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NASA Throws Cold Water On Social Media Astroid Rumor

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In response to rumors rampantly spreading across the Internet, NASA issued a statement on Friday that planet Earth is indeed safe for the foreseeable future – at least from asteroid or meteor destruction.

Recently, doomsday “prophets” predicted that a “2.5 mile-wide comet” will come crashing down to Earth sometime between September 15th and 28th, causing mass destruction and wiping out the United States.

NASA, however, has other things to say about that.

NASA actually has a program that’s function is to monitor asteroid and meteoroid activity and the possible impact on earth. The Near-Earth Object Observations Program – otherwise known as Spaceguard – claims that no asteroid will strike Earth in September.

The program utilizes telescopes on Earth and in space to spot, identify and track asteroids made of rock and comets composed of frozen frock, gas, dust and water which travel within a 30 million-mile radius of Earth.

The statement released from Spaceguard’s laboratory in Pasadena, California stated that the persistent rumors regarding an imminent strike required a response from NASA.

Paul Chodas, manager of the lab, stated that, “There is no scientific basis – not one shred of evidence – that an asteroid or any other celestial object will impact Earth on those dates. If there were any object large enough to do that type of destruction in September, we would have seen something of it by now . . . There is no existing evidence that [any] asteroid or any other other celestial object is on a trajectory that will impact Earth. In fact, not a single one of the known objects has any credible chance of hitting our planet over the next century.”

This is not the first time NASA has had to squelch rumors about the Earth’s destruction due to objects catapulting through space.

In 2012, NASA dismissed allegations that the comet Elenin was on its way to destroy Earth. The space agency described the comet as a “trail of piffling particles.” The agency also proved right when it predicted that the world would not come to an end when the Mayan calendar ended.

Looks like Earth is safe for now – at least from space.

Four New Fires Erupt At Scene Of Deadly Tianjin Chemical Explosion

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Firefighters rushed to contain four new fires that erupted at the site of two huge chemical blasts that killed 116 people last week in the northeastern port city of Tianjin.

Chinese media report one of the “combustion points” was an automobile logistics center near last week’s explosion site, while the other three were within last week’s central blast area. No cause has yet been given for today’s fires.

Authorities say because the area had been evacuated last week, with permitted limited access, they were not expected many casualties, if any.

Last week’s explosions occurred in a giant warehouse used for storing chemicals at a industrial park in Tianjin. Authorities confirmed 700 tonnes of the deadly chemical sodium cyanide were stored at the Tianjin warehouse that blew up.

As well as those killed, 700 people were injured, many seriously, and thousands more were evacuated due to the risk from chemicals stored at the site. Authorities say 60 people are still unaccounted for.

Last week’s deadly blast forced Chinese authorities into action and highlighted lax safety standards across the country.

The Government order nationwide inspections of facilities handling dangerous chemicals and explosives were ordered by China’s State Council, with 100 chemical firms in seven provinces ordered to suspend or shut down operations due to safety violations –  39 in Zhejiang province, 19 in Hubei province, 26 in Anqing city in the southeastern province of Anhui, and two in China’s capital Beijing.

Although only two companies were ordered to shut down in Beijing, Beijing Work Safety Bureau authorities revealed they had found major safety hazards at 70 percent of companies handling dangerous chemicals in the capital.

In Beijing alone, an inspection of 124 sites that stored dangerous chemicals found hazards at 85 firms, Xinhua said late on Thursday, citing Beijing’s work safety bureau.

The State Council said all chemical companies must now start complying to safety standards and investing in and using the most advanced equipment available and hiring the best expertise in order to “prevent major environmental incidents in the future.”

In Germany, Taking Pictures Of Food You Purchased Is Now Illegal

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For many years there have been different stories about cooks who think that people taking photographs of their food are “stealing” something.

According to a recent publication, it appears that this is not just a matter of beliefs in Germany, but in fact an established German law.

The law states, “In individual cases, shared pictures may be illegal. At worst, a copyright warning notice might come fluttering to the social media user. For carefully-arranged food in a famous restaurant, the cook is regarded as the creator of a work. Before it can be made public on Facebook & Co., permission must first be asked of the master chef.”

The absurd situation traces back to a judgment made by a German court in 2013, which widened the laws on exclusive rights to include the creative and applied arts.

As a result of the judgment, the minimum requirement for copyrightability was lowered significantly, with the practical outcome that it was easier for chefs to take legal action against those who posted photos of their works without consent.

German publication Die Welt notes that this prohibition can apply even to obviously un-artistic mounds of food dumped callously on a plate if a café owner simply puts up a note refusing consent for photos to be taken of its cooking.

This repressive kind of ownership attitude has been embraced by the courts of Germany yet with it comes a lack of innovation.

According to a 2010 Techdirt article, there’s plenty of proof that it is specifically the lack of exclusive rights in food that has triggered continuing innovation – just as it has in other areas that manage to go on without this picky intellectual domination, notably in style and fashion.

By allowing absurd ownership claims both creativity and innovation are held back while at the same time courts are burdened with ridiculous lawsuits over unimportant matters.

Iranian Women Fight Medieval Dress Code Laws With Silent Online Protest

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Iranian Women Fight Medieval Dress Code Laws With Silent Online Protest

Long hair for males was seen as an anti-establishment symbol in the hippie era of the 60’s and now women in Iran are using their hair as a protest against a strictly enforced Hijab law.

Women in the Shiite lead middle eastern country, since 1979, have been forced by law to cover their hair in public with a Hijab, a head covering scarf or shawl.

But now London based Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad has begun a passive and silent on-line protest against that law.

She has started a Facebook page where Iranian women are posting photos of themselves showing their hair, and not wearing Hijabs.

She began the anti-Hijab campaign by posting two photos of herself – one wearing a Hijab and the other bare-headed. The postings set off a flood of support and similar posting of from both young and middle aged women, accompanied by text expressing their feeling about the Hijab rule.

The Facebook page received 500,000 likes within a month.

Esmail-Ahmadi-Moghaddam, the Head of Iran’s National Security Forces, said in 2014 Iran’s Morality police found 3.6 million women guilty of wearing ‘inappropriate’ dresses.

All were warned, and many fined and arrested and even flogged.

“It is clear from the response that Iranian women wanted to express themselves and voice their opposition to the compulsory hijab,” said Alinejad who is being labelled an anti-revolutionary by the State controlled Iranian media. She and her Facebook campaign have been condemned and criticized by prayer leaders in Tehran, Iran’s capital.

“The hijab is about control,” Alinejad said. “And the Iranian regime would never want to lose control”.

Alinejad was forced to leave Iran for her anti-Government reporting during the contentious 2009 elections. She said that while a journalist in Iran, she she had been imprisoned, physically abused and was the victim of smear campaigns.

She said if she ever returned to Iran under the present regime, she would be jailed.

China Caught Turning Its Massive Cyber Spying Operation Against Regional Rival India

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A sophisticated cyberespionage group, likely based in China, is capitalizing on India’s fragile cyberdefenses to burrow deep into the computer systems of government departments and educational institutions. The group has specifically been focusing on diplomatic information, according to a top United States network security company.

According to FireEye the faction has also launched attacks on other Southeast and South Asian nations, as well as Tibetan campaigners outside the country during the past four years.

Yet the group seems unusually concerned with India and its boundary differences with neighboring nations.

In an interview, Bryce Boland, FireEye’s chief technology officer for Asia Pacific said, “It is most likely Chinese.” He added, “We don’t have a smoking gun, but all roads lead to China.”

