Philippine Chief Justice Voted Out by Senate

Gloria Arroyo and Renato Corona (Photo credit: Piercing Pens)

The judgment of Corona boilt down to two questions: Was it an impeachable offense? Did he lie about his SALN (assets) or not?

‘The chief justice of the Philippine Supreme Court, Renato C. Corona, was removed from office on Tuesday after it was disclosed during an impeachment trial that he failed to declare $2.4 million in foreign currency deposits.

‘In a country where high-ranking public officials are often removed through street protests, and no one had ever been successfully impeached, the verdict was seen as a victory for the political maturity of the Philippines…’
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/30/world/asia/philippines-chief-justice-removed-over-finances.html?_r=1

‘Barcode at Birth’ Idea Sparks Uproar

Hand with planned insertion point for Verichip device (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Then Sci-fi author Moon implies she was just joking

“Seriously…you thought it was for real? … The term ‘Empress of the Universe’ wasn’t a clue that this was a science fiction writer making something up?” -Moon

‘First item: science fiction writer Elizabeth Moon does not believe that all humans should be subcutaneously RFID chipped at birth.

‘This is contrary to what Slashdot contributor Bob the Super Hamste wrote last week.

‘It’s not surprising that Bob the S.H. might come away from listening to the BBC “60 Second Idea to Improve the World” radio segment on Future Wars, for which Moon was one of three guests, thinking that Moon espoused the idea of everyone getting chipped or barcoded at birth, her reasoning being that it would prevent identification mistakes and even allow soldiers to identify combatants from non-combatants.

‘After all, that’s what Moon said.

‘In doing so, she set off a firestorm of outrage, with hundreds of BBC Future Facebook page commenters alluding to the Nazis already having done it at Auschwitz, Dachau and Buchenwald…’
http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2012/05/28/chill-pill-barcode-birth/

The Internet Defense League
Join the league. Make sure the internet never loses. Ever.
The Internet Blackout was just the beginning. Together, our websites and personal networks can mobilize the planet to defend the internet from bad laws & monopolies. Are you in?
http://internetdefenseleague.org/

British ‘No Tracking’ Law in Effect
Britain’s “cookie law” prohibits tracking without consent

‘What the media have called Britain’s “cookie law” became enforceable this weekend and will require UK-based website operators to give visitors notification if the website will use any method of tracking—not just cookies but other types of analytics as well—on the user’s computer…’
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/05/from-now-on-britains-cookie-law-prohibits-tracking-without-consent/

A Real Self-Destructing Message App

Image via CrunchBase

Privnote is a free web based service that allows you to send top secret notes over the internet. It’s fast, easy, and requires no password or user registration at all.

Just write your note, and you’ll get a link. Then you copy and paste that link into an email (or instant message) that you send to the person who you want to read the note. When that person clicks the link for the first time, they will see the note in their browser and the note will automatically self-destruct; which means no one (even that very same person) can read the note again. The link won’t work anymore.
———————
If you want to test those claims at once, try this link I created:
https://privnote.com/n/qgjbhlutkupvaywu/#vhbxdkjvzkvficlq
or you can go to privnote.com

Listen to a Website Instead of Reading
SpokenLayer transforms the best of the web into narrated audio, making written content available anytime, anywhere.
http://spokenlayer.com/

Create Your Own Cloud Storage with OwnCloud
Store your files, folders, contacts, photo galleries, calendars and more on a server of your choosing. Access that folder from your mobile device, your desktop, or a web browser. Access your data wherever you are, when you need it.
Sync Your Data

Keep your files, contacts, photo galleries, calendars and more synchronized amongst your devices. One folder, two folders and more – get the most recent version of your files with the desktop and web client or mobile app of your choosing, at any time.
http://owncloud.org/features/

‘Zombie Apocalypse’ on Miami Highway

: Miami Herald building (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Cops Shoot Guy Eating Man’s Face

‘…The horror began about 2 p.m. when a series of gunshots were heard on the ramp, which is along NE 13th Street, just south of The Miami Herald building.

‘According to police sources, a road ranger saw a naked man chewing on another man’s face and shouted on his loud speaker for him to back away.Meanwhile, a woman also saw the incident and flagged down a police officer who was in the area.

