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Submission + - Google unveils a new, simple, sans serif logo (betanews.com)

Submitted by Mark Wilson
Mark Wilson writes: Google has come a long way over the years, but one thing has remain remarkably simple: its logo. There have been various designs for the six, colorful letters and today the company has taken the wraps off the latest version... complete with an uppercase G!

It's going to take a while for some people to get used to, but the clean, sans serif look of the new logo is simultaneously modern and retro. But today's announcement is about more than the main logo — this is the launch of a new 'identity family'. In addition to the main logo, there's also a new four-color G icon, as well as similarly-colored imagery for other elements.

Submission + - Beyond Bitcoin: 7 Ways To Capitalize On Blockchains

Submitted by snydeq
snydeq writes: Bitcoin’s widely trusted ledger offers intriguing possibilities for business use beyond cryptocurrency, writes InfoWorld's Peter Wayner. 'From the beginning, bitcoin has assumed a shadowy, almost outlaw mystique,' Wayner writes. 'Even the mathematics of the technology are inscrutable enough to believe the worst. The irony is that the mathematical foundations of bitcoin create a solid record of legitimate ownership that may be more ironclad against fraud than many of the systems employed by businesses today. Plus, the open, collaborative way in which bitcoin processes transactions ensures the kind of network of trust that is essential to any business agreement.'

Submission + - Mystery of why Saturn gets planet-encircling storms every 20 years solved

Submitted by StartsWithABang
StartsWithABang writes: Every twenty years or so, Saturn develops a tremendous storm, streaking white across its surface and eventually encircling the entire globe, lapping itself. The 2010-2011 storm outdid itself, lasting more than eight months and becoming the largest storm since telescope technology advanced to the point where we could view them. Four years after it ended, we finally figured out the secret to what causes them, and why they only emerge every 20-to-30 years.

Submission + - Over 225,000 Apple Accounts Compromised Via iOS Malware

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Researchers from Palo Alto Networks and WeipTech have unearthed a scheme that resulted in the largest known Apple account theft caused by malware. All in all, some 225,000 valid Apple accounts have been compromised. The theft is executed via variants of the KeyRaider iOS malware, which targets jailbroken iOS devices. Most of the victims are Chinese — the malware is distributed through third-party Cydia repositories in China — but users in other countries have also been affected (European countries, the US, Australian, South Korea, and so on). "The malware hooks system processes through MobileSubstrate, and steals Apple account usernames, passwords and device GUID by intercepting iTunes traffic on the device," Palo Alto researcher Claud Xiao explained. "KeyRaider steals Apple push notification service certificates and private keys, steals and shares App Store purchasing information, and disables local and remote unlocking functionalities on iPhones and iPads."

Submission + - Chris Christie Proposes Tracking Immigrants the Way FedEx Tracks Packages (nytimes.com)

Submitted by PolygamousRanchKid
PolygamousRanchKid writes: Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey said on Saturday that if he were elected president he would combat illegal immigration by creating a system to track foreign visitors the way FedEx tracks packages.

I just spit out my coffee . . .

Mr. Christie, who is far back in the pack of candidates for the Republican presidential nomination, said at a campaign event in New Hampshire that he would ask the chief executive of FedEx, Frederick W. Smith, to devise the tracking system.“At any moment, FedEx can tell you where that package is. It’s on the truck. It’s at the station. It’s on the airplane,” Mr. Christie told the crowd in Laconia, N.H. “Yet we let people come to this country with visas, and the minute they come in, we lose track of them.” He added: “We need to have a system that tracks you from the moment you come in.”

I'm sure foreign tourist will be amused when getting a bar code sticker slapped on their arm.

A FedEx spokeswoman declined to comment on Mr. Christie’s remarks.

Mr. Christie, get your lips away from the crack pipe.

Submission + - Full steam ahead for Microsoft phones after patent infringement win (betanews.com)

Submitted by Mark Wilson
Mark Wilson writes: Microsoft has been cleared of patent infringement by the US International Trade Commission. The case dates back to 2007 when InterDigital Inc claimed Microsoft infringed its patents, and there were calls for a ban on the import of handsets.

InterDigital Inc has been battling in court for eight years, initially trying to claim royalties on phones made by Nokia, now transferred to Microsoft. As well as blocking the call for an import ban, the ITC stated that Microsoft did not infringe patents relating to the way mobiles make calls. In short Microsoft is in the clear and InterDigital's rights have not been violated.

Submission + - Federal Court Overturns Ruling that NSA Metadata Collection was Illegal (npr.org)

Submitted by captnjohnny1618
captnjohnny1618 writes: *Sigh* NPR is reporting that an appeals court has overturned the decision that the NSA's bulk data collection was illegal.


