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Security

Submission + - Anonymity of Netflix Prize dataset broken (arxivblog.com)

Submitted by
KentuckyFC
KentuckyFC writes: "The anonymity of the Netflix Prize dataset has been broken by a pair of computer scientists from the University of Texas, according to a report from the physics arXivblog. It turns out that an individual's set of ratings and the dates on which they were made are pretty unique, particularly if the ratings involve films outside the most popular 100 movies. So it's straightforward to find a match by comparing the anonymized data against publicly available ratings on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) (abstract on the physics arxiv). The researchers used this method to find how individuals on the IMDb privately rated films on Netflix, in the process working out their political affiliation, sexual preferences and a number of other personal details"
Microsoft

Submission + - In postSovien Russia,Microsoft owns the DataCenter

Submitted by thanosk
thanosk writes: In the Siberian city of Irkutsk
Microsoft is planning to build a brand new data center.

After the announcements for data centers in the US and Ireland
it seems that the cold weather and the obvious marketing potential of expanding
into the huge capitalist Russian market prompted the move by Microsoft
.
In the strategy game against Google to control the online-service world it seems
that no frontier is far enough for these two giants wrestling for supremacy
Government

Submission + - Florida Bar Association vs Jack Thompson

Submitted by
Farnite
Farnite writes: "Anti-Violent-Video-Game Lawyer Jack Thompson is finally being brought before the Florida Bar Association today. From the article: "The Florida Bar is pursuing several complaints concerning Thompson's professional conduct in court cases against the video game industry." Is this the start of the end for the constant harassment of video game companies by Jack?"
Google

Submission + - Google Ordered To Reveal Blogger's Identity (aviransplace.com)

Submitted by
Aviran
Aviran writes: "Israeli court ordered Google to reveal the identity of a blogger that uses Google's own blogging platform, Blogger.
The blogger accused a Shaarei Tikva comity member of illegal acts all through his blog posts. Google objected to the request claiming freedom of speech, however the court sided with the plaintiff and said that since the plaintiff is a public figure running for reelection, he is allowed to confront his accuser and clear his name."
OS X

Submission + - Java 6 available on OSX thanks to port of OpenJDK (bikemonkey.org)

Submitted by LarsWestergren
LarsWestergren writes: Many Mac users have been upset that Apple has not made Java 6 available on the platform. Landon Fuller posts that there is a developer preview release available of Java JDK6 on Mac OSX, Tiger and Leopard. It is based on the BSD port of Sun's Java 6 and is made available under the Java Research License. Charles Nutter posts about impressive JRuby performance gains using Java 6 on his Mac.
Unix

Submission + - SCO not charging linux anymore

Submitted by luxifr
luxifr writes: SCO Germany boss Michael Olson now stated a cease-and-desist declaration (german news!) towards the tarent GmbH in which he promises not to claim that linux contained intellectual property of SCO anymore. In addition to that he assured tarents lawers of dropping the statement that users and clients of open source businesses would have to fear restrictions. In a third point he pledged himself not to make the assertion of linux being an "unauthorized unix derivate" anymore.

That sounds pretty good to me, as it strengthens the legal position of linux and open source.
Microsoft

Submission + - Microsoft, Autodesk lose patent appeal (nwsource.com)

Submitted by harsha_c
harsha_c writes: Z4 Technologies Inc. sued Microsoft and Autodesk Inc., maker of drafting software, in 2004, claiming the technology they used to activate newly installed software and deter piracy infringed on patents created and owned by David Colvin, the owner of privately held z4. Commerce Township, Mich.-based z4 argued that Microsoft's Windows XP and Office 2003 suite of productivity software used its patented method of asking computer users to supply two passwords, or authorization codes, before they could fully use new software.In April 2006, a federal jury in East Texas ordered Microsoft to pay $115 million to z4, plus attorney fees and $25 million for willful patent infringement.The jury also ordered Autodesk to pay $18 million to z4.
The Internet

Submission + - CanadaTrying to Ban BitTorrent By Stealth? (torrentfreak.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Dozens of Canadian media companies are trying to shut down a little-known torrent site called QuebecTorrent but while this action slips by without anyone noticing, the main plan is get a legal precedent against ALL Canadian BitTorrent sites with a view to shutting them all down. With the Netherlands looking like a BitTorrent un-safe haven right now, is Canada about to join it?
Communications

Submission + - How do you securely change your e-nationality?

