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Linux

Submission + - Open Source Driver For Microsoft Surface 2.0 (ubuntuvibes.com)

Submitted by dartttt
dartttt writes: Florian Echtler has developed an open-source driver for the Microsoft Surface 2.0 touch screen. According to him, the open source implementation works surprisingly well on Ubuntu 11.10. The process requires you to boot Linux on your Surface 2.0 in the first place. However, it can be done by just booting Ubuntu from a USB hard disk without modify anything on the original Win7 installation.
China

Submission + - Volkswagen Crowdsources its Way to a Hover Car (gizmag.com) 1

Submitted by Zothecula
Zothecula writes: The world of personal mobility transporters doesn't bring a whole lot of glamor. The Segway was never exactly an enviable ride, and newer concepts like the GM EN-V aren't any better. But a Volkswagen that hovers a few feet over the ground? That channels a mix of Back to the Future and The Jetsons that adds some excitement to the personal mobility segment. The Hover Car is one of three top concepts that Volkswagen procured through the crowd-sourced "People's Car Project" (PCP). Since debuting the project in China nearly a year ago, Volkswagen has inspired 33 million website visitors and 119,000 unique ideas for possible products and technologies.
Science

Submission + - Microsoft makes ambitious carbon neutral pledge (computerworlduk.com) 1

Submitted by Qedward
Qedward writes: Chief operating officer Kevin Turner says Microsoft will be “carbon neutral across all our direct operations including data centres, software development labs, air travel, and office buildings” from July 1, the start of the 2012 fiscal year.

Turner added: "We are hopeful that our decision will encourage other companies, large and small, to look at what they can do to address this important issue.
Microsoft

Submission + - Why You Don't Want a $99 Xbox 360 (itworld.com)

Submitted by
itwbennett
itwbennett writes: "Peter Smith has done the math on Microsoft's $99 Xbox 360 — 4GB model (no hard drive) and a Kinect sensor. Here's why it's a bad deal: 'You'll be paying $99 + $359.76 in monthly fees, or $458.76 over the course of two years. Compare that with (I'm using prices from Amazon that were accurate as of May 7th, 2012) $287.70 for an Xbox 360 4GB + Kinect bundle, and two 12-month Xbox Live Gold cards at $48.41 each, a total of $384.52. So you're paying almost $75 for the privilege of laying out small cash now.' And then there's the not insignificant matter of early termination fees."
Science

Submission + - Anti Wi-Fi Wallpaper To Go On Sale In 2013, Costs A Tad More Than Normal Ones (itproportal.com)

Submitted by hypnosec
hypnosec writes: A new type of wallpaper, which has been developed by scientists from the "institut polytechnique Grenoble INP" and the "Centre Technique du Papier", will go on sale in 2013 after a Finnish firm, Ahlstrom acquired the license. What looks like a bog standard wallpaper roll actually contains silver particles that allows it to filter out up to three different frequencies simultaneously. It is not the first time that such a technology has surfaced. Back in 2004, BAE Systems was tasked by Ofcom to come up with a similar solution based on what was then called a stealth wallpaper. It used copper instead of silver and blocked Wi-Fi signals while letting GSM, 4G and emergency calls through. Back then though, a square meter cost £500 whereas the Wi-Fi wallpaper devised by the French researchers should be priced reasonably, with costs matching those of a "classic", mid-range wallpaper according to M. Lemaître-Auger, from Grenoble INP.

Submission + - Computer restoration memorial prize launched (bbc.co.uk) 2

Submitted by
peetm
peetm writes: "The BBC is reporting that the life of pioneering computer conservationist Tony Sale is to be commemorated with an award for the best computer restoration project.

Mr Sale is best known for the mammoth Bletchley Park project that resulted in the re-creation of the Colossus computer (the original Colossus cracked messages sent by Hitler's generals during World War II). Further information can be found here"
Role Playing (Games)

Submission + - Diablo III Open Beta This Weekend (battle.net) 1

Submitted by
BarneyRabble
BarneyRabble writes: "If you have been feeling frustrated about NOT getting a beta key for Diablo III, that ends this weekend! Blizzard is opening the floodgates and allowing registered Battle.Net users (and if you don't have an account by now, create one!) the joy of playing the game. Patience is needed, the client is a little over 3gb to download. The sad part, you can only go to Level 13...and when Monday comes..the beta ends. Enjoy it while you can. The game is regionlized for only English, German and French for this weekend...sorry to the Korean players who want to play badly!"
Google