The report is likely to spark suspicion between Asia’s two most heavily populated countries, which engaged one another in battle in 1962 and maintain a dispute over  huge sections of their 2,500-mile boundary.

India’s boundary with Pakistan is also uncertain and greatly militarized, though India resolved another border disagreement with Bangladesh recently.

India and China are increasingly global competitors, with India luring manufacturing jobs from China and both nations racing each other in the field of space exploration.  

According to FireEye, the cyber faction sent spear-phishing e-mail messages to its intended ‘prey’, with attachments of Microsoft Word documents containing details on regionally sensitive issues.

The attached documents contained a draft called WATERMAIN that when executed created a backdoor that would grant the hacker unrestricted access to the victim’s system.

According to Boland, the attackers exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s software that have been well-known for three years. The fact that dozens of hacking attempts were victorious underlines India’s incapacity to sense and guard itself against such attacks, Boland said.

The group was careful not to leave traces that could pinpoint where the attacks were coming from. But the operation, which runs throughout the week and round the clock, appeared sophisticated and well-resourced.

In the past, Chinese cyberspies have given themselves away by, for example, using the same IP address used in hacking attacks to access social media accounts or even post photographs.

But the group targeting India appeared to have good operational security, Boland said, indicating a disciplined and well organized team.

The attacks highlight that the United States is not the only victim of Chinese cyber-war. It also potentially indicates that China is targeting other nations with weaker IT security after meeting increased resistance from U.S. government agencies and corporations who have invested heavily in IT security in recent years.

Once Ridiculed Hyperloop Transportation System Is Quickly Becoming Reality

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Once Ridiculed Hyperloop Transportation System Is Quickly Becoming Reality

Elon Musk’s vision for the future of transportation has taken another step toward reality, as Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) announced a serious new contract to work with Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum (OLV) and engineering firm Aecom in the construction of a passenger-ready Hyperloop.

Construction for the capsule-in-a-tube transportation system will break ground in 2016, with the promise of travel at speeds of over 600 mph.

OLV and Aecom will receive stock in HTT as part of the deal, joining engineers from Boeing and SpaceX, who are already at work on the project.

The concept of the design involves moving a passenger capsule through a nearly evacuated tube and was detailed by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk in a 2013 white paper. A five mile loop prototype will be built in Quay Valley, situated between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The new contract with OLV and Aecom means a great deal to HTT CEO Dirk Ahlborn who said, “It’s a validation of the fact that our model works. It’s the next step.” Ahlborn went on to say there were several potential investors in the project.

OLV specializes in vacuum technologies and has previously worked on the large hadron collider at CERN.

Head of business development at OLV, Carl Brockmeyer, said the project would not be most challenging they had done, “We are used to much higher and harsher applications.” Brockmeyer and his team have so far been running simulations to determine the energy and cost requirements to bring the Hyperloop tube to almost zero pressure.

Construction firm Aecom was similarly optimistic, and they have the pedigree to back it up, having already worked on the planned 73-mile addition to London’s Underground known as “Crossrail.” VP of new ventures at Aecom, Andrew Liu, said that all the required technology to pursue the project exists.

Elon Musk is often accused of being more of a salesman than anything else, but with so many of his visions becoming reality, such a position looks less and less accurate by the day.

ISIS Executes 10 Afghanis For Conspiring With U.S. Military To Launch Drone Strikes

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ISIS Executes 10 Afghanis For Conspiring With U.S. Military To Launch Drone Strikes

Jihadist group Islamic State (ISIS) released a video recording revealing the brutal killing of 10 people in Afghanistan for ‘apostasy.’ In a formal statement, the terrorist faction has claimed that it blew up the ten men as punishment for planning to execute a drone attack against the militant group in a plot that was allegedly sponsored by the United States.

According to the statement released by the extremist group, the 10 men were from three different ethnic groups from Nangarhar, Afghanistan. A number of elders of the ethnic groups were among those cruelly executed, the jihadist group said.

In the ISIS video recording, the Afghan victims can be seen being compelled to kneel down on active landmines that then exploded, killing the men instantly.

Following the publication of the disturbing video, ISIS faced harsh criticism from more than a few quarters, including the Taliban, which described ISIS as ‘ignorant and irresponsible.’ ISIS has now given explanation for its action.

In an announcement that appeared on social media, the Sunni jihadist group has clarified that the 10 men were punished for organizing drone attacks against the group, with the help of the United States.

U.S forces operate extensive drone patrols in Afghanistan’s rugged mountains.

According to the terror group members of three ethnic groups met with Afghan officials and the Taliban, conspiring to drive ISIS out from Afghanistan’s Mamand region.

The announcement, which has been extensively shared among ISIS supporters and sympathizers on social media, says that the tribal factions agreed to accept the help of United States drones during the planned attack on Mamand.

In recent months, the jihadist group has been expanding in Afghanistan, where a number of Taliban members have worked closely with the Sunni group. The encroachment into Afghanistan, the traditional stronghold of the Taliban and Al Qaeda, has caused skirmishes between the two groups as they battle for supremacy in the region.

Thanks To Relentless Poaching The Sumatran Rhino Is Now Extinct In Malaysia

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Thanks To Relentless Poaching The Sumatran Rhino Is Now Extinct In Malaysia

In a sad dose of reality, the Sumatran rhinoceros has been declared extinct in its native country of Malaysia by scientists. Primarily found in the Asian country, scientists have not seen a Sumatran rhino in the wild since 2007, except for two female rhinos captured in 2011 and 2014.

Scientists believe there are less than 100 of the magnificent creatures left roaming across Southeast Asia. There are nine others that are safely secure in captivity – three of them located in the Malaysian state of Sabah.

The conclusion of extinction was reached by a team of scientists from the University of Copenhagen’s Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate and was published in the conservation journal Oryx.

The authors state that, “As of June 2015, no further signs of the species have been found in Sabah, and it is safe to consider the species extinct in the wild of Malaysia.” Borneo Rhino Alliance head Junaidi Payne indicated the rhino’s extinction was inevitable because of a lack of breeding and the relentless hunting by poachers.

Payne does have some hope for the species. He believes every Sumatran rhino still living must be closely managed with the efforts of the international community. He stated that, “We should certainly be thinking of boosting Sumatran rhino numbers through a single program that is not based on nationalistic thinking.” Payne, one of the authors of the study, is currently working with the government of Sabah, Malaysia in an effort to impregnate the protected female rhinos through in vitro fertilization.

The study’s lead author, Rasmus Gren Havmøller echoed Payne’s analysis and stated in a press release that, “It is vital for the survival of the species that all remaining Sumatran rhinos are viewed as a metapopulation, meaning that all are managed in a single program across national and international borders in order to maximize overall birth rate. This includes the individuals currently held in captivity.”

The researchers included in their study a number of suggestions that may improve the species’ plight over time.

One possible solution includes the creation and development of management zones where the rhinos can be moved. These areas would have high-level security in order to protect their existence.

Co-author of the study and director of the Rhino Foundation of Indonesia Widodo Ramono stated that, “Serious effort by the government of Indonesia should be put to strengthen rhino protection by creating Intensive Protection Zones, intensive survey of the current known habitats, habitat management, captive breeding, and mobilizing national resources and support from related local governments and other stakeholders.”

Saudi Arabia Just Blasted American TVs With Anti-Iran Nuclear Deal Propaganda

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U.S. Citizens are being lured to call their Senators to oppose the recently struck nuclear deal with Iran by a series of television commercials paid for by an organization calling itself the American Security Initiative (ASI). Reports say ASI has so far poured $6 million into buying ad space from TV stations throughout the country.

