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Not necessarily, since Apple customers by very demographic have more money.

Actually, that distinctions belongs to Blackberry users.

Rich Smartphone Users Opt for Blackberry over iPhone: Survey September 26, 2011:

Most affluent smartphone owners prefer BlackBerry over the iPhone, and Android remains the people’s choice in the middle or upper-middle income group, according to a survey.

ââBS on the Apple outsells, sorry.
http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/248150/20111112/htc-market-share-apple-u-s.htm
"HTC was able to ship a total of 5.77 million smartphones in the U.S. which accounts for 43% of the total smartphone shares in the market. Samsung placed second with 4.9 million smartphones which was led by its Galaxy-class products while Apple claimed the third spot with 4.6"

So their the number three manufacturer.

http://www.tgdaily.com/mobility-features/60210-android-takes-53-of-us-smartphone-market
"The popular OS captured an impressive 53% of smartphone sales from January-October 2011, while Apple's iOS increased to a 29%" market share.

Those horrible, corrupt foreign Governments.

30 Major U.S. Corporations Paid More to Lobby Congress Than Income Taxes, 2008-2010

"Despite a growing federal deficit and the widespread economic stability that has swept the U.S since 2008, the companies in question managed to accumulate profits of $164 billion between 2008 and 2010, while receiving combined tax rebates totaling almost $11 billion. Moreover, Public Campaign reports these companies spent about $476 million during the same period to lobby the U.S. Congress, as well as another $22 million on federal campaigns, while in some instances laying off employees and increasing executive compensation."

To keep profits inflated by capturing legislation, favorable to their businesses. Free market, my arsehol3.

"Facebook Inc said on Monday that it made a mistake in letting Merck & Co take over a page on the social networking website from its German rival Merck KGaA." - IBTimes

Notice it also says:
Facebook plans to make the URL www.facebook.com/merck unavailable for use until both Mercks agree which company may use it. The companies may request other URLs and maintain presences on Facebook.
Sounds more like they did want to take it away.

"Facebook Inc said on Monday that it made a mistake in letting Merck & Co take over a page on the social networking website from its German rival Merck KGaA." - IBTimes

"Hackers and botnet owners would love to have access to the millions of always-on Linux servers" - by Dahamma (304068) on Monday November 21, @02:32PM (#38127520)

Per my subject-line above, & your statement quoted? That's EXACTLY what they went after in these 4 CA's:

Linux's showing in CA's breached recently too? Also very, Very, VERY BAD - this is SSL security oriented:

http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/graph?site=StartCom.com

http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/graph?site=GlobalSign.com

http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/graph?site=Comodo.com

http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/graph?site=DigiCert.com

Those CA's (for SSL) got breached & RUN LINUX (StartCom, GlobalSign, DigiCert, & Comodo)... per these articles verifying that:

http://itproafrica.com/technology/security/cas-hacked/

and

http://it.slashdot.org/story/11/10/28/1954201/four-cas-have-been-compromised-since-june

---

* SO, what you're stating? DOES HAPPEN... & for the reasons you note!

(Plus, those are the kinds of targets that can SERIOUSLY mess up anyone doing SSL - hence the "WHY" of why they were targetted (think banking especially, OR, online commerce via a PC, & running linux or not, which for YEARS around here you heard was "so secure", is turning up exactly NOT that!))...

APK

P.S.=> IF Linux = secure, as is often said here on this site, explain this (recent verifiable data on Linux security breaches)

KERNEL.ORG COMPROMISED: (very, Very, VERY BAD - this is the sourcecode repository for Linux!)

http://linux.slashdot.org/story/11/08/31/2321232/Kernelorg-Compromised

---

Linux.com pwned in fresh round of cyber break-ins:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/09/12/more_linux_sites_down/

---

Mysql.com Hacked, Made To Serve Malware:

http://it.slashdot.org/story/11/09/26/2218238/mysqlcom-hacked-made-to-serve-malware

---

* Additionally, there's also ANDROID'S (yes, it's a Linux, & uses a Linux kernel) "fine security track-record" (lol, NOT) also...

Again - All those years of hearing the typical FUD of "Linux = SECURE, & Windows != Secure" around here on /., only to see recent history (VERY recently in those above no less) show QUITE OTHERWISE It's WIDELY TARGETTED, because IT IS HUGELY USED IN THE MOBILE SMARTPHONE WORLD, per this article today here on /. no less:

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/253340/20111121/android-malware-mcafee-mobile-nokia-symbian.htm

ANDROID's "taking the smartphone world by storm" & becoming the "Windows of smartphone world" as far as being attacked pretty much!

PERTINENT QUOTE/EXCERPT: (From the "recent section here on /. for the article itself)

"With 550,000 Android devices activated each day, Google's mobile operating system "is clearly today's target" for cybercriminals."

It's JUST "common-sense", bigger target = more prevalent target to try hack/crack... & many on this pages' discussions point out the SAME reasoning too - more used, better target...

You would do well to consider that flooded server rooms may have an adverse impact on the IT infrastructure.

Same can be said for production facilities. Take the recent example of Thailand floods causing an hard drive shortage that is steadily driving prices up.

Adverse weather will only make things gradually more challenging, requiring more technical know-how and workarounds to deal with it.

They'd be really stupid to source from Samsung,

Really?

http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/210079/20110908/joyce-s-record-pay-rise-rubs-salt-in-qantas-pilots-wounds.htm

Mr Joyce has increased his annual take home pay to $5 million, with other key executives have increased their multimillion dollar packages by similar ratios.

âoeThe 71 per cent increase comes despite the Qantas share price dipping 16 per cent in the last financial year,â AIPA said.

