- cypherpunks-legacy - lists.cpunks.org

Some Secret: Open House, Open Bar
by R.A. Hettinga 29 Nov '04

29 Nov '04

>Must have passed some kinda big supplemental. Cheers, RAH ------- <http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A8583-2004Nov23?language=printer> The Washington Post washingtonpost.com Round-Trip or One-Way Tickets? By Al Kamen Wednesday, November 24, 2004; Page A19 Some Secret: Open House, Open Bar Remember a while back when it came out that intelligence agencies such as the National Security Agency -- the supersecret spy crowd -- did not have the resources to keep up with the flood of intercepts to be able to translate terrorists' chatter on a timely basis? This naturally caused a big fuss, and Congress pledged big bucks to get the spooks up to speed. Seems to have worked out fine, judging from an invite we got to attend an open house Dec. 7 at the National Cryptologic Museum behind the Shell station at Fort Meade. Lots of fine finger food to be had, including a "brie encrote with brown sugar and pecans," some "Swiss cheese and chablis stuffed mushroom caps," a bit of roast turkey with cranberry mayo and "mini pumpkin cheesecakes." Our very fine invite with the NSA gold-embossed seal notes "Open bar." Must have passed some kinda big supplemental. -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah(a)ibuc.com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'

1 0

geographically removed?
by Major Variola (ret) 29 Nov '04

29 Nov '04

At 09:42 PM 11/25/04 -0500, Tyler Durden wrote: >Well, I guess I agree. However, there is some issues of Cypherpunkly >importance here, particularly concerning nation-states fighting other >nation-states. Though I can't consider myself a true-believing anarchist, my >own personal reason for continuing to post on the subject was to illustrate >that, as long as Group-of-Bandits X continues to utilize our tax dollars to >fuck over geographically removed Group of Bandits Y (and their citizenry), Internal resistance mediated by cypherpunkly tech can always be defeated by cranking up the police state a notch. This is eg why e-cash systems have anonymity problems. This is why there are carnivore boxen aplenty. The knurls on the police-state knob are getting worn, it is cranked up so frequently now. Useful resistance comes from asymmetric physical feedback such as experienced in Lebanon, S. Arabia, off the coast of Yemen, in a few embassies somewhere in africa, in the trains of Madrid, Okla city, and some degenerate US east coast cities a few years back, the latter indicating that "geographically removed" is less important, and the only incident that Joe Voter is likely to remember. Until the next one, of course; Joe's buffer is not terribly capacious. ---- A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government. --George Washington

4 5

Patriot Insurance
by Will Morton 29 Nov '04

29 Nov '04

"US Patriot Financial (USPF) exists to help Americans, who risk their lives making this world a better place, obtain life insurance. This includes resident aliens. Whether you are a soldier deploying overseas, a DOD contractor helping to rebuild war torn countries, a missionary volunteering to help the most needy, or a business man or woman traveling the globe to support our economy we can help. Using our extensive network of life insurance carriers, we are able to provide protection to those whose service leads them into some of the world's most dangerous places. This includes US citizens living abroad." http://www.uspfinancial.com/ How long have soldiers deployed in war-zones been able to get life insurance? Would love to see their actuarial process... W

