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Software

Submission + - Linux problems to be solved before it can really conquer the Desktop (narod.ru) 1

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: All over the Internet people keep arguing why Linux hasn't gained any substantial traction on the desktop and why most developers shun Linux like a plague, and even the ones who once contemplated it (John Carmack) gave up on it many years ago. An unknown author has gathered a profound list of intrinsic Linux problems which impede Linux adoption.
Microsoft

Submission + - Confessions of a left-handed technology user (time.com)

Submitted by
harrymcc
harrymcc writes: "Over at TIME.com, I wrote about my trials and tribulations as a left-handed person who uses technology products. An awful lot of them have clearly designed with the right-handed majority in mind, even when they claimed they weren't. But the good news is that modern smartphones and tablets are very lefty-friendly compared to the devices that preceded them."
Entertainment

Submission + - MPAA and RIAA Budgets Severely Slashed

Submitted by jones_supa
jones_supa writes: Despite the ever increasing threat of online piracy, tax records reveal that in a period of three years the major Hollywood movie studios cut their payments to the MPAA in half. As a direct result the budget of the movie industry group reached a new low of $49.6 million, causing wage and legal fee payouts to plummet. At the same time it can be discovered how the latest RIAA tax filing shows that their revenue has also reached a new low. In just two years the membership dues from music labels have been cut in half and have now sunk to below $30 million a year. While the two organizations have not yet received their final blow, they are definitely in a downward spiral.

Submission + - My apologies to the future McEmployee. (people.com.cn)

Submitted by kophey
kophey writes: Robot employees outnumber humans, in this Chinese restaurant. They cost $32-$48k and work a 5 hour shift currently. How long before our pimply faced burger serving youth are replaced with McBot's?
Digital

Submission + - Jimmy Wales's Argument About Hollywood's Death Is Nonsense (internetevolution.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Wikipedia's founder Jimmy Wales has predicted the end of Hollywood, stating that "collaborative storytelling and filmmaking will do to Hollywood what Wikipedia did to Encyclopaedia Britannica." According to Andrew Keen, author and self-proclaimed Silicon Valley antichrist, Wales's argument is "nonsense," and Hollywood's cultural and economic power is "as great as it’s ever been." Further, according to Britannica's director of communications, Tom Panelas, the encyclopedia was responsible for its own death by ignoring the digital revolution. “All of this happened, I hardly need add, before Wikipedia was even born in 2001," said Panelas.
PHP

Submission + - 8 Years Old PHP Query String Vulnerability Expose Source Code (php.net)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: This vulnerability is about as bad as it gets. PHP-CGI based setups contain a vulnerability when parsing query string parameters from php files. When PHP is used in a CGI-based setup (such as Apache's mod_cgid), the php-cgi receives a processed query string parameter as command line arguments which allows command-line switches, such as -s, -d or -c to be passed to the php-cgi binary, which can be exploited to disclose source code and obtain arbitrary code execution. In short, if you run http://localhost/index.php?-s and see source code, patch PHP ASAP.
Security

Submission + - Judge Rules IP Addresses Are Insufficient Evidence To Identify Pirates (geekosystem.com)

Submitted by milbournosphere
milbournosphere writes: New York Judge Gary Brown has found that IP addresses don't provide enough evidence to identify pirates, and wrote an extensive argument explaining his reasoning. A quote from the judge's order:

        'While a decade ago, home wireless networks were nearly non-existent, 61% of US homes now have wireless access. As a result, a single IP address usually supports multiple computer devices – which unlike traditional telephones can be operated simultaneously by different individuals.

        Different family members, or even visitors, could have performed the alleged downloads. Unless the wireless router has been appropriately secured (and in some cases, even if it has been secured), neighbors or passersby could access the Internet using the IP address assigned to a particular subscriber and download the plaintiff’s film.'

Perhaps this will help to stem the tide of frivolous mass lawsuits being brought by the RIAA and other rights-holders where IP addresses are the bulk of the 'evidence' suggested.
Privacy

Submission + - Maintain privacy by poisoning the privacy well (openthefuture.com) 1

Submitted by Boawk
Boawk writes: Can we protect our privacy by flooding the internet with false information about ourselves?

