Ask Newt about SOPA or online privacy.

Imagine if your son or daughter created a brilliant mash-up for their English class that you thought was a perfect display of his or her personality, so you decided to share the mash-up on your family blog. Unfortunately, little Susie or Johnny included a brief movie clip or perhaps a fraction of a song in their class project, and suddenly your blog is gone thanks to a complaint from a rightsholder and the passage of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). If you want your blog back you can take the offending material down, and if you don’t want to do that, then you could sue arguing fair use. Regardless, it’s up to you to figure out what’s wrong and fight to have your blog re-instated.

A growing problem as the web and technology becomes more central to how we share, communicate and work is that an average person doesn’t know how abstract laws can affect their lives and the media doesn’t expose how well (or poorly) politicians understand technology. As a result, certain companies with lobbyists are getting away moulding our laws and policies in their favor and in the process they are going to hinder how Internet works and thrives.

Horror stories about SOPA abound, but what about your cell phone? Can a police officer search the contents of your phone during a traffic stop? Can a customs agent rifle through your laptop files as you return from a trip abroad? What about the history of your Google searches or checkins on Foursquare, can those be used against you in a court of law? These are not idle issues and instead of focusing on who is a socialist or paying  attention solely to where someone stands on social issues such as abortion or gay marriage, the broader media, politicians and citizenry need to start paying attention to and thinking about tech policy.

So while debates over the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) will continue to rage as we head into an election year in the U.S. France, The U.K and other places, we should ask elected officials about how they view the Internet and how connectivity can change the world.

Thomas Friedman danced around the issue in his New York Times’ column Tuesday, when he suggested politicians need to be asked about how we can bring to bear the budding infrastructure we’re building to connect people and things to solve some of our problems. Sure the web is disruptive, and disruptive is scary, especially for politicians, but as technology becomes more engrained in our lives it also becomes a target for politicians. So we need politicians that understand it and view it as a tool, yes, one that can be abused, but also one that can be harnessed for society’s benefits, such as improving rural access to healthcare.

Rather than letting the web turn into a partisan issue kind of like spectrum policy has become, or letting industry interests try to cut the web off at the knees as the content industry seems to be doing with SOPA, it’s time to shape some questions that can help voters understand how politicians stand on various issues such as privacy, censorship and the real issues where the government’s views on technology will impact citizens’ lives. I’m not suggesting every Congressman must have a detailed understanding of what a DNS server is, but it’s time they stopped equating the Internet with nerds, and look ahead to how the web can improve government, lower costs and maybe solve some pressing problems.

Here are a few questions I’d like to see at the upcoming debates, but feel free to offer more in the comments below. Honestly, as citizens we also need to be thinking about how we would answer these questions (or want our politicians to answer them) as well.

• As the Internet is changing the skill sets demanded by employers, what does the federal/state/local government need to do to ensure our educational system keeps up? Are there subjects we need to add? Procedures we need to change? Skills our administrators and teachers need? Infrastructure that should be as important as a chalkboard is in classrooms?
• As people store more information online, what do you see as the biggest risks for consumers, corporations and governments? What laws need to change?
• Can you name an area of government where you see adding connectivity or developing a program that uses connectivity could improve service and/or save taxpayers money?
• Our digital footprints are forever and we’re now leaving digital records of every casual search, photograph, thought and place we visit. When much of this information was in a physical form, to get at this data required the government to justify the need to invade someone’s privacy. Our current laws don’t always protect digital information in this same way. Should it?
• Do you consider our current wireline broadband market competitive? How do we keep improving it? Is fiber to the home to as many places as possible a good goal for the government to pursue, recognizing it could cost taxpayers billions?

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• The future of Wi-Fi in the enterprise
• Report: Monetizing Digital Content
• The role of organizations, individuals and managers in the new workplace

alt=''
border='0'
/>

GigaOM

Rising fuel costs has made it tougher for people to simply drive what thay want, and go on journeys that in the old days would have been non essential. The rising price of diesel and petrol is talked about all over the world, and doesn’t appear to be getting any better. Unfortunately there is not a great deal that can be done for the average person, and the only option for quite a few is to cut back their consumption.

Nevertheless, if you need to hire a van or truck you may want to look at the size of the vehicle to determine if it is fuel efficient. Some bigger vans basically are no longer fuel efficient, and you may be better renting a smaller van for your purpose. The preference of van hire or truck hire that you decide on should be thought about carefully, and there are a number of different variables that you need to look at. As well as the price to hire the van you also need to think about the type of fuel that it will need to have put in to it.

