UPDATE: Plug-pulling ISP changes policy

Internet service provider (ISP) Karoo, based in Hull, has changed its policy of suspending the service of users suspected of copyright violations.

The about face was made following a BBC story outlining the firm's practice.

Karoo issued a statement on Friday, saying that it has been "exceeding the expectations of copyright owners".

The firm will now adopt a "three strikes" rule, in which suspected file-sharers will receive three written warnings before action is taken.

"We have always taken a firm line on the alleged abuse of our internet connections," said Nick Thompson, director of consumer and publishing services, in the statement.

"However, we continually review our policies and procedures to reflect own customers' changing needs and evolving use of the internet.

"It is evident that we have been exceeding the expectations of copyright owners, the media and internet users. So, we have changed our policy to move in more line with the industry standard approach."

'Totally unfair'

Karoo - the only ISP in the area, which has no BT lines - long held a policy of suspending service of suspected file-sharers. In order to get their service restored, customers had to sign a document promising not to repeat the offence.

The firm's approach is more aligned with many other ISPs' approaches to suspected file sharers, mirroring the "three strikes" rule that the music industry itself has called for.
Andrea Robinson, a Karoo customer from Willerby, told the BBC that a day after her service was cut off, she received a letter from the firm claiming that she had been using the peer-to-peer file-sharing service BitTorrent to download the film Terminator Salvation.

On calling Karoo, she was told to visit the company's offices to resolve the issue.

"They gave me a form to sign to get reconnected," she told the BBC. "The form basically said 'if I admit my guilt you'll reconnect me'. So I didn't sign it and walked out."

Jim Killock, executive director of the digital rights activists The Open Rights Group, told the BBC that it is "totally unfair" to disconnect people without notice.

"In fact, disconnection is something that should only even possibly be considered as a result of court action," he said.

While she said that her service had still not been restored, Mrs Robinson called Karoo's policy change "a step in the right direction".

"I'm still a bit upset about it, but it's an improvement that they've done that - rather than just zero chance for any negotiation or to put your case across," she told BBC News.

Editors Note: Dont tread on torrents!

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ISP Pulls Plug On File Sharing Customers

Internet service provider (ISP) Karoo, based in Hull, has changed its policy of suspending the service of users suspected of copyright violations.

The about face was made following a BBC story outlining the firm's practice.

Karoo issued a statement on Friday, saying that it has been "exceeding the expectations of copyright owners".

The firm will now adopt a "three strikes" rule, in which suspected file-sharers will receive three written warnings before action is taken.

"We have always taken a firm line on the alleged abuse of our internet connections," said Nick Thompson, director of consumer and publishing services, in the statement.

"However, we continually review our policies and procedures to reflect own customers' changing needs and evolving use of the internet.

"It is evident that we have been exceeding the expectations of copyright owners, the media and internet users. So, we have changed our policy to move in more line with the industry standard approach."

'Totally unfair'

Karoo - the only ISP in the area, which has no BT lines - long held a policy of suspending service of suspected file-sharers. In order to get their service restored, customers had to sign a document promising not to repeat the offence.

The firm's approach is more aligned with many other ISPs' approaches to suspected file sharers, mirroring the "three strikes" rule that the music industry itself has called for.

Andrea Robinson, a Karoo customer from Willerby, told the BBC that a day after her service was cut off, she received a letter from the firm claiming that she had been using the peer-to-peer file-sharing service BitTorrent to download the film Terminator Salvation.
BBC
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History Channel Documentary Validates Chemtrails and Weather Warfare

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Upcoming Military Robot Could Feed on Dead Bodies

It could be a combination of 19th-century mechanics, 21st-century technology — and a 20th-century horror movie.

A Maryland company under contract to the Pentagon is working on a steam-powered robot that would fuel itself by gobbling up whatever organic material it can find — grass, wood, old furniture, even dead bodies.

Robotic Technology Inc.'s Energetically Autonomous Tactical Robot — that's right, "EATR" — "can find, ingest, and extract energy from biomass in the environment (and other organically-based energy sources), as well as use conventional and alternative fuels (such as gasoline, heavy fuel, kerosene, diesel, propane, coal, cooking oil, and solar) when suitable," reads the company's Web site.

That "biomass" and "other organically-based energy sources" wouldn't necessarily be limited to plant material — animal and human corpses contain plenty of energy, and they'd be plentiful in a war zone.

