tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8269364508212525892024-03-23T10:13:38.269+00:00Alvin's Stuff, Bracknell, computers and thingsJust some odd ramblings about life and technology, and things generally in Bracknell.Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.comBlogger144125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826936450821252589.post-51607802064245993182017-01-30T00:32:00.003+00:002017-01-30T00:32:55.419+00:00Jealott's Hill Walk 'n' Wassail<h2>
Another good day at the Land Share with the Morris men.</h2>
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I have scanned the sheet provided on the day - It got a bit crumpled and wet, but I think you can get the gist of the proceedings.</div>
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Some dancing outside the barn and then a procession over to the apple orchard to ensure that the trees remain fertile.</div>
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<a href="http://www.ellington.org.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.ellington.org.uk/</a></div>
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The Wren and Robin are symbols of the end of winter and the start of a new season.</div>
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A Morris man in a ragged jacket held up the Robin for all to see him still alive.</div>
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<br />The Robin having been dispatched, a Queen is chosen. A cake with a hidden bean is distributed.<br />The lady discovering the bean becomes the Queen of the Bean.</div>
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Amazing! Bracknell's Deputy Mayor Tina McKensie-Boyle found the bean, and was lead out to receive the crown and select the King.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwTSwNhKlABzToMVHnAAJ2MACr34fiGPgb9kq14s3rPMmc66rrRQUKRMTNYSppEnXzlgy9y0WK5nnI2vuv0EQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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The King received his adornments too.</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">A devil is added, just to even things up.</span></div>
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<br />All now proceeded to the tree where the King and Queen buried the robin and a refrain was sung.</div>
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<h3>
A few links to information and news from the land share.</h3>
<a href="http://www.jealottshilllandshare.org.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.jealottshilllandshare.org.uk/</a><br />
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<br /><a href="https://localgiving.org/charity/friendsofjhcl/" target="_blank">https://localgiving.org/charity/friendsofjhcl/</a></div>
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<br /><a href="http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/bracknell-based-volunteer-project-honoured-queens-9530765" target="_blank">http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/bracknell-based-volunteer-project-honoured-queens-9530765</a><br /></div>
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<a href="http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/britain-bloom-award-jealotts-hill-6230446" target="_blank">http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/local-news/britain-bloom-award-jealotts-hill-6230446</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/ensure-good-harvest-jealotts-hill-8488236%C2%A0" target="_blank">http://www.getreading.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids-news/ensure-good-harvest-jealotts-hill-8488236 </a></div>
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<a href="http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/business/birch-hill-woman-says-bracknell-7822435" target="_blank">http://www.getreading.co.uk/news/business/birch-hill-woman-says-bracknell-7822435</a></div>
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<br />Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826936450821252589.post-33497564212659363652016-04-11T17:29:00.000+01:002016-04-11T17:32:44.450+01:00Car Technology Moves on the UK<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #370208; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Driverless cars.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a h="ID=images,5208.1" href="https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=driverless+cars&view=detailv2&qft=+filterui%3alicense-L2_L3_L4_L5_L6_L7&id=2B1C95C8A0D2E2F5CE000022121D46B8220112DE&selectedIndex=13&ccid=lhdCHVUU&simid=608040419424798322&thid=OIP.M9617421d55142595012faaaae3aa52beo0" id="detail" style="background-color: transparent; clear: left; float: left; height: 199px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; width: 300px;"><img src="https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=OIP.M9617421d55142595012faaaae3aa52beo0&w=300&h=199&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0&r=0" /></a></div>
<br /><br />There as an allusion to this technology in my book <a href="http://www.coldsuspenders.com/">Cold Suspenders.</a> The technology mentioned there is more about “safety” control, and would could happen if the authorities could override the control of your car (more than just speed limiting).<br /><br /><br />Britain is leading the way globally in the adoption of driverless vehicles on national roads. While countries including the United States, Japan and Germany are all competing to accelerate the commercial acceptance of autonomous transport, Britain has developed a national consensus and regulatory roadmap that others lack completely.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/04/10/britain-is-head-and-shoulders-above-rivals-in-putting-driverless/?cid=sf24100241&sf24100241=1">http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/04/10/britain-is-head-and-shoulders-above-rivals-in-putting-driverless/?cid=sf24100241&sf24100241=1</a><br /> <br /> Autonomous driving features, including automatic braking and lane-departure sensors, are becoming common. A recent study shows that British motorists choose to buy cars which have that technology as an optional extra Probably people are willing to pay more to gain access to enhanced safety benefits.<br /><br /><br />58% of new cars sold in the UK have some form of autonomous driving system in place, collision warning being the most common. 39% of cars now have emergency braking capabilities, and 32% have adaptive cruise control.<br /><br />SMMT last year found that serious accidents could fall by more than 25,000, saving 2,500 lives every year by 2030, as a result of driverless vehicle technology.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.smmt.co.uk/2016/03/more-than-half-of-uks-new-cars-now-sold-with-autonomous-safety-tech-finds-smmt/">http://www.smmt.co.uk/2016/03/more-than-half-of-uks-new-cars-now-sold-with-autonomous-safety-tech-finds-smmt/</a><img class="mainImage" data-bm="81" src="http://www.autopressnews.com/2009/01/ford/adaptive_cruise_control_575.jpg" />Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826936450821252589.post-85257694457617257132015-03-07T19:37:00.001+00:002017-03-17T19:33:58.583+00:00How tax can be seen to work in terms of Beer.I was reminded of this by a similar post on Facebook.<br />
I decided to record it here, so that I can find it again.<br />
<br />
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to £100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this…<br />
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing<br />
The fifth would pay £1<br />
The sixth would pay £3<br />
The seventh would pay £7<br />
The eighth would pay £12<br />
The ninth would pay £18<br />
The tenth man (the richest) would pay £59<br />
<br />
So, that’s what they decided to do.<br />
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<br />
The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve ball.<br />
<br />
“Since you are all such good customers,” he said, “I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by £20″. Drinks for the ten men would now cost just £80.<br />
<br />
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes. So the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men ? How could they divide the £20 windfall so that everyone would get his fair share?<br />
<br />
The bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by a higher percentage the poorer he was, to follow the principle of the tax system they had been using, and he proceeded to work out the amounts he suggested that each should now pay.<br />
And so the fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% saving).<br />
The sixth now paid £2 instead of £3 (33% saving).<br />
The seventh now paid £5 instead of £7 (28% saving).<br />
The eighth now paid £9 instead of £12 (25% saving).<br />
The ninth now paid £14 instead of £18 (22% saving).<br />
The tenth now paid £49 instead of £59 (16% saving).<br />
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<br />
Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But, once outside the bar, the men began to compare their savings.<br />
<br />
“I only got a pound out of the £20 saving,” declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man,”but he got £10!”<br />
<br />
“Yeah, that’s right,” exclaimed the fifth man. “I only saved a pound too. It’s unfair that he got ten times more benefit than me!”<br />
<br />
“That’s true!” shouted the seventh man. “Why should he get £10 back, when I got only £2? The wealthy get all the breaks!”<br />
<br />
“Wait a minute,” yelled the first four men in unison, “we didn’t get anything at all. This new tax system exploits the poor!”<br />
<br />
The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.<br />
<br />
The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks so the nine sat down and had their beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn’t have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!<br />
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<br />
And that, people, journalists and government ministers, is how our tax system works. The people who already pay the highest taxes will naturally get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas, where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.<br />
<br />Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826936450821252589.post-79377453135763811252015-02-20T17:48:00.000+00:002015-02-20T17:48:39.401+00:00Priestwood and Garth, Facebook page.Again; it is such a long time since I blogged. I suppose the coming of the next election has reminded me of keeping connected with people. I am a member of several Facebook sites, and have joined The Priestwood & Garth page at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/priestwoodandgarth">https://www.facebook.com/priestwoodandgarth</a> . I expect to contributing there soon.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_D9_kRRkgkAJcSNqQ_4b3ioHED4J_d16sBHllUfqnNi4aQZ6B7YNw639VNtbeRG61snQt1BoEzgFhior9JEbS_eVu3OSZ1Sf9KGNln0HjVVdWgkBSg4iEriA-v8cfjZmEusCQYhgjADY0/s1600/GAT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_D9_kRRkgkAJcSNqQ_4b3ioHED4J_d16sBHllUfqnNi4aQZ6B7YNw639VNtbeRG61snQt1BoEzgFhior9JEbS_eVu3OSZ1Sf9KGNln0HjVVdWgkBSg4iEriA-v8cfjZmEusCQYhgjADY0/s1600/GAT.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Priestwood and Garth Conservative team members.<br /> Graham, Alvin, Tina, aided by Jessica and Oliver.<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Priestwood & Garth Conservative Team have had regular walkabouts. The amount of walking about will be increasing soon when the election starts. We have already been out delivering good news about your Conservative run council. During the election period we along with the other parties will be delivering more literature.<br />
<br />
Please read the literature that you get from Parliamentary, Borough and Town candidates. This will help make your mind up as to how to vote.<br />
<br />
You can also follow your local Conservatives on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BracknellConservatives">https://www.facebook.com/BracknellConservatives</a><br />
and the website at <a href="http://www.bracknellconservatives.com/">http://www.bracknellconservatives.com/</a> .<br />
<br />
<br />Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826936450821252589.post-33913155494841389952014-05-23T15:24:00.001+01:002015-02-20T17:49:51.770+00:00Post Mayor PostingIt has been a long time since I last blogged. Partly because I have the duties of Bracknell Town Mayor to attend to. So; Here is the report; well most of the report that I gave at the end of my year as Mayor.<br />
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<br />
This year has gone much quicker that I expected<br />
When I sat down to compose a report, I wondered where to start.<br />
I thought, let’s have a look in the<a href="http://www.bracknelltowncouncil.gov.uk/" target="_blank"> website</a>; ….. what do we tell people that the Town council does? It says…. Our mission is:<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>To be the guardian of Bracknell Town’s parks, play areas and public spaces,</b><br />
<b>and to safeguard them from possible future development.</b><br />
<b>To be responsible to the needs of all sections of our community to build upon</b><br />
<b>our achievements and provide high quality services at minimum cost.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
This is evidenced by our recent commitment to helping the community in creating a <a href="http://www.bracknelltowncouncil.gov.uk/neighbourhoodplan.php" target="_blank">Neighbourhood Plan</a>. More will be talked about that later……<br />
Later this evening, the new mayor will be presenting this years grant cheques to various deserving organisations. It gave me much pleasure to meet, as Mayor, with a great number of the recipients of last years grants, and to see the hard work and dedication of their many unsung volunteers.<br />
<br />
It has been my pleasure to support the repair of Holy Trinity <a href="http://www.bracknell-parish.org/roof.html" target="_blank">Church Roof </a>and <a href="http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/bracknell/j/default.html" target="_blank">Youth Rugby</a> this past year.<br />
A member of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MosaicBracknell" target="_blank">Mosaic Church</a>, that is affiliated to Holy Trinity, gave an excellent speech at my Civic Service earlier this year about the values imbued in sports that can overflow into our lives. Through discipline, control and mutual self-respect, a fellowship and sense of fair play are forged, …..this is a set of laws that fit well with everyday life.<br />
<br />
That brings me to the facilities provided by the Town Council; recreational facilities that can be accessed by all. My thoughts are first drawn to Calfridus way in Bracknell, where Rugby youth practices, and where many improvements have been put in place by the Town Council. <br />
Recent projects have enabled us to provide improved play and exercise equipment for Town residents. The <a href="http://www.proludic.co.uk/announcements/olympic-legacy-arrives-in-mill-park-bracknell" target="_blank">Sports Legacy Zone</a> at Mill Park applied the latest thinking in social fitness and multi-use sports area design.<br />
<br />
There have been other improvements to the Town Councils Recreation and Woodland areas. These facilities have benefited from the attendance of our environment wardens. Two of The Town Council Parks have gained Green flag awards, signifying that they are among the top in the country.<br />
Numerous events have been held by the Town Council over the year, one I much enjoyed was the Teddy Bears Picnic.<br />
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<br />
During my Mayoral Year I have enjoyed many events, and visits, and as I started to mention above, it has been humbling to meet so many enthusiastic volunteers in the Town Area, these are people that serve us every day. My thanks go out to all those voluntary organisations that help us all.<br />
<br />
I much enjoyed the progress of Bracknell in Bloom last year; meeting the contenders; meeting the Judges; and helping to hand out awards to winners. I am especially proud of the Towns children, in Schools and at Scouts, and youth clubs, who contributed, and passed on their enthusiasm to their parents. I hope next year that with everyone’s help that we will yet again be in the top, if not top of the winners nationally.<br />
I would encourage everyone to look at the<a href="http://www.bracknelltowncouncil.gov.uk/" target="_blank"> BTC website </a>to see the range of things that we do. And please do sign up to the Facebook page to keep in touch with news and activities of the Council.<br />
<br />
I have not held that many fund raising events this year, for one reason or another, but am grateful to the Grange Hotel for their handling of the Tea Party, and The Old Manor for providing at a huge discount the hosting of the gathering after the Civic Service.<br />
I would also thank the staff at the Town Council, who have been most supportive, under the guidance of our Town Clerk Russell Reeve.<br />
<br />
Back to more blogging soon...<br />
<br />Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826936450821252589.post-11051935309711596592013-06-27T10:40:00.000+01:002013-06-28T16:39:00.917+01:00Mobile Phones and Virus Issues<div class="MsoNormal">
Antivirus programs are quite familiar to us on our desktops.
