Slashdot News for nerds, stuff that matters http://slashdot.org/ Sat, 19 May 2012 21:10:00 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 Subscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with My AOLSubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with PageflakesSubscribe with FeedLoungeThis is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site. Kinect In the Operating Room http://games.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/1738248/kinect-in-the-operating-room?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/XzbCa7N-JDrkCuK-T3Cg1L3V450/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/XzbCa7N-JDrkCuK-T3Cg1L3V450/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/XzbCa7N-JDrkCuK-T3Cg1L3V450/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/XzbCa7N-JDrkCuK-T3Cg1L3V450/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>colinneagle writes with an excerpt from Network World: "Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital in London began trials of a Kinect-driven camera last week that would sense body position, and by waving his or her hands, the surgeon can sift through medical images, such as CT scans or real-time X-rays, while in the middle of an operation. During surgery, a surgeon will stop and consult medical images anywhere from once an hour to every few minutes. So the surgeon doesn't have to leave the table, the doctor will work with assistants, but sometimes, if you want things done to your satisfaction, you have to do it yourself. Dr. Tom Carrell, a consultant vascular surgeon at Guy's and St Thomas', described an operation on a patient's aorta earlier this month to New Scientist. 'Up until now, I'd been calling out across the room to one of our technical assistants, asking them to manipulate the image, rotate one way, rotate the other, pan up, pan down, zoom in, zoom out.' With the Kinect, he says, 'I had very intuitive control.'"<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Kinect+In+the+Operating+Room%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FKo5lW8"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fgames.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F19%2F1738248%2Fkinect-in-the-operating-room%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://games.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/1738248/kinect-in-the-operating-room?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://games.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/1738248/kinect-in-the-operating-room?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2861629&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/saM4CCz-I6g" height="1" width="1"/> Sat, 19 May 2012 17:03:00 +0100 Sidestepping Tactical Nuclear Weapons Limits With Strategic Bombs http://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/1618238/sidestepping-tactical-nuclear-weapons-limits-with-strategic-bombs?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/V8_x8foZEDuz_FnAZQhQohVBETs/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/V8_x8foZEDuz_FnAZQhQohVBETs/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/V8_x8foZEDuz_FnAZQhQohVBETs/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/V8_x8foZEDuz_FnAZQhQohVBETs/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Lasrick writes "Benjamin Loehrke describes the rather odd definitions of what is a 'tactical' nuclear weapon and what isn't. 'There is enough ambiguity surrounding the capabilities of tactical and strategic nuclear weapons to render the term "tactical" all but useless for arms control purposes. As the United States and Russia pursue new arms control treaties, they should drop the tactical distinction and limit the total number of all nuclear weapons &mdash; strategic, tactical, or other.'"<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Sidestepping+Tactical+Nuclear+Weapons+Limits+With+Strategic+Bombs%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FKOapI0"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Ftech.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F19%2F1618238%2Fsidestepping-tactical-nuclear-weapons-limits-with-strategic-bombs%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/1618238/sidestepping-tactical-nuclear-weapons-limits-with-strategic-bombs?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/1618238/sidestepping-tactical-nuclear-weapons-limits-with-strategic-bombs?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2861563&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/1PQ-YAtPRiU" height="1" width="1"/> Sat, 19 May 2012 16:09:00 +0100 Ask Slashdot: Recommendations For a Laptop With a Keypad That Doesn't Suck http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/1527213/ask-slashdot-recommendations-for-a-laptop-with-a-keypad-that-doesnt-suck?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/K74H0yvEvHHeLa0OcN8at-nR4Co/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/K74H0yvEvHHeLa0OcN8at-nR4Co/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/K74H0yvEvHHeLa0OcN8at-nR4Co/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/K74H0yvEvHHeLa0OcN8at-nR4Co/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>PhunkySchtuff writes "I'm seeking the collective's recommendations on a laptop with a numeric keypad that doesn't suck. For practicality reasons, an external USB keypad is less convenient than a built-in one. A keypad is required for entry of lots of numbers, and using the alpha keys with the Fn key to turn them into a keypad is not acceptable. Looking at the larger manufacturers, it seems that none of their business grade laptops (e.g. Lenovo's T-Series or similar quality levels) have numeric keypads. Looking at their laptops that do have keypads, invariably they are cheap, plastic and flimsy. Looking at Lenovo's offering with a Keypad, whilst it's a 15" screen, the vertical resolution is just 768 pixels, and the build quality of it leaves a lot to be desired. I need to find something that is built to the quality of a 'real' ThinkPad, or even a MacBook Pro, but has a full-sized keyboard with a numeric keypad and there doesn't seem to be anything like that on the market at the moment. This is a mystery to me as to why it would be the case as I'd imagine it's business users who need to use a keypad more than the average user, yet it is the consumer grade laptops that have keypads."<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Ask+Slashdot%3A+Recommendations+For+a+Laptop+With+a+Keypad+That+Doesn't+Suck%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FL722UO"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fhardware.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F19%2F1527213%2Fask-slashdot-recommendations-for-a-laptop-with-a-keypad-that-doesnt-suck%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/1527213/ask-slashdot-recommendations-for-a-laptop-with-a-keypad-that-doesnt-suck?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/1527213/ask-slashdot-recommendations-for-a-laptop-with-a-keypad-that-doesnt-suck?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2861513&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/aC4vOyw08c0" height="1" width="1"/> Sat, 19 May 2012 15:13:00 +0100 Amazon Patents Pitching As-Seen-On-TV Products http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/1522215/amazon-patents-pitching-as-seen-on-tv-products?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/swNUafwePj8sL-NZuKlyt0x98gE/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/swNUafwePj8sL-NZuKlyt0x98gE/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/swNUafwePj8sL-NZuKlyt0x98gE/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/swNUafwePj8sL-NZuKlyt0x98gE/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>theodp writes "Q. What do you get when you surround the image of Men in Black star Will Smith trying on sunglasses with a pitch for 'MIB Bill Smith Dark Shades'? A. U.S. Patent No. 8,180,688. 'Many people consume broadcast media such as television shows and movies for many hours a week,' Amazon explained to the USPTO in its patent application for a Computer-Readable Medium, System, and Method for Item Recommendations Based on Media Consumption. 'The consumed broadcast media may depict a variety of items during the course of the transmission, such as clothing, books, movies, accessories, electronics, and/or any other type of item.' So, does Amazon's spin on As Seen on TV advertising deserve a patent?"<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Amazon+Patents+Pitching+As-Seen-On-TV+Products%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FJrcivw"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fyro.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F19%2F1522215%2Famazon-patents-pitching-as-seen-on-tv-products%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/1522215/amazon-patents-pitching-as-seen-on-tv-products?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/1522215/amazon-patents-pitching-as-seen-on-tv-products?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2861511&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/tgQg_7qjyuU" height="1" width="1"/> Sat, 19 May 2012 14:16:00 +0100 Apple Commits To 100% Renewable Energy Sources for NC Data Center http://apple.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/145259/apple-commits-to-100-renewable-energy-sources-for-nc-data-center?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/59XVBozc6PKB-CdBqaVrB2iJMYo/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/59XVBozc6PKB-CdBqaVrB2iJMYo/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/59XVBozc6PKB-CdBqaVrB2iJMYo/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/59XVBozc6PKB-CdBqaVrB2iJMYo/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>judgecorp writes "Stung by continued criticism from Greenpeace and protests at Apple's headquarters over its use of electricity from non-renewable sources, Apple has promised that its data center in Maiden, North Carolina will use 100 percent renewable electricity,, 60 percent of it generated by Apple itself. The update is possible because it is building a second giant solar array, and because its data center only needs 20MW at full capacity, instead of the 100MW which Greenpeace had estimated."<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Apple+Commits+To+100%25+Renewable+Energy+Sources+for+NC+Data+Center%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FLncahR"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fapple.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F19%2F145259%2Fapple-commits-to-100-renewable-energy-sources-for-nc-data-center%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://apple.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/145259/apple-commits-to-100-renewable-energy-sources-for-nc-data-center?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://apple.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/145259/apple-commits-to-100-renewable-energy-sources-for-nc-data-center?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2861441&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/K_hCWtwgF6I" height="1" width="1"/> Sat, 19 May 2012 13:18:00 +0100 Aero Glass UI No More On Windows 8 http://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/1329248/aero-glass-ui-no-more-on-windows-8?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/PG4CcGL4yACCxRUmMHbmqf-ivbg/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/PG4CcGL4yACCxRUmMHbmqf-ivbg/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/PG4CcGL4yACCxRUmMHbmqf-ivbg/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/PG4CcGL4yACCxRUmMHbmqf-ivbg/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>New submitter closer2it writes with news of interface changes in Windows 8. From the article: "Microsoft has revealed that it has made some big changes to its desktop UI for Windows 8, which includes moving away from Aero Glass &mdash; the UI first introduced with Vista. According to the company, this means visual changes that include 'flattening surfaces, removing reflections, and scaling back distracting gradients.' Despite all of these changes with the interface, the company doesn't appear to be worried about the issue of 'learnability.' Instead, Microsoft believes that with a little help it won't take long for users to adapt to the new operating system."<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Aero+Glass+UI+No+More+On+Windows+8%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FJerHPv"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Ftech.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F19%2F1329248%2Faero-glass-ui-no-more-on-windows-8%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/1329248/aero-glass-ui-no-more-on-windows-8?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/1329248/aero-glass-ui-no-more-on-windows-8?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2861395&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/J4g3y7lFc5w" height="1" width="1"/> Sat, 19 May 2012 12:17:00 +0100 Falcon 9 Launch Aborted At Last Minute http://science.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/1243217/falcon-9-launch-aborted-at-last-minute?