Tag: smart meters

WERU News Report 3/26/13

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Topics: regulating tar sands, smart meters fees

Segment 1: There is news today on the issue of a possible tar sands pipeline in Maine. A diverse coalition of groups and individuals announced this morning that they are filing a petition with the federal government, calling for new safety standards– and a moratorium on further construction until the safety measures are in place. Jim Murphy, Lead Counsel for the National Wildlife Federation, was the moderator on a conference call earlier today, where the coalition provided background:
(FMI: NWF.org/TarSands and NRCM.org/tarsands.asp )

Segment 2: In Augusta this afternoon, the Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee held a public hearing on a bill [LD 826 “An Act To Eliminate the Opt-out Charges for Smart Meters”] that would eliminate the fees consumers currently have to pay if they don’t want one of the electric company’s so-called “smart meters” on their house. The meters have raised concerns about health and privacy issues. Representative Andrea Boland spoke in favor of the bill:

Notes from the Electronic Cottage 11/1/12

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

As we clean up in the physical world from Hurricane Sandy, let’s do a little clean up in the digital world as well by looking at some recent developments in research on smart meter privacy hazards, and on Amazon’s occasional forays into removing stuff from your Kindle that you bought and paid for.

And if you’d like to find out how to avoid having Amazon “repossess” books you have bought, you may want to take a look at http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/drm-be-damned-how-to-protect-your-Amazon-e-books-from-being-deleted/

Notes from the Electronic Cottage 4/12/12

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

We’ve been following the deployment of so-called smart meters which, as has been pointed out, are not particularly secure, giving rise to privacy concerns for consumers. Now there is a problem for the utilities themselves according to this report about an FBI document: hacking of smart meters to steal electricity.

http://krebsonsecurity.com/2012/04/fbi-smart-meter-hacks-likely-to-spread/

There are lots of free college courses available online. Here are some sites where you can find out more:

http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm

http://mitx.mit.edu/

http://www.ocwconsortium.org/

http://oyc.yale.edu/courses

http://www.openculture.com/freeonlinecourses

http://www.open-of-course.org/courses/

http://www.extension.harvard.edu/open-learning-initiative

http://opencontent.org/ocwfinder/

http://www.ocwsearch.com/

Notes from the Electronic Cottage 9/15/11

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

Smart meters are still in the news here in Maine, so here is an update on where things stand, and a letter a listener shared proposing a solution that saves the electric utility money and also preserves the listener’s personal
privacy. Seems worth considering – give a listen.

Notes from the Electronic Cottage 3/31/11

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

Central Maine Power, as some other electric utilities in the this state and country, is installing so called Smart Meters to replace the old familiar meters that are on the outside of our houses. Many are worried about the radiation these meters will emit into our homes. A valid concern but in our view the bigger problem is the privacy problems and strategic
vulnerabilities on a national security level that these meters introduce.

See what you think.

Notes from the Electronic Cottage 11/4/10

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

We’ve discussed smart meters on a previous program from the perspective of information they can monitor. Today, let’s look at what they can control – one day soon, individual appliances in your house, for example – and what the remote controllable “off switch” on those meters could mean for national security.

Notes from the Electronic Cottage 10/28/10

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

Heard about Smart Meters? There’s one coming to your house soon. They are all the rage these days as a way to save money for electric companies and maybe consumers, too. But everything is not all sweetness and light. These meters have the capability to do a lot more than eliminate meter reader jobs. Listen up if you think your home is your castle.