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Company helps police bust computer criminals

2011-11-04T03:39:00.000-07:00

A company in Ithaca is combating cyber crime and making it harder for crooks to get away with it.

Located at the Cornell Business and Technology Park, ATC-NY works virtually to help law enforcement track, gather and process online forensic evidence. ATC-NY is a subsidiary of Minneapolis-based Architecture Technology Corp., which acquired the Cornell University spinoff in 1999.

With a staff of 30, ATC-NY specializes in cyber security and information management. It develops cutting-edge technology used by state and federal law enforcement and private companies to identify illegal online activity.

The staff is made up of experts in the field such as computer scientists, electrical engineers, computer forensic specialists and mathematicians.

"We're like a mini computer science department," said Julie Baker, ACT-NY general manager.

Before it was acquired by ATC, the company was called Odyssey Research Associates. It was founded in 1982 in Ithaca by a group of mathematicians and computational linguists led by Cornell professor Richard Platek. Odyssey Research Associates conducted research and developed a niche in cyber security, Baker said.

As the Internet rapidly becomes the next frontier in battling crime, the challenge is to stay a step ahead of potential criminals, Baker said. Online scams from financial fraud to illegal file sharing have gotten more sophisticated and cases have increased, according to the Internet Crime Complaint Center's annual report.

"Collecting and analyzing the electronic evidence can be time-consuming for law enforcement," said Baker, whose background is in computer science. "Our software extracts potential evidence from large amounts of raw data seized on disks ... Traditional forensic software presents data at a very low level, requiring the investigator to sift through mountains of data in the search for evidence. We've come up with software that simplifies the process and lets departments share information," she said.

In September, ATC-NY received grants from the National Institute of Justice's Electronic Crime and Digital Evidence Recovery Program to develop its technology.

In a recent statement regarding the grant issuance, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said, "Criminals can no longer run and hide from forensic evidence." Currently, 3,000 federal law enforcement personnel, including FBI agents, use the software.

Live Marshal is ACT-NY's latest tool that runs on Windows and Linux. It enables forensic investigators to perform a live remote investigation of computers over a network without preinstalled software. The tool is also used in corporations to make sure there is no illegal file sharing among employees.

Another tool, Mac Marshal, is in wide circulation and helps extract and analyze forensic information specific to Macintosh computers. A tool still in development is Mobile Marshal, which can target cell phones by extracting SMS messaging data and call logs and records all the actions taken on the device. Police would need a warrant to obtain the information.

ACT-NY's digital forensics software was developed with funds from the Department of Justice and is free to law enforcement around the country. For more information, visit www.atcorp.com.

Source http://www.theithacajournal.com/article/20111103/NEWS01/111030394/Made-Tompkins-Company-helps-police-bust-computer-criminals?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

31 Cent Cones Tonight Only at Baskin-Robbins

2011-04-27T22:29:00.000-07:00

Enjoy a 2.5 oz. ice cream cone for $0.31 from 5 to 10 p.m. tonight. The special event supports the National Fallen Fire Fighters Foundation.

Get as many as three scoops of ice cream for 31 cents each from Baskin-Robbins on Wednesday night. Credit Getty, O'Brien Productions

The last time an ice cream cone cost $0.31 was probably circa 1970.

Relive the days of yore tonight at Baskin-Robbins, where it's 31 Cent Scoop Night. Enjoy a 2.5 oz. ice cream cone of the flavor of your choice for $0.31 from 5 to 10 p.m. The special event supports the National Fallen Fire Fighters Foundation.

There will even be a special flavor to celebrate 31 Cent Scoop Night -- Firehouse #31. According to Victoria Ross on behalf of Baskin-Robbins, the special flavor is vanilla ice cream filled with crunchy atomic fireball ribbon, hot cinnamon, and red hot candy pieces.

In addition to offering budget friendly cones, Baskin-Robbins is making a $100,000 donation to the National Fallen Fire Fighters Foundation to say thanks to the firefighters and help support the families of those that have lost a fallen hero, Ross said.

