Jack Greenbaum - Slashdot User

Comment Re:I like my layered approach.. (Score 1) 611

by Jack Greenbaum on Sunday July 19, 2009 @07:43PM (#28751205) Attached to: Best Home Backup Strategy Now?

Sure would suck if your DVD's and your computer burn down in the same house fire. Do you have insurance to cover them all, and a list of titles so you can replace them? You can fit alot of DVDs on a 1TB hard drive ...

Submission + - Intel Redies GNU/Linux Friendly ACPI Replacement (h-online.com) 3

Submitted by

twitter

on Thursday June 25, 2009 @02:04AM

twitter writes: "ACPI was designed to harm free software. Ten years later, ACPI still has problems but has Intel turned over a new leaf? H-Online has an interesting introduction to Simple Firmware Interface.
A few days ago, version 4.0 of the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) specification was released, weighing in at a hefty 727 pages ... there are still flaws in many implementations.

Intel is now developing the Simple Firmware Interface (SFI) especially for small and low spec devices like Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs) with Atom processors, and is particularly targeting the Linux operating system... SFI can be implemented in addition to, or as an alternative to ACPI, in the firmware either within a classic BIOS, (U)EFI, or with alternative firmware like OpenFirmware.

Version 0.6 has been released as a draft and there is a reference implementation for the 2.6.32 kernel."

Submission + - Breakthru Allows Calculations on Encrypted Data 2

Submitted by BBCWatcher on Thursday June 25, 2009 @12:54AM

BBCWatcher writes: Can data be encrypted in a way that allows any calculation to be performed on the scrambled information without unscrambling it? It's a simple concept that sounds impossible, but if it were possible businesses and individuals could then protect their secrets yet still perform Web searches, medical studies, financial risk assessments, and many other tasks. Computer scientists call this idea "fully homomorphic encryption," and it was first envisioned 30 years ago by Ronald Rivest, one of RSA's coinventors. Rivest and two coauthors thought it was probably impossible. However, Craig Gentry at IBM Research recently discovered a solution, although at present the solution requires too much computing horsepower for common adoption. Nonetheless, Rivest now predicts the remaining engineering problems will be solved, yielding fully homomorphic encryption products and services. Crypto experts believe this breakthrough will make encryption much more convenient and more widespread.

Submission + - Apple's iPhone 3GS Costs $179 to Build (tomsguide.com)

Submitted by tugfoigel on Wednesday June 24, 2009 @11:18PM

tugfoigel writes: "The entry-level, 16Gbyte version of Apple Inc.'s new iPhone 3G S carries a BOM cost of $172.46 and a manufacturing expense of $6.50, for a total of $178.96," said Andrew Rassweiler, director and principal analyst, teardown services, for iSuppli.

Submission + - Stem cells used to restore sight for corneal disea (news.com.au)

Submitted by

Sean0michael

on Wednesday June 03, 2009 @10:57PM

Sean0michael writes: "Australian scientists have Restored the sight of three human test subjects using stem cells cultured in contact lenses. All the patients were blind in only one eye. Two were legally blind, but can now read the big letters on an eye chart. The third could read the first few lines, but is now able to pass a driver's test. The University of New South Wales reports that these patients all had damaged corneas, and the stem cells came from each person's good eye. The best part--the procedure is inexpensive, raising hopes for being able to push this to the third world sooner than other, more expensive medications."

Submission + - Apple allows banned Slasher app back in App Store (artsiness.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 03, 2009 @10:37PM

An anonymous reader writes: Apparently Apple is reconsidering the status of previously banned apps. One of the first apps to disappear from the App Store back in August of 2008 was Slasher. The author, apparently after many emails and phone calls, managed to convince Apple to reverse its original decision to ban the app. This is extremely good news for others who have fallen victim to the capriciousness of Apple's prior store policy.

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