Jennifer Newstead helped craft the Patriot Act, a cowardly work of treasonous legislation foisted on the American people in the wake of the 9/11 attacks; later, she served as the Patriot Act's "day-to-day manager" in Congress; today, she is Facebook's general counsel.
Facebook has hired the Patriot Act's co-author and "day-to-day manager" to be its new general counsel
Eyecam is a blinking, flitting webcam that looks back at you
This webcam, housed in an animatronic sculpture of a grossly disembodied human eye, was created by Marc Teyssier, Marion Koelle, Paul Strohmeier, Bruno Fruchard and Jürgen Steimle. [Human Computer Interaction Lab via The Verge] They call it the Eyecam and I lovehate it. Webcams that are in front of us, looking at us, constantly. What… READ THE REST
Evan Greer's "Surveillance Capitalism" is the internet's new official protest song
Evan Greer is trans-femme indie punk songwriter as well as an activist and the Deputy Director for the digital rights group Fight For The Future. Also, her new album — out this Friday 4/9, and delightfully titled Spotify is Surveillance — totally fucking rips. ("Emma Goldman Would Beat Your Ass," which I previously shared here… READ THE REST
Ikea France snooped on staff and customers for a decade, say prosecutors
Ikea set up a sprawling surveillance regime employing private detectives and corrupt cops to spy on its own staff and even customers, say prosecutors in France. The company's French subsidiary is going on trial this week along with former CEO Stefan Vanoverbeke, several former store managers and a number of police officers accused of handing… READ THE REST
The TREBLAB HD-Max is a booming Bluetooth speaker with powerful, satisfying volume
The biggest frustration most Bluetooth speaker owners face is when they realize their speaker is completely inadequate for serious booming. They may be perfectly fine for casual, indoor listening, but if you're taking the speaker outside or trying to boost your tunes over the dull roar of a party, you'll need extra horsepower on the… READ THE REST
Paintstorm Studio is a godsend for digital painters, and it's on sale for $15
Digital painting has truly become an art in itself. Even with artists like Andy Warhol creating digital art on a Commodore Amiga back in the mid-80s, digital painting has mostly been a kitschy bit of artistic fun, not stuff to be regarded as a true masterwork. But much has changed over the past decade. Technology… READ THE REST
Here's all the training you need to be a Google Workspace pro for just $30
While it never hurts when your company name becomes a verb, but there's a lot more to Google than a simple web search. Sure, Google's search engine is also the engine that powered the firm into its current position as one of the 10 most valuable companies in America, but the company has spent the… READ THE REST