As mobile operating systems have grown in </div>
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popularity, desktop type security concerns
have followed. So trained are users that when Android antivirus apps began
appearing, users saw them as a must-have. Given that there have been various bit
of news about Android malware; users can’t really be blamed for making
assumptions.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The trouble with apps is that they all run in the same
sandboxed Java environment, which includes
the AV apps as well. Most AV apps lack
the ability to gain low-level system access on mobile that desktop antivirus
would. This currently means that the best way to avoid malware is to understand
how Android apps work.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When an app is installed, the system will always display <a href="http://androidforums.com/android-applications/36936-android-permissions-explained-security-tips-avoiding-malware.html" target="_blank">permissions</a>
requested. See <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/mobile/insideguardian/android-app-permissions" target="_blank">here</a> for an example. You can also find these permissions in the android settings for
installed apps. These permissions are shown on a tab in Google Play) Some antivirus apps such as <a href="http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews/security/3351973/zoner-antivirus-review/" target="_blank">Zoner </a>can display a list of apps and
the number of permissions granted. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-9t7eNMzq9jPHCjDZO0WoFe0i_JIf07cGDhG6JSV8h1tcoL4PvUJsXhYZqiuEMifuiVEcdmrAUf5SrcuAoVInv4yru0fRUx89Q8dtITo1KTI6IL9X5srPvBfaH9tUXcCsnefJpCkdHBk/s125/phone.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-9t7eNMzq9jPHCjDZO0WoFe0i_JIf07cGDhG6JSV8h1tcoL4PvUJsXhYZqiuEMifuiVEcdmrAUf5SrcuAoVInv4yru0fRUx89Q8dtITo1KTI6IL9X5srPvBfaH9tUXcCsnefJpCkdHBk/s125/phone.png" /></a>
If a simple app asks for permission to send and receive SMS messages; that should
be checked out by the user. Recent malware has been designed in such a way that
by gaining rights to the phone, it can send text messages to premium rate
numbers and also allow other attackers to carry out fraudulent activities. <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2041030/new-android-trojan-app-exploits-previously-unknown-flaws-researchers-say.html" target="_blank">PC World</a> reports that when
first executed, Obad.a prompts users for device administrator privilege.
Applications that gain this privilege can no longer be uninstalled through the
regular apps menu until they are removed from the administrators list on the infected device. Indeed security
researchers at Kaspersky’s lab have come across a Trojan virus, which is so
strong that it might be almost impossible to remove.</div>
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The same problem exists for apps that allow phone calling
permissions, potentially allowing them to call premium rate numbers without the
user’s knowledge.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Another permission to check for is access to the contact
list, and Google accounts. If you believe that the App should not be accessing this
data, there is a chance that it is malware designed to collect user data for
spamming or <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing" target="_blank">phishing</a>. You might expect to see this permission is in apps that
autocomplete contact names, or handle messaging actions.</div>
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The location permission could be used it for location-aware
ads (might be useful), but a more questionable app could pick up a user’s
location, and store it over time to sell that to advertisers.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMv7kY_PR8Wzp-3-wsLHstfkJUsD41CLMckUl6sw0rCrDpFAtUTc3nDgIzX2U0ieVuxh2rBpc6ietzmZyNb2-RLXgWqrmypLzX5ir43TW8t2Vb8fwY2ddO_hJu-Y3eqZhdRj9U-LegXXBi/s229/mobile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMv7kY_PR8Wzp-3-wsLHstfkJUsD41CLMckUl6sw0rCrDpFAtUTc3nDgIzX2U0ieVuxh2rBpc6ietzmZyNb2-RLXgWqrmypLzX5ir43TW8t2Vb8fwY2ddO_hJu-Y3eqZhdRj9U-LegXXBi/s200/mobile.jpg" width="145" /></a></div>
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The best way to stay safe on Android is to just stick to
established apps from the likes of the official Android Market or the Amazon
Appstore. While bad apps do occasionally show up in the Market, Google removes
them swiftly and can also remotely kill the apps on phones.</div>
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There has been good evidence that a lot of free Android
antivirus apps just don’t work, and could even cause people to believe they are
protected when they are not. This might mean people taking take more risks with
downloading dodgy software. There is a useful review <a href="http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/best-free-antivirus-app-android.htm" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
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Perhaps even worse is the latest scam imported from the PC
platform, a form of which was recently identified by Symantec. Android
Fakedefender locks people out of using other applications and can also change
the settings of the OS, making it tricky for people to uninstall the malware.</div>
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<a href="http://newsroom.juniper.net/press-releases/juniper-networks-finds-mobile-threats-continue-ram-nyse-jnpr-1029552" target="_blank">Juniper</a> networks says that the <a href="http://www.juniper.net/us/en/local/pdf/additional-resources/3rd-jnpr-mobile-threats-report-exec-summary.pdf" target="_blank">Mobile Threats Report</a>,
conducted by the Juniper Networks Mobile Threat Center, is one of the largest
first-hand quantitative research studies of its kind. The report is based on
analysis of more than 1.85 million mobile applications and vulnerabilities, up
more than 133 percent from the last report released in February 2012.</div>
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Juniper says it's clear that cybercriminals are now rather than trying to crack into every system, are going after the most popular: Android which dominates nearly 60 percent of the smartphone market share. (Apple has slightly more than 19 percent and Microsoft has 18 percent.)</div>
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An interesting feature of <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zoner.android.security&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS56b25lci5hbmRyb2lkLnNlY3VyaXR5Il0." target="_blank">Zoner</a> mentioned above is the theft protection, which if enabled allows you to remotely control and locate your device via SMS messages. If you have lost it somewhere you can get a location or sound an alarm for people to notice it. (useful if you have left it on silent) If it has been stolen you will be notified when SIM is changed. It might also be used by your partner or others to track your location... </div>
Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826936450821252589.post-19133761050308170282013-06-24T05:40:00.001+01:002013-06-24T05:40:27.979+01:00Yet more hackers?In the <i>Daily Mail</i><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2347022/RICHARD-LITTLEJOHN-So-Mlud-Leveson-investigate-phone-hacking-lawyers-Dont-hold-breath.html" target="_blank"> Littlejohn</a> says:<br />
"Law firms, telecoms giants and insurance companies all hired criminals to harvest sensitive, confidential information. One of the country’s most prolific hackers, a private investigator, admitted that 80 per cent of his work was carried out on behalf of lawyers, wealthy individuals and insurers.<br />
Other clients of hackers included a household name who broadcasts to millions of people every week; another celebrity who paid a firm to hack into an employee’s computer; and a businessman who wanted to obtain intelligence on rivals involved in a £500 million takeover bid.<br />
Investigators routinely obtained everything from bank and credit card statements to itemised mobile phone bills"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQVHFn5Nk6Uk45lxHU0oLkDbrFop2a2H5rNVu6EbFgGHAnzsWtpFdLc6HTOFDebNIPCJYKlqtGEsNPxRg9yCIt-D20BmOZ4kN1r_gXM8vco2dTmyTJMsoNN6C_obK_zbAr3DUtVdFoUYI/s1600/stelwrite.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYQVHFn5Nk6Uk45lxHU0oLkDbrFop2a2H5rNVu6EbFgGHAnzsWtpFdLc6HTOFDebNIPCJYKlqtGEsNPxRg9yCIt-D20BmOZ4kN1r_gXM8vco2dTmyTJMsoNN6C_obK_zbAr3DUtVdFoUYI/s1600/stelwrite.gif" /></a></div>
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This was following on from a <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/the-other-hacking-scandal-suppressed-report-reveals-that-law-firms-telecoms-giants-and-insurance-companies-routinely-hire-criminals-to-steal-rivals-information-8669148.html" target="_blank">report </a>in the <i>Independent</i> that alleges that a suppressed official report accuses respected industries of hiring criminals to steal rivals’ secrets. Yet an official report into their practices has been suppressed.<br />
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An interesting part of the hacking process in the operation "Blaggers" who obtain key information that may be used in itself or facilitate the hacking of another system. This is referred to on the Information Commissioners Office website - <a href="http://www.ico.org.uk/about_us/research/reports_to_parliament" target="_blank">Reports</a> to Parliament. the<a href="http://www.ico.org.uk/about_us/research/~/media/documents/library/Corporate/Research_and_reports/WHAT_PRICE_PRIVACY_NOW.ashx" target="_blank"> May repor</a>t bring up an interesting list.<br /><br />"Following the report the Information Commissioner received a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for further information about the publications that the 305 journalists were employed by and a breakdown of their activity. After considering the relevant exemptions information which did not identify the journalists or the publications was provided to the requester. Having considered the matter further the Information Commissioner has decided that a further disclosure is in the public interest and in the context of a special report to Parliament is consistent with the discharge of his functions under the Data Protection Act 1998. The following table shows the publications identified from documentation seized during the Operation Motorman investigation, how many transactions each publication was positively identified as being involved in and how many of their journalists (or clients acting on their behalf) were using these services".</div>
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Interestingly on the top of the list was the <i>Daily Mail,</i> with a reported 952 transactions and 58 journalists/clients.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1YZ5r1ZxCuvhPRXLuXEjOkTGchT_BXRqZilvWfrSjuGTQJvkSffMK_aBG6s7_-x3pJEaBECg5r_A6m6SwazuzFPGerD3DVGabIkcwEbYq3IlT6Mi3_VzWnnJmWbWQXjJuNojHOdtAoPW-/s1600/stealth.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1YZ5r1ZxCuvhPRXLuXEjOkTGchT_BXRqZilvWfrSjuGTQJvkSffMK_aBG6s7_-x3pJEaBECg5r_A6m6SwazuzFPGerD3DVGabIkcwEbYq3IlT6Mi3_VzWnnJmWbWQXjJuNojHOdtAoPW-/s200/stealth.gif" width="196" /></a></div>
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It seems that illegal practices identified by Soca investigators went beyond the simple crime of voicemail hacking (see previous blog - <a href="http://alvin-finch.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/phone-hacking-or-opportunistic-access.html" target="_blank">Phone "Hacking" or Opportunistic Access?</a> ) and included live phone interceptions, police corruption, computer hacking and perverting the course of justice.</div>
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GCHQ may gather 39 billion separate pieces of information, but how do you find the bit you might want? One should probably concerned about who could access that data. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTqM_3cQwB_L3QqIA5d24XbR0VYb1FiaqKQ81H2jdVzVLjh8wgaEQjzRZBcuvaIaEFn2dfhcFWM7kTxRZc5wYe_Eek0CgePXB3tzIE5uGk9KPFoOd0vFAaCRCAHs8fBdq7ebgpwttDImrK/s1600/binary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTqM_3cQwB_L3QqIA5d24XbR0VYb1FiaqKQ81H2jdVzVLjh8wgaEQjzRZBcuvaIaEFn2dfhcFWM7kTxRZc5wYe_Eek0CgePXB3tzIE5uGk9KPFoOd0vFAaCRCAHs8fBdq7ebgpwttDImrK/s1600/binary.jpg" /></a></div>
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The trouble with access points is that once they are there, unless there is some kind of physical switch to isolate them, they may be vulnerable to unwanted access. Who also might be able to access the probes that GCHQ has placed on more than 200 transatlantic cables?</div>
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The other problem with people owning .com names is that the USA could claim that any traffic must be routed by way of the USA. <a href="http://alvin-finch.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/extradition-com-wire-fraud-who-next-for.html" target="_blank">See Extradition .com ‘wire fraud’ - Who next for extradition? </a></div>
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The problem has been around for some time though - <a href="http://alvin-finch.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/hackers-ancient-modern-and-extradition.html" target="_blank">See Hackers’ ancient and modern</a> blog post. There is a bit more about this sort of stuff in my book "<a href="http://www.coldsuspenders.com/" target="_blank">Cold Suspenders</a>". There are different types of suspender, and none of them hold stockings up.</div>
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Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826936450821252589.post-15042849313033374992013-06-03T18:28:00.000+01:002013-06-03T18:28:06.367+01:00New Priestwood Community Association AGM.It is some time since I last blogged about anything.<br />There often just does not seen to be enough time.<br />
