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Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 07 Issue 43
Volume 7, Issue 43 Atari Online News, Etc. October 21, 2005
Published and Copyright (c) 1999 - 2005
All Rights Reserved
Atari Online News, Etc.
A-ONE Online Magazine
Dana P. Jacobson, Publisher/Managing Editor
Joseph Mirando, Managing Editor
Rob Mahlert, Associate Editor
Atari Online News, Etc. Staff
Dana P. Jacobson -- Editor
Joe Mirando -- "People Are Talking"
Michael Burkley -- "Unabashed Atariophile"
Albert Dayes -- "CC: Classic Chips"
Rob Mahlert -- Web site
Thomas J. Andrews -- "Keeper of the Flame"
With Contributions by:
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=~=~=~=
A-ONE #0743 10/21/05
~ Gates Spurs Students! ~ People Are Talking! ~ File-Sharer Busted!!
~ Feds to Banks: Secure! ~ U.S. To Maintain Net? ~ Gaming Groups Sue!
~ FBI Shuts Down Spammer ~ Museum Gets Donation! ~ Spyware Suit Settled
~ Color Print Code Crack ~ Jail For Nigeria Spam! ~ PSP Is Holiday Ready
-* Atari Game Sells for $2,000! *-
-* Vista To Include Antispyware Support *-
-* Court Stops 'Legal' File Sharing Site! *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Wow, what a couple of weeks! Mother Nature is really hitting us with a
vengeance. Whatever happened to nice sunny and cool autumn days, watching
the leaves changing colors? It's been cold, windy, and plenty of rain.
Rivers are overflowing causing massive flooding in the Northeast. And to
make matters worse, more hurricanes are knocking at the proverbial door.
Just what we need to see is more rain. The poor people to the south of me,
with a few dams ready to burst. Never doubt the fury of Mother Nature!
Well, we finally have our spring projects completed. It's amazing how
difficult it is to get local contractors to come and do projects that aren't
"big jobs". Remember our squirrel guests from a couple of years ago? Well,
this past spring, we contacted a siding company to repair the damage, as
well as some other things. They came out to the house, scoped out the job,
gave us an estimate, and that was the last we heard from them. We would
call about once or twice a month to find out when we could expect the work
to get done. Always the "we'll call you right back" routine. Normally,
we'd lose our patience and find someone else, but the problem was that this
was the only company around that even bothered to return our original calls.
Everyone else didn't want to bother with us because the job was too small!
No wonder more and more people are learning how to do their own home repairs
these days - you can't get a professional to come out! Well anyway, our
siding guy called us mid-week and stated "we'll be there tomorrow" to do the
job! Normally, I'd want someone home to make sure everything was going
right, but we didn't dare postpone the job for fear it would be next spring
by the time they came back. So, they're finally here. At least the
squirrels and birds no longer have the means to get under our eaves!
Meanwhile, we're hoping that we don't get totally washed out this weekend.
There are leaves to clean up and the lawn hasn't been mowed in three weeks.
And, I need to get the snowblower ready for the inevitable New England
winter! Fun!
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
compiled by Joe Mirando
joe@atarinews.org
Hidi ho friends and neighbors. Well, we're looking at the latest
hurricane, and it's a big, strong, fast mama right now. And it's only
now that the idea that hurricane seasons run in cycles is being shown
some light. Every so often, it seems, Mother Earth decides to kick up a
little hell, and we just happen to be present to see it this time.
So, again, we are faced with a question: Is this current hurricane
season simply the high point of the global cycle, or is our
'contribution' to the atmosphere in the form of CFCs, unburnt
hydrocarbons, smog and various greenhouse gasses having some affect?
Worse, could both be true and we're simply increasing the activity of
an already active period?
It continually amazes me that, no matter which side of an argument we
find ourselves on, we tend to see only one side and exclude any
possibility that doesn't fit our mindset.
Even if it is true that global warming is a minimal factor in the
changes we see going on around us, wouldn't it make sense to, if not
eliminate, at least minimize our contribution? Mark Twain once quipped,
"Everyone complains about the weather, but no on ever does anything
about it".
Well, today we stand able to have at least a small impact in one
direction or the other. Unfortunately, by the time Mother Nature lets
us know exactly what our part is in this little show of hers, we'll
have much less time to do the much larger task that will be required.
Babbling, you say? Yeah, I am. But it's been a tough week so far, and
watching the scenes of the destruction wrought by these storms makes me
wonder... ARE we simply bystanders observing what's going on? Are we
active participants that don't yet have a clear idea of what
consequences our actions will bring?
What bothers me more is that there may be another possibility, just
around the corner, that we haven't even imagined yet. As the Vorlons
say, truth is a three-edged sword.
Well, that's enough of that. Let's get on with the news, hints, tips and
info from the UseNet.
From the comp.sys.atari.st NewsGroup
====================================
Edward Baiz asks about formatting a MiNT partition:
"Is there a program that will format a MintNet partition so it will
correctly accept MintNet files that I can run from a Magic,Mint,Tos,
etc desktop? I backed up my MintNet partition and do not want to go
through the whole installation of Mint using EasyMint."
Jim DeClercq tells Edward:
"Well, maybe. The EasyMiNT distribution includes a MKFS.TTP program,
which will write a ext2 file system. If that is what you want, there is
a way, it will not be recognized by TOS, and I know nothing about
Magic.
