Transport Canada is road-testing cutting-edge devices that use global positioning satellite technology and a digital speed-limit map to know when a driver is speeding, and to try to make them stop.

When a driver hits a certain percentage above the posted speed limit, the device kicks in and makes it difficult to press the accelerator.

Why write tickets when you can just have your computer take over their car?!

I can't let you do that Dave.

The Globe and Mail: New spyware gives drivers a brake

We have tended to see jihadist terrorism as something produced in dysfunctional parts of the world, such as Afghanistan, Pakistan or the Middle East, and exported to Western countries. Protecting ourselves is a matter either of walling ourselves off, or, for the Bush administration, going "over there" and trying to fix the problem at its source by promoting democracy.

There is good reason for thinking, however, that a critical source of contemporary radical Islamism lies not in the Middle East, but in Western Europe. In addition to Bouyeri and the London bombers, the March 11 Madrid bombers and ringleaders of the September 11 attacks such as Mohamed Atta were radicalized in Europe. In the Netherlands, where upwards of 6% of the population is Muslim, there is plenty of radicalism despite the fact that Holland is both modern and democratic. And there exists no option for walling the Netherlands off from this problem.

A piece that makes some interesting points about Islamic radicalism, viewing it more as a domestic problem. It would be interesting to see some data on the social class of various participants in Islamic terrorism and possibly comparison to domestic organizations like the KKK, the ALF, and (in Canada) the FLQ.

Francis Fukuyama - A Year of Living Dangerously

People don’t engage with each other in order to exchange viruses; people exchange viruses as an excuse to engage with each other.

Douglas Rushkoff on Memes

Watch all of this video. It's astounding.

Living Cornstarch

Printing presses are the prized platform of a public lynch mob spouting liberty but spewing lies, libel, and invective. Their potent allies in this pursuit include Ben Franklin and John Hancock.

In case you missed it Forbes Magazine published an insanely vindictive scare post on bloggers in this month's issue, which claims that bloggers are an untamed lynch mob and suggests all kinds of unethical things for containing them (honestly explaining the truth is not considered). Forbes doesn't let you read the article for free so I'm linking the EFF's response instead.

Forbes 'Attack of the Blogs'

A malicious user can use the ultra-popular search website – or one that operates like it – to find vulnerabilities in corporate websites more quickly than had previously been possible, hacking expert Johnny Long has said.

More and more I'm seeing centralized media lag behind, especially when it comes to tech news. This particular article has been around for over 2 years now.

Google also a hacker ally - IT Security News - SC Magazine UK

MashupTown, a site that hosts and distributes mashups (two or more songs ingeniously mixed together to make a third) has taken down all of its files after complaints from the RIAA to its hosting partner.

Mashups are a really dumb target for the RIAA. There's just no universe in which someone who downloads a mashup of Prince's 1999 and the Benny Goodman orchestra performing "In the Mood" thinks, Well, now I've heard that, I have no need to buy the CDs those songs originated on.

Disregarding my own feelings about it entirely, this just seems like a silly thing to go after. Why not go after the dyed-in-the-wool "pirates" who are their biggest losses. Well, they already are, I suppose, but this seems an odd digression.

Boing Boing: RIAA targets mashups

The Canadian Liberal minority was defeated 171-133 today in a historic vote of non-confidence. The minority goverment only survived for one year and five months. This is the first time a Canadian goverment has fallen on a simple vote of no-confidence. As a result of the vote, Prime Minister Paul Martin is expected to ask the governor general Michaëlle Jean Tuesday morning and ask her to dissolve Parliament. Expectations are that the election will be held Janurary 23rd 2006 providing a much longer election campaign than usual and only the second wintertime election in Canada's history.

The only problem is that it may make no difference. If the people vote Liberal yet again, what are we saying? That we sanction corruption? I'm having serious thoughts about our lack of a term limit. If we have to keep the same party we should at least require a new PM, the potential for abuse is astronomical, especially if apathy is as widespread as it seems to be.

Canadian goverment falls in non-confidence vote - Wikinews

However, the bill also authorizes law enforcement agencies to obtain subscriber information from service providers – name, address, phone number, e-mail address, IP address – without a judicial warrant.

This is an extremely disturbing bill. Aside from the information already mentioned, there are some interesting definitions used for service providers. It looks as though any citizen running a wireless router, open access or otherwise, could have their equipment seized on suspicion as well. If they can argue that a citizen is a service provider, they can also demand the means to removing any private encryption said citizen is employing on their private correspondance. I'm working on a form letter for my MP and McLellan.

Questions abound over 'lawful access' bill.