Submission + - Vista Corporate Edition Activation Hacked
John G writes: Window's Vista Corporate Edition has a flaw that allows a VM'd version of the activation server to bypass the MS's activation requirements.
Submission + - NIST Passes newer, weaker, e-voting standards.
Irvu writes: The Day after NIST rejected new voting standards requiring "Software-Independent" voting systems, they accepted new ones. These new standards differ from the rejected ones in only one crucial way. The current crop of software dependent systems (touchscreens, pushbuttons, and dial-a-vote) will be grandfathered in making them legal for the forseeable future. This shlters the counties that bought them, and the manufacturers that make them from costly and politically embarassing changes. See reports here, here, and here.
Submission + - SCOX Goes Sub-Dollar
GreyPoopon writes: "It appears that things are about the get very interesting for SCO Group. With less than thirty minutes left in trading, SCOX appears set to close below the one-dollar mark for the first time. This is no big surprise after last Friday's devastation, but it's a great way to end the week. The question is, if SCO gets delisted by NASDAQ, what happens with the court case?"
Submission + - BlackBerry Orphans
theodp writes: "The WSJ reports that the growing use of email gadgets is spawning a generation of resentful children. In addition to feeling neglected, kids say BlackBerrys and Treos can put their lives in jeopardy as Mom and Dad type away while driving. The chairman of Research In Motion will have nothing of the whining, saying children should ask themselves, 'Would you rather have your parents 20% not there or 100% not there?'"
Submission + - Download-To-Burn Standards Approved
Copy Counsler writes: A major hurdle in the legitimate download-to-burn services taking off has been removed: At its Nov. 29 meeting, the DVD Forum gave formal approval to a new type of recordable disc that will accept movies encrypted with CSS, the same copy-protection system used on retail discs, for playback on set-top DVD players.
http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/download-to-burn- standards-approved-launching-early-07/
Journal Journal: Download-To-Burn Standards Approved
A major hurdle in the legitimate download-to-burn services taking off has been removed: At its Nov. 29 meeting, the DVD Forum gave formal approval to a new type of recordable disc that will accept movies encrypted with CSS, the same copy-protection system used on retail discs, for playback on set-top DVD players.
http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/download-to-burn-standards-approved-launching-early-
Feed Moon Base Plan Masks Cuts at NASA (wired.com)
Feed Debating Traveler Terror Ratings (wired.com)
Bookmark Slashdot | Judge Rules Offering != Distributing (slashdot.org)
Submission + - FBI taps cell phone mic as eavesdropping tool
An anonymous reader writes: The FBI appears to have begun using a novel form of electronic surveillance in criminal investigations: remotely activating a mobile phone's microphone and using it to eavesdrop on nearby conversations.
The technique is called a "roving bug," and was approved by top U.S. Department of Justice officials for use against members of a New York organized crime family who were wary of conventional surveillance techniques such as tailing a suspect or wiretapping him.
Nextel cell phones owned by two alleged mobsters, John Ardito and his attorney Peter Peluso, were used by the FBI to listen in on nearby conversations. The FBI views Ardito as one of the most powerful men in the Genovese family, a major part of the national Mafia.
The surveillance technique came to light in an opinion published this week by U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan. He ruled that the "roving bug" was legal because federal wiretapping law is broad enough to permit eavesdropping even of conversations that take place near a suspect's cell phone.
Kaplan's opinion said that the eavesdropping technique "functioned whether the phone was powered on or off." Some handsets can't be fully powered down without removing the battery; for instance, some Nokia models will wake up when turned off if an alarm is set.
While the Genovese crime family prosecution appears to be the first time a remote-eavesdropping mechanism has been used in a criminal case, the technique has been discussed in security circles for years.
The U.S. Commerce Department's security office warns that "a cellular telephone can be turned into a microphone and transmitter for the purpose of listening to conversations in the vicinity of the phone." An article in the Financial Times last year said mobile providers can "remotely install a piece of software on to any handset, without the owner's knowledge, which will activate the microphone even when its owner is not making a call."
Nextel and Samsung handsets and the Motorola Razr are especially vulnerable to software downloads that activate their microphones, said James Atkinson, a counter-surveillance consultant who has worked closely with government agencies. "They can be remotely accessed and made to transmit room audio all the time," he said. "You can do that without having physical access to the phone."
