Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Wiretapping in an Illegal way.

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Imagine installing backdoors inside communications. The problem is that any sort of backdoor, no matter how secure, when a hacker finds it, it's sooner or later gonna be GG. Clipper chips... whatever have you, do not think that "SECURITY BY OBSCURITY" is gonna do any good. 


Modifying all software programs and protocols including F2F, P2P ...etc.. to have a backdoor or unscrambling capabilities is also absurd. It makes the programs and protocols even more insecure.

Most government softwares are using those tools developed by the public domain and outsourced. Imagine one of these loopholes and backdoors slipping in. If they meant that ALL protocols and softwares have to provide loopholes, how would they feel if their softwares and protocols have to abide by the same rules and have loopholes and backdoors too ? That would be absurd isn't it ?

They need to have better judgments before making such absurd laws and rules. It would not only hurt others but themselves. 

Look at this points found in the article.

¶ Foreign-based providers that do business inside the United States must install a domestic office capable of performing intercepts.

¶ Developers of software that enables peer-to-peer communication must redesign their service to allow interception.


This is pretty bleak. Seems like the once infamously free nation is sinking into some kind of "Soviet style Iron-Curtain" rule where everything is controlled and no free will is allowed.

What if non-US developers are providing softwares, e.g. open source softwares hosted on Sourceforge or those free and open source hostings ? Are they gonna get the foreign government to arrest those 'dissident developers' and send them to US for torture ? Or maybe they would send out CIA operatives to those countries to execute them ? These are purely exaggerations but according to article here, the US Govt. could do it.

The main point is, stop making those stupid rules and returning to Clinton's clipper chip era or those past eras where encryption and security is only for the military and everyone else should suffer.

Security and Free-Will are everyone's birth rights. Stop taking away security from others. Stop removing free-will of others.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

James Gosling finally speaks

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Wow, Oracle is really that bad. Hmmm. Imagine you don't allow employees to chill out and have fun to boost morale ? Turn the father of Java into some figurehead without much power and screw with Sun's projects and the open source.

Next in-line for the Microsoft's 'Throne of Evil' ... Oracle. Microsoft's heirs are really so numerous these days.

Insecurity and Malicious Ferocity

Twitter Insecurity

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Twitter should serious look into it's input sanitization mechanism. Don't end up like in this XKCD comic depiction... catastrophy... but this comic is about SQL Injection, Twitter's problem is unsanitized input... similar to SQL Injection.

HTML 5 Insecurity

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PLEASE, the World needs less of these stupid insecurity and dirty business tricks. Why can't the World be in peace and less of these trickery and human flaws ? Oh... humanity loves these hypes and daily miserable drama.... I almost forgot about that... that's why we have so much meaningless things going on.

HTML 5... is just as INSECURE... that's my conclusion. It's time someone write a Free and Open Source software to take out these insecurities in HTML 5 and disallow others from misusing it. I suggest browsers should give users some sort of user friendly control to literally 'WIPE__CLEAN' all available storage areas. Browser makers knows best where and which corner in the browser data could be stored and hidden and what sort of mechansim can be made to cause data to resurrect like evercookie. We need a huge 'NUKE OUT THE NASTIES' button to take out these yucky things and never allow them to replicate on our side.

Browser makers should also step up security, making sure what sort of javascript and client side scripts that can be safely executed and not harvest user informations. It's unethical to disturb a person's privacy but what if one day YOU ARE A VICTIM OF PRIVACY ISSUES ? Ever consider that ?

HUMANS... think ....there are always consequences to actions we do. Consider well.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Behaving as a Hypocrite

Today, we would move off topic from technology take a small glimpse at humanity and something called hypocritism. And yes, this blog is getting a bit political... because it affects the world. But overall, we would try to stay more focus on technology.


The US and 'civilized western powers' have called nations like Asia, South East Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe... etc... as 'uncivilized' since these countries still have capital punishments (execution by death) as a form of punishment. Watching this video, who is the true hypocrite ? You know the answer.

Hmmm... Republicans always smear US history isn't it ? War and all sorts of horrendous stuff. Anyway, US history has always been ugly, let's face it. Can't they ever do the right thing can get people to praise them ?




Intel's Harkins knows nothing of open source

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And look closely at the line says the following...
Harkins cited mobile apps: "What kind of security do we think is in something that sells for 99 cents? Not much."
Wow... he doesn't know the power of open source. Really... he needs to know something before he starts speaking. Look at Bruce Shneier's PasswordSafe or look at AxCrypt software or look at. Maybe how about TrueCrypt, FreeOTFE or how about GPG? Aren't these good examples of FREE AND OPEN SOURCE and some are even FOSS approved.

So don't look down on open source or 99 cents apps. Free (inclusive of FOSS defined Freedom) apps can be really hard to crack or defeat. That is partially why the US government is afraid of strong encryption and security in the hands of everyone and maybe still is having that very fear.

