ZaCon 2

Last year, a bunch of security techies (mostly from Sensepost it seems) banded together to form a technical security group, called ZaCon. In seemingly no time, they had organised a conference/get together - which I could not attend due to work commitments. ZaCon 2 was the newer, bigger conference event. It is not really a novel concept in many respects - a bunch of people get together (on the weekend off course), organise a venue and discuss their common interest for a day - and all for next to no cost (the organisers funded some of the equipment hires; the rest was either sponsored or non existent). It is the purest form of participation really - being there because it interests you.

As with all conferences; there was the mixture of the superbly interesting to be boring - but that is to be expected. With a strong technical focus; many of the talks focused on IT vulnerabilities - how they can be exploited and/or mitigated - from Google Apps to Java JAR files.

There were a number of highlights. On the attack front, Ivan Burke's talk on the usage of Google Apps to create features similar to botnets (though, as he willing admitted, he was not a good speaker) was a great example of how cloud computing facilities not only create security challenges with regards to confidentiality of data (stored in the cloud) but also create a platform for future security exploits. Jurgens van der Merwe's talk later about the use of Selenium expanded further the potential of attacking web based systems. In fact, a potential that wasn't explored in great detail - the combination of Selenium and cloud based services such as Amazon EC2 and Google Apps could create a significant assault on data confidentiality - through exploiting gaps in web based services. Also on the attack front; Daniel Cuthbert's talk on banking website security was a sobering reminder on vulnerabilities that are created by sheer incompetence as opposed to oversight.

Ross Simpson's talk on the use of jailbroken iPhones as a means to infiltrate wireless networks did not really explore major new ground - but was a very practical walk through on the power of smartphones and a new attack vector. Like the attack vector of cell phone cameras where normal cameras are not allowed; this is yet another attack vector that is easy to deploy and hard to mitigate against.

Ollie Whitehouse discussed the forming of UnCon 10 years ago (security community in the UK, and seemingly the idea that gave rise to ZaCon) via Skype - and was impressive not only in the content of the talk (I think there is a lot of things that ZaCon can "copy") but also the fact that the technology worked. Using two different computers (one to control the screen and the other to conduct the Skype call), each with its own 3G connectivity definitely helped in this regard.

The last talk, Barry Irwin's analysis on the propagation of Conficker was quite interesting - especially the patterns on the network traffic correlated to the spread of the virus. The fact that Conficker has gone quiet is itself a worry - and the correlation of Conficker to other viruses; including Stuxnet, could be interesting research.

Overall, it was a great event - and a great learning environment. I do think, however, that there is a need to shorten the number of speakers and instead open up the floor for a lot more debate and discussion. Congratulations to the organisers for a great event!

Movie: Small Town called Descent

A new South African movie (I think it is yet to be released for general theatrical release); the movie centers around a Scorpion investigation into a xenophobic murder in a small town (called Descent). Intertwined within a fairly good crime drama, is an exploration of corruption (from the town's main mayor), police indifference/corruption, xenophobia, alcohol abuse, remnants of apartheid legacy and for some inexplicable reason, the politics of Mbeki-Zuma (I suppose the Scorpions is a link - but it has no relevance to the story).

The plot itself is quite good; but the script wasn't polished enough; and often features over-acting/posing/theatrics that end up ruining perfectly good storylines. Added to this, the dialogue also sometimes does not seem to fit the characters. And finally, the movie finishes without completing all the story arcs - and unlike good stories where this technique is usually a mechanism for the reader/viewer to make their own conclusions - this just leads to confusion. For example, the corruption angle is never finalised and thus the exact reasons and collusions behind the corruption activities or the end impact on the participants are just not explored - even though it is the driving force behind the movie.


Overall, from a plot and cinematography point of view; it is a great movie. However, the acting and the script writing detract from the positives; and does not really make it worth watching.

Movie: The Red Chapel

I stumbled across the Tri-Contentinent Human Rights Festival, now in its 8^th year, at Rosebank while waiting for the traffic to subside on Friday afternoon.

The Red Chapel is a documentary made by a Danish reported, posing as a theatrical director, who takes two Danish comedians (of Korean descent) to North Korea on the pretext of a cultural exchange program. One of the comedians, Jacob, suffers from Cerebral Palsy; which creates two contrasting points in the documentary - firstly his speech impediment allows Jacob to truly express his feelings in Danish without anyone else understanding; and secondly, it contrasts with the rest of North Korea where there does not seem to be any other handicapped person around.

