Slashdot Mirror

Because the French tax electronics for artists' royalties.

"The digital video recorder revolution is on, with two players, Microsoft and Tivo, having emerged as the most likely candidates to dominate."

When they say Microsoft they are speaking of course of the "Ultimate Media Center" : The modded & hacked Xbox with 250gig hard disk and Xbox Media center, right?

;)


ps: Yeah, yeah I know for the recording, don't bother to point that out just to ruin my comment :)

So the device they are talking about is the Belkin n52.
You can see the mirror (thanks to JWSWythe) over at his /. link mirror.
And you can order it from any of these vendors.
There are numerous reviews of the device, including some at PC Mag, Extreme Review, and Tom's Hardware. For the lazy it receives rather good reviews when looked at for it's original gaming purpose.

Not sure if this is what you want:

• http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20020418/ index.html
• http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20030120/ index.html
• http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20021218/ index.html
• http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20031229/ index.html

Not sure if this is what you want:

• http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20020418/ index.html
• http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20030120/ index.html
• http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20021218/ index.html
• http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20031229/ index.html

Not sure if this is what you want:

• http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20020418/ index.html
• http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20030120/ index.html
• http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20021218/ index.html
• http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20031229/ index.html

Not sure if this is what you want:

• http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20020418/ index.html
• http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20030120/ index.html
• http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20021218/ index.html
• http://graphics.tomshardware.com/graphic/20031229/ index.html

I believe this company is offering the same sort of cable modularity as in the Antec NEOPOWER line (looks rather new):

http://www.antec.com/us/pro_details_powerSupply.ph p?ProdID=24480

The Antec version appears to have some interesting features, not the least of which is the fully open-back grill on the back of the unit. The dark brushing alumnium/steel finish is rather cool too. However, the Antec product does not offer the same sort of sleeved cables as the one in the originaly article. They are, instead, bundles of molex connectors -- two to three connectors per bundle.

Here's a flyer PDF link on the Antec product:

http://www.antec.com/pdf/flyers/NeoPower.pdf

Tom's Hardware also review this Antec product on July 20, 2004:

http://www.tomshardware.com/firstlook/20040720/ind ex.html

Also, if you're interested in EXTREME modular PSU options, visit Frozencpu.com and look under the Power Supplies area for a slew of their own customized PSUs with modularity options included. It's almost to a point of overkill, including plexiglass casings, UV wiring, LED fans, laser cut fan grills -- all for a friggin' power supply.

IronChefMorimoto

http://www.tomshardware.com/firstlook/20040720/ind ex.html

It's the NeoPower 480. Check Antec's site.

They just didn't astroturf it on slashdot.

It's a good thing for those who like good looks inside their PC, but I don't know if it will last. Those connectors cost money, reduce reliability (i.e. they break or fall out) and reduce efficiency due to increased resistance.

http://www.tomshardware.com/firstlook/20040720/ind ex.html

It has detachable cables, and only a single fan, so it's quieter.

Best of all, they aren't astroturfing on slashdot.

The P4EE was largely a marketing chip from the beginning - they squeezed it out just in time to take some of the thunder out of the newly released Athlon 64 back in September of last year.

http://www17.tomshardware.com/cpu/20030923/index.h tml

This largely stopped AMD from recapturing the performance crown, despite the fact that supplies of the P4EE were extremely tight, and the price was hugely non-competitive.

When I saw this gizmo originally on Tom's Hardware Defcon 12 review (posted on a /. article), I thought in deed it was clever but more so intriguing b/c it was slapped on to a rifle handle. I can just imagine bingo-ladies calling 911 when they see a bunch of lads driving around pointing this thing aimlessly out the window trying to snag a signal, if their team name "Bluedriving crew".

No doubt a solid way to get in trouble is to make something look like a weapon and walk around public with it, or to point one of them laser pointers at Bill Clinton at a next book signing (offtopic note: notice the stiff no-ass-grab-hug in that picture he has to do now).:P

The pic for this was posted on Tom's Hardware the other day. It was included in the article for DefCon.

Pictue and description of rifle here.

They've just got image poaching turned off. Go here. Scroll down (possibly to the pixellated hammer image) and hit refresh if needed. It looks surprisingly cool.

As far as the hammer... I'm sure it would work just fine as a close-range, permanent DoS tool.

Now if only the hacker community could put together a convention of sorts to tell us about neat toys like this, they could call it deft-con or something like that; then cheesy hardware site employees could attend and say its for work (tax-deductible trip to vegas?)C'mon Wired, its only DEFCON12, you'd hope that converage of that event would be their leading story.
Hmm... the linked article (i almost read it) didn't mention such an idea, only that the gun was tested in las vegas.

This was in the (/. linked) tomshardware coverage of defcon 12
on this page http://www.tomshardware.com/business/200408021/def con-05.html

and a video http://www.tomshardware.com/business/200408021/ima ges/bluesniper.zip

Now if only the hacker community could put together a convention of sorts to tell us about neat toys like this, they could call it deft-con or something like that; then cheesy hardware site employees could attend and say its for work (tax-deductible trip to vegas?)C'mon Wired, its only DEFCON12, you'd hope that converage of that event would be their leading story.
Hmm... the linked article (i almost read it) didn't mention such an idea, only that the gun was tested in las vegas.

This was in the (/. linked) tomshardware coverage of defcon 12
on this page http://www.tomshardware.com/business/200408021/def con-05.html

and a video http://www.tomshardware.com/business/200408021/ima ges/bluesniper.zip

Now if only the hacker community could put together a convention of sorts to tell us about neat toys like this, they could call it deft-con or something like that; then cheesy hardware site employees could attend and say its for work (tax-deductible trip to vegas?)C'mon Wired, its only DEFCON12, you'd hope that converage of that event would be their leading story.
Hmm... the linked article (i almost read it) didn't mention such an idea, only that the gun was tested in las vegas.

This was in the (/. linked) tomshardware coverage of defcon 12
on this page http://www.tomshardware.com/business/200408021/def con-05.html

and a video http://www.tomshardware.com/business/200408021/ima ges/bluesniper.zip

http://www.tomshardware.com/business/200408021/ima ges/bluesniper.jpg

Was covered in brief on tomshardware in a post on /. yestarday

It isn't a real sniper rifle It'd still make someone nervous if it was pointed at them I imagine . . .

You're right, here are the pictures.

His rates for various sized banners (pg 11) range from $10 - $120 CPM. Let's say, an average of $30. e runs 1-6 banners on some pages, so lets guess an average of 3. He has over 50 million impressions/month (pg 1 of his media kit). Very roughly, that's
(50MM imp/mo) * $100 CPM * (1M/1000IMP) = about 50M / year.

Super rough guesses like that make it seem to me Tomshardware is bigger than CraigsList's $25MM estimate. - though no doubt someone'll correct me in my math.

Uh what? The Celeron was orignally released using a nerfed Deschutes core(Pentium II, no, not the original Klamath) known as Covington. The first Celeron was a 266 mhz cpu with no l2 cache. Check this out if you don't believe me.

Later that day, I talked to the fed who got nabbed in that spot the fed video. He was running Kismet when he got called up. Others around him whispered "He can't be a fed, he's running Kismet". Don't be fooled. I think some of these fed types dig technology as much as any hacker.

