Film "War for Web" warns of CISPA, SOPA, & future threats

"Now, cybersecurity is important. I think the government should be finding these vulnerabilities and helping to fix them. But they're doing the opposite of that. They're finding the vulnerabilities and keeping them secret so they can abuse them. So if we do care about cybersecurity, what we need to do is focus the debate not on these kids in a basement who aren't doing any damage -- but on the powerful people, the people paying lots of money to find these security holes who then are doing damage and refusing to fix them." — Aaron Swartz, Internet activist, in his last lengthy interview, before his untimely death by suicide

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57580583-38/film-war-for-web-warns-of-cispa-sopa-future-threats/ / Aaron Swartz's struggles antihacking anti-hacking anti hacking law Hollywood lobby lobbying surveillance proposals Internet users users' rights under attack forthcoming documentary film "War for the Web" physical infrastructure of the Internet, fat underwater cables living room routers proposals CISPA Net neutrality SOPA Stop Online Piracy Act security people talk about privacy regional duopolies Cameron Brueckner, film film's director interconnected filmmaker filmmakers 17 lengthy interviews last extensive  Internet activist committing suicide in January 24 hours raw footage rough cut finished end of the year, launched a fundraising campaign Indiegogo that ends May 1 three-minute trailer charged Computer Fraud and Abuse Act criminal trial years over a decade  federal prison alleged illegal downloads of academic journal articles filmmakers interview after his indictment U.S. government posed a more serious cybersecurity threat than hackers cracked other countries' computers cracked into military installationsinitiated cyberwar cybersecurity is important /

Painful joints can be disabling, but replacement surgery can often be avoided

Credit: Consumers Union of United States/ TheWashington Post

Obesity & a more active, longer lived population causes a lot of wear in knee joints.  Result, knee replacement is now amongst the most common form of surgery.  But often, surgery can be avoided, or at least delayed.

http://washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/painful-joints-can-be-disabling-but-replacement-surgery-can-often-be-avoided/2013/04/15/359535ac-97e6-11e2-814b-063623d80a60_story.html / arthritis osteoarthritis joint wear-and-tear wear and tear cartilage knee replacement surgery /

How to: Qi wireless charging nightstand, cheap, quick & easy (video)

After completing this project, to charge your phone, just place it on your night stand.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZo2pA0Qc9U&feature=youtube_gdata_player

http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/04/19/hack-your-nightstand-into-a-qi-inductive-wireless-charging-station/ / smartphone charge recharge battery inductive charging wireless power supply powersupply plug in plugin DIY do it yourself /

Base jumper takes you with him through tiny stone arch

Credit: Alexander Polli/ Dvice

Amazing stunt. Definitely worth a look!

http://www.dvice.com/2013-4-17/crazy-dude-wingsuit-zips-through-tiny-stone-arch / base jumper sky dive diver bat suit stunt Alexander Polli fly wingsuit narrow natural arch without killing himself accident stunt filmed Polli crew from multiple angles camera movie video mounted own helmet flight  free fall controlled flight through arch beyond Roca Foradada Mountains Montserrat Spain natural landscape arch stunt six feet wide /

Space Monkey: Easy cloud storage in your own home (video) • UPDATED

Credit: Space Monkey/ Kickstarter

Update: This Kickstarter project has been funded.

Backups: we all know we should, but most of us don't.  In brief, Space Monkey promises 1 gigabyte of backups, fast & secure, with world wide access for $US10 per month.

How does it work?

Each subscriber receives a device (shown above), which is  connected to your computer & your Internet connection.  It contains a 2 terabyte drive.  Only one terabyte is available to the subscriber.  And the other terabyte?  It forms part of the Space Monkey cloud.  I.e. it's available for storage of other subscribers' files.  Your files will be backed up to 40 other Space Monkey subscribers' devices.  Only 20 of those devices are required for you to access your files, providing redundancy.  Is this sounding like Torrent meets backups?

It's a Kickstarter project, so it may never happen, but looks promising.

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2013/04/space-monkey-easy-cloud-storage-in-your-very-own-home/

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/clintgc/space-monkey-taking-the-cloud-out-of-the-datacente / cloud secure security backup back up datacentre data centre datacenter center space complete storage subscribe subscription service little device launched launch funded fund funds funding remind support industry access share others second copy safe-keeping safekeeping safe keeping data expensive budget services can’t afford unlimited bandwidth resources heavy users cap transfer speeds upload download storage network cheaper more reliable faster environment /

Protean launches production in-wheel electric motor

Credit: Protean/ Motor Authority

Between a motor & the road, there are several causes of inefficiency: clutch, torque converter, gearbox, differential.  Some of these are not necessary in an electric car (EV), e.g. torque converter & (usually) clutch.  By eliminating these components & their inefficiencies, an EV becomes more efficient.  Of course, weight savings achieved by eliminating these components further improves efficiency.

Including a separate electric motor for each driven wheel removes the mechanical losses & weight inherent in a differential.  Traction control & torque vectoring can also be added without additional mechanical complexity.

Drive shafts can be eliminated along with the inherent weight & mechanical losses by moving the electric motors into the wheel hubs.

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1083562_protean-launches-production-in-wheel-electric-motor#100425040

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1083563_protean-in-wheel-electric-motor-to-enter-production-in-2014 / in-wheel electrification unsprung weight power sources source wheel driveshaft efficiency transfer control controlled independently control performance vehicle dynamics drive system traction control launch control torque vectoring implemented software technology concept phase production 2013 Society of Automotive Engineers World Congress volume production  plant Liyang China factory 75 kilowatts 100 horsepower 735 pound-feet of torque superior regenerative braking kinetic energy recovered during braking hybrid powertrain system internal combustion engine retrofitted retrofit reduce fuel consumption traction drive /

Drive an electric car or hybrid? Remember to exercise the brakes!

Electric  cars & hybrids have regenerative braking.  I.e. when decelerating, the electric motor is used as a generator to absorb kinetic energy from the moving vehicle, slowing it down & producing electricity which is used to charge the battery.  Problem is that contaminants such as rust may accumulate on the surface of the under used mechanical brakes, reducing their efficiency.  Under used brakes are likely to take longer to bed in, further reducing their effectiveness.

Check out the linked article for advice on how to fix these problems.

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1073841_drive-an-electric-car-remember-to-exercise-your-cars-brakes / plugin plug-in plug in regen disk disc corrosion oxide oxidation rust scrape clean friction pad pads reduced efficiency stand on the brakes hard accelerate acceleration deceleration /