Comment No surprise (Score 0) 110
It simply follows the old adage: 'bad company corrupts good morals'.
Comment An unashamed Firefox fan (Score 0) 507
Gotta love Firefox,
I leave tabs open as a reminder of stuff I gotta do (even hibernating my PC with them still open), and the last time and the last time I had to do a proper PC shut down Firefox asked, "Are you sure you want to close 108 tabs?" I didn't realise I had that many open.
There's no way any version of IE or Chrome could have coped with that quantity of open tabs. The CPU would have gone haywire. I guess it helps that I don't overload Firefox with lots of add-ons
Submission + - Could This Be The End Of Cancer?
adeelarshad82 writes: It's a disease that kills millions a year and a slew of hoped-for miracle treatments have gone nowhere until recently. In an interesting change of events, scientists say vaccines could hold the key—not just to a cure but to wiping out cancer forever. Shari Baker, who was diagnosed with stage IV (metastatic) breast cancer in 2005, signed up for clinical trial at the University of Washington. A vaccine was injected into her upper arm; she got five more shots over the next five months. Today, with scans detecting no cancer anywhere, Baker seems to have beaten some extremely stiff odds.
Submission + - How Doctors Die
Hugh Pickens writes writes: "Ken Murray, a Clinical Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at USC, writes that it's not a frequent topic of discussion, but doctors die, too. But they don’t die like the rest of us because what’s unusual about doctors is not how much treatment they get compared to most Americans, but how little. For all the time they spend fending off the deaths of others, they tend to be fairly serene when faced with death themselves. "Almost all medical professionals have seen what we call “futile care” being performed on people," writes Murray. "What it buys is misery we would not inflict on a terrorist. I cannot count the number of times fellow physicians have told me, in words that vary only slightly, 'Promise me if you find me like this that you’ll kill me.'" Feeding into the problem are unrealistic expectations of what doctors can accomplish. Many people think of CPR as a reliable lifesaver when, in fact, the results are usually poor. "If a patient suffers from severe illness, old age, or a terminal disease, the odds of a good outcome from CPR are infinitesimal, while the odds of suffering are overwhelming. Poor knowledge and misguided expectations lead to a lot of bad decisions.""
Submission + - Adblock No Longer Filtering All Ads (adblockplus.org) 2
SharkLaser writes: Adblock developers have made a radical change to their addon. From the newest version forward, Adblock will only filter the most irritating advertisements. This includes advertisement with sounds, flashy pictures or animations. This means, for example, that Adblock is no longer filtering Google's text ads and any other advertisements that isn't irritating to most users. The developers are saying that this change should push website owners to change to less irritating ads, for example Google's AdSense.
Submission + - Kazaa, StreamCast founders file new patent suit (itnews.com.au)
littlekorea writes: The founders of P2P services Kazaa and StreamCast have filed suit against Google/YouTube, Amazon, VMware, EMC, Dropbox, Caringo and NEC over cloud computing patents. Weiss (StreamCast/Morpheus) and Burmeister (Kazaa) has originally planned to target hosted music services but widened the scope considerably. The suit is filed in East Texas, home of the patent troll.
Submission + - Scientists Are Now Tracking the Spread of Diseases (vice.com)
pigrabbitbear writes: "Call it researching disease in the cloud or just plain illuminating, but Princeton researchers today published a paper in Science that demonstrates how aerial night images can be used to monitor the spread of an epidemic in the developing world by tracking light density."
Submission + - Apple Forfeits Ipad name in China: Sued for $1Bill (zdnetasia.com)
Readycharged writes: "ZDNet Asia reports on Chinese media news that Apple have lost the right to use the IPad name in China. Further reports from multiple media sources, including DailyTech, claim that the original trademark owners are suing for $1Billion compensation.
The claim stems from the fact that the trademark holders, Proview Technology (Shenzhen), registered the name 'Ipad' back in 2000.
Proview has a Taiwanese based subsidary who, allegedly, sold the "worldwide" rights to Apple for $54,000. At the heart of dispute was whether these rights included China. The court appears to have sided with Proview's view that it did not, paving the way for the company to mount its massive compensation claim.
The Financial Times adds that Proview are optimistic that the ruling will help make their "negotiations with Apple a bit easier".
The company is a subsidiary of LCD screen maker Proview International Holdings Ltd., headquartered in Hong Kong""
The claim stems from the fact that the trademark holders, Proview Technology (Shenzhen), registered the name 'Ipad' back in 2000.
Proview has a Taiwanese based subsidary who, allegedly, sold the "worldwide" rights to Apple for $54,000. At the heart of dispute was whether these rights included China. The court appears to have sided with Proview's view that it did not, paving the way for the company to mount its massive compensation claim.
The Financial Times adds that Proview are optimistic that the ruling will help make their "negotiations with Apple a bit easier".
