Comment No boom today. (Score 5, Funny) 877
Boom tomorrow. There's always a boom tomorrow.
Sending Secret Messages Via Google's SearchWiki 160
We discussed the advent of Google's SearchWiki when it was introduced a few days back. Now Lauren Weinstein offers a thought experiment in transmitting coded messages using SearchWiki, with a working example encoded into the results of this Google search.
Saving the Street Fighter Franchise 76
Gamasutra did an in-depth interview with Yoshi Ono, producer of Street Fighter IV, about trying to bring the series back to the quality and popularity of the '90s. Ono also talks about broadening the market to include casual players, who were slowly driven away from the game by the increased focus on competitive play. Quoting:
"If you think about chess for instance, a kid and a grandfather can play the same game, with the same ruleset, and understand what's going on. I think through our competitive spirit back then; we were always out to out-complicate each other, and make our systems deeper and deeper. It was ok then because there was a wide player base who understood how to play these games, but that's not true anymore. What we're trying to do with Street Fighter IV is bring them back in. There's not a whole lot of other fighting games out there to compare it to, but hopefully, if we play our cards right and get people back in to the genre, we can blossom the genre itself again and spread things out and get it back to the way it was."
Submission + - DoD sets venue, rules for wearable power contest (networkworld.com)
coondoggie writes: "The Department of Defense announced today the inaugural $1.75 million Wearable Power Prize competition will be held at the Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif., Sept.22 until Oct. 4, 2008. You may recall that the DoD announced the wearable power competition was first announced in July 2007. The DoD says typical soldier going out for a four-day mission carries as much as 40 pounds of batteries and rechargers in his pack and it wants to fix that. The goal of the "Power Wear Off" is to reduce the weight for the power system that drives radios, night-vision devices, global positioning systems and other combat gear, including a recharging system, to about 2 pounds per day. The new system should be able to operate for up to four days at a time.
http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/23454"
Submission + - OSS free, proprietary, now free again! (4front-tech.com)
lm317t writes: "Alsa is plagued with API problems (poorly documented) and lacks support for many drivers, and only works on Linux. Many suggest coding for jack instead, but by default few distros actually use it. Open Sound System. was/is so simple to code for and supports many other *nix OS's, and runs on nearly any card .
Now that the code is available under GPL, will we see OSS support added again or will it die with Alsa the benificiary?"
Submission + - Hackers post passwords for swedens biggest tabloid (flashback.info)
SH-101 writes: A group called Vuxna Förbannade Hackare (Grown up Pissed off Hackers) posted over 1000 usernames and passwords belonging to journalists and staff working for Swedens biggest tabloid newspaper. Most of the passwords works and users of the Flashback forum, where the passwords and the story was first posted, logged in and sent mail from various users, including the CEO of the Newspaper. The mail server was shut down a few hours later but Facebook pages and other social networks are still exploited using the information. The passwords are all amazingly weak, including the Security Officers (anakin).
(link in Swedish — sorry for that!)
Submission + - What the CIA really thinks of Internet Explorer 3
Mike writes: "Ever wonder what the CIA really thinks of Microsoft's Internet Explorer? How about just viewing the source of some of their javascript programs. When defining variables to define the browser the client uses, the CIA is very specific. Just look at the javascript source for the program found here: https://www.cia.gov/kids-page/games/break-the-code/code-1.html and you will see the CIA is telling the kiddies of the world that Microsoft's Internet Explorer is: bugRiddenCrashPronePieceOfJunk.
Here is the sample code:
var bugRiddenCrashPronePieceOfJunk=(navigator.userAgent.indexOf('MSIE 5')!=-1&&navigator.userAgent.indexOf('Mac')!=-1)
Nice. At the very least, you see how the CIA views the browser."
Here is the sample code:
var bugRiddenCrashPronePieceOfJunk=(navigator.userAgent.indexOf('MSIE 5')!=-1&&navigator.userAgent.indexOf('Mac')!=-1)
Nice. At the very least, you see how the CIA views the browser."
Submission + - Sears Web "Community" is a Spyware Install (ca.com)
Panaqqa writes: "After several weeks of security alerts from CA and denials by Sears, spyware security researcher Ben Edelman has joined the chorus accusing Sears of surreptitiously installing Comscore tracking software on the PCs of people who join the Sears "community". Kmart (owned by Sears) is apparently involved also. After installation, the software sends details of all online activities — including secure sites such as banking — directly to Comscore, despite the Sears website's assertion that it does not share collected data with anyone. Various technology blogs are likening this breach of online privacy to the recent Facebook Beacon fiasco."