‘The officer, who has not been identified, approached and, seeing what was happening, also ordered the naked man to back away. When he continued the assault, the officer shot him, police sources said. The attacker failed to stop after being shot, forcing the officer to continue firing. Witnesses said they heard at least a half dozen shots…’
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/05/26/2818832/naked-man-shot-killed-on-macarthur.html

Fascinating Facts About Castles
‘Castles aren’t the popular form of residence they once were. Mostly because advancements in civilization have rendered them obsolete. But there was a time when castles were a practical real estate choice, as both a sign and means to protect wealth. Now these sort of accommodations are much more discreet, yet there are plenty of ways to let the world know you’re successful than to build a pile of stone that is visible from far distances (Donald Trump notwithstanding). Let’s go back in time to when castles were in and technology was out. Here are ten interesting castle facts…’
http://listverse.com/2012/05/27/top-10-fascinating-facts-about-castles/

What a Wonderful World
This video about nature is just 2 minutes long but you’d wish it was 2 hours
Video:
http://www.forbiddenknowledgetv.com/videos/earth-sciences/what-a-wonderful-world-david-attenborough.html

Chips in ID Cards to Track Children

Logo of the anti-RFID campaign by German privacy group FoeBuD. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Why not a business that tracks all non-adults and not just students of Northside Independent School District?

‘Northside Independent School District plans to track students next year on two of its campuses using technology implanted in their student identification cards in a trial that could eventually include all 112 of its schools and all of its nearly 100,000 students.

‘District officials said the Radio Frequency Identification System (RFID) tags would improve safety by allowing them to locate students — and count them more accurately at the beginning of the school day to help offset cuts in state funding, which is partly based on attendance…’
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/education/article/Students-will-be-tracked-via-chips-in-IDs-3584339.php

Parents’ New Weapons in War Over Kids’ Phones
‘Parents have a range of options for what to do about new threats posed by Internet-connected mobile phones.

‘The options range from “do nothing” to “fight fire with fire” — in other words, use technology to combat technological threats.

‘For example, U.K. carrier Vodafone (the world’s second largest after China Mobile) this week rolled out a service called Bemilo (pronounced BEE-my-low).

‘Starting at about $6 per month, Bemilo enables parents to monitor and control how their children use mobile phones. The product is a special-purpose SIM card that supports the service…’
http://www.pcworld.com/article/256327/parents_get_new_weapons_in_war_over_kids_phones.html#tk.nl_dnx_h_crawl

How To Avoid Problems After Windows Updates
‘There are several reasons Windows updates might cause problems and unfortunately, it’s rarely just Microsoft’s fault, in which case we could all just wait for another patch to fix the broken patch. Usually, these problems involve issues with your specific hardware and software configuration or preexisting conditions that are only now being brought to light.

‘So if you’ve ever had an issue after Patch Tuesday, or are now afraid of one occurring(!), take a look at my newest preventative guide:…’
http://pcsupport.about.com/b/2012/05/18/ever-had-or-feared-problems-after-windows-updates-heres-how-to-avoid-them.htm?nl=1

Turn Your Phone into a Scanner with ScanBooth
ScanBooth is a document-scanner stand and a mini photo-booth for small objects. It is a light-weight foldable device, which takes full advantage of the high resolution camera on your iPhone – or any smart phone similarly equipped – to scan multiple documents, photographs or small objects.Developed for durability, portability and ease of use, whether at home, at the office or on a business trip in your hotel room, ScanBooth is made of strong recyclable translucent plastic thus allowing maximal light diffusion thanks to its four open sides.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1040322122/the-scanbooth?ref=recently_launched

Use FoxIt Reader to Fill Out PDF Forms
‘To edit a PDF, start by opening it in Foxit instead of Reader. Next, click Comments, Typewriter Tools, Typewriter Tool. Now just click wherever you want to add text, then start typing. (The program offers other markup tools as well, in case you’re interested.) When you’re done, you can save, print, or e-mail your marked-up document.

‘Foxit Reader is free, but be sure to decline any extra toolbars or the like it tries to sneak in during installation…’
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/256310/use_foxit_reader_to_fill_out_pdf_forms.html#tk.nl_dnx_h_crawl

ExifTool
Fond of working with pictures? Edit even metadata with ExifTool
It’s a cross-platform image metadata editing tool for Netbooks. It allows users to edit image metadata on their system’s. It can read, write and edit meta information of number of files. This supports different metadata formats including EXIF, GPS, IPTC, XMP, JFIF, etc.
http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/~phil/exiftool/

Massive ID Theft an IRS Nightmare

At least 2.6 million fake returns discovered

‘Besieged by identity theft, Florida now faces a fast-spreading form of fraud so simple and lucrative that some violent criminals have traded their guns for laptops. And the target is the United States Treasury.

