U.S. Army considers making smartphones standard issue

The U.S. Army is considering making smartphones standard equipment every soldier receives...and it also looking at things like iPads and Kindle readers.

The U.S. Army is known for being a boots-on-the-ground organization that deals with nitty-gritty reality rather than the pixel-filled world of apps and status updates…but that may change as the U.S. Army rolls out modernization plans. According to plans outlined byArmyTimes, troops may soon be given the choice of an iPhone or Android-based device as part of their standard equipment, albeit with ruggedized cases to help the devices stand up to more wear and tear. Soldiers would be able to access applications developed specifically for their duties, whether that involve pulling up specialized maps, marking upphotos, translation utilities to help soldiers interact with people all over the world.

According to the report, the Army is already issuing test mobile phones to students at selected bases and plans to begin putting phones into the field as early as February 2011, with Command Access Card readers for the iPhone and Android devices as soon as April, so soldiers could securely access email, calendars, and other information. The Army is also considering a monthly stipend to soldiers so they can customize their phones with applications appropriate to their roles.

The Army sees the smartphones as a way to not only enable soldiers to access needed information from any location as they need it, but also as a “force multiplier” enabling soldiers to more quickly report information and operational intelligence back to commanders. Phones are highly portable, and many of today’s soldiers can compose text messages faster than they can type, which in exercises has led to a significant increase in the amount of intelligence and detail soldiers report back. The interactive nature of the devices mean commanders can also quickly ask questions and send instructions—for instance, asking a soldier to send a picture of something they’ve seen. The phones will also feature specialized applications that, say, enable soldiers to view video from aerial drones or mark up photos with important tactical information, and the Army is working on mobile communications hubs that can be installed in vehicles, packs, or lofted in balloons to bring communications services to areas that have no usable mobile communications infrastructure.

The Army’s efforts may not end with smartphones: devices like iPads, Kindles, and pico-projectors are also getting attention from the armed forces.

7 trillion texts expected to be sent next year

A new research report claims that 7 trillion text messages will be sent from 4.8 billion phones.

!! O.M.G. U rnt gunna belve this!

Strange–for some odd reason, the text shorthand that is becoming almost a second language for the majority of people, just doesn’t look right outside its natural confines of a phone.

ABI research is claiming that in 2011, seven trillion text messages will be sent from 4.8 billion phones. To put that in a more astounding context, 7,000,000,000,000 texts will be sent from 4,800,000,000 phones. Honestly, it is a number so staggeringly large that the human mind can only recognize, but never truly appreciate it.

“It is the key communication tool of the modern era,” Neil Strother, practice director at ABI said. “It is a great place for marketers to communicate with consumers.

“Marketers get consumers to spark the conversation via messages based on a trigger or keyword.”

Even the government is getting in on the action. A new study is underway to check the feasibility of having 911 service accept and reply to emergency calls.

Part of the reason for the spike is the growth of cell phones in regions where computers have yet to fully expand into. Falling costs and high competition are also cited as reasons,

But for as large as that number is, Business Insider is quick to point out that it is nothing compared to the number of emails sent in 2009. According to the analytics firm Pingdom, 1.4 billion email users sent 90 trillion emails. That is 90,000,000,000,000 emails. No word on how many of those emails contained special offers for low interest credit cards, or were simply notifying you that your distant cousin died, leaving $10 million in a foreign bank that you could pick up as soon as you paid the legal fees, of course.

ABI also suggests that the future of digital communications will be with programs and services that combine all digital communications into one central location. Not surprisingly, several companies are already working on programs to that affect, including Facebook, whose Project Titan will log all communication registered with the service, then keep an easy to follow log of the conversation.

ABI didn’t mention anything past 2011, but it seems unlikely that the text messaging trend is going to slow down anytime soon.

China threatens to ban Skype

China is sending a warning to VoIP sites by labeling Skype illegal, saying only companies native to the country can offer the service.

The country has blocked sites like Facebook and YouTube (and of course famously struggled with Google), and now it looks like China will add Skype to the list of digital copanies on its bad side. An article from the Shanghai Daily featured on the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology website reports that seeing as the service utilizes VoIP technology, it is illegal. According to the publication, the only Internet phone services allowed in the country are China Telecom and China Unicom. China is attempting to support only state-run and regulated telecommunication carriers, and Skype (not to mention Google Voice and MSN) is treading on this territory.