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I am on holiday at the time of writing this, and have snuck away from Diane with to use a borrowed laptop.<br />
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Anyway - What this is about is the New Priestwood community Association AGM.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7V1CUpe4pHgO6hS72CR2bel_yunEhPJL4M7-1ZtEE4h_8sgtN0zLnnbdvtdvhrY8ccOIKO1uKkVVe1_TbbIu-Ma_Hr0dLbY_uW16GqwA2lbLN4FzKNV0q2c5ToAuTfpNLQSI_uFl7hwz/s1600/pcc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7V1CUpe4pHgO6hS72CR2bel_yunEhPJL4M7-1ZtEE4h_8sgtN0zLnnbdvtdvhrY8ccOIKO1uKkVVe1_TbbIu-Ma_Hr0dLbY_uW16GqwA2lbLN4FzKNV0q2c5ToAuTfpNLQSI_uFl7hwz/s1600/pcc.jpg" /></a></div>
This is the most important meeting of the year in Priestwood at which the annual financial report is presented, Officers and a Committee elected for the year ahead. This year, there is also the subject of approving a new lease. <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
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There are two speakers on local topics...<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
Terry Pearce<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
Chairman of the Over 50s' Forum & Defend Our Community Services on... "Our NHS - Fighting for its life!"<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
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Cllr. Mary Temperton<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
Bracknell Forest Council Town Centre Regeneration Committee Member on... "Our New Town Centre"<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
You'll also have an opportunity to speak out on any local issue you want to raise with either the speakers or with local Councillors who will also be at the meeting.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
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7.30 p.m. on Friday, 14th. June.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/thenewpriestwoodcommunitycentre">http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/thenewpriestwoodcommunitycentre</a><br />
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I will try to blog about me becoming Mayor and stuff soon, and with something about the areas I wish to support during my year. <a href="http://www.getbracknell.co.uk/news/s/2134342_cllr_alvin_finch_named_new_mayor_of_bracknell_town">http://www.getbracknell.co.uk/news/s/2134342_cllr_alvin_finch_named_new_mayor_of_bracknell_town</a><br />
<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826936450821252589.post-71405951670564817792013-01-03T08:44:00.000+00:002013-01-03T08:44:00.244+00:00Phone "Hacking" or Opportunistic Access?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7IXLhlC6R9pMoNyJ-iHMMB9QoOBwU6rFd79Fz112A3JHKxXaxKhZ66va49kOf7QypKy6kWsf3_fg1_IBPmaj1m6GeMCMWe0th0P8gVlQl0qqytBFaOLsqVePOItr-XNamrCpb3LjpPIZ/s1600/mobile.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7IXLhlC6R9pMoNyJ-iHMMB9QoOBwU6rFd79Fz112A3JHKxXaxKhZ66va49kOf7QypKy6kWsf3_fg1_IBPmaj1m6GeMCMWe0th0P8gVlQl0qqytBFaOLsqVePOItr-XNamrCpb3LjpPIZ/s1600/mobile.gif" /></a></div>
A lot of mobile phone owners may have been worried by all the talk of “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phone_hacking" target="_blank">'phone hacking</a>”. Customers often ask me what they can do to protect their phones, and what it’s all about anyway. In effect there is no actual phone hacking involved, it’s more of people taking advantage of lax security.<br />
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What we are talking about is opportunistic illegitimate access to voicemail messages. These could be mobile phone messages, or messages on a home answering machine. Since the police inquiry into the News of the World <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/phone-hacking" target="_blank">scandal</a>, mobile network have operators greatly improved their security mechanisms to increase protection of users.<br />
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A big problem with voicemails arose from the use of well-known default <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_identification_number" target="_blank">PIN</a>s for voicemail access. Most customers will probably have never have used their PIN code to access voicemail. On most mobile phones, the network recognises that it is your phone calling and makes life easy for you by recognising that it is you and replaying the messages.<br />
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Operators often provide an external number through which you can call to access your voicemail remotely, but the easiest way to pick up your voicemail remotely is to call your own number. Usually when in starts the voicemail message you can enter a PIN number to access the voicemail. On O2 the default used to be 8701. (You key a star first). I remember a friend of mine being horrified when I demonstrated to him how easy it was for anyone to listen to his voicemail.<br />
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As with <a href="http://www.explainxkcd.com/2011/08/10/password-strength/" target="_blank">computer passwords</a> people who do set up PIN numbers often use their birthday or some other well known number that someone else could easily guess at. That makes it a bit too easy for someone to access your stuff.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf0q9bPzNgrFBbRQriQ8RyxH0AzLHWSQFiuD_WhXI48_jIkAzou2T0DRT3dPaqs8bVqkfh-8mLV0OxQRPzYvp7Uia9qoyp-XECyLpqvPaztH3zRiPoVq8qXcDsxCjlFOhQZSxyxmVkoruX/s1600/aphone.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf0q9bPzNgrFBbRQriQ8RyxH0AzLHWSQFiuD_WhXI48_jIkAzou2T0DRT3dPaqs8bVqkfh-8mLV0OxQRPzYvp7Uia9qoyp-XECyLpqvPaztH3zRiPoVq8qXcDsxCjlFOhQZSxyxmVkoruX/s1600/aphone.gif" /></a>Sadly there are now newer methods that do verge on hacking - These methods involve faking a phone’s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caller_ID" target="_blank">Caller Line Identity </a>so it can spoof access into voicemail. To block this type attack, you need to set-up a PIN to access your voicemail. By doing this you prevent automatic access to your voicemail. A bit of a pain to have to use it every time, but at least it make thing more secure.<br />
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I touched on home <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Answering_machine" target="_blank">answering machines</a> earlier – If you look at the operating instructions<a href="http://www.shop.bt.com/content/uni2/documentation/73lf/bt_graphite_2500_user_guide.pdf" target="_blank"> here.</a> (See page 36 – remote access) They are much like the mobile phone set-up. Many people would leave the pin as the <a href="http://www.informationleak.net/index.php?p=tutorials&id=47891" target="_blank">default 000</a> – a bit too easy for someone else to guess!<br />
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Soon I intend to blog about what the real hackers can do.<br />
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Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826936450821252589.post-37101422107268272482012-12-28T08:32:00.000+00:002012-12-28T08:32:01.081+00:003D Printing a Revolution or an aid to Revolution?<br />
Could we soon see governments licensing the use of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_printing" target="_blank">3D printers</a>?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQtfo1PspEee1KawjCStwp243g0Mn-GXYD0E-1rFcy-PD2vcymIdW5pPbdJML2oFihT9IMYbvurV7rYcidoQ1PzlD0abuzOEZOtvn_uboNs__DM9zM0SHMrN_hGK1bUhOZ0mNsUVYi_GR/s1600/makerbot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAQtfo1PspEee1KawjCStwp243g0Mn-GXYD0E-1rFcy-PD2vcymIdW5pPbdJML2oFihT9IMYbvurV7rYcidoQ1PzlD0abuzOEZOtvn_uboNs__DM9zM0SHMrN_hGK1bUhOZ0mNsUVYi_GR/s200/makerbot.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
The printing of physical 3D objects from digital templates is becoming cheaper and more sophisticated. 3D printing uses an additive manufacturing technique to build up layer by layer from the bottom up.<br />
3D Printing allows designers to create both everyday and complicated objects that in some instances would be impossible to make. There is currently a limited range of objects that can be printed, but already cars, bikes, houses, prosthetic limbs, keys and guns have all been printed. As a backup you can have 3D printers to print more 3D printers.<br />
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<a href="http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/">http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn</a> says that “One example of how 3D printing has influenced the arms industry is that, after the technology was used to make guns, they became more easily available. So countries have to take every possible measure to ensure that criminal gangs don't get access to the technology, because they can wreak havoc in society. Though China has a strict gun-control policy, the fact is that implementing the policy would become very difficult if it is easy for people to download gun designs and forge them with the help of 3D printing technology.”<br />
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Exploding_landmine_(16958280).jpg/740px-Exploding_landmine_(16958280).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Exploding_landmine_(16958280).jpg/740px-Exploding_landmine_(16958280).jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
The New Scientist<a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21628875.100-us-military-gets-into-the-3d-printing-business.html" target="_blank"> talks of t</a>he US army's Rapid Equipping Force (REF). It has put together three mobile laboratories in 6-metre-long shipping containers. Each lab comes with tools such as plasma cutters and jigsaws, a 3D printer that prints in plastic or metal and a scientist and engineer to run them. The labs, which cost about $2.8 million, can be picked up by helicopter and set down just about anywhere. When the 54 °C heat in Afghanistan was playing havoc with the batteries in a ground-penetrating radar system used to search for mines, soldiers used a 3D printer to make a shielding case to protect them. Interestingly, printing weapons is not on the agenda, although fixing them might be.<br />
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In <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/onepercent/2012/07/3d-printed-gun.html" target="_blank">another issue</a> of the New Scientist "HaveBlue", a member of the <a href="http://www.ar15.com/index.html" target="_blank">AR15.com</a> gun enthusiast forum, which is named after a common semi-automatic rifle, claims to have carried out the first successful test-firing of a 3D-printed gun.<br />
<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/wuDCW_Rn5JI/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wuDCW_Rn5JI&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wuDCW_Rn5JI&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>HaveBlue did not print an entire gun but only a part called the lower receiver, which serves as a frame for the other components of the gun. This component is the only gun part regulated for sale under US law and as such must carry a serial number - unless it's made by a private individual for their personal use, so HaveBlue is not breaking any laws. See also <a href="http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/12/weaponeers/" target="_blank">3-D Printed Gun Only Lasts 6 Shots</a>. (Also video here) at Wired.com Danger Room.<br />
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In a <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/onepercent/2012/07/high-security-handcuffs-unlock.html" target="_blank">further article</a> it is shown how High-security police handcuffs can be opened with keys made by 3D printing. <br />
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What other items could be made by 3D printing and what could the consequences be? I did touch on 3D printing in my book <a href="http://www.coldsuspenders.com/" target="_blank">Cold Suspenders</a>, but in the story the printer can only be purchased with a specific government ID card. Could this become a reality?<br />
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On a lighter note, an IET journalist sampled some <a href="http://eandt.theiet.org/magazine/2008/01/printed-dinner.cfm">printed food</a>, and she says we might find ourselves traipsing into our kitchen, turning on our 3D food printer, and printing out our favourite dinner.<br />
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See also <a href="http://www.trust.org/alertnet/blogs/climate-conversations/could-3d-printing-be-a-climate-revolution" target="_blank">Climate Conversations</a> - Could 3D printing be a climate revolution?<br /><a href="http://killerapps.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/12/18/how_will_3d_printing_change_warfare?wp_login_redirect=0" target="_blank">3D printing and the future of warfare</a>.<br /><a href="http://www.newscientist.com/special/3D-printing" target="_blank">3D printing</a>: Second industrial revolution is under way.<br />
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Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826936450821252589.post-9622412820130691242012-12-27T11:57:00.000+00:002012-12-28T02:21:59.624+00:00Weather or not<br />
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Whether you believe it is man-made or natural, some sort of Climate Change is happening, and probably always has. It may or may not have a bearing on this having been <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/9767882/Wettest-year-on-record-for-England...-and-still-more-rain-and-wind-to-come.html" target="_blank">a very wet year</a>.<br />