6 6

ADV: Staff Announcement
by Administrator 29 Nov '04

29 Nov '04

Attention All Nonprofit Organizations: Members and Staff You Must Respond By 5 P.M. Wednesday, December 1, 2004. Through a special arrangement, Avtech Direct is offering a limited allotment of BRAND NEW, top of-the-line, name-brand desktop computers at more than 50% off MSRP to all Nonprofit Members and Staff who respond to this message before 5 P.M., Wednesday, December 1, 2004. All desktop computers are brand-new packed in their original boxes, and come with a full manufacturer's warranty plus a 100% satisfaction guarantee. These professional grade Desktops are fully equipped with 2005 next generation technology, making these the best performing computers money can buy. Avtech Direct is offering these feature rich, top performing Desktops with the latest technology at an amazing price to all who call: 1-800-795-8466 by 5 P.M. Wednesday, December 1, 2004 The fast and powerful AT-3200 series Desktop features: * IBM Processor for amazing speed and performance * 128MB DDR RAM, -- Upgradeable to 1024 * 20 GB UDMA Hard Drive, -- Upgradeable to 80 GB * 52X CD-Rom Drive, -- Upgradeable to DVD/CDRW * Next Generation 2005 Technology * Premium video and sound -- For enhanced colors and graphics * Full Connectivity with Fax modem/Lan/IEE 1394/USB 2.0 * Soft Touch Keyboard and scroll mouse * Internet Ready * Network Ready * 1 Year parts and labor warranty * Priority customer service and tech support MSRP $499 ........................................ Your Cost $227 How to qualify: 1. You must be a Member, Staff or Associate of a Nonprofit. 2. All desktop computers will be available on a first come first serve basis. 3. You must call 1-800-795-8466 by 5 P.M. Wednesday, December 1, 2004. and we will hold the desktops you request on will call. 4. You are not obligated in any way. 5. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed. 6. Ask for Department C. Call Avtech Direct 1-800-795-8466 before 5 P.M. Wednesday, December 1, 2004 Visit our website at http://www.avtechcomputers.com If you wish to unsubscribe from this list, please go to http://www.avtechcomputers.com/announcements.asp Avtech Direct 22647 Ventura Blvd. Suite 374 Woodland Hills, CA 91364

1 0

Re: Tin Foil Passports?
by Major Variola (ret) 29 Nov '04

29 Nov '04

At 09:13 AM 11/27/04 +0100, Eugen Leitl wrote: >Link: http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/11/27/0026222 >Posted by: michael, on 2004-11-27 05:05:00 > low-cost solution: '[I]incorporate a layer of metal foil into the > cover of the passport so it could be read only when opened.' Don't > they know that the whole tinfoil hat thing is supposed to be a joke?" What is most poignant about this post is the lack of education of /. authors. Don't they teach Maxwell any more? Is Faraday just the guy who said "Sir, I do not know what it is good for. But of one thing I am quite certain--someday you will tax it." Put your cell phone in a metal tin, and call it. Wrap your access point or receiver or other radio in Al foil. Do you think Brin in _Enemy of the State_ was just a potato-chip fetishist?

4 3

IBM, Sony to detail 'Cell' PS3 CPU February 2005
by R.A. Hettinga 29 Nov '04

29 Nov '04

<http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/29/ibm_sony_cell_debut/print.html> The Register Biting the hand that feeds IT The Register ; Personal ; Consoles ; Original URL: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/29/ibm_sony_cell_debut/ IBM, Sony to detail 'Cell' PS3 CPU February 2005 By Tony Smith (tony.smith at theregister.co.uk) Published Monday 29th November 2004 11:17 GMT IBM, Sony and Toshiba - the three companies behind the 'Cell' microprocessor - will formally detail the chip's workings at the International Solid State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) on 6 February 2005, the trio said today. IBM and Sony also said they were now ready to announce the promised Cell-based workstation, which should enable software developers to begin coding for the PlayStation 3, itself set to be based on the new chip. The partners describe Cell as a 64-bit POWER-based "multi-core system" for computers and next-generation digital home appliances. Crucially, each core can run a single operating system, or run their own OS independently of the others. OS options include real-time support. With the confirmation that Cell is indeed derived from IBM's POWER architecture, and given they way the chip's designers discuss it more in terms of a general-purpose CPU than the more console-oriented Emotion Engine of the PS2, it's clearly going to raise the possibility that the part may be of interest to Apple. And since IBM is also working on the CPU for Xbox 2/Xbox Next, there's the chance of a certain degree of software compatibility there too, though clearly the use of different high-level APIs will limit games and application portability. The chip's makers note that Cell is not only a multi-core architecture - like the anticipated 'Antares' PowerPC 970MP - but multi-threaded too, though it's not yet clear whether support for multiple threads takes places within each core level, HyperThreading-style, or Sony and co. are simply talking about spreading threads across cores. IBM's POWER 5 architecture supports simultaneous multi-threading, so it seems likely Cell will too. IBM and Sony also talk about big memory and I/O bandwidth - no great surprise there, given it's a 64-bit processor and what IBM has demonstrated with existing POWER and PowerPC processors. More interesting is the integration of a security sub-system. The companies don't go into any detail, but it sounds not unlike VIA's PadLock technology with its hardware random number generator. Mention is made of "high-level media processing", which could be a reference to AltiVec, the PowerPC SIMD engine. There's also the suggestion that Cell will use a SpeedStep-style power conservation technology, allowing the chip to reduced its clock frequency. IBM's 90nm PowerPC 970 already has something along these lines. Contrary to past speculation that Cell would ship at 65nm, its makers today said it will debut as a 90nm part using IBM's SOI technology. As for the Cell-based workstation, it's clearly only at the prototype stage, IBM and Sony having come up with an "experimental model". Still, it packs 2 teraflops into a standard (presumably) rackmount box, apparently, with what sounds like multiple, multi-core chips operating as a kind of cluster-in-a-box configuration. . -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah(a)ibuc.com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'

