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March 19, 2014 04:39 PM ET

Computerworld - President Obama's National Broadband Plan, four years old this month, set out a far-reaching strategy for expanding Internet access in the U.S. to improve jobs and public safety and make it easier for average citizens to access information on everything from personal health care records to home energy use.

One thing the voluminous plan didn't include was an effort to protect data privacy, a topic now top of mind for policymakers in Washington after the Edward Snowden revelations about surveillance of phone records by the National Security Agency.

"A big thing we were not able to do [in the Broadband Plan] was about data security and privacy," said Blair Levin, one of the strategists and authors of the Broadband Plan. Levin oversaw its development when he was on the staff at the Federal Communications Commission and is now a fellow at the Aspen Institute, a policy studies group in Washington.

"The whole area of personal privacy is huge," Levin said. "If the plan were redone, it would focus a lot more on that. Even Singapore is way ahead of us on a lot of that."

While data privacy was discussed in the 2010 plan, it deserved its own separate chapter, Levin said in an interview after joining a panel discussion on Wednesday that included other authors of the plan. The event was held at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) in Washington.

But big technology changes don't come overnight, Levin said, and he quoted a passage in the plan that said, "this plan is in beta and always will be."

Levin also said he believes the Broadband Plan should be updated, probably in advance of the next presidential election in 2016, so that whomever is elected can install a transition team to consider the updated plan's contents.

Other panelists involved in the effort while at the FCC noted the plan's role in boosting broadband connections to homes and how it has affected Internet use in homes, schools and industry, including the efficiency of the nation's massive electric grid.

More here:

Gov't push for broadband access yields gains; data privacy still a challenge

Earlier today, select press (including MTV News) were invited to a special screening of footage from "Amazing Spider-Man 2," hosted by director Marc Webb. Sony showed off the first 15 minutes of the movie, and then a few selected scenes before opening up a brief Q&A with Marc Webb.

And like in the first movie, the reboot series proved its worth through the spectacular 3-D, showing Spider-Man swinging his way through the streets of New York City, fighting villains and saving citizens.

...But that's not why you're reading this, right? You want spoilers, so here are all the secrets we learned from the footage:

"Turning Point" Before the screening started covers and images from Spider-Man comics flashed on screen, including pictures of the villainous Green Goblin. Right before introducing the screening, though, two particular images flashed on screen: the cover to "Amazing Spider-Man #121"; and a scene from the issue set on the Brooklyn Bridge.

Avid comics fans will already know what this refers to, but for those who don't: in the issue, Spider-Man battles the Green Goblin, who has kidnapped Spidey's girlfriend Gwen Stacy and taken her to the Brooklyn Bridge. The Goblin drops her off the Bridge; and though Spider-Man tries to save her, her neck is snapped and she dies.

Given we've seen photos of Gwen Stacy actress Emma Stone wearing the exact same costume as in the comic, and the character gives a speech in the footage we saw about how time is precious, and everyone dies... Well, either those covers were a deliberate misdirection, or Stone's time in the franchise is numbered.

Roosevelt The first scene in the movie extends and wraps around the scene from the first movie, where Mary and Richard Parker (Peter's parents) leave Peter in the care of his Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Here, we get to see Richard trying to delete his research from Oscorp, recording a message for Peter and then escaping with Mary on a private jet.

Only things don't go so well: the co-pilot kills the pilot; shoots Mary in the gut; and tries to shut down a mysterious upload Richard is making on his Ethernet enabled airplane, before getting sucked out the door and leaving the plane to crash down. The upload seems incredibly important, and is being sent to something or someone called "Roosevelt." Whether that's a location (Roosevelt Island), or one of several former Presidents of the United States, we'll just have to stay tuned.

In Russia, Paul Giamatti's You Then we cut to the previously glimpsed Spidey vs. Aleksei Sytsevich (Paul Giamatti), the man who will later become villain The Rhino. Aleksei is driving a truck carting dangerous Oscorp owned plutonium, escaping from the cops, but not Spider-Man.

More here:

11 Spoilers From The Secret 'Amazing Spider-Man 2' Screening

Tempe, AZ (PRWEB) March 19, 2014

MyBeeble today announced that it has launched an application allowing users to buy and sell textbooks to each other on their mobile devices.

MyBeeble makes it easy for students to buy and sell their textbooks without setting foot in the university bookstore. A search in the MyBeeble app will return results for new and used copies of textbooks, as well as e-textbooks and rental agreements. Students can easily compare textbook options and save their results with the apps wish list capabilities. Textbook prices can even be compared with leading online bookstores so students can be sure to find the best deal.

