29 de agosto de 2012
28 de agosto de 2012
Sesame seed-sized antenna increases WIFI speed by 200 times
Sesame seed-sized antenna increases WIFI speed by 200 times:
Researchers from A*STAR's Institute of Microelectronics (IME) have developed the first compact high performance silicon-based cavity-backed slot (CBS) antenna that operates at 135 GHz. The antenna demonstrated a 30 times stronger signal transmission over on-chip antennas at 135 GHz. At just 1.6mm x 1.2mm, approximately the size of a sesame seed, it is the smallest silicon-based CBS antenna reported to date for ready integration with active circuits.
27 de agosto de 2012
25 de agosto de 2012
24 de agosto de 2012
Windows 8 tells Microsoft about everything you install
Windows 8 tells Microsoft about everything you install:
Known computer security researcher Nadim Kobeissi has posted up some interesting information on the behavior of Windows 8 whenever you install an application. According to some quick researching he did, the Windows SmartScreen feature reports every application a user installs to Microsoft, and does so in a way that could be intercepted by malicious hackers.
Kim Dotcom: If I Was President of the United States….
Kim Dotcom: If I Was President of the United States….:
For five days in a row Kim Dotcom’s tweets directed at Barack Obama were the most retweeted mentions of the U.S. President, a sign that Dotcom’s vendetta against the forces that shuttered Megaupload is clearly being noticed.
And the Megaupload founder is not planning to go silent anytime soon. He’s busy using his online influence to stir up the hornet’s nest.
Talking to TorrentFreak, Dotcom says that the number of people siding with him is growing.
“Every day more people speak out and disagree with the U.S. government’s actions against Megaupload. Millions of users still don’t have access to their files. Internet users in the U.S. and around the world are outraged,” Dotcom says.
As a result of the Megaupload shutdown 220 people lost their jobs and millions more lost access to their personal files. Dotcom believes that the U.S. is stifling innovation on the Internet and is urging President Obama to reverse his actions before it’s too late. He’s demanding the Change once promised by Obama.
That got us thinking – what would Kim Dotcom do if he was the President of the United States? What would he change aside from bringing back Megaupload?
Luckily Dotcom was happy to oblige. He made a list of 15 things he would do differently if he was President of the United States of America, changes that go beyond Internet issues.
1. Stop all wars the United States are involved in (offline and online).
2. Make peace and negotiate diplomatic settlements with all enemies.
3. Stop interfering with other nations unless help was asked for.
4. Stop supporting Israel’s aggression against Palestine and its other neighbors.
5. Cut military spending to the minimum required for a “defense” force.
6. Use military savings and other cuts to level the budget.
7. Stop sending trash to Mars and instead cure diseases on earth.
8. Focus on alternative fuel and energy strategies.
9. Keep the Internet open, free from censorship and stop spying on citizens.
10. Make lobbying and political donations illegal and fund political campaigns with taxes.
11. Tax citizens with the highest income the most and with the smallest income the least.
12. Increase the number of class rooms / teachers and pay teachers with the best results most.
13. Reform the justice and prisons system and reduce the number of prisoners.
14. Protect the environment and stop unnecessary pollution.
15. Fix all other problems.
While it’s “unlikely” that Dotcom will ever become President of the United States, there’s a more than a decent chance of him beating the U.S. Government in court. When that happens and as part of the process, Dotcom hopes to bring down the people who were responsible for Megaupload’s destruction.
Dotcom says he has evidence that Vice President Joe Biden was the one who ordered the shutdown of Megaupload. According to Dotcom the takedown is the result of a corrupt system in which Hollywood paid for Megaupload’s demise through political donations.
“The MPAA paid for this takedown with Hollywood’s re-election donations. Former Senator and now MPAA CEO Chris Dodd called in the favors he earned during his political career. The Megaupload story is one of corruption and abuse of power. Hollywood could not have written a better political thriller,” he says.
