Tech News

The Phishes Fight Back

Stephen Majewski — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 22:37:00 GMT

Imagine you’re fishing. You reel in a really big one only to discover when you try to cut it up that it is a fake fish. That’s exactly the tactic some companies have taken in order to combat phishing scams. They’re flooding phishing websites with false data, effectively making it impossible to differentiate the good data from the bad. This is probably the best idea of which I’ve heard in years. If you can’t fight the source, why not fight the destination?

Hat tip: Buzz Out Loud from CNET

A World Without Web Ads

Stephen Majewski — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 18:24:00 GMT

On average, web ads don't bother me. They typically sit on the side of a web page, minding their own business, trying desperately to set cookies in my browser. But when an ad jumps directly in my face and blocks content (especially on a high profile website like c|net or The Weather Channel) it just pisses me off. There's nothing worse than having to seek out the teenie tiny button somewhere on the ad that will close it.

CNET has a story on how Internet Explorer users are roughly 4-5 times more likely to click on a web ad. Quite frankly, this doesn't surprise me. Of course, Firefox has a much smaller market share, but this is about statistics so just hush already.

I foresee a future where Firefox users will be subjected to less crappy advertising, thus adding another reason not to use IE. Couple it with Internet provider targeted advertising (as in AOL users are more likely to click on a turnip covered in shaving cream), and we might see ads disappear completely. Yeah, I can use a Firefox extension like Adblock, but why should I have to? A guy can dream, can't he?

Hat tip: Digg

Yet Another Video Game Violence Study

Stephen Majewski — Thu, 08 Dec 2005 21:15:00 GMT

A recent study finally explains why I've been running around with a bazooka, jacking cars in broad daylight on a busy street, and beating hookers, pimps, and drug dealers at random with a baseball bat. If wasn't me, it was just Grand Theft Auto desensitizing me.

Teen Repellant

Stephen Majewski — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 23:26:00 GMT

Do you have annoying teens loitering outside your shop harassing customers and stealing your precious inventory? Install the mosquito and say goodbye to your adolescent angst. No, it's not a spray. In fact, it’s a tiny device that oscillates sound waves in a frequency most people over 30 can't hear and people under 20 can't stand.

Frankly, I’m all for deterring degenerates from propping their posteriors outside stores and being vulgar vagrants (enough alliteration already). Luckily, I’ve never been courted by a teen anxious to get their hands on some smokes or liquor (in-laws don't count). We’ll probably find out in 20 years the thing causes brain cancer, but at least we kept those whippersnappers out of our stores!!!

Hat tip: digg.com

NBC vs TiVo2Go

Stephen Majewski — Mon, 28 Nov 2005 16:11:00 GMT

As expected, NBC has started puffing its chest in response to the recent news that TiVo want to support exporting recordings to MPEG-4; thus making shows playable on more portable devices such as iPod and PSP. It's getting a bit ridiculous when every little step made to make things more convenient for consumers ends up a tremendous legal battle costing insane amounts of money (both corporate and taxpayer). Why can't these network geniuses, with their MBAs and six figure incomes, not comprehend that piracy will happen whether they like it or not; especially when consumers are thwarted at every turn when trying to enjoy their media as they see fit? In the end, we all know it's the lawyers who are really winning.

Hat tip: PVR Blog

TiVo to Support PSP

Stephen Majewski — Mon, 21 Nov 2005 15:57:00 GMT

Rumor has it that TiVo is supposed to announce today that they will support exporting recorded shows to MP4 (the format supported by the iPod and the PSP). While this can be done now, it is far from foolproof or convenient. I think it is spectacular that a company is willing to go the extra mile to give customers what they want rather than force them into some obscure format war.

Of course, by supporting MP4 TiVo will have to adopt a way to appease the great gods of the MPAA. The plan right now is to add a video watermark. Personally, this is my preferred method of tracking. It does not put any direct limitations on me (since I don't plan to mass produce these videos or put them on bittorrent) and still provides peace of mind to the powers that be.

Let's all just hope the watermarking is enough to keep this awesome new feature off the MPAAs radar. I'm not sure how hard it is to crack video watermarking, but we all know any attempt to stifle piracy is futile. (By "we" I mean technical people and not the psycho, grandpa suing people at the MPAA).

Update: It's Official!!!

