nursegirl - Slashdot User

Submission + - Watching Drug Resistance Develop in Real Time

Submitted by nursegirl on Friday May 25, 2007 @04:45PM

nursegirl writes: As the spread of multi-drug resistant bacteria like MRSA and the new XDR-TB (extremely drug resistant tuberculosis) becomes a growing concern throughout the world, a team of scientists has been able to learn how bacteria evolves in vivo as a response to vancomycin and other antibiotics.

The team isolated S. aureus bacteria intermittently through a patient's antibiotic therapy and sequenced the genome of the bacterium multiple times. The results demonstrated 35 mutations in 31 locations as the bacteria evolved from vancomycin-susceptible to vancomycin-resistant.

Submission + - Halo 2 For Vista Ships With "Partial Nudity

Submitted by Kozar_The_Malignant on Friday May 25, 2007 @04:35PM

Kozar_The_Malignant writes: The Vista version of Halo 2 has earned a "Partial Nudity" tag from the ESRB according to gamer site Kotaku. The partial nudity is not part of the game and consists of a photo of some engineer(?) mooning as part of a Vista Error Report. The ".ASS Error" caption is a nice touch. Maybe someone got tired of Vista crapping out on their code. Or is that you, Balmer?

Submission + - Watching Drug Resistance Develop in Vivo

Submitted by nursegirl on Friday May 25, 2007 @04:13PM

nursegirl writes: As the spread of multi-drug resistant bacteria like MRSA and the new XDR-TB (extremely drug resistant tuberculosis) becomes a growing concern throughout the world, a team of scientists has been able to learn how bacteria evolves in vivo as a response to vancomycin and other antibiotics.

The team isolated S. aureus bacteria intermittently through a patient's antibiotic therapy and sequenced the genome of the bacterium multiple times. The results demonstrated 35 mutations in 31 locations as the bacteria evolved from vancomycin-susceptible to vancomycin-resistant.

Submission + - Steve Gibson Discusses Software Patents

Submitted by MasterOfMagic on Friday May 25, 2007 @03:48PM

MasterOfMagic writes: On this week's episode of Security Now, Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte discuss software patents, how they are different from trademarks and copyrights, and why they think that they are bad. The actual discussion about software patents starts 15:50 into the podcast. They also discuss IBM's patent portfolio, the RIM patent matter, and the Novel-Microsoft pact. As a bonus, they discuss Apple's Airport responding to request to closed ports instead of ignoring requests to them, and a follow up to the allegation that The Geek Squad used SpinRite without permission. While I know that software patents is a quite divisive issue on Slashdot, the discussion is a good introduction and refresher for people that are 'new around here'. IANAL, nor is Steve Gibson or Leo Laporte, but their discussion is a good starting point.

Submission + - "Sex addict" sues IBM for firing him

Submitted by Red Samurai on Friday May 25, 2007 @03:42PM

Red Samurai writes: The BBC reports that 58 year-old James Pacenza is suing IBM for firing him after discovering that he used adult online chat rooms while at work. He issues the subpoena on the grounds that they were unsympathetic and offered no support towards his addiction, and he also uses his experiences in Vietnam to justify his actions. The BBC says this has "potential implications for employers across America and their attitude towards regulating how employees use workplace computers". So what does Slashdot make of this? I for one, welcome our new porn surfing IT worker overlords.

Submission + - Linux Volume Encryption: TrueCrypt vs DM_Crypt

Submitted by

michuk

on Friday May 25, 2007 @02:59PM

michuk writes: "Encrypting your data is the key to mobile security. PolishLinux.org has a couple of tutorials comparing DM_Crypt with TrueCrypt — two programs that can save your life when your computer gets lost or stolen. Find the differences between these two and encrypt your disk now! Tip: DM_Crypt better integrates with Linux kernel, but TrueCrypt works on Windows as well."

Submission + - Belgian post on strike due to a computer programme

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Friday May 25, 2007 @02:48PM

An anonymous reader writes: BRUSSELS — All employees of De Post have gone on strike today. The strike is in response to frustration with Georoute 2, the computer programme that draws up postal routes. Postal workers based in the centre of Ghent have been on strike for over a week now to protest problems with the computer programme. The Trade unions and management met yesterday and if they do not find an satisfactory solution the strike may continue and cause more problems especially with the Belgian elections fast approaching. Source: http://www.xpats.com/

Submission + - How "Hot" is Your Code?

Submitted by charpointer on Friday May 25, 2007 @02:25PM

charpointer writes: ""Computer Science researchers at Virginia Tech have set their sights on determining software "hotness". In 2006, Prof. Kirk W. Cameron, director of the SCAPE Laboratory and an Associate Professor at VT, began a project to determine just how much heat software produces. Prof. Cameron and student Hari K. Pyla designed a software tool called Tempest (for Temperature Estimator) that creates a thermal profile of an application and correlates temperatures obtained from thermal sensors in the system to source code." Tempest can be freely downloaded for non-commercial use at http://scape.cs.vt.edu/?q=node/7 or at http://sourceforge.net./ For more information read http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/1582393.html or http://www.cs.vt.edu/whatsnews/how_hot_is_your_cod e__2.html

Submission + - Plug-In Hybrid Cars to hit Toronto by 2008

Submitted by Adambomb on Friday May 25, 2007 @01:56PM

Adambomb writes: A recent story on CTV has brought to light a municipal partnership between the City of Toronto and Hymotion (an Ontario based company recently acquired by A123 Systems Inc. of Watertown, MA) to help ease fuel usage in the metropolis. The pilot project is expected to hit the roads with as many as 200 vehicles with a new Plug-In conversion to allow hybrid cars to be charged directly instead of relying primarily on engine power. CTV quotes Hymotion President Ricardo Bazzarella stating that the cars will be able to travel 100km of city driving with just 2.4 litres of gasoline (about 2/3rds of a gallon).

