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Microsoft

Windows 7 To Be Called ... Windows 7 772

Posted by timothy from the but-most-folks-call-me-jim dept.
An anonymous reader writes "Microsoft's Mike Nash came forward today in a blog post on the Windows Vista Blog and revealed the official name for Windows Code Name '7' as simply 'Windows 7.' The reasoning, by Mr. Nash, is that Windows 7 is 'the seventh release of Windows.' As much wonderful sense as this makes on first glance, it seems as if Microsoft's marketing teams pulled this number out of thin air: the Windows 7 kernel is version 6.1, and there's no way Windows 7 adds up as the seventh release of Windows anyway."
Space

The Quietest Sun 227

Posted by kdawson from the storms-a-comin' dept.
Orbity sends in a Boston Globe report on the unusual calm on the surface of the sun. The photos, many taken in more active solar times, are excellent — see the sequence from last year of a coronal mass ejection carrying away the tail of a comet. "The Sun is now in the quietest phase of its 11-year activity cycle, the solar minimum — in fact, it has been unusually quiet this year — with over 200 days so far with no observed sunspots. The solar wind has also dropped to its lowest levels in 50 years. Scientists are unsure of the significance of this unusual calm..." As if to be contrary, New Scientist mentions that the number of sunspots seem to be increasing.
Operating Systems

Submission + - Is Linux out of touch with the average user?

Submitted by MrSmith
MrSmith writes: Is Linux's less than impressive market share an indication that the movement is out of touch with the average computer user? ZDNet examines five reasons that could explain why people are still winning to pay (or pirate) an operating system when free alternatives exist. One of the reasons seems to be that despite what many Linux advocates claim, Windows users aren't on the whole dissatisfied with their OS:
'Despite what you read on websites and blogs, newspapers and magazines, people on the whole aren't all that dissatisfied with Windows. There are millions of users out there who just get on and use their PCs without any real difficulty.'
Spam

Submission + - FTC sells national do not call list to spammers?

Submitted by
Anonymous Coward
Anonymous Coward writes: "About three years ago I signed up for the national do not call list at https://www.donotcall.gov/ using a sneakemail.com address that was unique for that site and never given to any other site. (Note how the link on the registration page which states "Learn why your email address is required" is a broken link, yes, very nice.) But they have a privacy statement at http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/privacy.htm which specifically states "We will not share your email address with telemarketers". However this morning I just got an e-mail from matchmaker.com that came in through that address. Does this not seem like the exact opposite of the purpose of a do not call list?"
Bug

Journal Journal: OpenBSD's second remote hole in the default installation

Journal by Alioth

The OpenBSD project has just issued an advisory (and updated its website to reflect the change) that it now has its second remote root vulnerability in more than ten years. The exploit itself is performed with a specially crafted IPv6 ICMP packet, and is caused by a bug in the mbuf chains in the operating system kernel. The OpenBSD team have released a patch. The bug affects all versions of OpenBSD. Since
It's funny. Laugh.

Submission + - Happy Pi Day

Submitted by yummy
yummy writes: Today's date, March 14, or 3/14 in standard U.S. notation, corresponds with the first three digits of pi, 3.14. The number represents the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. Today also happens to be the birthday of the physicist Albert Einstein 128 years ago. Celebrants will gather at the Exploratorium science museum in San Francisco to eat pie, recite pi, sing songs about pi, write ``pi-ku'' (haiku poetry about pi) and celebrate Einstein's birthday, said Ron Hipschman, a physicist at the museum.
Google

Submission + - ViaCom Sues Google for US$1Billion

Submitted by dieth
dieth writes: Media conglomerate Viacom Inc. sued Google Inc. and its internet video-sharing site YouTube for more than US$1 billion today in the biggest challenge yet to the Web search leader's strategy to dominate the online video market.
Microsoft

Submission + - More woes for M$ - NIST don't want Vista either

Submitted by RockDoctor
RockDoctor writes: Dark Reading is reporting that technical managers at the American National Institute of Standards and Technology (whose title is unusually descriptive for a quango) are going to hold a meeting in mid-April where "According to the formal agenda for the meeting, NIST technology workers will attend a session entitled "Windows Vista Security" to discuss "the current ban of this operating system on NIST networks."
That's right folks — the "standard" operating system for computers these days (if you believe what the adverts say) is already banned by the people who set the standards.

