To Kill the Kill Switch or Not?……Should the Government be able to shut down the US internet?

This Discussion from Defense Tech’s Kevin Coleman — Defense Tech Cyber Warfare Correspondent on the issue of a internet ‘Kill Switch’ for the US…..

We need to cut through all the clutter surrounding this issue. The proposed legislation of Sens. Susan Collins (R – ME.) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) actually restricts these so called “kill switch” powers and subjects the action to congressional review. The fundamental question is; does the President need to have emergency powers over the Internet during times of crisis and, if so, what are those powers?

Given our nation’s growing reliance on the Internet and its importance on our daily lives for everything from financial transactions to coordinating social activities, we do need the ability to protect this significant piece of our infrastructure from attacks/disruption resulting from hostile actions. Do we need a “Kill Switch”? — NO! The President already has the authority to invoke what is being referred to as a “Kill Switch” and I am having a hard time modeling an attack that would require such action. Who looked at this technically? What is the impact on SCADA systems,  if they experience a successful cyber attack, are the programmed to fail safely?

More….

What’s your thoughts?……

This from Politicaldog101.com….

Open thread for June 15…….Site Upgrades and White House Hype….

I’ve been busy today doing some paperwork and house cleaning  the blog for a long due upgrade…..

And believe me it ain’t as easy all as the web hosting people and WordPress says it is….

First I started off in the wrong place…

Then I found the right place but WordPress is having problems….

I vow to be patient…..

The new Web Hosting people have my money now….

On the other front….

I’m now checking the net to do a post and I notice one thing….

The race is on!

Every media outlet has something on Obama going to the Gulf, Obama telling the BP what to do….The White House in charge …Congress beating BP up…The stocj taking a hit….

And the best ones…..The Clean up is Chaotic…..

They even have a picture of my man Thad Allen looking glum…..

Judging my the comments here I guess I’m the only one out here that ain’t looking to lynch BP…..

Well folks you got what ya asked for…

Obama and his adminstration now looks like they are going to own the OIl spill…

They are in charge (Not really ….They don’t drill or cap oil wells )

They are whipping BP (Not really, that comes tomorrow )…

And  the state actually coordinates the clean up…..

BUT THEY ARE THE LEAD NOW!

SEND YOUR PUNCHES TO THE PRESIDENT and the government….

BP will settle on  putting money aside….

That’s a smart thing….

For the states and BP….

And I hear that WH Press Secretary Gibbs thinks they can capture 90% of the oil by next month…..

The Alvin Greene saga continues……

Yes Sir!

South Carolina Republican’s AND Democrat’s

what a mess…..

On to other things….

Daniel won’t be around for the you guys to kick around for a month…

He’s busy at work……

So I’ll try to do a some polling pieces and anyone that wants to try their hand at it…..

Come on!

As usual…….

Comments Please!!!

I’ll take the slow hits today……

and

Subscribe…..Subscribe…….Subscribe..…..

Ruff, Ruff….Bow wow!

The Dog

The NSA tries to humnanize 'Lie Detector' tests in a video…..

Ok…..

This is your tax money at work…..

Video ‘s on why you shouldn’t be afraid of a polygraph?……

The National Security Agency has posted a video online explaining how it uses polygraphs to screen job candidates, in an attempt to ease the fears of potential applicants.

The video, titled “The Truth About Polygraphs,” depicts interviews with several subjects discussing their experiences taking the polygraph, also commonly referred to as a lie detector. Polygraph examiners in the video argue there is a great deal of misinformation surrounding the practice and attempt to dispel some of the fear and apprehension surrounding the test.

The video uses interviews with former applicants, polygraph examiners and NSA employees to make the process seem less threatening. It also uses humor via short clips from TV shows and movies like “The Simpsons” and “Meet the Parents.”

According to the video, the actual NSA polygraph examination is roughly five minutes long and consists of a subject answering “yes” or “no” questions while a machine monitors their heart rate and blood flow. Subjects are asked questions such as “Have you engaged in espionage against the United States?” or “Have you provided classified information to an unauthorized person?”

The questions are repeated and if there are any results that would raise concern, the patient is allowed to discuss the issue with the examiner to explain themselves more thoroughly. After the interview the results are first sent to a quality control official before the subject is notified whether or not they passed. Even if a candidate fails their original polygraph, the video claims that 90 percent of candidates are given a second chance at the examination.

More….

Could the CIA release the video on how to beat the test?

Ok…..

Just kidding………

The NSA tries to humnanize ‘Lie Detector’ tests in a video…..