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ugwnqHnj7220UYNy1IWycIlcMaA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ugwnqHnj7220UYNy1IWycIlcMaA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ugwnqHnj7220UYNy1IWycIlcMaA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ugwnqHnj7220UYNy1IWycIlcMaA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>ClockEndGooner writes "Sadly, SpaceX had to abort its launch of the Falcon 9 to the International Space Station this morning due to higher than expected pressure levels in one of its engine chambers. NASA and SpaceX have another launch window scheduled for early next week." Probably better than an engine failing during launch; hopefully everything is worked out for Tuesday.<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Falcon+9+Launch+Aborted+At+Last+Minute%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FKtqFv4"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fscience.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F19%2F1243217%2Ffalcon-9-launch-aborted-at-last-minute%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://science.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/1243217/falcon-9-launch-aborted-at-last-minute?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://science.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/1243217/falcon-9-launch-aborted-at-last-minute?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2861351&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/pyskkjrNC-s" height="1" width="1"/> Sat, 19 May 2012 11:20:00 +0100 Golden Age of Silicon Valley Is Over With Facebook IPO http://news.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/2359243/golden-age-of-silicon-valley-is-over-with-facebook-ipo?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/l_zGBAlo7qVMveVeDAMjIbwXyEg/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/l_zGBAlo7qVMveVeDAMjIbwXyEg/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/l_zGBAlo7qVMveVeDAMjIbwXyEg/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/l_zGBAlo7qVMveVeDAMjIbwXyEg/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Hugh Pickens writes "Steve Blank, a professor at Berkeley and Stanford and serial entrepreneur from Silicon Valley, says that the the Facebook IPO is the beginning of the end for Silicon Valley as we know it. "Silicon Valley historically would invest in science, and technology, and, you know, actual silicon," says Blank. "If you were a good venture capitalist you could make $100 million." But there's a new pattern emerging created by two big ideas that will lead to the demise of Silicon Valley as we know it. The first is putting computer devices, mobile and tablet especially, in the hands of billions of people and the second is that we are moving all the social needs that we used to do face-to-face onto the computer and this trend has just begun. "If you think Facebook is the end, ask MySpace. Art, entertainment, everything you can imagine in life is moving to computers. Companies like Facebook for the first time can get total markets approaching the entire population." That's great for Facebook but it means Silicon Valley is screwed as a place for investing in advanced science. "If I have a choice of investing in a blockbuster cancer drug that will pay me nothing for ten years, at best, whereas social media will go big in two years, what do you think I'm going to pick?" concludes Blank. "The headline for me here is that Facebook's success has the unintended consequence of leading to the demise of Silicon Valley as a place where investors take big risks on advanced science and tech that helps the world. The golden age of Silicon valley is over and we're dancing on its grave.""<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Golden+Age+of+Silicon+Valley+Is+Over+With+Facebook+IPO%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FL20jms"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F18%2F2359243%2Fgolden-age-of-silicon-valley-is-over-with-facebook-ipo%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://news.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/2359243/golden-age-of-silicon-valley-is-over-with-facebook-ipo?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://news.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/2359243/golden-age-of-silicon-valley-is-over-with-facebook-ipo?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2860335&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/58Xd_7GTM74" height="1" width="1"/> Sat, 19 May 2012 10:26:00 +0100 UK Gov't Reneges On Open Source Promise For Cloudstore 2.0 http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/023248/uk-govt-reneges-on-open-source-promise-for-cloudstore-20?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/73Of7okHbN64gjPbjvtIxleNYY4/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/73Of7okHbN64gjPbjvtIxleNYY4/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/73Of7okHbN64gjPbjvtIxleNYY4/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/73Of7okHbN64gjPbjvtIxleNYY4/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>DerekduPreez writes "The UK government has finally unveiled the second iteration of its Cloudstore after a number of delays, and has reneged on its pledge to make version 2.0 open source. Cloudstore is an online catalogue that the public sector can use to procure cloud services provided by suppliers signed up to the G-Cloud framework. The first version of the Cloudstore was unveiled in February. Computerworld UK spoke to former G-Cloud director Chris Chant shortly after the first release, who was at the time also overseeing the second iteration. He stated during his interview that Cloudstore 2.0 would be go live in April and it would be built using open source code. However, following weeks of delays, the Cabinet Office has now confirmed that the second iteration also isn't open source."<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=UK+Gov't+Reneges+On+Open+Source+Promise+For+Cloudstore+2.0%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FM3QdB0"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fyro.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F19%2F023248%2Fuk-govt-reneges-on-open-source-promise-for-cloudstore-20%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/023248/uk-govt-reneges-on-open-source-promise-for-cloudstore-20?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/023248/uk-govt-reneges-on-open-source-promise-for-cloudstore-20?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2860427&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/-ekzEV8s9qU" height="1" width="1"/> Sat, 19 May 2012 07:36:00 +0100 Jaguar and Land Rover Angle For Production In China http://news.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/031250/jaguar-and-land-rover-angle-for-production-in-china?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/112LrucGQnJ6fkWEZeX2ZGg4D2w/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/112LrucGQnJ6fkWEZeX2ZGg4D2w/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/112LrucGQnJ6fkWEZeX2ZGg4D2w/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/112LrucGQnJ6fkWEZeX2ZGg4D2w/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>First time accepted submitter ourlovecanlastforeve writes "Those of you still hanging on to Jaguar and Land Rover as the last vestiges of the truly British automobile in the States may find yourselves grasping at straws as Chery announces a nearly two billion dollar joint effort with the auto brand to move production to Changsu in China." Anyone still hanging on to that idea might also be interested to learn that Jaguar and Land Rover are subsidiaries of India's Tata, maker of the low-priced Nano.<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Jaguar+and+Land+Rover+Angle+For+Production+In+China%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FJqPjLn"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F19%2F031250%2Fjaguar-and-land-rover-angle-for-production-in-china%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://news.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/031250/jaguar-and-land-rover-angle-for-production-in-china?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://news.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/031250/jaguar-and-land-rover-angle-for-production-in-china?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2860477&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/5ZwI1LiGhwA" height="1" width="1"/> Sat, 19 May 2012 04:41:00 +0100 MIT Unveils Robotic Manipulator Filled With Coffee Grounds http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/0321225/mit-unveils-robotic-manipulator-filled-with-coffee-grounds?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/gY6hnVS2AuJ7hnBgR-NvenrWLus/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/gY6hnVS2AuJ7hnBgR-NvenrWLus/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/gY6hnVS2AuJ7hnBgR-NvenrWLus/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/gY6hnVS2AuJ7hnBgR-NvenrWLus/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>An anonymous reader writes "MIT researchers have developed a highly articulated robotic manipulator based on soft materials that can harden to reposition the device. The technique is known as jamming, and it relies on pouches filled with granular material like coffee grounds; when air is removed from the pouches, they become rigid. The researchers combined jamming actuators with cables to build a manipulator resembling an elephant trunk. They say the device is low-cost, capable of grasping a variety of objects, and can remain in a hardened state for extended periods of time using little energy."<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=MIT+Unveils+Robotic+Manipulator+Filled+With+Coffee+Grounds%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FL5ZCFZ"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fhardware.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F19%2F0321225%2Fmit-unveils-robotic-manipulator-filled-with-coffee-grounds%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/0321225/mit-unveils-robotic-manipulator-filled-with-coffee-grounds?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/0321225/mit-unveils-robotic-manipulator-filled-with-coffee-grounds?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2860511&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/4zBxS6ulwt0" height="1" width="1"/> Sat, 19 May 2012 01:42:00 +0100 With Mountain Lion's iCloud Integration, Apple Strengthens the Garden Wall http://apple.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/0015213/with-mountain-lions-icloud-integration-apple-strengthens-the-garden-wall?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/0d_wDgn1vFkdms3pdGzC81kf1II/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/0d_wDgn1vFkdms3pdGzC81kf1II/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/0d_wDgn1vFkdms3pdGzC81kf1II/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/0d_wDgn1vFkdms3pdGzC81kf1II/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>snydeq writes "With WWDC around the corner, iOS 6 rumors are taking center stage, but the real action for developers may be around iCloud. Forthcoming OS X Mountain Lion will integrate iCloud into the formal file system, making iCloud usage much easier and thus more common, and thanks to iCloud Documents, which lets apps open and save documents directly in iCloud, developers will be able to better tap iOS-to-OSX document syncing in their apps, a la iWork. But there is a downside to this opportunity: 'For developers, it further enmeshes you in the Apple ecosystem, almost in the way that America Online did in its heyday. Case in point: OS X apps can use the iCloud Documents APIs only if they are sold through the Mac App Store.'"<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=With+Mountain+Lion's+iCloud+Integration%2C+Apple+Strengthens+the+Garden+Wall%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FM2QdRK"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fapple.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F19%2F0015213%2Fwith-mountain-lions-icloud-integration-apple-strengthens-the-garden-wall%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://apple.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/0015213/with-mountain-lions-icloud-integration-apple-strengthens-the-garden-wall?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://apple.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/0015213/with-mountain-lions-icloud-integration-apple-strengthens-the-garden-wall?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2860353&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/pGXlf_NR5AQ" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 23:39:00 +0100 India Lurches Toward Internet Censorship http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/0040218/india-lurches-toward-internet-censorship?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/b7qe6XwRKMi39TRpf0g4MnBidys/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/b7qe6XwRKMi39TRpf0g4MnBidys/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/b7qe6XwRKMi39TRpf0g4MnBidys/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/b7qe6XwRKMi39TRpf0g4MnBidys/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>First time accepted submitter ixarux writes "India is at a crucial crossroad at the moment. Internet censorship laws are getting stricter as it begins to ban file-sharing and video-sharing websites. It started with Indian courts allowing censorship of Google, Facebook, etc. It has now gone one step ahead and decided to ask ISPs to block file-sharing sites. It is the movie industry which is again at the forefront of this. Anonymous retaliated, and targeted the websites of various Indian government websites in protest. What India lacks at this crucial juncture are debates in the public domain about this and citizens actually organizing protests as seen in the West."