables
19 May 21:19
Hisense Sero 7 Pro with Tegra 3, Android 4.2 takes on Google’s Nexus 7
by Cory Gunther
Today we have something pretty interesting for all you tablet lovers. A new slate that’s aiming to take on Google’s Nexus 7 has leaked, and you’re going to like the price. It’s called the Hisense Sero 7 Pro, from the popular Chinese manufacturer, and has everything and more the Nexus offers but for just $99. Read on for full details on this impressive and well-rounded budget slate.
If the name sounds familiar, it’s because the Hisense Sero 7 lite was recently spotted at the FCC. The Chinese manufacturers first slate officially going up for sale in US markets. However, the Hisense Sero 7 Pro we have the exclusive on today is a much better device, offers more than the Nexus 7, is only $99, and was found available as we speak inside Walmart.
According to our tipster the Sero 7 Pro rocks a 1.3 GHz Tegra 3 quad-core processor with 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, and a 7-inch 1280×800 HD IPS display, just like the Nexus 7. Then what makes it even better is the micro-SD slot for expanding storage, mini-HDMI for video out, and dual camera. The Sero 7 Pro sports a 5 megapixel rear with LED flash, and 2 MP front, respectively.
Running Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean and full Google Play Store certification, this tablet is as well rounded as it gets for $99. That’s for sure. As you can see from the images provided, the build quality is decent, and our tipster claims it feels quite premium given the price. The Hisense Sero 7 Pro also comes with the usual array of senors and radios. WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, NFC, and a 4,000 mAh battery.
Hisense offers TV’s here in the US, but this marks their first tablet aimed at the US market. Our tipster reports their USA website link on the box isn’t even active yet, which leads us to believe some Walmart locations are selling this device early. You can head to www.hisense-usa.com/tablets, but as stated, the page isn’t yet active. For now we’re looking for additional details, but you might want to run down to your nearest Walmart and grab this deal of a tablet.
Who’s interested? Quad-core Tegra 3, 8GB storage, micro-SD and HDMI-out, not counting Android 4.2 Jelly Bean all for just $99. Let us know below!
Update: Many reports have confirmed the price is actually $149, and the Hisense Sero 7 lite will be $99. Get em while they last.
– Thanks Selim for the tip!
19 May 17:01
Linux Users Have a Choice: 8 Linux Desktop Environments
by Chris Hoffman
There’s no one true desktop environment for Linux. Unlike competing operating systems like Windows, Linux users have a choice of many different desktop environments, all with their own styles and strengths.
You can install one of these desktop environments after installing your Linux distribution and switch between desktop environments from the login screen. You can also choose to install a Linux distribution that comes with the desktop environment. For example, you can get Ubuntu in many different flavors.
    
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19 May 06:48
Visteon's HABIT is a concept infotainment system that puts road trip copilots out of a job (video)
by James Trew
A good acronym also hints at what it does, and Visteon's new intelligent in-car concept, HABIT, is a good example of that. The Human Bayesian Intelligence Technology system -- to give it its full name -- learns the behaviour of drivers so it can automatically change the temperature, heat the seats and drop that Biohazard album just when you need it most. Factors such as weather, time of day and real-time road conditions all play a part, plus, of course a log of all your typical in-car interactions. It promises to go above just warming your behind on a cold morning though, offering intelligence that would be able to divine local radio stations that play your kind of jam when you're out of town. It could also seamlessly mix these with your local / tablet / smartphone library and internet sources. Sound a little too creepy? Wait until you see the computer-generated demo video presenter past the break.
Filed under: Peripherals, Transportation
Via: Autoblog
18 May 21:28
Ten Pieces of Inspiration #126
by Trent
Each week, I highlight ten things each week that inspired me to greater financial, personal, and professional success. Hopefully, they will inspire you as well.
1. Keith Ferrazzi on poverty
“Poverty, I realized, wasn’t only a lack of financial resources; it was isolation from the kind of people that could help you make more of yourself.” – Keith Ferrazzi
This is one of society’s greatest challenges. It takes someone really exceptional to escape an impoverished childhood.
2. Maria Bezaitis on the surprising need for strangeness
It isn’t the ordinary and mundane that shapes our lives. It’s the unusual.
3. Cornelia Funke on fear
“Fear kills everything. Your mind, your heart, your imagination.” – Cornelia Funke
It is a true individual triumph to overcome something you’re afraid of and see it for what it truly is.
4. Sir Ken Robinson on changing educational paradigms
Education today was designed for an industrial economy. Today, we have an information economy. How do we cross that bridge?
5. Thomas Carlyle on idleness
“In idleness there is a perpetual despair.” – Thomas Carlyle
One of the few things I fear is sitting still.
6. Beth Fantaskey on fear
“Fear is the worst kind of grave, because it buries one alive.” – Beth Fantaskey
The problem with fear is that it bends so many of the choices you make in life. When you’re afraid of something, it bends all choices you make related to that fear, altering your life profoundly.
