Random noise, incoherent thoughts, whatever.
Apparently Sony’s rootkit DRM software contains a statically linked version of the lame mp3 decoder. Lame is licensed under the LGPL license, which would typically only allow this sort of reuse if the application using lame would also be released under LGPL, or Sony bought a non-LGPL license from the authors of lame.
It’s highly unlikely Sony did either.
So here we have a company trying to protect their products from being pirated using pirated software. Oh the irony!
-TPP
The first trojan to exploit Sony’s wonderful DRM scheme has been spotted in the wild. Some enterprising virus writer sent spam overnight with a modified trojan that takes advantage of Sony’s DRM security holes.
Apparently the trojan was coded in too much of a hurry because it’s not working as intended. Nothing’s preventing someone from doing a better job at it though.
More information about the trojan by Sophos
-TPP
The Kansas Board of Education approved new public-school science standards Tuesday that cast doubt on the theory of evolution.
And Kansas just moved 2000 years back to neverneverland.
-TPP
NPR recently interviewed Thomas Hesse, president of Sony BMG’s Global Digital Business division, regarding the DRM scheme Sony BMG is using on some of their music CDs.
Mr. Hesse had this to say about their rootkits:
“Most people I think don’t even know what a root kit is so why should they care about itâ€
That comment shows a complete lack of understanding regarding computer security issues. It’s not “most people” you have to worry about, it’s the bad actors, who are the ones who WOULD know about exploiting the security hole created by Sony. “Most people”, precisely because they don’t know what a rootkit is, would never know how to protect themselves against exploits helped by Sony’s cluelessness.
Here’s further evidence of Sony’s cluelessness. Mark Curtis’ daughter bought a Sony BMG music cd from Walmart. The CD does not play on any music player, including stereo equipment, the family owns. The DRM software is causing the family computer to BSOD immediately after bootup. Walmart is refusing a refund. Sony is saying to install a patch to get rid of the DRM program. How would one do that, if the computer doesn’t boot up any more?
-TPP
Movie reviewers watching a prescreening of Derailed in Toronto are subjected to detention center type of security procedures before entering the movie theatre. Security guards also record the audience for duration of the screening. Can’t wait to go see movies! Maybe they’ll give me a strip search next time.
-TPP
My next patent is to patent a plotline where an outraged private individual goes postal on the USPTO, blows up the main office, stages a mass protest in front of the ruins and then gets killed in an epic shootout with the FBI.
I’m just afraid it’s going to fail the non-obviousness test.
-TPP
Check out the rather excellent new service put out by Iridesco, Inc.
In their own words:
SuprGlu is about bringing the pieces of your web content together into one central place for you, your friends, and maybe even your friends to-be.
This is a great idea and I’m glad one of my friends was bright enough to think of it and make it happen. Way to go Danny!
-TPP – I’m at tpp.suprglu.com
In Soviet USA terrorists are kept in secret prisons outside of US borders to mitigate legal liability.
Washington Post reports that the CIA has set up a covert prison network in 8 foreign countries, including several Eastern European countries, to house top Al Qaeda leaders captured around the world.
It is illegal to do this within the US, which is why the prisons are run abroad. Some of the prisoners have been illegally captured on foreign soil, then transferred into these secret prisons.
Sounds exactly like what communist regimes did back in the day.
-TPP
A friend of mine was admitted to the hospital over a severe ear infection. His wife describes their ongoing ordeal with his treatment, or lack thereof, at the hospital.
I would like to believe this is an isolated incident, but I hear stories like this all the time.
The father of a good friend of my wife’s is quite possibly terminally ill having suffered a bad stroke several months ago. He’s been hospitalized practically ever since the stroke. The stories of his maltreatment by healthcare “professionals” are appalling and quite frankly make me hope when it comes the time for me to go, I’d just go quickly rather than suffer unnecessarily while being “treated”.
I believe all this is due to the privately run healthcare facilities trying to save every possible penny at the expense of pain and suffering of people in their care. Cost cutting to the bone is not good in everything.
-TPP
Alan Ralsky, the self-proclaimed Spam King, finally got caught with his pants down. The FBI raided his home and his son-in-law’s home and seized all of their computer equipment and business records.
Ralsky, like other high profile spammers, is no stranger to being in the wrong side of the law. He’s served jail time for fraud in the past. Let’s hope they put him back where he belongs after the FBI has concluded the investigation on this vermin.
-TPP