Submission + - SpaceX Celebrates Launch of Falcon 1
iamlucky13 writes: Barely under a year since a fuel leak doomed their first launch, upstart aerospace company SpaceX has cleared the ground a second time with their Falcon 1 rocket. The flight proceeded smoothly until a roll control issue caused premature engine shutdown and loss of telemetry at T plus 5:05. News is currently limited to brief mission status reports. Although the ultimate fate of the rocket and payload are unknown, the company appears pleased with preliminary performance indications. "We in the Washington, D.C. office are celebrating with champagne," said company VP Gwynne Shotwell. "We don't have any information yet from the launch control center, but the Falcon clearly got to space with a successful liftoff, stage separation, second stage ignition and fairing separation."
The flight of the $7 million rocket was to demonstrate its capabilities for DARPA and included two NASA experiments. CEO Elon Musk noted many improvements had been made since the first launch attempt, and has cited similar challenges in the development of other rocket systems. A launch attempt yesterday was scrubbed to resolve telemetry issues with just 62 seconds left. Today's countdown was kept exciting by an automated abort after engine ignition due to marginal chamber pressure. The countdown was restarted after refueling the rocket, with launch at 01:10 GMT from the Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific.
The flight of the $7 million rocket was to demonstrate its capabilities for DARPA and included two NASA experiments. CEO Elon Musk noted many improvements had been made since the first launch attempt, and has cited similar challenges in the development of other rocket systems. A launch attempt yesterday was scrubbed to resolve telemetry issues with just 62 seconds left. Today's countdown was kept exciting by an automated abort after engine ignition due to marginal chamber pressure. The countdown was restarted after refueling the rocket, with launch at 01:10 GMT from the Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific.
Submission + - Is piracy at a large company a safe haven?
An anonymous reader writes: Perhaps I have not kept up with the latest news about how the Music Industry has been approaching piracy, but it seems to me that they are mostly interested in persuing those that will cave in quickly or who are sharing to a very large audience (by on-line distribution, for instance). I wonder if the Music Industriy is hesitant to investigate piracy inside companies that are large enough to have expert lawyers on retainer. Even when is clearly against official company policy, I have seen numerous instances where employees at said companies will readily and openly share their collections of ripped music (or movies) with others. Perhaps the employees feel insulated from any fallout. Perhaps they don't even think about it.
I am wrong in this perception? Have I missed reports of cases where the Music Industry has come down hard on companies with internal piracy? Or do these companies get to quietly iron out the issues to avoid publicity? Is such internal piracy happening at places you know?
Your thoughts? I know you have them.
I am wrong in this perception? Have I missed reports of cases where the Music Industry has come down hard on companies with internal piracy? Or do these companies get to quietly iron out the issues to avoid publicity? Is such internal piracy happening at places you know?
Your thoughts? I know you have them.
Feed Google's Sly New Homepage Themes (wired.com)
Submission + - Will lack of DX10 on XP spur OpenGL development?
Sparr0 writes: "Since Microsoft's announcement that DirectX 10 will not be released for Windows XP, which means no Shader Model 4.0 and no Geometry Shaders, I have been waiting for news of game developers switching to OpenGL in order to get the best graphics on the best hardware on the most popular gaming OS... But there is nary a whisper of such. Will such a shift occur, even if only in small amounts? When? Why not? It is probably safe to say that Unreal Tournament 3 (AKA UT2007) will have OpenGL as an option in Windows, but that is both unsurprising and also a long way off. Ditto for Quake Wars, and most anything else that we already knew was going to have a native Linux clients. But where are all of the other big names with Windows-only offerings? Why haven't we heard from Valve, Blizzard, Sony, or EA, to name a few?"
Submission + - IBM Asks Court to Declare Linux Non-Infringing
A Cyclic Graph writes: "We finally have a redacted version of IBM's Reply Memorandum in Support of Summary Judgment on Counterclaim 10 in SCO v. IBM. In short, IBM is asking the Court to declare that Linux doesn't infringe upon any of SCO's purported intellectual property. This document is the last word on that matter until the Court either declares there to be no doubt that Linux is free of infringement, or decides that that issue has to be decided by the jury. In their brief, IBM points out that SCO puts forth a convoluted set of non-answers referencing each other to disguise it's inability to answer IBM. Their set of cross-references is so complex that Groklaw readers graphed the claims to make what little sense of them they could."
