Submission + - Google TV and AppleTV: how the living room was won (blogspot.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Will Google TV and AppleTV challenge the major networks? This article explores that question.
Submission + - WikiLeaks Julian Assange Fights Calls to Step Down (foxnews.com) 1
Velcroman1 writes: The embattled head of WikiLeaks says he won't be stepping down — not without a fight, anyway. And the very public infighting among the secretive site's administrators reveals just how passionate the issue is making people. Julian Assange, the subject of a rape investigation in Sweden, has come under attack in the last week both from a prominent WikiLeaks spokeswoman, who is a member of Iceland's parliament, and an anonymous but vocal group that calls themselves "the WikiLeaks Insiders." They argue that Assange's public persona overshadows the site's mission, and they suggest that he step down. Assange, in an exclusive interview with FoxNews.com, swung back at his critics on Wednesday and said he has no intention of resigning.
Submission + - Researchers Make Tractor Beams a Reality (gizmag.com)
fergus07 writes: In a move that is sure to warm the hearts of those in the upper echelon of the Galactic Empire, researchers have taken
tractor beams from the realm of science fiction to the realm of science fact. The researchers from the Australian National University (ANU) have developed a laser beam that can move very small particles up to distances of a meter and a half using only the power of light. Unfortunately this means it won’t be able to reel in anything the size of the Millennium Falcon, and the fact it won’t work in the vacuum of space probably won’t help matters either, but it’s a remarkable breakthrough nonetheless.
tractor beams from the realm of science fiction to the realm of science fact. The researchers from the Australian National University (ANU) have developed a laser beam that can move very small particles up to distances of a meter and a half using only the power of light. Unfortunately this means it won’t be able to reel in anything the size of the Millennium Falcon, and the fact it won’t work in the vacuum of space probably won’t help matters either, but it’s a remarkable breakthrough nonetheless.
Submission + - Oh it's on : Gamers vs. Game Companies (technologyreview.com)
Tootech writes: From the were not going to take it anymore Dept: Computer game companies use increasingly complicated software to protect against piracy. But these efforts can frustrate gamers, who protest that the protections restrict legitimate game play.
Last week, Ubisoft, a company accused of using a draconian and convoluted protection scheme, backed down by announcing that its new game RUSE would use a less restrictive scheme.
The change highlights the tension between gamers and game companies regarding copy protection schemes. And it shows how companies struggle to balance fears over copyright infringement and the demands of their customers.
Legitimate copies of games, like other pieces of software, usually come with a unique code that unlocks it. But game companies are concerned about rampant sharing of pirated games online and the speed with which hackers can break ordinary "digital rights management" (DRM) schemes.
Earlier this year, Ubisoft launched a game called Assassin's Creed 2 with a controversial new "always-on" DRM scheme. The game required a player to be online so that it could check in with the company's servers to verify that the gamer had a genuine copy. Some players grumbled about the scheme before it even launched, and worried that the game would be unplayable if the company's servers went down, or if players didn't have a network connection. There was more trouble once the game went live--Ubisoft's servers couldn't handle the load of players, which meant that many people who had bought the game couldn't play it.
Last week, Ubisoft, a company accused of using a draconian and convoluted protection scheme, backed down by announcing that its new game RUSE would use a less restrictive scheme.
The change highlights the tension between gamers and game companies regarding copy protection schemes. And it shows how companies struggle to balance fears over copyright infringement and the demands of their customers.
Legitimate copies of games, like other pieces of software, usually come with a unique code that unlocks it. But game companies are concerned about rampant sharing of pirated games online and the speed with which hackers can break ordinary "digital rights management" (DRM) schemes.
Earlier this year, Ubisoft launched a game called Assassin's Creed 2 with a controversial new "always-on" DRM scheme. The game required a player to be online so that it could check in with the company's servers to verify that the gamer had a genuine copy. Some players grumbled about the scheme before it even launched, and worried that the game would be unplayable if the company's servers went down, or if players didn't have a network connection. There was more trouble once the game went live--Ubisoft's servers couldn't handle the load of players, which meant that many people who had bought the game couldn't play it.
Submission + - Linux Distribution Popularity Trends Plotted (linuxtrends.com)
__aajbyc7391 writes: In order to get a sense of the popularity of various Linux distributions over the past several years, LinuxTrends entered their names into Google’s search insights tool and grabbed images of the resulting graphs. The graphs display some fascinating trends and bode well for the future of Linux, particularly its ability to adapt to changing requirements and opportunities. What’s especially noteworthy is that Android is the first Linux spin to take on a life of its own within consumer devices. It’s certainly not the first use of Linux as an OS for devices; what’s unique, however, is that it’s the first branded Linux-based OS to be widely marketed to consumers.
Comment Re:take my love..... (Score 1) 186
Guess this means he will own the sky in skynet as well, its not looking good, think about it people!
