Omanmobile.com

Something fishy is going on. I could call it something sharky, but then that’d be bad humor (for those who understand it).

Apparently, Oman Mobile’s 2ndary domain name is having some, umm, err, technical issues. Seems a group of dudes/gals has pwned them and taken over the http://www.omanmobile.com/ domain with a customized page.

My last visit to the .com comain was a good 3/4 months ago. I’ve a bookmark on the http://www.omanmobile.om/en page, and go there directly. At the time of my visit (and as per my coworkers), the .com domain was redirecting to the .om domain fine until 3-4 days ago. And now this.

A quick search of Google’s cache shows that their cache has the hacked page (if it is indeed a genuine hack, as it seems). The cache was updated 22nd July. Dunno if oman mobile are doing something to get it back, or what is delaying them.

Pending fixing of the issue by them, this is what the wessite looks like right now:

As usual, Google Translate has tonnes of gibberish Engrish:

Civil ropes::.
.:: .:: والجندي في الساحة ::. The soldier on the ground::.
.:: والتهكير للعباقرة .:: The genius of Althecer ::. ::.
.:: تباً للعالم أجمع .:: Woe to the world ::. ::.
.:: مجرمون بلا جريمه وذنبنا كلمة .:: Crime and criminals without a word surely we ::. ::.
.:: ( HACKER .:: (HACKER ) ) ::. ::.
.:: دع التفكير . . . . وتمتع بالدلآآآآآخه .:: Let the thought…. And enjoy Baldlaaaaakh ::. ::.
.:: وراء كل غضبة هكر دمعة ضحيه ::. .:: Behind all the tears of outrage هكر victim::.
ولا تنسى هذا المثل : : Do not forget this example::
.:: .:: عيش نذل تموت مرتآآآآآآآآح ::. Live Rascally Mrtaaaaaaaah die::.
.:: إننا ل ا ندعي الذكاء ولكن نسعى لتحطيم الأذكياء ::. .:: We are for a claim, but we are intelligent and smart to break::.
.:: نعشق الموت لكي لا تعشقنا الحياة ::. .:: Love death so as not to Tahqna life::.
.:: فدخلنا مدارس الهكر لنعاقب الحقرآآآآآء ::. .:: Vdechlna الهكر schools to punish Alhakraaaaae::.
.:: .:: للتهور جنوون وللقياده فنوون ولتهكير فريقٌ مجنوون Jnoon of recklessly and for the leadership team Vnwon and Thecer Mjnoon ::. ::.
.:: الــيــوم يــومـــك يــا بــطــل ::. .:: Today the day you, hero::.

HaCkEd By : HaCkEd By:
& &
Fbi تحياتي Fbi Greetings

بو نورة نــاصر فــــلاح Bo Nora Nasser Al Falah
xiv@hotm4il.com xiv@hotm4il.com
Mr.FBi Mr.FBi
FBi@hotmail.it FBi@hotmail.it

Any one knows what’s going on??

-FK

10 Grand – Below the belt!

Thanks to Queen of Tarts for sending this. Now, I’m starting off with a disclaimer that this stinks. In fact, I’m all ready to dismiss it as outlandish, but then again, the URL seems legit, & Mozilla had a scheme somewhat like this sometime ago, albeit without the cash. So typical of Microsoft to ripoff someone else’s idea.

The idea is that Microshort has created a page somewhere on the interwebs that is IE viewable only. And whoever finds

click to enlarge

that page gets to win 10,000 US$. They claim that page is non-Firefox viewable, however, I’ll have to recheck that one.

The original announcement is spotted at Microsort Australia. Then there’s a Twitter page (and user @Tengrand_IE8) which shall start posting clues everyday from the 19th of June onwards. Another website is linked too, but it is down (or mebbe just for me @ work).

