12 HackCollege Days of Christmas: Nine Onion Routers of Anonymity

Ever since an LMU student threatened to shoot some people on campus, surfing the 'Net anonymously has become a hot topic here. We followed up with our own post about surfing anonymously, but today we're going to cover one of those methods a little bit more in depth: Tor.

We'll save the topic of "Why Would You Ever Want to Surf Anonymously?" for a rainy day. There are times when you'd need to. Hopefully you don't surf anonymously to make shooting threats.

Tor is like a game of telephone, except no information gets lost. It was originally developed by the US Naval Research Lab according to Wikipedia (I rock at research). Tor allows users to surf just about as anonymously as possible. It's considered an "onion" routing system. Your message are sent into the Tor network, sent around the world to other Tor clients, and then delivered.

Read Part 3 of Rosario's post to get yourself started with Tor. I'm going to talk about how to use it.

Using Tor

Tor is one of those things that will probably be built in to computers in 10 years if privacy ever becomes a huge issue. If you don't see any speed difference while using Tor, it would be a good idea to use it all the time.

If your bank's system can handle Tor, it would be a good idea to use Tor especially for this task. The more I learn through my computer science classes, the more afraid I become. The information is--don't worry--already encrypted, but encryption can be broken. Better safe than sorry.

For 90% of readers, the Tor button will get the job done. It provides an easy toggle for your Tor surfing.

Torify Other Applications

Let's say you want to cover your tracks while using Miro to download your TV shows or movies. Tor with a rotating IP address might be one of the safest ways to do such a thing. The Tor folks recommend not doing this because it might overload the network (torrent moves a lot of data), so make sure you're also serving your computer as a Tor node. This is only for the ultra-paranoid; the MPAA will probably never find you, probably.

I would walk you through how to Torify Miro, but there's no easy way to do this and I'm not a Tor expert. Thankfully, the Tor project has a how-to page to get you by.

We're On Miro!

Just before 2007 ended, the HackCollege Podcast was accepted to the the Miro Guide.

First, install Miro. Then subscribe to our podcast!

12 HackCollege Days of Christmas: Eight Times the Internet Speed with OpenDNS

Well maybe not eight times, but noticeable to say the least. The overhaul of an age-old Internet paradigm makes OpenDNS take the eighth day of our Christmas special.

DNS (Domain Name system) has been around almost as long as the Internet itself. It's the protocol that reroutes a web address ("www.hackcollege.com") to an IP address ("10.0.0.1"). It makes the Internet human-friendly; could you imagine what the Internet would be if you had to memorize the IP address of every site you liked? I can hardly remember my own phone number sometimes. DNS has (obviously) worked for decades now. But OpenDNS promises to make it better.

A Better Browsing Experience

OpenDNS is a recent start-up company that unobtrusively commercializes this previously uncommercial venture. Because OpenDNS is making some money off of standard DNS requests and because not many people use the service right now, it's fast.

Really fast. If you're wondering how they make money off of a transparent service, it's simple. They just take the usual "Firefox could not find this" page and turn it into a "OpenDNS could not find this page. May we suggest what you're looking for?" page.

There are a slew of benefits to using OpenDNS. Here are the major ones:

• Faster web surfing. One of the main selling points of OpenDNS is that their DNS servers are ultra-fast. After using it myself for a few days, I can say it's definitely faster. (Note: OpenDNS will only decrease lookup times for each site. Once you're on the site you won't notice much of a difference.)


• A more secure browsing experience. OpenDNS is able to fight the battle against phishing on the DNS level. If a certain domain or IP address is identified as dangerous, OpenDNS will block this site. No longer will you have to worry about logging into Skype, eBay, PayPal, or any other frequently targeted site for phishing.


• URL typo correction. A minor thing, but not too shabby.


• URL shortcuts. A superfluous feature, but I'm sure a few people might find it useful

Get Yourself Hooked Up

Getting yourself hooked up to OpenDNS is pretty easy. Just change your DNS servers in your network settings to the following:


208.67.222.222
208.67.220.220


There are a few more customizations you can make if you want to, but you'll need to go through the directions on OpenDNS to do that.

This post is part of the 12 HackCollege Days of Christmas feature.

Chalk One Up for the Good Guys: The State of Oregon Defends Students Accused of Pirating

Music gets stolen on college campuses. College students are also poor. And Americans will stop at nothing to pay nothing. Music can easily be obtained through theft. Music pirating happens. Whatever your stance is on pirating music, one thing is unquestionably up: the RIAA is up to no good.