Although ASI is not revealing where the money is coming from, records show the president of the recently formed group, Norm Coleman, a former Republican Senator for Minnesota, is a registered lobbyist for Saudi Arabia.

His company, Hogan Lovells, is paid a monthly retainer of $60,000 from the Saudi Arabian monarchy. Documents from July 2014 described Coleman’s work as  “providing legal services to the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia” on such issues as “legal and policy developments involving Iran and limiting Iranian nuclear capability.”

ASI co-chairs include former Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., former Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn. , and former Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga. Chambliss is also employed by another lobbying firm contracted by the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia to influence U.S. policy.

The anti Iran nuclear deal advertising campaign is just part of an all-out effort to convince U.S. senators to support legislation which is against international lifting of economic sanctions in exchange for inspections of Iran’s nuclear industry. The senate is expected to vote on the issue in September.

The Saudis and other Sunni dominated Persian Gulf governments view Shiite led Iran as a regional enemy. Middle East experts believe an underlying factor in the bad relations is fear that Iranian oil experts would compete with Saudi Arabia’s dominance in the international oil market.

The Syrian and Yemen crises which have opposing support from Iran and Saudi Arabia is also fueling bad relationships between the two nations.

Although U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter has claimed senior Saudi officials have expressed support for the Iran nuclear deal, the experts say that behind the scenes Saudi Arabia is trying to kill the deal. Anonymous Saudi Officials have told Newsweek they oppose any deal with Iran and Saudi media with close ties to the Saudi Royal family have also criticised it.

Mars Rover’s Selfie Shows Hard Working Robot Is Beginning To Show Its Age

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Mars Rover’s Selfie Shows Hard Working Robot Is Beginning To Show Its Age

The Mars exploring, miniature laboratory known as the Curiosity rover landed on Mars in 2012 and has been working hard ever since collecting samples and taking selfies to send back to NASA engineers.

Earlier this month, Curiosity took another magnificent selfie at a different angle than previous photographs and gives us another perspective of the rover that hasn’t been seen before. The image shows us just how much the rover has aged in the past few years and it also shows that a small rock has lodged in the left middle wheel – an annoyance for sure, but not something that should affect the overall operation of the machine.

The selfie was snapped on August 5th at “Buckskin” at the Marias Pass site located in the foothills of the 3 ½ mile-high Mount Sharp. NASA released the image this week. The vehicle was able to shoot several low-angle photographs because of the slant of the terrain, thus giving us a new look at the machine.

The rover takes its selfies like most people do – holding the camera out in front of it and snapping away. Specifically, Curiosity is equipped with a Hand Lens Imager known as MAHLI. It snaps several shots and then NASA engineers piece the images together to produce the final image released to the public.

In final form, the photograph gives the illusion that the rover set up its own tripod and set a timer.

The rover’s work at Buckskin was the first full-on drilling operation to take place since February, when a short circuit was observed in the drill’s hammer. Steven Lee, deputy project manager for Curiosity at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory stated that, “[NASA was] pleased to see no repeat of the short circuit during the Buckskin drilling and sample transfer.”

The Buckskin and Mount Sharp areas are of great interest to scientists as evidence from the areas indicate there was water present several billion years ago.

The dirt and rock deposits show that flowing water must have fed the lake that is now a deep crevice on the surface of Mars. Scientists speculate that conditions on Mars at that time could very probably have allowed bacterial and other microbial life to thrive – if it ever existed – on Mars.

Igor Mitrofanov of the Space Research Institute in Moscow stated that, “The ground about one [yard] beneath the rover in [the Buckskin] area holds three or four times as much water as the ground anywhere else Curiosity has driven during its three years on Mars.”

Up next for Curiosity is a trip southwest, where it will continue to collect samples and take pictures. Since the rover landed on Mars in 2012, it has travelled 6.9 miles.

As it continues to climb Mount Sharp, Curiosity should find evidence of the planet’s drying since Mars is now barren and cold. Scientists want to understand how Mars went from a “wet planet” to what it is today.

North Korea Enters ‘State Of War’ As Tensions Continue To Mount On The Korean Border

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North Korea Enters ‘State Of War’ As Tensions Continue To Mount On The Korean Border

Kim Jong Un, the supreme leader of North Korea, has ordered front-line armed forces units to enter “a wartime state” after a fire exchange with South Korea, reported Korean Central News Agency on Friday.

The statement, employing belligerent language characteristic of North Korea, adds to the tense situation in the region.

According to the South Korean Defense Ministry, the two sides exchanged artillery fire over their greatly fortified boundary on Thursday afternoon.

Describing the exchange, the ministry said that two shells came from the North Korean side, and South Korea responded with dozens of shells.

There were no casualties reported from the exchange.

Jong Un led a crisis meeting of the Central Military Commission of the North on Thursday, issuing a directive that the military’s “front-line large combined units” should “enter a wartime state to be fully battle ready to launch surprise operations,” KCNA reported.

According to the report, he also directed that “the area along the front be put in a semi-war state.”

The procedures will take effect from Friday 5 p.m. local time.

During a time of heightened anxiety in the area in 2013, North Korea declared it had entered “a state of war” with South Korea. However, that state of affairs didn’t result in military conflicts.

According to Jamie Metzl, an Asia expert for the Atlantic Council in New York, the present crisis may not go much further.

“North Korea has more to gain from Conflict Theater than from a conflict that would quickly expose its fundamental weakness,” said Metzl.

South Korea, a chief United States ally and where approximately 28,000 U.S. troops are based, announced that it’s on high alert after the fierce exchange.

According to Cmdr. William Urban, a Defense Department spokesperson, the Pentagon is also keeping an eye on the state of affairs.

South Korea has blamed the North for intentionally planting landmines, an accusation that Pyongyang denies.

Seoul declared a “harsh” reaction to the mines and resumed loud propaganda messages over the boundary from massive loudspeakers last week.

The decision enraged North Korea’s rotund leader, who called the propagation “a direct action of declaring a war.” The country threatened to destroy the South Korean loudspeakers and also cautioned against “indiscriminate strikes.”

A top United States official told CNN that the U.S. thinks that North Korea destroyed a South Korean speaker on Thursday.

According to South Korea, around 5 p. m on Thursday, North Korea sent a written message threatening armed action if Seoul doesn’t discontinue the propaganda announcements within two days and take away the speakers.

On Friday, An official from the South Korean Defense Ministry warned that Seoul would hit back strongly to any further provocation from North Korean.

On Monday, North Korea came up with its own propaganda messages over the boundary, the same day the South started armed forces exercises with other countries, including the U.S.

According to Pyongyang the drills are a prelude to an invasion.

Treasure Hunters Find Long Lost Nazi Gold Train Yet Questions Continue To Swirl

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Treasure Hunters Find Long Lost Nazi Gold Train Yet Questions Continue To Swirl

Two men in Poland claim to have discovered a legendary Nazi train, though details about the find remain sketchy despite making international headlines.

No images or details of the find have been released and virtually no details about the supposed find have been released publicly.

The legendary Nazi train, according to local legend, was filled with gems, valuable art and gold yet disappeared into a system of mysterious underground tunnels as the Germans ran away from encroaching Soviet troops at the end of the Second World War

According to historians, the reality of the train has never been convincingly established.

Yet local authorities are not passing up this opportunity at possibly recovering the precious contents of the train that have sparked the thoughts of local people for many decades.

The rumored contents could be valued as high as $30 billion.

Marika Tokarska, an official in the southwestern Polish district of Walbrzych said, “We believe that a train has been found. We are taking this seriously.”

