Tag: Technology

That’s it for Today

Instead of preparing blog posts I’ve been spending a lot of my free time learning how to setup Tor hidden services. So far I’ve managed to setup a server with functioning Secure Shell (SSH), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and Internet Relay Chat (IRC) servers. The HTTP and IRC servers have functioning Secure Socket Layer (SSL) security using self-signed certifications (since getting a certificate signed by an established authority defeats the purpose of a hidden anonymous server). So far I can’t guarantee that my server is properly hidden since I’ve focused primarily on getting services running, not security.

The more the states of the world clamp down on the Internet the more anonymity protocol such as Tor will be necessary, especailly for those advocating radial ideas such as agorism. I think it would be wise for everybody to familiarize themselves with Tor because you never know how far the state’s censorship practices will extend.

OS X Security Tip: Destroy FileVault Key on Standby

I haven’t talked much about technology as of late. With so much other news, especially on the gun rights front, I haven’t had much time nor reason to writeup any technology tips. With that said I have a security tip that OS X users who use FileVault on their main drive may find useful. While investigating another power management issue I found a pmset (an OS X command line application for adjusting power management settings) value mentioned in the command’s man page:

destroyfvkeyonstandby – Destroy File Vault Key when going to standby mode. By default File vault keys are retained even when system goes to standby. If the keys are destroyed, user will be prompted to enter the password while coming out of standby mode.(value: 1 – Destroy, 0 – Retain)

As a user of FileValut and my laptop’s standby mode I found this value interesting. As far as I knew the FileVault key was destroyed when my computer entered standby. Apparently that’s not the default behavior. Looking further into this command I found a FileVault 2 training document [PDF] put out by Apple that had more to say about the destroyfvkeyonstandby value:

All computers have firmware of some type—EFI, BIOS—to help in the discovery of hardware components and ultimately to properly bootstrap the computer using the desired OS instance. In the case of Apple hardware and the use of EFI, Apple stores relevant information within EFI to aid in the functionality of OS X. For example, the FileVault key is stored in EFI to transparently come out of standby mode.

Organizations especially sensitive to a high-attack environment, or potentially exposed to full device access when the device is in standby mode, should mitigate this risk by destroying the FileVault key in firmware. Doing so doesn’t destroy the use of FileVault, but simply requires the user to enter the password in order for the system to come out of standby mode.

The destruction of the FileVault key when going to standby mode can be accomplished by setting a specific power management environment variable using the pmset command. Performing the following command on the targeted system interactively, or during the execution of a script for automation or deployments, sets the key for destruction:

# pmset destroyfvkeyonstandby 1

I used the command “pmset -a destroyfvkeyonstandby 1” (the same as the command mentioned in the manual with the addition of the -a flag, which applies the value to all power profiles) but I don’t believe the -a flag is actually necessary. Now, hopefully, my FileVault key is actually destroyed when the computer enters standby mode.

My Initiation iPhone 5 Impressions

On Black Friday I was made aware of the fact that AT&T had refurbished iPhone 5s for sale. This caught my eye because the cost of refurbished iPhone 5s was $100.00 less than brand new ones and still came with the same warranty. On top of that my contract was up so I was eligible for one of those steeply subsidized discounts that are all the rage with cellular phone users. I upgraded my old iPhone 4 for a new black iPhone 5 with 64GB of storage.

Although I’ve only had the phone for a few hours I feel safe giving my initial impressions. Overall I like the new iPhone. Apple installed a taller screen that, thankfully, is the same width at the iPhone 4 screen (I can still operate the phone with one hand, something that becomes more difficult as phone width increases) and Long Term Evolution (LTE) radios. Another positive change is a mostly aluminum back plate, which I hope it more sturdy than the iPhone 4’s glass back plate (I never broke mine but I know many who did).

Beyond those changes, some notable hardware improvements, and a new connector (which I’ll rant about in a bit) the iPhone 5 is a standard iPhone. If you like the previous iPhones you’ll probably like the iPhone 5 and if you disliked the previous iPhones you’ll probably dislike the iPhone 5.

