Thanks for a great semester,

Nathan

“We decry what has happened,” said Crowley. “These revelations are harmful to the United States and our interests. They are going to create tension in our relationships between our diplomats and our friends around the world. We wish that this would not happen. But we are, obviously, prepared for the possibility that it will.”

via China Directed Google Attack, Leaked Cable Says — InformationWeek.

Users of Office 2003, 2007 and 2010 can sync their Office documents to the Google cloud, without ever leaving Office. Once synced, documents are backed-up, given a unique URL, and can be accessed from anywhere (including mobile devices) at any time through Google Docs. And because the files are stored in the cloud, people always have access to the current version.

via Official Google Enterprise Blog: A bridge to the cloud: Google Cloud Connect for Microsoft Office now available to early testers.

Among the domains seized were torrent-finder.com and those of three sites that specialized in music: onsmash.com, rapgodfathers.com and dajaz1.com. TorrentFreak, a news blog about BitTorrent — a file-sharing system that has tended to elude the authorities because it is decentralized — said that at least 70 other addresses had been seized, most belonging to sites related to counterfeit clothing, DVDs and other goods.

via U.S. Shuts Down Web Sites in Piracy Crackdown – NYTimes.com.

This has turned into the year of Internet TV, or at least the year of the Internet set-top box. Google has launched its TV play. Apple and Roku have updated their Internet STBs, and Boxee (a cult favorite among techies and hackers) has moved beyond just software and delivered its own hardware box as well.

via Roku still trumps Apple, Google, and Boxee for Internet TV | ZDNet.

Microsoft (Stock Quote: MSFT) has sold a million units of Kinect in the first 10 days of the gaming system’s release. The company hopes that the momentum continues through the busiest shopping day of the year during Thanksgiving weekend.

via 1 Million Kinects Sold in 10 Days | Technology | Smart Spending | Mainstreet.

Apple on Tuesday made a long-anticipated announcement: an old disagreement had been settled and The Beatles were finally included in the iTunes library. Although the Fab Four broke up in 1970, their music has dominated iTunes sales since it was added just days ago.

via Beatles Dominate iTunes Top 200 Lists | News & Opinion | PCMag.com.

So, much like the Y2K bug (remember that?), companies have a lot of incentive to put off dealing with IPv6 until they absolutely need to. And to be sure, the real-estate shortage may turn out to be less dire than it appears, if many companies have been routinely hoarding unused addresses. Companies are also stretching the IPv4 addresses they do have with technical workarounds that let one address stand in for multiple machines. (Your own home Wi-Fi network typically does this, appearing to the world as a single IP address even if you have 10 PCs, iPad, Tivos and whatever hooked up.)

via The Doomsday Scenario You Haven’t Heard About.

In a pivot away from the “voice of the crowd” philosophy central to Digg’s early culture, the social news site has launched a human curated feature called “Breaking News”which spotlights top stories selected by Digg staff.

via Digg’s ‘Breaking News’ Feature Is Another Win For Human Editors.

More than a third of police agencies review applicants social media activity during background checks, according to the first report on agencies social media use by the International Association of Chiefs of Police IACP, the largest group of police executives. The report out last month surveyed 728 agencies.

via Police recruits screened for digital dirt on Facebook, etc. – USATODAY.com.