Net Neutrality in Halo

Net Neutrality as seen through Halo.

Network Neutrality as Dr Seuss might have explained it

Network Neutrality as Dr Seuss might have explained it: "Cory Doctorow: David Isenberg's got the text/podcast of his Dr Seussian poem explaining Net Neutrality, the idea that telcos who sell preferential Internet service to Internet sites break the network.

When Ed Whitacre, the head of AT&T, says,
'They're not going to use my pipes for free'
he's not talking about Them, he's talking about Me.
He's talking about Us, it should be plain to see.

When Whitaker says 'free' he's not talking about beer.
It's our Freedom of Speech that's at stake here.
Whitaker wants to privatize our right to express.
And he's even got some laws in front of the US Congress,
Bad laws. Laws that would make everybody with a public hotspot register with the FCC.
Laws that would let the telephone companies discriminate
Information that is dangerous from info that is safe
But who are they to decide?The Free Internet gives *us* that right.


Now the law has a flaw, or so they say
So the telcos send our data to NSA
As if we're all Osama a"

How RFID hackers can steal gas, cars, and office access

More on the wonderful world of RFID.

How RFID hackers can steal gas, cars, and office access: "Cory Doctorow: Annalee Newitz has a great feature on RFID hackers in this month's Wired -- she tells the story of various RFID hackers who exploit vulnerabilities in RFID tags to hotwire cars, steal gas, break into your office, and get up to other naughtiness:

James Van Bokkelen is about to be robbed. A wealthy software entrepreneur, Van Bokkelen will be the latest victim of some punk with a laptop. But this won't be an email scam or bank account hack. A skinny 23-year-old named Jonathan Westhues plans to use a cheap, homemade USB device to swipe the office key out of Van Bokkelen's back pocket.

'I just need to bump into James and get my hand within a few inches of him,' Westhues says. We're shivering in the early spring air outside the offices of Sandstorm, the Internet security company Van Bokkelen runs north of Boston. As Van Bokkelen approaches from the parking lot, Westhues brushes past him. A coil of copper wire flashes briefly in Westhues' palm, then disappears.

Van Bokkelen enters the building, and"

The RFID-Hacking Underground

A good history of RFID should keep us all afraid, very afraid, for some time.


The RFID-Hacking Underground: "They can steal your smartcard, lift your passport, jack your car, even clone the chip in your arm. And you won't feel a thing. By Annalee Newitz from Wired magazine. Plus: Retail-Safe RFID Unveiled.


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Islamic fundy hackers turn pro-US games into pro-guerrilla games

A little bit of hacking can change the entire plot; a little bit of hacking can turn Rambo into King Cobra.


Islamic fundy hackers turn pro-US games into pro-guerrilla games: "Cory Doctorow: Fundamentalist Islamic hackers are reportedly modding militaristic video-games so that the good guys wear turbans and shoot from the hills, and the bad guys invade in tanks and choppers:

Battlefield 2 ordinarily shows U.S. troops engaging forces from China or a united Middle East coalition. But in a modified video trailer posted on Islamic websites and shown to lawmakers, the game depicts a man in Arab headdress carrying an automatic weapon into combat with U.S. invaders.

'I was just a boy when the infidels came to my village in Blackhawk helicopters,' a narrator's voice said as the screen flashed between images of street-level gunfights, explosions and helicopter assaults.

Then came a recording of President Bush's September 16, 2001 statement: 'This crusade, this war on terrorism, is going to take a while.' It was edited to repeat the word 'crusade,' which Muslims often define as an attack on Islam by Christianity.

Two militant videos were also pointed out to lawmakers, including one called Lion of Fal"

'Net Neutrality' Battle Widens

'Net Neutrality' Battle Widens: "Concerned that price increases could stymie the growth of online financial services, the banking industry prepares to enter the fray over tiered internet service.


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The Future of the Internet

The Future of the Internet: "bariswheel writes 'An important piece written by a Columbia Law professor addresses sensitive questions about the future of the Internet: 'Is it a problem if the gatekeepers (i.e. a duopoly of the local phone and cable companies) discriminate between favored and disfavored uses of the Internet? How would you take it if AT&T makes it slower and harder to reach Gmail and quicker and easier to reach Yahoo! mail? What if I-95 announced an exclusive deal with General Motors to provide a special 'rush-hour' lane for GM cars only? Is there something special about 'carriers' and infrastructure--roads, canals, electric grids, trains, the Internet--that mandates special treatment? Should content providers like Google, or subscribers like us, pay for the bandwidth consumed?' Here's hoping that sites like Google Techtalks and Channel 9 remain 'free' and available for the next 10 years.'

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Microsoft/Yahoo Merger to Take on Google?

Microsoft/Yahoo Merger to Take on Google?: "Mz6 writes 'One faction within Microsoft is promoting a bold strategy in the company's battle with Google: Join forces with Yahoo. That would be a major departure for Microsoft, the software maker that is legendary for toiling on its own until it captures a new market. However, people familiar with the situation say that Microsoft has considered the idea of acquiring a stake in Yahoo, and that the two companies have discussed possible options over the course of the past year. Currently, talks of an equity stake in Yahoo don't appear to be active, given that Microsoft is focusing on a reorganization that it hopes will re-energize its effort to compete with Google. Two wild cards remain: Steve Ballmer, who has historically shunned large acquisitions, and Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang, whose support would be key to bringing the necessary Yahoo shareholders on board for a deal. Mr. Yang and others in Yahoo would be hard-pressed to sell to Microsoft, people close to the company say. However, people familiar with Microsoft say its top management remains open to a d"