Security risk found in new credit cards – Technology – International Herald Tribune
I’ve been wary of new RFID-based card technology like PayPass and others because of the fact that, encrypted or not, my data would be passing through the air. Now I see that my suspicions have been confirmed, and then some. The worst part is that some personal information may not be encrypted. This seems to be an extension of research published by RSA last year.
Moyers on America . The Net @ Risk | PBS
If you missed this show on PBS last night, please find a couple of free hours and watch it online. The show focuses on Net Neutrality, but also touches on the effects telecommunications deregulation has had on our society. If you ever wondered why reporting doesn’t seem as good as it used to be, or why fiber-to-the-curb mostly hasn’t happened, this program will open your eyes to the reasons behind it. Through interviews and research Bill Moyers shows how the FCC has continually worked in favor of corporate america instead of looking out for the interests of the public.
Intel Previews Potential Replacement for Flash Memory
Intel and ST Micro have developed a replacement for flash memory technology called Phase Change Memory or PCM. The new technology uses small resistors that heat up and change the state of a layer of chalcogenide to store information. (much like rewritable optical discs, just without the need for a laser) The primary advantages to the technology are read/write speeds much higher than are possible with flash. If PCM does replace flash and can scale into the hundreds of gigabytes, it could be just what we need to finally get rid of magnetic primary storage for good. (ie: hard drives)