Three years after George Bush invaded Iraq to liberate them from the tyrannic regime of Saddam Hussein, the nation is still beset with problems of security, primarily caused by the continuing clash of the American forces and the local insurgents.

The image of Iraq being portrayed today is that it is practically laying in ruins, and in dire need of reconstruction. A political vacuum seems to pervade their midst, and the population is uncertain as to just how capable their new system of government - democracy - would be. One would not hesitate to think and believe that even after the promised liberation has been delivered, with all the ongoing violence and unrest, the Iraqis would not even have the capability to indulge in the whims of popular culture.

Or do they?


More on Iraq and cell phones after the jump!

There's a reason why you shouldn't steal things, especially from the government. It puts you on the priority list of people to get.

Such was the case of two teenagers who were arrested Saturday after taking a laptop that was more valuable than it looked.

Montgomery County police took Jesus Alex Pineda, 19, and Christian Brian Montano, 19, into custody in relation to the May 3 burglary of a Veterans Affairs employee's home in Maryland.

Besides the obvious spoils, the hard drive contained data pertaining to more than 26 million military personnel, including veterans. This information included names, birth dates, and the social security numbers of veterans discharged from service since 1975. While the laptop and hard drive were turned into the FBI anonymously last June 28, in response to a reward offer, the thieves still had to be found as it was a breach of government data. Fortunately, the FBI has determined the integrity of the files on the hard drive.

Pineda and Montano were both charged with first-degree burglary and theft over $500, with Montano also getting charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree burglary and theft over $500. Authorities have noted that the Veterans Affairs residence was not a specific target, and that the two in custody knew nothing of the information inside the hard drive till the nature of the stolen goods and their contents was made public. 

Charges are also pending against a third suspect who, unlike Pineda and Montano, is a juvenile.

While theft does happen more often than we realize, it's this sort of data theft that puts more than mere property into jeopardy, as the data inside contains a good portion of the lives of many other people. Sometimes, one really has to consider even the seemingly impossible consequences that occur as a result of his actions.

I love my PSP, but I've never purchased any sort of protection for the unit, I've always just used the soft carrying case it came with. Those armor type cases didn't make much sense to me because I wear cargo pants so I just slip the thing in my massive pocket, and I try to not make it a habit of dropping the device anyway. I've always kept an eye on screen protectors though, mainly because no one wants to scratch up their PSP's pretty surface, but I never got one because I didn't like the idea of seeing a sheeny, shiny screen of plastic laid over my regular screen, obstructing my vision and dimming the PSP's screen brightness. If you've felt the same way, you might want to keep reading, because there's a product on the market that should make you a pretty happy camper. Oh, and in case you don't own a PSP and are wondering what this story is doing on your fave blog, it's because the the InvisibleSHIELD can be custom cut to fit over 400 different devices, including PDA's the Nintendo DS, and yes, the iPod too.

Read the full review after the jump!

In Episode 3 of Hacking with Ramzi, we are taught the ultimate hack on how to secure classified data your laptop may contain. Forget about fancy shamancy tracking, encryption and kill switch, that will cost you hard earned cash. This trick is a sure fire way to keep all your secrets hidden. The solution - thermite. Yes, thermite. As in the thermite used by military on thermite grenades used as incendiary devices to quickly destroy items or equipment when there is imminent danger of them being captured by enemy forces. That thermite.

Tripod Data Systems has released an updated version of its "military grade" PDA. The Recon-X series of handheld computers now features 256MB of flash memory, Bluetooth and is Wifi enabled. The device is designed to run the Linux operating system or a version of Windows Mobile. The "military grade" designation is earned because the PDA meets the MIL-STD-810F standard for drops, vibrations, and temperature extremes. The device also has the IP67 rating, meaning that it is impervious to dust and water!

There are two models of the Recon-X device:

The Recon-200X (with 200Mhz processor and 128MB flash memory)

• processor- PXA 255 (200Mhz)
• memory- 64MB SDRAM, 128MB flash
• display- TFT with touchscreen
• ports- USB, serial 9-pin D connector
• audio- built in microphone
• expansion- type 1 and 2 compact flash slots
• wireless- built in optional Bluetooth, Wifi 802.11g
• Dimensions- 6.50 x 3.75 x 1.75 inches (16.5 x 9.5 x 4.5 cm)

The Recon-400X (with 400Mhz processor and 256MB flash memory)

• processor- PXA 255 (400Mhz)
• memory- 64MB SDRAM, 256MB flash
• display- TFT with touchscreen
• ports- USB, serial 9-pin D connector
• audio- built in microphone
• expansion- type 1 and 2 compact flash slots
• wireless- built in optional Bluetooth, Wifi 802.11g
• Dimensions- 6.50 x 3.75 x 1.75 inches (16.5 x 9.5 x 4.5 cm)

Both models have a built in microphone, a redesigned keypad and improved color touchscreen.