no_pets - Slashdot User

Submission + - US Home Confinement Program is Windows Only (torrentfreak.com) 2

Submitted by

Ernesto

on Wednesday August 22, 2007 @02:09PM

Ernesto writes: "Sk0t, an ex-administrator of the EliteTorrents BitTorrent tracker is to have his internet connection forcibly monitored by the US Government. If that wasn't bad enough, the monitoring software is Windows based — which means he is being forced to ditch Linux — or face being barred from the internet."

Submission + - Do hackers prevent the release of source code? 3

Submitted by

HotdogsFolks

on Monday August 20, 2007 @05:12PM

HotdogsFolks writes: "I've been considering releasing the source code from one of my job websites under the GPL licence for quite some time now. It's a fully functioning, everything-you-could-possibly-want system, so I'm happy to give it away to save people from having to write a similar system from scratch.

The only thing holding me back is the cycle of security patches I'll no doubt find myself in once the bad guys start analysing my code.

I'm not a security expert — I code for fun — so I'm not totally confident I'd be able to spot security issues even if I analysed my code myself.

What would you do if you were in my shoes? How do I get my software out there in the least painful way possible?"

Submission + - Fungi Make Biodiesel at Room Temperature

Submitted by SoyChemist on Monday August 20, 2007 @02:28PM

SoyChemist writes: Researchers at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology have used pellets made from the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae to produce biodiesel at room temperature. Usually, biodiesel is made by brewing vegetable oil with methanol and lye at high temperatures. That wastes a lot of energy, and thus partially defeats the point of making an alternative fuel. The researchers in Hyderabad mixed sunflower oil with methanol and trickled it through a glass column filled with fungus pellets. A lipase enzyme in the fungus converted the brew into biodiesel with a yield as high as 85 percent. Considering that the U.S. Department of Energy and BP are have pumped tons of money into synthetic biology for making alternative fuels, it is amazing to see what an apparently underfunded lab can do with natural organisms.

Submission + - Identity/ID Theft Trojan on Monster.com (informationweek.com) 2

Submitted by

Ant

on Sunday August 19, 2007 @11:58PM

Ant writes: "Broadband Reports report an InformationWeek story on security researchers' finds that the popular Monster.com job site was being widely used for identity (ID) theft. Hackers are placing fake advertisements/ads, on the site, that infect computers running Windows. The Trojan takes information that job seekers place online which includes social security numbers. The scam is one of the biggest of its kind and could affect over 100,000 identities..."

Submission + - It's not cheating if it happens in Second Life. (wsj.com) 2

Submitted by

ElvaWSJ

on Friday August 10, 2007 @09:14AM

ElvaWSJ writes: "While his wife, Sue, watches television in the living room, Ric Hoogestraat chats online with what appears on the screen to be a tall, slim redhead. He's never met the woman outside of Second Life, but their relationship has taken on curiously real dimensions. They own two dogs, pay a mortgage together and spend hours shopping at the mall and taking long motorcycle rides. This May, when Mr. Hoogestraat, 53, needed real-life surgery, the redhead cheered him up with a private island that cost her $120,000 in the virtual world's currency, or about $480 in real-world dollars. Their bond is so strong that three months ago, Mr. Hoogestraat asked Janet Spielman, the 38-year-old Canadian woman who controls the redhead, to become his virtual wife."

Submission + - Futurama Movie Set for November 27th (tvsquad.com)

Submitted by

kevin_conaway

on Monday July 30, 2007 @11:18AM

kevin_conaway writes: "TV Squad informs us that the new Futurama movie will be available on November 27th. The show will return as a full-length high-def film sold on DVD. It will be followed by three additional films, and each film will be divided into four episodes each to be aired on Comedy Central. So, that's 4 DVD movies or 16 new episodes depending on how you look at it."

Submission + - Comcast Terms Change: You Lose Right to Sue (wtop.com)

Submitted by

dupeisdead

on Monday July 30, 2007 @02:50AM

dupeisdead writes: "Thankfully I don't even have the option to use Comcast where I live, but this is troubling. Almost all companies "reserve the right to change the contract" blah blah blah, but very few people actually read that. Comcast wishes to change existing contract with customers... Why would Comcast need to change this provision, and would this actually hold up if it came to it?"

Submission + - Fingerprints at School 2

Submitted by

Inda

on Wednesday July 18, 2007 @06:05AM

Inda writes: "My daughter, 7, is about to start at a new school that likes to think they excel in technology. They use an interesting system for checking out library books using a single thumb print. When I first heard this, alarm bells rang. The way I understand it, once a fingerprint is compromised, it is compromised forever.

I'm told the children enjoy using the fingerprint system and I would not want to single my daughter out as being different. The alternative to fingerprints are library cards, with barcodes, that are scanned manually.

I am not confident that the school's security is up to scratch. Their website is poorly written in FrontPage by the headmaster, all the staff use the Comic Sans MS font; I'm sure you get the picture. At the end of the day, they're teachers, not security experts. Security is not my field of expertise either.

Should I be concerned? Have I been reading Slashdot too long? Should I put the tinfoil hat down?"

Submission + - Is Google's Power a Myth?

