There now exists the potential for malware, via audio CD, to disable your car... or worse.

Scientists have been working on ways to hack car security systems. Increasingly, lots of things in new cars tie in to a central bus: engine control unit, anti-lock brakes, air bags, transmission, door locks. And the car stereo. The scientists have found a way to create a specially-crafted MP3 which, if played on certain models, lets them take control of the car, potentially by bluetooth or the car's celllular system.

Older cars without centralized buses would be immune, as would installing your own stereo. The sad thing is that car makers do not seem to be doing much to create a reasonably secure system, you'd think they'd learn with the news of all the systems being exploited out in the world.

(Speaking of which, my favorite recent hack is HB Gary Federal going against Anonymous: they totally pwnd their CEO, up to and including remote-wiping the guy's iPad!)

http://www.itworld.com/print/139794

http://it.slashdot.org/story/11/03/12/0114219/Hacking-a-Car-With-Music

And you thought ACTA was bad? Acta 2, or TPP, is much worse.

If you have a business with extensive intellectual property holdings, the TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement) is probably a great treaty for you. But just like ACTA, it's being negotiated pretty much in total secrecy. And just like ACTA, it's been leaked.

Some of the provisions would make the U.S. patent (USPTO) a rubber-stamp for applications (which sucks because Congress is actually looking at making some significant improvements there), ISP's would become extensions of Hollywood when it comes to copyright enforcement, parallel import would be banned (no more gray market goods), criminal enforcement would be REQUIRED for DRM circumvention(!). I'm sure there's more lovely stuff in it.

The Techdirt article also has links to more info at the EFF with more details and a list of all Congresscritters in both the House and Senate so you can easily contact them and express displeasure.

I just wish they would try to negotiate this in the open. There's no reason for this to be secret, except for the fact that Hollywood wants to be able to totally side-step the normal method for creating laws and gain a fait accompli over everyone.

Now, as if this isn't bad enough, they want a VERY fast approval: they want it all to be wrapped up in November OF THIS YEAR.

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110311/00104713434/us-proposals-secret-tpp-son-acta-treaty-leaked-chock-full-awful-ideas.shtml

https://secure.eff.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=471

http://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/03/11/2134224/Son-of-ACTA-Worse-Than-Original


[EDITED 15-JUNE-2013 TO ADD TOR TAG]

Doonesbury Say What?

"What I love about New Hampshire and what we have in common is our extreme love of liberty. You're the state where the shot was heard around the world in Lexington and Concord."
— Michele Bachmann

I wonder if she went to the same geography school as Sarah Palin?

In case you hadn't noticed, LJ is having a problem sending reply notification emails

I'm getting them a day or two late. Sucks, but c'est la vie.