‘With nothing more than ledgers of stolen identity information — Social Security numbers and their corresponding names and birth dates — criminals have electronically filed thousands of false tax returns with made-up incomes and withholding information and have received hundreds of millions of dollars in wrongful refunds, law enforcement officials say…’
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/27/us/id-thieves-loot-tax-checks-filing-early-and-often.html?_r=1&hp&g

1948 Anti-Communist Cartoon Propaganda Becomes Relevant
Watch this simple anti-Communist propaganda and see how it applies to democracy now

‘I call this classic Hanna-Barbera cartoon ‘propaganda’ because I believe that is exactly what it was, but that doesn’t mean it
didn’t make some relevant points. Interestingly enough, its points seem to be as relevant today, if not more so.
Video:
http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/10697.html

80-Year-Old Skydiver Slips Out of Harness [Video]
Remember the daredevil who recently skydived without a parachute? This granny just ‘attempted’ to better that

‘While still on terra firma, Laverne says in the video that she’s excited about the jump, which took place at the Parachute Center in Lodi, Calif. But when it’s time to take the plunge, she appears to be [understandably] reluctant jump out of the plane, holding on to the sides of the aircraft. The man jumping with her finally frees her hands, and the duo tumbles.

‘But something goes terribly wrong early in the jump. Laverne appears to nearly fall out of the harness, and her partner hangs on to her for dear life.

‘“The upper harness came off, you know,” she said in a recent interview with CBS Sacramento, available below. “Just slipped down, it was just the lower harness, is all I had.”

‘Fortunately, the parachute deploys and the pair lands. The video ends with people on the ground rushing over to the aid of the Laverne and her partner…’
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/26/laverne-everett-80-year-old-woman-skydiving-harness-video_n_1547933.html

When Was the Last Time You Really Got Relaxed?
How long was it since you felt as though your pulse rate was zero?

‘Whether you can’t pull yourself away from work or you’re just starting to feel phantom vibrations from your phone, it may be time to take a little break from technology. As much as it can make our lives easier, it can also cause a lot of stress, so if you really want to get the most of your relaxation this weekend, consider putting the phone away for awhile—or at least turning off your notifications.

‘On the flipside, there are a lot of cool ways that technology can help you relax, and we’ll be mentioning some of them in this post. It’s up to you whether you want to go off the grid or not—everyone’s different, and if technology isn’t the root of your stress, you might be fine keeping it on and making use of some of these tools…’
http://lifehacker.com/5913394/do-some-serious-relaxing-this-weekend

Ultimate Social Icon Set Free download

Today’s freebie is a social icon set which contains all the latest icons needed for you social needs! It includes a total of 75 icons, provided in three sizes: 16×16, 32×32 and 64×64.

The file is free for personal and commercial use. Redistribution is not allowed, so if you’d like to share this one with your friends, kindly direct them to this page so that they can download their own copy from here.
http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2012/05/free-download-ultimate-social-icon-set/

Rape Conviction Cleared Via Facebook (Again)

112 of 365 – Google’s Project Glasses (Photo credit: Yogesh Mhatre)

Brian Banks has already wasted five years in prison

‘Brian Banks logged onto Facebook last year, and a new friend request startled him.

‘It was the woman who, nearly a decade ago, accused him of rape when they were both students at Long Beach Poly High School.

‘Banks had served five years in prison for the alleged rape, and now he was unemployed and weary. So he replied to Wanetta Gibson with a question: Would she meet with him and a private investigator? She agreed.

‘At the meeting, which was secretly recorded, Gibson said she had lied. “No,” she was quoted as saying, “he did not rape me.”…’
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-rape-dismiss-20120525,0,3372200.story

Phone Thief Caught Via iCloud
Apple’s iCloud syncs stolen iPhone photos to nab thief

‘Katy McCaffrey *had* an iPhone. Until it was stolen aboard the Disney cruise ship Wonder on her April vacation. What to do? As is frequently the case these days, the cloud holds the answer.

