Digital media

US manning up against Chinese

The US is fighting back against the Chinese PLA hackers and getting stroppy over intellectual property theft.

With President Obama preparing for a first meeting with China’s new president, a commission led by two former senior officials in his administration will recommend a series of steps that could significantly raise the cost to China of the theft of American industrial secrets. If milder measures failed, the commission said, the United States should consider giving companies the right to retaliate against cyberattackers with counterstrikes of their own.  Read more »

Why Breaking News is Broken

I have been getting emails why I didn’t immediately cover the bombing in Boston and leap on the bandwagon of grief porn.

There are a couple of reasons. The first one was that I was busy. Then there was the confusing and in some cases outright wrong reporting, and lastly…some of the photos that are out there are just shocking. I had people at the office claiming variously that dozens were dead, then  just some, before settling on three, that they had arrested a Saudi national and he was under guard at a hospital. Then as I watched over the last few days at the witch-hunt unfolding for people who are innocent I am kind of relieved I didn’t jump on the band-wagon.

Slate has an article about the splatter porn and breaking news that I think people should read. It explains why breaking news is broken.

Inspired by the events of the past week, here’s a handy guide for anyone looking to figure out what exactly is going during a breaking news event. When you first hear about a big story in progress, run to your television. Make sure it’s securely turned off.

Next, pull out your phone, delete your Twitter app, shut off your email, and perhaps cancel your service plan. Unplug your PC.

Now go outside and take a walk for an hour or two. Maybe find a park and sit on a bench, reading an old novel. Winter is just half a year away—have you started cleaning out your rain gutters? This might be a good time to start. Whatever you do, remember to stay hydrated. Have a sensible dinner. Get a good night’s rest. In the morning, don’t rush out of bed. Take in the birdsong. Brew a pot of coffee.  Read more »

What would you do with the world’s fastest internet? [POLL]

Google is rolling out their fibre plans in locations in the US. It sounds totally awesome.

There are of course people who think there is no need for such speed.

In March of 2010, Google announced its intention to build super-fast fibre-optic internet service in “a small number of trial locations across the United States.” A year later, after receiving more than 1000 applications from cities and towns across the country, Google chose Kansas City as its first location. Last November, Google began installing service in people’s homes. For $US70 a month, the company offers Kansas City residents a 1-gigabit internet line – the fastest home internet service available anywhere in the world, about 150 times faster than the average American broadband speed of 6.7 Mbps. (You also get 1 terabyte of online storage as part of the deal, something Google normally sells for $50 a month.) For $120 a month, you get the 1-GB line plus cable-like TV service, as well as a Nexus 7 tablet that you can use as your remote. There’s also a “free” plan: After you pay a $300 construction fee – which you can split into 12 payments of $25 – Google will provide your home with a 5-Mbps internet line for “at least seven years,” and probably indefinitely. (Legally, the company needed to provide an end date for service.)

These are amazing services at unbelievable prices. For about the same fee that many Americans currently pay for cable, Google is offering internet speeds that, until now, were available only to big companies for thousands of dollars a month.

Therein lies the mystery. Google’s gigabit initiative, called Google Fibre, has sparked a round of questions across the tech industry. Is Google looking to become an internet service provider? Does it simply want to spur other ISPs into providing faster service? And, finally, why gigabit internet – what does Google expect people to do with the world’s fastest broadband service?  Read more »

Stuff just as bad as NZ Horrid, maybe their staff are role swapping

It looks like Stuff has caught the Herald Disease.

They really made a hash of their coverage of Shearer’s re-shuffle:

stuffed

 

They aren’t even close to approaching the awful job the NZ Herald is doing with digital media.

Understanding Mexico’s drug wars

Are the American’s to blame for the Mexican Drug wars?

This video suggests it may be so:

The video takes a bit of an advocacy bend, arguing that the United States plays a major role in the violence, both because our high levels of drug use fuel the narcotics trade and because our loose gun controls make it easy for cartels south of the border to arm themselves.  Read more »

A lesson in Skepticism

via Mashable

A YouTube channel that pokes fun at Reddit successfully pulled a viral prank using a quote and Neil deGrasse Tyson as bait.

The idea was to test the skepticism of Internet users, and the results might make you think twice about sharing a quote photograph before fact checking it.

The experiment began when redditor AHamWorker posted a photo to one of the most highly engaged communities, /r/atheism. The image, shown below, featured what appeared to be a quote from Tyson.

The made-up quote is about accepting fact when it’s reassured by a notable person, or suits preferred world views — regardless of whether it’s true.

AHamWorker even prefaced the set-up by adding “Well said, Neil,” in the subtitle. The post was upvoted more than a thousand times, and quickly spread to Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr and other social platforms. A Google search for a snippet of text even has quote-collecting sites inaccurately attributing Tyson as the source.

Internet Genius MIA

Somebody call the cops, or an ambulance. Or maybe Thunderbirds.

The world’s greatest internet expert and coding guru, the world’s best sysop, Lprent may be missing or abducted.

No other explanation is possible* because The Standard Lynn Prentice’s hate blog is down. And has been for a several hours.

So much for his multi-hosted, mirrored, triple robust, hardened, server farm setup to cope with all their traffic. No doubt a lengthy technical post will ensue, mocking me and my abilities, and explaining how their site was the target of some sort of global right wing conspiracy DDoS attack against progressive truth-telling websites.

*or they haven’t paid a bill, or a fuse has blown in the darkened bedroom/ server farm/ internet café the site is run from.

