rats

Facebook: That gaming buddy is not your friend

A game on Facebook's platform called "PackRat" has been causing some issues for the site, according to a thread in the game's discussion forum.

The aim of PackRat appears to involve amassing graphical "cards" to chalk up points--sort of like the original Pokemon game, some cards are easy and common while others are rare. One of the ways to get new cards is by "stealing" them from friends, so having a huge network of friends who are also playing the game gives PackRat players a big advantage. Reading on in the forum, … Read more

Google RatProxy looks for cross-site flaws

Google released a free tool Tuesday that should help Web developers find and fix cross-site vulnerabilities.

The tool, RatProxy, is described by Google as "a semi-automated, largely passive Web application security audit tool, optimized for an accurate and sensitive detection, and automatic annotation, of potential problems and security-relevant design patterns based on the observation of existing, user-initiated traffic in complex Web 2.0 environments."

The tool is versatile, detecting and ranking a broad class of vulnerabilities. Included are script injections, cross-site trust attacks, content-serving vulnerabilities, cross-site request forgeries (XSRF), and cross-site scripting (XSS).

RatProxy runs on Linux, FreeBSD, … Read more

My name is Justin Yu, and I'm a digital pack rat

My name is Justin Yu, and I'm a digital pack rat. That's right, my hard drive is ultra cluttered with bad photos, ancient MP3s, and obsolete software, but I can never bring myself to trash them--who knows when I'll need that essay I wrote in middle school on Benjamin Franklin? I know that as soon as I empty the trash can, someone's going to ask for that blurry picture of their knee I took back in '98.

Iomega looks like they have my affliction covered--the company just released a 1TB version of the popular eGo desktop hard driveRead more

To build a deadlier mousetrap: Where high-tech meets low-tech

If you thought that the issue of whether a patent covered the use of a microprocessor could only concern the computer or semiconductor industry, think again. High tech has extended its reach to zapping rats (literally).

Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door. Such were the aspirations of Bob Noe, the founder of Agrizap--maker of the patented Rat Zapper, a trap for dispatching pests through electrocution. Agrizap's Rat Zapper, which is about the size of a shoebox, is powered by four AA batteries, and is sold online for about $40 at RatZapper.com.

The slightly larger Rat Zapper Ultra uses D-cell batteries which, according to the Website, enables it to kill "even bigger, badder rats and mice." In the event of serious infestation, or for those with an overdeveloped desire to integrate their equipment, Agrizap also offers the ultimate high-tech equipment including its Battle Station command post and radio-monitoring equipment for use with its traps.… Read more

USB 'SpaceStation'--for all types of OCD

Some of us at Crave debated whether to post this item because of public-health responsibilities. We try not to encourage anything that might worsen the national epidemic of hoarding that apparently affects many of our readers (and some staffers).

So if you have any pack-rat inclinations, please proceed with caution as you read about this latest offering from Ultra. The "SpaceStation" is a hub about the size of a credit card that can dock six USB flash drives in capacities of 1GB or 2GB each.

It's good news for neatniks who need a way to organize their … Read more

Year of the Rat burnt into memory

Considering how many golden pigs and boars we saw last year, it might seem that the noble rat is getting slighted this Lunar New Year. Kingston, however, is doing its best to give the rodent some respect.

The "Data Traveler 101" is a 2GB flash drive that won't break the bank, piggy or otherwise, according to Chip Chick. And at less than $14 the USB key, which bears the a rat and an inscription etched in red, may be the cheapest limited edition ever made.

The psychology of Silicon Valley wealth

Millionaires who don't feel rich? While this proposition will sound absurd to many people, anyone who has lived in Silicon Valley will recognize the never-ending quest for more success and riches reported in The New York Times.

One survivor of the tech bubble burst describes it well: "Here, the top 1 percent chases the top one-tenth of 1 percent, and the top one-tenth of 1 percent chases the top one-one-hundredth of 1 percent," he said.

The Times piece explores the psychology of relative riches in great detail, but gives short shrift to an important option: moving away.… Read more

The Shadow knows hybrid tech and Rat Patrol styling

From Basra to Kabul, no environmentally aware burkha babe is going to be able to resist this 4x4, turbo-charged, hybrid, diesel-electric recon hotrod.

Created by General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS,) the Shadow RST-V (Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Targeting Vehicle) boasts stealth, survivability and low mileage. That's big, considering that about half the military's money--and a third of its manpower--is devoted to hauling stuff around, 70 percent of that stuff being fuel.

The aluminum-bodied RST-V seats four (seating by Oregon Aero), does 70 mph and has a 470-mile range. Bulletproof windows and armor are optional. Weaponry includes your standard machine … Read more

Tough climb for handheld DVD player

A lot of us at Crave have small children, and at least some of us aren't ashamed to admit that we rely on portable DVD players in emergency situations (such as drives that last more than an hour). So we were pleased to find that a new handheld player had made its way to the market, MediaStreet's "eMotion."

On closer inspection, however, the player seemed to fall short compared with other models at least in the specs department. Its 3.5-inch screen is smaller than that of a comparable player from Hammacher Schlemmer, for example, which … Read more

Who says CDs are dead?

Given the number of new devices out there that are aimed at servicing CDs one way or another, it seems that the age of compact discs isn't over just yet. And companies like BlueDot intend to make the most of it while they can.

Its "Divita" storage tower holds 100 CDs (or DVDs) in its steel cylindrical form, according to OhGizmo. But its best feature, in our opinion, is the space-saving keypad on top of the shiny silo, which has a high-resolution 1.8-inch screen that can help search through your collection. The worst feature, however, is … Read more