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World Wide Web Inventor Calls for Its Overhaul

Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the world wide web, is unhappy with it.  He has been saying for years that it has evolved into something far different from what he envisioned. Not much more than ten years ago, the web was a decentralized open platform, but since then a few corporate giants have come to dominate it. Google, Facebook, Netflix, and Amazon hold a near-stranglehold over online information and commerce, and web surfers have to surrender privacy to get much use out of the web.

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So what can we do to correct this sorry state of affairs? Well, Berners-Lee is hard at work on an alternative. Next week, he will launch a for-profit business called  Inrupt. Based on a crowd-sourced platform called Solid, it is meant to enable developers all over the world to wrest control of the web away from governments and corporate giants.

“It’s a historical moment.”

If Berners-Lee and his crew are successful, Google, Facebook, and Amazon will soon be struggling for survival. Berners-Lee is open about hisdesire not only to challenge them, but to take them down.. He jokingly (?) says his goal is ‘world domination’, and he says he wants a completely new internet. He said he is not consulting with Google or Facebook about how he will upend their business models. In his words: “We’re not asking their permission.”

“We have to do it now”, he said of Inrupt. “It’s a historical moment.”

Why now?

The need for a disruptive internet model has never been more obvious. For the last five years, one scandal after another has reminded us that our personal data is subject to manipulation and theft.

You’ve no doubt heard the news about Cambridge Analytica and the Obama reelection campaign hijacking Facebook user data to aid their political campaigns. Twitter and YouTube have been caught blocking, shadow-banning, or demonetizing conservative content. Google vacuums up personal data for ads, and apparently adjusts search functions for political reasons. In a recently released video of a Google corporate conference, several executives spoke of “our values”, with some pledging to use the platform to promote them. All of ‘our values’ were blatantly political.

We obviously- and urgently- need drastic overhaul of the world wide web. Otherwise, we will soon lose all semblance of honest and objective online information service.

Who’s in control?

Berners-Lee and Inrupt propose to address the failings of the dominant internet systems with a platform called Solid. With it, the user can create his own ‘personal online data store’ or POD. It will feature his calendar, music library, video library, contact list, to-do list, chat, and research tools. It’s like combining Outlook, WhatsApp, Slack, Spotify, and Google on the same browser- all available at the same time.

Most importantly, the data is under the user’s control. All the data he produces will be protected within his POD. The information will be secure, out of reach for his ISP, Google, Facebook, or any advertising engine- unless the user wants to release it. He can customize the degree of access he wants to provide for each bit of data.

This is a huge departure from the current internet model. In the last few years,  Google, Facebook, and other firms have been holding and controlling most online data in ‘silos’ that they built.

In the Solid web model, there are no silos.

What happens next?

Beginning almost immediately, developers can start building their own apps for the Inrupt platform. And Berners-Lee will spend the autumn tutoring developers and executives in building apps for Solid and Inrupt.

Tim Berners-Lee has set a daunting goal for himself. Can he really replace the current world wide web with something far better? Don’t bet against it. He has a record of bringing into fruition projects that others thought impossible.

(For the best internet connection, shop with Satellite Country. Talk to us. We can help.)

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Amazon Fire TV Developing Networked DVR

Amazon wants you to be able to record its live video programming. To that end, according to Bloomberg News, the web retailer and streaming video service is hard at work developing a networked DVR. Bloomberg says Amazon has not revealed a release date for the DVR.

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A networked DVR is one held in the provider’s central location, not in the consumer’s home. It records live content in real time. The consumer can view the recorded content at will, unbound by TV network broadcast schedules.

Amazon’s Lab 126, which built the Fire TV and Echo devices, is working on the new DVR. Staff for Lab 126 have dubbed the new DVR project ‘Frank’.

‘Frank’ will incorporate the same wireless technology that connects its Echo voice control devices to Fire TV boxes.

The device, according to Bloomberg, could stream recorded video to mobile tablets and phones. Existing Fire TV devices on the customer’s home network will support it. Amazon’s new DVR will be connected through the home WiFi network. It will not plug into a TV.

A conventional DVR (TiVo, Channel Master, etc.) usually plugs into a TV set, and features its own user interface. A networked DVR, by contrast, doesn’t have to be plugged into a TV.  It can be placed anywhere in the home, and can stream recorded content to any TV, streaming stick, or mobile device. In most cases, networked DVRs don’t have their own HDMI ports.

