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Hold that call

13 Sep 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

"The Lord God opens my ear that I may hear," the author of the Book of Isaiah says in this Sunday's first reading. Maybe that ear should not be listening to a cell phone, suggests a new study. The study raises doubts about the wireless industry's assurances that cell phones do not lead to an increased risk of brain tumors. A group called the International EMF Collaborative has issued a report warning that cell phones may be more dangerous than health authorities have led users to believe. The report, titled "Cell Phones and Brain Tumors: 15 Reasons for Concern," said the latest research indicates that regular use of cell phones can result in a "significant" risk of brain tumors. It also said kids are at greater risk than adults because their still-developing brain cells are more vulnerable to electromagnetic radiation. "Cell phones are causing brain tumors," said the lead author of the report. "Industry-backed studies try to hide that fact. But if you read them carefully, you can see there are risks." More than 40 scientists and officials from 14 countries have publicly endorsed the report's findings. The potential risks of cell-phone use have been debated for years. A number of reputable organizations, including the World Health Organization and the National Cancer Institute, said there's no conclusive evidence that using a cell phone is harmful to your health, although both organizations acknowledge "gaps" in the research.CTIA: The Wireless Association, a U.S. industry group, insists that cell phones pose no danger to users. But a number of consumer advocates, along with health officials around the world, say the jury's still out. Many nations that participated in the new study released individual reports with their own findings. One conclusion consistent with nearly every report is that there is indeed a higher risk of brain tumors for people who use a cell phone for at least 10 years and who typically hold the device on the same side of their head. For Morgan that finding alone is sufficient to raise a red flag. "That means cell phones are causing brain tumors,"" he said. "End of story." Source: A column by David Lazarus for the Los Angeles Times

cell phones brain cancer brain tumors international emf collaborative lloyd morgan ctia
Answering the call

04 Oct 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The Book of Genesis tells us that when the wild animals and birds of the air were brought before man, he had a name for each of them. Remote villagers in Uganda don't always have the answers they need in their daily encounters with the natural elements. Now, though, they have Question Box, a free, nonprofit telephone hotline that provides information to people in remote areas who lack access to computers. The premise behind Question Box is that a host of barriers keeps most of the developing world from taking advantage of the wealth of knowledge available through Web search engines, said Rose Shuman, the service's creator. That could be a drag on economic development. "So I was thinking, why not bring the information to them in a way that's most convenient and useful to them?" said Shuman, who is based in Santa Monica, California. People in two rural agricultural communities in Uganda can turn to 40 Question Box workers who have cell phones. The workers dial into the call center and ask questions on behalf of the locals, or they put the call on speakerphone so the locals can ask for themselves. The operators then look up the requested information in a database and convey it to the workers, who pass it along to the villagers. The workers are compensated with cell phone airtime. The service is a joint effort of Open Mind, a nonprofit group founded by Shuman, and the Grameen Foundation, which is best known for promoting small loans for the poor. It has received financial backing from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In June Google introduced a similar effort in Uganda, also involving Grameen, which allows people to find information on topics like health and agriculture via text messaging. Source: An article by Ron Nixon for the New York Times

internet bill and melinda gates foundation grameen foundation open mind rose shuman question box uganda cell phones google text messaging
Google searches for market mobility with Motorola acquisition

21 Aug 2011 - Preaching the News for Sunday

“How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!” Saint Paul says of God in this Sunday’s selection from the Letter to the Romans. Investors and tech-watchers are trying to figure out the significance of search-engine giant Google’s announcement Monday that it will acquire Motorola Mobility, merging software and hardware development in a move sure to shake up the booming smart phone marketplace. Google is making a $12.5 billion bet that its future--and the future of other big Internet companies--lies in mobile computing, and with the acquisition the company moved aggressively to take on its arch-rival Apple in the mobile market. The move will allow the Silicon Valley giant, known for its search engine and Android phone software, to get into the business of making cell phones and tablets as well as providing the software that runs them. The deal, which requires regulatory approval, would also give Google a valuable war chest of more than 17,000 patents that would help it defend Android from a barrage of patent lawsuits. “Computing is moving onto mobile,” Google’s chief executive Larry Page said in an interview. “Even if I have a computer next to me, I’ll still be on my mobile device.” The effect of a Google-Motorola Mobility merger on consumers is unclear. But in the past Google has pushed the mobile industry by pressing cell phone carriers to open up their networks and by licensing its Android system at no charge, increasing competition. With the Motorola deal, analysts said, Google may be able to accelerate innovation in smart phones and tablets. “This is an emphatic exclamation point that Google is a mobile company,” said Ben Schachter, an analyst with Macquarie Capital. “It shows how important Android is to Google.” Source: An article by Evelyn M. Rusli for the New York Times

google larry page mobile industry acquisitions mergers motorola mobility ben schachter smart phones cell phones mobile computing
Arresting developments concern privacy advocates