It also comes at a time when Qantas has announced it will be sacking 1000 Australian workers and shifting local operations to Asia to avoid employing Australians.

---
Take a huge raise,
Lay off 1000 employees.
Then shut the airline down when they protest.

Mr. Joyce must be learning how to run a company from Reed Hastings (Netflix).

Its on the reverse for some reason, put on your best Dr. Evil voice..
"One million dollars!"

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/238345/20111026/gold-coin-perth-mint.htm#page4

If the government would have approved new plants

Why of course, TEPCO was so eager to scrape off their existing plants and replace them with brand new ones, only the evil regulators prevented them to!

Man, living in your fantasy world must be so comfortable!

The man saw a PSYCHIC to cure his CANCER instead of receiving life saving drugs until it was too late. How much more evidence is needed?

http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/235295/20111021/apple-co-founder-steve-jobs-stalled-life-saving-cancer-surgery-to-visit-psychic-healer.htm

How much more? Perhaps you should take a look at the survival rates and statistics behind this cancer in particular and all those "life-saving" DRUGS before dragging his decision through the mud.

I'd sure as hell rather live in a world where I have the choice as to what is done to my body rather than have that choice made for me. Regardless of the end result, respect an individuals opinion to NOT riddle themselves with DRUGS that quite often have horrible and sometimes permanent side effects. This is another reason people aren't so damn open to chemotherapy for "treatment", trying to kill one poison with another in a horrible battle to the death to see who wins.

Rather ironic that people who belittle and insult the iSheep for their allegiance are the same people who blindly believe and follow whatever Big Pharma and their doctor is pimping for the week...like THEY don't have an ulterior motive? Fucking please.

The man saw a PSYCHIC to cure his CANCER instead of receiving life saving drugs until it was too late. How much more evidence is needed?

http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/235295/20111021/apple-co-founder-steve-jobs-stalled-life-saving-cancer-surgery-to-visit-psychic-healer.htm

They wouldn't have this issue if there wasn't an opposition that will shout it to the heavens every time a mistake or revision is made in relation to global warming but every statement made in support of it is ignored, even if the two are part of the same package.

Well, if global warming alarmists didn't appeal to the perceived authority of "scientific consensus," there wouldn't be loud shouting whenever a mistake in the supposedly unshakable research of climate scientists is pointed out. The left-of-center faction of the political spectrum has latched onto global warming because the solutions just so happen to coincide with their political beliefs (e.g., increased taxes, increased regulation of industry, etc.).

Unfortunately, there is a climate (pardon the pun) that shuns scientists who oppose the current view of global warming. That view is itself based entirely on computer simulations rather than recorded observations. The global temperature record hasn't risen since 1998, which is so contradictory to predictions made by computer simulations that climate scientists are using computer simulations to find explanations for the missing heat that was predicted by the previous computer simulations.

Welcome to climate science.

Yes, but once it is a war zone we call them terrorists because their hobby *may* help the bad guys. If we can't pin terrorist on them we call them a sympathizer or some other tag that makes it ok to at least harass them.

Not to get in the way of a good rant, but other countries do this. Link.

There are Catholic churches everywhere. It's easy to be confirmed, and take regular communion.

There's also a Vatican, a Vatican bank - and circles-within-circles of secret initiation and lineage, some with "occult pretensions".

The presence of the former is not a disqualifier of the latter, nor does it dilute - but rather conceals.

If you can't tell the difference, or don't wish to investigate the difference between the neighbourhood ring-and-fez lodge from, say "Propaganda Due" - then you are perfectly within your rights.

And the top-level aprons are pleased with you exercising them.

I think that it is at least worthy of consideration, the historical connection that people like MacGregor Mathers and Aleister Crowley made, between the Golden Dawn, OTO and freemasonry.

This guy was probably just looking for better connections with local business leaders, and a sense of belonging with purpose:
http://img.ibtimes.com/www/data/images/full/2011/07/23/136344-anders-behring-breivik.jpg

"Crowdsourcing" search is a very bad idea, because crowds can be sourced.

Google shot themselves in the foot this way last October. They used to count reviews on Yelp and Citysearch in determining placement in Google Places, which, until last October, only affected the search engine for Google Maps. Since few people used the search engine for Google Maps to look for businesses by category, it wasn't spammed much.

Then, in October 2010, Google merged Places results into web search. Within two months, Places spam had overwhelmed search. The SEO efforts had become blatant. (Over-the top promotional video). The mainstream press picked up on the issue, and Google looked really stupid. Around November 2010, Google started de-emphasiziing Places results in web search, and stopped counting Citysearch and Yelp results. That brought the problem down to a merely annoying level.

Then in 2011, Page announced that Google employee bonuses would be dependent on Google getting into "social". So now "social" had to be built into everything. Hence "+1", followed, inevitably, by a market in "+1" boosts. See any black hat SEO forum to buy.

So, to fix that problem, Google has to have more information about Google account holders. This, as Eric Schmidt points out, can be obtained by insisting on real names and mining the user's social data.

Maybe they're doing it wrong.

In an interview with a local newspaper, Short said, “Sitting in front of her [a co-worker’s vehicle] lets her know that we do not approve of her crossing the picket line when she should be standing out there suffering as much as we are.”

Source So basically, because of her self-inflicted suffering, anyone who doesn't join her has to suffer. Nice.

Oh come on.

How exactly would civil unrest against a perceived corrupt political system manifest?

With a political message and marches in the streets, not blatant theft of consumer goods. To illustrate:

This is a political riot.
This is people stealing things because they want to.

