philip lelyveld The world of entertainment technology

The IETF and Tor – Group Thinks Anonymity Should Be Baked Into the Internet Itself

[Philip Lelyveld comment: I was not aware of Tor's history.  If the government partially funded and were involved in its creation, maybe unknown aspects of it don't give the bad guys as clear an advantage as they may think if it is implemented as a standard.]

The Internet’s main engineers have asked the architects of Tor—networking software designed to make Web browsing private—to consider turning the technology into an Internet standard.

If the discussions bear fruit, it could lead to the second major initiative of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in response to the mass surveillance by the National Security Administration. Already the IETF is working to encrypt more of the data that flows between your computer and the websites you visit (see “Engineers Plan a Fully Encrypted Internet”).

The Tor Project is a nonprofit group that receives government and private funding to produce its software, which is used by law enforcement agencies, journalists, and criminals alike. The technology originally grew out of work by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory aimed at protecting military users (see “Dissent Made Safer”).

When someone installs Tor on his computer and takes other precautions, it supplies that computer with a directory of relays, or network points, whose owners have volunteered to handle Tor traffic. Tor then ensures that the user’s traffic takes extra steps through the Internet. At each stop, the previous computer address and routing information get freshly encrypted, meaning the final destination sees only the address of the most recent relay, and none of the previous ones.

See the full story here: http://www.technologyreview.com/news/521856/group-thinks-anonymity-should-be-baked-into-the-internet-itself/?utm_campaign=newsletters&utm_source=newsletter-daily-all&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20131127

New Display Panels from AUO Spark Speculation of 4K Apple Displays

Also in question is whether Apple would even use 16:9 3840 x 2160 panels for a 4K display, as some have suggested that the company may prefer to push Thunderbolt 2 to its limit and support the wider 4096 x 2160 "Cinema 4K" standard given that the display will undoubtedly be targeted at professionals, many of whom in the film industry will be working with content using that resolution standard adopted for film production.

See the full story here: http://www.macrumors.com/2013/11/26/new-display-panels-from-auo-spark-speculation-of-4k-apple-displays/

‘Gravity’ Short Film ‘Aningaaq’ Reveals Other Half Of Key Scene

[Philip Lelyveld comment: this is brilliant transmedia content that doesn't scream - hey, I'm transmedia content.]

"Gravity" fans interested in a look at larger world created by the film would be wise to check out co-writer Jonas Cuaron's short film, "Aningaaq." THR.com debuted the short on Wednesday, which shows what happens on the other end of a key conversation that distressed astronaut Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) has during the course of the blockbuster feature.

"They're having a conversation, but they don't understand each other," director Alfonso Cuaron, Jonas' father, told HuffPost Entertainment about "Aningaaq" before the release of "Gravity." Indeed, Jonas' film focuses on an Inuit fisherman living in Greenland. (Subtitles are provided in the short film, but not in "Gravity"; whether knowledge of his attempted communication with Stone deepens the meaning of the scene will depend on the individual viewer.)

See the complete short video here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/20/gravity-short-film-aningaaq_n_4310647.html?ref=topbar&utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false

Google’s Vint Cerf defines Internet of Things challenges

He also listed seven key challenges facing the Internet of Things, including:

• Standardized interfaces - such as IPv6
• Configuration of massive of amount devices
• Strong access control and authentication
• Privacy and safety
• Instrumentation and feedback
• Dealing with software errors vulnerabilities and software updates
• Potential opportunities for third party businesses

For its part the FTC was looking for answers to its own key questions: For example:

• What are the significant developments in services and products that make use of this connectivity (including prevalence and predictions)?
• What are the various technologies that enable this connectivity (e.g., RFID, barcodes, wired and wireless connections)?
• What types of companies make up the smart ecosystem?
• What are the current and future uses of smart technology?
• How can consumers benefit from the technology?
• What are the unique privacy and security concerns associated with smart technology and its data? For example, how can companies implement security patching for smart devices?
• What steps can be taken to prevent smart devices from becoming targets of or vectors for malware or adware?
• How should privacy risks be weighed against potential societal benefits, such as the ability to generate better data to improve health-care decision-making or to promote energy efficiency?
• Can and should de-identified data from smart devices be used for these purposes, and if so, under what circumstances?

See the full story here: http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/84296/

CES 2014: 3D Printing Ready to Dominate in Las Vegas

While 3D printing is a technology with endless possibilities, it will also present ethical challenges. Those issues will be on display at CES 2014.
Since 3D printing promises to send a lot of our heads spinning with possibilities and potential problems, CES 2014 will feature Bre Pettis, CEO and co-founder of MakerBot, as a keynote speaker.Pettis has led MakerBot as CEO since its beginning in 2009 and helped to build the company into a leader in desktop 3D printing.

