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Google

Outcry Over Google's Purchase of Doubleclick 242

Posted by ScuttleMonkey from the fear-of-change dept.
TheCybernator writes to mention that several activist groups have cried out in protest of the Google buyout of Doubleclick reported in recent news. "'Google's proposed acquisition of DoubleClick will give one company access to more information about the Internet activities of consumers than any other company in the world,' said the complaint lodged with the Federal Trade Commission. 'Moreover, Google will operate with virtually no legal obligation to ensure the privacy, security, and accuracy of the personal data that it collects.' The complaint was filed by the Electronic Privacy Information Center along with the Center for Digital Democracy and the US Public Interest Research Group, all of which are involved in online privacy issues."
PC Games (Games)

Hacked DX10 for Windows Appears 336

Posted by CmdrTaco from the well-maybe-it-did-anyway dept.
Oddscurity writes "According to The Inquirer someone managed to write a wrapper allowing DirectX 10 applications to run on platforms other than Vista. The Alky Project claims to have reverse-engineered Geometry Shader code, allowing Windows games to run on Windows XP, MacOSX and Linux. The Inquirer is understandably cautious about these claims, urging readers to investigate the releases themselves to ascertain whether or not it's a hoax."
Security

Submission + - Prison releases felon after getting phony fax

Submitted by twigles
twigles writes: "Officials released a prisoner from a state facility after receiving a phony fax that ordered the man be freed, and didn't catch the mistake for nearly two weeks." Apparently even the most rudimentary steps are overlooked when technology is in play.
Operating Systems

Submission + - Microsoft Admits Vista Failure

Submitted by
mnath77
mnath77 writes: ""With two overlapping events, Microsoft admitted what we have been saying all along, Vista, aka Windows MeII, is a joke that no one wants. It did two unprecedented things this week that frankly stunned us... "What happened is the OEMs revolted in the background and forced Microsoft's hand. This is a big neon sign above MeII saying 'FAILURE'. Blink blink blink. OK, MeII won't fail, they have OEMs whipped and threatened into a corner, it will sell, but you can almost hear the defectors marching toward Linux. This is a watershed..." http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=39 087"
Books

Submission + - Book as College Graduation Present?

Submitted by tigersha
tigersha writes: I am the boss of a young lad who worked for me for a few years as an intern. He is about to graduate with a degree in computer science and I would like to give him a book as present. Does not have to be CS. Any suggestions?
Hardware Hacking

Submission + - How to spy on monitors through walls

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Using radio to eavesdrop on CRTs has been around since the 80s, but Cambridge University researchers have shown laptops and flat-panel displays are vulnerable too. Using basic radio equipment and an FPGA board totalling less than $2,000 you it was possible to read text from a laptop three offices away. This is certainly cool, but is this a security issue we should worry about?
Biotech

Submission + - Create an Alien, Win a Prize!

Submitted by
destinyland
destinyland writes: "A professor of bio-materials believes we're so close to creating artificial life, he's offering a $26,000 prize for the first non-DNA-based lifeform to "break the carbon barrier." He argues researchers are close to do the day when they molecularly engineer a synthetic lifeform — either unknowingly, or covertly — so you can also win a prize by simply identifying a synthetic lifeform created by someone else. ("We're scanning outer space for signs of intelligent life, but who's scanning inner space?") His ultimate goal is promoting safe nanotechnology research, which will only happen with a greater public awareness. The first alien lifeforms won't come from outer space; they'll come from our labs."
Windows

Only 244 Genuine Windows Vista's Sold in China 457

Posted by CmdrTaco from the not-good-odds dept.
morpheus83 writes "Whilst Microsoft was bragging about the sales number of their latest OS Windows Vista, few would actually know that they have only managed to sell 244 copies in the whole of China in the first 2 weeks. You heard that right, and that's the number quoted from the headquarters of the Windows Vista chief (90% national volume) distributor in Beijing."
Role Playing (Games)

Submission + - WoW Addiction Results in Death of Toddler

Submitted by Henry V .009
Henry V .009 writes: The Albuquerque Journal reports that Federal authorities have just charged Rebecca Wulf for allowing her 3-year-old daughter to starve to death, surrounded by "cat feces, moldy food and unwashed dishes" while Rebecca played World of Warcraft. I thought Slashdoters might want an early heads up on what is likely to become a big news story. Having worked with abused children in the past, I can say that the stories I hear of WoW addiction cases are on the level of hard drug addiction stories — in my opinion at least, this can no longer be dismissed as a 'you can be addicted to anything' issue anymore.
The Almighty Buck

Submission + - Salary Survey

Submitted by Dadoo
Dadoo writes: I work in the IT department of a small company (~250 employees). We're trying to hire a programmer, but our management is telling us candidates are asking for too much money. According to a salary survey they have, we're paying more than other companies our area, and the candidates are asking for much more. Some are asking for twice as much as the highest-paid person in our department. Personally, I think these salary surveys are designed to put employees at a disadvantage, so I'd like to ask the taboo question: how much do you make? Answer anonymously, if you feel you need to, but include your location, your actual job description and/or title, your years of experience, and your salary.
Movies

DVD Security Group Says It Has Fixed AACS Flaws 388

Posted by Zonk from the harder-boiled-egg dept.
SkillZ wrote to mention an article at the IBT site discussing a fix to the security breech of the HD DVD and Blu-ray media formats. "Makers of software for playing the discs on computers will offer patches containing new keys and closing the hole that allowed observant hackers to discover ways to strip high-def DVDs of their protection. On Monday, the group that developed the Advanced Access Content System said it had worked with device makers to deactivate those keys and refresh them with a new set."

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