Slashdot is powered by your submissions, so send in your scoop

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror

Comment A revised CAPTCHA? (Score 4, Interesting) 303

by Panaqqa (#25227959) Attached to: Spammers Targeting Microsoft's Revised CAPTCHA
I had played with this idea a bit a few months back and came up with an idea I think could work - but only ever got around to coding the most basic example of it. For those on /. who are interested, find it here. Each reload will produce the image of a new challenge.

In a closer to final version I had envisioned instructions in multiple fonts and colors involving shapes, letters, etc., and much more flexibility.

In the example I've shown above, pure random clicking will produce a correct response to the challenge 1 time in 30 approximately. So - make them solve three in a row and there you are - 1 chance in 27,000.
Security

Submission + - Facebook Widget Installs Zango Spyware (net-security.org)

Submitted by BaCa
BaCa writes: A malicious Facebook Widget actively spreading on the social networking site ultimately prompts users to install the infamous "Zango" adware/spyware. The tremendous success and lightning fast expansion of Facebook empowered the social networking giant with an impressive user base. Needless to say, in a digital world where web traffic equals money, such a user base attracts spammers, virus/spyware seeders, and other ethic-less online marketers like honey would attract flies.
Patents

Submission + - EFF Busts Bogus Online Testing Patent (eff.org)

Submitted by
Panaqqa
Panaqqa writes: "It's taking a while, but the EFF's Patent Busting Project is making progress. In the latest news, the USPTO has now officially rejected one of the 10 awful patents targeted, making the world safe again for administering tests over the Internet. This joins the reexamination of a patent on automated remote access of a computer over a network and the revokation of a patent on recording live performances to CD as notable successes for the EFF."
The Courts

EU Encouraging Standardized DRM, Licensing 153

Posted by Soulskill from the reply-hazy-try-again dept.
I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property writes "The European Commission is trying to encourage a standard licensing and DRM scheme for all of Europe, as well as 'cooperation procedures' and 'codes of conduct' for ISPs, copyright holders, and customers. No legislation has been proposed yet, but the 'cooperation procedures' sound like a push for an EU version of the DMCA Takedown Notices, which are already routinely sent to people outside the US. While simplified licensing might be nice, it's interesting that they don't appear to understand the inherent tension between standardization, interoperability and DRM — break once, copy everywhere."
The Courts

Submission + - Anon. National Security Letter Plaintiff Speaks (newsday.com)

Submitted by
Panaqqa
Panaqqa writes: "On Monday, the US government appealed a ruling which struck down a controversial section of The Patriot Act as unconstitutional. The section permitted the FBI to send secret demands to ISPs (called "National Security Letters") for logs and email without first obtaining a judge's approval. The president of the small Plaintiff ISP, identified only as John Doe because of a gag order under the law, said the gag provisions make it "impossible for people ... to discuss their specific concerns with the public, the press and Congress". Given that cases of abuse of Department of Homeland Security data have already surfaced, can anyone give a good reason why these letters should be allowed?"
Spam

Submission + - Appeals Court Tosses Out $11M Spamhaus Judgement (wired.com)

Submitted by
Panaqqa
Panaqqa writes: "In a not unexpected move, the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals threw out the $11 million awarded to e360 Insight, and vacated a permanent injunction against Spamhaus requiring them to stop listing e360 Insight as a spammer. The ruling [PDF] does not, however, set aside the default judgement, meaning that Spamhaus has still lost its opportunity to argue the case. Unfortunate, considering a recent CDA 230(c)(2) ruling concerning spyware."
Security

Submission + - Voting Machine Companies Having "Week From Hel

Submitted by
Panaqqa
Panaqqa writes: "The usual suspects, Diebold leading the pack, must be wondering what else can go wrong. Considering their arrogance in the past, their comeuppance is truly well deserved. The State of California's source code review [PDF] of the Diebold voting system has been released. Additional reports will be made available as the Secretary of State determines that they do not inadvertently disclose security-sensitive information. One wonders what it will take to convince voting machine manufacturers not to do things like hard coding passwords as "12345678". Plenty of additional links can be found here."
Space

