Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter, has announced that the service will soon get a new feature in its API: the capability to optionally put geolocation data into tweets. Currently, geo-focused apps like Foursquare must hack location data into updates by linking them to web pages. Once Twitter lets developers embed geo into tweets themselves, a…
Google rivals will oppose book settlement
Amazon, Microsoft and Yahoo are planning to join a coalition of nonprofit groups, individuals and library associations to oppose a proposed class-action settlement giving Google the rights to commercialize digital copies of millions of books. The settlement between Google and groups representing authors and publishers, which is awaiting court approval, has attracted opposition from various…
PASS ID: REAL ID reanimated
In February, the opponents of REAL ID were given a bit of hope when Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said that she wanted to repeal the REAL ID Act, the federal government’s failed plan to impose a national identification card through state driver’s licenses. But what has taken place since is no return to sanity,…
Bloggers lose their cloak of anonymity
Bloggers sometimes hide behind their anonymity to make comments which they would be reluctant to make in the offline world. Anonymity is often thought to protect bloggers from being accountable for their comments. However, this thin veneer of protection can be removed either by application to court or, sometimes, by some simple cyber-sleuthing. This week,…