In The News

Saudis Behead an Indonesian Maid

June 26, 2011
Crimes and punishments that cut across borders provoke global judgments on differences in culture and legal systems. Individual players in the sensational dramas represent their nations. Poor nations send millions of workers, 75 percent of them women, overseas as unskilled labor. Given the power imbalance, contracts, if any, are unenforceable. The migrant workers have few protections and are...

African Jitters Over Blogs and Social Media

Karen Allen June 17, 2011
The Arab spring uprisings let loose a cry over social media and on the streets for better governance. African governments have since turned to any means necessary to censor criticism in blogs or social media, reports the Committee for the Protection of Journalists, working with Google’s South Africa office. Of the Africans with internet access, 80 percent rely on mobile phone, reports BBC’s...

China's Cyberassault on America

Richard Clarke June 15, 2011
China and the US differ over rules for the internet: China supports tight security to counter sites that question one-party rule; the US urges free speech in China and other nations. Freewheeling ways in the US, particularly the lack of concern over security, could result in dangerous disruptions. “Beijing is successfully stealing research and development, software source code, manufacturing know...

Kissinger, Huntsman – US and China Need Cyber Detente

Paul Eckert, Daniel Magnowski June 15, 2011
The US and China would both benefit from a treaty designating some areas as off limits from cyber-attacks, pointed out former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and former US Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, who is also planning to run for the US presidency. In recent weeks, the International Monetary Fund, the US Senate and major corporations have been victims of hacking, and according to...

The Social Era of the Web Starts Now

John Rennie, Glenn Zorpette June 3, 2011
Computers and the internet have evolved as social tools, and software developers compete to win an increasing number of supporters. “We are about to witness the next great conflict of the information age, a rich and complicated match on the scale of mainframes vs. micros, RISC vs. CISC, Windows vs. Unix,” write John Rennie and Glenn Zorpette for Spectrum of IEEE. “Like those battles, Google-...

Sony Chief Stringer Blindsided by Hackers Seeking Revenge

Cliff Edwards, Michael Riley, Joseph Galante June 1, 2011
Unpredictability and intrigue are the appeal of great video games, but Sony Corp. PlayStation Network customers are getting more delayed satisfaction than expected. Services were unavailable for nearly a month with more than 100 million accounts compromised worldwide, reports Bloomberg. The revenge hacking began after the corporation sued a 21-year-old customer for disassembling his PlayStation...

No Need for Speed

Charles Kenny May 27, 2011
Communication technologies, including cell phones and social media, increase awareness and connections to resources. A UN panel addressing broadband inclusion concluded that the technology is an essential infrastructure that could reduce poverty. Funding fiber-optic cable for broadband in developing nations may speed connections, but not be the fastest route to eliminating poverty, contends...