You will require to seriously consider what you have to move, and try and hire a van rental or truck rental that can do the load in one trip. Truck and vans are very heavy vehicles, and this is often the main factor when it comes to fuel efficiency. Heavier trucks will use more diesel no matter what the length of journey you intend to do. Many people can drive larger trucks on their current license, but are put off by the size. Nevertheless, you may shell out more to hire a larger truck or van, but it will take less time and fuel to get the job done.

The way that the truck or van is driven will also play a large part in the overall amount of fuel that you use for your journey. However many people try to vans, and trucks the way they drive their car, and this simply isn’t possible. Driving a truck or van is like trying to maneuver a brick, and it is far from aerodynamic. Your whole driving attitude needs to change, and the style that you approach the journey needs to be entirely different.

Fuel economy can be significantly improved by learning not to accelerate, and brake un-necessarily throughout the journey. You will also notice that when the truck or van is heavier it will require to be driven differently. Although you cannot reduce the cost of the diesel that you need to fill the truck or van up with, by mindful planning, and organization you will be able to cut down some of the expense.

One of the top rated car manufacturers in the world today, BMW SUVs as well as cars symbolize class, reliability and moreover definitely the last word in luxury. Elegant and even stylish cars which are a pleasure to drive are the hallmarks of the world legendary German car manufacturer. There is no true blue car fanatic who won’t dream of having a BMW.

Few, yet manage to turn this dream into reality, for the simple reason that a BMW (any model) is way beyond the average person’s means. You would will need to have unusually deep pockets to be able to drive one of these wheeled beauties into your garage.

The Budget Buyer’s BMW – Certified and Pre-owned

Although a ‘cheap’ BMW merely doesn’t exist, there are ways to possess an affordable one which won’t burn a hole in your pocket. And this is the certified BMW which comes along with a factory warranty. Sounds good? Of course, it does. Though before you rush out to get your budget BMW, consider the following factors:

* The Warranty – Each second hand BMW these days comes with a warranty this assures your peace of mind. The warranty is the seller’s assurance that your car has been carefully examined and moreover that its condition, features and moreover functions are in perfect working order. You won’t need to worry about a single thing.

* Financing Options For Pre-owned BMWs – If you reside in the us, you can pick from a wide range of simple loans schemes as well as customize one in order to suit your needs much better. BMW loan schemes present numerous advantages for example flexible payment plans; immediate possession, low or fair interest rates, amongst others. This makes it easier for you to own your used BMW car. Get the information you want by visiting your local BMW dealer or else visiting the company website.

* Certification Equals Reliability As Well As Safety – Purchasing a certified BMW from an approved seller ensures that you get a good deal. An accredited BMW seller will give you a comprehensive and moreover tailor-made set of services including roadside assistance and moreover original accessories, among others. Being the proud owner of a world class car, you’re certainly eligible for a smooth hassle-free drive.

Statistics demonstrate that the majority of used BMWs are about three years old or even less, so you aren’t really losing on much – your car will probably be covered under the factory warranty. Purchasing a used BMW instead of a brand new one is a sensible choice, particularly when the economic environment in the country isn’t all that great.

One more thing that you should remember is that it is certainly best to buy a top end car than compromise on both looks and moreover quality by opting for an inferior brand. A great looking luxury automobile at bargain prices – what do you want?

Massive Health, a new San Francisco start-up aimed at tackling health care problems, has just raised .25 million in its first round of funding from a stellar list of investors. The company plans to use the money to develop mobile applications that help users treat chronic diseases using big data, analytics, social and game mechanics.

Led by founder Aza Raskin, the former creative lead at Mozilla and Sutha Kamal, former technology architect at Fjord, Massive Health has nabbed funding from Andreessen Horowitz, Greylock Discovery Fund, Mohr Davidow Ventures, Felicis VC and Charles River Ventures. A roster of unnamed angel investors have also joined in the funding.

Raskin is cagey about the details surrounding Massive Health’s business because he said there are many turns coming ahead. He said the company is looking to launch its first products hopefully this year. While he doesn’t go into specifics, Raskin said Massive Health wants to apply the latest in data analytics and advances in mobile devices to tighten the feedback loop for patients of chronic diseases. By helping people tap into their phones as sensors and then analyzing the data, Massive Health is able to better shape the behavior of users. He said in much the same way cars that display real-time mileage data help shape driving habits, Raskin said Massive Health is hoping to create a similar effect using live mobile data.

