Category: General Interest

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Australians want what’s bad for them: Biometrics

Australians would prefer to use voice biometrics rather than PIN and password verification to prove their identity — but security experts warn biometrics exposes consumers to even greater risk.

A study conducted by callcentre.net canvassed the attitudes of 216 Australians’ towards security and authentication when interacting with call centres. According to the study, the threat of identity theft is driving demand for the introduction of voice biometric authentication processes at call centres — a process typically conducted by call centre staff.

Forty-two percent of those surveyed said their preferred method of verification is voice biometrics, ahead of using PINs, passwords and personal history, such as mother’s maiden name, according to Dr Catriona Wallace, managing director of callcentres.net.

“Identity theft and fraud is an issue for consumers we research. The results of this study suggest not only for younger consumer but across all age groups advanced technology such as biometric voice identification appears to be a viable and preferred option to more traditional methods such as PINs and passwords,” she said.

The report also found conflicting attitudes towards the use of SMS messages as a second factor of authentication alongside PINs and passwords — the system in use by most Australian banks to verify transactions over a certain amount.

“Twenty-three percent said they were totally secure with SMS but 22 percent said they felt completely vulnerable,” Wallace told ZDNet.com.au.

The reason for this fear, according to Wallace, was that information sent by SMS can be easily uncovered by hackers.

But while SMS authentication is viewed as easy to intercept, a recent proof of concept attack on biometric systems by UK security consultant, Matthew Lewis, has shown that biometric systems are similarly vulnerable.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/australians-want-whats-bad-for-them-biometrics/

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Non-standard RAID levels primer: RAID 5E and 5EE By Scott Lowe, Special to ZDNet Asia

By Scott Lowe, Special to ZDNet Asia
(This article was removed from the ZDNet Asia web site so I could not find the link. That’s why the references to diagrams have no associated diagram. )

In my previous article on non-standard RAID levels, I talked a bit about RAID 1E, which is a RAID level that provides RAID-10-like functionality but with an odd number of disks. Although disks are pretty cheap these days, you never know when you might need to save a few bucks on a project!
In this article, I’ll provide a look at two other non-standard and closely related RAID levels — RAID 5E and RAID 5EE.

RAID 5E
With an E that stands for Enhanced, RAID 5E is a RAID 5 array with a hot spare drive that is actively used in the array operations. In a traditional RAID 5 configuration with a hot spare, the hot spare drive sits next to the array waiting for a drive to fail, at which point the hot spare is made available and the array rebuilds the data set with the new hardware. There are some advantages to this operational method:

You know for a fact that the drive that would have been used as a hot spare is in working order.

There is an additional drive included in the array, thus further distributing the array’s I/O load. More spindles equals better performance in most cases. RAID 5E can perform better than typical RAID 5.

There are a few disadvantages associated with RAID 5E as well:
There is not wide controller support for RAID 5E.
A hot spare drive cannot be shared between arrays.
Rebuilds can be slow.

The capacity of a RAID 5E array is exactly the same as the capacity of a RAID 5 array that contains a hot spare. In such a scenario, you would “lose” two disks’ worth of capacity — one disk’s worth for parity and another for the hot spare. Due to this fact, RAID 5E requires that you use a minimum of four drives, and up to eight or 16 drives can be supported in a single array, depending on the controller. The main difference between RAID 5 and RAID 5E is that the drive that would have been used as a hot spare in RAID 5 cannot be shared with another RAID 5 array; so that could affect the total amount of storage overhead if you have multiple RAID 5 arrays on your system. Figure A gives you a look at a RAID 5E array consisting of five drives. Take note that the “Empty” space in this figure is shown at the end of the array.

When a drive in a RAID 5E array fails, the data that was on the failed drive is rebuilt into the empty space at the end of the array, as shown in Figure B. When the failed drive is replaced, the array is once again expanded to return the array to the original state.

RAID 5EE
RAID 5EE is very similar to RAID 5E with one key difference — the hot spare’s capacity is integrated into the stripe set. In contrast, under RAID 5E, all of the empty space is housed at the end of the array. As a result of interleaving empty space throughout the array, RAID 5EE enjoys a faster rebuild time than is possible under RAID 5E.

