VERY,VERY HOT READS, I Would Read The News In This Thread This Thead Is To post Any Thing Ye Want About The News,,NEWS WAS MOVED,READ MY FIRST POST..CHEERS
Origins: Although most of us would probably affirm that superstition's role in Western culture is now a much diminished one, more a source of amusement than anything else, there are still those who allow their trepidation over particular days or dates to prevent them from engaging in their choice of activities. We may make jokes about Friday the 13th and only kiddingly instruct loved ones to exercise greater care on that day, but those who suffer from a fear of the number thirteen (triskaidekaphobia) or a fear of Friday the 13th (paraskevidekatriaphobia) may genuinely feel limited by the rumored potential for ill luck connected with the date.
The reasons why Friday came to be regarded as a day of bad luck have been obscured by the mists of time ? some of the more common theories link it to a significant event in Christian tradition said to have taken place on Friday, such as the Crucifixion, Eve's offering the apple to Adam in the Garden of Eden, the beginning of the Great Flood, or the confusion at the Tower of Babel. Chaucer alluded to Friday as a day on which bad things seemed to happen in the Canterbury Tales as far back as the late 14th century ("And on a Friday fell all this mischance"), but references to Friday as a day connected with ill luck generally start to show up in Western literature around the mid-17th century:
* "Now Friday came, you old wives say, Of all the week's the unluckiest day." (1656)
From the early 19th century onward, examples abound of Friday's being considered a bad day for all sorts of ordinary tasks, from writing letters to conducting business and receiving medical treatment:
* "I knew another poor woman, who lost half her time in waiting for lucky days, and made it a rule never to . . . write a letter on business . . . on a Friday ? so her business was never done, and her fortune suffered accordingly." (1804)
* "There are still a few respectable tradesmen and merchants who will not transact business, or be bled, or take physic, on a Friday, because it is an unlucky day." (1831)
Friday was also said to be a particularly unlucky day on which to undertake anything that represented a beginning or the start of a new venture, thus we find references to all of the following activities as endeavors best avoided on Fridays:
* Needleworking: "I knew an old lady who, if she had nearly completed a piece of needlework on a Thursday, would put it aside unfinished, and set a few stitches in her next undertaking, that she might not be obliged either to begin the new task on Friday or to remain idle for a day." (1883)
* Harvesting: "My father once decided to start harvest on a Friday, and men went out on the Thursday evening, and, unpaid, cut along one side of the first field with their scythes, in order to dodge the malign fates which a Friday start would begin." (1933)
* Laying the keel of, or launching, a ship: "Fisherman would have great misgivings about laying the keel of a new boat on Friday, as well as launching one on that day." (1885)
* Beginning a sea voyage: "Sailors are many of them superstitious . . . A voyage begun [on a Friday] is sure to be an unfortunate one." (1823)
* Beginning a journey: "I knew another poor woman, who . . . made it a rule never to . . . set out on a journey on a Friday." (1804)
* Giving birth: "A child born on a Friday is doomed to misfortune." (1846)
* Getting married: "As to Friday, a couple married on that day are doomed to a cat-and-dog life." (1879)
* Recovering from illness: "If you have been ill, don't get up for the first time on a Friday." (1923)
* Hearing news: "If you hear anything new on a Friday, it gives you another wrinkle on your face, and adds a year to your age." (1883)
* Moving: "Don't move on a Friday, or you won't stay there very long." (1982)
* Starting a new job: "Servants who go into their situations on Friday, never go to stay." (1923)
In some cases, Good Friday (the Friday before Easter) was regarded as an exception or 'antidote' to the bad luck usually associated with Friday beginnings:
* "Notwithstanding the prejudice against sailing on a Friday . . . most of the pleasure-boats . . . make their first voyage for the season on Good Friday." (1857)
* "It was accounted unlucky for a child to be born on a Friday, unless it happened to be Good Friday, when the event was counterbalanced by the sanctity of the day." (1870)
The origins of the connection between the number thirteen and ill fortune are similarly obscure. Many different sources for the superstition surrounding the number thirteen have been posited, the most common stemming from another Christian source, the Last Supper, at which Judas Iscariot was said to have been the thirteenth guest to sit at the table. (Judas later betrayed Jesus, leading to His crucifixion, and then took his own life.) This Christian symbolism is reflected in early Western references to thirteen as an omen of bad fortune, which generally started to appear in the early 18th century and warned that thirteen people sitting down to a meal together presaged that one of them would die within the year:
* "I have known, and now know, persons in genteel life who did, and do, not sit down to table unmoved with twelve others. Our notion is that one of the thirteen so partaking, will die ere the expiry of the year." (1823)
* "The old story runs, that the last individual of the thirteen who takes a seat has the greatest chance of being the 'doomed one'." (1839)
Superstition held that the victim would be the first person to rise from the table (or the last one to be seated), leading to the remedies of having all guests sit and stand at the same time, or seating one or more guests at a separate table:
* " . . . Miss Mellon always gave the last comer an equal chance with the rest for life . . . she used to rise and say, 'I will not have any friend of mine sit down as the thirteenth; you must all rise, and we will then sit down again together.'" (1839)
* "Every one knows that to sit down thirteen at a table is a most unlucky omen, sure to be followed by the death of one of the party within the year . . . Some say, however, that the evil will only befall the first who leaves the table, and may be averted if the whole company are careful to rise from their seats at the same moment." (1883)
* " . . . so far is this feeling carried that one of the thirteen is requested to dine at a side table!" (1823)
(The "thirteen at the table" form of superstition again harkens back to the Last Supper: the one who left the table first, Judas Iscariot, died at his own hand soon afterwards.)
More generally, groups of thirteen people in any context ? at a table, in a room, on a ship ? were believed to inevitably lead to tragedy:
* "On a sudden an old woman unluckily observed there were thirteen of us in company. This remark struck a panic terror into several who were present . . . but a friend of mine, taking notice that one of our female companions was big with child, affirmed there were fourteen in the room . . ." (1711)
* "Notwithstanding . . . opinions in favour of odd numbers, the number thirteen is considered as extremely ominous; it being held that, when thirteen persons meet in a room, one of them will die within the year." (1787)
* "Many will not sail on a vessel when [thirteen] is the number of persons on board; and it is believed that some fatal accident must befall one of them." (1808)
By the late 19th century the superstition surrounding thirteen had become even more general, with people going out of their ways to avoid anything designated by the number thirteen, whether it be hotel rooms, desks, or cars:
* "'Look at that,' said Parnell, pointing to the number on his door. It was No. 13! 'What a room to give me!'" (1893)
* "For some time before the late War I went almost daily to the British Museum reading room . . . I gave some attention to the desks left to the last comers . . . there was a very marked preference of any other desk to that numbered '13'." (1927)
* "The mechanic helped him get out [of the racing car]. 'May as well scratch,' he said. 'He won't be good for anything more this afternoon. It's asking for trouble having a No. 13.'" (1930)
Once again these ill omens were avoided through artifice, such as the renumbering of rooms in hotels and inns to eliminate any Room #13's, and misnumbering the floors above the 12th floor in multi-story buildings so that tenants could pretend 13th floors were really 14th floors.