EATR will be powered by the Waste Heat Engine developed by Cyclone Power Technology of Pompano Beach, Fla., which uses an "external combustion chamber" burning up fuel to heat up water in a closed loop, generating electricity.

The advantages to the military are that the robot would be extremely flexible in fuel sources and could roam on its own for months, even years, without having to be refueled or serviced.

Upon the EATR platform, the Pentagon could build all sorts of things — a transport, an ambulance, a communications center, even a mobile gunship.

In press materials, Robotic Technology presents EATR as an essentially benign artificial creature that fills its belly through "foraging," despite the obvious military purpose.

Fox News
EATR at the Robotic Technology Web site
Overview of the project in PDF format.

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Military Develops ‘Cybug’ Spies

Miniature robots could be good spies, but researchers now are experimenting with insect cyborgs or "cybugs" that could work even better.

Scientists can already control the flight of real moths using implanted devices.

The military and spy world no doubt would love tiny, live camera-wielding versions of Predator drones that could fly undetected into places where no human could ever go to snoop on the enemy. Developing such robots has proven a challenge so far, with one major hurdle being inventing an energy source for the droids that is both low weight and high power. Still, evidence that such machines are possible is ample in nature in the form of insects, which convert biological energy into flight.

It makes sense to pattern robots after insects - after all, they must be doing something right, seeing as they are the most successful animals on the planet, comprising roughly 75 percent of all animal species known to humanity. Indeed, scientists have patterned robots after insects and other animals for decades - to mimic cockroach wall-crawling, for instance, or the grasshopper's leap.

Mechanical metamorphosis

Instead of attempting to create sophisticated robots that imitate the complexity in the insect form that required millions of years of evolution to achieve, scientists now essentially want to hijack bugs for use as robots.

Originally researchers sought to control insects by gluing machinery onto their backs, but such links were not always reliable. To overcome this hurdle, the Hybrid Insect Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (HI-MEMS) program is sponsoring research into surgically implanting microchips straight into insects as they grow, intertwining their nerves and muscles with circuitry that can then steer the critters. As expensive as these devices might be to manufacture and embed in the bugs, they could still prove cheaper than building miniature robots from scratch.

As these cyborgs heal from their surgery while they naturally metamorphose from one developmental stage to the next - for instance, from caterpillar to butterfly - the result would yield a more reliable connection between the devices and the insects, the thinking goes. The fact that insects are immobile during some of these stages - for instance, when they are metamorphosing in cocoons - means they can be manipulated far more easily than if they were actively wriggling, meaning that devices could be implanted with assembly-line routine, significantly lowering costs.

Charles Q. Choi
LiveScience
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100% free antivirus download links

Avast!
avast! is the multi-award winning antivirus product line from ALWIL Software, which has been ICSA Labs certified and regularly receives the Virus Bulletin 100% award, for detection of 100% of in-the-wild viruses, and SC Awards 2006 for best antivirus in both the US and European categories as well as Best anti-malware solution category in Europe. avast! is specifically engineered to need low system requirements and automatically and incrementally updates both the program and virus definitions, keeping bandwidth usage to a minimum while always being up-to-date.
download

AVG
Though not as well-known as some competitors, this antivirus program offers rock-solid protection. AVG Anti-Virus provides all the necessities, including a tool for scanning your hard drive and e-mail, as well as a real-time shield to prevent infections. You'll find a full-blown scheduling utility for automating tasks and checking for new definitions as often as you'd like. Other perks found in this Pro version include technical support and the ability to run on multiple operating systems. Should a virus create serious system problems, AVG creates a rescue disk to scan your computer in MS-DOS mode. The program doesn't tax your system when scanning or when running in the background, and it always proved effective in our tests. The interface can't be described as beautiful, yet it is mostly simple to navigate.
Though the free version of this program will suffice for average folks, those who demand more control should certainly consider AVG Anti-Virus.
Download

Avira Personal Edition
Avira AntiVir Personal - FREE Antivirus is a reliable free antivirus solution, that constantly and rapidly scans your computer for malicious programs such as viruses, Trojans, backdoor programs, hoaxes, worms, dialers etc. Monitors every action executed by the user or the operating system and reacts promptly when a malicious program is detected.
Avira AntiVir Personal is a comprehensive, easy to use antivirus program, designed to offer reliable free of charge virus protection to home-users, for personal use only, and is not for business or commercial use. Available for Windows or UNIX.
Download

