Adam Lindsay

webmail leads to kiddie porn (not really, but...)

I came across a link about distribution of illicit content that seemed to hit both anomaly detection and darknet keywords:
http://chuqui.typepad.com/chuqui_30/2008/07/new-and-interes.html

'For the last couple of weeks people at work have heard me muttering in the halls about "those damn geeks". I've been chasing down and cleaning up after a group that's been using the webmail system as a distribution system for -- stuff. Mostly warez cracks and video, from what I can tell.

'I want to emphasize this part:

'Let me say right up front: no system cracking involved here, no security issues, no hacks, no cracks, no leaks, no bugs. They are simply using these systems as designed, not doing anything to penetrate or compromise the system.

'Nothing was hacked in any way, this is purely (in its way) a social engineering hack taking advantage of free webmail sites all around the internet -- I saw at least 15 involved from my investigation.'

Human Tetris

I had seen their human space invaders, but only now caught the human tetris. Best so far...



(Via echonest)

broadband providers

For example, the Covent Garden phone exchange:
http://www.samknows.com/broadband/exchange/CLCOV

It's a rather technical, dense page, but what you need to know is on the bottom right, under the map.

Most broadband providers in the UK depend on BT for their network. Although there's some differences in service, they're limited by BT Wholesale's prices. This exchange is lucky: there are four providers that *don't* depend on BT.

Sky bundles its broadband service for its TV customers.

TalkTalk/Carphone Warehouse is similarly in it to bundle landline phone services, and don't have a great reputation for quality of service.

Cable & Wireless/Bulldog looks to be an odd one, with the service being seriously underutilised, and not sold by anyone to speak of currently.

The O2/Be option looks very intriguing, though, as O2 have a discount for current (mobile) customers, knocking £5 off very competitive rates. £10/month for *fast* broadband? I'd sign up...
http://broadband.o2.co.uk/home/packages.jsp

In investigating this, I discovered that my own exchange now has high-speed unbundled service, but it's with a provider with a less-than stellar reputation in the UK. Reputations can be tracked here:
http://www.thinkbroadband.com/

If you happen to be bored...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/heroes/season2/yourvideos/index.shtml

The BBC is running a UGC contest based around the Heroes series.

Super Chuck Norris Bros.

From @dbrowell on twitter. Also see:
http://kotaku.com/5024608/super-chuck-norris-bros--wait-this-is-real

Hexagonal Pattern

480x320, for the iPhone and Sketches. Converted from the original at:
http://www.incompetech.com/graphpaper/hexagonal/

Save the image, and then use it as a background in Sketches.

New social technologies call for new applications

The premise behind Thsrs is simple: when messaging tersely (such as on Twitter), sometimes people need shorter words. This returns only synonyms that are shorter than the original word:
http://www.ironicsans.com/thsrs/

Ba Ba Braille Sheep main No. 53

Nothing much to see here: just testing mobile blogging via Exposure and posterous...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26592954@N02/2655835266


Sent from my iPod

iPhone links

O2 has a classy response to all the detractors in its iPhone pre-order
launch:
http://shop.02.co.uk/info/

Also, the iPhone App store is open, and Enigmo is on sale there already.
Ought to be one of the *many* compelling games:

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=281736535&mt=8

Rumours of Twitter and Summize

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/summize_likely_acquired_by_twi.php

In some circumstances, Summize makes Twitter's data even more accessible than its own API. It's interesting that there was always the intention for some NLP behind it, considering the founder.