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| Should It Be Illegal To Get Hacked? |
Techdirt
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| (+ Subscribe) Posted on: Tuesday, August 26 2008 01:06 PM |
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A few years back, we asked if it should be illegal to get hacked. In that case, we were referring to some fines that the FTC had handed out to companies that had leaked data to hackers. This raised some troubling questions -- as it's often difficult-to-impossible to stop your computer systems from getting hacked, and putting liability on the company could lead to some serious unintended consequences. Yet, at the same time, over the past few years, we've heard about large security breaches on a regular basis (thanks, in large part, to new disclosure laws) -- and often those breaches definitely seem to be due to negligence on the part of a corporate IT team that failed to lock down the data in any significant manner. That seems to be leading more people down the path of saying that companies should be liable for getting hacked.
For example, Slashdot points us to a blog post at InfoWorld, where it's suggested that companies should be criminally liable for leaking such data. I can certainly understand the sentiment, but it may go too far. Again, it's impossible to totally protect a system from getting hacked. Sooner or later there's always going to be some sort of leak. Increasing penalties could make companies take things more seriously -- especially in cases of gross negligence (which do seem all too common). But making the rules too strict can have serious negative unintended consequences as well, even to the point that some companies may stop accepting credit cards altogether, since the liability would just be too great. Would people be willing to give up the convenience of credit cards to protect their safety? From what we've seen, for most users the answer would be no. They know their credit cards are at risk, but they still use them because the benefit of the convenience still seems to outweigh the danger of the risk.
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| And What Would Happen If Commercial Aviation Was Simply Impossible To Do Profitably? |
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Techdirt
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| (+ Subscribe) Posted on: Wednesday, August 27 2008 04:11 AM |
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I tend to be something of an innovation optimist, believing that most resource constraint problems are eventually solved through ingenuity and innovation, but there can be some hiccups in the process along the way. Here's an article looking at the airline industry, and trying to spin some scenarios of what would happen if it simply turns out that the commercial airline business is completely unsupportable. Obviously, with fuel costs so high, it's become more and more difficult to keep airlines running (and it was never all that easy back when fuel costs were cheap). However, people seem to take for granted what cheap and readily available air travel allows. It touches on so many different businesses that it's hard to fathom how deep the eventual impact would be if air travel needs to be significantly curtailed in the future.
It's not just the obvious industries: airlines, tourism, etc. It would impact things like e-commerce companies that rely on cheap shipping. It would impact conferences. It could impact all sorts of industries when sales people can't as easily go visit customers. The more you think about it, the more industries you can find hurt by a decline in the availability of cheap air travel. Of course, there are other industries that would benefit as well, such as telecom companies and video conferencing firms.
Still, the optimist in me just sees the scenario as an opportunity for innovation. In fact, all of those other industries that would be hurt by a reduction in air travel would have it in their own best interests to help fund research and development into alternatives and improvements, so the funding for such innovation could come from many, many different places. But if it takes a while to figure out the problem -- and the airlines keep screwing things up themselves, there may be a rather unpleasant interim while everything shakes out.
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| 5 Questions About Comcast’s New Bandwidth Throttling Plan |
GigaOM
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| (+ Subscribe) Posted on: Monday, August 25 2008 02:15 PM |
| Tags: comcast, traffic shaping |
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 After the FCC last week told Comcast it had 30 days to file its new network management plan that involves cutting back speeds for users who are using too much bandwidth, the mainstream media is learning more about the slowdown plan Comcast CTO Tony Werner explained to Om back in March. Last week we heard that Comcast plans to throttle people back to DSL-like speeds for 10 to 20 minutes if they use too much bandwidth.
Here are the things we don’t know that could have far more impact on subscribers:
How much is too much bandwidth? With Comcast telling me that the average user only downloads 2GB per month (presumably not in one intensive downloading burst) then I have to worry that as a streaming media fan and early adopter, I might be considered a heavy user (my home consumes at least 4 times the average user’s, and it’s not just on email).
Will that be a set amount across the Comcast subscriber base or a relative amount in each community? Again, if Comcast’s average subscriber consumes so little online, any arrangement that measures heavy use based on the average subscriber across all communities risks alienating streaming media users like myself. In that case, Comcast would become less competitive in college towns or any area where there’s a high proportion of early adopters.
