Comment Re:Prayer can help your code life. (Score 1) 285
God is Real...
-Old Fortran joke
Submission + - Cryptome Hacked; All Files Deleted (computerworld.com)
eldavojohn writes: Over the weekend, the whistle blowing site Cryptome was hacked and vandalized this weekend resulting in all 54,000 files being deleted and two days worth of submissions lost. Cryptome reported that it's EarthLink e-mail account was compromised in ways unknown and once the attacker was inside there, they were able to request a new password from the administration console for Cryptome at their hosting provider, Network Solutions (NSI). Once the attacker had that password, they deleted the ~7 GB of data that Cryptome hosted in around 54,000 files. Cryptome was able to eventually restore the site as they keep backups ready for cases like this and stated that they 'do not trust our ISP, email provider and officials to tell the truth or protect us.'
The Tesla Coil Christmas Tree 1
On average Christmas tree fires cause $3 million in damage and kill 6 people. That isn't dangerous enough for some, so they built this one out of electricity.
Submission + - Earth's Evil Twin (esa.int)
Riding with Robots writes: "For the past two years, Europe's Venus Express orbiter has been studying Earth's planetary neighbor up close. Today, mission scientists have released a new collection of findings and amazing images. They include evidence of lightning and other results that flesh out a portrait of a planet that is in many ways like ours, and in many ways hellishly different, such as surface temperatures over 400C and air pressure a hundred times that on Earth."
Submission + - Mankind damages universe by looking at it.
ScentCone writes: The Telegraph covers a New Scientist report (subscribers only) about two US comsologists who suggest that, a la Schrodinger's possibly unhappy cat, the act of obvserving certain facets of our universe may have shortened its life . FTA, 'Prof Krauss says that the measurement of the light from supernovae in 1998, which provided evidence of dark energy, may have reset the decay of the void to zero — back to a point when the likelihood of its surviving was falling rapidly.' Warning: if you've read this summary, you may have already changed the article.
Submission + - Robots assimilate in cockroach society (nytimes.com)
sufijazz writes: "Scientists have gotten tiny robots to not only integrate into cockroach society but also control it.
This experiment in bug peer pressure combined entomology, robotics and the study of ways that complex and even intelligent patterns can arise from simple behavior. Animal behavior research shows that swarms working together can prosper where individuals might fail, and robotics researchers have been experimenting with simple robots that, together, act a little like a swarm.
The BBC also has a video story on this."
The BBC also has a video story on this."
Submission + - Netflix confirms it, Blockbuster is dying (cnet.com)
Mattintosh writes: So maybe it's not Netflix, just some blogger from C|Net, but it's still an external pundit's assessment that Blockbuster is failing as a company. Some notable highlights include heavy losses ($35 million), job cuts ($45 million worth), store closings (526 of them), a stock price in freefall ($5.06 at the end of Thursday), and an executive with his head in the sand.
Submission + - Genetically Modification produces Super Mouse (bbc.co.uk) 1
Identity Missing writes: An Ohio laboratory has produced genetically modified mice which "can run five to six kilometres at a speed of 20 meters per minute on a treadmill, for up to six hours before stopping," as well as a number of other remarkable feats. An enzyme called phosphoenolypyruvate carboxykinases (PEPCK-C) is apparently responsible, and we should hope that the scientists are correct in saying that athletes won't be modifying their genes any time soon to get it, because it apparently makes the mice more aggressive. If anyone feels a super villain coming on, at least we can rely on these Mighty Mice. A video demonstrates just how much these little guys beat the competition.
