Fashion deal signals a new era in connected clothes

For those deafened by the silence of their wardrobe, a new technology partnership will enableconnected clothes to keep you regularly updated with news from your t-shirt drawer.

As reported by Quartz, London-based Internet of Things (IoT) startup Evrythng forged a deal with clothes-maker Avery Dennison to connect 10 billion pieces of clothing to the internet. The value of the deal was not released.

Smart labels will be attached by Avery Dennison to clothing during its manufacturing process, with the first web-enabled products hitting stores by the summer. Data produced by each unique article of clothing will feed into Evrythng’s platform for analysis.

Unique clothing identifiers could allow consumers to verify the ethical origin of materials in clothes, determine product availability or let aging shoes advise the customer how to recycle that type of footwear. The data could also enable brands to use the platform to enhance loyalty programs.

“The internet of things is still at the margins in the way it hits consumers’ lives; now you have billions of everyday objects with identities in the cloud,” said Evrythng co-founder Andy Hobsbawm.

Avery Dennison makes products for such brands as Hugo Boss, Nike and Under Armor, though the companies would not say which particular brands have signed up for the initiative. However, Avery Dennison suggests that sportswear companies will likely be early adopters of IoT enabled clothes, especially considering firms like Nike are already making smart sneakers.

“We’re noticing sports brands engaging consumers with technology more and more,” says Avery Dennison vice president Deon Stander.

Now clothes provide data, too

Clothing labels have been providing digital information for years through such means as bar codes and QR codes, but that information is on broader classes of products. Meanwhile Evrythng says its technology allows a new IoT approach where each unique piece of clothing produces granular data that can be better mined for actionable information.

Privacy and security issues remain a key concern as more objects and articles of clothing become connected to the internet and produce streams of data. Evrythng says they will incorporate privacy safeguards into its clothing label project that will allow customers to set the level of information they are sharing.

“The more information accessed on the web the better, but like everything else on the internet, there also has to be individual judgement calls about what’s appropriate. Not everyone wants to share everything, and that’s fine,” Hobsbawm says.

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Spain Hits Google With $1.2M Fine for 'Illegal' Privacy Violations

Spain's privacy watchdog hit Google with a $1.2 million fine for breaking the country's data protection laws and "seriously infringe citizens' rights."
The Data Protection Agency found Google guilty of three separate violations for collecting information about its users in Spain sharing that data across its services, like search and Google Drive; and not properly informing them of collection practices. Each violation resulted in a fine of 300,000 euros, around $400,000.

Google "doesn't give users enough information about which data it collects, for what purpose it uses the data, it combines data obtained through different services, and it keeps it for an undefined amount of time," the agency said in a statement.
The Data Protection Agency considered Google's collection and treatment of personal data as illegal, and said that Google uses "vague wording" when explaining its practices in its privacy policy.
Google will now be forced to comply with Spanish data protection law as soon as possible, the agency said in the statement, and correct the practices highlighted as illegal. The search giant said it would study the decision before determining its next steps, according the Wall Street Journal.
The fine in Spain is the result of a coordinated investigation among various European countries, launched after Google changed its privacy policy in March 2012. Five more European countries — France, Germany, the UK, Italy and Netherlands — are investigating Google for the same reasons, and in Italy and Germany, the fines could also exceed $1 million.

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Gmail Will Never Ask You to 'Display Images Below' Again

Gmail will no longer wait for your permission to "display images below."
Google rolled out improvements to how Gmail handles images on Thursday, specifically related to its automatic display of pictures within emails. From now on, you'll never see that pesky prompt again.
The message was initially aimed to protect Gmail users from unknown senders who may try to compromise the security of your computer or mobile device using images.

Now, all images are checked for viruses and malware ahead of time, so it doesn't matter whether the picture came from someone you know. Google is now serving images through its own secure proxy servers, instead of directly from external host servers.
Users who still want to give Google an OK before viewing an image can select the “Ask before displaying external images” under the general tab in settings.
The update is available on the desktop version of Gmail on Thursday and will come to mobile apps in early 2014.

Resizing Options

Gmail users can now control the density of their inbox. Depending on your preference of white space, you choose manually between three sizes: comfortable, cozy or compact.

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Edward Snowden Is Runner-Up for TIME's Person of the Year

Edward Snowden came in second place for TIME's Person of the Year, losing the top spot to Pope Francis, editors announced Wednesday morning.
The first revelations of the far-reaching NSA surveillance programs surfaced in a Guardian feature in June. We learned that Verizon had given the U.S. government all its customers' phone records for years. The Guardian's Glenn Greenwald also revealed that tech companies we trust with our most intimate secrets had been part of a surveillance program called PRISM.
When we started to digest the news, one question came to our minds: Who's leaking these incendiary documents to the press?

