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Security

Submission + - Groundbreaking DARPA Cyber Fast Track Research Program Ending (threatpost.com)

Submitted by Trailrunner7
Trailrunner7 writes: When Peiter Zatko, the security researcher and pioneering hacker known as Mudge, joined the federal government several years ago to help run a DARPA research program, some in the security industry wondered what effect someone with his background could have in an organization as famously change-resistant and slow as the Department of Defense. As it turns out, the Cyber Fast Track program he started has been a huge success and though the CFT is ending in less than a month, the program may well serve as a model for other agile research programs inside the U.S. government.

Submission + - US Attorney General Defends Handling of Aaron Swartz Case (wired.com)

Submitted by TrueSatan
TrueSatan writes: Attorney General Eric Holder on Wednesday said the suicide death of internet activist Aaron Swartz was a “tragedy,” but the hacking case against the 26-year-old was “a good use of prosecutorial discretion.” The attorney general was testifying at a Justice Department oversight hearing before the Senate Judiciary committee and was facing terse questioning from Sen. John Cornyn (D-Texas).
Holder stated: “I think that’s a good use of prosecutorial discretion to look at the conduct, regardless of what the statutory maximums were and to fashion a sentence that was consistent with what the nature of the conduct was. And I think what those prosecutors did in offering 3, 4, zero to 6 was consistent with that conduct.”
Notwithstanding Holder’s testimony, Massachusetts federal prosecutors twice indicted Swartz for the alleged hacking, once in 2011 on four felonies and again last year on 13 felonies. The case included hacking charges under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act that was passed in 1984 to enhance the government’s ability to prosecute hackers who accessed computers to steal information or to disrupt or destroy computer functionality.

Submission + - Dotcom wins right to sue NZ Government (nzherald.co.nz)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: A Court of Appeal judgement released today has ruled in favour of the internet mogul and will let him sue the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) alongside New Zealand Police. During the High Court case, it emerged that the GCSB had been illegally spying on Dotcom prior to the raid on his Coatesville mansion, on behalf of the FBI, who now wants the Megaupload millionaire extradited to face trial in the US over copyright infringements.

Submission + - Advice for summer before Ph.D. program? 1

Submitted by
tookul03
tookul03 writes: "As a graduating senior from a small New England liberal arts college, I have secure a spot in a Biological Science Ph.D. program for the next five years. I realize this coming summer will be my last summer beyond the lab and am not sure If I am interested in doing something related to my research interests or use it as an opportunity to find myself in some new hobby/interest.

I figured the Slashdot community had a number of individuals who were/are in a similar position (albeit different fields) and could shed some light on things they (or others) had done. Thanks."

Submission + - Swiss referendum backs executive pay curbs (bbc.co.uk)

Submitted by gollum123
gollum123 writes: Swiss voters have overwhelmingly backed proposals to impose some of the world's strictest controls on executive pay, final referendum results show. Nearly 68% of the voters supported plans to give shareholders a veto on compensation and ban big payouts for new and departing managers. The new measures will give Switzerland some of the world's strictest corporate rules Shareholders will have a veto over salaries, golden handshakes will be forbidden, and managers of companies who flout the rules could face prison.The "fat cat initiative", as it has been called, will be written into the Swiss constitution and apply to all Swiss companies listed on Switzerland's stock exchange. Support for the plans — brain child of Swiss businessman turned politician Thomas Minder — has been fuelled by a series of perceived disasters for major Swiss companies, coupled with salaries and bonuses staying high
Piracy

Submission + - UK court orders H33t, Kickass Torrents and Fenopy blocked (computerworld.com.au)

Submitted by
angry tapir
angry tapir writes: "A court in the U.K. has ordered key Internet service providers in the country to block three torrent sites on a complaint from music labels including EMI Records and Sony Music. The High Court of Justice, Chancery Division, ordered six ISPs including Virgin Media, British Telecommunications and British Sky Broadcasting to block H33t, Kickass Torrents and Fenopy."
Science

Submission + - Unraveling the Physics of Invisible Knots (sciencemag.org)

