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Wired: Threat Level

Kevin Poulsen and Ryan Singel's daily briefing on security, freedom and privacy in the wired and unwired world.

Linux Guru Reiser Seeks New Murder TrialNovember 19

Defense attorney William DuBois and Hans Reiser confer during Reiser's murder trial.
Sketch: Norman Quebedeau .

Hans Reiser wants a trial do-over.

Reiser is the Linux guru who in April was convictedof the first-degree murder of his estranged wife. He's the same defendant who, in exchange for a 15-to-life term instead of a 25-to-life term, broughtauthorities to the Oakland hills where he buried Nina Reiser's body.

He even apologizedfor killing her.

But in a handwritten appellate motion, he is appealing his conviction. Yet there's a glaring problem with this appeal, in which he claims he thought the deal would have only sent him away for three years, not 15-to-life.

When he took the 15-to-life deal in August, he waived his right to appeal. And when entering the d

Prosecutor: Lori Drew Intended to 'Prey' on Girl's PsycheNovember 19

LOS ANGELES -- The woman accused of making unauthorized use of MySpace to  inflict emotional harm on a 13-year-old girl, who then committed suicide, "fully intended to hurt and prey on Megan Meier's psyche," a prosecutor charged Wednesday, as opening statements began in the first federal cyber-bullying trial.

After some initial problems finding unbiased jurors, a jury of six men and six women was finally impanelled in the trial Wednesday afternoon. Prosecutor Thomas O'Brien immediately launched into his opening argument, in which he previewed the case he plans to present in the days ahead.

Defendant Lori Drew, a 49-year-old Missouri woman, watched O'Brien's opening salvo wide-eyed from the defense table, jotting notes occasionally on a notepad, until O'Brien reached the details of Meier's suicide and its aftermath. Then Drew began scribbling intently on the pad, averting her eyes from the prosecutor and jury.

O'Brien claimed that Drew actively conspired with two others in creating and maintaining a MySpace profile for a nonexist

The Threat Level Rewards ProgramNovember 19

These are tough times for web journalism, which is why we admire the innovative "webathon" approach announced today by the National Review Online. Explains NRO editor Kathryn Jean Lopez: "Donations of $1,000 or more include new opportunities for access to our editors and writers."

I'm here to announce that at Threat Level, we're going much cheaper. Here's the skinny on our new sponsorship drive, broken down by your level of support.

L O W ($5 - $9)
You get to skip that annoying CAPTCHA on our commenting system. Our motto: If your money's green, you pass Turing
G U A R D E D ($10 - $19)
The next time we publish a leaked or FOIAed secret document, we'll insert your name in place of all the redactions
E L E V A T E D ($20 -$29)
Sorry you didn't get to testify at the Jammie Thomas trial? One of our courtroom sketch artists will insert you into the action at the pending retrial. Be a part of legal history for pennies a day!
H I G H ($30 - $49)
Enjoy exclusive, elite access to Threat Level writers and editors

U.S. Drug Czar Posts Roadmap to Buying Dope in San FranciscoNovember 19

Vacationers traveling to San Francisco and hoping to score some weed have a great new resource at their disposal, courtesy of the U.S. government: a Google map mashup that shows the locations of all the medical marijuana dispensaries in the City by the Bay.

The map, posted on the blog of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, denotes the locations of 71 pot sellers with tiny cannabis leaf icons. The map also pinpoints all the Starbucks stores — just the thing for smokers looking to satisfy their munchies with an overpriced croissant.

Apparently, the ONDCP is trying to make a point about the prevalence of marijuana dispensaries in California, where pot possession and use is legal, under state law, with a doctor's prescription. Some errorshave been found in the map (the first version included 27 additional addresses that didn't sell pot after all; Oops!) but it's still the best use of your tax dollars since the same office was

Court Halts Sale of DIY SpywareNovember 19

A federal judge shut down the websites of a company selling do-it-yourself spyware known as RemoteSpy, following a complaint filed by federal regulators accusing the company of violating federal fair trade law, the Federal Trade Commission announced Wednesday.

The temporary restraining order and lawsuit (.pdf) mark the first time the FTC has targeted the amateur spyware market, where stalkers, jealous spouses and ethically challenged private investigators can buy keylogging software that secretly monitors people's every online move.

RemoteSpy runs as a hidden Windows program on the target's computer, recording password, website visits and screenshots and secretly uploading them to RemoteSpy.com, where the purchaser can log-in to see the results. The company described the product as "perfect for those who wish to monitor their computer while they are away," but also touted that it can be remotely installed, according to a cached copy of the CyberSpy