1 0

RE: Oswald
by Trei, Peter 29 Nov '04

29 Nov '04

Steve Furlong wrote: > Major Variola (ret) wrote: > > Bill Stewart wrote: > > >Slsahdot reports that MSNBC reports > http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6549265/ > > >that there's a new video game "JFK Reloaded" > > http://www.jfkreloaded.com/start/ > > > > I'm waiting for Grand Theft Auto IV, Drunk Over the Bridge With the > > Secretary variant. Wonder what Teddie will say about that one. > > > > Oswald saved the world from nuclear conflict, thank the gods he > > offed the sex & drug crazed toothy one as soon as he (et al :-) did. > > > > And a hell of a shot as well. Gotta respect that, with a > bolt-action, > > no less. > > A piece-of-shit boltie. I don't believe the official story, myself. Hitting at a upper-body sized target at less than 90 yards, using a scoped rifle, is about as difficult shooting fish in a barrel. The slow steady movement of the car makes it slightly more interesting, but hardly challenging to a decent marksman. Check the Warren report: http://www.jfk-assassination.de/warren/wch/vol11/page309.php Peter

2 1

Baltimore cleans house, plans de-listing
by R.A. Hettinga 29 Nov '04

29 Nov '04

<http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/26/baltimore-seeks_delisting/print.html> The Register Biting the hand that feeds IT Baltimore cleans house, plans de-listing By electricnews.net (feedback at theregister.co.uk) Published Friday 26th November 2004 11:50 GMT Baltimore Technologies has embarked on a series of housekeeping exercises, but the former security firm has given no indication of its plans for the future. The company has organised a general meeting of shareholders for mid-December, to approve a plan to consolidate its share structure. The company currently has 40,000 shareholders, 24,000 of whom own less than 125 shares. At the current share price, 125 shares are worth around #22. To cut the cost of servicing these shareholders, old shares will be combined in a new share, at a ratio of 125 to one. Anybody who owns less than 125 shares will be paid the value of their shares and will cease to be a shareholder. American Depository Shares (ADS), which allow people to trade Baltimore's shares on the US markets, will be worth 1/625th of a share. The company will also cancel its stock market listing in London and remove itself from the US ADR system. A stock market listing might complicate potential plans to sell the company, it says. "The board does not believe that, in the company's current situation where it is essentially a cash shell, it is in the company's best interests to incur the costs involved in maintaining such a listing," Baltimore said in a statement. The announcements come after Baltimore's whole slate of directors - who were responsible for a painful asset sell-off process - were removed due the efforts of a outspoken shareholder, Acquisitor Holdings. The proxy battle between the two sides saw Acquisitor accuse Baltimore's caretakers of destroying shareholder value, while Baltimore's board complained that Acquisitor had no firm plans for the company's future. In other comments in Thursday's announcement, Baltimore said it is asking UK courts to force Earthport to lodge security to defray the legal costs arising from Earthport's #13m lawsuit against Baltimore, which was filed earlier this year. It is not backing down in face of Earthport's claims of fraudulent misrepresentation, negligent misstatement and breach of contract, saying that they are "inadequately particularised" and "without merit." -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah(a)ibuc.com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'

