Micro Labor

Ok, so the first time I heard of “micro-labor,” and didn’t even know it, was when I heard that my sister-in-law wrote how-to articles for website for a few bucks each.  I believe she would basically do a little research on whatever topic the website wanted an article on, submit article, and she would have money directly deposited into her account.  The second time I heard about this phenomenon was on an episode of On Point with Tom Ashbrook (Perhaps my favorite radio program, or at least a tie with This American Life).  Now, however, people will bid online for small or short-term jobs, using websites such as Taskrabbit and Zaarly.  The jobs may be online or in person, and often times the person with lowest bid wins the job.  This means that the person who is willing to accept the least amount of money for the job gets it.  While this may be an okay process for big contract jobs, it seems as though this out bidding process on the individual level could negatively impact the economy.  Oftentimes people are being paid far less than what they would not using these websites.  This, if left unchecked, has the potential to drastically reduce the average wage that people are paid.

http://onpoint.wbur.org/2012/04/03/micro-labor-websites

Can Hackers Diable a Power Plant

Can computer hackers digitally take over or destroy a power plant? Dillon Beresford, a researcher at NSS Labs thinks so. Beresford, inspired by the Stuxnet virus which destroyed machinery in an Iranian nuclear facility, sought to develop computer code that would do similar damage in power plants, and he did. He claims that within two hours of finding a “backdoor” in the programmable logic controllers made by Siemens which are used as switches in power plants around the world, he was able to write code to exploit these devices. Beresford did this not to really disable a power plant, but to show that sophisticated computer viruses such as Stuxnet can be developed by a single person. General Keith Alexander, director of the National Security Agency (NSA), has taken heed to this warning and has told administration officials that hacker groups such as Anonymous may be able to “disable a power station with the next few years.” Still, some industry experts claim that a hacker group would need to have detailed knowledge of their target beyond the switches which Beresford exploited.

 

I am not sure if people realize what a big deal this may be, or perhaps I am just paranoid.  I have heard surprising little about the Stuxnet incident since it first happened.  I believe this same issue was discussed in class, that disrupting our power supply, even for a short time, could severely disrupt our economy.  This is a scary thought, especially during a time when our economy is already in a weakened condition.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2012/02/21/147194691/how-hackers-could-target-power-plants

Can Law Enforcement Track Our Cell activity without a Warrant?

Is it a violation of your privacy to have the police track your cell phone activity without a warrant? The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) thinks so. In order to protect peoples’ privacy, the ACLU would like to see consistent rules across the board for governing law enforcement agencies’ access to this information. While it varies from state to state as to whether a court order is needed to track cell activity, wireless companies generally claim that they require a warrant before divulging this information. Yet, according to a recent nationwide records request of law enforcement agencies by the ACLU, it was found that these agencies oftentimes neither possess a warrant nor probable cause when accessing this information. Rather, they simply pay the fee charged by service providers to access this information. The most common reasons for requesting cell records include tracking suspected criminals, and emergency situations such as missing persons. Some contend that obtaining a warrant for requests such as these is not possible because of time constraints. Still, other law enforcement agencies have shown great consistency in obtaining warrants before accessing cell phone records.  

I am on the fence about this issue. Part of me understands the need to follow correct procedure, while the other part of me understands the pressures law enforcement officials are under to obtain information quickly.  Still, it does seem like part of this is also the cell service providers fault for not always requiring a warrant.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/03/tech/mobile/police-phone-tracking-gahran/index.html?iref=allsearch

Rick Steves

My in-laws recently planned a trip to Italy.  My father in-law somehow heard about a Rick Steves app which is available for the iphone/ipod, which contains guided audio tours for just about every big tourist destination in the world. My father in-law, mind you, is in his 60’s, is not into gadgets, and is rather thrifty.  However, he proceeded to go right out (as soon as he found a good deal that is) and buy an ipod touch just so he could have Rick Steves’ pleasant voice guide him through the Coliseum and Pompeii.  As soon as he mentioned making this purchase, I immediately thought about what we had discussed in my LS 560 class, that older individuals do not adopt a new technology unless they see a specific need. This is not a man who would go out and buy an ipad for the heck of it, but if it meant better communication with his grand kids, for instance, I am sure he would be all over that too.