<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=India+Lurches+Toward+Internet+Censorship+%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FJWoLFw"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fyro.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F19%2F0040218%2Findia-lurches-toward-internet-censorship%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/0040218/india-lurches-toward-internet-censorship?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/19/0040218/india-lurches-toward-internet-censorship?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2860373&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/3LoAAeVP5gI" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 22:50:00 +0100 Your Passwords Don't Suck &mdash; It's Your Policies http://it.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/2313235/your-passwords-dont-suck-its-your-policies?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/re_M7D8aJ7PTFv-LaqVJSkKa32Y/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/re_M7D8aJ7PTFv-LaqVJSkKa32Y/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/re_M7D8aJ7PTFv-LaqVJSkKa32Y/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/re_M7D8aJ7PTFv-LaqVJSkKa32Y/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>First time accepted submitter eGuy writes "ZDNet sparked a debate about password policies when John Fontana wrote about my open source (LGPL) password policy project that rewards XKCD-like passwords. Steve Watts of SecurEnvoy replies that it is too little, too late. What think ye? Is there hope for passwords?"<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Your+Passwords+Don't+Suck+%26mdash%3B+It's+Your+Policies%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FJ3xy5c"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fit.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F18%2F2313235%2Fyour-passwords-dont-suck-its-your-policies%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://it.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/2313235/your-passwords-dont-suck-its-your-policies?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://it.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/2313235/your-passwords-dont-suck-its-your-policies?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2860293&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/UsLAox0ZhiM" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 21:20:00 +0100 Flashback Click Fraud Campaign Was a Bust http://apple.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/2150228/flashback-click-fraud-campaign-was-a-bust?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/RoB7eWBlaO4mcnxdQr9N6aDXM8s/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/RoB7eWBlaO4mcnxdQr9N6aDXM8s/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/RoB7eWBlaO4mcnxdQr9N6aDXM8s/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/RoB7eWBlaO4mcnxdQr9N6aDXM8s/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>zarmanto writes "It seems the Flashback botnet has netted their creators nothing but frustration. Flashback was tagged early on by anti-virus vendors, who promptly sink-holed many of the command &amp; control addresses, and essentially crippled the hacker's ability to control the vast majority of the Flashback botnet... but that's not the best part. The Flashback spawned click fraud campaign resulted in... nada! It seems that their pay-per-click affiliate may be on to their scheme, as they refused to pay out. Score one for the good guys, for once."<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Flashback+Click+Fraud+Campaign+Was+a+Bust%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FJYdq7j"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fapple.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F18%2F2150228%2Fflashback-click-fraud-campaign-was-a-bust%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://apple.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/2150228/flashback-click-fraud-campaign-was-a-bust?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://apple.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/2150228/flashback-click-fraud-campaign-was-a-bust?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2860199&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/gx3ZqQIXtes" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 20:58:00 +0100 Microsoft Wins US Import Ban On Motorola's Android Devices http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/227229/microsoft-wins-us-import-ban-on-motorolas-android-devices?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/PgxHtRnJml01v5BhpmIUttquOzg/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/PgxHtRnJml01v5BhpmIUttquOzg/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/PgxHtRnJml01v5BhpmIUttquOzg/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/PgxHtRnJml01v5BhpmIUttquOzg/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>jbrodkin writes "The U.S. International Trade Commission today ordered an import ban on Motorola Mobility Android products, agreeing with Microsoft that the devices infringe a Microsoft patent on 'generating meeting requests' from a mobile device. The import ban stems from a December ruling that the Motorola Atrix, Droid, and Xoom (among 18 total devices) infringed the patent, which Microsoft says is related to Exchange ActiveSync technology. Today, the ITC said in a 'final determination of violation' (PDF) that 'the appropriate form of relief in this investigation is a limited exclusion order prohibiting the unlicensed entry for consumption of mobile devices, associated software and components thereof covered by ... United States Patent No. 6,370,566 and that are manufactured abroad by or on behalf of, or imported by or on behalf of, Motorola.' Motorola (which is being acquired by Google) was the last major Android device maker not to pay off Microsoft in a patent licensing deal. Microsoft has already responded to the decision, saying it hopes Motorola will now reconsider."<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Microsoft+Wins+US+Import+Ban+On+Motorola's+Android+Devices%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FKzN0va"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fyro.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F18%2F227229%2Fmicrosoft-wins-us-import-ban-on-motorolas-android-devices%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/227229/microsoft-wins-us-import-ban-on-motorolas-android-devices?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/227229/microsoft-wins-us-import-ban-on-motorolas-android-devices?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2860233&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/XdzvyKwZcnw" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 20:38:00 +0100 Facebook Privacy Suit Seeks $15 Billion http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/2121255/facebook-privacy-suit-seeks-15-billion?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/LC2yX9wJfqkMonEUt4TRNC6h-00/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/LC2yX9wJfqkMonEUt4TRNC6h-00/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/LC2yX9wJfqkMonEUt4TRNC6h-00/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/LC2yX9wJfqkMonEUt4TRNC6h-00/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>An anonymous reader writes "The folks at Facebook may be focusing on their IPO today, but a complaint filed in federal court has given them something else to think about. The filing consolidates 21 separate but similar cases and alleges Facebook invaded users privacy by tracking their browsing behavior even after they had logged out of the site. The claim seeks $15 billion in damages. 'If the claimants are successful in their case against Facebook, they could prevent Menlo Park from collecting the huge amount of data it collects about its users to serve ads back to them. Like the previous lawsuits, Facebook is once again being accused of violating the Federal Wiretap Act, which provides statutory damages per user of $100 per day per violation, up to a maximum per user of $10,000. The complaint also asserts claims under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, the Stored Communications Act, various California Statutes and California common law.'"<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Facebook+Privacy+Suit+Seeks+%2415+Billion%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FLkUfbK"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fyro.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F18%2F2121255%2Ffacebook-privacy-suit-seeks-15-billion%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/2121255/facebook-privacy-suit-seeks-15-billion?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/2121255/facebook-privacy-suit-seeks-15-billion?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2860177&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/h3J2y2sUtdk" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 19:57:00 +0100 Supervolcano Drilling Plan Gets Go-Ahead http://news.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/2111245/supervolcano-drilling-plan-gets-go-ahead?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/hFOUWXvUNwirdH3R4cf26eyJxxM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/hFOUWXvUNwirdH3R4cf26eyJxxM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/hFOUWXvUNwirdH3R4cf26eyJxxM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/hFOUWXvUNwirdH3R4cf26eyJxxM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>sciencehabit writes "A project to drill deep into the heart of a 'supervolcano' in southern Italy has finally received the green light, despite claims that the drilling would put the population of Naples at risk of small earthquakes or an explosion. Yesterday, Italian news agency ANSA quoted project coordinator Giuseppe De Natale of Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology as saying that the office of Naples mayor Luigi de Magistris has approved the drilling of a pilot hole 500 meters deep. The project&rsquo;s organizers originally intended to bore a 4-kilometer-deep well in the area of the caldera late in 2009, but the plan was put on hold by then-mayor Rosa Russo Iervolino after scientists expressed concerns about the risks."<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Supervolcano+Drilling+Plan+Gets+Go-Ahead%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FKqqSiG"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F18%2F2111245%2Fsupervolcano-drilling-plan-gets-go-ahead%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://news.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/2111245/supervolcano-drilling-plan-gets-go-ahead?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://news.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/2111245/supervolcano-drilling-plan-gets-go-ahead?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2860157&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/FZjtoKC4khs" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 19:35:00 +0100 EA To Provide Free Distribution To Kickstarter Games http://games.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/2058200/ea-to-provide-free-distribution-to-kickstarter-games?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/oP8woydFJyoT7nQZvnd6xaGd59c/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/oP8woydFJyoT7nQZvnd6xaGd59c/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/oP8woydFJyoT7nQZvnd6xaGd59c/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/oP8woydFJyoT7nQZvnd6xaGd59c/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>New submitter The God of Code writes "EA has announced that they will be waiving all Origin distribution fees for crowd-funded games &mdash; like those from Kickstarter &mdash; for the first 90 days. 'The public support for crowd-funding creative game ideas coming from small developers today is nothing short of phenomenal,' Origin VP David DeMartini commented. 'It's also incredibly healthy for the gaming industry. Gamers around the world deserve a chance to play every great new game, and by waiving distribution fees on Origin we can help make that a reality for successfully crowd-funded developers.' The recently funded Wasteland 2 developer Brian Fargo applauds EA's move, saying, 'Having Origin waive their distribution fees for 90 days for fan funded games is a major economic bonus for small developers. We look forward to bringing Wasteland 2 to the Origin audience.'"<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=EA+To+Provide+Free+Distribution+To+Kickstarter+Games%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FJobozW"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fgames.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F18%2F2058200%2Fea-to-provide-free-distribution-to-kickstarter-games%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://games.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/2058200/ea-to-provide-free-distribution-to-kickstarter-games?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://games.