chistian edwardes - north west passage
al gebra - xxx
Seven months before September 11, a widely quoted newspaper report had claimed that bin Laden’s followers were operating a communications network based on encrypted messages concealed inside pornographic pictures. This technique, steganography, hides a coded message inside a picture or music file by making numerous small changes to data. The changes are invisible to ordinary viewers or listeners but can be read by special software. The allegation that plans had been hidden inside internet porn has, so far, proven unsupported. A few days before the attack, a team from the University of Michigan reported they had searched for images that might contain terror plans, using a network of computers to look for the “signature” of steganography. According to researchers at the Centre for Information Technology Integration, they “analysed two million images... but have not been able to find a single hidden message.
al gebra - the camera that exploded and other minor détournements
NO PICTURES
The reclusive Mullah, who is known by his followers as the ‘Commander of the Faithful’, rarely ventures from Kandahar and is reputed to have only ever met two non-Muslims. He refuses to allow himself to be photographed or filmed.
LIMITED EDITION
George Bush was accused yesterday of exploiting September 11 for political gain after the Republican party began selling a picture showing him calling Dick Cheney, the vice-president, from Air Force One hours after the disaster.
The photo is part of a triptych showing the president in heroic mode (on the plane, swearing the oath of office, delivering his State of the Union address) which the Republican party is giving away “free” – in return for a donation of at least $150 (£100) to party funds.
THE CAMERA THAT EXPLODED
Mr. Masoud was murdered, apparently, by two men posing as western cameramen. The camera that he thought would convey his message to the world blew up in his face. According to some reports, the murder was arranged by Osama bin Laden as a gift to the Taliban.
asqer jorn & guy debord - prefabs
Asger Jorn and Guy Debord made two books together: Fin de Copenhague (1957) and Mémoires (1959), published in Copenhagen in limited editions. They have recently been re- published by Editions Allia, Paris, as part of its ongoing excavation of materials related to the history of the Internationale Situationniste. Essential resources for anyone interested in prefabrication. (DE)
