What is cloud computing? Should you be interested in learning more? What does this have to do with Barack Obama, the US Gov. and/or politics?
First, what is cloud computing?
According to Wikipedia…whatever people, way too confusing.
Google offers a more concise and easy to understand definition:
the practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the Internet to store, manage, and process data, rather than a local server or a personal computer.
The following are three (3) very easy to understand examples from, and for, a regular guy like myself:
1.
On form of cloud computing that most of us have been using for many years is email (e.g., Hotmail and Yahoo). Unless you download your emails they are stored online, in the cloud.
2.
Software which can no longer be purchased, tangibly owned or installed on your computer which is now only available for rent (or membership/subscription) online. One example is Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud (released in 2013) . You log in to your online account, work in the cloud and also save your work there.
Their last version which could purchased, tangibly owned and installed on your computer was CS6 (Creative Suite 6) which was released in 2012.
Personally, I believe software such as Adobe Photoshop has been copiously and abundantly used without license (cracked/patched versions available online at torrent sites) to the point that Adobe doesn’t have any other way to make a profit from their applications aside from now renting them in the cloud and completely doing away with traditional software.
3.
I used to work for Western Digital (one of the world’s largest, if not the largest, manufactures of computer hard drives) in their tech support department.
Western Digital does not have their own database for technical support records.
They use a cloud database (there is no software) which is available (for rent) from a company called Salesforce Inc.
Western Digital employees in the tech support department use online accounts with Salesforce.com and all tech support records (e.g., names, addresses, credit card numbers, products model number, product serial numbers, issues) are stored in the cloud.
There are many other examples but I trust that the foregoing were relatively simple and easy to understand.
What are your thoughts (you, the person reading here at the WOBIK blog) regarding cloud computing?
Did you know that US Gov has legal access to anything in the cloud if it is stored on a server within the United States? Furthermore, it is now the position of the US Gov that digital search warrants (not that one is needed) apply anywhere, even on severs abroad (e.g., Google & Microsoft have servers in Ireland – its cold there and that’s good for a heat producing server and helpful in reducing costs of cooling).
The US Gov can also legally confiscate information and digital property located on a sever in the United States. All US companies (including places like Facebook, Microsoft, Microsoft Office 365, Adobe, HostGator, WordPress) are legally compelled to provide the US Gov with access to your personal information, data, records, work (e.g., word documents) and digital property.
How can they do that?: George W. Bush and his Patriot Act (2001).
What is the USA Patriot Act? You always hear about but what is it? USA Patriot Act in an acronym which stands for Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism.
However, it’s not just the USA Patriot Act which gives the US Government legal access to your cloud computing activities. Before the Patriot Act there was also the Stored Communications Act (1986) and also the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) (1978).
What’s all this got to do with Barack Obama?
A.
Barack Obama signed extensions for the Patriot Act in 2010 and 2011.
B.
Barack Obama and the White House advocate cloud computing. According to the White House’s website (whitehouse.gov), in a 2010 article titled Moving to the Cloud, the first government-wide system to move (2010) to the cloud was Recovery.gov and that the move was part of the Administration’s overall efforts to cut waste and fix or end government programs that don’t work.
The same White House article also states that by using cloud services, the Federal Government will gain access to powerful technology resources faster and at lower costs.
The White House states that this frees them to focus on mission-critical tasks instead of purchasing, configuring, and maintaining redundant infrastructure.
In closing the White House states that the Obama Administration is committed to leveraging the power of cloud computing to help close the technology gap and deliver for the American people.
You’re sick of hearing about the ever so evil Obama (born in Kenya, btw) but keep in mind that it’s not all just about immigration, creating jobs, gay marriage, abortion and Benghazi.
There are all sorts of issues, ideas and technologies that the American people should be thinking about. Some of these ideas and issues you may take issue with, others you may advocate and become a proponent of and look forward to their implementation.
Some of the ideas or issues may be ‘evil’ (i.e., just plain bad ideas) and some might have potential for good and prosperity.
I present cloud computing today as just on topic that should be considered when you are voting in 2016 and thereafter. There are many other topics that should be considered, as well.
Btw, speaking of cloud computing, there is a German company Cloud & Heat. They are using servers to heat the air in houses (and buildings) in Germany. The severs can also be used to heat water for your sink and shower.
In Germany you can purchase a ‘cloud server cabinet’ from Cloud&Heat for the equivalent of approximately $15,000 US dollars and have it installed in your private residence.
Apparently the price is essentially the same as that of a traditional heating system in Germany.
The cabinet is fireproof, locked and cannot be accessed (the hardware inside).
The heat generated from the enclosed severs is transferred to what is called a ‘buffer tank’ which is used to heat air handling system and water systems.
In the summer the unneeded heat can be dispersed outside of your house (or building) via a bypass.