She told members of the media that her office had received a couple of letters this month from the legal representatives of the two men, a German  and a Pole who are remaining anonymous.

The letters seek 10 percent of the total worth of the contents of the train for disclosing its location.

Her office believes that engaging a law firm gives trustworthiness to the men’s claims, as do signs that they are familiar with the contents of the train. Tokarska did not specify what details were disclosed in the letters to suggest the men were familiar with the precise contents of the train.

The district governor has already organized a meeting of police, firefighters and other experts to explore how they can carefully handle the train and its contents, if it is located.

Not only could it be equipped with explosive materials, but underground methane gas could spark an explosion.

“It could be dangerous,” said Tokarska.

Local lore says that he train could have vanished in May 1945.

Myth says it was loaded with treasure and armed before it disappeared after getting into a complex of unknown tunnels under the Owl Mountains, an underground project referred to as “Riese” — meaning Giant — which the Nazis never completed.

Back then, the area was controlled to Germany but currently lies in Poland.

Ashley Madison Faces A Wave Of Lawsuits After Hackers Leak Database Of Cheaters

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A nationwide class-action lawsuit has been launched for Canadian subscribers to Ashley Madison, the infamous dating company who recently had their private client list disseminated to the public.

Ontario-based class action heavyweight Sutts, Strosberg LLP and Charney Lawyers announced they will file proceedings against the companies that control AshleyMadison.com – Avid Life Media Inc. and Avid Dating Life Inc.

Elliot Shore, an Ottawa widower who is disabled, is the plaintiff. After 30 years of matrimony, Shore joined the website in an attempt to find company after losing his spouse to breast cancer but did not manage to meet anyone in person from the website.

Shore was one of thousands of Canadian citizens whose private information was disseminated following a data breach at AshelyMadison.com.

Users’ individual names, home addresses, emails and text message history were accessed by hackers in July and made public on Tuesday and Thursday in two separate data dumps.

Many clients paid an extra fee to remove their user information from the site, but found out that the data was left in one piece and exposed following the hacking.

The class action suit is not being filed against the hackers, referring to themselves as Impact Team, who have proudly claimed liability for the leak.

A press statement regarding the lawsuit persuades both current and former users of AshleyMadison.com who live in Canada to get in touch with the law firm.

The move comes after a U.S. lawyer filed a lawsuit late last month for an unnamed female claimant from Maryland Heights, Mo., who had paid $19 so Ashley Madison would eliminate her private information from its site in a strange process called a “paid-delete.”

It is alleged that parent company Avid Life Media, based in Toronto, “failed to adequately analyze its computer systems for vulnerabilities that could expose cardholder data.”

Reports surfaced early Friday that a similar lawsuit will be undertaken in the United Kingdom though details were not released.

Bush, Cheney And Former NSA Director Hayden Sued For Using Blanket Surveillance During 2002 Winter Olympics

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Bush, Cheney And Former NSA Director Hayden Sued For Using Blanket Surveillance During 2002 Winter Olympics

Former Vice President Dick Cheney, Ex-US president George W Bush, and senior police officials have been sued in a class-action court case for approving blanket email, phone and text message surveillance of law abiding citizens of Utah during the 2002 Winter Olympics.

In 2001 the NSA and FBI engaged in a deal with Qwest Communications for extensive surveillance reporting in Salt Lake City during the 2002 Olympics.

Ross “Rocky” Anderson, Salt Lake City’s mayor at the time, has now taken control of the case and has made a formal application for a class action lawsuit.

Anderson said, “This is the first time anyone knows of that a surveillance cone has been placed over a specific geographical area in the United States.”

Explaining further, he said, “What was so alarming was that they were reading the contents of the text messages and emails.”

Anderson, who served as mayor between 2000 and 2008, said he had held talks with a source who had been a principal staffer in the NSA at that time.

He gave details of how the agency had performed secret metadata collection during the 2002 event on all citizens, while people who had also been identified as primary targets also had their emails read and phone calls recorded.

Anderson said that he went to the ACLU and EFF and asked for assistance with the court case, but they responded saying that they were too occupied. Undeterred, he found “an amazing summer clerk” who worked tirelessly to get the suit filed before the statute of limitations ran out.

There are presently six plaintiffs, including former Salt Lake City Council member Deeda Seed, Utah State Senator Howard Stephenson (R-Draper), and local historian Will Bagley. In addition to the presidential pair, the suit mentions Cheney’s legal representative David Addington, who endorsed the surveillance and former NSA Director Michael Hayden.

The suit is going to prove remarkable, if it proceeds.

It could potentially expose just how the extensive surveillance started days after the September 11 attacks, and – significantly – if there was proper legal justification to do so.

When in power, Anderson was a vocal challenger of the local surveillance plan executed by the administration and was a fierce critic of the Bush administration. He called for Bush’s arraignment over the controversial Iraq War and has been vigorous in investigating surveillance overreach cases.

Users Of The ‘Netflix For Pirates’ Just Got Sued By A Big Hollywood Film Studio

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Users Of The ‘Netflix For Pirates’ Just Got Sued By A Big Hollywood Film Studio

Popcorn Time, commonly referred to as “Netflix for pirates,” has found that its users are now under attack for copyright infringement.

The creators of a movie called The Cobbler just initiated a court case against 11 Popcorn Time consumers in Oregon for copying and dispensing the movie without permission.

The Cobbler was released in early this year to tepid reviews and stars Adam Sandler.

Though no individuals are named, in the court case, the makers of the movie list out 11 John and Jane Does by their computers’ IP addresses together with their ISP, in this case Comcast Cable, and the time and date they made access to the movie.

In the complaint, the makers claim that “Popcorn Time is meant for one purpose and one purpose only: to steal copyrighted content.”

As far as compensation goes, the claimants are seeking at least $150,000 in lawyers’ fees and damages, although these cases usually settle near the beginning of the proceedings, regularly to the tune of a few thousand dollars.

The movie in question has a rating of 9% on Rotten Tomatoes and instead of embracing the few customers who actually want to watch such a poor production the team behind the film would prefer to sue what few fans they do have.

While the business of suing customers never produces results for powerful film studios the fact Popcorn Time has incurred their wrath is unsurprising.

Since it went live in 2014, the website’s simple to use browsing system has made the search and access of copyrighted content a breeze, particularly when compared to conventional BitTorrent users. Not too astonishingly, Popcorn Time has caused an apparent increase in both TV and movie piracy in recent months.

Yet rather than examine the research, which time and again shows that piracy is associated with higher profits for content creators, Hollywood has again decided to put their head firmly in the sand and sue their best customers.

Google Teams Up With Facebook To Control Internet Access In India

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Google Teams Up With Facebook To Control Internet Access In India

Google has joined forces with Facebook in an attempt to stop the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) from taking an anti Zero Rating stance.

Zero Rating is a highly controversial practice where a certain list of websites does not count towards a user’s phone data usage.

While providing cheaper access, ideal in developing countries, who controls the list of Zero Rated sites means that net neutrality is not preserved. In the case of Facebook’s Internet.org scheme the social networking giant allows its own sites while blocking rivals like Google and Twitter.

According to recently disclosed emails between the IAMAI’s Government Relations committee members and Vineeta Dixit, a member of Google’s Public Policy and Government Relations team, Google strongly lobbied for the removal of mentions of Zero Rating from the IAMAI’s submission on the Department of Telecom’s (DoT) report into Net Neutrality.