Gabriel Cornejo, MyBeeble founder and CEO, said Students pay an obscene amount of money for new textbooks only to get pennies in return from the bookstore after the semester. We wanted to create a platform that would be beneficial to both student buyers and sellers, and alleviate the headache textbooks cause each and every term.

MyBeeble was designed with convenience in mind. Users can easily upload their used textbooks to be found by students that need them now. By using the devices geographical location feature, students can find textbooks closest to them, allowing them to save time and money on shipping, as well as make transactions with other students nearby. The apps social features encourage users to cultivate relationships with students studying similar topics not only in their University or College but all schools requiring the same textbook. Thats the beauty of this app, the Youniverse is limitless.

We hope that MyBeeble users will keep in touch after a transaction, said Cornejo. Buying and selling textbooks from other students really gives you the opportunity to find people with similar interests, and, hopefully, that will lead to valuable connections throughout a university career.

Security and peace of mind were a top concern for Cornejo and his team when creating the platform. MyBeeble partnered with PayPal to ensure that all non-cash transactions receive the payment protection that they provide.

With many students heading back to school this week MyBeeble is launching at the perfect time. The app is currently available in the App Store for iOS devices, with plans to expand to Android and web in the near future.

To learn more about MyBeeble please visit http://mybeeble.com or watch a short introduction video here.

Media Contact: Gabriel Cornejo 760-453-8884 Gabriel(at)mybeeble(dot)com http://mybeeble.com

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MyBeeble Launches Social App for Peer-to-Peer Textbook Exchange

In 1971 George M. Martin, a biogerontoligist at the University of Washington, published biomedical literature postulating the theory that our mind, containing all of our lifes thoughts, memories, knowledge, experiences, likes and dislikes, and political persuasions would someday be copied, stored and transferred to other substrates. He also indicated that our lifetime memories could be digitally stored or transferred to another brain. In other words, our mind would no longer be confined to our physical body and using another vehicle such as intelligent computerized machines to carry the memory and history of our past, we could all live forever.

Googles director of engineering, Ray Kurzweil, predicted we will have the capabilities of uploading all the components of our brain to a computer by 2045. Maybe cryonics isnt such a far fetched idea after all. At least they preserved Einsteins brain.

Imagine what he could do with computers, calculators and telescopes available in the 21st century.

It is all well and good that we can live forever. Or is it? Will the process be controlled by government, and if so, which government agency in what nations of the world? And, who determines which memories will be imprinted on our computer chip of life? Who is going to edit or sterilize my history of life for their own personal or political purpose? And to the larger ethical and political question, what standard or criteria will be used to determine who qualifies for the monopolized mobilization of mechanical humans?

In this new world of a cloned civilization, will the wealthy control the process of uploading the mind to gain power to control and enslave the rest of us? And, since, the shift of the human spirit will be aimed toward corporate technology, what happens to the meaning of ethical symbols such as; the rod of Asclepius, caduceus or even the crucifix?

In the new environment of edited artificial intelligence, we also have to ask: how would the memories of Hitler, living forever in a bionic and indestructible body affect the rest of the world? Would the faith of the Dali Lama and principles of the old and New Testament unite the Arabs, Jews, Muslims and even the atheist in joint effort to conquer the evil of dictators, fascist and the Republican Guard? Will the end of the world as we know it be determined under the evil sign of Hitlers Swastika, which ironically means for the good, or the symbolic sign of the bloodshed experienced under the Popes and their sign of the cross of unification of all faiths? Either way, mankind as we know it loses.

Obviously, the terms consciousness, life, death and mortality will have a different meaning in the future when they upload our minds. Combined with the surroundings of artificial intelligence and our own immortality, humans will finally have the same capacity to travel and colonize the universe as our ancient ancestors had when they found this planet and left us here to enjoy the garden of life before we all evolved to their status of lifeless mechanical men.

David Farside is a Sparks resident and political activist.

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Upload my mind, live forever

Amtrak has decided giving away hundreds of thousands of dollars in wine, cheese and champagne wasnt enough. The U.S. taxpayer-subsidized railroad is now giving free rides to itinerant writers.

Two dozen writers will be selected starting this month for the #AmtrakResidency program. Each will get a private sleeper car on a round-trip, long-distance route to work on their craft in an inspiring environment.

Writer Jessica Gross offered this advice to Amtraks blog: Dont be too ambitious with what you plan to get done: Allow for time spent gazing out the window, letting ideas work themselves out in your mind. Its that kind of deep thinking that the train is particularly good for, and that can be more difficult to achieve in the interstices of busy day-to-day life.

