White House warns of dangers

Attorney General Eric Holder promises the Justice Department will play a "pivotal role" in thwarting efforts by WikiLeaks or any other organization to extract data illegally from U.S. companies.

(Credit: White House)

The White House warned today of the threat posed by WikiLeaks, LulzSec, and other "hacktivist" groups that have the ability to target U.S. companies and expropriate confidential data.
A new administration-wide strategy (PDF) disclosed at a high-profile event in Washington that included Attorney General Eric Holder says the theft of trade secrets is on the rise and predicts such theft will undermine U.S. national security unless halted.
It's a "steadily increasing threat to America's economy and national security interests," Holder said at the event, which also featured officials from the State Department and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
"Disgruntled insiders [may leak] information about corporate trade secrets or critical U.S. technology to 'hacktivist' groups like WikiLeaks," the White House warns. Such groups could "develop customized malware or remote-access exploits to steal sensitive U.S. economic or technology information."
It's an unanticipated inclusion in a strategy that was expected to be focused on state-sponsored intrusions -- especially in the wake of disclosures this week about the Chinese military's involvement in penetrating the networks of U.S.-headquartered companies -- and signals that the government's interest in WikiLeaks has not abated. Vice President Joe Biden has called WikiLeaks editor Julian Assange a "high-tech terrorist," and a grand jury has been empaneled in Alexandria, Va., as part of a criminal investigation of the group.
While WikiLeaks is probably best known for disclosing sensitive U.S. government files, it has also released internal bank documents (and once promised to release more) and has been the subject of a controversial funds blockade by Mastercard, Visa, and PayPal. For its part, LulzSec successfully targeted News Corp., HBGary, and Sony in 2011, but has been far less active since, especially after it was infiltrated by the FBI.
The White House strategy views both organizations as part of a broader problem of nongovernment groups taking aim at U.S. companies' networks, and predicts:

Some intelligence services with less developed cyberprograms already use relationships with nominally independent hackers to augment their capabilities to target political and military information or to carry out operations against regime enemies. For example, the Iranian Cyber Army, a hacker group with links to the Iranian Government, has used social engineering techniques to obtain control over Internet domains and disrupt the political opposition...
Political or social activists also may use the tools of economic espionage against U.S. companies, agencies, or other entities. The self-styled whistle-blowing group WikiLeaks has already published computer files provided by corporate insiders indicating allegedly illegal or unethical behavior at a Swiss bank, a Netherlands-based commodities company, and an international pharmaceutical trade association. LulzSec -- another hacktivist group -- has exfiltrated data from several businesses that it posted for public viewing on its Web site.

In response to these threats, as well as to state-sponsored groups such as the ones Mandiant disclosed this week, the administration says it will increase "international law enforcement cooperation" and that the FBI and Justice Department will "prioritize these investigations and prosecutions."
WikiLeaks' Assange said in November in an appearance from Ecuador's London embassy that prosecutors want alleged source Bradley Manning, who's currently facing criminal charges inside the military justice system, to identify him as a party to the extraction and delivery of secret U.S. government files.
The Army wants, Assange said from his embassy room where he has sought refuge to avoid an extradition attempt, "to break him, to force him to testify against WikiLeaks and me" -- an apparent reference to the Justice Department's grand jury probe. If prosecutors allege conspiracy to commit computer crimes, they could avoid some of the free speech problems they'd face in an Espionage Act prosecution.

Bill Gates 'not satisfied' with Microsoft's innovations

Bill Gates on CBS This Morning.

(Credit: CBS News/Screenshot by CNET)

Although Bill Gates stepped away from his day-to-day role at Microsoft nearly five years ago, he still keeps a close eye on the company he co-founded -- and he isn't always happy with what he sees.
During an interview broadcast this morning on CBS This Morning, the Microsoft chairman was asked by Charlie Rose whether he was happy with Steve Ballmer's performance as chief executive. Noting that there have been "many amazing things" accomplished under Ballmer's leadership in the past couple of years, Gates said he was not satisfied with the company's innovations.
"Well, he and I are two of the most self-critical people -- you can imagine," Gates said during the interview (see video below). "And here were a lot of amazing things that Steve's leadership got done with the company in the last year. Windows 8 is key to the future. The Surface computer. Bing, people are seeing as a better search product. Xbox."