The DoT report singled out Facebook’s Internet.org as a possible Internet access gatekeeper and one that could lead to the compromise of  non-discriminatory access if “such market leaders could dictate the path to specific content.”

The report read “The committee therefore is of the firm opinion that content and application providers cannot be permitted to act as gatekeepers and use network operations to extract value even if it is for an ostensible public purpose. Collaborations between TSPs and content providers that enable such gate keeping role to be played by any entity should be actively discouraged.”

Internet experts say Google has entered into zero rated partnership deals in India, citing Airtel which provides Free Zone ( gmail, Google Search and Google plus) and 200MB free data for access to Google Play apps.

The Economic Times also has reported that Google was planning to roll out its own Zero Rated service in India, but had put plans on hold after the Net Neutrality protests.

Dixit’s email to IAMAI, while reasoning there was no consensus on Zero Rating, asked it be removed from the submission, saying: “We would like to register strong protest against this formulation and would request you to remove this (Zero Rating) from the submission.”

The experts said it was noteworthy that Google had joined in lobbying DoT just several months after Facebook did. Their lobbyists aggressively pushed for both Zero Rating, and the regulation and licensing of Internet Telephony and messaging apps in the country.

Surprisingly Google, which was known for being an active partaker in regulatory consultations in India, had not taken part in discussions with the Parliamentary Standing Committee on IT that was looking into Net Neutrality, even though being invited to do so. The experts say Google has gone out of its way not to be seen to be taking a stand but was working behind the scene to ensure IAMAI did not oppose Zero Rating.

Several members of the government relations committee had confirmed Google supported Facebook’s efforts and that Facebook now chairs the IAMAI government relations committee.

Researchers Uncover Strong Link Between Being Overweight And Breast Cancer

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Researchers Uncover Strong Link Between Being Overweight And Breast Cancer

It’s long been acknowledged that being overweight makes women more likely to develop cancer of the breast, but the explanations as to why have previously been unclear.

Now scientists have established that tissue around breast cells is “stiffer” in overweight women and mice, and that this thick tissue in rodents triggers the development of cancerous cells.

The research suggests losing weight may restructure fat tissue and reduce the possibility of getting cancer. Conversely, the emergent practice of utilizing fat from severely overweight women for reconstructive operation of their breast may come with a threat that had been ignored until now.

Obesity is generally associated with cancer, but the connection with cancer of the breast is particularly striking: In one new large study, the most obese women faced 58 percent more cancer risk than those with normal weight.

One theory is that fat tissue secretes estrogen that can spur the growth of breast cancer cells at menopause, when the reproductive organs stop producing estrogen. However, the technicalities of the scaffolding around breast cells, may also factor.

New rodent studies have established that a stiffer extracellular matrix spurs the creation of proteins that encourage the growth of precancerous cells. This may help illustrate why women with heavy breasts are also at high risk for cancer of the breast. Other studies have indicated that when people become overweight, their fat tissue tends to create stringy, scar-like lumps of tissue.

Reporting in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the scientists established comparable structural dissimilarities in the fat tissue from the breasts of lean and overweight ladies.

The outcomes imply that the lumps of firmer extracellular matrix in obese women’s breasts add to tumor enlargement as well as to more destructive cancers.

The researchers comment that “people always think it’s all about soluble factors, chemicals. It’s also about this interplay with physical parameters.”

The news wasn’t absolutely bad: When the research team put overweight mice on a diet, their breast fat tissue contained fewer myofibroblasts, suggestive of the idea that cutting down on weight could make a woman’s breast tissue formation more normal and reduce her breast cancer threat.

In addition, the research raises the idea of using a woman’s own fat from somewhere else in her body to repair breasts after a breast surgery. Fat tissue from overweight women may raise the threat of a tumor recurring.

Biochemist Valerie Weaver of the University of California, San Francisco, who pioneered earlier studies connecting tissue firmness and breast cancer development, calls the study “very important” because it establishes a new mechanism connecting breast cancer with obesity.

Mammograms often cannot sense dense tissue in overweight women as it is concealed by fat cells, the research says. The tiny, local areas of firm tissue found in the novel research are primarily likely to be missed.

Under Armour Aims Legal Shotgun At Startup Sportswear Makers

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Sportswear giant Under Armour has pledged a relentless court battle against any company using its trademark name for profit. The company has proceeded to make good its threat by launching a flurry of lawsuits involving multiple companies for what it terms trademark infringement that could confuse its clients.

Under Armour has grown from a basement company founded in 1996 to America’s second largest sportswear company. Last year it did over $3 billion in sales.

The company attributes its rise to staying true to their clients’ requests and a strong brand presence, one that it says is being eroded by the heavy use of its trademark name by other retailers.

Recently, the company served a local Maryland company named Armor & Glory with lawsuit papers for trademark infringement on their name. The giant sports retailer said the Maryland company’s name was “ likely to cause confusion, mistake and deception” and that it would “dilute the distinctiveness” and “further damage and irreparably injure” the company’s strong nationwide brand.”

Terrance Jackson, founder of Armor & Glory was not impressed. He said, “It’s trademark bullying at its finest. I’m the little kid in the group and they’re trying to kick dirt on my new shoes. The name came to him one morning, from “the full armor of God” cited in Ephesians 6:11. “When God gave this [name] to me, I never thought once about those guys. We don’t even spell it like them.”

Under Armour, through their Washington attorneys Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, said they would be seeking to have Armor & Glory permanently destroy all of their branded products, relinquish their domain name and profits, pay their legal fees and also damages worth $100,000, the same amount that sums up the small company’s revenues since 2013.

Armor & Glory is not the only company Under Armour has gone after. It has also sued sports drink maker Body Armor, fishing apparel company Salt Armour and snowboarding shorts maker Ass Armor.

The recent campaign by Under Armour was laid down to protect its brands which include ArmourChill, ArmourLoft, ArmourStorm, OffshoreArmour and Baby Armour.

Under Armour has vowed to continue with litigation against any company that comes close to infringing on their trademark.

The case highlights the massive power large, well-funded, companies wield over small competitors – perceived or actual. The mere threat of a lawsuit can ruin small businesses who are not even competing against a powerful trademark holder that has eyes on their market.

Under Armour refused to comment on the ongoing litigation.

Pentagon Suspends Military Aid To Pakistan Over Blatant Support Of Taliban

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Pentagon Suspends Military Aid To Pakistan Over Blatant Support Of Taliban

U.S. military aid to Pakistan has been suspended as a result of the government’s failure to advance the fight against the Haqqani network, a terrorist group associated with Afghanistan’s Taliban.

U.S. and Afghan officials have long suspected that Pakistan’s spy agency, the ISI, has actually been assisting the Haqqani network.

The most recent offensive by Pakistan’s military began in June, known as Zarb-e-Azb, and targets militant groups in North Waziristan along Afghanistan’s border. But as Pakistan deals with its many domestic issues, it may be taking a conciliatory approach toward Haqqani in an effort to prevent any aggression by the terrorist group.

Afghanistan has dealt with several attacks in recent weeks, accusing Pakistan of functioning as a safe haven from which militants have launched such attacks.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani made the issue clear, “Pakistan still remains a venue and ground for gatherings from which mercenaries send us messages of war. The incidents of the past two months in general and the recent days in particular show that the suicide training camps and the bomb making facilities used to target and murder our innocent people still operate, as in the past, in Pakistan.”

Following news last month that Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar had died in 2013, the fragile state of peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government has deteriorated.

Part of that deterioration is a result of reports that Omar’s death took place in a Karachi hospital, adding weight to Ghani’s accusations of Pakistani aid to the Taliban.