Amtrak asked for $2.6 billion in federal support this year, and has long struggled to turn a profit. An inspector generals report last year noted the system loses tens of millions of dollars a year on food and beverage service, including free food provided to passengers on some routes.

Sexy Babe on state computer

State officials quickly removed a pornographic video titled Sexy Babe that was found on an Ohio Department of Natural Resources website.

The Columbus Dispatch reported about the video after the newspaper was contacted by a reader. It was on a page where companies can upload large files such as maps that are used as data for tracking more than 100,000 wells permitted since 1980.

Turns out anyone could upload files to the site. In addition to two porn videos there were music files and other non-official-looking files, the Dispatch reported.

State officials took down the materials and began requiring credentials to upload stuff to the site, the newspaper reported.

Spending dimes to make nickels

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GovWatch: Amtrak, porn on state computers and spending dimes to make nickels

Depp undergoes an eerie cyber transformation in 'Transcendence.'

The full-length trailer has been released for the upcoming Johnny Depp sci-fi thriller, Transcendence. Directed by Wally Pfister ('Inception,' 'The Dark Knight'), the film pushes the boundaries of human innovation to bring us a chilling look at the potentially destructive power of technology. Depp stars as a scientist whose brain is uploaded to a supercomputer upon his death.

In His First Sci-Fi Role, Johnny Depp Plays A Genius Scientist On The Verge Of Breakthrough.

Will Caster (Depp) is a computer scientist at the forefront of artificial intelligence research before he is taken out by an anti-technology activist. Determined not to die, the scientist and his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall) rush to find a way to upload his consciousness so that he can communicate even beyond the grave. However, not everybody is certain of what will happen if they succeed, especially as Carter's mind begins to evolve and become more powerful than he could have ever dreamed.

Watch The Full 'Transcendence' Trailer:

Pfister's unnerving thriller explores a future of science without boundaries and the untold effect that merging robotics with human emotional intelligence can have upon mankind. Having played a pirate, a mad hatter, a chocolatier and a chameleon, Transcendence will see Depp transformed into a highly intelligent computer in his first high-profile science fiction role alongside Morgan Freeman, Kate Mara, Cillian Murphy and Paul Bettany.

Caster's Mind Is Uploaded To A Supercomputer Before His Death.

Even by watching the trailer, we get a real flavour of 2010's critically-lauded Inception, the surreal sci-fi film for which Pfister worked as a cinematographer. The same jaw-dropping digital effects are used for full impact in Transcendence, which combines a philosophical and intelligent plotline with state-of-the-art CGI and futuristic scenes.

Caster's Former Colleagues Watch With Horror & Fascination As His Power Exceeds Imagination.

Transcendence will be released on the 17th April in the USA and on the 25th April in the UK.

More:

'Transcendence': Johnny Depp Sci-Fi Thriller Is A Technological Cautionary Tale [Trailer + Pictures]

Amtrak has decided giving away hundreds of thousands of dollars in wine, cheese and champagne wasnt enough. The U.S. taxpayer-subsidized railroad is now giving free rides to itinerant writers.

Two dozen writers will be selected starting this month for the #AmtrakResidency program. Each will get a private sleeper car on a round-trip, long-distance route to work on their craft in an inspiring environment.

Writer Jessica Gross offered this advice to Amtraks blog: Dont be too ambitious with what you plan to get done: Allow for time spent gazing out the window, letting ideas work themselves out in your mind. Its that kind of deep thinking that the train is particularly good for, and that can be more difficult to achieve in the interstices of busy day-to-day life.

Amtrak asked for $2.6 billion in federal support this year, and has long struggled to turn a profit. An inspector generals report last year noted the system loses tens of millions of dollars a year on food and beverage service, including free food provided to passengers on some routes.

Sexy Babe on state computer

State officials quickly removed a pornographic video titled Sexy Babe that was found on an Ohio Department of Natural Resources website.

The Columbus Dispatch reported about the video after the newspaper was contacted by a reader. It was on a page where companies can upload large files such as maps that are used as data for tracking more than 100,000 wells permitted since 1980.

Turns out anyone could upload files to the site. In addition to two porn videos there were music files and other non-official-looking files, the Dispatch reported.

State officials took down the materials and began requiring credentials to upload stuff to the site, the newspaper reported.

Spending dimes to make nickels

Originally posted here:

GovWatch: Amtrack, porn on state computers and spending dimes to make nickels

Mind upload Inter-dimensional Travel Ray Kurzweil
Mind upload, Inter-dimensional Travel Ray, Kurzweil and Google. Imagine uploading your brain to a computer. One day computers will have the computational cap...