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/2058200/ea-to-provide-free-distribution-to-kickstarter-games?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2860151&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/kDgyVnJvsKs" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 19:15:00 +0100 Wozniak's Original System Description of the Apple ][ http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/2020219/wozniaks-original-system-description-of-the-apple-?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/pL50OiNFv7wPgdyDec28rdziGbA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/pL50OiNFv7wPgdyDec28rdziGbA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/pL50OiNFv7wPgdyDec28rdziGbA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/pL50OiNFv7wPgdyDec28rdziGbA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>CowboyRobot writes "Opening with the line, 'To me, a personal computer should be small, reliable, convenient to use and inexpensive,' Steve Wozniak gave his system description of the Apple-II in the May, 1977 issue of BYTE. It's instructive to read what was worth bragging about back then (PDF), such as integral graphics: 'A key part of the Apple-II design is an integral video display generator which directly accesses the system's programmable memory. Screen formatting and cursor controls are realized in my design in the form of about 200 bytes of read only memory.' And it shows what the limitations were in those days, 'While writing Apple BASIC, I ran into the problem of manipulating the 16 bit pointer data and its arithmetic in an 8 bit machine. My solution to this problem of handling 16 bit data, notably pointers, with an 8 bit microprocessor was to implement a nonexistent 16 bit processor in software, interpreter fashion.'"<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Wozniak's+Original+System+Description+of+the+Apple+%5D%5B%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FKgYn7z"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fhardware.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F18%2F2020219%2Fwozniaks-original-system-description-of-the-apple-%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/2020219/wozniaks-original-system-description-of-the-apple-?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/2020219/wozniaks-original-system-description-of-the-apple-?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2860099&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/zDf97Zx2vqI" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 18:52:00 +0100 Book Review: Elementary Information Security http://it.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1321256/book-review-elementary-information-security?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/l6I1jbjuik7a6-2AXCqfJDmIouA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/l6I1jbjuik7a6-2AXCqfJDmIouA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/l6I1jbjuik7a6-2AXCqfJDmIouA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/l6I1jbjuik7a6-2AXCqfJDmIouA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>benrothke writes "Elementary Information Security, based on its title, weight and page length, I assumed was filled with mindless screen shots of elementary information security topics, written with a large font, in order to jack up the page count. Such an approach is typical of far too many security books. With that, if there ever was a misnomer of title, Elementary Information Security is it." Read below for the rest of Ben's review<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Book+Review%3A+Elementary+Information+Security%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FJTbcWq"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fit.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F18%2F1321256%2Fbook-review-elementary-information-security%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://it.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1321256/book-review-elementary-information-security?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://it.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1321256/book-review-elementary-information-security?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2859435&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/M2NOQsGwSnY" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 18:31:00 +0100 How NASA and SpaceX Get Along Together http://science.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1919236/how-nasa-and-spacex-get-along-together?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/APqxbyR922t7jb0dfDnk9s-ghMk/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/APqxbyR922t7jb0dfDnk9s-ghMk/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/APqxbyR922t7jb0dfDnk9s-ghMk/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/APqxbyR922t7jb0dfDnk9s-ghMk/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>mblase writes "SpaceX and NASA have been working hard to make this weekend's launch happen &mdash; and that has meant navigating the cultural differences between this small, young startup and the huge veteran space agency. The relationship involves daily calls and emails between people who live in two different worlds: age versus youth, bureaucracy versus a flat startup-like structure, and a sense of caution versus a desire to move forward quickly. But they both have an almost religious belief in the need for humans to venture forth into space, a geeky love for rockets, and technical know-how &mdash; plus, they both need each other to succeed." The launch is scheduled for 4:55AM EDT (08:55 GMT) tomorrow morning. NASA TV will begin coverage at 3:30AM EDT, and there will be a press conference at 8:30AM. SpaceX's press kit (PDF) has mission details. The rendezvous with the ISS is scheduled for day 4 of the mission after a series of maneuvering tests to ensure the Dragon capsule can approach safely. It carries 1,200 pounds of supplies for the people aboard the ISS, and it carries 11 science experiments designed by students.<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=How+NASA+and+SpaceX+Get+Along+Together%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FJm3tnv"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fscience.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F18%2F1919236%2Fhow-nasa-and-spacex-get-along-together%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://science.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1919236/how-nasa-and-spacex-get-along-together?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://science.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1919236/how-nasa-and-spacex-get-along-together?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2860019&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/R3kInOf7r4A" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 17:50:00 +0100 The Nearest Supernova Candidate To Earth: IK Pegasi http://science.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1829238/the-nearest-supernova-candidate-to-earth-ik-pegasi?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ybI7VX24z7sytHT__RpAjUiNYzw/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ybI7VX24z7sytHT__RpAjUiNYzw/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ybI7VX24z7sytHT__RpAjUiNYzw/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ybI7VX24z7sytHT__RpAjUiNYzw/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>The Bad Astronomer writes "What's the nearest star to Earth that can explode as a supernova? Spica, at 260 light years away, is the nearest massive star that can explode, but IK Pegasi &mdash; a Sirius-like binary composed of a normal star and a white dwarf &mdash; will also one day blow. At a distance of 150 light years, it's truly the closest supernova candidate. Happily, that's too far away to damage the Earth when it goes off &mdash; and it won't explode for millions of years at least, by which time it'll be even farther away. Either way, we're safe... for now."<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=The+Nearest+Supernova+Candidate+To+Earth%3A+IK+Pegasi%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FLeNqSF"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fscience.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F18%2F1829238%2Fthe-nearest-supernova-candidate-to-earth-ik-pegasi%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://science.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1829238/the-nearest-supernova-candidate-to-earth-ik-pegasi?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://science.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1829238/the-nearest-supernova-candidate-to-earth-ik-pegasi?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2859931&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/8c_N1pO8HRA" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 17:07:00 +0100 Curt Schilling's 38 Studios Struggling Financially http://games.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1826240/curt-schillings-38-studios-struggling-financially?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Ct0YjUFnCUh3n27OKcTBmVEfP9U/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Ct0YjUFnCUh3n27OKcTBmVEfP9U/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Ct0YjUFnCUh3n27OKcTBmVEfP9U/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Ct0YjUFnCUh3n27OKcTBmVEfP9U/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>medv4380 writes "38 Studios, run by Curt Schilling, is having a hard time paying its bills and employees. The gaming community hasn't been happy with the company since the issue with an Online Pass for Single Player Content, which we discussed previously. Now, 38 Studios has bounced a check intended as a payment on its $75 million loan from the state of Rhode Island. If the company defaults, Rhode Island taxpayers will have to cover the loan and interest, which could total nearly $100 million."<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Curt+Schilling's+38+Studios+Struggling+Financially%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FKYUbeK"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fgames.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F18%2F1826240%2Fcurt-schillings-38-studios-struggling-financially%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://games.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1826240/curt-schillings-38-studios-struggling-financially?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://games.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1826240/curt-schillings-38-studios-struggling-financially?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2859929&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/jLQnqqVe4NE" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 16:46:00 +0100 Facebook IPO Stumbles Out of the Gate http://news.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/187246/facebook-ipo-stumbles-out-of-the-gate?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/8rnONxAM58T05_huzUi4xkNqUDw/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/8rnONxAM58T05_huzUi4xkNqUDw/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/8rnONxAM58T05_huzUi4xkNqUDw/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/8rnONxAM58T05_huzUi4xkNqUDw/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Facebook's much-hyped IPO kicked off today, but an anonymous reader points out that things didn't go quite as smoothly as investors hoped. "Public trading didn't get underway until about 11:30 a.m. ET, half an hour after it was supposed to. The delay was likely caused by the huge amount of interest in the stock &ndash; especially by retail investors. In the first few minutes of trading, Facebook shares were only up between 5 and 10 per cent and by noon were essentially back down to the IPO price of $38. Many observers had expected the stock to double in price by the end of the day, if not sooner." The NY Times has a data visualization showing how Facebook's IPO compares to other tech IPOs throughout the years, and how the first day of trading treated all of those companies. Meanwhile, the debate is lively over whether the social networking giant will be a good investment. "The banks helping take Facebook public want us to value this 8-year-old upstart at as much as $104 billion, more than Disney or Kraft Foods, though those companies earn three and four times more. That top valuation is also more than 100 times Facebook's earnings last year, versus 13 times for the average company. At such a high price, it will take years for this so-called earnings multiple to fall to a more reasonable level, and that's assuming the company can maintain its torrid earnings growth."<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Facebook+IPO+Stumbles+Out+of+the+Gate%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FLeK42a"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F18%2F187246%2Ffacebook-ipo-stumbles-out-of-the-gate%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://news.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/187246/facebook-ipo-stumbles-out-of-the-gate?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://news.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/187246/facebook-ipo-stumbles-out-of-the-gate?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2859901&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/POmDtXx6Pa0" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 16:25:00 +0100 Cops' Warrantless Cell Phone Tracking Now Better Than GPS http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1633231/cops-warrantless-cell-phone-tracking-now-better-than-gps?