The company is a subsidiary of LCD screen maker Proview International Holdings Ltd., headquartered in Hong Kong""
Submission + - Collapsed UK bank had cheap risk measurement IT (computerworlduk.com)
DMandPenfold writes: The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) failed to implement sufficiently capable risk management IT systems to keep pace with the rapid growth of its business, according to a damning Financial Services Authority investigation into the bank's near-collapse.
The FSA concluded in its long-awaited report that RBS had made "seriously flawed" decisions prior to the 2008 disaster. But it also conceded that as a regulator it too needed a tougher framework to bring those responsible to court.
RBS, rescued by the taxpayer in 2008, continues to be 84-percent state-owned and has cut nearly 28,000 staff since the crisis.
The regulator said the bank's "governance, systems and controls and decision-making" appeared to fall short of "best practice", and were "below the practices of a number of peer firms".
RBS had recognised in 2007 to 2008 that its rapid expansion –accelerated by its disastrous takeover over ABN Amro – was not being matched by spending on its risk systems. But in spite of its own recognition of the impending problem, it had not identified specific areas for change or taken the appropriate steps, the FSA said.
The regulator also noted that RBS' chief risk officer, in charge of those systems, was not allowed into the daily morning meeting of the CEO, who preferred to see his financial director – considered higher in the management hierarchy.
RBS board planning meetings and related documents in early 2008, around its capital position, failed to assess a number of key risks. The "failure to reflect any concerns that RBS might fall below its group ICG [appropriate capital level] was caused by weaknesses in RBS's systems and controls", the FSA said.
Nevertheless, the FSA acknowledged that RBS had improved stress testing on its in-house CELT system, producing monthly impact assessments. And it concluded that the some of the more basic reports sent to the RBS board demonstrated "that many of the key features that the FSA would have expected to see in an appropriate management information system were in place at RBS".
However, its risk IT systems in the troubled Global Banking & Markets (GBM) division failed in the most important areas.
Key management information on the division was in general deficient, particularly around collateralised debt obligations – a complex finance product often cited as playing a part in the general economic crisis – the regulator noted.
There was no proper monthly reporting on the exposure to the more risky CDOs, the FSA said. This significantly impaired the board's understanding of the risks.
Additionally, RBS' monthly risk report produced by the systems only analysed past and current risks, "rather than being forward-looking". An RBS internal report in 2008 concluded that data reporting was "relatively light on predictive or leading indicators" and was presented in a complicated way.
"People want to know why RBS failed and why no-one has been punished," said FSA chairman Lord Turner as the report was published today.
RBS as a company would not be sanctioned, he said, because its failure was direct punishment enough. And individuals responsible would not be dragged to court because there was "not sufficient evidence" to bring a case with "a reasonable chance of success".
The FSA concluded in its long-awaited report that RBS had made "seriously flawed" decisions prior to the 2008 disaster. But it also conceded that as a regulator it too needed a tougher framework to bring those responsible to court.
RBS, rescued by the taxpayer in 2008, continues to be 84-percent state-owned and has cut nearly 28,000 staff since the crisis.
The regulator said the bank's "governance, systems and controls and decision-making" appeared to fall short of "best practice", and were "below the practices of a number of peer firms".
RBS had recognised in 2007 to 2008 that its rapid expansion –accelerated by its disastrous takeover over ABN Amro – was not being matched by spending on its risk systems. But in spite of its own recognition of the impending problem, it had not identified specific areas for change or taken the appropriate steps, the FSA said.
The regulator also noted that RBS' chief risk officer, in charge of those systems, was not allowed into the daily morning meeting of the CEO, who preferred to see his financial director – considered higher in the management hierarchy.
RBS board planning meetings and related documents in early 2008, around its capital position, failed to assess a number of key risks. The "failure to reflect any concerns that RBS might fall below its group ICG [appropriate capital level] was caused by weaknesses in RBS's systems and controls", the FSA said.
Nevertheless, the FSA acknowledged that RBS had improved stress testing on its in-house CELT system, producing monthly impact assessments. And it concluded that the some of the more basic reports sent to the RBS board demonstrated "that many of the key features that the FSA would have expected to see in an appropriate management information system were in place at RBS".
However, its risk IT systems in the troubled Global Banking & Markets (GBM) division failed in the most important areas.
Key management information on the division was in general deficient, particularly around collateralised debt obligations – a complex finance product often cited as playing a part in the general economic crisis – the regulator noted.
There was no proper monthly reporting on the exposure to the more risky CDOs, the FSA said. This significantly impaired the board's understanding of the risks.
Additionally, RBS' monthly risk report produced by the systems only analysed past and current risks, "rather than being forward-looking". An RBS internal report in 2008 concluded that data reporting was "relatively light on predictive or leading indicators" and was presented in a complicated way.
"People want to know why RBS failed and why no-one has been punished," said FSA chairman Lord Turner as the report was published today.
RBS as a company would not be sanctioned, he said, because its failure was direct punishment enough. And individuals responsible would not be dragged to court because there was "not sufficient evidence" to bring a case with "a reasonable chance of success".