Pakistan was slated to host a round of talks between the Taliban and Afghanistan one day after the news on Omar was released.

The new leader of the Afghan Taliban has since appointed Sirajuddin Haqqani, head of the Haqqani network, as one of his deputies. Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khwaja Asif maintained that his nation would remain committed to peace talks with the Afghan government regardless of who leads the Taliban.

Google Just Placed A Huge Bet On The Future Of Manufacturing

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Google Just Placed A Huge Bet On The Future Of Manufacturing

Google aggressively entered the world of manufacturing on Thursday after it invested millions in Carbon3D, a 3d manufacturing startup. The new funding aims to lift 3D manufacturing out of the prototype business it has been in the recent years and into a multi-billion dollar industry.

Google, through its subsidiary investment arm Google Ventures, invested an undisclosed sum into Carbon3D. The startup was seeking funding to help drive its growth in the 3D printing field.

Carbon 3D printers are remarkably different from other traditional 3D printers.

According to cofounder Joseph DeSimone, the printers are powered by a uniquely distinct photochemical process, much different from the traditional layer-on-top-of-layer process inherent in other traditional 3D printers.

The photochemical process also incorporates algorithms in their design, enabling them to make pin point accurate designs at 100 time faster speeds.

Andy Wheeler, leader of the Carbon3D Google investment said, “This is the first 3D printing tech that really has the potential to break out of the prototyping realm that 3D printing has been relegated to until now. For one because of the sheer speed, but perhaps even more importantly due to the range of materials.”

Carbon 3D is able to print anything from remote controls to the arms of chairs through utilizing a multitude of materials. The company is already working with dozens of manufacturers involved in the auto industry, consumer electronics, aerospace and studio effects.

Earlier this year, Ford Motor Company showed it was taking advantage of 3D printing to come up with new prototypes of cars and improve its innovativeness. Studio Effects company Legacy Effects also delved into 3D carbon printing to improve its concept creations.

With the recent interest in 3D printing, analysts have predicted that its market could reach $16.2 billion in 2018.

Google was interested in the company out of a necessity from the various projects it is taking on in the future, including self driving vehicles. According to DeSimone, “They are doing a lot of things with hardware and prototyping and the ability to support them in that is going to be very cool.”

Other investors joining Google in the funding were Russian entrepreneur Yuri Milner and Reinet Investments S.C.A.

The 3D printing company is still in its beta phase and pans to start selling industrial scale printers to manufacturers by end of this year.

3D printing has lagged behind its widely understood potential for quite some time since its inception. Relegated to conceptualization, Carbon 3D offers a ray of hope for the industry that has tremendous potential and will likely replace traditional manufacturing in virtually every production sector.

Secret Side Deal Will Allow Iran To ‘Inspect’ Its Own Nuclear Facilities

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Secret Side Deal Will Allow Iran To ‘Inspect’ Its Own Nuclear Facilities

Iran will be allowed to scrutinize a suspected nuclear facility themselves under a top secret agreement reached with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), according to files acquired on Wednesday by the Associated Press.

The Parchin Agreement, named after the location where Iran is said to be making a nuclear weapon, was a top secret deal brokered between Iran and the IAEA.

It was not related to the deal reached last month between the Iran, the U.S., and five other countries, but the U.S was aware of its particulars and had endorsed it earlier.

The Associated Press originally reported on Wednesday that the leaked file said that Iranian detectives would take samples of the location themselves “using Iran’s authenticated equipment consistent with technical specifications provided by the agency [IAEA].”

However, the AP amended its statement some hours later, saying that the file revealed that the IAEA would ensure the accuracy of the scrutiny, but did not spell out how.

The White House has constantly refuted that the Parchin Agreement was a “side deal” that permitted Iran to keep making its nuclear weapon capacities in secret.

However, this disclosure will likely trigger condemnation that Iran is being permitted to do just that, by taking control of the investigation without any external oversight.

The file reveals that Iran will be able to cite unclear armed forces concerns to stop the IAEA from physically accessing or even receiving videos or photographs of the Parchin site, the AP said.

The deal is strange, considering that the United Nations agency has closely watched Iran’s alleged attempts to build a nuclear weapon. Much of last month’s agreement was based on the confidence that Iran would conform to international expectations.

Classified information from the U.S., Israel and IAEA has revealed that Iran has tested nuclear explosions in the past at the Parchin military base, but tried to hide proof of it from the inspectors. Iran has constantly denied constructing a nuclear weapon at the Parchin site.

The nuclear agreement reached on July 14th will be subjected to a Congressional election in September. Critics of the deal will probably cite the Parchin Agreement as another primary reason to knock it over.

Powerful Wall Street Law Firm Comes Out In Favor Of Abandoning Quarterly Financial Reports

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Powerful Wall Street Law Firm Comes Out In Favor Of Abandoning Quarterly Financial Reports

Wachtell Lipton, the powerhouse Wall Street law firm, on Tuesday expressed its support for ditching quarterly corporate financial reports.

In a note to clients, partner Martin Lipton wrote, “We may still achieve a capitalism in which long-term, responsible investors champion boards and management teams that resist pressures to maximize short-term stock prices at the expense of sustainable long-term investment and wealth creation.”

The firm was inspired by work this summer by Legal & General Investment Management, a European business organization with at least $1.1 trillion in property under management.

According to Wachtell Lipton, Legal & General, which did not return a request for remarks, communicated with the boards of directors of the leading 350 corporations on the London Stock Exchange expressing support for a move away from quarterly earnings reports.

According to the firm, Legal & General said “Providing the market with quarterly updates adds little value for companies operating in long-term business cycles.”

“U.S. companies do not, as of yet, have the option of discontinuing quarterly reporting,” Wachtell Lipton noted, though they do have the liberty to avoid quarterly earnings guidance.

Many organizations have opted to turn their back on such intermittent forecasts.

Legal & General’s move comes after similar calls from financial consultants and managers, including the famous Blackrock Inc. and McKinsey & Co., to stop the “scourge” of short term thinking on Wall Street and in Washington.

Speaking on the Securities and Exchange Commission, the firm said in writing, “(SEC) should keep these observations in mind in pursuing disclosure reform initiatives and otherwise acting to promote, rather than undermine, the ability of companies to pursue long-term strategies.”

Whether or not U.S corporations should ditch quarterly earnings reports remains a matter of discussion, with such notable media as The Wall Street Journal seeking the opinions of the public.

UK Joins FCC In Requiring Disclosure Of ‘Pay For Play’ Social Media Videos

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UK Joins FCC In Requiring Disclosure Of ‘Pay For Play’ Social Media Videos

The United Kingdom’s Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) has told those blogging videos (vloggers) on YouTube and other social media platforms to come clean when they are getting compensated to discuss a product.

The ruling mirrors a set of U.S. guidelines issued by the FCC that any paid placement in media must be clearly disclosed to viewers.

The CAP’s latest set of guidelines gives instructions for the stars and producers of video blogs on how to reveal when they have been given cash rewards or stand to gain from giving support to a certain product in their video posts.

The rules come as a response to a 2014 occurrence in which some video bloggers were compensated for uploading videos promoting Oreo cookies without fully revealing that they had been paid to do so.

In a statement, CAP said, “The advertising rules do not cover or prohibit vloggers entering into commercial relationships and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) does not regulate editorial opinion.”

It went on to explain, “In response to feedback from vloggers, however, we and the ASA are also reminding brands and agencies (be they advertising, digital or PR) looking to partner with vloggers of the need to be transparent.”