Clam
ClamWin is a Free Antivirus program for Microsoft Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/2003 and Vista.
ClamWin Free Antivirus comes with an easy installer and open source code. You may download and use it absolutely free of charge. It features:
High detection rates for viruses and spyware;
Scanning Scheduler;
Automatic downloads of regularly updated Virus Database.
Standalone virus scanner and right-click menu integration to Microsoft Windows Explorer;
Addin to Microsoft Outlook to remove virus-infected attachments automatically.
Download

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VIPRE Antivirus + Antispyware, fast and light

Real time anti virus protection can cause your computer to slow down specially if you are also running real time spyware protection, but VIPRE delivers when others cant. As its vicious logo suggest Sunbelt Software's VIPRE antivirus + antispyware destroys viruses,trojans,and worms with no remorse. VIPRE antivirus + antispyware does not just stop there it also has advance protection like root-kit detection + removal, key logger protection, and blocks malicious application activities. Like i said what separates VIPRE from the rest is its speed and low system resource use.





THE POSITIVE: Fast/lightweight and FREE 15-DAY TRIAL.
THE BAD: VIPRE does not yet include firewall protection.
THE PRICE: 1 Year Subscription only $29.95 (1 license), (2 license's) 1 Year Subscription only $39.96, Unlimited Home Site License 1 year ONLY $49.95.
Antivirus Software

disclosure: post has been sponsored

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I opened up a zazzle store, yay!

I decided to open up a zazzle store so check it out! Oh i am almost done with the free anti virus tutorial. I already have the idea for my third tutorial :]

Rebel Resistance Store

create & buy custom products at Zazzle

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The next hacking frontier: Your brain?

Hackers who commandeer your computer are bad enough. Now scientists worry that someday, they'll try to take over your brain.
the past year, researchers have developed technology that makes it possible to use thoughts to operate a computer, maneuver a wheelchair or even use Twitter -- all without lifting a finger. But as neural devices become more complicated, and go wireless, some scientists say the risks of "brain hacking" should be taken seriously.

"Neural devices are innovating at an extremely rapid rate and hold tremendous promise for the future," said computer security expert Tadayoshi Kohno of the University of Washington.

"But if we don't start paying attention to security, we're worried that we might find ourselves in five or 10 years saying we've made a big mistake."

Hackers tap into personal computers all the time. But what would happen if they focused their nefarious energy on neural devices, such as the deep-brain stimulators used to treat Parkinson's and depression, or electrode systems for controlling prosthetic limbs?

According to Kohno and his colleagues, who published their concerns July 1 in Neurosurgical Focus, most devices carry few security risks. But as neural engineering becomes more complex and more widespread, the potential for security breaches will mushroom.
"It's very hard to design complex systems that don't have bugs," Kohno said. "As these medical devices start to become more and more complicated, it gets easier and easier for people to overlook a bug that could become a very serious risk. It might border on science fiction today, but so did going to the moon 50 years ago."

Some might question why anyone would want to hack into someone else's brain, but the researchers say there's a precedent for using computers to cause neurological harm. In November 2007 and March 2008, malicious programmers vandalized epilepsy support Web sites by putting up flashing animations, which caused seizures in some photo-sensitive patients.

"It happened on two separate occasions," said computer science graduate student Tamara Denning, a co-author on the paper. "It's evidence that people will be malicious and try to compromise peoples' health using computers, especially if neural devices become more widespread."
In some cases, patients might even want to hack into their own neural device. Unlike devices to control prosthetic limbs, which still use wires, many deep brain stimulators already rely on wireless signals. Hacking into these devices could enable patients to "self-prescribe" elevated moods or pain relief by increasing the activity of the brain's reward centers.

Despite the risks, Kohno said, most new devices aren't created with security in mind. Neural engineers carefully consider the safety and reliability of new equipment, and neuroethicists focus on whether a new device fits ethical guidelines. But until now, few groups have considered how neural devices might be hijacked to perform unintended actions. This is the first time an academic paper has addressed the topic of "neurosecurity," a term the group coined to describe their field.

Wired
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News Blog

This blog was supposed to be dedicated to tech news and tutorials so i decided to open up a new blog dedicated to just current events. I have named it The Rebel Journal (I might change it to Rebel Intel or Rebel Intel Journal) you should check it out http://rebelintelligence.blogspot.com/. I just wrote a blurb titled "The Sick Red Machine" it is about psychotic behavior that the Chinese government practices with their people for PROFIT. I will post up a new tutorial pretty soon so please keep a look out for that :]

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Surveillance is AWESOME!