7. John Perkins on economic hitmen
It’s an economic model that keeps the rich rich and keeps the poor poor.
8. Thomas Harms on answers
“Saying ‘I don’t know’ doesn’t mean you stop searching for an answer. A lot of people misunderstand that bit. Accepting your own bounds without shame or guilt allows you to see more clearly when your first urge may be to deny your ignorance to yourself or others, and instead admit your limitations and seek the solution from someone or somewhere.” – Thomas Harms
We are all limited. Saying that you don’t know something isn’t a sign of weakness. It is a sign of being a human.
9. Tony Robbins on why we do what we do
He really is the master of motivational speaking, and this is a prime example.
10. Aldo Leopold on the land around us
“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” – Aldo Leopold
What right do I have to say I truly own the land that I hold a deed for? It was here long before humans appeared on this planet.
The post Ten Pieces of Inspiration #126 appeared first on The Simple Dollar.
18 May 21:20
Dictionary of Numbers Puts Large Numbers Into Easy-to-Understand Terms
by Thorin Klosowski
Chrome: When you're reading articles that have a lot of big numbers in them it's hard to actually wrap you mind around what they mean. A number like "342,234 acres" doesn't really mean much to most us, but Dictionary of Numbers is a Chrome extension that turns those numbers into terms we can understand.
Dictionary of Numbers is pretty simple. When you're browsing the web and run across a large number, it drops in a point of reference you'll actually understand. For example, 342,234 acres is followed by "~Los Angeles, California, USA (city)." Dictionary of numbers also pulls up suggestions when you're typing large numbers, and allows you to search for terms. If you struggle to wrap your mind around large numbers, whether it's money, size, or distance, Dictionary of Numbers makes it a lot easier to get a grasp on what an article is talking about.
Dictionary of Numbers | via Boing Boing
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18 May 21:19
Bluetooth-Controlled Door Lock
by schneier
Here is a new lock that you can control via Bluetooth and an iPhone app.
That's pretty cool, and I can imagine all sorts of reasons to get one of those. But I'm sure there are all sorts of unforeseen security vulnerabilities in this system. And even worse, a single vulnerability can affect all the locks. Remember that vulnerability found last year in hotel electronic locks?
Anyone care to guess how long before some researcher finds a way to hack this one? And how well the maker anticipated the need to update the firmware to fix the vulnerability once someone finds it?
I'm not saying that you shouldn't use this lock, only that you understand that new technology brings new security risks, and electronic technology brings new kinds of security risks. Security is a trade-off, and the trade-off is particularly stark in this case.
18 May 21:17
Google Play Books Gets User Ebook Uploads and Drive Support
by Thorin Klosowski
Google has added the feature to upload your own ebooks to Google Play Books. This means you can upload your own files and read them on any of your devices with the Google Play Books ereader app installed.
You can upload up to 1,000 EPUB or PDF files, or import files you already keep in Google Drive. Once uploaded, you can read your books in the browser, from the Android app, or iOS app. Your page position, bookmarks, and notes are all synced across all of those devices.
Google Play Books | via Ghacks
18 May 21:16
Newegg Defeats Alcatel-Lucent in Third Patent Win This Year
by Unknown Lamer
Newegg's policy of not backing down from patent trolls, even ones as large as Alcatel-Lucent, continues to result in victory. Earlier this year, Overstock and Newegg successfully defended themselves with a jury invalidating Alcatel-Lucent's main patent used to force companies as large as Amazon to settle. Naturally, Alcatel-Lucent appealed, but the appeals court quickly ruled in favor of Newegg and Overstock.com. From Ars: "Federal Circuit judges typically take months, and occasionally years, to review the patent appeals that come before them. Briefs in this case were submitted last year, and oral arguments were held last Friday, May 10. The three-judge panel upheld Newegg's win (PDF), without comment — in just three days. ... Alcatel-Lucent dropped the case over its other two patents, desperate to get back the '131 patent that Newegg and Overstock had killed at trial. 'If they had been able to revive this patent, the litigation machine would have continued on,' Reines told Reuters after the win." 
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
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18 May 21:15
Used Game To Survive? EA Plans To Drop Online Pass
by Unknown Lamer
Jay McDanielAmazing! If you try to mess with your customers they get mad? I'll bet they had to go to school to learn that!
Krazy Kanuck writes "Introduced in 2010, Online Pass was marketed as a way to 'preserve' online content or DLC as titles were sold in the used game market. Many saw this as a way to cut out the second hand game market. EA has now decided to end this program 'partly because the players didn't like it.' Unfortunately this appears to only be for future released games, those previously released will still be subject to this feature. Activision and Ubisoft still use this form of content control, it will be interesting to see if they follow suit." 
Read more of this story at Slashdot.