The guys in this article started facebook pages called "Smash dwn in Northwich Town" (sic) and "The Warrington Riots". There is nothing political about what went on in the UK.

When you have massive riots in multiple cities, I'd be hard pressed to consider it just reckless lawlessness as entertainment.

Welcome to British youth culture.

Its better to block out competitors by trolling patents than outcompete them isnt it. god bless american companies ..... not.

Well, for starters Samsung is a Korean company.

At this point, I have no idea who sued who first ... but Samsung made the components for Apple, and Apple is asserting that in the process, Samsung ripped off their technologies so they could make their own product. (A little googling managed to turn up this timeline -- apparently Apple sued first.)

Sadly, with patents being such a big factor in what products you can make without getting sued (for instance, Android phone makers paying Microsoft) ... I don't see how you can have anything but product competition being defined by lawyers and the courts.

Unless you toss the notion of patents altogether, do you have a proposal of how companies will make products with out constantly suing one another? Because quite frankly, as it stands, the patent system pretty much guarantees that your lawyers are more important than your engineers.

Patents exist so that you can avoid having to out-compete, you either get in injunction, or make them pay you an obscene licensing fee per unit that makes it impossible to compete effectively.

But wait, I saw a headline that says: NASA: DNA Found on Meteorites Indicates Life Originated in Space

So, by carefully eliminating some words, you can create a completely false, but much more intriguing page-hit-generator.

Well played, International Business Times, well played.

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/171638/20110629/philadelphia-flash-mob-2011.htm As a source (but I'm from there and know this personally to be true as well)

http://yro.slashdot.org/story/10/09/30/1640223/Many-More-Android-Apps-Leaking-User-Data

http://linux.slashdot.org/story/10/11/02/2238205/Serious-Security-Bugs-Found-In-Android-Kernel

http://it.slashdot.org/story/10/11/05/0229205/Researcher-To-Release-Web-Based-Android-Attack

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/11/10/android_malware_attacks/

http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/10/11/27/213219/Security-Expert-Warns-of-Android-Browser-Flaw

http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/10/12/30/1856242/Android-Trojan-Found-Spreading-From-Chinese-App-Stores

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/01/14/android_chinese_stealing/

http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/11/01/20/1534236/Soundminder-Android-Trojan-Hears-Credit-Cards

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/01/29/android_data_disclosure_bug/

http://it.slashdot.org/story/11/01/29/1946202/New-Android-Exploit-Discovered-To-Steal-Data

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/02/17/android_trojan_click_fraud_scam/

http://search.slashdot.org/story/11/02/18/005247/New-Android-Malware-Robs-Bandwidth-For-Fake-Searches

http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/11/02/23/1640252/Mobile-Spyware-Conferences-Into-Your-Calls

http://it.slashdot.org/story/11/03/01/0041203/Infected-Androids-Run-Up-Big-Texting-Bills

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/04/google_android_market_peril/

http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/04/15/6475834-skype-android-app-can-expose-your-personal-information

http://www.bangobang.com/2011/04/android-phones-are-no-more-protected.html

http://www.zdnet.co.uk/blogs/jacks-blog-10017212/android-and-facebook-attract-more-malware-attacks-10022271/

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/137143/20110421/android-phones-track-users-movements.htm

http://www.net-security.org/malware_news.php?id=1718

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/05/16/android_impersonation_attacks/

Speaking of which, here is the "retraction's" print page. Looks pretty sad and pitiful as a "story" when viewed that way. Oh, and here is the actual original story. The BBC is pretty cool, no need for its print page IMO.

Exactly. Everything I'm reading says they are dangerously close to bursting. I'm not an economics guy so I have to rely on the "experts" but it doesn't sound good. Plus, their GDP is artificially inflated with these building projects they're doing. Google "Chinese ghost cities" and take a look. Strange stuff going on over there.

Here's a few articles predicting trouble in the Chinese economy:

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/175179/20110706/china-economic-bubble-housing-bubble-job-growth-asia-bubble-china-interest-rates-recession-inflation.htm
http://www.businessinsider.com/china-economy-hard-landing-bumpy-landing-soft-landing-and-what-landing-2011-7
http://www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2010/0316/China-the-coming-costs-of-a-superbubble

But we shouldn't be too happy to see their economy stumble -- a major failing in China will have serious economic impacts throughout the world.

Funny how the pro-U.S. candidate always seems to win, and people who cross the U.S. always seem to end up on rape charges. In a completely unrelated story, did you hear that the ICC decided today to prosecute Moammar Gadhafi for rape? Apparently some new evidence has come in recently linking him and his allies to all sorts of nasty sex crimes. Guess he was a womanizer too.

"Anonymity is your name... You are no longer part of the system. You are above the system, over it, beyond it. We're 'them'. We're 'they'. We are the Men in Black."

* Absolutely!

Take it from me, lol, an "AnoNyMoUs-CoWaRd"!

( & based the above quotation from the film MEN IN BLACK!

APK

P.S.=> In fact, a few folks here found that out this week (damn_registrars) in regards to myself, lmao...

However, on the note of LuLzSeC & more seriously (whoever they may be?):

Hey - They're not "All that Bad" & I think they're actually more into "shaming targets into a fix" instead of they being "lackadaisical" about it for 1 thing, &/or EVEN OFFERING TO TAKE ON OTHER HACKER/CRACKER TYPES:

http://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/06/19/1946203/LulzSec-Offers-to-Take-Revenge-On-Sega-Hackers

And, for another, & helping again, rather than just offering to as they have above?

