I've got this idea for a fully mobile remote nanny. She watches and listens to everything you do, scolds or praises as appropriate, rats you out to parents or spouse, even gives you a grade for “Conformity.” I figure the government will buy hundreds of them to follow sexual predators and paroled felons (maybe even congressmen!) Some interesting comments too.

http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/12/26/0226229&from=rss

George Orwell Was Right — Security Cameras Get an Upgrade

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on Tuesday December 26, @12:34AM from the big-brother-would-be-proud dept.

Jamie stopped to mention that Bloomberg is reporting on a recent addition of speakers to public security cameras in Middlesbrough, England. From the article: "`People are shocked when they hear the cameras talk, but when they see everyone else looking at them, they feel a twinge of conscience and comply,' [When did “everyone else” stop voicing their disapproval? Bob] said Mike Clark, a spokesman for Middlesbrough Council who recounted the incident. The city has placed speakers in its cameras, allowing operators to chastise miscreants who drop coffee cups, ride bicycles too fast or fight outside bars."

Ditto?

http://digg.com/security/Watch_ANY_Traffic_Camera_in_New_York_City_in_Real_Time

Watch ANY Traffic Camera in New York City in Real Time!

This website lets you watch real-time streaming videos and still images of NYC whenever you want. The cams even have a great framerate.

http://nyctmc.org/xmanhattan.asp

Advanced Traveller Information System

Manhattan Information

There are 45 cameras installed in key traffic points around Manhattan accessible from either the map or the list below. 10 cameras provide both streaming video or still images, 35 cameras provide only still images.

Ditto?

http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/12/26/HNtokyorfid_1.html?source=rss&url=http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/12/26/HNtokyorfid_1.html

Project aims to tag Tokyo neighborhood with RFID

Tags and transmitters to provide location-based information

By Martyn Williams, IDG News Service December 26, 2006

A location-based services trial that will see a famous Tokyo neighborhood blanketed with around 10,000 RFID (radio frequency identification) tags and other beacons got its start earlier this month.

The Tokyo Ubiquitous Network Project seeks to install RFID, infrared and wireless transmitters throughout Tokyo's Ginza area, which is the most famous shopping area in the capital. The tags and transmitters will provide location-related information to people carrying prototype readers developed for the trial, said Ken Sakamura, a professor at The University of Tokyo and the leader of the project.

The system works by matching a unique code sent out by each beacon with data stored on a server on the Internet. The data is obtained automatically by the terminal, which communicates back to the server via a wireless LAN connection and requests the data relevant to the beacon that is being picked up.

Sakamura envisages the system will be able to provide users with basic navigation and information about the shops and stores in the area in at least four languages: Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean.

For example, bringing the terminal close to an RFID tag on a street lamp will pinpoint the user's location and the system will be able to guide them to the nearest railway station while walking past a radio beacon in front of a shop might bring up details of current special offers or a menu for a restaurant.

... The project is supported by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MILT) and one of several that currently taking place in Japan.

In one of the trials, RFID tags have been embedded in yellow studded rubber tiles that are often put onto pavements as an aid to blind or partially sighted people. An RFID reader at the tip of a cane picks up the tags and a transmitter box mounted higher on the cane sends the tag's ID to the prototype terminal which gets relevant information from the server. In a demonstration of the system the terminal alerted the user that the pavement is coming to an end but that there's a ramp to the right and stairs to the left.

Isn't this (at least partly) to combat the lack of communication between agencies? Should we risk allowing a fleeing felon to avoid arrest because we can't get the word out? ...and since when does something change from Okay to evil because it grows larger?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/25/AR2006122500483.html

Justice Dept. Database Stirs Privacy Fears

Size and Scope of the Interagency Investigative Tool Worry Civil Libertarians

By Dan Eggen Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, December 26, 2006; A07

The Justice Department is building a massive database that allows state and local police officers around the country to search millions of case files from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and other federal law enforcement agencies, according to Justice officials.

The system, known as "OneDOJ," already holds approximately 1 million case records and is projected to triple in size over the next three years, Justice officials said. The files include investigative reports, criminal-history information, details of offenses, and the names, addresses and other information of criminal suspects or targets, officials said.

The database is billed by its supporters as a much-needed step toward better information-sharing with local law enforcement agencies, which have long complained about a lack of cooperation from the federal government.

But civil-liberties and privacy advocates say the scale and contents of such a database raise immediate privacy and civil rights concerns, in part because tens of thousands of local police officers could gain access to personal details about people who have not been arrested or charged with crimes. [Like the guy who robbed the Seven-11 and killed the clerk. He hadn't been arrested or charged, we didn't even know his name... Bob]

The little-noticed program has been coming together over the past year and a half. It already is in use in pilot projects with local police in Seattle, San Diego and a handful of other areas, officials said. About 150 separate police agencies have access, officials said.

But in a memorandum sent last week to the FBI, U.S. attorneys and other senior Justice officials, Deputy Attorney General Paul J. McNulty announced that the program will be expanded immediately to 15 additional regions and that federal authorities will "accelerate . . . efforts to share information from both open and closed cases."

Eventually, the department hopes, the database will be a central mechanism for sharing federal law enforcement information with local and state investigators, who now run checks individually, and often manually, with Justice's five main law enforcement agencies: the FBI, the DEA, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Prisons and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Within three years, officials said, about 750 law enforcement agencies nationwide will have access.

... Much information will be kept out of the system, including data about public corruption cases, classified or sensitive topics, confidential informants, administrative cases and civil rights probes involving allegations of wrongdoing by police, [In other words, it will only record information about us second class citizens... Bob] officials said.

