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Networking

Submission + - Home WiFi routers could operate as emergency network, say scientists (networkworld.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: German researchers have proposed using home Wi-Fi routers as a backup mesh network in the event that cell and phone systems in cities and towns are overwhelmed during emergencies. In a recently-published paper, researchers at the Technical University in Darmstadt in Germany describe how home routers could be linked to one another to form a huge informal backbone for use by fire, police and ambulance services. Most recent home routers can support such a system without modification as long as they allow for the creation of an open 'guest' network running in parallel to the user's secured Wi-Fi access, that is firewalled from it.

Submission + - This is why 100% anonymity claimed by VPN vendors is a lie!

Submitted by Kevin1Kanode
Kevin1Kanode writes: Sep 2001,FBI arrested Cody Kretsinger, a core member of LulzSec for hacking into the Sony Pictures website. London based VPN provider Hide My Ass (HMA) appears to have played a vital role in Kretsinger’s arrest. It doesn’t take too much imagination to see that VPNs can also be used for outright illegal activities, copyright violations and hacking for example. All VPN providers know this and, while their terms and conditions always state that their services are not to be used for illegal activities, they derive a portion of their revenue from users who signed up for just that purpose, something all VPN providers are aware of. If a provider does not log your IP address and does not log your activity while using their system, how would they be able to investigate anything?
Sony

Submission + - Sony closes ex-Psygnosis studio (bbc.co.uk)

Submitted by Retron
Retron writes: Sony is to close its LIverpool studio, formerly known as Psygnosis. The studio created games such as Lemmings, Shadow of the Beast and Wipeout.

A statement posted on Kotaku said "It has been decided that Liverpool Studio should be closed... by focusing our investment plans on other studios that are currently working on exciting new projects, we would be in a stronger position to offer the best possible content for our consumers."

Submission + - Blizzard Hacked (wiztechie.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Blizzard just recently got hacked and advised players to change their passwords. Blizzard did do apologize is truly sorry for the incident. Blizzard are currently working with the law enforcement and security experts to investigate what happened.

Submission + - First Independence Day Celebration Rare Pictures (smsread.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: August 15, 1947 was a day when India returned the long-awaited freedom, the British left India and the atmosphere is permeated with happiness all over...
Media

Submission + - Social Media Signals Death of the Postcard (ibtimes.co.uk)

Submitted by
DavidGilbert99
DavidGilbert99 writes: "According to a survey of 2,000 people, social media and smartphones have signed the death warrant of postcard.

According to the survey, one in ten didn't send postcards because they didn't want postmen snooping on what they were doing while 45 percent claimed they have never sent a postcard."
Cellphones

Submission + - Number of 'Distracted Walking' Injuries Quadruples

Submitted by
Hugh Pickens writes
Hugh Pickens writes writes: "The LA Times reports that the number of people who have landed in US emergency rooms thanks to injuries incurred while they were walking and texting, tweeting, playing video games, talking on the phone, or listening to music on headphones, has more than quadrupled in the past seven years with 1,152 people treated in 2011 for distracted walking, a number that is likely a gross underestimate since many doctors or nurses may not have asked whether the patient was using a mobile device at the time of the accident. "We are where we were with cellphone use in cars 10 years or so ago. We knew it was a problem, but we didn't have the data," says Jonathan Atkins, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association. Philadelphia officials are drafting a safety campaign that will be aimed in part at pedestrians who are looking at their devices instead of where they're going. "One of the messages will certainly be 'pick your head up' — I want to say 'nitwit,' but I probably shouldn't call them names," says Rina Cutler, deputy mayor for transportation and public utilities. Psychological studies that show most people can't focus on two things at once. Rather, their attention shifts rapidly back and forth between tasks, and performance suffers. But like a lot of drivers who use cellphones behind the wheel, pedestrians often think they're in control and that it's all the other fools on their phones who aren't watching what they're doing. "People really need to be aware that they are impacting their safety by texting or talking on the cellphone" while walking, says Eric Lamberg, author of a study of young people walking and using their cell phones. "I think the risk is there.""
Microsoft

