Feed P2P downloads at warp speed? (com.com)
Blog: File sharing may soon move at a faster pace. Computer scientists at Carnegie Mellon and Purdue say they've conquered one of the...
Submission + - Palm to replace Garnet with Linux later this year
pete314 writes: "Palm has quietly been developing its own Linux based mobile operating systems and is planning to release the software later this year. Replacing the current "Garnet" Palm OS 5 software on the Treo, Linux will allow for simultaneous voice and data traffic, increase application switching speeds and offer better support for online applications."
Submission + - Freeman Dyson Interview
An anonymous reader writes: Freeman Dyson in an interview at
TCS Daily and talks about being a "rebel", is happy being in the minority position on scientific matters such as climate change, and notices a similarity between Weimar Germany and current Western Science in its pessimism.
Submission + - US nuclear security agency missing 20 PCs
An anonymous reader writes: From the article: " WASHINGTON — The office in charge of protecting American technical secrets about nuclear weapons from foreign spies is missing 20 desktop computers, at least 14 of which have been used for classified information, the Energy Department inspector general reported Friday."
http://www.mercurynews.com/politics/ci_5569889
http://www.mercurynews.com/politics/ci_5569889
Submission + - Windows Vista restricts GNU GCC apps to 32 MB
Dave Coffin writes: "In Windows Vista, applications that don't link the Win32 API cannot use more than 32 MB of RAM. This affects all executables generated by GNU compilers. No such limit exists in earlier versions of Windows, and no work-around has yet been found. See http://www.trnicely.net/misc/vista.html for details."
Submission + - The Supremes say CO2 can be regulated by EPA
wattsup writes: "While the Science is apparently still not settled, the Supreme Court has
ruled
in a split 5-4 decision, that the
Environmental Protection Agency can begin the process of creating
regulations for automobile emitted CO2.
The overall tone of the 5-4 decision, written by the liberal wing of the
court, showed concern for global warming and respect for the worries voiced by
Massachusetts and other states about diminished coast line and other atmospheric
problems associated with warmer temperatures.
Greenhouse gases are air pollutants under the landmark environmental law,
Justice John Paul Stevens said in his majority opinion. I wonder what's next.
CO2 taxes on soda pop?"
Submission + - Judges get crash course in science
linuxwrangler writes: A ship driven aground in a storm is leaking toxic chemicals. Just as cleanup crews are preparing to release genetically engineered bacteria to digest the chemical, environmental groups sue to stop the release claiming the DNA could transfer to natural bacteria and harm the environment. You are the judge and as the spill spreads, you need answers. Fast. That's just one of the scenarios tackled by judges participating in a crash course in science at Lawerence Berkeley Laboratory. The program is run by the Advanced Science and Technology Adjudication Resource Center. Participating judges were enthusiastic about the program. Rufus King, chief judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, commented, "Judges are empowered to do better, understand the issues better and guide the process better...Judges need to be gatekeepers to keep junk science out of the courtroom."
Submission + - Key Cisco security technology hacked in Europe
talkinsecurity writes: "Cisco Systems and other vendors have been pushing Network Admission Control as the solution to securing mobile laptops, PCs and other end points in the network. NAC is supposed to be a comprehensive way to prevent users with non-secure devices from logging onto a network. But some European researchers have developed a relatively simple tool that would let a user (or hacker) fool a Cisco server into thinking that any client (even a malicious one) is a safely-configured device. This hack has the potential to make a lot of companies — large and small — rethink the way they implement NAC.
http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=120 852&WT.svl=news1_2"
Submission + - Hurricane Forecasts Were Dust-Busted
SeaDour writes: "A NASA study is claiming that one of the major reasons last year's hurricane season was so tame compared to the initial forecasts may have been due to increased dust storm activity in Africa's Sahara Desert. The dust particles drifted over the Atlantic, blocking sunlight to the water below which allowed it to cool significantly. "Dust concentrations may play as big a role as other atmospheric conditions, like El Nino, and offer some predictive value, so they should be closely monitored to improve hurricane forecasts," said lead author William Lau."
Submission + - iTunes to Offer EMI Tracks Without DRM
Y-Crate writes: Apple and EMI have apparently inked a deal to offer "significant amounts" of EMI's catalog on iTunes without any copy protection whatsoever — a first for iTunes and something Steve Jobs claimed he would do if a label allowed him to. EMI is also considering making their content available to other online retailers under similar terms.
Submission + - Technique to turn all blood into type 0
davidwr writes: Is this the end of type-O blood shortages? In an article published in the journal Nature Biotechnology, researchers figured out how to make bacterial enzymes turn type-A, -B, and -AB blood into type O blood, or "universal red blood cells." From the abstract:
The enzymatic conversion processes we describe hold promise for achieving the goal of producing universal RBCs, which would improve the blood supply while enhancing the safety of clinical transfusions.
Related story.
Submission + - Australia to ban P2P
Karl_R writes: The guys at whirlpool.net.au have posted a story about a U-tern by the Australian Federal government.
"The federal government has shocked industry by rushing a bill through parliament that will compel ISPs to block all P2P traffic. It is a back-flip on a promise made just weeks ago that the government would move ahead with its filtering plans using PC-based parental controls, which, at the time, it argued would provide flexibility for internet users. (source whirlpool.net.au)"
"The federal government has shocked industry by rushing a bill through parliament that will compel ISPs to block all P2P traffic. It is a back-flip on a promise made just weeks ago that the government would move ahead with its filtering plans using PC-based parental controls, which, at the time, it argued would provide flexibility for internet users. (source whirlpool.net.au)"
Submission + - US company, US user, in US = Foreign debit?
An anonymous reader writes: Here's an annoying new wrinkle in the global economy: I use a well-known Web service from my usual location in the USA, from a well-known, USA-based company (quite happy with it BTW). However, starting a few weeks ago, my bank decided that the service's monthly charge to my card shall accrue a "Foreign Transaction" fee — foreign as in 'outside the US'. My bank rejected my dispute of the fee — the service uses a Netherlands firm to process their charges. However, this was clearly a US transaction with a US customer and a US vendor.
Yes, I could switch banks, but I would rather hear whether and how Slashdotters successfully fought back with the vendor of your plastic.
Yes, I could switch banks, but I would rather hear whether and how Slashdotters successfully fought back with the vendor of your plastic.
Journal Journal: Hillary 1984: Web generation's "Daisy ad"?
A new ad on Youtube attacking Sen. Hillary Clinton is leading some to speculate on major shifts in how presidential campaigns are run, according to this San Francisco Chronicle article. Though the ad presents itself as an ad for BarackObama.com, the Obama campaign insists it had nothing to
Submission + - Student Builds Fusion Reactor from Spare Parts
acgrissom writes: "A high school student in Michigan has successfully built a fusion reactor in his garage. While the reactor consumes more energy than it produces, it is doubtful that anyone will fault him for that particular shortcoming.
http://discovermagazine.com/2007/mar/radioactive-b oy-scout"
http://discovermagazine.com/2007/mar/radioactive-
