Thursday, February 26, 2004

Turning Headlines Into Playthings. The themes of Kuma's episodic reality games come right from the headlines, so you can hunt Saddam or search for North Korean commandos in your living room. By Bill Werde from Wired magazine. [Wired News] 3:33:18 PM    comment []

>From Kevin T.: PBS HD CHANNEL TO LAUNCH MARCH 1 PBS will become on March 1 the first broadcaster to provide a fully packaged 24/7 channel consisting entirely of High Definition and Widescreen content. The PBS HD Channel will be available from local PBS stations that have transitioned to digital broadcasting, as well as through local digital cable systems that have agreed to retransmit the digital signal of their local public television station. There are currently 236 local PBS stations on the air with digital signals, reaching more than 85 percent of U.S. TV households. The PBS HD Channel joins a suite of PBS digital services, including PBS KIDS Channel and PBS YOU ("Your Own University") and the VOD cable package, "PBS KIDS on Demand." [SOURCE: PBS Press Release] http://www.pbs.org 10:39:46 AM    comment []

A visual tool from Langreiter that compares results from Google and Yahoo searches. For example, here's the comparison for Dave. [Scripting News] 7:27:20 AM    comment []

The Ivy-Covered Console. An increasing number of scholars are turning their attention to the video game, creating graduate programs, conferences and journals devoted to game studies. By Michael Erard. [New York Times: Education] 7:22:52 AM    comment []

Help Wanted: Chef to Oversee 800,000 Meals a Day That Students Will Want to Eat. The Department of Education needs a culinary wizard who can get creative about menu-writing, and concoct tasty nutritious meals for under $2. By Elissa Gootman. [New York Times: Education] 7:20:51 AM    comment []

moral rights and the grey album. Well this is what happens when I skip checking my aggregator for a day - I miss Grey Tuesday! See synapse's informative post about this. The New York Times also covered this. Other than missing out an opportunity for changing... [explodedlibrary.info] 7:16:47 AM    comment []

Interview with Nyk: Legendary Mazebot Programmer. In this interview we speak with Nyk, programmer of the legendary BMazer maze bot. He talks about some of his other creations (including the PetID... [The Alphaville Herald] 7:10:11 AM    comment []

RSA polishes RFID shield, by Matt Hines, CNET News.com. The RFID cloaking system is intended to guard proprietary data located on chips used to carry product information. The RSA Blocker Tag technology uses a jamming system designed to confuse RFID readers and prevent those devices from tracking data on individuals or goods outside certain boundaries. RFID tags, whose descriptive information is read via radio frequency technology, are expected to allow manufacturers and retailers to greatly improve inventory tracking. Considered a more advanced replacement for existing bar code technology, the systems have created a significant buzz among businesses looking to cut overhead through more intelligent management of products and supply chains. But a major obstacle threatening widespread adoption of RFID is concern that the chips might allow unsolicited collection of product data, creating a privacy risk for consumers. At its security conference taking place this week in San Francisco, RSA is offering demonstrations of the RFID- blocking tool in a mock pharmacy setting. In that scenario, the pharmacy would provide customers with special bags armed with the RSA Blocker Tags in order to keep RFID readers from gathering data. The blocker tags work by emitting radio frequencies designed to trick RFID readers into believing that they are being presented with unwanted data, or spam, causing the information collection devices to shun the incoming transmission. RSA claims that by placing an RFID-loaded product into a parcel bearing one of the blocker tags, the system would cause RFID readers to miss any information carried by the product in the bag, thereby protecting consumers. When a product is taken out of a bag armed with the blocking system, readers would again be able to scan the RFID tag accurately, the company said. Using the pharmacy example, RSA said a prescription bottle could not be scanned when protected but when unshielded could provide useful prescription information. The company also promised that its cloaking system would not interfere with the normal operation of RFID systems or allow hackers to use security technology to bypass theft control systems or launch denial-of-service attacks. 4:38:41 AM    comment []

Electronic Crime Scene Investigation: A Guide for First Responders, July 2001 (U.S. Department of Justice). Computers and other electronic devices are being used increasingly to commit, enable, or support crimes against persons, organizations, or property. This NIJ Guide (NCJ 187736) is intended for use by law enforcement and other responders who have the responsibility for protecting an electronic crime scene and for the recognition, collection, and preservation of electronic evidence. The document is not all-inclusive. Rather, it deals with the most common situations encountered with electronic evidence. 2:38:03 AM    comment []