Adam Kokesh RELEASED
via Twitter / adamkokesh
May 24, 2013
Released 130524 with felony charges reduced to citations which I refused to sign. Played hardball. Won. Talk to… fb.me/2CVNQvoNZ
— Adam Kokesh (@adamkokesh) May 24, 2013
Xbox One by default features camera that works in the dark and microphone you can’t turn off
by Madison Ruppert
Editor of End the Lie
May 23, 2013
By default, the upcoming Xbox One from Microsoft will feature an always-on microphone and camera that works in the dark, both of which are constantly connected to the internet and can’t be turned off.
The creepiness is only compounded when one realizes that Microsoft helps develop massive surveillance systems like the Domain Awareness System used in New York City. Microsoft has also been questioned about the privacy and security of Skype and criticized for censoring Windows Live Messenger chats.
Putting a product like this by Microsoft – a company that backed privacy-crushing legislation in the past – is only asking for trouble.
The new Kinect 2.0 will be bundled with every Xbox One and according to Extreme Tech, the Xbox One will not work if the Kinect isn’t plugged in.
That might sound quite nonsensical, but it was confirmed by Xbox’s UK marketing director.
“Xbox’s UK marketing director Harvey Eagle has said that the console will not function without Kinect connected,” Keza MacDonald wrote for IGN.
“Kinect does require to be connected to Xbox One in all cases, yes,” Harvey Eagle told IGN after a Microsoft-hosted event in London on May 21, 2013.
This was also confirmed by Corporate VP of Microsoft Studios Phil Spencer when he told Joystiq, “Kinect has to be connected to Xbox One.”
It gets even creepier when we learn that the new Kinect is capable of examining your facial features and identifying you, even if you don’t have the controller in hand. Perhaps even worse, it can estimate your heart rate.
“By examining your face’s skin color and transparency, the Kinect and Xbox One are able to estimate your current heart rate,” according to Joystiq.
While some users may think the Kinect will be awesome, others will be troubled by the fact that it remains on even when the Xbox One itself is turned off.
This fact is revealed when one realizes that one of the “great addition[s]” of the new Kinect is that it has “the ability to turn on the console just by saying ‘Xbox On,’” according to iDigital Times.
Obviously the device must remain on even when the Xbox itself is off in order for this feature to work.
Furthermore, the 1080p HD camera on the Kinect uses active infrared technology, thus eliminating any need light to accurately sense motion.
That wouldn’t necessarily be all that worrisome if Microsoft was vigilant in protecting user privacy. Unfortunately, Microsoft states in their Xbox Live terms of service that users should not expect any level or privacy.
Some of the statements in the terms of service that make this type of technology troubling include:
“[W]e may access or disclose information about you, including the content of your communications, in order to: (a) comply with the law or respond to lawful requests or legal process; (b) protect the rights or property of Microsoft or our customers, including the enforcement of our agreements or policies governing your use of the Service; or (c) act on a good faith belief that such access or disclosure is necessary to protect the personal safety of Microsoft employees, customers, or the public.”
Not to mention the explicit statement:
“You should not expect any level of privacy concerning your use of the live communication features (for example, voice chat, video and communications in live-hosted gameplay sessions) offered through the Service. These communications may be monitored; however, we cannot monitor the entire Service and make no attempt to do so. You understand that these communications can be recorded and used by others , and communications in live-hosted gameplay sessions may be broadcast to others.”
While it’s obviously quite obvious that the in-game communication is not private (since you’re talking to other human beings), the terms do not limit the lack of privacy to only those types of communications.
Instead, it says, “for example,” leaving the possibility that the information captured by the always-on Kinect would fall under similar terms.
Unfortunately when it comes to corporations like Microsoft, we can’t assume the best and think that all communications captured by Kinect will be treated as private and protected.
Furthermore, we must realize that this type of technology would be a prime target for hackers.
Microsoft says that privacy is a “top priority” and that “Kinect for Xbox 360 was designed and built with strong privacy protections in place and the new Kinect will continue this commitment.”
