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A new service let's you make a phone call that appears on the recipient's caller ID system to be coming from someone you are not. You can, for example, make it look like you are calling from the White House.

It's called "caller ID spoofing" and the new service, Camophone, can be used by anyone with a PayPal account.

Guest: Kevin Poulsen, former hacker who works as a reporter for SecurityFocus.com.

Elsewhere:

CNET News.com: big boom for high-tech 'toons

Wired: File sharers win more protection

BBC: New version of bagle virus hits net

AP: Web-based too helps voters find polls

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Billboard Magazine says those tinny-sounding, synthesized tunes that send people rushing to their cell phones are a growing and important part of the music industry. So starting next month, Billboard will publish the weekly "Hot Ringtones Chart", which will chronicle the 20 best-selling tunes.

Guest: Adam Zawel with research firm The Yankee Group.

Elsewhere:

BBC: Bush Website blocks overseas visitors for "security reasons"

CNET News.com: AOL to offer free antivirus software to subscribers

Seattle Times: Microsoft's Ballmer says open source not all that great

BBC: U.K. report says linux is "viable"

Security Focus: New caller I.D. spoofing site opens

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PC Magazine is out with its semi-annual list of the 101 best Web sites.

Guest: PCMag.com's Lance Ulanoff

Elsewhere:

BBC: Bush Website blocks overseas visitors

GCN: Nasa supercomputer claims to be fastest

Reuters: Billboard unveils ring tones chart

eWeek: Campaigners prepare ads for streaming video on AIM

Reuters: XM produces portable satellite radio

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Researchers with the National Cybersecurity Alliance and America Online have found most consumers have no firewall protection, outdated antivirus software and dozens of spyware and adware programs secretly running on their computers.

77 percent of 326 adults in 12 states assured researchers in a telephone poll they were safe from online threats. Nearly as many people felt confident
they were already protected specifically from viruses and hackers.

Guest: AOL's Andrew Weinstein

Elsewhere:

BBC: U.N. nuclear agency hampered by old computers

New Scientist: U.S. scientists enjoy big bandwidth boost

New York Times: Intel to join project to extend wireless use

AP: New crop of music players chase the iPod

Wired: Election drives online traffic

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At one time, Kevin Mitnick was the country's most notorious mischievous hacker. During a 13-year period, Mitnick broke into computers of dozens of corporations and other organizations. Captured in 1995 after years on the run, Mitnick served almost five years in a federal prison. Today, he works on the other side, helping clients shore up their computers against attackers.

Elsewhere:

RFID Journal: French firm develops tracking chips for teeth

AP: Security for Internet users deemed weak

Wired: song swap networks still humming

AP: "Spam King" ordered to disable spyware

New York Times: New IBM report will warn of computer security threats

Reuters: Sony launches MP3 Walkmen to counter iPods

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A new Web site from Stanford law professor and Internet activist Lawrence Lessig lets users e-mail political advertisement videos to friends and family, and add comments.

People living in ad-saturated swing states might not find the service so appealing, but for those who haven't seen many ads, it's a novel way to engage in political discourse.

And you can see and exchange do-it-yourself ads that would never make television.

The biggest limitation is that so far, the p2p Politics site is very one-sided.

Guest: Stanford's Lawrence Lessig

Elsewhere:

Wired: Candidates sound off on tech

New York Times: Web radio gets $1.7 billion boost

Newsweek: "Polar Express" to feature stunning visual effects

Tavis Smiley: Tech and 2004 election

GCN: Marines assembling DIY wireless net in Afghanistan

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A fast-selling new keychain gadget lets people turn off most any TV.

Its inventor sees "TV-B-Gone" as a sort of guerilla solution to the problem of attention-demanding TVs in bars, restaurants, airports and other public places.

The tiny remote control works by sending a burst of infrared "off" codes until it hits on the right one. It's like a universal remote, but with just one function.

TV-B-Gone sells for $15.

Elsewhere:

New York Times: Learning to love the PC in the ER

New York Times: Lost and found for missing Web pages

USA Today: Internet beseiged by organized crime

Reuters: Robot use to surge 7x by 2007

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A security expert says the problem of e-mail identity theft, known as "phishing", could get much worse.

Phishing is a kind of fraud that involves tricking Internet users into revealing credit card and bank account numbers. Fraudsters lure consumers to realistic-looking but fake Web sites of financial institutions or e-commerce companies, where they're asked to give up personal financial information.

The volume and sophistication of phishing e-mails will increase because there is so much money to be made, according to University of Indiana security researcher Markus Jakobsson.

Elsewhere:

BBC: Users face new phishing threats

CNET News.com: XM Satellite lands $650 million baseball deal

Reuters: Hacker hits University of California computer

New Scientist: Tiny jet engines could power cell phones

Wired: When war games meet video games

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Microsoft Office, which includes word processing, spreadsheet and presentation programs, is the dominant office software package in the workplace. It typically costs several hundred dollars.

What if you could get something just like it for free?

You can. It's called OpenOffice. You can download and use the open source software at no cost.

