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Google

Submission + - Google Challenging Proposition 8

Submitted by
theodp
theodp writes: "Coming the day after it announced layoffs and office closures, Google's Supreme Court filing arguing for the overturn of Proposition 8, which asks the Court not to harm its ability to recruit and retain employees, certainly could have been better-timed. Interestingly, Google's support of same-sex marriage puts it at odds with ex-Microsoft HR Chief Mike Murray, who cited religious beliefs for his decision to contribute $100,000 to 'Yes On 8', quite a surprise coming from the guy charged with diversity and sensitivity training during his ten-year Microsoft stint. Dan'l Lewin, Microsoft's man-in-Silicon-Valley, joined other tech leaders last October to denounce Prop 8 in a full-page newspaper ad."
Google

Submission + - Quoted in Google News? Post a Comment

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: From NYT[Reg req] Google News has a feature it calls "Comments From People in the News." The idea is simple: if you have been quoted in an article that appears on Google News, you can post a comment that will be paired with that article. (Journalists can comment, as well, Google says, though none have done so thus far.) Since it was introduced in the spring, the feature has largely existed under the radar, with roughly only about 150 total comments having been made. Thus far, Google News has used e-mail messages to encourage people quoted in articles to submit comments — an effort to prime the pump similar to the process that results in the first issue of a new magazine magically having letters to the editor.
Government

Submission + - U.S. tech workers' group ends H-1B fight (computerworld.com)

Submitted by
cweditor
cweditor writes: "Five years ago, some unemployed IT workers in Connecticut formed an advocacy group to fight against the H-1B and L-1 visa programs. The Organization for the Rights of American Workers (TORAW) succeeded in getting visa-overhaul legislation introduced in Congress; they also held protests (including one at an outsourcing conference where one member held a "will code for food" sign). But now TORAW is disbanding, president John Bauman told Computerworld.

"People lost interest in the fight," Bauman said. Many members just gave up and moved on, taking jobs in other industries. For instance, one of the organizers is driving an 18-wheeler, while another is doing home repair work."
The Internet

Submission + - Queen Elizabeth II Goes Digital For Holidays (blorge.com)

Submitted by
thefickler
thefickler writes: "Every year, Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II addresses the public at 3:00 PM on Christmas Day. It was expected that she would address the public in the usual manner, live and on BBC radio and television. The Queen has other ideas of how to reach the masses, however; thanks to her granddaughters. The monarchy created a channel on YouTube recently called The Royal Channel, and users of YouTube can tune in on Christmas Day to hear the Queen, in a universal format that works for everyone."
Censorship

Submission + - Airlines planning to filter, censor in-flight 'Net

Submitted by BlueMerle
BlueMerle writes: Another example of the Man trying to keep us down!!

Airlines around the world are gearing up to offer in-flight broadband for passengers, but overblown fears could make it less sweet than it should be. The fears, and why we don't buy them.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20071224-airlines-planning-to-filter-censor-in-flight-net-access.html
Security

Submission + - Facebook and PGP (sans.org) 1

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: SANS Internet storm center writes: "Facebook has taken a step in the right direction by adding the ability to add a link to your public PGP key. It also allows you to see which of your friends have keys. Hopefully it will also spread the word about PGP and allow for a more secure/safer social networking site. Granted, with PGP, there is a level of trust needed. However, it is still a step in the right direction and affords the benefit of no need to go searching public key servers looking for the key you need." Link to said application: http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?api_key=a98cc1399afbb000b568826ba5e0eecb
Google

Submission + - Google releases Chart API (google.com)

Submitted by gordyf
gordyf writes: Google has released a simple API for generating charts: "The Google Chart API is a simple tool that lets you create many types of charts. Send an HTTP request that includes data and formatting parameters and the Chart API returns a PNG image of the chart. Embed in a webpage with an image tag and you're done!"
Input Devices

Submission + - New ways to reduce computer-related injuries

Submitted by
Roland Piquepaille
Roland Piquepaille writes: "According to some studies, computing-related injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndromes or back injuries, affect about one-third of computer users. A Cornell University researcher decided to find some ways to help us. So he studied new products able to prevent repetitive motion injuries, including a chair that undulates, a mouse that vibrates or a monitor suspended over a desk on a movable arm. And don't laugh at his efforts. As kids are now using computers at age 2, they might develop non-curable chronic injuries even before becoming adults. But read more for additional details and a picture of this massaging chair."
Censorship

Submission + - Apple Offering 'Fake Steve' Cash to Close Shop (blogspot.com)

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: Daniel Lyons, a.k.a. Fake Steve Jobs, made a post earlier today about how Apple was apparently offering him some money (in the wake of the ThinkSecret shutdown) to end his blog 'The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs', and that he was interested in taking it. A few hours later, Lyons made another post, saying that Apple's lawyers had contacted him angrily, saying the details of the deal were supposed to remain private. Could this be the end of the blog which has entertained us with the egomaniac rantings of "Steve" for the past year?
Operating Systems

Submission + - POSIX capabilities: Parceling the power of root

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Linux has been using capabilities for years, but has recently acquired POSIX file capabilities. POSIX file capabilities split root user powers into smaller privileges. In this article, learn how to program using capabilities and how to switch on the ability of your system setuid root binaries to use file capabilities.
Math

Submission + - MIT Student disproves Stephen Wolfram

Submitted by Richard Pritches
Richard Pritches writes: MIT errata expert, Evangelos Georgiadis, attains a milestone by actually disproving 44 conjectures set by Dr Wolfram (owner of the Makers of Mathematica and owner of the new kind of cult ANKS). Paper was published in the latest issue of the Journal of Cellular Automata and has also appeared free of charge at Prof Edwin Clark's Collection of Wolfram's NKS Reviews at the following link http://www.math.usf.edu/~eclark/jca_georgiadis.pdf I believe that this is a nice Xmas present for the ANKOS spirit. Richard
Enlightenment

Submission + - British Managers:: Playing Political Games not Biz (blogspot.com)

Submitted by
hydra
hydra writes: "With so many systems to maintain and be responsible for, you'd have thought that there would be little room for introducing ever greater complexity. Especially where this complexity involves the establishment of systems that are not open, not transparent, not ethical and not based on good business practices, but rather rampant — self-interest. "Political Games Systems". We call this the "politics — replaces responsibility" syndrome. Don't ask "is my company motivated — ask — what is it motivated by?"."
Government

Submission + - Vonage lawsuit settlement (news.com) 1

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Vonage settles its lawsuit with AT&T. but that not the irony of the article, the last line is: "AT&T had sued the Internet phone company, alleging patent infringement. In recent months, Vonage settled a patent dispute with Verizon, in a deal worth up to $120 million, and another with Sprint, for $80 million."
how many companies are suing for patent infringement? do they all have the same patent?
Security

Submission + - Norton AntiVirus makes Mac OS X less secure.

Submitted by NAVwatch
NAVwatch writes: Symantec has known about a vulnerability in NAV for more than nine months now that allows any local program on Mac OS X to gain root access without any of the usual password prompts Mac OS X presents for gaining super-user access thus allowing worms to be installed undetected. Attempts to get Symantec to simply fix permissions on their application directories have largely resulted in Symantec saying other vendor's have insecure software too.

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