If Microsoft’s General Counsel has his way, 2015 will be a “year for solutions” when it comes to the intersection of the internet and international law. Brad Smith told an audience at a an event organized by the Center for European Policy Studies in Brussels, Belgium that the regulations governing how internet companies handle user privacy and government requests for data are woefully outdated and ready for a refresh. “Here in Europe the data protection directive was written mostly in the early 1990s, when I spent seven years living and working here…

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A financial website unexpectedly changed its log-in process and revealed a paper-thin commitment to the narrative of online security. …  … Security controls are only helpful when the users and the service agree on what they mean. In this case, a financial services company’s customers must ignore the fact that the new log-in prompt does exactly what the old system vehemently warned them against.  Image: Paco Hope  Verifying a site vs. verifying the purchaser of a certificate In the past, their login prompt used personalized security images. Customers would select…

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Google Glass failed at marketing rule number one, ride the hype and sell to your customers while your product is still hot. Believe it or not, Google announced Glass almost two years ago in April 2013, with thunderous applause and put itself well ahead of the game in the wearable tech scene. But, this was followed by an extremely slow and staggered roll-out that allowed a small select few z-list celebrities and developers to get their hands on it. BIG MISTAKE. Now you would think that Google would have learnt…

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Etihad Airways, which next month becomes one of the few airlines in the world to offer fleet-wide inflight connectivity services, has witnessed a dramatic surge in Internet and mobile phone usage in 2014. Reflecting the broader trend for people to use their personal devices for work and entertainment when travelling, the growth was largely driven by people logging onto Etihad Airways’ Wi-Fi network, with usage rising by 80 per cent last year. Increased demand for onboard mobile services also contributed to the surge in usage, with 2.6 million devices connecting…

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