1stlink: 2007

Rabu, 28 November 2007

N-Gage has been hacked, crack down begins

N-Gage has been hacked, crack down begins

Is phone skulduggery to be expected?
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By Ben Charny and David Becker

Published: Thursday 13 November 2003
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Handset maker Nokia confirmed yesterday that hackers had managed to crack anti-copying protections in games designed for its new N-Gage, a gadget that combines a mobile phone with a Game Boy-like handheld console.

The company also said it is cooperating with law enforcement authorities and broadband providers to stop illegal online trading of the games, which normally sell for between over £25.

Spokesman Stephen Knuff said such trading has been taking place for an undetermined amount of time via websites and mobile phone virtual communities.

"Nokia will cooperate with ISPs and the relevant authorities to pursue all actions and remedies available to stop this," Knuff said. "We take these types of intellectual property offenses very seriously."

The crackdown comes after someone managed to disable the copyright protection Nokia developed for the games, which are stored on a small card that fits into the N-Gage. Once the security is disabled, the games can be played on any phone that, like the N-Gage, uses the Symbian operating system.

At first, news of the cracking was only a rumour posted on websites. But Knuff said Nokia's own investigation concluded that "some of the copyright protection mechanisms of some game titles have been disabled and the games made available for downloads". He said Nokia is "working continuously" to strengthen the games' security.

Nokia's own N-Gage Arena and other virtual mobile phone communities were crackling on Wednesday with hints on where to find games to download. Nokia said it followed one visitor's hint about there being "at least one thread where a link to [a pirated game] was given" and that the link had been deleted.

Nokia has already warned N-Gage Arena users that there would be "consequences" for anyone posting links to pirated software.

The acts of piracy mean an abrupt end to the tight control Nokia thought it had over its most important new product. Debuting in October, the N-Gage is Nokia's initial foray into a market dominated by Nintendo, which has sold more than 140 million units of its Game Boy player since the line was introduced in 1989. Nokia chose how N-Gage games and devices were distributed and reviewed thousands of titles before choosing the initial eight now on sale at some retail outlets and on a handful of websites.

Cracking adds to the imposing list of challenges Nokia faces in popularising the N-Gage, which has been criticised as having an awkward design, a too-high price tag and not enough applications to go with it.

"There are so many strikes against this thing," said Billy Pidgeon, an analyst for research firm the Zelos Group. "Some people have wondered who would want to hack these games - most of them just aren't that good."

Pidgeon said the main liability of the hacking will be a sapping of support from game publishers. "It's going to be more difficult for them to get publishers to entrust their best properties for publishing on the N-Gage if they can be easily cracked," he said, adding that game selection for the device has been underwhelming so far. "There needs to be some sort of killer app, which we haven't seen yet."

Hacking is an almost inevitable by-product of using a widely distributed platform such as Symbian, Pidgeon said, as opposed to the restricted formats used by dedicated game devices such as Nintendo's Game Boy Advance.

"Certain types of protocols and OSes are just more vulnerable," Pidgeon said. "This is not only a problem for Nokia and N-Gage, it's a problem for all wireless devices."

Phone skulduggery also disrupted Microsoft's plans for making games or business applications available for advanced mobile phones that use its operating systems. Earlier this year, developers frustrated by Microsoft's lack of response to their concerns unlocked the security technology that prevented Microsoft-operated phones from downloading foreign software. Microsoft ultimately changed the system it had in place for dealing with developers' software.

Ben Charny and David Becker writes for CNET News.com.

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Jumat, 09 November 2007

About IMEI at your mobile phone

What is the mean an IMEI?

The IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) is a unique 15 or 17 digit code used to identify an individual mobile station to a GSM or UMTS network. The IMEI number facilitates an important function; it easily identifies a mobile phone being used on a GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) network. The IMEI is a useful tool to stop a phone that is stolen from accessing a network and being used. Mobile phone owners that have their phones stolen can contact their mobile network provider and ask them to ban or shut off a phone using its IMEI number. With an IMEI number, the phone can be banned from the network quickly and easily. It is important to note that swapping a SIM card will not stop a phone from being banned.

An IMEI device is only used to identify the device and does not usually relate to a specific individual or organization. Other numbers such as ESN (Electronic Serial Numbers) and MEID (Mobile Equipment Identifiers) can link an individual to a phone. Usually, an IMSI number stored on a SIM card can identify the subscriber on a network.

There are a few ways in which you can locate your mobile phone's IMEI number, it can usually be found on the handset, beneath the battery, sometimes printed on a small white label. Another way to easily locate your IMEI phone is to dial the following sequence of numbers into the handset: *#06#. If you have a Sony Ericsson mobile phone, you can retrieve the IMEI by pressing the following key sequence: right,*, left, left,*, left, *, left.

IMEI Number on structure

IMEI numbers either come in a 15 digit or 17 digit sequences of numbers. These numbers can identify a handset. Currently the format of the IMEI is AA-BBBBBB-CCCCCC-D.

These two digits are for the Reporting Body Identifier, indicating the GSMA approved group that allocated the TAC (Type Allocation Code).
BBBBBB- The Remainder of the TAC
CCCCCC- Serial Sequence of the Model
D- Luhn Check Digit of the entire model or 0 (This is an algorithm that validates the ID number)

Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR)

If a mobile handset is lost or stolen, as the owner or operator of the device, you can contact the CEIR which will blacklist the device in all currently operating switches. This makes the lost or stolen handset unusable. The action of blacklisting stolen mobile handsets is seen as a deterrent to crime, however, it is possible to change an IMEI with special tools and there are certain mobile networks that do not automatically blacklist handsets registered with the CEIR. Current statistics state that about 10 % of current IMEI's in use today are not unique or have been reprogrammed (cracked).

