At the first of the FTC’s Exploring Privacy roundtables held earlier today, Chairman Leibowitz was asked whether the FTC approach to regulating privacy has been successful.  Artfully dodging the question, Leibowitz responded by likening the privacy issue to Winston Churchill’s view of democracy:

“it has been said that democracy is the worse form of government — except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”

The Chairman’s remark encapsulated the spirit of the day, as a reinvigorated FTC dived deep into consensus building with a who’s who from the world of privacy policy. This is just the start of the inquiry, with another two roundtables to follow. The plethora of smart thinking and ideas that flowed in stream-of-consciousness fashion from today’s panelists were helpful to the evolution of a regulatory construct for online privacy.  Yet, many questions remain unanswered.  And even with all the bright minds in attendance, the contours of an effective regulatory scheme for online privacy remain unclear.

More research on web attitudes, custom and habits is needed. As we learned today, the personal data ecosystem is extremely complex and layered (like those privacy notices you can never find the bottom of).  Did you know that there over 20 different categories of companies – not just web marketers, search engines and online data brokers – that currently collect information in personally identifiable or aggregated form? Incidentally, the FTC did a great job of pulling together supporting material for the roundtable, including this slide on the personal data ecosystem that should be a must-view for anyone surfing or shopping on the web.

Clearly there is tension between the approach advocated by those representing the consumer interest (CDT, CDD, EPIC, etc.), and those involved in what Commissioner Harbour described as a “digital arms race” – the race to monetize content and information and build massive ad-viewing bases in the digital economy. Consumer organizations are urging the FTC to adopt stricter privacy regulations – at a time when online advertising is exploding on both the desktop and mobile web.  Now, the FTC must engage in a careful balancing act – develop a regulatory framework that protects consumer data online while not impeding the growth of technological innovations that utilize profile data.

The discussion will continue at a second FTC roundtable on January 28^th.   Here are some of the discussions I hope to hear in round two:

• The volume of personal data that travels on the web today pales in comparison to the volume of data we will see in a future of web-enabled devices and integrated systems. Does a use-based classification system with individual opt-outs for each type of information really work with large volumes of information?  Or should all personally identifiable information be regulated in the same way, irrespective of use?
• Several panelists indicated that self-regulation is not be working.  What’s the alternative? Is the failure of self-regulation attributable to the lack of clear government guidelines or engagement on what online privacy policies should look like?
• In 2008, for the first time, more people accessed the web through their mobile phones than through a desktop. As the FTC attempts to get ahead of the online privacy issue, what considerations should be given to privacy protections on the mobile vs. desktop web?

Service cracks wireless passwords from the cloud: “

135 million words in 20 minutes

A security researcher has unveiled a low-cost service for penetration testers that tests the security of wireless networks by running passwords against a 135-million-word dictionary.…

What is your recession sales strategy?

“

(Via The Register.)

It doesn’t really matter whether I take a look at Microsoft’s (MS) Courier dual screen booklet/tablet or Apple’s itablet; I quickly arrive at the same conclusion. I will explain as I go through this article. Obviously, an official statement has not been made by either camp and nor have the names for both products been released as yet.

It was in 2001 when I enthusiastically unwrapped my Windows tablet complete with stylus. I was enthused as I had imagined my world to be free of paper and totally digital. The price I paid for the tablet was probably equivalent to 2500 paper notebooks but I didn’t really care as I was too tunnel visioned by the allure of the future promised by this technology and the MS marketing hype.

I spent some time mastering the stylus functionality and went to my first board meeting. This was the first time I felt a misfit. It suddenly dawned on me that I was the only one in the room with a tablet. The meeting started while I was being scanned by all these eyes that seemed to be under a trance by the tablet. It was just great, I was writing notes and didn’t have to retype them either as the handwriting to type function would quickly create a document for me when I needed it. Then it happened. The tablet crashed. The meeting continued and as I started taking notes on my paper notebook, I realised the trance had been broken, replaced by bewilderment. The tablet rebooted but it was too late, I decided to continue to write on paper.

Well, why am I sharing this with you? I am not at all convinced that these new technologies will be as successful as the iphone or can convince people to part with our love for writing on paper. That said, I would love to be proven wrong as there is a big part of me that wants to use a digital equivalent, if it is indeed practical enough.

Here is my list of reasons why I think these technologies can’t replace our love for paper and why the pen will remain mightier than the tablet and sword: 

1. I don’t need to start the pen and paper.
2. If I drop the pen/paper, it doesn’t break or stop working.
3. Paper does not need to be rebooted.
4. It is considerably cheaper.
5. The next version of paper is always the same.
6. The next version of paper does not require retraining.
7. Nobody wants to steal my paper notebook.
8. I know how to locate my information contained within my paper notebook.
9. I don’t need to migrate my entries in the paper notebook to the next version.
10. My paper notebook seems at home in any boardroom (for now, anyway).

I could probably go on but you get the picture.

Would you like to add to my list or defend the new technology? Feel free to add your comments; I do look forward to reading them.

My new magazine article is now online for MSDN magazine! http://bit.ly/5XI2H0

Over on the post “RIM warns of BlackBerry server risk from PDFs – V3.co.uk – formerly vnunet.com” contains this text:

“V3.co.uk – formerly vnunet.com

BlackBerry users are being warned about accessing PDF files
RIM warns of BlackBerry server risk from PDFs
New flaw puts mobiles and servers in danger of attack
Iain Thomson in San Francisco
V3.co.uk, 04 Dec 2009
Research in Motion (RIM) has issued a security alert warning of a new attack vector targeting its software.