Submitted by DigitAl56K
DigitAl56K writes: Being a foreigner in the US has its ups and downs. One of the downs I face stems from the music industry's obsession with territory restrictions. Not only am I unable to purchase certain UK releases online despite being able to import CDs, but I also can't listen to most of the webcasting radio stations near my home because they've had to implement IP->Geo lockouts. This leads to a cultural disconnect for me that the Internet really ought to solve. If you've ever graced the forums of an online music store you have likely seen dozens of users around the globe with similar complaints, and in general the only solution is to find an open proxy in another country to bypass the artificial barriers.

Unfortunately many open proxies are not intended for medium-high bandwidth applications, and may be unknowing victims of malware designed to sniff and steal information. Are there any reputable secure and/or trustworthy commercial proxy/tunneling services designed to provide end-points in specific countries?
Microsoft

Submission + - The worst consumer tech in history (cnet.co.uk)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: CNet has named what they claim are the worst technology products in history. Probably the most controversial is the inclusion of Windows Vista which sits alongside the Sinclair C5, the Gizmondo and the Tamagotchi. "[Vista's] incompatibility with hardware, its obsessive requirement of human interaction to clear security dialogue box warnings and its abusive use of hated DRM, not to mention its general pointlessness as an upgrade, are just some examples of why this expensive operating system earns the final place in our terrible tech list."
The Internet

Submission + - Google Used to Crack Password (idm.net.au)

Submitted by
IDM
IDM writes: "While investigating a hack attempt, a security researcher from Cambridge University's computer science department has stumbled on a way to use Google as a password cracker. When the department's Light Blue Touchpaper Wordpress blog was compromised by a hacker recently, researcher Steven Murdoch decided to do a little detective work to see what methods the hacker had used to get in and snoop around, and if anything had been changed."
Space

Submission + - First Evidence of Another Universe? 2

Submitted by blamanj
blamanj writes: Three months ago, astronomers announced the discovery of a large hole at the edge of our universe. Now, Dr. Laura Mersini-Houghton thinks she knows what that means. (Subscription req'd at New Scientist site, there's also an overview here.) According to string theory, there are many universes besides our own. Her team says that smaller universes are positioned at the edge of our universe, and because of gravitational interactions, they can be observed, and they're willing to make a prediction. The recently discovered void is in the northern hemisphere. They contend another one will be found in the southern hemisphere.
The Almighty Buck

Submission + - BSA Piracy Fight Makes Enemies of Entrepreneurs (google.com)

Submitted by
vaporland
vaporland writes: "An analysis by The Associated Press reveals that targeting small businesses is lucrative for the Business Software Alliance, the main copyright-enforcement watchdog for such companies as Microsoft, Adobe, Symantec and Apple. For example, BSA claimed that a 10-person architectural firm in Galveston, Texas, was using unlicensed software, and demanded $67,000 — most of one year's profit — or else it would seek more in court.

The AP found that, of the $13 million that the BSA reaped in software violation settlements with North American companies last year, almost 90 percent came from small businesses. The BSA considers software pirated if a receipt cannot be produced, no matter how old it is, and even if a company possesses the original media. MPAA, RIAA take note!

The BSA generally demands at least twice the retail price, charging the "unbundled" price for software that may have originally come bundled with a computer, like Microsoft Office.

Kudos to the AP for uncovering this story (and the story of Comcast's P2P IP "traffic shaping") and explaining it in a way that the common businessman can understand."
Security

Submission + - Major QuickTime Vulnerability in Latest Version (beskerming.com)

Submitted by
SkiifGeek
SkiifGeek writes: "Less than a month after news of active OS X fake codec malware, a major vulnerability in the latest version of QuickTime (7.3, only released two weeks ago) has been discovered and has already gone from proof-of-concept exploit code to two readily available exploit samples.

With the ease by which this exploit can be integrated with media streams, it marks a greater threat for end users than a fake codec. At this stage, about the best mitigation recommended is to disable support for RTSP via the File Type / Advanced -> MIME Settings option in QuickTime's Control Panel / PreferencePane. Even though the exploit is only for Windows systems (including Vista — QuickTime apparently doesn't utilise ASLR), OS X users could be at threat from related problems, given historical RTSP vulnerabilities."
The Courts

Submission + - Mother wins sole rights to child? (bbc.co.uk)

Submitted by Confuzzled
Confuzzled writes: After becoming pregnant from a one night stand. A woman has battled with the courts to win the right NOT to inform the father that she is pregnant and giving the child up for adoption. Does this mean that men have NO rights on their children if they are not in a relationship? from the bbc news website here

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