Date: 10/22/2004 06:41 AM
From: Louis Sarapis (lsaraps@gmail.com)
Subject: American Passports to Get Chipped
Doesn't this put diplomats at more risk ("American Passports to Get Chipped," Oct. 21, 2004)? I'm told that diplomats carry two passports: a 'regular' one and the diplomatic one. By RFID'ing them, you run the risk that the attacker has an RFID reader and can now determine who is 'special' by the fact that they have more than one passport.
I also don't understand how identity theft is hard. You don't have to steal everyone's (ID). You just have a reader on you as you walk around and harvest at random.
The solution in this case -- to use your example -- is that "Polo" doesn't get answered unless the person explicitly grants permission for that to happen. This makes the UI harder but that would likely solve 90 percent of the issues. Another solution may be to have an RFID-proof case where you can store this; however, given the extra hassle, most people won't bother.
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Date: 10/21/2004 07:14 PM
From: RespectableBusinessman (someguiyinablacktrenchcoat@yahoo.com)
Subject: Toe-to-Toe Over Peer-to-Peer
Peer-to-peer networking is unavoidable ("Toe-to-Toe Over Peer-to-Peer," Oct. 21, 2004). If it is regulated, and the RIAA gets its way, there will be no limit to the power the RIAA has. They could shut down anything and anyone, and all they would have to say is that they found a "pirated" file on the person's computer, which may or may not be pirated at all.
Also, it's too late to stop peer-to-peer anyway because there are thousands of P2P networks running, the majority requiring a password and being (used by) underworld figures. Hackers create peer-to-peer networks almost every day, and share illicitly obtained information on them. At the same time, however, legitimate files can also be shared over a peer-to-peer network. These files may include pictures, Word documents, freeware, etc. .
As to consumers paying for a peer-to-peer service, I don't think it will ever really catch on, at least with the tech groups. People are not going to pay a third party for the ability to connect directly to a person outside the third party's realm. People will just write their own software, buy their own servers, and create their own free peer-to-peer networks. The RIAA must realize something and they must realize it now: The age of free information has begun.
Nothing is safe. No matter what they do, information will be shared freely. The harder you squeeze a lemon, the more juice flows right past your fingers, (and) the same applies to information. Hackers will crack software, music will be shared, and laws will be broken. Any internet act created in the United States will affect only the United States. Americans will get their information from other countries if they cannot get it from their homeland. The age of high-technology is here, and it will continue to grow forever. It simply cannot be stopped.
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Date: 10/21/2004 10:58 AM
From: R Gill (rgilldtv@hotmail.com)
Subject: Inventor Rejoices as TVs Go Dark
All that is going to happen is that bars, restaurants and stores will put tape over their IR receiver on the TVs and change the channel manually ("Inventor Rejoices as TVs Go Dark," Oct. 19, 2004).
All the fun will end for your investment unless you want to sit in your house and watch the TV go off and on in your living room. Since most retail and restaurants rarely change the channel and leave it on the same channel for hours, they will just move back to a manual way of doing it with the IR covered.
All this guy will have done in the end is cause television channel changing technology in public places to go backwards in time to manual. Woop de do -- what an accomplishment.
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Date: 10/22/2004 06:33 AM
From: Brian J. Geiger (bgeiger@pobox.com)
Subject: Pumping Up the Power of the IPod
One possible explanation for the increased battery life after resetting the firmware and wiping the drive is that some settings, such as the equalizer and Sound Check, draw extra battery power ("Pumping Up the Power of the IPod," Oct. 22, 2004). If you had those set before the reboot, but didn't re-apply them after, then your battery life would definitely be longer.
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