- According to the New York Times, agencies such as the National Security Agency (NSA) and certain international counterparts have found a way to pull identifying information, such as gender, age, and location, from smartphone users when they open and utilize their phone’s applications.
- The subtitle in a recent Economist article says it all: “With a string of deals the internet giant[, Google,] has positioned itself to become a big inventor, and reinventor, of hardware.” Examples include Google’s recent acquisition of Nest Labs, maker of thermostats and smoke detectors, and a big move into hardware illustrated by a $12.5 billion bid for Motorola Mobility.
- The Wall Street Journal reports that, last week, several federal court websites were shut down. Initially, the issues were attributed to a cyber attack; but, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has now announced it was just a technical glitch.
- You may remember the case of Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari, the Texas college student from Saudi Arabia who was convicted in 2012 of attempted bomb-making and planning to target various individuals at the Cotton Bowl. Recently, on appeal, his attorneys argued that the trial court improperly denied Aldawsari’s motion to suppress evidence that was gathered pursuant to a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Court order. As Just Security reports, the Fifth Circuit disagreed and affirmed the appellant’s conviction and life sentence. Here’s the full opinion from the Fifth Circuit.
- The NYT also noted in a report from last week that Russia intends to extend its asylum assistance to Snowden beyond August, as previously indicated.
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