WELL - They DID help out NHS (instead of taking advantage of them, as the COULD have, were they truly "bogus", especially w/ a slew of admin level pwd's they had):

http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/160624/20110610/lulzsec-lulz-security-nhs-health-service-cyber-attack-weak-hack-hackers-hacked-sony-nintendo-network.htm

"Good"/"Bad"?

Hey - There are NO absolutes, & imo @ least? It's sort of DANGEROUS to speak in those terms (binary thinking)!

I mean really!

Much is "shades of grey" (lol, or is it GRAY)

&

ALL A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE, & IN ADDITION TO WHO'S DOING THE JUDGING ALSO, of said qualities (diametrically opposed ones no less the 2 sides to every coin...)!

( & there isn't a judge/man who isn't also "victim to skewed view" or sin-free, ala Jung's "The Duality of Man").

...apk

Never trust the government. Especially old data from them: http://moneywatch.bnet.com/economic-news/blog/macro-view/manufacturing-surprise-the-us-still-leads-in-making-things/2134/ http://beta2.tbo.com/news/nation-world/2011/jan/31/T2NEWSO1-us-still-leads-world-in-manufacturing-pro-ar-11399/ http://unstats.un.org/unsd/snaama/dnllist.asp http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102761476 http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/120660/20110309/usa-still-leads-manufacturing.htm http://www.mepol.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=214:made-in-america-still-on-top-of-the-manufacturing-game&catid=1:news&Itemid=187 *

You'd like it... it points out a TRUE tale of a guy (stoll himself) working in academic environs & finding that a backup logging system students wrote the year before wasn't "jiving" w/ std. NIX logging... he started checking into it, & voila:

He found that that academic institutions systems were being penetrated by German Hackers in the employ of the KGB (how he caught them was hilarious & inventive - a keyboard believe it or not, iirc!).

In fact, iirc (been years since I read it, around 2001 iirc)? It was the "chaos computer club"... precursors really to today's "Anonymous" &/or "LulzSec"!

(Except they were TOTALLY in it "for the money" - I don't feel LulzSec + Anonymous are though (in fact, I think THEIR goals are a LOT more noble, if you could call it that (especially LulzSec, because of this http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/160624/20110610/lulzsec-lulz-security-nhs-health-service-cyber-attack-weak-hack-hackers-hacked-sony-nintendo-network.htm where they actually DID DO "Good"... instead of abusing it for themselves... I have to give them that! )))

Great read too... even if "geekish" (normal folks could appreciate it too, reads like a mystery-detective novel - geeky/nerdy computer types would for sure, as they understand the material).

It was a "best seller" also iirc, even if based on "geek" materials as well... good stuff! Look into it IF you haven't read it...

APK

P.S.=> Weirdest part, even if it was YEARS-to-DECADES ago? He pointed it out to local law enforcement. They said "contact the feebs" (FBI)... or was it another agency like interpol?? Not sure anymore but... everyone kept "passing the buck", that is, UNTIL the man found that MILITARY INSTALLATIONS WERE BEING HIT (Ft. Stewart in Richmond Hill Ga. (reason I recall that is my brother was stationed there no less, he's a Major in the military now))... great read, you'd love it!

I think it should be "required reading" for ANY person in academia in a course-track for computer security in fact!

... apk

Where I posted about it a few days back: http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2231322&cid=36414086

In fact, here is the direct "evidence" that LulzSec @ least DOES do a "Good thing or two":

http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/160624/20110610/lulzsec-lulz-security-nhs-health-service-cyber-attack-weak-hack-hackers-hacked-sony-nintendo-network.htm

Still - these guys, in BOTH groups of hacker/cracker types? They're making GIGANTIC fundamental mistakes... by being "loud" & attention seeking, + especially messing with large corporations &/or national governments. They are TRULY, "the man with EVERYTHING to lose" & that? That makes them, VERY dangerous. The other dangerous person I suppose is "The man with nothing to lose" (the first one's diametrically opposed opposite, so-to-speak)... LOL, & we in the middle? We get screwed as usual!

I mean, if they *think* the law is stupid, OR, that they don't have skilled & experienced people to track & catch them, and then try to "throw that in their faces"?? They're off... way, Way, WAY OFF, & ought to ask say, Kevin Mitnick about that much @ least. He did the same. Know your history boys, a lot is against you...

That's all I am saying.

APK

P.S.=> HOWEVER, imo @ least? This goes more for the "anonymous" hacker/cracker group, than it does for "LulzSec" though - they're making mistakes, fundamental ones, that will end up with them being busted (Anonymous already has taken that beating in both Spain & Turkey already, more are coming, mark my words):

Ever see the film "Layer Cake"?? If not, do... because the main character 'XXX" makes a true & POWERFUL statement to anyone, "criminal" (because it's part of the "price you pay" playing illegal games - you have to give up being a face/a name - you HAVE to "fly under the radar" if you want to survive it... these guys? ARE NOT! Not by a longshot!):

"IT IS VITAL THAT WE WORK, TO A FEW "GOLDEN RULES": ALWAYS WORK IN A SMALL TEAM. KEEP A VERY LOW PROFILE. ONLY DEAL WITH PEOPLE WHO COME RECOMMENDED... KNOW & RESPECT YOUR ENEMY - IT IS ONLY VERY, VERY STUPID PEOPLE WHO THINK THE LAW IS STUPID - AND AVOID, LIKE THE FUCKING PLAGUE, LOUD ATTENTION SEEKING WANNABE GANGSTERS, IN IT FOR THE GLORY (to be a face, a name) THEY DON'T MEAN TO FUCK UP - THEY JUST DO!"