“Over the last few months many legal experts called the shutdown of Megaupload unlawful and unconstitutional. But the U.S. government is celebrating Megaupload’s takedown by handing out awards for example to the Hong Kong Department of Justice. Yet nobody has been found guilty of any crime, and nobody ever will, because Megaupload was perfectly legal,” Dotcom adds.
Like President Obama, Kim Dotcom is eager to go forward. In the coming months he will debut the music service Megabox and if all goes well Megaupload might just make a comeback too.
Source: Kim Dotcom: If I Was President of the United States….
For five days in a row Kim Dotcom’s tweets directed at Barack Obama were the most retweeted mentions of the U.S. President, a sign that Dotcom’s vendetta against the forces that shuttered Megaupload is clearly being noticed.And the Megaupload founder is not planning to go silent anytime soon. He’s busy using his online influence to stir up the hornet’s nest.
Talking to TorrentFreak, Dotcom says that the number of people siding with him is growing.
“Every day more people speak out and disagree with the U.S. government’s actions against Megaupload. Millions of users still don’t have access to their files. Internet users in the U.S. and around the world are outraged,” Dotcom says.
Dotcom’s latest Obama tweet
As a result of the Megaupload shutdown 220 people lost their jobs and millions more lost access to their personal files. Dotcom believes that the U.S. is stifling innovation on the Internet and is urging President Obama to reverse his actions before it’s too late. He’s demanding the Change once promised by Obama.
That got us thinking – what would Kim Dotcom do if he was the President of the United States? What would he change aside from bringing back Megaupload?
Luckily Dotcom was happy to oblige. He made a list of 15 things he would do differently if he was President of the United States of America, changes that go beyond Internet issues.
1. Stop all wars the United States are involved in (offline and online).
2. Make peace and negotiate diplomatic settlements with all enemies.
3. Stop interfering with other nations unless help was asked for.
4. Stop supporting Israel’s aggression against Palestine and its other neighbors.
5. Cut military spending to the minimum required for a “defense” force.
6. Use military savings and other cuts to level the budget.
7. Stop sending trash to Mars and instead cure diseases on earth.
8. Focus on alternative fuel and energy strategies.
9. Keep the Internet open, free from censorship and stop spying on citizens.
10. Make lobbying and political donations illegal and fund political campaigns with taxes.
11. Tax citizens with the highest income the most and with the smallest income the least.
12. Increase the number of class rooms / teachers and pay teachers with the best results most.
13. Reform the justice and prisons system and reduce the number of prisoners.
14. Protect the environment and stop unnecessary pollution.
15. Fix all other problems.
While it’s “unlikely” that Dotcom will ever become President of the United States, there’s a more than a decent chance of him beating the U.S. Government in court. When that happens and as part of the process, Dotcom hopes to bring down the people who were responsible for Megaupload’s destruction.
Dotcom says he has evidence that Vice President Joe Biden was the one who ordered the shutdown of Megaupload. According to Dotcom the takedown is the result of a corrupt system in which Hollywood paid for Megaupload’s demise through political donations.
“The MPAA paid for this takedown with Hollywood’s re-election donations. Former Senator and now MPAA CEO Chris Dodd called in the favors he earned during his political career. The Megaupload story is one of corruption and abuse of power. Hollywood could not have written a better political thriller,” he says.
“Over the last few months many legal experts called the shutdown of Megaupload unlawful and unconstitutional. But the U.S. government is celebrating Megaupload’s takedown by handing out awards for example to the Hong Kong Department of Justice. Yet nobody has been found guilty of any crime, and nobody ever will, because Megaupload was perfectly legal,” Dotcom adds.
Like President Obama, Kim Dotcom is eager to go forward. In the coming months he will debut the music service Megabox and if all goes well Megaupload might just make a comeback too.
Source: Kim Dotcom: If I Was President of the United States….
22 de agosto de 2012
21 de agosto de 2012
How am I sure I'm the real mom of my kid?
