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Chrome

Submission + - Chrome 25 to Support Unprefixed Content Security Policy (threatpost.com)

Submitted by Trailrunner7
Trailrunner7 writes: Google is continuing to introduce new security technologies in its Chrome browser, and the latest addition on the horizon is support for unprefixed Content Security Policy, a behind-the-scenes improvement designed to prevent malicious script injections. The technology is included in the beta of Chrome 25, which was released earlier this week, and will soon find its way into the stable channel.

One of the many attack vectors that have made life easier for the bad guys in the last few years is cross-site scripting. This attack relies on specific vulnerabilities in Web applications that allow attackers to get their own malicious scripts onto a legitimate Web page. Browsers will then run those scripts as if they were part of the trusted Web page, enabling the attacker to plant malicious code on a victim's machine or steal sensitive data.

Content Security Policy is one mechanism for preventing these kinds of attacks by allowing users to define which content sources they trust. Chrome then will run scripts only from those trusted sources, creating a whitelist of known good content sources and ignoring content from all other sources.
Privacy

Submission + - The Privacy Illusion

Submitted by LoLobey
LoLobey writes: Scott Adams has an entertaining entry on his Dilbert Blog about perceptions of privacy-
“It has come to my attention that many of my readers in the United States believe they have the right to privacy because of something in the Constitution. That is an unsupportable view. A more accurate view is that the government divides the details of your life into two categories:
1. Stuff they don't care about.
2. Stuff they can find out if they have a reason.
”
Written in response to some reader comments on another entry about privacy guardians and how swell life would be if we voluntarily gave up certain personal info.
Do slashdotters need privacy given that they don’t have it now?
Science

Submission + - Why Insect Wings Don't Fracture (sciencemag.org)

Submitted by sciencehabit
sciencehabit writes: How can an insect's gossamer wings survive the stresses of flexing, twisting, bending, and flapping millions of times? Tests similar to those used to analyze aircraft parts reveal that the secret lies in the wings’ veins. Researchers mounted sections from the rear wings of lab-raised desert locusts into tiny frames and stretched the wings until they cracked. Unsurprisingly, the membrane between veins, which ranges from a mere 1.7 to 3.7 micrometers thick and is mainly composed of cross-linked proteins, had little resistance to the propagation of cracks. But when cracks reached a wing vein, their growth typically slowed or stopped. Overall, veins boosted a wing’s resistance to crack growth by about 50%. (Cool video demonstration)

Submission + - Harry Harrison, the Stainless Steel Rat: Sayonara (io9.com)

Submitted by Toad-san
Toad-san writes: "R.I.P. Harry Harrison, creator of the Stainless Steel Rat, Bill the Galactic Hero, and Soylent Green
Charlie Jane Anders

If Harry Harrison had only created "Slippery" Jim DiGriz, the roguish hero of the Stainless Steel Rat books, he would deserve a high place in science fiction history. But he also wrote dozens of other novels, including the hilarious Bill the Galactic Hero saga, the proto-Steampunk classic A Transatlantic Tunnel, Hurrah!, and the novel that became the movie Soylent Green, Make Room! Make Room!.

Amazingly, Harrison kept writing great novels, with the last Stainless Steel Rat book coming out just two years ago. He died today, aged 87, according to his official website. No details are yet known."

Comment This was a lot of fun (Score 1) 49

by LoLobey (#39770983) Attached to: Robots Go Wild at the USFIRST.org Robotics Competition (Video)

My son started high school this year and joined the robotics club and I became a half-assed mentor to the team. We've been to a couple of regionals now and they are a lot of fun. A surprisingly intense 3 days-

The first day you arrive, unpack the robot (after bag inspection- there's a strictly enforced 6 week build period at the conclusion of which you have to bag the robot and put a security tag on it, though you can keep up to 30 pounds separate to continue work on), setup your pit area in a 10' X 10' square (some teams have very elaborate pits), ready your robot for competition and pass final inspection (extensive- robot weight (minus battery) 120 lbs. or less, size constraints, bumper constraints, thorough electrical and hazard inspection) and do any practice rounds you can get in. All the while folks are coming by to see your robot and talk to you about it and we're scouting everyone else.

The next day and a half are qualification matches for the finals- you're randomly teamed with 2 other teams on either a red or blue alliance for each round and you have at it. About 10 rounds. In the qualification rounds you get 2 qualification points for being on the winning alliance plus there's 2 more qualification points available to both alliances if someone from your alliance and the opposing alliance manage to balance together on the "coopertition bridge". After the qualification matches the top seeded bots get to choose 2 other bots for their alliance to go through the playoffs with. 8 teams are formed and this is where the scouting comes into play, you want to pick team members that complement you bot.

The playoffs are best of 3 matches and are fast and intense- not much time for repairs in between matches. We made it to semi-finals in one regional, only the quarter finals in the other, very exciting. The winning alliance is crowned at the end, but that's not the top prize- top prize is the Chairman's award which involves your total involvement with FIRST and community outreach and involvement. Of course lots of other awards are given, various judging awards and what not, everyone has a blast. I'm looking forward to next year.

-Mentor Team 832 OSCAR

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