The measure has been met with criticism, as some argue it clearly results in complete Chinese control of the market. “It’s ridiculous, VoIP is a popular technology worldwide” said Beijing University professor of posts and telecommunications Kan Kaili. He went on to say he doubts Skype will actually be banned.

From 2006 to 2008, China used this same strategy in order to promote the growth of its own VoIP companies. After allowing Western competition to re-enter the market after the two year ban, China is once again considering ridding itself of outside adversaries. Nothing’s official yet, but the outlook isn’t good. Skype stated that “Users in China currently can access Skype via Tom Online, our partner.” UK publication The Telegraph claims that while uses in Shanghai are able to use Skype, Twitter shows that some Chinese residents have lost access to the service.

If the move to block Skype and similar sites succeeds, it could be incredibly damaging. China is easily the largest market for internet phone service in the world, and it was announced yesterday that its number of Internet users rocketed to 450 million over 2010 – an increase of 20 percent from last year. Still, the regulations would only ban Skype from making calls from a computer to a landline, and PC-exclusive VoIP activity could still be available.  It’s possible that Skype’s recent addition of video calling via iOS devices was the last straw with the Chinese government and motivation to reissue the nearly three year old ban. Whether or not it’s permanent this time is another matter. Regulators may simply want to give homegrown businesses a chance to develop an answer to Skype’s latest iPhone update

Apple to officially announce Verizon iPhone before Valentine’s Day

After years of rumor and misinformation, Apple is expected to finally confirm that the iPhone is heading to Verizon, and when it will be released, before Valentine’s Day.

The saga continues. Seemingly unwilling to let the year end without at least one more rumor about Apple’s iPhone heading to Verizon, a reliable source has told Bloomberg that Apple is planning to wait for the roar of CES to die down before finally, finally putting to bed the years of rumors, and officially unveiling the Verizon iPhone. The source did not know an exact date on when that announcement would come, nor was it clear on when the phone might actually be heading to Verizon, but the long, long, long road might finally and mercifully be coming to an end.
The source did say that the announcement is coming very soon, and Apple was simply waiting for CES to have its day first. Within a few weeks after CES, which runs from January 4-9, Apple should announce that it will be hosting an event, at which time the worst kept secret in the tech industry could be unveiled.
The real question then becomes what kind of effect will the iPhone on Verizon actually have? Verizon already offers a wide selection of comparable phones, and it is set to unveil its first 4G phone—possibly the HTC Thunderbolt—next week at CES. So far this year, Android sales have accounted for 75-80-percent of all Verizon smartphone sales, making the operating system the current darling of Verizon’s smartphone lineup, something that is unlikely to change with the introduction of the iPhone.
So while the idea of a Verizon iPhone has continued to dominate the rumor mills for months, analysts aresuggesting that the actual sales will be relatively small, and Apple may only sell around 2.5 million new phones. To put that in perspective, 5.2 million iPhones were sold by AT&T last quarter alone. The greatest impact of the Verizon iPhone may actually be felt by AT&T, who stand to lose a significant number of customers to Verizon. AT&T is currently the lowest rated U.S. carrier in terms of customer satisfaction, and more than 50-percent of AT&T’s smartphone customers own some form of iPhone.

Soldiers might soon have eyes in the back of their heads

New imaging gear currently in development, would give soldiers a 360 degree view displayed in an eye piece.

Those wacky kids at DARPA are at it again. The Pentagon’s official mad scientist division has created a new set of eyes for soldiers in the battlefield, that could soon become standard issue for all soldiers in combat. The Soldier Centric Imaging via Computational Cameras system, also known by the only slightly less cumbersome acronym SCENICC, is a new helmet with and eyepiece that is under development, and would radically alter the way soldiers saw the battlefield.

Finding ways for soldiers to remain linked together and to both share and receive updated maps in real time, has become one of the military’s primary goals for new technology development (well, that and really, really powerful guns, of course). Everything from smartphones to tablets have been suggested for field use, and studies are underway on several different ways to convey this information. Looking to take your iPhone into the field of combat and track enemy troop movements? There’s an app for that. Or there soon might be, but SCENICC is something a little more complex that won’t require you to take your eye off the field.

According to Wired, who were brave enough to read the DARPA release and in doing so were subjected to an example of the most fiendish weapon a government has at its disposal— bureaucratic paperwork— SCENICC is ready to begin development and just needs the approval and funding of the Pentagon.