Amazon Prime Video is a subscription service, for which the customer pays monthly or annual fees. Beside the video service, customers get free or discounted shipping on goods ordered through Amazon. The video service is meant to compete with Netflix and Hulu.

 

(For streaming video, you need a reliable internet service. To find the best one for you, shop with Satellite Country. We can help.)

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HughesNet Pushes Satellite For Broadband Backup

If you operate a business, how will you respond if your wireline broadband service fails? Do you have an adequate backup?

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This is a question many business owners are asking since last month’s massive outage of Comcast services. Millions of residential customers were effected, and thousands of businesses were crippled by the outage. It affected a large portion of the U.S., from east coast to west, and all Comcast services suffered: phone, TV, internet, and business services. Ironically, even the Down Detector failed.

(The Down Detector is an online service that tracks cable and satellite service outages. It tracks dozens of internet, video, phone, gaming, and social media services. It even monitors access to individual TV channels.)

Comcast blamed the outage on a fiber cut in a Manhattan system owned by one of its backbone ‘partners’. The incident affected both business and residential customers.

Can anything insure against lost connections?

HughesNet cited the Comcast outage as the type of catastrophic surprise businesses need to insure themselves against. And HughesNet says it has the solution.

HughesNet Network Solutions now offers a backup high-speed broadband service for such events. It will automatically switch users to satellite broadband when their terrestrial web connections fail. The backup service is under the name of HughesNet Internet Continuity. For a mere $39.99 per month, it insures against losses due to DSL, cable, or telecom down time.

With the backup system, the customer gets a WiFi modem, an antenna, a router, and a radio. Once the terrestrial network is restored, the HughesNet Continuity system switches back to it automatically.

The backup system operates at speeds of up to 25 MB/S for uploads, and 3 MB/S for downloads. These speeds meet the FCC definition of broadband.

The need for some sort of internet insurance has long been evident. As many as 90% of businesses have suffered at least one web service interruption. A third report facing an outage every month. Such outages can block access to critical systems.

At minimum, the service interruptions bring loss of revenue. In extreme cases, they can alienate customers and even force business closure.

 

(For the most reliable web connection, talk to Satellite Country. We can help.)

 

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Does Your ‘Smart TV’ Know Too Much About You?

Is your TV invading your privacy? As ‘smart TV‘ becomes ever more popular, government and private parties try ever harder to exploit it to spy on viewers. If you;re not careful, your privacy could be at risk.

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Last year, a malware app called ‘Weeping Angel” targeted Samsung smart TV sets with a ‘fake off’ mode. To their owners, the TVs appeared to be off, but they were actually listening to users and recording their conversations.

With their embedded computers and microphones, these advanced TV sets are effective spy tools, so much so that the CIA has created and deployed means for transforming them into listening posts. And Wikileaks, Julian Assange’s platform for publication of stolen documents, has published detailed descriptions of viruses designed for hacking of such TV sets. MI5, Britain’s internal intelligence service, is even alleged to have helped  in designing some of the viruses.

Should you be worried about this?

Experts in cyber-security say most people don’t need to worry about hacking of their TV sets.

Most forms of malware are meant for mass surveillance. The tools designed for hacking TV sets, though, are too difficult to use to be of much value to the casual hacker. Hence, they are typically reserved for targeting individuals. Unless you suspect that you have attracted the attention of professional spies, then, you probably don’t need to worry that your TV set will be used against you.

How can you protect yourself?

If you’re still worried that your smart TV set or other devices could be used against you, a few precautions will help.

First, avoid buying electronic devices from manufacturers known to be casual about online security. And if you don’t really need networked features, avoid buying devices which include them.

Alas, protecting your privacy may require sacrificing certain conveniences. These may include voice activation, or even your TV’s web connection. You can usually find these features on your device’s ‘settings’ menu.

To be absolutely sure the device can’t spy on you, you’ll need to disconnect it from the electrical grid. If the device is battery-powered, you may need to remove the batteries.

Should you avoid ‘smart TV’ altogether?

Be realistic about this. No matter how careful you are, privacy protection in a smart TV will never be absolute. The methods we’ve mentioned here can keep your electronic devices from recording or transmitting your conversations, but your smart TV could still track your viewing history. Advertisers pay heavily for this data, and ability to collect it is built into the device’s software.

For this, the only known solution is not to buy a smart TV in the first place..

