Pakistan: Agencies concerned over trips by diplomats

Following reports of an unauthorised trip by US embassy officials to Gilgit-Baltistan, an intelligence agency’s report has expressed serious concern regarding the “secret movement” of foreign missions/diplomats in the country, including covert meetings with officials and private persons – without informing either the foreign office or the interior ministry.

The report, cited in an interior ministry circular has advised foreign missions to avoid this practice to prevent any “untoward incident.”

The report states that a number of foreigners have been found visiting prohibited areas without obtaining a No-Objection Certificate (NOC). It also directs law enforcement agencies to not provide direct security to any foreign missions/diplomats until the foreign office formally gives them details of their presence and programme schedule.

The American officials had directly written to the Gilgit-Baltistan police chief, asking him for security, and arranging for meetings with various lawmakers and professionals.

Read more: Express Tribune

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New Intel chip on Motorola phones

[ via BBC News Technology ] 11 Jan

Intel's new processor designed for mobile devices will be used by Motorola Mobility and Lenovo in upcoming Android-based smartphones.

The Medfield chip is designed to help Intel make headway in a sector dominated by processors based on designs by the UK firm Arm Holdings.

The announcement was made at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

The Motorola partnership is significant as Android's maker, Google, is in the process of taking over the phone maker.

Read more: BBC News Technology

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First Ever Live Streaming Concert on Twitter [ Starring Tiësto ] - Stay Tuned

[ via Mashable ] 8 Jan

HP and Intel will be hosting the first-ever live stream of a concert on Twitter next week at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show. The headliner: electronic music master Tiësto.

The concert will kick off the launch of a new 10-episode series on YouTube called “In the Booth” — a behind-the-scenes look at Tiësto’s life and his impact on the electronic dance movement. The private event at the nightclub XS at Encore in Las Vegas will stream live from HP and Intel’s newly enhanced Twitter brand pages.

Read more: Mashable
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Carrier IQ Denies Wiretap Claims

[ via Information Week ]

Carrier IQ, a "mobile service intelligence" provider, has responded to ongoing questions about exactly what types of information its handset monitoring software records, and denied allegations that its software runs afoul of wiretapping regulations.

The Company says:

"While a few individuals have identified that there is a great deal of information available to the Carrier IQ software inside the handset, our software does not record, store, or transmit the contents of SMS messages, email, photographs, audio, or video. For example, we understand whether an SMS was sent accurately, but do not record or transmit the content of the SMS. We know which applications are draining your battery, but do not capture the screen."

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Decipher "This Code" and become British Spy

[ Wired ]

The GCHQ — Britain’s secretive agency of intelligence experts — wants to find new spies. To make sure it has a candidate who’s up to scratch, the agency is inviting hobbyist cryptanalysts to try and break a code online.

A website called “can you crack it” is being spread through a viral campaign around social networks like Twitter and Facebook. The site shows a seemingly senseless jumble of 160 pairs of numbers and letters, and a box to enter some kind of answer.

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CIA Informants uncovered by Hezbollah and Iran

Full Story: Yahoo News 22 Nov

While US was mounting pressure on Iran after a plot to kill Saudi ambassador to US and by announcing sanctions over its nuclear programme, a serious blow was cast to U.S. intelligence when Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shi'ite militia, announced in succeeding to identifying and arresting informants within its ranks who were working for the CIA, Yahoo News reports quoting Reuters.

Separately, counterintelligence officers in Iran also succeeded in uncovering the identities of at least a handful of alleged CIA informants, current and former U.S. officials are quoted to have said.

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CIA using Social Media to find out what people are thinking [Report]

 [ Full Report: Atlantic ]

How stable is China? What are people discussing and thinking in Pakistan? To answer these sorts of question, the U.S. government has turned to a rich source: social media.

The Associated Press reports that the CIA maintains a social-media tracking center. At this Open Source Center intelligence analysts , who other agents refer to as "vengeful librarians," are tasked with sifting through millions of tweets, Facebook messages, online chat logs, and other public data on the World Wide Web to glean insights into the collective moods of regions or groups abroad. According to the Associated Press, these librarians are tracking up to five million tweets a day from places like China, Pakistan and Egypt.

Read fill report for detailed coverage

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