Google ... Desktop security vuln | The Register

Eeeeekk!!!

Google finally fixes Desktop security vuln | The Register: "The first flaw in Google's Desktop Search product has been discovered "

[and now fixed]

Security hole found in Gmail

Eeeek!

Nana - net: "Security hole found in Gmail"

CTIA San Francisco, part deux, the aftershow party

Oct 27 2004, 8pm - San Francisco, Ruby Skys

Eeeerrggg....

Too muuch free alcohol!

Well, I made it to the end of the CTIA show and endured three hours of the after show "networking" event.

Sponsored by Def Jam 'Online' there were three great bands. I really need to findout who the last band were - playing hippidy-hop music - they were really good. That said, I had downed 2 cosmopolitan and 4 Gordon Biersch by the time they did their set.

Aren't tradeshows great! So much free food and alcohol. I did absoluutely no networking while I was there ... but I did barf big time.

Then I fell asleep on the train on the way home. Good job I went on the train, otherwise I'd be sleeping in SF. Got back to Santa Clara. My car was parked at the station. I crawled into the boot and slept in my car for a couple more hours before staggering home.


~~
Rik Sagar
h: 244 9606
w: 991 2292
m: 799 4589
e: http://sagar.org/contact

CTIA Show San Francisco

Today I'm at the CTIA conference in San Fran. Though one could be forgiven for assuming it a 'Borg' convention - there are so many ugly bluetooth headsets being sported by the attendees.

Bulky blackberry devices abound too!

I just paid $7 for a pastry and Latte! Welcome to conference land.

I have gMail invites [2] ...

Wow, people really want these gMail invites...

I'm most suprised people actually see my blog!

Anyway, I've had lots of begging letters ... but what I'm really looking for is a little more, ahem, motivation!

I have gMail invites ...

I'm open to bribery!

Peeping Tom filter lets phones see through bikinis

This is not news, there was a sony Cam Corder had the same 'feature' 10 years ago. Sony modified the software on future models that prevented the IR filter being used in daylight to stop the peeping toms.

Peeping Tom filter lets phones see through bikinis | CNET News.com: "A developer in Tokyo has created an add-on for Vodafone handsets that's meant to be used as a night filter to let people take pictures with their phones in the dark.

Unfortunately, the night vision camera has an unexpected side effect, according to Japanese developer Yamada Denshi. In the right circumstances, it allows users to see a lot more than they bargained for."

But for years I've been trying to get my hands on an IR filter for my shades ... can't find one anywhere 8-d

Uncanny!

Where's George?

Last night I had a lucid dream (induced by the 4 pints of Guinness I suppose) about stopping off in a shop to buy something (I forgot what).

The point was, in the change I was given funny looking little dollar bills. Bills more like monopoly money than real money.

In the dream an argument ensued and ultimately a Crouching Tiger style fight-scene too, but that's by-the-by.

Anyway, this morning I went to Mission City for a latte on the way to work. I paid, then in my change there were three dollar bills that had been stamped with a "Track This Bill" logo and a link to a site called Where's George?.

Was this a premonition or what!

Retarded Multinationals Blow More Money On Unrealistic Plans

For the third time in recent years a well known Retarded Multinational is building up a huge campus at a strategic location.

Hmmm, the last two times the campuses (Silicon Valley and Eindhoven) turned out to be expensive white elephants that none of the businesses wanted to move into ... let's hope white elephants are luckier in India than elsewhere!

hilipsPay to double software workforce in India by 2007
The Hindu, Thu, 21 Oct 2004 1:10 PM PDT
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2004/10/22/stories/2004102200630300.htm
hilipsPay on Thursday announced that it was planning to double its software workforce at its Bangalore campus to touch 2,200 people by 2007 and bring more work for its medical systems group, semiconductor and offshore corporate technologies to India.


hilipsPay Seeks Seven-Year Loan, Longest in Europe Since 2002
Bloomberg.com, Thu, 21 Oct 2004 1:52 AM PDT
http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000085&sid=atlL9VNqybP0&refer=europe
Oct. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Royal hilipsPay Electronics NV, Europe's biggest consumer-electronics maker, is seeking a seven- year loan, the longest maturity for an investment-grade company in Europe since 2002.

