October 2009
Furcadia suffers security breach
Posted by GreenReaper on Sat 3 Oct 2009 - 23:00
Furcadia players logged-in early this morning were surprised to find a list of usernames, emails and passwords arriving through the online news channel.[1]
The person behind the attack - who identified himself as "Uildiar"[2] - claimed to have root access to the server on which Furcadia runs, and access to the game source code, though a subsequent post by Felorin suggested otherwise.[3] He also claimed being behind past attacks on Fur Affinity.
The attacker's statements indicate that passwords were stored as the output of a SHA hash function with no salt. While this format does not grant immediate access, it is vulnerable to a precomputation attack. Reportedly many accounts using short or dictionary words as passwords - including some forum moderator and Dragon's Eye Productions staff accounts - were compromised, although some had already been changed.[4]
Swedish furs gather for first FurryCon
Posted by GreenReaper on Sun 4 Oct 2009 - 23:00
Last month saw a long-anticipated event - FurryCon, the first[1] furry convention in Sweden since Eurofurence 2 - drawing 110 people to the city of Karlstad on the north shore of Lake Vänern.[2]
The event ran from late Friday (18 September) to Sunday afternoon. It was organized by Spots and Stripes, and run by a team of 30 volunteers led by kirrow. Alcohol was banned, as was the display (but not private sale) of adult material.[3]
The two fursuiters were very popular, especially at the fursuit bowling outing. Also popular was the ear and tail workshop, roleplaying games, and party games such as Mafia. A large collection of video games were available; those wishing to loan them were required to leave an item of value behind.
The event was a financial success, running a surplus of 4000 SEK (~US$570). 10% was donated to the event's charity, Djurskyddet Karlstad (Karlstad Animal Welfare); their total was 1181 SEK after a charity raffle and dealer contributions.[2] Some found the furry theme lacking, but event organizers - most veterans of anime cons - pledged to address this in future years.
FurryCon's future location is still uncertain, though one proposal is to move to different cities each year, starting in Stockholm. However, a competition for next year's homepage mascot has begun. The theme? "Friendship and love . . . anthro style."
Comic review: 'Grandville' by Bryan Talbot
Posted by The Chained Wolf on Thu 15 Oct 2009 - 21:31
Grandville is an enthralling mixture of not just furry material, but thriller, steampunk and alternative history.
This new comic, written and drawn by Bryan Talbot, the man responsible for other famous graphic novels such as Alice in Sunderland and his work on Neil Gaiman's Sandman series, is set in a world full of steam-powered cars, motorbikes, airships, robots (automatons) and other devices; one in which France won the Napoleonic War, and the UK is now The Socialist Republic of Britain, having been given independence from the French Empire due to anarchist terrorist attacks.
The story follows Detective-Inspector Archie LeBrock of Scotland Yard, a badger built like a brick outhouse (or should it be set?) and his assistant Detective Roderick Ratzi (a rat), investigating a suspicious murder. This leads them to Paris and eventually uncover a shocking government conspiracy.
Inherit the Earth for iPhone & iPod Touch
Posted by wyrmkeep on Tue 27 Oct 2009 - 15:19Inherit the Earth: Quest for the Orb has been released for the iPhone and iPod Touch.
This classic adventure game tells the tale of Rif the Fox and his attempt to prove his innocence in the theft of the Orb of Storms, a relic of the ancient Humans. The player guides Rif and his companions/guards Okk the Boar and Eeah the Elk in discovering clues, overcoming challenges, and exploring a land of intelligent, humanoid animals.
The iPhone/iPod Touch release is available from iPhSoft. Versions for other computer platforms can be downloaded from The Wyrmkeep Entertainment Co.
MCA Hogarth's new Jokka novel now available
Posted by Micah on Tue 27 Oct 2009 - 15:20The Jokka, tri-sexed scaley aliens, made their debut in stories at Strange Horizons, where they made the Tiptree Award's secondary reading list, won a Reader's Choice award and became a finalist for the 2003 Spectrum Awards. And now at last they return in their first full-length novel, The Worth of a Shell. You can read an excerpt, see art, and buy physical or electronic copies at the website.
What The Fur is happening in 2010
Posted by Feli on Tue 27 Oct 2009 - 15:20Someone decided to call their convention What The Fur? On the upside, it seems to be having the desired effect!
What The Fur? (or WTF) is one of the burst of Canadian Furry conventions in 2010, this one gracing the beautiful city of Montreal with all sorts of furry goodness! So get your eye patches and katanas ready, the battle is about to begin!
FOXmas cancelled after adverse publicity
Posted by GreenReaper on Wed 28 Oct 2009 - 23:00
The adults-only Christmas-themed mini-convention FOXmas has been cancelled for 2009, according to Frozen Oasis organizer and co-chair Soron.[1]
Originating in a private drinking and dancing party, the event — scheduled for 11-13 December in Rochester, New York — was intended to be more tolerant of public displays of affection than other furry gatherings.[2] Unlimited alcohol at the Saturday party was advertised for a $25 registration fee.[3]
FOXmas's promotion had a hyperbolic and decidedly mature tone,[2][3][4] leading to controversy inside and outside furry fandom.[5][6][7] The latter proved its demise when Something Awful's coverage reached hotel management, resulting in cancellation of the event's function space and room block.[8][9]