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Privacy

Submission + - PenTeleData Lists Subscriber Names in Reverse DNS

Submitted by jpiratefish
jpiratefish writes: Most people know that they can be identified when they browse to some degree — and if you're careful, nothing short of a subpoena will get your actual name — but not if you use PenTeleData in Eastern Pennsylvania. They're putting business and subscriber names into their reverse DNS, in direct violation of their privacy agreements (http://www.penteledata.net/support/aup.shtml and http://www.ptd.net/tiki-index.php?page=Residential+Policies). Some juicy examples include these:

24.229.69.2 : cpe-static-jpjayassoc-rtr.cmts.all.ptd.net
24.229.69.3 : cpe-wifi-subwaytilghman-145.2.1-ap.cmts.all.ptd.net
24.229.69.4 : cpe-static-aestheticsurgery-rtr.cmts.all.ptd.net
24.229.69.7 : cpe-static-thecontigrpmdm2-rtr-cmts.all.ptd.net
24.229.69.8 : cpe-static-apa612wlindenst-rtr.cmts.all2.ptd.net
24.229.69.10 : cpe-static-questlvfamily-rtr.cmts.tv2.ptd.net
24.229.69.12 : cpe-static-ramadainnkiosk-rtr.cmts.all.ptd.net
24.229.69.15 : cpe-static-cntyoflehighgovtcntr-rtr.cmts.all.ptd.net
24.229.69.51 : cpe-static-westendpharmacy-rtr.cmts.all2.ptd.net
24.229.69.52 : cpe-static-bnaibrithapartments-rtr.cmts.all2.ptd.net
24.229.69.55 : cpe-static-adultmedgeriatics-rtr.cmts.all2.ptd.net
24.229.69.56 : cpe-static-cysticfibrosis-rtr.cmts.tv2.ptd.net
24.229.69.57 : cpe-static-stanleywest-rtr.cmts.all2.ptd.net
24.229.69.58 : cpe-static-panylentzengineering-rtr.cmts.all2.ptd.net
24.229.69.59 : cpe-static-drhabig-rtr.cmts.all2.ptd.net

And that's just one little bit of their 24.229.0.0/16 network (16,384 hosts)....

I can only imagine that these folks are subjected to tons more targeted marketing, and identity theft, than the rest of us. If you use PenTeleData, you should do a reverse lookup on yourself (suggested link — http://ipchicken.com/ and see if your name is listed.
Games

Submission + - Valve's Steam Client For Mac Shows Linux Signs (phoronix.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Not only is Valve bringing Steam and their games to Mac OS X (as announced last month), but evidently they will be doing the same for Linux. While the Mac OS X client is in closed testing right now, Phoronix has received a script used to launch Steam on Mac OS X and it shows signs of Linux support. Is the year of the Linux gaming desktop finally approaching?

Submission + - Legal Spying Via The Cell Phone System

Submitted by Mr Brown's Cow
Mr Brown's Cow writes: A pair of security researchers has discovered a number of new attack vectors that give them the ability to not only locate any GSM mobile handset anywhere in the world, but also find the name of the subscriber associated with virtually any cellular phone number, raising serious privacy and security concerns for customers of all of the major mobile providers. The research, by Don Bailey of iSec Partners and independent security researcher Nick DePetrillo , builds upon earlier work on geolocation of GSM handsets and exposes a number of fundamental weaknesses in the architecture of mobile providers' networks. However, these are not software or hardware vulnerabilities that can be patched or mitigated with workarounds. Rather, they are features and functionality built into the networks and back-end systems that Bailey and DePetrillo have found ways to abuse in order to discover information that most cell users assume is private and known only to the cell provider.

Comment Re: WTF (Score 1) 2

by jpiratefish (#31918038) Attached to: PenTeleData Lists Subscriber Names in Reverse DNS
That's a sanitized example :^) - I didn't think that airing someones actual IP as an example was a good idea - it would provide the linkage that the moderators would like to see. I suggest doing some nslookups and taking a look though - if my ISP did this, I'd be plenty pissed. I thought WTF was appropriate given the significance in this context. If you want to see some real examples, here's a few: 24.229.69.12 : cpe-static-ramadainnkiosk-rtr.cmts.all.ptd.net 24.229.69.15 : cpe-static-cntyoflehighgovtcntr-rtr.cmts.all.ptd.net 24.229.69.51 : cpe-static-westendpharmacy-rtr.cmts.all2.ptd.net I'm sure theres nothing to be gained from a hotel kiosk, a government office and a pharmacy, right?
Privacy

Submission + - PenTeleData Lists Subscriber Names in Reverse DNS 2

Submitted by jpiratefish
jpiratefish writes: If you live in or around Eastern Pennsylvania and use PenTeleData DSL then your IP address tells folks more about you than you'd probably like to hand out to strangers. If you've got an IP address in the 24.229.0.0/16 block, then your reverse IP lookup might just look like this: cpe-static-yournamehere-rtr.cmts.wtf.ptd.net. If every ISP embraced this policy, the Internet be a safer place, but lets face it — the world would never comply. Something tells me that ptd.net customers probably have the highest rate of stolen web identities combined with the largest number of Internet prosecutions as well. Anyone know of a way to test this theory? Funny thing is, this pretty much totally violates their own privacy policies as posted on their site too.
Idle

Submission + - Man loses pinky over iPad (thedenverchannel.com)

Submitted by SocietyoftheFist
SocietyoftheFist writes: A man was robbed of his iPad right after he bought it. He was holding on to the bag so tightly that when the thief ripped the bag free he took the skin off the tip of his pinky finger and will require amputation.
Cellphones

Submission + - HTC Incredible To Launch End April

Submitted by adeelarshad82
adeelarshad82 writes: Verizon Wireless and HTC have recently announced Verizon's new flagship smartphone, the Droid Incredible by HTC. The Incredible's arrival comes after months of rumors and leaks about the phone, and it arrives before the similar Google Nexus One appears on Verizon's network. According to the review, the Droid Incredible is the most powerful phone on the U.S. market today, it reflects and enhances the state of the art smartphone. It has a large 3.7-inch touch-screen and is running the Google Android 2.1 operating system. It measures 4.63 by 2.3 by .47 inches (HWD) and weighs 4.6 ounces. The hardward consists of a 1-GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, GPS, Wi-Fi, and an 8-megapixel camera with dual-LED flash. HTC also replaced the Nexus One's trackball with an optical mouse. The Droid Incredible will be available for purchase on April 29.
Science

Submission + - Scientists Develop Implant That Melts Onto Brain (inhabitat.com)

Submitted by ByronScott
ByronScott writes: From the department of creepy yet clever: researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia have developed a brain implant made partially from silk that that melts into place on the brain’s surface much like shrink wrap. The thin, flexible implant, records brain activity more accurately than thicker implants and may prove to be invaluable in treating patients with epilepsy, spinal injuries, and other neurological disorders.
Censorship

Submission + - Google Publicizes Government Requests (google.com)

Submitted by D H NG
D H NG writes: In the aftermath of Google's exit from mainland China, it had sought to be more open about what it sensors. Google has launched a new tool to track the number of government request targeted at Google and YouTube. These include both requests for data and removal requests. A quick look at the tool shows that Brazil is the top country for both categories and information for China can not be disclosed because "Chinese officials consider censorship demands as state secrets". As part of its four-part plan, Google hopes to "change the behavior of repressive governments", "establish guiding principles for dealing with issues of free expression", "build support online to protest repression", and "better provide resources and support for developing technology designed to combat and circumvent Internet censorship".

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