Proportional Representation in Ireland: How it Works
Excellent explanation of PR-STV and the Irish voting system. Don’t be a Plumper! (via John O’Shea)
(tags: plumpers pr-stv pr voting ireland politics via:joshea)
Microsoft warns of risks to Irish operation in US search warrant case
“Our concern is that if we lose the case more countries across Europe or elsewhere are going to be concerned about having their data in Ireland, ” Mr Smith said, after testifying before the House judiciary committee. Asked what would happen to its Irish unit if the company loses the case or doesn’t convince Congress to pass updated legislation governing cross-border data held by American companies, the Microsoft executive said: “We’ll certainly face a new set of risks that we don’t face today.” He added that the issue could be resolved by an executive order by the White House or through international negotiations between the Irish Government or the European Union and the US.
(tags: microsoft data privacy us-politics surveillance usa)
How To Implement Secure Bitcoin Vaults
At the Bitcoin workshop in Barbados, Malte Möser will present our solution to the Bitcoin private key management problem. Specifically, our paper describes a way to create vaults, special accounts whose keys can be neutralized if they fall into the hands of attackers. Vaults are Bitcoin’s decentralized version of you calling your bank to report a stolen credit card — it renders the attacker’s transactions null and void. And here’s the interesting part: in so doing, vaults demotivate key theft in the first place. An attacker who knows that he will not be able to get away with theft is less likely to attack in the first place, compared to current Bitcoin attackers who are guaranteed that their hacking efforts will be handsomely rewarded.