I The Behrend Beacon
Teen hacks Apple's iPhone connections
SAN FRANCISCO, California; A teenaged
New Jersey hacker has successfully altered
his Apple iPhone to allow it to be used on
networks other than those owned by AT&T.
George Hotz, a 17-year-old student,
altered both the phone's software and hard
ware in order to allow him to connect to his
family's T-mobile phone network. Stock
iPhones have been specifically designed to
only be used with Apple's business partner
in the enterprise, AT&T.
After considering sever offers for pur
chase of his modified phone, Hotz accepted
one from CertiCell, a Kentucky-based cell
phone upgrade and repair company. The
offer wasn't for cash, however; it was for
three new 8,0 Apple iPhones and what Hots
calls "a sweet Nissan 350 Z" new car.
"This has been a great end to a great sum
mer," Hotz wrote in a press release, He had
been working on modifying the iPhone for
Behrend welcomes new professors to campus
By Evan Koser
staff writer
emks 1100 P psu.edu
Here it is, the first semester of a new year; and with
a new year comes new faces, both student and teacher
alike. Everyone knows what, it's like to be a new
stu
dent, a freshman. The enorthous amount of stress in
the first week to find and get to all of the
classes on time, to learn all of the profes
sors' names, and to complete those first
homework assignments. However, what
is it like for the new teachers?
Although he's only been here for two
years, Dr. Paul Ashcraft says that his first
experience here was a great one; it was
"like coming home. It [Behrendt is like
the school I graduated from. Penn State
is well-known for its science department,
just like A&M University and the stu
dent's are just like they were at A&M,
very friendly and helpful." When asked
what his initial expectations were,
Ashcraft replied, "From the interview process, I got a
good view of what the school was going to be like. It
was exactly what I thought it would be," he laughed,
"and there's no graffiti anywhere!"
Now the physics lecturer says he's "a lot more com-
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4 t 111.0 ,
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- No Classes on Monday
Source: CNN.com, Yahoo! News
That's my
commitment, to
try to make the
experience broad
and to take people
outside their com
fort zone."
Dr. Jason Bishop
about 8 hours a day since late June, for a
total of about 500 hours of work.
Hotz has been protected from legal action
from Apple and AT&T by a very specific
clause in a telecommunications law that
provides comsumers an option for using
phones on whatever phone provider network
that they choose. Now that he has sold the
phone for profit, however, his legal protec
tion might not be as solid.
CertiCell, the company. he sold the hacked
phone to, currently has no method for capi
talizing on their new purchase.
"We do not have any plans on the table
right now to commercialize Mr. Hotz' dis
covery," said Terry Daidone, a co-founder
of CertiCell who also offered Hotz a con
sulting job.
fortable. I actually know what to expect from stu
dents." Hopefully his students will know what to
expect from him; but, what about the "freshman" of the
faculty? How are any of the new teachers handling
such a new locale and experience?
"Well, you know, when I tell people I've moved here
from Oklahomi - triey're)ike 'Well you won't be able to
deal with the snow.' But we've got
lots of snow experience in Boston.
Anyway, winter weather doesn't
really bother me that much," says
new choir director, Dr. Jason Bishop,
who received his doctorate from the
University of Oklahoma just last
year. He began his undergraduate
work at Rhodes College in
Memphis, Tennessee and moved on
to his Master's at Boston University.
"Musicians, especially for graduate
work, tend to follow certain individ
uals that they want to study; and so.
my locations were determined by the
person who was there that I wanted
to study from. It's funny; I know it must be this way
other pursuits too, but with music in particular, espe
cially with graduate work, we tend not to be looking at
the institution so much as the teacher." Bishop's atti
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Are you interested in
s ahng your love of writhlg
with your classmates at
Penn State Behrend?
E-mail Christopher Lanifia
at cslsoos@psu.edu
r . i
Multi-state bomb threats affect businesses and banks
WASHINGTON: Several businesses and
banks spread across at least 13 states,
including Pennsylvania, have been targeted
in an extortion scheme, often facing bomb
threats and demands for money transfers.
