F.C.C. Net Neutrality Rules Clear Hurdle as Republicans Concede to Obama

Photo Senator John Thune, Republican of South Dakota, said that Democrats were lining up with President Obama in favor of the F.C.C. position on net neutrality. Credit Jabin Botsford/The New York Time WASHINGTON — Senior Republicans conceded on Tuesday that the grueling fight with President Obama over the regulation of Internet service appears over, with the president and an army of Internet activists victorious. The Federal Communications Commission is expected on Thursday to approve regulating Internet service...

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Net Neutrality: What You Need to Know Now

What happened? In May 2014, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler released a plan that would have allowed companies like AT&T, Comcast and Verizon to discriminate online and create pay-to-play fast lanes. Millions of you spoke out — and fought back. Thanks to the huge public and political outcry, Wheeler shelved his original proposal, and on Feb. 4, 2015, he announced that he will base new Net Neutrality rules on Title II of the Communications Act, giving Internet users the strongest protections possible. The FCC will vote on Wheeler’s proposal at its Feb. 26 meeting. If all goes well, it will be a watershed victory for activists...

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Google Earth Pro Is Now Free

In a recent announcement that was made last Friday, via a blog post, Google stated that the professional version of their mapping app, Google Earth, will now be available to all at no charge. The professional version can now be used, with all of the features simply be obtaining a free key and downloading the Google Earth Pro application. Existing users will still be able to use the tool, but Google hasn’t yet stated whether or not they will be refunded for the remainder of their subscription. The Pro version has all the same, now standard, features as the normal version of Google Earth, but it also comes with added tools, which...

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New Android Malware Simulates Shutdown and Mines Your Data

If you have an Android phone and have purchased third-party apps from outside of the more well-known app stores, you may have put your device at risk from an ingenious new malware that makes it look like you’ve shut off your phone, but instead has only simulated the shutdown with identical shut off animations. Once the screen goes black and you forget about it, the malware kicks in and roots around through your device, accessing your data. Even scarier, the malware can use your phone to make outgoing calls, take pictures, and utilize a host of other features. This malware, called the PowerOffHijack, was first spotted by AVG, who...

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