p2p

P2P Rocket is a mediocre file-sharing program that lets users access the Gnutella and eDonkey networks. Although it works, it doesn't offer any compelling reasons to choose it over other popular file-sharing programs, and it has performance issues too.

P2P Rocket's interface is fairly intuitive, sharing the conventions of most P2P interfaces. It offers both basic and advanced search options, allowing users to fine-tune their search results. For the most part, the program worked as well any other Gnutella client. We did find that after the program had been open for a while, its interface stopped loading completely … Read more

Fastest P2P promises to be the fastest peer-to-peer file-sharing program available. Although we can't vouch for that, we can say that it seems to be an adequate--if not particularly impressive--piece of software.

The program's interface looks very much like an earlier version of LimeWire and is fairly intuitive. Users will want to pay attention during the installation process; the "typical installation" installs a toolbar, sets Fastestp2p as the default search engine, and makes Fastp2p.com the default home page. Using the program was very much like using other Gnutella P2P programs; it searched, it found, and … Read more

Over at BlueBeat.com, the best MP3-selling Website you've never heard of, has got it all for your listening pleasure, the entire Beatles catalog in MP3 form for just 25 cents each! Get them while you can (which won't be long). In other news, file sharers might buy more music, Bittorrent might save the Internet, and Apple could save the networks (but kill cable).

BlueBeat first with legal Beatles downloads — or at least a hell of a lot of cheek. … Read more

The accidental disclosure of a House ethics investigation has kicked up quite a fuss on Capitol Hill as it turns out that more than 30 congressman and aides are under investigation. But after committee chairman Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) disclosed the breach on the House floor late Thursday, her colleague, Rep. Jo Bonner (Ala.), who is the committee's ranking Republican, spoke next, telling fellow members that the breach was an isolated incident.

Not exactly.

In February, a company that monitors P2P networks said that it had found blueprints and avionics about the president's helicopter, Marine One, on a computer … Read more

That beautiful silvery comet you saw in the sky recently was actually astronaut urine. No joke. We also avoid talking about pee for most of the show. Bing is still on the rise and Facebook is making money. Wow. Things are looking up all over. Just be careful when you look up. There's astronaut pee up there.

Facebook grows and makes money http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8258117.stm

Bing grabs 10 percent of search market http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-10354394-75.html… Read more

The heads of the UK's largest ISPs have co-signed a letter of protest against the proposal to disconnect suspected illegal file-sharers from their broadband service.

The open letter was sent to The Times on Thursday by the chiefs of TalkTalk, BT, and Orange, as well as representatives of the Open Rights Group and the consumer choice organizations Which and Consumer Focus.

It coincided with a detailed argument against the government's proposals, issued as a statement by the Featured Artists Coalition (FAC), the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors (Basca) and the Music Producers Guild (MPG).

The signatories … Read more

Black Hat this week means lots of security vulnerabilities in the news, including the fact that Secure Sockets Layer is now just Sockets Layer thanks to an exploit discovered by Kaminsky and friends. We also decide that you can't fix stupid. Too bad. I wish we could.

Apple at CES 2010 says WSJ – Engadget says otherwise. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10299417-37.html http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/30/wsj-apple-going-to-ces-2010-reality-nope/

Apple says jailbreaking is a national security issue http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10298646-1.html

Details on presidential motorcades, safe house for First Family, leak via P2P http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9136053/Details_on_presidential_motorcades_safe_house_for_First_Family_leak_via_P2P

Researchers exploit flaws in SSL, domain authentication system http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-10299459-245.html

Intel motherboards suffer Bios flaws http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39698949,00.htm

Re-engineering GPS for navigation on phones http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10298696-94.html

Windows Mobile becomes Windows Phone http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1495570/windows-mobile-windows-phone

Nissan introduces new smart in-car nav system http://social.telematicsupdate.com/content/nissans-new-nav-system-focuses-safer-greener-driving

EMI selling CDs to megachains only from now on http://slashdot.org/story/09/07/30/0117222/EMI-Only-Selling-CDs-To-Mega-Chains-From-Now-On… Read more

Sensitive files like Secret Service safehouse locations, military rosters, and IRS tax returns can still be found on file-sharing networks, according to a report to a U.S. House of Representatives committee on Wednesday.

In many cases, that's because federal government employees or contractors installed peer-to-peer software on their computers without paying attention to which documents would be shared, Robert Boback, the chief executive of Tiversa, told the panel.

Boback said his company found the Secret Service's evacuation plans for the first lady and motorcade routes. (See an interview with Tiversa about Marine One documents found on a … Read more

Last December, the music industry's message to song writers, publishers, and musicians was that antipiracy help was on the way. Hopes soared after the major labels announced that they had convinced a group of telecoms to work with them.

Filing lawsuits against individuals accused of illegal file sharing was, for the most part, a thing of the past, said the Recording Industry Association of America, the trade group representing the top music companies. The new strategy was to enlist Internet service providers, the gatekeepers of the Web, to issue a series of warnings meant to increase pressure on alleged … Read more