... apk

I'd cut it out & "lay low" for a while - IF NOT stop altogether (the best route): Seriously.

I mean - If you keep it up, you're only going to get the boys in law enforcement all 'riled up', just like Kevin Mitnick did, and you see how it worked out for he (badly for the most part).

Now - I know that you all believe in what you're doing, which isn't totally bogus but... let the folks in Turkey manage things for themselves. That's THEIR NATION, not anyone else's.

Do I "totally disagree" with some things you folks do? No. However, it's NOT MY PLACE to judge other nations - let 'world opinion' do that (not that it matters, money's the only thing that appeals to those that "run the show" out there, along with power)... & nor do I think it's yours either, but... that's up to you.

I have seen the folks @ "LulzSec" actually DO SOMETHING GOOD, & that was to tell the folks @ NHS they had admin passwords exposed, rather than abusing it:

http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/160624/20110610/lulzsec-lulz-security-nhs-health-service-cyber-attack-weak-hack-hackers-hacked-sony-nintendo-network.htm

They've literally demonstrated they're not "all bad". You don't seem to be, you seem to be guys that just believe in what you're doing, but... you're NOT considering WHO YOU'RE DOING IT TOO (powerful entities).

I think you're on the same "headtrip" LulzSec is. Don't let your "pride be your downfall" (or, your ego).

Plus - Why put your neck out there to be chopped? It's going to be, eventually, & it's only a matter of time, just like it was for Mr. Mitnick. Gary McKinnon more recently too!

I mean, face it:

One of the things these large companies have, as well as nations you attack? MONEY!

That's the BIGGEST POWER you can have (as they can "pay off" the folks that host the anonymous proxies you use that you *THINK* make you "safe" (hell, 1/2 of them are just put up by national governments ANYHOW so they can use them for "nefarious purposes" & if you're using those? You're going to be nailed... eventually!)).

The second power they have, is resources. If you also think they don't have "pros" in the arena of network security?? You're off... way, Way, WAY OFF! Never, EVER, underestimate your opponents... as was said by the film character 'XXX' in one of my fav. films "Layer Cake"?

"IT IS VITAL THAT WE WORK, TO A FEW "GOLDEN RULES": ALWAYS WORK IN A SMALL TEAM. KEEP A VERY LOW PROFILE. ONLY DEAL WITH PEOPLE WHO COME RECOMMENDED... KNOW & RESPECT YOUR ENEMY - IT IS ONLY VERY, VERY STUPID PEOPLE WHO THINK THE LAW IS STUPID... THEY DON'T MEAN TO FUCK UP - THEY JUST DO!"

Lastly, they have the aid of international law enforcement. They're NOT STUPID!

* Do think about this...

APK

P.S.=> It's not worth it boys!

You're NOT working in small teams, you don't keep a "low profile", & you're accepting anyone into your ranks it seems... dumb, as they could be "plants" ala -> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/06/07/hacker_snitches/ !

Worst of all, when you assault these people's pride?

Dumbest thing of all - you end up making a POWERFUL enemy who's not going to stop coming for you (I mean, look @ the jews hunting the Nazi's for decades)!

They truly ARE "the man with everything to lose" (the most dangerous there is, alongside "the man with nothing to lose") - the rest of us, in the middle?

Well as usual, LOL, we get screwed anyhow!

Well, that's my "rant" for today...

... apk

I don't agree with what they do (as I don't do their "tactics" myself but I could easily (so could anyone with the right tools & know how because doing a DDoS or DoS as I noted earlier here? Cake. Same with finding sites vulnerable to SQL Injection (hell, even GOOGLE can find THAT for you, & rather easily, with the RIGHT type of query)).

However: They DO POINT OUT WHAT NEEDS FIXING! Just like malware makers do...

That's about ALL they do that is "good" (that's my way of being an "optimist" here is all - I don't like malware makers or hacker/crackers anymore than anyone else does, especially their victims - in fact, if you look below? I've spent a great deal of time helping others protect themselves from guys like them both).

In my earlier posts here, however?

I do point out a time when "LulzSec" actually HELPED the NHS by pointing out their admin passwords were exposed here:

http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/160624/20110610/lulzsec-lulz-security-nhs-health-service-cyber-attack-weak-hack-hackers-hacked-sony-nintendo-network.htm

AND, believe-it-or-not? LulzSec warned them, & how to fix it + where (rather than they taking advantage of it for "nefarious purposes")...

So, it seems they're not "all bad"! Fact is, from their point-of-view?? I don't believe they think they ARE "doing wrong". They believe in what they're doing is all.

Do I think they believe in what they're doing?

Yes, & perhaps especially in this case... but, it's still a BAD MOVE for them! They'll get traced & caught, & it's only a matter of time - & the kind of people they're messing with now in governments of nations? DUMB & DANGEROUS!

(Man... trust me on that much, I've seen it before, decades ago, with others like them)

APK

P.S.=> Now, personally? I've read extensively read about hacker/cracker types, and put out things to help "average joe" out there as best I could since 1997 (which Neowin picked up on in 2001 & rated highly http://www.neowin.net/news/apk-a-to-z-internet-speedup--security-text , & currently this version of that guide too:

http://www.bing.com/search?q=%22HOW+TO+SECURE+Windows+2000%2FXP%22&go=&form=QBRE which wherever it was posted (almost) on 15/20 forums its on, was made either a:

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1.) Sticky/Pinned thread
2.) Essential Guide
3.) Most Viewed
4.) 5/5 star rated
5.) & even got me PAID (quite unexpectedly, @ the topmost results in that query no less - "The Lord works in MYSTERIOUS ways" is all I can say about that)

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Eventually though? These guys @ BOTH "LulzSec" and "Anonymous" (assuming they're not just puppets for some other organization that is) are making a BIG MISTAKE imo, because the worst thing a "criminal" can do??

UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER & KNOW-HOW OF THE LAW... they're already being tracked & caught for Pete's sake as is... apk

What about folks like myself that use firewall rules tables & HOSTS files to filter out KNOWN BAD SITES that put malware onto your system?

IS THAT "CENSORSHIP"?

What about DNS systems that do so, such as ScrubIT, OpenDNS, & Norton DNS also??

AGAIN - IS THAT "CENSORSHIP"?

I.E.-> Is blocking out/filtering things that are KNOWN to screwup a person's machine (or worse, server systems that have great importance for whatever reasons) "censorship" to you?

I mean, if so? You guys have it ALL wrong...

NOW - I know that the guys @ "LulzSec" aren't totally assinine & bogus: How so? Well...

Because they told the NHS they had problems, in exposing admin passwords, & telling them about it here http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/160624/20110610/lulzsec-lulz-security-nhs-health-service-cyber-attack-weak-hack-hackers-hacked-sony-nintendo-network.htm

(Rather than abusing it)...

How about you guys @ "Anonymous"???

APK

P.S.=> To thecounterweight: YES - It's increased, massively, & you're NOT the only one noting it... a poster named KevMar submitted to the "recent" section here on the same note:

http://slashdot.org/journal/266490/Year-of-the-Hack

And, I can tell you, point-blank (from filling a HOSTS file & my firewall rules tables since 1997 vs. known bad sites & servers online that screw up your system) that all manner of online bogusness has increased... massively, & by MANY orders of magnitude.

E.G.-> Back in 1997-2007, I had MAYBE 500,000 entries of known bad sites/servers in my HOSTS file... now, since then? The growth is PHENOMENAL, & I have nearly 1, 430,000 entries...

I.E.-> I've had to NEARLY TRIPLE what I had in only 1/2 the time it took me to get to 500g's of entries!

(That tell you anything?)

They're doing it because nobody did anything about it or does anything about it... so they go with it! No consequences involved... & only NOW are gov't.'s & such doing a little about it, after massive damage has been done!

Nope, as-per-usual, it's "the community taking care of itself" & doing what I do: Protect yourself... nobody else will!

...apk

What about folks like myself that use firewall rules tables & HOSTS files to filter out KNOWN BAD SITES that put malware onto your system?

What about DNS systems that do so, such as ScrubIT, OpenDNS, & Norton DNS also??

I.E.-> Is blocking out/filtering things that are KNOWN to screwup a person's machine (or worse, server systems that have great importance for whatever reasons) "censorship" to you?

I mean, if so? You guys have it ALL wrong...

APK

P.S.=> I know that the guys @ "LulzSec" aren't totally assinine & bogus: How so? Well...

Because they told the NHS they had problems, in exposing admin passwords, & telling them about it here http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/160624/20110610/lulzsec-lulz-security-nhs-health-service-cyber-attack-weak-hack-hackers-hacked-sony-nintendo-network.htm

(Rather than abusing it)...

How about you guys @ "Anonymous"??? apk

Interestingly, Utah passed the Legal Tender Act of 2011, which recognizes gold as legal tender http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/154459/20110530/utah-gold-legal-tender-gold-standard.htm

"Utah just became the first US state to recognize gold as legal tender. Its Legal Tender Act of 2011 allows U.S. minted gold and silver coins to be recognized as legal tender in the value that reflects the market price for gold and silver.

“If the federal government isn’t going to do it, then we here in Utah ought to be able to establish a monetary system that would survive a crash if and when that happens,” Lowell Nelson, interim coordinator for the Campaign for Liberty in Utah, told NYTimes.

Craig Franco, a coin dealer south of Salt Lake City, said he’s preparing to create a Visa credit card based on gold depositories that would allow people to more conveniently use gold as tender."

Fortunately Brown's Ferry didn't just almost get hit with an EF5 tornado and have to emergency shutdown. Oh wait...

Get with the program! You are confusing phones: We are talking about TouchWiz on the Samsung Galaxy S, and the Apple-"inspired" packaging of that, not the F700. Get yourself educated.

The data is unencrypted. Unlike the situation with iPhones, however, the data remains on the phone, and to access it one needs access to the operating system itself, known as "root access." On the iPhone, the location data was copied from the phone to a PC every time it was synced with iTunes. It was copying the data to the PC that creates a potential security problem.

Another difference is how big the location data files, called caches, are. On the Android phones they are limited in size to 50 unique cell sites and 200 WiFi access points. Apple's version was much larger

Also, according to a 13-page letter sent to Congress by Apple, they also upload your location history to Apple every 12 hours: http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/04/apple-iphone-tracking/

According to Appleâ(TM)s letter, geodata is being tracked and transmitted to Apple only if a customer toggles the Location Services option in the settings menu to âoeOn.â If itâ(TM)s off, no location-based information will be collected.

If the Location Services setting is flipped on, the iPhone, 3G iPad and, to a more limited extent, the iPod Touch and the Wi-Fi iPad, are transmitting geodata to Apple under different circumstances.

Apple is collecting information about nearby cell towers and Wi-Fi access points whenever you request current location information. Sometimes it will also do this automatically when youâ(TM)re using a location-based service, such as a GPS app.

As for GPS information, Apple is collecting GPS location data only when a customer uses an application requiring GPS capabilities.