... Barry Steinhardt, director of the Technology and Liberty Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, said the main problem is one of "garbage in, garbage out," [Technically not a database problem Bob] because case files frequently include erroneous or unproved allegations.

"Raw police files or FBI reports can never be verified and can never be corrected," Steinhardt said.

I suspect this could be done with non-artists too. Perhaps sites by specific topics (Computer Security, Wine, competitive knitting...)

http://news.com.com/2300-1023_3-6145083-1.html?part=rss&tag=6145083&subj=news

A site for student artists

December 25, 2006 5:59 AM PDT

The Saatchi Gallery in London has opened up its Web site for students and other aspiring artists to post their work and chat with peers.

The recently redesigned Web site of the famed Saatchi Gallery in London has become a social-networking outlet for aspiring young artists. A key feature launched in May is the section called Your Gallery, where artists can post their own work at no charge, sell it without a middleman and chat with peers. That section now has contributions, including video art, from more than 20,000 artists, with 800 more signing up each week, according to a story in The New York Times. Another section, called Stuart (for "student art"), launched in November and now counts 1,300 students, the Times reported.

Think what you would trust to people not under your immediate control.

http://www.bespacific.com/mt/archives/013361.html

December 25, 2006

Growth in Outsourced Legal Services to Companies in India Reported

Follow-up to a November 12, 2006 article on LLRX.com, Developments in Legal Outsourcing and Offshoring, Moushumi Anand, Medill News Service, posted this article that highlights the growth in contracts for outsourced legal work undertaken by several companies in India.

I've always thought charities were a rather backwards way to do “good works” For one thing, they spend everything they collect (less the 90% collector's fee) and then have to beg next year.

http://www.bespacific.com/mt/archives/013363.html

December 25, 2006

Consumer Reports Guide to Charitable Giving

Make sure that your donations count - Here's how to home in on charities that don’t waste--or steal--your money.

• "Three groups put large, general-interest charities under the microscope: the American Institute of Philanthropy, the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance, and Charity Navigator."

Clearly a business opportunity!

http://techdirt.com/articles/20061226/000705.shtml

Latest Attempt To Catch Phishers May Make Life Difficult For Small Web Vendors

from the no-fun-at-all dept

It's no secret that there are a lot of scammers out there online, and trying to come up with ways to weed out who's legit and who's not has certainly been a growth industry lately. However, sometimes things get tricky. Microsoft is rolling out a new system in the latest version of Internet Explorer that aims to flag certain sites as being safe or unsafe, using much stricter verification rules that secure certificate vendors need to follow. Of course, these are also a lot more expensive, and the strict rules mean that a lot of smaller merchants may not make the cut or may not want to pay extra to get these certificates. It raises questions about whether or not it's fair for a company like Microsoft to put the burden on the sites themselves to go out and prove to a certificate vendor that they're legit (and willing to pay a lot more than a standard secure certificate) just to be considered safe. Obviously, it can help to cut out many questionable sites, but if it has plenty of false positives, harming perfectly legitimate vendors as well, that's hardly a good solution.

I'm always amused by statistics like these...

http://digg.com/gaming_news/60_percent_of_P2P_video_downloads_are_porn

60 percent of P2P video downloads are porn

Porn and TV dominate the video content that people downlaod from P2P networks, according to a new study by the NPD Group. The market researchers estimate that 60 percent of those videos are "adult content", while 20 percent are TV shows.

http://www.p2p-blog.com/item-217.html

This isn't really new, is it?

http://digg.com/tech_news/Paypal_announces_FREE_Virtual_Debit_Card_throwaway_online_credit_cards

Paypal announces FREE 'Virtual Debit Card' - throwaway online credit cards

Those of you that are jealous of the Visa throwaway credit card that creates a new unique one-time use number for your online transactions can stop worrying, anyone can now get on the fun! Paypal will offer this service FREE to all users once it leaves beta, meaning you'll have alot less headache worrying about credit card theft and security.

http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=xpt/cps/account/VDCFrequentlyAskedQuestions-outside

http://digg.com/software/10_Web_Operating_Systems_Reviewed_Maybe_You_Try_One

10 Web Operating Systems Reviewed - Maybe You Try One

Why not try some of the WebOS applications that are already available? Believe it or not, there's already over 15 of them, and here you can find a review of the 10 most promising WebOSes.

http://franticindustries.com/blog/2006/12/21/big-webos-roundup-10-online-operating-systems-reviewed/

Bah, humbug, y'all

Joy to the world!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061223/wl_sthasia_afp/indianuclearpoliticscrime_061223112959&printer=1

Police hunt launched after uranium stolen in India

by Ranjana ShuklaSat Dec 23, 6:29 AM ET

A container packed with radioactive material has been stolen from a fortified research facility in eastern India, prompting a major hunt and fears of contamination, officials said.

"It carries uranium and radiation and could have an adverse effect in an area of 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mile)," Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Khoda warned.

Khoda said the uranium was stolen nearly three weeks ago after being moved to a research site at the densely-populated town of Rajrappa from a federal atomic facility near Mumbai.

The United States and India this month signed a landmark atomic energy deal to give India access to western technology and nuclear fuel, despite warnings from critics that demand tighter security measures to prevent proliferation.

Khoda did not say to what degree the uranium was enriched to, although an official from Jharkhand's Central Mine Planning and Development Institute (CMPDI) said the missing material was not highly-enriched.

"It was not highly-enriched but neither was it just yellow cake (uranium ore) and it was meant for a project but we can't talk about that," the official from the Ranchi-based CMPDI said on condition he not be named.