One can run MiNT without starting MiNTnet, and have a TOS desktop and
access to a ext2 partition. Is that what you had in mind?"
Edward replies:
"Yes, the MKFS.TTP program looks like is what I want.
Yes, I do that [the MiNT/EXT2 thing] now and it does come in handy."
Derryck Croker posts this about JagFest:
"Members of the Cheshunt Computer Club will be manning a table at the
above occasion (Rochester, Kent), so do please say hello if you're
there!"
Coda tells Derryck:
"I will be there too, with an EtherNat equipped CT60.
Anyone know if we're going to get some internet access this year? (I
know - Fat Chance."
Ronald asks Coda:
"How did you get an EtherNAT already? I'm jealous!"
Coda replies:
"It's a prototype, and I'm a developer."
Ronald tells Coda:
"Well, I guess that certainly has some advantages, eh? <big grin>
I've got mine ordered and paid for...just waiting... :-)
PS So do you think the Supervidel will be next? That's something else
that me and a lot of other people are excited about!"
Ronald Hall now asks about background color of icons for THING:
"Guys, is there a way to set the background color of the text under
icons in Thing to the same color as the window background that its in?
That white box is sorta on the ugly side..."
Phantom jumps in and adds to the question:
"What about the current version of NeoDesk. Can the white banner be
changed to the background color?
Also, has anyone had any luck using another Font other than the system
Font with Current version of NeoDesk? I use Current version of Geneva
with it BTW.
If so, any details on what font and from what system SpeedOGDOS or
NVDI?"
Greg Goodwin tells Phantom:
"I'm pretty sure that NeoDesk can use any font, but I don't think the
background color can be changed.
Note however, that most fonts don't display well when in the tiny
fontsize that an icon requires."
Mike Freeman asks Ronald:
"Have you tried Jinnee? I know it's a bit expensive compared to other
alternatives, but it is able to change the color of the text background
under the icons, like you want to do. It's probably the most
feature-packed desktop I've seen on our platform, too.
Someone else suggested making this a request for the Teradesk authors,
if you don't mind the much trimmed-down features. That might be a way
to go as well, since it's the most actively developed desktop around.
Personally, I've tried Teradesk, and after getting used to Thing and
Jinnee, it drives me crazy not having all those features. I don't think
I could ever switch to it unless they decide to make a non-slimmed-down
version of that desktop, which would go against the author's intent. Of
course, memory limitations and functioning extremely close to the
built-in GEM desktop isn't an issue for me (not too fond of the basic
GEM desktop anyway), and I like having as many options available to me
as possible. So for you, this might not be a problem."
Odd Skancke replies to the original question:
" No, I'm afraid that is not possible. This is the one thing I dislike
about Thing too..."
Ronald replies:
"Hi Odd! Thanks for replying. Well, is that one rumor about the author
re-starting development work on Thing true? Perhaps Thomas can be
offered a suggestion about being able to change that background around
the icon text?"
Odd tells Ronald:
"I think that Thomas is still active and have plans to continue work on
Thing, but I also know that he is very busy elsewhere. So I have no idea
when we will see a new Thing version. Thomas, if you read, can you say
something about Thing development status?"
Alison jumps in and adds:
"Not sure if this helps (admittedly I know not a lot about Thing).
Have just Googled and some text says here;
Dedicated icon manager.
This is now available as a separate English release from:
Download icon utility now!
http://atari.transaction.free.fr/interactive/software/thng120.htm
If you can't change the colour under the icons then can you not copy,
edit, and replace the icons? Thus achieving what you would like by
coming in from a different angle."
Frank Szymanski posts his thoughts on the icon color conundrum:
"Well, how about TeraDesk? Although it has the same behaviour it is as
far as I know the only desktop that is still in active development.
And by the way, due to the fact that it is the only desktop that can
handle very long filenames correctly I recently switched to it. In the
beginning I missed some features but in the meantime I start getting
used to it."
Well folks, that's it for this time around. We've come to the end of the
messages, and it's getting late. See ya next week, same time same
station. 'Till then, keep your ears open so you'll hear what they're
saying when...
PEOPLE ARE TALKING
=~=~=~=
->In This Week's Gaming Section - Trapt To Ship Soon!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" X-Men Legends II!
Video Game Suit!
And much more!
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Trapt For Playstation 2 Shipping In Late October
Taking on the role of femme fetale, Queen Allura, gamers will be challenged
to think in their most evil in wicked ways in order to kill their enemies
using a combination of gruesome and deadly traps as their weapons of
destruction.
Set in old Europe, the player takes on the role of the seductive Queen
Allura, who after being framed for her father's murder, is forced to flee
the castle to take refuge from those that are out to kill her. Allura,
along with her maid Rachel, escape to the Black Forest, where an evil spell
from the devil transforms Allura into a trap master, an evil temptress that
uses deadly traps to avenge her enemies. Returning to the castle with the
devil as her guide and on a mission of vengence, Allura uses her wicked
strategy and skill to set up gruesome medieval traps to lure her enemies in
and then destroy them.
