from lynda.com
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From PSP Hacks
We just received a very convincing email claiming to have hacked the 2.0 firmware. We do not currently have a 2.0 PSP accessible right now. So we would like our members to try it out and let us know how it goes. We’ve been hearing rants for a while about no 2.0 news so here is a chance to not just complain but actually help out and let us know if it works.
Forum Topic
First off, I don’t condone ANYONE buying ANYTHING at Best Buy. But if you are going to, you might as well get the best deal possible right? So how are you going to do that? Do exactly as below and it WILL work.
The managers are graded above all things in two areas which they will always focus on; extended warranty and accessory sales.
In the case of home theater (HDTV, etc) accessories that are by far the highest focus are Monster products. For those who are scratching their heads, Monster products are primarily expensive (overpriced) cables and (useless) noise filtering surge protectors. A customer purchasing these products and an extended warranty will get a a managers attention very quickly.
Here is the general idea of how to utilize this knowledge to steal a deal — if you want the 42A10 then let them sell you on a high-end surge protector ($200-400), a couple hundred dollars in cables and a service plan. DO NOT deviate on the items to package with the TV that I just listed; these are vital to getting them to deal as they are very high margin. Once you say you want to buy all this stuff ask for a ‘package discount’. Push them as low as you can for the [ackage deal - they WILL NOT want to walk this sale as it makes them look like a hero.
Once you have gotten them as low as you can on the total price the magic will happen - they will write up the sale leaving prices full retail on the accessories and warranty and take the reduction on the TV, even possibly dropping below cost on this. The reason is they are graded by percentage of sales of this stuff based on dollars - they will drop the cost of only the TV.
Can you guess the rest? Buy it all and wait a few days, then return to the store and refund everything but the TV. DO NOT let them tell you to call an 800 # to refund the warranty - they may try that one but policy is to return it in-store for the first 30 days. They will put up a fight on this and may threaten to increase the cost of the TV but hold your ground. If their corporate got wind of them working deals to raise accessory and warranty numbers they would be fired. If you must, threaten a phone call - they will run scared. If you want it even smoother do the return at another location.
This strategy can be utilzed in most of their departments - if you need to know the key accessories for appliances, computers, car audio, etc let me know.
I wont wish you luck, it will simply work. If you have any problems though just drop me a line and I’ll help all I can…
From CBS
Ok.. I know this isnt tech news, but it is a little freaky. Apparently a lot of soldiers are coming forward and reporting that they are experiencing child-like ghosts, open bibles, etc..
Watch the video — Tell me what you think
from CNET News.com
Exploit code that could be used to attack Firefox, Mozilla Suite and Netscape users has been released on the Internet. The release of the attack code comes days after Mozilla released an updated version of Firefox to fix several security flaws, including the bug exploited by the code. A fixed version of the Mozilla Suite is also available, but Firefox-based Netscape has yet to be updated. The Netscape browser is a product of Netscape, which is a division of Time Warner’s America Online subsidiary. An AOL spokesman had no comment on Thursday.
Exploit can be found here. What does this mean? Update your FIREFOX NOW!
From infosec
WiFi Worm
New worm/trojan appears to be spreading, it utilizes, get this, WiFi. Yes we are long over due for one of these. It seems to be over much of New Jersey but we first noticed it around Newark in the evening on 9/20/05. It appears to infect unpatched XP machines. The machines lock up and everything including regedit stops working. MS malicious code detection tool does detect it but is unable to clean it. After infection is sets the WiFi card to Ad-Hoc mode with SSID aec_le and starts requesting DHCP leases. Looks like this might actually be relying on wardrivers to spread. More details to come as I get them.
from community.smoothwall.org
Smoothwall Express 3 is based on the latest Linux 2.6 kernel and features a new open architecture designed to make it easy for software developers to produce their own security components for SmoothWall. This is intended to foster the development of new and improved open source software, to the benefit of the open source movement as a whole. SmoothWall Limited will actively encourage this process and provide financial support to the development of components that it feels address common security needs.
My personal favorite linux firewall distro has been updated. If you have a spare Pentium 133 or better laying around, you NEED to setup your own firewall running Smoothwall.
See how they built it
The idea of this project was to create a fully-automated sentry gun, capable of picking out a human target and accurately tracking and shooting him or her in the heart. Really, the idea was to find a cool robotics project for the summer while I was working at an advertising agency, and I’d only ever seen sentry guns in movies (like Congo) and video games (Half-Life 1, Half-Life 2, Team Fortress Classic). I couldn’t find any record of anyone building one, even the military, although it seems likely I just didn’t look hard enough. It’s a pretty simple technology. One of my friends did mention the Phalanx anti-missile gun, which is of similar design, but uses radar for tracking instead of an optical method. The Phalanx has been around since the early 80’s. He was also quick to add that there are some pretty good reasons for not building an optical sentry gun, a big one being that it’s generally a good idea to shoot down any missile headed in your direction, but that same philosophy may not be the best when applied to humans.
I. WANT. ONE.
from BBC NEWS
Small enough to hold in your hand, and powered by batteries, the Regency TR-1 transistor radio came in a variety of delicious colours, including green, pearlescent blue, lavender, white and red.
The device went on sale just in time for hip young gadget freaks to hear Elvis Presley singing That’s All Right - recognised by many as the moment at which rock’n'roll was born.
The TR-1 was marketed under the slogan “See it! Hear it! Get it!”
funny how things never change
From Spyware Warrior
What follows is the main list of “rogue/suspect” anti-spyware applications, none of which can be recommended for anti-spyware protection. Be sure to consult the notes section at the bottom of the list for more information about the list and how it is constructed. Some applications with an entry below have been de-listed. Entries for those applications remain to point to explanatory notes below the main list If you don’t find an application included on the main list of “rogue/suspect” anti-spyware products below, you might also consult the list of lesser known anti-spyware applications that are not considered “rogue/suspect.” And for a short list of reputable, recommended anti-spyware, see the Trustworthy Anti-Spyware Products section.