Neil Watson - Slashdot User

Submission + - Ubuntu 11.04 "Natty Narwhal" Officially Released! (digitizor.com)

Submitted by dkd903 on Thursday April 28, 2011 @09:30AM

dkd903 writes: For all the Ubuntu users out there, after three alpha and two beta releases, Canonical has finally released Ubuntu 11.04, codenamed Natty Narhwal" today.

Ubuntu 11.04 is based on Linux kernal 2.6.38.3 and has the much talked about Unity interface. The Unity interface is based on GNOME 3 and built using Compiz. It is a radical departure from the classic GNOME desktop — but after using its learning curve is not steep.

Submission + - Windows 8 Black Screen of Death (winrumors.com)

Submitted by

autospa

on Monday April 25, 2011 @03:03PM

autospa writes: "The switch to a Black Screen of Death could be a temporary one, similar to the switch in Longhorn build 5112. Microsoft has only ever used a Black Screen of Death in Windows 3.x when DOS-based applications failed to execute correctly. Microsoft typically uses Black screens when its operating systems are attempting to load following the power-on self-test (POST)."

Submission + - Need IPv4 addresses? Get 'em here (networkworld.com)

Submitted by alphadogg on Monday April 25, 2011 @03:00PM

alphadogg writes: A vibrant market for buying and selling IPv4 addresses is emerging, and policymakers are clarifying the rules associated with how network operators can monetize this precious Internet addressing resource. At least four websites — www.depository.net, www.denuo.com, www.addrex.net and www.tradeipv4.com — are serving as brokers for organizations that want to sell or lease IPv4 address space. The IPv4 address space resale market is evolving in light of Nortel's recent sale of 666,624 IPv4 addresses to Microsoft for $7.5 million, or $11.25 per address. The free pool of unassigned IPv4 addresses was depleted in February, and the Asia Pacific regional Internet registry announced last week http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/041411-apnic-ipv4-gone.html that it has doled out all but its last 16.7 million IPv4 addresses which are being held in reserve for startup network operators.

Submission + - NASA fires-up jet fuel that tastes like chicken (networkworld.com)

Submitted by

coondoggie

on Monday April 25, 2011 @01:57PM

coondoggie writes: "It may never make it into everyday jet-fighter use but NASA is checking out biofuel made from chicken and beef fat. The chicken fat fuel, known as Hydrotreated Renewable Jet Fuel, was burned in the engine of a DC-8 at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center as part of its Alternative Aviation Fuels Experiment that is looking at developing all manner of biofuel alternatives to traditional Jet Propellant 8, or JP-8. The DC-8 is used as a test vehicle because its engine operations are well-documented and well-understood, NASA says."

Submission + - Microsoft Reveals Custom Server, Rack Designs (datacenterknowledge.com)

Submitted by 1sockchuck on Monday April 25, 2011 @12:15PM

1sockchuck writes: Microsoft is sharing the designs for its data center hardware, including custom servers, a high-efficiency power distribution system that brings 480V ower to the rack, and in-rack batteries to provide UPS support. The move comes two seeks after Facebook released specifications for its data center infrastructure.

Submission + - Razer Hydra Brings Motion Control to PC Gamers (gizmag.com)

Submitted by Zothecula on Monday April 25, 2011 @10:57AM

Zothecula writes: While motion controllers are becoming a staple for console gamers with the release of the Wii, PlayStation Move and Microsoft Kinect, PC gamers have been left wanting. Razer is looking to change that with its Hydra motion controller which has been developed specifically for PC gamers. Unlike other console-based motion control systems, the Hydra uses magnetic tracking technology by way of a base station that emits a magnetic field that Razer says allows the exact location and orientation of the handheld controllers to be detected with millimeter and degree accuracy.

Submission + - T-Mobile Offers Free Phone Calls Through Facebook (zdnet.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 19, 2011 @03:20PM

An anonymous reader writes: The first product under the Bobsled by T-Mobile brand is actually a Facebook application that offers free voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) calls, and because this new brand is not limited to just T-Mobile’s network or just its devices, anyone can use it. The application lets you make free calls worldwide to any of your Facebook friends. It requires a computer, an Internet connection, and Facebook Chat.

Calls from a PC or Mac to a PC or Mac are free, regardless of where you are connecting from and to. Furthermore, anyone on Facebook can receive a call: you only need to download and install the Bobsled application to place a call.

Submission + - Apple sues Samsung over 'Galaxy' phone (chicagobreakingbusiness.com)

Submitted by

mcgrew

on Tuesday April 19, 2011 @01:56PM

mcgrew writes: "Apple has filed a lawsuit because Samsung's new tablet computer looks like an iPad.
“Rather than innovate and develop its own technology and a unique Samsung style for its smart phone products and computer tablets, Samsung chose to copy Apple’s technology, user interface and innovative style in these infringing products,” Apple said in the filing.

IBM should have thought of that when Compaq made their clone! Is it just me, but are some of the lawsuits these days being brought by mentally challenged individuals? How unique could a tablet computer be? Maybe Paramount should sue Apple for the look and feel of their "Pads"?"