Just as Friday was considered an inauspicious day of the week on which to embark upon a new enterprise, so the 13th day of a month came to signify a particularly bad day for beginning a venture. Although regarding the confluence of a particularly unlucky day of the week (Friday) and a particularly unlucky day of the month (the 13th) as a date of supreme unluckiness might seem to be obvious and inevitable, superstitions regarding Friday the 13th are not nearly as old as most people tend to think. The belief in Friday the 13th as a day on which Murphy's Law reigns supreme and anything that can go wrong will go wrong appears to be largely a 20th century phenomenon. (The claim that the Friday the 13th superstition began with the arrest of the final Grand Master of the Knights Templar, Jacques Demolay, on Friday, October 13, 1307, is a modern-day invention.)
Books of English folklore generally cite a 1913 Notes & Queries reference as the earliest known expression of Friday the 13th as a day of evil luck, and this corresponds to what we found when we searched The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times for similar references. In both newspapers the first mentions of the ill-fated date occured in 1908, as in this short piece about a U.S. senator from Oklahoma who dared to tempt fate by introducing 13 bills on Friday the 13th:
p2p news / p2pnet: A new item in Apple's latest iTunes upgrade is worrying a lot of people.
Sony BMG tried to sneak rootkit Digital Restriction Management applications hidden on music CDs onto customer's computers and is still paying dearly for it.
Now, iTunes 6.0.2 includes a new application author, bloggist and Apple fan Kirk McElhearn has described as "invasive" and which others have labelled "spyware".
The new iTunes 'MiniStore' apparently tracks the songs you're playing and, "makes music download recommendations whenever people click on songs stored on their own computers, even those not purchased through iTunes," says the San Jose Mercury News.
Apple? Spyware? Could it be true? And, If it is, How could Apple stoop so low? - are probably the two dominant questions.
On the first, it certainly looks as if there is, at the least, an application which reports back on what iTunes users are doing.
And as to the second, a company capable of using teenaged RIAA victims in a blackly cynical iPod promo, and which can sue Apple-friendly journalists for doing what journalists do, dig for information and then report it, is certainly capable of surreptitious data mining.
Included in the iTunes 6.0.2 update is the MiniStore which critics say, "tracks a person's listening behavior with a unique identification number, and does so without notifying consumers," says the story.
"What bothers me most is the fact that Apple generally doesn't do this sort of thing,'' it has McElhearn, who's published several books on Macintosh computers, saying. "It's kind of a letdown. Someone said, 'It's as if someone breaks into your house and makes a list of the books you have'."
The monitoring program can be turned off and Apple says it doesn't save or store information used to create recommendations for the MiniStore, but, "The problem isn't so much the data gathering, but that Apple didn't spell out what it was doing and why, the Mercury News quotes Institute for the Future researcher Alex Soojung-Kim Pang as saying.
"Certainly, the basic principle that information about us can be put to good use for us is something people buy into,'' Pang said. "The problem is, Apple didn't tell anyone.''
The MiniStore spyware issue has, "raised eyebrows particularly high in the community of Apple computer users, though the new feature is also included in the Windows-based iTunes," says CNET News. "Macintosh users have typically not been exposed to many of the advertising-supported or adware programs that are common in the Windows world, and which routinely raise privacy concerns through poorly disclosed data exchanges.
"Indeed, in 1999, RealNetworks was sued for releasing a version of its RealJukebox that included a 'Global Unique Identifying Number,' which identified a listener's specific copy of the player without initially disclosing this feature in a privacy policy. RealNetworks said it had added the identifying feature as a way to 'offer valuable personalized services' but later removed it after lawsuits and customer criticism ensued."
Some bloggers and online sources have dismissed the exposure of the data transfer software as a, "typical feature of music-playing software," says CNET, adding:
"However, some bloggers are calling for a more specific disclosure of exactly what data the iTunes software is sending back to Apple - and what it is being used for."
EFF warns about iTunes 6.0.2 'calling home' with usage data
Posted by Seán Byrne on 14 January 2006 - 02:03 - Source: ConsumerAffairs.com - News
Apple recently launched iTunes 6.0.2, what appears like a minor version update of iTunes 6.0.1. However, besides their announced stability and performance improvements, the new version actually includes an iTunes MiniStore, which monitors the user's listening habits and recommends music and artists based on this gathered data. Unfortunately, Apple has not made it clear that this update also sends song listening information back to Apple. While they claim that they are not collecting data, Sony's infamous XCP already caused privacy concerns over its ability to 'phone home'.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has said that it is happy if software would need the user to voluntarily upload listening information in order to collect listening data. However Apple's MiniStore is activated automatically by default without any notice and must be manually turned off. Worse still, even though Apple may not collect data itself, they have not clearly stated any measures to prevent data sent back from being disclosed/leaked to 3rd parties. Until Apple clearly mentions how its handles its MiniStore data, the EFF recommend that users turn off the MiniStore, such as by going into the 'Edit' menu and selecting 'Hide MniStore'.
At this week's MacWorld expo, Apple proudly unveiled version 6.0.2 of iTunes, which it simply claimed "includes stability and performance improvements over iTunes 6.0.1."
Among these supposed improvements is the Apple iTunes MiniStore -- a localized "recommendation" engine that looks at what you listen to and then suggests additional songs and artists you might like. The MiniStore arrives turned on by default without asking a user's permission first.
What Apple didn't point out in all its hoopla over the new version is that the MiniStore not only makes recommendations but also automatically transmits your listening information over the Internet back to the Apple Mothership.
After all the problems Sony BMG?s XCP has caused between how it enforces its copy protection to privacy concerns over sending data back to Sony BMG, it seems quite unusual for Apple to risk privacy issues by sending back data on listening habits just to try to lure some extra sales, at least without getting the user to agree to enable the new feature.
Originally DRM was suppose to just prevent consumers from making unlimited/unauthorised copies of their content. Now, it seems like companies are abusing it in every way they can, including locking content to certain equipment and players, restricting usage and now more often recently, help spy on the consumer's listening habits.
Feel free to discuss about iTunes and other online music stores on our Music Download, Peer to Peer (P2P) & Legal Issues.
http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/12944
p2p news view / p2pnet: The entertainment industry says there's a thing called the Analog Hole through which millions of people around the world - their erstwhile customers - would rob them blind, only given half a chance. Every man, woman and child with a computer and online account is, after all, a potential thief, say the music and movie cartels.
The Analog Hole is, "the practice of converting analog content into digital format without embedded copy-protection instructions," said Tech Daily's Sarah Lai Stirland recently, and Hollywood is, "concerned about the potential for mass online redistribution of entertainment programming via the hole".
And it must be real. How else would the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) have been able to stage (and we use the word advisedly) a demonstration?