‘After returning home sans iPhone, McCaffrey discovered that photos were showing up in her Apple iCloud account from her missing device.

‘Taking advantage of the openness of social media and the ability for average folks to get the word out McCaffrey decided to post the photos to Facebook in an attempt to identify the thief.
http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2012/05/24/apples-icloud-syncs-stolen-iphone-photos-to-nab-thief/

First Video in Google’s ‘Project Glass’
‘Google has debuted the first video taken with its new set of eyewear from its Project Glass project.

‘For those of you who haven’t been keeping up, Project Glass’ sci-fi-looking glasses allow a person to do many of the same things you do with your smartphone, except without the need of a separate device. The eyewear displays user interfaces for different programs, allows you to snap pictures, and as we said, even record live video (in this case, it’s a bit nausea-inducing)…’
http://venturebeat.com/2012/05/25/google-glasses-video/

Stop Being a Dumb Puppet

Human Rights Defence (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ways to Stop Being a Slave and Bring Down the Pyramids of Control

‘Past slavery was largely based on force (thus was much more obvious), but modern-day slavery is actually more widespread because global slave masters use all of the scientific tools at their disposal to win hearts and control minds, convincing us that our hands and feet are free, so we must be living self-directed lives.

‘There are signs that the mind-pyramids that technocrats have built to enforce their 21st-century global plantation slave system are crumbling as they press harder upon our cognitive ability to make sense of words and actions. The owners of the shoulders on which the structure of tyranny is supported are beginning to leave in droves. The pyramids are falling as slaves begin to recognize their unconscious effort, and consciously encourage others to find a different line of work…’

Here are 10 ways that you can help collapse all of the pyramids of control.
http://www.activistpost.com/2012/05/10-ways-to-stop-being-slave-and-bring.html

Born Activist
9-year-old’s Blog Forces School to Change Food
‘Martha Payne is disappointed by the food her school serves her. So she begins to write about it. Her blog gains the attention of TV chef Jamie Oliver. Just a few posts cause national uproar.

‘When it comes to heart attack rates, Scotland appears very high in the charts.

‘However, sometimes it takes awhile for a nation’s diet to begin to counter its habits.

‘At one Scottish school, indeed, it took a 9-year-old girl to write a blog describing, among other things, how some dishes at her school occasionally included hair.

‘Martha Payne’s blog, Never Seconds, is a litany of well, solicitude.

‘For each school meal, she offers a Food-o-meter rating (how much she likes it), a mouthful count, a healthy rating and a number for how many pieces of hair were in the food.

‘She only began the blog in April — and then her camera let her down, so she couldn’t take pictures. And yet as Grist.org reports that as soon as the vast lens of publicity shone upon her, her school panicked.

‘For Martha appeared, yes, on the BBC. (Here is her interview.)…’
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-57439703-71/9-year-olds-blog-shames-school-into-changing-food/?tag=mncol;cnetRiver

Human Rights at RightsCon Rio
Send your questions. Here is your chance to help shape the debate on the future of your internet.

‘On May 31 and June 1, Access will be hosting the Rio de Janeiro Human Rights and Technology Conference (RightsCon: Rio), bringing together tech companies, government officials, and digital activists from around the world to explore and examine how the information and communications technology (ICT) industry can better plan for and manage the human rights implications of their technologies.

‘Submit your question or comment for one of these jampacked RightsCon: Rio panels listed below by filling out the form to the right. We’ll make sure your comment is addressed to the right panel and get you answer…’
https://www.accessnow.org/page/s/rio-send-us-your-questions

2.5K Quebec Students Arrested
‘The staggering number of student protest-related arrests in Quebec — 2,500 and counting — is about to add costs and delays to an already overburdened justice system.