Now I want to know what type of pages are visible in IE8 and not in FF3. How is FF3.5 team going to be able to resist adding features to their browser to make it open anything on the web. Ofcourse, the winning page can always detect the browser type and then render some alternate elements to be displayed. But then again, I use IE Tab, (which is awesome btw) and User agent switching plugin which defeats the whole purpose of this idea, right? Hehhe!

And what if we do a V for Vendetta and flood the Intertubes with the winning page? And how does Microsock hope to use this tactic to make IE8 actually work properly!???!!

As usual, the shenanigans start. here, here, here and here.

So, someone from Oman finding it?

-FK

Update: Microshlong is really desparate for IE8.

Update #2: The whole thing works with User Agent Switch. The ThisMachine diagnostic website reads FF3 as IE8, fully and properly. Ironically, when I tried it using IE8, they told me I was using IE7. Now THAT’s Ironic!!!!!!

Using FF3: Click to enlarge

Using IE8: click to enlarge

Dodge the Dodge

I’m impressed. Not that such a thing exists, it sure does, but that Kuwait is actually going to use it!

Basically the idea is to have two number-plate-recognizing cameras on a police car. The cameras scan number plates, query the head office database, get details and raise alerts of something amiss is found! It is capable of 50 scans per second. Sounds good. I’m assuming after that the policeman turns on the nitro boost, guns the engine and floors his vehicle, follows the offender’s, car, flashing lights and blaring horns and pulls the guy/gal over and books him/her, poor thing.

Something after 6 months, the policemen keep the camera off since they are instructed by the HQ as the DB cannot keep up with the flood of inquiries; tired of following every person, cannot decide who to follow in case of multiple results and are tired of the crappy WAP/3G/WAN/EDGE/GPRS/Radio data connection speeds that makes the HQ DB return replies to queries that were send an hour ago.

And kudos points to the Kuwaiti police for having the 2009 5.7-l Dodge Chargers!!!!

-FK

The Car will Simulate a Car!

Chief Reporter of Gulf News reports that “Learner Drivers to be Trained on Simulator”. Wow! I think. I gotta see this one. I had an image of the X-drive ride thingy (that was in Wadi Kabir garden some eons ago). A cocoon completely on weird hydraulics that would move everywhere and filled inside with a grand 360-degree display unit, awesome sound system and big-ass techno-software that would control everything!

Guess what? Flagderash!

The licensing agency of the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has acquired a ‘vehicle’ simulator which will help assess the abilities of learners.

“The technology used in the system is quite unique and unprecedented worldwide as it is the sole system that uses vehicles physically,” said a senior official.

The vehicle is driven using a steering wheel with mobile monitors on both sides of the vehicle to reflect the driving speed.

Aww jeez, c’mon! System is unique ‘coz it uses a ‘car’!?? It’s a SIMULATOR! It’s NOT supposed to use a car! Who comes up with these ideas!!? Even more, who comes up with these articles??!

The vehicle is driven using a steering wheel with mobile monitors on both sides of the vehicle to reflect the driving speed.

The technology is different from other simulator technologies as it gives the driver a real feel of road conditions[...]

Mobile monitors? What? The monitors move or something? Maybe they’ve got 10 monitors per side and each monitor shows a still image and the monitors move backwards in a loop to give the impression that the car is moving forwards!

Needless to say, I have questions. Is the car started? Is it turned off? Is there feedback from the engine (forex when the driver lets off the accelerator and does not yet engage the brake). Does the engine sound appropriately to assist in shifting gears? Is the power steering turned on? Is turning the steering wheel on a stationary car the same as turning one on a moving car? Do they allow for G-forces in case of sudden braking and sudden acceleration?

Maybe I can train ppl in my car on a private roadway and call it a simulator that trains “without risking the life of the trainee or other road users”.

*sigh*

-FK

Documents Attached – umm – shit – Now Attached!

Dear M,

Do find the attached documents. I know you are pressed for time so thank you for reviewing them.

Hoping for a favorable response asap.