Submission + - Microsoft Patenting Excel-Based Social Networking 1

Submitted by theodp
theodp writes: Q. What do you get when you cross Facebook and Microsoft Excel? A. Faceworkbook! Before Steve Ballmer declared it Yammertime, Microsoft explored a number of social networking options. GeekWire reports that Microsoft even entertained the idea of Excel-centric social networking, plans for which are laid out in a just-published patent application for the Representation of People in a Spreadsheet. 'For example,' Microsoft explains, 'social networking posts may be included within a spreadsheet, a user may post to a social network from the spreadsheet, and the like.'
Censorship

Submission + - Report Highlights 10 Sites Unfairly Blocked by UK Mobile Internet Censorship (ispreview.co.uk)

Submitted by
Mark.JUK
Mark.JUK writes: "The Open Rights Group (ORG), which works to raise awareness of digital rights and civil liberties issues, has published a new report that examines the impact of internet censorship on UK mobile networks and lists an example of 10 legitimate websites that often get unfairly blocked by adult content filters (over-blocking). The study is important because similar measures could soon be forced upon fixed line broadband ISP subscribers by the government. Some of the allegedly unfair blocks include censorship of the 'Tor' system, a privacy tool used by activists and campaigners across the globe, and the website of French ‘digital rights’ advocacy group 'La Quadrature du Net'."
Government

Submission + - It's Good To Have a King (wsj.com)

Submitted by
hessian
hessian writes: "Why did hereditary rulers independently arise in so many cultures? Perhaps because lineage is a sensible basis for selecting leaders."
IOS

Submission + - Apple's next iPhone to feature brand new design according to leak (bgr.com)

Submitted by redkemper
redkemper writes: After the flurry of rumors that swept blogs and the media ahead of Apple’s iPhone 4S unveiling last year, reports have slowed significantly as the world awaits Apple’s sixth-generation iPhone launch. The pace is likely to pick up as production nears, however, and a leaked part said to be destined for inclusion in Apple’s next-generation iPhone again points to a redesign..
Hardware

Submission + - Digital life after death: expensive & full of ads (geek.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: If you count yourself as a geek, then you’ve no doubt thought about technology progressing to the point where uploading your brain to a computer is possible. Tom Scott has taken that idea one stage further and produced a video called “Welcome to Life.” It shows one view of what a digital afterlife might be like, but more specifically, what that first after death interaction will consist of. And I have to admit it acts as a bit of a reality check.

Any life after death in digital form will inevitably cost money, and it will be up to the individual who died to have the money to fund that second life. And just like today where we select the online services we want to use, what level of service we want, and what content we are willing to pay for, Tom has tweaked that for actual life.

One day, we may all have the opportunity of life after death inside a computer, but then it may also be a life controlled by companies like Google and Facebook.
EU

Submission + - European commissioner calls for Open Web (lepoint.fr)

Submitted by Kupfernigk
Kupfernigk writes: Last Thursday at the WWW2012 conference in Lyon, Neelie Kroes called for an end to onerous DRM, which she described as "Digital handcuffs", displaying a pair of real handcuffs sent to her by Richard Stallman. She also called for the prevention of Internet blocking and said that regulations were being considered to prevent the export of Internet control tools to oppressive regimes.
Australia

Submission + - Australia's largest police force accused of widespread piracy (abc.net.au)

Submitted by beaverdownunder
beaverdownunder writes: UK software giant Micro Focus is demanding at least $10 million dollars in damages from the New South Wales police for widespread use of unlicensed copies of its ViewNow software it is alleged were used by members to access the COPS criminal intelligence database.

Although other government organisations also alleged to have mis-used the software have settled with Micro Focus, the NSW police refuse to do so, instead seeking to fight out a battle in Federal court.

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