Technology Review has a new article on traffic avoidance systems, focusing on the software firm Inrix, who is working towards better methods of forecasting traffic congestion "hours and even days in advance." Its interesting stuff, but this passage is somewhat…
Blog
Faith in the Algorithm
This Economist article on Google co-founder Larry Page has been getting a lot of attention due to its closing statements on Google's reported desire build a machine that will pass the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turing_test"Turing test, and how Google wants to be…
iTunes Now Asks for Consent Before Collecting Data
Following up on the earlier story about the new Apple iTunes MiniStore feature that collects and sends user data to Apple, Cory Doctorow reports that iTunes now asks for explicit user consent before activating this feature: The MiniStore was switched…
Read More iTunes Now Asks for Consent Before Collecting Data
Transparency in GoogleNews
Following up on earlier concerns, Jeff Jarvis reports that GoogleNews is including news articles from the far-right British National Party. While I have previsouly disagreed with Jeff that certain "news" is inherently more valid than other "news" for inclusion in…
Advertising with Google Maps
The MIT Advertising Lab reports on how companies are realizing that online satellite imaging and mapping systems are untapped advertising opportunities. One new strategy is to make your brand viewable from geosynchronous orbit. [via BoingBoing]
NYT Editorial: Beijing’s New Enforcer: Microsoft
The New York Times has an editorial today on the issue that companies like Google, Yahoo and Microsoft help the Chinese government not only filter out search results that they want to censor, but also help track down the individuals…
Ethics of Blogiarism
There's been quite a bit of discussion lately across the blogosphere on "blogiarism," the practice of cutting and pasting content from one blog onto your own without any link, attribution, editing or commentary in order to drive readers to your…
How to triangulate location data, privacy and profit
OUT-LAW.COM posts about an opinion on privacy compliance from the EU's Article 29 Working Party on Data Protection. The issue at hand is the growing ability to triangulate location data with the plethora of data services/devices we use in everyday…
Read More How to triangulate location data, privacy and profit
Speed Cameras Used To Charge People With Other Crimes
Techdirt points to this (inevitable) example of function creep in the use of traffic cameras:A motorist who made V-signs [equivalent to the middle finger -mz] at a police speed camera has been convicted of dangerous driving and banned for a…
Read More Speed Cameras Used To Charge People With Other Crimes
Gore to Speak About Domestic Spy Program
With end of semester craziness, the holidays, and the transition to this new website, I wasn't able to blog about the revelations that the President authorized the NSA to engage in domestic surveillance without proper warrants. [See Bruce Schneier's excellent…
MichaelZimmer.org 
You must be logged in to post a comment.