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Iphone

Submission + - Apple to crush carriers, become direct service provider (bgr.com)

Submitted by zacharye
zacharye writes: Apple’s next huge move isn’t into the television or banking industries according to one expert. Instead, Apple will take on carriers like AT&T and Verizon Wireless by becoming a direct mobile service provider. Veteran wireless industry strategist Whitey Bluestein, who has managed strategic deals for the likes of AT&T, Intel, T-Mobile, Verizon, Microsoft, Nokia and Best Buy, says Apple will soon begin to offer wireless service directly to iPhone and iPad users. Apple has the distribution channels, digital content portfolio and customer base to make the move, Bluestein says, and it also has more than 250 million credit cards on file for iTunes users who could be billed directly for wireless service...
The Military

Submission + - Congress Wants Broken Laser to Zap North Korea's Broken Missiles (wired.com)

Submitted by __aaqpaq9254
__aaqpaq9254 writes: Noah Schactman has a great piece on the Airborne Laser, the ray gun-equipped 747 that became a symbol of wasteful Pentagon weaponeering. Despite sixteen years and billions of dollars in development, the jet could never reliably blast a missile in trials. Now the House Armed Services Committee’s Strategic Forces wants the Airborne Laser to be used to defend us against the threat of North Korea's failed missiles. Really good read.
Iphone

Submission + - BYOD policy bites vacationing CEO

Submitted by colinneagle
colinneagle writes: Mimecast CEO Peter Bauer recently found himself at the intersection of consumerization and IT management, falling victim to personal data loss as the result of the internal management policy he himself helped establish.

While on a family vacation in South Africa, Bauer's 5-year-old daughter tried to use his smartphone. After she entered the incorrect PIN code five times, the corporate-installed remote wipe capability kicked in and Bauer lost all of the photos he had taken through the first half of the trip.

The frustration among end users whose personal information can be lost at the hands of their employers' policy is one of the main challenges Bauer says Mimecast has seen as it continues to move forward with its young bring-your-own-device (BYOD) management policy. However, that frustration is both natural and necessary if IT is going to strike a compromise with employees, Bauer says.

"Some pretty key corporate information moves from the secure inner sanctum of your building onto a BYOD device, and if you don't have a way of protecting that stuff, then you're kidding yourself about having information security in place," Bauer says.
Games

Submission + - Interview with Clive Crous from Linux Game Publishing

Submitted by donadony
donadony writes: Linux Game Publishing is a software company specialized in porting games to the Linux platform. Since 2001, LGP has accomplished many great things on a field that very few people had the guts to explore and invest in. On this interview, we talk with the new CEO of the company in an attempt to learn more about the difficulties of the past, as well as the plans for a brighter linux gaming future.
Network

Submission + - Ask Slashdot: Home IT Rack 1

Submitted by
jawtheshark
jawtheshark writes: "I'm building a house, and obviously I want a modest network built-in. Nothing fancy, two RJ-45 per room, four in the living room, and that's basically it. I already got myself a rack mountable Cisco Small Business switch and I have a self-built 4U server (low-power, won't make much heat) which can be rack mounted (505mm deep).

Now, the construction company suggests a wall mounted rack (6U: 340mm x 600mm x 480mm — 6U definitely won't be enough, but a 12U model exists). It's not expensive, but I have never worked on a rack where the backside is unreachable. (For work, I get to work in a data center with huge racks that are accessible from both sides). Now obviously, I don't need a data center-grade rack, but these wall-mounted racks scream "switch-only" racks to me. What are your experiences? Is it possible to put servers in racks like these, or should I find a "both-side-accessible" rack instead?"
Android

Submission + - Google says Galaxy Nexus source code is a "trade secret" (networkworld.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: In recently filed court documents as part of Apple's efforts to secure a preliminary injunction against the flagship Android 4.0 device — the Samsung Galaxy Nexus — Google argues that the version of Android used on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is a "trade secret". Consequently, Google isn't looking to hand over that source code to Apple without a court order.
Intel

Submission + - Watch out, Raspberry Pi: Intel unveils tiny Next Unit of Computing PC (extremetech.com)

Submitted by
MrSeb
MrSeb writes: "Details of a new, ultra-compact computer form factor from Intel, called the Next Unit of Computing (NUC) are starting to emerge. First demonstrated at PAX East at the beginning of April, and Intel’s Platinum Summit in London last week, NUC is a complete 10x10cm (4x4in) Sandy Bridge Core i3/i5 computer. On the back, there are Thunderbolt, HDMI, and USB 3.0 ports. On the motherboard itself, there are two SO-DIMM (laptop) memory slots and two mini PCIe headers. On the flip side of the motherboard, is a CPU socket that takes most mobile Core i3 and i5 processors, and a heatsink and fan assembly. Price-wise, it's unlikely that the NUC will approach the $25 Raspberry Pi, but an Intel employee has said that the price will "not be in the hundreds and thousands range." A price point around $100 would be reasonable, and would make the NUC an ideal HTPC or learning/educational PC. The NUC is scheduled to be released in the second half of 2012."
Bitcoin