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But anyway; in a recent IET <a href="http://eandt.theiet.org/magazine/2012/11/climate-change.cfm" target="_blank">article </a>it is reported that the<a href="http://www.ipcc.ch/" target="_blank"> IPCC</a> declares that climate extremes, or even a series of non-extreme events, combined with social vulnerabilities and exposure to risks, can produce climate-related disasters. Another IET<a href="http://eandt.theiet.org/magazine/2012/11/climate-change.cfm" target="_blank"> article </a>points out that recent terrorist attacks on infrastructure have highlighted the vulnerability of our rail and road networks, reinforcing the importance of good risk assessments to protect some of our biggest assets.<br />
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One could imagine that if Terrorists can predict disasters that they could then seek to exacerbate the problem. This is something that I explore in my book <a href="http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/alvin+finch/cold+suspenders/6295639/" target="_blank">Cold Suspenders</a>.<br />
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Extreme events can have a direct effect on people’s lives, potentially disrupting commodity prices, supply chains, markets, and economies. The recent wet weather makes the possibility of the events in <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1906210896?tag=httpwwwaskalv-21&camp=1406&creative=6394&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=1906210896&adid=1TTNY2GVCJEMDTPQSC6S&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.coldsuspenders.com%2Fbuy.php" target="_blank">Cold Suspenders</a> look even more likely.<br />
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Following some links from the articles I came across the <a href="http://www.startrans-project.eu/DisplayPage.asp?PID=387" target="_blank">Startrans</a> project “Trains, cars, buses, trucks, metros… are interconnected to create a network of transportation systems. This network, at the heart of our daily lives, fosters social cohesion and needs to be protected as a crucial asset. Terrorist attacks and security related incidents on transportation systems in major European cities have shown that the protection of transport infrastructure is long overdue. This is where the STAR-TRANS project acts: to understand how one incident localised in one single transportation system may affect the whole transportation network: the network of transportation networks. STAR-TRANS will produce tools analyzing how risk propagates and affects interconnected transportation systems in Europe.”<br />
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It would seem that some-one is looking into it, although the results from a similar project (<a href="http://www.foi.se/demasst/" target="_blank">DEMASST</a>) are a long time coming.<br />
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There was an interesting short story contained in the <a href="http://eandt.theiet.org/magazine/2012/11/index.cfm" target="_blank">November</a> issue of E&T. <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">The year is 2050, the city is London. The landscape of the capital has changed radically after the decision-making process over the effects of climate change was taken out of the hands of engineers and put into the hands of bureaucrats.</span></span></span><a href="http://eandt.theiet.org/magazine/2012/11/after-the-floods.cfm" target="_blank">A London landscape altered by climate change</a>.<br />
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Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826936450821252589.post-7337666525904868852012-12-18T08:28:00.000+00:002012-12-18T09:15:25.263+00:00Carers UKI have just been downloading some pictures from my camera. It was pleasant to find pictures of the Carers UK <a href="https://www.carersuk.org/newsroom/latest-about-carers/item/2821-event-celebrates-history-of-carers-movement" target="_blank">event in October</a> this year.<br />
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The event brought together carers present and former who have been with the organisation a long time. My mother has been a member of this organisation for some time. She did some quite heroic work looking after <a href="http://alvin-finch.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/farewell-to-my-farther.html" target="_blank">my father</a> who developed Alzheimer's disease. </div>
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The event paid tribute to the late Mary Webster, founder of Carers UK, and was held at Lambeth Palace, home of Carers UK’s vice president the Archbishop of Canterbury; Dr Rowan Williams.<br />
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Caring can take its toll on finances, health, career and family and social life. Carers can fall out of paid work and many rely on low-level benefits, forcing them into poverty. Without unpaid carers our NHS would collapse and the country would face an £119 billion care bill it cannot afford. More at <a href="http://www.carersuk.org/">http://www.carersuk.org/</a> </div>
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Data from the 2011 census shows a substantial rise in those caring for a relative or friend. There are now 5.8 million carers in England & Wales compared to 5.2 in 2001.</div>
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<a href="http://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/browse/p/21412/Jill%20Elizabeth%20Pitkeathley+PITKEATHLEY.aspx" target="_blank">Baroness Jill Pitkeathley</a> trained originally as a social worker and led the carers movement for twelve years, creating Carers National Association (now Carers UK) and turning what had been a private, hidden trouble, the needs of Great Britain’s six million carers, into a public issue. She remains a Vice President of CarersUK. </div>
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<span class="highlight" rel="Amy"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wXaoywGlecU60VU8g0RigtbxsPqDKu5isF2D9SFSn7_UPrNIhnrIJFnlvMfQUJ6eyjDZkZWQpjN4vFV0xjxuubBeUefawDOnnZw1_mYRRamoI_14PmeRlq_9wUmZywvnZUKcrWsxkKuN/s1600/amy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wXaoywGlecU60VU8g0RigtbxsPqDKu5isF2D9SFSn7_UPrNIhnrIJFnlvMfQUJ6eyjDZkZWQpjN4vFV0xjxuubBeUefawDOnnZw1_mYRRamoI_14PmeRlq_9wUmZywvnZUKcrWsxkKuN/s200/amy.jpg" width="158" /></a><a href="http://www.carersuk.org/support/real-life-stories/item/2482-amy-cook-my-carers-uk" target="_blank"><span class="highlight" rel="Amy">Amy</span> <span class="highlight" rel="Cook">Cook</span> </a>is a carer to her mum and sister as well a model and an
active voice for carers across the UK.<br />
<span class="highlight" rel="Amy">Amy</span> helped Carers UK get out the message on the ITV Text Santa appeal about how caring has touched her and her
family and what help would make a difference.</div>
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Read more on her blog at <a href="http://abc-whocares.blogspot.co.uk/">http://abc-whocares.blogspot.co.uk/</a> </div>
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(Amy is the young one in the picture. My mother is the slightly older one)</div>
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Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.com0Lambeth Palace, Lambeth Palace Road, Lambeth, London Borough of Lambeth, London SE1 7JU, UK51.495727 -0.1198600000000169531.06417 -41.428454000000016 71.927284 41.188733999999982tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826936450821252589.post-26757208730557170622012-12-03T03:17:00.000+00:002012-12-03T03:17:17.101+00:00Dual Cyber and Conventional Infrastructure Attacks Understood?<br />
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The <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/dec/03/hostile-states-cyberwarfare-uk-infrastructure?fb=native&commentpage=1" target="_blank">Guardian</a> says that for the first time the government have admitted that firms providing "the essential services upon which daily life depends" have been subjected to attacks from abroad.<br />
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See also <a href="http://alvin-finch.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/power-in-whose-hands.html" target="_blank">Power in Whose hands</a>?<br />
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British officials will not comment who is responsible for attacks on UK, but earlier this year Guardian revealed the US was also worried about foreign powers mapping America's infrastructure ; The Pentagon pints a finger at "reconnaissance" work by China and Russia.<br />
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The<a href="http://www.bcs.org/content/conWebDoc/49067" target="_blank"> BCS</a> reports that the UK’s cyber security strategy has been criticised by a former US cyber intelligence officer for its lack of leadership and direction.<br />
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Bob Ayers, formerly of the US army and Defence Intelligence Agency, has questioned the structure of Britain’s cyber security program. He describes it as “a collective of independent entities’ rather than a streamlined unit.”<br />
A key criticism came from former GCHQ and CESG head Nick Hopkinson, who told <a href="http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/analysis/2228122/uk-cyber-security-fragmented-and-failing" target="_blank">Computing</a> that the UK lagged behind the US, France and Germany in its ability to respond to cyber-attacks because of a "lack of cohesion" between the various organisations set up to work towards the strategy.<br />
Comparing the UK's cyber programs to that of the US, Ayers suggests that Britain is decades behind and lacks the ability to produce ‘professionalised’ cyber security personnel.<br />
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The UK police now provide a central point of contact for information about fraud and financially motivated internet crime. If you've been scammed, ripped off or conned go to <a href="http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/">http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/</a><br />
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There should be an announcement by the Cabinet Office minister, <a href="http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/news/2228824/maude-uk-is-in-stronger-cyber-security-position-than-a-year-ago" target="_blank">Francis Maude</a>, of new measures to protect people and companies from a daily bombardment of cyberscams and attempts to steal the nation's trade secrets.<br />
Maude has suggested that cyber security capacity needs to grow globally, and cited the UK's centre of excellence on cyber security as an example of how Britain wants to help other countries by offering independent advice on building a secure and resilient cyberspace.<br /><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPR5XSdM0msnKlXqDvnKm4WxXwWBFpU_nPotnaaPItOT5DwMgPoaDtzb_JWHKKBCbbPBlIka0bUGg3PaEGnt4HybJXEBYNFKNemXshyphenhyphen52xRyKzOF8ssHfeW-QwTifPc5ESpzKeu0YAchvd/s1600/bomb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPR5XSdM0msnKlXqDvnKm4WxXwWBFpU_nPotnaaPItOT5DwMgPoaDtzb_JWHKKBCbbPBlIka0bUGg3PaEGnt4HybJXEBYNFKNemXshyphenhyphen52xRyKzOF8ssHfeW-QwTifPc5ESpzKeu0YAchvd/s200/bomb.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
According to the Intelligence Security Committee the government does not understand the nature and extent of cyber-attacks from other nation states such as Russia and China, which are focused on espionage and the acquisition of information. This suggests that nations may never fully open themselves up to each other, as they are still some distance from being able to trust one another.<br /><br /><b>Are the implications of both dual cyber and conventional infrastructure fully understood?</b><br />
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Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826936450821252589.post-88487829240666946622012-11-30T19:49:00.001+00:002012-12-01T21:28:01.787+00:00Green energy held up by magnets and environmentalists?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgfDABHAUIzTPQrHnFS53Q9KcWo7WDSN-g0GVNeBHKYUnbqyZcBRdgEMf1FDJk8bGZ3-sXgTZ6VMpSvzgOcSeQrTH-P2wRF7zXVNS-SQYPqSqYPAsF220npYAOjvX-9JiyxV1upmCIT1D/s1600/wind_farm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgfDABHAUIzTPQrHnFS53Q9KcWo7WDSN-g0GVNeBHKYUnbqyZcBRdgEMf1FDJk8bGZ3-sXgTZ6VMpSvzgOcSeQrTH-P2wRF7zXVNS-SQYPqSqYPAsF220npYAOjvX-9JiyxV1upmCIT1D/s1600/wind_farm.jpg" /></a></div>
Could the rising tide of wind farms be held up by green concerns. <br />
<br />
Could it also be that Global warming will enable the magnets needed to be won from the ground?<br />
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<br />
<h3>
What makes a good magnet?</h3>
<br />
Iron-based / <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrite_(magnet)" target="_blank">ferrite</a> magnets are cheapness abundant – But; you need an awful lot of ferrite to create a large magnetic field.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOcEWfUHUrTbcRWM50EeDxDz5DHbF-AGC2HnYJkDq8n_4Rv9_ne2pSw1HJFNyxLB58QI-NltH5K1PBS3uvll8DKROcltoRGStvIAtrbhMbDohKCIFJBR90pE45uH1q36mudBuqCtJIiQig/s1600/magnet%23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOcEWfUHUrTbcRWM50EeDxDz5DHbF-AGC2HnYJkDq8n_4Rv9_ne2pSw1HJFNyxLB58QI-NltH5K1PBS3uvll8DKROcltoRGStvIAtrbhMbDohKCIFJBR90pE45uH1q36mudBuqCtJIiQig/s1600/magnet%23.jpg" /></a></div>
Better magnets have been produced by metallurgists mixing up promising elements and putting them in magnetic fields and seeing what happens.<br />
Aluminium-cobalt-nickel or "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alnico" target="_blank">Alnico</a>" magnets in the 1930s produced more than doubled the energy density of the best ferrites.<br />