Regards,

FK

——————————————————————————————————

Dear FK,

There’s no attachment!

-M

——————————————————————————————————

Hi,

*sheepish smile* Apologies for the oversight.

Do find the attachments.

-FK

——————————————————————————————————

FK, Happens!

-M

——————————————————————————————————

*facepalm*

——————————————————————————————————

Here’s an Outlook 2007 attachment reminder. It ‘reads’ you message (okay, it finds keywords) and reminds you to attach if you click ‘Send’ before attaching something. You can add/remove keywords & the plugin checks only the latest message in a long chain. Windows only.

src: addictivetips.com

-TFK

Oman # 50 in NRI 2008-09 (2)

Day before yesterday, I posted about Oman’s readiness in the Network Readiness Index. Today, after re-reading it at MC’s place, I started to comment. And as it often happens, the comment blossomed into this post.

50th is a good place to be, atleast overall. After all, it is a ‘Global’ survey. But there are little things that bug me. E.g. scale of things. India is 54 but look at its size. Balloon Oman to a billion people and then where do we stand? Does the report that that into account? Even if the economies of scale are not in use here, what about the economies-of-having-oil-money-and-being-a-rich-country? Similarly the fact that being 50 out of 134, if worthy of mention, will be celebrated, rather than considered a starting point to improve upon. 96% mobile penetration is good, but 13% internet penetration? Does that tell us about the user-level or Internet prices?

And then there are the highlights. Inidvidual things that make me go aargh.

(Report Consideration point followed by Oman’s ranking in that aspect out of 134)

Number of procedures to enforce a contract, 2008*: 127

We are worse-er than 126 countries when we need to enforce a contract! Does that mean our contracts are more secure since they are oh-so-whetted and checked and cross-checked? How many of you have even defended your contract in a legal battle? Isn’t the house rent contract a contract? Do I have anything in my defense? Has MM managed to stop my landlord from raising the rent from 300 to 500 rials for the same 3-bed apartment?

Availability of new telephone lines: 88

Huh?? Its 2009.

Quality of math and science education: 83

Explains why Omanis are being forced into being drivers, shopkeepers and barbers (planned).

High-speed monthly broadband subscription, 2006: 79

I was expecting worse, wishing for better.

But then there are good things:

Burden of government regulation: 7
Extent and effect of taxation: 7
Total tax rate, 2007: 11

Makes me pity my friends who were earning more in the states when they were illegal!

Residential telephone connection charge, 2006: 18

Government prioritization of ICT: 46
Gov’t procurement of advanced tech products: 22
Importance of ICT to government vision of the future: 21
E-Government Readiness Index, 2008: 76

Who they asked that from?

Makes me scratch my head, go arrgh, praise the govt. and say I-told-you-so at the same time.

-TFK

SE T707 Cellphone

I use a SonyEricsson cellphone. That was a heart-aching shift from 6 years of using the Nokia NGAGE-QD. The shift was that the QD had starting crumbling & that I got a PSP. Come Comex 2008, I got the SE P1i. Till now I like it (But I still want PalmOSs sms management software!!)

SE has released another phone. Seemingly it is a hit-and-miss affair, as reviewers who like it, like it and others don’t (Wait, that didn’t make much sense!)

It even has hand-gesture control (not motion sensing).

Gizmodo – The Gesture Reading Sony Ericsson T707 Meh Cellphone – Sony ericsson t707.

-TFK

Oman # 50 in NRI 2008-09

The NRI (network Readiness Index) is a ranking of market, political, regulatory and infrastructure environment; individual, business and government readiness for ICT and individual, business and government usage of ICT.

It also involves # of PCs, mobiles, information communication freedom (uh-oh), internet connectivity and other things.

Oman is ranked # 50 out of 137 countries.

The list is headed by (as usual) Denmark, Swededn and the US in 1,2,3. The whole report can be seen here (pdf).

(src: News Int)

-TFK