How am I sure I'm the real mom of my kid?:
Submitted by: xcooch
Posted at: 2012-08-20 16:46:30
See full post and comment: http://9gag.com/gag/5116857
Submitted by: xcooch
Posted at: 2012-08-20 16:46:30
See full post and comment: http://9gag.com/gag/5116857
Surveillance device uses Wi-Fi to see through walls
Surveillance device uses Wi-Fi to see through walls:
Researchers in England have created a prototype surveillance device that can be used to spy on people inside buildings and behind walls by tracking the frequency changes as Wi-Fi signals generated by wireless routers and access points bounce off people as they move around.
Tags:
20 de agosto de 2012
19 de agosto de 2012
18 de agosto de 2012
Ryan: The First Decade - NYTimes.com
Ryan: The First Decade - NYTimes.com
Continuing with my Ryan series, let’s look at what his budget (pdf) actually proposes (as opposed to vaguely promises) in its first decade.
17 de agosto de 2012
16 de agosto de 2012
Korean carbon-coated lithium-ion battery could cut recharge times down to minutes
Korean carbon-coated lithium-ion battery could cut recharge times down to minutes:
South Korean boffins say they have found a way to cut battery charging times for electric cars from hours down to just minutes.
The discovery changes the way materials used in regular batteries are treated, according to a Yonhap report.
The discovery changes the way materials used in regular batteries are treated, according to a Yonhap report.
Tags:
15 de agosto de 2012
14 de agosto de 2012
13 de agosto de 2012
12 de agosto de 2012
11 de agosto de 2012
10 de agosto de 2012
FBI Monitored Dotcom Raid Via Live Video Link, Secret Govt Group Involved
FBI Monitored Dotcom Raid Via Live Video Link, Secret Govt Group Involved:
This week Kim Dotcom, police and other officials have been giving evidence in the Auckland High Court as part of a hearing to determine what happened during the January raid on his New Zealand mansion.
By now the backdrop to the story is well-known, particularly after a video recorded during the raid was published online this week.
It largely confirmed what has been reported thus far – armed anti-terrorist officers, helicopters and significant force were all used in the pursuit of individuals alleged to have been involved in copyright infringement in the United States.
It is known that U.S. authorities had “boots on the ground” in New Zealand in pursuit of Dotcom and his associates and today that assertion was further underlined.
Under questioning from defense lawyer Guyon Foley, Detective Inspector Grant Wormald of the NZ Organized and Financial Crime Agency had to reveal how senior police officers and the FBI had received their information as the raid panned out.
“What information was coming back to your headquarters group in relation to what was happening as to progress of the raid?” Mr Foley asked.
“We received phone calls from the scene in respect to the fact that at least three of the defendants apart from Mr Dotcom have been located,” Mr Wormald said, initially stumbling over his words.
“Radio contact with officers on the ground?” Foley questioned.
Wormald said that due to the raid being carried out by the Special Tactics Group they did not have direct radio contact since STG, New Zealand’s anti-terror force, use only encrypted communications.
“Any video feed from anywhere?” Foley pushed. After another pause, Wormald said that there had indeed been live video.
“We had a video feeding back to the police station,” Wormald said.
“Really?” Foley added with a surprised tone. “From where?”
“I’m not going to discuss that,” Wormald responded.
What happened next was hidden from the media but the intrigue didn’t stop there. Detective Inspector Wormald also admitted that a secret government organization had been involved in the raid on the Dotcom mansion.
Paul Davison, QC, acting on behalf of the defense, asked Wormald if the group of people at the pre-raid meeting belonged to the Security Intelligence Service. He denied that, but refused to say exactly who they were.
“They work for the government,” he said.
On Twitter, Kim Dotcom said people should expect some big news in the coming weeks.
“The truth is coming out!” he said. “And we are just getting started.”
Watch the 3News video from the hearing here.
Source: FBI Monitored Dotcom Raid Via Live Video Link, Secret Govt Group Involved
This week Kim Dotcom, police and other officials have been giving evidence in the Auckland High Court as part of a hearing to determine what happened during the January raid on his New Zealand mansion.By now the backdrop to the story is well-known, particularly after a video recorded during the raid was published online this week.
It largely confirmed what has been reported thus far – armed anti-terrorist officers, helicopters and significant force were all used in the pursuit of individuals alleged to have been involved in copyright infringement in the United States.