Will the throttling depend on the amount of information consumed in a set period of time or will it depend on how congested the network is? The Free Press discussed this type of limitation pricing in a recent report, where during peak times, an ISP could slow down traffic, while at less packed times bandwidth hogs could pig out.
Will the bandwidth use be measured based on uploads only? If Comcast tries to slow people who download a lot of stuff at once, they will alienate more of their user base, but they also won’t deal with the real congestion coming from people uploading files. Since cable providers have less room for uploads on their networks, that’s where bottlenecks are likely.
What company will provide the equipment for network management? DSL Reports expects that it’s Sandvine, which also provided the deep packet inspection tools that helped Comcast throttle P2P the first time around.
Comcast says it’s still operating its trials in five communities to determine the best ways of creating an appropriately neutral network-management technique and declined to answer these questions. But thanks to the FCC order we should know by September 19.
image courtesy of Sandvine
   
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| NewEgg Tells NY Tax Collectors To Take A Hike |
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Techdirt
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| (+ Subscribe) Posted on: Monday, August 25 2008 07:33 AM |
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Earlier this year, we wrote about how NY state had passed a highly questionable law designed to force e-commerce retailers to collect sales tax in the state. As you hopefully know, retailers are only supposed to collect sales tax in states where they have a physical presence. The reasoning for this is pretty straightforward. The taxes are designed to help provide core infrastructure services for those retailers (roads, water, etc.). Without a physical presence in the state, the retailers aren't making use of those services, so it doesn't seem right to tax them for it. The NY state law was sneaky in that it changed the definition needed to establish a "physical presence" to include anyone who acted as an affiliate of the retailer. Most e-commerce sites have affiliate programs that allow others to get a kickback on sales for driving those sales. Affiliates are effectively advertisers, driving traffic to an e-commerce site. It's quite a stretch to suggest they represent a physical presence for the company. But, NY politicians did it because they wanted to get more cash out of Amazon.
Different online retailers have reacted in different ways. Both Amazon and Overstock sued over the law -- and Overstock even banned NY affiliates while this law is in place. Online tech retailer NewEgg started collecting the tax, but has changed its mind. It sent a letter to customers saying that it's decided not to collect the tax. There isn't much more of an explanation, but it sounds like it's asking New York to sue it if it wants to get the tax at all:
As a result of recent changes in New York State tax law requiring certain out-of-state retailers to collect and remit sales taxes to the State of New York, we began collecting applicable sales tax for all orders shipped to New York addresses starting June 1, 2008.
After careful review and consideration, we are pleased to inform you that we have stopped collecting New York sales tax, effective August 21, 2008. This decision was driven by your direct and candid feedback and our continued commitment to you as our valued customers.
Your move, New York.
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| If You Had The 'Secret' To Winning The Lottery, Would You Patent It? |
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Techdirt
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| (+ Subscribe) Posted on: Monday, August 25 2008 12:11 PM |
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Okay, so this story is bizarre enough by itself, but there's an odd twist at the end. A husband and wife who held four separate winning lottery tickets claims to have figured out a secret formula for winning the lottery. That seems highly unlikely, of course. There is no formula that can predict totally independent numbers. The four winning tickets all used the same numbers, so there's no proof that the couple did anything other than get lucky by having the same number they played four different times hit.
However, their lawyer is claiming that the couple is "exploring patent protection." Want to see a sign of how ridiculous the patent situation has become? If you had figured out the (non-existent) secret to winning the lottery, would you use it to (a) keep winning the lottery or (b) patent it? It's only in these bizarre times that a couple would even think that (b) would be the more profitable option. Of course, if there really were some secret to predicting independent numbers that the couple had figured out, wouldn't you think that any lottery commission would immediately change how their lottery worked the second that patent was published?
