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To “hyperspecialize” or be a security generalist. That was the topic of this week’s Task Force Radio episode. Both host George Rettas and guest Rafal Los, the founder of Rabbit 77 agreed that people a…
Posts tagged "should"
Tech giants ‘should pay’ for sharing user info
A new study has revealed that German Facebook users believe the social network should pay them $ 8 per month for sharing their contact information while US users would be content with just $ 3.50.
The study, titled “How Much is Privacy Worth Around the World and Across Platforms?”, was conducted by the Technology Policy Institute's (TPI) Jeffrey Prince and Scott Wallsten. It is the first study of its kind to attempt to quantify the value of online privacy and data.
TPI examined the habits of people in the US, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Columbia and Argentina to compile its study in order to assess how much privacy is worth in each country.
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The study also comes at time when consumers have become increasingly concerned over how tech giants and retailers have been collecting and monetizing their personal data.
The price of privacy
President and senior fellow at TPI, Scott Wallsten explained to Reuters how it is necessary to quantify the value of privacy before analyzing company's privacy policies, saying:
“Differences in how much people value privacy of different data types across countries suggests that people in some places may prefer weaker rules while people in other places might prefer stronger rules. Quantifying the value of privacy is necessary for conducting any analysis of proposed privacy policies.”
The study found that German users want to be paid more for letting technology companies share their personal data with third-parties than US consumers do. However, people in all the countries surveyed place the highest value on financial information, such as bank balances and biometric information, while location data is the least valuable.
According to the study, a technology platform would have to pay consumers $ 8.44 a month to share bank balance information, $ 7.56 to share fingerprint information, $ 6.05 to read someone's texts and $ 5.80 to share information on cash withdrawals. Surprisingly, survey participants want to be paid just $ 1.82 per month to share their location data.
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Via Reuters
Windows 7 should live on as open source, spectacularly optimistic petition demands
Windows 7 may have reached end-of-life, with official support no longer provided (at least not for free), but the veteran OS could live on if Microsoft released it as open source.
That’s the demand – and it is a demand, not a suggestion – from the Free Software Foundation (FSF), which has issued a petition calling for Microsoft to ‘upcycle’ Windows 7 by turning it open source.
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After all, Microsoft is huge on everything open source these days, right? It’s all about open source, listening to user feedback, and acting on it.
The feedback from FSF might raise a few hackles at Microsoft, though, as the wording of the petition is, shall we say, on the strong and blunt side.
It reads: “On January 14th, Windows 7 reached its official ‘end-of-life,’ bringing an end to its updates as well as its ten years of poisoning education, invading privacy, and threatening user security. The end of Windows 7’s lifecycle gives Microsoft the perfect opportunity to undo past wrongs, and to upcycle it instead.
“We call on them to release it as free software, and give it to the community to study and improve. As there is already a precedent for releasing some core Windows utilities as free software, Microsoft has nothing to lose by liberating a version of their operating system that they themselves say has ‘reached its end.’”
And FSF further directly addresses Microsoft executives to “demand that Windows 7 be released as free software”, and urges them “to respect the freedom and privacy of your users – not simply strongarm them into the newest Windows version.”
Nothing to lose?
Of course, the truth is that making Windows 7 open source would be an unprecedented and radical move, and there are obvious problems with this idea.
FSF might insist that Microsoft has ‘nothing to lose’, but that’s not really the case, is it?
Microsoft could obviously potentially lose users who will soon – or eventually – upgrade to Windows 10 (if they don’t look entirely elsewhere for an OS).
And remember that Microsoft is still making money from Windows 7, by charging for extended support beyond end-of-life (business users can get an extra year of support with certain versions of Windows 7, and there’s a scheme that allows companies to pay for additional support on top of that).
Moreover, there would be obvious dangers for Windows 10 in such an endeavor, because a good deal of Windows 7 code was carried on into Microsoft’s most recent OS, of course.
In short, there’s vanishingly-little-to-no-chance of this actually happening, in spite of how many signatures the petition might end up gathering – with the tally currently standing at just over 1,000. FSF wants to get 7,777 supporters on board, and that might just happen as word of the petition spreads.
But no matter how much Microsoft might be pushing the angle that it wants to work with open source projects across all fronts, in all kinds of different ways, Windows 7 being opened up to all and sundry just isn’t going to happen.