Gun Size Matters

Mashable

heh…360 no scope

Freddie Wong and his FreddieW Channel are something of a legend on YouTube. That’s thanks to his insanely well-produced videos, featuring Hollywood-level special effects. Most episodes are inspired by video games or action movies, but they’re also almost always laced with a bit of comedy. He’s so famous that he’s been able to get actors like Jon Favreau and Shenae Grimes to guest star.

Anatomy of a failed leak, coup, smear

Ok it has taken me almost a week from the first contact to today to piece together a time line of a clever, but not so clever attempt to manipulate, bloggers, media and the ACT party into achieve the aims of a rogue staffer.

The reason I am posting these details is because I am really very angry at the attempt to use me to orchestrate a political outcome within a party.

There is a great deal of muck flying around and some of the documents I have been leaked have also been leaked to other media sources.

On Tuesday after Roy’s reverse coup and set up had failed my inbox  was alight with rumours, innuendo and in particular emails from two anonymous email addresses who attached various documents.

Those two emails were kiaoracuzzy@gmail.com and TMO’s Call <over1013hpa@hotmail.com>. At the stage I received the emails I had no idea who they came from but the documents attached were supposed to leave me with the impression that Rodney Hide was a huge bully and that somehow Heather Roy was being treated appallingly, along with the impression that a good mate of mine was involved with leaking classified documents to other bloggers.  However after I smelled a rat and declined to publish the documents I sought and gained an interview with Rodney Hide.

It is now that I can piece together a rather strange sequence of events, emails, phone conversations and documents that show the real story of the failed leak-gate that was supposed to take out Wayne Mapp, Rodney Hide and various other ACT staffers and members.

For the record I don’t think Heather Roy is responsible for all of this, however she must be accountable because it was done in her name.

Email from first leaker

Email from first leaker

I received the above email in response to an earlier solicitation by “Kiaora Cuzzy”, where they accused me of being a “Hide lover”. I replied that based on the information I had thus far I was pretty disappointed in Rodney Hide and then this email arrived. It contained the Version 3 document that has subsequently been posted on the NZ Herald website.

Earlier I had received another anonymous email and from the content thought I knew who had sent it and so replied attaching this document for comment. Depending on the comments received I would decide whether or not it was authentic.

Email from not so anonymous emailer

Email from not so anonymous emailer

Here we have confirmation that one of my anonymous emailers is named Simon. Also that the document in question that has been leaked, not just to me but to other bloggers and to media is authentic. Note too that “Simon has also sent me a separate version.

That email contained some personal notes that are highly defamatory to the individuals named. I have spoken to each of these individuals and though they acknowledge the defamatory nature of them they think it is important for the context of the allegations to be known. They know who has made these comments as you are about find out. But before I show that email this is the one I received from “Simon” or the stage I received this the anonymous TMO’s Call. you will note that the details are strikingly similar to the powerpoint presentation published by the Herald some three days later. I received this email on the Monday before the ACT caucus had even met.

Email received by Whaleoil on Monday 16 August 2010

Email received by Whaleoil on Monday 16 August 2010

So, at that stage I was still in the dark. Then I received this email.

Confirmation of identity of TMO's Call

Confirmation of identity of TMO's Call

This was in response to my email asking for clarification on some of the details in the longer one previously. TMO’s Call has signed off his email as SEJ. SEJ are the intials of Simon Ewing-Jarvie and he is telling me that he amd Heather Roy are working together on the documents to be presented to ACT’s caucus Tuesday.

The next email I received from TMO’s Call contained a great deal more information, and almost all of it actionable.

Email from TMO's call with draft of Roy presentation

Email from TMO's call with draft of Roy presentation

TMO’s Call, again signed off this email as Simon. I refuse to publish the “Interesting Questions to ask” document and the “True Facts” document is an earlier draft of the document leaked to me minutes later by “Kiaora Cuzzy“.

What we have here is a deliberate attempt to create a story via the blogosphere and via the news media by a staffer of a Minister. This whole ACT saga appears to be nothing more than a staffer capturing utterly a Minister and then running some sort of paranoid end game to unseat leaders and ministers. The reason I am posting these emails and documents is that both Heather Roy and Simon Ewing-Jarvie are refuting any charge of leaking these documents yet as you can see they are both complicit in leaking them. If they sent them to me, they sent them to others.

I have also been lied to, and I do not take kindly to those who lie.

I spent some time this afternoon with Rodney Hide in an attempt to get his side of the story and to provide some context for the apparently damaging documents leaked by “Simon” and “SEJ”. What I can now say is that from all of my information that I have gathered, including a conversation with Nick Kearney this afternoon, Rodney Hide has acted in a manner appropriate to the situation. Given that I have now learned that Simon Ewing-jarvie, has never had, and never will get SIS clearance it seems remarkable that he was allowed to so utterly influence a Minister. I have had confirmation from other sources that Simon Ewing-Jarvie was marched from the parliamentary precinct and has indeed had all access, oral, written or otherwise revoke immediately. This person has attempted to hoodwink a great many people, including me, other media and unfortunately has hoodwinked the Labour Party as well.

To use his own handle it’s now the “TMO’s Call“. I’m pretty certain the result will be No Try. Kiaora Cuzzy remain anonymous, but given the close circle of those with access to the documents it can only be one of about 5 people.

After spending nearly a week on this, I can say without any hesitation that Rodney Hide has acted with the utmost integrity in dealing with this essentially rogue staffer.