A three judge panel for a U.S. appeals court has thrown out a lower-court decision that sought to stop the NSA from continuing to collect metadata on phone calls made by Americans.
>br> The lower court ruling had found that the practice was unconstitutional.

They go on to clarify that due to the recent passage of new laws governing how metadata is collected, this is less of a significant point than it would have otherwise been:

In some ways, this decision is much less important now that Congress has passed a law that changes the way meta-data is collected by the government. If you remember, after a fierce battle, both houses of Congress voted in favor of a law that lets phone companies keep that database, but still allows the government to query it for specific data.

Still seems like a fairly significant decision to me: in one case a government agency was willfully and directly violating the rights of the Americans (and international citizens as well) and now it's just going to get shrugged off?

One step forward and two back...

Submission + - Former Homeless Man Gets $500,000 Worth of Dental Surgery for Free (wordpress.com)

Submitted by josephbismark
josephbismark writes: There is nothing better than seeing someone turn their life around. Everyday, life knocks people down, sometimes it seems as if it is impossible to get back up, but stories like Davis Harvis inspire others to keep fighting. Davis Harvis is a man that has come a long way in life, and now he spends his time giving back to the community and feeding the homeless. Having a big heart is what has gotten Davis through some of the most difficult times in his life, but now he has a big smile to match.

Submission + - Facebook agrees to meet German government on removing racist content (thestack.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Facebook has this week agreed to meet with Germany’s ministry of justice to discuss ways to rid the social media site of widespread racial hatred following a surge in user complaints. In a letter penned by Justice Minister Heiko Maas, Facebook’s European executives were invited to meet with the government department on the 14th September to talk about how the internet giant can improve ‘effectiveness and transparency’ in tackling racist posts. On Thursday Facebook Germany accepted the invitation via email, agreeing to meet Maas and admitting that it ‘takes his concerns very seriously.’

Submission + - ISRO successfully launches satellite into geostationary orbit

Submitted by vasanth
vasanth writes: Indian Space Research Organization (Isro) on Thursday cleared all doubts on its cryogenic capabilities, successfully launching the Geostationary Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-D6), placing GSAT-6, a 2,117kg communication satellite in orbit.

The GSLV D-6 is the second successful consecutive launch of the GSLV series with indigenous cryogenic upper stage. ISRO had on January 5, 2014 launch GSLV D-5, after a similar attempt failed in 2010.

For the country, ISRO perfecting the cryogenic engine technology is crucial as precious foreign exchange can be saved by launching communication satellites on its own. Currently ISRO flies its heavy communication satellites by European space agency Ariane.

ISRO has already perfected it's Polar Launching Vehicle for launching lighter satellites which has decades of success stories. It has already put 45 foreign satellites of 9 nations into orbit. ISRO is to put 9 satellites in space using PSLV launcher for the United States in 2015-2016.

Submission + - Will a Tighter Economy Rein In Startups? (techcrunch.com)

Submitted by Nerval's Lobster
Nerval's Lobster writes: It's been quite a ride for the stock market this week. In China, markets cratered; in the U.S., stocks dove for two days, only to rebound on Wednesday. That made many tech firms nervous, both about the Chinese economy (which some of them depend upon) and the continuing flow of money from VCs and investors. While the economic jitters don't seem to be affecting some tech firms' ability to implode themselves, more than one pundit is wondering whether the tech industry will shift into 'fear mode,' which could be bad for the so-called 'unicorns' that need funders to keep partying like it's 1999. Are we going to see money start drying up for startups?

Submission + - You Can Now Be "Buried" On The Moon

Submitted by Dave Knott
Dave Knott writes: Space burials are longer the stuff of science fiction (and wealthy science fiction TV show creators.) The cremated remains of more than 450 people have been shot into orbit. Yet, despite the promise of space being a unique "resting place," almost every tiny vial of remains ever sent there has come back down to Earth or burned up upon re-entry. This wouldn't have happened had the ashes landed on Earth's moon — a fact that hasn't been lost on the companies pioneering this futuristic funeral technology. The San Francisco-based company Elysium Space officially launched its 'lunar memorial' service earlier this month, and will soon be sending the remains of a U.S. Army Infantry Soldier's mother upwards as part of its first ever moon burial.

The company's website further explains how the lunar burials will work:
"You receive a kit containing a custom ash capsule to collect a cremated remains sample. After we receive the ash capsule back from you, we place your capsule in the Elysium memorial spacecraft. The latter is eventually integrated to the Astrobotic lander during the designated integration event. From here, the lander is integrated onto the launch vehicle. On launch day, the remains are carried to the moon where the lander will be deployed to its dedicated location, preserving our memorial spacecraft for eternity."

Because Elysium can only send a small portion of cremated remains to the moon (less than a gram), participants aren't actually paying to have their loved ones literally buried on the moon. However, this has not deterred the company from launching the service, charging $11,950 per "burial".

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