Archive for the ‘Free Software’ Category

Why Indian Courts Should Reject Traceability Obligations – EFF

Strong end-to-end encryption is under attack in India. The Indian governments new and dangerousonline intermediary rulesforcing messaging applications to trackand be able to identifythe originator of any message is fundamentally incompatible with the privacy and security protections of strong encryption. Companies were obliged to comply with the mandate on May 25. Three petitions have been filed (Facebook; WhatsApp; Arimbrathodiyil) asking the Indian High Courts (in Delhi and Kerala) to strike down these rules.

The traceability provisionRule 4(2) in the Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code rules (English version starts at page 19)was adopted by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology earlier this year. The rules requireany large social media intermediary that provides messaging shall enable the identification of the first originator of the information on its computer resource in response to a court order or a decryption request issued under the 2009 Decryption Rules. (The Decryption Rules allow authorities to request the interception or monitoring of decryption of any information generated, transmitted, received, or stored in any computer resource.)

The minister has claimed that the rules will [not] impact the normal functioning of WhatsApp and said that the entire debate on whether encryption would be maintained or not is misplaced because technology companies can still decide to use encryptionso long as they accept the responsibility to find a technical solution, whether through encryption or otherwise that permits traceability. WhatsApp strongly disagrees, writing that "traceability breaks end-to-end encryption and would severely undermine the privacy of billions of people who communicate digitally."

The Indian government's assertion is bizarre because the rules compel intermediaries to know information about the content of users messages that they currently dont and which is currently protected by encryption. This legal mandate seeks to change WhatsApps security model and technology, and the assumptions somehow seem to imply that such matter neednt matter to users and neednt bother companies.

Thats wrong. Because WhatsApp uses a specific privacy-by-design implementation that protects users secure communication by making a forward indistinguishable from a new message, from the servers point of view. So when a WhatsApp user forwards a message using the arrow, it serves to mark the forward information at the client-side, but the fact that the message has been forwarded is not visible to the WhatsApp server. The traceability mandate would make WhatsApp change the application to make this information, which was previously invisible.

The Indian government also defended the rules by noting that legal safeguards restrict the process of gaining access to the identity of a person who originated a message, that such orders can only be issued for national security and serious crime investigations, and on the basis that it is not any individual who can trace the first originator of the information. However, messaging services do not know ahead of time which messages will or will not be subject to such orders; as WhatsApp has noted,

there is no way to predict which message a government would want to investigate in the future. In doing so, a government that chooses to mandate traceability is effectively mandating a new form of mass surveillance. To comply, messaging services would have to keep giant databases of every message you send, or add a permanent identity stamplike a fingerprintto private messages with friends, family, colleagues, doctors, and businesses. Companies would be collecting more information about their users at a time when people want companies to have less information about them.

India'slegal safeguards will not solve the core problem:

The rules represent a technical mandate for companies to re-engineer or re-design their systems for every user, not just for criminal suspects.

The overall design of messaging services must change to comply with the government's demand to identify the originator of a message. Such changes move companies away from privacy-focused engineering and data minimization principles that should characterize secure private messaging apps.

This provision is one of many features of the new rules that pose a threat to expression and privacy online, but its drawn particular attention because of the way it comes into collision with end-to-end encryption. WhatsApp previously wrote:

Traceability is intended to do the opposite by requiring private messaging services like WhatsApp to keep track of who-said-what and who-shared-what for billions of messages sent every day. Traceability requires messaging services to store information that can be used to ascertain the content of peoples messages, thereby breaking the very guarantees that end-to-end encryption provides. In order to trace even one message, services would have to trace every message.

Rule 4(2) applies to WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, iMessage, or any significant social media intermediaries with more than 5 million registered users in India. It can also apply to federated social networks such as Mastodon or Matrix if the government decides these pose a material risk of harm to national security (rule 6). Free and open-source software developers are also afraid that theyll be targeted next by this rule (and other parts of the intermediary rules), including for developing or operating more decentralized services. So Facebook and WhatsApp arent the only ones seeking to have the rules struck down; a free software developer named Praveen Arimbrathodiyil, who helps run community social networking services in India, has also sued, citing the burdens and risks of the rules for free and open-source software and not-for-profit communications tools and platforms.