In 1970s the discovery of the magnetic potential of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanthanide" target="_blank">lanthanide</a> / <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare-earth_magnet" target="_blank">rare earth</a> led to Magnets made from a mixture of cobalt and the rare earth element samarium that can store more than twice the energy of Alnico magnets.<br />
In the 1990 magnets made of the rare earth element <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neodymium_magnet" target="_blank">neodymium</a> plus iron and boron produced a magnet the size of a fingertip that could create a magnetic field several thousand times stronger than that of Earth's iron core.<br />
When the likes of Neo was invented It drove up demand to the extent that the availability of rare earths is now a big problem.<br />
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<h3>
Why do we need good magnets?</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmYH-Q9LYntoq7UFnzaeiGkBoz1KppcGNgFYMX_hBe2ALkVoJgyqVaG3vu1nvUu3PxCxAebXznsBzVffW3WR5nFwyARimm0S_Whfa5VB_dVJrNArTUhoqXjNkr7PPGRcezpkWSLpwu7BHp/s1600/generator-large2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmYH-Q9LYntoq7UFnzaeiGkBoz1KppcGNgFYMX_hBe2ALkVoJgyqVaG3vu1nvUu3PxCxAebXznsBzVffW3WR5nFwyARimm0S_Whfa5VB_dVJrNArTUhoqXjNkr7PPGRcezpkWSLpwu7BHp/s200/generator-large2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Huge quantities are being used in green energy technologies; Such as motors/generators for wind turbines, electric cars and bicycles. These have to be both powerful and lightweight. It is only Neo magnets give the performance needed.<br />
<br />
Every <a href="http://www.electric-cars-are-for-girls.com/electric-car-motors.html" target="_blank">motor</a> in an electric car needs about 2 kilograms. A <a href="http://www.top-alternative-energy-sources.com/wind-generator.html" target="_blank">wind turbine </a>capable of producing a megawatt of power needs about two-thirds of a tonne.<br />
<br />
The demand for Neo magnets for wind turbines is projected to increase more than seven times by 2015.<br />
<br />
<h3>
How can we get more?</h3>
The US Department of Energy has a project called<a href="http://arpa-e.energy.gov/ProgramsProjects/REACT.aspx" target="_blank"> REACT</a> Rare Earth Alternatives in Critical Technologies". Its aim is to come up with magnets that use less of rare earth elements or perhaps none at all.<br />
<br />
Up until now most of the world supply of rare earths has come from China. Increasing though China wants the elements to use for itself.<br />
<br />
In Canada Quest Rare Minerals Ltd holds one of the largest heavy rare earth element deposits in the world but it is located in an unforgiving northern part of Québec where, oddly enough, Global warming may allow access through the permafrost.<br />
<br />
The possibility of mining in Malaysia has been dogged by criticism from environmentalists and residents; Opposition that has galvanized a "green" movement in Malaysia.<br />
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<h4>
References:</h4>
New Scientist - <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21628882.100-loss-of-attraction-were-running-out-of-magnets.html?full=true" target="_blank">We're running out of magnets</a><br />
IET - <a href="http://eandt.theiet.org/magazine/2012/04/releasing-the-rare-earths.cfm" target="_blank">Rare earth metals in short supply</a><br />
Forbs -<a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/kitconews/2012/11/29/quebec-mines-2012-largest-rare-earth-metals-deposit-outside-of-china-faces-tough-northern-climate/" target="_blank"> Largest Rare Earth Metals Deposit Outside Of China Faces Tough Northern Climate</a><br />
ft.com - <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b3332e0a-348c-11e2-8986-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2DjU4KlSu" target="_blank">China to subsidise rare earths producers</a><br />
BBC -<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20405027" target="_blank"> Lynas rare earth plant set for Sydney demonstration</a><br />
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<br />Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826936450821252589.post-5751846018676930462012-11-30T17:27:00.001+00:002012-11-30T17:27:10.949+00:00Money - decus et tutamen - how do you wrap it up?<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Some time back I was <a href="http://alvin-finch.blogspot.co.uk/2011/12/money-without-banks.html" target="_blank">Blogging</a> about “Money without
Banks” I was prompted to look at this again by some one calling about the vagaries
of the current banking system and Governments.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One line in the editorial of the New Scientist from
<a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21028153.200-future-of-money-back-to-a-networked-future.html" target="_blank">June 2011</a> says “<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">While fraud is still
a concern, the financial collapse of 2008 has called into question the
competence of the central banks that are supposed to manage national currencies.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8_zo8yo3b-8d5j3n7txHEpov3BRxendYQq1U0wUAKgH5wN32C1I17GRHCVDqyLN_7NYtFPlX3MxCVQHiw3aruKgoohVlpf1U7d4m__Ve6aLsl1JeBJmCjsCs5wGH7mGh7Xx2TNAuQlE7/s1600/bitcoinlogo_small.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8_zo8yo3b-8d5j3n7txHEpov3BRxendYQq1U0wUAKgH5wN32C1I17GRHCVDqyLN_7NYtFPlX3MxCVQHiw3aruKgoohVlpf1U7d4m__Ve6aLsl1JeBJmCjsCs5wGH7mGh7Xx2TNAuQlE7/s1600/bitcoinlogo_small.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> In <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21628922.400-whats-that-in-old-money.html" target="_blank">November 2012</a> the editorial is again discussing something similar in the form
of Bitcoins. This time there is another interesting line: “Like all truly
disruptive technologies, Bitcoin is hard to conceptualise at first. But
"fiat" money - the kind we use today, based on pieces of metal and
paper whose material and face value have long since drifted apart - was once
baffling, too.</span>”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />We have yet to see
whether governments and banks will step in to stifle the possible evolution of new
peer to peer currency. But one way or the other things could be changing.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuJ2YTFU7P7_lE8w5_elAGRneROkqmPNvHkjFlVj0U6K5e5bIsT4ZgLcJh0-XgnVNqT7JKsRFyDaymbObwkaDEOIocb74VkwAG6zTiT3-ID0_yFS8Vr02RUfOwNsjqtABdPZZh5Hv63Xb/s1600/ecb.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHuJ2YTFU7P7_lE8w5_elAGRneROkqmPNvHkjFlVj0U6K5e5bIsT4ZgLcJh0-XgnVNqT7JKsRFyDaymbObwkaDEOIocb74VkwAG6zTiT3-ID0_yFS8Vr02RUfOwNsjqtABdPZZh5Hv63Xb/s1600/ecb.gif" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
In an <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21628925.200-virtual-economy-looms-as-digital-cash-grows-up.html?full=true" target="_blank">article </a>on the Bitcoin the New Scientist says that the European Central
Bank has taken interest, last month publishing<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border: 1pt none windowtext; color: #34a3d1; padding: 0cm; text-decoration: initial;"><a href="http://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/pdf/other/virtualcurrencyschemes201210en.pdf" target="_blank">a report on virtual currencies</a></span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">. It says such currencies will have little impact
on real-world financial stability for now, but if the popularity of Bitcoin and
its ilk increase, central banks may have to start regulating them. One
wonders what form this “regulation” would take.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitcoin">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitcoin</a><br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-Pesa">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-Pesa</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />Where will the smart
money go? Can (over) regulation be avoided?<br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826936450821252589.post-70572616806587839402012-11-26T02:54:00.003+00:002012-11-26T02:56:38.585+00:00Who watches what you type?<br />
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The <i><a href="http://eandt.theiet.org/magazine/2012/10/for-your-eyes-only.cfm" target="_blank">IET magazine </a></i>says that computer vision scientists at the
University of North Carolina have revealed a way to compromise smartphone
security. They have an effective way to snoop on every word typed on a person’s
smartphone screen.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-9t7eNMzq9jPHCjDZO0WoFe0i_JIf07cGDhG6JSV8h1tcoL4PvUJsXhYZqiuEMifuiVEcdmrAUf5SrcuAoVInv4yru0fRUx89Q8dtITo1KTI6IL9X5srPvBfaH9tUXcCsnefJpCkdHBk/s1600/phone.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-9t7eNMzq9jPHCjDZO0WoFe0i_JIf07cGDhG6JSV8h1tcoL4PvUJsXhYZqiuEMifuiVEcdmrAUf5SrcuAoVInv4yru0fRUx89Q8dtITo1KTI6IL9X5srPvBfaH9tUXcCsnefJpCkdHBk/s1600/phone.png" /></a>They were able to snoop on a phone from anything up to 60m
away, and were able to reconstruct a message typed on the screen from video
footage. The scientists said that “We found it was possible to automatically
recover typed text, from reasonable distances, even using low-budget equipment,”
<o:p></o:p></div>
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The project, dubbed<a href="http://endeavors.unc.edu/ispy_software?utm_source=alumnireview&utm_medium=print&utm_campaign=alumnireview" target="_blank"> iSpy,</a> relies on the virtual keyboard
that smartphones like the iPhone employ which pops-up each letter at a larger
scale as you select it. They were able to capture images using an off-the-shelf
video camera, stabilise the images and then analyse them. At a distance it is not easy to work out which
one of adjacent letters had been typed. To enable recognition iSpy fed the
image data into a program that uses language models to calculate probable
meaning depending on context, resulting in 90 per cent accuracy.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQmyq5hidEDwlNsDFK-ULdMevrrnpGq3iWREnE9tyz2osRSTfV-MaDnkAWZeM-0d9RM5FslOHQW_EbkYFDrrAnAZW2f2NngBXbpit2Ks18_x76ZW4HlBcUSJnZ1INZswoMBYHcoGVWeMsg/s1600/webcam2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQmyq5hidEDwlNsDFK-ULdMevrrnpGq3iWREnE9tyz2osRSTfV-MaDnkAWZeM-0d9RM5FslOHQW_EbkYFDrrAnAZW2f2NngBXbpit2Ks18_x76ZW4HlBcUSJnZ1INZswoMBYHcoGVWeMsg/s1600/webcam2.jpg" /></a>One of the scientists, Fabian Monrose, said iSpy was able to
recover passwords remarkably easily, even though it relied on contextual
information to help it. Users must have been choosing simpler words and ideas
as passwords - instead of random strings of characters.<br />
<br />
Perhaps people should be thinking about protecting themselves better by using systems
like two-layer authentication. This system protects your account by requiring a
second password in the form of a numeric code sent to your mobile phone when
you login. </div>
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More at Google - <a href="http://support.google.com/accounts/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1610214&topic=1099588&ctx=topic">http://support.google.com/accounts/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1610214&topic=1099588&ctx=topic</a> Yahoo also provide a similar facility – See here:
<a href="http://www.ymailblog.com/blog/2011/12/yahoo-introduces-stronger-user-authentication-%E2%80%93-second-sign-in-verification/">http://www.ymailblog.com/blog/2011/12/yahoo-introduces-stronger-user-authentication-%E2%80%93-second-sign-in-verification/</a> </div>
Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826936450821252589.post-26234353215808902232012-06-20T23:30:00.000+01:002012-06-21T05:30:16.845+01:00Power in Whose hands?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Q1FmOwyV6KgWPoiSYEHuqKu70qkt0Uzqs_cTUuRKnCjf41eCx758Lx-Xr0asFgDjVyVdk0XIHWr2jb_H4mgh0tPLhirEqhpAoMuiIHHqj3izQ2-vlW31_aIFVbLq0ENnaEl3mTbzfgUr/s1600/pylonwire.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Q1FmOwyV6KgWPoiSYEHuqKu70qkt0Uzqs_cTUuRKnCjf41eCx758Lx-Xr0asFgDjVyVdk0XIHWr2jb_H4mgh0tPLhirEqhpAoMuiIHHqj3izQ2-vlW31_aIFVbLq0ENnaEl3mTbzfgUr/s1600/pylonwire.gif" /></a></div>
Across the UK computer usage is increasing, for both social and business areas, and it looks to continue to do so. This is leading to an increase in the ways in which we as individuals, households, service providers, and the organisations we work for may be attacked. Ownership of numerous gadgets and systems that we have, all increase the technical attack surface we expose. See page 10 of the IMIS<a href="http://www.imis.org.uk/library/879/download" target="_blank"> Journal</a> (Bring Your Own phenomenon), and the <a href="http://www.google.com/powermeter/about/index.html" target="_blank">Google powermeter</a>.<br />
<br />
Earlier this year Dave Clemente in <a href="http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmdfence/writev/1881/dcs02.htm" target="_blank">written evidence</a> to a Select Committee said “Protection of critical national infrastructure (CNI) is an area of significant importance and one that is becoming more difficult to analyse as inter-dependency increases between CNI sectors.”<br />
He also says that in a conflict situation it may be necessary for the military and wider Government to operate in a degraded or insecure cyber environment. This requires acceptance that total control of ‘UK cyberspace’ – however defined – is impossible. As the late Prof Philip Taylor noted, ‘full spectrum dominance is impossible in the global information environment.’ This was meant in the context of military psychological operations, but it holds equally true when attempting to secure highly inter-dependent computer networks and information systems.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkcGv-ZZ9o2FRthCHoIPC3hnAhzqtF_JpuTqJRBuNCKk7TjNocALCXEREnONL9DtL9lCzPCZfSnvFVM1HjBXTy8v_bFvMIfF4cfucf8piSh4nM9cIDMLvi0AtRrH15OgTGF9KXKLxZ4YXU/s1600/emeter.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkcGv-ZZ9o2FRthCHoIPC3hnAhzqtF_JpuTqJRBuNCKk7TjNocALCXEREnONL9DtL9lCzPCZfSnvFVM1HjBXTy8v_bFvMIfF4cfucf8piSh4nM9cIDMLvi0AtRrH15OgTGF9KXKLxZ4YXU/s1600/emeter.gif" /></a></div>