OpenOffice is celebrating its fourth birthday, and is just beginning to make inroads in the U.S.

eWeek put OpenOffice to the test by installing it on computers at FN, a South Carolina defense contractor.

eWeek's Jason Brooks says for the most part, FN employees found that OpenOffice compared favorably to Microsoft Office.

Elsewhere:

Business Week: Microsoft not so scary to competitors

New York Times: New Jersey lawsuit challenges electronic voting

USA Today: Technology for those who stutter

Wired: Inventor rejoices as TVs goes dark

eWeek: Firefox browser readies marketing campaign

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Google has brought its fast, easy Web search technology to the files on your computer.

The new desktop search application indexes e-mail, instant messages, Word documents, Powerpoint presentations and more while your computer is idle. Then you search the index with a simple term just like you search the Web. Google Desktop also keeps track of every Web page you visit.

Danny Sullivan, editor of Search Engine Watch, says it's a good tool despite some privacy issues.

Elsewhere:

BBC: Printers betray document secrets
CNET News.com: Study funds dramatic rise in tech job loss
New York Times: Airliner cell phones on the way
Reuters: Mobile phone makers raise virus defenses

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Podcasting might be the hottest new thing on the Internet.

A podcast is a talk or music radio show that's sent directly to an iPod or other digital music player through your computer. It's a new take on the growing technology called RSS that pushes text-based Web content to computers. But with podcasting, a listener subscribes to audio feeds. Think of it as Tivo for radio.

Podcasting derives its name from the popular iPod player. So far, it seems to be an outlet mostly for unpolished-sounding bloggers and pirate radio enthusiasts.

But mainstream broadcasters, like news station KOMO in Seattle and Boston public radio station WGBH, are beginning to offer podcasts, and observers see great commercial potential in podcasting.

Guest: Technology industry veteran, blogging pioneer and podcaster Dave Winer

Podcasting links:

iPodder: Podcasting software
Podcasters.org: Podcast feeds, resources
Podcast.net: List of Podcast feeds

Elsewhere:

AP: Group posts surveillance camera locations
AP: Gay-owned dot-com goes public
Security Focus: U.S. air traffic control systems found vulnerable
eWeek: OpenOffice.org celebrates 4th birthday
CNET News.com: Is MP3 format losing steam?

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Some lawmakers and industry experts have pressed the Bush administration in recent months to give the nation's cybersecurity chief more authority and money to secure the country's computing infrastructure.

Cybersecurity chief Amit Yoran resigned recently after only a year on the job, citing frustration with his lack of authority.

Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge has sent mixed messages on the issue. He told industry executives earlier this week he supports appointment of a senior cybersecurity chief with more power than Yoran had. But the department later pulled back from the idea, saying the new computer security chief would be elevated somewhat but not have the broad authority of an assistant secretary.

Guest: Harris Miller, Information Technology Association of America

Elsewhere:

Rolling Stone: Wal-Mart squeezing record labels to cut CD prices
NPR: iPod owners create pirate radio stations
NPR: The future of satellite radio
AP: E-voting machine crash deepens concern
News.com: Dell challenges iPod Mini

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The federal government has asked for a court order to shut down a spyware operation.

The Federal Trade Commission says computer users who went to
certain Web sites unknowingly had invasive software downloaded
onto their computers.

The Web sites are operated by Sanford Wallace, an infamous spammer once known as the "Spam King," at least until he renounced his ways.

Guests: Lydia Parnes, acting director of consumer protection at the FTC; John Borland, reporter for CNET News.com

Elsewhere:

BBC: A virus that's bending it like Beckham
CNET News.com: Netscape marks decade on Web
CNET News.com: DOJ wants new anti-piracy powers
Wired: Mall of America for geeks
Star Tribune: 911 calls over Internet often get low priority

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Last week satellite radio got a big boost when Howard Stern announced he would take his show onto the new technology. But there's a second, parallel technology looking to revolutionize the world's oldest broadcast medium.  Digital, or "high definition," radio has been a little slower to debut before the American public.  Rather than send signals from outer space, HD radio sends digital information over the same airwaves we already use here on earth.  And it's free. One company, Ibiquity, is developing the technology that powers digital radio in the U.S.  We talk with VP for marketing David Salemi. (Jeff Horwich guest-hosts.)

Our audience might be interested to know that while there are about 100 digital licenses issued for public radio in the U.S., there are fewer places where signals are up and running.  Among them (according to Ibiquity): WNYC in New York, WBEZ in Chicago, and KPLU in Seattle.nbsp; Minnesota Public Radio stations are all licensed for HD radio -- but no word yet on when digital broadcasts might begin.

National Public Radio is leading its own initiative to deepen the technical application of digital radio, the Tomorrow Radio Project.

I should point out that Future Tense is currently carried on XM satellite radio. Near as I can figure out, only one of our U.S. affiliates (through the CBC Radio's As It Happens) currently carries us on HD radio -- WAMU in Washington D.C.

