Tech Today: Hacker Group Says “Bon Voyage,” Releases Files

Tech Today: Hacker Group Says “Bon Voyage,” Releases Files

Hacker Group Says “Bon Voyage,” Releases Files LulzSec, the hacker group infamous for a string of high-profile security breaches and a liberal use of nautical slang, announced on Saturday that it was going to “sail into the distance.” The group then released a cache of files including 338 files detailing AT&T’s rollout of its new broadband network. In an interview with the Associated Press, one member said, “The press are getting bored of us, and we’re getting bored of us.”

New excitement for some members is on the way. Last week, British authorities charged a 19-year-old believed to have connections to LulzSec with computer related offenses. Meanwhile a number of hacker groups have declared war on LulzSec. On Friday the Guardian posted the contents of an online chat room discussion between LulzSec members leaked by a hacker known as m_nerva. Last weekend a group called “the A-Team” posted what it said were the names and locations of LulzSec’s most senior members.

Security consultant and convicted hacker Kevin Mitnick told the Houston Chronicle that containing LulzSec won’t change anything and that copycat groups are likely set to take their place. “They can sit back and watch the mayhem and not risk being captured,” he said.

Hulu’s Owners Weigh Cons of Possible Sale: Video-streaming site Hulu plans to meet with potential buyers in the coming weeks, but the WSJ is detecting hesitancy among its media parents for the fate of their online stepchild. The relationship has made for one ugly family at times. While Hulu has allowed parents Walt Disney, News Corp. and Comcast the opportunity to test online video offerings, the owners have starved the site of new content for fear of consumers canceling their cable and satellite services. In the meantime, rival Netflix has surged ahead, often benefiting from content sold by Hulu’s media parents. Cue tantrums from Hulu’s management.

Despite this family arrangement of Trotsky-esque drama, Hulu’s owners wonder if selling the company could be more harmful, if the ownership goes to a company with less at stake in the traditional cable model. Of course, as the WSJ notes, one can never escape their parents. In this case Hulu’s current owners will still be able to influence the site based on their content arrangements.

Ad Unit Set for “World’s Largest” Database of Personal Profiles: The ad giant WPP is set to roll out a database of more than 500 unique profiles that involves demographic, financial and purchase information collected from online and brick-and-mortar transactions. The database will be used to personalize ads consumers see on Web and mobile sites and ultimately, the TV set.

The Most Connected Man in Silicon Valley Talks Web 3.0: In WSJ Magazine venture capitalist and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman talks about on the next tech boom and why privacy is something only old people care about.

Live in HD, the Earth: A Canadian company will be sending a pair of cameras to the International Space Station with the goal of capturing footage of the Earth in high-definition video. The video will be downlinked to Earth and broadcast via an online “mashup between Google Earth and YouTube,” says project co-founder Scott Larson. The site launches in early 2012, providing users with the ability to call up specific locations and times, pause, rewind, and zoom.

R.I.P. Google Health, Power Meter: Google said Friday it’s getting rid of two products that “didn’t catch on”: Google Health and Google Power Meter. Both of the tools were supposed to help people access their own data — on their health care and power usage, as the names “Google Health” and “Google Power Meter” might suggest. Who knows what went wrong? Maybe they were just ahead of their time. Over at the Health Blog, Digits colleague Katherine Hobson says personal health records are likely to be a tough sell for many people until more doctors have electronic medical records.

The Sky Looks Kinda #B4BAB8 Right Now: Contrary to popular belief, New York City’s summertime sky is not always a sparkling cerulean blue. To prove it, Mike Bodge has set up a Web site that takes a picture of the NYC sky every five minutes, takes the average color, and posts it online.