[Quote:]

IBM is introducing a new kind of wireless identification tag this week that it hopes will quell privacy unrest over plans to use RFID technology in retail stores.

The so-called Clipped Tag has a notched antenna that consumers can tear off, much like the end of a ketchup packet. Removing this panel drastically reduces the readable range of the device, from about 30 feet to less than 2 inches, according to IBM.

[..]

IBM argues that the Clipped Tag may be a better option for both retailers and consumers than an industry proposal to create a “kill” command that permanently disables tags, while destroying their marketing and inventory-tracking value.

In other words – the chips, even clipped, have a marketing value (the inventory value obviously drops to zero at the moment of final sale). I have a simple suggestion to any marketeer who would like to know what I’m doing with the product once I’ve bought it: fuck off.

“By and large the industry has acted in good faith,” said Atkinson. “And (the Clipped Tag) is an example of that. It is an elegant reaction to concerns that are vastly overblown.”

In good faith? Yeah, right. It is currently not in the interest of the industry to take care of my privacy – on the contrary.

“If I had to have an RFID tag on something — and that’s still an open question — I’d prefer this (the Clipped Tag) to having to take it on faith that the chip has been partially disabled.”

False dichotomy. I’d rather have the product without the tracking chip.

[Quote:]

McCarty is a professional computer security consultant who noticed that there was a problem with the way the University of Southern California had constructed its web page for online applications. A database programming error allowed outsiders to obtain applicants’ personal information, including Social Security numbers.

For proof, the man copied seven applicants’ personal records and anonymously sent them to a reporter for SecurityFocus. The journalist notified the school, the school fixed the problem, and the reporter wrote an article about it.

The incident might have ended there, but didn’t.

[Quote:]

The National Security Agency has been secretly collecting the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, using data provided by AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth, people with direct knowledge of the arrangement told USA TODAY.

The NSA program reaches into homes and businesses across the nation by amassing information about the calls of ordinary Americans — most of whom aren’t suspected of any crime. This program does not involve the NSA listening to or recording conversations. But the spy agency is using the data to analyze calling patterns in an effort to detect terrorist activity, sources said in separate interviews.

If there are millions of terrorists inside the USA, why the fighting in Iraq?

And how do you think the government is preventing any investigation into the legality of those taps? Indeed:

[Quote:]

The government has abruptly ended an inquiry into the warrantless eavesdropping program because the National Security Agency refused to grant Justice Department lawyers the necessary security clearance to probe the matter.

And don’t think that’s the only place they used this tactic. After months of delaying, the Bush administration finally discovered a clever way to avoid giving Nancy Pelosi what she’d requested: a list of names of the members of Congress who (so Bush claims) have been briefed in the past about the NSA spying. The administration drew up the list, then classified it–and told Pelosi that she wasn’t permitted to see the list.

Here is the text of the letter that Pelosi sent back to Stephen Hadley, pointing out that this was absurd.

If any information leaks, you can be sure it’s caused by pure incompetence

[Quote:]

The dogs, Lucky and Flo, faced their first test at the FedEx UK hub at Stansted
Airport.

“FedEx was glad to assist in Lucky and Flo’s first live test in a working situation. They were amazingly successful at identifying packages containing DVDs, which were opened and checked by HM Customs’ representatives. While all were legitimate shipments on the day, our
message to anyone thinking about shipping counterfeit DVDs through the FedEx network is simple: you’re going to get caught.”

Kinda makes me thing twice about shipping anything through FedEX. Seriously, this is like training drug dogs to find plastic bags.

From the MPAA press release:

“United Kingdom, Los Angeles – - The Federation Against Copyright Theft (FACT), express delivery company FedEx and HM Revenue & Customs, has joined forces to launch an exciting new initiative to help combat DVD piracy.

As part of a project promoted by the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA), FACT instigated the training of two black Labradors named Lucky and Flo by one of the world’s leading experts in the field whose other clients include police, fire and rescue service. The dogs were trained over an eight month period to identify DVDs that may be located
in boxes, envelopes or other packaging, as well as discs concealed amongst other goods which could be sold illegally in the UK. These DVDs are often smuggled by criminal networks involved in large scale piracy operations from around the world.”

Note: Full press release from MPAA – pdf