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| Nokia N79 and N85 Roll Out Officially, With US 3G Aboard [Nokia] |
Gizmodo
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| (+ Subscribe) Posted on: Tuesday, August 26 2008 01:00 AM |
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 After yesterday's dribble of info, Nokia's upcoming N79 and N85 are official now, and do indeed carry WCDMA support for US 3G goodness. The N79 has a 2.4-inch screen, 5-megapixel camera and comes with a 4GB microSD card in the box for storage, while the N85 has a 2.6-inch OLED screen, 5-megapixel cam and 8GB of microSD card storage shipped with it. Full specs below. Update: the N79 is due to cost around $515 and the N85 will be around $660, both expecting to ship in October. Nokia N79 • Personalise your device with 3 Xpress-on™ smart covers
included inbox, with automatically matching wallpaper
themes
• Automatically change from portrait to landscape with
orientation sensor
• Easily navigate using the NaviWheel™
• Geotagging of pictures captured, and view them on a map
• Organize photos by albums and tags, and
synchronize with PC
• Upload and share pictures and videos directly toOvi and the web
• Enjoy great audio through standard 3.5 mm jack
headphones, built-in 3D stereo speakers or Bluetooth
technology
• Digital music player with support for playlist editing,
equalizer and categorized access to your music collection
• Synchronize and manage music with Nokia Music client
• Integrated FM transmitter and FM receiver
• Search, browse and purchase songs online inNokia Music Store
• Built-in GPS with A-GPS support and integrated 3-month
navigation license
• Multimedia city guides and navigation services available
for purchase. Drive: voice guided car navigation,
or Walk: pedestrian guidance for walking routes
Connectivity & Data Services
• GPS receiver with support for assisted GPS (A-GPS)
Full-screen video playback to view downloaded,
streamed or recorded video clips
• Access internet video feeds through Nokia Video Center
• Transfer videos from compatible PC,
using Hi-Speed USB 2.0
Games:
• N-Gage™ experience and one free game activation
voucher
• Try and buy from a broad catalog of innovative, made-for-
mobile titles that feature connectivity and stunning
graphics
• Titles developed by leading publishers Technical Profile
System: WCDMA900/2100 (HSDPA), EGSM900,
GSM850/1800/1900 MHz (EGPRS)
User Interface: S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 2
Dimensions: 110 x 49 x 15 mm (L x W x H)
Weight: 97 g
Display: 2.4 inch QVGA (240 x 320 pixels) with up to
16 million colors
Battery: Nokia Battery BL-6F, 1200 mAh Media
Memory: Up to 50 MB internal user memory,
4GB in-box micro SD memory card
Video playback: MPEG-4, H.264/AVC, H.263/3GPP,
RealVideo 8/9/10, WMV
Up to 30 fps, up to VGA resolution
Music playback: MP3, AAC, eAAC, eAAC+, WMA orientation sensor Main Camera
Lens: Carl Zeiss Tessar™
Image capture: Up to 5 megapixels (2584 x 1938)
JPEG/EXIF (16.7 million/24-bit color)
Video capture: MPEG-4 VGA (640 x 480) at up to 30 fps
Aperture: F2.8
Focal length: 5.2 mm
Flash: LED camera flash and video light• Enjoy great audio through standard 3.5 mm jack
headphones, built-in 3D stereo speakers or Bluetooth technology Operating Times
Talk time: Up to 210 min (3G), 330 min (GSM)
Standby time: Up to 400 hrs (3G), 370 hrs (GSM)
Video playback: Up to 5 hours (offline mode)
Music playback: Up to 24 hours (offline mode) • Built-in GPS with A-GPS support and integrated 3-month
navigation license Connectivity & Data Services
• WLAN IEEE 802.11b/g with UPnP support
• Micro-USB connector, Hi-Speed USB 2.0
• 3.5mm stereo headphone plug and
TV-out support (PAL/NTSC)
• Bluetooth wireless technology 2.0 and
enhanced data rates (EDR)
• GPS receiver with support for assisted GPS (A-GPS) • Access internet video feeds through Nokia Video Center Nokia N85 • Watch high-quality video on the 2.6 inch OLED display
• Full-screen video playback to view downloaded, streamed
or recorded video clips
• Access internet video feeds through
Nokia Video Center
• Transfer videos from a compatible PC,
using Hi-Speed USB 2.0
• Enjoy great audio through standard 3.5 mm jack
headphones, built-in 3D stereo speakers or Bluetooth
technology
• Easily control playback with the dedicated media keys
• Integrated FM transmitter and FM receiver
• Search, browse and purchase songs online in Nokia Music
Store
• Assisted GPS (A-GPS) provides fast and accurate location
information
• Multimedia city guides and navigation services available
for purchase.
