legislator

Nevada is known as being one of the most lenient states when it comes to gambling, fireworks, and getting married; and now it's extending that easygoingness to driverless cars.

As of today, Nevada is the first state to let Google's self-driving cars on the roads. The state's Department of Motor Vehicles issued the tech giant the first license to see just how these cars act and react on busy streets and highways, according to the Las Vegas Sun.

"We're excited to receive the first testing license for self-driving vehicles in Nevada," a Google spokesperson … Read more

Despite big name tech companies -- such as Facebook, Microsoft, and Oracle -- supporting the controversial Internet surveillance bill that passed in the House last week, Mozilla has come out against the legislation.

"While we wholeheartedly support a more secure Internet, CISPA has a broad and alarming reach that goes far beyond Internet security," the tech company wrote to Forbes reporter Andy Greenberg. "The bill infringes on our privacy, includes vague definitions of cybersecurity, and grants immunities to companies and government that are too broad around information misuse."

Mozilla is the first major tech company to … Read more

A group of senators today introduced a bipartisan cyber security bill that includes some new regulation requirements but does not give the president emergency authorities to interfere with the Internet as a previous version did.

The Cybersecurity Act of 2012 calls for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to assess risks and vulnerabilities of computer systems running at critical infrastructure sites such as power companies and electricity and water utilities and to work with the operators to develop security standards that they would be required to meet.

The DHS would determine which companies fit the definition of critical infrastructure as … Read more

The broad support in the U.S. government for two controversial antipiracy bills appears to be evaporating.

The latest string of setbacks for supporters of the bills came Saturday when Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), chairman of the Oversight committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, said that he was promised by Majority leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) that a vote on the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) will not occur "unless there is consensus on the bill."

"While I remain concerned about Senate action on the Protect IP Act [a similar bill to SOPA introduced into the Senate … Read more

As reported by CNET News, Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), who represents parts of Silicon Valley, has introduced the "Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act," which would require cellular carriers that offer 4G data services to provide consumers with accurate information about the minimum speed and reliability of the service.

In an interview, she said "consumers are really confused about what 4G really is," adding that "wireless companies right now throw around terms like 'lightning fast' and 'supercharged,' but their claims when examined closely don't always match up with reality." She said that the bill … Read more

Confused about which 4G wireless broadband service really is the fastest? U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) wants wireless operators to disclose the true speeds of their self-proclaimed "4G" services.

The congresswoman today introduced a billed called the "Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act," which, if passed, would require carriers to inform consumers at the point of sale of the minimum data speeds, network reliability, and coverage of their advertised 4G services.

"Consumers deserve to know exactly what they're getting for their money when they sign-up for a 4G data plan," Eshoo, said in … Read more

The Supreme Court today rejected a global warming lawsuit against five big power companies, its most important environmental ruling since 2007 and a victory for the utilities and the Obama administration.

The justices unanimously overturned a U.S. appeals court ruling that the lawsuit now involving six states can proceed in an effort to force the coal-burning plants to cut emissions of gases that contribute to climate change.

In a defeat for environmentalists, the Supreme Court agreed with the companies that regulating greenhouse gases should be left to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the clean air laws.… Read more

There's is no such thing as a totally safe Web service. But that doesn't mean you have to go to extremes to use Web services safely. The rules are different for businesses and families with children, who need the extra protection offered by such tools as encryption software, keystroke scramblers, and proxy services (I described the OpenDNS service in a post from May 2010).

The two pillars of PC security for every user are anti-malware software and automatic software updates. Microsoft's free Security Essentials provides real-time protection from viruses, spyware, and other unwanted software. The company's … Read more

Every time you turn around another company is reporting a serious data breach. Last week it was the LastPass online password management service that lost some e-mail addresses and master passwords, as CNET's Seth Rosenblatt reported in The Download Blog.

A couple of weeks before that, hackers broke into the servers of German software maker Ashampoo and made off with many of its customers' e-mail addresses; Elinor Mills provides details of the attack in her InSecurity Complex blog.

But these losses pale in comparison to the data breaches reported last month by e-mail service provider Epsilon and the ongoing … Read more