Comment Re:This is great news! (Score 1) 299
Steam is a lesson in how DRM should be done.
So you're saying DRM shouldn't allow you to sell your games or lend them to friends?
Comment Already solved (Score 1) 59
The company I work for uses biometric security. The readers we use know that biometrics change over time and automatically update their databases every time you use the system (using some secret time weighted algorithm) .
You can set a threshold for the change/deviation/etc (in some people it changes more often than others). Our system only uses biometrics for authentication, not identification (that is, the biometrics confirm your ID, the biometrics are NOT your ID).
Comment Opera (Score 5, Interesting) 225
The researchers dd not evaluate Opera in their study. I wonder how that would have compared...
Submission + - Feds' Use of Fake Cell Tower: Did it Constitute a (wired.com)
hessian writes: "Federal authorities used a fake Verizon cellphone tower to zero in on a suspect’s wireless card, and say they were perfectly within their rights to do so, even without a warrant.
But the feds don’t seem to want that legal logic challenged in court by the alleged identity thief they nabbed using the spoofing device, known generically as a stingray. So the government is telling a court for the first time that spoofing a legitimate wireless tower in order to conduct surveillance could be considered a search under the Fourth Amendment in this particular case, and that its use was legal, thanks to a court order and warrant that investigators used to get similar location data from Verizon’s own towers."
But the feds don’t seem to want that legal logic challenged in court by the alleged identity thief they nabbed using the spoofing device, known generically as a stingray. So the government is telling a court for the first time that spoofing a legitimate wireless tower in order to conduct surveillance could be considered a search under the Fourth Amendment in this particular case, and that its use was legal, thanks to a court order and warrant that investigators used to get similar location data from Verizon’s own towers."
Submission + - Linux Mint 12 to offer Gnome 3 with traditional fe (linuxmint.com)
Enokcc writes: While Ubuntu has forgot its users when embracing new desktop technologies, Linux Mint seems to do it right: '... we developed “MGSE” (Mint Gnome Shell Extensions), which is a desktop layer on top of Gnome 3 that makes it possible for you to use Gnome 3 in a traditional way. You can disable all components within MGSE to get a pure Gnome 3 experience, or you can enable all of them to get a Gnome 3 desktop that is similar to what you’ve been using before.' Along with mintified Gnome 3 experience Linux Mint 12 will also include Gnome 2 fork Mate for older hardware and conservative minds.
Submission + - Why Eric Schmidt left as CEO of Google? China (newyorker.com)
Edsj writes: It seems Eric Schmidt didn't like the decision to deliver uncensored searches in China. It is reported the decision to withdraw censored searches in China was made by co-founder Larry Page sided with his founding partner, Sergey Brin and probably an internal battle for power begun. Schmidt also wasn't happy with the “don’t be evil” policy, something the Google founders were prepared to protect anytime. Schmidt lost some energy and focus after losing the China internal battle and decided to leave the position of CEO. It is also reported that the chairman position is a temporary one until he finds another business to take care.
Submission + - Sprint Epic4G 3G upload speeds limited to 150kbps (sprint.com)
Miamicanes writes: Nearly everyone who owns a Sprint Samsung Epic 4G and has benchmarked its 3G performance has discovered that its 3G upload speeds are apparently limited to 150kbps. So far, Sprint has not officially acknowledged it as a problem, nor has it indicated whether this might be a firmware bug, a PRL issue, tower-related, or the result of a deliberate policy to cap 3G upload speeds. Regardless, the problem is causing widespread anger among Epic4G owners, many of whom have bitterly noted the irony of being charged a $10 surcharge so they can endure data transfers that are slower than they had 4 years ago (and a quarter of the speeds enjoyed by Evo owners on the same 3G network).
Submission + - Sata cable makes music sound better (malcolmsteward.co.uk)
igorthefiend writes: Hi-fi journalist Malcolm Seward reports that changing a SATA cable in his NAS resulted in easily perceptible improvements to the sound produced. PC Pro begs to differ. The resulting comments caused him to close his blog for comments. Another example of audiophile snake oil?
Submission + - Deadly Premonition too scary for Australia? (gamepron.com)
dotarray writes: It's been a while, but Deadly Premonition is officially the first game of 2010 to be Refused Classification in Australia. The controversial horror-adventure game has been effectively banned Down Under, thanks largely to the lack of an adult rating for video games in that country.
Submission + - Oracle sues Google over Java
cyberjessy writes: CNET is reporting that Oracle is suing Google over the use of Java in the Android OS. Oracle claims Google "knowingly, directly and repeatedly infringed Oracle's Java-related intellectual property."
This raises interesting questions. Is Java really open, in spite of being open source? And in hindsight, can we now call the criticism of Mono a bit unfair?
This raises interesting questions. Is Java really open, in spite of being open source? And in hindsight, can we now call the criticism of Mono a bit unfair?
Submission + - Oracle sues Google over Java use in Android (computerworld.com)
icepick72 writes: Oracle has filed a lawsuit against Google, charging that its Android phone software infringes Oracle patents and copyrights related to Java, Oracle said on Thursday.
Submission + - Oracle Sues Google (arstechnica.com)
ink writes: In what may be an attempt to accuse Google of infringing on the Java ME runtime re-distribution license, Oracle unleashed their lawyers on the search giant's mobile platform. Ars Technica continues:
"In a tersely worded press release, Oracle announced that it was suing Google for patent and copyright infringement over its use of the Java programming language for Android development. Neither the press release nor the complaint filed in the US District Court for Northern California go into any significant detail."
"In a tersely worded press release, Oracle announced that it was suing Google for patent and copyright infringement over its use of the Java programming language for Android development. Neither the press release nor the complaint filed in the US District Court for Northern California go into any significant detail."
Submission + - J. Doe Who Fought FBI Spying Freed From Gag Order (wired.com)
Tootech writes: So you wonder what happens when an ISP recieves a a so-called “national security letter” from the FBI well have a read of the ISP owners fight to not have to turn over everything and the sink to the FBI. The owner of an internet service provider who mounted a high-profile court challenge to a secret FBI records demand has finally been partially released from a 6-year-old gag order that forced him to keep his role in the case a secret from even his closest friends and family. He can now identify himself and discuss the case, although he still can’t reveal what information the FBI sought. Nicholas Merrill, 37, was president of New York-based Calyx Internet Access when he received a so-called “national security letter” from the FBI in February 2004 demanding records of one of his customers and filed a lawsuit to challenge it.
Submission + - Flash ported to iOS and iPhone 4 (geek.com)
An anonymous reader writes: You may remeber in early July Flash was ported to iPad under the name of Frash. Well, now that same port has been updated to allow it to run on iPhone 4 and iOS. But that’s not all, the same port will run on iPhone 3GS, iPad, and iPod touch.
Submission + - Microsoft losing big to Apple in the campus OS war (virginia.edu)
destinyland writes: Apple has nearly surpassed Microsoft's share of operating systems among the computers of incoming freshmen at the University of Virginia, confirming earlier reports of an ongoing change. A yearly survey shows that among 3,156 freshman who own computers, Microsoft's share is just 56%, with Apple's share rising up to 43%, continuing a big five-year trend. Microsoft's share dropped 6% from the previous year, while Apple's rose 6% — though just five years ago, Microsoft's share was on 86% vs 13% for Apple. "It seems likely that the Mac-using students will outnumber their Windows cousins this school year," notes one technology blog, citing an new study showing that 70 percent of college freshman are choosing the Mac. Other interesting data from the Virginia study: In 1997, 26% of incoming freshmen said they didn't own a computer, a number which has now dropped to 0. And 99% of their computers are now laptops.
