In Northern India, there are the states of?Punjab and Haryana. So why do I talk about these two places? Because Northern India shuts down Internet service here.
But the situation is complex. There was a high profile rape case, and a local cult leader was the suspect. The cult leader stood trial for raping two of his women followers. So now, the trial is in deliberation phase, and everyone waits for a verdict. However, local governments got a bright idea (I say that with all sarcasm). Governments in Punjab and Haryana shut down all Internet and text messaging services. For five days, these Northern India citizens were left with no Internet, no texting, no nothing.
Some say it’s to keep the peace. Others say it’s to stop jury influence. But whatever the reason was, there was still damage and destruction. You see, the court found the cult leader guilty of rape. I don’t know what the sentence is, but his followers took to the streets in protests. The protest turned into riots. These riots killed 38 people. Also, that had to stop trains. Then, they had to shut down schools and businesses. Ironically, the carnage stopped when they turned the Internet back on.
So what’s to make of this? Well, this isn’t the first time. In the past, India locked up their own citizens for posting ‘blasphemous’ messages on social media. There are other instances as well. But I hope Northern India learned a lesson. Government censorship does not work! In fact, it might make situations worse. Now what if ?they let the Internet stay on? And what if they let people texted? What if they let IT support do their thing? ?That would have been a great place for people to vent their emotions. And free speech would let that happen. But when they shut down free speech, they let people’s anger build and build like a powder keg. The keg exploded. Dozens died. Countless more got injured, or scarred. So what good does censorship do to anybody?
Hurricane Harvey slammed into Texas last weekend. However, the rains keep coming, and have little end in sight. So before it’s over, the devastation could rival that of Hurricanes Sandy. But how does technology help Hurricane Harvey victims?
I have Facebook friends living in that area. People keep us up to date, and letting us know they’re okay. So say what you want about Facebook, but this is a huge blessing. Imagine the worry that eliminates for loved ones. You can use other social media outlets to do the same. Then you have Airbnb. This app offers free housing to Hurricane Harvey victims at least until September 1.
Through Twitter, the American Red Cross let people know they can donate through texting. You can visit this website, then follow the simple instructions. The deduction is simple and immediately gets to where it’s needed. Tech giants like Apple are accepting donations through their iTunes store. In fact, several organizations follow suit. Twitter even promotes a charity where Hurricane Harvey victims can shelter their pets. The US Coast Guard takes to Twitter as well. They remind people if they’re going into trouble, please call 911. And if the lines get pretty busy, keep calling.
There are other ways IT support and technology helps Hurricane Harvey victims. These are just a few. So if anyone is in need, please take advantage of these services. Now is not the time to be prideful. And if anyone wants to give, or help in any other way, technology can help you do that as well. If you don’t have it today, or right now, I’m certain the donation websites will be there when you’re ready. I have a feeling the people of Houston/South Texas will need our help for a long time after this. And I want to thank those in the hard hit areas for keeping the rest of us up to date. How can you help?
So there is a saying, even in computer repair: Two steps forward, two steps back. That must be what Samsung feels right now. They just overcame the Samsung Galaxy 7 fiasco, and have high hopes for Galaxy 8. But now, a Samsung leader is convicted of bribery.
A South Korean court ruled Lee Jea-Young guilty of bribery, embezzlement, and other corruption charges. Also, the court sentenced the Samsung second-generation heir to five years in prison. The court agreed that Jea-Young and other Samsung leaders paid off over $6.4 million in bribes. They say these bribes were to ensure the Samsung leader’s power. One bride cost over $3.2 million to a company one of his friends owned. Then another bribe included horses sent to a colleague’s daughter.
Furthermore, they convicted the Samsung leader of perjury, lying under oath in court. But this South Korean drama is not over. Jea-Young’s lawyers plan to appeal. History might be on Lee Jae-Young’s side. Because of all the wealthy powerful South Koreans convicted of corruption, none actually went to prison. This includes his own father, Lee Kun-hee. ?Plus, protesters, many of them, call for Lee Jae-Young’s total release.
However, the mood in that nation is changing. A few short months ago, they impeached South Korean President Park Geun-hye over political corruption allegations. ?Then, take in this fact: ten of the richest South Korean families control 80% of South Korea’s wealth. ?Obviously, the Samsung family is one of them. Recently, six families were convicted of corruption. But nobody went to prison. Some even got a pardon from the South Korean president. There is a growing movement against the coddling of such rich and powerful families. Let’s flip the script. What if the Gates’, or other Silicon Valley tech family, got sentenced on corruption? Yet, the US President keeps pardoning them and letting them do what they want? Would this upset you? So in this case, prison looks more like a reality. But if Lee Jea-Young does end up behind bars, how would that impact Samsung during this crucial time?
