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Security

Setting Up Pelco-Based A/V Surveillance? 12

Posted by Cliff from the *tap*-*tap*-*tap*-is-this-thing-on? dept.
A not-so Anonymous Coward asks: "I'm working on setting up a surveillance system over a standard IP network and I've ran into some difficulties with the audio. The camera is a Pelco spectra III dome cam, which transmits the video to a web interface via a Pelco-net NET101T-A transmitter. The camera is completely controlled via the web interface. The transmitter also includes bi-directional audio capabilities. I have the audio transmission from the mic working very nicely, but have so far been unable to transmit audio from the PC side to the transmitter, which should route the signal to the RCA audio out, which leads to standard amp/speakers in a remote location. Does anybody have experience with this sort of setup, Pelco hardware specifically, or at least some suggestions?"
Spam

Fighting Back Against Messenger Popup SPAM 87

Posted by Cliff from the next-generation-of-annoyance dept.
An anonymous reader asks: "I recently re-installed XP (out of boredom and not necessity) and forgot to turn off the Windows Messaging service. Things were going fine, until today. I started getting those annoying popups again. I realize that I can turn off this service and I'll no longer get the messages, but, I want a way to 'take back the internet' and not have to worry about others getting these messages either. Normally, these messages are the typical University Degree spam, but the last one I got was for a piece of software that turns off the messaging service. And as everyone knows, there are some people on the net who'll pay for this. So, how can the people of the net fight back to ensure that these messages stop, and more importantly, these people stop preying on the less-technically inclined?"
News

Free Language Learning Software? 24

Posted by Cliff from the for-the-polyglots-out-there dept.
An anonymous reader asks: "Just curious with all the news in the recent years of MIT having courseware online and such.. Has anyone run across any quality free software/courseware for learning new languages (not programming languages, rather, the verbal ones)? This seems like an integral part to the free flow of information on the WWW."
Christmas Cheer

How Are You Spending Your Christmas Vacation? 303

Posted by Cliff from the tis-the-season dept.
Embedded Geek asks: "Instead of just spending Christmas break (or slowdown if you don't actually get time off) fixing up your house/car/server, are there any neat activities or events in your neck of the woods that you've been putting off? A museum exhibit? A cool new restaurant? An attraction in your hometown you usually only see with out of town relatives? Share your ideas with your fellow Slashdot readers! I, for one, plan to check out Barsoom to Blade Runner: Science Fiction in Southern California in my hometown."
The Courts

Computer Geeks and Jury Duty in the US? 173

Posted by Cliff from the choosing-jurors-wisely dept.
Stan Schwarz asks: "I just spent a day doing jury duty here in Los Angeles, and it was a colossal waste of time. I've been called for jury duty five times over the last 18 years, and I -never- get picked for a jury. I answer the five questions (name, where you live, marital status, occupation, spouse's occupation) and they throw me out. My lawyer neighbor says this is because they don't want computer people because we think logically and are not emotional. Have other slashdot readers had similar experiences with the judicial system? Or should I just develop a complex about this?"
Spam

When Spammers Attack? 16

Posted by Cliff from the find-your-closest-flame-thrower dept.
Gothmolly asks: "After reading the recent spate of spam and anti-spam articles here on Slashdot, I decided to beef up the anti-spam security on my own domain. I run my own domain and mail server, running Qmail, along with rblsmptd. Mail that passes this gets hit with Spamassassin However, one particular spamhaus, Clickformail has particularly nasty servers, they try at least 2 SMTP connects/second, and I suspect that's only limited by my 384k DSL pipe. The impact on my box was non-zero, to say the least. I ended up putting a packet filter on their class C netblock to stop the barrage of log messages and increase in load (from 0.05 normal to 0.15). Has anyone else experienced such determined spammers, and what is the best way around it?"
Security

What Happened to Starium? 9

Posted by Cliff from the where-are-they-now dept.
An anonymous reader asks: "I have been following the Starium voice encryption project for several years. They seem to have ended and their site is dead. I remember around 1998 and 1999, a lot of people were excited by what they were doing and some demo units were floating around. Eric Blossom was interviewed on Slashdot recently but he didn't mention it and all the posters asking about it were modded down. What happened to them?"
The Internet