While the documentary's aim is to expose the dark evilness of North Korea, I found that, in many respects the movie fails and it is largely due to the director, Mads Brügger. Mads comments in the film, that he has no moral qualms about anything to do with North Korea - and thus forces both comedians (Jacob and Simon) to do things they are clearly not in favour of doing. Furthermore, while Mads comments on various claims (which are most likely to be true), such as death camps and starving children; the documentary has no supporting evidence to back up its claims. Another problem with Mads' thesis, is that, he gives no credit to the actual talent on show from North Korea - especially children that ends up participating with the team; and instead seems to brush it off as simply a product of the evil regime.

All said, the documentary still provides a fascinating insight into North Korea - and a great example of media and propaganda management. There are many touching moments within the movie - especially the interaction between Jacob and the translator/minder from North Korea; but in my opinion, it does not really serve as documentary evidence of North Korea's evilness.

Jo'burg Street Market

I have always been facinated by street/village markets. Supermarkets, while providing the luxury of aircon and variety have taken the fun out of bargaining and just the experience of the market. Some weeks ago, I took photos of street markets around Jo'burg as part of a photo walk; and I think I have photos of other markets from around the world too (I have also previously posted about, though not exclusively, on markets in Helsinki, Hamburg and Huaraz).



Jo'burg street markets bring in elements that are only really found in the developing world - cut price soccer shirts at a fraction of the real cost; fresh produce sold at very attractive prices but somewhat unappetising locations, ready made street food that does not have the complicated hygine rules of the west and off course the seemingly ubiquitos pirate DVDs and CDs.









Not many suburbanites venture into Jo'burg during the weekends, and they are missing out a vibrant, colourful and interesting part of the city.

Rose Boats & Toy Museum

The road to Bedarsdorp passes through the town of Napier; which would most likely not warrant a stop; except for two things: the absurdly amazingly large chruch that stands tall, and the Rose Boats & Toy Museum.




The museum is run out of a house, by its owner; focuses mostly on toys from the early 1900's to 1970's; and its standout attraction are the Rose Boats. The boats are handmade (and available for sale) out of tin; and feature cyclic flush steam engines; powered by a candle. The concept is simple, and the results are amazing; and there a number of articles and awards hung around the museum to support how well the boats are engineered. See this wikipedia article for more.



Apart from the boats, there are a number of other attractions, such as trains and cars; and although the collection is not particularly large; it is certainly a very worthwhile stop.

L'Agulhas

Cape Agulhas is the southernmost point of Africa, and a place Jay and I have been trying to get to for a number of years (and for one reason or another postponing). The nearby town, L'Agulhas naturally has a number of "southernmost" - restaurants, hotels, B&B's; although the parking lot prize goes to the Cape itself (with a parking lot, 150m from the point).



It is a fairly scenic place; but not as spectacular as Cape Point. It is a lot more laid back, and there is a great view from the viewpoint on a nearby hill. The lighthouse is the second oldest in South Africa; which is itself a small tourist attraction (which was closed by the time we got there). I found it somewhat strange that it was not built earlier given the notorius storms that frequent the Western Cape; and that at one stage there was even consideration given to demolishing it completely.

The 3D movie rant

I hate 3D movies. I see no advantage that most 3D movies have, in terms of making the audience as part of the action; over most 2D movies. I say most, because there are a few exceptions - such as U2 3D; or in the case of Avatar, where the visuals were simply stunning. However; in most cases - 3D effects are mostly after thoughts, with no real impact on the experience.

And then there is the cost aspect. To watch a 3D movie, there is a premium in the ticket price. Added to that, I discovered last night, Ster Kinekor now charges R5 for 3D glasses. It seems to be an utter waste - not only will people not return these glasses, chances are, they will not bother bringing them along to the next show either.

3D "feature" has spread to TVs and Blue Ray players; and I still don't see the point of it all. There are quite a few rants and justifications on why 3D is just a fad, on the web - so I am not going to regurgitate it - but I am honestly perplexed why 3D is promoted as a miracle experience; when most 3D media just doesn't really make much use of it; or do it very well.

