Somebody’s Watching Me
There is a widespread belief that our “smart” devices are listening to everything we say. To most people this is the only plausible explanation for why we are served up content that is uncannily connected...
surveillance
The New Mood Ring
The “affect recognition” market could be worth $56 billion by 2024. But humans misread human emotion, why should computers fare better?
“Omigod!”…and other Exclamations Upon Reading WSJ’s Piece on Facial Recognition in China
Do you want your photo flashed on a sign at an intersection? If not, don't jaywalk in China. Leave aside what happens if you're a dissident traveling in a new region. Here's a headline the...
The Internet of Things: Citizen Friend or Foe?
Two hundred forty years ago, our founding fathers could never have imagined the revolutionary tech we’d have today to engage with our government programs and officials. On this Presidents' Day 2016, the citizen-engagement landscape includes...
KeenON: Journalist and NSA Expert Barton Gellman
It isn’t surprising that Edward Snowden chose then Washington Post reporter Barton Gellman as one of the earliest recipients of his leaked NSA documents. Gellman is the author of a best-selling book about Dick Cheney...
Investigate NSA to Avert Police State, Privacy Consultant Warns
Cyber-security expert Jody Westby calls “for the facts to be found out and the truth to be determined” about the NSA surveillance program in order for the nation’s leaders to make “informed decisions about how...
Watching Walmart Parking Lots from Space: New Apps for Satellites
Here's a new barometer for measuring a technology's disruptive potential: "If there's not a capacity to exploit something for evil, it's probably not that revolutionary." That's one way 27-year-old Skybox Imaging co-founder Julian Mann explains...
Snowden’s Exploits: Ripped from Prime Time’s “Scandal?”
I wonder if NSA leakmeister Edward Snowden watches the ABC prime-time drama “Scandal?” In particular, I'd be interested to know if he saw the episode entitled “Hunting Season” that originally aired last October, before Snowden...
Could a Drone Kill You on Its Own?
Drones are among the fastest-growing concerns of citizens and governments worldwide. The U.S. has taken the lead in using them militarily for attacks and assassination, generating extensive criticism and promoting a debate over whether the...
