http://www.wired.com/news/print/0,1294,45632,00.html According to the report accompanying a spending bill that's awaiting a floor vote in the Senate: * The FBI will receive an extra $7 million for technology to thwart encryption. The appropriations committee intends for it to be spent on: "(1) analysis/exploitation of systems to allow access to data pre-encryption, (2) recognition/decryption of data hidden in plain sight, and (3) decryption of encrypted data." * Another $7 million goes to a plan to improve "intercept capabilities." The fed-speak for this is "developing broadband capabilities, and procuring prototypes capable of intercepting transmissions outside of the FBI's technical reach." Translation: Create better ways to eavesdrop on cable modems and DSL connections. * Antitrust enforcement gets a boost. The division, best known recently for its dogged pursuit of Microsoft, receives $3.6 million extra, but $10 million less than the Bush administration requested. The committee predicts a slew of mergers because of "the collapse of high technology stocks, and the resultant downward pressure on all stock prices." * Las Vegas, St. Louis, Charleston and Kansas City will split $6 million earmarked for gun surveillance technology. The plan is to spend it on acoustic sensors scattered around downtown areas so the location of a gunshot can be triangulated and located. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. To subscribe, visit http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- End forwarded message -----