Submission + - Is Commercial Space just Wishful Thinking? (parabolicarc.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 19, 2011 @11:34AM

An anonymous reader writes: The US gov has a budget again, and is betting heavily on "Commercial Space" picking up the debris of NASA's epic failure to develop a new crew launcher. But does this hope have any basis in reality or is NewSpace just a bunch of scifi boys playing with toys? Neal Stephenson works at Blue Origin, Gary Hudson of Roton Rocket fame recently channeled Star Wars' Admiral Ackbar, and SpaceX seems to have picked up a scifi scribe of their own in Ralph Ewig. Are these really the nation's best last hope, or are they a bunch of dreamers who can't separate the "science" from the "fiction"?

Submission + - WordPress.Com Hacked, Attackers Get Root Access (securityweek.com)

Submitted by wiredmikey on Wednesday April 13, 2011 @02:22PM

wiredmikey writes: Automattic, the parent company that operates WordPress, was hacked, resulting what the company said was a low-level (root) break-in to several of their servers. The company warned that potentially anything on those servers could have been revealed to the attackers, including client source code.

Submission + - Lab Exposes Major Flaws in Leading Firewalls (securityweek.com)

Submitted by wiredmikey on Tuesday April 12, 2011 @09:06AM

wiredmikey writes: A new report from independent security testing organization warns of two major flaws affecting industry leading firewalls, including a sneak attack that can go unnoticed by most organizations. What's scary is that the vulnerabilities aren't new, but have just remained unfixed by the vendors.

1. Stability problem – By sending certain sequences of content to a firewall’s external interface, an attacker can cause it to crash, essentially creating a denial of service condition. On one firewall that was tested, when it crashed, it gave attacker outside root access to the firewall without requiring a password.

2. TCP Split Handshake Attack — This attack is the TCP Equivalent of IP Spoofing. The issue permits an external attacker to trick the firewall into allowing access inside the firewall as a trusted client. This TCP split handshake attack has been publicly known for over a year, and all firewalls should defend against it, but this isn’t the case. In fact, 5 of the 6 firewalls tested FAILED to detect and block the TCP Split Handshake Attack.

[More]

Comment Stop the FUD. Be cause and research. (Score -1, Troll) 349

by Neil Watson on Friday March 18, 2011 @10:27AM (#35529450) Attached to: Heroism Is Part of a Nuclear Worker's Job

Please stop adding the hysteria and FUD. The Register has one of the few correct and educated reports on the troubles at Fukushima.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/03/18/fukushima_friday/

Submission + - Crime Writer Makes a Killing with 99 Cent eBooks

Submitted by

Hugh Pickens writes

on Tuesday March 08, 2011 @06:01PM

Hugh Pickens writes writes: "Joe Konrath has an interesting interview with independent writer John Locke who currently holds the coveted #1 spot in the Amazon Top 100 and has sold just over 350,000 downloads on Kindle of his 99 cent books since January 1st of this year which with a royalty rate of 35%, is an annual income well over $500k. Locke says that 99 cents is the magic number and adds that when he lowered the price of his book "The List" from $2.99 to 99 cents, he started selling 20 times as many copies — about 800 a day, turning his loss lead into his biggest earner. "These days the buying public looks at a $9.95 eBook and pauses. It’s not an automatic sale," says Locke. "And the reason it’s not is because the buyer knows when an eBook is priced ten times higher than it has to be. And so the buyer pauses. And it is in this pause—this golden, sweet-scented pause—that we independent authors gain the advantage, because we offer incredible value." Kevin Kelly predicts that within 5 years all digital books will cost 99 cents. "I don't think publishers are ready for how low book prices will go," writes Kelly. "It seems insane, dangerous, life threatening, but inevitable.""

Submission + - Mumbai Female Companion (metroescorts.info)

Submitted by

amanx1234

on Monday February 28, 2011 @12:06PM

amanx1234 writes: "Companionship , need for some and job for some , It is the job that girls and women are choosing today , for quick money , in this fast lif , everyone wants to achieve , everything in short period of time , and thus they are doing stuff , which may be not easily acceptable by society , no dad will wish her daughter to be a female companion , but still , they are breaking limits , rules and working as a prt time or full time female companion , the money they earn is spend in buying clothes , accessories , drinks and all other costly stuff . In the process they may loose themself , but it does't matter to them , they only want money and for that they are ready to go beyond any limits , rules , boundations ."

Submission + - Example code for making Programming Rosetta Stone? (google.com) 1

Submitted by Shikaku on Friday February 25, 2011 @04:23PM

Shikaku writes: I was wondering if there is some projects that can be done to being learning new programming languages: instead of only using helloworld.c and porting it. This would be projects that would be easy to finish in a programming language one is proficient in.
I've thought of programming things like Fibonacci sequences, sorts and red/black trees, but I was wondering if there's something else that Slashdot can come up with. I am doing this to give myself a better resume. I am currently in college, without any work programming experience.
Thanks!

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