If approved, SCENICC would deliver augmented reality to soldiers in the field, and for lack of a better description, make everything look like a bit like a video game. Although some of the technical details were a little unclear in the DARPA report, the system will be networked to allow real time information on mission objectives and terrain that will be sent directly to the soldier’s eyepiece. If a friendly soldier moves into the line of sight, the system will recognize the soldier and display the words friendly, or show an icon that would convey the same thing. If a muzzleflash was recognized, a display would point to the direction, and it would even be combined with targeting on the soldier’s weapon to make for more accurate fire.

SCENICC would also be able to receive basic commands and display them for the soldier. If a new objective is issued, the display would flash a brief text message and tell the soldier the new information needed. If it included a new location for the soldier to move to, the display would highlight that location and point out the direction. It could also conceivably show soldiers where enemy combatants might be hiding, which means that SCENICC would conceivably also be to receive up-to-date information from some form of overhead spy plane or satellite, which would allow real time positioning.

The system would also come equipped with tiny cameras all around the helmet to offer a 360 degree view of the field, as well as a telescopic function to increase the zoom by up to 10 times. All of the commands would be voice activated to allow the soldiers to keep their hands free.

DARPA is not the only group currently in development on a system that would display information to soldiers through an eyepiece, but they are the furthest along, and the SCENICC is by far the most advanced of the systems that have been unveiled.

Raytheon, Rockwell Collins and General Dynamics are all currently under contract with the military to design a wearable platform for digital maps, computers and radios that can network with each other and be displayed into helmet mounted eyepieces. The first project the companies were involved with was called Land Warrior, but after years spent in development, it was deemed a failure due to the weight and bulk. A second project was then commissioned.

The first requirement of the new project, Nett Warrior, is that the system must weigh under 8 pounds, while still retaining the features established in the Land Warrior program. The Pentagon will view the official proposals in March, and determine which of the three companies, if any, will receive the approval to continue to development.

DARPA is an interesting group, and while not developing flying cars, taunting civilian car manufacturers, building military AI that could kill us all, and lots of other stuff that–honestly– we will probably sleep better at night not knowing about, the research wing is hard at work making things that will improve the battle conditions for soldiers, and make American troops safer. The group also tends to be further ahead than most of its competitors in terms of new technology, and SCENICC is another example of that. By the time any of the Nett Warrior projects make it into testing—several years from now at least–SCENICC will most likely have reached the full scale production stage and DARPA will have already begun work on its replacement. And while the Nett Warrior system is struggling to stay under 8 pounds, SCENICC—which offers several features that the Nett Warriors projects don’t require—weighs less than a pound and a half.

Much of the science behind SCENICC is vague at best, either because of the classified nature of DARPA’s work, or because the research group is still working out how to fulfill some of potential of the device, especially in conditions that make it difficult to receive incoming information—areas like remote sections of Afghanistan, for example. But if it is approved, the first round of testing could begin within two to three years, with the first production models reaching soldiers in the field, within four years.

RIM: India won’t get access to enterprise communications

Although RIM has apparently opened BlackBerry Messenger to Indian authorities, the company says it won't extend access to enterprise communications.

The government of India has been exerting pressure on Internet and technology companies to gain access to encrypted communications on Internet and mobile services out of concern that terrorists, militants, and others could use the technology to stage attacks and carry out other illegal activities. Canada’s Research in Motion has been the first focus of India’s regulation, with the country threatening to shut down BlackBerry services unless government security can tap into communications. RIM has come up with a way for security officials to request access to communications via BlackBerry Messenger, but now says that it will not be providing decrypted access to enterprise communications services.

RIM’s statement comes in response to an article in India’sEconomic Times that claimed RIM had offered to install a “network data analysis system” at its premises in India, enabling Indian authorities to monitor all data on RIM’s network while also ensuring decoded information would not be transmitted out of the country.

According to IDG News Service, RIM India denies that it will be granting access to enterprise communications, although it is implementing mechanisms for authorities and local carriers to gain “lawful access” to BlackBerry Messenger and other consumer services. RIM India has emphasized that access to consumer communications will not be an open door, and will be granted on a case-by-case basis.

RIM’s stance that it will not be providing access to corporate communications is in keeping with the company’s position that it cannot provide access to those systems: the encryption keys used by the technology are known only to the customers using the system, and RIM has insisted there is no back door that would enable them to decrypt and access data. RIM has indicated it can hand over encrypted data.