08 Apr 2012 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The Easter narratives are stories “of discovery and insight, commissioning and departure. Most of all they are stories about witnessing,” says PrepareTheWord scripture commentator Alice Camille in this Sunday’s issue of "Exploring the Word." Privacy advocates are troubled by two legal developments this week involving discovery and witnessing: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that officials may strip-search people arrested for any offense, however minor, while an investigation has shown local law enforcement use of cellphone data to discover the location and trace the contacts of suspects is commonplace and often occurs with little or no court oversight.Once the province mainly of federal agents, cellphone data-mining has become a powerful and widely used surveillance tool for local police officials, with hundreds of departments using it aggressively, documents show. Some 5,500 pages of internal records obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union from 205 police departments nationwide show that the practice is in much wider use--with far looser safeguards—than officials have previously acknowledged.The practice has become big business for cellphone companies, with a handful of carriers marketing a catalog of “surveillance fees” to police departments to determine a suspect’s location, trace phone calls and texts, or provide other services. Some departments log dozens of traces a month for both emergencies and routine investigations.In other privacy news, the Supreme Court on Monday ruled by a 5-to-4 vote that officials may strip-search people arrested for any reason. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, joined by the court’s conservative wing, wrote that courts are in no position to second-guess the judgments of law-enforcement officials who must consider not only the possibility of smuggled weapons and drugs but also public health and information about gang affiliations.Justice Stephen G. Breyer, writing for the four dissenters, said the strip-searches the majority allowed were “a serious affront to human dignity and to individual privacy” and should be used only when there was good reason to do so.Breyer wrote that people have been subjected to “the humiliation of a visual strip-search” after being arrested for driving with a noisy muffler, failing to use a turn signal, and riding a bicycle without an audible bell. A nun was strip-searched, he wrote, after an arrest for trespassing during an antiwar demonstration. Sources: Articles by Adam Liptak and Eric Lichtblau for the New York Times

supreme court us supreme court cell phones privacy stephen g breyer anthony m kennedy strip searches
Danger: Distracted pedestrian ahead

05 Aug 2012 - Preaching the News for Sunday

This Sunday’s reading from the Letter to the Ephesians urges its audience to “put away the old self of your former way of life” and “put on the new self created in God's way.” State and local safety and transportation officials nationwide are trying to figure out a way to get pedestrians to put away the smart phones, video games, and tablets and pay attention to their surroundings.Reports of injuries to distracted walkers treated at hospital emergency rooms have more than quadrupled in the past seven years and are almost certainly underreported. There has been a rise in pedestrians killed and injured in traffic accidents, but there is no reliable data on how many were distracted by electronics."We are where we were with cell-phone use in cars 10 years or so ago. We knew it was a problem, but we didn't have the data," said Jonathan Akins, deputy executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, which represents state highway safety offices. As officials struggle to figure out how to respond to the problem, they are asking how far government should go in trying to protect people from themselves.In Delaware highway safety officials opted for a public education campaign, placing decals on crosswalks and sidewalks at busy intersections urging pedestrians to "Look up. Drivers aren't always looking out for you."As an April Fools’ Day prank with a serious message, Philadelphia officials taped off an "e-lane" for distracted pedestrians on a sidewalk outside downtown office buildings. Some didn't get that it was a joke. "The sad part is we had people who, once they realized we were going to take the e-lane away, got mad because they thought it was really helpful to not have people get in their way while they were walking and texting," Cutler said. Source: An article by Associated Press via Newsday

cell phones pedestrians distracted walking
Shock and grief in wake of Boston bombings

