Project Loon By Google

4.3 billion people still lack access to the Internet today. However, through Project Loon, Google has ambitious plans to connect these people to the world through balloons. Through partnerships with telecommunication companies to share cellular spectrum and the usage of LTE, a wireless telecommunication technology, Project Loon seeks to simulate a free-floating cell towers through these balloons. By using software to track wind movement, Google engineers are able to maneuver the balloons to ensure the signal can be handed off to another "cell tower" and thus ensure the message is not distorted or lost. Hence, through phones and other LTE-enabled devices, everyone would be able to connect to the balloon network and consequently the Internet anytime, anywhere.

Having discussed how cellular networks and how a signal is handed off between cell towers, I think this article is interesting because it highlights the different forms that the cell towers can actually take. I think that the level of ingenuity and creativity used in designing these balloon "cell towers" emphasizes that technology does not respect any boundaries and how we use technology in our lives is only limited by how far our imagination can go.

By: Chew Ming Li, Pearlyn 

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Facebook launches Aquila solar-powered drone for internet access

Facebook has created one of the largest unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) which plans to provide internet access to remote parts of the world. The solar powered drone will be able to fly for three months at a time without landing, using laser beam to beam data to a base station on the ground. Facebook aims to use a network of aerial drones as a means to provide internet access to large rural areas, with the help of local internet service providers (ISPs).

This could potentially be the start of a connectivity boost in rural areas, which make up a large part of the world. As of now, only 40% of the world is connected to the Internet and therefore this project if successful, will be largely beneficial to the remaining majority.

By: Wee Yong Hui Bronson

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Clickjacking Campaign Exploits European Cookie Law

The article talks about an exploit which makes use of the European law that requires web users to be notified when a website wants to install cookies on their machine called clickjacking. They typically conceal a transparent page within an authentic web page (or in this case, a cookie popup notification) which causes the user to think that he is clicking the visible button (i.e the cookie notification), but instead it is a legitimate advert. Therefore abusing both the advertiser and the ad network hosting which costs advertisers and ad networks a lot of money while online crooks are profiting from bogus Pay Per Click traffic.

The article furthers our knowledge on cookies and explains how it can be exploited by people in real life and how cookies can pose as a threat and a real problem to advertisers and ad network hosts. 

By: Lim Chen Wei

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How cyber thieves trade your birthday for profit in a part of the Internet you can’t find

Cyber thieves have exploited the vulnerabilities in computer networks to gain access to large amount of personal data. They are able to make huge profits out of it, even when prices of these data are sold at a relatively low price today. Cyber thieves trade stolen personal information in a “dark Web”, which are inconspicuous to Google and other search engines. These personal data include birth dates and identification numbers, which are enough to apply loans and credit cards without our knowledge.

This article highlights how our own personal data can be easily sold in illegal marketplaces without our permission. Corporations should also increase the level of data protection and security of their users. It is also important for us to learn how to protect ourselves from such hacks as much as possible.

By: Yang Jia Jia

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FBI's war on encryption is unnecessary because the Internet of Things will spy on us just fine

This article talks about the "war on encryption" whereby governments are scared that with the advancements and adoption of technological architectures, it is increasingly harder to track down terrorists and kidnappers due to the advanced encryption on communications that limits the government's ability. However, it is believe that because of how freely everyone is sharing and revealing their personal data through the Internet, these acts as accessible sources for intelligence agencies and will help in the government efforts of tracking and surveilling communications.

This article is relevant to the topic of Security and it shows the dilemma involved in this area of focus. Firstly, with the adoption of encryption software, it is believe to solve security issues yet the government feels that it is providing a platform for terrorist oraganisations to go under the radar and conduct their wars. Yet, the recent lessons on how easily personal data and information are shared on the internet can result in security issues are instead thought to be able to bypass these "encryptions" and help solve the problem.

By: Sim Chong Ying Brendan

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How software developers helped end the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone

This is a very interesting article on the roles played by open source software developers in helping to stop the spread of Ebola virus in Sierra Leone. Payroll crisis hindered the recruitment of doctors and nurses and also undermined people's confidence in the health system at a vital time, which ultimately exacerbated the spread of the virus. By leveraging on the use of open source software, these IT developers managed to find solutions for logistics and accounting issues, which would not have possible without the existence of open source frameworks. With this huge open source ecosystem, these software developers managed to develop a mobile money system that substitued cellphone minutes for cash and created a automated payment system, thus effectively ending spread of virus.

I find this article extremely relevant to what we have learnt about open source software where it is more superior to proprietary software attributed to wisdom of the crowds. Such an epidemic could not have been reduced in a matter of weeks, without the use of open source software as it is not possible for these developers to develop such complex systems in such a short time with no funding available. This article highlights the wonders of open source software, where modified and more reliable source codes can be distributed to the masses and thereby improving their lives.

By: See Wei Xuan

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Google’s Self-Driving Cars Aren’t as Good as Humans—Yet

Google’s self-driving car is a key project that Google has predicted to be launched in the market by 2020. However, there are still 341 instances where Google engineer has to take over the control of the vehicle, when “things like communication and system failures”. The question lies in who is to blame if an accident really happens after its official launch and whether Google can make it safer than human drivers. 

Humans are relying more on software technologies to aid in their daily life. However, can we ever reach the stage where we are 100% confident in the software development that there will never be an “accident”? Given that software are written by humans, the element of “human error” can never be eradicated in my opinion.

By: Zheng Jingpin

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