Iran has a conflicting relationship with the internet. On one side,
a large portion of the population are online, and even
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had a well-publicized blog in 2006 (though it now seems to be offline). Then there was
Iran's internet revolution in 2009, when there were country-wide internet censorship that was countered
by use of web proxies. Later that same year, a company affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps
purchased a majority share in the nation's telecommunications monopoly. The fact that IRGC was involved with a for-profit company was not news, as
IRGC has long been involved in Iran's economy, but their role in communications was more troubling. The latest news causing a stir is
a "halal" internet for Iran, "
an internet that conforms to Islamic principles, to improve its communication and trade links with the world," according to a quote from head of economic affairs with the Iranian presidency, Ali Aqamohammadi.
[more inside]
posted by filthy light thief
on May 31, 2011 -
32 comments
GodBlock is a web filter that blocks religious content. It is targeted at parents and schools who wish to protect their kids from the often violent, sexual, and psychologically harmful material in many holy texts, and from being indoctrinated into any religion before they are of the age to make such decisions. When installed properly, GodBlock will test each page that your child visits before it is loaded, looking for passages from holy texts, names of religious figures, and other signs of religious propaganda. If none are found, then your child is allowed to browse freely.
posted by Obscure Reference
on Jul 8, 2010 -
128 comments
The
National Labor Committee, a watchdog group that investigates working conditions at foreign factories producing goods for US corporations, has
released a report on the KYE Factory in Guangdong, China. KYE manufactures outsourced products for Microsoft (their biggest customer), HP, Best Buy, Samsung, Foxconn, Acer, Logitech, and ASUS. The report
focuses heavily on the workers producing Microsoft products. In response, Microsoft says they will
investigate the allegations, as their
vendor code of conduct (pdf) bans much of the abuses uncovered by the report.
Photo Slideshow / NLC report summary [more inside]
posted by zarq
on Apr 15, 2010 -
55 comments
My friends and I confided in each other, swapping stories, sharing out pain, while keeping it all hidden from the adults in our lives. After all, who could we tell? This wasn’t rape - it didn’t fit the definitions. This was Not rape. We should have known better. We were the ones who would take the blame. We would be punished, and no one wanted that. So, these actions went on, aided by a cloak of silence. From
Racialicious.
posted by Navelgazer
on Dec 23, 2008 -
348 comments
High Security Fashion Miguel Caballero is walking around his company's showroom in Bogotá, Colombia, holding a .38-caliber revolver. "You!" he says, pointing to German Gonzalez, a 20-something salesman who's been on the job for just two weeks.
"You're next."
The latest in boardroom insanity? Nah, Miguel Caballero makes high fashion bulletproof clothes for presidents, state leaders and gangsta rappers and enjoys demonstrating how effective they are at stopping pistol fire at point blank range.
Its Armani-style combined with highly effective personal protection.
posted by fenriq
on Oct 31, 2006 -
15 comments
Who needs bunnies when you have kids to test on? "Protections for Subjects in Human Research," a newly proposed EPA rule allows for:
for government and industry scientists to treat children as human guinea pigs in chemical experiments in the following situations:
1. Children who "cannot be reasonably consulted," such as those that are mentally handicapped or orphaned newborns may be tested on. With permission from the institution or guardian in charge of the individual, the child may be exposed to chemicals for the sake of research.
2. Parental consent forms are not necessary for testing on children who have been neglected or abused.
3. Chemical studies on any children outside of the U.S. are acceptable. And don't miss the Q&A section below.
Sec. 26.408 of the EPA document is where you'll find the provisions and waivers mentioned (it refers to other sections absent from the document, weirdly).
posted by amberglow
on Nov 21, 2005 -
43 comments
Can you hear the future? Sunncomm can, and it's called copy protection. Sunncomm's Mediamax
DRM, which blocks the purchaser from copying any files from the CD, is included on the latest
Dave Matthews Band CD,
Stand Up (as well as CDs from some
other artists). The good news? It includes pre-ripped versions of the songs. The bad news? They're
.WMA files.
