Following a blog post last month by the regulator's CTO in which he outlined why he was glad to have strong firmware encryption after his laptop was stolen, today FTC Commissioner Terrell McSweeny has also outlined why encryption is a good thing – and carefully suggests that introducing a way to undermine it may not be such a great idea.

"Encryption and end-user protections can raise issues of access for law enforcement," McSweeney notes. "Some argue that data storage and communications systems should be designed with exceptional access – or 'back doors' – for law enforcement in order to avoid harming legitimate investigative capabilities. However, many technologists contend that exceptional access systems are likely to introduce security flaws and vulnerabilities, weakening the security of products."

He described watching gamers game as being akin to going to a restaurant and having someone eat your food for you. This, however, was manna to the many, many sensitive gamers in the world.

A sightly perplexed Kimmel took to his show on Monday night to muse about this section of humanity. He offered a selection of messages he'd received.

The simple, to-the-nasty-point "Get cancer," for example. Another wished him brain cancer. Yet another said he hoped Kimmel would get AIDS.

Something stinks about Europe’s trash. A two-year investigation into Europe’s electronic waste found that most of it is stolen, mismanaged, illegally traded, or just plain thrown away.

Criminals absconded out of Europe with 1.3 million tonnes of undocumented equipment, such as laptops, circuit boards, or refrigerators. The loss of functional components or the precious metals inside cost the European Union up to 1.7 billion euros each year, say the researchers.

Internal documents show that Germany's domestic intelligence agency, the BfV, received the coveted software program XKeyscore from the NSA – and promised data from Germany in return.

It shows for the first time what Germany’s domestic intelligence agency promised their American counterparts in exchange for the use of the coveted software program. "The BfV will: To the maximum extent possible share all data relevant to NSA's mission," the paper reads. Such was the arrangement: data in exchange for software.

Neither Germany’s data protection commissioner nor the Parliamentary Control Panel, which is responsible for oversight of the BfV, has been fully informed about the deal.

Two men have been arrested in what authorities say is the first known plot in Maryland involving a new type of crime: Using a drone to smuggle drugs, tobacco and pornography into a prison.

Moyer called the threat of contraband drone deliveries "an emerging problem" for the prison system, and said officials were researching ways to prevent it. He said drone-detecting technology would cost between $350,000 and $400,000 per institution.

In a little-noticed change to the company’s Terms of Use that took effect last month, the online craft retailer has now restructured itself such that it now has an Irish subsidiary, Etsy Ireland, an unlimited liability corporation.

"Translation: We figured out a technically legal way to cut our tax bill, and it doesn't bother us that doing so reduces the ability of our government to fund programs that we otherwise claim to support," he wrote. "We'll get back to you when we've figured out any other 'operational efficiencies' that we might exploit."

Asda's announcement comes after protests by dairy farmers at branches of Asda, Morrisons, Lidl and Aldi over the price they are paid for their milk.

"Asda's origins are in dairy farming which is why we are acting in the best interests of our farmers and our customers by increasing the price we pay, introducing the Farmer's Marque label and not passing on any of the costs to customers - our retail price stays the same," he said.

A fatal flaw in the system is that people can easily pose as real doctors and funeral directors, Rock demonstrated to a rapt audience.

Setting up accounts requires a doctor's name, address, and medical license number. A basic Internet search will turn up that information, which is publicly available for the well-intended purpose of letting people check that physicians are legitimate before seeking care.

Getting birth certificates for virtual babies was demonstrated to be even easier than killing off people in the digital world, because registering births online only involves doctors and parents.

A man from Texas has been wounded after a bullet he fired at an armadillo ricocheted and hit him in the head, the local sheriff says.

In April a Georgia man injured his mother-in-law when a bullet ricocheted off an armadillo, "hit a fence, went through the back door of his mother-in-law's mobile home, through a recliner she was sitting in, and into her back," local TV station WALB News reported.

The show is unnamed for now, but will be produced by long-running "Top Gear" executive producer Andy Wilman.

Following its reinvention in 2002, the BBC's "Top Gear" became the BBC's most valuable single asset, a programme sold worldwide that raked in millions for the corporation (which doesn't disclose exactly how much any given show makes). That all ended in March this year, however, when long-standing presenter Jeremy Clarkson topped previous controversies by striking a producer in a "fracas" over a sandwich.