Shinux

Shinux

C'est bien, mais, ou ce trouve le ISO?!

Mon Deux!

Spread Firefox - Igniting the web

Spread Firefox - Igniting the web: "Help get a full-page Firefox ad in The New York Times!"

I made my donation! My job is done!!

For a $30 donation you get your name listed in the ad. Hey, it's a long time since I was named in the New York Times ... a-hem, and I was cleared of all charges that time. Greenwich Village ...?! not me gov'ner.

Google Code Jam Winnder

Well it wasn't me! [see: I Suck]

Google Blog: "We just concluded the Google CodeJam, our annual celebration of computer programming chops. It began September 1 with 7,500 contestants around the world. It ended today with Sergio Sancho of Buenos Aires, Argentina winning the top prize of $10,000. We flew the 50 finalists to the Googleplex for a championship round and cash prizes. "

Microsoft advised to learn to love Linux

Microsoft advised to learn to love Linux - ZDNet UK News: "A US management guru has advised Microsoft to acquire Research in Motion and pay closer attention to open-source projects on mobile devices, or face oblivion"

Don't listen to him Mr Microsoft We will never make the world a better place if you start listening to such advice

.

Awkward question time ...

While contemplating the disappearance of the recently deceased goldfish the other day, Ben nonchalantly posed me the following question:

Why didn't I see Jesus come into the house

I don't exactly know from where this religious stuff gets into his head. It's certainly not from me.

I assume his logic stemmed from a conversation with someone " where's the fish". "Jesus took him".

I thought the one the other week was funnier. As we drove past a cemetery on Winchester Blvd he said "I don't see many people go in there", which puzzled me so I enquired what he meant. He replied " That's where people go to go and live with Jesus".

Article: Genesis crash linked to upside-down design�| New Scientist

Article: Genesis crash linked to upside-down design�| New Scientist

Hmmm, but wait, here's an interesting fact:

But the problem stemmed not from the installation but the design, by Lockheed Martin, based in Bethesda, Maryland.

Hands up if you can think of any other costly fuck-ups that Lockheed Martin were responsible for! Here's a clue:

Ok, ok, so the mirror finishing was subcontracted to Perkin-Elmer, but Lockheed were in charge!

Sharp to ship world's first HDD-based PDA | The Register

Sharp to ship world's first HDD-based PDA | The Register: "Sharp will next month ship its latest Zaurus PDA into the Japanese market, the consumer electronics company announced this week. The device will be the first PDA to sport a [4Gig] hard drive."

Didn't realize you could get a hard drive that small these days!

Kewl looking toy though. Pity it doesn't run the Symbian OS, Linux GUIs are just sooooo flakey!

Anonymous Control of Zombies via Google

Here's the first part of my research into Malware Bots.

If I were a malicious person with lots of time on my hands I'm sure I could write lots of nasty bots.

However, as I;

• Have A.A.D.D.
• Ain't malicious
• Have a dog, child, wife and job to occupy my time

So I won't be writing any malbots. Instead, I'll publish the ideas here to allow:

1. Security people to start thinking about preventing the problems
2. Malicious people to use my ideas and get rich

Part One: Anonymous Control of Zombies via Google

Abstract
A simple experiement was sufficient to prove that web-site guest books (particularly seldom-monitored and poorly thought-out ones) provide just the capability that phishers and DDoS launchers would need to send and receive messages that are hard to trace back to a central point, hard to intercept and very hard to quickly block.

Part Two: How to write a better Phisher. It's a really cleaver work... But I ain't writ it yet.

Weekend trip

Can't be bothered with the details, so make up your own story using the following props:




Open full-size

For that special lady in your life -- a personalize license plate ...

This would make a nice anniversary gift for the wife don't you think:



I think it's funny, but I'm not sure if the yanks would get the joke. They're not too familiar with the bovine form of CJD or the term of endearment that it has in England.

Yahoo! News - Google's New Program Searches Hard Drives

Yahoo! News - Google's New Program Searches Hard Drives: "Online search engine leader Google Inc. is setting its sights on the computer desktop with a new software program that promises to scour through the clutter of documents, e-mails, instant messages and other files stored on hard drives."

