cheros - Slashdot User

+ - German government offers formal opinion on secure boot-> 0

Submitted by cheros on Tuesday November 27, 2012 @08:00AM

cheros writes "The German government published a white paper on Trusted Computing and Secure Boot which puts somewhat of a stake through any attempt to lock up a platform. As it contains chapters such as "Complete control by device owners" and "Freedom to decide" I reckon the gist of the paper is quite clear.

Also, because it is an official government paper I suspect you are in effect reading the general stance on the subject. This wouldn't surprise me, as the German government has shown itself to be an intelligent user of Open Source in the past by sponsoring projects it intended to use itself such as GPG and other, more local projects (I could mention Munich, but I'm sure you heard of that by now).

So, in short, if the purpose of Secure Boot was lock in, it appears the German Government is telling Microsoft that it doesn't find that acceptable.."
Link to Original Source

+ - WHOIS of major websites gives weird results - hacked?-> 3

Submitted by cheros on Saturday August 11, 2012 @04:39AM

cheros writes "On Friday I wanted to look up registration details for bluehost.com (I wanted to quickly see where they were). The answer from the command line were, well, weird. I then tried Google, Yahoo, Apple — it's a mess. Does anyone have an idea what this is? DNS poisoning?
%whois google.com Whois Server Version 2.0 Domain names in the .com and .net domains can now be registered with many different competing registrars. Go to http://www.internic.net/ for detailed information. GOOGLE.COM.ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.LOVE.AND.TOLERANCE.THE-WONDERBOLTS.COM GOOGLE.COM.ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.HAVENDATA.COM GOOGLE.COM.ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ.GET.ONE.MILLION.DOLLARS.AT.WWW.UNIMUNDI.COM GOOGLE.COM.ZZZZZ.GET.LAID.AT.WWW.SWINGINGCOMMUNITY.COM GOOGLE.COM.ZOMBIED.AND.HACKED.BY.WWW.WEB-HACK.COM GOOGLE.COM.ZNAET.PRODOMEN.COM GOOGLE.COM.Z.LOVE.AND.TOLERANCE.THE-WONDERBOLTS.COM GOOGLE.COM.YUCEKIRBAC.COM GOOGLE.COM.YUCEHOCA.COM GOOGLE.COM.WORDT.DOOR.VEEL.WHTERS.GEBRUIKT.SERVERTJE.NET GOOGLE.COM.VN GOOGLE.COM.VABDAYOFF.COM GOOGLE.COM.UY GOOGLE.COM.UA GOOGLE.COM.TW GOOGLE.COM.TR GOOGLE.COM.SUCKS.FIND.CRACKZ.WITH.SEARCH.GULLI.COM GOOGLE.COM.SPROSIUYANDEKSA.RU GOOGLE.COM.SPAMMING.IS.UNETHICAL.PLEASE.STOP.THEM.HUAXUEERBAN.COM GOOGLE.COM.SOUTHBEACHNEEDLEARTISTRY.COM GOOGLE.COM.SHQIPERIA.COM GOOGLE.COM.SA GOOGLE.COM.PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENIS.COM GOOGLE.COM.PE GOOGLE.COM.PAVLINOFF-55-11-44.COM GOOGLE.COM.MY GOOGLE.COM.MX GOOGLE.COM.LOLOLOLOLOL.SHTHEAD.COM GOOGLE.COM.LASERPIPE.COM GOOGLE.COM.IS.NOT.HOSTED.BY.ACTIVEDOMAINDNS.NET GOOGLE.COM.IS.HOSTED.ON.PROFITHOSTING.NET GOOGLE.COM.IS.APPROVED.BY.NUMEA.COM GOOGLE.COM.HK GOOGLE.COM.HICHINA.COM GOOGLE.COM.HAS.LESS.FREE.PORN.IN.ITS.SEARCH.ENGINE.THAN.SECZY.COM GOOGLE.COM.ESJUEGOS.NET GOOGLE.COM.DO GOOGLE.COM.CO GOOGLE.COM.CN GOOGLE.COM.BR GOOGLE.COM.BITERMANSOLUTIONS.COM GOOGLE.COM.BEYONDWHOIS.COM GOOGLE.COM.AU GOOGLE.COM.AR GOOGLE.COM.ALL.THE.PEOPLE.WHO.SPAM.THE.WHOIS.ARE.SERIOUSLY.ANNOYING.SOMEPONY.COM GOOGLE.COM.AFRICANBATS.ORG GOOGLE.COM.9.THE-WONDERBOLTS.COM GOOGLE.COM.1.THE-WONDERBOLTS.COM GOOGLE.COM %whois yahoo.com Whois Server Version 2.0 Domain names in the .com and .net domains can now be registered with many different competing registrars. Go to http://www.internic.net/ for detailed information. YAHOO.COM.ZZZZZZZ.GET.ONE.MILLION.DOLLARS.AT.WWW.UNIMUNDI.COM YAHOO.COM.ZZZZZZ.MORE.INFO.AT.WWW.BEYONDWHOIS.COM YAHOO.COM.ZZZZZ.GET.LAID.AT.WWW.SWINGINGCOMMUNITY.COM YAHOO.COM.ZOMBIED.AND.HACKED.BY.WWW.WEB-HACK.COM YAHOO.COM.VN YAHOO.COM.VIRGINCHASSIS.COM YAHOO.COM.TWIXTEARS.COM YAHOO.COM.TW YAHOO.COM.SINGERPAT.COM YAHOO.COM.SG YAHOO.COM.MX YAHOO.COM.MORE.INFO.AT.WWW.BEYONDWHOIS.COM YAHOO.COM.JTNELECTRIC.COM YAHOO.COM.IS.N0T.AS.1337.AS.SEARCH.GULLI.COM YAHOO.COM.HK YAHOO.COM.ELPOV.COM YAHOO.COM.EATINGFORJOY.NET YAHOO.COM.DUVALMANIA.COM YAHOO.COM.DALLARIVA.COM YAHOO.COM.CN YAHOO.COM.CHRISIMAMURAPHOTOWORKS.COM YAHOO.COM.BR YAHOO.COM.BGPETERSON.COM YAHOO.COM.AU YAHOO.COM.ACCUTAXSERVICES.COM YAHOO.COM %whois apple.com Whois Server Version 2.0 Domain names in the .com and .net domains can now be registered with many different competing registrars. Go to http://www.internic.net/ for detailed information. APPLE.COM.ZON.COM APPLE.COM.WWW.ZON.COM APPLE.COM.WWW.BEYONDWHOIS.COM APPLE.COM.WAS.PWNED.BY.M1CROSOFT.COM APPLE.COM.MORE.INFO.AT.WWW.BEYONDWHOIS.COM APPLE.COM.IS.OWN3D.BY.NAKEDJER.COM APPLE.COM.IS.0WN3D.BY.GULLI.COM APPLE.COM.BEYONDWHOIS.COM APPLE.COM.AT.WWW.BEYONDWHOIS.COM APPLE.COM

