US Customs: Privacy? What's That?

To those planing to travel to the US (or simply passing through) with a laptop, beware. Now the Department of Homeland Security said that "customs agents can routinely--as a matter of course--seize, make copies of, and "analyze the information transported by any individual attempting to enter, re-enter, depart, pass through, or reside in the United States.". Excellent, eh? Repeat after me, people: "before leaving on my trip to the US, I'll set up a full disk encryption system on my laptop." If they are going to try and get to your information, make them fight for it! Here's a CNET article that better describes the situation and gives a few tricks and tips for all you travelers.

A Glass Of Water On A Mars Bar

So the Phoenix Mars mission is a success so far, having found water AND nutrients on Martian soil. Still no signs of life, but for all I care, they just cleared the biggest doubt there was. And, as was to be expected, the NASA extended the mission for another month, so it's due to end on September. You can read more about here.

Oh, and if you're wondering about the title of this post, it's an old April Fools' joke from the NASA guys. Here's the pic they posted back then, claiming they had found "Water on Mars":

Placing Your Secrets Online? Don't Cry Later...

Gary McKinnon is a British hacker accused of hacking into 97 NASA and military computers in 2001 and 2002. He was caught in 2002 and, following a extensive legal battle, was chosen for extradition today (The USA government requested his extradition sometime in 2005). But what hit me as interesting is not the fact that a hacker will be extradited, neither is the fact that his is considered the "biggest military computer hack of all time" by the USA government. No, what hit me as interesting is that the USA government is STUPID. That's right, stupid. I mean, they go and place their secrets -their most important secrets- on a computer and then go and plug it to the intertubes. Now, I'm no computer security expert (yet), but even I know that whatever you put in the intertubes is not considered safe anymore, despite all the effort you place in securing it. If they don't want their secrets stolen, then don't give network access to the computer they are stored in, simple as that.