‘The historic number has prompted two questions: what is the short-term impact on the system and what is the long-term impact on those rounded up?…’
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/at-least-2500-arrests-and-counting-in-quebec-student-protest-154001645.html

Law Could Force 1.2 M Canadians to be Married
How a bizarre legal case involving a mysterious billionaire could do that

‘This place is the province of Quebec. The French language spoken here is no guarantee for romance. Couples are practical, and lovers treasure their individuality. Quebec has become one of the least marrying places in the world, thanks to the institution known as “de facto spouses,” But now, thanks to a bizarre legal case entangling a Quebec billionaire and his de facto spouse , the freedom to un-marry is under threat. More than 1 million Quebecois in this kind of relationship may soon be automatically married by the state, against their will…’
http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2012/05/quebec_s_de_facto_spouses_the_bizarre_legal_case_that_could_force_1_2_million_canadians_to_be_married_against_their_will_.html

Police Bungled with Etan Patz’s Soda
He had a dollar to buy drink, and Pedro Hernandez worked at bodega
‘Police say the man charged with murdering the 6-year-old boy became a suspect only recently. But cops may have been tipped off 33 years ago. Michael Daly reports…’
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/05/24/police-announce-arrest-in-etan-patz-1979-murder-but-were-they-tipped-off-33-years-ago.html

Michelle Obama Wants to be Beyonce
‘It looks like musicians just have the most fun,’ the First Lady said. Does she know that Beyonce is Anti-Christ?
http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/michelle-obama-i-i-beyonce-article-1.1084226

RFID Chip will be obligatory for all Americans in 2013
http://wn.com/Illuminati_Conspiracy_One_World_Government_Rfid_chip_666__Hip_Hop_Industry
http://biblicaltimes.wordpress.com/2011/01/03/overt-illuminati-satanic-symbols/

Signs of Tech Addiction

Cellphone vibration syndrome and other signs of tech addiction
‘It turns out that the phantom cellphone vibration syndrome is fairly common. Ask around. See if you can find someone who believed the smartphone in their pocket was vibrating but found when they checked, there was nothing new. No call. No text.

‘There’s a growing body of research on phantom vibrations and many of the other problems associated with technology obsession, all of which is explored by Larry Rosen, a professor of psychology at California State University, Dominguez Hills, in his new book, iDisorder…’
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9227184/Cellphone_vibration_syndrome_and_other_signs_of_tech_addiction

Fake Antivirus Scammers Trapped
They dialed the wrong number — the number of a tech security expert

‘Fake antivirus scammers recently got more than they bargained for when they unknowingly dialed the home number of a Sourcefire security researcher who then lured them to an impromptu honeypot and recorded their activity on his machine…’
http://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/167901121/security/client-security/240001025/security-expert-fools-records-fake-antivirus-scammers.html

The Resource Roundup
‘Whether you’re a beginning artist or seasoned pro, deviantART’s Resources Gallery is an inspirational and beneficial asset for art creation. Take a look at a few of the incredible submissions below – they might help enhance your next artistic creation!

‘This month’s theme is “do it yourself” (commonly known as ‘DIY’). We hope you enjoy these tutorials!…’
http://mattdanna.deviantart.com/journal/Resource-Roundup-8-303921432

DIY Projects and Hackerspaces
How to Find and Get Involved with A Hackerspace In Your Community

‘Great DIY projects are often easy to do at home, but many require tools and space that you may not have. Just because you don’t have a basement workshop doesn’t mean you don’t get to scratch your DIY itch. Odds are there’s a hackerspace in your community, stocked with tools, plenty of space, safety gear, and knowledgeable people willing to help you. These spaces offer would-be makers a place to go and safely experiment, tinker, and dream. Here’s how you can find and get involved with one near you…’
http://lifehacker.com/5912598/how-to-find-and-get-involved-with-a-hackerspace-in-your-community

TinyChat
TinyChat is another no-installation-required webchat app like Google Hangouts. It provides dead simple, free to use, video chat rooms that just work! Enjoy chatting with your friends or making new ones, just create a chat room or join one.
Share up to twelve broadcasts simultaneously! With text, video, and audio chat, you and your friends can connect and talk from anywhere in the world.
http://tinychat.com/

Find Out If Your Pinterest Items Are on Sale
http://www.lyst.com/

IBM Thinks Siri Is Spying, Bans It
IBM Faces the Perils of “Bring Your Own Device”

‘If you work for IBM, you can bring your iPhone to work, but forget about using the phone’s voice-activated digital assistant. Siri isn’t welcome on Big Blue’s networks.

‘The reason? Siri ships everything you say to her to a big data center in Maiden, North Carolina. And the story of what really happens to all of your Siri-launched searches, e-mail messages and inappropriate jokes is a bit of a black box…’
http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2012/05/ibm-bans-siri/