April 07, 2006
Posted at: 11:05 pm by Timothy Haroutunian
Categories: Entertainment and News, Professional, Rants and Randomness, Tech and Web
So recently I have been talking about RFID tags and how they could become problematic, well I know that this is just a TV Show, but it is so realistic its scary. The TV Show “Numbers” did an episode tonight about solving a criminal case using RFID tags.
A school was attacked by a group of kids who were, pardon the sterotype, computer geeks and big gamers. They developed a Video Game that is an exact replica of their school. Now, these kids were extreme outcasts to the point where they started their own “cult” called the Dark Matter Guild. Normally they got together to play video games, but then they decided to go and kill students all over the school. This school was not like most because it uses RFID tags on their student IDs to track where each student is and whether they are in class when the should have been. Now you can debate all you want about RFID and how awesome it is and the tracking ability and all of the other wonderful features to it, but do people look at the other side of RFID.
Two of the students who were going around killing were out to just do random killing, but there was one who wasnt an “outcast”, who had a real agenda about killing specific students. 
She knew exactly which students she was after and where those students were. She didn’t have to go around searching for her targets, they “told” her without actually knowing. The killers hacked into the schools wireless system to get sensitive materials like the blue prints to the school and where hidden passages were, but thats not what she was after. She was able to use the student ID card’s RFID signal to pinpoint their exact location in the school by entering in their name and the signal would output a dot on her PDA indicating where they were in reference to the blueprints from the school.
Now you want to talk about how people use good ideas for evil, this is a prime example. RFID was meant to track packages that were shipped so it could know its location in the world, but that is not what people are using it for. I posted about RFID in passports and now this episode took place and it backs up what I have been saying.
I really think that people need to be more careful with what they possess for cards. Citizens Bank is apparently sending out new Debit/ATM cards with RFID tags in them. I am still trying to figure out if I am going to need to activate it, but I will have no chance not to in June once my card expires.
Summary: RFID tags are bad when they are not secured enough and people who hack into the system could potentially know everything about me without me knowing. Technology is a great thing, but the people behind everything are not. Be careful what you hold and know what information is being broadcasted out. In some places they have a notice that the place is monitered and recorded, soon they will need to have a notice saying, “This building is monitered by RFID Active Readers”….think about it
Entertainment, hackers, Numb3rs, Numbers, PDA, Radio Frequency Identification Tags, RFID, RFID killers, RFID tags, technology, TV, Wireless
April 07, 2006
Posted at: 10:29 pm by Timothy Haroutunian
Categories: Sports and Leisure
In the first inning of the game, the Red Sox took a 4-0 and it never stopped. They added on 3 more runs in the second inning to take a 7-0 lead. They didnt get much in the third inning, but they were right back on track in the fourth and fifth adding on another 4 runs for an amazing 11-0 lead.
Clement went very strong for 6 innings and finally gave up runs in the 7th inning. The final score of the game ended up being 14-8 which also included a two run homer for Nixon.
The Red Sox scored a lot of runs this game, but they unfortunately did not hit a grand slam. Last year they lead the MLB in Grand Slams, so I think they need to work on that real soon.
Record (3-1)
Boston, Clement, Matt Clement, Orioles, Red Sox, Sox, Trot Nixon
April 06, 2006
Posted at: 7:42 pm by Timothy Haroutunian
Categories: Professional, Rants and Randomness, Tech and Web
I was working on my Computer Security lab and we had to download a file encryption program to understand how you can encrypt files. Well after finishing the lab, I realized that not only can you encrypt files with an extention of .ser, but I realized how to encrypt a file inside of another file. I know that it was possible, but I have never seen it done or actually done it. It is done all the time on the TV show “24″ and I was very interested in how it was done.
I encrypted a Text File into an image file as shown on the left and I am trying to see if anyone can figure out how to access the file. If they do, they should comment on this post because I want to know how good the encryption is. To find out what is on the file, you are going to have to try and hack it.
Computer Security, File Encryption, Files, Hidden Encryption, Steganos, Steganos Security Suite 2006
April 05, 2006
Posted at: 11:42 pm by Timothy Haroutunian
Categories: Sports and Leisure
Josh Beckett started for the Red Sox in Game 2, his first start time in the Boston uniform (regular season), and it was a good one. He threw over 109 pitches in his 7-inning game against the Rangers for a 2-1 win. I think that it was good for him to get his first game out of the way and now there will be a lot less stress on him to make that first great appearance, because he already made it. He gave up one run in the first inning and was strong the rest of the way.