It is known that U.S. authorities had “boots on the ground” in New Zealand in pursuit of Dotcom and his associates and today that assertion was further underlined.
Under questioning from defense lawyer Guyon Foley, Detective Inspector Grant Wormald of the NZ Organized and Financial Crime Agency had to reveal how senior police officers and the FBI had received their information as the raid panned out.
“What information was coming back to your headquarters group in relation to what was happening as to progress of the raid?” Mr Foley asked.
“We received phone calls from the scene in respect to the fact that at least three of the defendants apart from Mr Dotcom have been located,” Mr Wormald said, initially stumbling over his words.
“Radio contact with officers on the ground?” Foley questioned.
Wormald said that due to the raid being carried out by the Special Tactics Group they did not have direct radio contact since STG, New Zealand’s anti-terror force, use only encrypted communications.
“Any video feed from anywhere?” Foley pushed. After another pause, Wormald said that there had indeed been live video.
“We had a video feeding back to the police station,” Wormald said.
“Really?” Foley added with a surprised tone. “From where?”
“I’m not going to discuss that,” Wormald responded.
What happened next was hidden from the media but the intrigue didn’t stop there. Detective Inspector Wormald also admitted that a secret government organization had been involved in the raid on the Dotcom mansion.
Paul Davison, QC, acting on behalf of the defense, asked Wormald if the group of people at the pre-raid meeting belonged to the Security Intelligence Service. He denied that, but refused to say exactly who they were.
“They work for the government,” he said.
On Twitter, Kim Dotcom said people should expect some big news in the coming weeks.
“The truth is coming out!” he said. “And we are just getting started.”
Watch the 3News video from the hearing here.
Source: FBI Monitored Dotcom Raid Via Live Video Link, Secret Govt Group Involved
9 de agosto de 2012
Photo suggests Apple out to 'screw' hardware hackers
Photo suggests Apple out to 'screw' hardware hackers:
Apple is designing its own, entirely proprietary screw-head in a bid to prevent punters and repair shops getting inside its future iDevices.
At least, it is if - and it's a very big 'if' - you take a piccy posted on the interweb at face value.
At least, it is if - and it's a very big 'if' - you take a piccy posted on the interweb at face value.
New Data Exposes BitTorrent Throttling ISPs
New Data Exposes BitTorrent Throttling ISPs:
Hundreds of ISPs all over the world limit and restrict BitTorrent traffic on their networks. Unfortunately, most companies are not very open about their network management solutions.
Thanks to data collected by Measurement Lab (M-Lab) the public can learn if and how frequently their Internet provider limits torrent traffic. Among other tools, M-Lab runs the Glasnost application developed by the Max Planck Institute.
Previously the researchers published data up until 2010, and now the results have been updated to include the first quarter of 2012. This allows us to give an overview of trends and changes that have emerged in recent years.
As a result of this ruling, the throttling percentage took a dive from nearly 50 percent to only 3 percent in 2010. In the first quarter of 2012, Comcast’s throttling level was still at 3 percent, which puts the provider among the best behaving ISPs.
Throttling was also greatly reduced at Charter over the last year, from 11 percent down to 4 percent. Cox is exposed as the most heavy throttler among the major ISPs, but with 6 percent this is still rather acceptable.
Worst: Cox (6%)
Best: Comcast, Verizon, AT&T and others (3%)
At O2 and BSkyB BitTorrent users are better off with throttling percentages of 2 and 4 percent respectively. For O2 this is a significant decline compared to their 13 percent last year.
Virgin Media sits somewhere in the middle after it interfered with 22 percent of all BitTorrent transfers in the first quarter of 2012. This is down from 33 percent during the same period last year.
Worst: BT (65%)
Best: O2 (2%)
During the first quarter of 2012 the provider interfered with 80 percent of all BitTorrent transfers, showing that there has been no improvement. Bell is a good second with 77 percent, up from 56 percent last year.
BitTorrent users in Canada are best off at Cogeco and Telus with 3 and 0 percent respectively.
