Untraceable Messaging Service Raises a Few Eyebrows

netbuzz writes "A messaging service called VaporStream announced today at DEMOfall will allow any two parties to communicate electronically without leaving any record of their interaction on any computer or server. Messages cannot be forwarded, edited, printed or saved. After they're read, they're gone."

One word:

[StikyPad]

Vaporware.

Er..

obligatory

[CrazyJim1]

A messaging service called VaporStream

Oh, I thought it said VaporSteam, the gaming service that would allow you to play Duke Nukem Forever.

message gone!

[themushroom]

Gee, sounds like text messages and email that your average tech support person sends their customer...

*ding* "I just received my password! Er, now I can't find it."

Re:not recordable

[mctk]

I just make sure both parties are really wasted. Cause if you don't remember it, it never happened. Right? ...RIGHT??

look at it but don't blink

[icepick72]

I've tried the service and it's so advanced that if I blink it diaappears. Try reading a long letter and it's like having staring contest with a fish. I hope they have patents. This thing is awesome.

Re:look at it but don't blink

[Thisfox]

Yeah I was worried about that. What if you're a slow reader?

Re:False

[Maniakes]

That's the clever bit. See, since humans are generally the weak link in security setups (see Rubber Hose Cryptanalysis [wikipedia.org]), the system doesn't show the information to any humans. In fact, it never leaves the sender's computer! It's transcribed directly into write-only memory [catb.org].

First quiery

[Anonymous Coward]

My friend, our organization has great need of your service. Will it work in middle eastern countries? How about the mountains of Pakistan? Is there a problem with arabic? We are very excited about your service and look forward to hearing from you are soon as possible. I wish we had access to it several months ago. An unfortunate incident in England could have been avoided.

Re:There's always a way.

[edmac3]

Sceenshots can be so easily be faked; who would accept screenshots as proof of anything?

I like this quote

[DK]

"The company doesn't see VaporStream being a useful tool for terrorists because it's built for one-to-one conversations, not one to a group."

Now THAT's a convincing argument.

Re:Screen capture?

[Anonymous Coward]

Depends on the level of your party's thief.

majjjjjjjy'a p

[finiteSet]

got vim?

Re:There's always a way.

[Anonymous Coward]

And the first time anyone anonymously threatens the President using this service, it will end up SO busted... although it will be hard to trace all 4 million of the submitted threats.

DRM can make screenshots impossible

[roystgnr]

So all this program has to do is encrypt itself with a private key only available to DRM operating systems which support the "no screenshots of me" API. Hole plugged.

No, the real threat here is from Muslim extremists. I've heard rumors that an Egyptian named Abu Ali Al-Hasan Ibn al-Haitham is working on technology to foil such electronic protection mechanisms. If his "qamara" experiments succeed, all hope of being able to send unsavable or unforwardable messages may be lost.

Let's do it!

[suv4x4]

Tie 'em up, transport them abroad and beat 'em up!

I mean, why *untraceable* messages unless they're terrorists that ALSO wanna distribute child porn! Sick!

------------------

Now, I've another question: you can't trace the messages, but can you trace the service was used (a protocol, a port? whatever?).

Because, since you are obviously hiding stuff from CIA and FBI, we plan to make your life a misery, y'know?

Obligatory Simpsons Quote

[Anonymous Coward]

Lisa turns on the dryer in the basement.

Lisa: There, now no one can hear us talking!

Bart: What?

Re:There's always a way.

[Mythrix]

Obviously they're going to put the message over the goatse.cx image. No one will *want* to keep the message after reading it, if they even read it.

Re:Obligatory....

[ajs318]

Oi! I'll have you know, I invented message tapes that self-destructed in the 1970s. The following day, I realised why they were useless.

Use colours that can't be captured.

[EmbeddedJanitor]

Use colour combos that can't be captured. eg. black on black. Jeez, must I think of everything around here?

IM + Firewall = Bugz

[ThePhilips]

From RTFA:

The message cannot be forwarded, edited, printed or saved, and, once it's been read, it disappears; nothing is cached anywhere. No attachments allowed.

OMG! I'm already using it!! It's my IM client behind our corporate firewall!!!

Re:There's always a way.

[Rogerborg]

The thin film of snake oil coating the message reflects the light from Venus and diffracts it through swamp gas, making screenshots unpossible.

Re:ScatterChat

[Dekortage]

You're missing the point. VaporStream is ScatterChat, but they are going to change the splash screen.

Re:There's always a way.

[xQx]

shhhh! don't tell anyone!

I've got off three copyright cases so far by forging emails giving me express permission from the author to use the software.

And I'm halfway through a settlement case for my last de-facto relationship relying on an email 'she sent me' which explains that I can have everything!

I figure if the RIAA can do it, it's not imorral for me to do it. Besides, this Bitch deserves it.