Buzz Out Loud 773: Spam on the lam

UPDATE: We just learned that the escaped Eddie Davidson, the "spam king," was found dead after having apparently murdered his family. Obviously, we did not know this at the time we recorded our podcast, and we apologize for any insensitivity that could be inferred from our remarks. We will definitely address this horrible turn of events in tomorrow's show.

The recently imprisoned "Spam King" goes straight-up mint jelly and escapes from federal prison (check your barns and garages, Coloradoans), Yahoo Music makes the MSN Music mistake with the benefit of hindsight, and Walt Mossberg slams Mobile Me. You know, that service from Apple? Yeah. Really. What's wrong with the world today? Oh, and P.S. We're coming for you, Podfather!

EPISODE 773

DNS exploit code is in the wild
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-9998406-83.html

U.K.'s ISPS agree to deal with music industry
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7522334.stm

Yahoo Music to stop issuing keys September 30
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9998504-93.html

Studies: Banking Web sites, corporate computers are insecure
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-9998106-83.html

Prosecutor: Admin rigged city network for ‘failure’
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/07/prosecutor-admi.html
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-9997871-83.html

Merger of XM and Sirius a step closer to approval
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/25/business/media/25radio.html
http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-xm-and-sirius-confirm-talks-to-resolve-enforcement-issues/

Google’s Wikipedia rival, Knol, opens to public
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9997426-93.html

Apple’s MobileMe is far too flawed to be reliable
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121685869764279343.html

Sony opens e-book reader to outside publishers
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9998525-93.html

Networks lose patience; sue RedLasso over online clips
http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-networks-lose-patience-sue-redlasso-over-online-clips/
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121685168249978821.html?mod=2_1567_leftbox

'Spam King' escapes from federal prison
http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=1543

VOICEMAIL

Jason Pennsylvania
First look at SlyDial.

E-MAIL

Hey BOL crew,

I received this e-mail yesterday about the the Yahoo! Music store closing and along with it the discontinuing of support for retrieval of license keys. The e-mail suggests I burn the approximately 500 songs I have purchased from Yahoo! Music to cds, so I do not lose the ability to play them.

I am so glad some time ago I set aside my qualms about the legality of using MuvAudio to record my purchased drm’d wmas to drm free mp3s. I am also thrilled to now be purchasing drm-free music from Amazon.com. I will never buy another drm’d song!

Randy
Boise, Idaho

**********

Hi! Great show. Just wanted to point to a peculiar use of Twitter. This guy is doing his autobiography on Twitter. Each Twitt is a year. For example Twitter 1978 is what happened to him that year.
Interesting. Here is the digg.
http://digg.com/people/Anibal_Freytes_Bio
And the twitter
https://twitter.com/afreytes

**********

(SPAM)

Research has established that on-line pornography plays an accessory role in negative social issues, such as child abuse, violence against women, rape, inequality, relationship and family breakdown, youth crime, promiscuity and sexually transmitted diseases. Parents today have a legitimate concern about what their children will be exposed to and the damage online pornography can do.

Statistics reveal that Pedophiles (adults engaged in sexual crimes against children) have easy access to children through the Internet.

Child molesters are using the electronic superhighway to look for victims.
The Internet is the pedophiles’ playground, because it affords them
anonymity, and they can use newsgroups, chat rooms, and e-mail to
exchange information about child pornography and interact with children.
There are computer bulletin boards set up specifically for the seduction of children. They lure kids in with games and establish relationships with them on-line.
Then they arrange to meet face-to-face. Chat rooms and instant/private
messages are two main tools pedophiles use to contact children on-line.
Pedophiles use the Internet to share “trade secrets,”
i.e. how to change identities, forge passports, and smuggle children.

Pedophiles use the Internet for “virtual validation”
of their activities within their circles of fellow pedophiles, so they feel accepted
and consider their sexual interest in children normal.

**********

In episode #772, you mention the additional problems with not having
other people with access to the admin password for a network. To be
the devil’s advocate, I have been in many situations where there
really was nobody competent enough to trust with the password
(especially in small organizations). However, that brings up problems
[such as], should I get hit by the proverbial bus (or get thrown into jail)?

My solution was to (surprise, surprise) use software to avoid the
problem. I set up a script which e-mails me every week, with a link
embedded in the message. If I click the link and enter the password,
everything stays normal. However, if I haven’t clicked the link and
confirmed my existence after 2 days, it will e-mail the password out to
high-level individuals (like a mayor) who could turn it over to the
new hire replacing me. Now all I need to make it do is send e-mails
from the grave!

Love the show,
Morgante

**********

At this point in time BOL is running neck-and-neck with the Podfather
himself! The Daily Source Code (which isn’t quite daily) is at 777. In
only a week or two, BOL will take the lead and become

* The most prolific podcast of all time.*

Congrats BOL crew!

Alan
Saskatoon, SK, Canada