Friday, August 29, 2014

USB Condoms From ZD Net


USB Condoms
From ZD Net-Techhive
When you connect your mobile devices to USB ports to get a much-needed recharge, do you worry about what else that USB port might be up to?
The USB port is a wonderful concept – after all, being able to transfer data and power through a single connection seems genius, but how do you know that your device isn't leaking your secrets in exchange for that power top-up?
If you're worried about juice-jacking, then this is the device for you – a $10 USB Condom designed and built by security R&D consultation firm Xipiter.
This is a small and unobtrusive dongle that sits between your device and the untrusted USB port, allowing your device to be recharged without fear that your data will be stolen or your device infected with malware.
It works by electronically disabling the connector's data pins, which converts your USB cable into a charge-only cable, and thus prevents data from being transferred to or from your device.
All you have to do is pop the USB condom on the end of your charging cable, and you're ready for a recharge.
The USB Condom is available in three different flavors: Type A, Mini B, and Micro B connectors.
For $10, this seems like a must-have for road warriors and other folks who find themselves having to recharge their devices from untrusted USB ports.

My Dreams-XI-File 07=Encounter at the peak of a Mountain-Updated



Encounter at the peak of a Mountain

The dream
This dream was related to mountain climbing.
I was lucky to be born in the hill country, where the mountains were less hilly and the climbing was not treacherous. As kids we were lucky to have a sports-master who inculcated in us in sports including marathon running. So when we decided to cut school and venture into the unknown, there was comradeship and willing companions.
This grew into the explorer's club in the university.
In later years, I wanted to lead small groups into expedition only after adequate research. One of these expeditions lead to almost catastrophe since the subject recruiting was not strict enough. There was a guy who should not have accompanied the little team, who was bringing down the morale to an extent that I had to risk my life to safe all members without much of a hush and not making the guy aware of my rescue plan and emotions building in me. I knew my inner feeling were put to test and risking life on senseless bravado was total misconception.
I gave up this exercise after this episode.
I had a similar drama with my family and kids without any assistance in a high mountain by the seaside in New Zealand.
We managed to steer the course by sheer courage and impromptu decisions. My earlier rescue operation gave me insight an adequate experience not to panic in a crisis.
The dream was similar to the real life episode which brought my adrenaline high.
I will cut short the dream that went on for almost six hours and the elephant part of the dream I will describe later.
We had climbed a very steep mountain in three groups.
Strangely the groups were made on ethnic lines religious identities.
Let me say this mountain was a place for religious worship which even had some link to the heaven.
My part was for the Buddhist group and it was the steepest and the riskiest of the three faces of the mountain.
I cannot remember the ascending part of the dream but, the dream I remember was in mid flight.
We were descending down and had come to the safest part of the descend almost close to the foothill and the camping site for preparation for the ascent.
Let me in comparison to the Nallathanni in Adam's Peak's foothill.
I was the last one in the descent, which was my adopted role.
There were three of us.
One was one of my batch mates who was ambling down after a major cramp. He was a guy who won't accept any help in spite of the disability and I deliberately avoided any verbal or physical help. I watched him from above and another guy just passed me. I quickened myself to this guy who was racing down and caught him just before he could reach my friend who was struggling.
The mentality in these episodes is to reach the summit first and descend also first. I do not like these guys and do not give any responsibility them in any capacity. They are as bad as shy guys who bring down the morale. Both sheepy guys and the bravado types are hindrance to good mountain experience and fun.
Equally nobody wants to go last or one but the last. The guy would want to beat the injured and score a point at exit point.
I told him that guy is trouble. Do not overtake him but follow him to the bottom. Only volunteer, if he is desperate trouble.
Now that cleared my lot and delegated part of my responsibility to one of the members, I decided to do my own bravado.
I decided to go across the Muslim part of the route which was little bit treacherous and seen nobody (it was not my business anyway) struggling downhill and not wanting to waste my energy, decided to come down the part of the face that was for the Christian friends and was the easiest of the three faces we used for the expedition.
It was getting dark and that was one reason for me to take the short cut which was not illegal on our expedition criteria.
I miss the plot at the very beginning and I went across wrong bend and went into complete unknown territory.
I could not find my way back to the base and there was something like snow forming under my feet and there were no rock marks or surface visible except my boot marks which were vanishing like quicksand.
I hit the panic mode.
Which was unusual but meandered down all the time and I quickly realized that I was on the fourth face that we did not mapped out before our climb.
Bit crazy.
Anyway with courage and stamina I went downhill and saw a group of people sitting down at an advantage point and enjoying a barbecue. For the first time, I came to my senses and raised towards the group without any shame.
They were quite please to see me and to my pleasant surprise, there was one of my old students in the company. The introduction was brief because of that connection.
I sat down sipping a bit of beer and looked down for a panoramic view.
I must say we were stupid to climb the other three faces which were nothing but treacherous.
I asked my student how did you discover this part of the mountain.
He said it was a top secret among the senior students and only a very few were privileged to know it.
Beside one has to take permission from the Rubber Plantation company to cross their property before approaching this spot.
Besides, we did not want our teachers to know where our free time was spent.
It suddenly dawn on me that this part of the mountain face for the revelers and the atheists.
I realized the validity of not having a religion in my dream.
It was a very nice feeling and less complicated.
My student guided my down the easy path through and the Rubber plantation to safety in about 20 minutes.
I was ready for quick meal and dream mode again.
Interpretation.
Are you meditating? Was the first thing Maha asked me.
Not a lot.
But what are you trying?
Inter-religious group.
Not at all.
I am becoming an atheist after seeing the revolting BBS.
How did you end up in heaven?
It is easy.
Unlike you guys/girl we dogs did not have a religion to brag about.
But we had a different kind of a religion.
What is that?
Only please your master and his/her family.
How do you practice it.
Simple.
Faith.
Devotion.
Companionship.
In that case all company CEOs of the capitalist world and nature end up in heaven.
They only want its workers to devote their entire life even neglecting the family.
No, No.
They end up in hell not heaven.
What is the difference.
They have this 20 / 80 dividends.
That is that 20 percent of the top brass get 90% of the profit doing sweet m nothing.
The 80% do the donkey work and share minimum wage and 10% of the profits.
We as dogs do not charge anything.
Our service is free.
In that case it is better to be a dog than a CEO.
Yes, but there is subtle discretion we have to make.
Never become a CEOs dog.
Why?
They also end up in hell with their masters with their extreme devotion to the cause.
One has to become a dog for a Simple Simeon.
But what happen to stooges of political bosses.
Same scenario as the dogs of the CEOs.
Hell, my dear.
What happens to BBS guys?
They follow their political masters to special part of the Hell with no integration with other hell dwellers.
Why?
Apaya (Hell) director loves his post and does not want it to be hijacked by the BBS top guy.
Maha disappeared in a flash fearing any interaction with BBS.