The Sox were losing at the end of the 6th inning and then Trot Nixon came up to bat with a man on and hit a homer to put them in the lead. That was the motivation they needed to maintain that lead for the win. In the 9th, Jonathan Papelbon came in to pitch a scoreless inning for the win. It was his first save with the Red Sox, well make that in his career. Even though Papelbon isn’t the offical closer, it is good to know we can fall back on a young arm if we need it. Foulke is not scared that he is going to lose his job, but he said that he is going to try harder.
Record (2-1)
baseball, BoSox, Boston, Boston Red Sox, Jonathan Papelbon, Josh Beckett, Keith Foulke, MLB, Rangers, Red Sox, Sox, Texas Rangers, Trot Nixon
April 04, 2006
Posted at: 11:24 pm by Timothy Haroutunian
Categories: Sports and Leisure
Wakefield could not do it for the Sox tonight, he had a very bad first start of the year going 4 innings. Josh Bard, new catcher for the sox, could not handle the knuckleball with 3 passed balls on his stats but according to Tim Wakefield, it was not Bards fault at all for the loss, Wakefield takes full resposibility for his actions.
In the first inning, the Rangers were on top 4-0 and continued their assult into the fourth inning adding on 3 more runs. The final score was 10 - 4 Rangers
Record (1-1)
Boston, Josh Bard, Knuckleball, Rangers, Red Sox, Sox, Tim Wakefield, Wakefield
April 04, 2006
Posted at: 2:48 pm by Timothy Haroutunian
Categories: Sports and Leisure
Do U C Florida, well the Bruins didn’t. The Florida Gators trampled UCLA in the NCAA Men’s College Basketball Championship Game from start to finish. The final score being 73-57 was a very disappointing game for UCLA and for viewers. I didn’t care who won, because my pick of BC was eliminated by Villanova already, but I wish it was a closer game than it was. I love those last second finishes for the win, but doesn’t everyone. 
UCLA didn’t play the way they should have considering they held every other team to such a low total, it was unlike them to play this sloppy. Noah had 16 points, 9 rebounds and a NCAA Championship Game record of 6 blocks.
championship, college basketball, Florida Gators, hoops, NCAA, UCLA
April 03, 2006
Posted at: 6:50 pm by Timothy Haroutunian
Categories: Sports and Leisure
Schilling What….7 Innings What….That’s right, our Ace is back. Schilling went 7 strong innings, 117 pitches, 79 of them for strikes. That to me is a solid outing for someone who could barely pitch 4 innings in september, never mind that, this time last year he was on the DL.
On the left is Manager Terry Francona shaking hands with “Big Papi” David Ortiz after the game because Papi did what he does best, hit homeruns. Ortiz knocked in a two run shot after Loretta doubled Coco Crisp in from first base. Sox up 5-0 over the Texas Rangers. The final score of the game was Red Sox 7, Rangers 3. It was a great opening day considering we have not won an opening day game since about 2001.
Record (1-0)
Baseball, Big Papi, Boston, Boston Red Sox, Coco Crisp, Francona, MLB, Opening Day, Ortiz, Red Sox, Schilling, Sports
April 03, 2006
Posted at: 2:51 pm by Timothy Haroutunian
Categories: Rants and Randomness
So I was under the impression that an advisor should be someone that you trust and could go to and feel that you are not going to be $#!# on for not doing an assignment to the fullest potential. I understand that a professor should drive someone to do better, but they should realize that their class is not the only class/activity that the student is involved in.
I know that sometimes I am not the best student, but that is highly due to the fact that I am involved in so many other activities and classes. This is an area that I know I need to work on, but Rome wasn’t built in a day. It is a process that I am slowly working on and that I have been trying to master since I was little.
In case you were wondering, I have a learning disability and documented ADHD which means that my mind can not grasp some things right away. When I have 3 tests, two labs and a annotated bibilography due all on the same day, right after Spring Break, it is not going to be at its highest potential.
So I am going to try to work on getting better at school, but it is still a learning process.
ADHD, class, disability, labs, learning, professors, psu, research paper, school, student, tests
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