Waenhuiskrans

Although the official name of the village is Waenhuiskrans, it is better known as Arniston, after an early 19^th century shipthat perished nearby killing nearly everyone onboard.

It is also very well known for its cave along the sea; which is only accessible in low tide. Unfortunately, we visited during high tide, on the day after a full moon, so the cave was barely visible.


It is a stunning laid back location, where the "expensive" restaurant at the hotel (as per the owner of our B&B) compared very favourably to mid-priced restaurants in Jo'burg and Cape Town.

Import Taxes

A few weeks ago, I bought a T-Shirt from Teefury, costing 9 USD. The shipping was another 9 USD - which combined is still not bad for a T-Shirt (approx R140). I was pleasantly surprised on the speed of the delivery, but not too impressed on the import taxes. For a T-Shirt costing just under R70, the import taxes, including VAT, was just under R55! That is almost a 80% duty, and I don't think this falls under the cheap imports from China category ;)

All said, Teefury is a brilliant concept. 1 unique T-Shirt a day, not to be repeated except for random draw once a month (or so), which is incidentally today. You can't back order, and can only order until the T-Shirts sell out. They have some very interesting designs; so all in all worth the hassle :)

Prepaid Confusion

I recently moved house (after buying a place, instead of renting); and one of the "renovations" I did was to install a prepaid electricity meter. South Africa, it seems is the only country where prepaid electricity has taken off; which I think is a pity. Prepaid utility consumption (be it electricty, water or gas) is easier to manage and offers, in my opinion, far more flexibility than the standard billing methods.

The new prepaid electric meters are also very cool - the utility installs the tamper-resistant meter at the external distribution box (i.e. a straight swap with the old meter) and then provides the user with a remote unit that is used to indicate the value of electricity purchased, usage (accurate to the watt) as well as to buy more electricty etc. The interface unit communicates with the main unit via powerline ethernet - so another cool usage of technology.

As for the confusion - the contractor who installed the prepaid meter, installed it at the wrong house, even though I was given the unit. So, I paid for my neighbour's electricity for a week and the previous owner paid for mine. The guys at the City of Johannesburg offices were stunned at hearing about the mistake - and we all had a good chuckle. Even the contractor couldn't beleive his mistake ... although he blamed it all on his labourer. Personally, I blame them both - the labourer for not being able to do a simple job; and the contractor for not doing his supervision job correctly.

Karl Jenkins' Stabat Mater

Stabat Mater is a 13th century poem, largely about the crucifiction of Christ; but focusing on Mary. Over the years, a number of composers have composed musical arrangements around the hymn; with Karl Jenkins being the latest.

Almost everyone has heard Karl Jenkins' work; as the programme pointed out last night - his breakout "hit" Adiemus being the staple of spas and restaurants (and in ads, lifts and every other place with piped mood music). He is probably the most successful living classical composer; and although a number of his works feature Christian hymns; he often intertwines them with other cultural pieces; such as Arabic, Aramaic and English verses in his version of Stabat Mater.

As part of Arts Alive, the University of Johannesburg Choir, Akustika Chamber Singers, backed with a full orchestra, performed the full Stabat Mater, conducted by Karl Jenkins himself. The concert also featured two smaller pieces; The Palladio Suite, a string orchestra piece; and La Folia, a concerto for Marimba accompanied by a string orchestra. The latter was particularly impressive - and provided a great fusion of musical styles; with a superb solo performance by Magda de Vries.

The main event itself was spectacular - and Johannesburg City Hall is a spectacular venue; especially as the stage is framed by a stunning organ (not sure if it works though). Interestingly, given the somber nature of the work, the music was rarely somber, and was in some ways fairly joyful. The pieces in Arabic and Aramaic, ironically, provided the most somber notes to the piece.

It is also very interesting to see how different choir members participate - especially in such a long piece. There were performers who seemed to be genuinely enthralled - swaying and smiling through the whole performances; while others were more somber and were almost non participants.

I am not a massive fan of choir music - but I must say that I have now been to quite a few this year, and all have been interesting. And all of the feature pieces have been based on Christian hymns - maybe I need to expand my horizons.

