Apple's iMessage encryption trips up feds' surveillance | Politics and Law - CNET News

Apple's iMessage encryption trips up feds' surveillance | Politics and Law - CNET News:

"Encryption used in Apple's iMessage chat service has stymied attempts by federal drug enforcement agents to eavesdrop on suspects' conversations, an internal government document reveals. 

An internal Drug Enforcement Administration document seen by CNET discusses a February 2013 criminal investigation and warns that because of the use of encryption, "it is impossible to intercept iMessages between two Apple devices" even with a court order approved by a federal judge. ..."

Well, well, well...

Of course, having used iMessage for communication with other iPhone users, it is obvious that there are TWO plaintext copies of the messages -- one on the sending device and one on the receiving device. And if you have other devices that are tied to the same AppleID and phone number, then they will appear on those devices as well.

Seizing an iPhone that is not protected with a strong passphrase kind of defeats the advantage of the end-to-end encryption.


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Apple Enables Two-Step Verification to Thwart Account Hijacking

Apple Enables Two-Step Verification to Thwart Account Hijacking:

"Apple has turned to two-step verification to improve the security defenses against account hijacking for Apple iTunes and App Store.
The feature—which was announced March 21—works by sending a SMS message with a four-digit verification code in it sent from Apple that users have to enter from a "trusted device" in order to access their accounts."

Well, not quite two-factor, but getting closer.  The weakness in this is that if you are trying to make your iPhone "trusted", the SMS will go right back to that device.  For an iPad or other mobile device, This will provide another layer of verification, but if someone manages to have both their phone and other mobile device stolen, then you are back where you started.

One way to overcome this is to have a passcode on your devices. Hint -- you are NOT limited to a four digit pin.

True two-factor authentication consists of two or more of three independent elements:  Something a user knows, such as a password or a PIN; something a user possesses, such as a smartcard or ATM card; or something the user is, such as a fingerprint or other biometric data.

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Pubs 'are becoming second office' | Orange UK

Pubs 'are becoming second office' | Orange UK:

"Pubs are increasingly being used as a second office, with people using them as a work base as well as having a drink, according to a new report. ..."

And you don't even have to travel to the UK to establish your office in comfortable surroundings.

Many may bemoan the idea that you are "at work" at times other than normal work hours, but once there were pagers infringing on our time outside work.  Now there is readily available email and web browsing as long as you have a network connection.  And network connections are becoming ubiquitous at eating and drinking establishments.

I was at a VMWare users group meeting in St. Louis a few months ago and when the fairly large crowd was asked how many used at least one mobile device to access work files, nearly all the participants raised their hands.  And nearly half the room admitted to having 2 or more mobile devices (i.e. smart phone, iPad, laptop, etc.)

So, for many of us professional geeks, the lines between work, social life, and home are becoming blurred. This doesn't mean we are 24/7 workers, but a couple weeks ago when we had two major snowstorms in the course of a week, the university at which I work closed for two days.  This was unprecedented  but we were able to log into our servers, do maintenance, and ensure total availability of the research clusters.

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Harvard snoops through professors' email, teaches new lessons in privacy | Fox News

Harvard snoops through professors' email, teaches new lessons in privacy | Fox News:

"Even some of the smartest people can be really dumb about technology. To wit, the recent hubbub at Harvard University over the scandalous, surreptitious searching of academia's finest's e-mails. ..."

As a computer professional for nearly 25 years, I have consistently cautioned users that people like me can gain access to anything on servers we administer. I also tell them that I have better things to do than to snoop around.  People might want to read the Acceptable Use Policy that pertains to their work email.  You might be surprised at what permissions you have given to your IT department.  Even in the Ivory Tower of academic institutions there can be scant regard for rights most of us prefer to take for granted.

The bottom line is that there is NO expectation that what you write in a corporate email account is going to remain private forever. But it should take a court order, FOIA request, or some other sort of due process to extract that information, and not just an ad hoc fishing expedition as it seems to be in this article.


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Cisco Visual Networking Index: Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update, 2012–2017 [Visual Networking Index (VNI)] - Cisco Systems

Cisco Visual Networking Index: Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update, 2012–2017  [Visual Networking Index (VNI)] - Cisco Systems: 

"... By the end of 2013, the number of mobile-connected devices will exceed the number of people on earth, and by 2017 there will be nearly 1.4 mobile devices per capita. There will be over 10 billion mobile-connected devices in 2017, including machine-to-machine (M2M) modules-exceeding the world's population at that time (7.6 billion). ..."