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/9qbToiWO63e5h_VbYUDMHgiff_U/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/9qbToiWO63e5h_VbYUDMHgiff_U/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/9qbToiWO63e5h_VbYUDMHgiff_U/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/9qbToiWO63e5h_VbYUDMHgiff_U/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Sparrowvsrevolution writes "On Thursday, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing to discuss a proposed bill to limit location tracking of electronic devices without a warrant &mdash; what it's calling the Geolocational Privacy and Surveillance Act, or the GPS Act. Ahead of that hearing, University of Pennsylvania computer science professor Matt Blaze submitted written testimony (PDF) telling Congress that phone carriers, as well as the law enforcement agencies with which they share data, can now use phones' proximity to cell towers and other sources of cellular data to track their location as precisely or even more precisely than they can with global positioning satellites. Thanks to the growing density of cell towers and the proliferation of devices like picocells and femtocells that transmit cell signals indoors, even GPS-less phones can be tracked with a high degree of precision and can offer data that GPS can't, like the location of someone inside a building or what floor they're on. With the GPS Act, Congress is considering expanding the ban on warrantless tracking of cars with GPS devices that the Supreme Court decided on in January. Blaze's testimony suggests they need to include non-GPS tracking of cell phones in that ban, a measure law enforcement agencies are strongly resisting."<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Cops'+Warrantless+Cell+Phone+Tracking+Now+Better+Than+GPS%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FJXhJji"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fyro.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F18%2F1633231%2Fcops-warrantless-cell-phone-tracking-now-better-than-gps%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1633231/cops-warrantless-cell-phone-tracking-now-better-than-gps?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1633231/cops-warrantless-cell-phone-tracking-now-better-than-gps?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2859767&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/7ct0_KlOOm8" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 15:42:00 +0100 Diesel-Like Engine Could Boost Fuel Economy By 50% http://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1538252/diesel-like-engine-could-boost-fuel-economy-by-50?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/pZyB9Y--6PCXDx7xJ4PuCBRzFuA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/pZyB9Y--6PCXDx7xJ4PuCBRzFuA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/pZyB9Y--6PCXDx7xJ4PuCBRzFuA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/pZyB9Y--6PCXDx7xJ4PuCBRzFuA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>bonch writes "Autoparts manufacturer Delphi has developed a diesel-like ignition engine running on gasoline, providing a potential 50 percent efficiency improvement over existing gas-powered engines. Engineers have long sought to run diesel-like engines on gasoline for its higher efficiency and low emissions. Delphi's engine, using a technique called gasoline-direct-injection compression ignition, could rival the performance of hybrid automobiles at a cheaper cost."<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Diesel-Like+Engine+Could+Boost+Fuel+Economy+By+50%25%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FJlJIwt"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Ftech.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F18%2F1538252%2Fdiesel-like-engine-could-boost-fuel-economy-by-50%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1538252/diesel-like-engine-could-boost-fuel-economy-by-50?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1538252/diesel-like-engine-could-boost-fuel-economy-by-50?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2859671&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/Ypst_uUp_Ag" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 15:01:00 +0100 Slo-mo Microbes Extend the Frontiers of Life http://science.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/154225/slo-mo-microbes-extend-the-frontiers-of-life?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/_-Yrunvy3horsHhNRI6nf08a6cU/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/_-Yrunvy3horsHhNRI6nf08a6cU/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/_-Yrunvy3horsHhNRI6nf08a6cU/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/_-Yrunvy3horsHhNRI6nf08a6cU/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>ananyo writes "A newly-discovered microbial community living tens of meters beneath the Pacific Ocean floor uses so little oxygen that researchers believe they may be living at the absolute minimum energy requirement needed to subsist. For years, scientists thought that the ascetic conditions of the deep sub-seabed &mdash; high pressure, minimal oxygen and a low supply of nutrients and energy &mdash; made such environments uninhabitable to any form of life. The discovery extends the lower bound for life (abstract). The surface of Mars, for instance, may be inhospitable, but there may be conditions below the surface that are reminiscent of the deep subsurface on Earth. As microbiologist Bo J&#248;rgensen comments in the Nature piece, while the discovery does not mean there is life on Mars, 'it's now really challenging to show where there is no life.'"<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Slo-mo+Microbes+Extend+the+Frontiers+of+Life%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FL4Z96O"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fscience.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F18%2F154225%2Fslo-mo-microbes-extend-the-frontiers-of-life%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://science.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/154225/slo-mo-microbes-extend-the-frontiers-of-life?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://science.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/154225/slo-mo-microbes-extend-the-frontiers-of-life?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2859613&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/e6_hlawbAMg" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 14:19:00 +0100 HP To Cut 30,000 Jobs http://slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1445202/hp-to-cut-30000-jobs?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/RSawAjvjSg8gdXsnyuqnzzP3aCk/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/RSawAjvjSg8gdXsnyuqnzzP3aCk/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/RSawAjvjSg8gdXsnyuqnzzP3aCk/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/RSawAjvjSg8gdXsnyuqnzzP3aCk/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Axolotl_Rose writes with news that Hewlett-Packard is preparing to cut around 30,000 jobs, close to 10% of its total workforce. CEO Meg Whitman reportedly wants to use that money instead for new products and for bolstering the sales force. From the NY Times: "China, which is one of H.P.&rsquo;s highest growth areas, will probably be spared, as will its research and development efforts. Ms. Whitman, who became H.P.&rsquo;s chief executive last September, 'is trying to build a new company,' one senior executive said of the job cuts. 'You can count this as a part of that.' The final plan is expected to be announced on Wednesday, when H.P. announces earnings for its second fiscal quarter. Considered a slow-moving giant in the tech industry, H.P. had revenue of $127 billion in fiscal 2011, but net earnings of just $7.1 billion. While it has a leading position in the sales of low-margin personal computers, H.P. has been late or unsuccessful in many recent tech trends like providing cloud computing services for big companies and smartphones and tablet computers." An article at Forbes suggests HP should instead 'retool' those jobs by recruiting makers and hackers, TED conference speakers, and others who have experience building and inventing things.<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=HP+To+Cut+30%2C000+Jobs%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FJWRKsh"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fslashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F18%2F1445202%2Fhp-to-cut-30000-jobs%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1445202/hp-to-cut-30000-jobs?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1445202/hp-to-cut-30000-jobs?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2859589&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/bRbMe4T0f5k" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 13:37:00 +0100 Geeks In the Public Forum? http://politics.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1427247/geeks-in-the-public-forum?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/zemqJRXEva8z6PXiGR84P42IBCw/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/zemqJRXEva8z6PXiGR84P42IBCw/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/zemqJRXEva8z6PXiGR84P42IBCw/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/zemqJRXEva8z6PXiGR84P42IBCw/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>cedarhillbilly writes "In his new book The Geek Manifesto, Mark Henderson 'pleads for citizens who value science to force it onto the mainstream political agenda and other main walks of life.' There are some important questions that need answers: 'Do you have to give up your tech practice to undertake a public role?' Also, 'Is political life (compromise, working by consensus, irrationality) antithetical to the "geek" values?'" The Guardian's coverage sums up the idea nicely: "What I desperately want is a move toward an evidence-based culture in politics. Politicians are free to say: 'I think people on drugs should be punished because drugs are immoral.' That's a moral call, albeit a rather stupid one in my opinion. What they shouldn't do is say: 'I want to reduce drug use, and sending all users to prison is the most cost-effective way to achieve that.' That's not at moral call, it's a factual statement; as such it should be evidence-based, or else the person making it should shut the hell up."<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Geeks+In+the+Public+Forum%3F%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FKXXmDt"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fpolitics.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F18%2F1427247%2Fgeeks-in-the-public-forum%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://politics.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1427247/geeks-in-the-public-forum?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://politics.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1427247/geeks-in-the-public-forum?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2859567&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/Km3-cd09DLk" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 12:57:00 +0100 'Inexact' Chips Save Power By Fudging the Math http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/133203/inexact-chips-save-power-by-fudging-the-math?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/qT_zdpeJQj0W4h5bHlYkfwYMzzs/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/qT_zdpeJQj0W4h5bHlYkfwYMzzs/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/qT_zdpeJQj0W4h5bHlYkfwYMzzs/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/qT_zdpeJQj0W4h5bHlYkfwYMzzs/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Barence writes "Computer scientists have unveiled a computer chip that turns traditional thinking about mathematical accuracy on its head by fudging calculations. The concept works by allowing processing components &mdash; such as hardware for adding and multiplying numbers &mdash; to make a few mistakes, which means they are not working as hard, and so use less power and get through tasks more quickly. The Rice University researchers say prototypes are 15 times more efficient and could be used in some applications without having a negative effect."<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status='Inexact'+Chips+Save+Power+By+Fudging+the+Math%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FJBKMw1"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fhardware.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F18%2F133203%2Finexact-chips-save-power-by-fudging-the-math%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/133203/inexact-chips-save-power-by-fudging-the-math?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/133203/inexact-chips-save-power-by-fudging-the-math?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2859403&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/s5yK_Rd12OY" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 12:15:00 +0100 U.S. Imposes Tariffs On Chinese Solar Cells http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1246226/us-imposes-tariffs-on-chinese-solar-cells?