Submission + - Google I/O sells out in 20 minutes (networkworld.com) 2

Submitted by
netbuzz
netbuzz writes: "Last year it took almost an hour, but this morning Google’s enormously popular conference for developers sold out in about 20 minutes, Vic Gundotra, Google’s senior vice president of engineering, told his followers on Google+. "While we're overwhelmed with the interest and enthusiasm around Google I/O, we know it can be very disappointing and frustrating when an event sells out this quickly," he wrote. Those who did not get tickets were not only disappointed and angry, but mystified as to why they were left out of a first-come, first-served sale despite being online and ready to buy the second the bell rang. And, of course, tickets were quickly being scalped on eBay."
Science

Submission + - Students' device generates electricity from swimming pools and water (tech-stew.com)

Submitted by
techfun89
techfun89 writes: "A group of San Jose, California high school students has come up with a way to utilize swimming pools as a source of electricity to power schools, homes and businesses.

Their solution relies on thermoelectric panels that can harness the temperature difference between a hot surface and the cold water. This could be expanded into huge floating farms of these devices, possibly powering entire coastal towns.

"As this device floats on water, reflector panels focus sunlight onto a black surface that converts the solar energy to heat. This heat is then passed through thermoelectric panels and passively dissipated into the surrounding water.""
Cloud

Submission + - Cloud-based email versus one's own servers: what's best for an organization? (uclouvain.be) 1

Submitted by
Peter Van Roy
Peter Van Roy writes: "Our university, Université catholique de Louvain, currently manages all its email (domain uclouvain.be) through a couple of big servers. They want to replace that by cloud-based email. What are the pros and cons? There are strong opinions both ways: some doubt cloud security and reliability, others see great simplification. Do any Slashdotters have experience with that? The university has around 30000 email addresses, including all staff and students."
Science

Submission + - James Cameron's Solo Dive to Deepest Spot on Earth (pics) (fellowgeek.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: ames Cameron, director of epic films like Avatar, Titanic, The Terminator 1 and 2 and Aliens, happens to have a bit of a love affair with the ocean. So much so that he decided to make a solo dive to plume its deepest depths.

Driving his own custom submarine called the ‘DEEPSEA CHALLENGER’, Cameron descended 35,756 feet, or 6.77 miles, to the deepest discovered spot on the bottom of the ocean, known as the ‘Challenger Deep.” His dive was part of ‘DEEPSEA CHALLENGE’ (they love their capitals in oceanography, apparently), an ocean exploration initiative by National Geographic, Rolex and Cameron. His dive makes him the first person to ever make the dive solo and only the second to ever make a manned dive.
Security

Submission + - News Corp hacked PPV rival to enable illegal free streaming on THOIC (computerworlduk.com)

Submitted by Qedward
Qedward writes: A unit of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation allegedly cracked the smartcard codes of ONdigital in a bid to undermine the company's success, according to claims aired on BBC's Panorama programme.

After NDS, a software company owned by News Corp, allegedly cracked the system, the access codes appeared on a pirate website known as The House of Ill Compute (THOIC) where users could use them for illegally accessing free digital television. On BBC Panorama last night, THOIC operator Lee Gibling said he had received over £60,000 a year from Ray Adams, NDS' head of security, for the work.

ONdigital, owned by Granada and Carlton, part of ITV, later went out of business amid mass counterfeiting. This cleared the pay-TV field and left Sky as the key service...
Facebook

Submission + - NHS allows Facebook tracking of website users (pcpro.co.uk)

Submitted by nk497
nk497 writes: The NHS has embedded Facebook's Like button on one of its health information websites, letting the social network track users as they search for information on illnesses. The UK's national health service admits the partnership, and says the data exchange is mentioned in its privacy policy. “What right has the NHS to share any information about the browsing of NHS Choices with Facebook?” asked Mischa Tuffield, the Garlik software developer that made the discovery. “The NHS is sharing this information out liberally and the users don’t know it and can’t opt out of sharing even if they did.” Contrary to the NHS' own advice, Facebook seems to keep tracking users via cookies even if they've logged out of the social networking site. Tuffield advised anyone using the NHS Choices site to clear their cookies first.
The Internet

Submission + - Verizon Offers 150 Mbps FiOS Internet (conceivablytech.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Verizon now offers a FiOS-based broadband connection that promises download speeds of up to 150 Mbps, while upload speeds reach 35 Mbps. According to the company, the new tier is the fastest mass-market broadband service currently available in the U.S. and has been rolled out to "the majority" of its 12.5 million FiOS home customers. By the end of the year, the new tier will also be made available to small businesses.

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