Comment Flame just gets more and more interesting (Score 5, Insightful) 260
Not only does Flame use a previously unknown MD5 chosen prefix attack, but now they are removing all traces of the software from machines under their control.
Now, since security researchers already have copies of the software this isn't going stop anyone further deconstructing and analysing it. The only possible reason for doing this is to avoid discovery of infection somewhere particularly sensitive. I wonder who the lucky person or nation-state is?
Comment Re:Why is this moderated down? (Score 1) 707
If Afghanistan had invaded and occupied the US, you bet there'd be roadside bombings, suicide missions, and insurgent attacks against the invaders!
Comment Re:how can this be (Score 1) 254
Look at the science. A large number of studies have shown heritability of IQ to be between 0.7 and 0.8 in adults.
You missed the most important part of that sentence: in the United States.
See this note on the same page:
A common error is to assume that a heritability figure is necessarily unchangeable. The value of heritability can change if the impact of environment (or of genes) in the population is substantially altered. If the environmental variation encountered by different individuals increases, then the heritability figure would decrease. On the other hand, if everyone had the same environment, then heritability would be 100%. The population in developing nations often has more diverse environments than in developed nations. This would mean that heritability figures would be lower in developing nations. Another example is phenylketonuria which previously caused mental retardation for everyone who had this genetic disorder and thus had a heritability of 100%. Today, this can be prevented by following a modified diet, resulting in a lowered heritability.
The US has a relatively level playing field which emphasises genetic effects on intelligence. In general (i.e. worldwide) it has not been shown that genetics have a stronger influence on intelligence than environment.
Comment Re:how can this be (Score 1) 254
Of course intelligence has a biological basis, it's just never been shown that genetics has a stronger effect than environment. Also, there is no identified correlation with this gene and skin colour.
Submission + - How to make Open Source buisness models viable for early Startups?
rchoetzlein writes: "I am software developer working independently for 5 years on various projects, and preparing to go public with my first product. Everyone is telling me I should make it Open Source. I would love to, but I just don't see how an early startup can afford to become profitable on service alone. My projects are no longer small scale hobbies, they are large frameworks, and I need to make a living. Any ideas on business models that would allow me to open source while guaranteeing I can feed myself?"
Submission + - 42% of Worldwide Households to have Wi-Fi by 2016 (telecompetitor.com)
retroworks writes: ""Wi-Fi network use will nearly double in homes around the world come 2016, according to new Strategy Analytics research. Already used in some 439 million households worldwide, equivalent to 25% of all households, Wi-Fi home network penetration will expand to 42%". The report says China already has the highest home wifi use. Confused...thought 83% of the world (the non-OECD) was primitive, wire-burning, e-waste primitives...?"
Comment Re:Tough Call (Score 5, Insightful) 372
If you funded the invention of a new crop version and wanted to recoup your hundreds of millions of development costs, you would not want the court to eliminate patent rights for 2nd generation crops.
This attitude is a problem. Why should anyone be forced to prop up a poorly thought out business model? Farmers have been manipulating genes for thousands of years.. is there a patent on corn or bananas or any number of domesticated crops? No, because the reward to the farmers was a more productive crop.
Maybe monsanto needs to change the way they do business rather than try to force everyone else to do so.
Comment Could this be a good thing? (Score 4, Insightful) 372
It's possible that this could be the concrete example of the brokenness of the patent system required to instigate reform. In this case, outlawing this type of genetic patent.
From TFA:
Monsanto has a point. Taking Bowman's argument to its logical conclusion would imply that anyone could buy a single batch of commodity (but still Roundup Ready) soybeans and use it to sell an unlimited number of copies. This would effectively eviscerate Monsanto's patent protection.
Yet Monsanto's position—that planting Monsanto-derived soybeans always requires Monsanto's permission—could also have troubling consequences. In a world where 94 percent of soybeans in circulation are descended from Monsanto's genetically engineered seeds, it might be hard for farmers who didn't want Monsanto's seeds even to buy seeds that were not patent encumbered. Monsanto's position would effectively place the burden on farmers to test seeds they hope to plant in order to ensure they are not covered by any patents.
If the product works as advertised then natural selection will ensure it comes to dominate the population.. how can you litigate against evolution? Surely the only winning move here is not to play?
Comment Re:Will this be any different? (Score 2) 147
I don't know the answer to this question. As a user (and not a KDE/QT developer), all I know is that VLC will do this in Windows and in GNOME. The fact that VLC (as with several other applications like XMMS) will not stream in KDE seems to (apparently to the user) be a problem with KDE and not the various applications themselves.
Well you would be wrong in that assumption, and frankly I'm disappointed that someone with a UID as low as yours would be unable to track down the actual problem; a bug in VLC, which is already fixed.
Comment Can people fly? (Score 4, Funny) 125
I bet the conversation went a little like this..
Comment Better video demonstration on model house (Score 3, Informative) 243
I don't care if it's practical or not - it's damn cool!
Comment Debian Archive has been rebuilt with clang (Score 1) 120
Comment Re:whooo (Score 1) 71
Interestingly, it appears that a collection of facts is not copyrightable in Australia - specifically, a telephone directory:
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/cth/FCA/2010/44.html
Comment Re:Easy is easy (Score 2) 147
There is a very simple way to make elections more accessible: make voting compulsory. As an Australian, I simply cannot fathom how the US seems to constantly struggle with issues such as electoral "accessibility". The advantages of compulsory voting are numerous:
... compelling voters to the polls for an election mitigates the impact that external factors may have on an individual's capacity to vote such as the weather, transport, or restrictive employers. If everybody must vote, then restrictions on voting are easily identified and steps are taken to remove them. It is a measure to prevent disenfranchisement of the socially disadvantaged. Countries with compulsory voting generally hold elections on a Saturday or Sunday as evidenced in nations such as Australia, to ensure that working people can fulfill their duty to cast their vote. Postal and pre-poll voting is provided to people who cannot vote on polling day, and mobile voting booths may also be taken to old age homes and hospitals to cater for immobilized citizens.
Fraud is easily identified when everyone has to cast a vote - you cannot tick off a name more than once.
The arguments against compulsory voting generally boil down to thinking that the government asking for one's opinion qualifies as totalitarianism. But there is a simple solution to this.
If voters do not want to support any given choice, they may cast spoilt votes or blank votes. According to compulsory voting supporters, this is preferred to not voting at all because it ensures there is no possibility that the person has been intimidated or prevented from voting should they wish.