Yesterday, I talked about the WannaCry virus being a huge threat to 2107 technology. But thanks to Marcus Hutchins, the threat slowed. That’s because he found a ‘kill switch’ that stopped the malware. However, he’s now in trouble with the the law. They arrested this WannaCry hero.
They arrested him on…you guessed it…cyber crimes. The FBI claims he helped in malicious software that targets bank accounts. The US Justice Dept. indicted him on accusations that he created and spread Kronos, banking malware, from 2014-15. This malware spreads through emails; it also gets online banking passwords, giving criminals access to your money. The arrest took place in Las Vegas.
Then Hutchins and a co-defendant appeared in court. His defender made it clear Hutchins has a clean criminal record. He used his fifth amendment rights and will remain behind bars until a hearing on Friday. But immediately, others are coming to his aid. Hutchins’ mother is obviously upset. She says her son spends so much time fighting this evil. So how can he take part in it at the same time? A friend expressed his worry and swears Hutchins is innocent. However, his co-defendant advertised some malware to an underground website back in July. That underground website no longer functions.
Hutchins was in Vegas for a Def Con hacking conference. It was the last day. So he was on his way to the airport to fly back to England when they got him. The case is ongoing. I don’t think Hutchins himself did anything. At best, he chose some bad friends. The choices of those friends got him in serious trouble. But is something else happening to this WannaCry hero? I mean, he did pretty much stop the threat. The WannaCry hero stopped the threat no government or major corporation could stop. I know this sounds like conspiracy theory, but is that’s what’s going on here? Is this a case of, “No good deed goes unpunished”?
Lately, Russian President Vladimir Putin tightens Internet restrictions. How does he do this? So he signs laws stopping proxy services. This includes the VPN (virtual private networks). Then he included the end of anonymous use of instant messages.
Putin signed these bills into law July 29. They also say they need these laws to fight crime, terrorism and extremism. But critics disagree. In fact, critics say he’s doing this to fight his political opponents. These anti-Internet laws take effect on November 1, 2017. But keep in mind Putin is up for re-election in March 2018.
Under these new laws, ISPs must block VPNs and other proxy services. They also tell messenger apps to give phone numbers and identify all their users. Furthermore, operators can restrict access if they’re downloading illegal activities according to Russian law. Because here is what happens. Russian travelers leave the country. Then they use aliases in their instant messaging. They can get anything they want. It’s happening. Recently, they convicted a blogger for hate speech. This blogger often criticizes religion. One time, he put up a You Tube video of him playing Pokemon Go in church. He know that would upset quite a few people. But is it enough to get 3 1/2 years probation? Is it enough to call it extremism?
In my eyes, no it is not. Putin tightens Internet restrictions; he is playing a dangerous game. I don’t know if he’s doing this for political moves. Or maybe he’s doing this to really keep his country safe. But when you use IT support to limit people’s freedom, and to mess up their privacy, it’s never a good thing. And whose to say the real criminals won’t try something else after this? So it’s the innocent that will suffer. And that is no way to win an election. Will Putin keep that in mind for March 2018?
How did you pay for your coffee this morning? Did you use a debit/credit card? Or maybe you used Apple or Google Pay? But how about a microchip? Welcome to the microchip: Is this our future?
So in Wisconsin, they have a tech company Three Square Market. They specialize in break rooms, also in micro technology. So now they’re offering an RFID (radio frequency identification) chip to their employees. They can use the chips to scan their way into the building. They can also use it to pay for food in the building. Through a needle, they stick the chip between your thumb and finger in your right hand.
The chip is about the size of a grain of rice. Furthermore, the chip is strictly optional. However, over 50 Three Square Market employees agreed to take this chip. They’re doing this to promote RFID technology. So welcome to the microchip. They want to do plenty with this chip. In addition to buying and opening doors, they want to use copy machines, log in computers, unlock your smartphones, store medical records, and buy and sell everywhere. And we don’t even know the half of it. They claim this RFID chip won’t follow you around. So they say.
But eventually, it will. There is already technology where you can track your dog and your kids. In Sweden, a whole office is controlled by the microchip. Is that what this microchip is leading to? Fifty may take it now, but most Americans I talked to want nothing to do with it. People in this Boston computer service shop don’t like it, so don’t bring this nonsense around here. I saw a poll on Facebook of around 2,000 people. Of those, 200 people would take the chip. Then another 500 wouldn’t take it, but wouldn’t quit that job, either. And then, the other 1300 would quit right away! I posted a news story on my FB page. The results ranged from, “Oh, goodness no!” to “What the (explative)?”. Nobody seemed excited about this microchip. So would you take it?