This fight is playing out across the world. EFF has long said that end-to-end encryption, where intermediaries do not know the content of users messages, is a vitally important feature for private communications, and has criticized tech companies that dont offer it or offer it in a watered-down or confusing way. Its end-to-end messaging encryption features are something WhatsApp is doing rightfollowing industry best practices on how to protect usersand the government should not try to take this away.

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Why Indian Courts Should Reject Traceability Obligations - EFF

Global Analysis of Free Music making Software Market Size 2021-2026 By Industry Demand, Growth Share and Competitive Landscape Jumbo News – Jumbo…

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Global Analysis of Free Music making Software Market Size 2021-2026 By Industry Demand, Growth Share and Competitive Landscape Jumbo News - Jumbo...

OK, but will there be snacks? As workers return to the office, some perks like Taco Tuesdays may be in question – USA TODAY

The snack options at the San Francisco office of Ticketfly, shown from 2015, include cereal, energy bars, crackers, chips, bananas, nuts, chocolate and candy.(Photo: Ticketfly)

There's a lot that Lindsay Duran has beenthinking about as some of her co-workers are slowly starting to come back to the office.

As thechief marketing officer at Zilliant, a B2B startup in Austin, Texas, Duran is helping to make sure there's enough open meetingspace andproper social distancing for her colleagues and visiting customers, many available masks if necessary, and plenty of hand sanitizer.

Butafter 14 monthsaway, there areotheroffice essentials, perks if you will, that she's also taking into consideration:Will there be an abundanceof snacks around, and, will "Taco Tuesday" and beeron Friday afternoonsbe back?

"The short answer, yes, we see a lot of those perks returning," she said.

"At Zilliant, we have what we call an adult culture, asthe health and safety of our colleagues definitely come first. And, aswe start to get critical mass,'Taco Tuesday' will proceed, and so will 'Beer 30.'

Upon returning to the office, Zilliant executives Samantha Leung, left, and Lindsay Duran, right, wanted to make sure certain perks including Taco Tuesdays, returned as well to the Austin, Texas-based startup.(Photo: Zilliant)

While serious discussions are ensuingfor several companies contemplating how to safely welcome back their employees back to the office more than a year into the pandemic, for some employerswho incentivize workers within-office perks, an intriguing question may popup: Will there still be free snacks and other amenitiesavailable?

Here are three big changes employees can expect as they go back to work after the COVID-19 pandemic. USA TODAY

And, for some smaller tech companies, like early- or midstage startups, these incentives, such as a fully stocked fridge, an abundance of snacksand the free or occasional meals, matter. They arenot only a way to attract talentbut also usedto boost creativity,productivity, and a little fun.

Companies who offer perks should not see them as costs, but rather as investments...

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"Absolutely having some or all of those perks will help if affordable," said Ben Waber, president, andco-founder of Humanyze, a Boston-based company that tracks workplace analytics.

He cites a survey Humanyze recently conducted that found while nearly half of respondents are not confident that their company will have a well-thought-out strategy upon their return to the office, almost73% of respondents saidbeing unable to collaborate with their colleagues in person was the biggest challenge they've experienced during the pandemic.

New workplace rules: More companies will let employees work from home or hire workers who live far away

Co-workers missing working alongside each other,as well as some perks, could be what would draw themback to the office, even if it's in a hybrid workplace structure, Waber said.

"What offices are good at is creating serendipitous interactions, building trust, and brainstorming because it can sometimes be hard to do that remotely," Waber said. "Companies who offer perks should not see them as costs, but rather as investments to create those interactions."