The Bluesniper rifle by the guys at Flexilis is so cool - I built the bluetooth gear for them from the kits on my bluedriving.com site. And I had a chance to look through the scope at DefCon, but didn't get to bluesnipe anyone with it yet.

The Shmoo Group has another rad wireless sniper rifle they showed at DefCon. (I think the Flexilis guys got the bag on Shmoo this time for walking in the first day carrying the rifle.) Check out Shmoo's build-it instructions: LINK

--
Carbolic
www.bluedriving.com

continued from here

Bluetooth Vulnerabilities

Hackers have found many flaws with Bluetooth devices. As these devices gain in popularity, the public needs to be made aware of vulnerability issues with the various Bluetooth devices such as phones, PDAs and wireless headsets.

Three of the most interesting attacks were Bluesnarfing, Bluetracking and Bluebugging. Bluesnarfing is attacking the Bluetooth device, usually a phone, to rip out information. Hackers can obtain phonebooks, calendars and stored SMS messages.

Bluetracking is tracking a person's movement by tracking their Bluetooth device. All Bluetooth devices have a unique address, similar to a MAC address on computer network cards. By using special sensors or antennas you can see where a particular Bluetooth device pops up and record a person's movement. [an error occurred while processing this directive]

Bluebugging involves sending executable commands to the Bluetooth device. With the proper software, you could secretly turn on a phone and make it call you. Why is this important? You have just turned the phone into a listening device that can record without your target knowing it.

BlueSniper

IMG: bluesniper.jpg

When the Flexilis team walked in with their BlueSniper Bluetooth sniper, everyone wanted to know what this evil looking contraption could do. It looks like a mutant cross between a sniper rifle and Ghostbusters particle canon, complete with nuclear backpack. Thankfully, it is a very simple device that can do one thing well: find and attack Bluetooth devices from far away.

The BlueSniper is a rifle stock with a scope and yagi antenna attached. A cable attaches the antenna to the Bluetooth card, which can be in a PDA or laptop computer. The laptop can be carried in a backpack with the cables connecting into the backpack, giving it the Ghostbusters look.

The Flexilis teams demonstrated the gun with some home-brewed Bluetooth scanning software. They pointed the gun down the hallways and out windows. Almost instantly, vulnerable phones with their unique Bluetooth device numbers appeared on the laptop screen. The device is powerful enough to detect devices through building walls.

Video Interview

Here is a downloadable interview with the Flexilis team that designed the BlueSniper Bluetooth rifle

Video - 14.9 MB - 3 Minutes 16 seconds

Vendor Area

IMG: lockpicks.jpg

The vendor area had several stores that sold everything from lockpicks to funny shirts. Most everything was available as a cash-only purchase. There are no paper trails here.

Irvine Underground was selling all types of lockpicks and lockpicking manuals. They also had a practice lockpick area where attendees could try out their newly purchased picks.

IMG: shirts.jpg

Hackers wanting to proclaim their skills to the whole world could buy cool shirts and stickers at the Jinx.com booth.

IMG: stickers.jpg

Wi-Fi Shootout Contest

IMG: pad.jpg

Defcon had its second annual Wi-Fi Shootout contest. This contest pits teams against each other in the pursuit of the longest 802.11 link. Teams must be able to send a test message from laptop to laptop out in the searing Nevada desert. P.A.D. was the winning team with an amazing 55.1 mile successful link.

continued from here

Bluetooth Vulnerabilities

Hackers have found many flaws with Bluetooth devices. As these devices gain in popularity, the public needs to be made aware of vulnerability issues with the various Bluetooth devices such as phones, PDAs and wireless headsets.

Three of the most interesting attacks were Bluesnarfing, Bluetracking and Bluebugging. Bluesnarfing is attacking the Bluetooth device, usually a phone, to rip out information. Hackers can obtain phonebooks, calendars and stored SMS messages.

Bluetracking is tracking a person's movement by tracking their Bluetooth device. All Bluetooth devices have a unique address, similar to a MAC address on computer network cards. By using special sensors or antennas you can see where a particular Bluetooth device pops up and record a person's movement. [an error occurred while processing this directive]

Bluebugging involves sending executable commands to the Bluetooth device. With the proper software, you could secretly turn on a phone and make it call you. Why is this important? You have just turned the phone into a listening device that can record without your target knowing it.

BlueSniper

IMG: bluesniper.jpg

When the Flexilis team walked in with their BlueSniper Bluetooth sniper, everyone wanted to know what this evil looking contraption could do. It looks like a mutant cross between a sniper rifle and Ghostbusters particle canon, complete with nuclear backpack. Thankfully, it is a very simple device that can do one thing well: find and attack Bluetooth devices from far away.

The BlueSniper is a rifle stock with a scope and yagi antenna attached. A cable attaches the antenna to the Bluetooth card, which can be in a PDA or laptop computer. The laptop can be carried in a backpack with the cables connecting into the backpack, giving it the Ghostbusters look.

The Flexilis teams demonstrated the gun with some home-brewed Bluetooth scanning software. They pointed the gun down the hallways and out windows. Almost instantly, vulnerable phones with their unique Bluetooth device numbers appeared on the laptop screen. The device is powerful enough to detect devices through building walls.

Video Interview

Here is a downloadable interview with the Flexilis team that designed the BlueSniper Bluetooth rifle

Video - 14.9 MB - 3 Minutes 16 seconds

Vendor Area

IMG: lockpicks.jpg

The vendor area had several stores that sold everything from lockpicks to funny shirts. Most everything was available as a cash-only purchase. There are no paper trails here.

Irvine Underground was selling all types of lockpicks and lockpicking manuals. They also had a practice lockpick area where attendees could try out their newly purchased picks.

IMG: shirts.jpg

Hackers wanting to proclaim their skills to the whole world could buy cool shirts and stickers at the Jinx.com booth.

IMG: stickers.jpg

Wi-Fi Shootout Contest

IMG: pad.jpg

Defcon had its second annual Wi-Fi Shootout contest. This contest pits teams against each other in the pursuit of the longest 802.11 link. Teams must be able to send a test message from laptop to laptop out in the searing Nevada desert. P.A.D. was the winning team with an amazing 55.1 mile successful link.

continued from here

Bluetooth Vulnerabilities

Hackers have found many flaws with Bluetooth devices. As these devices gain in popularity, the public needs to be made aware of vulnerability issues with the various Bluetooth devices such as phones, PDAs and wireless headsets.

Three of the most interesting attacks were Bluesnarfing, Bluetracking and Bluebugging. Bluesnarfing is attacking the Bluetooth device, usually a phone, to rip out information. Hackers can obtain phonebooks, calendars and stored SMS messages.

Bluetracking is tracking a person's movement by tracking their Bluetooth device. All Bluetooth devices have a unique address, similar to a MAC address on computer network cards. By using special sensors or antennas you can see where a particular Bluetooth device pops up and record a person's movement. [an error occurred while processing this directive]

Bluebugging involves sending executable commands to the Bluetooth device. With the proper software, you could secretly turn on a phone and make it call you. Why is this important? You have just turned the phone into a listening device that can record without your target knowing it.

