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Category Archives: Freedom

Cybercrime law mars PH net freedom – global report

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'RESTRICTIVE, NOTORIOUS.' This is how Freedom House describes the anti-cybercrime law, which it said marred the Philippines' "excellent" Internet freedom record. File photo by Hoang Vu

MANILA, Philippines The Philippines has the freest Internet in Southeast Asia, but the passage of the controversial anti-cybercrime law marred its excellent record.

A report of US-based Freedom House said Internet freedom in the Philippines slightly declined primarily because of the law passed last year.

The Philippines retained its free status the only Southeast Asian country in the category but its "freedom on the net score" dropped from 23 last year to 25 in this year's report.

In its Freedom on the Net 2013 report, Freedom House called the Cybercrime Prevention Act notorious, restrictive, and punitive.

In this years most significant development, the 2012 Cybercrime Prevention Act was passed into law in September, threatening to infringe on the Philippines otherwise open online environment by introducing content restrictions that even a government lawyer admitted are unconstitutional, said the report released on Thursday, October 3.

The report noted that the law allows authorities to block online content without a warrant, facilitate government surveillance, and punish online libel with up to 12 years imprisonment.

People in the Philippines enjoy nearly unrestricted access to the Internet . This excellent record was marred in September 2012 by the passage of an anti-cybercrime law boosting official powers to censor and monitor Internet users without judicial oversight.

The implementation of the law is put on hold after the Supreme Court indefinitely extended a temporary restraining order (TRO). Fifteen petitions were filed against the anti-cybercrime law.

Various petitioners bloggers, netizens, human rights groups, journalists, political parties, lawyers, and members of the academe said the law violates freedom of expression and freedom of speech, and gives the government too much power over Internet users. Rappler was among the groups that took a stand against the law.

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Cybercrime law mars PH net freedom – global report

Fuel Freedom Foundation to Host Webinar Featuring Author of "Energy Victory," Dr. Robert Zubrin, Oct. 9, 2013 — 2 PM …

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IRVINE, CA--(Marketwired - Oct 3, 2013) - Fuel Freedom Foundation

WHAT: Fuel Freedom Foundation hosts a series of webinars that feature the insightful perspectives of distinguished experts and interactive discussions on issues such as national security, oil and the economy.

In this webinar, Dr. Robert Zubrin will discuss his book "Energy Victory: Winning the War on Terror by Breaking Free of Oil."

WHO: Dr. Robert Zubrin, author of "Energy Victory" and world-renowned engineer, will lead a webinar discussion on how the U.S. can bolster national security by breaking free of oil.

WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2013 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. (EDT)

WHERE:Fuelfreedom.webex.com

RSVP:Please RSVP to bookclub@fuelfreedom.org or visitfuelfreedom.webex.com to register.

BACKGROUND:Fuel Freedom Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to reduce the cost of driving your existing car or truck by opening the market to cheaper fuel choices at the pump. Our goal is to reduce the cost of transportation fuels in the US by $300 billion annually within ten years.

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Fuel Freedom Foundation to Host Webinar Featuring Author of "Energy Victory," Dr. Robert Zubrin, Oct. 9, 2013 -- 2 PM ...

Freedom House ranks Cuba's Internet as 'not free'�

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MIAMI Cuba's Internet remains one of the least free in the world, suffering under "prodigious government regulation" that have left it with little access to almost anything except for email, the rights group Freedom House reported Thursday.

The number of Web sites blocked by censors has remained about the same since last year and the government still uses a "cyber militia" to attack dissidents, the Washington-based non-profit noted in its global Freedom on the Net report for 2013.

Branding Cuba as "not free," the report's 14-page chapter gave it an 86, with zero being the best and 100 the worst. Also on the "not free" list: China, Vietnam, Syria, Belarus, Sudan, Ethiopia, Burma and Pakistan.

Cuba "has long ranked as one of the world's most repressive environments for information and communication technologies," it said. "High prices, exceptionally slow connectivity, and prodigious government regulation have resulted in a pronounced lack of access to applications and services other than e-mail."

Only select government entities have benefitted from the ALBA-1 fiber optic cable that was turned on earlier this year, the report said, although the ultra high-speed cable had been expected to allow much wider, cheaper and faster access to the Web.

At least a dozen dissident bloggers were detained and one independent journalist, Calixto Martinez, whose reports appear on several online sites, was held without formal charges for six months. Even generally pro-government blogs were blocked when they crossed the official line of acceptable criticism, the report said.

