Chancey - Slashdot User

Submission + - Surveillance cameras find atomic chemist's killer (chicagotribune.com)

Submitted by GlobalEcho on Thursday November 29, 2007 @11:51AM

GlobalEcho writes: When a chemist was murdered in Chicago last week, police had few leads, until they reviewed the tape on nearby surveillance cameras. Cameras have been reviled for intruding on the privacy of the public, but it would seem there is a case to be made for having at least a few of them around, perhaps just enough of them (as here) to catch the stupid criminals (which is most of them).

Submission + - New super efficient LEDs developed (compoundsemi.com)

Submitted by WileyC on Thursday November 29, 2007 @11:04AM

WileyC writes: A prototype of a new LED from LED Lighting Fixtures, Inc. just kicked the butt of current LEDs in energy efficiency (not to mention making fluorescents and incandescents look completely outdated). From the press release:

LLF's latest prototype fixture operates using less than 15 percent of the power of standard 65-watt incandescent bulbs and 50 percent of the power of compact fluorescent bulbs, while delivering equivalent warm white light as measured in lumens. The company's LED fixtures produce virtually no heat and can provide 50,000 hours of light, as compared to the average 2,000 hours provided by conventional 65-watt bulbs.
According to the article this makes them 35% more efficient than current LEDs on the market.

Submission + - Google purges thousands of suspected malware sites (itnews.com.au) 1

Submitted by

Stony Stevenson

on Wednesday November 28, 2007 @06:37PM

Stony Stevenson writes: "In response to a concerted effort by cyber criminals to infect the computers of Google users with malware and make them unwitting partners in crime, Google has apparently purged tens of thousands of malicious Web pages from its index. Alex Eckelberry, CEO of Sunbelt Software, noted that many search results on Google led to malicious Web pages that expose visitors to exploits that can compromise vulnerable systems. Sunbelt published a list of search terms that returned malicious pages, the result of search engine optimization (SEO) campaigns by cyber criminals to get their pages prominently ranked in Google — Sunbelt refers to this as "SEO poisoning."

Let's hope Google has done its research and hasn't purged legitimate sites."

Submission + - EMI may cut funding to IFPI, RIAA (arstechnica.com) 1

Submitted by Teen Bainwolf on Wednesday November 28, 2007 @06:25PM

Teen Bainwolf writes: Big Four record label EMI is reportedly considering a big cut in its funding for the IFPI and RIAA. Each of the labels reportedly contributed over $130 million per year to fund industry trade groups, and EMI apparently believes that money could be better spent elsewhere. 'One of the chief activities of the RIAA is coordinating the Big Four labels' legal campaign, and those thousands of lawsuits have done nothing but generate ill will from record fans, while costing the labels millions of dollars and doing little (if anything) to actually reduce the amount of file-sharing going on. In fact, the RIAA freely admits that the legal campaign is a real money pit, and EMI's new ownership may be very leery of continuing to pour money down that particular rat hole.

Submission + - IBM sues company selling fake, flammable batteries (computerworld.com.au)

Submitted by Bergkamp10 on Wednesday November 28, 2007 @05:33PM

Bergkamp10 writes: A Computerworld article reporting that IBM is suing Shentech for selling laptop batteries that catch on fire and sport allegedly fake IBM logos. IBM apparently followed up on a claim by a customer that an "IBM" laptop battery bought at Shentech caught on fire and damaged his laptop. The customer reported the problem to Lenovo (who license Big Blue's trademark) who subsequently ordered 12 batteries from Shentech and found them all to be fakes. IBM is asking for US$1 million in damages for each dodgy battery sold.

Submission + - Turkish Internet Censorship Board starts operation (cnnturk.com)

Submitted by

unity100

on Friday November 23, 2007 @04:33AM

unity100 writes: "As of today, the new law on "Preventing 'catalog' crimes on internet" have taken full effect with the Censorship Board starting official duty in Turkey. Law states that access to entire websites that are found with 'objectionable' content can be prevented without court order, only with approval of the board. The catalog crimes are as follows ; 'Crimes against personality of Ataturk on internet', 'Encouraging people to suicide', 'Sexual abuse of children', 'Drug encouragement and providing', 'Providing health-hazard materials', 'Obscenity', 'Prostitution', 'Gambling'. The board members themselves are going to decide whatever falls in any category, especially 'obscenity'. A lot of sites with filesharing content was blocked as soon as the board started operation. Law shuts down even entire sites due to a single 3 word text comment found objectionable. (The news didnt make cnn website yet, its in local cnn affiliate's site)"

Submission + - Montreal to provide free WiFi access (cyberpresse.ca)

Submitted by dermoth666 on Thursday November 22, 2007 @04:38PM

dermoth666 writes: Montreal is about to conclude a deal with Ile sans fil, Montreal's free WiFi non-lucrative organization. In a document obtained yesterday by La Presse, Montreal will be offering 200 000$ per year to Ile sans fil to install and maintain 400 access points in parks and public places. The proposal still has to go trough Montreal's executive committee, but if it pass it means Montreal will get totally free wireless access spread across the city. The article is in french only as it seems no english papers have covered this news yet.

