35388683
submission
sticks_us writes:
In an effort to lure CentOS customers into their world, Oracle is offering a Switch your CentOS systems to Oracle Linux script that migrates their OS to Oracle Linux. When run, it ('centos2ol.sh') downloads Oracle's base packages, changes your default repositories, and wham--you're running Oracle Linux! To convince the reluctant, they offer "the exact same bits our paying enterprise customers are getting," dtrace, and ksplice.
In exchange, of course, you give up whatever freedom you had (now that you're running Oracle's proprietary, closed-source software), and you're now sliding into Oracle's hungry grasp a bit further. Slashdotters, what do you think? Is it worth it?
21399060
submission
sticks_us writes:
By pairing an infrared sensor with the camera already on board, portable devices could receive data from transmitters placed, well, wherever. Beyond simply blasting out text and opening links like a glorified QR code, transmitters could disable certain features, such as the camera, to prevent recording at movie theaters and music venues. If completely shutting off the cam seems a bit heavy-handed, watermarks can also be applied to photos identifying businesses or copyrighted content...
19547080
submission
sticks_us writes:
At a news conference following the unsuccessful attempt to place the Glory spacecraft in orbit, a team from NASA and Orbital Sciences Corporation, maker of the Taurus XL rocket, discussed the failure of the rocket's fairing to separate. The fairing, which covers and protects the spacecraft during launch and ascent, underwent a redesign of its separation system after a similar failure two years ago. The new system has been successfully used on another Orbital launch vehicle several times. NASA Launch Director Omar Baez said the countdown and launch went smoothly until the point at which they should have received data indicating that the fairing had separated from the vehicle.
18895316
submission
sticks_us writes:
Providing a model for responsible security practices (unlike a certain other recent example), this weekend SourceForge did the right thing. All registered users received this email early this morning:
We recently experienced a directed attack on SourceForge infrastructure (http://sourceforge.net/blog/sourceforge-net-attack/) and so we are resetting all passwords in the sf.net database — just in case.
Our investigation uncovered evidence of password sniffing attempts. We have no evidence to suggest that the sniffing attempt was completed successfully. But, what we definitely don’t want is to find out in 2 months that passwords were compromised and we didn’t take action.
So, we’ve invalidated all sourceforge.net account passwords, and to access the site again, everyone will need to go through the email recovery process and choose a shiny new password.
18457884
submission
sticks_us writes:
Evolutionary biology suggests that women, at least, are attracted to hunks – men who have the physical prowess to defend the family. Pushing bits around is hardly aerobic exercise so engineers tend to strike out in that department.
But being a good provider has traditionally been another plus in the mating game. In that respect engineers are the ideal catch! In the US the average engineer’s salary approaches six figures, an astonishing five times the poverty guideline for a family of four, and twice the US median family income.
Meet the sex star of the 2000s: The engineer!
18297444
submission
sticks_us writes:
It's difficult to sum up this movie. On one hand, we can say it's a solid action/scifi film. On the other, we can say it is an interesting mashup of cyber-zen, eastern philosophy and open source activism. They don't try to force the themes, but they are present and woven into the structure of the story. The main character, Sam Flynn, son of Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) is a rogue computer programmer. Having inherited his missing father's computer company, which is something like a cross between Microsoft and Apple, he prefers to live alone and play dangerously.
15880076
submission
sticks_us writes:
Samsung on Thursday unveiled a gadget at the IFA electronics trade fair in Berlin that it hopes will eventually rival Apple's highly successful iPad tablet PC.
The South Korean electronics giant's 'Galaxy Tab' has a seven-inch (17.8-centimetre) touchscreen, slightly smaller than the iPad's 9.7 inches, and uses Google's Android 2.2 operating system.
"Samsung recognizes the tremendous growth potential in this newly created market and we believe that the Samsung Galaxy Tab brings a unique and open proposition to market," said mobile communications unit head JK Shin.
580866
submission
sticks_us writes:
I came across this blog entry today , where the author is clearly unhappy with the language and restrictions used in a proprietary (non-free) piece of software (POS). I too, was surprised with the document's overall tone and the dismissive approach to the rights of the software user.
As someone who doesn't use non-free software, I'm not familiar with these kinds of EULAs, but I want to ask: is this pretty much par for the course? Are RIAA lawyers moonlighting?
508372
submission
sticks_us writes:
FTA: Torvalds was in Melbourne last week for the linux.conf.au conference and was invited to pass judgement on OS X versus Windows Vista in a wide-ranging interview.
"I don't think they're equally flawed — I think Leopard is a much better system," he said. "(But) OS X in some ways is actually worse than Windows to program for. Their file system is complete and utter crap, which is scary."