21 Apr 2013 - Preaching the News for Sunday

“My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me,” says Jesus in the “Good Shepherd” Sunday gospel, while "Exploring the Word" author Alice Camille reminds readers that “The shepherd calls you.” In the frantic aftermath of the deadly explosions at the Boston Marathon on Monday, so many people tried to call loved ones at the same time that cell phone towers in the area were overwhelmed and many calls were blocked.The twin bombs that were detonated at the finish line of the iconic marathon killed three people and wounded more than 170. Of those who “survived the time of great distress,” in the words of the second reading, many of the injured lost limbs as a result of the shrapnel-packed bombs.In the ensuing panic a large number of people were not able to get through to their family and friends on cell phones. Sprint spokesman Mark Elliott said thousands of calls made at the same time overwhelmed cell towers in the area. “There’s no way the network can handle that kind of traffic.” It took many tense hours for service to begin to rebound.As the whirlwind investigation into the deadly bombings continued midweek, reports emerged that investigators had located key video images of an unidentified man or men leaving a large black bag on the ground near the site of the second of two explosions at the race. Efforts were underway to identify and locate suspects.President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama traveled to an interfaith memorial ceremony in Boston on Thursday. “The way that the people of Boston and the city of Boston responded reminds us—and reminds the world—of just who we are as a people,” spokesman Jay Carney said leading up to the presidential visit.Homily hint: When terror and tragedy strike, people pull together and communities of faith are front and center in providing support, care, and compassion to victims. This week’s events will be on the hearts and minds of your congregation this weekend. Invite creative responses that express your support and solidarity. Sources: Articles by Michael B. Farrell and Erin Ailworth for the Boston Globe,Howard LaFranchi for the Christian Science Monitor, and the Associated Press

cell phones bombings boston marathon mark elliott sprint
Privacy advocates claim big win over “Big Brother”

22 Dec 2013 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The Creator has a stake in all things of creation—including creatures, the psalmist reminds us this Sunday. Does the National Security Agency (NSA), however, have a stake in everything you do on your computer or phone? That is the constitutional question of the hour after a federal judge ruled Monday that the NSA program which collects information on nearly all telephone calls made to, from, or within the United States is likely unconstitutional.Judge Richard J. Leon of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia described the NSA technology as “almost Orwellian” and suggesting that James Madison would be “aghast” to learn that the government was encroaching on liberty in such a way.“I cannot imagine a more ‘indiscriminate’ and ‘arbitrary’ invasion than this systematic and high-tech collection and retention of personal data on virtually every single citizen for purposes of querying and analyzing it without prior judicial approval,” Leon wrote in a 68-page ruling. “Surely, such a program infringes on ‘that degree of privacy’ that the founders enshrined in the Fourth Amendment,” which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures.The judge ordered the government to stop collecting data on the personal calls of the two plaintiffs in the case and to destroy the records of their calling history. But Leon, appointed to the bench in 2002 by President George W. Bush, stayed his injunction “in light of the significant national security interests at stake in this case and the novelty of the constitutional issues,” allowing the government time to appeal it, which he said could take at least six months.In related news a panel of outside advisers urged President Barack Obama on Wednesday to impose major restrictions on the NSA, arguing that in the past dozen years its powers had been enhanced at the expense of personal privacy.Homily hint: While citizens have a right to privacy from intrusive government searches, there are no secrets when it comes to one's relationship with God. Encourage those in your community to partake of the healing available through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Sources: Articles by David E. Sanger and Charlie Savage for the New York TImes

cell phones surveillance privacy nsa national security agency richard j leon
Cell phone searches put on hold

29 Jun 2014 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Jesus calls Saint Peter the rock upon which the church will be built and grants him a high level of authority with the promise that “whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” The U.S. Supreme Court has the ultimate authority and its decisions are binding when it comes to questions of law, and the court came down squarely on the side of privacy in a major ruling Wednesday on police searches of cell phone data.The court ruled that police officers usually need a warrant before they can search an arrested suspect's cell phone, an important decision at a time of increasing concern over government encroachment on digital communications.In an opinion written by Chief Justice John Roberts, the court said that the right of police to search an arrested suspect at the scene without a warrant does not extend in most circumstances to data held on a cell phone. There are some emergency situations in which a warrantless search would be permitted, the court noted.The unanimous 9-0 ruling goes against law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice, which wanted more latitude to search without having to obtain a warrant. "We cannot deny that our decision today will have an impact on the ability of law enforcement to combat crime," Roberts wrote. The right to privacy, he said, "comes at a cost."Homily hint: As our attention seems ever more drawn to the small screens on our cell phones, it’s worth pausing to reflect on the role your phone plays in your life, for instance whether you allow it to intrude at times when visiting with others, like at a meal. Being truly present and available to those in your company is an important gospel value. Put the phone in sleep mode and honor that presence. Source: An article by Lawrence Hurley for Reuters

supreme court cell phones privacy police warrants