washingtonpost.com - Tech Policy

Kentucky Tests State's Reach Against Online Gambling

Brian Krebs — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 17:40:05 EDT

An effort by the state of Kentucky to seize more than 140 online gambling Web site names is raising novel legal questions about the physical location of digital property and the reach of local and regional governments on the global Internet.

MoveOn Grows Up

Jose Antonio Vargas — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

NEW YORK Five days after Sen. John McCain named Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, Quinn Latimer and co-worker Lyra Kilston sent an e-mail to 40 female friends and invited them to outline the reasons they were upset with his choice. It elicited such a huge response -- from friends of...

High Court Lets Dish Ruling Stand

Greg Stohr — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday rejected Dish Network's appeal of a patent-infringement ruling that may force the company to shut down its digital video recording service and pay TiVo hundreds of millions of dollars.

Google Goes to Washington, Gearing Up to Put Its Stamp on Government

Kim Hart — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The tall buildings in Reston bear the familiar names of big government contractors: Northrop Grumman, CACI, Raytheon and Accenture. Last month another name appeared, but not one that's typically associated with the federal market.

Space Inspires Passion And Practicality in China

Jill Drew — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

BEIJING -- When he's in Beijing for meetings, Ouyang Ziyuan works out of an office overlooking the new Olympic Green, home to the Water Cube aquatics center and the Bird's Nest national stadium, the latest icons of China's coming of age.

Baby Talk

Howard Kurtz — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:10:00 EDT

Is it fair, at this stage of the game, to raise questions about Sarah Palin's baby?

Expanded Powers to Search Travelers at Border Detailed

Ellen Nakashima — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The U.S. government has quietly recast policies that affect the way information is gathered from U.S. citizens and others crossing the border and what is done with it, including relaxing a two-decade-old policy that placed a high bar on federal agents copying travelers' personal material, according...

SmarTrip Upgrades Pushed To 2010

Lena H. Sun — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Metro is overhauling the office in charge of the popular SmarTrip electronic fare cards after internal audits found that failures by the main contractor and agency managers have added at least $2 million in costs and three years in delays for long-awaited, customer-friendly features.

Primary Vote Still Doesn't Add Up

Nikita Stewart and Elissa Silverman — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

As District officials continue to investigate errors in the early vote tallies from the Sept. 9 primary, one number stands out: 1,542.

Cyber Attack Data-Sharing Is Lacking, Congress Told

Ellen Nakashima — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

U.S. intelligence agencies are unable to share information about foreign cyber attacks against companies for fear of jeopardizing intelligence-gathering sources and methods, cyber security expert Paul B. Kurtz told lawmakers yesterday.

Hackers Access Palin's Personal E-Mail, Post Some Online

Michael D. Shear and Karl Vick — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A group of computer hackers said yesterday that they had accessed a Yahoo e-mail account of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, publishing some of her private communications to expose what appeared to be her use of a personal account for government business.

ATF Lost Guns, Computers

Holly Watt — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Over a five-year period, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives lost dozens of weapons and hundreds of laptops that contained sensitive information, according to a scathing report issued yesterday by the Justice Department.

EPA Lets Electronic Waste Flow Freely, GAO Report Says

Juliet Eilperin — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The Environmental Protection Agency has done little to curb the export of discarded electronic products containing hazardous waste, much of which ends up in poorly regulated countries and harms the environment and public health, the Government Accountability Office concluded in a report being rel...

Lawmakers See Challenges for TV Transition

Kim Hart — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

In the next five months, federal officials preparing Americans for the conversion to digital television have to clear up reception glitches, sort out problems with hooking up converter boxes and find a way to make sure coupons for those converters get to the viewers who need them.

Into the Rolodex for a Bundle

Thomas Heath — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

P. Wesley Foster, the real estate mogul who founded Chantilly-based Long & Foster, is hitting up acquaintances from a lifetime of business deals to help raise money for Sen. John McCain. When he runs out of names, he gets suggestions from the McCain campaign.

Va. Ban On Spam Is Ruled Unlawful

Tom Jackman — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The Virginia Supreme Court yesterday ruled that the state's anti-spam law, designed to prevent the sending of masses of unwanted e-mail, violates the First Amendment right to freedom of speech.

Ads That Built Google Could Now Pose Test

Peter Whoriskey — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Most people pay little mind to the text ads that surface after an Internet search.

MSNBC Bombs in Blogosphere

Howard Kurtz — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 10:17:59 EDT

The decision by MSNBC to yank Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews from anchor duty during live political events did not exactly send a thrill up the leg of liberal bloggers.