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/xqFcE3VUld3dRnhjtc95HiRFLCc/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/xqFcE3VUld3dRnhjtc95HiRFLCc/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/xqFcE3VUld3dRnhjtc95HiRFLCc/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/xqFcE3VUld3dRnhjtc95HiRFLCc/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>New submitter kimtysirt sends this excerpt from a Bloomberg report about U.S. tariffs for Chinese solar panels: "The U.S. yesterday imposed tariffs of as much as 250 percent on Chinese-made solar cells to aid domestic manufacturers beset by foreign competition, though critics said the decision may end up raising prices and hurting the U.S. renewable energy industry. The U.S. Commerce Department ruled that Chinese manufacturers sold cells in the U.S. at prices below the cost of production and announced preliminary antidumping duties ranging from 31 percent to 250 percent, depending on the manufacturer. China criticized the action, saying the U.S. is hurting itself and cooperation between the world&rsquo;s two largest economies. The decision is meant to provide a boost to the U.S. solar manufacturing industry, where four companies filed for bankruptcy in the past year."<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=U.S.+Imposes+Tariffs+On+Chinese+Solar+Cells%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FJ61A9Y"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fhardware.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F18%2F1246226%2Fus-imposes-tariffs-on-chinese-solar-cells%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1246226/us-imposes-tariffs-on-chinese-solar-cells?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1246226/us-imposes-tariffs-on-chinese-solar-cells?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2859383&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/ev_MoyjZSbY" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 11:32:00 +0100 Mandriva SA Cedes Control To Mandriva Community http://linux.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1240238/mandriva-sa-cedes-control-to-mandriva-community?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/jd4d0MqhiIH2f4dmk_qfXdgDEac/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/jd4d0MqhiIH2f4dmk_qfXdgDEac/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/jd4d0MqhiIH2f4dmk_qfXdgDEac/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/jd4d0MqhiIH2f4dmk_qfXdgDEac/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>jfruh writes "Mandriva SA, one of the oldest pure Linux companies still out there, was on the verge of shutting down earlier this year, but escaped by the skin of its teeth. Now, however, the company is punting control of its flagship Linux distribution to its developer community, leaving Mandriva SA's future prospects up in the air. From the blog post: 'This means that the future of the distribution will not be arbitrary[sic] decided by the Mandriva company anymore, but we intend to let the distribution evolve in and under the caring responsibility of the community.'"<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Mandriva+SA+Cedes+Control+To+Mandriva+Community%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FMrebZN"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Flinux.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F18%2F1240238%2Fmandriva-sa-cedes-control-to-mandriva-community%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://linux.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1240238/mandriva-sa-cedes-control-to-mandriva-community?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://linux.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/1240238/mandriva-sa-cedes-control-to-mandriva-community?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2859371&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/8D8xwqJAMEs" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 10:51:00 +0100 America's Cybersecurity Czar, Howard Schmidt, Steps Down http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/0240246/americas-cybersecurity-czar-howard-schmidt-steps-down?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/EeLDV6OoWJJ8JhwuaW38shxdJoM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/EeLDV6OoWJJ8JhwuaW38shxdJoM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/EeLDV6OoWJJ8JhwuaW38shxdJoM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/EeLDV6OoWJJ8JhwuaW38shxdJoM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>wiredmikey writes "In December of 2009, after months of waiting, the Obama Administration named Howard Schmidt as the White House Cybersecurity Coordinator. After more than forty years in the IT community, the nation's first cyber czar will retire at the end of the month. Schmidt, after just over two years of government service, said he would retire in order to spend more time with his family and to entertain teaching opportunities in the cyber field. Schmidt was at the reins when the White House introduced its international strategy for cyberspace, and also helped create the controversial National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace, an initiative that would allow people to obtain a single credential as a one-time password (on a token or mobile device) to do business on the Internet. Schmidt will be replaced by Michael Daniel, currently the head of the White House budget office's intelligence branch."<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=America's+Cybersecurity+Czar%2C+Howard+Schmidt%2C+Steps+Down%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FLdum7b"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fyro.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F18%2F0240246%2Famericas-cybersecurity-czar-howard-schmidt-steps-down%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/0240246/americas-cybersecurity-czar-howard-schmidt-steps-down?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/0240246/americas-cybersecurity-czar-howard-schmidt-steps-down?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2858045&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/Ryum3cWw7fs" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 10:09:00 +0100 Researchers Use Google's Search Algorithms To Fight Cancer http://science.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/0236231/researchers-use-googles-search-algorithms-to-fight-cancer?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/9iEB48M2bQPAM3kLMuHTBZc-ZQ0/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/9iEB48M2bQPAM3kLMuHTBZc-ZQ0/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/9iEB48M2bQPAM3kLMuHTBZc-ZQ0/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/9iEB48M2bQPAM3kLMuHTBZc-ZQ0/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>MatthewVD writes "German scientists have modified Google's PageRank algorithm to scan tumors and learn more about how cancers progress. PageRank orders results based on how other web pages are connected to them via hyperlinks; the modified algorithm, NetRank, scans how genes and proteins in a cell are similarly connected through a network of interactions with their neighbors. This approach could also yield new therapies to help combat tumors."<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Researchers+Use+Google's+Search+Algorithms+To+Fight+Cancer%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FJB6Abb"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fscience.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F18%2F0236231%2Fresearchers-use-googles-search-algorithms-to-fight-cancer%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://science.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/0236231/researchers-use-googles-search-algorithms-to-fight-cancer?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://science.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/0236231/researchers-use-googles-search-algorithms-to-fight-cancer?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2858039&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/IGmC94-FNvc" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 07:24:00 +0100 UK Government Staff Caught Snooping On Citizen Data http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/0147201/uk-government-staff-caught-snooping-on-citizen-data?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/lS3N--eDp1Q1dwyIA2uNfwxYMMo/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/lS3N--eDp1Q1dwyIA2uNfwxYMMo/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/lS3N--eDp1Q1dwyIA2uNfwxYMMo/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/lS3N--eDp1Q1dwyIA2uNfwxYMMo/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>An anonymous reader writes "More than 1,000 UK government staff have been caught snooping on citizen data &mdash; including criminal records, social security, and medical records. From the article: 'The U.K. government is haemorrhaging data &mdash; private and confidential citizen data &mdash; from medical records to social security details, and even criminal records, according to figures obtained through Freedom of Information requests. Just shy of 1,000 civil servants working at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), were disciplined for accessing personal social security records. The Department for Health (DoH), which operates the U.K.&rsquo;s National Health Service and more importantly all U.K. medical records, saw more than 150 breaches occur over a 13-month period.'"<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=UK+Government+Staff+Caught+Snooping+On+Citizen+Data%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FJQCnRH"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fyro.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F18%2F0147201%2Fuk-government-staff-caught-snooping-on-citizen-data%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/0147201/uk-government-staff-caught-snooping-on-citizen-data?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/0147201/uk-government-staff-caught-snooping-on-citizen-data?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2857975&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/bQQbbHCEOco" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 05:05:00 +0100 Social Networking: The New Workplace Smoke Break http://it.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/0143232/social-networking-the-new-workplace-smoke-break?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/6Lctg46ZbeLntqzTUYDrh8Ys_2I/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/6Lctg46ZbeLntqzTUYDrh8Ys_2I/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/6Lctg46ZbeLntqzTUYDrh8Ys_2I/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/6Lctg46ZbeLntqzTUYDrh8Ys_2I/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>snydeq writes "J. Peter Bruzzese sees a solution for organizations seeking to cut down employee time spent on social networks at work: treat social networking like a smoke break. 'Try as you might to keep social networks at bay, mobile devices let people be in constant connection to their social networking vices over the cellular networks, which you can't block. Still, it's not completely impossible to stop social time-wasting over mobile: You can establish policies that, if enforced strongly enough, eliminate social networks from being accessed on company time. Treat it like smoking: Let employees take a 15-minute coffee/smoking/Facebook break and make them go to a designated area to do it.'"<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Social+Networking%3A+The+New+Workplace+Smoke+Break%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FKGy8tP"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fit.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F18%2F0143232%2Fsocial-networking-the-new-workplace-smoke-break%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://it.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/0143232/social-networking-the-new-workplace-smoke-break?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://it.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/0143232/social-networking-the-new-workplace-smoke-break?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2857967&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/VC6u2_H9F1o" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 03:32:00 +0100 Ask Slashdot: Wrist Watch For the Tech Minded http://ask.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/0142221/ask-slashdot-wrist-watch-for-the-tech-minded?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/cDxu7-29t0wdGFE3nVjGWzg4TIo/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/cDxu7-29t0wdGFE3nVjGWzg4TIo/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/cDxu7-29t0wdGFE3nVjGWzg4TIo/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/cDxu7-29t0wdGFE3nVjGWzg4TIo/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>NNUfergs writes "Sure, my smartphone can deliver just about any piece of information I could want in under 30 seconds, but I miss being able to just look at my wrist to get the time, date etc. I've been shopping around for a while and haven't come across anything particularly inspiring. There are loads of various features that have been incorporated into watches, but you usually only see a small, specialized set in a given watch. Budget is always a concern, but I am willing to invest in a quality time piece. In short, I'm not looking for a piece of jewelry; I'm looking for a gadget to wear on my wrist. Are there any neat, fun or just plain cool watches out there for techies? What do you have?"