The Buskaid Soweto String Ensemble

Classic FM often plays pieces performed by the Buskaid Soweto String Ensemble, but it was only recently that I learnt that the ensemble is largely a children's group; with a great story behind the formation and the success of the ensemble. Started 13 years ago by Rosemary Nalden, the project has grown tremendously and now features a number of support staff and many more participants. The project showcases an annual concert at the Linder Auditorium, and this year, it was particularly well advertised.

The standout highlight of the evening, for which the soloist, Simiso Radebe, got a thoroughly well deserved standing ovation, was Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen. The piece is fast, complex, and was extremely well played - and I would love to hear it with the backing of a full orchestra (check these Youtube videos out to hear it). The performance was actually breathtaking, given its incredible complexity towards the end of the piece, and he was well supported by the ensemble.

Another highlight piece was Fauré's Élégie, played by cellist, Gilbert Tsoke. As the name suggests, this piece is rather somber, but in many respects is well complemented by a Cello.

The concert also highlighted the multiple talents of many of the key ensemble members, either with singing (there were two Jazz pieces, and a few more traditional Kwela pieces at the end of the show), or other instruments (mostly percussion instruments).

In the program, Rosemary Nalden (who also conducted the whole performance), notes that yesterday was a notable achievement in hosting an International rugby match in Soccer City (or FNB Stadium), in Soweto - and that hopefully one day art programs like her ones would get similar attention and patronage. My personal opinion is, that a Soccer City like venue would actually detract from the performance; but the ensemble definitely has the talent; and programs like Buskaid and others, should really get better billing and more exposure. And perhaps, they can spread their wings and play around South Africa too - because they deserve to be seen and heard.

The Unanswered Question

I was really looking forward to last night's JPO performance, as it was going to feature the full recital of Mozart's Mass. It's nothing to do with the religious nature of the work - just enjoy the combination of symphony and choral. But this piece was cancelled, as the choir was apparently not ready; and will be performed next year instead (perhaps the pre-Easter show?)

While that was disappointing, the program was still briliant. It started with a short piece by Beethoven (Coriolan overture, op.62); followed by Charles Ives' The Unanswered Question - which I thought was just absolutely brilliant - not only the music, but the performance itself. The conductor, Bernhard Gueller, gave a short talk on the piece as well as a bit of background on the composer - which definitely shed some light on a very different piece.

The first half rounded off with Barber's Adagio for strings; which is instantly recognisable for most movie watchers as the theme tune from the movie Platoon. It is beautiful, and was superbly played by the JPO.

The full symphony was Schubert's 9th Symphony, which was interesting, but like the other pieces of the evening seemingly very different to other symphonies. It was a pity that the concert was not well attended - it was one of the best I have attended.

Movie: Inception

As I was walking into the movie on Saturday night, R sends a sms "P & I just finished watching Inception. We reached consensus that there is too much hype. It's like Thirteenth Floor meets Ocean's Eleven."

Inception is not the most original movie around. Lots of movies and stories previously have made use of layers of dreams and reality. The Matrix for example, is a very easy example of such a concept, and science finction stories exploring "other worlds" (e.g. Narnia series) feature distrotion of time, and the inability to separate reality from the dream state. Sergey Lukyanenko's Night Watch series also features layers of "Twilight", separating reality and the magical realms; but also feature the distinctions used in Inception - the distortion of time and the the ability to influence the outcome in the real world through actions in the dream/magic world.

That said, Inception is a very polished movie with a very good script (when compared to many Science Fiction and Fantasy stories); although there are some very glaring plot holes. The mechanisms of the heist, and for that matter, the inception at the heart of the story, is well thought out, and cleverly written. And unlike many heist stories, where there is a clear winner (either the thief wins with our support, e.g. Thomas Crown Affair or Ocean's Eleven; or the heist is foiled, and the theives are brought to justice), there is no real winner in Inception(and for that matter, there is no clear moral position on which side the audience should be supporting either).

Is it worth the hype? Yes - partly because of the lack of really good movies this year, partly because of the good acting (another rarity in Science Fiction/Fantasy movies), partly because of the polished production. In terms of Christoper Nolan's movies, this is not a classic like Memento or The Dark Knight; but rather like The Prestige - it is good, but not great.