Via The Register
Best DAB radio 2020: which digital radio should you buy?
The best DAB radios are able to fill your home with great-sounding music, chat and lots of witty banter. It doesn't matter how many years go by – and how many newer audio standards come and go – the good ol' digital radio is still going strong and is still a staple for many. Yes, even in the days of smart speakers.
Because they work well in all kinds of environments, DAB radios make great gifts – especially for that person who's difficult to buy for, or who doesn't necessarily care about the difference between FLAC and MP3.
However, the sheer variety of DAB radios available on the market right now can make finding the one that's right for you a real challenge. To save you the trouble, we've taken the best DAB radios in the country that we've had the opportunity to test ourselves and rounded them up into a single, unified list.
So whether you're looking for a decent-sounding digital radio for the kitchen, an alarm radio for your bedside table, or a radio you can take on the go, we'll have the best option for you – whatever your budget. Here are the 5 best DAB radios available in the UK today.
- Looking to add a bit of luxury to your bedside table? Ruark's Tempo DAB radio combines striking design with a very, very high price tag
The Pure Evoke C-F6 marries modern connectivity options with old-school CD playback, and is just about the best stereo system you can buy today.
Easy to set up, a delight to listen to, and featuring just about every bell and whistle you could need from a single-room audio device, this is a fantastic choice for anyone looking for a one-stop audio box. With 3-inch stereo speakers and a 20W output, too, it can crank up to party levels while maintaining a rich, balanced sound.
Read the full review: Pure Evoke CF-6 review
The build quality in the Revo is truly excellent, and so is the sound, though it's how Revo has addressed the needs of real people in real rooms that we like most. The touch-snooze feature, the volume dial and Bluetooth are all brilliantly convenient, though we reserve most praise for the use of an OLED screen that keeps the bedroom dark. The OLED screen uses some great-looking typography, too.
Sound is the most important feature and the quality here is precise, warm and powerful. That said, a mono rather than stereo speaker is always a shame, though it does make sense on a bedside table.
Read the full review: Revo SuperSignal review
Taking your music on the go? Few digital radios have built-in batteries and splash-proof, portable designs, so the PAL+ BT is a bit of a one-off. Its 16 hour battery is simply superb, and makes it a great – though expensive – alternative to a Bluetooth speaker that you might take out into the garden or on a longer jaunt to the beach.
Its headline slot and aux-in are handy, while the sound quality is thoroughly decent. But Bluetooth isn't exactly an expensive technology and the sound quality isn't perfect enough for Tivoli to be charging the kind of money it's asking for the PAL+ BT.
The design has, however, smartly improved over the past few years, shrinking the remote and ditching the oversized analogue knob for a more capable LCD screen. The Tivoli's PAL+ BT isn't the most cost-effective way of getting a DAB+ radio, but it is still one of the best out there.
In the end, this is a compact, versatile DAB radio that can be taken around the home (and anywhere else) quite easily thanks to a 16-hour battery – while the PAL+BT's inclusion of Bluetooth and a bass-heavy sound goes some way to justifying its high price. Perfect for occasional forays into the bathroom.
Read the full review: Tivoli Audio PAL+ BT review
What makes the Pure Siesta Charge stand out is – you guessed it – its charging capabilities. If your smartphone or phablet is compatible with QI wireless charging, you’ll be able to leave it on top of the Siesta Charge as it fills up your battery.
It has a lovely sound, with simple customization options and presets, while all the practical alarm, timer and radio functions of Pure's popular Siesta range position it as a hugely practical bedside gadget. Not to mention an auto-dimming LED display and dashing glass screen.
Not everyone will make use of the wireless charging feature: but either way you're getting a sleek, well-designed DAB radio and speaker that's well worth a look.
Read the full review: Pure Siesta Charge Review
With DAB, DAB+, Bluetooth, touch-sensitive buttons, line-in and a hard carry case that both protects and props-up the stereo 2.1 speaker, the Model XS is excessively impressive. Music is refined, well balanced and gets to high volumes without a hint of distortion; for DAB fans who like taking radio around the world, or want a cute desktop option, this is the best compact all-in-one in the business.
The price might be a tad high for some, but there's no doubting the top tech going on inside this product which is absolutely one of the best DAB radios we've tested.
Read the full review: Geneva Sound System Model XS DAB+ review
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