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Android

Submission + - The tiny console killers taking on the PS4 and Xbox 720 (redbull.co.uk)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: As the next generation of consoles looms, we've seen a growing trend towards low price, compact alternatives such as the Ouya and GameStick, many of which run on the Android mobile platform. But Red Bull UK's article on the trend raises a very good point: through the use of cloud computing and game streaming technology, it's entirely possible these machines will be able to keep pace with the powerhouse technology inside the Sony PS4 and Microsoft Xbox 720, and perhaps even overtake them. After all, if these little boxes can simply stream from powerful servers, how can the stalwarts of gaming keep up?
Open Source

Submission + - 5 Linux Distros You Should Watch Out For in 2013 (maketecheasier.com)

Submitted by
jrepin
jrepin writes: "As we welcome in a new year that many are saying will finally be “the year of the Linux desktop,” we want to take a look at some of the up-and-coming Linux distros for 2013. The mainstream tech media has already covered distro giants like Mint and Ubuntu in great depth and breadth, so we won’t reiterate what you’ve already heard a kazillion times. Read on to learn about some newer distros that we expect to continue rising in popularity, maybe even to the level of stardom, over the year."
Privacy

Submission + - Online Privacy Laws Pro-Prosecution Loophole (wired.com)

Submitted by Freddybear
Freddybear writes: An exception for "law enforcement" built into online privacy protection laws makes it easy for prosecutors to obtain potentially incriminating private information from social media sites like Facebook, while defense lawyers have a hard time getting access to information which can help the defense

This is highlighted in an ongoing Portland murder case. In that case, the defense attorney has evidence of a Facebook conversation in which a key witness reportedly tells a friend he was pressured by police into falsely incriminating the defendant.

Facebook rebuffed the defense attorney’s subpoena seeking access to the conversation, citing the federal Stored Communications Act, which protects the privacy of electronic communications like e-mail – but which carves out an exemption for law enforcement, thus assisting prosecutors. “It’s so one-sided they cooperate 110 percent anytime someone in the government asks for information,” one Oregon attorney told the Portland Oregonian, citing a separate case in which Facebook withheld conversations that could have disproved a rape charge, but turned over the same conversations when the prosecution demanded them.
Cellphones

Submission + - Hands on with Ubuntu For SmartPhones

Submitted by adeelarshad82
adeelarshad82 writes: Ubuntu for smartphones may be pretty late to the smartphone ecosystem, but as the hands-on video demonstrates, Canonical has been paying attention. The operating system is just called Ubuntu, allowing the company to complete their illusion that this operating system offers everything that desktop Ubuntu runs. If you’re a fan of the Unity UI you will find yourself right at home with this interface since every bit of Ubuntu has visual cues that come straight from Unity. As the video shows, the animations looked great, and the phone feels incredibly fast. The top bar of the OS has several icons across it, offering a quick glimpse into things like battery life, messages and others. Settings for every app are available by swiping up from the bottom of the screen, in a gesture that is quite similar to the one used in Windows 8 to access the menu. Given that it's early days for the OS, Ubuntu is far from perfect. For instance their welcome screen allows for way too many apps to be rapidly accessible without a pin lock of some kind.
Games

Submission + - Valve's SteamBox codenamed 'Piston', early specs detailed at CES (polygon.com)

Submitted by xynopsis
xynopsis writes: Looks like the final version of the Linux based Steam Gaming Console has been made public at CES. The result of combined efforts of small-form-factor maker Xi3 and Valve, the gaming box named 'Piston' is a potential game changer in transforming the Linux desktop and gaming market. The pretty device looks like a shrunk Tezro from Silicon Graphics when SGI used to be cool.
Government

Submission + - Congress, at Last Minute, Drops Requirement to Obtain Warrant to Monitor Email (allgov.com) 1

Submitted by davidwr
davidwr writes: Before passing the Video Privacy Protection Act Amendments Act, the Senate dropped an amendment which would require the feds to get warrants before looking at mail older than 6 months that is stored on a 3rd-party server.

This means the status quo, dating from the 1986 Electronic Communications Privacy Act, remains.

Submission + - Ask Slashdot: How to convince a bank to use FOSS in non-critical mission stuff?

Submitted by Uthark
Uthark writes: We are a small software company that develops applications for customer service. From our beginning we've always used free software to build our products, making sure to contribute with donations, translations (we are a Latin American company) and support contracts from projects that offer them.

We understand how reluctant some companies can be to use free software, so our approach has always been to offer trial periods before purchase. However, we found a bank (non-US) that, despite the trial periods, demands that we remove all free software and replace them with products from Microsoft and Oracle, arguing regulatory compliance.

