The Battle Against Net Neutrality
Facebook and Google have confirmed their participation in a wide-scale net neutrality protest scheduled for July 12th. The protest is being called the “Internet-Wide Day of Action to Save Net Neutrality,” or “Day of Action” and “Battle for the Net” … wow that’s a lot of t-shirts. It’s designed to be an illustrative example of the breadth and magnitude of opposition to the Federal Communication Commission’s recent regulatory behavior (or lack thereof) that open Internet advocates fear could roll back years of legislative progress. Think SOPA and PIPA protests of 2012. (Source: The Verge)
A More Accessible Future
More than 3 million people in the U.S. require a wheelchair. Thankfully, Google Maps has added the ability for locations to pinpoint accessible entrances, restrooms, elevators, and more. Despite the fact that the Americans with Disabilities Act requires access for new buildings, those constructed before 1993 aren’t required to adhere to the same standards, meaning access can often be a bit of a crapshoot for older locations — a fact for those of us who don’t have the same accessibility issues we often take for granted. (Source: TechCrunch)
Put on Your “Thinking Cap!”
Former Facebook executive Mary Lou Jepsen says she hopes to make telepathy happen … soon. Following her career at Facebook, she founded Openwater, a technology company focused on developing a device that puts the capabilities of a MRI machine into a light, wearable form. The basic idea is to shrink down the huge MRI machines found in medical hospitals into flexible LCDs that can be embedded in a ski hat and use infrared light to see what’s going on in your brain. “Literally a thinking cap,” Jepsen explains. The details of exactly how all this will all work out are a little murky. Openwater says they need to file for patents before publishing a peer-reviewed proof of feasibility, and eventually launch a product. They look a little more stylish than Dr. Bown’s helmet in Back to the Future. (Source: CNET)