BlueSniper

IMG: bluesniper.jpg

When the Flexilis team walked in with their BlueSniper Bluetooth sniper, everyone wanted to know what this evil looking contraption could do. It looks like a mutant cross between a sniper rifle and Ghostbusters particle canon, complete with nuclear backpack. Thankfully, it is a very simple device that can do one thing well: find and attack Bluetooth devices from far away.

The BlueSniper is a rifle stock with a scope and yagi antenna attached. A cable attaches the antenna to the Bluetooth card, which can be in a PDA or laptop computer. The laptop can be carried in a backpack with the cables connecting into the backpack, giving it the Ghostbusters look.

The Flexilis teams demonstrated the gun with some home-brewed Bluetooth scanning software. They pointed the gun down the hallways and out windows. Almost instantly, vulnerable phones with their unique Bluetooth device numbers appeared on the laptop screen. The device is powerful enough to detect devices through building walls.

Video Interview

Here is a downloadable interview with the Flexilis team that designed the BlueSniper Bluetooth rifle

Video - 14.9 MB - 3 Minutes 16 seconds

Vendor Area

IMG: lockpicks.jpg

The vendor area had several stores that sold everything from lockpicks to funny shirts. Most everything was available as a cash-only purchase. There are no paper trails here.

Irvine Underground was selling all types of lockpicks and lockpicking manuals. They also had a practice lockpick area where attendees could try out their newly purchased picks.

IMG: shirts.jpg

Hackers wanting to proclaim their skills to the whole world could buy cool shirts and stickers at the Jinx.com booth.

IMG: stickers.jpg

Wi-Fi Shootout Contest

IMG: pad.jpg

Defcon had its second annual Wi-Fi Shootout contest. This contest pits teams against each other in the pursuit of the longest 802.11 link. Teams must be able to send a test message from laptop to laptop out in the searing Nevada desert. P.A.D. was the winning team with an amazing 55.1 mile successful link.

continued from here

Bluetooth Vulnerabilities

Hackers have found many flaws with Bluetooth devices. As these devices gain in popularity, the public needs to be made aware of vulnerability issues with the various Bluetooth devices such as phones, PDAs and wireless headsets.

Three of the most interesting attacks were Bluesnarfing, Bluetracking and Bluebugging. Bluesnarfing is attacking the Bluetooth device, usually a phone, to rip out information. Hackers can obtain phonebooks, calendars and stored SMS messages.

Bluetracking is tracking a person's movement by tracking their Bluetooth device. All Bluetooth devices have a unique address, similar to a MAC address on computer network cards. By using special sensors or antennas you can see where a particular Bluetooth device pops up and record a person's movement. [an error occurred while processing this directive]

Bluebugging involves sending executable commands to the Bluetooth device. With the proper software, you could secretly turn on a phone and make it call you. Why is this important? You have just turned the phone into a listening device that can record without your target knowing it.

BlueSniper

IMG: bluesniper.jpg

When the Flexilis team walked in with their BlueSniper Bluetooth sniper, everyone wanted to know what this evil looking contraption could do. It looks like a mutant cross between a sniper rifle and Ghostbusters particle canon, complete with nuclear backpack. Thankfully, it is a very simple device that can do one thing well: find and attack Bluetooth devices from far away.

The BlueSniper is a rifle stock with a scope and yagi antenna attached. A cable attaches the antenna to the Bluetooth card, which can be in a PDA or laptop computer. The laptop can be carried in a backpack with the cables connecting into the backpack, giving it the Ghostbusters look.

The Flexilis teams demonstrated the gun with some home-brewed Bluetooth scanning software. They pointed the gun down the hallways and out windows. Almost instantly, vulnerable phones with their unique Bluetooth device numbers appeared on the laptop screen. The device is powerful enough to detect devices through building walls.

Video Interview

Here is a downloadable interview with the Flexilis team that designed the BlueSniper Bluetooth rifle

Video - 14.9 MB - 3 Minutes 16 seconds

Vendor Area

IMG: lockpicks.jpg

The vendor area had several stores that sold everything from lockpicks to funny shirts. Most everything was available as a cash-only purchase. There are no paper trails here.

Irvine Underground was selling all types of lockpicks and lockpicking manuals. They also had a practice lockpick area where attendees could try out their newly purchased picks.

IMG: shirts.jpg

Hackers wanting to proclaim their skills to the whole world could buy cool shirts and stickers at the Jinx.com booth.

IMG: stickers.jpg

Wi-Fi Shootout Contest

IMG: pad.jpg

Defcon had its second annual Wi-Fi Shootout contest. This contest pits teams against each other in the pursuit of the longest 802.11 link. Teams must be able to send a test message from laptop to laptop out in the searing Nevada desert. P.A.D. was the winning team with an amazing 55.1 mile successful link.

continued from here

Bluetooth Vulnerabilities

Hackers have found many flaws with Bluetooth devices. As these devices gain in popularity, the public needs to be made aware of vulnerability issues with the various Bluetooth devices such as phones, PDAs and wireless headsets.

Three of the most interesting attacks were Bluesnarfing, Bluetracking and Bluebugging. Bluesnarfing is attacking the Bluetooth device, usually a phone, to rip out information. Hackers can obtain phonebooks, calendars and stored SMS messages.

Bluetracking is tracking a person's movement by tracking their Bluetooth device. All Bluetooth devices have a unique address, similar to a MAC address on computer network cards. By using special sensors or antennas you can see where a particular Bluetooth device pops up and record a person's movement. [an error occurred while processing this directive]

Bluebugging involves sending executable commands to the Bluetooth device. With the proper software, you could secretly turn on a phone and make it call you. Why is this important? You have just turned the phone into a listening device that can record without your target knowing it.

BlueSniper

IMG: bluesniper.jpg

When the Flexilis team walked in with their BlueSniper Bluetooth sniper, everyone wanted to know what this evil looking contraption could do. It looks like a mutant cross between a sniper rifle and Ghostbusters particle canon, complete with nuclear backpack. Thankfully, it is a very simple device that can do one thing well: find and attack Bluetooth devices from far away.

The BlueSniper is a rifle stock with a scope and yagi antenna attached. A cable attaches the antenna to the Bluetooth card, which can be in a PDA or laptop computer. The laptop can be carried in a backpack with the cables connecting into the backpack, giving it the Ghostbusters look.

The Flexilis teams demonstrated the gun with some home-brewed Bluetooth scanning software. They pointed the gun down the hallways and out windows. Almost instantly, vulnerable phones with their unique Bluetooth device numbers appeared on the laptop screen. The device is powerful enough to detect devices through building walls.

Video Interview

Here is a downloadable interview with the Flexilis team that designed the BlueSniper Bluetooth rifle

Video - 14.9 MB - 3 Minutes 16 seconds

Vendor Area

IMG: lockpicks.jpg

The vendor area had several stores that sold everything from lockpicks to funny shirts. Most everything was available as a cash-only purchase. There are no paper trails here.

Irvine Underground was selling all types of lockpicks and lockpicking manuals. They also had a practice lockpick area where attendees could try out their newly purchased picks.

IMG: shirts.jpg

Hackers wanting to proclaim their skills to the whole world could buy cool shirts and stickers at the Jinx.com booth.