RAID 5EE has all of the same pros as RAID 5E but enjoys a faster rebuild time than either RAID 5 or RAID 5E. On the cons side, RAID 5EE has the same cons as RAID 5E, with the main negative point being that not a lot of controllers support the RAID level yet. I suspect that this will change over time, though.
As is the case with RAID 5E, RAID 5EE requires a minimum of four drives and supports up to eight or 16 drives in an array, depending on the controller. Figure C shows a sample of a RAID 5EE array with the hot spare space interleaved throughout the array.

When a drive fails, the empty slots are filled up with data from the failed drive.

Summary In my previous article on RAID 1E, some readers mentioned that RAID 1E simply doesn’t seem like a good alternative to RAID 10, particularly since hard drives are so cheap these days. I happen to agree that there would need to be a seriously special case to consider RAID 1E. With regard to RAID 5E and RAID 5EE, however, I can see a very positive upside with regard to performance, especially for organizations that are already using or are considering RAID 5.

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The Continuing Chronicles of Shianne Els

In response to the letter to the Complaints Dept…
Hello complaints department of this newsletter…. I would like to make a formal complaint (do post this on the website as you see fit) that there has been NO mention of the two most GORGEOUS kids and their antics in FAR too long.!! I mean, Shianne has since discovered for herself that the singular of dishes is disha and Jaylen tells me I am a “good boy mummy” every time I go wee-wees in the toilet!
lv,
teal

Reply:
I must confess to not communicating one of Julie’s and my grandparent pleasure moments. Julie was attempting to teach Shianne how to spell and the correct pronunciation of a word. Julie said, “It’s dishes, d, i, s, h, e, s!” Shianne did not hesitate, she immediately retorted with absolute certainty, “No, it’s disha, t, q, r, s, v!”

Then there was the discussion about the bird droppings on our car. Shianne noticed them and asked what they were. Julie told her about the birds not having toilets and sometimes they did their business while they were flying and the next question was priceless, “Do the birds go backwards before they go to the toilet?”

There’s a lot goes on in that four year old head!

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PRESS RELEASE FROM THE OFFICE OF HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA

Contacts: Chhime R. Chhoekyapa, Secretary: Mobile + 91 (09816021879)
Tenzin Taklha, Joint Secretary : Mobile + 91 (09816021813
I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude to world leaders and the international community for their concern over the recent sad turn of events in Tibet and for their attempts to persuade the Chinese authorities to exercise restraint in dealing with the demonstrations.
Since the Chinese Government has accused me of orchestrating these protests in Tibet, I call for a thorough investigation by a respected body, which should include Chinese representatives, to look into these allegations. Such a body would need to visit Tibet, the traditional Tibetan areas outside the Tibet Autonomous Region, and also the Central Tibetan Administration here in India. In order for the international community, and especially the more than one billion Chinese people who do not have access to uncensored information, to find out what is really going on in Tibet, it would be of tremendously helpful if representatives of the international media also undertook such investigations.
Whether it was intended or not, I believe that a form of cultural genocide has taken place in Tibet, where the Tibetan identity has been under constant attack. Tibetans have been reduced to an insignificant minority in their own land as a result of the huge transfer of non-Tibetans into Tibet. The distinctive Tibetan cultural heritage with its characteristic language, customs and traditions is fading away. Instead of working to unify its nationalities, the Chinese government discriminates against these minority nationalities, the Tibetans among them.
It is common knowledge that Tibetan monasteries, which constitute our principal seats of learning, besides being the repository of Tibetan Buddhist culture, have been severely reduced in both in number and population. In those monasteries that do still exist, serious study of Tibetan Buddhism is no longer allowed; in fact, even admission to these centres of learning is being strictly regulated. In reality, there is no religious freedom in Tibet. Even to call for a little more freedom is to risk being labeled a separatist. Nor is there any real autonomy in Tibet, even though these basic freedoms are guaranteed by the Chinese constitution.
I believe the demonstrations and protests taking place in Tibet are a spontaneous outburst of public resentment built up by years of repression in defiance of authorities that are oblivious to the sentiments of the local populace. They mistakenly believe that further repressive measures are the way to achieve their declared aim of long term unity and stability.
On our part, we remain committed to taking the Middle Way approach and pursuing a process of dialogue in order to find a mutually beneficial solution to the Tibetan issue.
With these points in mind, I also seek the international community’s support for our efforts to resolve Tibet’s problems through dialogue, and I urge them to call upon the Chinese leadership to exercise the utmost restraint in dealing with the current disturbed situation and to treat those who are being arrested properly and fairly.
DALAI LAMA
Dharamsala
18 March, 2008