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"But is -- is it enough?" he said. "No, he and I are not satisfied that in terms of, you know, breakthrough things, that we're doing everything possible."
Gates was especially critical of Microsoft's position in the smartphone sector, where the company currently holds just 2.4 percent of the market, according to recent IDC data.
"There's a lot of things like cell phones where we didn't get out in the lead very early....We didn't miss cell phones, but the way we went about it didn't allow us to get the leadership. So it's clearly a mistake."
The primary focus of the interview was the Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation, the philanthropy to which Gates has dedicated most of his attention since stepping away from Microsoft in 2008.

HTC One vs. iPhone 5

By Will Shanklin
February 20, 2013

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We compare the specs - and other features - of the HTC One and iPhone 5
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Three years ago, one of Apple’s prime competitors from the Android side of the pond was the HTC EVO 4G. How times have changed. While Apple and Samsung duke it out at the top of the smartphone heap, HTC’s profits have dropped off the face of the earth. But everyone loves a good comeback story, and HTC is pulling out all the stops with its new flagship, the One. Read on, as we compare it to Apple’s top-selling iPhone 5.

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Size

There are bigger phones than the HTC One, but it still follows the recent trend of super-sized Android phones. The iPhone 5, meanwhile, is larger than its predecessors but small compared to the One.
The iPhone may be more comfortable to hold and use with one hand, while the One gives you a larger window into your apps and media.

Weight

The iPhone 5 is about 22 percent lighter than the HTC One. Both devices live in tightly-constructed aluminum bodies.

Display

The One's screen has an extra (diagonal) inch of screen real estate, and many more pixels.
Many high-end Android phones in 2013 are going to have 1080p displays, and the One is a card-carrying member of that club. It might be overkill, and – with some handsets – it might lead to crappy battery life. But your eyeballs may ultimately decide that it’s all worthwhile.

Processor

On paper, the One’s Snapdragon 600 chip wins hands-down. Its benchmarks will likely agree. Apple, though, prioritizes experience over specs, and it’s hard to argue that the iPhone 5 doesn’t blaze through iOS and most apps.

RAM

The HTC One also comes out looking good here, with double the iPhone’s 1 GB of RAM.

Storage

HTC skipped a 16 GB option, but otherwise flash memory is even. Neither device supports microSD cards for expandable storage.

Wireless

In regions where it’s available, both phones support LTE networks. This is practically a given with modern high-end handsets (the Nexus 4 is a rare exception).

Battery

The HTC One’s battery holds a lot more juice than the iPhone’s. Take this with grains of salt, though. Many other factors determine uptime, and the One’s battery has to power a display with over a million extra pixels.
Neither phone's battery is removable.

Cameras

Four megapixels doesn’t sound like a lot for the One’s shooter, but they’re what HTC calls “ultrapixels.” There are less of them, but they’re bigger. Combined with its f2.0 aperture and 1/3-inch backlit-CMOS sensor, HTC says the One’s camera will perform better in low light than competing smartphones.
On the software side, HTC’s handset introduces Zoe: a feature that simultaneously takes still-shots and records 1080p video. This gives you a plethora of options – including an animated “Living” image gallery, and the ability to choose the best from several shots.

Software

HTC is emphasizing its custom software skin – Sense – and its intriguing new features. The most memorable part is BlinkFeed, a Flipboard-esque feed reader that sits front and center as a sort of home screen. It’s a bold departure from the standard grid of icons.
Hidden as it may be, the One still runs Android: 4.1.2 Jellybean to be exact (one full version behind Google’s latest major release). Like most Android devices, you’ll get your apps from Google’s Play Store.
The iPhone 5 runs iOS 6 (6.1.2 at the moment), Apple’s newest version of its mobile OS. You get iCloud for (sometimes) easy syncing, the Siri virtual assistant, and – gasp – Apple Maps. Perhaps the biggest highlight, though, is the App Store – with over 750,000 apps and games.

