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Thursday, October 13, 2011
The 'nasty' computer virus infecting U.S. military drones (The Week)
New York ? Unmanned aircraft used by the Air Force for espionage and combat have been stung by malware. Should we be worried?
A fleet of American Predator and Reaper drones has been infected with a computer virus, reports Noah Shachtman at?Wired. The unmanned aircraft, which allow the military to attack targets without risking the lives of U.S. soldiers, have become a key tool in America's war on terrorism. Since President Obama took office, drones have killed more than 2,000 suspected militants and civilians. But now, it's the drones that are being targeted. Here's what you should know:
What does the virus do?
It's a "nasty" virus called a keylogger,?says Max Eddy at?Geekosystem. Pilots remotely maneuvering drones issue commands remotely with keyboards and joysticks.?And this virus can record every single keystroke.?
How dangerous is this??
Because hackers might use any new information to refine their tactics, the Air Force doesn't publicly discuss attacks on its computer networks,?says the?Washington Post. But?Wired's Shachtman says the infection has hit classified and unclassified machines at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada, which at least raises the possibility that secret data may have been captured ? though no specific reports of classified information leaks have yet surfaced.
Where did the virus come from?
It's not clear if the virus infiltrated the military's computer systems through "a typical infection, or if it was specifically created to target the drone computer control system," says Dean Takahashi at?Venture Beat. In other words: No one knows for sure how it got there.
What now?
Computer specialists at Creech are still trying to wipe the virus off their machines. Thus far, they've reportedly been unsuccessful, as the virus resists every effort to eliminate it. Officials are also in the process of erasing their internal hard drives to rebuild them from scratch ? a rather "time consuming effort," says Shachtman.
Sources: Wired, Geekosystem,?Venture Beat,?The Washington Post,?The Atlantic
View this article on TheWeek.com
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Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Canada embraces online gaming, design firms, a supplemental ...
?With the release of Lowrance Kost?s new gaming visual design book, we?re going to see record traffic levels,? said Kenrick Cough, internet marketing manager of Kohls Engquist INC Publishers, ?and strong traffic means strong sales.? Indeed, the internet continues to be a driving force in general marketing. Recent sales numbers by major internet publishing firms show a marked increase of interest in gaming visual design reading, with a nearly two-fold increase in readership compared to five years ago. ?I?m happy we were able to release my gaming visual design book on time,? said Garceau Clolinger, author of ?Making Bank in the gaming visual design Industry?, ?timing is crucial in this market, and luckily we chose the right publishers for the job.? Fjeseth Viereck, Editor-in-chief of Shanafelt Debruhl Publishers INC, agreed with this sentiment, stating: ?This book speaks volumes about the impact of gaming visual design in society, and we knew from a business responsibility stand point that releasing it on time would really make a difference.? Author Quackenbush Delosantos, who plans to release a similar gaming visual design oriented work, was on hand to answer questions from the general public as well. ?In the literary world, we seek to heighten public awareness about the gaming visual design industry and how it works. This is absolutely essential for those in the academic, literary, and research fields.? Quackenbush Delosantos, has been a writer for nearly twenty years, and is highly regarded among constituents as a very reasonable and well informed author. ?I trust what Quackenbush Delosantos has to say,? stated Casa Gammill, ?because the work that has been done in the gaming visual design literary area has been huge.? Those who prefer the internet to hard copy will soon have their wishes granted as well. ?We?re releasing Niki Ramsour?s work online in a week?s time,? said Ruland Kirch, internet editor for the publishing firm Gaerlan Razey and Sons INC. Typically, most gaming visual design books have always been released in print, because readership demographics reflected older readers who were not familiar with the web. Now, however, with interest piqued by author Justinger Bronstein, an internet release is absolutely necessary in order to reach those in the academic community, students, and foreigners. In general, previous gaming visual design documentary novels focused heavily on the fictional aspects of character development, story line, and complication. This model proved successful for Angel Knecht, who was considered a pioneer in the gaming visual design writing world long before any others. ?I really like this book,? said Pfaff Hsueh, another long time author and critic, ?it will be a top seller I?m sure. And, even though it is meant for those familiar with the gaming visual design literary world, many others may find it of general interest as well.? Unlike most other gaming visual design books, the upcoming sales of Deana Delaune?s new work will be a dual release: one