Submission + - Bitcoin startup attracts $500,000 in Venture Capital

Submitted by Sabbetus
Sabbetus writes: Seattle based Bitcoin startup CoinLab secured a $500,000 investment from various investors such as Silicon Valley firm Draper Associates and angel investor Geoff Entress. CoinLab is an emerging umbrella group for cultivating and launching innovative bitcoin projects. CEO Vessenes said “if there is a currency that can trade around the world, it’s semi-anonymous, it’s instant, it’s not controlled by government or bank, what’s the total value of that currency? The answer to that is, if it works, it’s gotta be in the billions. It just has to be for all the reasons you might want to send money around the world.” This type of talk is common from Bitcoin enthusiasts but apparently seasoned investors are starting to agree. The Forbes article explains the details of their business plan but in short it has to do with tapping the GPU mining potential of gamers, more specifically gamers of free-to-play games. This would add a new revenue stream for online game companies that are trying to provide free games profitably.
Idle

Submission + - Microsoft's Hotmail challenge backfires (pcpro.co.uk)

Submitted by
Barence
Barence writes: "Microsoft challenged the editor of PC Pro to return to Hotmail after six years of using Gmail, to prove that its webmail service had vastly improved — but the challenge backfired when he had his Hotmail account hacked.

PC Pro's editor say he was quietly impressed with a number of new Hotmail features, including SkyDrive integration and mailbox clean-up features. He'd even imported his Gmail and contacts into Microsoft's service. But the two-week experiment came to an abrupt end when Hotmail sent a message containing a malicious link to all of his contacts.

"What’s even more worrying is that it’s not only my webmail that’s been compromised, but my Xbox login (which holds my credit card details) and now my PC login too. Because Windows 8 practically forces you to login with your Windows Live/Hotmail details to access features such as the Metro Store, synchronisation and SkyDrive," he writes."
Software

Submission + - Steam for Linux (and Gabe Newell dislikes Windows 8) (extremetech.com)

Submitted by
MrSeb
MrSeb writes: "Just a tidbit from the end of Phoronix's write-up on Steam/Source for Linux — Gabe apparently expressed "stunning negativity" for Windows 8. Is the timing of Steam/Source for Linux a little bit suspicious? Perhaps Valve is hedging its bets, in case the tablet-oriented Windows 8 causes desktop gamers to migrate en masse to Linux."
Data Storage

Submission + - Cow dung investigated by HP as data centre power source (computerworlduk.com)

Submitted by Qedward
Qedward writes: HP Labs has conducted research into how the methane captured from cow manure could be used to generate electricity and power data centres.

Bruno Zago, environmental manager for HP EMEA, released details of the report at a HP Sustainability conference in Milan this week.

"Cows produce about 20 tonnes of manure per annum, which produces a substantial amount of methane. This is a gas we can actually use to power a generator to make electricity," said Zago...
Math

Submission + - Picture-Hanging Puzzles - Next Cut The Rope? (i-programmer.info)

Submitted by mikejuk
mikejuk writes: Computer scientists, mathematicians and programmers often share a love of puzzles and delight in inventing new ones. A recent research paper by a bunch of well known people including Erik and Martin Demaine and Ronald Rivest explores the not so well known Picture-Hanging Puzzle and a few of its variants. Given the current interest in games such as Cut the Rope, this could be source of more than one new computer game.
The basic puzzle is easy to state — all you have to do is hang a picture using n nails and wrap the string round the nails so that the picture falls when any k nails are removed. Try it — for n=2 and k=1 — before you look at the solution.

Submission + - Ask Slashdot: Cultural Impacts of Room Temperature Superconductors? 1

Submitted by Bananatree3
Bananatree3 writes: While we have fanciful visions produced for us like in the movie Avatar, the question still remains: What are the most likely cultural, societal and political effects to stem from the introduction of room temperature superconductors? How would the global economy be impacted? How would the nature of warfare change? What are the cultural pros and cons of such a shift?

As with all paradigm shifts in technology, there is always a dramatic change in how human civilization functions when compared to prior generations. Room temperature superconductors would pave the way for a whole new level of technological innovation.

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