Enter the Analog Hole law, "the first of the MPAA/RIAA's Horror Triple Feature to be introduced into Congress," as the EFF's (Electronic Frontier Foundation) Danny O'Brien describes it. "The others are the Broadcast Flag and technology mandate for digital radio."
Professor Ed Felten (right) thinks the Analog Hole may, however, be useful as a teaching aid >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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The Professional Device Hole
By Ed Felten - Freeedom to Tinker
Any American parent with kids of a certain age knows Louis Sachar?s novel Holes, and the movie made from it. It?s set somewhere in the Texas desert, at a boot camp for troublemaking kids. The kids are forced to work all day in the scorching sun, digging holes in the rock-hard ground then re-filling them. It seems utterly pointless but the grown-ups say it builds character. Eventually we learn that the holes aren?t pointless but in fact serve the interests of a few nasty grown-ups.
Speaking of holes, and pointless exercises, last month Reps. Sensenbrenner and Conyers introduced a bill, the Digital Transition Content Security Act, also known as the Analog Hole Bill."
"Analog hole" is an artfully chosen term, referring to the fact that audio and video can be readily converted back and forth between digital and analog formats. This is just a fact about the universe, but calling it a ?hole? makes it sound like a problem that might possibly be solved. The last large-scale attack on the analog hole was the Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI) which went down in flames in 2002 after its technology was shown to be ineffective (and after SDMI famously threatened to sue researchers for analyzing the technology).
The Analog Hole Bill would mandate that any devices that can translate certain types of video signals from analog to digital form must comply with a Byzantine set of design restrictions that talk about things like ?certified digital content rights protection output technologies?. Let?s put aside for now the details of the technology design being mandated; I?ll critique them in a later post. I want to write today about the bill?s exemption for ?professional devices?:
PROFESSIONAL DEVICE.?(A) The term??professional device?? means a device that is designed, manufactured, marketed, and intended for use by a person who regularly employs such a device for lawful business or industrial purposes, such as making, performing, displaying, distributing, or transmitting copies of audiovisual works on a commercial scale at the request of, or with the explicit permission of, the copyright owner.
(B) If a device is marketed to or is commonly purchased by persons other than those described in subparagraph (A), then such device shall not be considered to be a ??professional device??.
Tim Lee at Tech Liberation Front points out one problem with this exemption:
?Professional? devices, you see, are exempt from the restrictions that apply to all other audiovisual products. This raises some obvious questions: is it the responsibility of a ?professional device? maker to ensure that too many ?non-professionals? don?t purchase their product? If a company lowers its price too much, thereby allowing too many of the riffraff to buy it, does the company become guilty of distributing a piracy device? Perhaps the government needs to start issuing ?video professional? licenses so we know who?s allowed to be part of this elite class?
I think this legislative strategy is extremely revealing. Clearly, Sensenbrenner?s Hollywood allies realized that all this copy-protection nonsense could cause problems for their own employees, who obviously need the unfettered ability to create, manipulate, and convert analog and digital content. This is quite a reasonable fear: if you require all devices to recognize and respect encoded copy-protection information, you might discover that content which you have a legitimate right to access has been locked out of reach by over-zealous hardware. But rather than taking that as a hint that there?s something wrong with the whole concept of legislatively-mandated copy-protection technology, Hollywood?s lobbyists took the easy way out: they got themselves exempted from the reach of the legislation.
In fact, the professional device hole is even better for Hollywood than Tim Lee realizes. Not only will it protect Hollywood from the downside of the bill, it will also create new barriers to entry, making it harder for amateurs to create and distribute video content ? and just at the moment when technology seems to be enabling high-quality amateur video distribution.
The really interesting thing about the professional device hole is that it makes one provision of the bill utterly impossible to put into practice. For those reading along at home, I?m referring to the robustness rulemaking of section 202(1), which requires the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) to establish technical requirements that (among other things) ?can only with difficulty be defeated or circumvented by use of professional tools or equipment?. But there?s a small problem: professional tools are exempt from the technical requirements.
The robustness requirements, in other words, have to stop professional tools from copying content ? and they have to do that, somehow, without regulating what professional tools can do. That, as they say, is a tall order.
That?s all for today, class. Here?s the homework, due next time:
(1) Table W, the most technical part of the bill, contains an error. (It?s a substantive error, not just a typo.) Explain what the error is.
(2) How would you fix the error?
(3) What can we learn from the fact that the error is still in the bill at this late date?
Also See:BELOW
demonstration - MPAA demos Analog Hole, January 6, 2005
describes it - The Analog Hole bill, December 18, 2005
p2p news / p2pnet: "When there's an issue called the analog hole and the MPAA is offering live demos of said hole in its Sin City hotel room (at CES), what's a blog writer to do?"
Indeed. But that was the predicament The 463: Inside Tech Policy found itself in.
It quotes Tech Daily's Sarah Lai Stirland as highlighting an MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) effort to, "convince media and Congressional staffers enjoying the new Comdex in Las Vegas" that the famed analog hole is, "the practice of converting analog content into digital format without embedded copy-protection instructions".
Hollywood studios are, "concerned about the potential for mass online redistribution of entertainment programming via the hole," says Stirland.
And, observes 463, "when Hollywood studios are concerned, presto, legislation appears. House Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner and the committee's top Democrat, John Conyers, have introduced a bill (H.R. 4569), that would put locks on analog conversion devices.
"As the LA Times editorialized last week, the problem with the legislation is that, 'it would give Hollywood unprecedented control over what people do with the programs that come into their homes. Studios could force TiVos and other digital recorders to erase pay-per-view or on-demand movies stored for more than 90 minutes. New computers could be prevented from showing copyprotected programs, such as a movie downloaded from an online store, in high definition'."
The editorial from, "Hollywood's home town daily paper" concludes, "In the meantime, if the goal is to deter illegal copying, Hollywood should work harder to help viewers watch what they want when they want to. And Congress should understand that piracy cannot be curbed simply by giving Hollywood more control."
The Analog Hole law is, "just the first of the MPAA/RIAA's Horror Triple Feature to be introduced into Congress," said the EFF's (Electronic Frontier Foundation) Danny O'Brien recently.
"The others are the Broadcast Flag and technology mandate for digital radio. Perhaps they think that Congress will 'compromise' by passing one of the three. Or perhaps they're hoping for a troika of victories in 2006 in their endless campaign against their own customers."
http://p2pnet.net/story/7610
The Analog Hole bill ----
p2p news / p2pnet: F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr, is well known both for his position as the house judiciary committee chairman, and as an enthusiastic supporter of the entertainment industry cartels.
In March last year, the Webcaster Alliance thought the at the time latest CARP (Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel) proposal looked like "another classic case" of Sensenbrenner, "abusing his power for the benefit of the Recording Industry".
The Alliance also had, "serious questions about the RIAA-[Recording Industry Association of America]-financed $18,000 trip Chairman Sensenbrenner took to Thailand and Taiwan in January 2003" and thought, "there needs to be an investigation into that."
The RIAA is owned by the Big Four Organized Music cartel, Sony BMG, Vivendi Universal, EMI and Warner Music.
And together with messrs John Conyers, Jr, and Lamar Smith, (chairman of house judiciary committee's subcommittee on courts, the internet, and intellectual property) he worked hard against the Digital Media Consumers' Rights Act (DMCRA, HR 107).
Smith, too, is an entertainment industry enthusiast >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
A Lump of Coal for Consumers: Analog Hole Bill Introduced
By Danny O'Brien - Deep Links (EFF, Electronic Frontier Foundation)
While the Senate was standing up for civil liberties, the House was handing out a Christmas gift to Hollywood. For digital consumers and innovators, however, it looks to be a nasty stocking-filler.
Representatives Sensenbrenner and Conyers have introduced H.R. 4569, the "Digital Transition Content Security Act of 2005," a.k.a. the return of the MPAA's "Plugging the Analog Hole" scheme, which is itself just a variant on the dreaded "Hollings Bill" introduced back in 2002.
The new bill is a rehash of the one we first mentioned on Halloween. It would impose strict legal controls on any video analog to digital (A/D) convertors "manufacture[d], imported or otherwise traffic[ed]" in the United States.
Digitizers and digital media devices that won't jump through the specified outrageous regulatory hoops - automatically deleting protected analog content after ninety minutes; outputting only "down-rezzed" images, and satisfying "robustness criteria" that weld the hood shut against user modification and open source developers - are expected to simply turn off and refuse to convert watermark-protected analog video.
And how is this analog video protected? Using an old broadcast-flag like technology called CGMS-A and a new watermarking system called VEIL.
Mandating the VEIL watermark on all video A/D devices is particularly remarkable, as VEIL has had no independent testing as a copy protection technology. In fact, VEIL's main use until now has been in a series of Warner-licensed Bat-Toys!
Yet, if H.R. 4569 becomes law, technology companies would be bound by law to support this Bat-Toy technology in their products. Anyone who creates a new device that cannot pass on the VEIL watermark, or somehow overrides it, is breaking the law. If he does it for "purposes of commercial advantage or private financial gain", he's a bona-fide criminal.
And if VEIL is so widely broken as to be deemed unusable (couldn't happen to a Bat-Toy technology, could it?), the U.S. government, in the form of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO), will be expected to devise and enforce a new solution. So the Bat-Toy is only the nose under the technology mandates tent - if VEIL doesn't work out, government bureaucrats get to replace it with whatever strikes them as a good idea at the time.
The Analog Hole law is just the first of the MPAA/RIAA's Horror Triple Feature to be introduced into Congress. The others are the Broadcast Flag and technology mandate for digital radio. Perhaps they think that Congress will "compromise" by passing one of the three. Or perhaps they're hoping for a troika of victories in 2006 in their endless campaign against their own customers.
Whatever the MPAA's plan, however, your representatives need to understand that their constituents are not eager for a world of more DRM, more tech mandates, and less innovation. Write to them now
http://p2pnet.net/story/7353
A woman and a man are involved in a car accident on a snowy, cold Monday morning; it's a bad one. Both of their cars are totally demolished but amazingly neither of them is hurt. God works in mysterious ways. After they crawl out of their cars, the woman says, "So.... you're a man. That's interesting. I'm a woman. Wow, just look at our cars! There's nothing left, but we're unhurt. This must be a sign from God
that we should meet and be friends and live together in peace for the rest of our days".
Flattered, the man replies, "Oh yes, I agree with you completely, this must be a sign from God."
The woman continues, "And look at this, here's another miracle. My car is completely demolished but this bottle of wine didn't break. Surely God wants us to drink this wine and celebrate our good fortune.
Then she hands the bottle to the man. The man nods his head in agreement, opens it and drinks half the bottle and then hands it back to the woman. The woman takes the bottle and immediately puts the cap back on, and hands it back to the man.
The man asks, "Aren't you having any?"
The woman replies, "No. I think I'll just wait for the police...."
MORAL OF THE STORY:
Women are evil. Don't mess with them.
The following psychological test was developed by a think tank of top U.S. and European psychologists. The results are incredibly accurate in describing your personality with one simple question:
Which is your favourite Teletubbie...
A. Yellow
B. Purple
C. Green
D. Red
(DECIDE BEFORE SCROLLING DOWN)
Profile for women...
A. If you chose the Yellow Teletubbie. You are bubbly and cheerful. People come to you when troubled because you always make them feel better about themselves. You are apt to clash with Red Teletubbie people!
B. If you chose the Purple Teletubbie. You are active and erratic. You have many ideas and set high standards for yourselves and others. Stay away from Green Teletubbie people, they tend to bring you down.
C. If you chose the Green Teletubbie. You are calm and reliable. Family plays a major role in your life and you often sacrifice your needs to please others. Yellow Teletubbie people are a good match for you.
D. If you chose the Red Teletubbie. You are bold and emotional. You are fierce in your opinions and quick to anger, but stick by your friends through thick and thin. Purple and Red Teletubbie people are an explosive combination.
Profile for men...
A. If you chose the Yellow Teletubbie. You are gay.
B. If you chose the Purple Teletubbie. You are gay.
C. If you chose the Green Teletubbie. You are gay.
A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales. The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal, its throat was very small. The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible. The little girl said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah".
The teacher asked what if Jonah went to hell." The little girl replied, and then you ask him".
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A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they drew. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work. As she got to one little girl who as working diligently, she asked what the drawing was. The girl replied, "I'm drawing God." The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like." Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, "They will in a minute."
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One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother has several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head. She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, "Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?" Her mother replied, "Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white."
The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, "Momma, how come ALL of grandma's hairs are white?"
*****************************************
The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture. "Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'There's Jennifer; she's a lawyer,' or That's Michael. He's a doctor" A small voice at the back of the room rang out, "And there's the teacher. She's dead."
********************************************
A teacher was giving a lesson on the circulation of the blood. Trying to make the matter clearer, she said, "Now, class, if I stood on my head, the blood, as you know, would run into it, and I would turn red in the face." "Yes," the class said. "Then why is it that while am standing upright in the ordinary position the blood doesn't run into my feet?" A little fellow shouted, "Cause your feet ain't empty."
******************************************
The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray: "Take only ONE. God is watching."
Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. A child had written a note, "Take all you want. God is watching the apples.
Have you ever spoken and wished that you could immediately take the words back....or that you could crawl into a hole? Here are the Testimonials of a few women who did...
FIRST TESTIMONY:
I walked into a hair salon with my husband and three kids in tow and asked loudly, "How much do you charge for a shampoo and a blow job?" I turned around and walked back out and never went back. My husband didn't say a word...he knew better.
SECOND TESTIMONY:
I was at the golf store comparing different kinds of golf balls. I was unhappy with the women's type I had been using. After browsing for several minutes, I was approached by one of the good-looking gentlemen who work at the store. He asked if he could help me. Without thinking, I looked at him and said, "I think I like playing with men's balls."
THIRD TESTIMONY:
My sister and I were at the mall and passed by a store that sold a variety of candy and nuts. As we were looking at the display case, the boy behind the counter asked if we needed any help.
I replied, "No, I'm just looking at your nuts." My sister started to laugh hysterically, the boy grinned, and I turned beet-red and walked away. To this day, my Sister has never let me forget.
FOURTH TESTIMONY:
While in line at the bank one afternoon, my toddler decided to release some pent-up energy and ran amok. I was finally able to grab hold of her after receiving looks of disgust and annoyance from other patrons. I told her that if she did not start behaving "right now" she would be punished. To my horror, she looked me in the eye and said in a voice just as threatening, "If you don't let me go right now, I will tell Grandma that I saw you kissing Daddy's pee-pee last night!" The silence was deafening after this enlightening exchange Even the tellers stopped what they were doing. I mustered up the last of my dignity and walked out of the bank with my daughter in tow. The last thing I heard when the door closed behind me was screams of laughter.
FIFTH TESTIMONY:
Have you ever asked your child a particular question too many times? My three-year-old son had a lot of problems with potty training and I was on him constantly. One day we stopped at Taco Bell for a quick lunch in between errands. It was very busy, with a full dining room. While enjoying my taco, I smelled something funny, so, of course, I checked my seven-month-old daughter, and she was clean. Then, I realized that Danny had not asked to go potty in a while, so I asked him if he needed to go, and he said "No". I kept thinking, "Oh Lord, that child has had an accident, and I don't have any clothes with me." Then I said, "Danny, are you SURE you didn't have an accident?" "No," he replied.
I just KNEW that he must have had an accident, because the smell was getting worse. Soooooo, I asked one more time, "Danny, did you have an accident?" This time he jumped up, yanked down his pants, bent over and spread his cheeks and yelled, "SEE MOM, IT'S JUST FARTS!!" While 30 people nearly choked to death on their tacos laughing, he calmly pulled up his pants and sat down.
An old couple made me feel better by thanking me for the best laugh they'd ever had!
LAST TESTIMONY:
This had most of the state of Michigan laughing for 2 days and a very embarrassed female news anchor who will, in the future, likely think before she speaks. What happens when you predict snow -- but don't get any....a true story.
We had a female news anchor that, the day after it was supposed to have snowed and didn't, turned to the weatherman and asked: "So Bob, where's that 8 inches you promised me last night?" Not only did HE have to leave the set, but half the crew did too they were laughing so hard!
Microsoft Disputes WMF Backdoor Claim
Well... duh...
Microsoft has directly responded to accusations by security researcher Steve Gibson who claimed the company intentionally left the Windows Meta File vulnerability open as some kind of "backdoor." The company says the function in question exists due to legacy code, not some nefarious intent.
"This was not a mistake. This is not buggy code. This was put into Windows by someone," Gibson said on his podcast called Security Now. "I believe that some very clever and industrious hacker figured this out, started using it and Microsoft was caught off guard and thought: Whoops, we've got to close this backdoor down."
Microsoft Disputes WMF Backdoor Claim
By Ed Oswald, BetaNews
January 13, 2006, 8:08 PM
Microsoft has directly responded to accusations by security researcher Steve Gibson who claimed the company intentionally left the Windows Meta File vulnerability open as some kind of "backdoor." The company says the function in question exists due to legacy code, not some nefarious intent.
"This was not a mistake. This is not buggy code. This was put into Windows by someone," Gibson said on his podcast called Security Now. "I believe that some very clever and industrious hacker figured this out, started using it and Microsoft was caught off guard and thought: Whoops, we've got to close this backdoor down."
The resulting firestorm created by Gibson caused Microsoft security program manager Stephen Toulouse to respond to those claims on Friday.
"The long story short is that the vulnerability can be triggered with either correct or incorrect metafile record size values, there seems to have been some confusion on that point," Toulouse said.
The function "SetAbortProc" allowed for print jobs to be cancelled and is where the vulnerability resides. This code exists on every version of Windows since version 3.0, security firms have said. When this functionality was introduced, Toulouse said the security landscape differed from what it is now and metafile records were completely trusted by the operating system.
Gibson claimed that the flaw could be exploited only by using a byte size of 1 in the metafile record, which Toulouse says is incorrect. He surmised that Gibson's tests had the offending function as the last entry in the metafile, which caused only incorrect sizes to trigger the flaw.
Toulouse also explained why the company was not providing fixes for the Windows 9x platform, on which the flaw can also be exploited.
"The reason Windows 9x is not vulnerable to a "Critical" attack vector is because an additional step exists in the Win9x platform: When not printing to a printer, applications will simply never process the SetAbortProc record," he explained.
Thus, under Microsoft's "extended lifespan" support polices, the issue did not count as critical, and a patch will not be issued. Any other attack vectors determined by the company have also not met this standard, Toulouse added.
Lucky you, I wish I had not updated to tne new ver. after reading those two articles. I spend time/money trying to make my computer free of spyware/malware/virus etc and companies are allowed to bundle this crap with their programs that people trust.
I usually don't either but this time I had just reformatted my comp and was to lazy to go and find the jumpdrive with the older ver on it and just downloaded the new. Next time I will know better, lol.
Share your video masterpiece via the Web, e-mail, or DVD; create your own DVD labels, credits, and menus.
Richard Baguley
From the January 2006 issue of PC World magazine
Whether they capture your daughter's first birthday party or your latest assault on the twin peaks of Kilimanjaro, videos are for sharing. These tips will help you keep your audience's attention as they view the show on the Web or play it from a DVD. (Visit last October's Digital World section for tips on using Adobe Premiere Elements to produce a DVD.)
Advertisement
Film a lot, but edit down: When you are having your adventures, shoot as much video as you can. When you get home, edit it down to the scenes you really want to show people. Your audience won't be interested in your entire 45-minute cruise around San Francisco Bay, but they will want to see a minute or so of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and Sausalito.
Use credits for the details: Instead of sticking the trip itinerary at the start of the video, position it at the end (much the way studios append the credits on movies and TV shows). That way, viewers who aren't interested can skip that info.
Play It on the Web
Pick the right format: Before you can put your video on the Web, you must do some serious compressing. A good video editing program will let you squish the videos and convert them to the right Web format: Windows Media (.wmv), QuickTime (.mov), or Flash (.swf). Your video editor should offer presets for various connections, too; pick a slow frame rate and/or a small playback window size, unless you're certain that viewers will be using broadband connections. Microsoft's free Windows Movie Maker video editing program for Windows XP will automatically encode the video and upload it to a video-hosting service such as Neptune MediaShare (starting at $59 per year with 150MB of storage; free three-day trial) or MyDeo (starting at $5 per minute of video and 200 views). Note that Neptune MediaShare requires using the Internet Explorer browser.