for main stream stores under the Barnett Chrismer INC Publishing label, and another for the academic community and schools under the Mapes Bostian Academic Press label. ?This dual release may be unusual,? stated Beard Ramsbottom, coordinating editor, ?but we?re doing it to make sure no unauthorized copies get resold. We want to avoid plagiarism and pirating as much as possible. Furthermore, this will be our new procedure for future releases by author Larose Olk, who has pledged support for this system.? ?I don?t care what Gagnier Fitzgibbon thinks about it,? said book buyer Haines Seymoure, a local English teacher, ?I think teaching this story will be highly educational for my gaming visual design students, irregardless of what critics believe.? This sentiment was shared by many, and Lakendra Bach, a noted historian replied, ??Heck, if we always listened to critics nothing would be sold. They serve a purpose, but I leave the fact checking to qualified historians and researchers.? The new gaming visual design book was not without its critics. Schnoke Keegan, an outspoken member of the literary world, charged that the book was inaccurate and misleading. Said Schnoke Keegan, ?I think Hartzler Session?s new docu-novel leads readers astray. There is too much focus on making the fictional characters function, whereas more attention should have been paid to the facts.? Delavina Schoewe, another critic, was more sympathetic, and was generally positive about the new gaming visual design work: ?I like the fact that it reaches out to those outside of the literary world, this is a wise decision and proves a good way to educate others about new things.?
Source: http://www.uscont.com/?p=891
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Tuesday, October 11, 2011
New Jersey Pushes for Legal Online Gaming
Are NJ law officials really that different now than they were in the 1920s when it comes to gambling?
New Jersey lawmakers, who have perpetually mollycoddled Atlantic City?s gambling hold?Boardwalk Empire Style?and the millions of dollars it generates in tax revenue, are now willing to share the love with struggling racetracks and push toward legalization of online gambling in their state.
A growing consensus across party lines is arguing that spending millions of dollars revamping Atlantic City while leaving bankrupt racetracks to fend for themselves and denying the revenue potential of online gaming is not the answer. ?We can no longer afford to keep our heads in the sand and pretend that we do not have direct competition to our Atlantic City casinos in Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New York,? said Assemblyman Ralph Caputo, a member of the Regulatory Oversight and Gaming Committee. ?We have to explore other avenues of gaming revenue.?
Overturning History
Increased competition from casinos in neighboring states coupled with the sluggish economy has put Atlantic City in a five-year slump. In addition, horse track betting in the state has plummeted 74 percent, according to the New Jersey Thoroughbred Association. This tremendous drop in revenue has lawmakers pushing for online gambling, sports wagering and video slots to compete with legalized gambling in the other states.
Last week, the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee heard testimony from casino and horse racing executives in support of sports betting. Democrat Caputo and three Republican legislators urged New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to reconsider his opposition to video lottery terminals outside Atlantic City. Proponents of slot machines at the Meadowlands racetrack in New Jersey argued that they can generate $500 million to $700 million in net revenue for the state.
?The states all along our borders have slots and other forms of convenience gaming located at their racing facilities,? said Assemblyman Declan O?Scanlon. ?It?s time New Jersey began thinking along those lines before we see farms downsize or close.?
A federal ban imposed in 1992 must be overturned for sports betting to be legal in the state. New Jersey could have joined Nevada, Delaware, Oregon and Montana in gaining an exemption from the 1992 ban had the state Legislature acted within a year, but it failed to do so. Though Gov. Christie has opposed sports betting, citing the federal ban, he hasn?t indicated what he will do if voters try to lift it.
Making Compromises to Boost Revenues
At the hearing, Sen. Raymond Lesniak reintroduced legislation legalizing online gaming in Atlantic City and at an off-track wagering site. In an effort to make the bill agreeable to Christie and other opponents, Lesniak added a provision prohibiting restaurants, hotels, bars and other businesses from advertising online gaming to keep them from becoming unregulated gambling halls. The bill also gives a portion of casino profits to the state?s racetracks to help out in the current slump.
?Online gaming will be a huge boost for the casino industry,? Lesniak said. ?It can also be a temporary savior for our horse racing industry until we get sports betting at our casinos and racetracks.?
Lawmakers argue New Jersey will suffer if the remaining racetracks don?t get financial help. They cite a 2007 study by the Rutgers Equine Science Center that found the horse racing industry provides NJ with $1.1 billion in annual revenue, creates 13,000 jobs and accounts for 176,000 acres of open land.
