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 POS...

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.

D. If you chose the Red Teletubbie. You are gay.

 

Never Argue with a Child



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".

*******************************

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."

************************************

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.

For a vulnerability to be listed as critical by Microsoft, it must refer to a code execution attack that could result in automated attacks requiring little or no user interaction.
http://www.betanews.com/article/Microsoft_Disputes_WMF_Backdoor_Claim/1137200934

 

Oh, oh

 

@arniebear: whts that pic for?

 

It is in reference to irelands' post above

http://p2pnet.net/story/7608

 

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.

 

The Best Ways to Share Videos on the Web or DVD

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.


http://pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,123415,00.asp

 

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.

go here for the rest of the article
and pictures


GO HERE FOR ALL THE INFO AND PICTURES
http://www.malwarehelp.org/how-to-reset-internet-explorer-6-to.html


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

 

Top 5 Power Graphics Cards



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
# # #
Advertisement
Prices on Oem 10Pk Wintv-Go Bulk Pack
Get accurate and unbiased pricing and merchant reviews from Pricegrabber, the top comparison shopping site according to PC Magazine and Yahoo. Internet Life. Prices, specs, reviews and more.
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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.

go here for all the info
http://pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,124321,00.asp

 

Tension grows between labels and digital radio

By John Borland
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

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."
Tell us what you think about this storyTalkBack E-mail this story to a friendE-mail View this story formatted for printingPrint
http://news.com.com/Tension+grows+b...l+radio/2100-1025_3-6027079.html?tag=nefd.top

 

Anonymity on a Disk

By Quinn Norton | Also by this reporter

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.

That was the guiding principle for the members of kaos.theory security research
http://theory.kaos.to/home.html

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=rss.index

 

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