At first, we thought this would be our generation's Deep Throat

At first, we thought this would be our generation's Deep Throat, and the source would remain hidden for decades. We were wrong. Snowden stepped forward as the source, just four days after the publication of the first leaks.
"I know the government will demonize me," Snowden said. "I understand that I will be made to suffer for my actions [...] but I will be satisfied if the federation of secret law, unequal pardon and irresistible executive powers that rule the world that I love are revealed even for an instant."
And that was just the beginning. Six months and hundreds of top-secret documents later, new details continue to emerge as new stories are published in media outlets around the world almost weekly.
Never before had the NSA been subject to so much media coverage. After all, this is a top-secret operation that was once defined as the "No Such Agency." But now insiders call it "Not Secret Anymore," according to James Bamford, author of several books about the agency.
Without Snowden, the NSA — and let's not forget its sister surveillance agency, the British GCHQ — wouldn't be under such scrutiny from the public, legislators and world leaders. Even other notable whistleblowers have praised Snowden and underlined his historical importance.
"In my estimation, there has not been in American history a more important leak than Edward Snowden’s release of NSA material," wrote Daniel Ellsberg, who leaked the Pentagon Papers in 1971, exposing the lies of the U.S. government regarding the Vietnam War. "Snowden’s whistleblowing gives us the possibility to roll back a key part of what has amounted to an 'executive coup' against the U.S. constitution."
Courageous whistleblower or a dastardly traitor, Snowden deserved to be at the top of the list for TIME's Person of the Year. His decision to steal documents while working as an NSA contractor for Booz Allen Hamilton was the story of the year, and it will have lasting effects, regardless of legislative reform or lack thereof.
These surveillance programs, far-reaching has they are, deserved to be discussed, dissected and evaluated by citizens and their representatives. Snowden made that possible.

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Police Made 1.1 Million Data Requests to Cellphone Carriers in 2012

After the summer's string of revelations about NSA surveillance, companies like Google, Facebook and Microsoft have united in protest, published transparency reports and asked for permission to reveal even more information.
Cellphone companies like Verizon or AT&T have thus far remained silent when it comes to NSA. Major carriers are, however, now revealing that they received 1.1 million data requests from local law enforcement agencies in 2012, including requests for location data, text messages, browsing history and call logs.

Google, Microsoft Lead Campaign to Limit Government Surveillance

The data, which does not include NSA or national security-related investigations, was revealed on Monday by the seven major U.S. cellphone carriers, answering a series of questions posed by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.). Their answers open a small window into how AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile and others collaborate with police across the country.
The 1.1 million number refers to the number of requests the companies received, not necessarily how many they responded to. AT&T, however, reported that it denied only 1,300 out of a total of 297,500 requests, while Verizon said it "does not track" whether they provided the requested data or not.
By comparison, in 2011, based on numbers also reported at Markey's behest, carriers received 1.3 million data requests. But that number isn't directly comparable to this year's total, since Sprint refused to reveal data this time around, arguing that its systems make it impossible to reveal such a number.
The telecoms also reported 9,000 so-called "cellphone towers dumps," where cops ask for all phone numbers that connected to one or more towers at certain times, which could affect hundreds of thousands of phone numbers, revealing customers' precise locations at a certain point in time.
As it turns out, one in four law enforcement agencies have used cell tower dumps, according to a report published on Sunday by USA Today.
The carriers' reports also revealed that not all companies require warrants when releasing customer data.
For example, AT&T doesn't require a warrant when releasing historical (i.e., not real-time) cellphone location data, only a simple court order. And the content of text messages older than 180 days is released by AT&T with a court order or a subpoena. Verizon requires a signed court order or a search warrant for historical data, but doesn't provide real-time location data at all, and it always requires a warrant for the content of texts.
"If the police want to know where you are, we should know why,” said Markey in a statement. "When law enforcement access location information, it's as sensitive and personal as searching an individual’s home and should be treated commensurately."
For Markey, these numbers and the carriers' varying practices are cause for concern, and they underscore the need for privacy reforms.
"As law enforcement uses new technology to protect the public from harm, we also must protect the information of innocent Americans from misuse," Markey said in a statement. "We need a 4th Amendment for the 21st century. Disclosure of personal information from wireless devices raises significant legal and privacy concerns, particularly for innocent consumers." Markey also announced he plans to introduce his own legislation to add warrant requirements to such data requests.
During the last year, Montana and Maine were the first states to make warrants a requirement when cops request cellphone location, and the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled along the same lines as well.
The USA Today investigation also revealed that 25 police departments own Stingray devices, machines the size of a suitcase that act as cell towers and can surreptitiously track cellphone users' locations and intercept conversations by tricking cellphones into connecting to them.
36 more police departments, however, declined to disclose if they've ever used Stingrays, or if they have ever requested cellphone tower dumps.
Both Stingrays and cell tower dumps are criticized by privacy advocates for their wide reach. To target one or a few suspects, critics say, police end up gathering information on thousands of unrelated customers. Stingrays, which are also called IMSI catchers, intercept data from all phones within a mile, according to USA Today.
Privacy and digital liberties advocates have also pointed out that the use of these devices is often secret, and there's no clear regulation limiting their use.
Markey's inquiry also revealed how much the U.S. law enforcement agencies have paid carriers for their surveillance requests. AT&T received a $10 million reimbursement, T-Mobile got $11 million, and Verizon was paid slightly less than $5 million.
Finally, the companies' practices differ also in how long they retain these types of data — which determines how far back in time cops can go. Most retain data for six to 18 months, but AT&T keeps data for up to five years.

