Podcast: Play in new window | Download (9.4MB)
BLOCKBUSTER Total Access click to activate coupon for $10 off your first month.
Free Information on EVault 1-866-928-0735
 |
|
SDR News is a Daily (M-F) Technology Podcast with Tech News Highlights from Slashdot, Digg and Reddit
Click Here to Sign Up for the SDR Newsletter
Prefer a Direct Download ? (mp3)
Download today’s show.
If a news item has disappeared from the Del.icio.us list above, try the full list here.
Thumbnail Views: Via Thumblicio.us
SEARCH ANY STORY YOU HEAR ON THE PODCAST
Three Court Decisions
by Andrew McCaskey
by Andrew McCaskey
Three stories on court actions: Two headed in the right way, one in the right way but missing the point.
Let’s start with two that make sense: Protection against lazy prosecutors who decide to troll for location information in your phone records. The EFF victory in Pennsylvania concerned gathering and disclosure of your GPS data, as reported by your cellphone. The ruling was that it was protected under Fourth Amendment, and that to get to that information, the procedures for reasonable search and seizure would have to be met.
Just like IP addresses that are vacuumed up in RIAA searches for file sharers, that data would cast suspicion but not prove that you were at that location in possession of your phone. It would just show that the phone was reported to the network from that location. Just as the IP address itself does not prove who’s computer was connected and or who was operating the computer at a specific time. Interesting datapoints that could be put into perspective for a jury, but not conclusive proof by itself.
Case number two: The ruling that requires disclosure of Blood Alchohol instrument software to defendents in drunk driving cases. Protection against zealous prosecutors that seize on “scientific” proof without much science of calibration, measurement, repeatibility, validity or similar details. I’ve never been on the short end of this situation, but have seen the effects of prosecution at the edge of the law in such cases, where there was a “get tough” election in the works.
Case number three: The spam king release in Virginia. The guilty have to go free, as the greater good requires that they must when First Amendment and overly broad laws are involved. But the point is that the problem of spam remains and that the law is totally ineffectual. So, two out three is not bad – but there is some work to be done to get the Spam King back where he belongs.
CES 2008 Coverage for Tech Podcast Network
Ivan Sutherland’s Sketchpad – 1963
Click to view videos submitted or recommended by other SDR podcast listeners. . .
If you find a YouTube video that pertains to one of our news items, or have produced an item that would be of interest to SDR listeners, please send us the link slashdotreview{at}gmail.com
Save $10 on any order of $50 or more at GoDaddy.com!
Be sure to sign up for our upcoming roundtable. We will be using GoToMeeting. Also, be sure to check out GoToMeeting. Why? Because you can hold meetings right over the Net — from anywhere. Plus, you can hold all the meetings you want for one flat rate. To get your free 30-day trial , visit www.gotomeeting.com/techroundtable.
- Take 10% off any order at GoDaddy.com! Code SLASH
- Take $5 off any $30 order at GoDaddy.com! Code SLASH2
- .com Domains $6.95 at GoDaddy.com! Code SLASH3
- More blogs about SlashdotReview…
- Slashdot Review by Email – Sign up here:
