On Thursday, Philadelphia became the first U.S. city to enact a ban on 3D printed guns. It’s a pre-emptive move, because so far there hasn’t been a single report of 3D printed firearms showing up in Philly. As an assistant to the bill’s author told Philly Magazine, "it’s just based on internet stuff out there."
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Here’s some good news for anyone who considers Australia a haven from pernicious surveillance laws. The antipodean government has decided to postpone plans to force phone and internet companies to retain two years’ worth of personal data after a scrutiny committee demanded changes. While it’s not a total win for privacy fans, the legislation will now be re-examined after elections scheduled for September 14th — with the Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus saying that the government will now “await further advice,” before amending the prospective law.
Filed under: Internet
Source: Reuters
Let’s face it: most of us have no idea how companies are gathering and sharing our personal data. Colossal data brokers are sucking up personal facts about Americans from sources they refuse to disclose. Digital giants like Facebook are teaming up with data brokers in unsettling new ways. Privacy policies for companies are difficult to read at best and can change in a heartbeat. And even savvy users are unlikely to fend off the snooping eyes of online trackers working to build profiles of our interests and web histories. More »
A small victory in the fight for digital privacy: California Governor Jerry Brown has announced his signing of bills to prevent employers and universities from demanding social network login. More »
We do love products that only exist to circumvent the finer points of legislation (hello there, Aston Martin Cygnet), but even better are the ones that actually serve a purpose. To comply with the European Commission’s insistence that all smartphones must have a microUSB connector, Apple is putting out a Euro-specific adapter for its new Lightning standard. It’s turned up in the UK and French stores so far, setting you back £15 / €19 ($25) — and we imagine it won’t be long before some entrepreneurial soul starts buying them in bulk to sell to microUSB users Stateside.
Filed under: Cellphones
Apple appeases European lawmakers with Lightning-to-microUSB adapter originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Sep 2012 04:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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While we’re still a long way from living the fully autonomous car dream, baby steps are being taken. The EU evidently shares this dream, and has passed regulations that will require new cars to have emergency self-braking systems (known as autonomous emergency braking, or AEB) if they want to achieve a five-star safety rating. The systems can use radar, laser or video to detect when obstructions or pedestrians are present, and a recent study suggests that the technology reduces accidents by up to 27 percent. Commercial vehicles will have to sport the systems from November next year, and everything else from 2014. Safety aside, we’re thinking that anything that can help prevent rear-ending our new ride, is definitely a welcome addition.
Filed under: Transportation
New EU legislation requires cars to include autonomous braking system originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Aug 2012 04:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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