Want to read Slashdot from your mobile device? Point it at m.slashdot.org and keep reading!

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror
×

Submission + - Elevated levels of radiation detected over Europe; (nydailynews.com)

Submitted by William_K_F
William_K_F writes: Higher than normal levels of radiation have been detected in the air in the Czech Republic and in other parts of the continent but officials said they don't believe the public is at risk.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said in a statement Friday that very low levels of Iodine-131 have been found in the atmosphere.

The IAEA said the cause of the radiation is unknown, but the increase in normal levels does not appear related to Japan's Fukushima nuclear disaster.

The EPA said Iodine-131 can get into the environment after leaking from cracked fuel rods in nuclear plants. But the radioisotope will lose much of its radiation in roughly eight days.

The AP quoted an unnamed official, who asked for anonymity, as saying that the release of radiation seems to be continuing. The IAEA said it is under investigation.
Canada

Submission + - Calgary's sound-activated noise camera to automati (calgaryherald.com)

Submitted by iH473
iH473 writes: Motorcycle riders and hotrod enthusiasts beware: the Noise Snare is one step closer to squelching your high-decibel expressions of mechanical masculinity. After spending months testing the accuracy of a new device that pairs a noise-reader with a camera, the city is confident they can reliably pinpoint bylaw breakers. The results will go to committee for review on Wednesday and will have to be approved by council. They are recommending a fine of $200.
Music

Submission + - ReDigi sells used digital music, RIAA says no (arstechnica.com)

Submitted by RobinEggs
RobinEggs writes: ReDigi brokers the resale of your digital music to other people. They claim their service can distinguish music from iTunes and other legal sources, upload it to their server, delete your copy, and then sell the music to someone else. Only one copy exists before the sale, and only one exists after. ReDigi appears to believe this satisfies fair use and first sale privileges.

RIAA says the system makes copies in the process of transferring the music, and thus it is illegal whether or not first sale applies to digital goods: "[The Copyright Act]... does not permit the owner to make another copy, sell the second copy and destroy the original. Thus, even if ReDigi's software and system works as described by ReDigi (i.e. that it deletes the original copy before it makes the sale), ReDigi would still be liable for copyright infringement."

RIAA further requests that all music files currently on ReDigi's servers be quarantined, all likenesses of their artists be removed from ReDigi's website, and that ReDigi turn over all of their sales records so that RIAA can discuss a settlement with them.
Android

Barnes & Noble Names Microsoft's Disputed Android Patents 386

Posted by timothy from the cartels-invite-escape dept.
Julie188 writes "B&N is really blowing the lid off of what Microsoft is doing and how they are forcing money from Android. It has accused Microsoft of requiring overly restricted NDA agreements from those even entering into patent license talks. Because it is disputing Microsoft's claims, and the restrictions of its own NDA signed with Redmond, B&N has gone public. It has named in detail six patents that it says Microsoft is using to get Android device makers to pay up. Plus, B&N is also trying to force open Microsoft's other plans for stomping out Android, including the agreement Redmond made with Nokia, and Nokia's patent-troll MOSAID."
Encryption

Submission + - Hiding Messages in VoIP Packets (net-security.org)

Submitted by Orome1
Orome1 writes: A group of researchers from the Warsaw University of Technology have devised a relatively simple way of hiding information within VoIP packets exchanged during a phone conversation. The called the method TranSteg, and they have proved its effectiveness by creating a proof-of-concept implementation that allowed them to send 2.2MB (in each direction) during a 9-minute call. IP telephony allows users to make phone calls through data networks that use an IP protocol. The actual conversation consists of two audio streams, and the Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP) is used to transport the voice data required for the communication to succeed. But, RTP can transport different kinds of data, and the TranSteg method takes advantage of this fact.
NASA

Submission + - Top 10 Supercomputers: U.S. Still Dominates (informationweek.com)

Submitted by
gManZboy
gManZboy writes: "Four supercomputers run by the Department of Energy (DOE) and one by NASA helped the U.S. federal government maintain its leadership in supercomputing--with five of the top 10 of the world's most powerful machines under its management, according to a biannual list of the top supercomputers.

However, a Japanese supercomputer called K computer--run by the RIKEN Advanced Institute for Computational Science and developed by Fujitsu--remained No. 1 on the list for the second straight time, a position the feds are vying for with the development of a new supercomputer called Titan."
Security

Submission + - Why Law Enforcement Can't Stop Hackers (cio.com)

Submitted by onehitwonder
onehitwonder writes: Good news for hackers: Law enforcement is virtually powerless when it comes to staunching cybercrime--and data breaches in particular. This CIO.com article explains in depth the myriad challenges that law enforcement officials face in investigating and prosecuting hackers, such as not enough men for the job and weak prison sentences. Law enforcement officials interviewed for the story admit that they're just trying to keep a lid on the problem. The result: A world where hackers are emboldened to perpetrate their cunning misdeeds.
The Military

Submission + - A Spherical Flying Robot (i-programmer.info) 2

Submitted by mikejuk
mikejuk writes: This is a really clever device. It's a spherical flying robot that can hover in a sinister and spooky way and zoom about at high speed. When it lands it just rolls to get about. The really clever bit that when it needs to fly fast it rotates so that the propeller delivers horizontal thrust and the control surfaces act as wings to provide lift. When it wants to hover it rotates so that the propeller provides vertical thrust and the wings act as control surfaces.
Who needs a quadrotor — this is so much more threatening.
Crime

Submission + - Swedish teens: Survey finds more games, less drugs (gamepron.com)

Submitted by UgLyPuNk
UgLyPuNk writes: In 2011, Swedish teenagers are taking fewer drugs and drinking less alcohol than they have over the past 40 years, according to a leading research group. What makes the study particularly interesting is that the findings suggest video games have played a major part in this shift.
Censorship

Submission + - Test if any site is blocked in China in real-time (blockedinchina.net)

Submitted by
hugheseyau
hugheseyau writes: "There has been a lot of hype recently around Chinese internet censorship, particularly around the blocking of Google+ before it was even launched! Have you ever wondered what life is like behind the 'Great Firewall of China'? You can now test if any website is blocked in China in real-time at http://www.blockedinchina.net/."
Botnet

Submission + - Massive Botnet 'Indestructible,' Say Researchers (computerworld.com)

Submitted by
CWmike
CWmike writes: "A new and improved botnet that has infected more than four million PCs is 'practically indestructible,' security researchers say. TDL-4, the name for both the bot Trojan that infects machines and the ensuing collection of compromised computers, is 'the most sophisticated threat today,' said Kaspersky Labs researcher Sergey Golovanov in a detailed analysis on Monday. Others agree. 'I wouldn't say it's perfectly indestructible, but it is pretty much indestructible,' Joe Stewart, director of malware research at Dell SecureWorks and an internationally-known botnet expert, told Computerworld on Wednesday. 'It does a very good job of maintaining itself.' Because TDL-4 installs its rootkit on the MBR, it is invisible to both the operating system and more, importantly, security software designed to sniff out malicious code. But that's not TDL-4's secret weapon. What makes the botnet indestructible is the combination of its advanced encryption and the use of a public peer-to-peer (P2P) network for the instructions issued to the malware by command-and-control (C&C) servers. 'The way peer-to-peer is used for TDL-4 will make it extremely hard to take down this botnet,' said Roel Schouwenberg, senior malware researcher at Kaspersky. 'The TDL guys are doing their utmost not to become the next gang to lose their botnet.'"

Slashdot Top Deals

To write good code is a worthy challenge, and a source of civilized delight. -- stolen and paraphrased from William Safire

Close