Show of 7-12-2003

Sumo-Bot ? Toy of the Week

Dell Axim (Secure Memory Slot, Compact Memory Slot (Wi-Fi, Ethernet, Modem, Memory)
HP IPAC (Secure Memory slot
Features of Operating System
- Uses ActiveSync to Synchronize with PC
- Manages Contacts and Schedule
- Includes Pocket Word and Pocket Excel
- Includes PocketIE (using either direct Internet access or caching with AvantGo)
- Input Methods
  - Synchronization (enter data in Outlook)
  - Block Recognizer (for those who love Palm)
  - Screen Keyboard
  - Letter Recognizer
Transcriber (the best)

Dissertation Could Be Security Threat

Gorman created a mapped every business and industrial sector in the American economy, layered on top of the fiber-optic network that connects them
You can zoom into the map find choke points, critical links
Compiled map using publicly available information
Homeland security folks think it should be classified

Sensor Networks

Smart, autonomous, self-aware is the ultimate vision for sensor nets
Growing out of a DARPA Project SensIT that began a few years ago
Enabling technologies
- Wireless communications (Wi-Fi)
- TinyOS (open source operating system)
- TinyDB (open source database)
Applications include distributed sensing applications where running wire is impractical
- Preventive maintenance, environmental sensing, theme park monitoring
Intel is funding heterogeneous sensor networks to take advantage of DARPA initiative

Hearing Aids Require New Cell Phones

Current Digital Network Phones (CDMA) interfere with hearing with hearing aids
Old analog phones did not
Under new FCC rules phone makers will have to develop at least two phones that work with hearing aids

Warner Pushes for Collection of Online Sales Tax

Reversal of Gilmore?s Position
Governor is launching a major overhaul of the Virginia tax code (first since 1900)
When consumer?s order over the Internet they are required to pay a ?use tax? voluntarily
Sales tax must only be collected if company has a physical presence in the state
NVTC is opposed to this measure

Community of Credit Card Thieves Welcomes Newbie

Credit card ?power users? have made it easier to enter the business
Data gathered in Azusa Pacific University Honeypot project, which is part of the Honeynet Alliance
Researchers secretly watched intruder join IRC channels on DALnet dedicated to obtaining, verify, and swapping credit card numbers, along with matching names, addresses, and everything else a good credit carders needs to begin ordering goods and services
Moved through dozens of chat rooms (#ccinfo, #ccpower, #virgincc)
Found a friendly helpful atmosphere
Automated tools to verify numbers, banks, credit limits
Apparently they had access to cc databases through corrupt merchants who got a percentage
Offered free cc numbers to newbies to get them started

A new Trojan is turning home PCs into porn and SPAM relays
SPAM is used to harvest cc numbers when individual use credit card to gain access to porn site

Music Distribution History Repeats Itself

Early 1900
- Records replaced sheet music
- Telephones allowed record to be distributed without royalties
- Tel-musici Company sends songs over the phone line
  - 3 cents per song with an annual guarantee of $18.
  - At the central office, the lines of musical subscribers are tapped to a manual board attended by an operator.
  - A number of phonographs are available, and a representative assortment of records kept on hand.
Today
- MP3s replaced CDs
- Internet allows distribution of songs without royalties
- Napster, Kazaa, i-Tunes, and PressPlayknown as

Stratford University News