Do you think New Jersey should invest money into their struggling racetracks, or reinvest it in Atlantic City? Let us know in the comments below.
?
Source: http://www.casinoaffiliateprograms.com/blog/nj-lawmakers-push-online-gaming-for-state-revenue/
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Ghost town bought ? by Philippines church
SCENIC, S.D.?? The saloon is long empty. The roadside jail cells, rusted and worn. Even the swing sets peek from behind knee-high brush after decades of neglect.
This tiny exclave just west of South Dakota's badlands is officially an old ghost town. But its future is shrouded in new mystery.
"We don't know what's coming," said Kathy Jobgen, 50, the only employee remaining at the only business still in town: the U.S. Post Office.
The town of Scenic ? once a popular stop for people traveling to Rapid City from the badlands to the east or Pine Ridge Reservation to the south ? was recently purchased by an unusual buyer for less than $800,000. The Iglesia ni Cristo church, established in the Philippines in 1914, bought the town and surrounding acreage from longtime resident and area rodeo legend Twila Merrill, who had gathered the land bit by bit over several decades.
The church isn't divulging its plans for the property. A person answering the phone at its offices in Daly City, Calif., said he couldn't share any information, as did staffers of church spokesman Bienvenido Santos.
"They've got a non-disclosure agreement, and I'm a signatory to that," said David Olsen, the real-estate agent who represented Merrill's family in the sale.
He was only comfortable offering bits of detail ? the saloon and other boarded-up buildings still standing along Main Street will stay, he said ? but he said he couldn't give specifics.
"The gas station will be open for business again soon enough," said Olsen, of Coldwell Banker in Rapid City. The church purchasers are "interested in it being a benefit to the community."
The church, which translates in the language Tagalog to Church of Christ, has been steadily spreading west since it was founded in the Philippines by Felix Manalo, a former minister of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church who experienced what he claimed to be a call similar to those of ancient prophets. He died in 1963.
Often described as one of the fastest-spreading international religions, its foothold in the Philippines grew from about 1.4 million followers in 1990 to 1.7 million in 2000, according to the 2011 figures released by the National Statistics Office in Manila.
Iglesia ni Cristo rejects the Christian doctrine of trinity and believes Christ is one of several prophets. The church is focused on the end times, believes Manalo is a prophet and considers the Catholic Church apostate.
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It has a divisive reputation. The church's backing has been viewed as crucial in Filipino presidential elections, and it has been accused of organizing bloc voting in that country. It also is known for its secrecy, rarely commenting on its activities.
So far, there has been no church activity in Scenic to hint at what's to come ? no construction permits sought or development plans presented to the county. The lack of information surrounding the sale has some neighbors uneasy and rumors are circulating among the scattering of residents.
"They bought it sight unseen," said Shirley Kudrna, whose father-in-law was born on a ranch about seven miles east of Scenic in 1916.
"Some people say maybe they're a cult," said her father-in-law, Tony Kudrna, 95, who has lived on the ranch nearly his whole life.
The church has expanded to more than 5,000 congregations in the Philippines, and more than 600 abroad in more than 60 countries and territories, according to the Manila Times. It has held neighborhood events to praise the hospitality of the communities where it has purchased land to build homes and churches, including Los Angeles, Orlando, and Union County, N.J.
Other congregations are established nationwide in more than 40 states, according to the church's website. Dozens are listed in California, 10 in Washington, 12 in Texas and seven in New York.
Jobgen said she's hopeful the church will make for a good neighbor.
"I'm excited about the possibilities," said Jobgen, who also runs the Jobgen Ranch with her husband.
The intersection of flourishing religion and foundering town is perplexing: In 1915, the state Highway 44 pit stop of Scenic enjoyed its largest population of 155 residents, according to records kept by the South Dakota State Historical Society.
At its peak, the town that's pure Old West had two restaurants, three gas stations, two bulk filling stations, a hotel, a school, a bank and a post office. Tony Kudrna's sister worked at one of the restaurants, he recalled. To travel from his homestead to the comparatively bustling town, he went by horse-drawn wagon.
The remnants still dot the 12 acres that qualify as deserted town. The buildings that remain are padlocked closed and have plywood over their windows and doors, but the flavor of the time is still very much present: The sign above the Longhorn Saloon is lined with aged cattle skulls and emblazoned with the structure's year of construction ? 1906.