This is pretty much in line with some statistics I heard at a recent VMware event in St.Louis.  When asked how many people in the auditorium had a mobile device with them, nearly all raised their hand. When asked how many had 2 or more devices with them, a clear majority raised their hand.

I would have to point out that the several hundred people in the auditorium did not represent a random sampling of the public, but with the ubiquity of smart phones it isn't to far a stretch to believe that 2013is the year when the number of mobile devices (laptops, smartphones. tablets, etc) will exceed the population on Earth.

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FBI: We need wiretap-ready Web sites - now | Security & Privacy - CNET News

FBI: We need wiretap-ready Web sites - now | Security & Privacy - CNET News

"The FBI is asking Internet companies not to oppose a controversial proposal that would require firms, including Microsoft, Facebook, Yahoo, and Google, to build in backdoors for government surveillance. ..."

This is troubling.  Will more intrusion into our privacy make us safer?  Will this backdoor be used for fishing expeditions, or will it be subject only to a court order?

How Target Figured Out A Teen Girl Was Pregnant Before Her Father Did - Forbes

How Target Figured Out A Teen Girl Was Pregnant Before Her Father Did - Forbes

"Every time you go shopping, you share intimate details about your consumption patterns with retailers. And many of those retailers are studying those details to figure out what you like, what you need, and which coupons are most likely to make you happy. Target, for example, has figured out how to data-mine its way into your womb, to figure out whether you have a baby on the way long before you need to start buying diapers. ..."

This is not new.  I have been aware of this potential for about 20 years -- when debit cards were starting to take off and scanning technology was being adopted by many of the "big box" stores.

There had been talk in various computer security groups regarding the scanning technology and the ability to tie items purchased to a particular debit card or credit card.  The piece that was lacking 20 years ago was the ability to mine the large amounts of data that potentially could be collected.  Apparently that is no longer an issue.

An analysis of a family's buying habits can now tell you the reproductive status of  members of the family, their overall health, what they like to eat, where they like to go for entertainment, and many more aspects of their lives.  One could even make an educated guess as to political stands by noting, for example, a change in buying habits that correlates to a particular party's call for a boycott or donations to various causes.

I never have been all that paranoid when it comes to privacy online.  My life tends to be a open book, and pretty boring at that.  But this effort by Target crosses a line.  Yes, I know that Google gmail can put up targeted ads based on keywords in email, and Facebook can use your profile to do pretty much the same thing.  But only I see those ads.  And I refuse as a matter of principle to click through on any of that advertizing.  In this case, a young girl's sexual behavior became known through data mining to Target, which then sent "appropriate" coupons to the the girl's address. And all this significantly before the girl's pregnancy would be been obvious.

Whatever one thinks about sexual activity among young teenagers, this situation just does not pass the "smell test".  Target needs to rethink their methods.

Celebrate Epoch Day 15000 | Epoch Day 15000

Celebrate Epoch Day 15000 | Epoch Day 15000:

"Its time once again to celebrate the turning of the Unix system time. Usually we just celebrate the turning of some aesthetically pleasing number of seconds (like 1234567890), but far less often are we privileged to celebrate the number of epoch days turning a significant number. Epoch days being the number of days since January 1st, 1970. This clock will turn 15000 days on January 26th, 2011 at midnight GMT or January 25th at 7pm EST. ..."

This is definitely a geeky thing to blog about, but it is interesting to me.

Unix Time or the Unix Epoch is defined by a 32 bit number that counts the number of seconds since midnight January 1, 1970 (GMT), incrementing by 60ths of a second.

On January 19, 2038, this system will fail due to a 32-bit overflow.

This blog entry posts at the dawn of the 15,000th day since the Unix Epoch began.

Cell Carriers Explore Ways to Limit Distracted Driving - NYTimes.com

Cell Carriers Explore Ways to Limit Distracted Driving - NYTimes.com:

"Cellular carriers, having spent years trying to blanket the nation with phone service, are now working on ways to stop people from getting calls and texts when they are behind the wheel.