IMG: stickers.jpg

Wi-Fi Shootout Contest

IMG: pad.jpg

Defcon had its second annual Wi-Fi Shootout contest. This contest pits teams against each other in the pursuit of the longest 802.11 link. Teams must be able to send a test message from laptop to laptop out in the searing Nevada desert. P.A.D. was the winning team with an amazing 55.1 mile successful link.

continued from here

Bluetooth Vulnerabilities

Hackers have found many flaws with Bluetooth devices. As these devices gain in popularity, the public needs to be made aware of vulnerability issues with the various Bluetooth devices such as phones, PDAs and wireless headsets.

Three of the most interesting attacks were Bluesnarfing, Bluetracking and Bluebugging. Bluesnarfing is attacking the Bluetooth device, usually a phone, to rip out information. Hackers can obtain phonebooks, calendars and stored SMS messages.

Bluetracking is tracking a person's movement by tracking their Bluetooth device. All Bluetooth devices have a unique address, similar to a MAC address on computer network cards. By using special sensors or antennas you can see where a particular Bluetooth device pops up and record a person's movement. [an error occurred while processing this directive]

Bluebugging involves sending executable commands to the Bluetooth device. With the proper software, you could secretly turn on a phone and make it call you. Why is this important? You have just turned the phone into a listening device that can record without your target knowing it.

BlueSniper

IMG: bluesniper.jpg

When the Flexilis team walked in with their BlueSniper Bluetooth sniper, everyone wanted to know what this evil looking contraption could do. It looks like a mutant cross between a sniper rifle and Ghostbusters particle canon, complete with nuclear backpack. Thankfully, it is a very simple device that can do one thing well: find and attack Bluetooth devices from far away.

The BlueSniper is a rifle stock with a scope and yagi antenna attached. A cable attaches the antenna to the Bluetooth card, which can be in a PDA or laptop computer. The laptop can be carried in a backpack with the cables connecting into the backpack, giving it the Ghostbusters look.

The Flexilis teams demonstrated the gun with some home-brewed Bluetooth scanning software. They pointed the gun down the hallways and out windows. Almost instantly, vulnerable phones with their unique Bluetooth device numbers appeared on the laptop screen. The device is powerful enough to detect devices through building walls.

Video Interview

Here is a downloadable interview with the Flexilis team that designed the BlueSniper Bluetooth rifle

Video - 14.9 MB - 3 Minutes 16 seconds

Vendor Area

IMG: lockpicks.jpg

The vendor area had several stores that sold everything from lockpicks to funny shirts. Most everything was available as a cash-only purchase. There are no paper trails here.

Irvine Underground was selling all types of lockpicks and lockpicking manuals. They also had a practice lockpick area where attendees could try out their newly purchased picks.

IMG: shirts.jpg

Hackers wanting to proclaim their skills to the whole world could buy cool shirts and stickers at the Jinx.com booth.

IMG: stickers.jpg

Wi-Fi Shootout Contest

IMG: pad.jpg

Defcon had its second annual Wi-Fi Shootout contest. This contest pits teams against each other in the pursuit of the longest 802.11 link. Teams must be able to send a test message from laptop to laptop out in the searing Nevada desert. P.A.D. was the winning team with an amazing 55.1 mile successful link.

continued from here Bluetooth Vulnerabilities Hackers have found many flaws with Bluetooth devices. As these devices gain in popularity, the public needs to be made aware of vulnerability issues with the various Bluetooth devices such as phones, PDAs and wireless headsets. Three of the most interesting attacks were Bluesnarfing, Bluetracking and Bluebugging. Bluesnarfing is attacking the Bluetooth device, usually a phone, to rip out information. Hackers can obtain phonebooks, calendars and stored SMS messages. Bluetracking is tracking a person's movement by tracking their Bluetooth device. All Bluetooth devices have a unique address, similar to a MAC address on computer network cards. By using special sensors or antennas you can see where a particular Bluetooth device pops up and record a person's movement. [an error occurred while processing this directive] Bluebugging involves sending executable commands to the Bluetooth device. With the proper software, you could secretly turn on a phone and make it call you. Why is this important? You have just turned the phone into a listening device that can record without your target knowing it. BlueSniper IMG: bluesniper.jpg When the Flexilis team walked in with their BlueSniper Bluetooth sniper, everyone wanted to know what this evil looking contraption could do. It looks like a mutant cross between a sniper rifle and Ghostbusters particle canon, complete with nuclear backpack. Thankfully, it is a very simple device that can do one thing well: find and attack Bluetooth devices from far away. The BlueSniper is a rifle stock with a scope and yagi antenna attached. A cable attaches the antenna to the Bluetooth card, which can be in a PDA or laptop computer. The laptop can be carried in a backpack with the cables connecting into the backpack, giving it the Ghostbusters look. The Flexilis teams demonstrated the gun with some home-brewed Bluetooth scanning software. They pointed the gun down the hallways and out windows. Almost instantly, vulnerable phones with their unique Bluetooth device numbers appeared on the laptop screen. The device is powerful enough to detect devices through building walls. Video Interview Here is a downloadable interview with the Flexilis team that designed the BlueSniper Bluetooth rifle Video - 14.9 MB - 3 Minutes 16 seconds Vendor Area IMG: lockpicks.jpg The vendor area had several stores that sold everything from lockpicks to funny shirts. Most everything was available as a cash-only purchase. There are no paper trails here. Irvine Underground was selling all types of lockpicks and lockpicking manuals. They also had a practice lockpick area where attendees could try out their newly purchased picks. IMG: shirts.jpg Hackers wanting to proclaim their skills to the whole world could buy cool shirts and stickers at the Jinx.com booth. IMG: stickers.jpg Wi-Fi Shootout Contest IMG: pad.jpg Defcon had its second annual Wi-Fi Shootout contest. This contest pits teams against each other in the pursuit of the longest 802.11 link. Teams must be able to send a test message from laptop to laptop out in the searing Nevada desert. P.A.D. was the winning team with an amazing 55.1 mile successful link. This was done with regular Wi-Fi cards and no amplifier. The team said that they could have probably gone a longer distance, but they ran out of road to drive. [an error oc

