I just tried to log into my Comcast webmail and was greeted by the following at the Comcast.net main URL:
It looks like KRYOGENIKS EBK and DEFIANT are looking for credit on this hack.
Thankfully I have ‘NoScript‘ installed as a plugin for my Firefox browser to minimize the exposure I would get when something like this happens. I don’t know if a malware script was really trying to run or the URL would be malicious to my windows box if I followed it, but why tempt fate?
Too bad for Comcast…
[Update] - Apparently this is not seen by those Comcast customers using Comcast DNS servers. I use OpenDNS servers, so this may not be a complete breach of Comcast.net servers in as much as some name servers. I found a thread on DSLReports regarding the issue and a Comcast employee and forum member (Michael2) has been feeding information about the issue as it develops to forum members there. I’ll be checking it again at irregular intervals as the drama unfolds.
[Update 2] - I checked again (now) at 10:15pm PT and noticed what a commenter on Digg.com is seeing. Comcast apparently regained a bit of control and is redirecting to a subdirectory with an “Under Construction” page:
[Update 3] - As of 11:20pm PT Comcast seems to be making progress. Now the primary URL has the “Under Construction” page:
[Final Update] - As of this morning (Thursday) it appears that Comcast has regained control of their domain and it’s back to business as usual. Time to change passwords, just in case.
[Post Final Update] - Wired was able to manage an interview and post it late Thursday night of the two kids that perpetrated the pointless hack. If you’re interested in reading what a couple talented, but ultimately aimless kids were thinking not thinking, then here you go…
/drama
A writer’s strike, shitty programming and the Internet. Oh my!
Viewer’s are leaving appointment television by the droves and broadcasters are scrambling to do something, anything to keep them firmly planted on the couch during prime time. I’ve covered the topic of declining viewers in the past, but the trend in hemorrhaging viewership of major network programming and in turn local broadcast stations is accelerating, even as the number of overall television viewers are up and as many cable shows enjoyed their best ratings during the month of April. The “Big Four” networks lost 9% of their viewers over the 2008 April/May period from 2007 and last year they were already down 5% from 2006.
During the writer’s strike from November 5, 2007 to February 12, 2008 broadcast networks complained in advance that their ratings would suffer, but that it was a temporary setback in their business. Well, enough time has passed for the numbers to come out and set a table for them to eat their words. A good summary of the broadcast losers and cable winners over the past few months can be found here. Continue reading ‘Local Broadcasters Can’t Catch A Break. Mostly Their Fault.’
Sezmi is a startup out of Belmont, California that hopes to win subscribers from cable and satellite providers by providing a cheaper, on-demand and real-time television viewing service for a select selection of the more popular broadcast and “cable” channels.
This new company is born from the ashes and founders of the defunct USDTV service that burned through its cash from investors such as Fox Television Stations, Hearst-Argyle and LIN TV, but ultimately ceased operations back in March 2007. Previously under the stealth name “Building-B“, Sezmi recently unveiled their new commercial name and are again trying to entice the interest of broadcasters into donating part of their digital television data stream in order to help make their business model work. Continue reading ‘Competition for Cable & Satellite? Says Who? Sezmi.’
First, let me say that this will not work for everyone and those teenagers that have their parents footing the mobile bill, unfortunately, will not feel the financial pain of owning a cell phone. At least, not yet. However, many people are in the same boat as myself carrying a work cell and a personal cell since I bought one on my own along with a second for my wife. The phone I was issued is a very capable Blackberry 8830 with a link to the company Exchange server for e-mails and an unlimited data plan (Google Maps is so damn handy!), so I don’t use my personal phone all that much. I do conduct personal business with contacts I keep separate from work and a personal cell is perfect for that.
Therefore, while I was going over my monthly budget spreadsheet about a while back I took a cold, hard look at just how much we actually use our phones and if this 700-minute-per-month plan with Verizon for my Treo 700p and the wife’s RAZR was really worth it. In a nutshell, no. Continue reading ‘Breaking the chains. Dumping my cell phone contract.’
This year’s NAB had a bit more energy among television broadcasters than the NAB show last year and almost all of it was around the mobile DTV plans and testing currently going on. Despite the interest in mobile DTV and the NAB claiming ~105,000 registered attendees, the North and Central halls were only mildly busy. Attendance, as judged by “elbow room” has significantly waned year after year and it is easier to navigate the halls and major vendor booths. Broadcasting & Cable agrees with me on this.
The South upper and lower halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center, by way of contrast, were significantly more energetic, crowded and younger! Since the South halls were occupied by film production/support companies and smaller “new media” (read: Internet related or centric) businesses this comes as little surprise to me. Two notable companies that abstained from attending NAB this year were Avid and Apple. Apple really didn’t have a need to attend this trade show, but Avid’s considerable customer base for their product, outside of film, is the broadcast community and their absence does not portent good business sense or, more importantly, sales for the future and their stock price seems to reflect that.
During the show I did notice more DTV transmitters on the floor than last year. Continue reading ‘NAB 2008 In Review.’