Submission + - New Release of Nero Software for Linux Users

Submitted by

NeroPhyte

on Friday May 25, 2007 @01:37PM

NeroPhyte writes: "'The launch of Nero Linux 3 signifies our ongoing commitment to the passionate and devoted community of Linux users,' said Udo Eberlein, Chief Operating Officer, Nero AG. 'By combining innovative Blu-ray Disc and HD DVD data burning support with an ultra-intuitive user interface and a host of other advanced features, Nero Linux 3 is establishing a new dimension in burning technology for the Linux platform.'

Check out the rest of the official press release here"

Submission + - The Linux Foundation Speaks

Submitted by

Andy Updegrove

on Friday May 25, 2007 @12:39PM

Andy Updegrove writes: "Last week you may have read a number of articles quoting Jim Zemlin, the Executive Director of the Linux Foundation, responding to a Fortune article appropriately titled Microsoft Takes on the Free World. The big news in that article was to be found in the gnomic statements by Microsoft's General Counsel, Brad Smith, in which he articulated (after a fashion) its current patent intentions in relation to Linux and other important open source software. You can read the Foundation's formal response now in a Viewpoint piece written by Jim and just posted at the Business Week site. Why care about what the Linux Foundation has to say? Because it was formed to perform a number of roles: one is to speak out on issues of concern to the Linux ecosystem in particular, and open source in general. Another is what we refer to internally by the shorthand handle as "the Legal Protect" function. That means that we launch internally as well support externally a variety of initiatives that legally strengthen the Linux ecosystem. We also try to coordinate, articulate and educate, in order to make sure that the straight story reaches the marketplace. Needless to say, you'll be hearing more from the Foundation on this and related topics in the future. http://www.consortiuminfo.org/standardsblog/admin/ story.php?msg=9"

Submission + - Microsoft, open source and patents

Submitted by Mark Raker on Friday May 25, 2007 @12:37PM

Mark Raker writes: In a ZDNet UK interview, Microsoft's Jerry Fishenden makes the unusual move of saying Microsoft should specify which of its patents are being 'infringed' by the open source community. From the interview: ZDNet: I think it's the way that Microsoft has stated that 235 patents have been broken, then refused to specify which patents have been broken, and then said that it isn't going to litigate for now. It's not simply a question of protecting intellectual property. Fishenden: Yes, well we need to be specific about intellectual property and where the [Linux] violations are, I guess. This goes against what Microsoft patents attorney Jim Markwith told OSBC when he said it would be "impossible" for Redmond's bureaucrats to respond to the volume of responses that would result from disclosure, as reported in The Register.

Submission + - Project estimation & planning: Art or Science?

Submitted by cyberianpan on Friday May 25, 2007 @12:23PM

cyberianpan writes: I've been working some time now in various roles on "IT projects". Some managers seem to buy into the idea that project plans are totally true & not in fact guestimate forecasts. Some developer team leads will handup their sizing estimations with a level of certainty attached as though they were science.

I notice that Google doesn't require detailed project plans, instead monitoring progress at short intervals. In the business world something between a waterfall (eg Prince) or Agile (eg DSDM) is used. However surveys indicate that more than 50% of all projects are considered failures.

Of course at least a clear high level scope can be agreed as concrete but beyond this I'm not sure what can be achieved. Obviously for cost & release schedule reasons some form of planning needs to be done but how real is it? Art or Science ? What's been your experience ?

Submission + - Peak Coal in 15 years?

Submitted by

mdsolar

on Friday May 25, 2007 @12:18PM

mdsolar writes: "Richard Heinberg has written an opinion at Energy Bulletin on two European studies which look at available data on proven coal reserves and consumption patterns which conclude the the 155 year figure for coal use is badly over estimated. Apparently, growth of coal use in China implies peak production there in 5 to 15 years while the US is already in decline in terms of energy extraction though not yet in terms of volume extraction owing to substitution of lower quality coal.

Heinberg discusses a number of implications including for climate change, suggesting that sequestration efforts may be seen as too expensive as coal prices begin to rise. Another idea is that

There is no "business-as-usual" option, even ignoring environmental impacts, given the resource constraints. Nations that are currently dependent on coal — China and the US especially — would be wise to begin reducing consumption now, not only in the interests of climate protection, but also to reduce societal vulnerability arising from dependence on a resource that will soon become more scarce and expensive.
Very few replacement technologies are scalable on this kind of time-scale: bio-fuels are already impacting food prices while the nuclear industry faces permiting, construction and training bottlenecks. Even solar faces a two year energy investment cost despite rapid monetary cost reductions, and , together with wind faces intermittancy issues. This news is unsettling and merits further consideration."

Submission + - Finnish court rules CSS protection "ineffecti

Submitted by TimoP on Friday May 25, 2007 @11:49AM

TimoP writes: http://www.turre.com/blog/?p=102 Finnish court rules CSS protection used in DVDs "ineffective"

In an unanimous decision released today, Helsinki District Court ruled that Content Scrambling System (CSS) used in DVD movies is "ineffective". The decision is the first in Europe to interpret new copyright law amendments that ban the circumvention of "effective technological measures". The legislation is based on EU Copyright Directive from 2001. According to both Finnish copyright law and the underlying directive, only such protection measure is effective, "which achieves the protection objective." ...

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