Apparently, Dave Matthews Band decided to
help out all those iPod lovers who were getting hosed (perhaps in response to
this) by posting instructions on how to bypass Sunncomm's copy protection. Of course, the
last time somebody did that, he nearly got
sued into oblivion. DMB's probably OK, however, because it seems that
business is booming. Of course, that may not
last long.
[via] and [via]
posted by MrZero
on Aug 17, 2005 -
48 comments
Are cell phones the next sexual revolution? The Nippit 3000 chip — although barely a micron in diameter — projects a high-intensity ultra-sonic electromagnetic "sound cone" that is inaudible to the human ear but fatal to any sperm cell within a range of six meters, or about 18 feet.
Can this be real? When can I get one? (via SND)
posted by statisticalpurposes
on Mar 17, 2004 -
10 comments
More problems with credit cards...after you canceled one Apparently some credit card company may not take you seriously when you say "I want to cancel this credit card".
If the account of the credit card is not "terminated" you may still be charged, even after receiving a letter from cc company confirming you its cancellation. You may also receive "accidental charges" of stuff you never ordered. One more link inside.
posted by elpapacito
on Nov 25, 2003 -
26 comments
The U. S. Secret Service is going to extraordinary lengths to ensure the safety of George W. Bush's visit to London - including some not insignificant structural changes to the Palace (which have not as of yet been approved). The article claims that "
There will be more armed men on the streets of London this week than at any time since the end of the Second World War." British security officials further describe operations as has having been "hijacked by the US secret service."
Everyone knows there's a possibility of violence against the president, especially in light of recent events. A measure of security is thus justified. However, are economic concerns being considered? Now, I have the utmost respect for the president's life - as much as I do for just about anybody. I hate the callousness of associating any sort of price on human life. But when security measures require
5,000 police officers and £4,000,000 (that's merely the cost footed by UK taxpayers, mind you), have we not yet reached the point where that money would have been better spent? -especially when the U. S. executive branch has a very robust official policy of succession in place. It's not like the government will suddenly evaporate if the president were to be killed.
posted by SilentSalamander
on Nov 16, 2003 -
115 comments
You're probably feeling safer today than you were a few days ago, and you know why? It's
Protection from Porn week, direct from the White House. Spurred on from groups such as
Morality in Media (who issued
a jubilant press release to mark their achievement) you can finally feel safe now that you've gotten out from under pornography's thumb. (note: These links couldn't be any safer for work)
posted by mathowie
on Oct 30, 2003 -
34 comments
anyone been to
safer america to stock up on tin foil hats or mustard gas spit shields?
is it strange to capitalize on paranoia like this, or to open flag shops after sept. 11th?
joking aside, any reports from the store from new yawkers?
posted by asparagus_berlin
on Feb 20, 2003 -
13 comments
Good news for Mac-owning, Celine Dione fans "The process is pretty easy: I took a bit of electrical tape and applied it to the edge of the CD, the 'shiny side', - just a half inch of the stuff - and aligned it with the very edge 'data track session ring' visible on these copy protected CDs. Took the tape out to the outside of the CD and put it in my CD Rom."
posted by schlaager
on May 14, 2002 -
17 comments
The Morality Police. "Our hysterical attempts to shield kids from images of sex and violence are stunting young lives -- and trapping us all in a Big Lie." A well-argued piece, more of an op-ed than a straight-up book review. As a scientist I only quibble with the author's musing that "if there really were a cause-and-effect link between real violence and media violence, then it would have been proven by now."
posted by topolino
on Jun 11, 2001 -
13 comments
Sony's latest ad campaign has been pulled from the networks for being too edgy. It's certainly got an edge that I doubt children would understand, but they're still pretty funny (
part 2 and
part 3). Is this what happens when we have to protect everyone from anything remotely racy? Do you agree with the decision to pull them off the air?
posted by mathowie
on Dec 5, 2000 -
35 comments