"It's useless in the hands of unskilled people," the official said without elaborating. The capsule was stolen from a CMPDI-run facility.

Rajrappa police said they were alerted to the theft on December 4.

Arjun Munda, an opposition leader in Jharkhand's legislative assembly, demanded speedy action.

"The government must initiate immediate steps to find the apparatus as it is extremely hazardous," he said in state capital Ranchi on Saturday.

The theft comes a year after police in the northeastern state of Assam arrested two uranium thieves after detectives posing as buyers offering 1.5 million rupees (34,000 dollars) managed to recover stolen radioactive material.

In 1993, some 97 kilograms (213 pounds) of semi-processed uranium ore was stolen from another Federal Department of the Atomic Energy facility.

Jharkhand is the only Indian state that produces uranium, but New Delhi says it is not economically viable to use the low-yield product to generate nuclear energy on a commercial scale.

Some Indian scientists, however, say the country's current uranium reserves estimated at about 70,000 tonnes can generate 10,000 megawatts of electricity for 30 years.

Intelligence agencies say Jharkhand's secluded Jadugoda uranium minefields are a target of potential thieves as it transports semi-processed yellow cake to far-off centres for further enrichment to fuel nuclear power plants.

The Indian government declined to comment but pilferage from the fortified Jaduguda mines is common knowledge, according to rights activists campaigning against the effects of radioactivity on uranium miners.

Nuclear-armed India is also currently looking at plans to launch another uranium mining operation in one of the seven northeastern states, where deposits have been found.

http://news.com.com/Year+in+review+Privacy+and+surveillance/2009-1029_3-6136818.html?tag=nefd.top

Year in review: Privacy and surveillance

What, they don't have an adequate anti-virus application?

http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/12/24/1922216&from=rss

Department of Defense Now Blocking HTML Email

Posted by Zonk on Sunday December 24, @04:20PM from the nuke-them-from-orbit-only-way-to-be-sure dept. Security United States IT

oKAMi-InfoSec writes "The Department of Defense (DoD) has taken the step of blocking HTML-based email. They are also banning the use of Outlook Web Access email clients. The DoD is making this move because HTML messages can easily be infected with spyware and executable lines of code that enable hackers to access DoD networks, according to an article in Federal Computer Week by Bob Brewin . A spokesman for the Joint Task Force for Global Network Operations (JTF-GNO) claims that this is a response to an increased network threat condition. The network threat condition has risen from Information Condition 5 to Information Condition 4 (also called Infocon 4). InfoCon 5 is normal operating conditions and Infocon 4 comes as a result of 'continuing and sophisticated threats' against DoD Networks. The change to Infocon 4 came in mid-November, after the Naval War College suffered devastating attacks that required their entire system be taken offline, but the JTF-GNO spokesman claims there is no connection."

Very interesting tool! Just click on a dot for a larger image...

http://digg.com/world_news/361_Newspaper_Front_Pages_from_Around_the_World_Updated_Daily

361 Newspaper Front Pages from Around the World; Updated Daily!

Today ’s Front Pages, a service of Newseum website is a must for news junkies. It provides the front pages of 361 newspapers around the world (35 Countries).

http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/flash/

Fun! Everyone needs a hobby.

http://digg.com/security/How_the_Xbox_Security_System_Was_Dismantled

How the Xbox Security System Was Dismantled

Michael Steil, founder of the Xbox-Linux project, gives a presentation on the Xbox security system. To see if Microsoft really made "kindergarten" security mistakes, he looks at how they tried to keep hackers out. Then he looks at the security system as a hacker would, describing how each exploit was accomplished.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4356347903120410001&sourceid=docidfeed&hl=en

Interesting what gets released on a Friday...

http://politics.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/12/24/0853236&from=rss

DHS's 'Secure Flight' Program Proven Insecure

Posted by Zonk on Sunday December 24, @06:14AM from the i-trust-the-government-as-far-as-i-can-throw-it dept.

News.com is reporting the somewhat unsurprising news that a government program we were assured was 'perfectly safe', has actually been proven to be a privacy nightmare. The 'Secure Flight' program matched air traveler information with commercial databases in the interests of national security. The charter for the program specifically forbade the TSA from accessing this information; the organization got their hands on it anyway. The Department of Homeland Security has released a report, detailing these findings and analyzing the situation. The News.com piece makes it clear the report was released on Friday in an attempt to obscure it from public notice; it was only linked to from a DHS subsite, and has not shown up on the DHS or TSA main pages.

From the article: "The report from the Homeland Security privacy office takes pains to say that the privacy compromises over Secure Flight were 'not intentional,' [Of course they were. What they were not is well considered! Bob] and includes a list of seven recommendations to avoid similar mishaps in the future. Those include explaining to the public exactly what's going on and creating a 'data flow map' to ensure information is handled in compliance with the 1974 Privacy Act. This isn't the first report to take issue with Secure Flight. Last year, auditors at the U.S. Government Accountability Office reported that the program violated the Privacy Act."

[Report (PDF) http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/privacy/privacy-secure-flight-122006.pdf Bob]

...and this

http://www.bespacific.com/mt/archives/013358.html

December 22, 2006

DHS Privacy Office Report on MATRIX Project

MATRIX Report, December 2006 (PDF, 9 pages): DHS Privacy Office Report to the Public Concerning the Multistate Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange (MATRIX) Pilot Project.