continued from here Bluetooth Vulnerabilities Hackers have found many flaws with Bluetooth devices. As these devices gain in popularity, the public needs to be made aware of vulnerability issues with the various Bluetooth devices such as phones, PDAs and wireless headsets. Three of the most interesting attacks were Bluesnarfing, Bluetracking and Bluebugging. Bluesnarfing is attacking the Bluetooth device, usually a phone, to rip out information. Hackers can obtain phonebooks, calendars and stored SMS messages. Bluetracking is tracking a person's movement by tracking their Bluetooth device. All Bluetooth devices have a unique address, similar to a MAC address on computer network cards. By using special sensors or antennas you can see where a particular Bluetooth device pops up and record a person's movement. [an error occurred while processing this directive] Bluebugging involves sending executable commands to the Bluetooth device. With the proper software, you could secretly turn on a phone and make it call you. Why is this important? You have just turned the phone into a listening device that can record without your target knowing it. BlueSniper IMG: bluesniper.jpg When the Flexilis team walked in with their BlueSniper Bluetooth sniper, everyone wanted to know what this evil looking contraption could do. It looks like a mutant cross between a sniper rifle and Ghostbusters particle canon, complete with nuclear backpack. Thankfully, it is a very simple device that can do one thing well: find and attack Bluetooth devices from far away. The BlueSniper is a rifle stock with a scope and yagi antenna attached. A cable attaches the antenna to the Bluetooth card, which can be in a PDA or laptop computer. The laptop can be carried in a backpack with the cables connecting into the backpack, giving it the Ghostbusters look. The Flexilis teams demonstrated the gun with some home-brewed Bluetooth scanning software. They pointed the gun down the hallways and out windows. Almost instantly, vulnerable phones with their unique Bluetooth device numbers appeared on the laptop screen. The device is powerful enough to detect devices through building walls. Video Interview Here is a downloadable interview with the Flexilis team that designed the BlueSniper Bluetooth rifle Video - 14.9 MB - 3 Minutes 16 seconds Vendor Area IMG: lockpicks.jpg The vendor area had several stores that sold everything from lockpicks to funny shirts. Most everything was available as a cash-only purchase. There are no paper trails here. Irvine Underground was selling all types of lockpicks and lockpicking manuals. They also had a practice lockpick area where attendees could try out their newly purchased picks. IMG: shirts.jpg Hackers wanting to proclaim their skills to the whole world could buy cool shirts and stickers at the Jinx.com booth. IMG: stickers.jpg Wi-Fi Shootout Contest IMG: pad.jpg Defcon had its second annual Wi-Fi Shootout contest. This contest pits teams against each other in the pursuit of the longest 802.11 link. Teams must be able to send a test message from laptop to laptop out in the searing Nevada desert. P.A.D. was the winning team with an amazing 55.1 mile successful link. This was done with regular Wi-Fi cards and no amplifier. The team said that they could have probably gone a longer distance, but they ran out of road to drive. [an error oc

continued from here Bluetooth Vulnerabilities Hackers have found many flaws with Bluetooth devices. As these devices gain in popularity, the public needs to be made aware of vulnerability issues with the various Bluetooth devices such as phones, PDAs and wireless headsets. Three of the most interesting attacks were Bluesnarfing, Bluetracking and Bluebugging. Bluesnarfing is attacking the Bluetooth device, usually a phone, to rip out information. Hackers can obtain phonebooks, calendars and stored SMS messages. Bluetracking is tracking a person's movement by tracking their Bluetooth device. All Bluetooth devices have a unique address, similar to a MAC address on computer network cards. By using special sensors or antennas you can see where a particular Bluetooth device pops up and record a person's movement. [an error occurred while processing this directive] Bluebugging involves sending executable commands to the Bluetooth device. With the proper software, you could secretly turn on a phone and make it call you. Why is this important? You have just turned the phone into a listening device that can record without your target knowing it. BlueSniper IMG: bluesniper.jpg When the Flexilis team walked in with their BlueSniper Bluetooth sniper, everyone wanted to know what this evil looking contraption could do. It looks like a mutant cross between a sniper rifle and Ghostbusters particle canon, complete with nuclear backpack. Thankfully, it is a very simple device that can do one thing well: find and attack Bluetooth devices from far away. The BlueSniper is a rifle stock with a scope and yagi antenna attached. A cable attaches the antenna to the Bluetooth card, which can be in a PDA or laptop computer. The laptop can be carried in a backpack with the cables connecting into the backpack, giving it the Ghostbusters look. The Flexilis teams demonstrated the gun with some home-brewed Bluetooth scanning software. They pointed the gun down the hallways and out windows. Almost instantly, vulnerable phones with their unique Bluetooth device numbers appeared on the laptop screen. The device is powerful enough to detect devices through building walls. Video Interview Here is a downloadable interview with the Flexilis team that designed the BlueSniper Bluetooth rifle Video - 14.9 MB - 3 Minutes 16 seconds Vendor Area IMG: lockpicks.jpg The vendor area had several stores that sold everything from lockpicks to funny shirts. Most everything was available as a cash-only purchase. There are no paper trails here. Irvine Underground was selling all types of lockpicks and lockpicking manuals. They also had a practice lockpick area where attendees could try out their newly purchased picks. IMG: shirts.jpg Hackers wanting to proclaim their skills to the whole world could buy cool shirts and stickers at the Jinx.com booth. IMG: stickers.jpg Wi-Fi Shootout Contest IMG: pad.jpg Defcon had its second annual Wi-Fi Shootout contest. This contest pits teams against each other in the pursuit of the longest 802.11 link. Teams must be able to send a test message from laptop to laptop out in the searing Nevada desert. P.A.D. was the winning team with an amazing 55.1 mile successful link. This was done with regular Wi-Fi cards and no amplifier. The team said that they could have probably gone a longer distance, but they ran out of road to drive. [an error oc

continued from here Bluetooth Vulnerabilities Hackers have found many flaws with Bluetooth devices. As these devices gain in popularity, the public needs to be made aware of vulnerability issues with the various Bluetooth devices such as phones, PDAs and wireless headsets. Three of the most interesting attacks were Bluesnarfing, Bluetracking and Bluebugging. Bluesnarfing is attacking the Bluetooth device, usually a phone, to rip out information. Hackers can obtain phonebooks, calendars and stored SMS messages. Bluetracking is tracking a person's movement by tracking their Bluetooth device. All Bluetooth devices have a unique address, similar to a MAC address on computer network cards. By using special sensors or antennas you can see where a particular Bluetooth device pops up and record a person's movement. [an error occurred while processing this directive] Bluebugging involves sending executable commands to the Bluetooth device. With the proper software, you could secretly turn on a phone and make it call you. Why is this important? You have just turned the phone into a listening device that can record without your target knowing it. BlueSniper IMG: bluesniper.jpg When the Flexilis team walked in with their BlueSniper Bluetooth sniper, everyone wanted to know what this evil looking contraption could do. It looks like a mutant cross between a sniper rifle and Ghostbusters particle canon, complete with nuclear backpack. Thankfully, it is a very simple device that can do one thing well: find and attack Bluetooth devices from far away. The BlueSniper is a rifle stock with a scope and yagi antenna attached. A cable attaches the antenna to the Bluetooth card, which can be in a PDA or laptop computer. The laptop can be carried in a backpack with the cables connecting into the backpack, giving it the Ghostbusters look. The Flexilis teams demonstrated the gun with some home-brewed Bluetooth scanning software. They pointed the gun down the hallways and out windows. Almost instantly, vulnerable phones with their unique Bluetooth device numbers appeared on the laptop screen. The device is powerful enough to detect devices through building walls. Video Interview Here is a downloadable interview with the Flexilis team that designed the BlueSniper Bluetooth rifle Video - 14.9 MB - 3 Minutes 16 seconds Vendor Area IMG: lockpicks.jpg The vendor area had several stores that sold everything from lockpicks to funny shirts. Most everything was available as a cash-only purchase. There are no paper trails here. Irvine Underground was selling all types of lockpicks and lockpicking manuals. They also had a practice lockpick area where attendees could try out their newly purchased picks. IMG: shirts.jpg Hackers wanting to proclaim their skills to the whole world could buy cool shirts and stickers at the Jinx.com booth. IMG: stickers.jpg Wi-Fi Shootout Contest IMG: pad.jpg Defcon had its second annual Wi-Fi Shootout contest. This contest pits teams against each other in the pursuit of the longest 802.11 link. Teams must be able to send a test message from laptop to laptop out in the searing Nevada desert. P.A.D. was the winning team with an amazing 55.1 mile successful link. This was done with regular Wi-Fi cards and no amplifier. The team said that they could have probably gone a longer distance, but they ran out of road to drive. [an error oc

