STEVE WOZNIAK & STEVE JOBS — Blue Box up for Auction

Blue Box, 1972. An original first iteration "blue box" populated circuit board made by Steve Wozniak and marketed by Steve Jobs and Wozniak, 51 x 72 mm, with speaker wire and 9volt battery connector.

Provenance: Purchased directly from Steve Wozniak by the consignor in Autumn 1972 during a drive together from Sunnyvale to Los Angeles.

Bid estimate:
US$ 4,000 - 6,000
£ 3,100 - 4,600

While "phone phreakers" (hobbyists who were fascinated by the phone system) had used a "blue box" since the 1950s to avail themselves of free phone service, the first digital blue box was designed by Steve Wozniak in 1972. 

It was marketed and sold by Wozniak (who took the phone phreak name "Berkeley Blue"), Jobs (known as "Oaf Tobar"), and friends in Berkeley and throughout California in 1972 and 1973. 

Wozniak cites the number of boxes they produced at 40 or 50, while Jobs put the number at 100; but certainly many of those were confiscated as phone phreaking arrests increased throughout 1973 to 1975, in part due to the commercial distribution of the devices. 

These blue boxes represent the first commercial collaboration between the two Apple computer giants, and the circuit boards the first printed boards by Woz. 

Very few of the Wozniak originals have survived and even fewer of these first iteration boards as Wozniak soon changed the circuit board layout to accommodate a less expensive membrane keypad. The early models would have been made by Wozniak himself. more

Back Story: I examined the photos closely. The IC chips have manufacturing dates of 1973 & 1974, thus the provenance appeared misleading. I advised the specialist at Bonhams. To his credit, and that of the auction house, they very quickly researched it further. The auction now has an addendum which clears up the mystery...

"PCB was purchased unpopulated directly from Steve Wozniak by consignor and parts were later added by consignor. Wozniak confirmed in an email to the consignor that this was one of his boards and that Steve Jobs had it printed."
 

Scarier than Halloween - Ponder This Over the Weekend...

In an influential 2003 paper, University of Oxford philosopher Nick Bostrom laid out the possibility that our reality is a computer simulation dreamed up by a highly advanced civilization. In the paper, he argued that at least one of three propositions must be true:

1. Civilizations usually go extinct before developing the capability of creating reality simulations.
2. Advanced civilizations usually have no interest in creating reality simulations.
3. We’re almost certainly living inside a computer simulation.

Now, Columbia University astronomer David Kipping took a hard look at these propositions, also known as Bostrom’s “trilemma,” and argued that there’s essentially a 50-50 chance that we are indeed living in a simulation, Scientific American reports.

Microsoft Says Iranian Hackers Targeted Conference Attendees

Microsoft says Iranian hackers have posed as conference organizers in Germany and Saudi Arabia in an attempt to break into the email accounts of “high-profile” people with spoofed invitations. 

The targets included more than 100 prominent people invited by the hackers to the Munich Security Conference, which is attended by world leaders each February, and the upcoming Think 20 Summit, which begins later this week in Saudi Arabia but is online-only this year.

“We believe Phosphorus is engaging in these attacks for intelligence collection purposes,” said Tom Burt, Microsoft’s security chief, in a prepared statement. “The attacks were successful in compromising several victims, including former ambassadors and other senior policy experts who help shape global agendas and foreign policies in their respective countries.” more

Surveillance Startup Used Own Cameras to Harass Coworkers

A surveillance startup in Silicon Valley is being accused of sexism and discrimination after a sales director used the company’s facial recognition system to harass female workers. 

Verkada, which was valued in January at $1.6 billion, equips its office with its own security cameras. 

Employees at Verkada accessed the company's facial recognition system to take photos of women colleagues and make sexually explicit jokes.

Last year, the sales director accessed these cameras to take photos of female workers, then posted them in a Slack channel called #RawVerkadawgz alongside sexually explicit jokes. The incident was first reported by IPVM and independently verified by Vice. more

Phones, Cameras, Cardkeys - What Will Track You Next?