Meanwhile, Ben Johnson, the president and CEO of Spruce, an Austin, Texas-based startup whose app provideson-demand servicesfor apartment residents with chores such as laundry,pet care, and COVID-19 sanitation, briefly closed before reopening in May 2020 andhas had a flex policy, keepinghis officewith two large bay doors openas he's letmostemployees work remotely as many come by for socially-distanced happy hours on Fridays.

Pre-pandemic, Johnsondid offeroffice perks such as free lunches, the occasionalcatered meals,beer kegs, and as muchTopoChico (the popular mineral water originating fromMexico)as employeescan drink.

"Being in the officewas a big part of our culture," said Johnson, who in addition to the Friday happy hours,hired aproduction company to make Spruce's virtual holiday party look like an awards show.

Spruce executives Ed Ryan, Paul Clark, and Rick Ford, roast marshmallows outside their headquarters during a recent happy hour. The Austin, Texas-based startup is among many companies debating whether to continue certain perks such as snacks and meals as several employees return back to the office.(Photo: Spruce)

Currently, Johnson said he pivotedfrom officeperks (with the exception of the TopoChico), while mostof his employeeswillcontinue to work from home three to fourdays a week, to remote perks.

This includes free home cleaningservices, unlimited personal time off, and letting them work anywhere, as Johnson has seen staff more than double to 50 employees as the companyprepares for another round of funding from venture capitalists.

"We have an intense culture here, where everyone is doing their best, so being able to work from anywhere is absolutely liberating," said Johnson, who also hopesto eventually see them all during Spruce's first companywideevent in more than a year, a boat party on Lake Austin, this summer.

For Brian Platz, co-founder and co-CEO of Fluree, a Winston-Salem, North Carolina-based early-stage startup that providesblockchain database solutions, having office perks is now virtually essential in a competitive tech space.

About six weeks ago,some ofFluree'sgrowing staff started trickling into the office, located in formertobacco factories converted into startup hubs. This came as many of them worked remotely and even met for virtual happy hours usingTopiaspatial video software.

As an incentive,the companystarted bringing in free lunchesa few times a week, especially for three recent hires they had never met in person.

"We have the challenge of 'how do we take these new hires and make them feel a part of ourculture when they havent really met anyone else?'" Platz said. "We already had the snacks, the coffees, and the drinks. We hope it'san incentive for people to come back in more."

Regarding the free lunches, Platz said the decision came after some discussions. "Were a tech company, after all. We're notgoing completely overboard, but theres an expectation of having LaCroixand some snacks in the fridge," hesaid.

Platz said as the Centers for Disease Control offersongoing guidance on mask-wearing and social distancing in public, he feels companies like Fluree have to be flexible and know what's important, even if that includes mentioning office perks during interviews while trying to attracttop talent.

"I might even lead with what our perks aretoday, where I probably wouldnt have before," Platz said. "Weve got to be fluid right now asIm fairly convinced thehybrid workplace is here to stay. I expect this to become the new normal."

Back at Zilliant, Duran said she's been encouraged to see some of her colleagues return tothe office, even ordering them tacos for lunch. As for snacks, there'sa break roomwitha fridge full of sparkling water and soda and stocked with trail mix, granola barsand chips.

Duran thinks that's an encouraging sign of workplace normalcy, and that if all goes well, might bea bit bustling very soon.

I hope so, she said.

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OK, but will there be snacks? As workers return to the office, some perks like Taco Tuesdays may be in question - USA TODAY

Quake info: Reported (unconfirmed) earthquake: 2.6 mi east of Beaverton, Washington County, Oregon, USA, 6 June 2021 15:35 GMT – 3 user experience…

Our monitoring service AllQuakes received reports of an earthquake in or near Near Portland, Oregon, USA at around 15:35 GMT. Unless confirmed by at least one national or international seismological agency, its status remains unconfirmed.

6 Jun 15:53 UTC: First to report: VolcanoDiscovery after 18 minutes.

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Info: The more agencies report about the same quake and post similar data, the more confidence you can have in the data. It takes normally up to a few hours until earthquake parameters are calculated with near-optimum precision.