You've almost got to feel sorry for them. Almost.
Power

New Hydrogen Storage Technique 255

Posted by ScuttleMonkey from the jiggle-handle-below dept.
pwp writes to mention that researchers at the University of New Brunswick are reporting they have found a new method of storing hydrogen gas. The new method is able to condense hydrogen gas into a usable solid under mild conditions. "Hydrogen gas is typically stored under pressure in large metal cylinders, approximately four feet high. These cylinders are heavy and expensive to transport. Since they are under pressure, they also pose a safety hazard. 'We've reached a milestone with our ability to condense hydrogen into a usable solid,' said Dr. McGrady. 'The next step is to produce a safe, compact storage system for the compound that is both lightweight and affordable.' The research is expected to produce reversible hydrogen storage materials that can be processed into a powder for use in limitless commercial applications."
Portables

Submission + - Using a laptop under bright sunlight

Submitted by
Phyllis Johnston
Phyllis Johnston writes: "Are you an outdoors geek? Well, I am. My new job allows me to spend my days away hacking in a comfortable outdoors space. Winter is gone and we are in the South, so the sunlight will get pretty intense soon enough. I have a problem, though: how can one use a laptop for extended periods of time under strong sunlight without killing one's eyes? I have tried a bunch of old antiglare filters, yet they do not work well with sunlight. I also found references online to hacks such as this one, but I don't think I would be able to focus in a public space while using such a cover. Have you found a way to be productive doing computer work outdoors in bright days? How did you do it?"
Hardware Hacking

Submission + - Researchers building computers that run on light

Submitted by
Anonymous Coward
Anonymous Coward writes: "Researchers in England are attempting to build a desktop computer that runs on light rather than electronics. A $1.6 million research project starting in June at the University of Bath is focused on developing attosecond technology, which refers to continuously emitting light pulses that last just a billion-billionth of a second. http://www.networkworld.com/community/?q=node/1245 1"
Security

Submission + - User-Privilege Flaw Hits Vista

Submitted by
IT071872
IT071872 writes: "According to PC world, A security firm has discovered one of the first security flaws to directly affect Windows Vista, a bug that it claims allows local users to escalate their privileges.

The flaw involves Windows' system for managing user security levels, User Account Control (UAC), which was introduced with Vista. UAC is designed to limit the damage that can be caused by mass attacks such as worms by giving standard users limited privileges, a practice common with other operating systems."
PC Games (Games)

Submission + - State of the 2006 Cosmos at Cosmic Encounter

Submitted by
Peter Olotka
Peter Olotka writes: "State of the Cosmos Cosmic Encounter Online Annual State of the 2006 Cosmos at Cosmic Encounter Online

The aliens report.

Mind knowingly reveals the number of 2006 Cosmic Encounter Online games at 121,527.
Calculator corrects that 58,189 games of Cosmic Encounter Online were completed.
Loser is upset that games 63,338 were not completed.
Sapient wisely contributes that 25,736 players came in to play.
Parasite notes over 1,000 links to Cosmic Encounter Online on the web.
Philanthropist offers that over 60 prizes were given to monthly and league winners.
Filch steals the floor to remind us that 4 Members Leagues were held in its room.
Will sails in announcing that it was added as alien 33.
Ghost howls, that it arrived as well, bringing the alien total to 34.
Tripler figures that unique alien combos have tripled twice to reach 46,376.
Virus lauds the new Room Alien feature allowing players to select it into their game.
Brat throws a fit because players use the new Pick Your Combo feature to avoid it.
Void likes the new Room Graphics where it anchors the lobby at Room 36, Voids Hole.
Anti Matter congratulates Knightshadow for winning 2006 as...Anti Matter.
Pacifist peacefully reminds us that it was top alien as played by players.
Empath harmoniously adds that it was the best Bot.
Sorcerer chants that TheDukester's Blogmic Encounter is pure magic.
Trader hypes the hundreds of good merchandisedeals at the Cosmic Store .
Martian declares all the other aliens are phonies. However...
Oracle foresees a great 2007."
Microsoft

Microsoft Threatened With Fines By EU Again 184

Posted by Zonk from the always-in-the-doghouse dept.
ukhackster writes "The EC is threatening Microsoft with yet more fines. This time, it's over the interoperability protocols that Microsoft has been ordered to open up to its rivals. The EC has examined 1,500 pages of information about the protocols, and concluded that they 'lack significant innovation'. This is pretty damning for both Microsoft and the patent system, as it has been awarded 36 patents covering this technology and has another 37 pending. Could this encourage someone like the EFF to start pushing to get these patents overturned? The EU has a FAQ about this issue, containing additional details on the subject.

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