The latest guidelines outline how vloggers should deal with product adverts within their uploads, as well as when to reveal commercial breaks in the multimedia files, referring to paid content as “advertorial.” The guidelines also say how to acknowledge a video’s promoters and when to reveal where an organization has sent a vlogger some free product.

The guidelines explain how to brand and term adverts, such as using the words “ad,” “advertising feature,” or other words a vlogger can utilize to inform those viewing when they are using a paid item.

Other subjects for the rules include product position within videos, and advertorials featuring the vlogger’s personal products and businesses.

Shahriar Coupal, CAP director said, “Our guidance will give vloggers greater confidence that they’re sticking to the rules, which in turn will help maintain the relationship and trust they’ve built with their followers.”

Thai Police Hunting 10 Suspects In Monday’s Bangkok Bomb Attack

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Thai Police Hunting 10 Suspects In Monday’s Bangkok Bomb Attack

Thailand is pursuing ten suspects in relation to the Bangkok bombing on Monday, stating that they do not believe the attack was the work of an international terror group. Two suspects have handed themselves in following two more bomb attacks on Tuesday, but police still do not know whether the three attacks are linked.

Speculation has been circulating that the attack was prompted by the struggle between the two prominent political groups in the nation, the Red Shirts and the Yellow Shirts. Past protests between the two have turned violent, but no group has been directly blamed for the recent attacks.

There was a bomb attack in a Bangkok mall soon after the impeachment of former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. The Red Shirts form the base of Yingluck’s support and were therefore highly suspected in that attack.

There have been numerous other bomb attacks this year, and the Red Shirts have been blamed in some of those cases.

A reward of $28,000 was offered by the police to anyone who could give information regarding the current case.

Another possible suspect could be the ethnic Uighurs, who are a Muslim minority in China. In July, Thailand forced 109 Uighurs to return to China in opposition to protests from the UN and human rights groups, who claim they face persecution there.

Still another possibility is the Malay Muslims on Thailand’s southern border, who have killed over 6,400 people in that region. However, such attacks have never taken place as far north as Bangkok.

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha seems to be moving the investigation more towards Yingluck’s Red Shirt supporters. The group has never carried out a mass casualty bombing such as occurred on Monday, and Thai police investigations are notoriously corrupt.

There would be strong incentive to implicate the Red Shirts in any attack in order to reinforce Prayut’s authority.

Lack Of Funding Means NASA Must Now Scavenge Museum Pieces For Spare Parts

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Like most United States government agencies, NASA is facing major budget cutbacks. That means the agency has to get creative in finding ways to continue developing America’s world leading space program.

One way of doing so includes raiding NASA museum pieces for salvageable parts. Specifically, NASA engineers have looked to spacecraft parts of the shuttle program that was shut down in 2011.

Once the space shuttles were retired, they were shipped to museums across the country for the viewing public. Handy for NASA is the fact that the shuttles were designed to fly in more missions than they actually did, so a lot of their parts are in good condition, particularly the interior parts.

In May, engineers removed water tanks from the Atlantis space shuttle for use as drinkable water storage onboard the International Space Station (“ISS”).

Similarly this week, four water storage tanks are being removed from the Endeavour – the youngest of the shuttles, which is now stored at the California Science Center. The tanks measure approximately 3 feet by 1 foot and weigh about 40 pounds when empty. Since they are located deep within the interior of the shuttles, museum goers will not even notice they are missing.

California Science Center president Jeff Rudolph recently stated in an interview with ZME Science that, “It wasn’t a part of the deal, but we’re always happy to work with NASA. The concept of taking something from an old shuttle and making it available for use in space is something that we think is great.”

Unfortunately, the tanks will not be launched into space in the near future as NASA’s budget concerns mean U.S. astronauts must rely on Russian space launches to transport the astronauts to the ISS. Earlier this summer, NASA extended its multimillion dollar contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency until 2019.

Hence, the recent frugal moves by NASA to look to its past fleets for parts.

NASA recently requested a budget proposal from the United States Legislature. President Obama proposed a $1.2 billion allotment for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program – a number far less than what NASA would like. The Senate countered with a $900 million budget and is waiting for approval.

Americans Trade Beef For Bison As Consumer Preference Changes To Healthier Meat Varieties

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Americans Trade Beef For Bison As Consumer Preference Changes To Healthier Meat Varieties

More and more meat lovers are choosing bison as their steak of choice rather than traditional beef in restaurants across the country. While a bison filet can cost as much as a strip steak, there are many reasons why people are making the switch.

Bison has fewer calories than beef. For example, a 6-ounce bison filet has fewer than 200 calories.

There’s also approximately ⅓ less fat in bison than there is in beef and unlike beef, bison is raised without being pumped full of steroids or other chemicals. Bison simply eat grass and forage.

Roger Gerber, chief executive officer of Blackwing Quality Meats, a United States distributor of bison meat, states aptly that, “The consumer today doesn’t trust the food industry. They can feel comfortable to know [bison] doesn’t have hormones, it doesn’t have antibiotics.” Moreover, bison also contains much less cholesterol than beef.

The food industry caught on early to consumers’ increasing demands for bison. Restaurants, as well as retailers such as Whole Food Market, Inc., Costco Wholesale Corp. and The Kroger Co. all carry bison.

Of course bison suppliers, including ranchers across the country, restaurants and retailers are taking note of the increased consumption of bison. More demand means more supply and ultimately means higher prices. In fact, prices for the healthy meat have about doubled over the last five years.

Yet because prices for other meat including beef and pork have also risen, consumers are not deterred from the higher price of bison.

Dave Carter, executive director of the Westminster, Colorado-based National Bison Association stated that, “People have kind of gotten used to the prices and are willing to pay a little bit more.”

The bison has been a conservation success story, with the United States population having increased to 500,000 from around 1,000 in the late 1800s.

But, just like its cousin the cow, the bison’s health is dependent on natural conditions such as droughts and extremely hot weather. United States ranchers reported an 18% decrease in bison in their herds between 2007 and 2012. As a result, even though the United States is the largest bison producer in the world, it has doubled its import of bison from Canada in the past year alone.

Since it takes about five years to increase bison herd sizes, it is likely that high prices for bison will continue to take hold in restaurants and retailers throughout the country as people increasingly switch to this delicious and healthy meat.

ISIS Claims Responsibility For Massive Egyptian Car Bomb Attack

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ISIS Claims Responsibility For Massive Egyptian Car Bomb Attack

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for Thursday’s massive car bombing targeting Egyptian security forces in the country’s capital, Cairo. The group called the attack revenge for the deaths of some of its fighters earlier this year.

According to the Interior Ministry, six enforcement officers were injured in the early morning assault on a division of the National Security Agency, the nation’s local spy service, in the Cairo neighborhood of Shubra al-Kheima.

The massive blast, which was heard across Cairo’s districts, has revived fears of stepped up terror attacks in the Egyptian city.

Islamists and other extremists have waged an increasingly bloody campaign against Egyptian defense forces since a military takeover ousted Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

Among the sections is a group, based in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, which has pledged allegiance to the radical Islamic State.

In a message posted on the internet, the Islamic State stated its “soldiers of the caliphate were able to strike the state security building in the area of Shubra al-Kheima with a car full of explosives.”

A bomb-rigged car was parked near the security offices, approximately six miles from the centrally located Tahrir Square. The driver ran away on a motorbike before the blast, the Interior Ministry said in an official statement.

Egyptian rebels have regularly targeted security establishments. According to the Islamic State, Thursday’s assault was in retribution for “Arab Sharkas,” a reference to the location of a fatal shootout between security forces and the insurgents, in a village near Shubra al-Kheima in 2014.

