Rude People

Okay, so there I am waiting in line, directly between two people, and I am sitting on my suitcase. The lady in front of me has a space between her and the person in front of her of about 4 feet. Plainly visible. No excuses.

So this guy decides to take it upon himself to try and cross the line, not in the big ass 4 foot space that everyone else crossing the line is passing through, but directly between me and the lady in front of me. Rudely.

He squeezes by in such a way where he bumps my suitcase, sending it, and me crashing to the floor where I wind up on my ass.

He starts to apologize profusely.

I get up, say nothing, and sit back down on my suitcase.

He proceeds to apologize again, he looks around, looks at his ticket, then walks BACK through the line, in the big ass 4 foot space.

Jesus

H.264 is being dropped from Chrome

Chromium Blog: HTML Video Codec Support in Chrome.

Key sentence from above article:

"Though H.264 plays an important role in video, as our goal is to enable open innovation, support for the codec will be removed and our resources directed towards completely open codec technologies."

Key comment from Slashdot on above article:

"This serves two strategic purposes for Google. First, it advances a codec that’s de facto controlled by Google at the expense of a codec that is a legitimate open standard controlled by a multi-vendor governance process managed by reputable international standards bodies. (“Open source” != “open standard”.) And second, it will slow the transition to HTML5 and away from Flash by creating more confusion about which codec to use for HTML5 video, which benefits Google by hurting Apple (since Apple doesn’t want to support Flash), but also sucks for users."

Google, just when I started to like you again.  I turned away from you for about a year and a half because you pissed me off with the Buzz thing.  Now you go and do this.

One step forward, two steps back.

Twitter / Microsoft: Steve Ballmer not speaking ...

From Microsoft's official Twitter feed.

Told you so.

Twitter / Microsoft: Steve Ballmer not speaking ....

Note To Thieves: People You Rob Use Craigslist Too

A Story about a man who, much to his dismay, had his home broken into and several items stolen.  However, he was smart enough to think to look for his items on Craiglist, and found his computer.

Still looking for other items, but since he reported the man who he got his computer back from, I have a feeling that the rest will turn up soon as well.

At least the thieves didn't delete his harddrive.

Note To Thieves: People You Rob Use Craigslist Too - Houston Music - Rocks Off.

Found footage: the first guy in the iPad line at 5th Avenue Apple Store

Someone should tell this guy that he could have ordered it and had it delivered straight to his house.  Just a thought.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4B3IjHP05o

Found footage: the first guy in the iPad line at 5th Avenue Apple Store.

and then, there was rust

Got a call today from the shop that is tearing down the Mustang for the rebuild, asking me to stop by if I could and take a look, it seems that the rust on the front end was a little worst than they expected.  I knew there was rust in there, but didn't know just how much...

So basically, we are going to replace from the driver's seat on forward.  Frame, sidewalls, everything.  Of course, I am getting stuck with the bill of people not doing it correctly to begin with, but, I suppose, that's the downfall of having a 42 year old car.

To look at the whole gallery of pictures I took today... Click here.

Stay tuned.

Hey Microsoft, Don't F*ck Up Windows Phone 7

Hey Microsoft, Don't F*ck Up Windows Phone 7 - Windows phone 7 - Gizmodo.

A funny post over on Gizmodo detailing how, apparently, Microsoft has put out a couple changes to Windows Phone Mobile 7. (What is it with Microsoft and the number 7 all of the sudden?  Unified messaging?)

Apparently Microsoft is going to do two things wrong..

1. No multitasking


2. No Copy and Paste

As for Multitasking, the iPhone doesn't have it "ish".  (Mail and various other "Apple only" apps can run in the background).   However, the rumor is that iPhone 4.0 will have multitasking.  So Microsoft, instead of trying to get ahead of the curve, you are going to be at least 3 years behind in copying Apple?  Seriously?  Way to step up the innovation there guys.

Copy and Paste..  Well, the iPhone didn't have it until iPhone 3.0, and a shitton of people bought iPhones too.  Not that many will buy Windows Mobile 7 devices, but still...

How can you not put copy and paste in it, when (as the author of the Gizmodo article says) the phone you are trying to compete with (the iPhone) already has it!?

Steller Microsoft, way to win.  Whatever, I wouldn't buy it anyway.

Funny ‘Hacker’ Story

Funny ‘Hacker’ Story.