Last year, Baskin-Robbins dished out more than four million ice cream cups and cones during 31 Cent Scoop Night, Ross said.

Baskin Robbins in Newtown is located on Richboro Road, in the Dunkin' Donuts shop.

Source http://newtown-pa.patch.com/articles/cost-for-a-cone-31-cents-tonight-only-at-baskin-robbins

US Gas Prices Rise 22 Cents in 30 Days, Diesel Up 24 Cents

2011-04-01T03:11:00.001-07:00

The current average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas in the US is $3.595, the highest ever for this time of year. Prices have risen over 2 cents since last week and are up over 22 cents from 30 days ago, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report, Wright Express and the Oil Price Information Service. One month ago the US gas average was at $3.368 per gallon.

The biggest increase was on the West Coast, where gas prices were up six cents and remained the most expensive of the major regions at $3.92 per gallon.A gallon of regular gas in San Diego on Tuesday was at $4.037, the highest since Aug. 13, 2008. The record high in San Diego was $4.63 set on June 19, 2008.

Diesel fuel is currently averaging $3.96 a gallon. One month ago diesel was $3.71 a gallon. In California, diesel is way over $4, more in the $4.30 – $4.50 range.

If your small-to-mid-sized business has a fleet of cars, trucks, vans or equipment to deliver your product or service, high gas prices can have a huge impact on your bottom line. FieldLogix fleet GPS tracking system can help you to reduce your fuel expenses and become more efficient in delivering your product or service.

For more information, please give us a call, send us an email, or check out the FieldLogix fleet tracking system.

Source http://www.fieldtechnologies.com/us-gas-prices-rise-22-cents-in-30-days-diesel-up-24-cents/

Toxicomane, il semble que seule la prison arrive à le sevrer

2011-03-14T22:12:00.000-07:00

Le jeune homme arrive de détention provisoire lorsqu'il se présente à la barre du tribunal. Il est poursuivi pour avoir transporté, détenu, acquis, donné et vendu des substances illégales, le tout en récidive. Ce Lézignannais a été interpellé le 26 février dernier alors qu'il roulait à très vive allure dans les rues de Béziers. Les policiers ont retrouvé sur lui une cinquantaine de cachets d'ecstasy et de la cocaïne.

Présenté dans le cadre de la procédure de comparution immédiate, il a demandé, comme c'est son droit, un délai pour pouvoir préparer sa défense. Le tribunal a dû décider si oui, ou non, il allait attendre son procès en détention.

La présidente Claire Ougier le questionne sur sa situation. Le jeune homme lâche : « J'ai une promesse d'embauche.

» La magistrate ne peut pas s'empêcher de lui renvoyer : « C'est extraordinaire ! Dès qu'il y a une procédure, il y a une promesse d'embauche ! » Le prévenu précise qu'il est soudeur. Il ajoute qu'il est toxicomane depuis l'âge de 17 ans et qu'il prend de l'ecstasy et la cocaïne quand il sort. Veut-il s'en sortir ? « Je me suis soigné forcé en prison mais tout a recommencé à la sortie. »

Le vice-procureur Henric Bec requiert la détention provisoire pour « éviter la réitération des faits. Il n'a pas de véritable souhait de quitter la drogue. Il n'a aucun projet professionnel. Le patron qui a signé cette promesse dit qu'il l'embauchera à sa sortie de prison comme si c'était déjà acquis. »

La défense argue : « Son ex-compagne, avec qui il est resté très proche, est enceinte. C'est très important pour lui de vivre cette période. Il peut habiter chez sa mère. » Elle plaide le contrôle judiciaire.

Le tribunal a ordonné le maintien en détention.

Source http://www.midilibre.com/articles/2011/03/14/BEZIERS-Toxicomane-il-semble-que-seule-la-prison-arrive-a-le-sevrer-1564708.php5