Best of the Web: 25 June

Best of the Web: 25 June

Legal confusion on internet privacy: The clash of data civilizations; Apple iPhone 4: Full review; Michael Jackson, A.D.: Life and money after death.

June 25, 2010 1:24 by Rasha Reslan

Legal confusion on internet privacy: The clash of data civilizations

Europe and America are at digital odds over data privacy legislation, as online social networks and search engines become the repository for increasing amounts of sensitive personal data.

“European regulations are inspired by the conviction that data privacy is a fundamental human right and that individuals should be in control of how their data are used,” the Economist reported. “America, on the other hand, takes a more relaxed view, allowing people to use a patchwork-quilt of consumer-protection laws to seek redress if they feel their privacy has been violated.”

The differences in regulatory oversight are at the heart of increasingly complex cross-country privacy cases, as “data flows lightly and instantly across borders, often thanks to companies like Google and Facebook, which manage vast databases,” the Economist contends.

Jennifer Stoddart, Canada’s data-protection commissioner, held Facebook accountable last year for violating her country’s data protection laws. She contends that American firms run afoul of data privacy legislation abroad, given “their brimming optimism that the whole world wants what they have rolled out in America.”

———————————————————————–

The 10 Best Free iPhone Apps For Business Travelers

If you’re traveling without these free iPhone apps, you’re missing out on easy international phone calls and messaging, restaurant and retail store reviews for your next destination, quick currency conversions, digital expense accounts, and more. Check out this list of completely free apps that no business exec should be without.

Bonus track: And with all the money you’ll be saving on free ways to stay connected, you’ll be one step closer to millionaire status. These additional insights will get you there, that much faster.

———————————————————————–

Apple iPhone 4: Full review

When the Telegraph promises a “full review” of the iPhone4, they’re not kidding. Every aspect of Apple’s hottest new tech-toy is here for your perusal. “Colors are luscious and seem to pop out of the screen, while whites appear brighter, and blacks take on a deep, inky hue.”

From aesthetics to hardware to minor disappointments, the author has scrutinized this phone in almost disturbing detail.

———————————————————————–

Daily Life in Gaza

These candid photos offer up a slice of life in the besieged Gaza strip that is rarely shown: glitzy department store windows, families enjoying a picnic, and children preparing for school. The surprising element captured in these photos is that “for nearly everyone who visits Gaza, often with worry of danger and hostility, what’s surprising is the fact that daily life, while troubled, often has the staggering quality of the very ordinary,” wrote Ethan Bronner in his essay for this New York Times, Week in Review.

———————————————————————–

Michael Jackson, A.D.: Life and money after death

This is the most up-to-date dish on what’s happened to the money, fame, and legacy of Michael Jackson, since his death a year ago. The pop idol’s record sales are through the roof, with more in the pipeline. Millions of record copies and millions of dollars have changed hands since his death, inviting comparisons to Elvis. And for a quick biography, check out the link to the star’s major achievements, year by year, from 1972-2009.