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

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror
×

Submission + - (Highly divided) Federal Circuit opinion finds software patent-ineligible

Submitted by ais523
ais523 writes: The Federal Circuit has divided CLS Bank vs. Alice Corp., a case about various sorts of patents, including software patents. Although the judges disagreed, to a lesser or greater extent, on the individual parts of the ruling, eventually, more than half decided that the patents in question — algorithms for hedging risk — were ineligible patent matter, and that merely adding an "on a computer"-like clause to an abstract algorithm does not make it patentable. Coverage is available at Patently-O and Groklaw, or you can read the opinion itself.

Submission + - Bloomberg Reporters Caught Spying on Terminal Users

Submitted by theodp
theodp writes: Big Bloomberg is watching you. CNN reports that was the unsettling realization Goldman Sachs execs came to a few weeks ago when a Bloomberg reporter inadvertently revealed that reporters from the news and financial data provider had surveillance capabilities over users of Bloomberg terminals. 'Limited customer relationship data has long been available to our journalists,' acknowledged a Bloomberg spokesman. 'In light of [Goldman's] concern as well as a general heightened sensitivity to data access, we decided to disable journalist access to this customer relationship information for all clients.' Business Insider is now reporting on allegations that Bloomberg reporters used terminals to spy on JPMorgan during the 'London Whale' disaster; Bloomberg bragged about its leadership on this story.

Submission + - Snapchats Don't Disappear (forbes.com)

Submitted by nefus
nefus writes: Forensics Firm Has Pulled Dozens of Supposedly-Deleted Photos From Android Phones. A 24-year-old forensics examiner from Utah has made a discovery that may make some Snapchat users think twice before sending a photo that they think is going to quickly disappear. Richard Hickman of Decipher Forensics found that it’s possible to pull Snapchat photos from Android phones simply by downloading data from the phone using forensics software and removing a “.NoMedia” file extension that was keeping the photos from being viewed on the device. He published his findings online and local TV station KSL has a video showing how it’s done.

Submission + - Demonoid Resurrection Dismissed As Malware Was Legitimate (torrentfreak.com)

Submitted by wo1verin3
wo1verin3 writes: Previously reported on Slashdot was a story about a malware attempt masquerading itself as a Demonoid resurrection. It turns out this really was Demonoid making a comeback. With the site now back online with a new host, TorrentFreak caught up with its admins who tell us they have no malicious intent and simply want to bring a community back to together. While there is still uncertainty, one thing is absolutely clear – they do have the old Demonoid database.

Submission + - Android Apps Found on Google Play Download Spyware 1

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: A new piece of Android malware has been discovered with two components: a downloader available on Google Play and the spyware app it downloads. The authors have disguised their scheme under the guise of font-installing apps. The threat, detected as “Android.TechnoReaper” by security firm Webroot, thankfully does not appear to be too popular.

Submission + - The days of the $200 Phone may be numbered... (cnn.com)

Submitted by Apptopia
Apptopia writes: After T Mobile mostly did away with subsidized phone plans, the other major carriers (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint) are paying attention. Carriers lose money with phone subsidies for high-end smartphones (particularly Apple's iPhone). If they do away with the subsidy, you will have to pay full retail price for phones, but your monthly bill will be lower.

Submission + - Microsoft Youtube App strips adds; adds download

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: "Microsoft appears to be sticking a finger in Google's eye with the launch of its new YouTube app for Windows Phone. The app, ReadWrite has confirmed, strips out YouTube ads when it plays back videos and allows users to easily download video by way of a prominent "download" button."

Submission + - $35 screen protector makes iPhone capable of playing 3-D content (technologyreview.com)

Submitted by hebbosome
hebbosome writes: The market for mobile 3-D entertainment has not taken off. To some extent this is a chicken and egg problem. People don't want to pay extra for 3-D capable devices, because there is very little content. Hardly anyone is making content because there are so few 3-D displays out there. It's also to some extent a technological problem. Adding 3-D-ness means reducing the resolution of the screen. But the convergence of two things--extremely high resolution screens and an advanced nanomanufacturing technique called nanoimprint lithography--could now help the market take off. Researchers at Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) have developed a proprietary fabrication technique, based on nanoimprint lithography, which allows for roll-to-roll printing of plastic patterned with tiny lenses. They've also developed software that can take content made for 3-D and reassemble it in such a way the lenses can "understand" and display it, no glasses required. When content is in 2-D, it is displayed "distortion-free." The product, which only works on the highest-resolution screens on the market, is being sold by a start-up in Singapore called Nanoveu, for all of $35. The company says it is planning to work with game developers to create 3-D gaming content.

