Category Archives: Tech News

Is SHA1 Still Viable?

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Lately whenever I see discussion regarding SHA1 in the context of password hashing or user management it usually involves someone claiming that SHA1 has been ‘cracked’ or is otherwise not viable as a hashing algorithm. I think there is some degree of truth to these claims. In spite of this however, I think that many of these conclusions are based on a misinterpretation of the evidence.

Before I explain myself I want to say this: If you are reading this article because you intend to implement something that require a secure hashing algorithm stop thinking about SHA1. There are a lot of more collision resistant algorithms for you to chose from. You might be thinking that this fact defeats the purpose of discussing the viability of SHA1, but considering all of the existing system that rely on SHA1 I think the discussion is valid. Here we go:
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Opera 11 Beta

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Opera 11 Beta is out ( http://www.opera.com/browser/next/ ).

There are a lot of new features and improvements, but one in particular has blown my mind. Tabs are now stackable! Within minutes I became so dependent upon this feature that I’ve migrated completely to the new version in spite of it still being in beta.

In addition to this Opera now supports extensions. Technically Opera has supported extensions for a long time through userJS, but the new system seems to be a big improvement. I’m definitely considering creating a Tab Override extension for Opera.

Sony CEO “doesn’t see anything good having come from the Internet”

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I just read an excerpt from an interview with Michael Lynton, the CEO of Sony Pictures. To quote him,

I’m a guy who doesn’t see anything good having come from the Internet. Period.

He backed up this statement by arguing that the Internet feeds the mentality that people “can have whatever they want at any given time”.

For the typical person, day to day use of the Internet is fairly trivial. Read the news, check Facebook, play a game, look up a BBQ chicken recipe, check Facebook again. While this may be true, you don’t have to think too hard to determine that the near instantaneous access to information offered by the Internet has had a more than trivial effect on our lives. Apparently, however, the comforts created, the improvements to quality of life, and even the lives saved as a result of this innovation are negated by the negative impact of piracy.

I personally don’t see how someone can make a statement like that, unless he completely misspoke or is just completely ignorant of the reality of things. Does he really think that the Internet has created such a huge problem that all of the good stemming from it is not worth mention? I’ll accept that the Internet has caused more problems then it has solved when Michael Lynton can’t afford a golden toilet seat. Until then I’m going give the same amount of merit to the opinions of Sony CEOs as I do to: people who claim aliens abducted them, people who don’t believe in medicine, and people who communicate with the dead. I draw this comparison based on the fact that their opinions and statements are all grounded in about the same amount of reality.

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