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Submission + - New Windows XP Zero-Day Under Attack (securityweek.com) 1

Submitted by wiredmikey
wiredmikey writes: A new Windows kernel zero-day vulnerability is being exploited in targeted attacks against Windows XP users. Microsoft confirmed the issue and published a security advisory to acknowledge the flaw after anti-malware vendor FireEye warned that the Windows bug is being used in conjunction with an Adobe Reader exploit to infect Windows machines with malware.

Microsoft described the issue as an elevation of privilege vulnerability that allows an attacker to run arbitrary code in kernel mode. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full administrative rights.

Submission + - ScareMail Tries to Disrupt NSA Email Surveillance (hackaday.com)

Submitted by Okian Warrior
Okian Warrior writes: "Are you on the NSA’s email watchlist? Do you want to be? The ScareMail project is designed to mess with the NSA’s email surveillance programs.

Benjamin Grosser has written a plugin for many popular web browsers that uses an algorithm to generate a clever but ultimately useless narrative in the signature of your email using as many probable NSA search terms as possible. The idea behind this is if enough people use it, it will overload the NSA’s search results, ultimately making their email keyword tracking useless.

Ben has a video describing the project."

Submission + - Ask Slashdot: DIY Computational Neuroscience

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Over the last couple years, I have taught myself the basic concepts behind Computational Neuroscience, mainly from the book by Abbott and Dayan. I am not currently affiliated with any academic Neuroscience program. I would like to take a DIY approach and work on some real world problems of Computationa Neuroscience. My questions: (1) What are some interesting computational neuroscience simulation problems that an individual with a workstation class PC can work on? (2) Is it easy for a non-academic to get the required data? (3) I am familiar with (but not used extensively) simulators like Neuron, Genesis etc. Other than these and Matlab, what other software should I get? (4) Where online or offline, can I network with other DIY Computational Neuroscience enthusiasts ?

My own interest is in simulation of Epileptogenic neural networks, music cognition networks, and perhaps a bit more ambitiuously, to create a simulation on which the various Models of Consciousness can be comparatively tested.

Submission + - Google wants to write your social media responses for you (searchenginewatch.com)

Submitted by taikedz
taikedz writes: A new patent has been filed that tries to analyse your past communications to then construct responses to the overwhelming amount of posts you receive. From the article:

"Essentially, the program analyzes the messages a user makes through social networks, email, text messaging, microblogging, and other systems. Then, the program offers suggestions for responses, where the original messages are displayed, with information about others reactions to the same messages, and then the user can send the suggested messages in response to those users. The more the user utilizes the program and uses the responses, the more the bot can narrow down the types of responses you make."

Instead of DYAC we'll have a flood of DYAR for this auto-responder...

Submission + - Why CyanogenMod was Pulled from Google Play

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: The Next Web seems to have the answer: http://thenextweb.com/google/2013/11/27/google-forces-cyanogenmod-pull-one-click-installer-play-store-violation-developer-terms/

"We did some further digging, however, and sources told us the app was pulled over Google Play’s system interference clause, which notes that if an app makes changes with the user’s knowledge and consent, the user must be able to easily reverse the change either within the app or by uninstalling it altogether. CyanogenMod doesn’t offer either, and until it does, it’s staying outside of Google Play."

Submission + - Zuck, Gates-Backed Code.org Wants Kids' Student Data

Submitted by theodp
theodp writes: As part of its plan to improve computer science education in the U.S., the Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates-backed Code.org is asking school districts to sign a contract calling for Code.org to receive 'longitudinal student achievement data' for up to seven academic years in return for course materials, small teacher stipends, and general support. The Gates Foundation is already facing a backlash from the broader academic community over attempts to collect student data as part of its inBloom initiative. The Code.org contract also gives the organization veto power over the district teachers selected to participate in the Code.org program, who are required to commit to teaching in the program for a minimum of two school years.

Submission + - Norway's Army Battles Global Warming By Going Vegetarian - Vikings Appalled (dailycaller.com)

Submitted by cold fjord
cold fjord writes: It looks like no more spam, spam, spam for Norway's warriors... at least on Mondays. The Daily Caller reports, "Norway’s military is taking drastic steps to ramp up its war against global warming. The Scandinavian country announced its soldiers would be put on a vegetarian diet once a week to reduce the military’s carbon footprint. “Meatless Monday’s” has already been introduced at one of Norway’s main military bases and will soon be rolled out to others, including overseas bases. It is estimated that the new vegetarian diet will cut meat consumption by 150 tons per year. “It’s a step to protect our climate,” military spokesman Eystein Kvarving told AFP. “The idea is to serve food that’s respectful of the environment.” ... The United Nations says that livestock farming is responsible for 18 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Cutting meat consumption, environmentalists argue, would help stem global warming and improve the environment." — The Manchester Journal reports, "The meatless Monday campaign launched in 2003 as a global non-profit initiative in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University to promote personal and environmental health by reducing meat consumption. "

Submission + - Open-source advocates to government: Let us help you fix healthcare.gov (nbcnews.com) 1

Submitted by sunzoomspark
sunzoomspark writes: As computer experts hired by the U.S. government scramble to fix the much-maligned healthcare.gov website, a corps of independent kibitzers is chiming in from around the world, publicizing coding flaws that they’ve discovered and offering suggestions for fixing them.

Much of the constructive criticism is coming from members of the “open source” community, a passionate but loose-knit group that advocates openness and collaboration as a means of writing better computer software. Their desire to help solve the federal government’s website woes in part stems from an early decision by the Department of Health and Human Services to make the healthcare.gov code available for examination – a promise that was never fully fulfilled.

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