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Google

Submission + - Google Doodle - A Turing Machine Puzzle (i-programmer.info)

Submitted by mikejuk
mikejuk writes: The Google Doodle is often a masterpiece of design but this time it is a masterpiece of computer science. The doodle is a complete Turing Machine that you can interact with in an attempt to solve a puzzle. You have to select which logical elements are needed to convert one number on the tape into a target number. The article explains the increasingly difficult steps of the puzzle but then lets you solve it — but there is a YouTube video that simply gives you the answers if you really get stuck.
Microsoft

Submission + - Microsoft stops shipping Office Starter with new PCs (pcpro.co.uk)

Submitted by
nk497
nk497 writes: "Microsoft has killed off Office 2010 Starter edition, ahead of the arrival of Windows 8. Office Starter was included in the OEM pre-installation kit (OPK) of software sent to manufacturers, and included ad-supported versions of Word and Excel, but not Outlook or PowerPoint. That will be replaced with an Office 2010 Transition OPK, which will instead push users to download a trial of the Office suite and offer a link to buy the full version. The free Office Web Apps will also be available for users not wanting the full version."

Comment Re:this shit? (Score 5, Funny) 154

by thorist (#40377157) Attached to: Missing Matter, Parallel Universes?
Luckily we have more than one cosmologist, so it's not really a problem if some try new explanations (and maybe get to test them), because we have other cosmologists doing other things. Or are you going to suggest that there's only one cosmologist, going backwards and forwards through time and across the whole universe?
Businesses

Submission + - Company Accidentally Fires Entire Staff Over Email (ibtimes.com) 1

Submitted by
redletterdave
redletterdave writes: "On Friday, more than 1,300 employees of London-based Aviva Investors walked into their offices, strolled over to their desks, booted up their computers and checked their emails, only to learn the shocking news: They would be leaving the company. The email ordered them to hand over company property and security passes before leaving the building, and left the staff with one final line: "I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and wish you all the best for the future. "This email was sent to Aviva's worldwide staff of 1,300 people, with bases in the U.S., UK, France, Spain, Sweden, Canada, Italy, Ireland, Germany, Norway, Poland, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Finland and the Netherlands. And it was all one giant mistake: The email was intended for only one individual."
Google

Submission + - Google Ups Bug Bounty to $20,000 (threatpost.com)

Submitted by Trailrunner7
Trailrunner7 writes: Search giant Google said it is quintupling the top bounty it will pay for information on security holes in its products to $20,000.

Google said it was updating its rewards and rules for the bounty program, which is celebrating its first anniversary. In addition to a top prize of $20,000 for vulnerabilities that allow code to be executed on product systems, Google said it would pay $10,000 for SQL injection and equivalent vulnerabilities in its services and for certain vulnerabilities that leak information or allow attackers to bypass authentication or authorization features.

Submission + - 20th IOCCC source code released (ioccc.org)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: This year the 20th International Obfuscated C Code Contest had the speed trigger pressed as the source code has been published in only two months versus almost four years of the 19th contest.
The judges have a veredict: the Best of Show entry comes from Don Yang with a program containing more programs.
Some other entries winning this year are a text raytracer (used this year in IOCCC logo), a MOD player, a X11-based dual player tank shooter and a bouncing ball (Amiga-style) with ANSI escape sequences.
Remember that every IOCCC entry has a limit of 4 kilobytes, so indeed every one is pretty impresive.
Programming

Submission + - 7 Programming Myths (infoworld.com) 1

Submitted by
snydeq
snydeq writes: "InfoWorld's Neil McAllister offers up seven myths of modern programming practices, noting that while programming tools have gotten sharper, software development remains rife with misconceptions on productivity, code efficiency, offshoring, and more. 'Even among people as logical and rational as software developers, you should never underestimate the power of myth. Some programmers will believe what they choose to believe against all better judgment,' McAllister wrties. 'The real shame is that, in many cases, our elders pointed out our errors years ago, if only we would pay attention. Here are just a few examples of modern-day programming myths, many of which are actually new takes on age-old fallacies.'"
Piracy

Submission + - Hurt Locker Makers Are Suing Their Fans Again (itproportal.com)

Submitted by hypnosec
hypnosec writes: The company behind the 'explosive' movie Hurt Locker, Voltage Pictures, has announced its intention to sue another 2,514 suspected pirates for allegedly illegally sharing the movie online via torrents. This isn't the first time Voltage has taken to the court room to target people that wanted to watch the Oscar winning movie. Soon after it gained the coveted award back in 2010, Voltage announced the intention to sue thousands of claimed file sharers. The number ended up reaching a staggering 24,583 individuals. While it is unknown how many of those settled or opted to take the matter to court, the suit was finally closed in December last year. Voltage is hoping with its latest filing that it will be able to force ISPs to hand over the account details of the consumers it claims illegally shared the movie. Each person charged with downloading the Hurt Locker will be offered a settlement deal of $3,000. For downloading just one movie, each individual could be charged the equivalent of £1,865.
Software

Submission + - Software Engineering is a dead-end career, says Bloomberg. (bloomberg.com) 1

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: From Bloomberg opinion piece :

Which of the following describes careers in software engineering?
A. Intellectually stimulating and gratifying.
B. Excellent pay for new bachelor’s degree grads.
C. A career dead-end.
The correct answer (with a “your mileage may vary” disclaimer) is: D. All of the above.
Although the very term “coding” evokes an image of tedium, it is an intellectually challenging activity, creative and even artistic. If you like puzzles and are good analytically, software development may be your cup of tea. ...
The downside? Well, say you interview as a graduating college senior at Facebook Inc. (FB) You may find, to your initial delight, that the place looks just like a fun-loving dorm — and the adults seem to be missing. But that is a sign of how the profession has devolved in recent years to one lacking in longevity. Many programmers find that their employability starts to decline at about age 35.

Submission + - Is Stanford too close to Silicon Valley? (newyorker.com)

Submitted by
nicholast
nicholast writes: "A New Yorker story by Ken Auletta about the connections between Stanford and Silicon Valley. The piece explains how important the University is to tech companies and venture capital firms, but it also questions whether the university has become too focused on wealth. "It’s an atmosphere that can be toxic to the mission of the university as a place of refuge, contemplation, and investigation for its own sake," says one professor. The piece also explains Stanford's conflicted thoughts about distance education: which could transform the university or prove to be a threat to it."

Submission + - Frogger Synchronized to Real-Life Traffic (irrelinvent.com) 1

Submitted by Cerlyn
Cerlyn writes: In order to celebrate 30 years of Frogger, Tyler DeAngelo and his friends created a version of Frogger synchronized to actual vehicles on 5th Avenue in New York City.

Unlike a previous dangerous attempt at recreating the game, this version fits safely inside of a Frogger Arcade cabinet, and pictures and videos of the construction of the game are available as well.

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