Wrap-up

Here we have two high-end smartphones with premium aluminum builds. The One’s specs come out ahead in many categories, but – at least if you jive with Apple’s philosophy – specs are but means to the end of experience.
No matter how you look at it, these are probably two of the best phones around (or will be – the One launches in mid-March). If you want to hold the magnifying glass to another killer handset, you can check out our comparison of the One with Samsung’s Galaxy S III.

American Idol

American Idol threw yet another new twist at its 40 remaining contestants: a sudden-death round.

"One song, one chance, no mercy," Ryan Seacrest said as the first group of 10 female contestants gathered in Las Vegas to try to finally sing their way – in front of a boisterous studio audience – through to the "America votes" phase of the competition.

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Five women moved on, five went home.

Kentucky high school junior Jenny Beth Willis, whose rendition of a Trisha Yearwood song earned mixed reviews from the judges, was the first up. Although Keith Urban appreciated her "effortless confidence," Nicki Minaj said her performance lacked excitement (a comment that elicited the first audience boos of the season). Final result: It was the end of the road for Willis.

Tenna Torres, 28, – who attended Mariah Carey's camp for kids as a youngster – took the stage next and impressed the judges with her take on the Natasha Bedingfield's "Soulmate." But she lost style points with Minaj, who didn't like one particular aspect of her look. "Lose the hair," said Minaj, who felt the contestant's coif aged her. Final result: She made it through to the Top 20.

The three most powerful performances of the night all made it to the next round: Nashville's Kree Harrison, who despite taking a decidedly plain-Jane approach to styling, wowed the judges with her version of Patty Griffin's "Up to the Mountain." "You sang the hell out of that song," said Carey.

Angela Miller, 18, of Massachusetts, belted out Jessie J's hit "Nobody's Perfect." But she pretty much was.

And Amber Holcomb, an assistant teacher from Texas, closed the show with a rousing (and well received) rendition of "My Funny Valentine."

For the final spot of the night, it came down to Anchorage, Alaska, resident Adriana Latonio, 17, who tackled Aretha Franklin's "Ain't No Way," and Shubha Vedula, a Michigan high school senior who sang Lady Gaga's "Born This Way."

Although the judges saw potential in both contestants, they ultimately picked Lantonio's powerhouse vocals in a final emotional moment.

Thursday will bring out the guys. The first round of 10 will take the stage to try to make the top 20 – but once again, five will go home.

Happy Birthday, Kurt Cobain: Peek Inside the Icon’s Letters & Journals

“No amount of effort can save you from oblivion.”

On February 20, 1967, legendary Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain took his first breath. Twenty-seven years later, after a debilitating struggle with addiction and depression, he took his own life with a shotgun to the head and became the tragic patron-saint of the grunge generation. The posthumously released Kurt Cobain: Journals (public library) offers an unprecedented glimpse of the modern icon’s inner life, from an anatomy of his eclectic influences — John Lennon, the Stooges, the Sex Pistols, PJ Harvey, Public Enemy, David Bowie — to a chronicle of his tumultuous psychoemotional landscape to sketches and drawings that would later grace Nirvana album covers and that, like those of Sylvia Plath, Queen Victoria, and Richard Feynman, have been acclaimed for their artistic acumen.
The book begins with a meandering letter Cobain wrote to Melvins drummer Dale Crover in 1988, discussing the first glimmers of fame, the mediocrity of late-night television, the superficiality of publicity, and the decision to name the band Nirvana:

Hello, this is me saying ‘everything is basically raining, dull, and OK.’