See the full story here: http://www.craveonline.com/lifestyle/articles/606435-ces-2014-3d-printing-ready-to-dominate-in-las-vegas

Internet Engineers Plan a Fully Encrypted Internet

The IETF change would introduce encryption by default for all Internet traffic. And the work to make this happen in the next generation of HTTP, called HTTP 2.0, is proceeding “very frantically,” says Stephen Farrell, a computer scientist at Trinity College in Dublin who is part of the project.

In some ways this is an about-face, because a year and a half ago a group within the IETF had decided against adding encryption by default in HTTP. Part of what makes the task hard, Farrell says, involves the static portion of Web pages that are “cached,” or stored on local servers nearer to the user.

Indeed, Jari Arkko, the IETF chair and an expert on Internet architecture with Ericsson Research, says that nobody should harbor illusions about technical quick fixes. “I need to be honest and open—technology is only part of the issue here,” he says.

Read the full story here: http://www.technologyreview.com/news/521621/internet-engineers-plan-a-fully-encrypted-internet/?curator=MediaREDEF

If Bitcoin Is So Secure, Why Have There Been Dozens of Bitcoin Bank Robberies And Millions In Losses?

But Bitcoin is not secure.

There have been dozens of robberies of Bitcoin banks and exchanges, and millions of dollars have been lost.

To put that in perspective, if robbers were routinely walking into brick-and-mortar banks and taking millions of dollars, with zero consequences and no arrests, it would make huge headlines every day. The media would be on high alert for the next heist.

But on the Internet, Bitcoin thefts worth hundreds of thousands and millions of dollars happen on a weekly basis and no one cares.

Here are a few recent examples of Bitcoin robberies, and then we'll explain why Bitcoin is not 100% "secure."

• The Chinese Bitcoin GBL went offline earlier this month, taking $4.1 million in users' accounts with it.
• In Australia, a Bitcoin exchange run by an 18-year-old user named "Tradefortress," claims to have lost $1 million of his users' money.
• Also in November, a Czech exchange, Bitcash.cz, declared that hackers had made off with an undisclosed amount stored in its users' Bitcoin wallets.
• In September, Bitfloor announced that it had lost $250,000 in hacked Bitcoins.
• Last year $228,845 was stolen from a trading platform known as Bitcoinica.

Read the full story here: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-history-of-bitcoin-theft-2013-11?curator=MediaREDEF

Someday Your EV Charger May Be the Roadway Itself

Initial models indicate that placing charging coils in 10 percent of a roadway would extend the driving range of an EV from about 60 miles to 300 miles, says Srdjan Lukic, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at NCSU.

Wireless charging through magnetic induction—the same type typically used for electric toothbrushes—is being pursued by a number of companies for consumer electronics and electric vehicles (see “Wireless Charging—Has the Time Finally Arrived?”). Such chargers work by sending current through a coil, which produces a magnetic field. When a car with its own coil is placed above the transmitter, the magnetic field induces a flow of power that charges the batteries.

Stationary inductive chargers for electric vehicles typically use sensors to ensure that the receiver coils on the vehicle are aligned above wireless charging pads correctly.

See the full story here: http://www.technologyreview.com/news/521761/someday-your-ev-charger-may-be-the-roadway-itself/?utm_campaign=newsletters&utm_source=newsletter-daily-all&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20131119

CEA and the DEG to Team on Ultra HD Promotion

[Philip Lelyveld comment: this is about messaging, not technology.]

Through this collaboration, CEA and the DEG are developing key Ultra HD messaging points for use by consumer technology manufacturers, retailers, the creative community and content distributors. These messages will be delivered in a consumer- friendly fashion and are being designed to generate more awareness of Ultra HD and to help drive sales at retail.

See the full story here: http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/2013/11/17/cea_and_the_deg_to_team.htm

Aboriginal People’s Television Network Expands With Dejero

The Aboriginal People's Television Network has adopted the portable Dejero LIVE+ 20/20 Transmitters to add live, remote news coverage from across Canada to its daily news programming. As the premier national television network for Canada's indigenous people, APTN has deployed LIVE+ 20/20 Transmitters at six of its news bureaus.

With broadcast headquarters in Winnipeg, Manitoba, APTN produces a weekday newscast and current affairs programming, as well as several updates throughout the day.

Using Dejero’s cloud-based remote control management tool, APTN personnel in the broadcast center are able to view the status and signal strength of each transmitter and advise the news crews on how to maximize bandwidth and adjust the transmitters for optimal video quality. In a future phase, APTN will deploy the Dejero Mobile App for iOS and Android devices, giving crews another tool using their smartphones and tablets.

See the full story here: http://www.tvtechnology.com/article/aboriginal-peoples-television-network-expands-with-dejero--/222296