Is your lifetime worth another $50?

TiVo is increasing the prices of the TiVo lifetime subscription from $249 to $299 on March 3, 2003. This is found in small print on the TiVo website. Currently the monthly price is $12.95. Is the price increase concern to any of us? Well, TiVo definitely has a strong following and keeps getting stronger. I still pay the monthly subsrciption but I don't mind. I originally said when I first bought a TiVo that I was concerned what a lifetime subscription was going to last. I have strong faith in TiVo and would jump on the $250 bandwagon before the March 3, 2003 deadline.

Space shuttle disaster
I had such a good day yesterday and then I woke up and heard. The space shuttle Columbia broke up about 38 miles above Texas on its way to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The one thing in this time of sadness that I do not appreciate that they have stated "shuttle's altitude made it "highly unlikely" that the shuttle fell victim to a terrorist act. FBI also were quick to discount the possibility of foul play or terrorism." Do we have such weak security that this still could be a possibility? I am sorry for the families.

via satellite with Marc Maiffret
Co-founder and "chief hacking officer" of eEye Digital Security talked about the bloated worm code. Although it seemed not to be to complicated it didn't have any Shoutz or Greetz in the source. As I was watching, I was wondering, where do I recognize that voice and face. It was Chameleon. You might remember him from his hacking NASA and suspected communications with Osama Bin Laden. He also appeared on the MTV program True Life: I am a Hacker. The same program that got me blackballed from MTV. Thank you MTV.

I am still concerned...
Damian Echols is still on death row and he is not going to be there forever. He needs money to help to pay for his ongoing defense. If you don't know about the West Memphis Three, check out http://www.wm3.org. There also has been documentaries and books about this case and how justice in West Memphis appears to be non-existant. To help, or donate, you can start by checking out Rise Above: 24 Black Flag Songs to...

Richard Clarke to quit
Who is Richard Clarke? He is working for the White House as an security aide that led efforts to combat terrorism and bolster the security of the nation's computer systems. He is looking for a job now in the regular corperate world of computer security instead of taking a position in the new Department of Homeland Security. Sources suggested that Clarke was unsatisfied with the new positions offered him, as they would be a step down from his current role as national point man for cybersecurity efforts. Sounds to me that he didn't like the pay, or maybe the job responsibilities. I wish Richard luck on his job hunt, his White House credentials should get his foot in several places but I wonder if he has his CISSP. More here

Earthlink ISP planning 1,300 job cuts
Earthlink ISP plans to make the 1,300 job cuts in "technical support and customer service" They plan to close call centers in Dallas, in Sacramento, Calif., and in Seattle from Feb. 21 to March 23. Also in Pasadena, Calif., will also be shut down. It is happening because of the dial-up stuff is dropping low for sales I believe. You can check out more of the story here

If I hear one more word about this MS SQL worm...
Ok, time for an editorial. The MS SQL worm has been travelling the net for days and the mail lists have been flooded with messages about it. Experts are complaining that the majority of the problem was in Asia, where they use a lot of pirated Microsoft software. Hrm, maybe if Microsoft didn't check for purchased software we wouldn't have this problem. People would patch these systems if they had no fear that they would be caught. People also would be able to patch systems automatically if windows update wouldn't deny on basis of serial number. Maybe Microsoft should pay for Public Service Announcements to alert people of problems like this. Would it be right for people that puchased illegal firearms to not be able to put a trigger lock on them for protection of misfires. Microsoft even had instances of the worm in their own offices. I don't think we can depend on Microsoft to make decisions for us. Are you aware that they are going to in the future. They had a security software package called Palladium that would be able to tell your computer what it could do and what it can't. This package is now know by another name since yesterday. It is known as "next-generation secure computing base". Do you believe that it will help. Check out this article from PCWorld.com for more info. Don't trust Microsoft just because they make programs that do the job, they are not here to revolutionize the world. They are just here to make a buck.