Boasting equal parts action and strategy, TRAPT for the PlayStation2 is a
unique trap-action game where players will have to think in the most evil
and manipulative ways to create the ultimate combination of traps in order
to distinguish their enemies. From pre-set traps in the rooms such as
blazing fireplaces and falling chandeliers to gruesome and gory traps
created by the player like the guillotine and rolling boulder, the player
must fully utilize each trap in order to first evade and then annihilate
the enemy.
Boasting both a Story Mode and Survival Mode, TRAPT, is a new kind of
action game that promises hours of addictive gameplay as players use their
wits and skills to create the best combo of traps in order to vanquish the
enemy
Features:
* Unique Trap System: The game is equal parts action and strategy that will
have gamers thinking in the most evil and manipulative ways to create the
ultimate combination of traps in order to distinguish their enemies.
* The Sexy Main Heroine: Play as the sexy and beguiling Queen Alllura who
looks so sweet, but is wickedly calculating and cursed by the devil.
* Full-View Map: Set up your traps via a full-view map of the castle
* A Variety of Modes and Bonus Content: Play in Story Mode or Survival
Mode, plus enjoy an even deeper story when you play in the Bonus Story
Mode!
X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse Ships for the PSP
The epic battle to save humankind rages on the PSP (PlayStation Portable)
system with the release of X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse, inspired
by Marvel's legendary Super Heroes. Building on the deep customization and
rich storyline of the console games, X-Men Legend II: Rise of Apocalypse
for the PSP features four additional playable characters, new environments,
9 exclusive missions and groundbreaking multiplayer modes that allow up to
four players to compete both online and offline utilizing the system's
wireless technology. The game is currently available at retail stores
nationwide for a suggested retail price of $49.99 and has been rated "T"
(Teen with mild language and violence) by the ESRB.
In X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse, players create, customize and
control teams of four mutants from 20 all-time favorite X-Men and classic
Brotherhood villains from the Marvel Universe. With the X-Men and
Brotherhood fighting side-by-side for the first time, players switch
instantly between teammates wielding amazing super powers and skills as
they overcome obstacles, solve puzzles and defeat more than 100 types of
enemies including Lady Deathstrike and the notorious Four Horsemen of
Apocalypse. In addition to a deep single player experience, the game also
features six multiplayer skirmish modes that offer head-to-head action as
well as online and offline wireless cooperative modes that offer fierce
battles against enemies.
X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse is also available for the
PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, Xbox video game system from
Microsoft and Nintendo GameCube for a suggested retail price of $49.99 and
for Windows PC for a suggested retail price of $39.99. All versions carry a
"T" (Teen with mild language and violence) rating from the ESRB. The game
was developed by Raven Software for the console versions, Vicarious Visions
for the PSP system and Beenox Studios for the PC.
Dragon Ball Z Budokai: Tenkaichi Ships For Playstation 2
Anime action meets intense 3D fighting as Atari announced that Dragon
Ball Z Budokai: Tenkaichi has shipped to retail outlets nationwide.
Available for the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system, Dragon
Ball Z Budokai: Tenkaichi gives players the "super-hero" experience of huge
battles and high-speed flight with its fully interactive recreation of the
Dragon Ball Z universe where fighting is possible in the air, on the ground
or even underwater.
"Having sold more than eight million units combined since May 2002, the
Dragon Ball Z brand has proven popular in the interactive entertainment
sector," said Matt Collins, Director of Global Brand Management, Atari.
"With such an enthusiastic fan base, it is important for Atari to
continually offer Dragon Ball Z games that authentically recreate the
series, and we are confident that Dragon Ball Z Budokai: Tenkaichi will be
the best DBZ game ever."
The game has already met critical success. In its review of the game,
IGN.com said, "Bandai and Atari have consistently shown that they're
dedicated to making their annual line of Dragon Ball Z games better than
the titles that have come before them. Year after year, the team has
carefully listened to fans and critics alike and addressed concerns and
complaints to make a much more playable product. This year continues that
trend with Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi, the fourth straight fighter to
follow Goku and friends in their search for the mythical Dragon Balls."
Developed by Spike, Dragon Ball Z Budokai: Tenkaichi is the only 3D Dragon
Ball Z game to combine fighting and flying in wide open, destructible
environments. With the ability to battle in the air or underwater, players
have the unprecedented power and freedom to experience the intensity of
Dragon Ball Z in an all new way. Offering more than 50 playable characters,
multiple gameplay modes and a combination of melee and energy attacks, DBZ
Budokai: Tenkaichi promises to be one of most exhilarating Dragon Ball Z
games yet.
Rated 'T' for Teen, Dragon Ball Z Budokai: Tenkaichi for the PlayStation 2
is available for a suggested retail price of $49.99.
* One of the hottest brands in the video game industry with more than eight
million units sold since May 2002;
* 512 episodes of Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT have aired,
collectively;
* More than $3 billion in worldwide merchandising;
* More than 15 million Dragon Ball Z home videos sold;
* More than 8.5 million hits per day on http://www.dragonballz.com;
For additional information on Dragon Ball Z please visit
http://www.atari.com/dragonballz.
Groups Sue California Over Minors Video Game Ban
Two industry trade groups sued the state of California on Monday after the
state passed a law barring the sale of violent video games to minors.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former screen "Terminator" who
is himself portrayed in several video games based on his Hollywood roles,
vowed to fight the suit, which was filed in federal court in San Jose.