No doubt Big Brother will tell you everything.

http://www.bespacific.com/mt/archives/013356.html

December 22, 2006

DHS Provides RSS Fees for News, Press Releases, Speeches and Testimony

Links to the RSS feeds are as follows:

• Department of Homeland Security News

• Department of Homeland Security Press Releases

• Department of Homeland Security Speeches

• Department of Homeland Security Testimony

Remember, it is always safe to talk to a lawyer...

http://www.pogowasright.org/article.php?story=20061223092420797

Huge law firm's records handed over to government

Saturday, December 23 2006 @ 09:24 AM CST - Contributed by: anonadmin - Businesses & Privacy

Brobeck was a 900 lawyer firm, one of the most well known for tech companies and IPO’s. It was a hugely profitable and successful law firm. They expanded too fast, racked up loads of debt, had some internal issues and dissolved in 2003. Now their former customers are being informed, three years hence, that if they take no action, their records will be turned over to the Library of Congress’s National Digital Infrastructure and Preservation Program (NDIIPP), in parternship with the University of Maryland. Why? To “memoralize the Dot Com Era by preserving the Brobeck Digital Records…that will be established upon closure of the bankruptcy estate.”

Source - Truston (blog)

Why would any group funded by taxpayers choose to do otherwise?

http://linux.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/12/23/2041202&from=rss

Librarians Stake Their Future on OSS

Posted by Zonk on Saturday December 23, @04:26PM from the wish-we-had-that-here dept. Software Linux

Systems Librarian writes "Linux.com is running a story entitled 'Librarians stake their future on open source'. It details a group of librarians at the Georgia Public Library Service that have developed an open source, enterprise-class library management system that may revolutionize the way large-scale libraries are run. The system is Evergreen. The element of this project that has the participants especially excited is the speed. Previously, if users wanted changes to their systems, they'd be put into an 'enhancement queue'. Now, some features are implemented overnight. From the article: 'In fact, the catalog has many features and innovations that are lacking in non-free systems. It does on-the-fly spellcheck and gives search suggestions and adds additional content, such as book covers, reviews, and excerpts. The Shelf Browser shows items ordered along a virtual shelf built out of the holdings of the entire system. Patrons can create bookbags, which are lists that contain a selected collection of annotated titles. Bookbags can be kept private or shared as a regular Web page or as Atom or RSS feeds.'"

Linux.com and Slashdot are both owned by OSTG.

Isn't this obvious? Is there an assumption out there that because you have owned computers you know everything there is to know about them?

http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/12/24/0452253&from=rss

College Freshmen Struggle With Tech Literacy

Posted by Zonk on Sunday December 24, @12:33AM from the gotta-grow-up-nerd-to-get-ahead dept.

snow_man writes to mention an article on the E-Commerce News site about techno-literacy problems with incoming college freshmen. Some schools, like CSU, are planning on including a technology comprehension test alongside their English and Math evaluations for new students.

From the article: "Not all of Generation M can synthesize the loads of information they're accessing, educators say. 'They're geeky, but they don't know what to do with their geekdom,' said Barbara O'Connor, a Sacramento State communications studies professor involved in a nationwide effort to hone students' computer-research skills. On a recent nationwide test to measure their technological 'literacy' -- their ability to use the Internet to complete class assignments -- only 49 percent of the test-takers correctly evaluated a set of Web sites for objectivity, authority and timeliness. Only 35 percent could correctly narrow an overly broad Internet search."

Are they describing a place for ad hoc conspiracy? (Might be very handy within an organization...)

http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/54876.html

Illumio Connects Like-Minded People Online

By Elise Ackerman San Jose Mercury News 12/24/06 4:00 AM PT

Unlike similar services such as Yahoo Answers and LinkedIn, Illumio allows people to connect in private. [already suspicious, J. Edgar] "What we are trying to do is create mutually consensual connections [abomination! Pat Robertson] among people who would never find each other otherwise," said David Gilmour, Tacit Software's founder and chief executive. "It's like Google meets IM."

Imagine if you could search through the information in your colleagues' heads and uncover unknown areas of expertise and serendipitous connections -- like a mutual interest in organic gardening or open source Latest News about open source databases.

That's not a search you can do on Google. However, it is one you can do with a free application called Illumio, developed by Tacit Software.

Social Search Engine

Illumio, which was released last month, is a new approach to the challenge of "social search," finding information that other people know but haven't uploaded to a Web page.

... In fact, Illumio borrows the desktop search technology that was first released by Google -- and subsequently by competitors -- to discover what a person cares about. It analyzes e-mail Email Marketing Software - Free Demo, Web searches and documents stored on a computer's hard drive and uses a mathematical formula to match that information with requests submitted by other Illumio users.

... Illumio allows members to manually create profiles that list their areas of expertise, but Gilmour said the analysis of a person's hard drive has proven to be more useful because it can capture areas of knowledge a person might overlook.

Research tool?

http://www.bespacific.com/mt/archives/013342.html

December 21, 2006

UK Statute Law Database Now Online

Via Ruth Bird, Bodleian Law Librarian, the UK Statute Law Database was released to the public on December 20. The content of SLD is available for viewing and private use free of charge. "The UK Statute Law Database (SLD) is the official revised edition of the primary legislation of the United Kingdom made available online."

A commendable over-abundance of caution?

http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2006/dec/22/personal-data-15000-twu-students-made-vulnerable/

Personal data of 15,000 TWU students made vulnerable

By Pegasus News wire Friday, December 22, 2006

In the wake of this recent potential personal data nightmare at UT Dallas, comes one at Texas Woman's University. From a school release:

Texas Woman’s University is notifying approximately 15,000 students that their personal data has been exposed to potential identity theft.