Freedom House also reported that government censors blocked Cubans' access to phone numbers abroad for systems such as the U.S.-based Digalo sin Miedo - Say it Without Fear - once widely used by activists to publicize abuses.

The system allowed Cubans to call a U.S. number and record a brief complaint. A computer would then email an alert to those who had signed up for the service, such as exiles who support the dissidents or journalists who report on Cuba.

Government censors also tightened controls on access to the Web in the workplace - the vast majority of Cubans with Internet connectivity get it through their jobs in state agencies and enterprises - and continued to use computer-savvy supporters as foot soldiers in a "cyber war" against government critics, according to the report.

The "cyber militia," for instance, uses blogs or Tweets to accuse dissidents of cheating on their spouses or pocketing money meant for others, and send emails to journalists abroad pushing the Cuban government line but pretending to be simple citizens.

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Freedom House ranks Cuba's Internet as 'not free'�

Freedom Flight 2013: A day full of stories

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With 150 veterans on this weeks Story County Freedom Flight to Washington, D.C., there are at least 150 stories to tell. Probably more.

You can find any kind of story in the military, said veteran Stanley Twedt, of McCallsburg. Humor, bravery, loss, romance anything. There are a lot of stories out there.

The Story County Freedom Flight a flight providing veterans a chance to visit Washington, D.C., that took place Tuesday included stories during every part of the flight. They were swapped at 3:30 a.m. in the parking lot, waiting to board the buses for the airport, on the plane headed to Washington, on park benches in front of war memorials and on the bus returning to Ames.

Interestingly enough, however, the story the veterans seemed to be involved in at the World War II Memorial seemed to be discussed the least.

Sure, there was talk about the government shutdown that occurred only a few hours before the flight was to take place.

(Renee Twedt) and I both had a lot of phone calls yesterday from different TV channels, Story County Veterans Affair Director and Freedom Flight organizer Brett McClain said on the flight Tuesday. A lot of people asking questions. A lot of veterans asking us, Are we still going today? Yes. Were still going.

Aside from occasional small talk about the shutdown and whether restrooms at the monuments would be open or closed, the main topic of discussion in the buses and planes of Story County veterans didnt involve battles between Congress and the Senate or resolution meetings.

For James Tustison, a Vietnam veteran from Ames, the topic was foreign airplanes.

Fresh out of high school in 1957, Tustison joined the U.S. Air Force. Before he knew it, he was working as a traffic analyst, monitoring radio traffic and breaking codes to determine where Russian aircraft were flying.

At that time, we could tell you where almost every Russian airplane was, if it was in the air, what unit he belonged to, where he was going and frequently what he was carrying, Tustison said. Wed intercept that traffic, decipher their code words and track the airplanes.

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Freedom Flight 2013: A day full of stories

Freedom Autosport closes season with a win for Nunez, Miller at Lime Rock

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LAKEVILLE, Conn.Freedom Autosport closed the 2013 GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge season with a win at Lime Rock Park, marking the second consecutive ST victory for the team.

Joel Miller and Tristan Nunez piloted the winning No. 27 Freedom Autosport Mazda MX-5. It was Nunezs first appearance with the team and Millers second, but the two showed their adaptability and speed for the duration of the 2.5-hour race.

Nunez qualified sixth with a quick time of 59.428 around the 1.5-mile track. When the race started, Nunez quickly worked his way up to third, where he spent the majority of his stint.

There was a lot of traffic, says Nunez. I made my way up to third, but it was difficult. I havent had to fight that hard for position all season.

Race Winners- #27 Freedom Autosport Mazda MX-5: Joel Miller, Tristan Nunez

Photo by: Art Fleischmann

Miller knew that the Mazda was fast enough to win, but first he had to work his way around three slower cars. We were stuck behind a blockade! This track is known to be difficult to pass on, so I was trying to go down the inside (in turn one), Miller says, adding that when the competition blocked the inside line, we had to find something else to do. I made the decision to go around the outside.

That proved to be the right decision, and Miller was poised for the lead when a caution began. The green flag waved with just five minutes left in the race, and Miller wasted no time taking over the top spot. He led four laps to give Freedom Autosport their second consecutive win.

Its by far the hardest racing Ive had all year, but the Freedom Autosport guys gave us an amazing car, and its incredible to drive, says Nunez.

