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Brian and team, who work for a digital marketing agency run this Digital Crosstalk blog.
Occasionally we might blog about companies and people we work with but for the most part we'll simply be blogging about stories and events which we find interesting.

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25th
FEB

Elvis exposes biometric passport security flaws

Posted by Brian | Filed under blogging

: Elvis Presley via last.fm

The introduction of biometric passports was supposedly to tighten security and make travellers feel a little safer. But hackers have showed they’re far from foolproof in a CNN report.

In the pursuit of improved security, Adam Laurie and Jeroen Van Beek demonstrated just how easy it is to fool a passport scanner using a fraudulent biometric chip. Checking in at a self-serve passport machine at Amsterdam’s Schipol airport in September 2008, the hacker was able to clear passport control with a faked Elvis Presley passport!

Van Beek said: “What we did for that chip is create passport content for Elvis Presley and put it on a chip and sign it with our own key for a non-existent country. And a device that was used to read chips didn’t check the country’s signatures.”

Biometric passports, which contain data stored on an embedded chip are now standard issue in much of Europe, the United States and in numerous countries around the world but the hackers maintain biometric passports are still vulnerable to fraud.

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2nd
FEB

Emirates named official Ryder Cup airline

Posted by Brian | Filed under air, blogging

: Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Emirates, the international carrier of the United Arab Emirates has been named the Official Airline of the 2010 Ryder Cup.

The match, to be played at The Celtic Manor Resort, Wales will see Colin Montgomerie’s Europe team take on Corey Pavin’s United States team over three days in October.

Montgomerie, who has played in five winning Ryder Cup Teams, sealed the partnership with Gary Chapman – President Emirates Group Services and Dnata – at a press conference at Emirates Golf Club.

Emirates will also be an Official Partner to the European team in 2012 when they travel to Medinah Country Club in Illinois, USA.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, is also looking forward to the tournament and said:

“The Ryder Cup is the pinnacle event in team golf so it is tremendous to be supporting Colin and his players as the Official Airline in 2010 and as an Official Partner of the European Team in 2012.

“As an Official Partner of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, 2010 was always going to be a memorable year for Emirates. It is now going to be even more special with the Ryder Cup marking the crowning moment in our long and successful association with golf.”

Tags: Celtic Manor Resort, Colin Montgomerie, Corey Pavin, FIFA World Cup, Ryder Cup, sport, United Arab Emirates, United State

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27th
JAN

Bollywood actress gets trapped in toilet cubicle

Posted by Brian | Filed under Uncategorized, blogging

: Image via Wikipedia

Bollywood actress Priety Zinta told of her nightmare being stuck in a toilet cubicle for more than ten minutes.

Digital Spy reports the actress, who is claustrophobic, became trapped inside a toilet cubicle at an airport and in a bid to escape the confined space scaled the cubicle wall, injuring herself in the process.

“Spent 10 minutes stuck in the toilet at the airport,” Zinta tweeted. “Finally had to climb the wall and jump over… People were calling out my name.?”

“Thought I was going to die as I am claustrophobic. Pulled a muscle in my arm.”

“Being a tomboy when I was younger definitely helped. Trying to climb a wall is never easy. Phew! Happy to go home now.”

The incident occured at Dehli airport.

Tags: actress, airport, bollywood, priety zinta

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22nd
JAN

Rhino tusks seized at Shannon Airport

Posted by Brian | Filed under blogging

: Image via Wikipedia

Customs officers at Shannon Airport got some rich pickings when they discovered ten rhino horns worth an estimated €500m.

The horns were seized when officials at the airport conducted three separate searches, with the items being found in suitcases of individuals who were attempting to smuggle the items through the airport.

The seizures were made under CITES, an international convention which aims to curtail international trade in endangered species. The horns are extremely valuable and prices are currently estimated at $50,000 per kilo. One likely use for the horns would be in traditional Chinese medicine.

Seizures of such size are rare, with the only comparable one in recent times was in South Africa in 2009.

Of the horns seized, six were from white rhinos, which are an endangered species while four were from black rhinos, which are critically endangered reports RTE.