We have other banks among our customers that never asked for that change, so we suspect it may be a whim or a deal under the table with these suppliers. Since this client can be a very good business opportunity for our company, how I should address the issue, while keeping our product as it is, since changing it to use Microsoft / Oracle products would be time consuming, very expensive, requires helpdesk training and does not add significant value to our products?.
Math

Submission + - New Structures Self-Assemble in Synchronized Dance (sciencedaily.com)

Submitted by patella.whack
patella.whack writes: Researchers from the University of Illinois and Northwestern University have demonstrated tiny spheres that synchronize their movements as they self-assemble into a spinning microtube. Such in-motion structures, a blending of mathematics and materials science, could open a new class of technologies with applications in medicine, chemistry and engineering. "It's spontaneous. We don't force it to form," ... "We saw that during the self-assembly process, the synchronization also happens. If you look at the spheres, every one is doing a different thing. Only when they come in close contact will they do something cooperatively." Very cool 2 min video here.
Politics

Submission + - U.N. Recognizes Palestine as "Non-Member Observer State" (bbc.co.uk)

Submitted by TechnoGeist
TechnoGeist writes: With a vote of 138 yeas, 9 nays and 41 abstentions, the United Nations General Assembly has approved Palestine as a "non-member observer state". The resolution occurs 65 years to date, after the partitioning of Palestine into two states. Palestine will now join the Holy See as one of only two members bearing similar status.

Opposition came most prominently from the United States and Israel, with Hillary Clinton referring to the resolution as "unfortunate and counter-productive", and the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu making the following comment: "By going to the UN, the Palestinians have violated the agreements with Israel and Israel will act accordingly,".
Lord of the Rings

Submission + - NY Daily News Breaks Review Silence with Hobit review. (nydailynews.com)

Submitted by
flogger
flogger writes: "The world Premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey has come and gone in Wellington, NZ. But because of a "Review Blackout," Stateside Tolkien fans are starving for first impressions of the film: Loyalty to the book, 48 Frames a second, 3d, etc. NY Daily has posted their review early. They love the visuals of the higher frame rate, they enjoy the light-hearted tone of the movie (similar to the source material), but the review warns of a Jar-Jar Binks like character."
Nintendo

Submission + - Hackers Discover Wii U's Processor Design and Clock Speed (hothardware.com)

Submitted by
MojoKid
MojoKid writes: "Early, off-the-record comments from game developers indicated that the Nintendo's Wii U console horsepower was on par with, or a bit behind the Xbox 360 and PS3, which raised questions about just how "next-generation" the Wii U would be. Now, Wii and PS3 hacker Hector Martin (aka Marcan) has answered some of these questions and raised a few others. According to his findings, the Wii U's CPU is a triple-core design clocked at 1.24GHz. Marcan identifies the base design as a PowerPC 750, which makes sense. Nintendo used PowerPC 750-derived processors in both the GameCube and the Wii. Retaining that architecture for the Wii U would simplify backwards compatibility and game development. Now factor in the GPU, which is reportedly clocked at 550MHz. Some have favored the Radeon HD 4000 series as a basis for the part; I still think a low-end Radeon 5000, like Redwood Pro, makes more sense. That GPU was built on 40nm, measured 104mm sq, clocked in at 649MHz, and had a 39W TDP. The die size discrepancy between the Wii U and Redwood Pro would account for the 32MB of EDRAM cache we know the Wii U offers. Nintendo may have propped up a relatively weak CPU with considerably more GPU horsepower."
Biotech

Submission + - Paralyzed Dogs Walk Again After Cell Transplant (singularityhub.com)

Submitted by
kkleiner
kkleiner writes: "British researchers successfully restored the ability to walk in paralyzed dogs. Special cells taken from the dogs’ noses and transplanted to injured areas caused regrowth of neurons. Within six months the dogs amazingly regained used of their hind legs and were able to use a treadmill, some without a harness. The researchers hope the procedure might one day lead to a cure for humans with spinal cord injury."
The Internet

Submission + - Does Even Amazing Partisan Tech Deserve Applause? 1

Submitted by theodp
theodp writes: The press has been filled with wide-eyed articles about how Obama’s tech team pulled out the stops in their race against the Republicans. But as exciting as some of the new techniques dreamed up may be, Tom Steinberg points out it's important to reflect on the difference between choosing to use tech skills to win a particular fight, versus trying to improve the workings of the democratic system, or helping people to self-organize and take some control of their own lives. 'I am still filled with an excitement about the prospects for non-partisan technologies that I can’t muster for even the coolest uses of randomized control trial-driven political messaging,' writes Steinberg. 'The reason why all comes down to the fact that major partisan digital campaigns change the world, but they don’t do it in the way that services like eBay, TripAdvisor and Match.com do. What all these sites have in common – helping people sell stuff they own, find a hotel, or a life partner – is that they represent a positive change in the lives of millions of people that is not directly opposed by a counter-shift.'
Games

Submission + - Gameplay: the Missing Ingredient In Games (techcrunch.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Game designer Tadhg Kelly has an article discussing where the games industry has gone over the past several years. Gaming has become more of a business, and in doing so, become more of a science as well. When maximizing revenue is a primary concern, development studios try to reduce successful game designs to individual elements, then simply seek to add those elements to whatever game they're working on, like throwing spices into a stew. Kelly points out that indie developers who are willing to experiment often succeed because they understand something more fundamental about games: fun. Quoting: 'The guy who invented Minecraft (Markus “Notch” Persson) didn’t just create a giant virtual world in which you could make stuff, he made it challenging. When Will Wright created the Sims, he didn’t just make a game about living in a virtual house. He made it difficult to live successfully. That’s why both of those franchises have sold millions of copies. The fun factor is about more than making a game is amusing or full of pretty rewards. If your game is a dynamic system to be mastered and won, then you can go nuts. If you can give the player real fun then you can afford to break some of those format rules, and that’s how you get to lead rather than follow the market. If not then be prepared to pay through the nose to acquire and retain players.'

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