Worst: Rogers (80%)
Best: Telus (0%)
iiNet is the worst offender interfering with 11 percent of BitTorrent downloads during the first months of 2012, down from 32 percent last year. Dodo hasn’t been caught throttling at all in 2012, a healthy improvement compared to the 14 percent score last year.
The rest of the Aussie ISPs are also throttling considerably less than in 2011.
Worst: iiNet (11%)
Best: Dodo (0%)
In Germany, Kabel Deutschland limited more than one-third (37%) of all BitTorrent transfers, a major improvement on the 69 percent from a year ago.
For Brazilian BitTorrent users Net Servicos appears to be the worst option with a throttling percentage of 13, and in Japan Infoweb Fujitsu and J:COM should be avoided with 60 and 83 percent respectively.
If we haven’t mentioned your Internet Provider here, a full overview of all the data is available here. If you want to know whether your BitTorrent traffic is being limited you can test your connection with the Glasnost tool.
For those BitTorrent users who have a choice, the overview may help to make the right decision when signing up with an Internet provider.
Source: New Data Exposes BitTorrent Throttling ISPs
Hundreds of ISPs all over the world limit and restrict BitTorrent traffic on their networks. Unfortunately, most companies are not very open about their network management solutions. Thanks to data collected by Measurement Lab (M-Lab) the public can learn if and how frequently their Internet provider limits torrent traffic. Among other tools, M-Lab runs the Glasnost application developed by the Max Planck Institute.
Previously the researchers published data up until 2010, and now the results have been updated to include the first quarter of 2012. This allows us to give an overview of trends and changes that have emerged in recent years.
United States
BitTorrent throttling in the US is not as prevalent as it used to be. The main reason for this is the Comcast BitTorrent blocking controversy which started in 2007. The FCC eventually ruled that Comcast had to stop its targeted interference of customers’ BitTorrent traffic.As a result of this ruling, the throttling percentage took a dive from nearly 50 percent to only 3 percent in 2010. In the first quarter of 2012, Comcast’s throttling level was still at 3 percent, which puts the provider among the best behaving ISPs.
Throttling was also greatly reduced at Charter over the last year, from 11 percent down to 4 percent. Cox is exposed as the most heavy throttler among the major ISPs, but with 6 percent this is still rather acceptable.
Worst: Cox (6%)
Best: Comcast, Verizon, AT&T and others (3%)
UK
In the UK BitTorrent throttling in on the rise, at least among some providers. BT is the worst offender by limiting 65 percent of all BitTorrent transfers during the first months of 2012. This is up from 57 percent last year and almost twice as much as the 35 percent in 2010.At O2 and BSkyB BitTorrent users are better off with throttling percentages of 2 and 4 percent respectively. For O2 this is a significant decline compared to their 13 percent last year.
Virgin Media sits somewhere in the middle after it interfered with 22 percent of all BitTorrent transfers in the first quarter of 2012. This is down from 33 percent during the same period last year.
Worst: BT (65%)
Best: O2 (2%)
Canada
Canada is not the most friendly country for BitTorrent users. Nearly all of the major Internet providers are heavy throttlers and Rogers tops them all. For more than half a decade Rogers has continuously throttled more than three-quarters of all BitTorrent traffic.During the first quarter of 2012 the provider interfered with 80 percent of all BitTorrent transfers, showing that there has been no improvement. Bell is a good second with 77 percent, up from 56 percent last year.
BitTorrent users in Canada are best off at Cogeco and Telus with 3 and 0 percent respectively.
Worst: Rogers (80%)
Best: Telus (0%)
Australia
BitTorrent is extremely popular in Australia, but according to the Measurement Lab data ISPs are throttling less than last year.iiNet is the worst offender interfering with 11 percent of BitTorrent downloads during the first months of 2012, down from 32 percent last year. Dodo hasn’t been caught throttling at all in 2012, a healthy improvement compared to the 14 percent score last year.
The rest of the Aussie ISPs are also throttling considerably less than in 2011.
