Security focus has the best summary of the actions before during and after the conference taken by ISS/Cisco/Mike/the conference.

The pisser is 3 weeks ago ISS approached Blackhat about removing the talk, but waited until last Friday to tell Mike he was pulling the talk.

Best Summary of Mike's Plight.

FrSIRT Advisory : FrSIRT/ADV-2005-1248
CVE Reference : GENERIC-MAP-NOMATCH
Rated as : Critical
Remotely Exploitable : Yes
Locally Exploitable : Yes
Release Date : 2005-07-27

* Technical Description *

A vulnerability was identified in Cisco Internet Operating System (IOS), which could be exploited by remote attackers to execute arbitrary commands. This flaw is due to a heap overflow error when processing specially crafted packets, which could be exploited by an unauthenticated attacker to execute arbitrary code and compromise a vulnerable device.

Nice to see the industry recognizing the seriousness of it all.

FrSIRT Advisories - Cisco IOS Unspecified Remote Heap Overflow Vulnerability / Exploit

"It's very important that the constitution is produced through the participation of all Iraqis," U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad told reporters Tuesday. "This is important for ending and defeating the insurgency," adding that Sunni Arabs can count on the United States to ensure their interests are protected.

However, a draft published Tuesday in the state-owned Al-Sabah newspaper included several key points demanded by the majority Shiites. The draft not only states that Islam is the main source of legislation but that no law will be approved that contradicts "the rules of Islam."

That requirement that could affect women's rights and set
Iraq on a course far different from the one envisioned when U.S.-led forces invaded in 2003 to topple
Saddam Hussein.

"Islam is the official religion of the state and is the main source of legislation," the draft reads. "No law that contradicts with its rules can be promulgated."

The document also grants the Shiite religious leadership in Najaf a "guiding role" in recognition of its "high national and religious symbolism.

1700 dead Americans to upgrade Iraq to an Islamic theocracy. I just love the way they are copying Iran by having a group of constitutionally recognized mullas that will be consulted in government matters.

Hurray for freedom, unless you happen to be a women, in which case you can now be raped and sold like property because Allah wills it.

Islam Dominates Iraq's Draft Constitution

NEW YORK (AP) -- Recording industry titan Sony BMG Music Entertainment agreed Monday to pay $10 million and stop bribing radio stations to feature its artists in what a state official called a more sophisticated generation of the payola scandals of decades ago.

The agreement springs from an investigation by New York state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, who called the practice "pervasive" in the industry and suggested other music industry giants could face similar penalties.

Pay-for-play "is driving the industry, and it is wrong," Spitzer told reporters

Spitzer rules.

Sony Agrees to $10M 'Payola' Settlement

After saving, our test editor had Carl visit the house of his nearest girlfriend, Denise in Los Santos. Carl then took Denise on a series of dates to the nearest bar. After a few complications--including being busted for two-timing by another of CJ's girlfriends--we completed a fourth date with Denise, after which she invited us into her house for "coffee."

The next screen proved that the PlayStation 2 edition of the game does indeed include a sexually graphic minigame, which plays almost exactly the same as the Hot Coffee mod. It begins inside a bedroom with Denise, wearing only a pink thong and a cutoff T-shirt bearing the Rockstar logo, performing simulated fellatio on CJ, who is fully clothed in jeans and a "wife beater"-style tank top.

Patching a binary to access unable parts of teh game I can understand. But putting in a cheat code into the console versions makes Rockstar's hands pretty dirty on this one.

GTA content available on PS2 console by cheat code

Presbyterian Hospital installed the "Hugs" Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) infant protection system when it opened its new maternity center last September. The "Hugs" Infant Protection System, part of the June 2005 acquisition of Instantel by VeriChip, which is best known for its controversial people chipping technology, contains a tiny radio transmitter designed to prevent infants from being removed from a health care facility without authorisation. Every infant wears a Hugs tag on the ankle or wrist, and exit points throughout the hospital are electronically monitored to detect unauthorised removal of an infant. The use of electronic bracelets to protect kids in maternity wards is commonplace in the US. RFID-tags represent a refinement of the technique.

This is the kind of stuff RFID is good for!

RFID stops newborn snatching

Frog + bat = :-)

Flashtastic! Or, how I learn to Smach a Frogs with a Baseball bat

Welcome to Google Moon

In honor of the first manned Moon landing, which took place on July 20, 1969, we’ve added some NASA imagery to the Google Maps interface to help you pay your own visit to our celestial neighbor. Happy lunar surfing. More about Google Moon.

This is very very cool.

Google Moon - Lunar Landing Sites

Clinton asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the origins of a downloadable modification that allows simulated sex in the personal computer version of one of the most popular and controversial video games in history.

"We should all be deeply disturbed that a game which now permits the simulation of lewd sexual acts in an interactive format with highly realistic graphics has fallen into the hands of young people across the country," Clinton wrote in a letter to the head of the Federal Trade Commission. (Emphasis mine)

Ok, this bullshit has got to stop. Where are all the "young people" who have received this game?

M games are rated for 17+. At age 18, I can go buy the most violent of hardcore pornography. I can buy lottery tickets, cigerettes, vote for pandering half-asses like Sen Clinton, and get my head blown off in the army.

At 18, our laws don't recognize you as a "young person," but as a fully functional and participating member of our country.

So what are we talking about here? The only young people that would get this game are people in the 1 year gap between 17 and 18, or younger kids whose parents foolish bought a Mature game for them.

The only argument people can make is the game was misleadingly labeled, causing them to purchase something more extreme then they thought. The argument is so flawed. What are these people who are pissed about being "deceived" so mad about? That they are cool giving their kids a game where they can decapiate people with a sword, shoot cops, take drugs, and bang hookers, but no no no, being able to see 2 animated characters have sexing is just too much! That is as hypocritical as it is horrible parenting.

This is utterly a waste of my governments time.

CNN.com - Clinton seeks video game sex scene probe

Wow! Repeat after me: Too much Turtlewax!

Shine on your crazy diamond!