Apple claims the collected geodata is stored on the iOS device, then anonymized with a random identification number generated every 24 hours by the iOS device, and finally transmitted over an encrypted Wi-Fi network every 12 hours (or later if thereâ(TM)s no Wi-Fi available) to Apple. That means Apple and its partners canâ(TM)t use this collected geodata to personally identify a user.

At Apple, the data gets stored in a database âoeaccessible only by Apple,â the letter says.

âoeWhen a customer requests current location information, the device encrypts and transmits Cell Tower and Wi-Fi Access Point Information and the deviceâ(TM)s GPS coordinates (if available) over a secure Wi-Fi Internet connection to Apple,â Apple wrote in the letter.

Excellent, I studied CS originally, and worked as a programmer for years, before going to back and studying economics/finance/accounting, as this is more my passion. At the moment, I'm well on track to (if my grades stay where they are) be in an extremely good position to get a job at a central bank. Hopefully doing this exact sort of analysis.

So, lemme try cover this quickly, and be less cunty. :-) Sorry, I was just a bit of an asshole before.

Have a read of the Sanya Declaration, while it does talk about central banks and similar, this regulation is intended for banks and large financial institutions. This is why they are talking about "...the risks of massive cross-border capital flows...", if they were talking about their own central banks, this problem would be easily dealt with.

When making loans to entities, government or elsewise, which are denominated in a foreign countries currency, you expose yourself to exchange rate risk, this risk plays both loosely (uncovered) and strongly (covered) with the interest rates seen in the local economies. As such when large "cross-border capital flows" shift the exchange rates, effects are seen in the capital markets. The more exposed a country is, the greater these effects are. This can induce a crisis in a country, based on a crisis in another country.

As such, this declaration is that they will attempt to regulate the asset side of the balance sheet of banks and large financial institutions, which essentially stops them from making loans denominated in a foreign currency. However, while this is one side of the effect, the other side is created by the liabilities side of the balance sheet, where banks and financial institutions are able to receive finance from other organizations, and it can be denominated in a foreign currency. This ensures that they CAN still be exposed to this risk, and actually might be MORE at risk, because they are unable to match their liabilities and assets in that currency.

Now, even if they did denominate their assets and liabilities in the local currency, they would have merely traded exchange rate risk, for interest rate risk and default risk. While this does change the dynamic, it does not eliminate the risk. This risk is inherent in a global, inter-connected world. You may change the way you look at it, but it will never go away.

Here's why it doesn't matter, the countries listed have very small, capital markets, on the whole. Their debt is most likely raised in markets in countries and from countries such as the United States, and the United Kingdom, where this declaration makes absolutely no change. As it only affects them when dealing with BRICS countries, this makes the declaration even more toothless. It would be like the United States passing a resolution to allow no more H1N1 Visas from Liberia.

This means, the actual declaration is totally a irrelevant. At best, it does not change anything. At worst, it opens them up to a situation where their banks could be more risky than before.

As far as I can tell, the only thing this does, is provide the leadership with PR, and make people think they are doing something about the reliance on the USD. When in actual fact, it does nothing of the kind.

LOL. Now while I am waving my appeal to authority, and appeal to accomplishment, it is because these days, I operate in a sector where absolutely EVERYONE is an expert. I regularly have red necks telling me "they knows the economicses", and professing to understand extremely complex systems, which even honest economists would not say they totally understand them. So, I tend to get quite angered when someone who obviously hasn't studied the topic, essentially says that they understand it, and that I've got it all wrong. I find that they usually have little grasp of th

GE has developed the highest efficiency, full-sized CdTe thin film solar panel ever reported; is building what its say will be the largest solar panel factory in the US; has made two considerable business acquisitions that support its solar endeavors and has taken 100 megawatts worth of orders for its thin-film solar panel products.... When at capacity, the new plant is supposed to produce enough panels per year to power 80,000 homes annually. GE currently estimates the facility will employ about 400 people.

More broadly, the cost of solar has plummeted, and the installed capacity is skyrocketing. Those are actual data, not predictions.

I'm excited about this. I live in New Mexico where sunny skies are the norm. If I got a motorcycle with a swappable battery so I could leave one home charging while I take the other on my 20 mile round-trip commute, I wouldn't need much from the grid or gas station at all.

And a more thoughtful response to this hoax can be found here:

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/132868/20110411/fbi-hottel-memo-reveals-ufo-hoax.htm

Those who forget their UFOlogy are bound to repeat it.

"We found that computer servers on NASA's agency-wide mission network had high-risk vulnerabilities that were exploitable from the Internet. Specifically, six computer servers associated with IT assets that control spacecraft and contain critical data had vulnerabilities that would allow a remote attacker to take control of or render them unavailable" link

By any chance, would these 'computer servers' be running on Microsoft Windows?

"a recent audit report .. cited a 2009 incident in which cybercriminals .. caused the computer system to make 3,000 unauthorized connections to domestic and international IP addresses"

Wouldn't it be a good idea to put these 'computer systems' behind a firewall and only allow access through authenticated VPN connections?

For a business? Security, matters... especially since CORPORATE DATA is what hacker/crackers want now mostly, see here as an example thereof:

McAfee: Cybercrime Focused On Corporate Data:

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/127765/20110328/cybercrime-mcafee-corporate-data-study-web-security.htm

(Simply because information, IS power - sheer, unadulterated COMPETITIVE power!)

Perhaps especially in this art & science of computing, AND in business!

E.G.-> Sales people... they LIVE & DIE by their contacts lists - you steal THAT, and what they're charging their customers?? You can contact them, directly, with SOLID #'s to target to beat & "undercut" the competitor, easily... because you KNOW what's being charged for goods & services BY your competitor, to said potential customer!