• Drive: voice guided car navigation, or Walk: pedestrian-
optimized turn-by-turn guidance. Integrated 3-month
navigation license inbox
• More than 15 million points of interest with Nokia Maps 2.0
• Geotagging of captured pictures, and online sharing
• Organize photos by albums and tags, and synchronize
with PC
• Upload and share pictures and videos directly to Share on
Ovi or 3rd party services directly to the web
• N-Gage™ experience.
• Try and buy from a broad catalog of innovative, made-for-
mobile titles that feature connectivity and stunning
graphics
• Titles developed by leading publishers
• At least 10 games preloaded and one free game activation
voucher Technical Profile
System: WCDMA 2100/1900/900+GSM
850/900/1800/1900
WCDMA 2100/1900/850+GSM
850/900/1800/1900
User Interface: S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 2
Multimedia Menu
Dimensions: 103 x 50 x 16 mm (L x W x H)
Weight: 128 g
Display: AM OLED 2.6 inch QVGA (240 x 320 pixels)
with up to 16 million colors
Battery: Nokia Battery BL-5K, 1200 mAh Media
Memory: Up to 74 MB internal dynamic memory,
up to 78 MB internal NAND flash memory,
8 GB in-box micro SD memory card
Video playback: MPEG-4, H.264/AVC, H.263/3GPP,
RealVideo 8/9/10, WMV
30 fps, VGA resolution
Music playback: MP3, AAC, eAAC, eAAC+, WMA Main Camera
Optics: Carl Zeiss Tessar™
Image capture: 5 Megapixels (2584 x 1938)
JPEG/EXIF (16.7 million/24-bit color)
Video capture: MPEG-4 VGA (640 x 480) at up to 30 fps
Aperture: F2.8
Focal length: 5.45 mm
Flash: Dual LED camera flash and video lightMaps and Navigation: Operating Times
Talk time: Up to 270 min (3G), 410 min (GSM)
Standby time: Up to 360 hrs (3G), 360 hrs (GSM)
Video call: Up to 160 min
Video playback: Up to 7 hours (QVGA, 15fps)
Music playback: Up to 30 hours (offline mode) Photos: Connectivity & Data Services
• WLAN IEEE 802.11b/g with UPnP support
• Micro-USB connector, Hi-Speed USB 2.0
• 3.5mm stereo headphone plug and
TV-out support (PAL/NTSC)
• Bluetooth Specification 2.0 and
Bluetooth stereo audio support
• GPS receiver with support for assisted GPS (A-GPS)
   
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| Nokia N96 to hit European carriers starting in September |
Engadget Mobile
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| (+ Subscribe) Posted on: Monday, August 25 2008 01:08 PM |
| Tags: nokia n96 |
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Filed under: Handsets, Nokia, Symbian, GSM, EDGE, HSDPA, UMTS  Nokia's Indian division recently announced that its customers there would be able to snatch up N96s of their own starting in September, so it comes as no surprise that European carriers are starting to confirm September release windows, too. Dutch carrier KPN, specifically, has announced that the N96 will start to flow its way in just a few tantalizingly short weeks -- September 15, to be exact -- while other carriers will have to wait an additional month until October 15 to get in on the action. One month isn't much of an exclusivity period, but when it comes to Nokia's most anticipated phone of the last few months (Tube notwithstanding), we're sure KPN will take what it can get.