"I will do everything in my power to preserve this new law and I urge the
attorney general to mount a vigorous defense of California's ability to
prevent the sale of these games to children," Schwarzenegger said in a
statement.
"California's new law will ensure parental involvement in determining which
video games are appropriate for their children. I believe strongly that we
must give parents the tools to help them protect their children."
The trade group Entertainment Software Association announced its intentions
to fight in court immediately after Schwarzenegger signed the ban 10 days
ago. Video Software Dealers Association joined in the suit.
"It is not up to any industry or the government to set standards for what
kids can see or do; that is the role of parents," Douglas Lowenstein, the
group's president said.
"Everyone involved with this misguided law has known from the start that
it is an unconstitutional infringement on the First Amendment freedoms of
those who create and sell video games."
Federal courts have ruled against violent video game legislation in
Washington state, the city of Indianapolis and St. Louis County in
Missouri, saying the moves violated constitutional free speech guarantees.
The California ban came in the wake of lively debate after game publisher
Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. pulled its best-selling game "Grand
Theft Auto: San Andreas" from retailers this summer because of hidden sex
scenes.
The state's measure bars the sale and rental to minors of games that show
serious injury deemed especially heinous, atrocious or cruel. Violators are
subject to a $1,000 fine.
Sony Expects to Sell 2.5 - 3 Million PSPs This Holiday Season
Sony Corp. plans to sell between 2.5 million and 3 million PlayStation
Portable handheld video game devices in its first North American holiday
season, the head of Sony Computer Entertainment America said.
"We're going to try to double the installed base between now and the end of
the year," Kaz Hirai, Sony Computer Entertainment America president and
chief executive, told Reuters in a telephone interview.
Hirai said the company had sold about 2.3 million PSPs in North America as
of the end of September.
About the size of a paperback, the PSP can be used as a photo viewer and
also plays movies and digital music. It debuted in late March in the United
States.
The company also said it would begin offering a PSP Giga Pack for $299. The
PSP bundle will hit stores in time for the holidays and include various
accessories such as a 1-gigabyte memory stick, which can store about 30
hours of music. Sony will continue to sell its $249 PSP Value Pack with a
32-megabyte memory stick which holds the equivalent of one to two albums of
music.
The PSP along with other handheld game players, such as Nintendo Co. Ltd's
Game Boy Advance SP and DS, have driven game sales and helped offset the
impact of a slump in console game sales amid a transition to
next-generation consoles from Sony, Microsoft Corp. and Nintendo.
U.S. video game hardware and software sales were $10 billion in 2004.
Hirai also said Sony is expecting to sell 2.5 million to "a tad below 3
million" units of its industry-leading PlayStation 2 console in North
America between now and the end of 2005. That machine will compete with
Microsoft's new Xbox 360, which is slated for a November 22 North American
release.
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE Gaming Online - Online Users Growl & Purr!
"""""""""""""""""""
Atari Game Sells for $2,000 on eBay
An Atari game cartridge called Pepsi Invaders has sold for $1,825 on eBay.
According to Atari Age, Coca Cola commissioned this game to be given to its
Atlanta employees. The gameplay is the same as the classic game, Space
Invaders, but with the letters 'P E P S I' in the place of the alien
invaders. The auction's owner bought the game with a bunch of others in a
flea market ten years ago, only now realising its value.
The value of rare games and consoles is hard to judge, especially since the
majority of retro games are easily emulated on modern day PCs and consoles.
It's hard to say what makes people pay so much for games that were created
relatively recently, in comparison with antiques and other collectibles.
Its certainly not the ability to be able to play the game itself. No self
respecting collector would actually play a game more than two decades old,
for fear of breaking part of their collection.
If a gamer has some sense of nostalgia about a game, it's not hard to go
and find an emulator that will play the game. So does games culture really
need game collectors? Wouldn't this $2,000 have made a much more positive
impact if it was donated to a special cause or charity? With the internet
making games and their emulators easily accessible, it's hard to understand
why we crave material packaging for what is essentially non-physical
software.
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
FBI Raid Shuts Down Suspected Spammer
A man described as one of the nation's leading senders of spam says an FBI
raid on his home office has halted his e-mail operation.
Warrants unsealed last week show that a September raid on Alan M. Ralsky's
home in a Detroit suburb included the seizure of financial records,
computers and disks.
"We're out of business at this point in time," Ralsky said. "They didn't
shut us down. They took all our equipment, which had the effect of shutting
us down."
Terry Berg, the top deputy in the Detroit U.S. attorney's office, declined
to comment.
Ralsky, 60, has said that he has 150 million or more e-mail addresses, and
he has been a target of anti-spam efforts for years.
Verizon Communications Inc. sued him in 2001, saying he shut down its
networks with millions of e-mail solicitations. He settled, promising not
to send spam on its networks.
A federal law that took effect last year bans use of misleading subject
lines and the sending of commercial e-mail messages that appear to be from
friends. It also bans use of multiple e-mail addresses or domain names to
hide senders' identities.
Court Stops 'Legal' File Sharing Site
A federal court has temporarily banned a Los Angeles-based Web site from
claiming that its service lets users legally share copyrighted files, the
government said Wednesday.
The Federal Trade Commission said that Cashier Myricks Jr., doing business
as MP3downloadcity.com, has been barred from suggesting that his $24.95
tutorial and referral service enables users to legally download copyrighted
music files, video games and "movies still in theaters." According to the
FTC, it doesn't.