Submitted by sciencehabit
sciencehabit writes: Physicists had long believed that a vortex could be twisted into a knot, even though they'd never seen one in nature or the even in the lab. Determined to finally create a knotted vortex loop of their very own, physicists at the University of Chicago designed a wing that resembles a delicately twisted ribbon and brought it to life using a 3D printer. After submerging their masterpiece in water and using electricity to create tiny bubbles around it, the researchers yanked the wing forward, leaving a similarly shaped vortex in its wake. Centripetal force drew the bubbles into the center of the vortex, revealing its otherwise invisible, knotted structure and allowing the scientists to see how it moved through the fluid. By sweeping a sheet of laser light across the bubble-illuminated vortex and snapping pictures with a high-speed camera, they were able to create the first 3D animations of how these elusive knots behave. Although this is the first time that scientists have seen knotted vortices for themselves, similar structures are thought to exist naturally in many places, including on the surface of the sun. Being able to custom-make and manipulate these flowing knots on command could lead to a much better understanding of the effects of their mysterious topology on different kinds of turbulence.
Google

Submission + - Google Email Patent Scarier Than 'Scroogled' Ads?

Submitted by theodp
theodp writes: If Microsoft really wants to scare Gmail users, perhaps they should drop the Scroogled! campaign and simply post Google patent applications. Take Google's patent application for its Method and System for Dynamic Textual Ad Distribution Via Email, for instance, in which Google provides an example of how they can milk more money from advertisers by identifying lactating Moms. 'An end-user accessing documents related to breast feeding,' Google notes, 'is more likely to be in the market for a breast pump than any given end-user accessing pregnancy, in the mind of the advertiser. Thus, the advertising user has bid more to achieve the first position in that breast feeding document level.' Along the same lines, an accompanying diagram illustrates how Google's invention allows advertisers to also bid on access to those suffering from breast cancer, bi-polar disorder, depression, and panic anxiety. Hey, what could possibly go wrong?

Submission + - Man-Made Material Pushes the Bounds of Superconductivity

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: A multi-university team of researchers has artificially engineered a unique multilayer material that could lead to breakthroughs in both superconductivity research and in real-world applications. The researchers can tailor the material, which seamlessly alternates between metal and oxide layers, to achieve extraordinary superconducting properties — in particular, the ability to transport much more electrical current than non-engineered materials.

Submission + - Replacing hard drive voids warranty 5

Submitted by Medieval_Thinker
Medieval_Thinker writes: I replaced a hard drive in my Chromebook and had a question for the Chrome-Ninjas. I got a reply back that my warranty was void. I suggested the tech consult a supervisor about the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975. I should be able to upgrade a hard drive or memory without voiding a warranty. I got this back in reply.

"Thank you for your message.
My supervisor was informed of the situation before sending out the previous email.
Unfortunately we are not going to be able to support your device any longer."

Have the rules changed? Is replacing a hard drive in a Chromebook any different than replacing one in a Dell?
Apple

Submission + - Hedge Fund manager shows how easy it is to manipulate shares of Apple (networkworld.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: In early trading on Tuesday, shares of Apple dropped down to about $437 a share, the lowest Apple has traded at in over a year.

But a curious thing happened just about 3 hours into the trading day.

Hedge fund manager Doug Kass put a tweet teasing the idea that Apple was going to announce a stock split on Wednesday during the company's shareholder meeting.

Shortly thereafter, with Apple trading at $449, Kass put out another tweet saying that it's about time he sell off some of his Apple shares.

But just one hour later, as Kass continued to sell off his shares of Apple, he tweeted out that the rumor — which he effectively willed into existence — was baseless.
Chrome

Submission + - Pixel Picture Clearer? Google Ports Office-Substitute to Chrome OS, Browser (computerworld.com)

Submitted by
CWmike
CWmike writes: "Google confirmed on Tuesday that it has ported part of QuickOffice to a technology baked into Chrome OS and the company's Chrome browser. The popular iOS and Android app substitute for Microsoft Office that Google acquired last year will run using 'Native Client,' a technology that lets developers turn applications written in C and C++ — originally intended to run in, say, Windows.With that it will execute entirely within a browser, specifically Google's own Chrome. Google claims that Native Client code runs almost as fast inside the browser as the original did outside. QuickOffice viewers come bundles with the $1,300 Chrome OS-based Chromebook Pixel notebook, and Google will add editing functionality in the next two to three months. Does this all make the Pixel make more sense?"
Robotics

Submission + - Ride a Russian mechanostrider to work, only $1500 (blogspot.ca)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: A group of four Russian scientists calling themselves "Konstantin Ivanov" have taken it upon themselves to beat ASIMO, not only that, but it`s rideable too. Working with a budget of only $1500 USD they put this beautifully insane contraption together, weighing in at around 400 lbs and able to balance on one leg this is very cool robot. Shades of WOW?

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