Comment Re:IDIOT (Score 1) 497
Here in Slovenia... same thing :)
Submission + - Is a Domain Name an Automatic Trademark? 2
TheWorkingStiff writes: "I registered a descriptive domain name like "thesimpledog.com" and started a blog on it. About a month later I get a threatening letter from a link farmer who owns "simpledog.com" The owner of simpledog.com is claiming that he owns the trademark to the words simpledog even though he has no real business or rights by that name other than a static page with some text and Adsense slapped on it. There is no product, service or brand whatsoever
Does simply registering a two or three word domain give you instant trademark rights to those words even though you've never done anything with them? Should I give up my domain to a link farmer who is trying to bully me, or does he have a valid right to any phrase he registers that isn't already trademarked?"
Does simply registering a two or three word domain give you instant trademark rights to those words even though you've never done anything with them? Should I give up my domain to a link farmer who is trying to bully me, or does he have a valid right to any phrase he registers that isn't already trademarked?"
Submission + - Blog readers make lousy editors
netbuzz writes: "Tech bloggers don't need editors because tech blog readers will keep them honest and correct their mistakes, or at least that's what veteran bloggers will tell you. And in real life it does actually work that way ... but only sometimes ... and only if you're willing to wait awhile.
http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/21409"
http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/21409"
Submission + - Cyber Jihad
adarklite writes: "DEBKAfile(http://www.debka.org) has run a story saying that Al Qaeda and other extremist groups are calling for a Cyber Jihad to begin on Nov. 11th. While this could be the same posturing that a lot of the groups are famous for it could still be a major threat.
Since DEBKAfile was spotty on a lot of the specifics I researched this a little more and found out that there is a program called "Electronic Jihad 2.0" which is extremely worrisome. Basically its a easily configurable program that will start a denial of service attack on any server hosting a website that you could possibly want. All you have to do is download the program, click on the website you want to attack and the 'strength' you want for the attack. And while they say that they are only going to attack anti-islamic and apostate islamic sites they may have a different idea than most of us about what anti-islamic sites are. Anything supporting feminism, christianity, buddhism, and other religious sites as well as pornographic websites could be within their scope of "anti-islamic". Either way this could be either extremely worrisome or Nov 11th could come by and nothing could be happen.
Sources:
http://debka.org/headline.php?hid=4723
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=200001943
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,139151-pg,1/article.html"
Since DEBKAfile was spotty on a lot of the specifics I researched this a little more and found out that there is a program called "Electronic Jihad 2.0" which is extremely worrisome. Basically its a easily configurable program that will start a denial of service attack on any server hosting a website that you could possibly want. All you have to do is download the program, click on the website you want to attack and the 'strength' you want for the attack. And while they say that they are only going to attack anti-islamic and apostate islamic sites they may have a different idea than most of us about what anti-islamic sites are. Anything supporting feminism, christianity, buddhism, and other religious sites as well as pornographic websites could be within their scope of "anti-islamic". Either way this could be either extremely worrisome or Nov 11th could come by and nothing could be happen.
Sources:
http://debka.org/headline.php?hid=4723
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=200001943
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,139151-pg,1/article.html"
Submission + - $10 laptop per child !!
viktoro writes: Times of India is reporting about the Indian Ministry of Human Resource Development's progress on the $10 laptop per child. Considering the OLPC price has slipped to $200 from the initial $100, it would be interesting to see the price if/when it lands in the hands of the children.
From the article :
Having rejected Nicholas Negroponte's offer of $100 laptops for schoolchildren, HRD ministry's idea to make laptops at $10 is firmly taking shape with two designs already in.
So far, the cost of one laptop, after factoring in labour charges, is coming to $47 but the ministry feels the price will come down dramatically considering the fact that the demand would be for one million laptops. "The cost is encouraging and we are hopeful it would come down to $10. We would also look into the possibility of some Indian company manufacturing the parts," an official said.
In another development, the OLPC project has uploaded a chronicle of it's first pilot in India. The battle seems to have begun on the subcontinent.
Having rejected Nicholas Negroponte's offer of $100 laptops for schoolchildren, HRD ministry's idea to make laptops at $10 is firmly taking shape with two designs already in.
So far, the cost of one laptop, after factoring in labour charges, is coming to $47 but the ministry feels the price will come down dramatically considering the fact that the demand would be for one million laptops. "The cost is encouraging and we are hopeful it would come down to $10. We would also look into the possibility of some Indian company manufacturing the parts," an official said.
In another development, the OLPC project has uploaded a chronicle of it's first pilot in India. The battle seems to have begun on the subcontinent.
Submission + - Verizon Might Deliver Google Phone (wsj.com)
MrCrassic writes: "There are talks floating around surrounding Google's possible talks with Verizon and possibly T-Mobile to establish an agreement for the carrier to deliver phones carrying Google's speculated mobile operating system.
According to the article, one of the main hurdles slowing down the product are concerns about user privacy and advertising, one of Google's well-renowned strengths. With over 6 million customers potentially at their disposal, could this be "the deal" that establishes Google's hegemony in the internet sphere?
From the article:
After opposing Google Inc.'s moves to dramatically reshape the wireless industry, Verizon Wireless is now in serious discussions with the Internet company over carrying phones tailored to a new Google operating system, a person familiar with the discussions said.
Within two weeks, Google is expected to announce new software and services that handset makers could use to build customized Google-powered phones. The company needs wireless operators to sign onto the project in order to get Google-powered mobile devices in front of consumers by the middle of next year."