 

(For the most reliable internet connection, contact Satellite Country. We can help.)

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California Enacts New Privacy Law

The Golden State claims to have blazed a trail in the protection of online privacy.  The California legislature has passed, and Governor Jerry Brown has signed, an online privacy bill that its supporters say requires full disclosure and the right to opt out of data sharing and third-party sharing. The consumer will also be able to delete collected data if he wishes.

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Some consumer advocates are unsatisfied with the bill. They say that businesses should be required to obtain opt-in consent before collecting or sharing user data. Some internet service providers and online advertisers fiercely opposed the bill, though, so it couldn’t have been entirely toothless.

All parties will have ample time to adapt to the new law. It won’t be in force until 2020.

Was the privacy bill necessary?

Advocates of the privacy law point to recent events that they say indicate need for action. Among these are a pattern of serious data breaches, Cambridge Analytica’s use of Facebook data, scrutiny of tech platforms by Congress, and the FCC’s handing off of online privacy concerns to the FTC.

An even tougher data privacy bill had been scheduled for placement on this November’s ballot. Now that the California legislature has acted, though, the sponsors of this tougher bill have agreed to abandon their effort.

The lobby that most actively promoted the bill is Common Sense Media. Two Democrats, Senator Robert Hertzberg and Assemblyman Ed Chau, introduced it n the legislature.

Did anyone object?

Some analysts say the new law will bring more harm than good. The critics argue that web users gladly exchange personal data for free goods and services. The new law would inhibit these exchanges. Web users, then, would miss out on many essential services- or would have to pay for them.

Some privacy advocates say the California law doesn’t go far enough. They want the ‘opt out’ standard replaced with ‘opt in’. In other words, ISPs, browsers, and social media couldn’t collect user data without express consent from users. Under the the new privacy standard, consumers can opt out of sharing or commercial use of their data. But they have to act affirmatively to do so. They waive their online privacy unless they remember to act affirmatively to protect it.

The new law incorporates a separate children’s rights section. This section does require opt in parental consent for sale of data from minors under 16 yeas old. The law provides for fines and lawsuits for breaches of this section.

Will other states follow suit?

Will California’s online privacy bill be a model for other states? It’s too early to tell. The state’s political and cultural climates are so unusual, it can be difficult to predict when its accepted practices will be adopted elsewhere.

 

(For the most reliable internet connection, contact Satellite Country. We can help.)

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End of ‘Net Neutrality’

The sky has not fallen. Armageddon has passed evidently passed us by. We have not seen the Great Tribulation that was expected to fall on us on June 11, with the official end of the FCC’s Title II ‘net neutrality‘ internet rules.

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Without the regulations, we were told, the web wouldn’t work properly. Disaster would follow: fire and brimstone, floods, earthquakes, mass extinction, dogs and cats living together- real Wrath of God stuff. At the very least, we’d see our content requests blocked or slowed, with frustratingly long buffering of music and video. Of our afflictions there would be no end.

Why hasn’t the sky fallen?

So far, none of the dire predictions has been realized. We haven’t seen ISPs rushing to raise rates, block or slow content, or otherwise restrict internet access.

In fact, most ISPs have announced plans to develop advanced 5G systems. They are investing massive amounts in creation of new networks and expansion of existing ones. These investments had been retarded under the Title II web rules, because ISPs did not want to risk capital in an uncertain regulatory climate. The FCC had too much discretion, and ISPs could not be sure how it would rule from one case to another. With the end of the Title II framework, ISPs are more certain about what the law allows.

What happens now?

Does this mean the industry is finally at peace? Will the advocates of the restricitve web rules admit that they could have been wrong? Don’t bet on it. Though the legal battle over Title II is settled- for now- the political quarrel is nowhere near its end.

The industry is sharply divided over the issue. Google and Facebook have argued strenuously for retaining the Title II rules for ISPs, while Verizon and AT&T called for their abolition.

Several states, and some municipal governments, have said that they will enact ‘net neutrality’ rules on their own.  This effort has encountered stiff resistance. Roslyn Slayton is a scholar for the American Enterprise Institute who served on Mr. Trump’s transition team. Slayton said to CNN, “It’s patently illegal for the states to make their own internet policy.”

The Trump Administration is likely to join some of the larger ISPs in lawsuits against state attempts to regulate the web.

UPDATE:  We’ve received word that an effort to enact a state ‘net neutrality’ law has stalled in the California legislature.