Yet as Extreme Tech points out, “we know from experience, though, no system is invulnerable to the manifold attack vectors exploited by malware authors. The Xbox and Xbox 360 were chipped/modded/rooted, and it’s fairly safe to assume that the Xbox One will also suffer the same fate.”
To make matters even worse, in 2012 Microsoft filed for a patent related to their Kinect system that uses “camera-based system that would monitor the number of viewers in a room and check to see if the number of occupants exceeded a certain threshold set by the content provider.”
“If there are too many warm bodies present, the device owner would be prompted to purchase a license for a greater number of viewers,” Extreme Tech explained in an article.
Concerned? You have some very legitimate reasons to be. You will probably want to keep these in mind when considering the purchase of an Xbox One.
UPDATE: While Extreme Tech says that it will constantly be connected to the Internet, Kotaku writes, “Microsoft is also being sketchy about whether or not the platform will be always-online, something that has been rumored for quite some time now.”
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Student jailed for three weeks awaiting trial over Facebook posts
End the Lie – Independent News
May 23, 2013
image: Cameron B. D’Ambrosio
A Boston-area teenager remains in custody on $1 million bond nearly one month after being arrested over what he said on the Internet.
Eighteen-year-old Cameron B. D’Ambrosio of Methuen, Massachusetts was arrested on May 1 after police were alerted to “disturbing verbiage” on his personal Facebook page discovered by a fellow student at Methuen High School. D’Ambrosio allegedly posted original rap lyrics that prompted authorities to charge him with terrorism, and now he faces a potential 20 years in prison.
“He posted a threat in the form of rap where he mentioned the White House, the Boston Marathon bombing and said, ‘everybody you will see what I am going to do, kill people,” Methuen Police Chief Joe Solomon told the Valley Patriot earlier this month.
Three weeks after being surprised by police at his Methuen home, D’Ambrosio remains locked up.
“A kid is in prison. Away from his family. All for something he posted on Facebook” reads a support page for the high school student established this week by the Center for Rights and Fight for the Future. In 48 hours, the website received more than 500,000 views, and on Thursday the administrators said 1.2 million people had visited the page by the time D’Ambrosio went before a judge that morning for a scheduled bail hearing. The justice differed deciding at this time if D’Ambrosio should be released from custody.
“Cam’s attorney made arguments that he should be released to his family and that all evidence (including testimony from the police) suggested that he was not a threat to anyone. He also noted that Cam was two weeks away from graduation, and Methuen High School had decided to grant him a diploma,” Fight for the Future wrote early Thursday. “We expect a decision within a few days and sincerely hope that Cam will be home safe with is family soon.”
Meanwhile, though, D’Ambrosio remains locked up if and until a judge decides he isn’t a hazard to the community.
At the time of his arrest, school officials and law enforcement alike applauded the speedy response and celebrate D’Ambrosio’s arrest as a victory against terrorism only a few days — and a few miles — from where two brothers allegedly detonated explosives at the Boston Marathon, killing three in the biggest act of terror in years on American soil. But nearly one month after being detained, authorities have not announced any proof that D’Ambrosio intended to act out the lyrics he left on his Facebook page.
“A search of Cam’s house found no explosives, weapons, or ANY evidence that he was planning anything other than becoming the next Eminem,” his supporters write.
Among the Facebook content that alerted authorities was a song that was considered a warning of things to come.
“So when u see me (expletive) go insane and make the news, the paper, and the (expletive) federal house of horror known as the white house, Don’t (expletive) cry or be worried because all YOU people (expletive) caused this (expletive),” reads a redacted version of one post made available to the Boston Herald.
Fox News quoted another song, in which the amateur rapper wrote “(expletive) the Boston bombing, wait til you see what I do. I’m going to be famous.”
On his support page, it’s noted that a key word was dropped from the line when it was reported by Fox. In actuality, D’Ambrosio wrote, “I’ma be famous rapping.”
“Suddenly something that sounds like a threat of violence is clearly just bragging about how good Cammy Dee is going to be in the rap game. Last we checked, teenage dreams of grandeur were not a crime,” the website claims.