Compared to the iPhone 4 the iPhone 5 feels like a toy. That’s not to say it doesn’t feel sturdy, the phone doesn’t creak or make any other odd sounds when you press on it, it’s just light. In fact it’s so light that it feels like an empty casing in your hand when compared to the iPhone 4. I doubt the weight difference is going to be appreciated by anybody as it is a very minor thing but it’s still something to note.

Since I upgrade from an iPhone 4 I never had much hands on experience with Siri. Siri is a pretty nice feature and has worked reasonably well for the minor testing I’ve performed so far. I should note that I’ve had great success with voice recognition software on Android so my expectations were high from the beginning. My testing consisted of performing searches, sending text messages, opening applications, and telling Siri to go fuck herself. Overall I was impressed although I must note that many foreign works are not transcribed properly by Siri (try doing a search for Odin, Thor, or any other Norse god and you’ll be amused with the results you get). Siri also has a decent sense of humor. When I asked “Do you know HAL-9000?” the response was “Everybody knows what happened to HAL, I’d rather not talk about it. But if you insist:” and the option to search the web for HAL is available. Little touches like that amuse me greatly and I do appreciate the attention to detail in that regard.

I was surprised to find an LTE signal in my dwelling. As far as I knew AT&T had not rolled out LTE in the Twin Cities yet. Even though LTE comes with the promise of blazing speed I ran a speed test on my LTE connection and was left wanting. The average download speed was a pathetic 4.63Mbps and the average upload speed was an even more pathetic 2.56Mbps. Perhaps the slow speeds are due to the fact that LTE is technically rolled out in the Twin Cities yet or it could be due to a ton of iPhone 5 users connecting to the LTE tower and soaking up all the glorious bandwidth. Either way I plan to do more speed tests in the future to see if things improve.

One of the most notable changes on the iPhone 5 is the connector. Gone are the days of the 30-pin iPod connector that has served use so well. In its place we now have Apple’s new connector which they dub Lightening. What does this mean for you? It means all of those 30-pin connectors you’ve been collecting over the years are worthless. Considering the number of Apple devices I’ve purchased over the years this is a big headache for me. Of course Apple sells a 30-pin to Lightening adaptor but at $29.00 you’re better off buying new cables, which Apple only wants $19.00 for. I understand why Apple is moving away from the 30-pin connector as it takes up a notable amount of room but it’s still annoying.

Speaking of annoying Apple has included one of my biggest phone pet peeves on their newest phone; the headphone jack is on the bottom instead of the top. Granted moving the headphone connector is a minor inconvenience but it still pisses me off. Why should my phone be upside down just to have headphones plugged into it? Unless you’re going to say “It shouldn’t,” don’t bother answering that question because you’re wrong.

Overall I like the new iPhone although I will admit it’s not that much of an upgrade over the iPhone 4. If I had to summarize the difference between the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 I would say the latter is merely a collection of nice, albeit minor, improvements that have become available over the last two years. Nothing about it is Earth shattering but I felt it was worth the upgrade cost. My feelings are obviously subject to change based on future experience but so far I’m impressed.

My Assessment of OpenNIC

A few months ago I posted about OpeNIC. For those who didn’t read that post OpenNIC is a decentralized Domain Name System (DNS). Most Internet users setup their computers to use DNS provided by their Internet Service Provider (ISP). There are several weaknesses to using an ISP provided DNS including possible reliability issues (the ISP’s DNS servers go down), potential censorship (the United States government has used its power over DNS providers to enforce nonexistent censorship laws), and stored log files of sites you’ve visited that are easily accessible by law enforcement officers.

OpenNIC, being a decentralized system, avoids many of these weaknesses. Since there are so many OpenNIC servers available to use the chances of a complete DNS outage is reduced. Government enforced censorship is more difficult because the OpenNIC has several exclusive Top Level Domains (TLD) that cannot be controlled (i.e. shutdown) easily. Logs are also harder for government officials to obtain since most OpenNIC servers either keep no logs or purge logs within 24 hours (a server’s policy is generally be found here).

I’ve been using OpenNIC for all my DNS needs since September and so far have had a favorable experience. Well known TLDs (.com, .net, .org, etc.) are properly forwarded to their respective servers so I’m able to access any domain name without issue. DNS lookups aren’t noticeably slower using OpenNIC when compared to using DNSs provided by Google, OpenDNS, or Comcast. I also haven’t experienced any downtime. Overall I like OpenNIC and will continue using it and will recommend it. I think the system is able to address some shortcomings of centralized DNSs while being reliable enough for day-to-day use.