continued from here Bluetooth Vulnerabilities Hackers have found many flaws with Bluetooth devices. As these devices gain in popularity, the public needs to be made aware of vulnerability issues with the various Bluetooth devices such as phones, PDAs and wireless headsets. Three of the most interesting attacks were Bluesnarfing, Bluetracking and Bluebugging. Bluesnarfing is attacking the Bluetooth device, usually a phone, to rip out information. Hackers can obtain phonebooks, calendars and stored SMS messages. Bluetracking is tracking a person's movement by tracking their Bluetooth device. All Bluetooth devices have a unique address, similar to a MAC address on computer network cards. By using special sensors or antennas you can see where a particular Bluetooth device pops up and record a person's movement. [an error occurred while processing this directive] Bluebugging involves sending executable commands to the Bluetooth device. With the proper software, you could secretly turn on a phone and make it call you. Why is this important? You have just turned the phone into a listening device that can record without your target knowing it. BlueSniper IMG: bluesniper.jpg When the Flexilis team walked in with their BlueSniper Bluetooth sniper, everyone wanted to know what this evil looking contraption could do. It looks like a mutant cross between a sniper rifle and Ghostbusters particle canon, complete with nuclear backpack. Thankfully, it is a very simple device that can do one thing well: find and attack Bluetooth devices from far away. The BlueSniper is a rifle stock with a scope and yagi antenna attached. A cable attaches the antenna to the Bluetooth card, which can be in a PDA or laptop computer. The laptop can be carried in a backpack with the cables connecting into the backpack, giving it the Ghostbusters look. The Flexilis teams demonstrated the gun with some home-brewed Bluetooth scanning software. They pointed the gun down the hallways and out windows. Almost instantly, vulnerable phones with their unique Bluetooth device numbers appeared on the laptop screen. The device is powerful enough to detect devices through building walls. Video Interview Here is a downloadable interview with the Flexilis team that designed the BlueSniper Bluetooth rifle Video - 14.9 MB - 3 Minutes 16 seconds Vendor Area IMG: lockpicks.jpg The vendor area had several stores that sold everything from lockpicks to funny shirts. Most everything was available as a cash-only purchase. There are no paper trails here. Irvine Underground was selling all types of lockpicks and lockpicking manuals. They also had a practice lockpick area where attendees could try out their newly purchased picks. IMG: shirts.jpg Hackers wanting to proclaim their skills to the whole world could buy cool shirts and stickers at the Jinx.com booth. IMG: stickers.jpg Wi-Fi Shootout Contest IMG: pad.jpg Defcon had its second annual Wi-Fi Shootout contest. This contest pits teams against each other in the pursuit of the longest 802.11 link. Teams must be able to send a test message from laptop to laptop out in the searing Nevada desert. P.A.D. was the winning team with an amazing 55.1 mile successful link. This was done with regular Wi-Fi cards and no amplifier. The team said that they could have probably gone a longer distance, but they ran out of road to drive. [an error oc

continued from here Bluetooth Vulnerabilities Hackers have found many flaws with Bluetooth devices. As these devices gain in popularity, the public needs to be made aware of vulnerability issues with the various Bluetooth devices such as phones, PDAs and wireless headsets. Three of the most interesting attacks were Bluesnarfing, Bluetracking and Bluebugging. Bluesnarfing is attacking the Bluetooth device, usually a phone, to rip out information. Hackers can obtain phonebooks, calendars and stored SMS messages. Bluetracking is tracking a person's movement by tracking their Bluetooth device. All Bluetooth devices have a unique address, similar to a MAC address on computer network cards. By using special sensors or antennas you can see where a particular Bluetooth device pops up and record a person's movement. [an error occurred while processing this directive] Bluebugging involves sending executable commands to the Bluetooth device. With the proper software, you could secretly turn on a phone and make it call you. Why is this important? You have just turned the phone into a listening device that can record without your target knowing it. BlueSniper IMG: bluesniper.jpg When the Flexilis team walked in with their BlueSniper Bluetooth sniper, everyone wanted to know what this evil looking contraption could do. It looks like a mutant cross between a sniper rifle and Ghostbusters particle canon, complete with nuclear backpack. Thankfully, it is a very simple device that can do one thing well: find and attack Bluetooth devices from far away. The BlueSniper is a rifle stock with a scope and yagi antenna attached. A cable attaches the antenna to the Bluetooth card, which can be in a PDA or laptop computer. The laptop can be carried in a backpack with the cables connecting into the backpack, giving it the Ghostbusters look. The Flexilis teams demonstrated the gun with some home-brewed Bluetooth scanning software. They pointed the gun down the hallways and out windows. Almost instantly, vulnerable phones with their unique Bluetooth device numbers appeared on the laptop screen. The device is powerful enough to detect devices through building walls. Video Interview Here is a downloadable interview with the Flexilis team that designed the BlueSniper Bluetooth rifle Video - 14.9 MB - 3 Minutes 16 seconds Vendor Area IMG: lockpicks.jpg The vendor area had several stores that sold everything from lockpicks to funny shirts. Most everything was available as a cash-only purchase. There are no paper trails here. Irvine Underground was selling all types of lockpicks and lockpicking manuals. They also had a practice lockpick area where attendees could try out their newly purchased picks. IMG: shirts.jpg Hackers wanting to proclaim their skills to the whole world could buy cool shirts and stickers at the Jinx.com booth. IMG: stickers.jpg Wi-Fi Shootout Contest IMG: pad.jpg Defcon had its second annual Wi-Fi Shootout contest. This contest pits teams against each other in the pursuit of the longest 802.11 link. Teams must be able to send a test message from laptop to laptop out in the searing Nevada desert. P.A.D. was the winning team with an amazing 55.1 mile successful link. This was done with regular Wi-Fi cards and no amplifier. The team said that they could have probably gone a longer distance, but they ran out of road to drive. [an error oc

Yup, slashdotted. Here's what I've been able to read so far.

The 12th annual Defcon hacker convention was held at the Alexis Park Hotel in Las Vegas Nevada. For three days, hackers exchanged ideas, presented new and sometimes scary information and partied hard. More than a hundred speakers gave dozens of talks on computer security, hacking and privacy issues.

For a mere $80 attendees received access to the talks, contests and the after-hours parties. In this article we will cover some of the more interesting contests and give you an overall feel for the convention so that you can decide whether you want to attend next year. Three download videos are included. [an error occurred while processing this directive]

Wall of Sheep

IMG: sheep1.jpg

The Wall of Sheep is a projector screen that displays captured usernames and passwords. The Wall, which originally was named as the Wall of Shame, is a time-honored tradition at Defcon where a loose knit group of people continuously sniffs the network for any plaintext usernames and passwords on the wired and wireless networks. Since this is a hacker convention, attendees using the Defcon network should protect their logins by using VPN, SSH or other encryption technology. Some attendees apparently didn't get the message.