Just as Storms Loom, N.C. Town To Switch Away From Analog TV

Kim Hart — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

WILMINGTON, N.C., Sept. 5 -- Residents here have spent nearly six months preparing for the biggest shift in television technology since color TV. At the request of the Federal Communications Commission, this coastal town will be the first market in the nation to shut off traditional analog signals...

Telecom Reporting Rule May Be Eased

Cecilia Kang — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Phone giants AT&T, Verizon Communications and Qwest today are expected to win approval to report less information to the Federal Communications Commission on such matters as consumer complaints and infrastructure investments.

Controversy Snarls Upgrade Of Terrorist Data Repository

Robert O'Harrow Jr. — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A major effort to upgrade intelligence computers that hold the government's master list of terrorist identities is embroiled in controversy about the project's management and the work of contractors hired for the job, documents and interviews show.

Pregnant Pause

Howard Kurtz — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 05:40:00 EDT

MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 2-- Over breakfast in the shadow of the Mall of America, some reporters were wondering how long it would take for the Sarah Palin pregnancy rumors to hit the staid old MSM.

MSNBC's Family Feud

Howard Kurtz — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 09:30:58 EDT

MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 31 -- Anyone who thought the Democratic convention would be a dull and choreographed affair clearly didn't count on the bitter, ego-fueled clashes that marked the week.

Candidates' Web Sites Get to Know the Voters

Peter Whoriskey — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Any two people interested in whether Amanda Beard is dating fellow Olympian Michael Phelps, and who clicked on the Boston Herald tidbit that raced around the Web last week, got the same piece of gossip.

Finding Use for the Airwaves' 'White Spaces'

Kim Hart — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The Federal Communications Commission has spent nearly a year testing devices designed to use empty television channels, known as white spaces, for high-speed Internet service. As those tests near conclusion, the agency is evaluating yet another proposal about the best use of the airwaves.

Burglaries, Larcenies Lift Fairfax Crime Rate

Tom Jackman — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Crime in Fairfax County, which rose for the first time in six years in 2007, increased 12 percent in the first six months of this year, driven largely by big leaps in burglaries and larcenies, Fairfax police said yesterday.

Morning Spew

Howard Kurtz — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:52:00 EDT

DENVER, Aug. 26--Joe Scarborough and David Shuster didn't quite come to blows Tuesday morning, but their anger really boiled over.

Airwave Concerns Prompt Proposal To Ban Some Wireless Microphones

John Dunbar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The Federal Communications Commission is proposing a ban on certain types of wireless microphones and has begun an investigation into how the industry markets its products.

Wii Controllers Get Tangled In Patent Fight

Zachary A. Goldfarb — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A small local technology company, citing patent infringement, yesterday asked a U.S. trade panel to stop Japan-based video game giant Nintendo from importing its Wii system into the United States and filed a suit in federal court for unspecified damages.

Citizens' U.S. Border Crossings Tracked

Ellen Nakashima — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The federal government has been using its system of border checkpoints to greatly expand a database on travelers entering the country by collecting information on all U.S. citizens crossing by land, compiling data that will be stored for 15 years and may be used in criminal and intelligence...

Capturing The Bush Legacy Online

Christopher Lee — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The Bush administration will soon be packed and gone, but part of its legacy will live on in cyberspace.

Virtual Worlds Get Real About Punishment

Kim Hart — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Virtual worlds have often been called the digital equivalent of the Wild West, where animated alter egos can live in a fantasy frontier. But in some of these universes, a sheriff has come to town.

'A Lot of People Just Don't Take the Basic Precautions'

Brian Krebs — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

At the end of the Black Hat hacker convention in Las Vegas this month, James Finch, head of the FBI's Cyber Division, sat down for an interview about crime and the Internet. About 4,000 people gathered at the annual convention to hear about research on the latest network and computer or...

Potential for Conflict Grows With Government's Use of Contractors

Robert O'Harrow Jr. — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

For years, Science Applications International Corp. served as an adviser to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission on the development of rules for when radioactive materials could be released from nuclear facilities for recycling.

What's in a School Name? For Leesburg, Indecision.

Erica Garman — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Living in LoCo is Erica Garman's blog devoted to all things interesting in Loudoun County. You can find it at http://www.loudounextra.com . This column of highlights from the blog appears in this space every Sunday.

D-Day 2009 Commences On Their Signal

Monica Hesse — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

We are at T minus six months. This is it, folks. The nation has done what it can do to prepare for The Transition. The government has allocated approximately $1.5 billion in coupons to ease America's fear and suffering. Sen. Hillary Clinton sent a letter to President Bush imploring him to see the...