Submission + - Geek stars, from Atkinson to Montel to Zappa (computerworld.com) 2
Ian Lamont writes: "You probably remember reading about Brian May getting a PhD in Astrophysics, but may not know about the many other celebrities from the music, TV, and film worlds who have studied science and technology in college and grad school, or are simply serious gearheads who like gadgets, games, and other geek pasttimes. Computerworld has identified about 50 celebrities who fit the bill, including Dan Grimaldi (Patsy Parisi, The Sopranos) who has a Bachelor of Arts degree in math, a master's in operations research and a Ph.D. in data processing; Rowan Atkinson, who has a master's in electrical engineering from Queen's College, Oxford; and Todd Rundgren, who developed an early paint program called Utopia. Other folks on the list: Dr. Demento, Montel Williams, Natalie Portman, Curt Schilling, and Huey Lewis."
Submission + - SPAM: Storm worm strikes back at security pros
alphadogg writes: The Storm worm, which some say is the world's biggest botnet despite waning in recent months, is now fighting back against security researchers that seek to destroy it and has them running scared, conference attendees in NYC heard this week. The worm can figure out which users are trying to probe its command-and-control servers, and it retaliates by launching DDoS attacks against them, shutting down their Internet access for days, says an IBM architect.
Link to Original Source
Link to Original Source
Submission + - The Best Tech You Can't Get Here (pcmag.com)
DigitalDame2 writes: "The US isn't always on the cutting edge of technology. We see a new product release that has just the blend of styling and features we've been looking for, but alas, it's only available overseas. From cell phones to MP3 players, these are the hottest new gadgets to drool over, that you can't get here."
Submission + - Admins accuse Microsoft of Draconian Hotmail cap
kurmudgeon writes: The Register is fielding reader tips that Hotmail has placed Draconian limits on the number of Hotmail recipients who can receive an email. The first 10 Hotmail addresses included in a mass email go through just fine, according to these reports. But any additional addresses are returned to sender with a message that reads: "552 Too many recipients." (Microsoft denies it has placed any such restriction on the number of senders.) This would appear to be a violation of RFC 2821, which states: "Rejection of messages (for excessive recipients) with fewer than 100 RCPT commands is a violation of this specification.
Submission + - Juror from recent RIAA trial speaks
Damon Tog writes: Wired posted some quotes from a juror who took part in the recent RIAA trial. Some interesting statements include:
- "She should have settled out of court for a few thousand dollars," Hegg said. "Spoofing? We're thinking, 'Oh my God, you got to be kidding.' "
- "She's a liar," added Hegg, who just returned home following his 14-hour night shift.
- "She lied," he said. "There was no defense. Her defense sucked."
- "I think she thought a jury from Duluth would be naïve. We're not that stupid up here," he said. "I don't know what the fuck she was thinking, to tell you the truth."
Submission + - Spontaneous Brain Activity and Human Behavior
Dr. Eggman writes: Ars Technica is featuring an article summarizing an interesting and perhaps controversial paper which finds links between spontaneous brain activity and human behavior. Spontaneous, yet organized brain activity has been observed without stimulation and even in humans under anesthesia. This paper attempts to link this activity to the observed variability of human performance in even simple, repeated tasks, hoping to establish a new avenue of research into alternative brain processing theories.
Submission + - Tanya Andersen Brings Class Action Against RIAA
NewYorkCountryLawyer writes: "Ever since the RIAA's litigation campaign began in 2003, many people have been suggesting a class action against the RIAA. Tanya Andersen, in Oregon, has taken them up on it. The RIAA's case against this disabled single mother, Atlantic v. Andersen, has received attention in the past, for her counterclaims against the RIAA including claims under Oregon's RICO statute, the RIAA's hounding of her young daughter for a face to face deposition, the RIAA's eventual dropping of the case "with prejudice", and her lawsuit against the RIAA for malicious prosecution, captioned Andersen v. Atlantic. Now she's turned that lawsuit into a class action. The amended complaint seeking class action status (pdf) sues for negligence, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, federal and state RICO, abuse of process, malicious prosecution, intentional infliction of emotional distress, violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, trespass, invasion of privacy, libel and slander, deceptive business practices, misuse of copyright law, and civil conspiracy."
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"Only a brain-damaged operating system would support task switching and not make the simple next step of supporting multitasking." -- George McFry