The threatening calls, usually coming
from an untraceable cell phone, are now
believed to possibly be originating from out
side the United States. Some authorities
now believe they could be originating from
Portugal, where officials there have noticed
suspicious banking activity. The calls them
selves have been described as unsettling,
with the criminals sometimes making
strange demands such as ordering all
employees and customers to remove their
clothing. Based on the callers' knowledge
of what is going on in the store, some won
der if they've hacked into video cameras and
store security systems.
"You just don't think of things happening
like this in our area," said Millinocket
Police Chief Donald Bulduc, after one of the
threatening calls was made to the small
Maine town's Hannaford grocery store. The
caller "made it seem very realistic that
they're right in the building or right outside,
tude proves that not everyone has to be nervous about
a first semester. He urges students not to stress out
about first homework assignments while also embrac
ing the feeling they embody. "I think there's some
thing very positive about the nervous energy that
comes along for first year students trying to complete
their first assignments. The work book is only for the
purpose of stimulating conversation in class. Some
people look at that and get stressed. I think there's
value in that energy. It's like an ice-breaker for the rest
of the year. -
Very confident in his abilities as a chorus instructor,
Bishop says his program is "new for this institution."
"You go into a new situation with a set of expecta
tions and when you learn about said situation those
expectations are molded by reality; I know what I want
the choral program to work like this year, and more
over. I know what I want the curriculum to look like
this year. I really do think that the point of college; to
expose you to things outside of your experience so that
you grow mentally. That's my commitment, to try to
make the experience broad and to take people outside
their comfort zone."
While Bishop may have his seemingly ambitious
confidence, Ashcraft advises new professors and new
students this semester to "get a mentor you can trust
and lean on them heavily."
Friday, August 31, 2007
almost like they have a visual."
The sheer scope of businesses being
threatened is baffling to authorities, with
locations being selected seemingly at ran
dom. Other victims include a Dillon's store
in Hutchinson, Kansas; a Nordaway bank in
Savannah, Missouri; a couple businesses in
Portland, Oregon; and a Wal-Mart in
Newport, Rhode Island.
The calls have been just spooky enough to
succeed in some occasions. The total cash
sent from businesses that would admit it is
so far around $13,000, always sent from on
site cash transfer services suck as banking
or Western-Union type facilities.
Federal officials do not believe that these
actions are linked to a terrorist group, but
the similarity between all the instances
despite the difference in their geographic
locations gives them some information.
"The investigation and leads so far point
to it being likely this is one person or one
group," said FBI spokesman Rich Kolko.
"This is criminal."
Saudi Arabia
reaches arms
deal with
United States
By Dennis Paskorz
contributing writer
dabsoB7@psu edu
On Aug. 16, 2007, a $3O billion mil
itary grant was signed with Israel. This
military aid grant will be received over
a 10 year period by Israel from the
United States for the purpose of
obtaining contracts with the arms
industry. The United States represents
20% of Israel's total military budget.
Support in this amount makes the US
Israel's largest military supporter.
Israel is allowed to use 26.3 percent
of this grant on contracts with Israeli
weapon companies. Previous US mil
itary grants stipulate that all of the
money is used for contracts with US
weapon suppliers (e.g. GE, Boeing,
Lockheed Martin). The $3O billion
military aid package is equal to 1.2
percent of the 2006 US national budg
et.
The growing concern over Iran's
nuclear energy program is shared by
Israel and the Bush administration.
Both suspect Iran of developing
nuclear weapons. Israel has an esti
mated 100-200 nuclear weapons.
Iran denies their nuclear program is
working towards nuclear weapons.
Iranian president Ahmadinejad
requests the US ispend the resources
for progress and developmenti of
Middle Eastern countries instead of
increased military aid.
The common concern over Iran,
talks of $2O billion in military aid to
Saudi Arabia, and recent pressure from
the US that halted Israeli weapon
export to China are supposed causes of
the $9 billion increase from the last
military aid package. Israel wanted to
export spare parts for radar detector
drones that would increase their range
and success rate. US military officials
did not want to indirectly support
China as a growing military power.
Israel's military record concerns the
UN which is calling Israel's use of
cluster bombs during last years strug
gle with Hezbollah as immoral. The
reasoning is that as many as 350,000
remain unexploded in Lebanon, posing
a terrible threat to civilians. Cluster
bombs are launched from the air and
ground and then break into smaller
bombs. The aforementioned cluster
bombs were made in the USA and
bought with a previous linvestment in
peace.