Keep in mind that many countries in Europe (including Germany) have been, for a long time now, very apprehensive of the USA Patriot Act and are considering internet systems which only operate within Europe (or their nation) and/or requiring that all severs be located within in Europe (or their nation):
EUROPEAN PROTECTIONISM IN CLOUD COMPUTING: ADDRESSING CONCERNS OVER THE PATRIOT ACT
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Interesting and important article. Thanks for posting!
Protecting Internet Freedom and Privacy
I forgot to mention that Cloud & Heat (the German company) covers the following costs for customers:
1. costs of upkeep for the computer hardware inside the cabinet, servicing the equipment once or twice a year with prior notice given to the premise’s owner, and replacing the equipment every three years.
2. costs of electricity and internet connectivity, and assumes liability for any damage.
U.S. Not Unique in Government’s Level of Access to Cloud Data—Hogan Lovells’ Christopher Wolf
The Cloud — Security Nightmare or Our Next Great Hope?
Electronic Privacy for the 21st Century (Julian Sanchez)
@ Bruce:
Bruce, I am familiar with Christopher Wolf.
The video is interesting. However, Wolf is talking about an entirely different issue.
I don’t think many people have ever said (and Wolf knows this) that governments in Europe cannot access a citizen’s cloud information. Of course they can.
(btw, in my opinion, most Europeans don’t enjoy ‘rights’ in the way, or some ways, that Americans do. Just one example, in some countries in Europe it is illegal to verbally deny that certain historical events happened and you can be jailed for voicing you opinion.)
The issue is that they (European states) don’t want the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA accessing their information in the cloud via the USA PATRIOT ACT.
Wolf understands this. Apparently, if you ask Wolf what time it is he will tell you how to build a clock.
Example, the Dutch government (Netherlands) are not suggesting that the Dutch government cannot access citizen’s data, but rather that they don’t want the United States accessing the information:
EUROPEAN PROTECTIONISM IN CLOUD
COMPUTING: ADDRESSING CONCERNS
OVER THE PATRIOT ACT (COMMLAW CONSPECTUS page 213 thru 214)
Alessandro Acquisti: Why privacy matters
Cloud&Heat reimagines the data center with its ecological solution
Tech Republic
November 19th, 2014
by James Sanders
Excerpt:
Cloud&Heat offers a unique ecological solution to heat the homes of customers by placing cloud servers into private residences and harvesting the heat generated to warm the air and water.
….
The German company Cloud&Heat is reimagining the data center, not as a large monolith, but as something that can be distributed as easily as the workloads are distributed on the servers contained in a traditional data center. Utilizing the relatively ubiquitous high-speed internet infrastructure in Germany, potential users can purchase a cloud server cabinet from Cloud&Heat for €12,000 (about $15,000 USD), and have it installed in the user’s private residence — or, theoretically, a commercial building. This price is essentially in line with the cost of a traditional heating system.
…
Cloud&Heat covers the costs of upkeep for the computer hardware inside the cabinet, servicing the equipment once or twice a year with prior notice given to the premise’s owner, and replacing the equipment every three years. The corporation pays for the costs of electricity and internet connectivity, and assumes liability for any damage.
…
The Cloud&Heat system design allows for workloads to be concentrated to specific regions as the current weather warrants — on a given day, if the outside temperature is colder in Bonn than it is in Stuttgart, for example, higher workloads would be allocated to systems in Bonn to generate the needed heat.
…
The ecological benefits of the Cloud&Heat model extend beyond providing heat for users. Because of the heat generated from most servers, large industrial air conditioning units are required to keep the facilities and equipment cool. The heat harvesting design of Cloud&Heat, as well as the decentralized, less dense arrangement of computing resources, negates the need for such costly and aggressive cooling.
…
The data uploaded to Cloud&Heat systems are encrypted. Additionally, as all server cabinets are located in Germany, with Cloud&Heat being a German company, a scenario such as the one Microsoft currently faces in American courts over the contents of email hosted in Ireland is not a potential issue for Cloud&Heat, or its cloud clients. The ongoing saga of that case, combined with disclosures regarding data security and the monitoring of communications, has become an object of consternation for businesses looking to protect their communications and property.
To that end, a potential scenario in which police could enter the premises of a data center and seize equipment — as was the case on raids against free speech oriented Swedish data center operator PRQ in 2006 and 2012 — become far more complex without an actual data center to raid.
…
Read more at:
http://www.techrepublic.com/article/cloud-heat-reimagines-the-data-center-with-its-ecological-solution/
Lucas, your drawings are always a pleasure for the eye to see and young man I tell you they will soon adorn MOMA in NYC with a 1945 Picasso oil on canvas to the left and a Degas ballerina pastel on paper to the right, you mark my words.
@ Mark McDaniel:
Thank you for your kind words!
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