CCTV
How did we go from using closed-circuit cameras to monitor launches of V2 rockets to watching society 24/7? There are about 30 million surveillance cameras in the United States watching you 24/7 and generating 4 billion hours of footage a week. The government and law enforcement (probably corporate America too) are the biggest users of this technology and claim they use it to reduce crime, but i have not seen any survey or study of this. These eyes in the sky do not prevent crime they just watch it happen and will eventually monitor the law abiding citizen's behavior. I can just image the future with these flying cameras passing by our home's window or was that book i read? Also what about those red light cameras, i hate them so much, what are they supposed to prevent some kind accident or make not want to beat the yellow light (lol i am just jk)? It is just a money scam just like those stupid toll roads its other way to remind you that you are not free.


Radio Frequency Identification Chips
You might think they you don't own any RFID chips, but you actually do. These chips are used in supermarkets and stores to keep track of their stock, but they can also be used to monitor what kind of products you like. These chips are really small and are about the same size as a grain of rice and can be inserted into clothing,food,and pretty much everything you buy. The RFID is not turned off after you leave the store it is still sending out a signal after the purchase.

Your Phone Company
Throw away your alligator clips because in the 21st century there is no need for that barbaric tools for surveillance. I think everybody already knows that telecom companies were granted immunity and help the government spy on your mobile and lan line phone calls. Communications can also be blocked and that just opens the door for disinformation and lovely propaganda.

Your Boss works for Big Brother
Do you have email at work? If you use it for your personal communications then your boss knows about your dirty little secret. With the help of software and actual people your emails are scanned and stored to if your wasting "precious" work time. Of course that not only means emails thought it also means that your web surfing behavior is monitored and your boss know who you talk to on twitter,facebook,and my space.

Advertisements Love You
Have you ever wondered why those advertisements just for some reason match up with you so well? Well if you did not know there is technology that scans your browsing history and keywords from those websites to create and advertisement just for you, awww. The companies that do this say the whole process anonymous and none or your. If you want to know how to protect your self from this visit my spy ware blog posting.

I know where you are!
I have already stated that the telecom companies are spying on your conversations and now they also make it easier to find your location. Most modern mobile phones have a GPS chip inside them since it has become popular to have navigation software on your phone. I remember when i gave a speech in one of my classes address about 3 1/2 ago and stated that GPS technology will become so integrated into our daily lives that a search engine like google could be used to know where your boyfriend,girlfriend, or a loved one is located. I saw a person laugh and shake their head in a manner that seem to suggest that he was disagreeing. Who is laughing now?

Where Are Your Friends and Family? Check Google Maps
The new software to be released Wednesday will enable people with mobile phones and other wireless devices to automatically share their whereabouts with family and friends.The feature, dubbed "Latitude," expands upon a tool introduced in 2007 to allow mobile phone users to check their own location on a Google map with the press of a button."This adds a social flavor to Google maps and makes it more fun," said Steve Lee, a Google product manager.It could also raise privacy concerns, but Google is doing its best to avoid a backlash by requiring each user to manually turn on the tracking software and making it easy to turn off or limit access to the service. Google also is promising not to retain any information about its users' movements. Only the last location picked up by the tracking service will be stored on Google's computers, Lee said. The software plots a user's location — marked by a personal picture on Google's map — by relying on cell phone towers, global positioning systems or a Wi-Fi connection to deduce their location. The system can follow people's travels in the United States and 26 other countries.
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Recommended Video:


sources:
Big brother is watching: The technologies that keep track of you
Surveillance Society: New High-Tech Cameras Are Watching You
MYSTERY CLOTHING COMPANY PLANS ITEM-LEVEL RFID ROLLOUT

★ Data Rebel ★

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North Korea Fourth of July Anniversary

There have been many reports of the 4th of July North Korean missile threat, here are some of the articles:

Japan warns that North Korea may fire missile at U.S on Independence Day
North Korea may launch a long-range ballistic missile towards Hawaii on American Independence Day, according to Japanese intelligence officials.The missile, believed to be a Taepodong-2 with a range of up to 4,000 miles, would be launched in early July from the Dongchang-ni site on the north-western coast of the secretive country.
mailonline

Is North Korea Prepping Forth of July Fireworks?
North Korea fired off a pair of short-range missiles today — Reuters is now reporting a third — and speculation now centers on whether Pyongyang is planning a more dramatic test of a long-range missile that could, in theory, reach Hawaii.Three years ago, North Korea ratcheted up tensions in the region with a series of missile tests, including the launch of a long-range Taepodong-2 ballistic missile. That Taepodong-2 launch was a failure: The missile cracked up less than a minute after launch, but the North Koreans continued to pursue intercontinental ballistic missile technology.
wired.com