Submission + - Free weight loss software?
An anonymous reader writes: Like many, I made a New Years resolution to lose weight, and I'm looking for software to help me through it. Any recommendations for free (as in beer, but preferably as in freedom) software to track my weight, calculate my BMI, track what I'm eating, and monitor my weight training?
Submission + - Microsoft Relaxes XP Activation Rules with SP3 4
PixieDust writes: Zdnet says Users who install Windows XP Service Pack 3 will not be required to enter Microsoft's product activation key before they use the operating system, according to a Microsoft white paper.
Submission + - Lifesaving hospital hygiene checklist banned (nytimes.com) 2
An anonymous reader writes: From the article:
Johns Hopkins University published a simple five-step checklist designed to prevent certain hospital infections. It reminds doctors to make sure, for example, that before putting large intravenous lines into patients, they actually wash their hands and don a sterile gown and gloves.
The results were stunning. Within three months, the rate of bloodstream infections from these I.V. lines fell by two-thirds. The average I.C.U. cut its infection rate from 4 percent to zero. Over 18 months, the program saved more than 1,500 lives and nearly $200 million.
Yet this past month, the Office for Human Research Protections shut the program down.
Johns Hopkins University published a simple five-step checklist designed to prevent certain hospital infections. It reminds doctors to make sure, for example, that before putting large intravenous lines into patients, they actually wash their hands and don a sterile gown and gloves.
The results were stunning. Within three months, the rate of bloodstream infections from these I.V. lines fell by two-thirds. The average I.C.U. cut its infection rate from 4 percent to zero. Over 18 months, the program saved more than 1,500 lives and nearly $200 million.
Yet this past month, the Office for Human Research Protections shut the program down.
Submission + - Australian Forum Lawsuit result (whirlpool.net.au)
Pugzly writes: As a follow up to the previously reported lawsuit of Whirlpool (popular Australian forum) founder Simon Wright by Accouting Software company 2clix. It appears that Whirlpool received a response from 2Clix solicitors Turnbull & Co, stating that it has received instructions to discontinue the case and that it will "attend to preparation of the Notice of Discontinuance".
In an article published in The Age, 2clix reportedly sent Whirlpool a letter stating (amongst other things) "Our intent was neither to damage Whirlpool or its freedom of speech, only to help our genuine clients and stop our competitors making untrue accusations,".
In an article published in The Age, 2clix reportedly sent Whirlpool a letter stating (amongst other things) "Our intent was neither to damage Whirlpool or its freedom of speech, only to help our genuine clients and stop our competitors making untrue accusations,".
Submission + - Microsoft loses EU appeal
rcasha2 writes: Microsoft has lost its appeal against the EU fine of almost 500m / $700m. Microsoft could still appeal again at the European Court of Justice. More important than the fine, however, is the confirmation of the ruling that Microsoft must share with competitors information needed for interoperability. This ruling could have an effect on such products as Samba, email clients etc.
Submission + - Forum sued over user comments.
Lockholster writes: "One of Australia's most popular forums, Whirlpool, is being sued by 2Clix Australia Pty. Ltd, after publishing allegedly "false and malicious" comments. 2clix, an accounting software producer, is seeking $125,000 in lost revenue, due to user comments, which allegedly led to a "severe downturn in sales". As Dave Clapperton of Electronic Frontiers Australia put it "It might mean the end of criticizing companies' products and services online". In response to the lawsuit, whirlpool users have flocked to the defense of the forums creator Simon Wright."
Submission + - Software company sues public forum for users post
Slacker01 writes: 2clix the Australian Accounting software company is suing Whirlpool for allegedly defamatory comment by users about there software claiming $150,000 a month for lost income cause by the users comments
www.whirlpool.net.au
www.2clix.com.au
Already has coverage outside of Australia on the UK's The Register.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/12/2clix_sues_site_over_critical_comments/
And by Australia's most respected newspaper the Sydney Morning Herald
http://www.smh.com.au/news/web/whirlpool-fury-at-legal-gag/2007/09/12/1189276778252.html
www.whirlpool.net.au
www.2clix.com.au
Already has coverage outside of Australia on the UK's The Register.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/12/2clix_sues_site_over_critical_comments/
And by Australia's most respected newspaper the Sydney Morning Herald
http://www.smh.com.au/news/web/whirlpool-fury-at-legal-gag/2007/09/12/1189276778252.html