Thanks to a new system developed at EPFL, building owners can detect the number of occupants and track their movement using sensors installed on floor slabs. This novel approach could be particularly useful for enhancing safety in retirement homes or managing buildings' energy use more efficiently...

Scientists at ENAC's Applied Computing and Mechanics Laboratory (IMAC), headed by Professor Ian Smith, have developed an alternative approach.  

"By installing sensors in a building's floor slabs, we can measure the vibrations created by footsteps. That lets us calculate the number of people in the building as well as where they are located and their trajectory," says Slah Drira, the IMAC Ph.D. student who completed his thesis on this topic.

To each his own gait...

"The signals our sensors record can vary considerably depending on the person's anatomy, walking speed, shoe type, health and mood," says Drira.

His method uses advanced algorithms—or more specifically, support vector machines—to classify the signals recorded by the sensors. Some interpretation strategies were inspired by the convolutional neural networks often employed in pixel-based image recognition, and can identify the footstep characteristics of specific occupants. more

Have Some Free Time? Learn How to Detect Spy Cameras

On-line, self-paced, professional video training course to detect spy cameras in “expectation of privacy” areas for organizations and private individuals. more

Brit Accused of Spying on 772 People via Webcam...

... tells court he'd end his life if extradited to US.

'I've seen programmes on American prisons' says wife

A Briton is reportedly fighting extradition to the United States after deploying webcam malware onto hundreds of women's laptops so he could spy on them undressing and having sex.

Christopher Taylor, a 57-year-old labourer, appeared by video link at Westminster Magistrates' Court to contest an extradition attempt by the US government, according to the Court News UK newswire.

Taylor told District Judge Michael Fanning that both he and his wife would kill themselves if he was forcibly removed to the US...

A US grand jury in the state of Georgia indicted Taylor, of Vicarage Road, Wigan, with computer fraud and wire fraud charges in January last year, the court was told. The Briton is accused of spying on 772 victims from 39 different countries after tricking them into installing CCTV camera management software called Cammy. more

Corporate Security: Patent and Trade Secret Enforcement in China

via Zhong Lun Law Firm
Over the past decade, patent and trade secret litigation has become increasingly popular in China. 

This chapter focuses on China’s adjudication system in patent and trade secret cases, on the various ways to collect evidence and the procedures involved. It also looks at recent trends to help foreign companies understand China’s patent and trade secret litigation system and to safeguard their legal rights and interests in China...

Electronic intrusion, violation of confidentiality obligations and other criminal acts are also recognized as misappropriation of trade secrets. In addition, commercial espionage crimes have also been added, which are defined as “stealing, spying, buying, and illegally providing trade secrets for foreign institutions, organizations and personnel”. more

The "electronic intrusion" part is important. Not conducting regular Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM) inspections risks weakening your standing, and missing crucial supporting evidence.

Orianne Cevey vs. Phil Collins - Accusations of Hidden Cameras

There’s been many twists and turns in the ongoing legal battle between Phil Collins and his on-again, off-again ex-wife Orianne Cevey. 

...the Swiss jewelry designer is alleging she’s being spied on by the Grammy winner after discovering a large number of hidden cameras in the hotly contested home.

In an affidavit obtained exclusively by the Daily Mail, Cevey claims she “discovered approximately 20 hidden cameras throughout the Family Home, including in my personal bathroom and changing room. These cameras were installed without my knowledge or consent. I covered these cameras with Band-Aids in order to preserve my privacy and the privacy of my children in the Family Home." more

When it comes to electronic surveillance, Band-Aid solutions are often applied. Corporations and high profile individuals either ignore the threat, or hire the most inexpensive, least knowledgeable, and least effective individuals to protect their information and privacy. Here is a list of questions to ask before you hire anyone to debug your home or business.

"Bond?, James Bond?!?! ...You're Putting Me on."

Recently declassified Cold War-era documents about a suspected British agent named James Bond have the Polish public and some in the intelligence community shaken, not stirred.

On Feb. 18, 1964, the agent named Bond, James Bond, arrived in Warsaw, then behind the Soviet Union's Iron Curtain, a barrier separating the Communist Eastern Bloc from the West.