No registration details whatsoever — it's a mess. I can see *many* scripts based on a normal WHOIS output fail here."
Link to Original Source

+ - Data Commissioner protects Facebook privacy by ending discussion - via SMS-> 0

Submitted by cheros on Monday July 30, 2012 @07:57AM

cheros writes "Just in case you thought you had ANY rights to privacy protected by Facebook having a site in Ireland, you may want to read the latest update of Europe versus Facebook where the Commissioner apparently ended the discussion via SMS.

For more than a year we have been 'engaged' in the proceeding against Facebook before the Irish Data Protection Commissioner (DPC). Now we experienced a more than surprising move by the authority (ODPC): Via a text message (!) we were told that the authority is not planning to talk to us anymore, despite the fact that we are parties of the biggest proceeding the DPC has ever had on his table... It is now unclear how we will overcome this situation.

Streisand Effect in 3 .. 2 .. 1 .."
Link to Original Source

+ - Would you trust Silent Circle? 0

Submitted by cheros on Thursday July 12, 2012 @06:13PM

cheros writes "The company that Phil Zimmerman has been building called Silent Circle has just sent out an email that they are in "final tweaks" to their service. The company purports to offer encrypted email, encrypted calls, encrypted VoIP and encrypted text but there is a very basic question to be answered.

This is a US based company (just do a WHOIS or "dig" for their MX record and geolocate the result), and the US hasn't exactly been inspiring trust of late with its approach to people's privacy, nor with their creative (ab)use of anti-terror laws to breach privacy at will. We also have companies like Google and Facebook whose basic approach to privacy is to break the law and say "oops" when caught out, an attitude spurred on by the minimalist fines handed out when caught. Add to that the rather cavalier attitude to the privacy of non-US citizens and I have questions. I am perfectly happy with an ability for law enforcement to go after bad guys, but only if the privilege to break a basic human right is (a) tightly controlled and (b) fully auditable, which requires transparency. If you cannot audit the use of such laws, the first question a voter has to ask is what they are trying to hide..

I am happy that Zimmermann & Co are trying, but it strikes me that they thus start with a seriously flawed foundation — having a company in the US and hosting there is not going to inspire the trust you need to get people to use this service, that is, not if they have a clue. And, of course, Silent Circle users may risk flagging themselves as people of interest but that has been the case since the first days of PGP.."

+ - Switzerland goes after the German data thieves - properly-> 0

Submitted by cheros on Saturday March 31, 2012 @05:00PM

cheros writes "If you thought that paying data thieves stimulated crime, it appears Swiss prosecution has arrived at that conclusion too. After investigation it appears that German tax officials have been ordering data thefts (this isn't in the article, but was mentioned on the radio), which makes it economic espionage. There is a now a massive diplomatic storm brewing over the fact that the Swiss prosecutor has ordered the arrest of three German tax officials.

