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Submission Summary: 0 pending, 93 declined, 42 accepted (135 total, 31.11% accepted)

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Security

Submission + - PEBKAC Still Plagues PC Security (arstechnica.com)

Submitted by
Billosaur
Billosaur writes: "ARS Technica is reporting on a study release by McAfee and the National Cyber Security Alliance (as part of the beginning of National Cyber Security Awareness Month) that suggests when it comes to PC security, the problem between the keyboard and the chair is even worse. PEBKAC has always been a problem, but the study highlights just how prevalent it has become. 87 percent of the users contacted said they used anti-virus software, while 70 percent use anti-spyware software. Fewer (64 percent) reported having their firewalls turned on, and only 27 percent use software designed to stop phishing attempts. Researchers were allowed to scan the computers of a subset of the users, and while 70 percent claimed to be using anti-spyware software, only 55 percent of the machines of those users scanned showed evidence of the software."
Communications

Submission + - Disney Mobile Coming To An End (news.com)

Submitted by
Billosaur
Billosaur writes: "Not everything the Mouse touches turns to gold. CNet is reporting that Disney plans to end Disney Mobile phone service on December 31st. Disney got in the mobile market 18 months ago, offering phone service that would deliver services and applications designed around the family. Among those, was the ability of parents to track their children and limit their ability to use the phone. Disney did not own its own network, working with Sprint/Nextel to offer it services. The applications may live on and become available through another provider."
The Internet

Submission + - Facebook Is Used As a Mug Book to Catch Suspect (cnn.com)

Submitted by
Billosaur
Billosaur writes: "CNN is reporting on the case of a Georgetown student, the victim of an attack near the university campus, who used Facebook to id his attacker. The unnamed victim was attacked by a person yelling homophobic epithets, and suffered cuts and bruises to the face and a broken thumb. He went on Facebook to see if he could identify his attacker, and upon finding someone who resembled the attacker, turned the information over to the police. Eventually the police created a photo lineup of possible suspects, and the victim was able to pick his alleged attacker, Phillip Anderton Cooney, from it. Cooney was arrested and has been charged with a bias/hate crime, increasing the potential penalty if convicted."
The Internet

Submission + - The .name Domain: Haven for Cyber-criminals (wired.com)

Submitted by
Billosaur
Billosaur writes: "In the war on cyber-crime, the bad guys have a new ally: the registrar running the .name domain. According to a Wired report, Global Name Registry (GNR), the registrar contracted by ICANN to run the .name domain, is charging money to do Whois lookups, frustrating security researchers who are attempting to trace zombie networks back to their source. ICANN normally requires registrars to make Whois data publicly available, but GNR's contract allows the to create tiered data, so that a public search reveals very little data and to find out who actually owns a .name domain requires a fee. Security researchers are balking at the fees, claiming it hampers their efforts if they have to pay to get at what should be publicly available data."
The Courts

Submission + - NY State AG Taking Heat for Secret Porn Plan (wired.com)

Submitted by
Billosaur
Billosaur writes: "Wired is reporting that defense lawyers have become a bit wary of NY Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's plan to engage MediaDefender to help track down child-porn and its users on the internet. They are worried that the partnership could lead to favoritism in the AG's office later on if MediaDefender were to violate NY state law in the future. There is also concern that such a contract would lead to the incentive to "get results," leading to a host of legal problems. There is also the question of privacy, given the recent hack of MediaDefender's email system that led to the agreement coming to light. "Generally it is not looked upon favorably when a prosecutor engages a private company to collect evidence in a case or to ... partner with in a criminal case," says San Francisco public defender Jeff Adachi."
Data Storage

Submission + - Germany Says Copying of DVDs, CDs Is Verboten (variety.com)

Submitted by
Billosaur
Billosaur writes: "In what can only be seen as the opening salvo in an attempt to control what users can do with content, the German parliament has approved a controversial copyright law which will make it illegal to make copies of CDs and DVDs, even for personal use. The Bundesrat, the upper part of the German parliament, approved the legislation over the objections of consumer protection groups. The law, set to take effect in 2008, covers CDs, DVDs, recordings from IPTV, and TV recordings."
Space

Submission + - Do You Need a Permit to Land on the Moon? (slate.com) 4

Submitted by
Billosaur
Billosaur writes: "With the recent announcement of Google's X-prize for a successful private landing of a robot on the Moon, someone has asked the Explainer at Slate.com if permission is required to land something on the Moon? Turns out that while there is no authority that regulates landing objects on another world, getting there does require the permission of the national government from where the launch takes place. This is in accordance with the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, signed by 91 nations, which regulates the uses of outer space by the nations of Earth. Specifically, Article VI enjoins: "The activities of non-governmental entities in outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, shall require authorization and continuing supervision by the appropriate State Party to the Treaty." Start your paperwork!"
Privacy