“The average person has a sensor in their hand and that output can get stored in the cloud somewhere,” Raskin told me. “Our view is once you have that data, you can do interesting things with it.”

The company will also be able to pull out trends and correlations from a larger group of users that can help instruct users. With the phone able to create all kinds of data about a user’s behavior, it makes sense to build products that leverage that for some of our biggest health care issues. Raskin said the company is focusing on the 15 percent of patients that account for 90 percent of the country’s health care bills. We’ve already seen a number of mobile applications targeting health like Fitbit and the Nike + iPod Sensor. It’s going to get even more crowded as venture capitalists look more in this direction. But with no immediate answers for problems like diabetes, obesity, heart disease, it’s good to see more dollars making their way toward this intersection of mobile and health care.

For more insights from the big data landscape, come to GigaOM’s Structure: Big Data conference on March 23 in New York City.

Related GigaOM Pro content (sub req’d):

• The Rise of Mobile Health Apps
• Lessons From Twitter: How to Play Nice With Ecosystem Partners
• Bluetooth to Feel Blue as Personal Area Network Battles Loom

GigaOMTech

Vehicle escape lighting isn’t something that most people ever bother to think about. That is until the rare situation that they need it. The average person on the street may never buy vehicle escape lighting, but the armed forces and transport companies certainly consider it for the safety of personnel or the public. Even some members of the public buy it, such as yacht owners to help in the case of a capsize. The air force, army and navy have a need for vehicle escape lighting so that escape is as quick as possible and lives can be saved. Because of the dangerous situations they find themselves operating in, speedy vehicle escape is of high importance. The Hatch Lighting and Orientation System (HaLO) for aircraft and armoured vehicles can be fitted to aid evacuation. The system is designed to operate in murky waters too if the vehicle occupants find themselves under water. Even in smoke filled vehicles, occupants should be able to orientate and find their way out. The system is designed well and is highly durable. It is essential for the safety of personnel. A heavy duty shock proof variation of HaLO specifically for use as armoured vehicle escape lighting is also available and can help troops escape if their tank rolls over or plunges into water. The system is activated on roll-over or following a blast. A special lightweight version is used for aircraft.

Underwater escape lighting can be fitted to helicopters so that if they ditch, the crew can quickly see which way is out. This water activated emergency lighting system is incredibly useful to help get out of the aircraft.

It’s not just the armed forces that need to consider vehicle escape lighting. The public will come across it in planes, yachts and trains. In public transport, it is common to find signs that light up in the dark, directing you to the nearest exit. The safety features and signage on trains and planes is often overlooked by people as they go about their daily lives but in an emergency, it is the lighting that can help save lives and reassure people.

When it comes to motorcycles, no other identify carries the mystique, prestige or respect seeing that that of H-D. Harley riders are even more as compared to motorcycle enthusiasts with the penchant for a identify brand; they are instead members of an elite fraternity of riders known throughout the globe. Grab some Harley Davidson Decals to stick on your stuff to find the feel of it. For this elite group, owning a Harley is just aspect from the complete H-D picture. The second and sometimes nearly equal aspect from the equation is image. Whether or not the motorcycle of decision is a Sportster, Softail, or Electra-Glide, there is certainly a specific image that identifies the rider a member from the H-D community.

When the average person thinks of a Harley rider, they find a mental image of a leather clad biker wearing a bandana and sunglasses. Though this could be a broad stereotype from the typical Harley rider, it hardly is an accurate description. The image from the Harley rider is seeing that customizable seeing that the especially bike they ride.

Take a stroll by the showroom of any H-D dealership so you will see a diversity of image options. Take leather jackets by way of example. There is the skull jacket with a reflective image of Willie G.® to the back. Consequently there is certainly the Road Warrior 3-in-1 jacket with black on black reflective embroidered H-D Logo. Still just one more selection is the black jacket with the classic embroidered screaming eagle H-D logo. There is also the classic cruiser jacket that sports colored panels to the chest, shoulders and inner arms. Other choices provide the United states Legend and FXRG jackets, just to identify one or two.

Each of these jackets represents the mystique, legend and lore of certainly not no more than H-D seeing that a manufacturer, however the especially models that riders have pledged their loyalty to. A rider in a classic cruiser jacket lets the globe know that they do certainly not belong to the Softail community. By the same token most people would certainly not expect to see a rider wearing a skull jacket cruising down the highway on an Electra-Glide. The next time you see a group of Harley riders out for a ride, take note from the image that apparel lends to the bike and rider. The public will likely be amazed at just how many niche communities you locate in the Harley riding community.