A temporary restraining order was issued on Sept. 27 by the U.S. District
Court for the Central District of California. The FTC is seeking to make
the ban permanent, negotiate refunds for consumers who feel they were
misled, and require that the defendant notify people who use the service
about legal consequences of sharing copyrighted material.
The FTC charged that the Web service advertised on Web sites, sponsored
Google links and in e-mails with misleading claims like, "Best of all
people are not getting sued for using our software. Yes! It is 100 percent
legal" and "Download and Watch DVDs and Movies Still in Theaters."
The commission said that thousands of consumers have bought the service,
which is actually a tutorial with referrals to free file-sharing software
programs, like those from Kazaa and Grokster Ltd.
Myricks' site itself on Wednesday claimed "Napster's Number One Replacement
Software is Back!" and "Now You Can Burn, Download MP3s, and Make CD's
Free."
At the bottom of the site, a link through the word "Legal" led to a page
that said, "File sharing is not illegal so long as you abide by all
relevant copyright laws. Sharing copyrighted material without the
permission to do so is illegal." The page further advises users to stay
legal by removing copyrighted material from their shared folders.
Some artists allow their music to be copied freely, but for the vast
majority of recorded music, special permission is necessary - for example,
participation in a licensed program like the new Napster, which is not
free.
Myricks did not immediately respond to e-mail requests for comment through
the support link on his Web site. Several other e-mails were sent to
accounts that appeared to be affiliated with Myricks, and a once-listed
telephone number in Carson, Calif., was not in service.
His lawyer also did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
Email Spammers Face Jail Under New Nigerian Law
Nigeria, home to some of the world's most notorious cyber crimes, has
proposed a law making spamming a criminal offence for which senders of
unsolicited emails could be jailed for at least three years.
The draft law identifies the use of computers for fraud, spamming, identity
theft, child pornography and terrorism as criminal offences punishable by
jail terms of between six months and five years, and fines of 10,000 naira
to 1 million naira.
Under the bill, which has to be approved by the National Assembly to become
law, convicted spammers face jail terms of three to five years and could
also be made to hand the proceeds of crime to the government.
"Any person spamming electronic messages to recipients with whom he has no
previous relationship commits an offence," said a section of the draft law
obtained by Reuters on Wednesday.
Under the proposed law, service providers who aid and abet cyber crimes and
fail to cooperate with law enforcement agents could be fined between
500,000 and 10 million naira.
The draft law empowers law enforcement agents to enter and search any
premises or computer and arrest any person in connection with an offence.
The advance fee email scam, known as "419" after the relevant section of
the Nigerian Criminal Code, is a computer age version of a con game dating
back hundreds of years and is sometimes called "The Spanish Prisoner."
Typically spammers send millions of unsolicited emails around the world
promising recipients a share in a fortune in return for an advance fee.
Those who pay wait in vain for the promised windfall.
President Olusegun Obasanjo has been keen to clean Nigeria's image as a
country of spammers and one of the world's most corrupt nations since he
was elected in 1999, ending 15 years of military rule in Africa's to oil
producer.
He set up the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in 2003 to crack
down on email fraudsters who had elevated scamming to one of the country's
main foreign exchange earners after oil, natural gas and cocoa, according
to campaigners.
The anti-fraud agency is investigating hundreds of suspects and prosecuting
over 50 cases involving about 100 suspects.
The agency got its first major conviction in July when a court sentenced a
woman whose late husband masterminded the swindling of $242 million from
Brazilian Banco Noroeste S.A. between 1995 and 1998, one of the world's
biggest email scams.
The agency signed a deal with Microsoft last week to help fight spamming,
phishing, spyware, viruses and counterfeiting.
Man Who Ran Web File-Share Hub Sentenced
A man who ran an Internet file-sharing hub where computer users could swap
movie, music and software files was sentenced Thursday to three years
probation and ordered to use the computer only for personal use.
Jed Frederick Kobles, 34, pleaded guilty in August to a single felony count
of conspiracy to commit grand theft. He is the first person in California
to be convicted on state charges for illegal file sharing, prosecutors
said.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge David Horowitz knocked down Kobles'
crime from a felony to a misdemeanor and suspended a 180-day jail sentence.
Kobles also will appear in an anti-piracy ad for the film industry to be
shown in theaters, Deputy District Attorney Jeffrey McGrath said.
"I think he has learned a very good lesson out of this," McGrath said.
"When you engage in the illegal trade of these materials, it's not
victimless - it's not free."
Under the terms of his sentencing, Kobles, who lives in Las Vegas, won't
have to report to a probation officer, but if he breaks the law during the
next three years, he can be ordered to serve his suspended jail sentence.
Kobles did not speak during the hearing and declined to comment outside the
courtroom.
His attorney Paul Kossitch also declined to comment.
At the time of his arrest in February, Kobles operated an online
file-sharing hub in Los Angeles known as UTB Smokinghouse under the name
Raging8. He now works at a 7-Eleven store in Las Vegas.
Over four days in January, Kobles and other unidentified co-conspirators
made films like "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines," and "National
Treasure" available on the Internet for others to download without
permission.
