For ham radio HF propagation above 20 meters? Well, not really. Enjoy 10M while you can... I hope the next cycle in about a decade has better flux numbers. Es on 6M is fun, but I want some months long round-the-world F2 propagation modes.
(Seriously its interesting the article didn't mention how unusually weak the latest cycle has been. Usually the peak is much higher leading to happier ham radio operators. So the "news" or "journalism" is the unusual weakness of this cycle, but instead we get human interest story...)
Aside from the stereotypical "this individual cycle is weak" most recent solar coverage has contemplated Maunder Minimum effect and stuff like that. The wiki article is pretty good, summary is every time a cycle is wimpy everyone temporarily jumps on the bandwagon that its a semi-permanent long term decline etc etc.
Amateur radio can be rewarding. You can build radios/antennas, explore physics, yak with folks around the world without internet/telecom companies or do public service. Current nifty ham technology is SDR, (Software Defined Radio).
Just because you mentioned the internet and "everything must be connected with Snowden," I wonder if the NSA is tapping all short-wave comms? You'd think yes, because that is what spooks on all sides used for encoded messages. But then again, with the focus on internet, maybe the SW-recorder got neglected in a back-room (unlikely, probably just another pipe into that Utah data center).
Tapping a thing and understanding what you are listening to are two totally different things. Theoretically broadcasting an encrypted message in which third parties cannot possibly have access to the endpoints is still the safest way to handle sensitive data. This is part of the reason why 'Numbers Stations' are so popular with us geeks.
It's easier than you think to "capture" selected chunks of the RF spectrum. DOD, etc, have had this capability for decades, civilians have had scanners and broadband radios for decades. Amateurs can record entire HF bands and decode multiple CW and other signals in real time with modern receivers and computing power.
(Seriously its interesting the article didn't mention how unusually weak the latest cycle has been. Usually the peak is much higher leading to happier ham radio operators. So the "news" or "journalism" is the unusual weakness of this cycle, but instead we get human interest story...)
Aside from the stereotypical "this individual cycle is weak" most recent solar coverage has contemplated Maunder Minimum effect and stuff like that. The wiki article is pretty good, summary is every time a cycle is wimpy everyone temporarily jumps on the bandwagon that its a semi-permanent long term decline etc etc.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maunder_Minimum
In these ways, its a somewhat atypical solar news story. Which is cool.