A recent Daily Mail <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2156648/Government-plans-install-smart-meters-homes-leave-open-cyber-attack.html?ito=feeds-newsxml" target="_blank">article </a>tells us that the Government has plans to install smart meters in our homes. Essentially a large scale Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition system. As well as the Government wanting information from these devices, people will want to access it on their various portable gadgets.<br />
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This prompted me to revisit an article the March 2012<a href="http://www.imis.org.uk/library?commit=browse&filter%5Bkeywords%5D=&filter%5Blibrary_category_ids%5D%5B%5D=7&page=2" target="_blank"> IMIS Journal</a>. Certification constraints and product life spans are pointed to as throwing up problems. Allan Dyer says that “New PC operating systems are released every few years, but they may be connected to systems with much longer life spans, such as line-of-business mainframe applications, or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCADA" target="_blank">SCADA</a> systems, or medical equipment. Medical equipment is often certified to medical standards, and the certification includes the computing hardware and software. The software may be obsolete and no longer supported by the software developers. There are Windows 98, Windows ME and Windows XP systems controlling medical systems still in daily use and the situation is ongoing”<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi27JkKaVlxJWgTwwZhJixyCbLdZ1ABGFDoFn6W71ddbS_RuPbQxEYr9xj3dFAwUmLzNw08MxFeWNw7KKVGrMz9LzZAeO-YhTwNWokd85G_WVhVQDP7bDOHd8WlR0vE5qS6i7yJ2XgfAFUb/s1600/mnetwork.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi27JkKaVlxJWgTwwZhJixyCbLdZ1ABGFDoFn6W71ddbS_RuPbQxEYr9xj3dFAwUmLzNw08MxFeWNw7KKVGrMz9LzZAeO-YhTwNWokd85G_WVhVQDP7bDOHd8WlR0vE5qS6i7yJ2XgfAFUb/s1600/mnetwork.gif" /></a></div>
<br />In the case that the Daily Mail is talking about, the network linking 46 Million meters would have to be highly secure, as it could become impossible to ensure all those systems are up to date and protected against malicious hackers. As the system grows older, so the availability of protection would diminish, and the potential for infection increase. Malware disrupting the operation of just a few meters might be manageable, but malware could rapidly spread and disrupt many devices. The MIDPM article suggested that network traffic be strictly filtered so that only legitimate transactions are allowed. Maybe also there should be physical breakpoints or switches in the system to isolate parts, should the monitoring or firewall systems become compromised.<br />
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In the US, federal researchers discovered that outside hackers could take control of the generators used to produce electricity in the US and destroy them. Presentations at a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Hat_Briefings" target="_blank">Black Hat hackers</a> conference showed how control systems can be located with special Google searches and then ordered to shut down or speed up, potentially blowing up a power or water treatment plant.<br />
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Joseph Menn writing in the <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/00148d60-c795-11e0-a03f-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1yOTsyqTO" target="_blank">Financial Times</a> says that “Hundreds of thousands of people in darkness, hospitals in chaos, a banking system under siege – a cyber attack on the US electricity grid could have catastrophic consequences”. See also an article in the <a href="http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-09-14/news/30153012_1_data-theft-turbine-cyber-warfare" target="_blank">Busines Insider</a>.<br />
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Back in the Daily Mail Article Ross Anderson, a Cambridge computer science professor and chairman of the think-tank, said: ‘GCHQ have also told us they are worried about it. ‘Once you have the ability to turn off meters remotely, then it becomes a strategic vulnerability. ‘If the Iranians or Chinese want to attack Britain, they could do so easily through smart meters. This is the modern day equivalent of a nuclear strike.’<br />
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<br />How do we trade off the need/want for integrated systems against what happens if those systems become compromised? Individuals can install protection on their own systems, but what of the wider world?<br />
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<br /></div>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826936450821252589.post-11714106469363535452012-06-11T03:44:00.000+01:002012-06-11T05:52:30.965+01:00P vs NP. A big Problem?<br />
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I have just been reading write up’s about a new film. The subject is perhaps not on the usual list of things we see the cinema.<br />
<a href="http://www.travellingsalesmanmovie.com/">http://www.travellingsalesmanmovie.com/</a><br />
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Complex math problems are probably near the bottom of things that people get excited about. But Travelling Salesman might just change that. The film is an, “intellectual thriller" about four mathematicians hired by the U.S. government to solve the biggest unsolved problem in computer science. Four people have jointly created a ‘system’ which means major advancement for civilisation or the destruction of humanity.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoofIhy8A6TvfjhkY1MyZwo4FJFarorCtVt7nvVlhV3nPNzNcYqxn4WFbWQFjacS6YNZbkhJwRlE7Pp0vNArhe1G_rEUlM-pr2jegh0y_c4QpZi-0mwRXMvlVA__KZNfZ9CMjZxduQtew3/s1600/equation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoofIhy8A6TvfjhkY1MyZwo4FJFarorCtVt7nvVlhV3nPNzNcYqxn4WFbWQFjacS6YNZbkhJwRlE7Pp0vNArhe1G_rEUlM-pr2jegh0y_c4QpZi-0mwRXMvlVA__KZNfZ9CMjZxduQtew3/s1600/equation.jpg" /></a></div>
The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P_versus_NP_problem" target="_blank">P vs NP problem</a> lies unsolved despite a $1 million bounty. The problem is whether the P and NP classes are actually identical. Most researchers believe they are not. It seems that we live in a world where some problems are fundamentally harder than others (or impossible).<br />
Travelling Salesman takes place in a world where Horton and colleagues prove that P = NP, This means that they can solve a range of incredibly difficult real-world problems from gene sequencing to the “<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travelling_salesman_problem" target="_blank">travelling salesman</a>” problem, crucial for logistics and scheduling.<br />
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According to the <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/culturelab/2012/05/the-moral-uncertainty-of-a-p-np-world.html" target="_blank">New Scientist article</a> the plot unfolds after we learn that the solution enables the mathematicians to crack any cryptography system in the world, which is why their four-year research project has been funded to the tune of millions of dollars by the US government.<br />
This was interesting as it follows on from <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/special/alan-turing" target="_blank">another article </a>in the New Scientist about Alan Turing. He invented the computer while trying to solve the above fundamental mathematical problem. By building his machine, he demonstrated that mathematics wasn't as perfect as many at the time believed, while also showing how powerful a computer could be.<br />
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Alan Turing, was one of the 20th century's most wide-ranging and original minds, and was born 100 years ago. In the New Scientist there is an <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21428672.900-alan-turing-life-interrupted.html" target="_blank">article</a> by John Graham-Cumming explaining why his ideas still matter now. Turing essentially founded computer science, helped the Allies win the Second World War with hard work and a succession of insights, asked fundamental questions about the nature of intelligence and its link with the brain's structure, and laid the foundations for an area of biology that is only now being fully appreciated and researched. I Blogged a <a href="http://alvin-finch.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/i-was-on-while-back-about-visiting.html" target="_blank">bit about him </a>before.<br />
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<br /></div>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826936450821252589.post-77884207282693986012012-04-09T22:45:00.002+01:002012-04-10T01:54:07.476+01:00Remote control cars?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLYIxQpjLWXCBEywGaffayPvlajoQDS5wOLDXbBNPhVJWSvKMx_nOC0m9M8-v93iX3ycadIaqd2AU4YZW5TqTqUBnVng7X1BL8JEZXXg3pMoQQWZWwKlMpPt9nPB8HI9cScnb6EAm3N05/s1600/speedo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBLYIxQpjLWXCBEywGaffayPvlajoQDS5wOLDXbBNPhVJWSvKMx_nOC0m9M8-v93iX3ycadIaqd2AU4YZW5TqTqUBnVng7X1BL8JEZXXg3pMoQQWZWwKlMpPt9nPB8HI9cScnb6EAm3N05/s1600/speedo.gif" /></a></div>The Department for Transport has a<a href="http://www.dft.gov.uk/rmd/project.asp?intProjectID=7963" target="_blank"> project</a> looking at Intelligent Speed Adaptation. ISA is a system by which the vehicle 'knows' the permitted or recommended maximum speed for a road and makes this information available to the driver or limits the vehicle maximum speed to the local limit. I blogged about something like this ages ago on a different site.<br />
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In my book <a href="http://www.coldsuspenders.com/" target="_blank">Cold Suspenders</a>, which is set slightly in the future I expanded this ability to control other parts of the car. One could imagine that once a system is in place, Governments will love to extend the use of it. Even with just the speed restriction, the Highways Authority could cause your car to halt if there was an accident ahead, or if you tried to enter a cordoned off area.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglNMhZehTo0Ku7HqP7Dl6i_LVed69XpFp2tJhdxG8Q5bAN0E4DNDpCMR6eWANkbE-8FTJujELfHaOjIlJSBweKiOBC3he6YzzchTR2ek4yx6N-nH-8nfz8gfcDuPu-PmNC_iiXLlMhn8VM/s1600/jag+lucas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglNMhZehTo0Ku7HqP7Dl6i_LVed69XpFp2tJhdxG8Q5bAN0E4DNDpCMR6eWANkbE-8FTJujELfHaOjIlJSBweKiOBC3he6YzzchTR2ek4yx6N-nH-8nfz8gfcDuPu-PmNC_iiXLlMhn8VM/s200/jag+lucas.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
I was set thinking about this again by<a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21328585.300-driverless-cars-ready-to-hit-our-roads.html" target="_blank"> an article</a> in the <i>New Scientist</i> about "Driverless Cars". The self driving Lucas Jaguar PROMETHEUS car from 1994 had some interesting features - <a href="http://youtu.be/xlVx4Dhglkg">http://youtu.be/xlVx4Dhglkg</a> . The video shows what could be done with the technology then. The article says that the media were not impressed, describing the idea of cars that drive themselves as "madness".<br />
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Now take a look at the <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/what-were-driving-at.html" target="_blank">Google Blog </a>where you will find:<br />
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So we have developed technology for cars that can drive themselves. Our automated cars, manned by trained operators, just drove from our Mountain View campus to our Santa Monica office and on to Hollywood Boulevard. They’ve driven down Lombard Street, crossed the Golden Gate bridge, navigated the Pacific Coast Highway, and even made it all the way around Lake Tahoe. All in all, our self-driving cars have logged over 140,000 miles. We think this is a first in robotics research.</span> <br />
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All very interesting, and of course it would rely on all sorts of other technological stuff already in use, and some yet to be developed. One suspects an awful lot of reliance on Satnav type stuff.<br />
"Automation of cars is going to happen," says Paul Newman, a robotics engineer, "Computing has caused devastating change and transport is going to be its next target."<br />
Newman's team at the University of Oxford is developing autonomous cars - <a href="http://www.robots.ox.ac.uk/~mobile/wikisite/pmwiki/pmwiki.php?n=Main.WildCat" target="_blank">The Oxford Mobile Robotics Group. </a>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826936450821252589.post-78916933101554862452012-03-13T11:55:00.025+00:002012-03-14T04:50:57.323+00:00Extradition .com ‘wire fraud’ - Who next for extradition?In my <a href="http://alvin-finch.blogspot.com/2012/03/hackers-ancient-modern-and-extradition.html" target="_blank">last Blog Post</a> I ended with:<br />
"Mulgrew is also critical of America’s claim that any ‘wire fraud’ crossing its national boundaries gives it the right to prosecute. ‘British parents with teenage children should know that a simple email sent through a US server could be enough – in the wrong circumstances – to see them extradited."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqSkWbT2N8E-NS2vrEKnSslCXmyiBC-VkBPUDHWggkyycbLGUSKe0j1ybQ6ns1jjEU7uD_3rhd7QboWwtUqhLUSsbmMq13gdnoPTYYUgiEQvT8pn3rREu6QReep7MvqvNnULbBPMtyKfC/s1600/icloud.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJqSkWbT2N8E-NS2vrEKnSslCXmyiBC-VkBPUDHWggkyycbLGUSKe0j1ybQ6ns1jjEU7uD_3rhd7QboWwtUqhLUSsbmMq13gdnoPTYYUgiEQvT8pn3rREu6QReep7MvqvNnULbBPMtyKfC/s1600/icloud.png" /></a></div>Does anyone really know where their communications get routed? Where is the cloud things are located?<br />