Submission + - Ocean Planets on the Brink of Detection

Submitted by ZonkerWilliam
ZonkerWilliam writes: Seems, at least theoretically, that there may be water planets, and that we may be close to detecting them. http://www.physorg.com/news89627725.html Excerpt from the article; "Imagine a world with no land at all, merely the impenetrable depths of a seething ocean. Models of planet formation predict the existence of such worlds, even though our own solar system has none. Indeed, their formation should actually be rather common — and new satellites may soon detect them around other stars."
User Journal

Journal Journal: wii porn for wee tots

Journal by Suchetha
The NYTimes tech blog has an article that pretty much debunks the claims made in a news story by WFAA News in Dallas/Ft. Worth. According to the news article, parents should be careful of the PS3 and Wii "because the Wii, the PS3 and other game con
Biotech

Submission + - DNA So Dangerous It Doesn't Exist

Submitted by
Panaqqa
Panaqqa writes: "One group of researchers at Boise State University is investigating the theory that there are genome sequences so dangerous they are incompatible with life. Greg Hampikian, a professor of genetics, and his team are comparing all possible short sequences of nucleotides to databases of gene sequences to determine which ones don't exist in nature. The New Scientist reports that the US Department of Defense is interested enough in their work to have awarded them a $1 million grant. I for one am not sure I like the possible directions this research could take."

Starbucks Responds In Kind To Oxfam YouTube Video 492

Posted by kdawson from the better-latte-than-never dept.
Kligmond writes "Last week, Starbucks placed a video on YouTube responding to a video posted by the Oxfam Charity. The Oxfam video was launched in conjunction with 'Starbucks Day of Action,' held December 16th, when activists visited Starbucks locations across the world in protest of the coffee retailer's alleged mistreatment of Ethiopian farmers. The Starbucks video calmly addresses the Oxfam allegations, citing an impasse over Ethiopian trademark legalities. Starbucks claims the refusal to sign a trademark agreement with Ethiopia is a stumbling block they hope to resolve on behalf of the farmers. The coffee chain's representative goes on to refute the contention that Starbucks refuses to pay a fair price for its coffee reserves and, in fact, routinely pays well above commodity price, and above fair trade price. Unlike many recent ineffectual corporate reactions to social journalism and networking eruptions, Starbucks' response is unique in that the corporation managed Oxfam's unconventional assault in a very unconventional way, via YouTube. Regardless of the outcome of this particular incident, the move on Starbucks' part comes off as unmistakably in touch with today's communication modes and methods."
Communications

The Battle Over AT&T's Fiber Rollout 121

Posted by kdawson from the rock-and-hard-place dept.
Tyler Too writes "AT&T is facing heated opposition from some communities where it wants to deploy its U-Verse fiber network. Ars Technica has a feature looking at the situation in the suburbs of Chicago. 'Legal uncertainty is the rule when it comes to IPTV deployments by telecommunications companies. Neither Congress nor the FCC [has] weighed in on whether services like U-verse require their operators to take out a cable franchise from cities, and no federal judge has issued a definitive ruling.' It's not just Chicago, either: 'With AT&T set to upgrade its infrastructure to support U-verse across its wide service area, this is a battle that could play out in thousands of communities across the country over the next few years.'"
Space

Another Small Step Before the Giant Leap 277

Posted by Hemos from the a-brave-new-tomorrow dept.
Armchair Anarchist writes "Over at Futurismic, a new column proposes that NASA's plans to establish a lunar colony are an attempt to run before we can walk properly, and that developing orbital habitats first would be a wiser and more realistically attainable project. From the article: "... it seems to me that the trump card is with the orbitals; orbit is closer, cheaper and easier to get to, and offers more flexibility as a long-term outpost. Sure, let's put men back on the moon, mine it for helium-3, research its history and origins. But it makes more sense to launch missions of that type from an already-established colony in orbit.""

Slashdot Top Deals

If you always postpone pleasure you will never have it. Quit work and play for once!

Close