To have access to the free content on Kobles' hub, computer users had to
have their own selection of content that they were willing to make
available. An undercover investigator who gained entry into the
file-sharing ring downloaded more than 14 movies, TV shows and music
videos, prosecutors said.
Accused Spyware Installer Settles Lawsuit
The former chief executive of a company accused of secretly installing
adware and spyware on millions of home computers agreed to pay $750,000 in
penalties after an investigation, New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer
said Thursday.
In April, Spitzer sued Los Angeles-based Intermix Media Inc., saying the
company was responsible for sending software tens of millions of times on
computers across the country and three million times in New York.
Adware and spyware deliver nuisance pop-up advertisements and can slow and
crash personal computers. Spitzer said such programs are fraudulent and
threaten to discourage e-commerce.
Shortly after filing the suit, Spitzer's office began investigating
Intermix's founder and former CEO Brad Greenspan, Spitzer spokesman Brad
Maione said.
Greenspan, 32, served as CEO of Intermix from July 2002 to October 2003.
Investigators said he directed employees to bundle adware with other free
programs and to make the software difficult to remove.
"This agreement sends a message that intrusive and deceptive practices will
not be tolerated," Spitzer said.
Greenspan did not admit to any wrongdoing in the settlement. In a
statement, he blamed the company's current management for increasing the
amount of adware attached to Intermix's offerings and with deceiving
investigators.
"My departure from Intermix in 2003 preceded the focus of the New York
attorney general's investigation on Intermix' practices beginning in late
2004," he said. "During my tenure at the company, the adware division was
a small part of the business ... I continue to stand by my statements that
it was the current Intermix Management team that ramped up the company's
adware-download program aggressively during the investigation by the New
York attorney general and misrepresented the status of the adware pop-up
product."
Intermix runs a collection of Web sites featuring quizzes, games and jokes
that it packages for advertisers. It also owns MySpace.com, the popular
social-networking site.
Spitzer said that Intermix's agreement to pay $7.5 million in penalties
over three years and stop distributing adware programs was approved by
state Supreme Court Judge Judith Gische.
Intermix "is pleased to put this historical matter behind us," said Linda
Goldstein, an attorney representing the company. "This was activity in the
company's past and to a large extent had been largely ended by the time the
investigation began."
Assistant Attorney General Kenneth Dreifach disputed those assertions,
saying Intermix continued to attach spyware to its programs well into 2005.
"Our investigation began in September 2004 and we found numerous examples
of programs" bundled with spyware, he said. "We contacted them in December
and we were fairly surprised they went ahead with these egregious
practices. It continued essentially to the eve of our suit."
Software also agreed to pay $35,000 to end an investigation by the attorney
general's office of its bundling of adware with free screensavers without
providing notice to consumers, Spitzer's office said.
News Corp., the media conglomerate controlled by Rupert Murdoch, last month
completed its purchase of Intermix for $580 million in cash.
Code in Color Printers Cracked by Consumer Group
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), a consumer privacy group,
revealed Wednesday that it has cracked a tracking code found in a popular
line of Xerox printers. The miniscule yellow dots have been secretly
embedded in every document printed by several lines of color laser printers
and were designed to allow the U.S. government to trace copies.
The dots, less than a millimeter in diameter and repeated over each page of
a document, are only visible under blue light with a magnifying glass or
microscope.
"We've found that the dots from at least one line of printers encode the
date and time your document was printed, as well as the serial number of
the printer," said Seth Schoen, staff technologist and lead researcher at
EFF, in a statement.
The EFF-led research team first looked at the Xerox DocuColor printers and
eventually discovered dots in documents printed by those machines and ones
manufactured by Brother, Cannon, Dell, Epson, HP, Kyocera, Lexmark,
Textronic, and others. The EFF cannot say when the coding went into effect;
the group has uncovered documents up to 10 years old that contain the dots.
The U.S. Secret Service said Wednesday that the tracking code is part of a
deal it struck with some manufacturers of color laser printers to track
counterfeiters.
"It's strictly a countermeasure to prevent illegal activity specific to
counterfeiting," Eric Zahren, an agency spokesperson, told the Washington
Post. "It's to protect our currency and to protect people's hard-earned
money."
A spokesman for Xerox, Bill McKee, confirmed the presence of the secretly
embedded code to the Post, but said the company only was working in
conjunction with government agencies, competing manufacturers, and a
"consortium of banks." In a statement, HP said that it is contributing to
anticounterfeiting efforts and is supportive of cooperation between the
printer industry and those attempting to stymie counterfeiters.
The problem with the hidden code, according to Lee Tien, EFF senior staff
attorney, is that not only was the deal secret, but also that there are
currently no laws on the books to govern law enforcement's use of the
information the codes provide.
"The Secret Service is not bound by their statement to the Washington
Post," Tien said. "I'm not aware of any legal restraints on what they can
do with [the information]."
Chris Hoofnagle, senior counsel for the Electronic Privacy Information
Center, agreed that the lack of oversight was disturbing. "The privacy risk
is that these codes may be later used for other law enforcement efforts
outside counterfeiting, or to identify people who try to participate in
political debates anonymously." The veil of secrecy was so tight that even
state and local law enforcement had been kept in the dark.
Although it might sound like science fiction or conspiracy theory, there
are bound to be other products that contain hidden tracking codes, Tien
said, and he called for more public scrutiny of what the government is
doing to manipulate the items citizens use every day.
