Ars Technica: AT&T Takes Another Step Towards Filtered Network with Investment in Vobile
AT&T announced in June that it would develop technology designed to prevent copyright infringement on its network – by, presumably, deep packet inspection combined with technology designed to identify video. Now they’re investing in Vobile, a company that makes a screening technology that supposedly can identify videos as they’re being transmitted over the Internet.
Vobile’s core product is a screening technology that it calls “VideoDNA.” Like other systems of its kind, VideoDNA develops a unique signature from every frame of video. The signature is meant to be robust enough to survive various transformations and edits, and it can then be used to run matches against incoming content.
Speaking of intellectual property…
Washington Post: Russia Casts A Selective Net in Piracy Crackdown
We don’t cover politics much on this blog, but this story is indicative of the power of government regulation and technology law on politics.
MOSCOW, Nov. 13 — The newspaper Novaya Gazeta, one of the last outposts of critical journalism in Russia, suspended publication of its regional edition in the southern city of Samara on Monday after prosecutors opened a criminal case against its editor, alleging that his publication used unlicensed software.
The case is part of a larger assault on independent news media, advocacy organizations and political activists, according to government critics. But it is one that is specifically tailored to deflect foreign criticism….
In the past 10 months, police in at least five Russian cities have raided the offices of media outlets, political parties and private advocacy groups and seized computers allegedly containing illegal software, paralyzing the work of the organizations. Often, authorities demand that employees submit to questioning and order them not to leave town until legal action is completed.
Speaking of computers shutting down…
The Register: Reno 911 – World’s Largest Reboot Underway
Superrebooting – er, excuse me, Supercomputing 07 in Reno had a little problem:
Yes, Supercomputing 07 went through what could be the world’s largest, collective reboot of all time. At about noon today, the immense amount of hardware here in Reno killed the power system and then killed it again a few seconds later. Lights went out. The machines stopped humming. And a few claps scattered throughout the crowd – a machismo kind of thing no doubt: my cluster is too big for your power station.
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