The technology is aimed at curbing dangerous distractions by temporarily interrupting service, short-circuiting the temptation for people to respond to the chime of their phones. ..."

This "feature" comes at a price. The off switch is free. So is turning off the ringer.

This would have the effect of limiting all cell phone use in moving vehicles -- passengers as well as drivers. It would likely render hands-free systems moot.

I am not a particular fan of the "nanny state", but I am a fan of obeying traffic safety laws. If it against the law, then enforce it!

Wikipedia celebrates 10 years, but will it survive another decade? - CNN.com

Wikipedia celebrates 10 years, but will it survive another decade? - CNN.com:

"Wikipedia is just the latest in a long line of encyclopedias. In fact, encyclopedias have been around in some form or another for 2,000 years. The oldest, Naturalis Historia, written by Pliny the Elder, is still in existence.

How do I know this? I looked it up on Wikipedia, of course. Is it true? Possibly. ..."

I'd say Wikipedia is far more accurate than not, but I would be suspicious of any descriptions of social phenomena or public figures -- especially if politics is involved.

FoxNews.com - Magnetic North Pole Shifts, Forces Runway Closures at Florida Airport

FoxNews.com - Magnetic North Pole Shifts, Forces Runway Closures at Florida Airport:

"The planet's northern magnetic pole is drifting slowly but steadily towards Russia -- and it's throwing off planes in Florida. ..."

This is something that has been known for some time -- that the magnetic poles migrate, and even totally reverse polarity. It generally is seen as somewhat akin to watching glaciers move. I have topographical maps of the same region separated by 30 or more years, and the magnetic declination has changed significantly, but it rarely causes an impact except Boy Scouts who have to adjust their compasses in order to chart an accurate route.

What I am curious about is why, in the age of GPS satellites, is air travel still needing to use magnetic north for navigation?

Twitter / @CivilWarwp/Tweeting the Civil War

Twitter / @CivilWarwp/Tweeting the Civil War:

The Washington Post is tweeting the Civil War, using the words of contemporary observers. It looks like you can get tweets by following the discussion or simply navigate to the linked page to read these short messages.

Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug dies at 95 - CNN.com

Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug dies at 95 - CNN.com:

"(CNN) -- Nobel laureate Norman E. Borlaug, an agricultural scientist who helped develop disease-resistant wheat used to fight famine in poor countries, died Saturday. He was 95.

Borlaug died from cancer complications in Dallas, Texas, a spokeswoman for Texas A&M University said."

The world has lost a giant in the field of agriculture and humanitarianism. Norman Borlaug spent his life not only doing research in increasing crop production, but spending his time living in the areas which stood most to gain by higher yields in crop production.

A little over two years ago I posted an article on the occasion of his being awarded a Congressional Gold Medal for his work. I repeat a quote from that posting:

Norman Borlaug has not been without his critics, especially for his emphasis on fertilizer and large-scale mechanized agriculture. His answer is a real zinger: "some of the environmental lobbyists of the Western nations are the salt of the earth, but many of them are elitists. They've never experienced the physical sensation of hunger. They do their lobbying from comfortable office suites in Washington or Brussels. If they lived just one month amid the misery of the developing world, as I have for fifty years, they'd be crying out for tractors and fertilizer and irrigation canals and be outraged that fashionable elitists back home were trying to deny them these things."

Much of Borlaugs work can be summarized in what has become known as the "Borlaug Hypothesis" -- By increasing the efficiency of crop production, the need for deforestation for agricultural purposes is reduced. His work had and will continue to have far-reaching effects.

Home phones go off the hook, cell-only use on the rise - Columbia Missourian

Home phones go off the hook, cell-only use on the rise - Columbia Missourian:

"WASHINGTON — In a high-tech shift accelerated by the recession, the number of U.S. households opting for only cell phones has for the first time surpassed those that just have traditional landlines.

Twenty percent of households had only cells during the last half of 2008, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey released Wednesday. That was an increase of nearly 3 percentage points over the first half of the year, the largest six-month increase since the government started gathering such data in 2003.

The 20 percent of homes with only cell phones compared to 17 percent with landlines but no cells. ..."

Hmmm. Why is the CDC collecting these data? Is modern technology a disease? Maybe I'd better withdraw the question....