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A Culinary Combo That Fights Prostate Cancer By Kelley Herring

New research shows that curried cauliflower – a traditional Indian dish seasoned with turmeric and other spices – provides powerful protection against the development of prostate cancer. What’s more, this Madras medley was shown to be effective in treating established prostate cancers.

Scientists at Rutgers tested curcumin, a phytonutrient found in turmeric, along with phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC). PEITC is a naturally occurring substance particularly abundant in cauliflower and other vegetables of the broccoli family (including arugula, watercress, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, kohlrabi, and turnips).

The researchers injected the mice with curcumin and/or PEITC, alone or in combination, three times a week for a total of four weeks. Both curcumin and PEITC significantly reduced the growth of cancerous tumors. But PEITC and curcumin together had even stronger effects.

Pick up a bottle of this powerful prostate protector. Look for high-quality, organic turmeric at your local health food store, and make sure to keep it in a cool dark place. (Light reduces its potency.)

[Ed. Note: Kelley Herring is the founder and CEO of Healing Gourmet , and is editor-in-chief of the Healing Gourmet book series, including Eat to Fight Cancer. ]

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The importance of organic farming methods and their potential to avert future crop failures

One of the longest running agricultural trials on record (more than 150 years) is the Broadbalk experiment at the Rothamsted Experimental Station in the United Kingdom. The trials compare a manure based fertilizer farming system (but not certified organic) to a synthetic chemical fertilizer farming system.
Wheat yields are shown to be on average slightly higher in the organically fertilized plots (3.45 tones/hectare) than the plots receiving chemical fertilizers (3.40 tones/hectare). More importantly though, soil fertility, measured as soil organic matter and nitrogen levels, increased by 120% over 150 years in the organic plots, compared with only 20% increase in chemically fertilized plots (Jenkinson, 1994).

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U.S. Government Concedes That Mercury Causes Autism

In an unprecedented statement, federal officials finally acknowledge a vaccine-autism link.

The U.S. government has concluded that childhood vaccines contributed to symptoms of autism in 9-year-old Hannah Poling. The unprecedented concession was in response to one of three test cases that allege the mercury-containing vaccine preservative thimerosal caused autism in children.

According to the case, the child was healthy and developing normally until her 18-month well-baby visit, where she received vaccinations for nine diseases, two of which contained thimerosal. Within 48 hours of the shots, Hannah become ill, refused to walk and could not sleep through the night. Within three months, she began showing signs of autism.

According to U.S. Division of Vaccine Injury Compensation, the shots “significantly aggravated an underlying mitochondrial disorder” and resulted in a brain disorder “with features of autism spectrum disorder.”

Although federal officials continue to say there is no link between autism and vaccines, this concession says otherwise.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has determined that Hannah’s family is entitled to compensation from a federal vaccine injury fund in an amount that is still being determined.

There are currently 4,900 autism cases pending in Federal “Vaccine Court.”

Dr. Mercola’s Comments:

This is an unprecedented admission by the U.S. government, which, until now, has clung to their statement that vaccines do not cause autism. Though they are still saying this, they have now conceded that the vaccines “significantly aggravated” an underlying disorder and caused autistic symptoms in at least one child.

It will be interesting to see how the other 4,900 cases waiting to be heard will turn out. No doubt many of these cases will report similar stories to Hannah Poling’s, where a healthy infant receives vaccinations and then suddenly becomes withdrawn and unable to communicate as they did before.

