23-04-2012 08:59 Barely six months into the launch of technology giant Samsung's corporate social responsibility initiative, the solar-powered Internet school, it has won the African Solar Project of the Year award, at the Africa Energy Awards, on March 28.
View post:
Solar Internet project earns immediate recognition - Video
WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration took aim Monday at what it called "digital guns for hire," unveiling new sanctions against Syria and Iran for using the Internet, social media and other technology to track and target dissidents.
The governments of those countries and some telecommunications companies working with them have used technology to "facilitate grave human rights abuses," the administration said.
"These technologies should be in place to empower citizens, not to repress them," President Obama said in announcing the sanctions at a speech at theU.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
In its international cyberspace strategy released last year, administration officials said they "encourage people all over the world to use digital media ... and denounce those who harass, unfairly arrest, threaten, or commit violent acts against the people who use these technologies."
The Internet and social media played a pivotal role in the pro-democracy uprisings of last year's Arab Spring, which led to the toppling of repressive regimes in Egypt, Libya and other countries.
The administration said the Syrian government had directed Syriatel, a privately owned telecommunications company that controls 55% of that nation's cellphone market, to cut off network access in areas where the government planned attacks on rebels. The company also recorded mobile phone calls on the government's behalf, the administration said.
Datak Telecom, an Internet service provider in Iran, collaborated with the government there to monitor, track and target people who tried to get around the regime's blocking of Internet content, the administration said.
Datak also assisted in surveillance of Iranians who used a popular commercial email service, and planned to expand the operation to potentially include millions of Iranian Internet users, according to the White House.
The administration targeted those companies, along with Syrian and Iranian government agencies and people who directed the surveillance operations, for financial sanctions and bans on U.S. visas. One person specifically named was Ali Mamluk, who the administration said oversaw a communications program by the Syrian General Intelligence Directorate that was directed at opposition groups.
Mamluk worked with Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security to provide the Syrian government with training in the use of Internet monitoring technology, the administration said. He also requested Iran's help with monitoring social networks, it said.
Go here to read the rest:
U.S. hits Syria, Iran with sanctions for Internet, tech abuses
(Editors note: This is part two of a four-part series to get people in the community thinking about ways they can help prevent child abuse.)
Internet Safety Tips
With advances in modern technology, children today have opportunities for unlimited access to information.
The Internet can be a gateway to learning about different cultures, connecting with people all over the world and expanding exposure to virtually endless topics of interest. However, technology can also be a means to compromise the safety of children.
Cattaraugus County Sheriff Timothy Whitcomb, a member of the Southern Tier Child Advocacy Center Multidisciplinary Team Council, said parents and caregivers need to take steps to protect children from electronic predators.
Children can easily stumble into inappropriate or even dangerous situations and exchanges, he said. You wouldnt let your children explore a major city by themselves without supervision or ground rules. The Internet and cell phones are no different. Kids need guidance navigating this new world.
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This is the final article in a four-part series designed to educate parents and caregivers about steps they can take to protect children.
Southern Tier Health Care System CEO Donna Kahm said the information revolution enables people to bring information from around the world into their homes. But the technology has also opened homes and private lives to potential threats.
The Internet offers almost unlimited educational and entertainment opportunities but there are risks that most kids arent aware of, she said. Its up to us, as adults, to teach them how to protect themselves.
Sheriff Whitcomb said a child may be at risk online if he or she:
Read the original here:
Internet, phone safety important part of parenting
Samuel LaHoz
A group of experts faced off on the motion "When It Comes to Politics, the Internet Is Closing Our Minds" at an Intelligence Squared U.S. debate on April 17 in New York City.
On the Internet, it's easy to find like-minded people and to frequent sites whose content you already agree with. And the online world is increasingly tailored to individual preferences and interests including search engines serving up more personalized results for your queries.
But are we running the risk of getting trapped in information bubbles, where all we read and see falls in line with our political views?
A group of experts took on that topic in the latest Intelligence Squared U.S. debate. They faced off two-against-two in an Oxford-style debate on the motion "When It Comes to Politics, the Internet Is Closing Our Minds."
Before the debate, the audience at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts at New York University voted 28 percent for the motion and 37 percent against, with 35 percent undecided. Afterward, the vote was 53 percent for the motion, with 36 percent against meaning the side arguing the Internet is closing our minds carried the debate. (Eleven percent remained undecided.)
The April 17 debate was moderated by ABC News' John Donvan. Those debating were:
FOR THE MOTION
Eli Pariser (left) and Siva Vaidhyanathan argued that "When It Comes To Politics, The Internet Is Closing Our Minds."
Eli Pariser (left) and Siva Vaidhyanathan argued that "When It Comes To Politics, The Internet Is Closing Our Minds."
See the rest here:
Is The Internet Closing Our Minds Politically?
WASHINGTON For computer users, a few mouse clicks could mean the difference between staying online and losing Internet connections this summer.
Unknown to most of them, their problem began when international hackers ran an online advertising scam to take control of infected computers around the world. In a highly unusual response, the FBI set up a safety net months ago using government computers to prevent Internet disruptions for those infected users. But that system is to be shut down.
The FBI is encouraging users to visit a website run by its security partner, http://www.dcwg.org, that will inform them whether they're infected and explain how to fix the problem. After July 9, infected users won't be able to connect to the Internet.
LONG ARM OF SCOFFLAW: An online ad scam is having some unintended ramifications: The fix may prevent as many as 360,000 from getting online. Several sites will show if you're infected:
DNS Changer Working Group: can discern whether youre infected and explain how to fix the problem.
DNSChanger Eye Chart: if the site goes red, youre in harms way. Green means clean.
The FBI website: type in the IP address of your DNS server to find out if it is infected.
Read more on how to stay safe
Most victims don't even know their computers have been infected, although the malicious software probably has slowed their web surfing and disabled their antivirus software, making their machines more vulnerable to other problems.
Last November, the FBI and other authorities were preparing to take down a hacker ring that had been running an Internet ad scam on a massive network of infected computers.
Read the original:
Internet Alert: Will Virus Shut Off Your Connection?