Under current U.S. law it is illegal to pay ransoms demanded by international hostage-takers. The act of paying a ransom is punishable by jail-time but this may be about to change. The Obama administration is […]
Month: April 2015
Why ESPN Wants To Keep Your Cable Bill High
ESPN doesn’t like the idea of Americans getting cheap cable packages. It really doesn’t like the idea of these packages no including its premium sports channel. So the sports network has sued Verizon for alleged […]
Google Launches Marketplace To Buy Patents Before Trolls Can
Google announced this morning that it has launched an experimental program to purchase patents from businesses and other patent holders who wish to sell. The company calls the new effort “Patent Purchase Promotion,” and is […]
Farmers Not Allowed To Repair Tractors Because Of Copyright Law
Over the last week stories have starting to appear about farmers unable to repair tractors and working Americans unable to repair their cars because of copyright legislation. It’s not a side effect. It was the […]
Huge Magazine Publisher To Launch Virtual Reality ‘Magazine’
Virtual reality, finally, is set to become a big thing. Tech companies – from Facebook to Sony to Google – are all investing significant dollars into high end virtual reality technologies that will provide real-world […]
Smartphone Use By Babies Shockingly High, Effects Unknown
It’s interesting times to be a modern parent. The rise of technology has led to a large number of tech-enabled baby products which make all sorts of claims yet the effects of using them are […]
Healthy Diet Shown To Prevent And Slow Alzheimer’s Disease
There’s fresh thinking out on late life memory loss issues and its good news. According to a recent study, a hybrid of two eating plans – which have been termed the MIND diet – is […]
Swiss Banks Latest To Declare War On Cash, Ban Withdrawals
Stunning news out of Switzerland this weekend where a Swiss pension fund manager, after calculating that he would save at least 25,000 CHF per year on every CHF 10m deposit due to negative interest rates, […]
Game Consoles Get Exemption From Tough EU Power Regulations
Games console manufacturers have arranged a deal with the European Commission that lets them off the hook for tough new rules on energy efficiency, Americans.org has learned. Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony have all persuaded the […]
Why Tens Of Thousands Will Try To Live On $1.50 Per Day This Week
Today marks the start of the Live Below The Line Challenge, an international effort raise awareness about poverty and related nutrition issues. From 27th April – 1st May, contestants across the world will come together […]
Ancient Dinosaur Highway Unearthed In Western Canada
A type of dinosaur highway, complete with hundreds of ancient dinosaur footprints has been discovered in northeastern British Columbia, Canada, it was revealed this weekend. The prints are likely more than 100 million years old, […]
Russia Releases Spy Photos Of U.S. Defense Satellite
Russia can add space to the list of places it is causing worry and disruption according to new reports. The belligerent communist state has already invaded Ukraine and is assisting Iran in Yemen but it […]
College Network To Close Doors At 28 Campuses
Times are changing in college education. As of today the for-profit Corinthian Colleges network will shutter its remaining 28 campuses, the latest school to succumb to financial pressure amid industry disruption. The shutdown includes 13 […]
Greece Teeters Closer To Bankruptcy, Announces More Capital Controls
The latest developments in Greece do not appear to be positive. Last week, the Greek government seized “excess cash” from municipal government to replenish the central bank coffers so that Athens would be able to […]
Internet Bill Of Rights Shows Brazil Understands What We Don’t
CryptoRave, the largest conference on cryptology and Internet privacy in Latin America, kicked off Friday in São Paulo, Brazil. Several thousand people – young programmers, activists, hackers and self-described “cyberpunks” – will attend the 24-hour […]
Russian Ships Helping Iran Arm Yemen Rebels
In a development that could escalate tensions in an already volatile region, the Russian navy has been caught aiding Iranian ships attempting to bring arms to the Tehran-backed rebels currently leading an insurgency in Yemen, […]
Why Open Courses Won’t Take Over Online Education
Online education sites that follow an open learning model, like Khan Academy, Duolingo, Udemy, and Coursera, have helped provide anyone with access to the internet connection to a college-level education. Anything that one would ever […]
Why Teen Hearing Loss Is On The Rise
Teenage ears are increasingly being studied and the new research reveals an alarming trend: nearly one in five American teens test positive for hearing damage. Much of the damage is caused by excess noise. More […]
Is California At Risk From Nepal Style Earthquake?
As Nepal slow, painfully and sadly recovers from a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on Saturday, it’s important to remember this type of tragedy could strike us right here at home. Specifically in California, one of the […]
Government Fights For Secret Power To Kill All Cellphones
The Obama administration is aggressively pursuing a plan to control every cell phone in the United States at the flick of a switch, Americans.org learned this week. Precisely what the government can do and who […]
Linkedin Buying Lynda.com Shakes Up Online Education
While it doesn’t offer online degree programs, Lynda.com’s online courses help move people from job hunter to hired. It’s courses, all offered online, focus on building skills in areas such as business, creative or technology. […]
Online Education Catching Up To Traditional College
Online education has been mired in controversy since it began. Degree programs available online have long been perceived to be of lower value than colleges and universities that deliver education the traditional way. Both the […]
Deluded Putin Thinks Seizing Crimea “Rights Historical Injustice”
Increasingly erratic Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow’s seizure of Crimea righted a historical injustice, according to news agency reports on Sunday. The comment was observed by a documentary film crew it was reported. The […]
Japan To Land Rover On Moon In 2018
Japan’s space agency announced that the country would put an unmanned rover on the surface of the moon by 2018, joining an elite club of countries who have explored Earth’s satellite. The Japan Aerospace Exploration […]
Brazil Approves Farming Of Genetically Modified Eucaliptus
Despite serious environmental concerns about genetically modified crops escaping into the pristine rainforest, on Tuesday the Biosecurity Technical National Comission (CTNBio) of Brazil, ratified the use of a type of eucalyptus which was genetically modified […]
U.S. Readying Hacking Related Sanctions On China & Russia
The United States government is preparing the first round of sanctions against foreign entities or individuals involved in hacking, according to a senior Department of Justice official. The move will mark the first test of […]
Louisiana Declares War On Privacy By Banning Cash At Garage Sales
Louisiana cemented itself as the most privacy unfriendly state in the union when it passed a bill last week banning the use cash in all secondhand transactions. The shocking move is both a blow to […]
Watch Out Apple – Chinese Giant Xiaomi Invests Big In India
Iconic Indian business leader Ratan Tata added to his growing list of tech holdings by acquiring a stake in Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi. The company declined to disclose the value of the stake, but the […]
TSA Warns Of Imminent ISIS Attack
The FBI is investigating a possible ISIS terror attack on the basis of intercepted chatter and intelligence information, Americans.org has learned. The news was closely followed by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) issuing a classified […]
Russian Propaganda Offensive Draws U.S. Response
Russia’s massive and increasingly complex sprawling propaganda network didn’t persuade the world that Ukraine is run by Nazis, that Crimea was annexed in a “popular uprising” or that Germany is a failed state but the […]