The wooden general store is adorned with rusted wagon wheels and a carved sign that reads: "ASHES TO ASHES ? DUST TO DUST? IF WE DON'T HAVE IT ? IT ISN'T A MUST."
Merrill, a rancher and rodeo regular, began buying Scenic property in 1963. Olsen said her health began to fail about two years ago, and as cancer took hold, Merrill was forced to put the land ? 46 acres in total ? on the market.
It languished for two years with a $3 million price tag. In July, Olsen stepped in and dropped the cost to $799,000.
Suddenly, prospective buyers stepped forward from all over the world, said Olsen, estimating that he took more than 500 phone calls and 200 emails about the property. He appeared on television programs in Australia, London, Montreal, Chicago and Atlanta, he said.
The offer from the Filipino church was one of several.
"It was Twila's decision as to who she chose," Olsen said. "She seems to be real happy with it."
What happens next is not known publicly. Olsen said the property will be cleaned of dilapidated buildings and overgrown brush, but he said the buildings at the town's heart will remain. Not even Merrill and her family know more than that, he said.
"They do not know the plans," he said. "They're as eager as everybody else."
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44830900/ns/us_news-life/
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Monday, October 10, 2011
U.S. women first so far in world gymnastics qualifying - latimes.com
Despite last-minute injuries to 2008 Olympian Alicia Sacramone and uneven bars specialist Anni Li leaving the U.S. short-handed going into qualifying competition at the 2011 world gymnastics championships in Tokyo, the U.S. is in first place with more than three-quarters of the first round of qualifications finished.
Only the Russians and, possibly, the Japanese are among the teams remaining to finish qualifying with a legitimate chance to overtake the U.S. This portion of the championships is when each nation puts up six gymnasts on the five apparatus and counts the four best scores, although the U.S. only put up five because of the two injuries.
In the team finals, each team will use three gymnasts on each apparatus and all three scores will count.
So far the U.S. has 234.253 points, nearly four points ahead of reigning Olympic champion China. Romania is third. Despite the team's youth -- the U.S. has three members who are first-year senior-level gymnasts on the team and in their first world competition -- they didn't have any major bobbles or falls.
Sacramone, who was also defending world champion on vault, was flown back to the United States to have surgery on her Achilles' tendon, which she tore during a tumbling pass when training earlier in the week.
Before she left, Sacramone, 23, the only 2008 Olympian on the U.S. team, pulled 15-year-old McKayla Maroney from Laguna Hills aside to give her a pep talk.
"She told me to win the vault gold medal for the U.S. now," Maroney said from Tokyo. "She told me I could do it."
Indeed, Maroney so far stands first in the vault and seems likely to be one of the eight competitors on the vault when event finals take place next week.
Americans led three of the four event finals so far, including defending U.S. all-around champion Jordyn Wieber, who is first in the all-around.
Li, a former star at UCLA, said from Tokyo that the abdominal injury she suffered was healing well and that she felt she could be available for team finals. Li's start value on uneven bars is nearly a point better than anyone else on the U.S. squad and could be a boost for the U.S. in the team finals.
The top eight teams qualify for the 2012 London Olympics. Teams that don't qualify for London from the world championships will get a second chance to earn a spot at a test event in London next year.
-- Diane Pucin
Photo: McKayla Maroney performs a flip on the uneven bars during qualifying at the world championships in Tokyo on Saturday. Credit: Koji Sasahara / Associated Press
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Ghost town bought ? by Philippines church
SCENIC, S.D.?? The saloon is long empty. The roadside jail cells, rusted and worn. Even the swing sets peek from behind knee-high brush after decades of neglect.
This tiny exclave just west of South Dakota's badlands is officially an old ghost town. But its future is shrouded in new mystery.
"We don't know what's coming," said Kathy Jobgen, 50, the only employee remaining at the only business still in town: the U.S. Post Office.
The town of Scenic ? once a popular stop for people traveling to Rapid City from the badlands to the east or Pine Ridge Reservation to the south ? was recently purchased by an unusual buyer for less than $800,000. The Iglesia ni Cristo church, established in the Philippines in 1914, bought the town and surrounding acreage from longtime resident and area rodeo legend Twila Merrill, who had gathered the land bit by bit over several decades.
