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    <title>cmdln.net_2008-09-07</title>
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    <outline text="Intro" Offset="00:17">
      <outline text="Still recovering from Dragon*Con"/>
    </outline>
    <outline text="Security Alerts" Offset="03:19">
      <outline text="Human captcha cracking is a growing business" Offset="03:38">
        <outline text="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080901-captchas-flummox-bots-but-may-be-doomed-by-captcha-farmers.html"/>
        <outline text="Despite cracks in captcha's effectiveness, still have some value"/>
        <outline text="By their nature, though, are weak to human crack attempts"/>
        <outline text="Just like human labor has been harnessed for good, helping with OCR"/>
        <outline text="Now human input being used for attackers"/>
        <outline text="Article in particular points out rise of captcha &quot;solving&quot; businesses in India"/>
        <outline text="Cites the favorable economics, that more can be made by solving than traditional data processing"/>
        <outline text="Article also points out the most dire consequence"/>
        <outline text="Any system that a legitimate customer can still use, will still be vulnerable to farming"/>
        <outline text="Felten on captcha solving services">
          <outline text="http://www.freedom-to-tinker.com/?p=1385"/>
          <outline text="Asks two questions"/>
          <outline text="Is minimal cost of solving services still enough friction to reserve some value in captchas?"/>
          <outline text="Can governments effectively stop or just raise cost of solving services?"/>
          <outline text="We'll find out on the former question"/>
          <outline text="He implies that any non-zero cost will still be better than no barrier at all"/>
          <outline text="Unclear on the latter"/>
        </outline>
      </outline>
      <outline text="Up tick in number of zombie PCs in botnets" Offset="07:15">
        <outline text="http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/09/02/zombie_surge/"/>
        <outline text="By some measurements, the number of zombies has increased by 3-4 times"/>
        <outline text="Article has some detail on how this was measured and calculated"/>
        <outline text="This growth is also in a short period, just a few months"/>
        <outline text="No one is sure why the recent growth"/>
        <outline text="Article points that while we can track some trends well, other areas need work"/>
        <outline text="By some measures, there are fewer command and control servers"/>
        <outline text="This may point to increased power, robustness of botnet systems"/>
        <outline text="Increase in zombies could exacerbate drop in price for using those systems"/>
        <outline text="This may be a silver lining, if supply starts to shrink to better match demand pricing"/>
      </outline>
    </outline>
    <outline text="News" Offset="09:49">
      <outline text="Google enters the browser war" Offset="10:04">
        <outline text="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/380888206/20080901-google-opens-up-new-front-in-browser-wars-with-chrome.html"/>
        <outline text="Built on WebKit but with Google's own JavaScript interpreter, V8"/>
        <outline text="Most novel aspect is treating each tab like a process"/>
        <outline text="Separates memory and resources for each"/>
        <outline text="Includes a process manager to examine each tab's utilization"/>
        <outline text="Also has many competitive features in the areas of privacy, security, framework and application support"/>
        <outline text="Google comic on new browser">
          <outline text="http://www.google.com/googlebooks/chrome/"/>
          <outline text="Pretty accessible description of multi processing"/>
          <outline text="Also some insight into Google's testing and development"/>
          <outline text="Reinforces expected use, long running web applications"/>
          <outline text="Much of the comic is not as accessible, though"/>
          <outline text="Point is to explain how technology choices are better"/>
          <outline text="But discussion of hidden classes, garbage collection a bit deep"/>
          <outline text="Claims to be giving back to the web"/>
          <outline text="Everything is open source, build on much existing technology"/>
        </outline>
        <outline text="Mozilla's thoughts on new Google browser">
          <outline text="http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/09/02/1637216"/>
          <outline text="CEO John Lilly sees it as welcome competition"/>
          <outline text="Sees aims of organizations as different"/>
          <outline text="Confirms that positive relationship, funding will still exist between the two"/>
          <outline text="Also thoughts from Tristan Nitot, Mozilla Europe president"/>
          <outline text="Thinks Google's move is aimed at Microsoft, not Mozilla"/>