Source: RT
TV Ontario interview on electricity distribution and smart grid
Canadian Liberty
May 11, 2013
The Agenda with Steve Paikin: David McFadden: Electricity’s Smart Future
TVO | May 1, 2013
David J. McFadden, co-author of the “Renewing Ontario’s Electricity Distribution Sector” report, discusses Ontario’s uniquely complex and inefficient electricity system, and what needs to change so that it can support the province’s economic future.
The guest is talking about reducing the number of power distribution systems to a much smaller number. Would this require seizing control over them by a centralized government-empowered monopoly? He hopes it can be done voluntarily. I guess the corporatocracy can do whatever it wants – eventually.
This whole discussion is about smart meters and smart grid. The most stomach-churning part of the interview is when he paints smart meters as a way of providing more choice to consumers. But of course it is an invasion of privacy and is going to allow remote interference and monitoring of our power use.
Please note: He expects everyone to have electric cars in the future – for some reason – actually because our society is centrally planned more than ever. And every night when we plug in our car, it might disrupt the old-style power grid. This is one of his explanations for why we need the smart grid.
Talk about collectivism! You’d think by now we could all have our own independent power source! But everything is moving in the opposite direction. Isn’t it amazing?
If you plug your car in, you might disrupt the network, or we might need to drain off some of your power, so therefore you must have the smart grid. Don’t you want to live in a utopia?
So we’re talking about massive centralization of our electricity system, as well as electronic surveillance and control over our energy use.
In my opinion, this is actually just getting us ready for not having enough energy – or enough money to pay for more expensive energy. And one reason for centralization and the smart grid is to “efficiently” manage an artificially created scarcity of electricity – caused by shutting down coal plants for instance.
And all of this is going to be sold to us as “choice” – as if we have a choice – with never-ending streams of propaganda telling us how empowered we are.
FBI Kills Former MMA Fighter With Ties To Boston Bombing Suspect as Plot Deepens
ORLANDO, FL – MAY 22: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) evidence response agents work outside the apartmentent where a suspected friend of the Boston bombers was shot and killed by FBI on May 22, 2013 in Orlando, Florida. Ibragim Todashev was being questioned by the FBI about his ties to the Boston Marathon bombing suspects when he was killed after attacking the agent. (Photo by Gerardo Mora/Getty Images)
OpEd
by Shepard Ambellas
Intellihub.com
May 21, 2013
ORLANDO — In what continues to be the most bizarre series of ongoing events, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter, Ibragim Todashev, was shot and killed in his apartment by the FBI just before midnight last night. Authorities believed the man to be a friend of Tamerlan Tsarnaev, one of the alleged Boston bombing suspects. Tamerlan has also been said to be alive by some, including a family member after a video surfaced of Tamerlan being stuffed into a police car naked by Boston Police.
We also must question the late night visit paid to, Todashev, the MMA fighter, by the FBI. It was like an interrogation. According to the field agents, Todashev made a fast move that got him shot and killed.W hy the fast move during an interview? Why were the agents on edge? Some speculate that the FBI was sent there to kill Todashev as he knew crucial details regarding one of the alleged Boston bombing suspects, and was likely a threat to the establishments official story.
Wired’s Danger Room reported, “A friend of Todashev’s who says he was also interviewed by the FBI, Khusn Taramiv, said Todashev was a friendly acquaintance of the elder Tsarnaev brother from Boston. Both are of Chechen origin, but did not meet in Chechnya, Taramiv told the local NBC affiliate WESH-TV.
According to Taramiv, Todashev knew Tsarnaev from the tight-knit community of Chechens in Boston. Todashev spoke with Tsarnaev about a month before the bombings, possibly on Skype, after noticing him online; Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s name was in Todashev’s phone. Taramiv said that Todashev didn’t know anything about the bombings and wasn’t any sort of extremist. Todashev apparently got his green card recently and was planning a trip to Chechnya to see his parents. According to Taramiv, Todashev never owned a weapon and worried that the FBI was trying to set him up in connection to the bombings.
Todashev was also arrested recently in what Taramiv described as a parking lot altercation with two men who jumped him. A former mixed-martial arts fighter, there are a number of YouTube videos purporting to show his fighting career, and this MMA website lists him recording a win in a single bout. (Tamerlan Tsarnaev was a boxer in Massachusetts.)”
