The Road to Censorship Through SOPA and PIPA

The SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act) were proposed because of music and film and other creative industries trying to protect their arts by copyright laws. The act of stealing or illegally selling copyright material happens all over the world by rogue websites, especially sites that are operated and registered overseas. What is being debated and what the public at large is terrified of is the vagueness of the bills. Because both of the bills in their definitions could bleed into other areas, many are afraid that its reach could affect all of us and our Freedom of Speech here in America.

Imagine getting on your computer and typing in "Google" and nothing comes up. Then you type in "Facebook" and again, nada. Well, if these bills pass in Congress that is exactly what could happen. These laws will affect companies, websites, blogs, jobs and the list goes on and on. If this causes a change in your pulse rate, then you are not alone. It is a very scary reality.

We can actually see how internet censorship works through the eyes of people in China. The China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, or MIIT, blocks Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube (to name a few)and specific keywords from being searched. The MIIT has blocked information from the internet for years in China and in essence are trying to prevent its people from accessing specific and true facts about their government and its history. Yes, there are ways around finding censored information, but the Chinese government is constantly working to make access more difficult.

You may not know this, but there is information that has been blocked here in the US through websites and software companies that we know and use every day; Google, Yahoo, Bing, Microsoft and yes, even Apple. In order to continue doing business with China and stay in their good graces, businesses here in the states have answered to Chinese demands to censor certain information. In January of 2011, Google claimed that there was an attempt of China accessing information of some of their Gmail accounts and announced that they would no longer be censoring Google.cn. This obviously caused a hit for Google in China, but they are not backing down.

What internet giants are trying to show us on "Black Wednesday" is that if the SOPA and PIPA bills pass in Congress, the way we experience the internet will be change dramatically. Most of us cannot, and should not, picture a world with this type of censorship. Yes, stealing copyright information is wrong and needs to be addressed and stopped. There are other ways that the arts and copyrights can be protected and this is where Congresses focus needs to be channeled. We, in the United States, take some of our freedoms for granted every day, but as Americans we need to stand up and fight for our unalienable rights under the Constitution, or we can start to kiss more and more of our freedoms goodbye.

Power Your Smartphone From Your Pocket

With today's technology solar panels can be shrunk down to fit into hand. Batteries have gone through a transformation as well. Technology allows the manufacture to increase the mAH rating and reduce the size as well. Put the two together and you have a Hybrid or solar charger that can be used to recharge your small electronics from anywhere. We are talking about charging your Smartphone's, iPods, Cameras, and other small electronics you may use or travel with.

This devices or gadgets if you will can charge or extend talk time as well as play time on your handheld gaming device. With today's Smartphone and all you can do with one, like watch movies, play games, not including the apps for your phone, all these different types of media for your phone can be very taxing on your battery life. You may find your battery life not lasting as long as you would like. Depending on how heavy of a user you are the battery life on your Smartphone may not even last 8 hours.

So these devices were invented to give you the consumer the ability to charge your phone from anywhere. Power is not always available when you need it. These Hybrid chargers have a built-in solar panel that you can use to recharge the internal battery these devices have. These gadgets are capable of being recharged via the sun, USB port, wall outlet, and some even come with a car charger that has a built-in USB port as well.

These types of chargers allow you the flexibility to be able to charge your cell phone even on the beach, camping, or any other place where power my not handy.

Sizes may very but you will find several that can easily fit into your pocket, purse, or even your glove box. No more cutting your conversation short because your battery on your cell phone is dying.

A Hybrid or solar charger does eliminate the number chargers one has to carry when traveling. These types of chargers are compatible with several different types of small electronic devices and are not proprietary to just one. As an added feature available are several tips to connect your charger to your handheld electronic device you wish to charge. Some Hybrid chargers are designed to charge two devices at once.

These portable solar chargers can be used at anytime or anywhere the need arises when you find yourself without power or your cell phone is dying. No longer have to look for power or leave your cell phone somewhere to charge. You can charge your phone on the go now.