What Can You Do w/ 170,000 DirecTV DSL Gateways? 24

Posted by Cliff from the reviving-hardware-for-home-projects dept.
An anonymous reader asks: "I'm sure everyone here is already aware of the impending demise of DirecTV DSL. The latest twist is that, apparently, they're not going to want subs to return the DSL gateways, at least that's the buzz in the DSL Reports DirecTV DSL forum. If true, this means that we'll have around 170,000 of these things floating around, just begging to live again in some other capacity. So, what can be done with them? Seems a shame to let such neat little boxes go to waste. Does anyone care to come up with some creative ideas on how to hack them and make them do something useful?"
Hardware

Non-Integrated Motherboards? 78

Posted by Cliff from the I-like-my-peripherals-separate-thanks dept.
Anonymous Coward asks: "Nowadays no matter where you look, most motherboards have built in everything. Built-in sound, video, LAN, and so on. Are there any reliable manufacturers that still make motherboards without the extras? One example: I want to build a high-end workstation for video processing. Often with on-board audio there are timing issues. Disabling the on-board features doesn't always work. When your on-board NIC fails, a piece of your motherboard is no longer working, not just a replaceable expansion card. What manufacturers are still making 'barebones' motherboards (and what models) without having to buy a server backplane?"
Privacy

Removing Burstabit Spyware? 40

Posted by Cliff from the getting-rid-of-pesky-programs dept.
Webbsurfer asks: "I recently returned home from school from winter break, and discovered a good chunk of spyware on my parent's computer. I've ran ad-aware and cleared out the obvious P2P programs, but there's one I can't seem to get rid of. It generates pop-up ads, which come from the burstabit.com domain. Any ideas who these guys are and how to get rid of their junk?"
Technology

Broadband Access Via Digital TV Signal? 14

Posted by Cliff from the new-ways-to-get-online dept.
SlashChick asks: "My mother saw a TV commercial the other night about a new form of broadband access which works via a digital TV signal. You place a digital TV antenna on your desk and it receives broadband data at up to 768K/sec. Uploading is accomplished via a dial-up modem. The company mentioned on the TV spot is Web Hopper, which is available in Cincinnati, OH. Are any Slashdot readers familiar with this service or other similar ones? Is this a good option for those who still can't get DSL or a cable modem?"
Programming

OpenGL Widget Set Recommendations? 154

Posted by Cliff from the for-the-coders-among-us dept.
rrwood asks: "I'm starting work on what is more or less an open-source 3D modeling application, and I'd like to make it as cross-platform as possible (Linux, FreeBSD, Windows, MacOS, etc.). OpenGL takes care of the 3D rendering I'm going to need, but I also need some sort of widget set, and I'm looking for advice as to what to use in that regard. I've done my Google homework and have come up with the following, but would like feedback from anyone who has already used any of these, or has recommendations about anything I may have missed. Yes, I know about Blender, and be reassured I am not planning on reinventing that wheel, okay? :-) So, here's what I've found so far. As I said, if anyone can add to this list or share his/her experiences actually working with any of these, that would be greatly appreciated."
Space

What Was the First Piece of Man-Made Space Junk? 34

Posted by Cliff from the flying-out-of-the-atmo dept.
Splynn asks: "I was wondering about what the very first man made object to leave Earth's atmosphere was. We all know that Sputnik was the first man made satellite, but there must have been something that actually made it out there befor Sputnik." For those who are curious, Sputnik was launched on October 4, 1957. Sputnik may have been the first satellite to orbit the earth, but was it really the first successful launch into space?
Hardware

Are Low Refresh Rates Bad for the Eyes? 27

Posted by Cliff from the the-flicker-it-hurts dept.
suwalski asks: "Often when I go over to someone's house to help them with 'computer stuff' (translation: free support), I notice that many people who don't know better still use 60Hz as their refresh rate. XP seems to automatically tune higher, but for the others, I immediately bump it up, because it hurts my eyes. They say they don't see the difference. Am I right to assume that low refresh rates that make my eyes water are not healthy? If people don't notice the low refresh rate, does it still damage their eyes? Anyone know of any studies or papers?"
It's funny. Laugh.

Suggestions for Unique Names for a Server Room? 240

Posted by Cliff from the for-your-amusement dept.
clutch110 asks: "I have been tasked with coming up with a name for our soon-to-be server room. Our president is renowned for these small tasks. I was told to create something funny and not nearly as obvious as 'Company Server Room'. So I come in hope that your everlasting humor can help me complete my quest for the most unique server room name in existance."

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