 Elephant part will come as a separate episode.

I had a very hard day.
Then after a light meal, having fed the dog and the fish went to sleep.
I had two dreams that lasted probably 6 hours, I was woken up at 3.30 A. M.
One on Sri-Lankan Elephants, the other on peach of a mountain peak.
For a change I will leave the Maha's interpretation, without the dream part to save my time and go back into my dream world.
I have a dream type to tell you.
See you later.

Encounter at the peak of a Mountain

The dream
Could yu gess the dream or your vesion of the dream.
Place it under comments.

Interpretation.
How did you end up in heaven?
It is easy.
Unlike you guys/girls,  we dogs did not have a religion to brag about.
But we had a different kind of a religion.
What is that?
Only please your master and his/her family.
How do you practice it.
Simple.
Faith.
Devotion.
Companionship.
In that case all company CEOs of capitalist nature end up in heaven.
They only want the workers to devote entire life even neglecting the families.
No, No.
They end up in hell not heaven.
What is the difference.
They have this 20 / 80 dividends.
What is that 20 percent of the top brass get 90% of the profit doing sweet nothing.
The 80% do the donkey work and share minimum wage and 10% of the profits.
We as dogs do not charge anything.
Our service is free.
In that case it is better to be a dog than a CEO.
Yes, but there is subtle discretion we have to make.
Never become a CEOs dog.
Why?
They also end up in hell with their masters with their extreme devotion to the cause.
One has to become a dog for a Simple Simeon.

But what happen to stooges of political bosses.
Same scenario as the dogs of the CEOs.
Hell, my dear.
He disappeared in a flash.