To bring you up to speed, very few people have been sued by the RIAA. Rather the RIAA just bullies people into settling out of court for 1/100th of the amount the RIAA claims that a specific pirate "owes" them. The RIAA banks on citizens freaking out and agreeing to pay a few thousand dollars, without the due process of the court.

Until now. The Oregon attorney general is now pursuing the RIAA:

"In the Fight Over Piracy, a Rare Stand for Privacy" [New York Times]

12 HackCollege Days of Christmas: Seven Hours A-Surfing with Firefox

Firefox. Get it at Firefox.com. Now let's move on to the Add-ons.

Seven Must-Have Add-ons for Firefox

1. Adblock Plus

   Although advertising can arguably be said to run the Internet, Adblock Plus only works for Firefox, and thus only 10% of all Internet users. So I don't feel too bad.

   Select a filter, depending on where you live, and bam. No more ads covering up half your screen.

2. IE Tab

   Nevertheless, some websites still don't play nicely with Firefox. IE Tab, previously covered here on HackCollege, allows you to switch to Internet Explorer from within Firefox for just that one unruly website.

3. LeechBlock

   Wasting too much time on the Internet and not completing your essays, projects, etc? Get the LeechBlock Add-on, also previously highlighted here on HackCollege.

4. FaviconizeTab and Aging Tabs

   Together, these two add-ons are great if you frequently have several tabs open at once. FaviconizeTab will allow you to minimize the width of the tab to simply the icon, and Aging Tabs gives slight color to each of your tabs, depending on when you accessed it last. So, if you need to get back to that one tab you just looked at, go to the darkest color. Nice.

5. Always Remember Password

   Some websites will not let Firefox remember your password. Get past this with Always Remember Password, a wonderful add-on if you're the sole user for your computer.

6. BugMeNot, TrackMeNot, and RetailMeNot

   We've previously discussed these here, here, and here. Be sure to get all three.

7. Tiny Menu

   Want more screen space? Get Tiny Menu and squish everything into one menu.

   

Along with these, Gina Trapani over at LifeHacker has posted in the past a great set of config tweaks for Firefox, from spellcheck to better RAM usage. I won't attempt to summarize her brilliant work. She's awesome. Go there next.

Enjoy!

This post is part of the 12 HackCollege Days of Christmas feature.

12 HackCollege Days of Christmas: Six Hours A-Talking Pt. 2 (Skype Hacking)

We have already covered the utility of Skype as a foreign language instructor and also just previously when not to use Skype. However, from dorm room security to a lie detector to a simple wake up call, Skype has been my Savior for years. And now it will become yours, too. Let's begin.

Introduction and Downloading Skype

From Wikipedia:

Skype (IPA: [ska?p], rhymes with type) is a software program created by the entrepreneurs Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis. Skype allows users to make telephone calls from their computer to other Skype users free of charge, or to landlines and cell phones for a fee. Additional features include instant messaging, file transfer, short message service, video conferencing and its ability to circumvent firewalls.

After equipping yourself with a microphone and webcam, download the software at skype.com. Choose a name. Take a deep breath. You're ready and set. Let's go.

Skype Credit, What?

Right from the download, Skype will let you call any other Skype user for free. Voice, video, file-sharing, instant messaging, and conference calls. Skype also has the ability to call and receive calls from landlines and mobile phones around the world. Not free, but Skype's prices are definitely the cheapest you'll find.

After you get some Skype Credit, you can also set up Call Forwarding from the Tools menu. This will allow others to reach you, even if your computer is turned off.

And now...

Let's Hack!

Similar to Firefox's many Add-ons, Skype also has many, what they call, Extras. Feel free to browse them on your own time. But while you're on mine, I'll just give you a quick top 6:

1. Dorm Security System
   Say you'll be spending the night at your significant other's. Say you don't want your pesky roommate stealing your cds. Get a second Skype account. Now you have Account One (1) and Account Two (2).
   1. On 2, add 1 as your ONLY contact. Log out.
   
   
   2. Log back in on 2, go to Tools, Options, and Calls. Be sure to Show Advanced Options. Then check "Automatically answer incoming calls".
   
   
   3. Still in Options, underneath Calls, go to Video Settings. Check "Start my video automatically when I am in a call".
   
   
   4. Keep 2 online.

   Now when you login on 1 and call 2, you will be able to watch streaming, live video of what's going on in your dorm room. This can be a security measure as well as an act of perversion, so... Use this tip at your own risk.

