Daily Archives: 23 April 2009

1950’s Vision of Home Computer


RAND home computer

Caption: “Scientists from the RAND Corporation have created this model to illustrate how a ‘home computer’ could look like in the year 2004. However the needed technology will not be economically feasible for the average home. Also the scientists readily admit that the computer will require not yet invented technology to actually work, but 50 years from now scientific progress is expected to solve these problems. With teletype interface and the Fortran language, the computer will be easy to use.”

FBI nudges state ‘fusion centers’ into the shadows

April, 2008

“The FBI is pressuring states to become more secretive and limit even routine oversight of the bureau’s data-sharing arrangements with local police, a new document shows. . . . The memorandum, obtained by the Electronic Privacy Information Center and released on Friday, says that any ‘disclosure’ to Congress of information shared with the Fusion Center can happen only ‘after consultation with the FBI.’ . . .

It also says that requests from media organizations even for non-classified material made under Virginia’s open government laws will be referred to the FBI and then strongly opposed.

It also indicates that the FBI is responsible for a Virginia state bill called HB1007 — introduced two days after the FBI signed the memorandum on January 6 — that would exempt the Fusion Center from open government laws.” (Read more from news.cnet.com)