Elsewhere:

USAToday: Defendant denies wrongdoing in first federal anti-spyware case
CNN: Is color, photo-capable iPod on the way?
Reuters: Ebay's PayPal service beset by recent gliches
Network World Fusion: Chinese police pay informers for Internet porn leads
CNET's News.com: eDonkeys surpasses Kazaa as most-used file-sharing app

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One week ago, the $20 million SpaceShipOne carried one test pilot and two human-sized dummies 63 miles above California to claim the Ansari X Prize. Now that the race for the private sector to put man in space is over, the race to make money at it starts (first out of the gate: Richard Branson's concept for Virgin Galactic). And Congress, the Federal Aviation Administration and other agencies are under the gun to figure out how we regulate the nascent space tourism industry. Future Tense talks with FAA chief Marion Blakey. (Jeff Horwich guest-hosts.)

Elsewhere:

ZDNet: X Prize group plans new series of contests
Int'l Herald Tribune: Mars rovers getting old, but they keep on rolling
News.com: Few Americans buying drugs online
Reuters: South Korean Downloaders Push Music Stores to Brink

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Subscribers to Wired Magazine will find in their November issue a CD with songs by major artists such as David Byrne, the Beastie Boys and Gilberto Gil. The twist is that consumers are being encouraged to share, copy, and make new art from the songs, with no legal retaliation.

The music is being released under a "sampling" license designed by Creative Commons.

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The Michael Moore film "Fahrenheit 9/11" is out on DVD, and it's likely to ignite a new round of debate about President Bush's execution of the war on terrorism and the invasion of Iraq.

A new Web site from a former journalist aims to provide an objective analysis of Moore's pointed criticisms. Stephen Lee is a New York attorney who previously worked as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, the Detroit Free Press and the Dallas Morning News. Lee also operates a popular site called "Footnote TV" that provides context and fact-checking to issues raised in television shows. His new site is "Footnote Fahrenheit," and it contains more than 200 pages of information.

Elsewhere:

News.com: High noon for file swapping
New Scientist: Music industry targets European file sharers
Forbes: Google Print is the next big thing
Atlanta Journal Constitution: The problem of computer clutter
New York Times: Instant messaging on the move
New York Times: Parents' guide to IM safety
USA Today: JibJab returns with new parody

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Defying expectations, President George Bush and Senator John Kerry have spent very little money to promote their candidacies on the Internet.

Michael Cornfield, senior research consultant at the Pew Internet and American Life Project, has just completed an analysis of presidential Web ads. He characterizes the level spending is "minimal to the point of puzzlement."

Elsewhere:

BBC: A terror network that's wise to the Web
News.com: Super-powered peer-to-peer
New York Times: Toys of Christmas future
Wired: Anti-spyware bill gets House nod
Associated Press: Cheney slip sends surfers to wrong site
NPR: Library of Congress seeks digital preserves

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Viruses are just one of many threats to your computer. So why is anti-virus software the only means of defense on millions of PCs?

You may need something stronger to fight hackers, viruses and worms, e-mail fraud, spam, and operating system "rot" all at the same time.

John Breeden is lab director at Government Computer News, a trade publication owned by the Washington Post. He reviewed Internet security software in the Post. He says software packages from Symantec, McAfee and Iolo Technologies all work pretty well.

Elsewhere:

Financial Times: North Korea training hackers to attack South Korea, U.S.
News.com: National IDs for everybody?
IBM adds fingerprint biometrics to ThinkPads
Associated Press: Yahoo adds tools to search engine

Listen to the Future Tense Interview | How to Listen

Last month, Microsoft issued a patch for a major security flaw related to how its software handles JPEG images. JPEG is the widely used file format for digital photos and Web images.

Malicious hackers could exploit the flaw by tricking you into opening a JPEG file attached to an e-mail message, then executing a destructive program on your computer. Or, they could embed in the code in a photo on a Web page.

Future Tense analyst Dwight Silverman says you should know about this problem.

Elsewhere:

News.com: Best Buy selling electronics under in-house brand name
Forbes: Internet Explorer v. firefox
Mercury News: World video gamers prepare for their own "Olympics"
Slate: Why your PC still crashes
New York Times: Internet grants to schools, libraries halted
Associated Press: Translation device assists Minnesota police
Seattle Times: Washington Post close to buying Slate
Reuters: Supreme Court backs "Do not call" list

Listen to the Future Tense Interview | How to Listen

One week from today is the premiere of Mars 3D, a 20-minute film that features footage captured by three-dimensional cameras aboard Spirit and Opportunity, the Mars rovers.

Movie-goers at the Science Museum of Minnesota Digital 3D Cinema get to reap the benefit of advanced film technology to get a "you are there" sense of the red planet.

Guest: Mike Day, director and executive producer of the Science Museum's Omnitheater and 3-D Cinema

Elsewhere:

News.com: Do Not Call list has happy anniversary
NYTimes.com: Area codes getting a divorce from areas
USA Today: Frustrated U.s. cyber security chief quits
Wired: Voting machine company Diebold loses key copyright case
NPR: California man cherishes the guts of machines