India has most recently set a deadline of January 31, 2011 for RIM to enable interception of communications on BlackBerry mobile devices. The country’s concern over un-monitorable mobile communications comes in the wake of the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, which were partially coordinated by mobile and satellite phones. Nokia has indicated it will cooperate with the Indian government’s demands to be able to monitor communications; India is also expected to demand access to services like Skype and Google Talk.

Facebook tops Google as most visited website in 2010

A new report offers a glimpse into the what was on the minds of Internet users during 2010 and offers perspectives on changing trends.

Google may still reign as king of the search engines, but it’s no longer America’s most popular Internet destination. Facebook was the most visited Website in the U.S. during 2010, according to a new report by Experian Hitwise.

Facebook also retained its champion status in the field of popular search terms: “facebook” was the number one most searched term and “facebook login” placed second. Google, obviously, did not compete in this category.

Taking into account the four variations on “facebook” that appeared in the top ten most searched terms, Facebook searches accounted for 3.48 percent of all internet searches in 2010 — an increase of 207 percent from 2009.

Other terms in the top ten include “youtube,” “craigslist,” “myspace,” “ebay” and “yahoo.” Terms that appeared in the top 50 for the first time for 2010 include “espn,” “netflix,” “verizon wireless” and “hulu.” The term “games” also appeared in the top 50, one of the few general search terms to be mentioned in the report.

While Facebook was the most highly searched term in 2009 as well, 2010 is the first year where it has been ranked as the Internet’s most-visited website, accounting for 8.93 percent of all U.S. visits from January through November. Google came in second with 7.19 percent of all visits, followed by Yahoo Mail in third place (3.52 percent), Yahoo in fourth (3.30 percent), and You Tube in fifth (2.65 percent).

But as we know, in addition to being a search giant, Google wears many hats including that of an e-mail service, a blog host, and a cloud software provider. If all of its properties are taken into account, Google pulled in 9.85 percent of all U.S. website visits, beating out Facebook’s total.

Earlier in the year, ComScore declared Facebook’s popular supremacy over Google. And while Google and Facebook are not direct competitors strictly speaking, as they both continue to expand there’s bound to be an increase in competitive tension among the two Internet giants. We’ll see how that plays out in the New Year.

South Korean robots teach kids English

A Korean pilot program has put 29 robots in the classrooms of students. If successful, the robots may be the first of many.

Soon, the proverbial apple to for the teacher may be a thing of the past. In fact, the actual teacher may also be a thing of the past, at least in the traditional sense of the word. A new pilot program in South Korea has done away with the pesky human bodies that have traditionally been associated with the title of teacher, and replaced them with fatter versions of R2-D2 that look as if they have swallowed a Caucasian woman.

The Engkey robots are the first step in what may be the wave of the future when it comes to teaching.  In schools across the southeastern city of Daegu, South Korea, 29 of the robots have usurped the position of their human overlords, and are currently teaching South Korean children the English language.

The robots stand at 3.3 feet high, and each feature a TV displaying the facsimile of a Caucasian woman. Behind the face, the robot is actually being controlled remotely by teachers in the Philippines who can see and hear the students. When the teachers react, their facial expressions are then represented by the robot’s digital face.

“Well-educated, experienced Filipino teachers are far cheaper than their counterparts elsewhere, including South Korea,” Sangong Seong-Dae, a senior scientist at the Korean Institute of Science and Technology–the group responsible for developing the robots–told the Associated Foreign Press.

According to Physorg.com, the robots speak English to the students, read books to them, and dance to music by moving their robotic head and arms, something the children enjoy, apparently.

“The kids seemed to love it since the robots look, well, cute and interesting. But some adults also expressed interest, saying they may feel less nervous talking to robots than a real person,” Kim Mi-Young, an official at Daegu city education office said.

Kim claimed that one of the primary reasons for the robotic teachers would be to send the teacher-bots (our word, not theirs) to rural areas of Korea where English speaking teachers are rare, and most are unwilling to relocate. The robots are still in the testing phase, but Korean officials have already shown interest and claim that if the controls are streamlined and the costs are lowered, many robots might go on the payroll, so to speak.

“Having robots in the classroom makes the students more active in participating, especially shy ones afraid of speaking out to human teachers,” Kim told the AFP.