Fake Space Reality Show

Stephen Majewski — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 18:24:00 GMT

Unlike the numerous theories that the moon landing was a hoax, a British TV show is supposedly going to trick 9 hapless idiots into thinking they've gone into outer space for our amusement (a la The Truman Show). Considering some of the questions students asked in an astronomy class I took a few years back, I've no doubt they can find such people. I've no love for reality shows, but this has to be the stupidest idea yet (even more stupid than trying to break up couples by sticking them on an island populated with whores).

The saddest part is the entire show is based around showing just how stupid people are when it comes to basic science. They had to convince these people that you don't float around in low-altitude orbit; hoping they are clueless as to how orbiting works. If you're in orbit then you're in a perpetual freefall, which means you will float. Again, reflecting on my astronomy class just reiterates how horrible our school system is at teaching the basic principles of astronomy. One guy couldn't figure out why he could see the moon when the sun was still up. All I can do is shake my head.

Hat tip: Boing Boing

Guy Fixes Computers in Exchange for Sexual Favors

Stephen Majewski — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 20:09:00 GMT

Brilliant "business" man or sicko pervert? You decide.

Hat tip: Boing Boing

AOL Bot Buddies

Stephen Majewski — Wed, 16 Nov 2005 20:03:00 GMT

Anyone who uses AOL Instant Messenger may have noticed the addition of bot buddies to everyone's buddy list (even if you use Trillian). These little guys are a new advertising model being tested by AIM. Initially, I was worried that these things would try to sell me crap every few minutes or something. It turns out the bots are passive and will only talk to you if you talk to them.

I've seen some blogs complaining about the bots, but truthfully they're not a bad thing. The AIM service adds them and is very up front about it. If you delete them, they are gone. Even if you leave them they won't do anything unless you talk to them. Personally, I think it's an interesting advertising model.

I hoped that they were using some form of A.I. so that I could have a rather humorous conversation with one, but it turns out the bot is simply a glorified menu systems. Oh, well. Maybe next time.

School Gets $117,500 Spanking for Violating Student's Free Speech

Stephen Majewski — Tue, 08 Nov 2005 23:23:00 GMT

I try to avoid politics on my blog because of the age old adage, “never discuss politics, religion, or operating systems.” Okay, I discuss operating systems, but I leave the other two for other people to discuss. However, when this story popped up in my aggregator, I couldn’t resist. (Technically it’s not politics, but it’s darn close.)

Two years’ ago, this angry little middle school kid setup a website where he could do a little venting. It’s a positive outlet and much better than cutting up cats and dogs or vandalizing neighborhood houses (ahhhhh, the good old days). I find the fact that he used the web kind of cool (though somewhat creepy, since it’s apparent that his parents weren’t monitoring him).

In any case, like most kids that age, he used the site to bitch about life, which pretty much entails school, parents, and probably video games. Apparently, he started posting rather disparaging comments about his middle school. School officials didn’t take to kindly to this, so they “suspended him for a week, benched him from playing on the baseball team for a month, and barred him from going on his class trip, among other discipline.”

The “among other discipline” leaves a bit to the imagination, but I severely doubt the kid was beaten with a ruler of forced to wear a dress while all the boys in his class threw lipstick at him and called him a pansy. So what did the kid’s parents do? What any other good American would do, they got a lawyer.

Fast forward 2 years. The kid is now in the 11th grade and is suddenly awarded $117,500 because the school “violated [his] free speech rights”. While I am all for freedom of speech, I don’t know how anyone can put a price tag on having his or hers violated; especially a price tag to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

It’s sad to think that the school district must now shell out over $100k; taxpayer money that no doubt could be put to better use. To make matters worse, we know the kid will only see a fraction of the money after his legal fees (unless those were covered in the lawsuit making the payout even larger).

Quite frankly, I don’t agree that the punishment fits the crime. I mean, kids get in trouble all the time in school for stupid things. I once had to serve detention and miss part of a track meet for calling someone a “Mass Debator.” You didn’t see me or my parents trying to squeeze the school for a few thousand dollars because I was simply exercising my right to free speech.

Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t agree with what the school did. If they can’t take the prepubescent angst of a 13/14 year old kid, they’ve got some serious issues to address. But to give the school a $100k spanking is a bit extreme. There’s nothing like perpetuating our “sue happy” culture.

Hat tip: digg.com