<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Ask+Slashdot%3A+Wrist+Watch+For+the+Tech+Minded%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FKjXuZK"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fask.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F18%2F0142221%2Fask-slashdot-wrist-watch-for-the-tech-minded%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://ask.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/0142221/ask-slashdot-wrist-watch-for-the-tech-minded?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://ask.slashdot.org/story/12/05/18/0142221/ask-slashdot-wrist-watch-for-the-tech-minded?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2857961&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/eyagrBnSFVQ" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 02:30:00 +0100 Android Hackers Honing Skills In Russia http://it.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/2233254/android-hackers-honing-skills-in-russia?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/JqERzhjVNxXgbNKWLbfuvI4bgKQ/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/JqERzhjVNxXgbNKWLbfuvI4bgKQ/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/JqERzhjVNxXgbNKWLbfuvI4bgKQ/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/JqERzhjVNxXgbNKWLbfuvI4bgKQ/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>MikeatWired writes "The malware business growing around Google Android &mdash; now the leading smartphone operating system &mdash; is still in its infancy. Today, many of the apps built to steal money from Android users originate from Russia and China, so criminal gangs there have become cyber-trailblazers. Sophos and Symantec on Wednesday released their latest Android malware discoveries written in Russian. While the language narrows the number of potential victims, the social-engineering tactics used to get Android users to install the malware is universal. The gang tracked by Sophos is using fake antivirus scanners, while Symantec is tracking cybercriminals using mobile websites to offer bogus versions of popular games. Sophos says the criminals are like other entrepreneurs launching startups. They're starting in Russia, but have far greater ambitions. 'I don't think we can say that they're necessarily using it as a testing ground &mdash; think of it more as a local business that as it grows may gain multinational ambitions,' Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, said in an email interview on Wednesday. The cyber scam tracked by Sophos was reported this week by GFI Lab, which discovered links to the bogus antivirus software on Twitter. Sophos dug deeper and found that the .ru domains pointed to the same Internet protocol address hosted in Ukraine."<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Android+Hackers+Honing+Skills+In+Russia%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FLh15Pr"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fit.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F17%2F2233254%2Fandroid-hackers-honing-skills-in-russia%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://it.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/2233254/android-hackers-honing-skills-in-russia?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://it.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/2233254/android-hackers-honing-skills-in-russia?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2857783&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/L5riPxf1Ydg" height="1" width="1"/> Fri, 18 May 2012 00:01:00 +0100 US Justice Dept Defends Right To Record Police http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/2320259/us-justice-dept-defends-right-to-record-police?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/HMX1PyZI8SdB4_uC01ybZTwrPc4/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/HMX1PyZI8SdB4_uC01ybZTwrPc4/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/HMX1PyZI8SdB4_uC01ybZTwrPc4/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/HMX1PyZI8SdB4_uC01ybZTwrPc4/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Fluffeh writes "In recent times, it seems many Police Departments believe that recording them doing their work is an act of war with police officers, destroying the tapes, phones or cameras while arresting the folks doing it. But in a surprising twist, the U.S. Justice Department has sent letter (PDF) to attorneys for the Baltimore Police Department &mdash; who have been quite heavy handed in enforcing their 'Don't record me bro!' mantra. The letter contains an awful lot of lawyer babble and lists many court cases and the like, although some sections are surprisingly clear: 'Policies should prohibit officers from destroying recording devices or cameras and deleting recordings or photographs under any circumstances. In addition to violating the First Amendment, police officers violate the core requirements of the Fourteenth Amendment procedural due process clause when they irrevocably deprived individuals of their recordings without first providing notice and an opportunity to object.' There is a lot more and it certainly seems like a firm foothold in the right direction."<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=US+Justice+Dept+Defends+Right+To+Record+Police%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FJA24cM"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fyro.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F17%2F2320259%2Fus-justice-dept-defends-right-to-record-police%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/2320259/us-justice-dept-defends-right-to-record-police?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/2320259/us-justice-dept-defends-right-to-record-police?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2857837&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/WLKvyYvTpdM" height="1" width="1"/> Thu, 17 May 2012 22:09:00 +0100 Dolby's TrueHD 96K Upsampling To Improve Sound On Blu-Rays http://news.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/2229202/dolbys-truehd-96k-upsampling-to-improve-sound-on-blu-rays?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/_bnOKFwjr023btB0C3V7ar02yXc/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/_bnOKFwjr023btB0C3V7ar02yXc/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/_bnOKFwjr023btB0C3V7ar02yXc/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/_bnOKFwjr023btB0C3V7ar02yXc/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Stowie101 writes in with a story about your Blu-ray audio getting better. "The audio on most Blu-ray discs is sampled at 48kHz. Even the original movie tracks are usually only recorded at 48kHz, so once a movie migrates to disc, there isn't much that can be done. Dolby's new system upsamples that audio signal to 96kHz at the master stage prior to the Dolby TrueHD encoding, so you get lossless audio with fewer digital artifacts. The 'fewer digital artifacts' part comes from a feature of Dolby's upsampling process called de-apodizing, which corrects a prevalent digital artifact known as pre-ringing. Pre-ringing is often introduced in the capture and creation process and adds a digital harshness to the audio. The apodizing filter masks the effect of pre-ringing by placing it behind the source tone &mdash; the listener can't hear the pre-ringing because it's behind the more prevalent original signal."<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Dolby's+TrueHD+96K+Upsampling+To+Improve+Sound+On+Blu-Rays%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FJU2bg4"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F17%2F2229202%2Fdolbys-truehd-96k-upsampling-to-improve-sound-on-blu-rays%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://news.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/2229202/dolbys-truehd-96k-upsampling-to-improve-sound-on-blu-rays?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://news.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/2229202/dolbys-truehd-96k-upsampling-to-improve-sound-on-blu-rays?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2857759&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/31ZG635YOQk" height="1" width="1"/> Thu, 17 May 2012 21:38:00 +0100 Paralyzed Woman Uses Mind-Controlled Robot Arm http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/2223242/paralyzed-woman-uses-mind-controlled-robot-arm?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/CeDKtmFHE0UnQBYK7vAnIqJx7fc/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/CeDKtmFHE0UnQBYK7vAnIqJx7fc/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/CeDKtmFHE0UnQBYK7vAnIqJx7fc/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/CeDKtmFHE0UnQBYK7vAnIqJx7fc/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>MrSeb writes "Using BrainGate, the world's most advanced brain-computer interface, a woman with quadriplegia has used a mind-controlled robot arm to serve herself coffee &mdash; an act she hasn't been able to perform for 15 years. BrainGate, which is being developed by a team of American neuroscientists from Brown and Stanford universities, and is currently undergoing clinical trial, requires a computer chip to be implanted in the motor cortex of the patient, which it then transmits to a computer for processing. Like all brain-computer interfaces, the user must train the software &mdash; but once this is done, you simply think of a movement, and the software moves the robot accordingly. Moving forward, the researchers would like to miniaturize the system and make it wireless &mdash; at the moment, BrainGate users have a box attached to their head, and they're tethered to a computer &mdash; which is OK for robot arm use at home, but obviously doesn't grant much mobility. The work was partly funded by DARPA, with the hope of creating more advanced prosthetics for wounded war veterans." This comes on the heels of a 71-year-old man regaining motor function in his fingers after doctors rewired his nerves to bypass the damaged ones.<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Paralyzed+Woman+Uses+Mind-Controlled+Robot+Arm%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FMpj85g"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fhardware.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F17%2F2223242%2Fparalyzed-woman-uses-mind-controlled-robot-arm%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/2223242/paralyzed-woman-uses-mind-controlled-robot-arm?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/2223242/paralyzed-woman-uses-mind-controlled-robot-arm?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2857755&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/36COXoDdbfE" height="1" width="1"/> Thu, 17 May 2012 21:18:00 +0100 Vermont Bans Fracking http://science.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/223227/vermont-bans-fracking?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/toV4Dx5fgIl3m9snT_W6Ukp4KIg/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/toV4Dx5fgIl3m9snT_W6Ukp4KIg/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/toV4Dx5fgIl3m9snT_W6Ukp4KIg/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/toV4Dx5fgIl3m9snT_W6Ukp4KIg/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>eldavojohn writes "Vermont is the first state to ban fracking (hydraulic fracturing), a process that was to revolutionize the United States' position into a major producer of natural gas. New York currently has a moratorium on fracking but it is not yet a statewide ban. Video of the signing indicates the concern over drinking water as the motivation for Vermont's measures (PDF draft of legislation). Slashdot has frequently encountered news debating the safety of such practices."<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Vermont+Bans+Fracking%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FKd7bLO"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fscience.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F17%2F223227%2Fvermont-bans-fracking%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://science.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/223227/vermont-bans-fracking?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://science.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/223227/vermont-bans-fracking?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2857731&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/5GunV5cn-Sg" height="1" width="1"/> Thu, 17 May 2012 20:35:00 +0100 Tenenbaum To SCOTUS: Let's Get This Debate Rolling http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/2141206/tenenbaum-to-scotus-lets-get-this-debate-rolling?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/4QLxuEaRwL890qA5oWDmjRcdK70/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/4QLxuEaRwL890qA5oWDmjRcdK70/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/4QLxuEaRwL890qA5oWDmjRcdK70/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/4QLxuEaRwL890qA5oWDmjRcdK70/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>NewYorkCountryLawyer writes "Joel Tenenbaum has filed a reply brief in support of his petition for certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court, in SONY BMG Music Entertainment v. Tenenbaum, trying to get the Court to take on the thorny issue of copyright statutory damages in the age of mp3 files and micropayments."