Kim also stressed that the robots would not be considered as a replacement for teacher, just as an addition to them. At least until the next time a teacher demands a raise…

So far the four month experiment, which was sponsored by the government, has cost around $1.37 million. The current English teacher-bots have also been used to teach math, science and other subjects at different levels. The report claims that each robot costs around $10 million won, or roughly $8,750. No word yet on who will pay for years of therapy after a generation of maladjusted Korean children who were raised by automatons reaches maturity.

Please feel free to insert your own jokes below. They may range from American version of these robots packing chainsaws in unruly high schools, to the fun filled years of damage that children may face when much of their day is spent taking orders from a robot.

Verizon will launch its first 4G phone at CES and it won’t be the iPhone

Verizon plans to unveil its first 4G phone at CES, and all signs point to the HTC Thunderbolt. Anyone holding out hope for an iPhone announcement from the carrier might want to prepare for a disappointment.

Verizon will be announcing something at CES next week, and it’s probably not going to be iPhone availability. The carrier recently announced it was launching its 4G service, and previous statements by CEO Ivan Seidenberg have led some to believe that the addition of this technology was appealing enough for Apple to finally break its exclusivity with AT&T. So when word about a Verizon debut at CES started circulating, wishful thinkers thought it could be the long-awaited Verizon iPhone.

Well, it’s probably not. Instead, new reports are suggesting that Verizon will indeed be premiering its first 4Gcapable smartphone, but that it’s going to be an HTC creation. Verizon announced yesterday that on January 6 it will introduce “a sneak peek of Android-based 4G LTE consumer devices” in a news conference. What exactly those devices are, Verizon wouldn’t say – but the Android blog, Droid Life, did. The blog claims Verizon will show off the HTC Thunderbolt, which is reminiscent of Sprint’s 4G phone, the HTC Evo.

The Thunderbolt will feature Verizon’s LTE 4G network, a 4.3-inch screen, and a kickstand, which are the only specs to be mentioned at this point. But HTC is also indicating its involvement in the release, as it features apromo on its site boasting that come January 6 it will be “The first to 4G, again.” Add to that a few more leaked (or purposefully revealed) images of a new HTC device (code-named “Mecha”) that appear to be very similar to our first look at the Thunderbolt, and it’s safe to say we’ve got a good idea what we’ll be seeing from Verizon on January 6.

Verizon’s 4G network began operations on December 5, but the only devices released with the technology were USB modems primarily marketed for businesses. Now, the carrier looks ready to reach out to a wider demographic. Despite any hype surrounding Verizon’s release, there is sure to be some letdown when or if there is no iPhone announcement from the carrier at CES. ReadWriteWeb is willing to say that it will be “one of the biggest tech disappointments of 2011.” A considerable amount of attention surrounded the possibility this fall, when the Wall Street Journal reported that the Verizon iPhone was imminent, but it’s looking like fans of the partnership will have to be patient.

Man hacks Kinect to play World of Warcraft with gestures

A group at the University of Southern California have created open-source software that uses the Microsoft Kinect motion camera to control actions on a computer.

You know you’ve got a hit device on your hands when it inspires people to start hacking it and using it to get creative. Microsoft’s Kinect is new to the market, but is already showing its presence in more than just video games. A group of researchers and students at the University of Southern California Institute for Creative Technologies have hacked the motion camera and retooled it to…wait for it…play World of Warcraft! That’s right, the Xbox 360 video game peripheral can now be used as a PC game peripheral.

Fortunately, the group has more noble goals than pwning troggs in Loch Modan. They’re creating software that maps a person’s skelatal movements with buttons on a keyboard. If successful, you might be able to do almost anything on a computer with motions and gestures. It could potentially be used to help those recovering from traumatic accidents as well. An early toolkit is already available for those hoping to experiment or contribute.

Six years ago, technology like this seemed like science fiction. Thanks to the Wii and Xbox 360, Minority Report-style airscreens could practically happen today. It’s amazing how video games are helping to advance technology and interfaces and it’s great to see a university recognizing and celebrating the possibilities of Kinect. They may be doing a better job than Microsoft at this point. Though it initially filed suit against some hackers, Microsoft has recently backpeddled and begun supporting Kinect innovations.

Survey finds majority of voters oppose the FCC’s regulation of the Internet

An overwhelmingly majority of American voters are opposed to net neutrality laws, but continue to support government regulation of radio and TV.