Ok…..

This is your tax money at work…..

Video ‘s on why you shouldn’t be afraid of a polygraph?……

The National Security Agency has posted a video online explaining how it uses polygraphs to screen job candidates, in an attempt to ease the fears of potential applicants.

The video, titled “The Truth About Polygraphs,” depicts interviews with several subjects discussing their experiences taking the polygraph, also commonly referred to as a lie detector. Polygraph examiners in the video argue there is a great deal of misinformation surrounding the practice and attempt to dispel some of the fear and apprehension surrounding the test.

The video uses interviews with former applicants, polygraph examiners and NSA employees to make the process seem less threatening. It also uses humor via short clips from TV shows and movies like “The Simpsons” and “Meet the Parents.”

According to the video, the actual NSA polygraph examination is roughly five minutes long and consists of a subject answering “yes” or “no” questions while a machine monitors their heart rate and blood flow. Subjects are asked questions such as “Have you engaged in espionage against the United States?” or “Have you provided classified information to an unauthorized person?”

The questions are repeated and if there are any results that would raise concern, the patient is allowed to discuss the issue with the examiner to explain themselves more thoroughly. After the interview the results are first sent to a quality control official before the subject is notified whether or not they passed. Even if a candidate fails their original polygraph, the video claims that 90 percent of candidates are given a second chance at the examination.

More….

Could the CIA release the video on how to beat the test?

Ok…..

Just kidding………

DSD….Adobe Flash vulnerabilities…..

Adobe’s Flash software has become a favourite among hi-tech criminals……

Adobe has fixed a “critical” security flaw that had the potential to allow hackers to take control of affected computer systems.

The bug was first spotted in early June week following a small number of targeted attacks.

The security update is one in a bumper update package that fixes a total of 32 documented vulnerabilities.

Adobe’s Flash and Reader software have emerged as prime targets for hi-tech criminals in the past year.

Users running Windows, Macintosh or Linux were all thought to be vulnerable to attack.

Security firm Websense said the flaw was being exploited via e-mails that prompted recipients to open booby-trapped websites seeded with malware.

Users visiting the websites would have their computers infected with trojans and other malicious programs that opened a backdoor into the machine.

Adobe urged users to apply the update as soon as possible.

Adobe said it would release an update at the end of June for its Reader and Acrobat programs which addresses a similar bug that makes it possible to booby-trap PDFs.

Adobe is reportedly considering patching its applications more frequently after a quarterly update cycle for its Acrobat and Reader programmes last year.

In 2009, Adobe announced an aggressive programme to beef up security after hackers increasingly focused on finding holes in its products.

‘Huge release’

The security update came in the release of version 10.1 of the Flash player.

“Don’t let the version number fool you! Flash Player 10.1 is more than a ‘dot upgrade’,” said Paul Betlem of Adobe’s Flash Player engineering team.

Mr Betlem said the update was a “monumental undertaking” that made significant changes to the architecture of the software.

Adobe estimates that more than 95% of computers worldwide have Flash Player installed. Many sites use it to show off multimedia content such as videos and games.

Wired called the latest release “significant” and said the underlying code has been largely re-written to address the platform’s key shortcomings, most notably battery problems and security issues….

…continued at:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8734465.stm

I disabled that annoying Adobe Updater (anyone know how to do the same for the Apple Updater ?) because its scans would slow my startups (reboots) to a crawl for non-urgent reasons, but apparently Flash 10.1 is something we all need ASAP. I’ll check the specific update, but you can always go to http://www.adobe.com

Weren’t things so much easier when Flash was still owned by Macromedia?
is something we all need ASAP.

Here’s one link: http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/

Note.….Steve Jobs has banned Adobe from the new  Apple iPad……The Software ‘s days are numbered….

For TPL….The Apple iPad Asian non-selling story Update……

TPL mentioned a day or two ago about Apple refusal to sell their iPads to Asian/Americans ….

Here’s an update on the story…..

New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is investigating claims that the computer giant Apple has refused to sell its new iPad to people of Asian descent, apparently over smuggling fears.

The Attorney General’s’s civil rights bureau was tipped off by an Assemblywoman from a Chinese-American section of Queens, who complained publicly last month that her constituents were being asked unusual questions when they sought to buy the devices. The iPad was not yet for sale in Asia at the time of the complaints in May.

“Our Office received complaints over the treatment of certain individuals of Asian descent at two Apple stores in New York City,” said Cuomo communications director Richard Bamberger in an email.