Try <a href="http://www.webwiz.co.uk/domain-tools/traceroute.htm">http://www.webwiz.co.uk/domain-tools/traceroute.htm</a> <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1r_7MEMGBOZ-FWtcV2V2_cHZWp1d9Tc0ohq5kRuHMyZZ_IMEzBD76U8y4yN_1_BtlU9_P0lTmW-G1PY2aprlTwPPLtfCT2SuSetYeS_Hniq0b8QyA1fA6PG9EBqMJYjQqUrfaAPTKwEa_/s1600/stormcloud.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1r_7MEMGBOZ-FWtcV2V2_cHZWp1d9Tc0ohq5kRuHMyZZ_IMEzBD76U8y4yN_1_BtlU9_P0lTmW-G1PY2aprlTwPPLtfCT2SuSetYeS_Hniq0b8QyA1fA6PG9EBqMJYjQqUrfaAPTKwEa_/s1600/stormcloud.png" /></a></div>Now today <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-17355203" target="_blank">we hear that</a> Richard O'Dwyer, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_O'Dwyer" target="_blank">TVShack</a> creator US extradition has been approved. <br />
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O'Dwyer argued that TVShack did not store copyright material itself and merely directed users to other sites, making it similar to Google. <a href="http://www.computerweekly.com/blogs/read-all-about-it/2012/02/soca-go-after-pirates.html" target="_blank">Apparently</a> US prosecutors state that they have jurisdiction to hear the TV-Shack case as it runs through a .com domain name.<br />
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The <i><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/9141514/Home-Secretary-approves-extradition-of-student-Richard-ODwyer-over-pirate-TV-website.html" target="_blank">Telegraph</a></i> says that a British attempt in 2010 to prosecute the operators of a similar website, TV-Links, failed because of European laws that give internet firms such as Google protection against copyright infringement claims if they have little influence over the material to which they link. <br />
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According to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_Rights_Group" target="_blank">Open Rights Group</a> UK citizens should not be subject to US legal standards on copyright infringement. Reported in <i><a href="http://www.computerweekly.com/blogs/read-all-about-it/2012/02/soca-go-after-pirates.html" target="_blank">Computer Weekly,</a> </i>David Cook, a cyber crime expert at law firm Pannone, says " The 'mere conduit' defence for online file-sharing hosts was successfully used in the UK in the 2010 case of TV-Links. I then mounted a multi-faceted defence in the OiNK case, which included the 'mere conduit' point, but the prosecution dropped the case prior to responding in Court to the issues raised. I used a nearly identical defence in FileSoup and, again, the prosecution backed off and discontinued the matter."<br />
But he also says that "The mere conduit defence relies on the host being unaware of precisely what the material was"<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwvdhgJjkXdYxNHdfVwHHFAcAYI68w_dXL21MKxGbf0YJ0EJ_P2FHX7weW4bWxNcWgyG4CwXN5CF7LE2HyP8X-eFjfVyEkfA7ijy3t3Yk2T07ukAx-_qqbiSEfDX9iRT9d0q3uja768AMU/s1600/cuffs.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwvdhgJjkXdYxNHdfVwHHFAcAYI68w_dXL21MKxGbf0YJ0EJ_P2FHX7weW4bWxNcWgyG4CwXN5CF7LE2HyP8X-eFjfVyEkfA7ijy3t3Yk2T07ukAx-_qqbiSEfDX9iRT9d0q3uja768AMU/s1600/cuffs.gif" /></a></div>Speaking to BBC Newsbeat, Mr O'Dwyer said: "I've done nothing wrong under UK law, and, it's pretty ridiculous isn't it? "A 65-year-old man was extradited a few weeks ago, so if they can extradite someone that old they can extradite anyone really, couldn't they? "Copyright laws differ between countries and that's yet to be fought, that argument."<br />
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In the<i><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/mar/13/theresa-may-extradition-richard-odwyer" target="_blank"> Guardian J</a></i>ulia O'Dwyer said: "The US is coming for the young, the old and the ill, and our government is paving the way. By rights it should make for an interesting conversation between the Obamas and Camerons aboard Air Force One – but I'm not holding my breath. If Richard appears to have committed a crime in this country, then try him in this country."<br />
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Recently five people were selected to ask their questions live and put "<a href="https://plus.google.com/110031535020051778989/posts" target="_blank">Obama</a> in the hot seat" in the forum arranged by Google Plus. The most popular question among Google Plus users asked to vote was about the case of Richard O'Dwyer. (<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/31/obama-unemployed-engineer-video-hangout?INTCMP=SRCH" target="_blank">See here</a>)<br />
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A questioner asked why extradition laws written to combat terrorism were being used in the case.<br />
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Obama said that separation of powers meant he played no role in the case but that more broadly defending intellectual copyright protects US jobs.<br />
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However, the president repeated concerns about the two bills aimed at cracking down on online piracy that have stalled in the US Congress in the face of widespread objections. Obama said the need was to balance protection of intellectual property without undermining the openness and transparency of the internet.<br />
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<b>Iain Martin has written a very good piece in the <i><a href="http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/iainmartin1/100143657/richard-odwyer-is-heading-for-trial-in-the-united-states-david-cameron-must-act-now/" target="_blank">Telegraph</a>, that I rather agree with.</i> He says </b><br />
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"<i> This is becoming chilling. What on earth is wrong with ministers? Why are the Conservatives in the coalition so frightened of taking on the Americans? In opposition they indicated that they would be demanding a renegotiation of the treaty but now they shrug their shoulders apologetically.</i>"<br />
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"It should be easier for David Cameron, who is in the US now to visit the President. He's a pragmatic sort and so is Barack Obama.<br />
He must explain that the extradition treaty is of growing concern in Britain. The Government's fundamental duty is to protect its citizens. This treaty does not treat them fairly and, as a result, it is going to have to be overhauled urgently or scrapped."Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826936450821252589.post-15687079320259682632012-03-05T11:44:00.029+00:002012-03-06T05:27:24.075+00:00Hackers’ ancient modern and extradition<div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There has been a lot in the press recently about phone hacking and that hackers working through a Chinese-based IP address that broke into the network of Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and gained "full functional control" of computers (<i><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/9123276/Hackers-had-full-control-of-hijacked-Nasa-network.html" target="_blank">Telegraph</a>)</i>. Hackers have been around for a long time though, as a recent <i><a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21228440.700-dotdashdiss-the-gentleman-hackers-1903-lulz.html?full=true" target="_blank">New Scientist</a></i> article highlighted.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNclBu40vw5dXw2i5UjqrxXZ9v5MnJwZLJ9Wee47JDoRWQGBDc-OXGNaG3XzkJrA-mXRhWSmWcyRtok5sr3gKb1p0djjngRv1bmWmBKkmA3p-WbLpDargMppiM8I0Cp7HbzSYvmEJzi3Ii/s1600/arial.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNclBu40vw5dXw2i5UjqrxXZ9v5MnJwZLJ9Wee47JDoRWQGBDc-OXGNaG3XzkJrA-mXRhWSmWcyRtok5sr3gKb1p0djjngRv1bmWmBKkmA3p-WbLpDargMppiM8I0Cp7HbzSYvmEJzi3Ii/s320/arial.gif" width="239" /></span></a></div><div class="infuse" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 13.5pt; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-left: 7.5pt; margin-right: 15pt; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Things did not go smoothly for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guglielmo_Marconi" target="_blank">Marconi</a> and<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ambrose_Fleming" target="_blank"> Fleming </a>at the Royal Institution one day in June 1903. Just before Fleming was due to receive Marconi's Morse messages from Polduh Cornwall, a rhythmic ticking noise sputtered from the theatre's brass projection lantern - Someone was beaming powerful wireless pulses into the theatre and they were strong enough to interfere with the projector.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="infuse" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; line-height: 13.5pt; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-left: 7.5pt; margin-right: 15pt; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Morse printer first of all kept outputting the word rats. It then got more personal, with “There was a young fellow of Italy, who diddled the public quite prettily" it trilled. Rude epithets from Shakespeare followed.<br />
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">Marconi was probably a bit peeved, but he did not respond directly</span>. Fleming fired of a missive to the <i><a href="http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/" target="_blank">Times</a></i>, dubbing the hack "scientific hooliganism", and "an outrage against the traditions of the Royal Institution". He asked the newspaper's readers to help him find the culprit.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="infuse" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 13.5pt; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-left: 7.5pt; margin-right: 15pt; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevil_Maskelyne_(magician)" target="_blank">Nevil Maskelyne</a>, a British music hall magician <span class="apple-converted-space">wrote back to the Times and </span>justified his actions on the grounds of the security holes he had revealed for the public good</span>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="infuse" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 13.5pt; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-left: 7.5pt; margin-right: 15pt; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">Marconi had claimed that his wireless messages could be sent privately over great distances.<br />
Marconi in London's<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><i style="border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-style: initial;"><span style="border-bottom-color: windowtext; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 1pt; border-image: initial; border-left-color: windowtext; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 1pt; border-right-color: windowtext; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 1pt; border-top-color: windowtext; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 1pt; padding-bottom: 0cm; padding-left: 0cm; padding-right: 0cm; padding-top: 0cm;"><a href="http://everything2.com/title/St+James%2527s+Gazette" target="_blank">St James Gazette</a></span></i><span class="apple-converted-space"> in February 1903 claimed that "I can tune my instruments so that no other instrument that is not similarly tuned can tap my messages." <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="infuse" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 13.5pt; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-left: 7.5pt; margin-right: 15pt; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;">One of the big losers from Marconi's technology looked likely to be the wired telegraphy industr</span>y, and they<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>hired Maskelyne to undertake spying operations. He obliged by building a radio mast and met success by receiving Marconi messages with a 25-foot collecting circuit<span class="apple-converted-space">. </span>Marconi had patented a technology for tuning a wireless transmitter to broadcast on a precise wavelength. A tuning that he claimed meant confidential channels could be set up.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Maskelyne’s broadband receiver bypassed all that.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJj-gEtE5xJPN2pb7pd6GACCiCUEBbjtDoKDR_24VGdoHSgi6KjsL2goqQ2gBfLOstrsn3odawkhkS6dC8c9IPDGPP2XFJVU2Uk7tHHcCU0UAha_wksw-Si6MjRP4I79vYvav9ftP5lZeF/s1600/morsesos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="109" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJj-gEtE5xJPN2pb7pd6GACCiCUEBbjtDoKDR_24VGdoHSgi6KjsL2goqQ2gBfLOstrsn3odawkhkS6dC8c9IPDGPP2XFJVU2Uk7tHHcCU0UAha_wksw-Si6MjRP4I79vYvav9ftP5lZeF/s200/morsesos.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><div class="infuse" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 13.5pt; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-left: 7.5pt; margin-right: 15pt; margin-top: 5pt;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nasa was one of the organisations breached by the British hacker and Asperger's sufferer Gary McKinnon in 2001 and 2002. He is still battling extradition to the US. (<a href="http://alvin-finch.blogspot.com/2009/07/tracking-hacking.html" target="_blank">Blog July 2009</a>, <i><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gary-mckinnon" target="_blank">Guardian</a></i> and at <i><a href="http://freegary.org.uk/">http://freegary.org.uk/</a></i> )<br />
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<br />