Submitted by Henry V .009 on Saturday June 16, 2007 @04:10PM

Henry V .009 writes: The Times Online reports that Google's power is 'less than thought.' Google boosts of taking on Microsoft with its free web applications and comes second to none in customer loyalty. But is its vaunted online advertising presence a myth? According to the article, doubts are beginning to take hold as eBay begins its Google boycott: "Before I pulled the data, I was expecting a bigger drop given the drastic removal of sponsored listing ads by eBay," [Bill Tancer] said. He added that that the impact of eBay's advertising withdrawal was reduced by the fact that 25 per cent of users visiting the internet auctioneer from Google do so after searching for eBay, rather than by clicking on one of the "sponsored links" that appear next to other search results.

Submission + - The Man Behind the Google Doodle

Submitted by

theodp

on Sunday June 10, 2007 @08:26PM

theodp writes: "His drawings are viewed by nearly 180 million people a day. He's one of the most important graphic designers in the business world. And yet the mild-mannered 29-year-old keeps a low profile, devoting only a small fraction of his time to his art. Dennis Hwang is the Google doodler, the man whose hand-drawn alterations of the search engine's logo commemorate holidays, artists' birthdays, and other random events that the company deems important. His fans include James Watson, who asked for a signed print of the Google DNA logo."

Submission + - Congressman Orrin Hatch caught pirating software

Submitted by

Rocketship Underpant

on Thursday June 07, 2007 @04:35AM

Rocketship Underpant writes: "Orrin Hatch, the Congressman viewed by many as a shill for corporate copyright interests, recently stated that people who download copyrighted materials should have their computers destroyed as punishment. However, as Wired.com reports, Hatch's own website uses copyrighted software without permission — a Javascript menu system developed by a British company. Is Mr. Hatch accepting volunteers to go through his home and office destroying all his computers, or were his comments to Congress just a bunch of hypocritical hot air?"

Submission + - Reporter Arrested on Orders of Giuliani Press Sec. (jonesreport.com)

Submitted by on Wednesday June 06, 2007 @12:39PM

An anonymous reader writes: Freelance reporter Matt Lepacek, reporting for Infowars.com, was arrested for asking a question to one of Giuliani's staff members in a press conference. The press secretary identified the New York based reporter as having previously asked Giuliani about his prior knowledge of WTC building collapses and ordered his arrest on the grounds of criminal trespass, despite protest of CNN staff. He had a proper press pass.

Submission + - Windows Vista "Non" Downgrade Clause

Submitted by Pissed Off on Sunday May 13, 2007 @03:39PM

Pissed Off writes: Alright, so I bought a brand new DELL computer and opted for Windows Vista Ultimate. Figuring that Vista Business and Ultimate both come with downgrade rights I figure that I should not have a problem. None the less, the computer arrived and it got unpacked. So I started doing some tweaking and tuning and then timed the start up only to discover that my old computer running Windows XP blew my Windows Vista rig out of the water!

The old computer specs: Pentium M 1.4GHz / 60GB 7200RPM / 1GB RAM
The new computer specs: Core 2 Duo 2GHz / 100GB 7200RPM / 2GB RAM

So I did what any sane person would do and turfed Windows Vista and started installing Windows XP. In order to attain my downgrade rights I called Dell and asked them about this and they told me to call a 1-800 number or the Microsoft Volume Licensing department where they pretty much told me that since I have an OEM copy of Vista that my reseller (Dell) should assist me. Since then I have been back and forth with Dell and Microsoft and have not reached a solution.

After digging around I found a couple web sites describing the whole downgrade process. Some going as far as suggesting that I call and explain to the Windows Activation team my issue and that they should take care of it and activate my computer. So, I just got off the phone and sure enough they told me that the CD Key that i used (legitimate) has already been activated on another computer and that it is licensed for only one system.

This issue is still pending a resolution and neither Dell nor Microsoft seem to be much help! Has any one else out there gone through this with success or lack there of??? I have not yet tried to downgrade my Windows Vista Ultimate retail box... I wonder what Microsoft's excuse will be then >:|

My beef is that no where in the End User License Agreement does it say that I have to:

a) provide my own media (Volume License, Retail, OEM System Builder)
b) provide my own cd key (and not an OEM key)

Had I known that I would not have bothered with Vista and gotten my notebook with Windows XP right out of the gate.

Now I'm faced with the costs of returning my laptop at my cost and then having to wait another 2-3 weeks in order to get the replacement.

Submission + - Students liable for School Insecurity?

Submitted by

yamamushi

on Wednesday May 02, 2007 @01:01AM

yamamushi writes: "Within the past few weeks, students across Boerne ISD were being called into offices to discuss the use of proxies to circumvent the schools websense system. The problem is that some of these students are being punished so far as being suspended from school for up to (as far as anyone knows so far) 3 months at a time. Shouldn't the school district be liable for their own insecurity? Why are they punishing so many students for something that should be handled from the district's end? I know at the time I was going to school there, I was punished for using a linux livecd to login to their computers without using a password, even after I told the admins how to disable cdrom boots, they refused to update any of the computers and as such I was using the same tactic till the day I graduated."

Submission + - Hard drive snafu has NBA star suing, fuming

Submitted by

coondoggie

on Tuesday May 01, 2007 @05:55PM

coondoggie writes: "All basketball player Bruce Bowen wanted was his hard drive fixed. What he got apparently is an invasion of privacy and a big mess. The Smoking Gun Website says the San Antonio Spurs forward hired a Texas company to fix but instead the repair company removed the machine's hard drive and sold the item — which contained confidential personal and financial information — to another customer. Bowen is now seeking over $2 million in damages from Computer Nerdz, the San Antonio company used to repair his Gateway computer. http://www.networkworld.com/community3/?q=node/147 53"

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