GREGBAKER
The SOPA Debate Continues A couple of events regarding the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) occurred during the past week. As a reminder, this bill seeks to provide the government the ability to shut down foreign internet access to destinations that are suspected of engaging in copyright infringement activities. While the objective is commendable, this bill provides broad power to the government to regulate internet access and censor content. The final committee vote on this bill was originally scheduled to occur before the end of the year; however, House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Lamar Smith decided to postpone further committee action on the bill until after the holidays. Also this week, we learned that the SOPA bill contains language to ban any “product or service” that “circumvents” internet blockades erected against alleged infringing websites. The definition of “product or service” is very broad and could conceivably include anything from a dedicated software package to the simple /etc/hosts file such as found on every Linux, Mac or Microsoft operating system. Ironically, many experts agree that the Tor Project would be banned. Here’s the irony… Tor was formed by the U.S. Naval Research Lab and continues to be partially funded by multiple federal agencies in the hope that users in China and other repressive regimes can bypass their countries’ respective censorship firewalls. The fate of this bill will likely be determined within the first couple of months of next year. The Senate version of the bill (“Protect IP”) has already passed, and a floor vote is scheduled for January 24. House Judiciary hearings will continue next month, and as seen during the last round of meetings, the bill enjoys considerable support in the committee. Stand by for more… Last week, an over-the-air update for Kindle Fire was released to address some
of the swipe performance and browser speed issues. So far, the results I’ve seen have been marginal. A bigger item for Amazon is the software update for the iPad Kindle app. The update provides a major upgrade to the viewing of magazines and newspapers on the iPad. Overall, the 7-inch display of the Fire and the Nook seems to be a winner with the public over the holiday season. Of course, the price point is a major consideration for these devices. The iPad 3 is likely to be announced soon. We’ll see what happens then. So how many folks out there remember Rebecca Black? Or what about Maria Aragon? Both of these young performers hit it big earlier in 2011 when their videos went viral. Still scratching your head trying to figure out who the heck I’m talking about? Pop over to youtube.com/rewind and take a look at the videos that defined this past year. YouTube presents all the popular videos of the past year in a timeline format. Catch up with Charlie Sheen’s rants, enjoy all the K-Pop performances and see if you can finally figure out what the whole Nyan Cat thing is all about. My top three from last year are: 3) Ultimate Dog Tease, 2) The Force Volkswagen commercial and 1) Talking Twin Babies. Due to popular request from the rest of my family, an honorable mention goes out to Cat Mom Hugs Baby Kitten. Fear Factor is back! Monday @ 9pm! Until next time, I’ll see you on the internet!
AUGUSTATEK
Gregory A. Baker, Ph.D., is vice president and chief rocket scientist for CMA, which provides information technology services to CSRA businesses and nonprofits.
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