In another piece, Cobain offers a mediation on culture underpinned by deep self-awareness with undertones of self-loathing:

I like to complain and do nothing to make things better. I like to blame my parents generation for coming so close to social change then giving up after a few successful efforts by the media & government to deface the movement by using the Mansons and other Hippie representatives as propaganda examples on how they were nothing but unpatriotic, communist, satanic, inhuman diseases, and in turn the baby boomers became the ultimate, conforming, yuppie hypocrites a generation has ever produced.

What might at first appear as an inability to embody the ideals of Bertrand Russell, Galileo, and Eleanor Roosevelt regarding conformity, opinion, and conviction is in fact Cobain’s subversive strategy for changing the status quo from the inside:

I like to calmly and rationally discuss my views in a conformist manor even though I consider myself to the extreme left.
I like to inflate the mechanics of a system by posing as one of them, then slowly start the rot from the inside of the empire.

In what reads like the more hopeless counterpart to David Foster Wallace’s meditation on popular taste, Cobain bemoans the American propensity for fads:

The conspiracy toward success in America is immediacy. … Here today, gone tomorrow because yesterday’s following was nothing more than a tool in every individuals need for self-importance, entertainment, and social rituals. Art that has long lasting value cannot be appreciated by the majorities. Only the same, small percent will value arts patience as they always have. This is good. The ones who are unaware do not deserve false suggestions in their purchasing duties.

Cobain notes the warped mythologies of fame, which disguise for the mainstream the enormous role of “minorities” — who were really creative majorities in many regards — in shaping the history of modern culture:

I like the comfort in knowing that women are generally superior and naturally less violent than men.
I like the comfort in knowing that women are the only future in rock and roll.
I like the comfort in knowing that the Afro American invented rock and roll yet has only been rewarded or awarded for their accomplishments when conforming to the white mans standards.
I like the comfort in knowing that the Afro American has once again been the only race that has brought a new form of original music to this decade.

(For an inspired and timeless testament to all of the above, look no further than reconstructionist Sister Rosetta Tharpe, “grandmother of rock and roll.”)

A grim, angry, fragmented note laments the cult of commercialism:

The late 1980′s
This is a subliminal example of a society that has sucked & fucked itself into a rehashing value of greed.
[…]
You get the overall feeling that you paid way too much for literally nothing stimulating.
[…]
The jokes on you so kill yourself
No amount of effort can save you from oblivion. …
No Address
No Editor
No Ad rates

On page 204 of Journals, which writers were reportedly forbidden from reproducing due to the controversial nature of a self-portrait it contains, Cobain cites six cut-and-pasted lines from Alicia Ostriker’s stirring poem “A Young Woman, A Tree”:

Passing that fiery tree — if only she could
Be making love,
Be making a painting,
Be exploding, be speeding through the universe
Like a photon, like a shower
Of yellow blazes –

But perhaps most moving of all is Cobain’s strikingly earnest and aspirational, if also strikingly misspelled, list of life advice — reminiscent of Woody Guthrie’s 1942 New Year’s Resolution list — followed by a disclaimer that applies to just about every aspect of living with personal integrity:

1. Dont rape
2. Dont be prejudice
3. Dont be sexist
4. Love your children
5. Love your neighbor
6. Love yourself

Dont let your opinions obstruct the aforementioned list.

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Kurt Cobain: The King of Grunge Rock, ‘an old memory’, turns 46!

Ananya Bhattacharya

“It is better to burn out than to fade away.”
- Kurt Donald Cobain, (1967-1994)

Any youngster who comes in contact with the works of Kurt Cobain, they say, is bound to fall head over heels in love with him. Be it his outrageously beautiful poetry or his devastating words, Cobain is one guy for who even the ‘burning out’ that he so advocated was put to shame. One gunshot and the young man fell to death – at the shamefully young age of 27.

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Kurt Donald Cobain, had he been alive today, in addition to having had completed 46 glorious years of his life, might have changed the face of rock music as we know it. For in the few years from 1982 to 1994 that he was actively into music, Cobain’s work with grunge rock carved his name in golden letters in the annals of rock history.


