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Chemists craft molecular keypad lock
While the folks behind the AACS could probably use a few pointers about constructing a sufficient lock of their own, a group of scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovat, Israel have crafted a molecule-sized "keypad lock" that "only activates when exposed to the correct password, a sequence of chemicals and light." Organic chemist Abraham Shanzer and his colleagues suggest that their invention could "lead to a new level of safeguards for secret information," but we tend think the infamous hackers of the world would inevitably crack the code. Nevertheless, the molecule -- dubbed FLIP -- houses a core linker that mimics a bacterial compound that binds to iron, and attached to it are two molecules that respectively can glow either blue or green. Using three "buttons," which just so happen to be an acidic molecule, an alkaline compound, and ultraviolet light, the lock can be "opened" if given the right sequence of chemicals and light, and there's a grand total of two noticeable results possible. Interestingly, the researchers have insinuated that their creation could be used to recognize "when certain sequences of chemicals (like harmful toxins) are released in the body," but we haven't heard a 10-4 from the US Army just yet.[Via Yahoo, thanks, Antonio H.]
Duck Image's USB flash drive sports three layers of security
Sure, security is important when toting break room sketches of future inventions and PDF menus of your favorite eateries, but this here just might be overkill. While there's a slew of security-focused flash drives already calling your name, this prototype boasts no fewer than three layers of protection to ensure your data stays put. The 007 USB Flash Drive gets its design cues from those bike lockers used to secure your wheels to any halfway sturdy object, and boasts combination locks on the steel wire, the stainless steel cap, and even requires a password once the pesky cap is torched off. While this looks more like an idea than a product in the final stages of production, it certainly wouldn't surprise us to see these hanging right beside the handcuffs (or biometric locks) in a few months.[Via SciFi Tech]
US Password Retrieval Service: Broken!
Ever forgotten your password? Changed it and forgotten what you changed it to? (I'm personally guilty of the latter.... well, either I forgot it or it didn't change properly, and which do you think is more likely?) Well, if so, you're familiar with Blizzard's password retrieval system which will cheerfully reset your password, generate a new (random) password, and e-mail it to the address registered with the account. Easy, huh?However, if you're currently having password troubles, it's not recommended to use the retrieval service - as it appears to be skipping that crucial e-mailing part of the process. There's no ETA on getting this fixed, but when it is, an update will be provided in this thread.
How do I reset my Keychain password?
Yesterday I was singing the praises of Keychain, and I still stand by my assessment. Keychain is a key feature of OS X that makes it stand apart from Windows. But what happens if you forget your Keychain password? You know, the password that lets you access all your other, heavily encrypted data?That is exactly what happened to one poor soul who put the question to the MetaFilter community. It isn't as bad as forgetting your FileVault password, however, the sad truth of the matter is that you're going to have to generate yourself a new Keychain folder and starting from scratch. I know it sucks, but that is the price we pay for security. If you are in the same situation check out the MetaFilter discussion for the steps you need to take.
Project Hacker Kakusei; Uplink for your DS
An intriguing television commercial for a Japanese game called Project Hacker: Kakusei, a title for the DS that closely resembles the innovative hacking title Uplink, has popped up on the internets. The game will place you in the role of Satoru, a detective with an organization called the GIS, for which you will have to face hacking-themed puzzles like password cracking. The commercial demonstrates effective use of the stylus combined with Uplink-style hacking, along with elements similar to Phoenix Wright's detective style and 2D anime artwork; hopefully the developers plan to emulate Ace Attorney's over-the-top dialog and light-hearted premise too.According to IGN's page on Project Hacker, the title was announced in October '05 when it was originally called Detect Hacker. It's being produced by Nintendo and developed by Red Entertainment and is due for release in Japan before the year is out. I couldn't find anything online about an English localization, so unfortunately we must assume that this is going to remain exclusive to Japan for now. With a little luck (and some pressure from you guys--for a start, the game's wiki page could do with some work), that will change.
Password protect those bullets
We've been loosely following the biometric firearm scene for a couple years now, but this might well be the first time we've heard anything about password protection for your bullets. It's only a patent application as of right yet, but inventor Herbert Meyerle dreams of a day when guns have a system for firing rounds by means of a burst of electromagnetic energy, which could only be activated if a password entered into the handgun matches a password embedded in the cartridge of bullets. If that sounds a little roundabout, that's because it probably is; why fiddle with passwords -- which, once activated, wouldn't prevent your gun from being used against you before the password times out -- when biometric firearm verification makes so much more sense? As soon as you're not holding that gun, it just won't work. Or, you know, you can always hit up the swords to plowshares thing, whatever mode of gun safety does it for ya.[Via New Scientist]
1Passwd - password/form manager lets Firefox use the Keychain
*Oh snap!* Agile Web Solutions has created a password and form manager extension for both Safari and Firefox that fixes one of my biggest gripes about Mozilla's flagship browser: it can store website passwords in Mac OS X's Keychain Access application. For those who haven't stumbled upon the wonders of the Keychain: it's a system-wide secure password manager that most other Mac OS X apps can use to store logins for things like websites and FTP access. 1Passwd is an extension that, amongst other features, lets Firefox join the Keychain party party so you can have one secure, centralized area for managing (and backing up) your logins. This also means that if you have a .Mac account, any passwords you enter into Firefox will sync between your Macs. But 1Passwd doesn't stop at handle just your login information. Check out the full feature list to see everything else it can do for both Safari and Firefox.If beer could be sent virtually through PayPal, I'd send Agile Web Solutions a twelve pack; this brings Firefox one step closer to being a true Mac OS X browser. 1Passwd is currently in a third beta release, and those who opt to test the beta and offer their email addresses will receive a discount off its (somewhat steep) $29.95 price.
New Password Scams
Apparently there's a new set of password scams going around. These e-mails, apparently from security@blizzard.com, will request your account and password information. Community manager Drysc reminds us that Blizzard will never send ask for your account password via e-mail, and any messages you may receive requesting passwords information, no matter how legitimate looking, is most likely a scam to steal your account. If you've gotten an e-mail that looks suspicious, you can write billing@blizzard.com to confirm its validity. Additional information about scams and account security can be found on Blizzard's support page, as well.
Automator action for encrypting/decrypting files
Interested in beefing up security on some of your files or folders, but wary of the consequences if FileVault takes on a mind of its own? This Encrypt and Decrypt Files Automator action might be right up your alley, as it allows you to perform these actions with an algorithm and password. Perfect for fitting into the workflows of even the most security-conscious Mac OS X Tiger users.The action is free and can be had over at Automator World.
