Weekend Random Stuff…

Stuff I bookmarked recently. Some off topic, some not:

Law enforcement taps Google’s Sensorvault for location data, report says
The database is for targeting ads and seeing how effective they are. But it’s reportedly also been a treasure trove for police.
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Tracking Phones, Google Is a Dragnet for the Police
The tech giant records people’s locations worldwide. Now, investigators are using it to find suspects and witnesses near crimes, running the risk of snaring the innocent.
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Bill of Rights of the United States of America – Amendment IV
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Big Tech Lobbying Gutted a Bill That Would Ban Recording You Without Consent
The Illinois Keep Internet Devices Safe Act would have empowered average people to sue big companies for recording them without consent, but industry association lobbying defanged it.

As China Hacked, U.S. Businesses Turned A Blind Eye
Technology theft and other unfair business practices originating from China are costing the American economy more than $57 billion a year, White House officials believe, and they expect that figure to grow.
Yet an investigation by NPR and the PBS television show Frontline into why three successive administrations failed to stop cyberhacking from China found an unlikely obstacle for the government — the victims themselves.

Microsoft’s work with Chinese military university raises eyebrows
Microsoft has been collaborating with researchers linked to a Chinese military-backed university on artificial intelligence, elevating concerns that US firms are contributing to China’s high-tech surveillance and censorship apparatus.

Editorial: Who is serving today
The Army fell short of its recruiting goals in fiscal year 2018 for the first time since 2005…
And the military, on average, also is better educated than the general population. Overall, 98 percent of enlisted active duty troops have at least a high school diploma compared with only 88 percent of American adults. And military officers are considerably better educated than average U.S. adults. More than 80 percent of active-duty officers have at least a bachelor’s degree and 42 percent advanced degrees, compared with about 30 percent of the general population.
And as for socioeconomic representation, forget the old perception that enlisted troops come from low-income, deadbeat homes. Researchers with CNA found that most recruits come from solidly middle-class families. In fact, lower-income neighborhoods tend to be underrepresented in the military…
Today’s military is more diverse than ever. Today more than 40 percent of active military members belong to racial and ethnic minority groups, almost mirroring the makeup of the general population. And women, while still only 17 percent of the active force, represent a quickly growing population, especially as all career options now are open to them.
Every time I meet one of these young vets or active duty soldiers I am impressed with them.

Science Explains Why Men with Longer Beards Have Smaller Testicles
Labcoats believe that primates, like us, only have the energy to develop one or the other