What does it all mean anyway?

‘Net neutrality’ is the principle that an internet service provider (ISP) should treat all data equally. An ISP should not block, slow, or charge extra for any data based on the user, application, website, platform, connected equipment, or means of communication.

The Title II web rules are extensions of the 1934 Telecommunications Act. Under its terms, an ISP is to be regulated like as a ‘common carrier’, like a land line telephone exchange.

 

(For the most reliable internet connection, talk to Satellite Country. We can help.)

 

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Secrets to Masking Your Identity Online

In a previous post, we offered a few tips about protecting online anonymity. We addressed browser security, VPNs, TOR, and proxy servers.

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Now we will explore a few other steps to masking your identity online.

Phone Security

If you’re serious about protecting your anonymity, the easiest way is to ditch your smart phone. Apple, which owns the iOS system, is obsessed with control; and Google, which owns Android, vacuums up your personal data for its advertisers. For anonymity, you need a pre-paid phone. It’s what police call a ‘burner’.

The advantage of using a pre-paid phone is that your name can’t be traced to it. Of course, GPS triangulation can still locate the phone, so you’ll have to throw it away to guarantee that your location won’t be tracked.

If you don’t want to give up your smart phone, masking your identity requires another step. You’ll need more numbers for your device. You can get extra temporary numbers through several apps.

There are some disadvantages with the temporary numbers. One is inability to call 911. Also, the pool of available numbers is small, and they’re often recycled, so you may receive calls you don’t want from people trying to reach someone who had your number before.

Available ‘burner’ number services include CoverMe, Too, Burner, and Hushed. Burner is the original.

Too charges $1.99 per month plus 3 cents per minute and 8 cents per text. CoverMe charges $4.99 for 130 texts and 130 voice voice minutes. Hushed charges $1.99 for 7 days or $3.99 per month- with limits on texts and calling. Burner charges $4.99 per month for a premium subscription with unlimited texts, calls, and pictures.

Most of Burner’s numbers expire after a specified period. Any number you don’t renew is burned. With the premium subscription, you can get a permanent second number.

In-Home Firewalls

If your computer is connected directly to a modem, then you’re vulnerable. Hackers are constantly probing IP addresses for routes into computer systems.

Masking your identity online may require a router with a built-in firewall. Such a router will assign an IP address to each home device on your network through Network Address Translation (NAT). These addresses will be visible only on your home network. This step alone will stop most direct attacks.

If your system doesn’t have a built-in firewall, you can buy a security suite with firewall software. Norton Symantec and Avast are two of the better-known providers of of such security packages.

To be continued…

You may want to do more for masking your identity online, such as securing your e-mail and finding out what information your device is giving away. We will cover these subjects in a future post. Watch for it.

 

If you don’t have a reliable web connection, get one. Talk to us. We can help.

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Mixed Reality: the Future of Computing?

Microsoft is betting heavily on mixed reality (MR). Earlier this year, it released the Hololens, a holographic computing system. The Hololens overlays virtual images on real, physical environments. Wearing the Hololens headset and looking at a table in your office, for example, you may see a 3D image of a vehicle or a building on it. You can walk around the virtual object and examine it from different angles. You can even ‘move’ it with your hands, as you can with physical objects.

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What is mixed reality?

Mixed reality differs from Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). VR is a simulated 3D environment. VR is ‘immersive’; that is, it shuts out the physical world completely.  For you, VR would be what the Holodeck was for characters in Star Trek TNG.

VR is used in advanced flight simulators and other ‘immersive’ trainers.

Augmented Reality overlays simulated images on the user’s view of the real world. The heads-up displays on automobile windshields are examples of AR.

Mixed reality, also known a hybrid reality, is a version of AR. Unlike AR devices, though, the mixed reality device scans the user’s physical environment. It then creates a 3D map of his surroundings. With this map, the device knows where to place digital content so it’s realistic and the user can manipulate it with gestures. The MR images are more dimensional than AR images- hence more ‘real’.

What difference does it make?

Computing now usually entails staring at a screen. The images we see are confined within rectangles. We can’t suspend disbelief since we can’t suspend awareness that we’re staring into machines. No matter how well designed, touch screens and keyboards are highly unnatural means of dealing with our environments.

Mixed reality promises to change this. Communication becomes more intense- more ‘real’. You could seem to share physical space with a friend thousands of miles away. You see 3D objects, not merely pictures. You can move around the objects and manipulate them.