The Amazing World We Live In

Yesterday Apple announced new products which means a bunch of people who hate Apple’s products have been busy furiously writing about all the stupid decisions Apple apparently made. They claim that the iPad mini is inferior to the Nexus 7 because the former’s Wi-Fi only model lacks a builtin Global Positioning System (GPS) whereas the latter doesn’t. Many angry paragraphs have been written about how horrible it is that all of Apple’s products, minus the slowly dying Mac Pro, have mobile Graphics Processing Units (GPU) and therefore are worthless for gaming. An almost uncountable number of keyboard strokes have been further spent complaining about the price Apple charges for their devices.

Why is everybody spending so much time complaining? If you think the Nexus 7 is a superior product to the iPad mini then get the Nexus 7. Do you want a gaming machine with the most powerful GPUs on the market? Build one or buy one from a company that sells a computer with the specifications you want. Is Apple charging more than you want to pay for their products? Buy products from a company charging what you think is appropriate. We live in a wonderful world where great products can be found everywhere. When you’re buying a tablet device you have to decide if you want the Apple iPad, Samsung Galaxy, Google Nexus, Amazon Kindle Fire, or a tablet from another company. Hell you can even buy multiple tablets. The biggest problem facing consumers is deciding which amazing product to select.

We really do live in the future. Information can be easily and freely obtained thanks to the large group of interconnected computers we call the Internet. Data can be sent, almost like magic, through the air to most parts of the country thanks to cellular networks. Literature, music, and movies can be stored on laptop hard drives, tablets, and portable media players freeing us from carrying bulky books, CDs, and DVDs everywhere we go. I can access the largest information repository in the world from almost anywhere via a device that is so small it fits in my pocket. How fucking awesome is that?

Instead of getting angry over somebody buying a product that doesn’t fit your needs just enjoy the device you bought that does fit your needs. When Apple, Google, Samsung, Amazon, etc. release a new product let’s cheer the fact that we have so many choices available to us. We all have different needs and people are trying to ensure as many of those needs are being fulfilled as possible. The future is here, it’s awesome, and we should be celebrating that fact instead of fighting about it.

Pure Awesome on Your Wrist

The things watchmakers can do has always amazed me. Using tiny sprints, gears, jewels, and miscellaneous other parts watchmakers are able to make machines that keep accurate time. Most watches are fairly insignificant devices, displaying the time and date. Some watches, such as the Aeternitas Mega 4, are marvels of horology. The Mega 4 is a purely mechanical watch containing 1,483 moving parts, support for two timezones, and an impressive prepetual calendar mechanism:

The eternal calendar of the Franck Muller Watchland workshops is different from any traditional perpetual calendar in that it takes into account the rule governing the Gregorian calendar stating that all century years not divisible by 400 are common years and not leap years.

The eternal calendar follows a cycle of 1’000 years (renewable to infinity) thanks to two additional sets of wheels:

The first set of wheels, comprising a wheel of 10 years, a wheel of 100 years and a wheel of 1’000 years, allows for the display of a cycle of 1’000 years.

The second set of wheels was designed for the setting, through the use of cams, of the skipping of the leap years three times in a row every 100 years and its re-establishment the fourth time.

A feature set like this on an electronic quartz watch wouldn’t be very impressive but the fact this watch is mechanical demonstrates the sheer skill some horologists have.

OpenNIC

The Internet remains one of the few communication tools that has avoided falling entirely under the state’s control. This is likely due to its decentralized nature. Unlike communication systems of yore that relied on centrally managed systems the Internet was designed to avoid centralization. Anybody can setup and run a web server, e-mail server, instant messenger server, etc. As it currently stands one of the central points of failure that still remain is the Domain Name System (DNS). DNS is the system that translates human readable uniform resource locators (URL), such as christopherburg.com, to addresses understood by computers.