Longtime Battle Lines Are Recast In Russia and Georgia's Cyberwar

Kim Hart — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

As the violence unfolded between Russia and Georgia during the past week, hackers waged war on another front: the Internet.

Police Turn to Secret Weapon: GPS Device

Ben Hubbard — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Someone was attacking women in Fairfax County and Alexandria, grabbing them from behind and sometimes punching and molesting them before running away. After logging 11 cases in six months, police finally identified a suspect.

Biotech Campaigns for Easier Access to Generic Drug Market

Kendra Marr — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Geoffrey Allan has been giving Congress a lesson in biotechnology.

In a Changing Corner of Pa., a Glimpse of Obama's Age Problem

Alec MacGillis — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

LANCASTER, Pa. -- When Gene Rutherford, 65, tries to make sense of the meteoric rise of Barack Obama, and the rampant enthusiasm for him among younger Americans, he thinks of the local mall, where as director of operations he often deals with teenagers.

San Francisco Case Shows Vulnerability Of Data Networks

Ashley Surdin — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

LOS ANGELES -- San Francisco is being forced to overhaul security measures on the computer network that controls data for its police, courts, jails, payroll and health services, as well as other crucial information, after the technology administrator entrusted with the system blocked access for...

Hackers' Latest Target: Social Networking Sites

Brian Krebs — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

LAS VEGAS -- Social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn are fast emerging as some of the most fertile grounds for malicious software, identity thieves and online mischief-makers. And while some of the talks given here at Black Hat, one of the larger hacker conferences in the c...

Anthrax Case Raises Doubt On Security

Nelson Hernandez and Philip Rucker — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Revelations about anthrax scientist Bruce E. Ivins's mental instability have exposed what congressional leaders and security experts call startling gaps in how the federal government safeguards its most dangerous biological materials, even as the number of bioscience laboratories has grown rapidl...

Yahoo to Make Targeted Ads Optional

Peter Whoriskey — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Internet giant Yahoo is set to announce today that it will allow users to shut off targeted advertising on its Web sites, a move that comes as a congressional committee continues to air concerns about consumer privacy.

Government Asserts Ivins Acted Alone

Carrie Johnson, Del Quentin Wilber and Dan Eggen — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Government officials asserted yesterday that a troubled bioweapons scientist acted alone to perpetrate a terrorism scheme that killed five people, a case that centered on a near-perfect match of anthrax spores in his custody and a record of his late-night laboratory work just before the toxic let...

FBI to Show How Genetics Led to Anthrax Researcher

Marilyn W. Thompson, Carrie Johnson and Rob Stein — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

The FBI today will begin to unveil how it exploited the rapidly advancing science of genetics to link a single bioweapons researcher to samples taken from the victims of the 2001 anthrax attacks and to powder from the letters that killed them.

11 Charged in Global Theft, Sale Of 40 Million Card Numbers

Simone Baribeau and Ellen Nakashima — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Federal prosecutors charged 11 people yesterday with the theft and sale of more than 40 million credit and debit card numbers from at least nine U.S. retailers in what they said was one of the largest and most complex hacking and identity theft cases ever brought.

E-Mail Hacking Case Could Redefine Online Privacy

Ellen Nakashima — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

A federal appeals court in California is reviewing a lower court's definition of "interception" in the digital age, in a case that some legal experts say could weaken consumer privacy protections online.

Scientists Question FBI Probe On Anthrax

Joby Warrick, Marilyn W. Thompson and Aaron C. Davis — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

For nearly seven years, scientist Bruce E. Ivins and a small circle of fellow anthrax specialists at Fort Detrick's Army medical lab lived in a curious limbo: They served as occasional consultants for the FBI in the investigation of the deadly 2001 anthrax attacks, yet they were all potential...

Modest Gains Against Ever-Present Bioterrorism Threat

Spencer S. Hsu — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

In the past seven years, the federal government has spent more than $57 billion to shore up the nation's bioterrorism defenses, stockpiling drugs, ringing more than 30 American cities in a network of detectors and boosting preparedness at hospitals.

Scientist Set to Discuss Plea Bargain In Deadly Attacks Commits Suicide

Carrie Johnson, Carol D. Leonnig and Del Quentin Wilber — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EDT

Authorities investigating the deadly 2001 anthrax mailings used previously unavailable techniques to trace the lethal powder to the office where scientist Bruce E. Ivins worked at the sprawling Army biodefense laboratory at Fort Detrick, Md., according to sources briefed on the investigation.