In the first few years, the usernames and passwords were written on paper plates and then taped to the wall. As the number of passwords found grew, a better solution had to be found. A computer security engineer, named "Riverside", wrote the Wall of Sheep software from scratch. He also was one of the original people who started the Wall. The usernames and passwords cycle up and down so people can see all the information gathered since the start of the convention. In addition only the first three characters of the password are shown in order to protect the privacy of the user.

Riverside said that some people have been so ignorant in using the wireless at Defcon. He gave several examples of people who had their passwords intercepted, who then tried to change their passwords on the same insecure network, only to have the information intercepted again! Riverside examines all the new attacks at Defcon and then implements a defense at his daytime job.

About 200-500 passwords are found every year at Defcon. The typical passwords are email, FTP and other login passwords.

IMG: sheep2.jpg

This year, someone was dumb enough to email their tax returns in .PDF format at the convention. This traffic was immediately intercepted and the above humorous message was displayed on the projector. Also another person was emailing people asking how to get a fake ID. This was also intercepted and displayed. I have blacked out some identifying information to protect the users' privacy. [an error occurred while processing this directive]

As Riverside explains, "The Wall has shown people the importance of using encryption, not just at Defcon but in all network traffic. I have had security experts who have attended Black Hat, SANS and other conventions thank me for showing them how vulnerable their traffic was."

Video

Here is a downloadable video of the Wall of Sheep in action.

Wall of Sheep video - 1.4 MB - 1 Minute 24 Seconds

Spot The Fed

IMG: spotthefed.jpg

Another time-honored tradition at Defcon is the "Spot the Fed" contest. Attendees win shirts for spotting federal agents in the crowd. Most of the time the Feds are very easy to spot as they generally appear healthier and wear a more conservative style of clothing than the normal Defcon attendee.

At the beginning of a ta

Yup, slashdotted. Here's what I've been able to read so far.

The 12th annual Defcon hacker convention was held at the Alexis Park Hotel in Las Vegas Nevada. For three days, hackers exchanged ideas, presented new and sometimes scary information and partied hard. More than a hundred speakers gave dozens of talks on computer security, hacking and privacy issues.

For a mere $80 attendees received access to the talks, contests and the after-hours parties. In this article we will cover some of the more interesting contests and give you an overall feel for the convention so that you can decide whether you want to attend next year. Three download videos are included. [an error occurred while processing this directive]

Wall of Sheep

IMG: sheep1.jpg

The Wall of Sheep is a projector screen that displays captured usernames and passwords. The Wall, which originally was named as the Wall of Shame, is a time-honored tradition at Defcon where a loose knit group of people continuously sniffs the network for any plaintext usernames and passwords on the wired and wireless networks. Since this is a hacker convention, attendees using the Defcon network should protect their logins by using VPN, SSH or other encryption technology. Some attendees apparently didn't get the message.

In the first few years, the usernames and passwords were written on paper plates and then taped to the wall. As the number of passwords found grew, a better solution had to be found. A computer security engineer, named "Riverside", wrote the Wall of Sheep software from scratch. He also was one of the original people who started the Wall. The usernames and passwords cycle up and down so people can see all the information gathered since the start of the convention. In addition only the first three characters of the password are shown in order to protect the privacy of the user.

Riverside said that some people have been so ignorant in using the wireless at Defcon. He gave several examples of people who had their passwords intercepted, who then tried to change their passwords on the same insecure network, only to have the information intercepted again! Riverside examines all the new attacks at Defcon and then implements a defense at his daytime job.

About 200-500 passwords are found every year at Defcon. The typical passwords are email, FTP and other login passwords.

IMG: sheep2.jpg

This year, someone was dumb enough to email their tax returns in .PDF format at the convention. This traffic was immediately intercepted and the above humorous message was displayed on the projector. Also another person was emailing people asking how to get a fake ID. This was also intercepted and displayed. I have blacked out some identifying information to protect the users' privacy. [an error occurred while processing this directive]

As Riverside explains, "The Wall has shown people the importance of using encryption, not just at Defcon but in all network traffic. I have had security experts who have attended Black Hat, SANS and other conventions thank me for showing them how vulnerable their traffic was."

Video

Here is a downloadable video of the Wall of Sheep in action.

Wall of Sheep video - 1.4 MB - 1 Minute 24 Seconds

Spot The Fed

IMG: spotthefed.jpg

Another time-honored tradition at Defcon is the "Spot the Fed" contest. Attendees win shirts for spotting federal agents in the crowd. Most of the time the Feds are very easy to spot as they generally appear healthier and wear a more conservative style of clothing than the normal Defcon attendee.

At the beginning of a ta

Yup, slashdotted. Here's what I've been able to read so far.

The 12th annual Defcon hacker convention was held at the Alexis Park Hotel in Las Vegas Nevada. For three days, hackers exchanged ideas, presented new and sometimes scary information and partied hard. More than a hundred speakers gave dozens of talks on computer security, hacking and privacy issues.

For a mere $80 attendees received access to the talks, contests and the after-hours parties. In this article we will cover some of the more interesting contests and give you an overall feel for the convention so that you can decide whether you want to attend next year. Three download videos are included. [an error occurred while processing this directive]

Wall of Sheep

IMG: sheep1.jpg

The Wall of Sheep is a projector screen that displays captured usernames and passwords. The Wall, which originally was named as the Wall of Shame, is a time-honored tradition at Defcon where a loose knit group of people continuously sniffs the network for any plaintext usernames and passwords on the wired and wireless networks. Since this is a hacker convention, attendees using the Defcon network should protect their logins by using VPN, SSH or other encryption technology. Some attendees apparently didn't get the message.

In the first few years, the usernames and passwords were written on paper plates and then taped to the wall. As the number of passwords found grew, a better solution had to be found. A computer security engineer, named "Riverside", wrote the Wall of Sheep software from scratch. He also was one of the original people who started the Wall. The usernames and passwords cycle up and down so people can see all the information gathered since the start of the convention. In addition only the first three characters of the password are shown in order to protect the privacy of the user.

Riverside said that some people have been so ignorant in using the wireless at Defcon. He gave several examples of people who had their passwords intercepted, who then tried to change their passwords on the same insecure network, only to have the information intercepted again! Riverside examines all the new attacks at Defcon and then implements a defense at his daytime job.

About 200-500 passwords are found every year at Defcon. The typical passwords are email, FTP and other login passwords.

IMG: sheep2.jpg

This year, someone was dumb enough to email their tax returns in .PDF format at the convention. This traffic was immediately intercepted and the above humorous message was displayed on the projector. Also another person was emailing people asking how to get a fake ID. This was also intercepted and displayed. I have blacked out some identifying information to protect the users' privacy. [an error occurred while processing this directive]

As Riverside explains, "The Wall has shown people the importance of using encryption, not just at Defcon but in all network traffic. I have had security experts who have attended Black Hat, SANS and other conventions thank me for showing them how vulnerable their traffic was."

Video

Here is a downloadable video of the Wall of Sheep in action.

Wall of Sheep video - 1.4 MB - 1 Minute 24 Seconds

Spot The Fed

IMG: spotthefed.jpg

Another time-honored tradition at Defcon is the "Spot the Fed" contest. Attendees win shirts for spotting federal agents in the crowd. Most of the time the Feds are very easy to spot as they generally appear healthier and wear a more conservative style of clothing than the normal Defcon attendee.