A funny story about a hacker named "bitchchecker", proving his mad skills by attacking someone on the Internet.

Using the IP: 127.0.0.1

Watch out for this guy.

Readability

I don't remember exactly where I got this from, but I've been using it a lot lately to look at websites.  Since apparently, ad space and other random flash or movement based ads on webpages is now the norm -- making the content on a webpage impossible to read without distraction, someone made this.  It's called the Readability Experiment.  You go to this website, you configure the setup how you want, and then you drag the bookmarklet to your bookmark bar.

Next time you are on a webpage that looks something like this:

Let's see, we have a header (with an ad in it!)  Two ads below the header, and ad on the right, and a footer bar.  (I just randomly picked Cnet, because I know their stuff is laced with ads).  I mash my set-up bookmarklet.. and viola, I get this:

The actual content.

Please leave comments below.

Readability

I don't remember exactly where I got this from, but I've been using it a lot lately to look at websites.  Since apparently, ad space and other random flash or movement based ads on webpages is now the norm -- making the content on a webpage impossible to read without distraction, someone made this.  It's called the Readability Experiment.  You go to this website, you configure the setup how you want, and then you drag the bookmarklet to your bookmark bar.

Next time you are on a webpage that looks something like this:

Let's see, we have a header (with an ad in it!)  Two ads below the header, and ad on the right, and a footer bar.  (I just randomly picked Cnet, because I know their stuff is laced with ads).  I mash my set-up bookmarklet.. and viola, I get this:

The actual content.

Please leave comments below.

Fedora 12 allows installation of software without root privs

I posted this on the ISC this morning as well, but I just wanted to post it here as well.

A "bug" created back in November against the latest Fedora release (12) indicates that, through the GUI, desktop users of the Fedora system are able to install signed packages without root privileges or root authentication.  Yes, you just read that correctly.  (I'll give you a second re-read that sentence so I don't have to retype it.)  Yes, "it's a feature, not a bug".

In all my travels I've only ran across one company, ever, that has Fedora rolled out as an enterprise operating system on every desktop.  But what kind of security implications does this have?  I obviously don't have to explain why this is (may be) a bad idea to the readers of the ISC, as we are all security minded people.

Now, the restrictions.  This change does not affect yum on the command line.  This only affects installing things through the GUI.  (Not that helps any, as most users will be running the GUI anyway.)  You can also disable it.

create a file in:

/var/lib/polkit-1/localauthority/20-org.d  (you can name if file anything you want)

and include the following:

[NoUsersInstallAnythingWithoutPassword]
Identity=unix-user:someone;unix-user:someone_else
Action=org.freedesktop.packagekit.*
ResultAny=auth_admin
ResultInactive=auth_admin
ResultActive=auth_admin

(the above came from the release notes for Fedora 12, found here.

Also, I found this as a solution:

pklalockdown --lockdown org.freedesktop.packagekit.package-install

Currently in the bug, there is some debate about if they should revert this feature.  So, this may be just temporary.

Please leave comments below.

Fedora 12 allows installation of software without root privs

I posted this on the ISC this morning as well, but I just wanted to post it here as well.

A "bug" created back in November against the latest Fedora release (12) indicates that, through the GUI, desktop users of the Fedora system are able to install signed packages without root privileges or root authentication.  Yes, you just read that correctly.  (I'll give you a second re-read that sentence so I don't have to retype it.)  Yes, "it's a feature, not a bug".

In all my travels I've only ran across one company, ever, that has Fedora rolled out as an enterprise operating system on every desktop.  But what kind of security implications does this have?  I obviously don't have to explain why this is (may be) a bad idea to the readers of the ISC, as we are all security minded people.

Now, the restrictions.  This change does not affect yum on the command line.  This only affects installing things through the GUI.  (Not that helps any, as most users will be running the GUI anyway.)  You can also disable it.

create a file in:

/var/lib/polkit-1/localauthority/20-org.d  (you can name if file anything you want)

and include the following:

[NoUsersInstallAnythingWithoutPassword]
Identity=unix-user:someone;unix-user:someone_else
Action=org.freedesktop.packagekit.*
ResultAny=auth_admin
ResultInactive=auth_admin
ResultActive=auth_admin

(the above came from the release notes for Fedora 12, found here.

Also, I found this as a solution:

pklalockdown --lockdown org.freedesktop.packagekit.package-install

Currently in the bug, there is some debate about if they should revert this feature.  So, this may be just temporary.