This is the third win of the season for Freedom Autosport. The team also earned three second-place finishes. The Freedom Autosport crew and drivers have been amazing all season, says team co-owner Derek Whitis. The crew gave us great cars every weekend, and we were able to show what a fast, consistent race car the Mazda MX-5 is.

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Freedom Autosport closes season with a win for Nunez, Miller at Lime Rock

Freedom Climber: Four Exercise Experiences, Dozens of Individual Workouts

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(PRWEB) October 02, 2013

Terry McCall, inventor of the Freedom Climber (a non-motorized rotating climbing wall which has been featured on Extreme Makeover Home Edition and the DIY networks Man Cave), has expanded the function of his unique wall system to include resistance training, body weight suspension training and vertical training. The space saving design, which has an incredibly small footprint of just 7 square feet and fits in rooms with 8 foot ceilings, can be installed in spaces the size of an average bedroom.

By adding additional functional training exercises to the system, McCall has created a fitness equipment that strives to provide an all in one workout experience.

At the recent CanFitPro Convention in Toronto, McCall and his daughter coached trade show attendees on how to utilize the system in a circuit format going from climbing to resistance training to suspension training to vertical training then back to climbing. Fitness enthusiasts know that climbing works every muscle in your body from your fingertips to your toes, but because of the continuous rotation of the Freedom Climber, climbing on the rotating surface very quickly becomes a cardio event. McCall explained how the Freedom Climber works: It is the climbers weight that causes the rotation. A non-motorized mechanism controls the rotational speed. As the climber climbs upward, the rotating surface rotates downward nullifying the climbers ascent. The climber is going through the motions of climbing up but the downward rotation continually brings the climber back down to a safe proximity with the floor; thus no need for harnesses and ropes; and thus the name Freedom Climber.

McCall added, By simply creating a few connecting points to the perimeter of the wall, our system now incorporates the other functional training aspects as well. Now three people can be working out at the same time. One individual can be climbing, a second can be doing resistance training on the one side while a third is doing suspension training on the other side.

It was the addition of two loop holds at about eye height that transformed the Freedom Climber into a vertical training wall that is extremely cardio in nature. Grabbing those holds and moving your body weight rapidly up and down the center of climbing surface is like doing wall sprints.

McCall says the cost of the system is roughly $8000.00. He notes that the advantage is you dont need to give up a room. Just give up a wall and gain a fun, challenging fitness system for the whole family.

About Freedom Climber:

Freedom Climber is an innovative, rotating, non-motorized, climbing wall that provides a whole body workout in a safe, harness-free environment. The Freedom Climber is now installed in over 16 countries around the world in facilities varying from fitness centers to military bases to private residences to corporate offices to universities and schools.

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Freedom Climber: Four Exercise Experiences, Dozens of Individual Workouts

Internet freedom a human right

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Oct 03, 2013 From wire reports

TALLINN - In an event about advancing Internet freedom, which occurred in the framework of the UN General Assembly, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said that the UN plays an important role in creating a uniform understanding of the use and security of information technology among member states, reports LETA. According to Paet, Estonia considers ensuring and protecting freedom of expression in both the public and in cyberspace to be important.

International law, and in particular the UN, has an important role in promoting a free, secure, and accessible cyberspace, stated Paet.

For Estonia, freedom of expression is an integral human right and supporting freedom of expression online is just as important as other activities associated with the promotion and defense of human rights, he noted.

Paet said that, as the current chair of the Freedom Online Coalition, Estonia considers it important to proceed from the idea that a free and secure internet is an effective instrument of political, economic, and social progress in the 21st century. Next Aprils Freedom Online conference will be based on those keywords, he added.

The event, entitled Strategy Session: Advancing the Internet Freedom, Security, and Development Agenda in the UN was organized by Sweden in cooperation with the International Peace Institute (IPI).

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Internet freedom a human right

Madonna Announces Art For Freedom Grants Program

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NEW YORK, Oct.2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Madonna has announced a grants program in coordination with Art For Freedom, the global digital initiative designed to fuel free speech, to address, respondand protest persecution around the world.

Madonna kicked off Art For Freedom on September 24, 2013 by posting Secretprojectrevolution, a 17-minute video she created with Steven Klein. The film 'a call to action' - originally premiered on Vice and remains downloadable on Bit Torrent.Artists are encouraged to submit their own work onartforfreedom.comin the form of video, music, poetryorphotography to express their personal meaning of freedom and revolution.