A source familiar with the investigation said it was focused on flagship stores in Soho and on 14th Street in Manhattan, and that investigators from the office’s Civil Rights Bureau had already interviewed store managers, with Apple’s “complete” cooperation.

Apple’s press office didn’t immediately respond to inquiries by telephone or email, but a person who had been informed of Apple’s policy said the company — concerned that customers were purchasing multiple iPads for sale abroad — had briefly instituted a questionnaire for use in the course of iPad sales, aimed at blocking those illegal exports.

The source said the policy is no longer in place, and Bamberger signaled that the investigation appears likely to be resolved routinely…..

More……..

Apple intro’s the new iPhone4…..

Steve Jobs introduced the phone today……

While demoing the new iPhone4 he had to suffer thru a wait for the wifi service to come up…..

Seems it was overloaded….

Anyways the new Apple iPhone ships on June 24…and Apple hopes it blunts the sales of the new droid phone…..

Which is being heavly advertised……

Here’s some 411 on the new Apple phone…..

The Apple iPhone 4 is everything that a new piece of technology should be: It’s innovative, attractive, andahead of its competition. In comparison, previous iPhone upgrades seem inconsequential–that’s how much iPhone 4 brings to the table.

The phone will ship on June 24, priced at $199 for the 16GB model and $299 for the 32GB model (in white or black).

Premium Look

I spent some hands-on time with the new handset at the Apple event. I’ll start with the visuals: It’s stylish. Whereas the iPhone 3GS looks and feels plasticky, the iPhone 4 is svelte and has a premium feel. Surprisingly, it achieves that impression while retaining the same general design, although the edges appear a bit more squared than before.

It’s noticeably slimmer than the iPhone 3GS, measuring 0.37 inch deep versus the iPhone 3GS’s thickness of 0.48 inch (that translates to 2 percent less). The iPhone 4 is also slightly narrower, 2.31 inches to 2.44 inches. The weight stays the same at 4.8 ounces, but the tweaks to the dimensions make the current iPhone 3GS seem downright kludgy in comparison. (See all iPhone 4 specs.)

However, it’s the aesthetic design touches that make the iPhone 4 stand out. The overall design screams elegance–from the rounded, individual volume up and down buttons that replace the plastic volume rocker on the iPhone 3GS to the ring/silent switch and the power/sleep button up top. The face and back are made of glass that is specially treated to withstand scratches and oily fingers, according to Apple. The side edging is aluminum, and doubles as the device’s three cellular and wireless antennas.

Sharp Display

Of course, the iPhone 4 isn’t just about cosmetic enhancements, pleasing as they are. What makes this phone such a technological improvement is what’s inside the handset.

Like its predecessor, the iPhone 4 has a 3.5-inch display. But the new phone’s display doubles the resolution to a 960-by-640-pixel IPS display. At 326 pixels per inch, this is the highest resolution available on a phone to date.

That display truly makes a difference. Whereas the iPhone 3GS’s text–in the menus, in apps, or on Web pages–appears thick, fuzzy, and undefined, the iPhone 4’s text is razor sharp, even when enlarged (as I tried doing when viewing a PDF)…..

More…..

Apple link.…..

Apple intro's the new iPhone4…..

Steve Jobs introduced the phone today……

While demoing the new iPhone4 he had to suffer thru a wait for the wifi service to come up…..

Seems it was overloaded….

Anyways the new Apple iPhone ships on June 24…and Apple hopes it blunts the sales of the new droid phone…..

Which is being heavly advertised……

Here’s some 411 on the new Apple phone…..

The Apple iPhone 4 is everything that a new piece of technology should be: It’s innovative, attractive, andahead of its competition. In comparison, previous iPhone upgrades seem inconsequential–that’s how much iPhone 4 brings to the table.

The phone will ship on June 24, priced at $199 for the 16GB model and $299 for the 32GB model (in white or black).

Premium Look

I spent some hands-on time with the new handset at the Apple event. I’ll start with the visuals: It’s stylish. Whereas the iPhone 3GS looks and feels plasticky, the iPhone 4 is svelte and has a premium feel. Surprisingly, it achieves that impression while retaining the same general design, although the edges appear a bit more squared than before.

It’s noticeably slimmer than the iPhone 3GS, measuring 0.37 inch deep versus the iPhone 3GS’s thickness of 0.48 inch (that translates to 2 percent less). The iPhone 4 is also slightly narrower, 2.31 inches to 2.44 inches. The weight stays the same at 4.8 ounces, but the tweaks to the dimensions make the current iPhone 3GS seem downright kludgy in comparison. (See all iPhone 4 specs.)