1 0

Lycos screensaver to blitz spam servers
by R.A. Hettinga 29 Nov '04

29 Nov '04

<http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/26/lycos_europe_spam_blitz/print.html> The Register Biting the hand that feeds IT Original URL: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/26/lycos_europe_spam_blitz/ Lycos screensaver to blitz spam servers By Jan Libbenga (libbenga at yahoo.com) Published Friday 26th November 2004 16:31 GMT Lycos Europe has started to distribute a special screensaver (http://makelovenotspam.com/intl) in a controversial bid to battle spam. The program - titled Make Love Not Spam, and available for Windows and the Mac OS - sends a request to view a spam source site. When a large number of screensavers send their requests at the same time the spam web page becomes overloaded and slow. The servers targeted by the screensaver have been manually selected from various sources, including Spamcop, and verified to be spam advertising sites, Lycos claims. Several tests are performed to make sure that no server stops working. Flooding a server with requests so that the server is unable to respond to the volume of requests made - a process known as a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack - is considered to be illegal. Lycos believes the program will eventually hurt spammers. 'Spamvirtised' sites typically don't sell advertising, so they have to pay for bandwidth. Therefore more requests means higher bills, Lycos argues. A spokesman for Lycos in Germany told The Register he believed that the tool could generate 3.4MB in traffic on a daily basis. When 10m screensavers are downloaded and used, the numbers quickly add up, to 33TB of 'useless' IP traffic. Seems Lycos may hurt not just spammers. . -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah(a)ibuc.com> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'

1 0

3D Biometric Facial Recognition Comes To UK
by Eugen Leitl 29 Nov '04

29 Nov '04

Link: http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/11/28/0155210 Posted by: timothy, on 2004-11-28 10:11:00 from the are-you-ready-for-your-closeup? dept. [1]Roland Piquepaille writes "In the UK, where the recent Queen's speech about national identity cards generated lots of -- mostly negative -- coverage, another potentially invasive technology is being tested with very few criticism. For example, several police departments are now testing a 3D biometric facial recognition software from [2]Aurora, a company based near Northampton. The use of facial recognition 'is rapidly becoming the third forensic science alongside fingerprints and DNA,' according to a police officer who talked to BBC News for '[3]How your face could open doors.'" (More below.) [4]Click Here "The company claims its software is so sophisticated it can make the distinction between identical twins. And if the civil liberties groups continue to be neutral, this technology could also be deployed in airports or by private companies. Even banks are thinking to put cameras in their ATM machines to identify you. The good thing is that you will not have to remember your PIN. On the other hand, as with every new technology, is it safe for your privacy and is it possible to hack the system? [5]Read more before making your decision." References 1. http://www.primidi.com/ 2. http://www.facerec.com/ 3. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4035285.stm 4. http://ads.osdn.com/?ad_id=5659&alloc_id=12309&site_id=1&request_id=6430161… p=click&page=%2farticle%2epl 5. http://www.primidi.com/2004/11/26.html ----- End forwarded message ----- -- Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://leitl.org">leitl</a> ______________________________________________________________ ICBM: 48.07078, 11.61144 http://www.leitl.org 8B29F6BE: 099D 78BA 2FD3 B014 B08A 7779 75B0 2443 8B29 F6BE http://moleculardevices.org http://nanomachines.net [demime 1.01d removed an attachment of type application/pgp-signature]

1 0