Host your video on the Web for free: Several Web sites will compress and host your video for free after you register, letting anyone with a Web browser watch it. You Tube, Ourmedia, and Google Video are among such sites.
Send video by e-mail: Windows Movie Maker lets you compress video so that it won't overload the recipient's inbox: Select Send in e-mail on the program's Finish Movie menu (see FIGURE 1), and follow the prompts to compress your video and attach it to an e-mail message (for more, visit Microsoft's Movie Maker tutorial).
Put It on DVD
Use chapters for navigation: Some video editing programs (not Windows Movie Maker, though) let you organize your home movies into chapters like those commercial DVDs use to help viewers find a particular scene in a movie. Simply put a chapter pointer in the video as you edit it: In Ulead's $50 DVD MovieFactory, for instance, you can add chapters either manually at specific points or automatically with the program's scene detection feature.
Use a still frame in a menu: A frame from your video can be a backdrop for your DVD's menu. Most video editing programs (but not Windows Movie Maker) let you pick a frame from the video in a couple of mouse clicks. Check the documentation for the specific process; many programs refer to this as a frame grab.
Use the highest quality settings: You might be tempted to use the higher compression settings since the resulting files require less disk space, allowing you to put more videos onto a single DVD--but you'll pay a big price in playback quality. Put less video on each disc, even if that means stretching a long movie over two discs. Alternatively, you could take it as a sign that your movie is too long and needs to be edited down. This means you, Kevin Costner.
Put the movies on good discs: Employ discs that are made to last; keep them in their cases when they aren't in use, and store them in a cool, dry place.
Make a nice label: It's no sweat--both Avery and Fellowes provide downloadable DVD-label design templates on their Web sites.
Richard Baguley writes the Making Movies column for PCWorld.com.
How to reset Internet Explorer 6 to its default settings
Internet Explorer 6
Why do you want to restore Internet Explorer default settings?
There are many reasons why one would want to restore IE to its default settings. One common reason is after cleaning a Malware that hijacked your browser. Another reason which is true in my case is trying to tweak too many settings and fiddling with registry keys to the point that I usually forget about the changes made.
Internet Explorer 6 does not have a master switch, which you can click to reset all the settings to their default. Follow the full procedure below to restore IE to its default state.
Please note that these instructions will not attempt to reset the colors, fonts, languages, Accessibility and Temporary Internet Files location options found in the General Tab and the dial-up connection settings found in the Connections Tab or any other setting normally unrelated to Malware. If the default button as described for any or all of the options is greyed out, it just means that the particular option is already set to its default state.
Open Internet Explorer. Click Tools in the menu and then Options to enter the Internet Options window.
In the General Tab, in the Home page section, click Use Default to change the home page to its default, MSN home. In the Temporary Internet Files section click Delete Cookies and Delete Files -confirm Delete all offline content in the popup-. In the History section the default number of days to keep pages in history is 20 and click Clear History.
Still in the General tab, click Settings in the Temporary Internet Files section. Checkmark Automatically in the Check for newer versions of stored pages. Click OK to apply the changes.
Reset Internet Explorer default settings
The default TIF folder is located in "System root\Documents and Settings\user profile\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files" and the default Amount of disk space to use is 10% of your hard disk space.
Now Select the Security Tab and click the Internet zone icon. On the Security level for this zone section, click on the Default Level button. Follow this procedure for all the other zones, normally there are Local Internet, Trusted Sites and Restricted Sites.
Reset Internet Explorer default settings
Now click the Privacy tab and then click the Default tab.
The Pop-up Blocker is enabled by default and set to Medium, which blocks most automatic pop-ups. It can be confirmed by clicking on the Settings tab.
Reset Internet Explorer default settings
Custom privacy settings file and restoring default privacy settings.
It gets a bit trickier to restore the default Privacy settings, if you have used a custom privacy settings XML file for added protection. Have a look at the procedure in MSKB article, How to Restore Default Settings After Importing Custom Privacy Preferences. If you do not want to meddle with the registry manually, use a registry file as outlined here to restore default privacy settings.
Now select the Content tab and then click the AutoComplete button in the Personal information section then click Clear Forms and Clear Passwords. Click OK to exit.
Reset Internet Explorer default settings
Next select the Programs tab and then click Reset Web settings. You can also opt to select Also reset my home page in the popup, if you have not reset the home page in the General tab. Click Yes to apply the changes.
Reset Internet Explorer default settings
What does Reset Web settings do?
Internet Explorer 6 uses the data in the iereset.inf file to reset your home and search pages to their default settings and also sets itself as the default browser.
Normally iereset.inf is a hidden file in the system root\windows\inf folder in Windows XP and system root\WINNT\inf folder in Windows 2000.
Now select the Advanced Tab and click Restore Defaults button. Finally click the Apply button to save all the settings and OK to exit.
Reset Internet Explorer default settings
Some of the changes will need a restart to be applied.
Related ===> Configuring Internet Explorer for Practical Security and Privacy
testcenterThese are the top Power Graphics Cards today, but ratings and rankings can change quickly due to pricing and technology changes, so check back frequently for the latest info.
Edited by Danny Allen
REVIEWS & RANKINGS
Top 5 Mainstream Graphics Boards
Top 5 Power Graphics Cards
See All Graphics Boards
Generate a side-by-side comparison using the COMPARE check boxes.
# #
Rank # Top 5 Power Graphics Cards # PCW Rating
1
BEST BUY
#
#
# EVGA e-GeForce 7800 GTX KO #
89
Very Good
Bus: PCI Express
Chip Set: nVidia GeForce 7800 GTX
Installed RAM (MB): 256
TV Tuner: Yes
Price When Reviewed: $570
Manufacturer's Pricing
Bottom Line: EVGA's "hyper-clocked" card is fast and quiet. A large heat sink and fan dispel heat without blocking an adjacent slot. Last Rated: December 28, 2005
Test Report
2
#
#
# BFG Technologies GeForce 7800 GTX OC #
84
Very Good
Bus: PCI Express
Chip Set: nVidia GeForce 7800 GTX
Installed RAM (MB): 256
TV Tuner: No
Price When Reviewed: $549
Check latest prices
Bottom Line: This overclocked card offers impressive results, but it was a touch slower than the also overlocked competitor from EVGA. Last Rated: December 28, 2005
Test Report
3
#
#
# XFX GeForce 7800 GT #
83
Very Good
Bus: PCI Express
Chip Set: nVidia GeForce 7800 GT
Installed RAM (MB): 256
TV Tuner: No
Price When Reviewed: $380
Check latest prices
Bottom Line: Though a little slower than the GTX-based models, this 7800 GT-based card is also significantly less expensive. Last Rated: December 28, 2005
Test Report
#
#
CHART CONTINUES
# # #
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Find, compare and buy Graphics Cards and other Computer Components products from top brands, including ATI. Read product reviews and compare prices from thousands of online stores.
