Tuesday, 5 July 2011

slim404 Slim Amamou

Interestingly @lulzsec Sabu confirms having hacked Tunisian PM website, for which @Azyyoz has been accused :) bit.ly/lDFzAM

Nothing Stays Secret

The man who hunted Osama bin Laden

WTF???

How much does a hit song cost? $1,078,000

Unlicensed: Are Google Music and Amazon Cloud Player illegal?

Amazon.com made waves in March when it announced Cloud Player, a new "cloud music" service that allows users to upload their music collections for personal use. It did so without a license agreement, and the major music labels were not amused. Sony Music said it was keeping its "legal options open" as it pressured Amazon to pay up.
In the following weeks, two more companies announced music services of their own. Google, which has long had a frosty relationship with the labels, followed Amazon's lead; Google Music Beta was announced without the Big Four on board (read our first impressions). But Apple has been negotiating licenses so it can operate iCloud with the labels' blessing.
The different strategies pursued by these firms presents a puzzle. Either Apple wasted millions of dollars on licenses it doesn't need, or Amazon and Google are vulnerable to massive copyright lawsuits. All three are sophisticated firms that employ a small army of lawyers, so it's a bit surprising that they reached such divergent assessments of what the law requires.
So how did it happen? And who's right...?

Continue reading

Timothy B. Lee @'ars technica'

Military detention: Uncovering the truth

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) has obtained a number of previously classified and confidential documents relating to Australia’s involvement in the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.PIAC believes that these documents gives rise to a number of important revelations.
The Australian Government deliberately tried to to avoid its obligations under international law in relation to detainees caught by the Australia Defence Force in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Australia’s detainee policy had disastrous consequences.
The previously classified and confidential documents reveal that an Iranian man, Tanik Mahmud, died in custody. He was captured by Australian SAS troops in Western Iraq and transferred to UK custody. There is strong evidence suggesting that Mr Mahmud was fatally assaulted by UK RAF troops. The UK and Australian governments have refused to release the full details surrounding the death.
The Australian Government had prior knowledge of illegal detention practices in Iraq, including at Abu Ghraib prison. This included hiding prisoners from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and obstructing the ICRC’s access to prisoners. An Australian military lawyer advised on US interrogation techniques and concluded they were open to abuse.
The Australian Government failed to raise concerns about US breaches of international law with its ally. This suggests some level of complicity on behalf of the Australian Government.
The Australian Government misled Parliament and deliberately withheld important information from the Australian public relating to detainee mistreatment in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The documents obtained by PIAC raise serious questions about the functioning of the ADF and Department of Defence. Australia was ill-prepared for the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, with no policy on what to do with detainees.
Key information about the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan continues to be withheld.
Contact your MP to call for a full, independent inquiry to answer outstanding questions, including:

What was the legal basis for Australia’s detention policy in Iraq and Afghanistan?
Did Australia express concern to the US regarding its illegal detention practices?
What formal arrangements were put in place to ensure a US soldier was always present with ADF troops to take legal responsibility for their capture?
What policies and procedures are now in place to ensure that Australia complies with international law in relation to the detention and treatment of captives?

ASIO 'Wikileaks Amendment'

ASIO gets its new powers - and no one will tell us why

Overview

Australian censorship filters are a joke

After huge protests, a backdown from the government and shedloads of wasted cash, Australia's voluntary "rabbit proof fence" of censorship protection was rolled out today.
In a move claimed to "protect children" the Australian government initially wanted a filter which would sit on every ISP's computer. It would filter out access to every website that the Australian government felt that people should not see.
After an outcry, it was decided to make the scheme voluntary with only the country's main ISPs signing up to it.
According to Delimiter, the country's second-largest telco Optus has admitted that users would be able to defeat it by changing the DNS settings on their PC.
Optus said that using a different DNS server than the default was "a feature" of the Interpol list.
Telstra was less willing to comment than Optus, saying it would be pretty dumb to tell the world how to bypass the filter. Although, we guess, it is not proving that difficult for the world to find out.
Electronic Frontiers Association spokesperson and board member Stephen Collins said he had to wonder why Optus would even bother with the filtering system.
It seems that nobody will be protected from criminals by this. Punters who think their kids are safe from paedophiles thanks to the filter will not be. Meanwhile those who feel that it is wrong to have their internet connection slowed by filtering for sites they don't visit will be furious.
In short, it was a complete waste of time.
Nick Farrell @'TechEYE'

Telstra, Optus net filters 'trivial' to bypass

DSG_DSG DeterritorialSupport

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Mike Huckaby takes on Sun Ra for Reel To Reel Edits

This month sees the release of The Mike Huckaby Reel To Reel Edits Vol.1, the first instalment in a projected series of 12″s which finds our man in his absolute element – reworking his jazz favourites. The first artist to go under the scalpel is Sun Ra, with his classic pieces ‘UFO’ and ‘Antique Blacks’. These are edits in the purest sense of the word, respectful of the source material, Huckaby simply tweaking and re-structuring the original’s instrumental elements so that they’re more DJ-friendly and danceable.
This release comes on Rush Hour-affiliated Kindred Spirits, home to the likes of Aardvarck and Build An Ark. It’s available on 12″ vinyl with exclusive artwork by Stephen Serrato with a silk-screen printed plastic insert. It’s a limited edition, though the label aren’t giving away exactly how limited. More information here.