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The Daily Nerd (November 20th, 2013)

·296 words·2 mins·
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Víctor (Bit-Man) Rodríguez
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Víctor (Bit-Man) Rodríguez
Algorithm Junkie, Data Structures lover, Open Source enthusiast

The Daily Nerd (November 20th, 2013) #

Checking in with ‘Royal Concierge’: GCHQ ran hotel surveillance ring to spy on diplomats and delegations

Britain’s secret listening service, GCHQ, uses a spying system codenamed “Royal Concierge” to carry out detailed surveillance on foreign diplomats and government delegations at more than 350 hotels across the world, Germany’s Der Spiegel magazine reported on Sunday. The disclosures, based on intelligence data leaked by the US whistleblower Edward Snowden, follow reports that British intelligence installs secret software to spy on selected companies and revelations earlier this month by The Independent that GCHQ operates a listening post on the roof of the UK’s Berlin embassy.

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Private firms selling mass surveillance systems around world, documents show

Private firms are selling spying tools and mass surveillance technologies to developing countries with promises that “off the shelf” equipment will allow them to snoop on millions of emails, text messages and phone calls, according to a cache of documents published on Monday. The papers show how firms, including dozens from Britain, tout the capabilities at private trade fairs aimed at offering nations in Africa, Asia and the Middle East the kind of powerful capabilities that are usually associated with government agencies such as GCHQ and its US counterpart, the National Security Agency.

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Teenaged Space Station Thriving After 15 Years Of Science, Extreme Construction And Tricky Repairs

Despite what could have been show-stoppers to construction such as the Columbia shuttle tragedy of 2003, and in the face of changing political priorities and funding from the many nations building the station, there the ISS orbits. Fully built, although more is being added every year. The first module (Zarya) launched into space 15 years ago tomorrow. Humans have been on board continuously since November 2000, an incredible 13 years.