It’s the last approach that really interests me: Pollution. Poisoning the data stream. Putting out enough false information that the real information becomes unreliable. At that point, anyone wishing to know the truth about me has to come to me directly, allowing me to control access. It’s hardly a perfect option — the untrue things can be permanently connected to you, and it does kind of make you hard to trust online — but it’s the one approach to opacity that’s purely social and extremely difficult to stop.
Hardware

Submission + - Former MakerBot COO creates the world's first $500 3D printer (geek.com) 1

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: At first glance Sam Cervantes and his latest invention may seem questionable, but after spending some time talking with him I’m sure what he’s showing off is legit. Cervantes and his team are working on the first $500 3D printer, a device known as the Solidoodle. At the risk of sounding cliche, what you’re witnessing in the video is truly game-changing; the Solidoodle is a significant step towards making 3D printing accessible to the average consumer.
Slashdot.org

Submission + - When Was Slashdot's Heyday? 5

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: In the past few years, Slashdot editors have introduced a multitude of changes to our site that have been met with mostly negative comments. Yesterday, SlashdotBI was introduced. A few weeks ago, Slashdot editors announced plans for their SlashdotTV. Slashdot's last overhaul occurred on January 25th 2011, which revamped the existing HTML and CSS code. In all of these announcements and many more, a multitude of Slashdot users have expressed concern that the site simply is not good enough as it was in the past. This concern goes back all the way to a 2000 Geeks in Space episode, where Rob "CmdrTaco" Malda asked the GIS panel: "When did Slashdot start sucking?" A lot of people reminisce about "the good old days" and how things were inherently "better" back then. My question to Slashdot users everywhere is: Is Slashdot's best years gone? When was Slashdot's heyday in terms of popularity, enjoyment, information, and intelligent discussions? How can Slashdot return back to what many users regard as their former glory?
Microsoft

Submission + - Microsoft updates Skype to use secure Linux servers (arstechnica.com) 1

Submitted by bigwheel
bigwheel writes: Does this seem kind of ironic? "Microsoft has drastically overhauled the network running its Skype voice-over-IP service, replacing peer-to-peer client machines with thousands of Linux boxes that have been hardened against the most common types of hack attacks, a security researcher said."
Space

Submission + - Europe goes to Jupiter's moons (including Europa) (nature.com)

Submitted by
gbrumfiel
gbrumfiel writes: "The European Space Agency has announced its intent to send a new probe to explore the moons of Jupiter. The Jupiter Icy moons Explorer (unfortunately acronymized to 'JUICE') is set to launch in 2022 and will study the subsurface oceans of Ganymede and Europa. Both moons might harbour conditions that could support life, though that remains to be seen. NASA was originally supposed to fly its own probe to Europe, but that project has been sidelined by budget cuts. NASA scientists may spring for an instrument on JUICE just to get a piece of the action."
Android

Submission + - Android malware uses motion sensors to log keystrokes (itworld.com)

Submitted by DillyTonto
DillyTonto writes: A proof-of-concept app for Android, written as a casual game to keep users from deleting it, runs in the background and monitors everything a user does, even logging most keystrokes despite lacking permission to read keyboard input. Instead it uses the motion sensors almost any third-party app can access to figure out when a user is typing on a virtual keyboard and infer from angle, force and movement which keys they were. It's the second of its kind for Android, but the same approach would work on Blackberries or jailbroken iOS devices as well. For Android, though, this exploit demonstrates the number of potential security holes created by its already problematic permission-based security system.
Privacy

Submission + - Congress is amending CISPA to protect Web privacy (ibtimes.com)

Submitted by casac8
casac8 writes: As Friday's House vote on CISPA nears, it appears Congress members are getting nervous. Literally millions of people around the world have signed petitions voicing their opposition to the draconian measure that would end Internet privacy and freedom as we know it, and it appears Congress has heard their concerns, as House members are considering a number of amendments aimed at limiting the negative impacts the legislation would have on Internet privacy. For instance, one amendment likely to pass would tighten the bill's language to ensure its provisions are only applied in the pursuit of legit crimes and other rare instances, rather than whenever the NSA wants to target Joe Web-user. And another would increase possible liability on the parts of companies who hand personal information over to the government.

Read more about the amendments and the current status of CISPA below:

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/333257/20120425/cispa-acta-sopa-bill-pipa-house-congress.htm

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