Please leave comments below.

Shootings at Fort Hood

For those of you that have not heard, yesterday, apparently, a psychiatrist decided to take it upon himself to start offing soldiers, and wound up with 12 dead.

I would like to send my condolences out to the families of the victims of this senselessness.  We have enough people trying to kill our soldiers abroad, why must we have our own do the same here at home?

I don't know how the guy managed to get 12 people, of course, I wasn't there, and I am just armchair quarterbacking, but 12?  I mean, after the first one or two, that guy should have been tackled to the ground and caught a beat down from some fellow soldiers.

I don't know the situation, or how it took place, if that was even possible, but I also give kudos to the officer that ended the madman's spree by not only taking a bullet herself, but putting four bullets in the shooter.  Good job.


Please leave comments below.

Shootings at Fort Hood

For those of you that have not heard, yesterday, apparently, a psychiatrist decided to take it upon himself to start offing soldiers, and wound up with 12 dead.

I would like to send my condolences out to the families of the victims of this senselessness.  We have enough people trying to kill our soldiers abroad, why must we have our own do the same here at home?

I don't know how the guy managed to get 12 people, of course, I wasn't there, and I am just armchair quarterbacking, but 12?  I mean, after the first one or two, that guy should have been tackled to the ground and caught a beat down from some fellow soldiers.

I don't know the situation, or how it took place, if that was even possible, but I also give kudos to the officer that ended the madman's spree by not only taking a bullet herself, but putting four bullets in the shooter.  Good job.


Please leave comments below.

iWork 2009 Trojan

As I wrote on the Internet Storm Center:

It's already pretty widely reported in the media, take for instance here and here.

First reported by Intego, this trojan apparently is distributed by downloading Bittorrented copies of iWork 2009 from the Internet and installing them. The Trojan is installed as part of the software package, by, yup, you guessed it, you giving the software permissions to install by giving it your password.

Apparently this backdoor opens a hole on your computer, reporting back to a central server in order to allow the attacker to connect and issue commands to your system.

So, what can we learn from this?

1) If you Bittorrent software you are supposed to buy, and break the law in doing so... you have to deal with the ramifications...

2) Hey, you can download the Trial from Apple.com, and then buy it, and they give you a serial number! You don't even have to go to the store to get a boxed copy! You already spent the money and bought a mac, you cheepskate, now if you want iWork, spend the 79 bucks and buy it like you are supposed to.

iWork 2009 Trojan

As I wrote on the Internet Storm Center:

It's already pretty widely reported in the media, take for instance here and here.

First reported by Intego, this trojan apparently is distributed by downloading Bittorrented copies of iWork 2009 from the Internet and installing them. The Trojan is installed as part of the software package, by, yup, you guessed it, you giving the software permissions to install by giving it your password.

Apparently this backdoor opens a hole on your computer, reporting back to a central server in order to allow the attacker to connect and issue commands to your system.

So, what can we learn from this?

1) If you Bittorrent software you are supposed to buy, and break the law in doing so... you have to deal with the ramifications...

2) Hey, you can download the Trial from Apple.com, and then buy it, and they give you a serial number! You don't even have to go to the store to get a boxed copy! You already spent the money and bought a mac, you cheepskate, now if you want iWork, spend the 79 bucks and buy it like you are supposed to.

New Calendar phishing

The 419's will stop at nothing to scam you.  Now they are forging legit looking Calendar requests.  (Actually, this was a LEGIT calendar request!)  To get me to meet with them because I had won the death lottery.  Awesome.

Keep an eye out for these!  Classic.

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New Calendar phishing

The 419's will stop at nothing to scam you.  Now they are forging legit looking Calendar requests.  (Actually, this was a LEGIT calendar request!)  To get me to meet with them because I had won the death lottery.  Awesome.

Keep an eye out for these!  Classic.

 Subscribe in a reader

Microsoft Polishes a Turd with SP1

Microsoft released their big SP1 update for Vista today.  Check out the Vista team's blog here.  Good luck with SP1.  I've heard it doesn't improve much, including most of the things that caused it to be largely rejected by the Windows community overall.

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Microsoft Polishes a Turd with SP1

Microsoft released their big SP1 update for Vista today.  Check out the Vista team's blog here.  Good luck with SP1.  I've heard it doesn't improve much, including most of the things that caused it to be largely rejected by the Windows community overall.

 Subscribe in a reader