So don't blindly state a statement unless you have a damn good explanation and good backing and concrete evidence.

Maybe I am abit late for this...

Watch this:



Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iE-rU8dFnE


Interesting.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Crashy Browser

My Ubuntu 10.04 (I just upgraded recently) has been suffering web browser crashes lately and it's during the usage of the latest 10.1 Adobe Flash plugin regardless of the browsers. Sigh... when would Flash be fixed and become really robust and less buggy ?


EDIT (20 SEP 2010): I was using a Opera browser containing a tab to a normal forum without any cool html 5 features or real time apps (except Google Ads), a tab opened to "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmkH2bSOzek" and a Youtube video. The processor (An Intel Dual Core, Compaq Presario C700 on an Ubuntu 10.04) sees the processor shoot up to 94% for Opera (in total when considering the two processor usage). Wow... that's a lot of processing usage. I only use Opera because it has a very clean and nice interface, serves HTML 5 and the killer Mail application in-built into it so I can avoid signing into webmails as much as possible to save my time. Since Opera 10.60 is weighing me down so badly on performance (compared to Firefox 3.5 and Chrome 6), I may ditch Opera soon if it continues. For managing my webmails, I have my own ways.... else I just well... suck it up, right ?     :S


Opera 10.60 ratings for now: :( :(  - Don't force me to add another 'bad' smiley !!!

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Kill off your JailBroken i

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Imagine Apple remote killing off your i. You can imagine what more they can do to you besides remote kill switch, 'protecting' you from 'Unauthorized Usage'...etc... and maybe your data is safe too in their hands.

What Oracle Should do to Ja

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Oracle has gotten itself into a whole load of bad name after taking over Sun.


Here's my view... may sound abit philosophical but that's my view anyway.


Why does Oracle fight over patents ? Sue Google and do all these unnecessary stuff when they could have spent so much time and effort doing even more constructive things. The link above reflects exactly what Oracle and previously Sun should have done which has been so long overdue.


Stop the fighting and jealousy and all. Make peace... really, a lot of constructive time have been wasted. Cooperate with Google and make the World a better place. This is not just for Oracle. This is for all corporations, all governments, all groups, all people, everyone. It sounds hippie but what the World needs now is stop for a moment, reflect their actions and impacts and make peace with each other. Humanity would advance faster and be able to handle problems.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Choking up on Flash

Opera have made impressive efforts improving it's browser in 10.60 but sadly, it has not properly address fundamental issues of crashing and jamming like what Chrome did. I couldn't say Chrome is any better when it comes to being crashy (although it 'safely' handles crashes). Unlike Chrome, Opera just colour your desktop with the most beautiful jam your ever seen. Take a look at the two screen shots of a jammed Opera running on Ubuntu.






Do not that I have taken out some information to protect my own privacy.

As I am typing below these texts after uploading these pictures, Opera starts to kick up some fuss and hiccups abit. Bad Opera !!


Apparently, it's partly Google's fault for not making some of their applications friendly to Opera.


Why I have been using Opera lately is because it has a mail integration where I could simply check my mail without going to the webmail sites. Guess I am too lazy ain't I ? Lol.


Now back to topic. Flash 10.1(Adobe official version) is still kicking up lots of fuss, jamming my web browsers when I start to load 3 to 4 tabs worth of Youtube (each 10 minutes long) while paused each video. It happens to Firefox, Chrome and Opera... giving me such a nasty headache.


Opera gives the most headache and pain as you can see from the above screenshots. Not only does it hang, it literally 'colour your desktop' nicely. :D


Good job Opera. You made my day. I sent to the Opera team two issue tickets but I never got to hear anything from them forever. I know, they are busy with tons of other bugs which are more important then mine.


Well, this is a rant about bad web browsers and nasty official Adobe Flash 10.1 running on Linux. Adobe really haven't put enough efforts to make it's products competent on Linux as you can from the all so frequent crashes of Flash on Linux platform although Adobe market themselves as competent on Linux as well. it's time Adobe should get serious with making user experience really good and sleek on Linux or people would still be complaining about them.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

How do you know my password ?

Look at:
 Oh my... how do you know my password is 'password' ? Lol. Don't use obvious passwords like those. You can mutate 'password' to '!Pa55w0rD!' which The Password Meter rated my mutated password as 'Very Strong'.


Should we just ban everything ?

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Well, why don't we just ban everything in the world from: 
  •  travelling
  • surfing the net
  • checking mail
  • playing games (e.g. Starcraft 2, Halo, C&C ...)
  • ...
  • ...
  • ...
  • ...
(You can fill in the above on your own)

If banning everything doesn't work... why don't we just kill everyone ? Lol. Get a life ! Really. Not everyone is terrorist just because they use an internet or because they are trying to plan their travel ahead using some maps application. 

Hey, those militaries and government agencies are using GPS and maps applications too... aren't they all actually terrorists in disguise ? 