The personal data of all students who were enrolled at TWU in the calendar year 2005 was exposed. The personal data includes names, addresses and Social Security Numbers. This exposure affects the university’s three campuses in Denton, Dallas and Houston.

University officials discovered earlier this week that IRS 1098-T Tuition Statement data for 2005 was transmitted to an outside vendor via a non-secure connection. The data was briefly exposed only during transmission and is now secure.

No detail, but certainly computer related...

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=750672

Personal Info. of Faculty and Students Appeared on Yahoo

December 22nd, 2006 @ 9:31pm

(KSL News) -- A security breach at Utah Valley State College has potentially left thousands of students and faculty at risk.

Personal information, including Social Security numbers, started to show up on Yahoo's search engine in November. The information has since been removed from UVSC's servers.

The compromised data pertains only to Distance Education instructors and students enrolled in UVSC courses between January 2002 and January 2005.

Not all faculty and students during that time were affected.

Not a computer issue?

http://www.charleston.net/assets/webPages/departmental/news/Stories.aspx?section=business&tableId=123519&pubDate=12/22/2006

Bank says customer data may have been stolen

BY PETER HULL The Post and Courier

Bank of America, one of the region's largest financial institutions, said this week that Social Security numbers and other information about an undisclosed number of its Charleston-area customers may have been stolen.

The Charlotte-based financial giant declined to say how many people were affected or what areas they live in, but it said it has notified all of them of the suspected breach in writing.

The ill-gotten personal information also includes names, addresses and telephone numbers, the company said.

Bank of America said it is working closely with law enforcement officials as part of an ongoing investigation.

"The security of clients' information remains a key priority for us," said company spokeswoman Nicole Nastacie.

In a letter to a Charleston customer dated Dec. 14, the bank said that it "recently learned that some of your personal information may have been obtained by unauthorized persons for the purpose of engaging in fraudulent activity."

An unidentified former contractor for Bank of America is believed to be responsible, according to the letter.

Dumpster diving is alive an well... I wonder what they were looking for?

http://www.newsnet5.com/news/10590678/detail.html

Personal Info On Dozens Of Ballplayers Taken From Dumpster

POSTED: 9:03 am EST December 22, 2006 UPDATED: 9:07 am EST December 22, 2006

CLEVELAND -- Former Indians player Jim Thome is one of close to 90 major leaguers whose identity could be at risk.

SFX Sports represents some of the biggest names in a variety of sports, and police said 38-year-old David Dright went through a Dumpster outside the agency's Northbrook, Ill., office and recovered personal information on 80 to 100 Major League ballplayers.

"He was actually going through trash receptacles or Dumpsters and recovered numerous paperwork, documents, things like that," [How descriptive... Bob] said Detective Adam Hyde, of the Lincolnshire police.

Police weren't looking for the ballplayers personal documents when they searched Dright's Chicago apartment but knew what they had once they found them.

An attorney for SFX said they will work with their clients to ensure no identities were compromised, and Illinois police are doing the same.

"We've been in contact with Major League Baseball, also the Major League Baseball Players' Association, and we've also contacted some of the players individually," said Detective John Anderson.

Police said it appears that Dright attempted to get credit cards using the identities of at least two players. The extent of the fraud won't be known until police can process Dright's computer.

If its good enough for Her Majesty....

http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/12/22/HNpodcastingroyal_1.html?source=rss&url=http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/12/22/HNpodcastingroyal_1.html

Podcasting gets U.K. royal seal of approval

Queen's speech will, for the first time, be available as video and audio downloads from the BBC's Web site

By Nancy Gohring, IDG News Service December 22, 2006

... This year for the first time Queen Elizabeth II's Christmas speech will be available as a podcast.

... Interested listeners can sign up for the Royal Podcast now and will receive the latest episode, the Christmas speech, at the time of the broadcast.

Another “secret regulation” bites the dust?

http://techdirt.com/articles/20061221/153821.shtml

Court Not Buying FCC's Claims Over Indecency Fines

from the where-are-the-parents? dept

As many of you are aware, the FCC in the last few years has spent an awful lot of time on television indecency issues -- though they seem to do so not because of any real offense, but because certain family groups flood the FCC with complaints, often long after a TV show actually aired. The FCC refuses to give TV broadcasters any guidelines or preview any content, noting that that would be "censorship." Instead, they give vague guidelines and will only fine you if you fail to meet the hidden standards. The networks are fighting back in court, and it looks like the FCC isn't looking very good so far. In court hearings yesterday, the 3-judge panel blasted the FCC on a variety of points, noting that their hidden standards are really no different than censorship -- and, if anything, are worse, because it's just a game of "gotcha." However, even more to the point, the judges questioned why the FCC feels the need to take over the parents' role in policing what children see on TV, noting that it's the parents' responsibility to monitor what their kids watch. Basically, they say that if parents are worried about what kids are watching in their bedrooms, the parents shouldn't allow TVs in kids' bedrooms. In other words, it's the parents' responsibility to protect the children, not the government's. The judges also point out how silly it is to hold a separate standard for broadcast TV (the only thing the FCC really has the authority to regulate), when there's so much more on cable and satellite which the kids are probably watching anyway. While that could just open up the FCC to pushing for greater authority over cable and satellite TV (as some politicians would like), it's worth remembering that the FCC's mandate is only over public airwaves -- not private ones, and any change would face tremendous resistance. While the case is still ongoing, it certainly looks like the court took a pretty hostile view to the FCC's usual reasons for fining broadcasters over indecency.

