For those who still actually use Hotmail instead of Gmail, Microsoft is introducing new security features that are actually kind of neat and pretty useful. First off, they have banned commonly used weak passwords. This means that passwords like “password,” “god” or “love” (we’ve all seen Hackers, right?) won’t cut it anymore. Hotmail users who currently use a weak password may be prompted to change it in the future, so, like trying to get into a closed beta testing program, if you really want a Hotmail account with a weak, unsafe password, now is the time to create an account.

Secondly, Microsoft is introducing a “My friend has been hacked” feature, in which users can report accounts that they believe to have been compromised. Generally, a user would be able to tell that a friend’s account has been compromised because the hacker would use the account for uncommon activity, such as sending phishing emails or spam to the friend. The “mark as” menu in Hotmail now contains a “My friend has been hacked!” classification (similar to “Mark as spam”), so users can report what they feel is a hacked account fairly seamlessly. When a user reports that they think an account has been hacked, it sends an alert to Microsoft, and the company’s detection system then knows to run its detecting magic, and if the engine discovers that the account has indeed been hijacked, then it automatically begins the recovery process in order for the original owner to take back his or her account. That is, if they haven’t already switched to Gmail.

(WinRumors via Techmeme)

You know when your favorite show or an extremely important sporting event is airing, and you’re stuck at a place with your computer, Internet access, and a significant lack of cable television, and you just mosey on over to your favorite Internet streaming site and stream it live? Well, if a new bill introduced late last week becomes law, said streaming would be upgraded to a felony.

As Ars Technica points out, “reproducing” and “distributing” copyrighted works are felony charges, but the streaming of content was never classified as such because it was considered a “public performance,” something that wasn’t considered distribution. However, under the new bill, introduced by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Cornyn (R-TX), “public performance” would join “reproducing” and “distributing” copyrighted works as a felony. Online streamers would face up to five years in prison, and can be charged a fine if they are caught showing ten or more “public performances” via electronic means in any 180-day period, as well as if the total retail value of said “public performances” reaches over $2,500 or the price of licensing a single “public performance” breaches the $5,000 mark.

(via Ars Technica)

As the wave of anti-government sentiment continues to spread across the Middle East, protests in Libya took a strange turn last night when the L.A. Times reported that the Internet was down across the country. Dozens have been killed in Libya since the protests began, and the loss of communications stoked fears of a deadly crackdown. But within just six hours, Internet communication was restored.

It is unclear whether this suspension of online access was simply a test of the country’s ability to do so, or if Libyan leaders bowed to international pressure to restore communications. However, social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook are still suspended.

This mysterious suspension and restoration of communication comes quick on the heels of similar actions during the recent uprising in Egypt, which toppled the reigning government. The events in Libya may indicate a move against suspending total Internet access during a time of unrest, as such actions did little to hamper Egyptian protests. In fact, the Egyptian government’s communications crackdown drew further international attention and condemnation.

Though the intent behind the shut down can only be guessed at, it underlines the Internet’s growing role in the political life of countries. Moreover, the difficulty nations face when they try to impose control over internet communications. This is a brave new world, and hopefully we’ve seen the last of Internet killswitches.

(Image and story Via The Next Web)

The President has recently announced a new plan to free up huge chunks of the wireless spectrum, increase the national coverage of 4G networks, and install a wireless public safety network. These are ambitious goals being set by the administration, perhaps the most being the 4G investment which the President has pledged will cover 98% of Americans.

To make this all work, the White House is planning to raise $27 billion in spectrum auctions, and then turning that money around to fund the investment in these areas:

• $5 billion to bring 4G internet connections to rural America
• $3 billion for 4G research and development to coincide with the construction
• $10.7 billion for the wireless public safety network, which was called for years ago by the 9/11 commission
• $9.6 billion for budget deficit reduction

The push behind this investment invites comparison to the past efforts to bring telephone communication and highway travel to all corners of America, and the administration has framed it’s arguments in support of the investment in the same light. From Networkworld:

“America’s businesses are building out 4G networks to much of the nation,” the White House said in a statement. “Nevertheless, absent additional government investment, millions of Americans will not be able to participate in the 4G revolution. This investment will … extend access from the almost 95 percent of Americans who have 3G wireless services today to at least 98 percent of all Americans gaining access to state-of-the-art 4G high-speed wireless services within five years.”

Commentators have noted, however, that the entire plan hinges on the money brought in from auctions. As any eBay patron can tell you, those don’t always work out how you want. But the emphasis on bringing Internet connectivity (and public safety) to the nation as a whole, is a worthy one. Keep in mind, this isn’t so much about 4G as it is bringing the Internet to mostly poor, isolated, outlying communities. Hopefully this initiative, however it really pans out, will give every American a more equal footing in the burgeoning information economy. Perhaps it will be little things like someone making some extra money on Etsy, or bigger things like a farmer finding a better price for his crop.

Either way, it will bring us a step closer to all being united, as as a people, underneath that glorious community that truly identifies this country: Facebook. I mean, uh, the American dream.

(Via Engadget, Networkworld)

It was only a few short days ago that artist Matthew Inman, aka The Oatmeal, had his State of the Web making the rounds. In it were chronicled major internet events of the past year, and one stirring recommendation: Tumblr needs a FailWhale equivalent. In a startling turn of events, Tumblr has honored that plea.

In the early days (ca. 2008), a lil’ microblogging service called Twitter could barely keep itself online and addressed these issues by making their 503 error page an adorable image of a whale sinking the internet. The FailWhale has since become the thing of internet legend. Fast forward a few years and another microblogging site, Tumblr, begins to grow in popularity. As it does, it too begins to fail with such regularity that you could set your watch by it.

And now, the Tumblbeasts have been unleashed; hopefully soothing frayed Tumblr users’ nerves with their adorable green antics. Beware the TumblBeast, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

(Tumblr and The Oatmeal via Buzzfeed)