Because modern handsets are miniature computers, downloaded software could modify the usual interface that always displays when a call is in progress. The spyware could then place a call to the FBI and activate the microphone — all without the owner knowing it happened. (The FBI declined to comment on Friday.)
"If a phone has in fact been modified to act as a bug, the only way to counteract that is to either have a bugsweeper follow you around 24-7, which is not practical, or to peel the battery off the phone," Atkinson said. Security-conscious corporate executives routinely remove the batteries from their cell phones, he added
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1035_22-6140191.html
The technique is called a "roving bug," and was approved by top U.S. Department of Justice officials for use against members of a New York organized crime family who were wary of conventional surveillance techniques such as tailing a suspect or wiretapping him.
Nextel cell phones owned by two alleged mobsters, John Ardito and his attorney Peter Peluso, were used by the FBI to listen in on nearby conversations. The FBI views Ardito as one of the most powerful men in the Genovese family, a major part of the national Mafia.
The surveillance technique came to light in an opinion published this week by U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan. He ruled that the "roving bug" was legal because federal wiretapping law is broad enough to permit eavesdropping even of conversations that take place near a suspect's cell phone.
Kaplan's opinion said that the eavesdropping technique "functioned whether the phone was powered on or off." Some handsets can't be fully powered down without removing the battery; for instance, some Nokia models will wake up when turned off if an alarm is set.
While the Genovese crime family prosecution appears to be the first time a remote-eavesdropping mechanism has been used in a criminal case, the technique has been discussed in security circles for years.
The U.S. Commerce Department's security office warns that "a cellular telephone can be turned into a microphone and transmitter for the purpose of listening to conversations in the vicinity of the phone." An article in the Financial Times last year said mobile providers can "remotely install a piece of software on to any handset, without the owner's knowledge, which will activate the microphone even when its owner is not making a call."
Nextel and Samsung handsets and the Motorola Razr are especially vulnerable to software downloads that activate their microphones, said James Atkinson, a counter-surveillance consultant who has worked closely with government agencies. "They can be remotely accessed and made to transmit room audio all the time," he said. "You can do that without having physical access to the phone."
Because modern handsets are miniature computers, downloaded software could modify the usual interface that always displays when a call is in progress. The spyware could then place a call to the FBI and activate the microphone — all without the owner knowing it happened. (The FBI declined to comment on Friday.)
"If a phone has in fact been modified to act as a bug, the only way to counteract that is to either have a bugsweeper follow you around 24-7, which is not practical, or to peel the battery off the phone," Atkinson said. Security-conscious corporate executives routinely remove the batteries from their cell phones, he added
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1035_22-6140191.html
Submission + - ECMA: MS Officially Embraced, Extended XML
jesdynf writes: A European commission today ruled that MS's OOXML document format is an industry standard, suitable for ISO submission.
http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/12/08/ms_ooxml_standar d/
Submission + - Social networking, run amok
netbuzz writes: "Finally, a social-networking site that encourages kids to risk life, limb and dignity, put it all on video, and compete for piddling prizes. The Internet is finished now. Say hi to Darejunkies.com ... emphasis on junk.
http://www.networkworld.com/community/?q=node/9606 "
http://www.networkworld.com/community/?q=node/960
Submission + - Vista activation cracked
TranceMist writes: "It appears that Windows Vista licensing may have been craked. This exploit fakes out a corporate activation server for the corporate version of Vista.
http://www.macworld.com/news/2006/12/08/vistahack/ index.php"
http://www.macworld.com/news/2006/12/08/vistahack
Submission + - RV processes own fuel in cross country trip
Anonymous Coward writes: "Frybrid has realized the dream of Dr. Emmet Brown's Delorea: putting garbage directly into your vehicle, and have it be turned into directly into fuel. This fall, Frybrid installed a system into a 40' luxury RV that will suck up waste vegetable oil from the back of restaurants, remove the water and filter it, and then burn the dry and cleaned vegetable oil as fuel. The family drove their converted RV from Seattle to Rhode Island on $47 worth of diesel fuel. Plans are underway for a smaller version of the system to fit in the bed of a pickup truck."
Journal Journal: Would you admit this? 5
I'm not sure if I would be brave enough to admit what this article says. I have what I have and there isn't anything I can do change what I have but I'm not sure I'd be willing to admit it.