We got our first cell phone in the Fall of 1992 while Susan was approaching full-term with our son. I was doing a fair amount of evening trips, so it seemed a good idea to have a means of communication. At least that was my excuse. A few years later parental health problems prompted us to add a line, and before long it became obvious that what started as a convenient luxury had now become such an ingrained part of our lives that we couldn't imagine live without cell phones.

Every so often we wonder what it would be like if we just ditched the wired line and went solely with the cell service. And we have thus far resisted that impulse. If a massive emergency situation arises, I have more confidence in the land lines than I do in the cellular network.

USB prosthetic finger gives new meaning to thumbdrives | Crave - CNET

USB prosthetic finger gives new meaning to thumbdrives | Crave - CNET:

"This is a story about Jerry Jalava, a Finnish software developer who lost part of his finger in a motorcycle accident last July. According to his friend, Henri Bergius, when the surgeon assigned to work on Jalava's prosthetic finger discovered his hacking history, he made a clever suggestion: incorporate a USB key into the new digit. ..."

This is just a little creepy. And I am a professional geek.

I can just see it:

Hey -- can I get a copy of your PowerPoint?

Sure, you got a thumbdrive?

Yep, right here....

[various and sundry expletives deleted here]

Uh -- where can I get one of those?

Researchers find safer way to make stem cells | Science | Reuters

Researchers find safer way to make stem cells | Science | Reuters:

"LONDON (Reuters) - Researchers said on Sunday they had found a safer way to transform ordinary skin cells into powerful stem cells in a move that could eventually remove the need to use human embryos.

It is the first time that scientists have turned skin cells into induced pluripotent stem cells or iPS cells -- which look and act like embryonic stem cells -- without having to use viruses in the process. ..."

This is a significant advance over previous news of adult stem cell research. Embryo farming just does not seem to be a good solution on more than one level. If pluripotent stem cells can be induced from an adult with health issues, then you not only avoid some of the ethical issues, but you might also avoid the issues with tissue matching that plague transplantation.

Universal cellphone charger will ring the changes, say makers - CNN.com

Universal cellphone charger will ring the changes, say makers - CNN.com:

"BARCELONA, Spain (CNN) -- Cell phone makers Tuesday pledged to end one of modern life's chief frustrations --- and introduce a universal charger for handsets by 2012."

This is something that has been a pet peeve of mine, and I'm glad to see the industry take steps to mitigate it.

Year that could be turning point on disease - Times Online

Year that could be turning point on disease - Times Online:

"A tissue reprogramming technique that promises an almost limitless source of stem cells without the need to destroy embryos has been named as the breakthrough of the year by the prestigious journal Science.

The method for turning back the clock on adult tissue, so it acquires the versatile properties of embryonic stem cells, heads a list of ten achievements that also includes the direct observation of planets orbiting distant stars, and cheaper and faster technologies for mapping the genetic code.

The stem-cell advance, made by separate teams in Japan and the United States, has excited scientists because it could lead to tissue therapies for diseases such as Parkinson’s and diabetes grown from a patient’s own skin. ..."

With all the recent buzz that the new administration will roll back stem cell restrictions, it seems that new discoveries will reduce or even eliminate the need to resort to harvesting embryos for stem cells. No less a respected scientific journal than Science has named this the breakthrough of the year, and the advantages lie not only in eliminating one of the significant bioethical barriers to using stem cells, but also the fact that by using a patient's own cells, the problem of tissue rejection is greatly reduced.

Shift Happens

As in "paradigm shift"...

Here is a YouTube presentation that puts a lot of things related to the information explosion into perspective:

Microsoft patents 'Page Up' and 'Page Down' - ZDNet.co.uk

Microsoft patents 'Page Up' and 'Page Down' - ZDNet.co.uk:

"Microsoft has been granted a patent on 'Page Up' and 'Page Down' keystrokes.

The software giant applied for the patent in 2005, and was granted it on 19 August. US patent number 7,415,666 describes 'a method and system in a document viewer for scrolling a substantially exact increment in a document, such as one page, regardless of whether the zoom is such that some, all or one page is currently being viewed'. ..."

This can be placed in the "you've gotta be kidding" file. ZDNET thoughtfully provided a link in their article to the actual patent (see above).