The gun battle that lasted hours was triggered by an attack on a timber workshop said to be linked to insurgents who later forged connections with the Islamic State. senior army officers and militants were among those that lost their lives.

In May, Egypt authorized the execution of six men it believed were associated to the cell in Arab Sharkas. The Human Rights Watch has reported that three of those executed were already in police custody when the shootout took place.

Early Thursday, the privately controlled Egyptian TV channel CBC aired images showing extensive destruction to houses in the Shubra district.

In January 2014, terrorists now dedicated to the Islamic State executed a car bombing raid outside a security directorate in Cairo, causing serious destruction.

In June, a huge car bomb blew up and killed Hisham Barakat, Egypt’s chief prosecutor, right at the center of Cairo. A new faction calling itself the “Tahrir Brigades” claimed liability for that act earlier this month.

Spotify Pushes Creepy New Update That Allows It To Track Customers And Sell Their Data

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Spotify Pushes Creepy New Update That Allows It To Track Customers And Sell Their Data

Leading music streaming service Spotify has just revamped its privacy policy and the changes mean it will collect significantly more data about its customers than it did previously. It will also now sell the information to advertisers.

When opening the Spotify service, users are greeted with a request to accept the new terms and conditions before continuing to the program. You either accept the creepy new terms or lose access to the app.

Taxi hailing app Uber did a similarly shady update in July, where users were forced to allow the app to track them around the clock.  

Like most clickwrap agreements, a simple check of the “yes” button is sufficient. However, in reality, the majority of users never read the fine print about just how Spotify intends to invade their privacy.

Of note is Section 3.3 regarding information stored on a user’s mobile device. It provides that, “With your permission, we may collect information stored on your mobile device, such as contacts, photos or media files. Local law may require that you seek the consent of your contacts to provide their personal information to Spotify, which may use that information for the purposes specified in this Privacy Policy.”

In essence, Spotify is informing users that if they use the service, their contacts and photos are up for grabs and can be used by the company in any way it likes.

Another section of significant importance is Section 3.4 regarding location and sensor information of users. “Depending on the type of device that you use to interact with the Service and your settings, we may also collect information about your location based on, for example your phone’s GPS location or other forms of locating mobile devices (e.g., Bluetooth). We may also collect sensor data (e.g., data about the speed of your movements, such as whether you are running, walking, or in transit).”

In other words, Spotify tracks your location at any time and then determines if you are running or walking.

Probably most notable is Section 5.2.1 regarding marketing and advertising. “We may share information with advertising partners in order to send you promotional communications about Spotify or to show you more tailored content, including relevant advertising for products and services that may be of interest to you, and to understand how users interact with advertisements. The information we share is in a de-identified format (for example, through the use of hashing) that does not personally identify you.”

So in addition to logging lots of data about its user, the company will now sell all that data to advertisers.

There is also no definition or explanation of the term “media files,” but as written it is likely to include a user’s chosen music, videos, podcasts, saved articles, screenshots, downloaded e-books and more.

The new policy also does not distinguish practices between users of the free service and users who pay a premium for a service.

Obviously this information is extremely valuable to Spotify, especially with competitors like Apple Music entering the market.

Yet Spotify is now making a privacy land grab and requiring their paying subscribers to either accept it or quit the service.

Whether users of Spotify take note of the changes before continuing to use the service remains to be seen. What is sure is that users’ lives got a lot less private.

Study Reveals Harsh Sentences Do Nothing To Stop Illegal Online Drug Marketplaces

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Study Reveals Harsh Sentences Do Nothing To Stop Illegal Online Drug Marketplaces

Following the shutdown of the Silk Road, an online illicit drug marketplace, the judge responsible for sentencing the site’s founder to life in prison, Katherine Forrest, issued a threat to those who pursue illegal activity in the so-called Dark Web.

“They need to understand, without equivocation, that there will be severe consequences.”

Yet whether or not those consequences will have any impact on the prevalence of such activity looks to be leaning towards the negative.

The Dark Web is made up of websites that are publicly visible, but are run using anonymity tools, such as Tor, that conceal the IP address of the server hosting the content. Much of the activity on the Dark Web is devoted to illegal drug sales, though journalists have been known to use Tor in order to correspond with whistleblowers.

According to a new study by Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), the imprisonment of Silk Road’s founder Ross Ulbricht has had virtually no impact on the amount of illicit commerce on the web.

CMU researchers Kyle Soska and Nicholas Christin investigated Dark Web drug marketplaces similar to Silk Road in order to develop an estimate on the type and volume of drugs being purchased.

Between 2013 and 2015, they concluded that sales fluctuated between $300,000 and $500,000 per day, with most sales involving cannabis, psychedelics, and opiates. The portion of international drug trade that occurs on the Dark Web only accounts for 0.1% of the global total, which the UN pegs at $321 billion.

Soska and Christin point out that the pursuit and closure of such online marketplaces is a misallocation of government resources that is having no real impact, citing the FBI and Europol’s Operation Onymous, which closed hundreds of Dark Web markets.

Despite the closures online drug sales still remained above $100 million per year as users flocked to other marketplaces or created their own.

Christin suggests focusing on vendors who sell dangerous products, such as ricin or cyanide, rather than users in pursuit of recreational drugs.

Christin cites the fact that online transactions remove the possibility of violence that is present in face-to-face transactions while the escrow and review processes of online marketplaces reduce the odds of consumers acquiring drugs cut with possibly dangerous substances.

In Ross Ulbricht’s case, Silk Road even had a staff doctor who offered rigorous medical advice on a wide range of drug related issues to marketplace users. This effectively made Silk Road the world’s safest drug marketplace, a fact which was completely ignored when Judge Forrest sentence him to life in prison.

With the success of the online drug war shaping up to be no more effective than its offline counterpart, more evidence like that from the CMU study may one day shift enforcement policy in a more productive direction.

South Korea Shells North Korea In Response To Morning Rocket Attack

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South Korea fired dozens of artillery rounds towards the North after North Korea launched a shell towards a South Korean loudspeaker that was blaring anti-North propaganda. The incident happened mid morning on Thursday, local time.

North Korea did not immediately return fire but it did warn Seoul in a letter that it would indeed take military action if South Korea did not take down the loudspeakers within 48 hours. It further threatened of “indiscriminate strikes” if its demand was not met.

This most recent round of back-and-forth between the two countries started when two South Korean soldiers were injured severely when a landmine exploded on a South Korean patrol route. An investigation concluded that the landmines were not left over from several years ago but rather were newly placed wooden box landmines belonging to North Korea.

North Korea denied the attack, but in retaliation, South Korea erected loudspeakers that have not been used in years and began blasting anti-North propaganda in the direction of North Korea. The South believed that the North placed the landmines to show its opposition to a scheduled joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea. North Korea was very vocal about its opposition to the exercise, calling it preparation for an attack on the North.

The joint military exercise remained on schedule and began Monday, when North Korea began its own propaganda broadcasts blaring at the South. As South Korea did not remove its loudspeakers, North Korea fired a missile in its direction.

South Korea said that its detection equipment spotted a suspected North Korean missile heading in its direction. The missile did not strike the loudspeaker nor did it injure anyone.

South Korea responded by placing its military on high alert and firing tens of artillery rounds towards North Korea. South Korean President Park Geun-hye instructed the country’s top defense officials to “react firmly” to any North Korean provocations, the latest sign that the once pacifist South has run out of patience with its belligerent neighbor.

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