Worst: iiNet (11%)
Best: Dodo (0%)
The Rest
A quick look at some other countries shows that in Sweden none of the large ISPs have been throttling BitTorrent traffic heavily so far in 2012. The same is true for other European countries such as France, Italy, Spain, Poland and the Netherlands.In Germany, Kabel Deutschland limited more than one-third (37%) of all BitTorrent transfers, a major improvement on the 69 percent from a year ago.
For Brazilian BitTorrent users Net Servicos appears to be the worst option with a throttling percentage of 13, and in Japan Infoweb Fujitsu and J:COM should be avoided with 60 and 83 percent respectively.
If we haven’t mentioned your Internet Provider here, a full overview of all the data is available here. If you want to know whether your BitTorrent traffic is being limited you can test your connection with the Glasnost tool.
For those BitTorrent users who have a choice, the overview may help to make the right decision when signing up with an Internet provider.
Source: New Data Exposes BitTorrent Throttling ISPs
8 de agosto de 2012
Are Demonoid Users at Risk?
Are Demonoid Users at Risk?:
Earlier this week the news broke that after the popular BitTorrent tracker Demonoid suffered a DDoS and hacker attack, it had also been raided by the Ukrainian authorities.
Roughly a week ago government investigators arrived at Demonoid’s hosting provider ColoCall to pull the site offline. According to Sergei Burlakov of Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs the authorities acted on a request from Interpol.
“The Division of Economic Crimes [DEC] received an international request from Interpol to send a request to the company ColoCall. DEC sent the request to the provider, after which the ISP decided to stop working with Demonoid,” he said.
The request related to a criminal investigation in Mexico, where one person was arrested for his connection to the BitTorrent tracker last fall.
Judging by the strain on the TorrentFreak mailbox the raids have caused some of Demonoid’s users considerable panic, probably due to them having shared copyrighted material via the site. Now that the Ukrainian police have access to Demonoid’s data, they are naturally wondering to what extent they are exposed.
TorrentFreak posed this question to the sole tech admin of the site, but since the raids we haven’t had a response. This means that we can’t report whether some, all, or none of the user data was encrypted. What we do know is that Demonoid was prone to collecting erroneous stats, often counting uploads and downloads against users who never carried them out.
However, looking at similar raids in the past it seems highly unlikely that the authorities will go after large groups of individual users. Even if they do plan to target members (there is no indication at the moment) the most likely scenario is that they would single out a few of the top uploaders, or those who were the first to upload prominent movies, particularly if they did so in bulk.
The only thing we know for certain at this point is that there’s an investigation against Demonoid in Mexico. A source inside ColoCall (Demonoid’s former host) confirmed the Mexican connection when speaking to reporter Maria Popova of Ukrainian news site Kommersant.ua on August 6. Then working back, the MPAA reported the arrest of the site’s admin to the USTR October 26, 2011 (see page 4 of this report), and the IFPI congratulated the Mexican Attorney General’s office on the raid in this official government document from October 6, 2011.
While we always strive to publish sincere and detailed articles on cases like these, it appears that one alleged and presumably now ex-moderator of Demonoid felt the need to tell Vice our reporting is “as reliable as Fox News” and that “anything from TorrentFreak should be taken with a kilo of salt.”
This attack appears to be based on one single mention where we quoted the ColoCall source who said that the site’s administration was based in Mexico. While we never gave any credence to the quote, in light of the previous documented arrest in Mexico, the MPAA’s statement to the USTR and IFPI’s congratulations to the Mexican government, we thought it was worth mentioning.
Of course this is not the first time that Demonoid “staff” have lashed out against TorrentFreak. In 2007 we were called out as liars by Demonoid’s IRC and forum moderators when we reported that the CRIA was behind’s Demonoid’s downtime. A week later Demonoid confirmed our report.
But back to the key point in hand – if we hear anything at all about the fate of user data on Demonoid, who has access to it and/or to what level it was encrypted, we’ll be sure to report back.
Source: Are Demonoid Users at Risk?