          <outline text="Mozilla is neutral but MS has competitive business offerings"/>
          <outline text="Interesting idea that Google may want to have their own platform"/>
          <outline text="Not be dependent on MSIE for large part of their users"/>
          <outline text="How will they affect Microsoft market share, though?"/>
        </outline>
        <outline text="Some press indicates Chrome is already eating into Mozilla's market share"/>
        <outline text="I wish they had a plausible strategy for attacking MSIE"/>
        <outline text="Better engineering is not good enough"/>
        <outline text="If it was, Mozilla would already be dominant"/>
        <outline text="The engineering work sounds good but all browsers are competing on this front"/>
        <outline text="Some better than others"/>
        <outline text="Firefox 3 already shows performance better tuned to long run web applications"/>
        <outline text="An acquaintance predicts Chrome specific features for Google apps"/>
        <outline text="This is a worst case outcome, a form of lock in"/>
        <outline text="The UI improvements are easily copied"/>
        <outline text="So it really is about the business tactics of competing with MS"/>
        <outline text="I am skeptical given MSIE's entrenched position through bundling"/>
      </outline>
      <outline text="Chrome bears a surprising EULA" Offset="17:37">
        <outline text="http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10030522-2.html"/>
        <outline text="Three conditions in particular"/>
        <outline text="Google can download, install updates remotely apparently under blanket consent"/>
        <outline text="Google acquires a non-exclusive license to content flow through the browser"/>
        <outline text="Ads will be serve and how may be changed without notice"/>
        <outline text="The first is not too unusual, much software comes with auto update"/>
        <outline text="The last also not unusual for an ad company"/>
        <outline text="The second is a huge gaffe"/>
        <outline text="It is non-exclusive but still is hugely invasive"/>
        <outline text="Sort of a cover their ass move if they screenshot, capture your content incidentally"/>
        <outline text="Just a bit t vague, though, and caused quite a stir"/>
        <outline text="Chrome license amended after protest">
          <outline text="http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/150637/google_amends_chrome_license_agreement_after_objections.html"/>
          <outline text="Google will drop the second provision"/>
          <outline text="Claims this included it as boiler plate from other licenses they'd seen"/>
          <outline text="Specifically from Google's own universal terms of service"/>
          <outline text="Thought such standard language would be easier for users"/>
          <outline text="Users objected to copyright invasion but also privacy implications"/>
          <outline text="Makes sense as much material flowing through a browser may also trod on issues of scope of consent, not just copyright"/>
          <outline text="Google will make license change retroactive to original adopters"/>
          <outline text="Lawyer, David Loschiavo, highlights other issues"/>
          <outline text="Not all content a user uses through browser is theirs"/>
          <outline text="Think of reporters using it to work on news story for publisher"/>
          <outline text="Schools and corporations with ownership of email, et. al."/>
        </outline>
      </outline>
      <outline text="Washington state ruling deals a blow to unbalanced EULAs" Offset="22:10">
        <outline text="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/380969504/20080901-washington-court-deals-a-blow-to-unconscionable-eulas.html"/>
        <outline text="Based on a class action suit"/>
        <outline text="AT&amp;T customer was being billed a municipal fee"/>
        <outline text="Based solely on ZIP code even though customer wasn't in city limits"/>
        <outline text="AT&amp;T tried to force arbitration per its service agreement"/>
        <outline text="Case was appealed all the way up to state's supreme court"/>
        <outline text="That court delivered unanimous ruling"/>
        <outline text="Upheld several lower courts ruling, that certain conditions were unconscionable"/>
        <outline text="No one knowing the full scope of specific terms would agree to them"/>
        <outline text="Only applicable in Washington state, though"/>
        <outline text="Court rules that that state's consumer laws applied"/>
        <outline text="AT&amp;T stipulated NY in its service agreement, court held contract was executed in WA"/>
        <outline text="WA state laws then forbade AT&amp;T's prohibition of class action suits and confidentiality rules"/>
        <outline text="Core claim, though, was around whether customer assent to contract"/>
        <outline text="Court held that there was no sufficient evidence of that, despite AT&amp;T's objections"/>