(Yes - perhaps not "THE" very 'best example' but, I'm not a data-criminal hacker, but I can "Channel that inner criminal" & think like that type might, easily enough... so can you, think about it - another might be patent data on an upcoming design of something etc. (list goes on, ad-infinitum)).

So - on that note?

How's MS doing on SECURITY vs. KNOWN VULNERABILITIES now, especially for the "full gamut" of what you NEED to do business online, today? Heh... very, Very, VERY well!

E.G./To wit (with valid verifiable concrete data from a respected source for it, in SECUNIA.COM):

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Vulnerability Report: Microsoft Windows 7: (03/28/2011)

http://secunia.com/advisories/product/27467/?task=advisories

Unpatched 10% (6 of 59 Secunia advisories)

AND, of those 6 vulnerabilities, yes... 3 are "remote". HOWEVER, they're in subsystems (like FAX) that aren't installed "by default" (means I don't use it here), or have work-arounds (mhtml bug), OR, are caused/utilized by faulty 3rd party apps (e.g., & of ALL things? Apple stuff triggers one, ITunes another, iirc, etc. but no other apps are KNOWN to - go figure, eh?).

I.E.-> "NO PROBLEMO!"

---

Vulnerability Report: Microsoft Office 2010: (03/28/2011)

Unpatched 0% (0 of 4 Secunia advisories)

http://secunia.com/advisories/product/30529/?task=advisories

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Vulnerability Report: Microsoft SQL Server 2005: (03/28/2011)

Unpatched 0% (0 of 4 Secunia advisories)

http://secunia.com/advisories/product/6782/?task=advisories

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Vulnerability Report: Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.x:

Unpatched 0% (0 of 6 Secunia advisories)

http://secunia.com/advisories/product/17543/

---

Vulnerability Report: Microsoft Visual Studio 2005:(03/28/2011)

Unpatched 17% (1 of 6 Secunia advisories)

http://secunia.com/advisories/product/6779/?task=advisories

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So - "BEAT THAT WITH A STICK!", & I put out ALL you need pretty much, to do a full blown development setup alongside the OS, to do business with!

Fact is - I'd like to see the "FULL GAMUT" from the *NIX world show less errors than that above list of mine does (w/ only 7 errors tops, of which none really are serious enough to matter or to not be "worked-around" or avoided!)

APK

P.S.=> As far as tools go though? Sure, in YOUR experience, since you obviously FAVOR Macs & obviously use them more or prefer them on your end?? Sure... what you said is expected... but, even I, a "diehard" Delphi, VB, .NET, C++, Java guy realize that certain tools DO

.... it seems to me is that RIM has actually already agreed to pull the app (from a link in the OP article : http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/126130/20110323/rim-research-in-motion-dui-checkpoint.htm ).

I've already ruled out Apple for my next handheld as I don't want to be tied to only what they approve of.

I think my decision of whether to go with Android or Blackberry has just been made for me as well.

Comparing the US crime stats to CL; CL is definitely safer.

The 1 year FBI crime stats (for 2009) show 429.4 violent crimes per 100,000 people and 3,036.1 property crimes per 100,000 people. That yields about 0.34655 (3,465.5 crimes/100,000)
Source: http://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2009/

CL serves 50,000,000 people in the US, and the total crimes (330 crimes, 12 murders and 105 robberies or assaults) for one year (according to the study) is 447. That yields about 0.00000894 (447 crimes/50,000,000)
Sources: http://www.craigslist.org/about/factsheet
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/115849/20110224/craigslist-anonymous-classifieds-facebook-crime-society-social-network.htm#ixzz1EuesJdzH

...so I feel safer on CL than on the street.

Umm, someone needs to start reading news more. It's been canceled today by the Republican controlled house. Obama wanted to cancel it before, just like Dubya did, but couldn't do it while Democrats were in charge in congress. Defending this program purely because it provides jobs in his state is definitely a stain on Boehner's credentials as a fiscally conservative guy (though he wants to be seen as one) but it's a victory for Tea Party and true conservative Republicans.

It is rather simple. Create an expectation of rich web with video, then roll out tiered plans. If we were still using HTML3 and NCSA mosaic, we'd be consuming far less data. But this shift to a multi-media internet brings data usage. Then to push it into mobile space is the last distribution niche, where prices are far higher per GB. VerizonFIOS has data capacity to spare so it is dirt cheap, but wireless doesn't.

ATT does it with phantom data, Verizon just shoves video in your face.

You have forgotten the order of the record years

http://img.ibtimes.com/www/data/images/full/2011/01/21/60287-melt-index.jpg

This is very unlikely random

And btw. random numbers means EXACTLY 'evenly' (uniform) distributed numbers.

I'll sleep just fine at night after investing in a company that is building the largest solar power plant in Australia, the company who continually invests lots of money in renewable energies. How about a company which invested $200m in clean fuels orders of magnitude better than required by local regulations?

Oh and I don't like pelicans. Have you ever had one crap on your car? The shit stinks and is hard to get rid of.

Reuters seems to think the 'consequences' are of an economic nature, pointing out that half of the countries with economies that gained global influence during recent times are boycotting the ceremony (with Brazil and India still attending).

With China and other foreign countries holding more that half of the US debt, such a development should put the US on notice. It appears that those countries that 'boycotted' the ceremonies have seen the writing on the wall: China matters, and matters big time.

Over in these United States, our politicians keep bickering about how to 'handle' the massive deficit all the while making it worse with every regime/administration.

Sad indeed. Just the other month, China and Russia plotted to dump the US currency. If this comes to fruition, all hell will break lose. Trust me on this.