All of this now raising questions by common folk.
It seems as the brothers (bombing suspects) are possibly being set up patsies or are working directly with intelligence agencies to portray a Hollywood production to the American people, in plain sight.
Dan Dicks, reporting for Press for Truth out of Canada, was able to score a phone interview with Tamerlan’s Aunt. During the interview, she positively identified the man being stuffed into the police car in the video is Tamerlan, signifying he is still alive despite what has been reported by authorities.
To top it off on May 6, 2013, I reported that the bombing suspects family sought a 2nd autopsy as they did not belive the official story. An excerpt from the article reads, “Since the Boston bombing suspects were named the family has been openly suspicious about the official government story, even insisting that the whole ordeal is a set up. So far there have been conflicting reports about the fate of Tamerlan Tsarnaev, some say he is the naked man that was taken into police custody weeks ago while the official story states that he was killed while fighting with police.
According to CNN:
For nearly two weeks, Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s body lay unclaimed at the Boston medical examiner’s office. A funeral home now has the remains and a quest is underway to find him a resting place in Massachusetts. But first, he will undergo a second “independent” autopsy demanded by his relatives, a family spokeswoman said.
The other suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was actually unarmed when he was shot and arrested inside the boat that he was found in. These details are only the latest and most damning
As we reported last week New Hampshire State Representative Stella Tremblay has recently suggested that the Boston Bombings could be a “Black Ops” government job and says that people should think for themselves in coming to conclusions.”
And if that’s not enough. It was also reported by Infowars.com on April 29, 2013 that the original bombing suspect, Sunil Tripathi, was found dead in Providence River.
Sources:
^http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2013/05/ibragim-todashev/
^http://intellihub.com/2013/05/05/family-of-boston-bombing-suspect-demand-2nd-autopsy/
^http://intellihub.com/2013/04/29/falsely-identified-boston-bomber-found-dead-in-river/
^https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=v0-C6Z0YEGM
*****
Read more articles by this author HERE.
Shepard Ambellas is the founder & director of Intellihub.com (a popular alternative news website), researcher, investigative journalist, radio talk show host, activist, and filmmaker.
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Buskers need to unite under single banner before city talks bylaw, says councillor
by Graham Lanktree
Metro Ottawa
May 22, 2013
Rideau-Vanier city Councillor Mathieu Fleury in a 2012 file photo. | photo source: Metro/Graham Lanktree
The city’s buskers better band together and begin speaking with one voice, or risk never reopening the debate around a controversial ByWard Market bylaw that has left some of them literally voiceless, said Councillor Mathieu Fleury Wednesday.
Early Wednesday morning, one of Fleury’s aids sent off a letter to busking chess champ Daryl Bertrand, who has been slapped with multiple $260 fines for busking without a licence, laying out that the councillor and city “need to have a coordinated approach if we choose to modify the existing ByWard Market bylaw.”
First enforced in 2010, the bylaw requires all buskers in the market to pay a fee of $50 for a license and daily busking permits that start at $10.45 and can cost as much as $200. It also requires them to cycle through a series of 12 stations where they can only perform for one hour.
In recent weeks, Fleury’s aid wrote in the letter, that the Councillor has met with multiple buskers with differing points of view, especially on the issue of voice amplification. Bertrand said that some buskers “are concerned about voice amplification as they play instruments and don’t want any other amplification that could cost them business.”
It is a short-sighted approach, he said, “as more buskers means more people, which means more money.”
VIDEO — Sweden burning: Stockholm riots & violence enter 4th day
Russia Today
May 23, 2013
Smashed windows and cars on fire – one of Europe’s most peaceful capitals, Stockholm, is witnessing its worst outbreak of violence in years. Hundreds of youths, mostly immigrants, have ripped through the city’s suburbs in four nights of unrest. The violence has shocked the country, famous for its attractive immigration policies and generous welfare system. Sweden has for years been accepting immigrants who fail to integrate, and are only there to get money for nothing – that’s the view of Swedish journalist Ingrid Carlqvist.
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