However, it’s the aesthetic design touches that make the iPhone 4 stand out. The overall design screams elegance–from the rounded, individual volume up and down buttons that replace the plastic volume rocker on the iPhone 3GS to the ring/silent switch and the power/sleep button up top. The face and back are made of glass that is specially treated to withstand scratches and oily fingers, according to Apple. The side edging is aluminum, and doubles as the device’s three cellular and wireless antennas.

Sharp Display

Of course, the iPhone 4 isn’t just about cosmetic enhancements, pleasing as they are. What makes this phone such a technological improvement is what’s inside the handset.

Like its predecessor, the iPhone 4 has a 3.5-inch display. But the new phone’s display doubles the resolution to a 960-by-640-pixel IPS display. At 326 pixels per inch, this is the highest resolution available on a phone to date.

That display truly makes a difference. Whereas the iPhone 3GS’s text–in the menus, in apps, or on Web pages–appears thick, fuzzy, and undefined, the iPhone 4’s text is razor sharp, even when enlarged (as I tried doing when viewing a PDF)…..

More…..

Apple link.…..

AT&T will start charging for over data use on mobile phone service……

These days most people don’t actually TALK on the mobile devices…

They text, send video, and do other data intensive things…..

AT & T is the first service carreir to restructure their billing to reflect the increase in data traffic….

Will it start the rush to the same things for other carriers?

On Wednesday,AT&T pulled away the trough. And other wireless carriers could do the same.

AT&T said it would no longer offer an unlimited data plan to new users of iPhones and other smartphones. The decision, industry analysts said, could signal a shift away from an era in which American wireless carriers sought to attract customers with simple, all-you-can-eat pricing plans for data.

The trouble for AT&T was that a fraction of users — fewer than 2 percent — made such heavy use of the network that they slowed it down for everyone else.

Starting on Monday, AT&T will offer tiered pricing. People will pay based on what they use, which the company says is fairer to everyone.

Instead of paying $30 a month for unlimited data, new customers will be given the option of paying $15 a month for 200 megabytes, or $25 for 2 gigabytes, with added charges for greater use. AT&T estimates that the more expensive plan will cover 1,000 minutes of video, 400 song downloads or a million one-page e-mail messages. Those who want to keep their existing unlimited plans can do so.

Analysts said AT&T’s move could have ripple effects on other wireless carriers and, eventually, a growing segment of the population that has begun gorging on data using their phones.

“The free lunch for the ultra-heavy data user has been taken off the menu,” said Roger Entner, a telecommunications industry analyst with the Nielsen Company…….

More……..

The World Trade Center Memorial and Museum virtual views on line…..

[ A view of the what the reflecting pools will be like at the site….]

Thru a partnership with Google Earth the views are really great of the site and lower Manhattan….

The World Trade Center memorial won’t open until next year, but virtual visitors now can see all its haunting and heartbreaking detail online.

An interactive, three-dimensional model of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum went up online on Wednesday.

Thanks to a partnership with Google Earth, which donated its
techno-wizardry, visitors can now zoom in to the iconic 30-foot waterfalls that will thunder into the two reflecting pools in the footprints of the Twin Towers.

They can pan over the entire 16-acre site for a bird’s-eye view of the eight-acre Memorial, marvel at the emerald green leaves of the 400 swamp white oak trees on the plaza or gaze at the Freedom Tower as it soars to a breathtaking 1,776 feet.

“You can even peek through the glass atrium of the Museum Pavilion to see the two seven-story-tall steel tridents that will greet future visitors to the site,” said 9/11 Memorial President Joe Daniels.

So razor-sharp and up-close are the visual details that family members will be able to hone in on the nearly 3,000 bronze nameplates that will identify the innocents who were massacred in the 2001 attacks.

Visitors can zoom in to see the intricate detailing of the cobblestones in the plaza – and then zoom out to see all of Ground Zero, lower Manhattan or the New York metropolitan area.

“About 99% of the world’s population will never visit the site,” said Bruce Polderman, a product manager for Google Earth, a satellite imagery-based mapping program which created the dimensionally accurate 3D model.

“This gives them the ability to visualize the completed Memorial in its geographic context even before it is fully constructed.”

More…..

For a panoramic view of the World Trade Center construction site…… click this link…..

From TPL….This on the Mosque being rebuild in the area……Link……....