Officially, he was employed as an archivist for the British Embassy Military Attache. But he soon earned the attention of Polish counter-intelligence officers. At one point, he was spotted snooping around a military base along the Soviet border, the Wall Street Journal reported. more

Friday Funnies

High Bridge, NJ - Tin Foil Hat Contest
Worried about microwave mind zapping, spies, aliens, or your nosy neighbor?  You may find a answer to your concerns here... Polka Dot Café in High Bridge, NJ more

Trump’s Twitter Account Was Hacked
President Trump’s Twitter account was hacked last week, after a Dutch researcher correctly guessed the president’s password: “maga2020!” more

Ghostbusters sneakers from Reebok
Reebok is releasing this fun and cartoony Ghostbusters "Ghost Smashers" sneaker design on Halloween. more (You really need the matching backpack to complete the outfit.)

Spycam Detection Training - Now with English, Spanish & Korean Closed Captions

On-line, entertaining, self-paced, video training with Certificate of Completion...

Click to enlarge.

SPYCAM DETECTION TRAINING

teaches the basic investigative skills necessary to identify and detect covert spy cameras. 

 

It also provides a complete due diligence strategy to help organizations protect their employees, customers and visitors against this privacy invasion. 

 

By taking a pro-active approach to “the video voyeur in the workplace problem" the organization also mitigates the risk of expensive lawsuits, damaging publicity and loss of good will.

In addition to the forensic training, the student receives a 25-page course text which includes a strong Recording in the Workplace policy template, a simple Inspection Log form and links to additional information.

Upon completing the course, the student will be able to conduct a professional inspection without the need for expensive instrumentation. Should an organization want to invest in instrumentation (useful for large scale inspections) links to these items are provided in the course text.

SPYCAM DETECTION TRAINING is primarily useful for:

• security managers,
• facilities managers,
• store managers,
• security officers,
• private investigators,
• landlords,
• real estate management companies,
• targets of activist groups,
• and businesses which invite the public into their locations.

Recognizing and detecting spy cameras is also a valuable skill for:

• law enforcement personnel,
• security management students,
• and the general public wishing to protect themselves against video voyeurism.

The course is structured to give the student:

• a full understanding of the video voyeur problem,
• a written policy which provides deterrence, leverage, and shows due diligence in court,
• an understanding of the different types of spy cameras and how to identify them,
• instruction on how to plan and execute a proper inspection,
• and instruction on what to do if a camera is found and how to handle the evidence.

The course takes about an hour to complete.

Spy cameras are inexpensive and readily available via the Internet and local spy shops. Every child and adult is a potential target. Business especially have a duty to protect the people using their expectation of privacy areas.

Although SPYCAM DETECTION TRAINING focuses heavily on protecting workplace environments, there is a greater good. By taking this course you will be able to use what you have learned to protect yourself and your family during your everyday travels. The effect is cumulative. As more people take this course, opportunities for video voyeurs decreases. 

Preview SPYCAM DETECTION TRAINING for FREE.

Kevin's Security Scrapbook Tops 100,000 Visitors from the USA Alone!

 Thank you, everyone! ~Kevin

The Most Underrated Threat to Corporate Information Security

Sharp spike in internet sales of USB spy cables has corporate security and IT directors concerned. Murray Associates researched and developed a solution. 

• Malicious USB cables look exactly like the real thing.
• Some act as eavesdropping bugs.
• Some have GPS tracking capability.
• The worst ones… more  pdf

Cautionary Tale: What's Worse Than Being Caught on an Open Microphone?

Being caught on an open camera...

"I believed I was not visible on Zoom," he told Vice. "I thought no-one on the Zoom call could see me. I thought I had muted the Zoom video."

Jeffrey Toobin, 60, also a prominent CNN commentator, has been in demand as the US election campaign intensifies.

The incident, first reported by Vice News, happened during an election simulation involving the New Yorker and WNYC radio last week.

Mr Toobin, in a statement to Vice, said: "I made an embarrassingly stupid mistake, believing I was off-camera." more

Spybuster Tip #840:
• Always assume the mic and camera are live, and act appropriately.

Spybuster Tip #841:
• Know how to use your tech.