What would you do if there was no Google?

By Mark O’Neill
Contributing Writer, [GAS]

Google Operating System poses an interesting question, one I’ve asked before as well – what if we temporarily lost Google and had to go without it for a while?   What would you miss the most about it?   Would you be able to cope?

It was back in March that Google here in Germany crashed for 90 minutes.   For those 90 minutes I had no Gmail, no Google Reader, no search… all Google services were completely gone.   I couldn’t even watch any funny videos on YouTube.  It made me realize how much we depend on Google and how much of the Internet the Web giant has taken over either by wealth or by stealth.

We design our websites specifically so the Google searchbots will like them and we even put Google’s analytics code in our HTML templates.     We rarely think about how Yahoo or MSN will look our sites.   As long as Google likes it, that’s all that matters.    Why is that?   Why are we so focused and obsessed on Google over all other search engines?    Why does Google have such a stranglehold over us?

So I guess my question is, if Google were to suddenly blink out, what Google service would you miss the most?  Plus what would you do?   What service would you switch to instead?   Would it be a big disaster for you or would you get over it?

Help your blog visitors “push up” their browsers

By Mark O’Neill
Contributing Writer, [GAS]

If you run your own blog, you can now do your bit to encourage your readers to upgrade their browsers by installing a program called PushUp on your blog template.

What PushUp does is detect what version of browser your blog visitors are using, and if their version is out of date, it displays a very small and discreet message in the top right hand corner of the screen, complete with a download link to the newest version.

You are also able to customize PushUp to dictate when the message appears, how long it appears for and much more.    But to all intents and purposes, this is an “install it and forget it” package.

Do you have PushUp running on your site?   If so, what are your experiences with it?   Has everything gone smoothly with it so far?


Electronic Passports Hacked Within Minutes, Engineer Says

By JR Raphael
Contributing Writer, [GAS]

They’re billed as an international security solution, but the high-tech electronic passports developed after 9/11 may be easier to forge than their ink-and-paper counterparts.

The passports, issued by the U.S. and 44 other countries, feature embedded microchips that contain the owner’s data. They were designed to boost protection against identity fraud and, ultimately, terrorism. Now, though, a British computer engineer says he’s found a way to clone the chips, modify the data, and turn them into fake identities — all within a matter of minutes.

The discovery comes from a set of tests commissioned by The Times. The paper had the engineer copy two British passports, then switch out the real owners’ photos with ones of Osama bin Laden and a female suicide bomber. The hacked chips were then tested with the same software used to validate the passports at airport security checkpoints — and they passed.

Continue reading ›

What Does #080808 Mean to You? [Twitter Culture]

By Jimmy Rogers
Contributing Writer, [GAS]

Does it mean athletic competition, international relations, or human rights issues? What is this mysterious numeric sequence? Well, if you’re a Twitter user, it’s a special tag that lets you join in on a unique global campaign.

Today Twitter recognized the #080808 movement that has suddenly popped up all over the network.  You see, the Olympics are beginning on the 8th of August in the year 2008.  That translates to 08/08/08, no matter how you format your dates.  A group of Chinese Twitterers has begun to use the specific “#080808” tag to mark posts about the Olympics on the opening day.

Continue reading ›

Defcon 16 Cometh: Hide Your Servers

By Jimmy Rogers
Contributing Writer, [GAS]

If you happen to find yourself in Las Vegas this weekend, make sure your wireless networks are protected and your firewall is engaged. It won’t really help you, but at least you’ll feel safer. Why the precautions? What could be going down in the desert to make your laptop shutter like that? Defcon is what’s going down.

Defcon 16

The hacker community at large is fairly well connected to itself, but it is equally decentralized. The more paranoid types like it this way because there isn’t a big hub to draw a lot of attention (negative or otherwise). Every year, though, this community comes together in a big celebration of everything hacker and tinkerer.

Defcon is a conference for hackers of any type to share their knowledge, listen to guest speakers, and compete for hacker glory. Events throughout the week include:

  • The Badge Hacking Contest – the conference badges are effectively circuitboards equipped with USB and SD card slots so you can make them do crazy stuff if you have skills.
  • The Black and White Ball – a dance of some kind named after the two basic types of hackers: Black (malicious) and White (friendly).
  • DefconBots Robot Contest – should be self-explanatory.
  • The LeetSkills Talent Competition – a talent show for the technically inclined
  • A Lockpicking Competition – for those who like to hack IRL.
  • Own The Box – a friendly competition for control of other users’ systems on a network- the Defcon forums describe it like so:
    • “Contestants bring an IP-enabled device, running some services
    • We invite all DefCon attendees to attack these services
    • ????
    • PROFIT”
  • Spot the Fed – the traditional contest to identify federal agents who are known to attend the conference undercover (usually the prize is a free shirt)

This year's hackable badge.
This year’s hackable badge. – Image from Wired/Dave Bullock

Of course there are many more events, contests, and exhibitions than those listed above. For the mega-geeks out there this will be the place to be. Plus, you wouldn’t want to miss the TCP/IP Drinking Game, right?

For more info on the contest, check out Defcon’s website, the forums, and this awesome article from Wired about the badge hacking contest.

The War-of-the-Worlds-Inspired Sculpture

Built in 1998 by sculptor Michael Condron, and inspired by War of the Worlds, this sculpture is located in Woking, England and looks like a nightmarish tripod from the movie. The 23-foot tall beast was “commissioned to celebrate the centenary of H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds.” Additional pictures after the jump.

Continue reading ›

Catch a flick or two in the YouTube screening room

By Mark O’Neill
Contributing Writer, [GAS]

If you feel like catching a quick short movie then you might want to consider taking a look at the YouTube Screening Room.

The Screening Room contains short movies of ten minutes or less, written, produced and directed by rising stars.    According to YouTube, such movies are usually played at international film festivals, far from the eyes of most people, so the producers / directors can also apply to YouTube to place their movies in the Screening Room for more exposure.

Four new movies are added to the Screening Room each Friday, so there is constant new content being added all the time.

If you find yourself bored for a while and looking for something to watch, give the Screening Room a try.  The movies are made very professionally.   No stupid amateur stuff here.    Get your popcorn, turn down the lights and start watching and rating.

“Anonymous” Rallies for a Second Assault on Scientology

By Jimmy Rogers
Contributing Writer, [GAS]

It would seem to most casual surfers of the Internet that the battle that once roared between The “Church” of Scientology and the group called “Anonymous” all but fizzled out.  While Guy Fawkes mask-wearing protesters are still occasionally sighted outside of Dianetics centers, the oddly named group doesn’t make the major headlines anymore.

The Masks Are AssemblingClearly the higher-ups in Anonymous are worried that their movement may come to a halt.  On August 1st, the powers that be issued another chilling video to their members, supporters, and the Internet at large, stating their new determination to:

“shift to more subtle and shocking tactics.”

While it had the same Anonymous “clouds and traffic overlay,” the video was a little longer and dealt with slightly more specific topics than some of the original releases. Continue reading ›