Most people rely on the DNS servers provided by centrally managed authorities such as their Internet service provider (ISP) or other companies such as Google or OpenDNS. Unfortunately these centralized agencies are central points the state can use to censor or otherwise control the Internet. The United States government has exploited this vulnerability in order to enforce copyright laws and it is likely they will exploit this vulnerability to censor other content they deem undesirable. Thankfully there is no reason we have to rely on centralized DNS servers. DNS, like every other protocol that makes up the Internet as we know it, was designed in a way that doesn’t require central authorities. Enter OpenNIC, a decentralized DNS.

I haven’t had much time to experiment with OpenNIC so it may not even be a viable solution to the centralized nature of DNS but it looks promising. OpenNIC is a network of DNS servers that not only resolve well-known top level domains (TLD) but also resolves OpenNIC specific TLDs such as .pirate. Since the system is decentralized there are no single points of failure that can be easily exploited by the state. I plan on experimenting with OpenNIC to see how well it works and, if it works for my needs, switching over to it for my domain name needs. I’ll also write a followup post overviewing my experience with the system and whether or not I can recommend it for general usage. It is my hope that OpenNIC will serve the purpose of avoiding the state’s influence over DNS and thus assist those of us who are actively fighting against the state.

The Most Effective Tracking Devices Every Conceived

Many conspiracy theorists believe the a secret shadow government is plotting to forcefully insert tracking devices into every person on Earth. This theory is absurd because so many people already carry around a personal tracking device voluntarily, it’s called a cell phone. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has put together a rather useful map that you can use to see how police in your state are using cell phones to track individuals:

In a massive coordinated information-seeking campaign, 35 ACLU affiliates filed over 380 requests in 31 states and Washington, D.C. with local law enforcement agencies large and small to uncover when, why and how they are using cell phone location data to track Americans.

Sadly no data for Minnesota currently exists but there is data on many other states.

Tools Big Brother Only Dreamed Of

1984 was an interesting novel. Not only did it serve as a warning of what might be (and what actually manifested) but also hypothesized on some of the technologies that would be used by the state to keep an constant eye on the people. Everything from thought police to telescreens were used to keep tabs on those living in Oceania. Today technology has advanced and the state has tools that Big Brother could only dream of:

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation has begun rolling out its new $1 billion biometric Next Generation Identification (NGI) system. In essence, NGI is a nationwide database of mugshots, iris scans, DNA records, voice samples, and other biometrics, that will help the FBI identify and catch criminals — but it is how this biometric data is captured, through a nationwide network of cameras and photo databases, that is raising the eyebrows of privacy advocates.

Until now, the FBI relied on IAFIS, a national fingerprint database that has long been due an overhaul. Over the last few months, the FBI has been pilot testing a facial recognition system — and soon, detectives will also be able to search the system for other biometrics such as DNA records and iris scans. In theory, this should result in much faster positive identifications of criminals and fewer unsolved cases.

Imagine what combining the Federal Bureau of Investigations’s (FBI) new facial recognition technology with New York City’s spy network will do. People walking down the street can be easily identified and any criminals, which every one of us are, can be detected and state goons dispatched to the offender’s location.

It’s sad to see George Orwell’s warnings going unhindered.

Warrantless Cell Phone Tracking Ruled Legal

Last week the state ruled it could perform warrantless wiretaps, today it has ruled that it can track your location through your cellular phone without a warrant:

On Tuesday, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that law enforcement officials don’t need a warrant to track suspects via cellphones. Attorneys argued to overturn Skinner’s many convictions, citing that the GPS location information that led to the defendant’s arrest was obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment, which guards against unreasonable searches and seizures. This didn’t wash with the majority of judges over the case, who voted in a 2-1 ruling.

“When criminals use modern technological devices to carry out criminal acts and to reduce the possibility of detection, they can hardly complain when the police take advantage of the inherent characteristics of those very devices to catch them,” wrote Judge John Rogers in the majority opinion that will affect future cases in a huge chunk of the country.

So much for the Fourth Amendment. Unfortunately if one tries to argue this case on constitutional grounds they’re faced also accepting another constitutional idea, that the courts maintain a monopoly on interpreting the Constitution. Therefore when one says warrantless tracking of cell phones is unconstitutional they much also accept that they don’t actually have a say in whether or not such acts are unconstitutional as the Constitution grants such authority to the state’s courts. I think Lysander Spooner was correct when he said the following:

But whether the Constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain — that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerless to prevent it. In either case, it is unfit to exist.