Weekend tech reading: Libya cuts Internet amid protests

[Matthew DeCarlo]

Libya turns off the Internet and the Massacres begin First, Libya blocked news sites and Facebook. Then, beginning Friday night, according to Arbor Networks, a network security and Internet monitoring company, announced that Libya had cut itself off from the Internet. Hours later the Libyan dictator’s solders started slaughtering protesters. As of Sunday afternoon, U.S. Eastern time the death toll was above 200 in the city of Benghazi alone. ZDNet

Microsoft downplays threat of new Windows zero-day Microsoft yesterday downplayed the threat posed to Windows users by a recently-revealed vulnerability, saying that it was unlikely the bug could be exploited to compromise a computer. The flaw in the Windows Server Message Block (SMB) network and file-sharing protocol was disclosed Monday... Computerworld

U.S. House votes to allow cable providers to throttle Internet House Republicans have managed to pull off a high profile rejection of a key tech-related component of the Obama administration's initiatives. In control of the House for the first time in four years, Republicans have voted to overturn so-called "net neutrality" rules proposed earlier this year by the Obama administration. DailyTech

Intel to invest more than $5 billion to build new factory in Arizona Intel today announced plans to invest more than $5 billion to build a new chip manufacturing facility at its site in Chandler, Ariz. The announcement was made by Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini during a visit by President Barack Obama at an Intel facility in Hillsboro, Ore. Intel

Goodbye, HD component video: Hollywood hastens the 'analog sunset' Listen—do you hear that creaking sound? Don't be too alarmed. It's only the coffin lid slowly closing on your ability to get high-definition video via the analog component-video connections on your Blu-ray player. Consumer Reports

Researchers aim to 'print' human skin Researchers are developing a specialized skin "printing" system that could be used in the future to treat soldiers wounded on the battlefield. Scientists at the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine were inspired by standard inkjet printers found in many home offices. CNN

Feature cut from Windows Home Server to return via add-in One of the crowning features of Windows Home Server, which Microsoft announced it was cutting as part of the next major version of the OS, is set to return with the help of some third-party software makers. CNET

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https://www.techspot.com/news/42496-weekend-tech-reading-libya-cuts-internet-amid-protests.html

 

[TrekExpert]

I was almost speechless after reading this article in more ways than one...
For one, I am a strong supporter of net neutrality and I think that overturning the net-neutrality rules is a large mistake, and of coarse the slaughter of protesters in Libya goes without saying. I'm just glad that the protests in Egypt didn't escalate to the same level.

 

[Lurker101]

I'm in favour of it. The net-neutrality rules that were being set out were a joke and far removed from the actual concept of net-neutrality.

And once again, another riot, another internet cut so the powers that be can use as much force as they want to stop the protesters. Just a shame that this time, the military are happy to give out the beatings.

 

[Prosercunus]

Lurker101 said:
I'm in favour of it. The net-neutrality rules that were being set out were a joke and far removed from the actual concept of net-neutrality.

And once again, another riot, another internet cut so the powers that be can use as much force as they want to stop the protesters. Just a shame that this time, the military are happy to give out the beatings.

I think you are pretty dead on Luker, you are only able to maintain power by force through strength of an obedient detached from civilians military force. Egypt was successful not only because of the people taking to the streets, but the very military or the strong arm of the government was sympathetic to the people and their cause. Libya on the other hand is pretty much the opposite.

We in the states have it much better, the military is extremely attached to civilian life, to the point where any sort of large scale military crackdown would fail, at least in a scenario where the masses were calling for a complete government reform, chances are our coward politicians would step down just after a few simple large scale but heated protests.

 

[Archean]

Prosercunus said:
We in the states have it much better, the military is extremely attached to civilian life, to the point where any sort of large scale military crackdown would fail, at least in a scenario where the masses were calling for a complete government reform, chances are our coward politicians would step down just after a few simple large scale but heated protests.

Militaries are generally more 'attached' to civilians then we ever realize. Having said that, the sort of draconian laws being enacted in the name of 'counter-terrorism' have given so much more power to agencies, so that almost every democracy now resembles closely to all the 'police states' hence 'terrorizing' the ordinary citizens with almost unrestricted monitoring of their lives. Resulting in discounting of the principal of 'Innocent till proven Guilty'. So far only difference is the justice system, which is trying to fight back this horrendous encroachment of agencies on civil rights, to what i call 'state terrorism'. This also implies that militaries are also included in this nexus being part of the 'establishment'.