I'd like to see this booklet. Perhaps it could be translated into a guide for the rest of us?

http://www.prweb.com/releases/privacy_law/personal_privacy/prweb493544.htm

Guidebook Designed to Help Judges Protect Their Personal Privacy

"Protecting Your Personal Privacy," a collaborative effort of The Center for Information Technology and Privacy Law at The John Marshall Law School and the Chicago Bar Association (CBA), is an easy-to-read informational booklet that has been distributed to all federal judges in the 7th Circuit, and now is being distributed to other federal circuits as well as state court judges.

(Vocus/PRWeb ) December 22, 2006 -- The desire to protect judges and their families from the wrath of the public outside of the courthouse has led to the publication of a 20-page guide that offers tips on how best to protect one's privacy.

"Protecting Your Personal Privacy," a collaborative effort of The Center for Information Technology and Privacy Law at The John Marshall Law School and the Chicago Bar Association (CBA), is an easy-to-read informational booklet that has been distributed to all federal judges in the 7th Circuit, and now is being distributed to other federal circuits as well as state court judges. The booklet has been made available to the families of judges through the Judicial Family Institute and is also available to the general public. [I haven't found it yet. Bob]

"It has been very well received said Collins T. Fitzpatrick, circuit executive for the U.S. Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit. "It's a terrific help to anyone who follows it."

"A series of events, starting with the murders of family members of U.S. District Court Judge Joan Humphrey Lefkow, raised awareness of both physical and informational security and safety for judges and their families," said the booklet's chief author Leslie Ann Reis, director of the Center for Information Technology and Privacy Law.

The CBA called together members of the federal and state judiciary, academics and leading practitioners to propose ways judges and their family members could protect their security and safety.

Committee members initially were "shocked" by the amount of information available on judges and the vulnerabilities created by the misuse of that information, Reis said. The booklet is meant to empower judges by outlining ways that personal information can be protected from public availability by limiting the amount of one's personal information that is put into the public domain.

"We found there was no real guidance out there that would allow judges to proactively protect their privacy," Reis said. "Our approach (in developing the booklet) was how to keep the information from getting into the public domain in the first place, rather than legislating and criminalizing the disclosure of information.

"Availing yourself to the conveniences of modern-day living involves giving up a certain amount of privacy. We aren't telling judges what to do. What information you share and with whom is a cost benefit analysis that everyone has to make for themselves," she noted.

Reis, who has been studying and teaching privacy law the past 10 years, said the booklet is "helping to raise awareness among the judges of the potential dangers, and empowering them to make reasoned uses of their personal information."

The booklet has suggestions as simple as not providing information for directories or product rebates, to the more detailed outlines, including creating land trusts so that personal information is not tied to real estate transactions in the public record.

"We all know the benefits of technology. What needs to be decided is how much personal information you're willing to exchange to gain those benefits," Reis said. "If you follow the tips we give, you'll have the tools to make a reasoned decision."

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,2076062,00.asp

Vista Exploit Surfaces on Russian Hacker Site

December 22, 2006 By Ryan Naraine

Proof-of-concept exploit code for a privilege escalation vulnerability affecting all versions of Windows—including Vista—has been posted on a Russian hacker forum, forcing Microsoft to activate its emergency response process.

Mike Reavey, operations manager of the Microsoft Security Response Center, confirmed that the company is "closely monitoring" the public posting, which first appeared on a Russian language forum on Dec. 15. It affects "csrss.exe," which is the main executable for the Microsoft Client/Server Runtime Server.

... "While I know this is a vulnerability that impacts Windows Vista I still have every confidence that Windows Vista is our most secure platform to date," [How sad... Bob] he added.

Well, thanks Al Gore! I've got 24 inches of global warming in my driveway.

Strange quote...

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/states/california/peninsula/16289017.htm

Stolen server holds 2,500 Social Security numbers

By Truong Phuoc Khánh Mercury News Posted on Thu, Dec. 21, 2006

A computer stolen from Santa Clara County's employment agency contained the Social Security numbers of 2,500 people who are being advised to take steps to protect themselves from identity theft.

The risk to clients is not believed to be high because the information was encrypted by passwords, [Let's hope the reporter got this wrong. Data can be encrypted or access can be controlled by passwords, but “encrypted by password” is a non-sequitur... Bob] according to a statement from the county. Only those who have used the PESCO software to assess their job skills are affected.

The theft was discovered last week and reported to police Friday.

Three computer servers were stolen from an unoccupied building undergoing construction. [No doubt move there to make it easier for the thieves... Bob] Because of electrical work, the power had been turned off and the alarm was not working. Two of the servers did not contain client information; the third server did. The information included names, Social Security numbers and job skill assessments, but not addresses or telephone numbers.

The county is notifying affected clients.

I wonder if this is the end to it?

http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/12/21/HNrootkitgrows_1.html?source=rss&url=http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/12/21/HNrootkitgrows_1.html

Sony rootkit settlement with states reaches $5.75M

Two days after reaching settlements worth $1.5 million with Texas and California, Sony agreed on Thursday to pay another 40 states to end investigations

By Robert McMillan, IDG News Service December 21, 2006

Sony BMG Music Entertainment's botched attempt to stop unauthorized music copying has cost the company another $4.25 million.

Two days after reaching settlements worth $1.5 million with Texas and California, Sony agreed on Thursday to pay another 40 states the money to end investigations into its use of two copy protection programs: First 4 Internet's XCP (extended copy protection), and MediaMax, written by SunnComm International.

In a statement, Sony said it was pleased with Thursday's settlements.