In more ways than one, Kurt Cobain lived the life of a lightning bolt. A flash, a thundering applause and everything burned to ashes. In 1985 when Cobain collaborated with Krist Novoselic to form the band ‘Nirvana’, there were many struggling singers in the rock scene of the US. What set ‘Nirvana’ apart, however, was the pure shock that most of its song-lyrics came packed with. At times, the words were so dense that people ended up misinterpreting them – as had happened with the song ‘Rape Me’. The anti-rape song still comes across as one of Cobain’s most revolutionary works mainly due the strength of its lyrics and the fact that it was an objective discussion of rape.

Kurt Cobain’s first rendezvous with the guitar took place soon after his fourteenth birthday in 1981 when his uncle offered him the choice of either a bike or a used guitar as a gift. Cobain chose the latter – and that one moment will probably go down as one of the most defining moments in the history of 20th century music. The teenage Cobain soon played Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway to Heaven’ to perfection and thereafter, began working on his own songs. Krist Novoselic and Cobain were brought together by their strong love for punk rock, and the two soon formed ‘Nirvana’. The percussionist’s position, for a few years, was unstable, and then Chad Channing came into the scene. This band of three recorded the album ‘Bleach’, and then, Novoselic and Cobain finally zeroed in on Dave Grohl – the drummer with whom Nirvana recorded most of their albums.

In 1991, Cobain and his band tasted success of the kind that is considered enviable at the least and paradisiacal at the most. With the album ‘Nevermind’, and its lead single ‘Smells like teen spirit’, Kurt Cobain became a name to reckon with in the rock canvas of the world. The song led to the massive popularization of the sub-genre of alternative or grunge rock and ‘Nirvana’ gained the status of cult. As a songwriter with ‘Nirvana’, Kurt Cobain and his band sold more than 25 million albums in the US alone and over 50 million worldwide – such was the spell that the singer had been able to cast on people!


Drug abuse and his relationship with Courtney Love – were two of the major setbacks in Kurt Cobain’s life – or so the popular fan-hypotheses run. In fact, Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love are believed to have bonded through drugs. Cobain suffered from an undiagnosed stomach condition. His liaison with the dark world of drugs began at the tender age of 13 when he first sniffed marijuana. Once into adulthood and fame, the usage and the prices of the drugs that he used were on an unstoppable upward rise. Marijuana made way for LSD, Heroin and Percodan gradually and Cobain’s ‘Nevermind’ tours began to be affected majorly by his drug abuse.

On April 8, 1994, an electrician discovered Kurt Cobain lying on the floor with a little blood next to his ear. Thereafter, a shotgun pointing towards his chin came into the picture. The death of Kurt Cobain did not put an end to anything. It opened up a Pandora’s Box on the one hand with investigations into the exact method of his death, and on the other, Cobain’s death opened up a treasure chest of fame. In life if he had been able to achieve the status of a cult, it was with his death that Kurt Cobain turned into a legend, a phenomenon, a God.

Kurt Cobain’s songs, his poetry, his words, his very life – a short one, laced with intoxicating amounts of fame – have inspired much of popular culture since his death in 1994. The end of the twentieth century saw Cobain immortalised in books, films and the like. Underlying all of that, there is a deep sense of regret. Kurt Cobain was one man whose life would have made a lot more difference than what his death has been able to do.

“Come, as you are,
As you were,
As I want you to be...
As a friend,
As an old memory...”

Follow @ananya116

First Published: 2/20/2013 1:17:17 PM

Kurt Cobain remembered on what would've been 46th birthday

By Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, TODAY

Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain killed himself in 1994, but the singer, who would have turned 46 Wednesday, has not been forgotten. His music lives on, of course, and the bands and musicians he influenced are all over the radio. Cobain's daughter Frances Bean, not even two when he died, is now 20.

Getty Images file

Kurt Cobain taping "MTV Unplugged" in 1993, the year before he killed himself.

Fans on Twitter didn't forget Cobain on his birthday, and posted a variety of remembrances.
How do you remember Kurt Cobain? Tell us on Facebook.

Slideshow: Nirvana

Everett Collection

Launch slideshow