Daily Tech Briefing: May 9, 2014

In the wake of recent news reports stating that the Federal Communications Commission may propose new rules that many Web users fear will allow ISPs to discriminate Internet companies, internet giants Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Ebay, Twitter and Microsoft, along with 143 other internet-based companies, have signed a letter to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler expressing their support for a “free and open” internet.

The companies are championing the Internet as a platform for free speech and opportunity for millions of users. The letter expresses their fear that these rules could pose a great threat to the Internet as we know it.

Software maker Opera has created an all-new mobile browser that features app icons for websites, rather than weblinks. In ‘Opera Coast’, as the browser is called, users can swipe down to initiate a search and will be able to access websites by clicking on the square icon. Users will also be able to easily keep or delete websites, track their most-visited pages use simple swipes to navigate back and forth between pages.

New Google Chromebook computer models continue to reach the market. PC manufacturers Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, LG and Toshiba are releasing new Intel-equipped models with either Celeron or Core i3 processors. The lineup will feature a wide range of shapes, sizes, colors and configurations, including Lenovo’s N20p Chromebook and Thinkpad Yoga 11e Chromebook, both with various options for touch screens and hinge designs.

Speakers at the recent Security of Things Forum in Cambridge, Massachusetts, raised concerns about safety and security in the emerging Internet of Things era, pointing out that there doesn’t seem to be a necessary sense of urgency surrounding the security threats posed by having so many devices and systems connected to the Web. Experts are afraid that avoiding the issue much longer could mean having to solve even bigger security problems in the future.