Contribute:Leave a comment if you find a particular report interesting or want to add to it.Flag as inappropriate.Mark as helpful or interesting.Send your own user report!

Beaverton / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating

Tualatin / not felt

Portland (0 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : It woke me up from sleeping

Portland Oregon (0 km WSW of epicenter) [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : I was asleep and in my dream I was shaking I woke up and the whole bed was shaking. A little bit and then a lot and then it tremor for a second

Click here to search our database for earlier earthquakes in the same area since 1900!

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Quake info: Reported (unconfirmed) earthquake: 2.6 mi east of Beaverton, Washington County, Oregon, USA, 6 June 2021 15:35 GMT - 3 user experience...

Here’s Why I Think CyberTech Systems and Software (NSE:CYBERTECH) Is An Interesting Stock – Simply Wall St

Like a puppy chasing its tail, some new investors often chase 'the next big thing', even if that means buying 'story stocks' without revenue, let alone profit. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.'

So if you're like me, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like CyberTech Systems and Software (NSE:CYBERTECH). Even if the shares are fully valued today, most capitalists would recognize its profits as the demonstration of steady value generation. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, unless its owners have an endless appetite for subsidizing the customer, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else breathe its last breath.

Check out our latest analysis for CyberTech Systems and Software

In the last three years CyberTech Systems and Software's earnings per share took off like a rocket; fast, and from a low base. So the actual rate of growth doesn't tell us much. Thus, it makes sense to focus on more recent growth rates, instead. Like the last firework on New Year's Eve accelerating into the sky, CyberTech Systems and Software's EPS shot from 4.81 to 8.74, over the last year. You don't see 82% year-on-year growth like that, very often.

One way to double-check a company's growth is to look at how its revenue, and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins are changing. While we note CyberTech Systems and Software's EBIT margins were flat over the last year, revenue grew by a solid 4.4% to 1.2b. That's a real positive.

In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings, and revenue, over time. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart.

CyberTech Systems and Software isn't a huge company, given its market capitalization of 3.9b. That makes it extra important to check on its balance sheet strength.

Many consider high insider ownership to be a strong sign of alignment between the leaders of a company and the ordinary shareholders. So as you can imagine, the fact that CyberTech Systems and Software insiders own a significant number of shares certainly appeals to me. Actually, with 47% of the company to their names, insiders are profoundly invested in the business. I'm reassured by this kind of alignment, as it suggests the business will be run for the benefit of shareholders. In terms of absolute value, insiders have 1.9b invested in the business, using the current share price. That's nothing to sneeze at!

It means a lot to see insiders invested in the business, but I find myself wondering if remuneration policies are shareholder friendly. A brief analysis of the CEO compensation suggests they are. I discovered that the median total compensation for the CEOs of companies like CyberTech Systems and Software with market caps under 15b is about 3.0m.

The CEO of CyberTech Systems and Software was paid just 140k in total compensation for the year ending . This could be considered a token amount, and indicates that the company does not need to use payment to motivate the CEO - that is often a good sign. CEO compensation is hardly the most important aspect of a company to consider, but when its reasonable that does give me a little more confidence that leadership are looking out for shareholder interests. I'd also argue reasonable pay levels attest to good decision making more generally.

CyberTech Systems and Software's earnings per share have taken off like a rocket aimed right at the moon. The sweetener is that insiders have a mountain of stock, and the CEO remuneration is quite reasonable. The sharp increase in earnings could signal good business momentum. Big growth can make big winners, so I do think CyberTech Systems and Software is worth considering carefully. We should say that we've discovered 1 warning sign for CyberTech Systems and Software that you should be aware of before investing here.

Although CyberTech Systems and Software certainly looks good to me, I would like it more if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see insider buying, too, then this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying, could be exactly what you're looking for.

Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. *Interactive Brokers Rated Lowest Cost Broker by StockBrokers.com Annual Online Review 2020

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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Here's Why I Think CyberTech Systems and Software (NSE:CYBERTECH) Is An Interesting Stock - Simply Wall St