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Brislen on Tech
A few weeks ago we talked about the EU and its plan to introduce new copyright laws in the shape of Article 11 and Article 13. I suggested the EU would be stupid to do so because they don't understand what they would mean for the internet. I hoped they would be watered down or rejected entirely and that saner minds would prevail.
Reader, they did not.
So the EU now has a new approach to copyright which will entrench existing businesses as leaders in their fields (think Google, YouTube, Facebook et al) and make it cost prohibitive for any new provider to enter the market. The Two Pauls' World of IT will, I am sorry to say, not be coming to a web browser near you any time soon.
[PLUS: gender equality, and trees vs wifi]
Brislen on Tech
Privacy is usually treated as a fundamental human right, but in New Zealand at least it's not part of the Bill of Rights.
There isn't a single mention of the word "privacy" in the bill.
Yet most people will tell you they have a right not to have neighbours take photos of them in their home, that they should be free from surveillance and should be allowed to get on with their lives without having to worry about being spied upon.
But can you rely on that anymore?
Trump threatens to regulate search results
Donald Trump has today lashed out at US tech giant Google for allegedly hiding the good news stories about his presidency and raised the spectre of regulating the search engine business, presumably to ensure that only positive stories are reported.
Brislen on Tech
Three news stories this week mean we must surely give pause for a moment and reflect on what is going on with the internet.
The three stories relate to Microsoft and Facebook policing the internet.…
Microsoft moves to shut down alleged Russian phishing sites
Microsoft says it has blocked an attempted attack on the US Senate and a conservative think tank ahead of mid-term elections in November.
Brislen on Tech
Advance Australia Fair. Not really. Sadly, the Lucky Country is in the middle of a monster drought which shows no signs of letting up any time soon. It's also apparently willing to elect a man who can…
Patently absurd
Patents are a source of much amusement and occasionally some horror, particularly in the tech world.
While some are truly innovative, and can lead to huge improvements in technology and the lives o…
Brislen on Tech
In which we discuss free speech, the need to protect it and what is and isn't considered 'free speech'; why online elections create such a ruckus; and a new government marketplace to replace the panel…
Facebook lambasted by UK parliamentary inquiry
The UK parliamentary committee looking into Facebook and Cambridge Analytica's manipulation of the news media around the world has released a damning report that says Facebook failed in its duty to …
Brislen on Tech
Pop quiz: You open up your laptop and discover all your files are encrypted and a mysterious message says you're not getting your data back unless you give someone $5000 via an anonymised service. You…
Brislen on Tech
Data centres. Big fat juicy data centres, serving up the world's content, from right here in New Zealand.
You need a few things to make that a reality. You need cheap and relatively green electrici…
