Tag: 1984 was a Warning not a Blueprint

Beware Greeks Bearing Gifts

Especially if those Greeks are a Japanese University…

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Japan-university-gives-away-apf-15379360.html?.v=3

Aoyama Gakuin University located in the city of Tokyo is giving 550 students free iPhones. Sounds like a great deal huh? Well wait until you see the string attached to this one…

The gadget will work as a tool for studies, but it also comes with GPS, a satellite navigation system that automatically checks on its whereabouts. The university plans to use that as a way check attendance.

By check attendance they mean track the students’ whereabouts. So as long as you’re willing to have your university actively track you everywhere you go (with the phone at least) you to can have a free phone.

Of course I am curious how they are tracking the phones. Because it can’t be with software on the phone since third parties can’t write software that runs in the background on an iPhone. Maybe they are jailbreaking the phones. Either way doing a full reset would take care of either scenario. Granted the school would also notice that any reset phone is no longer reporting tracking information back to them.

The other method is either the government or cell phone carriers must be giving the university access to the tracking information. In a country without freedom like Japan this is of course very possible.

Either way there is an easy solution. If you’re a student with one of these “free” phone just give it to a buddy who’s going to class when you want to skip. The phone can only report back where it is, so if it’s in class so are you.

England’s Child Database Launched

www.internetnews.com – Personal Data of Millions Lost in U.K. Security Breachnews.bbc.co.uk – Database of all Children LaunchedMore proof England is taking the novel 1984 literally…

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/8052512.stm

Here is the basics of the situation…

The government says it will enable more co-ordinated services for children and ensure none slips through the net.
It will hold the details of 11 million children and young people aged up to 18 years.

Don’t worry though access to the database is limited…

It says 390,000 people will have access to the database, but will have gone through stringent security training.

See they people with access to the database, you know the very few 390,000 of them, will have very good security training. Just like the British government, oh wait…

http://www.internetnews.com/breakingnews/article.php/3712501

But what could possibly be contained in this database? Well the following…

Name, address, date of birth, gender and contact details for parents or carers

Each child also has a unique identifying number

Details of the child’s school and GP practice and for other practitioners or services working with the child

Whether the practitioner is the lead professional for that child

I give it less then a year (and that’s being VERY generous) before the database is compromised and the information contained in it is leaked.

Meanwhile in the Fascist State of Britain

Is somebody you know wearing too much “bling?” Then turn them in…

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/lawandorder/5314774/Police-target-people-wearing-too-much-bling.html

Britain’s new police campaign is urging it’s subjects to turn in other subjects if they are wearing too much “bling.” Apparently the government is putting up posts stating that if you think somebody is living a life of luxury and you don’t think they can afford it you need to turn them in.

So if you’re a subject of the crown of Britain and you see somebody wearing any jewelry at all place it safe and call the Ministry of Love, I mean the police.