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Science

IQ 'a Myth,' Study Says 530

Posted by Soulskill from the guess-we-need-a-new-metric-for-feeling-superior-to-others dept.
An anonymous reader send this quote from The Star: "The idea that intelligence can be measured by a single number — your IQ — is wrong, according to a recent study led by researchers at the University of Western Ontario (abstract). The study, published in the journal Neuron on Wednesday, involved 100,000 participants around the world taking 12 cognitive tests, with a smaller sample of the group undergoing simultaneous brain-scan testing. 'When we looked at the data, the bottom line is the whole concept of IQ — or of you having a higher IQ than me — is a myth,' said Dr. Adrian Owen, the study’s senior investigator... 'There is no such thing as a single measure of IQ or a measure of general intelligence.'"
Security

The Rise of Feudal Computer Security 147

Posted by Soulskill from the fanboy-is-now-a-liegeman dept.
Hugh Pickens writes "In the old days, traditional computer security centered around users. However, Bruce Schneier writes that now some of us have pledged our allegiance to Google (using Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, and Android phones) while others have pledged allegiance to Apple (using Macintosh laptops, iPhones, iPads; and letting iCloud automatically synchronize and back up everything) while others of us let Microsoft do it all. 'These vendors are becoming our feudal lords, and we are becoming their vassals. We might refuse to pledge allegiance to all of them — or to a particular one we don't like. Or we can spread our allegiance around. But either way, it's becoming increasingly difficult to not pledge allegiance to at least one of them.' Classical medieval feudalism depended on overlapping, complex, hierarchical relationships. Today we users must trust the security of these hardware manufacturers, software vendors, and cloud providers and we choose to do it because of the convenience, redundancy, automation, and shareability. 'In this new world of computing, we give up a certain amount of control, and in exchange we trust that our lords will both treat us well and protect us from harm (PDF). Not only will our software be continually updated with the newest and coolest functionality, but we trust it will happen without our being overtaxed by fees and required upgrades.' In this system, we have no control over the security provided by our feudal lords. Like everything else in security, it's a trade-off. We need to balance that trade-off. 'In Europe, it was the rise of the centralized state and the rule of law that undermined the ad hoc feudal system; it provided more security and stability for both lords and vassals. But these days, government has largely abdicated its role in cyberspace, and the result is a return to the feudal relationships of yore,' concludes Schneier, adding that perhaps it's time for government to create the regulatory environments that protect us vassals. 'Otherwise, we really are just serfs.'"

Comment Re:Just greed. (Score 1) 768

by blane.bramble (#41805539) Attached to: Valve: Linux Better Than Windows 8 for Gaming
Maybe, but in Valve's case adding Linux gaming is about value-add. If I can buy a game on Steam that I can then run on my choice of OS (Windows, Linux, Mac) without having to commit to one of the other (maybe it's Windows at work, Linux at home, or vice versa), then this is a huge additional choice for a percentage of the market - one that Microsoft will not be able to match. If they can ensure that cross-platform multiplayer works as expected, then they have a serious winner on their hands - buy your game from Steam and be able to play against any of your mates, without having to worry what computer they have, or buy from another app store and, well, maybe it works.

Comment Re:Please explain (Score 1) 143

by blane.bramble (#41516727) Attached to: Linux 3.6 Released

You seem to be unaware how TCP/IP packets work, each packet has a limited size negotiated by the transport layer, it's quite possible for the first few packets to be sent and received, and subsequent packets to be
United Kingdom

Submission + - Pirate Party - Why Loz is standing in Manchester (guardian.co.uk)

Submitted by
Ajehals
Ajehals writes: "Loz Kaye of the Pirate Party appeals to voters to overcome understandable cynicism and go for the opportunities on their own doorsteps:

During this year’s local elections, there was one thing I heard time and again from people I spoke to, whether on the doorstep, in their flats or on the street:

I don’t vote, because it doesn’t change anything.

It’s this sense of powerlessness over the forces that shape our lives and the space around us that is so worrying in Manchester and the UK today."
Printer

Submission + - MIT students reveal PopFab, a 3D printer that fits inside a briefcase (gizmag.com) 1

Submitted by cylonlover
cylonlover writes: There are plenty of different 3D printers to choose from these days, from the popular Makerbot Thing-O-Matic to the budget-priced Solidoodle. These all have one drawback however in that they aren't exactly portable. Most need to be disassembled to be moved and even the fully-assembled Cubify printer isn't really built for travel. But now, two MIT students have developed the PopFab, a machine that does 3D printing and more, all while fitting inside a small suitcase. With different heads, the machine could also be used for milling, vinyl cutting, drawing, and much more, to create a wide variety of objects. The creators have also tested its portability by traveling with it as a carry-on suitcase to Saudi Arabia, Germany, and within the U.S.
Android

Submission + - Dead Trigger Goes free on iOS as well. What is to blame this time? (paritynews.com)

Submitted by hypnosec
hypnosec writes: Dead Trigger, first-person shooter game for mobiles developed by Madfinger Games, has gone free on iOS as well after it was made free on Android Play Store for reasons of rampant piracy on Android. Madfinger Games CEO Marek Rabas might not have the same reasons to blame when it comes to iDevices. iOS piracy rates are not high as compared to Android and when it comes to putting down piracy in numbers of iOS devices, it is just about 1 per cent of all iDevices out there. The CEO said, “the number of pirates on iOS is comparable with the amount of jailbroken devices." Rabas has spoken out through an article on GameZebo and points out to quite a few things about game developers, freemium models and piracy. Rabas says that in the past developers were more into developing games than being worried about piracy and how to defend against such a menace.

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