7.2.2014

FOR FUNSIES:  Pretty soon, we’ll be able to run full-blown scientific experiments in the cloud. D.J. Kleinbaum, co-founder and co-CEO of Emerald, said, “”Anyone with a credit card and an Internet connection will be able to go and run experiments.” 

PRVIACY & GOVERNMENT SURVEILLANCE

Let the Disclosures Roll.  This past Monday, we learned that the FBI has conducted a significant amount of warrantless searches for Americans’ emails and phone calls stored in a special database.  U.S.officals don’t see why requiring a search warrant is necessary for information collected lawfully.  Major issue is there’s no word or track record on how often these queries occur.

Not It.  The Washington Post reports that Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK are immune from the National Security’s Agencies authorization to intercept information. These four nations and the U.S. make up the “Five Eyes” and have established a no-spying arrangement. This continues to raise questions about the extent of the NSA’s authority as privacy domestically and internationally remains a sensitive issue.

Chips or Cookies?  Following the European Court of Justice’s ruling, Google has launched a new website, CookieChoices.org, to educate users who visit European sites on how cookies work. The ruling raised questions about implementation, and this site aims to provides tools for publishers to notify their users about their browsing history or profile information.

COPYRIGHT

Keeping the Fight Alive.  Still adjusting to the Supreme Court’s decision last week, Aereo is calling on its subscribers to “raise [their] hands and make [their] voices heard.” The company launched a new website to urge subscribers to contact Congress.  This call from the startups CEO, Chet Kanojia, comes in the middle of the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Intellectual Property Subcommittee’s comprehensive review of the U.S. copyright system.  Aereo points out that the spectrum broadcasters use to transmit their programs over the air belongs to the American people who have a right to access these programs in whichever way they like — via a physical antenna or the cloud.

Trademark 

Pro tip – Don’t mess with people’s dogs or their dogecoins!  Ultra Pro International, LLC, a sports and gaming memorabilia company, submitted a trademark application for the word “doge” with the intention of using it to sell clothing.  Ultra Pro obtained a license for the original picture of a recently popularized online meme.  The company says want to use a trademark to “better commercialize the concept” and the meme.  This application has upset the Doge Community.

What is the Doge Community? It’s a community of people who use Dogecoin, a new form of Internet currency, to easily transfer money online.  The group’s mascot is the Shiba Inu, a Japanese dog breed, that’s recently been a popular online meme.

What Next?  On July 8, The United States Patent and Trademark Office publishes the registration for review and allows a month-long period for the public an opportunity to oppose.

INDUSTRY RUNDOWN

Twitter’s a changing.  The social platform just named Anthony Noto, a former Goldman Sachs technology banker, as its new Chief Financial Officer.  Twitter also recently bought TapCommerce, a mobile advertising startup that engages in “retargeted” advertising for mobile devices.

Need a quick helicopter ride?  This may soon be easier than you think if you are venturing from New York to the Hamptons or Montauk.  Uber is partnering with helicopter booking app Blade, to make your dreams a reality for a price tag of $2,500.  And for those on the West coast, this service could soon be coming to a place near you.

As the Bitcoin craze continues, Newegg is the latest retailer to announce that it will be accepting this online currency.  The company is teaming up with Bitpay, a payment process to allow its customers to use Bitcoin to make purchases. 

According to the Boston Consulting Group, Facebook contributes $519 million dollars to Sweden’s economy and creates 900 news jobs.

Chinese businesses are starting to feel the impact of China’s restriction of Google’s services. For the wide range of businesses that rely on Google’s services such as search and Gmail, disruptions of these services are costing their bottom line.