As part of the Art For Freedom initiative, Madonna has launched a grants program to support individuals and organizations working to advance social justice. Over the course of the next year she will select one artist each month whose creative expression helps fight oppression, intolerance and complacency. Madonna will award $10,000 to a nonprofit organization or project of the winning artist's choice. All projects must be focused on a social justice issue and exemplify the values of Art For Freedom.

Madonna will select the winning submission each month with the help of a guest curatorbeginning withAnthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

"I want to help give a creative voice to those who have been silenced and denied their human rights.Art for Freedom is a platform that gives artists a chance to define freedom through theirart.We have already received many incredible submissions.I am inviting all people toexpress their thoughts on the subject of freedom whether it'sdescribingspecific persecutionthey have experienced, sharing how their rights have been violated and / or sharing their ideas creatively regarding fighting injustice," commented Madonna.

Art For Freedom, launched in partnership with Vice,received over 1000 submissionsin the first 48 hours of its inception. Thesesubmissionsand the ones that followwill become part of the Art For Freedom platform and will be eligible for the Arts For Freedom grants program. Contributors can join the project by uploading original artwork at http://www.artforfreedom.com or tagging original posts #artforfreedom.

Press Contact: Liz Rosenberg Liz@Lizrosenbergmedia.com 212-991-4290

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Madonna Announces Art For Freedom Grants Program

Freedom Innovations to Commercialize “Powered Knee and Ankle System”

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IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Freedom Innovations, an Irvine, CA based manufacturer of advanced technology prosthetic devices, has announced it will commercialize and help finalize development of the worlds first fully powered prosthetic leg technology with the potential for the human mind to control its movements.

Through the result of an exclusive worldwide licensing arrangement with Vanderbilt University, Freedom will develop and commercialize a first generation product utilizing sophisticated mechanical control systems that will mimic the power and gait characteristics of the human leg. Future generations of the product may incorporate neurological control systems, making the technology even more lifelike by allowing the user to control the movements through the brain. This phase of the technology is being developed and refined through partnerships with thought leading organizations like the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC). Work in this area has already begun using an early prototype of the Powered Leg in a study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine by RIC.

The Freedom Powered Knee and Ankle System features state of the art microelectronic technology, which allows intelligent communication between the user and the prosthesis. It received global attention last week when a team of researchers led by PhD, Levi Hargrove, Lab Director from the RICs Center for Bionic Medicine, announced promising results in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The researchers, working with the advanced motorized knee and ankle prosthesis developed at Vanderbilt Universitys Center for Intelligent Mechatronics, studied and measured the brain-driven steering capabilities of the device. The study revealed that with this new technology designed for above-the-knee amputees, the rate of errors, including the risk of falls, was reduced to just 1.8 percent with the new device, down from 12.9 percent with the standard robotic leg prosthesis.

Additional refinements are needed to make the first generation powered leg commercially viable -- and that is where Freedom Innovations role comes into play. The company is working on making the motorized devices smaller, quieter, more robust and more user-friendly overall.

"The positive results of this study are an important milestone for Freedom Innovations as we embark on the next step toward making this remarkable technology available to amputees, said Maynard Carkhuff, President and CEO of Freedom Innovations. Our mission to bring innovative products to enable people with physical disabilities to achieve their full potential is being taken to an absolute new level now as we will soon be able to provide amputees with functional limbs they can control that will be even more user friendly, smaller, quieter and more mobile than the prototypes used in the RIC study.

Carkhuff added that Freedom plans to have the technology available within three to five years. Additional designs to modularize the system will also ensure that transtibial (below-the-knee) amputees will also have the opportunity to benefit from the powered ankle and foot technology.

Freedom Innovations, LLC (www.freedom-innovations.com) designs, manufactures, and markets advanced technology lower extremity prosthetic devices that provide people with physical challenges the ability to reach their full potential. Based in Irvine, California Freedoms lower extremity prosthetics are distributed around the world.

Media: Interviews and photos are available upon request. Please contact Paul Williams at 949/916-6880 or via paul@medialinecommunications.com.

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Freedom Innovations to Commercialize “Powered Knee and Ankle System”

Nukanti’s capoeira project in Bogota – Playing for Freedom / Jugando por la Libertad – Video

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Nukanti #39;s capoeira project in Bogota - Playing for Freedom / Jugando por la Libertad
Jugando por la Libertad (Playing for Freedom) is a project teaching capoeira to Colombian children -- living in two conflict and extremely poor areas of Bogo...

By: nukanti

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Nukanti's capoeira project in Bogota - Playing for Freedom / Jugando por la Libertad - Video


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