2. Speak and Chat in Translation

   Unlike AIM, Skype is around the world. It's likely that you'll receive a chat request from someone who doesn't speak English but who is willing to learn. If you find yourself lost, Speak and Translate Chats will help you. Though only if you're using Windows. Sorry, Mac and Linux users.

3. Edit Documents Together

   Google Docs is great for this, but if you'd like to talk while you collaborate on a group project in separate dorm rooms, TalkAndWrite is all you need. However, the free version is limited to only 10 minutes. So... Maybe Google Docs is still better, but now you've got another option out there.

4. Name Announcer

   Skype comes with a set ringtone, but if you'd like it to read aloud the name of the caller each time, AudioID does just that.

5. Lie Detection

   The KishKish Lie Detector will analyze vocal stress signals. Interesting.

6. Wake-Up Calls

   This hack requires about five minutes of tweaking. See the full article.

There is also the very popular Pamela for Skype - Standard Version, which for $12.95, gives you an answering machine, call recording, and a lot of other neat features. This did not make the top 6 only because I have not tried it out, myself. Though it does seem very useful.

This post is part of the 12 HackCollege Days of Christmas feature.

12 HackCollege Days of Christmas: Six Hours A-Talking Pt. 1 (Students' VoIP Roundup)

Firstoff, VoIP = Voice over IP. It means calling on normal from your computer. You probably know it as Skype, but we'll be covering a few alternate methods as well. It's day numbero seis of the HackCollege Days of Christmas; here we go.

The Case for VoIP

You have to talk to your parents. Whether your parents are footing your entire college bill or just paying for the occasional Ramen noodles, most students are dependent upon their parents to some degree.

If you've been sleeping for the past two years, you might have not realized that it's possible to make phone calls over the internet. Why would you want to do a silly thing like that? Well, it's cheap and long distance fees doesn't exist. If you want to conserve cell minutes, it might be a good idea to shell out the $20 for a Skype computer-to-phone account for the year.

Or just tell your parents to get Skype on their computers as well and talk free PC-to-PC.

What's a Skype?

Skype is far and away the most popular VoIP client. It's owned by eBay. Get it here.

All students should have Skype installed. I've never called my parents using Skype, but I have done job interviews over Skype. Get it now. It's straightforward; if you've ever used AIM you'll be able to figure it out easily. PC-to-PC calls on Skype are always free, but PC-to-phone calls will cost you $20 for the year.

When to not use Skype

Skype will be good for about 80% of people's VoIP needs. Where does it fail?

• It's costs money to call phones


• Quality can be spotty, depending on the Internet connection

Unfortunately, there's no real way around problem number two. We'll try to help you solve problem #1, though. Unless you're German, the standard way to get free PC-to-phone calls is to nab a competing VoIP client's promotion. There will almost always be these promotions going on, so you're in luck.

For example, the one that's still in business right now is called VoipBuster. It will allow you up to 300 minutes of talk time per week. As always when pursuing the freest, ads, spyware, and whatnot will always be a concern. Our recommendation? Pony up the $20 for a Skype account if you've got it. It'll get you a year's worth of PC-to-phone goodness and the software is supported across all platforms.

Otherwise if you're on a mission to be free, google around until you find what a working VoIP client with a company behind it that's still in business.

And make sure you call your parents when you get back to school. They'd love to hear from you.

Resolving New Year's Resolutions

As much as I hate to bump down a post on binge drinking, it's time to get serious about that new year's resolution. Here's a goal: a power hour in 20 minutes.

Over at the Keith Ferazzi blog (author of Never Eat Alone), he's come up with some great resolution solutions:

To be a successful goal-getter, you must first define your goal. It will likely fall into one of the seven aspects of what I call our personal success wheel: health & wellness, spirituality, job & career, intellectual & cultural, financial, deep relationships and giving back. Your goal must be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-Bound.

[never eat alone blog

]

He also recommends picking people who are designated "accountability buddies." If you draw goal-inspiration from this website, they might end up being more like designated drivers.

It's a great idea, though. You pick a small group of friends and you monitor each other's progress -- offering support when things go well and verbal abuse when you stray. He's even setup a little Facebook application called Goal Post, to streamline the whole thing.

If you're into goal-setting and Stasi-style peer support, you might also consider joining 43 Things, who've made a social network out of goal-setting (and perhaps passing them on to Amazon.com).