<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Tenenbaum+To+SCOTUS%3A+Let's+Get+This+Debate+Rolling%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FJjHNIF"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fyro.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F17%2F2141206%2Ftenenbaum-to-scotus-lets-get-this-debate-rolling%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/2141206/tenenbaum-to-scotus-lets-get-this-debate-rolling?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/2141206/tenenbaum-to-scotus-lets-get-this-debate-rolling?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2857679&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/0SG1Zxk63bI" height="1" width="1"/> Thu, 17 May 2012 19:52:00 +0100 Comcast To Remove Data Cap, Implement Tiered Pricing http://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/218236/comcast-to-remove-data-cap-implement-tiered-pricing?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ivVNXRWCR1aKD5xV78m2nNoE5T0/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ivVNXRWCR1aKD5xV78m2nNoE5T0/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ivVNXRWCR1aKD5xV78m2nNoE5T0/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/ivVNXRWCR1aKD5xV78m2nNoE5T0/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>StikyPad writes "Comcast is reportedly removing its oft-maligned 250GB data cap, but don't get too excited. In what appears to be an effort to capitalize on Nielsen's Law, the Internet's version of Moore's Law, Comcast is introducing tiered data pricing. The plan is to include 300GB with the existing price of service, and charge $10 for every 50GB over that limit. As with current policy, Xfinity On Demand traffic will not count against data usage, which Comcast asserts is because the traffic is internal, not from the larger Internet. There has, however, been no indication that the same exemption would apply to any other internal traffic. AT&amp;T and Time Warner have tried unsuccessfully to implement tiered pricing in the past, meeting with strong push back from customers and lawmakers alike. With people now accustomed to, if not comfortable with, tiered data plans on their smartphones, will the public be more receptive to tiered pricing on their wired Internet connections as well, or will they once again balk at a perceived bilking?"<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Comcast+To+Remove+Data+Cap%2C+Implement+Tiered+Pricing%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FLgCs5s"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Ftech.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F17%2F218236%2Fcomcast-to-remove-data-cap-implement-tiered-pricing%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/218236/comcast-to-remove-data-cap-implement-tiered-pricing?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/218236/comcast-to-remove-data-cap-implement-tiered-pricing?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2857621&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/ZobxPFd91Rs" height="1" width="1"/> Thu, 17 May 2012 19:11:00 +0100 From MIT Inventor To Tea Party Leader http://politics.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/2014215/from-mit-inventor-to-tea-party-leader?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/uWRbj-mzS_sZTTIfdh-s-uAjwlA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/uWRbj-mzS_sZTTIfdh-s-uAjwlA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/uWRbj-mzS_sZTTIfdh-s-uAjwlA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/uWRbj-mzS_sZTTIfdh-s-uAjwlA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>An anonymous reader writes "In the midst of Congressional races around the country, one stands out to techies. Thomas Massie, an MIT whiz kid who pioneered touch-based interfaces and founded SensAble Technologies in the 1990s, is the favorite to win the Republican nomination in his Kentucky district next week. SensAble was recently sold on the cheap, but in a new exclusive, Massie explains why he left the haptics firm years ago to lead a simpler life of farming, family, and guns &mdash; lots of guns. Along the way he built a solar-powered, off-the-grid house and became a local hero of the Tea Party. Now Massie is leading the charge to get more engineers into politics, and if he wins, he could be a force to be reckoned with in Washington, DC."<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=From+MIT+Inventor+To+Tea+Party+Leader%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FJ3sOOd"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fpolitics.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F17%2F2014215%2Ffrom-mit-inventor-to-tea-party-leader%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://politics.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/2014215/from-mit-inventor-to-tea-party-leader?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://politics.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/2014215/from-mit-inventor-to-tea-party-leader?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2857549&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/_XtzdKAUNGA" height="1" width="1"/> Thu, 17 May 2012 18:36:00 +0100 Paul Vixie: 100,000 DSL Modems May Lose Their DNS On July 9 http://it.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/1944259/paul-vixie-100000-dsl-modems-may-lose-their-dns-on-july-9?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/etd_fwM093wMfkbXubOF6AbEdzc/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/etd_fwM093wMfkbXubOF6AbEdzc/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/etd_fwM093wMfkbXubOF6AbEdzc/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/etd_fwM093wMfkbXubOF6AbEdzc/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>Dante_J writes "Up to 100,000 DSL modems may lose access to DNS come July the 9th, due to scripted web interface changes made to them by DNSChanger. This and other disturbing details were raised by respected Internet elder Paul Vixie during a presentation at the AusCERT 2012 conference."<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Paul+Vixie%3A+100%2C000+DSL+Modems+May+Lose+Their+DNS+On+July+9%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FJjwAaa"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fit.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F17%2F1944259%2Fpaul-vixie-100000-dsl-modems-may-lose-their-dns-on-july-9%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://it.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/1944259/paul-vixie-100000-dsl-modems-may-lose-their-dns-on-july-9?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://it.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/1944259/paul-vixie-100000-dsl-modems-may-lose-their-dns-on-july-9?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2857487&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/D--JdVhsXF8" height="1" width="1"/> Thu, 17 May 2012 17:54:00 +0100 Iran Threatens Legal Action Against Google For Not Labeling Gulf 'Persian' http://search.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/1932200/iran-threatens-legal-action-against-google-for-not-labeling-gulf-persian?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/rWZDo321NBHimC4FRkA0-OxSr94/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/rWZDo321NBHimC4FRkA0-OxSr94/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/rWZDo321NBHimC4FRkA0-OxSr94/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/rWZDo321NBHimC4FRkA0-OxSr94/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>New submitter PantherSE writes with an article at CNN about the geopolitical importance of labeling, excerpting thus: "Iran has threatened legal action against Google for not labeling the Persian Gulf on its maps. 'Toying with modern technologies in political issues is among the new measures by the enemies against Iran, (and) in this regard, Google has been treated as a plaything,' Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Thursday, according to state-run Press TV. He added that 'omitting the name Persian Gulf is (like) playing with the feelings and realities of the Iranian nation.'"<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Iran+Threatens+Legal+Action+Against+Google+For+Not+Labeling+Gulf++'Persian'%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FLXE9RW"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F17%2F1932200%2Firan-threatens-legal-action-against-google-for-not-labeling-gulf-persian%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://search.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/1932200/iran-threatens-legal-action-against-google-for-not-labeling-gulf-persian?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://search.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/1932200/iran-threatens-legal-action-against-google-for-not-labeling-gulf-persian?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2857461&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/gY2rNTMUjJU" height="1" width="1"/> Thu, 17 May 2012 17:32:00 +0100 The Pirate Bay Returns, Anonymous Hater Takes Credit For DDoS http://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/1911206/the-pirate-bay-returns-anonymous-hater-takes-credit-for-ddos?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/L-D8iPv2uKQ8PHA80jbvEnvP8gY/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/L-D8iPv2uKQ8PHA80jbvEnvP8gY/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/L-D8iPv2uKQ8PHA80jbvEnvP8gY/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/L-D8iPv2uKQ8PHA80jbvEnvP8gY/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>An anonymous reader writes "After being the victim of a massive Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack by an unknown party, The Pirate Bay has returned. An Anonymous traitor who goes by the name AnonNyre has claimed responsibility for the DDoS attack that kept the site offline for days."<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=The+Pirate+Bay+Returns%2C+Anonymous+Hater+Takes+Credit+For+DDoS%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FJjsujb"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Ftech.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F17%2F1911206%2Fthe-pirate-bay-returns-anonymous-hater-takes-credit-for-ddos%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/1911206/the-pirate-bay-returns-anonymous-hater-takes-credit-for-ddos?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/1911206/the-pirate-bay-returns-anonymous-hater-takes-credit-for-ddos?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2857415&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/1i38Yej8g_M" height="1" width="1"/> Thu, 17 May 2012 17:12:00 +0100 Senators To Unveil the 'Ex-Patriot Act' To Respond To Facebook's Saverin http://politics.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/1827235/senators-to-unveil-the-ex-patriot-act-to-respond-to-facebooks-saverin?utm_source=rss1.0mainlinkanon&utm_medium=feed <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Sv99EaWQsnV8CtjsUJ0VAFHMA-w/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Sv99EaWQsnV8CtjsUJ0VAFHMA-w/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Sv99EaWQsnV8CtjsUJ0VAFHMA-w/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Sv99EaWQsnV8CtjsUJ0VAFHMA-w/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p>An anonymous reader writes "Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has a status update for Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin: Stop attempting to dodge your taxes by renouncing your U.S. citizenship or never come to back to the U.S. again." See this earlier story on Saverin's plan to make the leap out of the U.S. tax system.<p><div class="share_submission" style="position:relative;"> <a class="slashpop" href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Senators+To+Unveil+the+'Ex-Patriot+Act'+To+Respond+To+Facebook's+Saverin%3A+http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FJjornf"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/twitter_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="slashpop" href="http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fpolitics.slashdot.org%2Fstory%2F12%2F05%2F17%2F1827235%2Fsenators-to-unveil-the-ex-patriot-act-to-respond-to-facebooks-saverin%3Futm_source%3Dslashdot%26utm_medium%3Dfacebook"><img src="http://a.fsdn.com/sd/facebook_icon_large.png"></a> <a class="nobg" href="http://plus.google.com/share?url=http://politics.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/1827235/senators-to-unveil-the-ex-patriot-act-to-respond-to-facebooks-saverin?utm_source=slashdot&amp;utm_medium=googleplus" onclick="javascript:window.open(this.href,'', 'menubar=no,toolbar=no,resizable=yes,scrollbars=yes,height=600,width=600');return false;"><img src="http://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/gplus-16.png" alt="Share on Google+"/></a> </div></p><p><a href="http://politics.slashdot.org/story/12/05/17/1827235/senators-to-unveil-the-ex-patriot-act-to-respond-to-facebooks-saverin?utm_source=rss1.0moreanon&amp;utm_medium=feed">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p><iframe src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?op=discuss&amp;id=2857345&amp;smallembed=1" style="height: 300px; width: 100%; border: none;"></iframe><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/Gw9Y5AypOZ4" height="1" width="1"/> Thu, 17 May 2012 16:27:00 +0100