Submission + - TrueCrypt 4.3 Released
RedBear writes: "A new update to the best open source transparent encryption software has been released. Sadly there is still no Linux GUI or Mac OS X port in sight. If you are one of the thronging hordes who have been patiently awaiting ubiquitous multi-platform encryption please consider donating time or money to the cause, and add your voice to the forum so the developers get some idea of how many of us need this software to work on other platforms. For those not in the know, TrueCrypt is (the only?) open source encryption software capable of creating and mounting encrypted virtual disk images that can then be worked with transparently like any other storage drive, with data being encrypted and decrypted in real-time. These virtual disks can be created as files, or entire partitions or physical drives can be encrypted and mounted transparently. Also including features like plausible deniability, steganographically hidden volumes, unidentifiable partition headers, traveller mode, and your choice of the strongest available encryption algorithms up to and including multi-algorithm cascades, it is practically the Holy Grail for advocates of free ubiquitous encryption. Now, if only it was platform independent. From the site:
TrueCrypt home page
Future development goals
Forum thread about Mac OS X version
Donations page
General forum
Plausible deniability
Hidden volumes
Traveller mode
Encryption algorithms
Multi-algorithm cascades
Version history"
To reduce load on their servers here are some Coralized versions of all the links above:We are pleased to announce that TrueCrypt 4.3 has been released. Among the new features is full compatibility with 32-bit and 64-bit Windows Vista, support for devices and file systems that use a sector size other than 512 bytes (such as new hard drives, USB flash drives, DVD-RAM, MP3 players, etc.), auto-dismount when a host device (e.g., a USB flash drive) is inadvertently removed, and many more. In addition to new features, there are many significant improvements.
TrueCrypt home page
Future development goals
Forum thread about Mac OS X version
Donations page
General forum
Plausible deniability
Hidden volumes
Traveller mode
Encryption algorithms
Multi-algorithm cascades
Version history"
Submission + - Microsoft Update Memory Leak
mksolid writes: "I'm a computer technician for a small IT company and I have been driven absolutely crazy since Friday with a problem that occurred when I would boot up any Windows XP desktop machines. When I opened Task Manager to monitor the resource usage, I noticed that the 'svchost.exe' process (run by the SYSTEM account) would take up 99% CPU time and cause a massive memory leak for the first 5-10 minutes after logging into a user account. I did virus scans, anti-spyware scans and anything that I could to ensure that the problem wasn't related to malicious software, and I even setup a clean test system and still had the same problems. I finally decided to use TDIMonitor and check the network for the culprit resource hog, and I discovered that the system was repeatedly sending out requests for various Microsoft files. I simply disabled Microsoft Update from the Windows Update page and the problem has gone away. Our machines now startup and operate very smoothly within seconds. I suppose the discovery is that there is a bug in Microsoft Update that causes a massive memory leak and it needs further investigation by Microsoft."
Submission + - Off-Site Realtime Backup Solutions?
Spazztastic writes: I work for a small company in Pennsylvania that does large amounts of software engineering related to audio and video DSP solutions, and I am planning on designing an off-site backup solution for us. I don't know where to start, so I wanted to ask the /. users what their input should be. We currently do full-backups on tapes that are put into a fire-safe box off-site, but I am feeling that it isn't enough after reading the $38 Billion Dollar goof story. So, what do you suggest we do?
Submission + - Is Google planning a national wireless network?
eastbayted writes: Amid the buzz surrounding Google's rumored plans to release a mobile phone, the Daily Wireless has posted an interesting article citing eight reasons why the search behemoth may very well be planning to build a nationwide wireless network. Among them: Google has made hefty investments in dark fiber; it's already offering free wireless in Mountain View and has offered to do the same in San Francisco; and it's fighting hard to maintain Net neutrality.
Submission + - ISPs Fighting To Keep Broadband Gaps A Mystery
Aaron writes: Broadband Reports notes how Maryland was working on a law that would force ISPs to show exactly where they offer service and at what speed. The goal was to help map coverage gaps, since FCC broadband data traditionally isn't accurate. Cable and phone company lobbyists have scuttled the plan, convincing state leaders the plan would bring "competitive harm," "stifle innovation," and even close local coffee shops. Of course the real reason is they don't want the public to know what criteria they use to determine the financial viability of your neighborhood — as they roll out next-generation services to only the most lucrative areas (aka cherry pick). The Center for Public Integrity is trying to obtain the unreleased raw FCC penetration data, but these companies are also fighting this tooth and nail.
Submission + - Do you know your rights during police encounters?
stry_cat writes: Think you know your rights during police encounters? Like most Americans you probably know less than you think. FlexYourRights.org has a short quiz to see if you know what to do when you encounter the police.
I'll give you a hint, it's not like how they make it out on TV.
I'll give you a hint, it's not like how they make it out on TV.
Submission + - Google ReDesigns Homepage
* * Beatles-Beatles writes: "http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/G/GOOGLE_DECO RATIONS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
Sprucing up its famously plain Web site, Google Inc. is offering a new option that plants its Internet search box in panoramic settings that change with the time of day and the outside weather."
Sprucing up its famously plain Web site, Google Inc. is offering a new option that plants its Internet search box in panoramic settings that change with the time of day and the outside weather."
Feed John W. Backus, 82, Fortran Developer, Dies (nytimes.com)
Mr. Backus assembled and led the I.B.M. team that created Fortran, the first widely used programming language.
Feed Take-Two Examines Possible Sale of Company (nytimes.com)
Shares of Take-Two Interactive Software rose 8.4 percent after the company postponed its annual meeting and said it would consider alternatives to a proposed hostile takeover.