Submission + - Inside Southampton's new supercomputer (bbc.co.uk)
An anonymous reader writes: A new supercomputer is transforming the way research is conducted at the University of Southampton. Iridis 3's 8,000 processors are capable of performing 72 trillion calculations per second.
Submission + - Car-jacking at your fingertips!
An anonymous reader writes: Telematics systems in cars, such as the one used in the eCall emergency system, are becoming increasingly common and it is these networked systems that the researches claim make these cars most vulnerable.
Submission + - Oracle Sues Google (bbc.co.uk)
aardvark5 writes: Various news sources are reporting that Oracle is suing Google over the latter's use of Java in Android. The BBC report quotes Oracle as saying that Google "knowingly, directly and repeatedly infringed Oracle's Java-related intellectual property". Since the key point seems to be Google's alleged divergence from the official Java implementation standards, this looks a bit like a replay of the old Microsoft J++ embrace and extinguish attempt. But is it? Many geeks will have welcomed Android's use of Java and may well have some sympathy for Google. What do slashdotters reckon?
Submission + - GPL wins in court. (theregister.co.uk)
fishthegeek writes: The Software Freedom Conservancy has received a judgement against Westinghouse Digital Electronics for $90,000 in damages, $50,000 in costs plus a donation of all of the offending HDTV's that were using BusyBox in violation of the GPL. Given that WDE is nearly bankrupt it's likely that most if not all of the cash will disappear in a legal "poof", but it is a victory regardless.
Submission + - Artificial life forms evolve basic intelligence (newscientist.com)
Calopteryx writes: New Scientist has a story on how Avidians — digital organisms in a computer world called Avida — replicate, mutate and have evolved a rudimentary form of memory. They — or things like them — might eventually evolve to become artificially intelligent life forms.
Submission + - Research: Weird Works When It Comes to Passwords (threatpost.com)
Trailrunner7 writes: Researchers at Microsoft and Harvard University warn that popular passwords pose a bigger risk to online security than weak ones and suggest that many tools to enforce strong passwords actually steer users to choices that are easy to guess.
Forcing users to choose passwords that are rare and “unpopular,” rather than “strong," as it has traditionally been defined, provides a better defense against one type of attack, known as "statistical guessing," according to a paper by researchers Cormac Herley and Stuart Schechter of Microsoft Research and Michael Mitzenmacher, a professor of Computer Science at Harvard University. The researchers will present their paper, "Popularity is Everything: A new approach to protecting passwords from statistical-guessing attacks" at the USENIX HotSec '10 Workshop in Washington, D.C. on August 10.
Forcing users to choose passwords that are rare and “unpopular,” rather than “strong," as it has traditionally been defined, provides a better defense against one type of attack, known as "statistical guessing," according to a paper by researchers Cormac Herley and Stuart Schechter of Microsoft Research and Michael Mitzenmacher, a professor of Computer Science at Harvard University. The researchers will present their paper, "Popularity is Everything: A new approach to protecting passwords from statistical-guessing attacks" at the USENIX HotSec '10 Workshop in Washington, D.C. on August 10.
Submission + - Tech Specs Leaked For French Anti-Piracy Spying Ap (techdirt.com)
An anonymous reader writes: With the "three strikes" law now in effect in France, the organization tasked with implementing it, Hadopi, has been working on technology specs for making the process work — and those specs have now leaked. It appears to involve client-side monitoring and controlling software, that would try to watch what you were doing online, and even warn you before you used any P2P protocol (must make Skype phone calls fun). It's hard to believe people will accept this kind of thing being installed on their computers, so I can't wait to see how Hadopi moves forward with it. It also appears to violate EU rules on privacy.
Submission + - Fallout advert mocks Japanese RPGs (kotaku.com)
RogueyWon writes: Kotaku is reporting that Bethesda's Japanese marketing campaign for the upcoming Fallout: New Vegas is based around some pretty savage mockery of commonly perceived failings of Japanese role-playing games. While it's dubious whether this tactic will actually boost the game's sales in a notoriously hard market for Western developers to crack, many of the criticisms contained in the advert of Japan's domestic RPGs ring true. Is it time that Japanese RPG developers, increasingly focussed on underwhelming extended cinematic experiences and low-budget hand-held titles, took note of the lessons from Western developers such as Bioware and Bethesda?
Submission + - Bizarre materials can't be stretched thin (sciencemag.org) 1
sciencehabit writes: Science reports: Imagine a rubber band that grows fatter when stretched and thinner when released. Such materials, called auxetics, actually exist, but scientists haven't totally figured out how they work. A new mathematical model may help. Researchers say the model can accurately predict the properties of these materials, opening the way for a number of applications, including bandages that dispense medication when a wound swells and earthquake-resistant building structures.