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The Simplest Way to Secure Your Webcam Without Any Software

Let’s start with the bad news: Your webcam is vulnerable. It can be remotely activated and you won’t even know it’s on. A report this month in the Washington Post revealed that the FBI figured out how to do this years ago.
Now for the good news: You can protect your webcam privacy with a bit of MacGyver-esque ingenuity. All you need is a Post-it note.
Start with your standard 2x2-inch Post-it Note in the color of your choice (we don't recommend the super-sticky variety). A piece of notepaper will work just as well. A piece of black tape would be a more permanent solution, but you will probably want to use that webcam someday. Tape, black or otherwise, could leave glue residue on the webcam lens or tiny illumination light, rendering it useless.
No writing on the Post-it is required. Simply fold the paper into approximate thirds; the placement of the folds will depend on where the webcam rests on your laptop. The goal is to fold the note so the sticky portion adheres to the back of your laptop screen (the computer’s cover), a third sits on top of the upper edge and the remaining third covers your webcam. The last third shouldn't be so large that it reaches and obscures a portion of your screen.
You can press the Post-it Note’s sticky portion onto the back of your screen, but we recommend leaving it free so you can slide away the DIY cover when you want to use your webcam.
Our Vine video takes you through each step
Now, even if someone can access your webcam, he will only see your Post-it Note, not your unknowing face.
It’s also worth noting that before any hacker can gain access to your computer, he still needs your help. Most of the software used to activate webcams is malware, born on the back of phishing emails. If you never open or act on these messages, your likelihood of protection from hackers is much higher.
Of course, this is just one solution. You can add privacy to your webcam in other crafty ways — even with some 3D-printed options for less than $15. Share your preferred method in the comments below.

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How the FBI Used Hacker Tricks to Track Down a Would-Be Bomber

Malicious hackers commonly use phishing emails to lure would-be victims into clicking a seemingly harmless link that will actually install malware on their computers, allowing the perpetrators to siphon data, or even spy on their victims.
But the FBI is increasingly using the same techniques in its investigations; that's how it tried to track down a suspect who was making a series of bomb threats last year, according to The Washington Post, which confirms that the feds are relying on hacker's tricks to fight crime.

The FBI's elite hacker team created a customized piece of malicious software, or malware, that would install on a suspect's computer when he signs into his Yahoo email account. A judge in Colorado authorized the bureau to use the malware, according to court documents obtained by The Post.
The malware was designed specifically to siphon certain information from the suspect's computer to the FBI, including location data and websites visited. What's more, it allows the FBI to spy on a suspect through his webcam even without its indicator light turning on.
This is not the first time that the FBI has reportedly used malware, spyware and other hacking tricks to track down suspected criminals.
In August, it was revealed that the FBI uses sophisticated hacking tools. Chris Soghoian, principal technologist at the American Civil Liberties Union, discovered this after researching LinkedIn, where FBI contractors openly advertised their hacking services for the bureau.
The FBI's use of these techniques has critics concerned they could be too intrusive and perhaps illegal.
"There hasn't been a debate in Congress about the FBI getting into the hacking business; there hasn't been any legislation giving this power; this just sort of happened out of nowhere," Soghoian said at the Def Con hacking conference this summer.
This shaky legal ground was evident in a similar case earlier this year in which a Texas judge refused to sign off on an FBI warrant request to install malware that would covertly extract files from a suspect's laptop, and take pictures using its camera, according to The Wall Street Journal.
"It's time for a real discussion about what the rules should be," Kevin Bankston, a privacy and free speech lawyer and the policy director of the New America Foundation's Open Technology Institute, said on Twitter.
In the case of the would-be bomber, identified only as "Mo," the malware didn't work as intended, but revealed that Mo actually loves in Tehran, where he is safe from arrest by the FBI — although not from its hacking tools.

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