Look, there's many ways you can look at things. So chill and don't get overly paranoid. 

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Obama's administration's reputation drops another notch again ?

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If this is true, Obama's administration and the White House would have their reputation drop another notch again I guess. Well, it's not really polite to insult a head of state like that but that's nothing illegal at all.

What's the difference between what the FBI and the White House did and Thailand's 'lèse majesté' law although the difference is abit lighter because the teen doesn't get deported from UK and tortured by FBIs. 

Isn't the US about freedom inclusive of the freedom of expression and speech ? This teen did not commit any act of crime by his remarks. If his words contain threats and messages of 'terror' (e.g. bomb threats and assassinations) , then he has committed an offense but his message doesn't contain 'terror'.

I wonder if they are getting down the wrong path these days and ruining their own reputations (as always) in front of the international community. 

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Who Hurts Nature

Today, we shall take a break from technology. So here's an article I posted.

Have anyone of you pondered, who truely hurt when Nature is 'hurt' ? Us or
Nature ? who would be on the losing end ?

Let's take a moment and explore into this. When humans 'destroy' Nature by
polluting it and cutting down trees and harming other species, these acts hurts
Nature. Indeed, Nature is hurt because it's inhabitants suffer. Does Nature
truely 'hurt' ?

Nature is always known to have restored balance and heal 'herself' when she's
being disrupted. Those who truely hurt are the species and the living
inhabitants of Nature. The spirit of Nature, is never hurt. Her restorative and
balancing capabilities are always astounding and a genius. it's the children of
Nature who are truely hurt. If you truely want to hurt nature, her spirit is
always pure and vast. All you can do is hurt her children.

When the spirit of Nature feels that a need for cleansing has come, she would
cleanse itself and species would die. Destruction would occur, but new life...
new species would be born to take the place of those who have fallen.

You may say that Nature is cruel, but have you stopped and taken a look, who is
the one responsible for Nature to bring about a cleansing ? Have you ever
wondered who is truely selfish ? Us or Nature ? For our own gains, we have
forced Nature to a decision where it has to cleanse itself to regain balance.

Nature does not have preference for her children and she only does what it needs
to be balanced. Those who understand her and knows how to tap into her in
constructive ways would benefit. Those who ignore and are intent on destroying
her and her children would only realize that their actions have vast
consequences.

Who is the one truely hurting? Us or Nature ? Who would be on the losing end ?

The answer is without a doubt, other species and Us would be the one to suffer.
The spirit of Nature would not hurt. It's Us that must suffer if we continue on
our destructive and selfish ways.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Skynet, here we come

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Oh my, isn't this no different from those movies... Terminators, Skynet ...etc. Controlling people free will and minds whether for the better or the worse is equally bad no matter what the root intention is because the possibility of misuse of such technology is very very high. What if the controls to the machines to control people's brains falls into the hands of al Qaeda or extremists ? There's always a 'what if' scenario... Murphy's Law. There is no guarantee this technology would be used for the better but a guarantee that the technology would be used for harm because of the nature of humans and their greedy little ego.For those who created such technologies to control other's will, would you want to have a taste of your own medicine first and be controlled ? Would you like that feeling that your own brains have been intruded and taken over by someone else ?

Take a moment and think before you create these inventions !!!

Oracle - Now vs 1994

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As everyone knows, the current Oracle is tyrannical, sueing Google for it's Dalvik VM. Reading the 1994 statement Oracle had written to the USPTO office against software patents, Oracle now is not the same as it was in 1994 when it wrote the letter to the patent office.


Oracle...when are you going to realize your mistakes and negative impacts you have done to the open source and Java community ? It seems like we cannot trust Oracle anymore as it have decided to give up it's 1994 stance on software patents.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Twitter's Big Problem (OAuth Problem)

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So all of us have known the BIG problem with Twitter's OAuth authentication mechanism. I do not need to go in and talk about the problems with it's (Twitter) authentication as the above links would give you a good enough picture and for those who have been locked out of their Twitter because of OAuth problems, you know the problems better than I do (I don't use Twitter btw).

Imagine OAuth's hueniverse account posted about Twitter's problems... what a SHAME to Twitter. 

Twitter, please set things right. Listen to users and STOP being STUBBORN or sooner or later, people would SHUN you.

Services like Twitter builds themselves around users.When users finally realize that it's Twitter who is not paying enough attention to them and have failed to satisfy them, it would be Twitter's bane.

What should users do if they can't reach Twitter via their mobile devices... stop tweeting. Since Twitter decides not to listen to their consumers and users, why should anyone consume Twitter ? Yes... direct boycott.

It's sad that Twitter is just too stubborn.

Well, that's all for today.

(P.S. I have not been blogging lately because I am busy building a Java application. It's secret and I would not tell you would it is. It is meant to be a surprise for all of you. :D )