        <outline text="Specifics may only hold in WA state"/>
        <outline text="However, the ruling's statement around assent may find sympathetic ears in other courts"/>
        <outline text="I doubt that EULAs as a form of contract will ever be completely abolished"/>
        <outline text="Better standards may evolve, though"/>
        <outline text="If they are increasingly scrutinized, companies will have to do better"/>
        <outline text="Will realize they can enforce less because of the weaker framing of assent"/>
      </outline>
      <outline text="Neal Stephenson on what's wrong with cell phones" Offset="25:12">
        <outline text="http://io9.com/5046316/neal-stephenson-explains-whats-wrong-with-mobile-phones"/>
        <outline text="This article discusses Stephenson's new book, Anathem"/>
        <outline text="In it, describes a culture where a segment eschews technology"/>
        <outline text="The technology in question strongly parallels modern gadgets"/>
        <outline text="Piece turns into a mini-interview exploring Stephenson's views on mobile phones in particular"/>
        <outline text="Provides a more considered answer to my problem with cell phones"/>
        <outline text="Identifies their interrupting, distracting nature as the problem"/>
        <outline text="Stephenson admits his phone is critical"/>
        <outline text="Thinks we are at an awkward stage of integrating manners, technology"/>
        <outline text="Annalee Newitz points out a few of the interface problems">
          <outline text="Ear wig or act of holding phone up interfere with body language"/>
          <outline text="Audible ringer affects not just the owner but everyone in ear shot"/>
        </outline>
        <outline text="Makes me think of Microsoft's digital manners"/>
        <outline text="Their tech was about enabling owners of spaces"/>
        <outline text="Frustrated because real digital manners could help"/>
        <outline text="Think of a cell phone that detects whether owner or someone nearby is speaking"/>
        <outline text="How else would you give these devices more manner friendly interface?"/>
        <outline text="Is it more important to raise the questions and try to adjust norms?"/>
        <outline text="What if high profile users, techies and others, set a different example?"/>
      </outline>
    </outline>
    <outline text="tail -f" Offset="29:06">
      <outline text="Report shows internet capacity keeping up with demand" Offset="29:26">
        <outline text="http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/09/keep-streaming.html"/>
        <outline text="Capacity grew 62%, demand 53% over the past year"/>
        <outline text="According to a report by monitoring firm, TeleGeography"/>
        <outline text="This is international growth"/>
        <outline text="Some areas, like Latin America and South Asia double capacity"/>
        <outline text="Accuracy of the report is limited"/>
        <outline text="Based on data from open exchange points and surveys"/>
        <outline text="Drop in price of data transmission seems to bear out the trend, though"/>
      </outline>
      <outline text="Canadian DMCA about to fail" Offset="31:02">
        <outline text="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/slashdot/eqWf/~3/1F7GnGvCD1Q/article.pl"/>
        <outline text="Would die if an election call goes forward"/>
        <outline text="Means those backing the bill could lose power"/>
        <outline text="Bill would die on the vine without backing"/>
        <outline text="Similar thing happened with a previous attempt"/>
        <outline text="If it dies, is likely to come back, again"/>
        <outline text="Especially if the Conservatives regain power"/>
        <outline text="There is a huge opportunity if it is re-introduced to find a better balance"/>
        <outline text="Prentice tried to pull a fast one with this one, though"/>
        <outline text="No guarantees of better involvement of public interest groups, transparent discussions"/>
        <outline text="Geist thinks there is an opportunity to make this into a voting issue, too"/>
      </outline>
    </outline>
    <outline text="Outro" Offset="33:07">
      <outline text="Contact me">
        <outline text="Email to feedback@thecommandline.net"/>
        <outline text="Web site at http://thecommandline.net/"/>
        <outline text="IM to command.line@skype"/>
        <outline text="Listener comment line is 240-949-2638"/>
        <outline text="del.icio.us tag is &quot;for:cmdln&quot;"/>
        <outline text="http://twitter.com/cmdln"/>
      </outline>
      <outline text="I'd like to thank libsyn.com for AAC hosting and Wouter de Bie for MP3 hosting"/>
      <outline text="These notes and the show audio and music are covered by a Creative Commons license">
        <outline text="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/"/>
        <outline text="Attribution, non-commercial, share alike"/>
      </outline>
    </outline>
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