There is little doubt that thimerosal, a preservative that is 49.6 percent ethylmercury, is a contributing factor in many cases of autism. It is a well-established fact that exposure to mercury can cause immune, sensory, neurological, motor, and behavioral dysfunctions — all similar to traits defining, or associated with, autism.

There may also be another component in vaccines that is causing damage. For instance, according to Donald W. Miller, Jr., MD:

“Another important factor with regard to mercury on the mind … is synergistic toxicity — mercury’s enhanced effect when other poisons are present. A small dose of mercury that kills 1 in 100 rats and a dose of aluminum that will kill 1 in 100 rats, when combined have a striking effect: all the rats die.

Doses of mercury that have a 1 percent mortality will have a 100 percent mortality rate if some aluminum is there. Vaccines contain aluminum.”

Have Autism Rates Declined Since Thimerosal Was Removed From Vaccines?

Thimerosal was taken out of most childhood vaccines at the beginning of the decade. In 2006, studies of two government databases indicated that autism rates went up as thimerosal dosages increased, then began to decline as thimerosal was removed.

Yet, if you look at this Time magazine article, it says that autism rates have continued to climb since thimerosal was removed from vaccines in 2001. Why the discrepancy?

It could be due to the fact that in 2002 the U.S. government began recommending flu shots to children under 2 (and now recommends them for kids until they’re 18). Well, most flu shots still contain thimerosal, so many infants are still being exposed to mercury.

There is also the issue of vaccine timing.

“Giving too many vaccines over too short a time to infants whose nervous system is not yet fully developed can also trigger autism and its spectrum of disorders,” Dr. Miller says.

And, according to Dr. Russell Blaylock, multiple vaccines given close together over-stimulate your brain’s immune system and, via the mechanism of “bystander injury,” destroy brain cells.

What Else is Fueling the Autism Epidemic?

Autism now affects about one in 150 U.S. children. A small portion of these cases, perhaps 1 percent, may be due to genetic defects, and the rest are likely caused by exposure to toxic chemicals, viruses or other environmental influences.

One environmental influence that you may not have heard about was suggested by a November 2007 study in the Journal of the Australasian College of Nutritional & Environmental Medicine. It found that electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from cell phones, cell towers, Wi-Fi devices and other similar wireless technologies may be an accelerating factor in autism.

After five years of research on children with autism and other membrane sensitivity disorders, the researchers found that EMR negatively affects cell membranes, and allows heavy metal toxins, which are associated with autism, to build up in your body.

Meanwhile, autism rates have increased concurrently along with the proliferation of cell phones and wireless use.

EMR, the researchers say, could impact autism by facilitating early onset of symptoms or by trapping heavy metals inside of nerve cells, which could accelerate the onset of symptoms of heavy metal toxicity and hinder therapeutic clearance of the toxins.

If Your Child Has Autism …

There are several things you can do to help:

1. Have your child eat a diet tailored to their nutritional type. In my experience, nearly ALL children seem to respond favorably to the dietary changes when properly implemented.

2. Avoid giving your child pasteurized milk. This is imperative to the treatment of autism, and includes all milk products, such as ice cream, yogurt and whey. Even natural flavorings in food must be avoided unless the processor can guarantee, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that caseinate is not included. Anyone managing this illness without restricting milk is deceiving themselves.

3. Eliminating sugar, juice, soda, French fries and wheat (pasta, bagels, cereal, pretzels, etc) from your child’s diet is also highly recommended.

4. Make sure your child is getting proper sun exposure, as there is a link between rampant vitamin D deficiency and the proportionate jump in autism. The vitamin D receptor appears in a wide variety of brain tissue early in the fetal development, and activated vitamin D receptors increase nerve growth in your brain.

5. Use an effective intervention to address any emotional stresses your child faces as soon as possible. (Tom: Dianetics is the best.)

6. Homeopathy may also help ameliorate symptoms.

more

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Internet addiction classed as mental disorder

Excessive gaming and email/text messaging should be added to psychiatry’s official guidebook of mental disorders, according to an article in this month’s American Journal of Psychiatry.

(You’ve got to hand it to these guys, they’re good at spotting a money making proposition. I can see their new slogan: “If it moves, drug it!”)