[Via Mobile Phone Helpdesk]Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
 
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| For Barenaked Ladies, it's been one week from hell [Celebritards] |
Valleywag
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| (+ Subscribe) Posted on: Monday, August 25 2008 10:20 AM |
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 Bay Area nerds love the goofy-smart Toronto rock band Barenaked Ladies for lots of reasons: Frontman Steven Page's pudgy physique. Punny, word-playful lyrics clean enough for junior high, but full of adult self-effacement. Musical arrangements that borrow from folk and a capella. The band's ironic rap about stuff white people like, "One Week," was licensed by Apple as one of ten preloaded tracks in the very first version of iTunes in 2001. BNL's theme song for current CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory recaps the history of the universe (Australopithecus! Deuteronomy!) in under two minutes. (Photo by Manlius, NY Police Department). So it was kind of a shock while reading up on co-frontman Ed Robertson's plane crash this weekend — all four on board escaped unharmed — to stumble upon a mug shot from Steven Page's, um, cocaine bust? Believe it: Page, a father of three, separated from his wife last year and admitted to snorting coke with his new girlfriend prior to his arrest last month in upstate New York. On Friday, he was granted an extension of his court appearance to October in order to prepare his case. It seems way out of whack for nice-guy Page to do coke, but totally in character to admit it to the cops. There's a very clever song in here somewhere.(Photo by Manlius, NY Police Department)
   
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| Hacker Rips Off $12,000 in Calls Using Homeland "Security" Phone System [Phreaking] |
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Gizmodo
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| (+ Subscribe) Posted on: Friday, August 22 2008 02:10 PM |
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 Knowing that the government can keep us safe against evil dildos and penis pumpers, I don't really give much importance to the fact that a guy got into the U.S. Homeland Security Department phone system to make more than 400 calls to his buddies in friendly countries like Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. According to security consultant John Jackson, the hacking was very low-tech and old school, which probably would make Steve "Blue Box" Wozniak proud, but it was an embarrassment for the agency: In this case it's sort of embarrassing that it happened to FEMA themselves - FEMA being a child of DHS, with calls going to the Middle East. The security breach happened in the voice mail system of the Private Branch Exchange (PBX) of FEMA. But don't fret, fellow Americans: Thankfully, the "security" in Homeland Security kicked right in. Oh wait, it didn't: the breach was actually detected by the phone company, who couldn't believe the $12,000 in calls to Middle East countries. [AP]
   
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| Hands On With OpenPeak's Atom-Powered Home Media Phone [Home Phone Overkill] |
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Gizmodo
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| (+ Subscribe) Posted on: Thursday, August 21 2008 03:40 PM |
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 Slotting an Atom into a home phone just sounds plain ridiculous, but the Home Media Phone is more than just a VoIP handset and base station. The base station (which doubles as a speaker phone) has its own software platform, developed in flash and furnished with a full API, and serves many purposes of a PC in a picture frame-sized package. The current set of apps is adequate, but after using it for a few minutes it became very clear that the Home Media Phone could actually be a fantastic net appliance.
Like half the products at IDF, this the Media Phone has a touch interface, which at the moment looks an awful lot like the iPhone's. Using it is easy, and it's at a size and orientation that makes for comfortable casual use. The screen was responsive enough for sustained use without frustration, and navigating the interfaces was—and this is really the only thing that matters on these small devices—painless. The handset was attractive and felt solid, though it's currently not touch-enabled (I was assured that this would be rectified by launch). In its current state it's difficult to see what exactly the Media Phone is meant to do. It's got no browser, but an RSS reader. It can connect with home automation software and control household electronics, but it's stuck to the wall with a power cord. In response to these concerns, the guys at the booth were keen to tell me about the API, which would allow developers to enable a vastly larger set of apps and features. Those customizations will be the deciding factor in whether or not this phone is at all successful. Well, that and its price. OpenPeak says that their first units could ship to customers as soon as January of next year, and they will all be sold with subsidies as part of VoIP service contracts. Negotiations are under way, but the OpenPeak guys say it's conceivable that the units could be free. [Giz at IDF]
   
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"These homes for sale SUCK!" CNN has a interesting article about the squalid condition of many of the homes on the market these days. "The properties smell," said Eve Alexander, an agent in Orlando. "You find maggots. The swimming pools are green. The lawns dry up. They're eyesores. Neighbors yell at us to water the lawn." [
ICT employed its high-resolution face scanning process to capture O'Brien in 35 facial poses directed by Image Metrics. This newest process from the ICT Graphics Lab places the actor inside a sphere of LED lights, illuminating the talent with a set of polarized spherical gradient illumination patterns while a pair of high-resolution digital cameras takes around 15 photographs in under three seconds.
