2005-07-31

The long lost battle

Only a short time after Microsoft brings out Windows Genuine Advantage validation, its been bypassed.

This is yet another sign of the long lost battle that is Digital Rights Management. Time and again people have found clever (and not so clever) hacks that enabled them to get what they want whether or not the companies want them to. The old adage goes:
If some one is smart enough to make it, some one is smart enough to break it.
Companies can try all they want to restrict the flow of information, but with the widespread use of the Internet they might as well try to stop the universe (which incidentally is really really really big).

Cheers,
Steve

2005-07-25

virus email alert

Got this in my inbox, I was sufficiently unfamiliar with my hosting to actually unzip the attachment. Thankfully I wasn't stupid enough to run the .pif included (not that I would do anything since I am using OS X).

From: administrator@atomicscript.com
Subject: Important Notification
Date: 25 July 2005 10:40:43 PM
To: freespace@atomicscript.com
Return-Path:
Envelope-To: freespace@atomicscript.com
Delivery-Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2005 22:41:20 +1000
Received: from ato7022 by remus.instanthosting.com.au with local-bsmtp (Exim 4.44) id 1Dx2Gk-0002jA-JB for freespace@atomicscript.com; Mon, 25 Jul 2005 22:41:20 +1000
Received: from [203.164.97.112] (helo=atomicscript.com) by remus.instanthosting.com.au with esmtp (Exim 4.44) id 1Dx2GH-0002dV-4g for freespace@atomicscript.com; Mon, 25 Jul 2005 22:41:18 +1000
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0006_3A27F8D6.ADA0B3D5"
X-Priority: 3
X-Msmail-Priority: Normal
X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.0.4 (2005-06-05) on remus.instanthosting.com.au
X-Spam-Level: ***
X-Spam-Status: No, score=3.2 required=5.0 tests=FORGED_RCVD_HELO, MISSING_MIMEOLE,NO_REAL_NAME,PRIORITY_NO_NAME,RCVD_IN_NJABL_DUL, RCVD_IN_SORBS_DUL autolearn=no version=3.0.4
Message-Id:

We regret to inform you that your account has been suspended due to the violation of our site policy, more info is attached.
Attached is email-doc.zip, which includes the malicious .pif forementioned. Obviously if you get an email like this, delete it immediately.



Cheers,
Steve

2005-07-22

Back from Byron Bay

After 3 nights away in Byron Bay I must say its nice to come home to all my computational devices :-)

Strange how every one I said "I just got back from Byron Bay" asked "Did you get stoned" or made remarks on similar lines. Little did I know that Byron Bay is considered the Pot Capital of Australia.

I should find out more about my holidays destinations next time.

This revelation however does explain why while waiting for my small cone and banana and blueberry milk shake with honey there was a guy rolling a Big One in front of the shop. It in fact explains quite a few things I saw while I was out in town with friends. At least stoners don't get violent.

Before that little excursion into the Nigh Life of Byron Bay though, we visited the Eastern Most Point of Mainland Australia. As much as I would love to debate the validity the location's claim on the basis of the fractal dimension of coast lines, I digress. The light house there held special fascination for me as its the first light house I have seen up close. I must say its very stylish.

After the light house lost its shine (boom da tish!) a bit of night coastal cliff walking was done. Some rather adventurous individuals including myself went out in midst freezing gale and crashing waves and climbed out onto an outcrop that more or less dare the sea to destroy it. That was dangerous, reckless, careless. But it was fun :-)

Oh, before I forget, there stood a statue holding a working bronze bell one the winding foot path around the cliff head. It was rung many, many, many, many, many... many times.

Anyway enough rambling from me. Here, have a prime clock and a deviation.

[Byron Bay]

Cheers,
Steve

P.S. I did shit in my exams