Kamis, 08 November 2007

So easy protecting your Mobile Phone

Teenagers are more likely to have their mobile phone stolen than any other age group. Having your phone stolen is a hassle - it's not just the handset, it's the numbers, messages and photos you lose too, so knowing how you can keep it safe is more important than ever.

Carrying it around

If you're not making a call, make sure that your phone is hidden away. Keep it in a front pocket or inside a bag. Don't attach it to your belt or around your neck. Thieves are opportunists - don't make yourself an easy target.
Lots of people take their phones out of their pockets when they're sitting down. If you're out with your friends or at school don't leave your phone on a table as anyone walking by can easily run off with it.

Look around you and be carefull

If you're making a call on your mobile in a public area, make sure you always keep an eye on what's going on around you. Thieves go to great lengths to get their hands on the latest handsets, so keep your wits about you.
You should also try and avoid using your mobile phone in public at night. If you do have to use your phone, try to find an area that's well-lit and if possible, avoid getting out your phone at train stations and bus stops, as these are areas that thieves target.

Securing your handset so good

It's always a good idea to write down the make and model of your phone, as well as your handset's unique identification number (IMEI number). This can be found behind the battery, or by dialling '*#06#' on your handset. Keep these details in a safe place and completely separate from your phone, as you'll need to give them to your service provider if your phone is lost or stolen.
Whatever model of phone you have, your handset has in-built security features that you can use to protect it. If you don't know how to use them, take a look at your phone's instruction manual.

For example, you can set up a pin number that you have to key in before you make a call. This stops anyone else using your phone and protects any personal details your have in your phone book or your text message inbox.

Register, Report, Reunite your Mobile Phone

Register

You can register the details of your handset with the National Mobile Phone Register. This will help the police to return your phone to you if it gets stolen. You should also register your phone's details with your network provider.

Report

If your phone is lost or stolen, report it immediately to the police.
You should also contact your network provider. When you get through, tell them your phone has been stolen and they'll be able to block both the handset and the SIM card so that they can't be used any more.

Reunite

The police are cracking down on mobile phone thieves. This means they're more likely to recover your phone if it's stolen. If they do, and you've registered your phone, the police can reunite you with your phone.

AVATAR (The last airbender)

In a lost age, the world is divided into four nations: the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation, and the Air Nomads. Within each nation, there is a remarkable order of men and women called the "benders" who can learn to harness their inborn talent and manipulate their native element. Bending is a powerful form combining martial art and elemental magic.

In each generation, only one bender is solely capable of controlling all four elements. That bender is the Avatar. The Avatar is the spirit of the world manifests in human form. When the Avatar dies, it reincarnates into the next nation in the cycle. Starting with the mastery of his or her native element, the Avatar learns to bend all four elements. Throughout the ages, the countless incarnations of the Avatar have served to keep the four nations in harmony.

Then, the firebenders attacked. Just as the world needed the Avatar the most, he mysteriously vanished. A hundred years later, the Fire Nation is near final victory in its ruthless war of world domination. The Air Nomads were destroyed, the Air Temples ravished, and all airbender monks eradicated. The Water Tribes were raided and driven to the brink of extinction. The Earth Kingdom remains and fights a hopeless war against the Fire Nation. Many believe the Avatar was never reborn into the Air Nomads and the cycle is broken.

In the desolated South Pole, a lone Water tribe struggles to survive. It is here that the village's last remaining waterbender Katara and her warrior brother Sokka rescue a strange 12-year-old boy named Aang who has been suspended in hibernation in an iceberg. The tribe soon discovers that Aang is not only an Airbender--the extinct race no one has seen in a century--but also the long lost Avatar. Now Katara and Sokka must safeguard the child Avatar in his journey to master all four elements and save the world from the Fire Nation.

"Avatar: The Last Airbender is a truly unique comic adventure with rich animation and incredible martial-arts choreography. Creators Bryan Konietzko and Mike DiMartino designed a fantastical Asian world with compelling characters and interesting creatures that will capture kids’ imaginations and spirit."

Rabu, 07 November 2007

Blog Pertama

Antara Senang dan binggung mempunyai sebuah blog.senengnya saya jadi bisa tulis -tulis dan berbagi cerita pada blog ini.
Ini bener pertama kalinya saya bikin blog.sungguh membinggunkan buat coret - coretan apa disini?Binggung.......yach namanya juga lagi belajar.:)
tapi apa tidak terlambat ya? udah seumur gini baru ada keinginan buat sebuah blog.
(wewww.... dah merasa tua ya pak)

oh ya tulisan pertama ini buat mencari inspirasi buat terus menulis biar ide - ide di dalam pikiran saya berkembang.
Tolong dunk bantuin saya cara bikin isi blog yang pintar ?
biar semua ide yang dipunya bisa lepas seperti burung terbang bebas.
saya sempat berpikir bikin isi blog pakai bahasa inggris,tapi.....
inggrisnya rada amburadul malah tambah malas buat ngeluarin inspirasi.
buat yang baca jangan lupa lupa kasih saran bagaimana jadi blogger yang pintar ya..?
ditunggu lho.....

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