Submission + - Scientists light way to quantum internet.

Submitted by raldingbanger
raldingbanger writes: "A GLOBAL "quantum internet" has moved a step closer to reality after Australian scientists succeeded in using light and electronics together to "read" the processing unit of a quantum computer." Scientists at the University of N.S.W, believe they have found the "best of both worlds" combining, electronics and optics. They believe this could pave the way for a quantum internet and it could allow them to overcome distance barriers.

Comment The FBI's testimony on "Going Dark" (Score 5, Informative) 165

Respectfully submitted: Did anyone bother to read the FBI's actual testimony, which was linked in the WaPo article?

http://www.fbi.gov/news/testimony/going-dark-lawful-electronic-surveillance-in-the-face-of-new-technologies

Note the date of the testimony: February 17, 2011
This has been on the burner for a while now.
Electronic Frontier Foundation

DOJ Often Used Cell Tower Impersonating Devices Without Explicit Warrants 146

Posted by Unknown Lamer from the bending-the-rules dept.
Via the EFF comes news that, during a case involving the use of a Stingray device, the DOJ revealed that it was standard practice to use the devices without explicitly requesting permission in warrants. "When Rigmaiden filed a motion to suppress the Stingray evidence as a warrantless search in violation of the Fourth Amendment, the government responded that this order was a search warrant that authorized the government to use the Stingray. Together with the ACLU of Northern California and the ACLU, we filed an amicus brief in support of Rigmaiden, noting that this 'order' wasn't a search warrant because it was directed towards Verizon, made no mention of an IMSI catcher or Stingray and didn't authorize the government — rather than Verizon — to do anything. Plus to the extent it captured loads of information from other people not suspected of criminal activity it was a 'general warrant,' the precise evil the Fourth Amendment was designed to prevent. ... The emails make clear that U.S. Attorneys in the Northern California were using Stingrays but not informing magistrates of what exactly they were doing. And once the judges got wind of what was actually going on, they were none too pleased:"
Networking

Misconfigured Open DNS Resolvers Key To Massive DDoS Attacks 179

Posted by Unknown Lamer from the check-your-sources dept.
msm1267 writes with an excerpt From Threat Post: "While the big traffic numbers and the spat between Spamhaus and illicit webhost Cyberbunker are grabbing big headlines, the underlying and percolating issue at play here has to do with the open DNS resolvers being used to DDoS the spam-fighters from Switzerland. Open resolvers do not authenticate a packet-sender's IP address before a DNS reply is sent back. Therefore, an attacker that is able to spoof a victim's IP address can have a DNS request bombard the victim with a 100-to-1 ratio of traffic coming back to them versus what was requested. DNS amplification attacks such as these have been used lately by hacktivists, extortionists and blacklisted webhosts to great success." Running an open DNS resolver isn't itself always a problem, but it looks like people are enabling neither source address verification nor rate limiting.
Science

Interviews: James Randi Answers Your Questions 217

Posted by samzenpus from the you-can't-handle-the-truth dept.
A while ago you had the chance to ask James Randi, the founder of The James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF), about exposing hucksters, frauds, and fakers. Below you'll find his answers to your questions. In addition to his writings below, Randi was nice enough to sit down and talk to us about his life and his foundation. Keep an eye out for those videos coming soon.

Comment *sigh* (Score 1) 1613

by blahblahwoofwoof (#37621706) Attached to: Steve Jobs Dead At 56

"I feel somewhat like I did when John Lennon was murdered. Great sadness, and the sensation that part of your life is no longer there."

-- "Dan" from Binghamton, NY, comments section of the New York Times

Slashdot Top Deals

When it is incorrect, it is, at least *authoritatively* incorrect. -- Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy

Close