By: patriot2point0

Excerpt from:

Mind upload Inter-dimensional Travel Ray Kurzweil - Video

String field theory co-founder Michio Kaku did not even try to explain his controversial yet undeniably brilliant cosmological theory of everything during his interview on Reddit, beyond this analogy:

"In string theory, all particles are vibrations on a tiny rubber band; physics is the harmonies on the string; chemistry is the melodies we play on vibrating strings; the universe is a symphony of strings, and the 'Mind of God' is cosmic music resonating in 11 dimensional hyperspace."

(The "Mind of God" is what Stephen Hawking said we would understand once we completed a theory of everything.)

While Kaku's cursory approach annoyed some Redditors (the top-voted response brings up problems with string field theory like its lack of testable theses that he did not address), it allowed him to discuss a wide array of fascinating topics he has covered in his further research.

Kaku's media tour is meant to promote his new book, "The Future Of The Mind."

Some highlights from Reddit:

On coming breakthroughs:

"Time travel and teleportation will have to wait. It may take centuries to master these technology. But within the coming decades, we will understand dark matter, perhaps test string theory, find planets which can harbor life, and maybe have Brain 2.0, i.e. our consciousness on a disk which will survive even after we die.

"I think, in the coming years, we will have a brain pacemaker that can stimulate the memory of people with Alzheimer's disease. They will be able to upload simple memories of who they are and where they live. Beyond that, we will be able to use electronics to upload vacations we never had, perhaps. And the internet itself will be a brain-net of emotions and memories.

"The 20 century was the century of physics, with computers, lasers, TV, radio, GPS, the internet, etc. Physics, in turn, has made possible that can probe biology. So I think the 21st century will be the century of physics and biology, esp. biology that can be explored via physics. So the future belongs to nanotech, biotech, AI, and quantum physics."

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String Theory Genius Explains The Coming Breakthroughs That Will Change Life As We Know It

This is the scenario being explored by researchers at Oxford University They claim life extension tech could mean prisoners serve longer sentences Philosopher Dr Rebecca Roache also writes in her blog that a time distortion pill could make people feel like they were in prison longer Another scenario the group looked at was uploading mind to a digital realm Running it a million times faster than normal would enable the uploaded criminal to serve a 1,000 year sentence in eight-and-a-half hours

By Ellie Zolfagharifard

PUBLISHED: 05:37 EST, 14 March 2014 | UPDATED: 12:54 EST, 14 March 2014

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Sentencing a criminal to 1,000 years in an artificial hell may one day become a reality.

At least, that is the claim of scientists at Oxford University who have been exploring controversial technologies that could extend human life.

They say billions are being invested in techniques that could mean the cruellest criminals will be kept alive indefinitely in condition befitting their crime.

Last year, a team of scientists led by Rebecca Roache began exploring technologies that could keep prisoners in an artificial hell

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Biotechnology could extend criminals' lives to make punishment last HUNDREDS of years

We may be edging toward a paperless world, but business cards are still the coin of the networking realm. At any given time, you likely have several sticking out of your wallet, spilling from your pockets, and stacked on your deskeverywhere but on your smartphone in your contact list, where you need them most.

Fortunately, theres a range of tools to help you digitize paper business cards for easy organization. Here are five we like most.

CamCard transcribes business cards to your contact list.

CamCard is an app that reads business cards and converts them into digital contacts. Just snap a photo of a card, and the app orients it, reads the text, and transcribes it to your contact list. Contacts are automatically saved to your CamCard digital card file, but you can choose to save them to other accounts, such as email, Facebook, or your phone contact list.

CamCards OCR works fairly well: Its good at reading text, but its not great at deciphering which text should populate which field in a digital contact file, especially when its trying to read a creative layout. For example, CamCard often gets the company name and the persons title mixed up, because many business cards put the title (not the company) after the persons name. The app is excellent at transcribing numbers (and putting them in the correct mobile, work, or fax box) and email addresses, however.CamCard also keeps a photo of the card, so if the OCR fails, you have a backup.

CamCard isnt just for collecting others cards. You can upload your own card to the database and add augmented reality features, such as links to your work, a headshot, or a video introduction. If another CamCard user scans your card, theyll get all this information.

CamCard is available for Android, iOS, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry. It comes in two iterationsa free, ad-supported version that limits the amount of cards you can scan, and a paid premium version that costs between $10 and $20, depending on the platform.

CardMunch makes it easy to connect to your contacts LinkedIn profile.

