Friday, August 22, 2003

From MacCentral: New newsletter, chance to win an iPod. Today we at MacCentral are proud to announce a new addition to our site: a free weekly newsletter, which will be sent out each Friday, featuring news, analysis, information on updates, and more. To encourage people to sign up for this newsletter, we're offering a special prize for newsletter subscribers: three free iPods. [MacCentral] 2:56:24 PM

eMac named as 'Starving Student' desktop choice. ZDNet has named the Apple eMac as one of their "back to school" computer desktop picks for college students. The eMac was selected as the "Starving Student" system. ZDNet says the eMac is an "affordable all-in-one Mac system with adequate speed and a 17-inch display." The article adds that you "don't mess around with setup, crazy configuration, or big price tags" and that "this sparely designed Mac has everything a student needs, including a SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW) option." It adds that the eMac's size "is perfect for those tiny dorm desks." [MacCentral] 2:56:06 PM

Security company warns of possible new Sobig attack. Security experts are warning of a possible attack or mass action by machines infected with the Sobig.F worm scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. GMT on Friday. Code buried deep in the Sobig.F worm will cause afflicted Microsoft Corp. Windows machines worldwide to simultaneously connect to an as-yet unknown Web page and download a software program, according to security company F-Secure Corp. of Helsinki. The machines are using a number of atomic clocks worldwide to synchronize activities and coordinate the mass action, F-Secure said. [MacCentral] 2:55:52 PM

Bush Inc.. Understanding the political dynasty that's made crony capitalism a way of life. Part 4 of "Big Lies." [Salon.com] 2:55:31 PM

We're losing the war in Afghanistan, too. A human rights worker reports from the other front in the U.S. war on terror, where warlords reign supreme, music is once again banned, journalists hide from gunmen, and even the streets of Kabul are filled with fear. [Salon.com] 2:55:11 PM

No Surveillance Tech for Tampa. Police in Tampa, Florida, are removing facial recognition software from the Ybor City entertainment district after the 2-year-old deployment of the software failed to produce arrests. Civil rights groups hailed the move. [Wired News] 2:55:00 PM

Geeks Grapple With Virus Invasion. Security experts are finding plenty to blame for an onslaught of worms and viruses over the last two weeks. Among the targets: ego-ridden hackers, bad Microsoft code and clueless users. By Michelle Delio. [Wired News] 2:54:48 PM

Write a Story, Go to Jail. A student who wrote a violent short story on a school computer may face 10 years in prison. Prosecutors say they are trying to prevent more school massacres; the student's defenders say they're fighting attempts to criminalize thought. By Kim Zetter. [Wired News] 2:54:36 PM

The prison formerly known as America: Enemy of the State. America is slowly becoming something of a prison whether many choose to realize it or pass it off as a conspiracy theory. The following article is an attempt to place the entire topic in perspective to give an understanding to why some may feel this country is becoming something of a police state. Included in the write-up is information on the USA PATRIOT act, and statistics that should not be taken lightly, coming from an everyday citizens perspective. [kuro5hin.org] 2:54:20 PM

EE Times: FCC ruling could spark broadband deployment. The Federal Communication Commission followed up on a promise made to the communications sector earlier this year by announcing new unbundling rules that could spark increased rollout of broadband services in the U.S. while keeping voice service competition alive at the local level. [Tomalak's Realm] 2:54:08 PM