MR computing would be much more ‘natural’ and intuitive than the forms we’re familiar with. With MR, we are less conscious of our devices, We can communicate and learn more easily and more naturally.

In a future post, we will cover some of the most important applications for mixed reality.

 

(To get the most out of your computer, you need a strong internet connection. If you need more speed or reliability, talk to us. We can help.)

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WEATHERING THE STORM

Hurricanes Harvey and Irma reminded us how vulnerable we can be. We’ve learned from bitter experience that our utility, travel, and communication networks can fail at critical moments. Internet systems are no exception. We’ve found that they’re often no better at weathering disasters than our other public infrastructures are. And when internet systems fail, they’re often out of service for weeks- even months- on end.

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When underground cable and fiber systems are flooded, their networks are usually destroyed. It takes time to rebuild them. Wireline internet service, then, is likely to be unavailable in affected areas for several weeks at least.

John Stankey, CEO of the AT&T Entertainment Group, recently spelled out how serious the problem can be. He said that Hurricane Harvey devastated his company’s networks in the Houston area. Fully restoring all networks, he said, will be expensive. It will, he said, require “a multi-year commitment”.

Wired networks can be poor at weathering natural disasters. Severe storms often force extended outages.

With a satellite system, though, you can avoid ground-based infrastructure completely. Restoring service takes very little time.

No communication system is entirely weather-proof. But no matter how severe the storm, your satellite service will usually be up again within a few hours after it passes. This almost never happens with flooded cable systems.

With satellite internet, you’re not dependent on a massive local network. This leaves you more flexibility to live where you want to. You can more easily locate your business where you want to.

 

All satellite internet systems are independent of local networks. HughesNet is the only one, though, confirmed by the FCC to deliver true broadband speed. HughesNet has also been independently rated first among all internet systems for reaching advertised speeds. That’s among ALL internet systems- not just satellite.

 

(Does your current internet service fail at weathering setbacks?  Do you need something more reliable? Talk to Satellite Country. We can help.)

 

 

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BROADBAND FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Broadband service that works well enough for home use might not be adequate for business. This is especially true for businesses located in rural or suburban areas. Broadband options that are fast enough are usually expensive. More economical options might have data caps that are too tight. Some businesses find that they often exceed their data caps with ordinary business use, even though they never play interactive games or download video.

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HughesNet Business Internet

HUghesNet plans come with NO hard data limits. To be fair, they do come with data caps. If you exceed your allotment, your download speeds could be slowed.

If this is a concern for you, consider HughesNet Business Internet. It offers a strong connection and low cost for the amount of bandwidth. HughesNet commercial plans start at just $69.99 per month. All HughesNet commercial internet plans feature download speeds of 25 megabits per second (25 MB/S) and upload speeds of 3 MB/S. Data allotments range from 35 GB to 250 GB per month. The best business plan will meet the needs of more than ten heavy users.

With the Status Meter, you can track your data usage in real time. And HughesNet, unlike competing vendors, offers the option of purchasing tokens to restore speed by adding bandwidth. Other vendors add the tokens automatically, even if you don’t want them.

The FCC has rated HughesNet first among all internet service providers for reaching advertised speeds. That’s ALL internet providers, including fiber and cable.

Free WiFi Modem

A WiFi modem is included with every Gen5 plan. With the WiFi modem, you have two network options: 2.4 Gz and 5Gz. The 2.4 Gz network transmits over longer distances, and through walls. But it’s susceptible to interference. The 5 Gz band is best for newer devices, such as tablets and phones, because it can handle more data. It could lose signal strength, though, if your device is too far away from the modem.

Devices which stream a high volume of video should use the 5Gz band.

With the HughesNet Mobile App, you’ll have a WiFi gauge, so you can detect where the signal is strongest.

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A Few of the Ways Businesses Use HughesNet Business Internet

With HughesNet Business Internet, all commercial internet functions are practical. Order fulfillment. Inventory. E-mail. Negotiating with vendors. Churches use it for communicating with members, coordinating food aid, even computer training to help parishioners acquire job skills.

Almost any internet function you can imagine, HughesNet can handle. The only exception is interactive gaming.

 

To find out more about HughesNet Business Internet, contact Satellite Country. We provide TV and internet service everywhere in the U.S.

Talk to us. We can help.