According to a new Rasmussen telephone survey, just one in five American voters want the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to regulate the Internet, with a majority believing that such control would be used to advance a political agenda. Fifty-four percent of those surveyed are opposed to FCC Internet regulation and 25 percent responded that they were not sure.

Rasmussen conducted the survey shortly after the FCC decided to impose a set of rules that would govern internet usage. The survey found that Republicans are overwhelmingly against Internet regulation, while Democrats are more evenly split on the issue. Those who use the Internet the most are the most strongly opposed to the FCC’s Internet regulation.

In response to a question about protecting Internet users, 52 percent said the free market would do a better job with just 27 percent favoring the government.

The survey comes during a time when distrust of the goverment is high among voters. But lack of information may also be contributing to the overwhelming sentiment against the FCC’s net neutrality rules. Only 20 percent of those surveyed say they have been “very closely” following the news about net neutrality regulations with 35 percent saying that they have been following “somewhat closely.”

Even if most voters do want the government to adopt a hands off approach to the Internet, the survey found that the majority of Americans (55 percent) still continue to welcome the FCC’s regulation of TV and Radio.

HP slashes Envy 13 ultraportable to $999

Looking for something slim and light? HP's Envy 13 ultraportable notebook is available now for $999.

Following on the heels of Dell, computer maker Hewlett-Packed has decided to drop the price on its Envy 13ultraportable notebook computer to $999 (after a $450 instant rebate), hoping to attract previously indecisive buyers before the company, in all likelihood, begins to roll out new traditional and ultraportable notebooks in 2011. Like the Dell Adamo, the HP Envy 13 was introduced more than a year ago as a direct rival to the likes of the Apple MacBook Air, and features a sleek aluminum case, a total weight under 4 pounds, and measures just 0.8 inches thick.

The envy 13 features a Intel Core duo CPu running at 1.6 GHz, a 13.1-inch 1,366 by 768-pixel display driven by ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4330 graphics with 512 MB of video memory, a 250 GB hard disk drive, and 3 GB of RAM. The system also features 802.11a/g/n Wi-Fi wireless networking, gigabil ethernet, 2 USB 2.0 ports, and the Beats audio system—although the Envy 13 lacks a built-in optical drive, it ships with an external SuperMulti DVD±RW drive. It ships with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

Both Dell’s and HP’s moves to discount ultrathin notebooks immediately just as the end-of-year buying season concludes may be an indication that both companies are looking to move as much inventory as possible prior to introducing new systems—and with CES just around the corner in January, both companies may be relying on price tags to attract attention.

Anonymous’ hangout 4Chan slammed by DDOS attack

It's not just Mastercard and Visa suffering cyberattacks: favorite "Anonymous" hangout 4Chan has been pummeled - and no one is yet claiming responsibility.

The infamous 4Chan message board site—one of the best-known online hangouts for parts of “Anonymous” and the reputed source of rickrolling and that fake Steve Jobs heart attack rumor years ago—was largely taken offline by a distributed denial-of-service attack. So far, no one has credibly stepped forward to claim responsibility for the attack, leading to speculation about whether Anonymous and 4Chan has earned itself a real enemy…or whether Anonymous is merely biting its own tail for a laugh.

A distributed denial of service attack essentially uses an array of computers around the Internet—often “zombie” machines controlled by malware but sometimes voluntarily participating—to send more requests to a Web server than it can handle. As a result, legitimate requests for information from the site are delayed or simply fail, effectively making the site inaccessible. Anonymous’ Operation: Payback used similar methods to take down Web sites forMastercard and Visa (among others) in retaliation for the companies’ decision to deny services to WIkiLeaks.

“Site is down due to DDoS,” 4Chan founder “Moot” wrote in a status update. “We now join the ranks of Mastercard, Visa, PayPal, et al.—an exclusive club!”

So far, no one has stepped forward to claim responsibility for taking 4Chan offline.

If the 4Chan attack was motivated by the controversy surrounding WikiLeaks, it may indicate an escalation of “hacktivism:” public, politically-motivated attacks on the Internet. Operation: Payback likened its actions against Mastercard and Visa as the digital equivalent of a sit-in designed to draw public attention to the actions of a company or organization, and security firms (like McAfee) believe hacktivism will be an increasingly common form of political demonstration in 2011 and beyond.