The church isn't divulging its plans for the property. A person answering the phone at its offices in Daly City, Calif., said he couldn't share any information, as did staffers of church spokesman Bienvenido Santos.
"They've got a non-disclosure agreement, and I'm a signatory to that," said David Olsen, the real-estate agent who represented Merrill's family in the sale.
He was only comfortable offering bits of detail ? the saloon and other boarded-up buildings still standing along Main Street will stay, he said ? but he said he couldn't give specifics.
"The gas station will be open for business again soon enough," said Olsen, of Coldwell Banker in Rapid City. The church purchasers are "interested in it being a benefit to the community."
The church, which translates in the language Tagalog to Church of Christ, has been steadily spreading west since it was founded in the Philippines by Felix Manalo, a former minister of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church who experienced what he claimed to be a call similar to those of ancient prophets. He died in 1963.
Often described as one of the fastest-spreading international religions, its foothold in the Philippines grew from about 1.4 million followers in 1990 to 1.7 million in 2000, according to the 2011 figures released by the National Statistics Office in Manila.
Iglesia ni Cristo rejects the Christian doctrine of trinity and believes Christ is one of several prophets. The church is focused on the end times, believes Manalo is a prophet and considers the Catholic Church apostate.
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It has a divisive reputation. The church's backing has been viewed as crucial in Filipino presidential elections, and it has been accused of organizing bloc voting in that country. It also is known for its secrecy, rarely commenting on its activities.
So far, there has been no church activity in Scenic to hint at what's to come ? no construction permits sought or development plans presented to the county. The lack of information surrounding the sale has some neighbors uneasy and rumors are circulating among the scattering of residents.
"They bought it sight unseen," said Shirley Kudrna, whose father-in-law was born on a ranch about seven miles east of Scenic in 1916.
"Some people say maybe they're a cult," said her father-in-law, Tony Kudrna, 95, who has lived on the ranch nearly his whole life.
The church has expanded to more than 5,000 congregations in the Philippines, and more than 600 abroad in more than 60 countries and territories, according to the Manila Times. It has held neighborhood events to praise the hospitality of the communities where it has purchased land to build homes and churches, including Los Angeles, Orlando, and Union County, N.J.
Other congregations are established nationwide in more than 40 states, according to the church's website. Dozens are listed in California, 10 in Washington, 12 in Texas and seven in New York.
Jobgen said she's hopeful the church will make for a good neighbor.
"I'm excited about the possibilities," said Jobgen, who also runs the Jobgen Ranch with her husband.
The intersection of flourishing religion and foundering town is perplexing: In 1915, the state Highway 44 pit stop of Scenic enjoyed its largest population of 155 residents, according to records kept by the South Dakota State Historical Society.
At its peak, the town that's pure Old West had two restaurants, three gas stations, two bulk filling stations, a hotel, a school, a bank and a post office. Tony Kudrna's sister worked at one of the restaurants, he recalled. To travel from his homestead to the comparatively bustling town, he went by horse-drawn wagon.
The remnants still dot the 12 acres that qualify as deserted town. The buildings that remain are padlocked closed and have plywood over their windows and doors, but the flavor of the time is still very much present: The sign above the Longhorn Saloon is lined with aged cattle skulls and emblazoned with the structure's year of construction ? 1906.
The wooden general store is adorned with rusted wagon wheels and a carved sign that reads: "ASHES TO ASHES ? DUST TO DUST? IF WE DON'T HAVE IT ? IT ISN'T A MUST."
Merrill, a rancher and rodeo regular, began buying Scenic property in 1963. Olsen said her health began to fail about two years ago, and as cancer took hold, Merrill was forced to put the land ? 46 acres in total ? on the market.
It languished for two years with a $3 million price tag. In July, Olsen stepped in and dropped the cost to $799,000.
Suddenly, prospective buyers stepped forward from all over the world, said Olsen, estimating that he took more than 500 phone calls and 200 emails about the property. He appeared on television programs in Australia, London, Montreal, Chicago and Atlanta, he said.
The offer from the Filipino church was one of several.
"It was Twila's decision as to who she chose," Olsen said. "She seems to be real happy with it."
What happens next is not known publicly. Olsen said the property will be cleaned of dilapidated buildings and overgrown brush, but he said the buildings at the town's heart will remain. Not even Merrill and her family know more than that, he said.
"They do not know the plans," he said. "They're as eager as everybody else."
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44830900/ns/us_news-life/
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