Earlier this week the news broke that after the popular BitTorrent tracker Demonoid suffered a DDoS and hacker attack, it had also been raided by the Ukrainian authorities.Roughly a week ago government investigators arrived at Demonoid’s hosting provider ColoCall to pull the site offline. According to Sergei Burlakov of Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs the authorities acted on a request from Interpol.
“The Division of Economic Crimes [DEC] received an international request from Interpol to send a request to the company ColoCall. DEC sent the request to the provider, after which the ISP decided to stop working with Demonoid,” he said.
The request related to a criminal investigation in Mexico, where one person was arrested for his connection to the BitTorrent tracker last fall.
Judging by the strain on the TorrentFreak mailbox the raids have caused some of Demonoid’s users considerable panic, probably due to them having shared copyrighted material via the site. Now that the Ukrainian police have access to Demonoid’s data, they are naturally wondering to what extent they are exposed.
TorrentFreak posed this question to the sole tech admin of the site, but since the raids we haven’t had a response. This means that we can’t report whether some, all, or none of the user data was encrypted. What we do know is that Demonoid was prone to collecting erroneous stats, often counting uploads and downloads against users who never carried them out.
However, looking at similar raids in the past it seems highly unlikely that the authorities will go after large groups of individual users. Even if they do plan to target members (there is no indication at the moment) the most likely scenario is that they would single out a few of the top uploaders, or those who were the first to upload prominent movies, particularly if they did so in bulk.
The only thing we know for certain at this point is that there’s an investigation against Demonoid in Mexico. A source inside ColoCall (Demonoid’s former host) confirmed the Mexican connection when speaking to reporter Maria Popova of Ukrainian news site Kommersant.ua on August 6. Then working back, the MPAA reported the arrest of the site’s admin to the USTR October 26, 2011 (see page 4 of this report), and the IFPI congratulated the Mexican Attorney General’s office on the raid in this official government document from October 6, 2011.
While we always strive to publish sincere and detailed articles on cases like these, it appears that one alleged and presumably now ex-moderator of Demonoid felt the need to tell Vice our reporting is “as reliable as Fox News” and that “anything from TorrentFreak should be taken with a kilo of salt.”
This attack appears to be based on one single mention where we quoted the ColoCall source who said that the site’s administration was based in Mexico. While we never gave any credence to the quote, in light of the previous documented arrest in Mexico, the MPAA’s statement to the USTR and IFPI’s congratulations to the Mexican government, we thought it was worth mentioning.
Of course this is not the first time that Demonoid “staff” have lashed out against TorrentFreak. In 2007 we were called out as liars by Demonoid’s IRC and forum moderators when we reported that the CRIA was behind’s Demonoid’s downtime. A week later Demonoid confirmed our report.
But back to the key point in hand – if we hear anything at all about the fate of user data on Demonoid, who has access to it and/or to what level it was encrypted, we’ll be sure to report back.
Source: Are Demonoid Users at Risk?
7 de agosto de 2012
White House reportedly considers cyber executive order
White House reportedly considers cyber executive order:
After Senate Republicans last week blocked the passage of a cyber security bill, the White House is considering reviving the legislation through an executive order, according to a report this weekend.
President Obama may issue an executive order that could require critical infrastructure operators to meet certain standards around network protection, as specified by the federal agencies that regulate these industries, according to a Saturday report in The Hill.
President Obama may issue an executive order that could require critical infrastructure operators to meet certain standards around network protection, as specified by the federal agencies that regulate these industries, according to a Saturday report in The Hill.
Tags:
6 de agosto de 2012
Demonoid Busted As A Gift To The United States Government
Demonoid Busted As A Gift To The United States Government:
Last week thousands of Demonoid users feared the worst when their beloved site disappeared from the Internet. Many thought that the site had been busted, but were eventually relieved to hear that it was ‘only’ a massive DDoS attack.
But today the roller-coaster ride plummeted to new depths, with confirmation coming out of Ukraine that the DDoS was just the beginning – the site has been busted by the authorities.
ColoCall is the largest datacenter in Ukraine and a place that has been Demonoid’s home in recent years. But in the middle of last week, in the wake of the DDoS attack, government investigators arrived at ColoCall to shut Demonoid down.