... Sony has reportedly also reached a tentative settlement with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in the matter, although nothing relating to that investigation was announced Thursday. Sony settled a class-action lawsuit over the software in May.

As with the California and Texas agreements, residents of the 40 states that settled with Sony are entitled to up to $175 in refunds for damages that may have been caused to their computers. The settlements also limit the ways that Sony can use copy protection software in the future and require that the company notify consumers if it uses this kind of software.

A list of the states covered in Thursday's settlement can be found in the Massachusetts statement.

Sony has set up a Web site with information for consumers on the matter. It is expected to eventually include information on how to file a claim under these latest settlements.

I hope the ruling includes the requirement that notice is given online – as easy to find as the content itself. Otherwise we get back to the individual request for each item...

http://techdirt.com/articles/20061221/191554.shtml

Judge Says No Deep Linking To Videos

from the that's-a-problem dept

Deep linking is apparently an issue that just won't die. You would think, by now, people would realize that if you put something on the web, people can link to it. If you don't want them to link to it, then don't put it online, or put in place one of the incredibly easy technical methods to redirect traffic that comes into the content you want to hide. It's really not that difficult -- but too many people still haven't figured it out, and unfortunately some of them are judges. In the latest case, a federal judge in Texas has said that it's illegal to deep link to a video on another site if that site objects. The fact that linking is the core of the internet and the other site can easily put in place technical measures to stop it apparently isn't particularly important. Admittedly, part of the problem may be that the guy who did the linking also chose to defend himself rather than hire a lawyer, and apparently part of his legal strategy was to accuse the company suing him of "acting like Genghis Khan." You'd have to hope that a lawyer would be able to better defend the case and explain to the judge why this ruling doesn't make much sense -- but in the meantime, beware of linking directly to videos on other sites.

More...

http://news.com.com/2100-1030_3-6145744.html

Judge: Can't link to Webcast if copyright owner objects

By Declan McCullagh Story last modified Thu Dec 21 17:44:12 PST 2006

... What's unusual in the SFX case is that a copyright holder is trying to prohibit a direct link to its own Web site. (There is no evidence that SFX tried technical countermeasures, such as referer logging and blocking anyone coming from Davis' site.)

A 2000 dispute between Ticketmaster and Tickets.com suggested that such direct links should be permitted. A California federal judge ruled that "hyperlinking does not itself involve a violation of the Copyright Act" because "no copying is involved."

Like most users aware of this problem, I don't use Internet Explorer...

http://developers.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/12/21/1836240&from=rss

Clipboard Data Theft Now Optional With IE7

Posted by Zonk on Thursday December 21, @03:08PM from the options-are-good dept. Internet Explorer Microsoft Programming The Internet

An anonymous reader writes "It's been known for a long time that Internet Explorer will happily allow any Web site to steal data that users have recently cut-and-pasted or copied into the Windows 'clipboard' data storage area. Well, now it looks like Microsoft has finally decided that this 'feature' was probably ill-advised, according to The Washington Post's Security Fix blog. IE7 throws up a warning asking whether users really want to let a site filch their clipboard data (Firefox, Opera and most other non-IE browsers forbid this behavior by default)."

Could this indicate that DHS has hired a lawyer? Nah...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/21/AR2006122101621.html?nav=rss_technology

Report Says TSA Violated Privacy Law

Passengers Weren't Told That Brokers Provided Data to Screening Program in '04

By Ellen Nakashima and Del Quentin Wilber Washington Post Staff Writers Friday, December 22, 2006; A07

Secure Flight, the U.S. government's stalled program to screen domestic air passengers against terrorism watch lists, violated federal law during a crucial test phase, according to a report to be issued today by the Homeland Security Department's privacy office.

The agency found that by gathering passenger data from commercial brokers in 2004 without notifying the passengers, the program violated a 1974 Privacy Act requirement that the public be made aware of any changes in a federal program that affects the privacy of U.S. citizens. "As ultimately implemented, the commercial data test conducted in connection with the Secure Flight program testing did not match [the Transportation Security Administration's] public announcements," the report states.

The finding marks the first time that the Homeland Security Department has acknowledged that the problem-plagued Secure Flight program has violated the law.

... A 2004 probe found that the TSA improperly stored 100 million commercial data records containing personal information on passengers after the agency said no data storage would occur.

For my technology law friends...

http://www.bespacific.com/mt/archives/013351.html

December 21, 2006

The Best (and Worst!) of Legal Technology 2006 From FindLaw

"The world of Legal Technology has...had its share of ups and downs in 2006, with companies spying on their boards, the treasury department spying on money transfers, and the government spying on, well, everyone! With all the spying going on, data security was certainly on everyone's mind in 2006, and several key stories arose out of the inability of companies and government agencies to protect their customer and employee data. The new Federal Rules of Civil Procedure also added to the mix with new requirements for companies and other potential litigants to keep in mind as they generate gigabytes and gigabytes of information every day." [Link]

[My favorite:

IT Security Issues Discussed in Recent Federal Decision
Despite the Department of the Interior’s repeated failures to meet network security standards, a federal appeals court recently vacated an order requiring the agency to disconnect its computers from the internet and internal networks. The detailed and specific IT security aspects mentioned in the opinion are noteworthy in light of recent and widespread data security breaches at government and private organizations. The decision also provides guidance for any organization seeking to improve its network security.
(read more)

Potentially useful – if you are disposing of your old computers improperly...

http://www.bespacific.com/mt/archives/013349.html

December 21, 2006

Consumer Reports Launches Online Electronics Reuse and Recycling Center

Press release: "Consumer Reports' environmental website has
launched an online Electronics Reuse and Recycling Center. The Center features thoroughly researched, unbiased, expert advice to help de-clutter your home and solve the huge and growing problem of electronics waste. It also features the results of a March 2006 nationwide, online survey including information about why people replace their electronics and what they did with their old equipment."

