Comment My Shorter Review of the Book (Score 2) 44
A well written review from the poster. My shorter one: If you were to drop this book into a black hole, the information content of the universe would not change.
Submission + - Facebook Announces Two-Factor Authentication (net-security.org)
Orome1 writes: Facebook will be rolling out the two-factor authentication option which, once turned on, will ask users to insert a code when they try to log into the social network from a new device. The news was announced by Facebook's director of engineering Arturo Bejar, along with the change that will make Facebook automatically switch the user's session back to HTTPS after he or she is done using an application that doesn't support it.
Submission + - CIA declassifies pages from their cookbook (washingtonpost.com)
AngryNick writes: "The Washington Post reports today on the declassification of some of the CIA's oldest secrets:
So you want to open sealed envelopes without getting caught?
Here’s the secret, according to one of the six oldest classified documents in possession of the Central Intelligence Agency:
“Mix 5 drams copper acetol arsenate. 3 ounces acetone and add 1 pint amyl alcohol (fusil-oil). Heat in water bath — steam rising will dissolve the sealing material of its mucilage, wax or oil.”
But there’s a warning for the intrepid spy: “Do not inhale fumes.”
More recipes can be found on the CIA website."
So you want to open sealed envelopes without getting caught?
Here’s the secret, according to one of the six oldest classified documents in possession of the Central Intelligence Agency:
“Mix 5 drams copper acetol arsenate. 3 ounces acetone and add 1 pint amyl alcohol (fusil-oil). Heat in water bath — steam rising will dissolve the sealing material of its mucilage, wax or oil.”
But there’s a warning for the intrepid spy: “Do not inhale fumes.”
More recipes can be found on the CIA website."
Comment Re:I rather doubt (Score 1) 160
Parent true. Also, Enron was not a broker. Enron was a principal on transactions. Which Google will no doubt be.
Comment Re:Lesson learned (Score 2, Insightful) 109
Lesson learned: there is no market for proprietary CPUs on MPP supercomputers. It's gone. If Cray and SGI couldn't do it, how are a couple guys from DEC and Novell going to pull it off?
It's always sad when someone's dream fails, but come'on guys. You're pursuing a 15-years-ago market, just like DEC and Novell did when they died (okay, Novell exists, but it is irrelevant).
Supercomputers are commodity processors increasingly in commodity boxes running commodity open-source software. A supercomputer running slower processors is not going to cut it.
Comment Re:Significant advantages to students: (Score 1) 312
I like to mark important stuff with a highlighter, and stick Post-it bookmarks on important pages and sections. Does the Kindle support that?
Yes, it does. Not actual highlighting and notes, of course, but you can highlight and add notes using the keyboard. And unlike your Post-It's, they are saved permanently.
Comment Computer Science has always been cool (Score 2, Insightful) 328
and will always be. It is not, however, always popular. To the extent CS attracts people who are not interested in Computers, or Science, but only better employment prospects, that is a shame. Why can't they study MIS or art history or something?
Submission + - Dell to let users opt out of bloatware (computerworlduk.com)
jimbojw writes: "Computerworld UK is reporting that Dell now allows buyers to opt out of bloatware, stating "Dell has agreed to give buyers of certain PC models the option to avoid pre-installed software. Buyers of Dimension desktops, Inspiron notebooks and XPS PCs can now click a field in Dell's online order form that will block the installation of productivity software, ISP software, and photo and music software." For Windows users, this could represent a significant time-savings as now the infamous post-boot uninstall marathon may be obsolete. The effect this will have on trendy Mac commercials has yet to be seen."
Submission + - Fortran creator John Backus dies
klubar writes: "John Backus, whose development of the Fortran programming language in the 1950s changed how people interacted with computers and paved the way for modern software, has died. He was 82.
The development of fortran launched many a computer science career. Although it has been superceeded by more modern languages, Fortan is still dear to many older CS majors. There is probably a surprising amount of Fortan 4 code still kicking around.
See more"
The development of fortran launched many a computer science career. Although it has been superceeded by more modern languages, Fortan is still dear to many older CS majors. There is probably a surprising amount of Fortan 4 code still kicking around.
See more"
Submission + - Top ten Apple rumors of all time
sosumi writes: CNET have taken a look back at thirty years of Apple rumors. The top ten list includes the "Secret OSX Build" and the "Apple To Buy Nintendo" speculation.
The list seems to have it all. Other entries are the Apple iPhone ("just an elaborate hoax dreamed up by Steve Jobs to keep journalists busy") and Mac OS for IBM PCs ("so counter-productive and financially damaging for Apple that we doubt the company has ever seriously considered it"). From the article: "What do you get when you cross a notoriously tight-lipped computer company with rabidly fanatical users? A whole lot of gossip, speculation and hearsay, that's what. Thirty years of Apple Computer has seen the company rise, fall and rise again like a kind of technological Jesus Christ — there's been plenty to talk about."
