A new Geekzone server

Last Friday we got delivery of a new HP server for Geekzone. The new server is a HP DL360, based on an Intel 5400 quad-core 3GHz with 8 GB RAM, four 146GB HDD, and remote management.

To power this new box we will be installing Microsoft Windows Server 2008 and Microsoft SQL Server 2008.

Because our hosting provider is just finishing up a new datacentre it will be a couple of weeks before we have it up and running. The current box, a three year old machine based on an Intel Xeon dual-core with 3 GB RAM and two 70 GB HDD will stay in service, as a development/staging server.

I can't wait to have the new server up and running...

Read More

During the early hours of Saturday morning I initiated an experiment in Crowd Sourcing at crowdSpring.com. Read my previous blog entry for the details.

I am pleased to report that in less than five days I have received 96 entries. I'm stagge... (more in the full post)

Read More

One of the things I have always wanted, ever since I was little, was a TV screen that covers the whole wall. I believe Bill Gates has something like that, but it's probably a video stack, like a Pionner Vidwall.

I want something that covers the whole wall and when I'm not watching one or multiple channels, it can be a screensaver that can take me from a beautiful beach or underwater scene in winter or a ski scene in Canada or France in summer. Something that doesn't give me eye strain from being in the room.

Then I also want real surround sound, so I can immerse myself in the environment.

This week I was listening to the Digital Planet podcast from the BBC and they were talking about exactly this. They were talking about the demonstration of Super Hi Video at the Interneational Broadcasting Conference in Amsterdam and the demonstration of this technology being streamed live from London.

The technology is Super Hivision which offers "a video format with 7680 x 4320 pixels (16 times higher than standard Hi-vision, NHK’s HDTV system) . This world’s first video system with 4000 scanning lines delivers ultra-clear, realistic three-dimensional images that can be achieved only by ultrahigh-definition technology.
- The individual scanning lines are not visually noticeable even when relatively close to the screen, reflecting the high resolution of the system. What’s more, a wider viewing angle conveys a stronger sense of a reality.
- The new 3-D audio system with 24 loudspeakers dramatically enhances presence."

According to the people who were watching it, it is very similar to what you can see and hear in real life. It's taking the gloss off my HD TV (through which I am not yet watching HD)

So if anyone is wondering what to get me for Christmas, give me a call and I'll give you the dimensions of my lounge wall. I suspect the price will be much more than the value of my home right now, but that's ok.

Read More

Multiple vendor DNS protocol implementations could allow a remote attacker to poison the DNS cache.  Patches that resolve the vulnerability on the DNS may be rendered ineffective if the DNS is behind a NAT device that does not randomize ports. Public exploit code was made available on July 24, 2008.  At the time of this update, neither X-Force nor IBM MSS has witness any active exploitation nor the integration of this exploit into any exploit toolkits. Read More

The Microsoft Windows GDI+ API (Gdiplus.dll) is vulnerable to multiple buffer overflows that could result in remote code execution. Read More

The keynote speaker began discussing legislation currently underway regarding legalizing the ability for the police to "hack" into a system, currently this is restricted to requiring a warrant issued by a judge, however under the new legislation it'll be a "issuing officer" which as the speaker said,
sounds like an automated online form they fill out, then get emailed a warrant.

The discussion was very engaging, and discussed the issue of personal privacy an issue which is very close to my own heart,

The fact is we are 'sleepwalking into a pan-national totalitarian state'

and people aren't doing anything about it.

the discussion was wide ranging and discussed the topic of hacktivism, which is unlike many of the definitions on the web, hacking to defend personal freedoms, and electronically taking a stand against law makers and politically / financially motivated entities that want to limit our freedoms,

a great example cited was the Cointel project by the FBI where the FBI were performing illegal acts and it only came to light after the fbi offices were broken into by an organisation called "The citizens commission to investigate the FBI" the information around the project was leaked to the press and J. Edgar Hoover had to admit to the operation and shut it down.


Another interesting point of note was the keynote speaker was detained at customs recently and had his laptop removed from his sight for 45 minutes after they demanded his passphrase,

pursuant to this he developed a duress proxy, which boots a window partion, records the activities of law enforcement, and can alert a remote sight if possible / needed.

the reason being, you need to know what they are doing with your machine when you can't see them, the fact is it wouldn't be a first for law enforcement or other government organisations to plant evidence or undergo an illegal phising expedition.

the final part of the talk, which stirred much debate, the idea of direct-E-democracy, which has many pro's and con's and I'll likely discuss more at a later time, suffice to say, I pointed out that one risk we run with a direct - e-democracy is ending up with rick-astley as our national athem.

The next set of speakers were discussing the inherent vulnerabilities around the H323 protocol, and a large number of very popular video phones and conferencing equipment,

I won't discuss this much here due to the nature of the topic, but suffice to say, its amazing how much you can find out, and see throughout the tubes, _and_ how much damage could be caused!

Read More

Read More