Fresh Seafood

Boston is well known for it's seafood, and many seafood restaurants Feature fresh seafood. What is interesting about this approach, is that they assemble their menus based on the fish bought that day, and print their menus every day (complete with the date on the menu). At least that somewhat justifies part of the price premium :)

Conundrums caused by etiquette

Last night, was the "social" event of RSA TechFest, at the headquarters of RSA. There was a tour of the RSA facilities, and I was on the last tour. The impact of that was, we were effectively the last people to arrive for dinner - by which time, there was 1 plate and 1 set of cutlery, for about 25 people. This led to a social conundrum - taking the plate would be rude to everyone else, while not taking the plate would mean that everyone looked stupid, staring at the food and the last plate. Ultimately, everyone decided to look stupid - and wait while new dishes and cutlery was cleaned and delivered; but it's one of those awkward social situations which are just very funny (at least to those who are there).

The Cheese Cake Factory

Normally, American restaurants, especially chains, are either ok and expensive, or cheap and bad; both in terms of taste and nutrition. Near the hotel, there is a restaurant, The Cheese Cake Factory, with an incredible selection of cheese cakes and an equally incredible waiting line. What was also surprising was that the food was very good too - especially given the price. The service (or our particular waiter at least) was briliant, and thus made a very good evening!

Immigration

I have always had trouble with border control - I have a passport from one country, but was born in another. I have as one, immigration official put it, "a different name", which in these times of overblown showcases of security, is always an excuse for hassles. But this has also led to weird and interesting conversations with immigration officials (the chatty ones at least) like a discussion on cocaine smuggling and fake passports (at the three borders in Brazil).

But I have also discovered that, when the rules work, and you play by the rules, there is some sort of reward. The Schengen visa for example, if you travel more than three rimes in a year, it is much easier ro get a year long one. And, I was really surprised at the US immigration this afternoon. Instead of my normal grilling, I got the normal check of biometric credentials (fingerprints and face) and that was it. More surprising is that I can stay a full 6 months in the US, which is normally not granted to non visa-exempt persons.

That said, I am still expecting "extra" security checks on my way out, the apparently random ones that I have never missed in my 6 previous visits to the US.

Dreikönigskeller

South of the river Main, almost directly opposite the Dom (Cathedral), is an equally impressive church, called Dreikönigskirche (Three Kings Church). I do not know the history behind the name, but it is very impressive from the outside.

In the event guide in my hotel room, I found that there is a live music venue called Dreikönigskeller (Three Kings Cellar), and which was seemingly the only venue in town hosting live music last night.

The venue is incredibly small (about 3m wide, and 7m long), with the stage taking up a very cramped front end. As the name suggests, it is housed in an old cellar, and the owner has certainly gone to great effort in getting excellent sound facilities (with the room dimensions giving excellent acoustics). I did not get to see the act that was mentioned in the guide, since I left after the first two acts (I was very tired, after walking a lot), but the other two acts (whose names I don't know) were excellent.

The first act was fronted by an expat (American or English, or maybe even Canadian) with the rest of the band members being German. The songs were all in English, and featured some really cool lyrics, with "Skin" being a particular highlight for me. The music style is hard to describe; but it seemed to be a mix of punk rock - I would say, think of a mixture of "Bed on Bricks", "Parlatones" and "Knave" to get the various styles. The musicians were really good, and it was really enjoyable. The second act was an all German, rock band. The music was decent, but nothing spectacular. And since I don't know much German, I cannot comment on their lyrics.

The venue seems to be a hive of music activity, with a lot of posters for next acts. But there wern't that many people last night, and the venue wouldn't hold that many anyway.

Marketing South Africa

The main shopping foyer of the Mannheim Hauptbahnhof (Main Train Station) has a series of spectacular photos and commentary (in German and English), by the Eastern Cape Tourism board. Photos covered the usual (J-Bay, Tstisikama, PE, Ado) but also some really spectacular rural photos, including some really off the beaten path locations.

I think it is a very smart move - especially as this week is the German Grand Prix, and Mannheim is where to get a train to Hockenheim. And with the World Cup just finished, SA is still in many people's mind (incidently, it is easy to spot a tourist boarding a flight in Jo'burg - they are the ones carrying vuvzelas).

I did not spend too much time in Mannheim - in and out for my meeting. It did look like a nice town, but nothing spectacular.