Submission + - iPad 3 to be Unveiled in Mid-Late February (itproportal.com)
Submission + - Australian ISP Exposes 750,000 account details on (theconversation.edu.au)
An anonymous reader writes: A Whirpool forum user discovered that by googling a telephone number he got access to a customer relationship management system used by Australia's largest ISP Telstra Bigpond for nearly 750,000 customers. Simple searches by name would give username, password, address and other details.
After informing Telstra, they shut the site down and blocked access to email and online account details for 24 hours. After restoring services, 60,000 accounts had had their passwords reset leaving users the ordeal of calling the help desk to get access again.
Telstra's handling of the breach was almost as bad as not having a password controlled system that relied on a hidden URL.
After informing Telstra, they shut the site down and blocked access to email and online account details for 24 hours. After restoring services, 60,000 accounts had had their passwords reset leaving users the ordeal of calling the help desk to get access again.
Telstra's handling of the breach was almost as bad as not having a password controlled system that relied on a hidden URL.
Submission + - Ebay locks up on HP TouchPad refurb sale (ebay.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Not sure how many of you tried to buy one of the HP touchpads refurbs being sold at 6pm cst today, but if so it most likely was a frustrating experience. First HP set this up showing the original list Price late this afternoon. The only hint of the sale was that the items at $499 & $599 were not available for sale til 6pm cst. And then at about 35 seconds late the item price was changed to the sale prices $99 & $150 respectively.
BUT that's where it got to be less than fun. Clicking on Buy it now or clicking on update cart did not get anything. For the next 25 minutes, I was unable to get even the buy it now to go thru to its next page. And then finally the cart showed "red banner from Ebay saying item #.... was either a wrong number, not available or sold out.
"The item you requested (170746761819) is invalid, still pending, or no longer in our database. Please check the number and try again. If this message persists, the item has either not started and is not yet available for viewing, or has expired and is no longer available."
Looks like Ebay can't handle a popular item very well. I'd figured it would be popular and that I might not get one. But I never figured Ebay could not handle a big sale and that they could not even refresh their pages any faster than that.
Did anyone get one of the tablets? The links still showed valid when I started typing this.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-TouchPad-Wi-Fi-32GB-Refurbished-FB359UAR-ABA-/170746761819?pt=US_Tablets&hash=item27c14cd25b :-(
BUT that's where it got to be less than fun. Clicking on Buy it now or clicking on update cart did not get anything. For the next 25 minutes, I was unable to get even the buy it now to go thru to its next page. And then finally the cart showed "red banner from Ebay saying item #.... was either a wrong number, not available or sold out.
"The item you requested (170746761819) is invalid, still pending, or no longer in our database. Please check the number and try again. If this message persists, the item has either not started and is not yet available for viewing, or has expired and is no longer available."
Looks like Ebay can't handle a popular item very well. I'd figured it would be popular and that I might not get one. But I never figured Ebay could not handle a big sale and that they could not even refresh their pages any faster than that.
Did anyone get one of the tablets? The links still showed valid when I started typing this.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-TouchPad-Wi-Fi-32GB-Refurbished-FB359UAR-ABA-/170746761819?pt=US_Tablets&hash=item27c14cd25b
Submission + - Blogger Tells Microsoft to Put Up or Shut Up on Ta (microsofttaxdodge.com) 5
reifman writes: "After The Everett Herald published an editorial condemning Microsoft's hypocritical record of tax dodging while advocating for more education funding, Jeffrey Reading, Microsoft's Senior PR Manager wrote the paper to refute the claims: "Much of the information regarding this issue is misinformation primarily spread by a blogger, and no state official has ever provided any factual data supporting his claims." The editorial was based on reporting I've done since 2004 showing that Microsoft's avoided more than $1.07 billion in state taxes using its Nevada office. If Microsoft wishes to prove that it paid Washington State Royalty Taxes during the years 1998 — 2010, it should disclose its worldwide licensing revenue and its Royalty Tax payments for this time period (as I have done)."
Submission + - Garman injunction issued against iPhone & iPad (techworld.com.au) 3
angry tapir writes: "A German court has ruled that Apple's iPhone and iPad devices infringe a Motorola patent and issued an injunction against sales of the products in Germany, in the latest move in a long series of legal battles between the companies. It's the latest stage in the international patent conflict that's been raging over mobile devices, which has included the recent Samsung victory over Apple in an Australian court and a defeat for Samsung in a Dutch court."
Submission + - North Korea Threatens South Korea Over Christmas L (foxnews.com) 1
K7DAN writes: "North Korea warned South Korea on Sunday of "unexpected consequences" if Seoul displays Christmas lights near the tense border, and vowed to retaliate for what it called "psychological warfare."
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/12/11/north-korea-threatens-south-korea-over-christmas-lights-near-border/?test=latestnews#ixzz1gGc7Wrui"
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/12/11/north-korea-threatens-south-korea-over-christmas-lights-near-border/?test=latestnews#ixzz1gGc7Wrui"
