The war between The RIAA and MPAA and Torrent networks have reached a new level. A new client has been created designed to corrupt and slow torrents down to a stand still.

The goal of ZipTorrent is to slow down popular downloads as much as possible. They use hundreds of these clients at the same time and this can potentially bring the average download speed down to zero. Even more so, it is not unlikely that it will record your IP-address in the process so they can send you a copyright infringement notice on top of it.

I have to hand it a little to the RIAA and MPAA for FINALLY leveling technology against technology, instead of cowardly bullying and suing poor children.

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The first known Blackberry trojan hoarse has surfaced.

The latest version of legal spying software FlexiSpy enables remote third parties to bug the voice calls, log SMS and mobile email messages and track the location of a BlackBerry user.

Now don’t get all concerned just yet. The BlackBerrys built-in firewall thwarts the trojan from doing any harm by blocking internet access to any application without a users consent. Yes, the program could be installed and registered with the firewall service if somebody leaves their Blackberry unattended, but a simple password on your handheld can prevent almost all harm.

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People sometimes don’t understand when they send a private email to an individual, it really isn’t private. Email by design is passed through servers, world wide, in clear text which is easy to intercept. Securing these messages isn’t simple. For any email security most users have to install stupid bulky encryption software that takes over your computer and is too confusing and complicated for an average person to understand. GMailEncrypt hopes to lower the learning curve of email encryption, while adding a layer of protection to your correspondence.

GMailEncrypt is created as a Greasemonkey script that runs in FireFox that levels encryption technology on a novice level. All you have to do is install the script, which is a click of the button assuming you have Greasemonkey installed and then generate security keys. After the keys are generated, it is important that you share your public key (NOT YOUR PRIVATE KEY) with anyone your are emailing so they can understand what you sent.

Although this is not the strongest encryption you can find it has many benefits, such as that the script only decrypts the message on your workstation on demand and never on the server. Also the script is kinda snappy. Using AES/RSA encryption, it takes about 1 second per thousand characters you type.

Some small drawbacks are that key generation can be confusing (The need to be two random, prime numbers) and encrypting your email server level kinda defeats Google’s kick ass (and Big Brother-esque) indexing.

All in all this is a great first step to entice people to encrypt their communications, and then step up to more robust and complex solutions.

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On Facebook, profiles that are set to private aren’t really as private as you would think. A security researcher yesterday discovered in FaceBooks API you can easily reveal anybodies full names, pictures, religion and sexual orientation, all without them knowing. The problem has since been fixed, but it raises very interesting concerns about information people reveal online.

Why do people feel compelled when they are behind a screen to admit their deepest darkest secrets and think that this information, which sits on a publicly accessible network, will remain private?

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Seems that Google isn’t going to make it easy for you to remove images from their ‘Street View’ product.

If you send a request to remove an image Google will send you this automated “Dear John” letter that seems to ask you for everything but a DNA sample.

To request removal of your image from Street View, you must demonstrate that you are the person shown in the panorama you would like removed. We will not take action if you are reporting on behalf of someone else (such as a friend, relative or stranger), except that you may report on behalf of your minor child. To show that you are the person in the image you would like removed, you must provide us with the information specified below. To expedite our ability to process your request, please use the following format on your verification form:

‘ 1. Provide your legal name.

‘ 2. Provide your e-mail address.

‘ 3. Provide the street view address of the Street View image you would like removed.

‘ 4. Include the sworn statement: ‘I declare, under penalty of
perjury, that the information in this notification is accurate.’

‘ 5. Attach a clear, readable copy of a valid photo ID (e.g. driver’s license, national ID card, etc). If you are requesting removal of an image of a location, attach a copy of a document demonstrating your association with that location ( e.g. business card or letterhead).

‘ 6. Please e-mail your completed verification form, along with the necessary attachment, to maps-legal@google.com within 5 days. If you are unable to upload a copy of your photo ID electronically in an e-mail, you may also fax us a copy of your form and photo ID to (650) 887-0389.

We will temporarily remove the Street View image pending receipt of your ID verification. If we have not received a copy of your photo ID within 5 days, then we will restore the panorama back to Street View. Please note that we will investigate your complaint and take action as needed. We will not contact you unless we need more information to review your request. If you see that the panorama was not removed from Street View, it is likely that it did not meet our conditions for permanent removal.

Regards,

The Google Team

Google…. Doing less evil everyday!

TorrentSpy, one of the world’s largest torrent sites, has been ordered by a federal judge, Jacqueline Chooljian, to monitor its users, without consent, in order to create detailed logs of their activities which must then be handed over to the MPAA.

But before you start deleting your caches the decision was arrived at last month but under seal and the MPAA has stated that they will start to track the actions of TorrentSpy’s visitors.

Although no data has seemingly changed hands TorrentSpy has decided that it would turn off access to the U.S. before tracking its users.

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File this under the never feeling safe in other peoples houses file. This seemingly normal clock is actually equipped with a super stealthy hidden camera. It is full color, 380-line, 510×492 video streams over the 2.4ghz spectrum (for easy interception). Kinda creeps me out that spy cameras are hidden in EVERYTHING, I’m sure it is only a matter of time until everybody’s goodies are on the internet.

Sadly available for only $63.88

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Google is now $3.1 billion lighter thanks to its cash purchase of the controversial ad service – DoubleClick. This will esentally gives Google a virtual LOCK on the online advertising world.

The acquisition, which is expected to close sometime later this year, also will give media agencies and advertisers the ability to manage integrated search and display ad campaigns through one centralized console, Schmidt said. “The whole system will run faster,” he said. “Users will benefit from more targeted ads.”

Anyone remember when DoubleClick tried to develop profiles of users online and offline activities? Or how about several Federal lawsuits that were recently settled regarding that DoubleClick tied personally identifiable information web surfing habits illegally?

Do you think Google will clean up the company’s questionable ethics, by “doing no evil” or this will give Google a better way to track what every user on the internet is doing?

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Whaaaaaa?! A woman in California woman has filed suite agains Best Buy’s Geek Squad for a technician setting up a camera phone in her bathroom before she bathed.

“You could see him on the video setting it up,” Vasquez said. “I was shocked.”

Now, I don’t know what is stranger a geek using their technology to get off, or a woman bathing when her computer is getting serviced?

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Did you know that most ads you see only leave tracking cookies on your machine? These cookies capture your click patterns and browsing habits to create detailed profiles about your preferences that are used to target ads to you better. But it doesn’t stop there, certain advertising companies also sell this marketing data to other vendors that show your IP’s clicking and browsing history. Creepy!

Just by visiting the opt out pages of Network Advertising and Nielson Net Ratings you have the ability to say “No Thanks” to almost every major ad tracking service. Sure you can run your browser with no cookies, but that is not the most pleasurable web experience is it?