“Investigators have copied all the information from the servers Demonoid and sealed them,” an anonymous ColoCall source confirmed. “Some equipment was not seized, but now it does not work, and we were forced to terminate the agreement with the site.”
As reported on TorrentFreak following our discussions with Demonoid’s admin last week, there were suspicions that the site may have been subjected to some kind of exploit or hack in addition to the DDoS. That version of events is now confirmed by the ColoCall source.
“Shortly after [the DDoS] a hacker break-in occurred, and a few days later came the investigators,” the source added.
But aside from the busting of the site, which is the biggest BitTorrent-related raid in recent memory and one that has taken out the world’s largest torrent site/tracker combo, there is a rather large international sting in the tail.
Despite general opinion that Demonoid did not contravene Ukranian law, especially since it blocked all Ukranian IP addresses to avoid upsetting the locals, the site still attracted the attention of the authorities there. That, according to a source in the country’s government, is all down to the United States getting involved.
A source inside the Interior Ministry has informed Kommersant that the raid on Demonoid was timed to coincide with the very first trip of Deputy Prime Minister Valery Khoroshkovsky‘s trip to the United States. On the agenda: copyright infringement.
Ukraine had promised the United States that it would improve its attitude and efforts towards enforcing copyright and no doubt its Western partner will be very pleased indeed that Demonoid’s head has been presented on a platter.
But while Demonoid’s servers are in custody, the site’s admin does not appear to be. The ColoCall source would not say who is behind the site, only that its management is located in Mexico. The devil may yet be back….
TorrentFreak contacted the Demonoid admin for a comment but we have yet to hear back
Source: Demonoid Busted As A Gift To The United States Government
Last week thousands of Demonoid users feared the worst when their beloved site disappeared from the Internet. Many thought that the site had been busted, but were eventually relieved to hear that it was ‘only’ a massive DDoS attack.But today the roller-coaster ride plummeted to new depths, with confirmation coming out of Ukraine that the DDoS was just the beginning – the site has been busted by the authorities.
ColoCall is the largest datacenter in Ukraine and a place that has been Demonoid’s home in recent years. But in the middle of last week, in the wake of the DDoS attack, government investigators arrived at ColoCall to shut Demonoid down.
“Investigators have copied all the information from the servers Demonoid and sealed them,” an anonymous ColoCall source confirmed. “Some equipment was not seized, but now it does not work, and we were forced to terminate the agreement with the site.”
As reported on TorrentFreak following our discussions with Demonoid’s admin last week, there were suspicions that the site may have been subjected to some kind of exploit or hack in addition to the DDoS. That version of events is now confirmed by the ColoCall source.
“Shortly after [the DDoS] a hacker break-in occurred, and a few days later came the investigators,” the source added.
But aside from the busting of the site, which is the biggest BitTorrent-related raid in recent memory and one that has taken out the world’s largest torrent site/tracker combo, there is a rather large international sting in the tail.
Despite general opinion that Demonoid did not contravene Ukranian law, especially since it blocked all Ukranian IP addresses to avoid upsetting the locals, the site still attracted the attention of the authorities there. That, according to a source in the country’s government, is all down to the United States getting involved.
A source inside the Interior Ministry has informed Kommersant that the raid on Demonoid was timed to coincide with the very first trip of Deputy Prime Minister Valery Khoroshkovsky‘s trip to the United States. On the agenda: copyright infringement.
Ukraine had promised the United States that it would improve its attitude and efforts towards enforcing copyright and no doubt its Western partner will be very pleased indeed that Demonoid’s head has been presented on a platter.
But while Demonoid’s servers are in custody, the site’s admin does not appear to be. The ColoCall source would not say who is behind the site, only that its management is located in Mexico. The devil may yet be back….
TorrentFreak contacted the Demonoid admin for a comment but we have yet to hear back
Source: Demonoid Busted As A Gift To The United States Government
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This Isn't The Draghi You're Looking For
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/02/this-isnt-the-draghi-youre-looking-for/
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