Oooo! Now you know that the 800 pound gorilla in Redmond must be bouncing off the walls of his cage. Must destroy silicon valley upstart (again).

I did a quick scan of the FAQ (see: http://desktop.google.com/) there seems to be an obvious oversite - the system only really integrates web and HD search if your using IE. I. E. who the f%^@ is using IE these days!?

Vodafone UK Debuts SMS-from-PC Software

You just know this is going to result in a lot of SPAM on people's cell phones.

Wireless: NewsFactor Network - Wireless Systems - Vodafone UK Debuts SMS-from-PC Software: "Vodafone UK Debuts SMS-from-PC Software"

After all, it integrates with Look-out, no, erm, I'm sorry, I mean, Out-of-luck, no no wait, that's not right, Outlook, yes, that's right, Outlook!

Anyway, so basically the new virus has to go like this:

1. Install Virus on users PC by sending worm over Outlook
   
2. Locate Vodafone extension
   
3. FOR f = 111 111 111 TO 999 999 999;
     sms-via-outlook("07"+f, "Buy Viagra, Vagra is great, ...");
   NEXT f;
   
4. DEL *.* ; REM Just for good measure, I'm a virus afterall!
   

Florida Keys! Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Lower Keys, Key West

We have just booked our vacation for next year. Two weeks in Florida. A week in Orlando (for Ben's benefit) and a week in the Keys (for my benefit).

Orlando will be Disney and the like, plus a trip to Kennedy to see the shuttle (hopefully).

Down on the Keys I'll be partaking in a little SCUBA - sweet!

Debbie's folks are coming over from England to join us there, so Ben will have his grandma to play with. I'm sure he'll like that.

The Official Tourism Council Web Site for the Florida Keys! Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Lower Keys, Key West

What's New on Rik Sagar's Eternally Under Construction Web Site?

1. There is now a link to the Slideshows on the Home Page
2. I have started migrating my Rik's Reads things to the site. Currently only my "FOR SALE" books have made it there. Eh, priorities! I needs da money.
3. Oh, did I mention I have a GMail account?

Bad foto

I thought I was going bald recently. Then I saw this picture of me
from 100 years ago. It appears I've always been bald!



Thanks Mike!

I HAVE A GMAIL ACCOUNT!!!

I HAVE A GMAIL ACCOUNT!!!

I HAVE A GMAIL ACCOUNT!!!

I HAVE A GMAIL ACCOUNT!!!

HURRAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

Thanks Stephanie, and indirectly Larry!

See also: http://blog.sagar.org/2004/06/wheres-my-gmail-account.html

Space Travel

Surely I'm not the only person that's noticed ...

There's a scary similarity between Fast Show's Simon Day and Scaled Composites Brian Binney.

Fast Show	Faster Show

Oh my god, I'm a bible sales man!!

I'm in the process of cleaning out the crap in the garage that we never use.

Part of the process was getting rid of a load of old books that were sat in boxes and have sat in boxes since I moved to California in 1997.

So, most of them I took to the local library and gave them away (tax write-off!). A few of the 'valuable' ones I kept and I've put them up for sale on Amazon Market Place.

I was also lucky enough to find an old bible, which I was going to give to the library, but then for a laugh, I thought Why don't I try sell that on Amazon for $6.66. Eh, that's the juvenile type of brain I have.

Anyway it just sold to some guy in Texas ... [must ... bite ... tongue ...] ...

So while walking to the post office to dispatch my merchandize it struck me ... This makes me a f$@*ing Bible Sales Man.

Praise da lowrd, I has seen da light. Once I was lowst, but now I is found. Let me hear y'all say Hallalooooja.

What can I say, I move to America to live the American Dream ... of becoming a bible sales man.

Don't forget now. If you want to buy some of my old books, there all right here on Amazon Market Place

Hands in Pockets

I've noticed that Limies always look more self-concious than Yanks. And why do they always come across as mumblers?

Take this picture ...

Now doesn't Sir Richard look like a silly nervous teenager with his hand in his pocket, fiddling with his junk (probably).