So, data theft is finally a crime again. Not that those credit card hackers care.."
Link to Original Source

+ - Using brain waves can shorten brake distance-> 0

Submitted by cheros on Saturday July 30, 2011 @02:51AM

cheros writes "A BBC article reports on work at the Berlin Institute of technology where brainwaves are used to trigger brakes. Apparently this cuts braking distance by more than 3m (10ft), but I have reservations about skull electrodes in *any* circumstances. I'll stick with radar, thanks.."
Link to Original Source

+ - The Stanford prisoner experiment - 40 years on-> 1

Submitted by cheros on Wednesday July 13, 2011 @07:02AM

cheros writes "It's now 40 years ago that the Stanford prisoner experiment went ugly so quickly it had to be aborted. Stanford has an interesting piece called The Menace Within that looks back on this momentous psychological experiment.

I think we can still learn from this — plenty of live examples around.."
Link to Original Source

+ - Dutch government acknowledges high voltage risks-> 0

Submitted by cheros on Thursday June 09, 2011 @07:18AM

cheros writes "After receiving sufficient proof that living directly under high voltage power lines is a serious health risk, the Dutch government is now planning to move a good 1300 families (link to translation) whose houses are in the danger zone.

Being Dutch they don't plan to spend tax money for compensation, instead they plan a small surcharge on electricity to cover the estimated 500 Million Euro this is likely to cost.

Anyone aware of any other country that is taking such action?"
Link to Original Source

+ - Swiss RIAA under formal investigation-> 1

Submitted by cheros on Wednesday June 08, 2011 @02:30AM

cheros writes "The Swiss paper Blick reports that the IFPI, the Swiss equivalent of the RIAA is now under formal investigation for market rigging and building an illegal monopoly (Google translation).

A pre-investigation seems to have concluded that there is enough evidence to warrant a formal investigation into market rigging and forcing members not to import music handled by another member (i.e. anti-competition).

If found guilty, fines could amount to 10% of their turnover for the last 3 years.."
Link to Original Source

+ - Privacy theater - new term by Ed Felten-> 0

Submitted by cheros on Thursday May 27, 2010 @03:06AM

cheros writes "Commenting on Facebook, Ed Felten has come up with a new term to describe the current attitudes to privacy that is brilliant in its simplicity: privacy theater.

It builds on the term Bruce Schneier defined to identify pretend security measures such as most of TSA's efforts: they don't do anything to make you safer, it makes you feel better. Ditto for your privacy, "privacy theater" describes measures that appear to do something for your privacy, while they are actually aimed at stopping you complaining about it.

Brilliant — so far, the best new expression for 2010.."
Link to Original Source

+ - Do you use outline view?-> 0

Submitted by cheros on Sunday April 11, 2010 @07:58PM

cheros writes "MS Office has it, but for OpenOffice.org its omission is a bug that is now eight years old with no resolution in sight. Do you use an outline view, and if so, for what?"
Link to Original Source

+ - "Tactical Nuclear Penguin" launched today-> 0

Submitted by cheros on Friday November 27, 2009 @04:44AM

cheros writes "No, it's not a new game, and it's not a new Linux distro either (although it would be quite a name), it's BEER.

What's more, it's not your average new taste either, it's incredibly strong stuff with 32% alcohol.

Please do not drink too much of this, or you'll become too risky to cremate.."
Link to Original Source

+ - Google to upgrade Swiss Street View-> 0

Submitted by cheros on Thursday October 15, 2009 @08:26AM

cheros writes "Google Switzerland says it will upgrade its software to improve the blurring of faces and car registration plates on its Street View service, but doesn't want to lower its cameras (interesting — that was the same thing it was asked to do in Japan)."
Link to Original Source

+ - Monty Python 40 years old today!-> 0

Submitted by cheros on Monday October 05, 2009 @08:26AM

cheros writes "Ah, British humour..

It started all with work of the Goons (Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan and Harry Secombe) and there was somewhat of an explosion of comedy in the years of the Cambridge Footlights when people like Stephen Fry And Tony Slattery created pieces that shall forever stand tall in history (I leave you to ponder that one, grin) — do a YouTube search for "The letter, Stephen Fry" for a taste. For those that like the series "House", you may be surprised to discover that Hugh Laurie was actually a rather accomplished, multi-talented comedian as well, look for "A bit of Fry and Laurie", especially "Your name sir". A bit of a warning, here, some of it is NSFW (especially "the pre-coital agreement" discussion is only suitable for those that actually have a sense of humour).

And then the Monty Python gang got together (I think this is right chronologically, but I'm happy to be corrected). The first airing of Monty Python was on October 5th, 1969, which means today it's 40 years old. Almost everything they did is now in some form or another on YouTube, so go and enjoy it. Look for the dead parrot sketch, the argument clinic, the ministry of silly walks etc etc.

Long may it live!"
Link to Original Source

+ - Swiss watchdog sets court ultimatum for Google Str-> 0

Submitted by cheros on Monday September 14, 2009 @04:14PM

cheros writes "Google just can't get it right (it must be hard after being given a free ride practically everywhere else): the Swiss Federal Data Protection Commissioner has given Google 30 days to fix the problems with Streetview or the matter will go to court.

Another article in the Swiss press (in German) goes a little bit more into detail, not only have quite a number of complaints been handed in, Google has also been told to lower its cameras, in more or less a repeat of what it encountered in Japan, and to remove small private streets from its images unless it can obtain local permission (IMHO a somewhat impossible to meet requirement)."
Link to Original Source