4
#
#
# ATI Radeon X1800 XT #
83
Very Good
Bus: PCI Express
Chip Set: ATI Radeon X1800 XT
Installed RAM (MB): 512
TV Tuner: No
Price When Reviewed: $599
Check latest prices
Bottom Line: ATI's flagship card topped many of our performance tests, but its fan is much too noisy and uses an adjacent expansion slot. Last Rated: December 28, 2005
Test Report
5
#
#
# MSI GeForce 7800 GT #
82
Very Good
Bus: PCI Express
Chip Set: nVidia GeForce 7800 GT
Installed RAM (MB): 256
TV Tuner: No
Price When Reviewed: $360
Check latest prices
Bottom Line: MSI's 7800 GT card won't outrun a 7800 GTX board, but it provides excellent performance at a much more reasonable price. Last Rated: December 28, 2005
Test Report
#
Want a side-by-side comparison of two or more of the products on this chart? Simply click the Compare box under each product's ranking and then press this button.
The entry of satellite and digital radio into the technological mainstream is increasing tension with the record industry, which wants new rules governing how consumers can make digital copies of songs from the airwaves.
At issue are new devices that can record and save high-quality digital copies of tunes as they're being broadcast by these new networks. Recording executives are worried that consumers might increasingly opt to make such copies instead of purchasing the music on a commercial CD or from a download store like Apple Computer's iTunes.
For now, the Recording Industry Association of America is in negotiations with satellite radio companies and is opening discussions with radio broadcasters over specific products. But over the long term, the music industry says, Congress should find a way to regulate these new digital radio networks so labels can get paid when consumers keep copies of songs, as is the case with iTunes.
"We've got to find a way to harmonize this so it's rational," said Mitch Bainwol, the RIAA's chief executive officer. "There are going to be new technologies that are great for fans, and great for the entire music world, but they're all operating on different platforms, and all operating on different rule sets."
In some sense, the new digital technologies are simply rekindling one of the music industry's oldest debates, over how record labels should be compensated when their music is played over the air.
Congress has historically come down on the side of the broadcasters in this debate, saying that radio stations can play whatever music they want while paying only a relatively small amount of money to songwriters and publishers for the right to "perform" the song on-air--and not paying record companies at all.
Similarly, the right of consumers to tape songs off the radio has generally been held to be fair use.
However, when Congress set the rules for Internet and other digital broadcasts in 1998, it gave record companies the right to royalties from Internet and satellite radio broadcasts. That's set up a patchwork of different rules for different new media companies, even as technology has brought the way consumers use their services more closely together.
For now, the most pressing issues focus on whether digital broadcasts can be legally recorded and archived. For instance, a new device from Sirius radio called the S50 lets people save individual songs. Sirius and the RIAA are in negotiations over this device.
XM Satellite Radio pulled a PC-based radio receiver from the market last year over music-copying concerns, and the company says none of its devices can now be used to transfer and store content on a computer. XM says it is happy to continue talking to the record industry about its products.
"The year 2006 will be one of negotiation between satellite radio and the music industry," said XM spokesman Nathaniel Brown. "Music is an important partner for XM, and we look forward to continuing our discussions with them in hopes of arriving at a business solution that fits everyone."
Similarly, radio broadcasters are worried about RIAA proposals to change the way digital radio is sent over the air. Labels have proposed several ideas, ranging from a "broadcast flag"-like marker in digital broadcasts, which would prevent recordings from being traded online, to wholesale encryption of radio streams to prevent recording.
This week saw an exchange of letters between the RIAA and the National Association of Broadcasters proposing negotiations over the digital radio issue, rather than an immediate trip to Congress.
"We hope to continue dialogue with you as the radio and recording industries keep working towards mutually acceptable resolution of this issue," NAB Chief Executive Officer David Rehr wrote to Bainwol. "Such formal discussions could move the industries forward aggressively, rather than relying on a congressional mandate."
These ongoing discussions have helped keep tensions in check. But Bainwol said the RIAA is still set on a long-term goal of changing the digital rules so there's "parity" between the different kinds of services that let consumers wind up with a digital copy of a song.
The upcoming year, with congressional elections, war and other big issues distracting legislators, is unlikely to see much action on copyright topics. But early bills, and discussions with legislators, exploring the issue are likely, Bainwol said.
That prospect has prompted continued attention from consumer electronics companies and the broadcasters.
"Our concern remains that this is an effort to stifle technology before it has a chance to grow," said Consumer Electronics Association spokesman Jeff Joseph. "It has never been illegal to record a song off the radio in the context of fair use."
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http://news.com.com/Tension+grows+between+labels+and+digital+radi...
WASHINGTON DC -- To many privacy geeks, it's the holy grail -- a totally anonymous and secure computer so easy to use you can hand it to your grandmother and send her off on her own to the local Starbucks.
when they set out to put a secure crypto-heavy operating systems on a bootable CD: a disk that would offer the masses the same level of privacy available to security professionals, but with an easy user interface.
"If Granny's into trannies, and doesn't want her grandkids to know, she should be able to download without fear," says Taylor Banks, project leader.
It's a difficult problem, entailing a great deal of attention to both security details and usability issues. The group finally unveiled their finished product at the Shmoo Con hacker conference here Saturday, with mixed results.
Titled Anonym.OS, the system is a type of disk called a "live CD" -- meaning it's a complete solution for using a computer without touching the hard drive. Developers say Anonym.OS is likely the first live CD based on the security-heavy OpenBSD operating system.
OpenBSD running in secure mode is relatively rare among desktop users. So to keep from standing out, Anonym.OS leaves a deceptive network fingerprint. In everything from the way it actively reports itself to other computers, to matters of technical minutia such as TCP packet length, the system is designed to look like Windows XP SP1. "We considered part of what makes a system anonymous is looking like what is most popular, so you blend in with the crowd," explains project developer Adam Bregenzer of Super Light Industry.
Booting the CD, you are presented with a text based wizard-style list of questions to answer, one at a time, with defaults that will work for most users. Within a few moments, a fairly naive user can be up and running and connected to an open Wi-Fi point, if one is available.
Once you're running, you have a broad range of anonymity-protecting applications at your disposal.
But actually using the system can be a slow experience. Anonym.OS makes extensive use of Tor, the onion routing network that relies on an array of servers passing encrypted traffic to permit untraceable surfing. Sadly, Tor has recently suffered from user-base growth far outpacing the number of servers available to those users -- at last count there were only 419 servers worldwide. So Tor lags badly at times of heavy use.
Between Tor's problems, and some nagging performance issues on the disk itself, Banks concedes that the CD is not yet ready for the wide audience he hopes to someday serve. "Is Grandma really going to be able to use it today? I don't know. If she already uses the internet, yes."
Experts also say Anonym.OS may not solve the internet's most pressing issues, such as the notorious China problem: repressive governments that monitor their population's net access, and censor or jail citizens who speak out against the government.
Ethan Zuckerman, fellow with Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet and Society, works extensively with international bloggers and journalists, many of whom live under constant threat from their own governments. He see Anonym.OS as a blessing for some -- but not for those at the greatest risk.