At the beginning of a ta

Yup, slashdotted. Here's what I've been able to read so far.

The 12th annual Defcon hacker convention was held at the Alexis Park Hotel in Las Vegas Nevada. For three days, hackers exchanged ideas, presented new and sometimes scary information and partied hard. More than a hundred speakers gave dozens of talks on computer security, hacking and privacy issues.

For a mere $80 attendees received access to the talks, contests and the after-hours parties. In this article we will cover some of the more interesting contests and give you an overall feel for the convention so that you can decide whether you want to attend next year. Three download videos are included. [an error occurred while processing this directive]

Wall of Sheep

IMG: sheep1.jpg

The Wall of Sheep is a projector screen that displays captured usernames and passwords. The Wall, which originally was named as the Wall of Shame, is a time-honored tradition at Defcon where a loose knit group of people continuously sniffs the network for any plaintext usernames and passwords on the wired and wireless networks. Since this is a hacker convention, attendees using the Defcon network should protect their logins by using VPN, SSH or other encryption technology. Some attendees apparently didn't get the message.

In the first few years, the usernames and passwords were written on paper plates and then taped to the wall. As the number of passwords found grew, a better solution had to be found. A computer security engineer, named "Riverside", wrote the Wall of Sheep software from scratch. He also was one of the original people who started the Wall. The usernames and passwords cycle up and down so people can see all the information gathered since the start of the convention. In addition only the first three characters of the password are shown in order to protect the privacy of the user.

Riverside said that some people have been so ignorant in using the wireless at Defcon. He gave several examples of people who had their passwords intercepted, who then tried to change their passwords on the same insecure network, only to have the information intercepted again! Riverside examines all the new attacks at Defcon and then implements a defense at his daytime job.

About 200-500 passwords are found every year at Defcon. The typical passwords are email, FTP and other login passwords.

IMG: sheep2.jpg

This year, someone was dumb enough to email their tax returns in .PDF format at the convention. This traffic was immediately intercepted and the above humorous message was displayed on the projector. Also another person was emailing people asking how to get a fake ID. This was also intercepted and displayed. I have blacked out some identifying information to protect the users' privacy. [an error occurred while processing this directive]

As Riverside explains, "The Wall has shown people the importance of using encryption, not just at Defcon but in all network traffic. I have had security experts who have attended Black Hat, SANS and other conventions thank me for showing them how vulnerable their traffic was."

Video

Here is a downloadable video of the Wall of Sheep in action.

Wall of Sheep video - 1.4 MB - 1 Minute 24 Seconds

Spot The Fed

IMG: spotthefed.jpg

Another time-honored tradition at Defcon is the "Spot the Fed" contest. Attendees win shirts for spotting federal agents in the crowd. Most of the time the Feds are very easy to spot as they generally appear healthier and wear a more conservative style of clothing than the normal Defcon attendee.

At the beginning of a ta

The Celeron is a severly crippled chip, unlike the Duron, which is a respectably performing budget processor. It only has 128KB cache, which is CPU sucide on a P4 core...One would be much better of with an Athlon XP, Duron, or a slow P4 as a budget processor.

Tom's Hardware reviewed a Celeron M notebook and, unlike the old P4-based desktop Celeron (128KB L2 cache), it is not at all crippled. Here's a link to the review: Does Everything Have To Be A Centrino? Intel says "No"!

Unfortunately, Celeron M notebooks aren't as cheap as notebooks with cheap desktop chips. The HP Compaq nx9020 (1.3GHz Celeron M) "starts at" $800, but that's with Intel integrated graphics, CD-ROM, and 128MB of shared memory. But for those that want a budget laptop with high performance, low power, and thin-and-light dimensions, a Celeron M is probably well worth the extra money.

Just a question but how will sound clips make the pci bus suffer? The normal pci bus has a bandwidth of about 133MBps. a sound file encoded in raw pcm like a wav file will consume 96KBps if encoded in 16bit/48khz. Now even if you had 256 sound files playing at once (nice 8 bit limit) the bandwidth would be about 25MBps or less then a quarter of standard PCI 32bit/33mhz can in theory supply. If you counterd with 24bit/96khz or even 192khz then maybe PCI 32bit/33mhz is a little too slow. But PCIX (NOT to be confused with the new serialized PCI Express!) can run at up to 133mhz and its 64bit. That works out to a little over 1 GIGABYTE per second! More then you might need.

As for your "someone" suggesting fiber channel, forget about it. Fiber channel is excellent when you need to network your storage in a large data center or mass file storage. It is nearly electrically identical to gigabit ethernet in terms of the physical layer. Its top speed would be about 100MBps in ideal conditions which is slightly slower then PCI 32bit/33mhz.

Now as for your wish for PCI Express x16 raid cards, there is no cheap way you could saturate that port using common PC desktop/workstation/server hardware. Its throughput in each direction is about 4.2GBps which is more then any one desktop system would need for mass storage.

Now what would I reccomend? A raidcore controller. Read the review over at toms hardware: http://www6.tomshardware.com/storage/20031114/inde x.html
Its cheap compared to adaptec and 3ware and has overall better preformance. PLus you can cascade controllers to add more drived to an array. It will run in a PCIX slot which can run at 66mhz(~533MBps), 100mhz(~800MBps) and 133mhz(~1064MBps). Using a few good WD 7200rpm disks you can create a seriously fast and fat raid array for hundreds or thousands less then a fibre channel setup. Then for backup Maybe an Iomega REV drive (35GB).

AMD's Sempron

It was ordered last week and already paid for so hopefully the parts will arrive this saturday :-) It should be screaming fast since I used toms hardware to hand select all the best performing parts I could afford. Highly recommended next time you upgrade, spend a few hours on Toms' to work out the best system components *before* you buy them. Man, I can't wait to take her for a spin 8->

Contrary to the original plans, the AGP versions of the card...will carry a dual-slot cooling solution.

This is also simply wrong, the 5900XT is the best bang-for-the-buck on the market.

Ummmm...from what source did you get this information.

Toms Hardware says otherwise.

Yeah, the charts are quite a bit old. But the price drops from both companies since then seem to be very comparable.

After reading these benchmarks I feel the need to mention something many gamers already know. The D3 engine renders using OpenGL, which ATI's cards have never been good at and NVIDIA is known to be good at. If you were to take a look at benchmarks from a Direct3D game you would be seeing the X800XT blowing away the 6800. If you don't believe me take a look at this.Another point you may want to notice is that ID software is partnered with NVIDIA (Expect to see the the little way it's meant to be played logo). Also from what I have read about Carmack, he seems to be biased towards NVIDIA anyway.

There was actually a really great, informative article about the 6800 on Tom's Hardware a few weeks ago.

"NVIDIA has seemingly pulled out all stops in an attempt to deliver cutting edge graphics with its GeForce 6800 Ultra. After gamers for too long have had to be content with mere incremental improvements to graphics performance, NVIDIA new card delivers a performance jump not seen for a long time. The device is also solidly engineered as well as insanely fast."

Didn't Tom's Hardware already do a story on this?

And for the people too lazy to cut and paste:
Motherboard Compatibility
Memory Timings

Don't flame me.