"When we don't share information with each other about what is going on, we
just handicap ourselves," he said.
Gates to Students: Software Is Where It's At
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates hit the road last week to urge college
students to pursue degrees in computer science. The three-day, six-college
tour was the second such pilgrimage made by Gates in two years to emphasize
the potential of technology careers and to dispel concerns about
outsourcing.
Gates told students that over the next 15 years, computer science graduates
would be in ever-increasing demand in North America. "You're going to have
tons of opportunities. If there's a field to get into, this is it," he told
a surprised class of introductory programming students at the University of
Wisconsin at Madison on Wednesday.
With a sneak preview of the Xbox 360 video game console and an assortment
of other gadgets in tow, Gates demonstrated new types of technology on the
horizon. He predicted that the HD DVD will be "the last physical media
format there will ever be." To help make that happen, Gates said he will
need a lot more software engineers.
"In the next decade, there'll be a shortage of great software engineers.
We'll be scouring the schools for them," Gates told the students at
Madison. "Software is the place where all the action is. It is an area that
will continue to generate jobs. This is the golden age of software."
Statistics from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics would seem to back up
Gates. According to the bureau, computer software engineer is projected to
be one of the fastest-growing occupations in the next few years.
The agency predicts that "despite the recent downturn in information
technology, employment of computer software engineers is expected to
increase much faster than average for all occupations, as businesses and
other organizations adopt and integrate new technologies and seek to
maximize the efficiency of their computer systems."
University career advisers and analysts agree that demand for computer
engineers will increase. However, some wonder if Gates is the most
appropriate messenger.
According to Bob Richards, associate director for employee relations at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the sheer size of Microsoft will
turn off many MIT students because they have a more entrepreneurial spirit.
"Any change Microsoft makes is like turning the Queen Mary around in a
bathtub," he said. "Students tend to go with sexy start-ups than big
behemoths."
For Laura DiDio, research fellow at Yankee Group, Bill Gates remains
someone whom college students should emulate. And, unlike the current glut
of lawyers, computer science graduates will always be in demand both in the
U.S. and abroad, DiDio said.
"Computer software engineering is a growth market," she said, "and
graduates will make a very comfortable living."
More Lawmakers Back U.S. Control of Internet
Three lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives called on Friday for
the Internet's core infrastructure to remain under U.S. control, echoing
similar language introduced in the Senate earlier this week.
The resolution, introduced by two Republicans and one Democrat, aims to
line up Congress firmly behind the Bush administration as it heads for a
showdown with much of the rest of the world over control of the global
computer network.
"Turning the Internet over to countries with problematic human-rights
records, muted free-speech laws, and questionable taxation practices will
prevent the Internet from remaining the thriving medium it has become
today," said California Republican Rep. John Doolittle in a statement.
Doolittle introduced the resolution with Virginia Republican Rep. Bob
Goodlatte and Virginia Democratic Rep. Rick Boucher.
Countries including Brazil and Iran want an international body to oversee
the addressing system that guides traffic across the Internet, which is
currently overseen by a California nonprofit body that answers to the U.S.
Department of Commerce.
The European Union withdrew its support of the current system last month,
and the issue is expected to come to a head at a U.N. summit meeting in
Tunisia in November.
The Bush administration has made clear that it intends to maintain control.
If a settlement is not reached, Internet users in different parts of the
globe could potentially wind up at different Web sites when they type an
address into their browsers.
U.S. lawmakers have backed the Bush administration's stance, arguing that
a U.N. group would stifle innovation with excessive bureaucracy and enable
repressive regimes to curtail free expression online.
Top Republicans and Democrats on the House Commerce Committee sent a letter
of support to the Bush administration earlier this month. In the Senate,
Minnesota Republican Norm Coleman has introduced a resolution supporting
the administration's stance.
"The United States is uniquely positioned in the world to protect the
fundamental principles of free press and free speech, upon which the
Internet has thrived," Goodlatte said in a statement.
The United States has not always taken a hands-off approach to Internet
regulation. In August the Commerce Department asked the Internet
Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, the California body that
oversees domain names, to postpone action on a proposed .xxx domain for sex
sites.
Feds Want Banks to Strengthen Web Log-Ons
Federal regulators will require banks to strengthen security for Internet
customers through authentication that goes beyond mere user names and
passwords, which have become too easy for criminals to exploit.
Bank Web sites are expected to adopt some form of "two-factor"
authentication by the end of 2006, regulators with the Federal Financial
Institutions Examination Council said in a letter to banks last week.
In two-factor authentication, customers must confirm their identities not
only through something they know, like a PIN or password, but also with
something they physically have, like a hardware token with numeric access
codes that change every minute.
Other types of two-factor authentication include costlier hardware
involving biometrics or "smart" cards that would be inserted into
designated readers on a user's computer.
Banks might also issue one-time passwords on scratch-off cards or require
"secret questions" about a customer's account, such as the amount of the
last deposit or mortgage payment.
The council also suggested that banks explore technology that can estimate
a Web user's physical location and compare it to the address on file.
The most common way of stealing consumers' personal identity data and
financial account credentials online, known as phishing, typically involves
sending e-mails that direct unwitting users to phony Web sites. Data
harvested at such sites is then used fraudulently.