"I think it's going to be tremendously useful for fairly sophisticated users when they are traveling, but where it may not be as effective as people would hope is in counties where the government is really seriously about locking down the net, constraining internet access," Zuckerman says.
Because most people in the developing world use the internet from shared desktop environments, services for them have to consider office place and cyber cafe-based computer situations. "Rebooting isn't often an option," explains Zuckerman, who would like to see anonymity solutions move toward minimally invasive strategies like the TorPark, a USB key that allows access to a Tor enabled browser without rebooting, and private proxies matched up one by one with dissidents.
But kaos.theory members say Anonym.OS is just the first step in making anonymity widely available. Future versions, they say, may run on a USB keychain. Additionally, they plan to implement Enigmail to allow encrypted e-mail for Thunderbird and Gaim Off The Record, which allows users to use instant messaging without their logs being tied to them.
David Del Torto, chief security officer of the non-profit CryptoRights group, says projects like Anonym.OS are heading in the right direction, but thinks the project overreaches by trying to be useful to everyone. "Grandmas are not the ones that need this right now.... My instincts tell me that it's a very small number of people (that can use Anonym.OS). You can't really solve this problem by simplifying the interface. It's almost impossible to anticipate everything a user can do to hurt themselves."
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/internet/0,70017-0.html?tw=r...
Jon Lech Johansen creator of DeCSS registers DeAACS domain
Posted by Dan Bell on 15 January 2006 - 14:28 - Source: Various
Norwegian engineer Jon Lech Johansen, perhaps better known as DVD Jon, for his release of the DeCSS software, used by millions to decode the content-scrambling system or (CSS) used for DVD licensing enforcement, has just registered the domain of www.deaacs.com. The purpose of this is presumably to have a website that will deal with the new and much more powerful, Advanced Access Content System or AACS that will accompany the new high definition discs that are coming soon with their respective players. Simply to download and read the 0.9 version of the AACS technology specifications of this newer Digital Rights Management control system, requires one to click on a licensing agreement!
Now working in the United States as a software engineer, this is a different environment than before, with different laws, so we have to wonder how this will play out in the legal sense. Mr. Johansen has said in his blog, that when he did not register the domain name of DeCSS, it was "a mistake" and one he wont repeat. While this is rather exciting to all of those that are concerned for fair use rights, we must also wonder how this could affect this man if he is not careful. Of course we do not even know what he is up to yet! At any rate, on the DeAACS website, there is simply a message stating a Winter 2006/2007 release. On his blog there is a message or at least a statement that includes a cryptic taunt at the end.
DeAACS.com
AACS, like CSS, will be a success. Not at preventing piracy. That?s not the primary objective of any DRM system. Anyone who has read the CSS license agreement knows that the primary objective is to control the market for players. Don?t you just love when your DVD player tells you ?This operation is prohibited? when you try to skip the intro?
6 years ago I didn?t think of registering decss.com. Not intending to make the same mistake twice, a while ago I registered deaacs.com.
Now if only products that implement AACS would come to market?
Possibly, rather than working on a code that completely strips AACS from the new fangled Blue Ray discs, maybe this time he will focus on thwarting the restraints that are being talked about for these next gen high definition discs. On Mr. Johansens blog several are commenting on how annoying it is to have to set through unwanted material on present day DVD movies.
There are rumors floating around about the power of managed copy, which will be used on both new formats of Blue-ray discs. It has been suggested that Managed Copy could be set up to charge the consumer for the ability to perform various tasks, such as for ripping the content for streaming in a home network.
At the moment, all we can really do is guess what he has in mind for this website and also we can wonder what the consequences would be for breaking controls on these new discs - if that is indeed coming in the future. Surely, we here all need to keep an eye on this situation as it continues to develop.
http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/12948
HD-DVD camp: Fox can add proprietary DRM to Blu-ray discs
Posted by Dan Bell on 15 January 2006 - 15:07 - Source: Beta News
This is a most interesting interview that was held by BetaNews with a representative from the HD-DVD camp. A troubling aspect for the future of both the new High Def formats is they are both hinging the success or adoption of their formats on Hollywood content. This, like many things, is a two way street. After all, what good is high definition and players, if their is nothing to watch? On the other hand, we as consumers, will be holding in our hot little hands, veritable digital masters of multi million dollar projects. For that reason, the studios are apprehensive to say the least to start passing these things out with the Internet throbbing in the background and PC enthusiasts sitting with dual core CPU desktops with near terabyte storage systems at the ready. At issue as well is, there are differences of opinion on just how much freedom Joe Blow the consumer should be allowed with said content.
For a while, there was a bit of wrangling going on with one aspect of the AACS or Advanced Access Content System. This is known as Mandatory Managed Copy. The purpose of this in very simple terms was to make it possible to use these discs in a variety of ways other than just play them on a television from a high definition player. For instance, one should be able to stream the content over a home network, or even play it on a PC. Both camps finally were able to promise the inclusion of Mandatory Managed Copy. However, due to the many agreements that had to be struck with Hollywood, things may not be as rosy as it would seem at first glance.
On January 7th, BetaNews sat down with HD DVD representative "expert" Mark Knox, to discuss how the Microsoft-backed format will compete with Sony's Blu-ray. Knox of course, is not going to be very positive about the rival camp Blu-ray. In fact, in this snippet from the interview, he lets it slip that Blu-rays flavor of Mandatory Managed Copy may have some nasty tricks up it's sleeve, tricks that could confuse most consumers or at least they may get an unpleasant surprise, if they purchase any Blu-ray discs containing content from Fox Studios:
Another problem plaguing Blu-ray development is a requirement placed on the organization when it signed a deal with Fox Studios. Fox had demanded that high-definition DVDs utilize a stricter copy-protection format than AACS, which is employed by both Blu-ray and HD DVD. While HD DVD rejected the demand, Blu-ray conceded.
Knox said Fox was unhappy with the decision to let consumers watch movies where they please using Mandatory Managed Copy. Managed Copy has become a contentious point in the next-generation DVD battle, with HP demanding that Blu-ray require the technology on all discs. However, as Fox's proprietary DRM will run after AACS, the studio could theoretically restrict such portability.
This proprietary format is also rumored to have delayed the PlayStation 3, which will include a Blu-ray drive for the masses. Pioneer is set to launch a $1,800 Blu-ray player in May.
Nothing like a little proprietary DRM icing on an already unpalatable cake, yummy! You should take a moment to go over to the BetaNews site and read this interview in it's entirety. They also go into a lengthy explanation of how they feel the Blu-ray strategy is a failure from the get-go due to technical issues. I am sure that those CD Freaks out there that are very knowledgeable in writing strategies, will be very interested in Mr. Knox's negative comments on Blu-rays writing scheme! In addition, you can also read an interview with the Blu-ray camp, dated January 6, in an article entitled "What format war?" that may be of interest as well!
http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/12949