According to the article, one of the main hurdles slowing down the product are concerns about user privacy and advertising, one of Google's well-renowned strengths. With over 6 million customers potentially at their disposal, could this be "the deal" that establishes Google's hegemony in the internet sphere?
From the article:
After opposing Google Inc.'s moves to dramatically reshape the wireless industry, Verizon Wireless is now in serious discussions with the Internet company over carrying phones tailored to a new Google operating system, a person familiar with the discussions said.
Within two weeks, Google is expected to announce new software and services that handset makers could use to build customized Google-powered phones. The company needs wireless operators to sign onto the project in order to get Google-powered mobile devices in front of consumers by the middle of next year.
Submission + - Artificial Vascular System Developed (tfot.info)
Iddo Genuth writes: "Researchers from Cornell University have engineered micro-channels within a water-based gel that can act as a vascular system. The system can carry and deliver oxygen, sugar, proteins, and other growth factors to the growing tissue. The scientists designed the system so that it can be programmed to match a specific shape and make the implant grow to fill that shape. This development is a major step forward in creating
engineered tissues and eventually engineered organs."
Submission + - MIT's mini tractor beam
An anonymous reader writes: MIT scientists have developed a way to use light to grab and move minuscule particles on a microchip. The research could lead to fine-grained biological sensors and other precisely built nanoscale devices.
Optical tweezers have been used on transparent media — like a microscope slide — that let the light shine through and hold objects in a tractor beam-like embrace. (This is possible because light's individual photons transfer minuscule amounts of force to particles they hit.)
What's new in the optical tweezer from MIT's Matt Lang and David Appleyard is the use of infrared light. Unlike visible light, the infrared does not bounce off the silicon used as the basis for microchips. That means that MIT's optical tweezer can be used not just for study but to build structures on the surface of chips.
Lang and Appleyard proved their technique by getting 16 live E. coli cells to spell out "MIT" on a chip.
OpenDocument Foundation To Drop ODF 325
poet sends us to Computerworld for a story on the intention of the OpenDocument Foundation to drop support for Open Document Format, OASIS and ISO standards not withstanding, in favor of the Compound Documents Format being promoted by the W3C. The foundation's director of business affairs, Sam Hiser, dropped this bomb in a blog posting a couple of weeks ago. Hiser believes CDF has a better shot at compatibility with Microsoft's OOXML, and says that the foundation has been disappointed with the direction of ODF over the last year.
Submission + - Leopard can't run Java 1.6 (theinquirer.net)
yvajj writes: According to the Inquirer, Java 1.6 seg faults when running on Leopard. Apple hasn't commented officially but is said to be deleting forum complaints related to this.
Some Apple worshipers are blaming Sun, however that isn't the case, since this is Apple's own implementation of Java. According to Gosling Apple "wanted to do all sorts of customization and integration that only they could do — because they own the OS."
Some Apple worshipers are blaming Sun, however that isn't the case, since this is Apple's own implementation of Java. According to Gosling Apple "wanted to do all sorts of customization and integration that only they could do — because they own the OS."
Submission + - .NET or Java: Which Road to Take? 5
jerbenn writes: I have recently decided to make the move from being a generalist IT professional in government, currently involved in maintenance programming in several different languages, some project management, some admin work (both MS and Unix), user support, etc., to strictly development. I have two opportunities; one consisting as a Java Web Developer, the other being an ASP.NET Web Developer primarily using VB 2005. Considering that the benefits/corporate culture are fairly equal, and forgetting the "Do what makes you happy" philosophy, what do you think is the best alternative? Looking into the future, which of the 2 development environments will offer the most stability, marketability, and personal growth? What do you think Slashdot Community?
Submission + - Hybrid glue combines the geckos and mussel power
Electro_badger writes: NewScientistTech has a story about a new bio-inspired adhesive that combines the sticking power of both geckos and mussles. It attaches to a surface like a gecko — using using nanoscale fibres that harness intermolecular Van der Waals forces. But, it also works underwater, using materials that mimic the proteins that give mussels their sticking power. 'It shows that bio-inspired engineering isn't simply copying nature,' says one independent researcher. 'We can take the best principles from different biological systems and combine them to be even better than nature.'
Submission + - Microsoft DRM protection for Zune hacked (doom9.org)
Abdul writes: "A new version of FairUse4WM v1.3 Fix2 from Doom9 is available that allows you to remove the DRM license protection from songs and music downloaded from Microsofts Zune Marketplace allowing you to play them on any portable media player. This version uncovers individual keys from Microsofts DRM blackbox components (IBX), up to version 11.0.6000.6324 (Windows Media Player 11). Users have had success using the software.
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=127943"
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?t=127943"
Submission + - Critical security vulnerabilities in Photoshop
An anonymous reader writes: Critical vulnerabilities have been identified in Photoshop CS2 and CS3 that could allow an attacker who successfully exploits these potential vulnerabilities to take control of the affected system.
Fructose As Culprit In the Obesity Epidemic 821
drewtheman writes "According to an interview with Dr. Robert Lustig, Professor of Pediatric Endocrinology from the University of California, San Francisco, fructose, once touted as diabetic-friendly because it doesn't raise insulin levels directly, could be a major culprit for the obesity epidemic, high blood pressure, and elevated blood levels of LDL in Americans and others worldwide as they adopt American-style diets. Fructose comprises 50% of table sugar and up to 90% of high-fructose corn syrup, both ingredients found in copious quantity in most American prepared foods."