• Related postings on e-waste

Perspective. Makes an interesting hypothetical (Also: Your tax dollars at play)

http://techdirt.com/articles/20061221/115606.shtml

Who'll Pay For C3PO's Social Security Benefits?

from the what-are-you-doing-dave dept

Despite the fact we can't create a robot that can navigate stairs without doing a face plant, there's apparently concern in some circles that robots may someday want the same rights afforded humans. A "speculative paper" released by the British government predicts that should robots eventually learn to reproduce, improve or think for themselves -- it's inevitable that they'll sue for equal rights. Once obtained, the robots would then drain government coffers, as "states will be obligated to provide full social benefits to them including income support, housing and possibly robo-healthcare to fix the machines over time," according to the report. Of course the very nature of a more efficient economy where robots comprise a significant portion of the labor force should hopefully mean an increase in the distribution of wealth, potentially offsetting the impact of having to pay the social security costs incurred by a legion of hard-working R2D2s. The paper admits we won't be worrying about any of this for at least another twenty years, assuming robots can first hurdle the monumental task of self-sustained bipedal movement sans fatality. Judging from existing robots, we've got a long way to go before sentient reproducing robots become societal burdens: the Japanese government this week honored its most innovative robot designs, which included a $3,454 robotic spoon, and a sensor wielding toy seal.

Looks like it could already be useful...

http://digg.com/tech_news/wikiHow_3

wikiHow

"wikiHow is a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest how-to manual. With your contributions, we can create a free resource that helps people by offering clear, concise solutions to the problems of everyday life. wikiHow currently contains 14,962 articles written, edited, and maintained primarily by volunteers" http://www.wikihow.com/Main-Page

Geek stuff? Security Managers: Does your policy cover this? Study this article carefully!

http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/network/2006/12/21/using-google-to-view-myspace-or-any-restricted-sites.html

Using Google to View MySpace or Any Restricted Site

by Wei-Meng Lee 12/21/2006

Editor's Note: A year ago, a reader with the handle of bigthistle posted one of our favorite hacks to hacks.oreilly.com, describing how to access restricted websites using the Google Translate feature. Acknowledging that our readers often have better ideas than we do, we recently asked Wei-Meng Lee to take a closer look at this technique, and he wrote up this awesome HOWTO based on the original submitted hack. For many more innovative ways to use Google, get your hands on a copy of our recently released Google Hacks, Third Edition.

I'm a sucker for these lists...

http://digg.com/tech_news/The_new_100_most_useful_sites_by_Guardian

The new 100 most useful sites by Guardian

Two years ago most Britons didn't have broadband and Web 2.0 was barely a twinkle in a developer's eye. Things have changed - as our cream of the crop for 2006 shows

http://technology.guardian.co.uk/weekly/story/0,,1975939,00.html

Another case of poor management – it took two months to figure out something that should be in the logs... Lots of fun questions thought: Was a crime committed? Why bring along the SWAT team? What was the basis for the search warrant?

http://digg.com/security/Swat_team_raids_High_School_student_s_house_for_changing_school_website

Swat team raids High School student's house for changing school website!

Some kid in high school has several armed police officers and the swat team attempt to break down the door to gain access to his house. All this because of a few harmless changes made to the home page of his High School website. Over $20,000 in electronics confiscated!

http://operationsuccess.blogspot.com/2006/12/why-swat-team-raided-my-house.html

Always amusing

http://www.pogowasright.org/article.php?story=2006122107272726

New State Laws Go Into Effect Jan. 1

Thursday, December 21 2006 @ 07:27 AM CST - Contributed by: PrivacyNews - State/Local Govt.

Residents in at least 32 states will wake up New Year's Day to a host of new state laws, according to a compilation of legislation from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).

... .Source - Government Technology

http://www.ncsl.org/programs/press/2006/pr061220.htm

PRIVACY

• As of January 1, 2007 it will be illegal in Arkansas to publicly post or display an individual’s social security number or to require an individual to transmit their social security number via the internet unless the information is encrypted. (Arkansas 85th General Assembly, SB 335)

• Employers in Maryland are no longer allowed to print an employee’s social security number on their paycheck or any part of the pay stub. (Maryland General Assembly, 2006 Regular Session, HB 388)

• Victims of identity theft in Hawaii, Kansas, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin will be able to place a security freeze on their credit reports. The security freeze will prevent credit reporting agencies from releasing information to unauthorized parties without the consumer’s authorization preventing perpetrators of the identity theft from obtaining additional credit. (Hawaii 23rd Legislature 2006, HB 1871; Kansas Legislature, 2006 Session, SB 196; New Hampshire General Court, 159th Session, SB 334; Oklahoma Legislature, 2006 Regular Session, SB 1748; General Assembly of Pennsylvania, Session of 2005, SB 180; Rhode Island General Assembly, 2006 Session, H 7148Aaa; Wisconsin State Legislature, 2005 – 2006 Session, AB 912)

Will this become a trend? We could add all felons to the registry for example... (What did you do to that phone to become a registered sex pervert?)

http://www.out-law.com/page-7598

Online criminals threatened with sex offenders' register

OUT-LAW News, 21/12/2006

Internet and email users can be added to the sex offenders' register for a whole slew of new offences after the Home Office drastically increased the number of relevant offences.

An unspecified range of offences related to internet and phone use has been added.