HACKERS VIE FOR $1-MILLION REWARD

Austin, Texas start-up Crypto-Logic Corp. has offered a $1million reward to whomever can crack its new e-mail encryption system within a year. Cryptologists generally agree that CryptoLogic's technology, called a "one-time pad" is theoretically uncrackable -- each "pad" has a set of uniquely random digital symbols that are coded to the actual message. The recipient uses the same pad to decode the message, and each pad is used only once. Still, experts are warning never to underestimate the tenacity of computer hackers: "Anyone who says their system is bulletproof is either a liar or stupid," says one. "If I'm wrong," says Crypto-Logic's VP and COO, "we're out of business." Tnx: Wall Street Journal/Hudson Division Loop

Crypto-Logic's web address is :

http://www.ultimateprivacy.com

USAF ACADEMY PLANS GPS EXPERIMENT

Cadets and faculty of the United States Air Force Academy, in cooperation with University of Colorado, Colorado Springs have designed a small space payload that will be launched on an Atlas rocket the last week in October. This mission, named Falcon Gold, will be responsible for sampling the Global Positioning System (GPS) signal from behind the GPS constellation and downlinking spectrum samples to ground stations for post processing. Due to its short 3-week life, and their limited number of ground stations, they are looking for volunteers around the world to collect telemetry and mission data from the satellite during its 3 week life and forward electronic copies to the Air Force Academy for post processing. The satellite will broadcast on 400.175 MHz, accessible from many scanners and Amateur Radio equipment. Modulation will be the same 9600 bps, AX.25 standard used in the amateur radio community.

-- AMSAT News Service