BlackBerry users are being warned about accessing PDF files after RIM discovered flaws in the BlackBerry Attachment “

Over on the post “RIM warns of BlackBerry server risk from PDFs – V3.co.uk – formerly vnunet.com” contains this text:

V3.co.uk – formerly vnunet.com

BlackBerry users are being warned about accessing PDF files
RIM warns of BlackBerry server risk from PDFs
New flaw puts mobiles and servers in danger of attack
Iain Thomson in San Francisco
V3.co.uk, 04 Dec 2009
Research in Motion (RIM) has issued a security alert warning of a new attack vector targeting its software.

BlackBerry users are being warned about accessing PDF files after RIM discovered flaws in the BlackBerry Attachment “

Over on the post “RIM warns of BlackBerry server risk from PDFs – V3.co.uk – formerly vnunet.com” contains this text:

V3.co.uk – formerly vnunet.com

Research in Motion (RIM) has issued a security alert warning of a new attack vector targeting its software.

BlackBerry users are being warned about accessing PDF files after RIM discovered flaws in the BlackBerry Attachment “

Over on the post “RIM warns of BlackBerry server risk from PDFs – V3.co.uk – formerly vnunet.com” contains this text:

“V3.co.uk – formerly vnunet.com

BlackBerry users are being warned about accessing PDF files
RIM warns of BlackBerry server risk from PDFs
New flaw puts mobiles and servers in danger of attack
Iain Thomson in San Francisco
V3.co.uk, 04 Dec 2009
Research in Motion (RIM) has issued a security alert warning of a new attack vector targeting its software.

BlackBerry users are being warned about accessing PDF files after RIM discovered flaws in the BlackBerry Attachment “

RIM warns of BlackBerry server risk from PDFs – V3.co.uk – formerly vnunet.com -

V3.co.uk – formerly vnunet.com

BlackBerry users are being warned about accessing PDF files
RIM warns of BlackBerry server risk from PDFs
New flaw puts mobiles and servers in danger of attack
Iain Thomson in San Francisco
V3.co.uk, 04 Dec 2009
Research in Motion (RIM) has issued a security alert warning of a new attack vector targeting its software.

BlackBerry users are being warned about accessing PDF files after RIM discovered flaws in the BlackBerry Attachment

#weblogname#: RIM warns of BlackBerry server risk from PDFs – V3.co.uk – formerly vnunet.com

RIM warns of BlackBerry server risk from PDFs – V3.co.uk – formerly vnunet.com

Where am I? > Home > News > Bugs & Fixes
BlackBerry users are being warned about accessing PDF files
RIM warns of BlackBerry server risk from PDFs
New flaw puts mobiles and servers in danger of attack
Iain Thomson in San Francisco
V3.co.uk, 04 Dec 2009
Research in Motion (RIM) has issued a security alert warning of a new attack vector targeting its software.

BlackBerry users are being warned about accessing PDF files after RIM discovered flaws in the BlackBerry Attachment
#extended#

RIM warns of BlackBerry server risk from PDFs – V3.co.uk – formerly vnunet.com: “V3.co.uk – formerly vnunet.com

BlackBerry users are being warned about accessing PDF files
RIM warns of BlackBerry server risk from PDFs
New flaw puts mobiles and servers in danger of attack
Iain Thomson in San Francisco
V3.co.uk, 04 Dec 2009
Research in Motion (RIM) has issued a security alert warning of a new attack vector targeting its software.

BlackBerry users are being warned about accessing PDF files after RIM discovered flaws in the BlackBerry Attachment “

(Via .)</

RIM warns of BlackBerry server risk from PDFs – V3.co.uk –

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Hackers Crack GSM Encryption For Full Access To Private Phone
Hackers Crack GSM Encryption For Full Access To Private Phone Calls
Published on 28 August 2009 by Jimmy Bosch in Security News
0

(Via .)

Full disclosure: I ♥ Dolce & Gabbana and I am going to be unabashedly biased towards anything that has a D&G tag on it.

Here are a few facts:

• For those of you who have not heard about Dolce & Gabbana, it is one of the biggest (and one of the best IMO) luxury fashion houses of the world and is based in Milan.
• Sony Ericsson has collaborated with D&G and released a limited edition of their phone called Jalou. The name of the phone is derived from a french word jaloux which means jealousy!
• The D&G edition is plated with 24 carat gold and is faded-rose in color. There are other colors but they are do not carry the D&G tag on them.
• The retail price of the phone is $800 and the price of the D&G edition is undisclosed. D&G is known for it’s notriously high pricing especially since it’s a luxury brand.

Since we have been reading some fashion texts and trying to apply that to interaction design, I thought this was a particularly interesting artifact to talk about. We have talked so much about a phone like the iPhone where owning the latest tehcnology is fashion. So I was wondering how does it work when it comes to something like the Jalou. Clearly it cannot be discarded as “advertising” and “branding”. It gets even more interesting when you compare the advertisements of the same phone – one made by Sony Ericsson and the other by D&G.

Thoughts/comments?

Dolce & Gabbana

Sony Ericsson

In class Jeff was talking about how self is defined by the discourse and that there is no “puppeteer” real version of self that exists inside of us.

Wow.

I know Semiotics is not supposed to be looked at like religion and its a tool and it has holes, but I’m loving it. Call bullshit if you want, but think about how that changes everything when we design. I mean look at how we use personnas or scenarios. We build these tools up to work with a given circumstance. The specific ones are typically the ones that help us the most.

My question is about concurrent discourses (think ubiquitous computing or group interaction). Jeff used the example that he acts differently around his mother than other situations. We act a certain way given the context, but what about overlapping contexts. What about when you’re married to a co-worker. Or drinking with a professor. Is this a whole new discourse, or would you consider that a combination of discourses, and if so what changes?

I may be way off here, but before I was only thinking about a single discourse. That makes sense. But when we have a lot going on (as we often do) what does that mean for semiotics?