The Anti-Phishing Working group, an industry association, reported 13,776
unique types of phishing attacks in August.
While some financial institutions have given their customers electronic
password tokens, those have tended to be optional. Other banks have
instituted password entry through mouse clicks instead of typing, a
protection against keystroke-snooping programs.
But in general, the industry can do more to stop account fraud and identity
theft, according to the financial institutions council - which includes the
Federal Reserve; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.; the U.S. Comptroller;
the Office of Thrift Supervision and the National Credit Union
Administration.
"The agencies consider single-factor authentication, as the only control
mechanism, to be inadequate for high-risk transactions involving access to
customer information or the movement of information to other parties," the
council wrote. "Account fraud and identity theft are frequently the result
of single-factor ... authentication exploitation."
FDIC spokesman David Barr said the rules will serve as standards that will
be checked when banks' practices are audited.
Although the requirements apply just to financial services companies, the
policy could stimulate wider use of two-factor authentication by other
merchants that are willing to "federate" their Web sites with banks, said
Michael Aisenberg, director of government relations for Internet services
provider VeriSign Inc.
VeriSign is a member of the Liberty Alliance, a group that is working to
develop standards for federated authentication.
In a federated system, a two-factor login at one site would be recognized
by another, so a travel agency associated with your bank would
automatically grant you access if you came straight from the financial
institution's Web site.
At the very least, Aisenberg said, "The securities industry is going to
have to go along and other regulated sectors will no doubt follow along as
well."
Vista To Include Antispyware Software
Following the release on Monday of the latest beta of Windows Vista,
Microsoft has confirmed that it plans to integrate its antispyware software
into the operating system. The move could set Microsoft in a pitched battle
against Internet security vendors and potentially government antitrust
regulators as the company prepares for the 2006 release of Windows Vista.
This second Community Technology Preview (CTP) for Vista does not include
any actual antispyware code. However, reports indicate that there was
visual evidence of a new built-in, security-center feature through which
users will be able to manage settings for patches and other security
options, including antispyware settings.
Microsoft cautioned that the Vista October CTP is just a preview and
contains many features that still are under development, which means these
features might or might not make it to the final release.
In the wake of company's recent announcement about readying antivirus
software for desktops, Graham Cluley, an analyst at Sophos, warned that the
company's moves represent a shot across the bow of those vendors who have a
significant stake in the consumer-security market.
Microsoft's move into the security space could have industry rivals
leveling charges of unfair competition. According to an eWeek report,
Symantec already is gearing up for a fight by filing an informal complaint
with European Union antitrust regulators regarding steps Microsoft has
taken to enter the security space.
Still, said Cluley, companies probably will not want to rely on built-in
protection for Windows Vista and instead will continue to purchase products
that they know will provide them with the highest level of protection,
responsiveness, and service against malicious threats.
However, with most consumers woefully unprepared for protecting their home
machines from malicious attacks, the inclusion of a built-in antispyware
product will be a good thing for them, said Cluley. He pointed out that,
in contrast to businesses, home users weigh price more heavily than
quality, responsiveness, and service when choosing security software.
"Home users desperately need antispyware protection in Windows to help keep
their systems secure," he said. "It might not be the very best protection,
but it's better than nothing at all."
Overall, said Cluley, the news that Microsoft will be bundling its
antispyware product in Windows Vista is good news for home users, many of
whom still do not recognize the threat spyware poses and do not realize
they need protection.
Analysts are not considering this move a slam dunk for Microsoft. The
company faces two major challenges as it attempts to recast itself as a
serious security player. First, said Cluley, Microsoft will have to adjust
to a different set of expectations from its antispyware users. Computer
users typically expect their security vendors to respond much more quickly
to problems than Microsoft is accustomed to responding to problems in its
operating system.
"Customers expect fixes within minutes rather than months," Cluley said.
The second major challenge for Microsoft, Cluley said, is basic public
relations. For instance, Microsoft just announced that one of the critical
security patches it released last week has caused serious problems for some
users installing it. With Microsoft's stature as the world's largest
software developer, these revelations lead to major headlines.
Cluley said that the company and consumers should expect hackers to target
the operating system and "use every opportunity to disable [the
antispyware's] functionality."
Starting in February 2005, shortly after Microsoft's antispyware software
entered its first beta, malware was written to disable the software. Since
that time, according to Cluley, hundreds of other attacks have included
"turning off Microsoft antispyware as a standard part of their arsenal."
Computer Museum Getting $15M From Gates
The Computer History Museum, the world's largest institution dedicated to
preserving Information Age artifacts, is getting a hefty financial boost
from one of the biggest names in the computing industry.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged a $15 million gift - the
museum's largest donation yet, museum officials said. The gift means the
Silicon Valley-based museum needs only about $50 million more to reach its
$125 million goal of creating a full range of educational programs and
exhibits and establishing a long-term endowment.
"The impact on our society of the computing revolution is simply
breathtaking - it has changed the way we work, play, learn, and
communicate," said Gates, chairman of Microsoft Corp. and the world's
wealthiest man. "It's our responsibility to collect the artifacts and
stories today that will explain this incredible change to future
generations."
The museum opened in Mountain View in 1996.
Gates, who began his interest in software and programming computers at age
13, founded Microsoft Corp. in 1975.
=~=~=~=
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