CardMunch is LinkedIns business card app (iOS only). Although its branded as a card reader, it doesnt use OCR technology to transcribe cardsit employs actual humans. Just snap a legible photo of the card then sit back and wait for one of CardMunchs team members to transcribe it and return it in digital form (the process typically takes less than 10 minutes, Ive found). Youll get all the contacts information from the card, as well as from their LinkedIn account if they have one. You can also send them a Linkedin invitation by tapping the convenient Connect button. CardMunch also stores the original card photos for reference.

CardMunch isnt for everyoneits quite a bit slower than CamCard, and, not surprisingly, its heavily LinkedIn focused. You can store digitally scanned contacts to your iOS phonebook, but you cant export them to your email account or other social networks. But if you want the most accurate transcription of your business cardsand you dont mind waiting a few minutesCardMunch delivers.

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5 ways to digitize your business cards

You don't need to be a graphic designer to create great images for social media sites. Even if you don't have a creative bone in your body you can make great images, and you can do it all in a fraction of the time that an expert might take. The secret lies in the tools you use. Graphic designers start from scratch using expensive tools that take years to master.

Smart small business marketing mavens use free and inexpensive tools to create results that only look like they took expertise to create. I've picked five of the best tools for your social media toolkit so that you can spend less time making better images.

Top of my list is Canva.com, a slick online design site and that's currently in beta. Founded by a bunch of Aussies, Canva's designs encompass the entire range of social media needs including blogs, Facebook covers and everything in between. Canva provides the design space, all the images and great-looking text elements for you to combine. You can also upload your own images.

Canva is ridiculously easy to use and the results look excitingly fresh and clean. The site offers most of its generic content for free, and additional premium items cost one dollar each. Most people will get good value by combining free content with an occasional premium element when needed. Canva outputs designs as PNG images or PDFs, and you can also collaborate with others by sharing the project link.

Figure 1: Still in beta, Canva is a one-stop site for creating awesome social media imagery.

One of the confusing things about the range of social media sites out there is how big your images should be and what imagery you need or can use on each of them. If you already have your images and just need a little help to size and tweak them, then head to Social Media Image Maker.

Click to choose the site you're interested in, such as Facebook or Google+, and then choose the type of image to createsuch as cover or profile image. Click the Create button, and then drag-and-drop your image into the pre-sized box. Move and crop the image, and then apply different effects to it. When you're done, download the completed imageready for you to upload to your chosen social media site.

Figure 2: If you're not sure what size to make your social media images, Social Media Image Maker can help.

Read the rest here:

5 Tools for Creating Kickass Social Media Images

Joni Abbott on Introspection, Health, Cannabis As Medicine, Learning To Loving Yourself More
On this edition of DTRH Popeye welcomes back to the broadcast friend, radio show host, and researcher Joni Abbott. Tonight the two of them get into the subje...

By: FederalJacktube6

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Joni Abbott on Introspection, Health, Cannabis As Medicine, Learning To Loving Yourself & More - Video

11 WebOps 1
This company provides a service whereby stem cell biopsies can be stored fresh from the operating table in a specially deigned canister which maintains an in...

By: Global Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, Roatan, Honduras

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11 WebOps 1 - Video

Integrative medicine and Cancer
Radio Final Project.

By: Angela Holubowich

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Integrative medicine and Cancer - Video

A Different Body: The Organs According to Chinese Medicine, with Rebecca Berkson, Part 2
Part 2: The Essence of Chinese Medicine: Yin, Yang, Qi Zang Fu; Lung Qi Diagnosis Treatment Examples Have you ever wanted to know more about how your org...

By: KaplanCenter

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A Different Body: The Organs According to Chinese Medicine, with Rebecca Berkson, Part 2 - Video

A Different Body: The Organs According to Chinese Medicine, with Rebecca Berkson, Part 3
Part 3: The Role of Acupuncture in the U.S. Integrative Medicine Setting; Spleen Liver Qi Diagnosis Treatment Examples Have you ever wanted to know more ...

By: KaplanCenter

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A Different Body: The Organs According to Chinese Medicine, with Rebecca Berkson, Part 3 - Video

Eli - SL Medicine Ball Twists

By: nextplaysportsperformance

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Eli - SL Medicine Ball Twists - Video

Duke Voice Center tribute to Dr. Patrick Kenan
Dr. Patrick D. Kenan was an otolaryngologist at Duke and a passionate performer. He was a founder of the Durham Savoyards and appeared in numerous production...

By: Duke Medicine

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Duke Voice Center tribute to Dr. Patrick Kenan - Video

Eric - Medicine Ball Batting Throws

By: nextplaysportsperformance

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Eric - Medicine Ball Batting Throws - Video