US 'ready' for N. Korean missile
U.S. missile defenses are prepared to try to knock down the last stage of a Taepodong-2 missile that North Korea is expected soon to launch if sensors detect the weapon threatens U.S. territory, the commander of the U.S. Northern Command told The Washington Times."The nation has a very, very credible ballistic-missile defense capability. Our ground-based interceptors in Alaska and California, I'm very comfortable, give me a capability that if we really are threatened by a long-range ICBM that I've got high confidence that I could interdict that flight before it caused huge damage to any U.S. territory," said Air Force Gen. Victor E. "Gene" Renuart, Northcom commander.
the washington times

Obama: US "Fully Prepared" For North Korea Missile Launch
President Barack Obama said the United States is "prepared for any contingencies" involving North Korea _ including the regime's reported threat to launch a long-range missile toward Hawaii. Japanese media have reported the North Koreans appear to be preparing for a long-range test near July 4. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has ordered additional protections for Hawaii in case a missile is launched over the Pacific Ocean."This administration _ and our military is fully prepared for any contingencies," Obama said Friday during an interview with CBS News' Harry Smith, to be broadcast Monday on "The Early Show.""I don't want to speculate on hypotheticals," Obama said. "But I want ... to give assurances to the American people that the t's are crossed and the i's are dotted in terms of what might happen."
The Huffington Post

Everyone seems to forget though that they are marking the 15 year anniversary of Kim Il-sung's "Eternal Leader" death by testing a Taepodong-2 missile either between July 4th and July 8th. On top of that a month ago North Korea put out a international directive under international law that they are going to test the Taepodong-2 missile. It is not the first time they test fire a Taepodon-2 missile, remember in 2006 the it exploded 40 seconds after it was launched. The Washington Times is stating the the U.S is ready like it is being aimed directly to Hawaii. Ready to shoot down the missile? Look at the big picture, if this missile is brought down what would happen? You know that answer to that question. So i think the media are acting like provocateurs to this whole missile situation because this is the same media that tells you polar bears cant swim. This is just a big diversion! It is important to do your own research and not just depend on the mainstream media to tell you the truth.

North Korea May Be Preparing Another Rocket Launch
While some reports have speculated that North Korea may launch a missile attack on Hawaii, according to David Wright, co-director of the Union of Concerned Scientists Global Security Program, such an attack seems highly unlikely.

The failure of its April launch to place a satellite in orbit suggests that North Korea might intend another satellite launch using the same kind of launch vehicle, the Unha-2.

Analysis based on information from the April test has led to better understanding of North Korea's rocket capability, Wright said. That analysis shows that the Unha launcher represents a significant advance over North Korea's previous launchers. It would have the capability to reach the continental United States with a payload of 1 ton or more if North Korea modified it for use as a ballistic missile.

However, the Unha launcher appears to be constructed from components that were probably not manufactured in North Korea, he added. It is likely that these critical rocket components were acquired from other countries, and in particular from Russia. If this is true, it could mean that North Korea's missile capability could be significantly constrained if it can be denied further access to such components.
Union of Concerned Scientist

No, I am not on N.Korea side! I just like to state the facts.

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North Korea test fires missiles

North Korea has test-fired two short-range missiles off its east coast, a spokesman for South Korea's defence ministry has said.

The spokesman said the surface-to-ship missiles were launched from a base near the port of Wonsan at about 0900 GMT.

Pyongyang had warned shipping to stay out of waters off its east coast.

The UN tightened sanctions against North Korea after it launched several missiles and carried out an underground nuclear test in May.

"One [missile] was fired at 1720 (0820 GMT) and the other at 1800 from Sinsang-ni" near the east coast port city of Wonsan, South Korean defence ministry spokesman Won Tae-jae said.

South Korean media had reported that a missile launch was imminent. Previous North Korean warnings to shipping to avoid its coastal waters have been preludes to test launches.

The latest missile launches came hours after North and South Korean officials ended talks at the joint Kaesong industrial zone in North Korea without progress being made.

South Korean officials said they had rejected a Northern demand, made in earlier meetings, to pay higher wages and increased rent in the factory zone, located just across the border in the North.

source

Is this another cuba missile crisis senario?

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