Submission + - Social Networking Fans Plant False Data (arstechnica.com)

Submitted by
Billosaur
Billosaur writes: "ArsTechnica has an article on a study from the marketing firm emedia that suggests many social networking users seed profiles with false information in the interests of security. While social networking is seen as a modern communication tool and a way for people to stay in touch with friends and family, the fact that the information is so widely available to anyone prompts users to take the simple precaution of not revealing too much. Of 81% of those surveyed who claimed to use a social networking site, roughly one-third have admitted to entering false information in the hope of hiding their true identity. This may be a growing trend, with assaults by phishers on the rise, the number of employers now trolling site for information about perspective employees, and the potential for being "found out" by a significant other."
The Internet

Submission + - IBM Pay Cut to Be Protested in Second Life (blogs.com)

Submitted by
Billosaur
Billosaur writes: "Found via BoingBoing, comes word of a protest against IBM to be launched in Second Life. On September 25th, Italian IBM workers and their supporters are intending to conduct a protest at IBM's Second Life campus. Italian workers are being asked to take a 1000 Euro pay cut and are not happy about. Organizers hope to mobilize the avatars of IBM workers from 18 countries to protest, though currently there are no accurate figures as to how many people will participate."
Portables

Submission + - The $100 Laptop Now Costs $188 (cnn.com)

Submitted by
Billosaur
Billosaur writes: "CNN is reporting that the cost of the $100 laptop, the centerpiece of the "One Laptop Per Child" initiative, has increased to $188. The increase from a previous price of $176 is blamed "on a variety of factors, including currency fluctuations and rising costs of such components as nickel and silicon." As the price continues to rise, it will make it harder to sell to the governments looking to use the machines to spur computer literacy and learning in their countries. The OLPC program is working hard to head off further price increases, but a cost of $200 is looming on the horizon."
Bug

Submission + - When Is A Kilogram Not A Kilogram? (yahoo.com)

Submitted by
Billosaur
Billosaur writes: "In what can only be a boon for those fighting weight gain, Yahoo! News is reporting that the International Bureau of Weights and Measures in Sevres, France (southwest of Paris) has discovered that the 118-year-old platinum-iridium cylinder used as the international standard for the kilogram is losing weight. So far, only about 50 micrograms, but physicists are baffled as to why. It is used to verify the weight of other standard kilogram weights used by other countries, and this could mean problems if kilogram has actually gotten lighter, but mainly for scientists and engineers. This is spurring discussions of replacing the current weight with something new which might be more stable, like a sphere made out of a Silicon-28 isotope crystal."
Movies

Submission + - Teen Pleads Guilty to Filming 'Transformers' (wired.com)

Submitted by
Billosaur
Billosaur writes: "Wired's Threat Level blog contains an article stating that the teen accused of filming 20 seconds of "Transformers" with her Canon Powershot camera has plead guilty to one misdemeanor count of filming a motion picture in a movie house owned by Regal Cinemas. She was arrested last month after she used her camera to film a short snippet of the film to show to her brother. Arlington County prosecutor Richard E. Trodden, said he was pressured by Regal Entertainment Group, the world's largest movie exhibitor, to prosecute 19-year-old Jhannet Sejas in order to make sure the message gets out that something like this isn't right."
Security

Submission + - Monster marauders: Attackers grab customer info, e (bostonherald.com)

Submitted by
Billosaur
Billosaur writes: "From the Boston Herald comes word of an attack on the Monster.com web site where the attackers somehow gained access to approximately 1.6 million user records. Apparently the attackers used stolen recruiter/company passwords to glean information from user résumés. According to sources, the information may have been "limited to job seekers' names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses." Phishing attacks, bearing Monster's logo and containing the stolen personal information have apparently already been launched, trying to get users to install a Trojan disguised as a job seeker tool."
Space

Submission + - Handheld Device Identifies Stressed-out Astronauts (newscientist.com)

Submitted by
Billosaur
Billosaur writes: "New Scientist has an article on a device being tested by NASA designed to identify astronauts suffering from stress or exhaustion. The device, the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) was developed by David Dinges, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania. It is a hand-held unit that gives the user a three-minute test, where they are supposed to press a button as quickly as possible after they see a light flash. By using statistical analysis of the response time, the test can indicate that the user is not in optimal condition to perform a cognitively challenging task. A version of the test has been used to test truck drivers to see if they are too tired to continue driving. Given the challenges of the space environment, it is important for astronauts to be able to focus and concentrate continually. There is a possibility that such a test might make its way into general use, as way of determining if someone is at their peak to perform a critical task."

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