Gary Mulgrew, one of the NatWest Three and the author of an account of two blood-spattered years spent at the hands of America’s penal system says that Gary McKinnon, faces an ordeal of terrifying brutality if he is extradited to the United States (<i><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2083667/Gary-McKinnon-faces-unthinkable-ordeal-extradited-US--says-NatWest-Three-banker-hurled-American-jail-alongside-wall-wall-psychos.html" target="_blank">Daily Mail)</a></i>. McKinnon claims he was looking for evidence of UFOs when he hacked into 97 Nasa and Pentagon computers from his flat in 2002.<br />
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Mulgrew is also critical of America’s claim that any ‘wire fraud’ crossing its national boundaries gives it the right to prosecute. ‘British parents with teenage children should know that a simple email sent through a US server could be enough – in the wrong circumstances – to see them extradited.</span></span></div>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826936450821252589.post-61368702340331548622012-03-01T00:19:00.000+00:002012-03-01T00:19:15.798+00:00We Still Miss Him<div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQ9wz8WFmRWjKMCMuAsfX4m6nHi8pZO9Z1y4i_4rQBkGANaWbjuqlGOe5jmiQCSMWm2WMAR5mBNl5pN8nDN_28KchvZUlneBTzbb0tqo6Xs5YnwSTXXUDg0mFu7XvVE9HvroD7CCMeCvC/s200/aub2.jpg" width="137" /></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfnMJPpYhT-PGpOXje3RBc7IebteyR2G5Uunf_eD8aI6Hu502acrKp62Yl5IIV8ht4P-4frTTritY8q00q6m6kuRlCcqeCBZqm2u0-lukMyveikO091z06vIYsboOkUD1TJy969pEzxdz/s1600/headstone2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWfnMJPpYhT-PGpOXje3RBc7IebteyR2G5Uunf_eD8aI6Hu502acrKp62Yl5IIV8ht4P-4frTTritY8q00q6m6kuRlCcqeCBZqm2u0-lukMyveikO091z06vIYsboOkUD1TJy969pEzxdz/s400/headstone2.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="http://alvin-finch.blogspot.com/2010/03/farewell-to-my-farther.html">http://alvin-finch.blogspot.com/2010/03/farewell-to-my-farther.html</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://alvin-finch.blogspot.com/2011/03/church-graves-and-tombs.html">http://alvin-finch.blogspot.com/2011/03/church-graves-and-tombs.html</a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0BFLUxpO9o47C0t7H_YS79tMNrue5cvV5mZi-voEoQPAlfkNTIf8gDY-CJ1nkkp_nDJ8lc5j4_SAmVfozw2FE_A42oo0W__s63pEv8wmCoUWbyxImB8GzZjpCE3PuNdqkSScpvfq0vqLE/s1600/aubrey3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0BFLUxpO9o47C0t7H_YS79tMNrue5cvV5mZi-voEoQPAlfkNTIf8gDY-CJ1nkkp_nDJ8lc5j4_SAmVfozw2FE_A42oo0W__s63pEv8wmCoUWbyxImB8GzZjpCE3PuNdqkSScpvfq0vqLE/s320/aubrey3.jpg" width="192" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMF2GiCqkNS0ZjmRvpzZmXG8osY7ueHHtGNjcZuCnFuqoImI0JqGL0VGXdK8ru2A3OSeFxs6dVCDR5zMAS5zb5RuCj84RJqPNJ93PMfkj-QpMkO2cAhGn6yIhy17-YnFLrODTQHO3d8UVU/s1600/aubrey4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMF2GiCqkNS0ZjmRvpzZmXG8osY7ueHHtGNjcZuCnFuqoImI0JqGL0VGXdK8ru2A3OSeFxs6dVCDR5zMAS5zb5RuCj84RJqPNJ93PMfkj-QpMkO2cAhGn6yIhy17-YnFLrODTQHO3d8UVU/s320/aubrey4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826936450821252589.post-86095265140527144362012-02-17T02:01:00.000+00:002012-02-17T02:01:06.339+00:00Money and Mobiles<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
People are already jittery about using the internet for transactions apart from the convenience factor - Could this <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_apps" target="_blank">App</a> pull in more electronic customers?</div><br />
<a href="http://www.gomonews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Barclays_pingit.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-32833" height="124" src="http://www.gomonews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Barclays_pingit.png" title="Barclays_pingit" width="124" /></a>Some time back I wondered about the <a href="http://alvin-finch.blogspot.com/2011/12/money-without-banks.html" target="_blank">use of mobiles </a>for transferring money - Barclays seem to have taken this on now.<br />
The Barclays Pingit system uses a smartphone app to permit person-to-person cash transfers of up to £300.<br />
A <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17057570" target="_blank">BBC article </a>says that "This looks like a big step forwards in the long delayed mobile money revolution. When it comes to turning the phone into a wallet, this country - and much of Europe - is in the slow lane compared to some countries in the developing world."<br />
The <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/9086152/Barclays-Pingit-should-you-trust-your-mobile-with-your-money.html" target="_blank">Telegraph</a> says that Sean Gilchrist, head of Digital Banking at Barclays,claims the new app features “industry standard encryption”, and can automatically be wiped from a phone if a user tells the bank they have lost their device.Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826936450821252589.post-90170175648948861892012-02-14T15:12:00.001+00:002012-02-17T02:02:28.287+00:00More development by stealth.<div class="MsoNormal">The Bracknell Standard reported on a previous development by stealth.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.getbracknell.co.uk/news/s/2095416_flats_plan_branded_a_development_by_stealth" target="_blank">http://www.getbracknell.co.uk/news/s/2095416_flats_plan_branded_a_development_by_stealth </a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Yet again an application has gone in for more flats to be built at Christine Ingram Gardens. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
The last application was for a certificate of Lawful use of flats already constructed within the building.<br />
The opening up of these flats has been refused serveral times on different grounds. To complicate matters, the old barn is being used a business and is also taking up car parking spaces. </div><div class="MsoNormal">The result is an overflow of parking onto Lakeside, and a potential overlooking of properties.</div><div class="MsoNormal">These flats that the developer seeks permission for<i> were included in the building when the place was first constructed</i>. Residents took photographs of the stairways and carpets. </div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ul class="rg_ul" data-cnt="31" data-pg="2"><a class="rg_l" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=CHRISTINE+INGRAM+GARDENS&hl=en&sa=X&rlz=1R2GGIT_en-GB&biw=1280&bih=794&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=hCyHmcM1UCmRqM:&imgrefurl=http://www.findaproperty.com/to-rent/property-9965033&docid=vGt0Xi75ciWV6M&itg=1&imgurl=http://img.findaproperty.com/jamesgriffinltd/p59965033.jpg%253Fv%253D2&w=300&h=225&ei=iXk6T8W7FKLH0QWgp9yTCw&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=422&sig=110868661087265256911&page=2&tbnh=128&tbnw=143&start=20&ndsp=31&ved=1t:429,r:16,s:20&tx=84&ty=62" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img class="rg_i" data-src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSUeJh7OjgjFT4LLI085cgrXmyiUg3Zw-ullUnj1iUNLfHneQCr5tMTJjqk" height="149" name="hCyHmcM1UCmRqM:" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSUeJh7OjgjFT4LLI085cgrXmyiUg3Zw-ullUnj1iUNLfHneQCr5tMTJjqk" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: -3px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="200" /></a>
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<div class="MsoNormal">The last bit of the jigsaw was to get the certificate of lawfulness on the ground that these could be rooms in the roof, and then to issue this current planning permission.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There has been <b>huge opposition </b>to this development by residents. The planning committee has turned down applications time and again. Ultimately the legal and monetary resources of the developer may win.</div><div class="MsoNormal">It may be legal but it aint right! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>PS 11/00015/FUL</b> - 0 Christine Ingram Gardens, Bracknell, Berkshire</div><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Conversion of roof space of blocks A and B to provide 6no. additional flats (3no. one bedroom flats and 1no. two bedroom flat in Block A,</span> <span class="apple-converted-space"> 2no. one bedroom flats in Block B).</span> <span class="apple-converted-space"> Provision of 9 additional car parking spaces and 10 additional cycle spaces and relocation of visitor cycle store.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://democratic.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=585&MId=4109">http://democratic.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=585&MId=4109</a><br />
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</span>Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-826936450821252589.post-27442268280306471452011-12-18T23:45:00.005+00:002011-12-19T05:25:54.976+00:00Tidal Power<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_MKMr1oeZgTFz6OB1i-XvJ7btYMFHYc1P9jaVla1aIDgFYLomZWaR6LHRHG6zOMrsXUYzioquf7oWjuhIsUKjYV5EgPMhbT-OkLO38zZZ6ZXPF9tmfYjUUK9a46viLjArhX6a_qtlwk9/s1600/controls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_MKMr1oeZgTFz6OB1i-XvJ7btYMFHYc1P9jaVla1aIDgFYLomZWaR6LHRHG6zOMrsXUYzioquf7oWjuhIsUKjYV5EgPMhbT-OkLO38zZZ6ZXPF9tmfYjUUK9a46viLjArhX6a_qtlwk9/s200/controls.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>My New Scientist Magazine did not arrive on Friday. What to do for bedtime reading I thought? Perhaps an old copy? Well I did find an old copy under the bed, and it had some interesting stuff in it about tidal energy.<br />
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Recently there has been <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-16070872" target="_blank">talk of</a> the Severn Estuary project being looked at again. Part of the problem with this could be environmental.<br />
The bit in the <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21128301.900-current-power-new-tide-turbines-tap-oceans-of-energy.html?full=true" target="_blank">New Scientist</a> talked about the strong tides around the Orkney Islands, which has led the European Union-funded European Marine Energy Centre <a href="http://www.emec.org.uk/tidal_devices.asp" target="_blank">(EMEC</a>) to use Orkneys' waters as the world's largest test bed for a renewable energy source. The new turbine designs being tested here appear to be surviving the Scottish swells, and should be capable of taming one of the world's most promising sources of renewable energy. If we can use this technology to harness the powerhouses of Ocean currents, tidal power could help smash all previous predictions of how much energy the oceans can provide.The power can be environmentally friendly as well.<br />
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Neil Kermode, who manages EMEC says tidal turbines have taken the lead in the race to develop marine energy sources, surging past both barrages and wave power.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7YJIYJZvhvgYHbEHzg0aYUm5PwvLAedC83k4Kyc0rcRv8risr9Vq_yH0QlrfZXfOj_M6sewr0A8Mt0GG7F3AaOg4-Pfi-qnExhyphenhyphen6eM-iG9XfGkQ30t3dJglrvSLOiuFYP1_6hlcf-JuE7/s1600/turbine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7YJIYJZvhvgYHbEHzg0aYUm5PwvLAedC83k4Kyc0rcRv8risr9Vq_yH0QlrfZXfOj_M6sewr0A8Mt0GG7F3AaOg4-Pfi-qnExhyphenhyphen6eM-iG9XfGkQ30t3dJglrvSLOiuFYP1_6hlcf-JuE7/s200/turbine.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Back in May, <a href="http://eandt.theiet.org/news/2011/apr/marine-market.cfm" target="_blank">an article</a> in the IET E&T magazine recons that the growing marine sector in the UK could boost the economy by up to £76bn by 2050 and also generate over 68,000 jobs, if the country builds on its existing lead and successfully develops and deploys its technology. <br />
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- <a href="http://www.reuk.co.uk/Lunar-Energy-Tidal-Power.htm">http://www.reuk.co.uk/Lunar-Energy-Tidal-Power.htm</a><br />
- <a href="http://www.power-eng.com/news/2011/12/1558510906/renewables-rolls-royce-moves-into-the-fast-sea-lane.html">http://www.power-eng.com/news/2011/12/1558510906/renewables-rolls-royce-moves-into-the-fast-sea-lane.html</a><br />
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As well as tidal power looking good, wave power is also on the agenda. Anaconda says that wave energy is a particularly rich yet untapped energy resource which government studies state could produce 3%-5% of our electricity initially and up to 20% eventually. more in the <a href="http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21128276.100-new-power-wave-heads-out-to-sea.html" target="_blank">August edition of NS</a>.<br />
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The<a href="http://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/energy/wave-and-tidal/our-portfolio/" target="_blank"> Crown Estate</a> owns the majority of the seabed within a 12 nautical mile limit of UK territorial waters.<br />
The estate has already made available<a href="http://www.hydroworld.com/index/display/article-display/4359139414/articles/hrhrw/hydroindustrynews/ocean-tidal-streampower/2011/12/crown-estate_encouraging.html" target="_blank"> areas </a>for the development of offshore tidal power projects.<br />
The Crown Estate, which manages the monarch's property holdings, already has properties that generate 1.55 gigawatts of offshore wind projects in Wales, Scotland and England.<br />
It has <a href="http://www.thecrownestate.co.uk/news-and-media/news/2011/the-crown-estate-opens-up-northern-ireland-offshore-renewable-energy-programme-to-industry/" target="_blank">recently</a> launched offshore wind and tidal stream leasing rounds to select developers to take forward up to 800MW of projects in Northern Ireland waters.Alvinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712467699015009159noreply@blogger.com2