Submission + - Hushmail giving 'The Man' your private PGP keys 1

Submitted by

teknopurge

on Friday November 16, 2007 @01:26PM

teknopurge writes: "Apparently Hushmail has been providing information to law enforcement behind the backs of their clients. Billed as secure email because of their use of PGP, Hushmail has been turning over private keys of users to the authorities on request. Yet another reason to use private hosting."

Submission + - Robots assimilate in cockroach society (nytimes.com)

Submitted by

sufijazz

on Friday November 16, 2007 @01:20PM

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."

Submission + - The last DC power grid shutdown in NYC (nytimes.com)

Submitted by cell-block-9 on Friday November 16, 2007 @11:00AM

cell-block-9 writes: Today the section of the old Edison DC power grid will be shutdown in Manhattan. I guess Tesla finally won the argument.

Submission + - Dislike a Relative? Turn Them in as a Terrorist! 9

Submitted by Stanislav_J on Friday November 02, 2007 @04:23PM

Stanislav_J writes: A Swedish man who had less than fond feelings for his daughter's hubby, took advantage of the son-in-law's trip to America by reporting him to the FBI as a terrorist. The e-mail, which the father-in-law admits to sending, earned him a libel charge after his poor son-in-law was arrested on his arrival in Florida, handcuffed, interrogated, and placed in a cell for 11 hours before being released.

It's a brief article, but dovetails nicely with the recent Slashdot story about "The War on the Unexpected." That article touched on many examples of well-meaning, but misguided and paranoid citizens reporting innocent activities to the authorities. In the current climate, the potential also exists for maliciously false and far from well-meaning reports made to the Feds about people one simply doesn't care for, or those made merely as a sick prank.

While the man admitted to sending the e-mail to the FBI, he claims he thought no harm would come from it because "he did not think the US authorities would be stupid enough to believe him." To quote the great philosopher Bugs Bunny, 'Nyahh....he don't know us very well, do he?'

Submission + - Nigerian education selects Intel-powered Classmate (mandriva.com)

Submitted by

AdamWill

on Tuesday October 30, 2007 @02:43PM

AdamWill writes: "Mandriva today announced that the Nigerian government has selected Intel-powered classmate PCs running on Mandriva Linux for educational use in nationwide pilot in Nigeria. Mandriva is working with Intel Corporation and Technology Support Center Ltd. to provide 17,000 Intel-powered classmate PCs. The aim of this project is to improve the quality of technology delivered to students, and to help teachers and parents."

Submission + - The real Mother Of All Bombs - 46 years ago today (wikipedia.org)

Submitted by

vaporland

on Tuesday October 30, 2007 @01:58PM

vaporland writes: "Tsar Bomba is the Western name for the RDS-220, the largest, most powerful weapon ever detonated.

The bomb was tested on October 30, 1961, in an archipelago in the Arctic Sea. Developed by the Soviet Union, the bomb had a yield of about 50 megatons. Its detonation released energy equivalent to approximately 1% of the power output of the Sun. The device was scaled down from its original design of 100 megatons to reduce the resulting nuclear fallout.

The detonation of Tsar Bomba qualifies as being the single most powerful device ever utilized throughout the history of humanity."

Submission + - Apple to face lawsuits over iPhone gift card issue (cnet.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30, 2007 @11:28AM

An anonymous reader writes: In an effort to reduce the number of iPhones that are purchased for the purpose of unlocking (250,000 since July), Apple has a recently introduced a ban on the use of cash and gift cards for iPhone sales, as well as limiting purchases to two-per customer visit. While the company is well within its rights to refuse to accept cash, Apple may have gotten itself into hot water with its refusal to accept gift cards. The company's own website states that customers using gift cards can buy "exactly what they want from any retail Apple Store." The company would appear to have pulled a bait-and-switch on consumers, and as CNET reports, could mean that yet another class-action is on the horizon for Apple.

Submission + - IBM turns waste silicon into cash, energy savings (networkworld.com)

Submitted by

coondoggie

on Tuesday October 30, 2007 @10:14AM

coondoggie writes: "Big Blue is looking a little green around the chips today. That's because IBM announced a semiconductor wafer reclamation process that removes chip circuitry with an abrasive pad and water, saving money and leaving the silicon in better shape for reuse in solar panels or other duties. Enabling reuse is crucial because IBM estimates that approximately three million silicon wafers worldwide are scrapped each year by the semiconductor industry — representing a significant solar recycling opportunity. 3 million wafers for example: stretch for 375 miles if placed end-to-end; cover 22.5 acres of area; weigh 187.5 tons. , IBM Burlington, saved over half-a-million dollars in 2006 with the process. The projected ongoing annual savings for 2007 is nearly $1.5 million and the one-time savings for reclaiming stockpiled wafers is estimated to be more than $1.5 million. http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/21291"

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