Internet-connected coffee maker has security holes

An Australian man has discovered security vulnerabilities in his Internet-connected coffee maker that could allow a remote attacker to not only take over his Windows XP-based PC but also make his coffee too weak.

Craig Wright, a risk advisory services manager at professional services firm BDO, found several security holes, including a buffer overflow in the Internet Connection software that links his Jura F90 coffee maker to his PC.

Once connected to the Internet, the high-end coffee maker, which retails for nearly US$2,000 on Amazon, lets you do things like set the strength of your coffee and get remote diagnostic help over the Internet without having to send the appliance in for service.

Wright posted the information on the vulnerabilities, and the fact that there is no patch available yet, to the BugTraq security email list on Tuesday.

A US-based public relations representative for the coffee maker said she would try to reach spokespeople in the Switzerland headquarters for comment.

The threat hasn't kept Wright awake at night, although the coffee does, he said in an interview with CNET News.com at 2:30 Wednesday morning Sydney time.

"I don't know if many people would target this particular vulnerability because there probably are not a lot of coffee makers at the moment that are Internet-connected, and in my case it's behind a firewall," he said.

However, Internet-connected appliances are the wave of the future. There is already an Internet-connected refrigerator, at least one prototype of a Web-enabled oven, and pilot tests for dryers and water heaters.

Eventually "you'll be able to turn on your oven with your mobile phone" and a malicious hacker could wind up burning the house down, Wright said.

Via CNET Crave

Spain's football Superstar vs. the Transformers

If you have been watching Euro 2008, you'll know that Spain is one of the most exciting teams to watch. With Euro 2008 still underway and the Spanish team through to the quarter finals, Spanish TV channel Cuatro decided to show its support for its country by making this short 49-second advertisement.

Heavily influenced by both the Transformers and Iron Man movies, creative agency Kotoc created this very entertaining advertisement to show how strong the Spanish team are (in fact, they are really good) by depicting in the video that they are unstoppable.

The short video, called Cuatrobots, consists of four video sequences of 15 seconds each. The video stars Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas and Liverpool star striker Fernando Torres slashing, punching, kicking and crashing against a team of evil alien robots, which I believe represent their opponents in Euro 2008.

Hmm… I wonder why they didn't include their whole squad. But in the meantime, enjoy the entertaining video below.

Robo-chair goes by the book

Now here's a trend we can definitely get behind--or in front of, as the case may be: Robo-devices that follow you around. We thought the Shadow Caddy was a nice idea but just an isolated novelty when it surfaced last month, but maybe there's more to it after all.

The general idea has been expanded to, of all places, the library with the Take a Seat Chair. This agreeable robo-concept would theoretically follow whomever activated it with a swipe of the library card across its sensors. It's the brainchild of Dutch designer Jelte van Geest, who conceived the idea for the Openbare Bibliotheek Endhoven Library Design project, according to Uber-Review.

The only complication we can foresee is renting one of these in a facility with a lot of staircases. But if it can be combined with a Roomba, perhaps libraries could install more elevators from the cost savings in janitorial labor.



Via CNET Crave

A different kind of pork floss

If there's one thing more wonderful than shiny new gadgets, it's got to be bacon. Crispy, aromatic bacon. What better way to cap your twice-daily ritual of dental hygiene than with Bacon Floss. Yes, you heard right, dental floss flavored with our favorite breakfast food. There's nothing more to say about it than that this is one idea we can definitely sink our teeth into with a big smile. Get it from online store Archie Mcphee at US$4.95.

Via Boing Boing Gadgets

Life-size Cylon Centurion for US$7,900

If you've watched Battlestar Galactica you'd know what Cylon Centurions are. They are the evil robotic soldiers trying to wipe mankind off the face of the planet. Even though I'm not a big fan of Battlestar Galactica (although it has a good storyline, it lacks action), if you are one, the good news is that Sideshow Collectibles is selling Cylon Centurion life-size figurines for US$7,900 each.

The impressive figurine stands at 7ft tall, and is made of 100 percent fiberglass. It even has an ominous-looking red LED-effects visor. In fact, this figurine comes with stereo audio to reproduce the menacing hum like in the series. Everything is handmade.

I'm not really sure if you need to connect this to any wall socket or employ batteries in order to use the stereo audio and activate the red LED visor, as we can't find further information on the site to clarify this.

According to Sideshow Collectibles, Fred Barton is responsible for overseeing the manufacture of the Cylon figurine. Fred Barton Production Inc. is exclusively involved in creating the Cylon Centurion as seen in Battlestar Galactica. So this isn't kid stuff.

The life-size figurine is available internationally at Sideshow Collectibles' Web site. In order to purchase one, you need to sign up first. Then you are required to pay a one-time deposit of US$3,950 at the time of purchase. Finally, you will have to wait approximately eight to 12 weeks before a Cylon Centurion comes knocking on your door.

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