7.7.2014
Wakey, wakey! Hope you enjoyed the long weekend because we sure did. Now that you’ve slept off your food coma after all that BBQ, here’s what you need to know that start off your Monday right.
GOOD TO KNOW: 1 for 6 is a losing record for anyone including the Federal Circuit. Though the Federal Circuit has almost all the power when it comes to patent appeal cases, the court appears to be slacking. In this past term alone, the U.S. Supreme Court has heard an all time high of six appeals from the Federal Circuit and reversed five of them. Ouch!
WHILE YOU WERE EATING …
HOUSTON, WE HAVE [ANOTHER] PROBLEM.
While most of us were busy celebrating the land of the free, the Washington Post released a major story about yet another NSA revelation. Snowden handed over some files to the Post, and it turns out that the agency has collected and retained private information for tens of thousands of regular folk just surfing the interwebs. In attempts to target foreign nationals, the agency picked up on harmless communications such as online chats and emails with about half of these files containing names, email information, and other important pieces of information.
WHAT’S THE MATTER, MARTA?
Legally, the NSA may only target foreign nationals based abroad if it has a court-issued, surveillance warrant and has a reasonable belief that the target is in the know about a terrorist of foreign government.
NOT ALL FOR NAUGHT.
The Post explains that about 9 out of 10 account holders were just bystanders and not the actual targets of the agency’s investigation. However, the files did reveal some important information, including the 411 about a new overseas nuclear project, a non-ally’s military debacle, and the identities of hackers into U.S. computer networks. These files even lead to the direct capture of terrorist suspects, Muhammad Tahir Shahzad and Umar Patek.
IN THE INTERNET WE TRUST…
Or not. According to a new survey by Pew Research, excessive government control and surveillance could undermine users’ trust in the platform by 2025. The survey reveals that Internet experts fear that along with diminished user trust, increased control and filtering will balkanize the Internet, efforts to curb the “TMI” problem will limit valuable content sharing, and commercial pressures will compromise the “open structure of online life.”
DON’T BELIEVE THEM? EXHIBIT A …
Sina Weibo, The Chinese Twitter-like, microblogging service that provides users with a platform to engage in public debates may soon be replaced by the more private and less censored, Facebook-like WeChat. Partly due to government oversight, Chinese users are shifting to WeChat, which offers communication with self-selected followers and allows for “deeper” discussions with “like-minded people.”
MEANWHILE … ACROSS THE POND …
I HATE THAT I LOVE YOU
According to the New York Times, European Internet users are going through some things. Despite Europeans complaints about American web services, they can’t seem to get enough. In Europe’s five largest markets including Britain, France, and Germany, Google’s market share is now 85% (up five percent since 2009). British e-commerce website ASOS can’t hold a candle to Amazon’s diversified products and deep discounts. And, European Facebook users now total over 150 million, which is more than double from the past five years. Even FB’s acquisition of messaging service, WhatsApp only led to an increase in users (now at half a billion). Looks like European users are willing to give a little to take advantage of these services.
TO POST OR NOT TO POST? THAT IS THE QUESTION
Last week, we learned that Google decided to remove several links to stories British newspaper, the Guardian, in attempts to comply with the ‘right to be forgotten’ ruling. However, after protests from the Guardian, Google reversed its decision. While the link about the ousting of Merrill Lynch CEO E. Stanley O’Neal after the bank suffered billions of dollars in losses remains, we could’ve “forgotten” about the time when that soccer ref lied about reversing a penalty decision. Wait, you didn’t know about that? That’s precisely the point. There are claims that this new rule may actually bring light to stories that may have otherwise disappeared into obscurity. And, this whole scenario raises questions about press censorship and highlights flaws in implementation of this rule.
THE STREETS ARE TALKIN’…
And, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission is not a fan of Uber and Lyft. Just before the long weekend, the Commission issued emergency cease-and-desist orders to bar these services from operating in Pittsburgh, pending their approval. Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto, a proponent for ride-sharing services, blasted the Commission’s decision and proclaimed that he wouldn’t let the Commission “shut down innovation without a battle.” Speaking of being resistant to change.
AirBnB continues its promotional campaign to inform the public (mostly the haters) about the social value its services provide. Operating in 34,000 cities, the company is no stranger to resistance with cities like Barcelona, New York, and San Francisco not jumping on the bandwagon.
Twitter’s ad business is still going strong despite all the changes in its top ranks. With its running of sponsored video clips and it’s transition into the mobile space, the social network expects to double its revenue from last year and post $1.2 billion to $1.25 billion in revenue. Independent artists are giving the online streaming subscription model a go.
Sub Pop, an indie label that gave us Nirvana and the Shins, is partnering with Drip.fm, a subscription streaming and download service. At $10 a month, music lovers can access albums, singles, and other exclusives from Sub Pop courtesy of the online service. Though this new venture is not likely to produce significant earnings, it does seem like a viable solution to indie artists’ distribution and audience access problems.