Submission Summary: 0 pending, 59 declined, 4 accepted (63 total, 6.35% accepted)
Submission + - white house- what technology should we work on? (whitehouse.gov)
way2trivial writes: Your Government needs you- they'd like to ask what technology they should be advancing.
"In February 2010, the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Economic Council released a "Request for Information" to collect input from the public regarding the grand challenges identified in the President's innovation strategy, other possible grand challenges, and the partners (e.g. companies, universities, non-profit organizations) that would need to collaboration to achieve these ambitious goals. The deadline for responses is Thursday, April 15th."
Give it to them boys!
"In February 2010, the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Economic Council released a "Request for Information" to collect input from the public regarding the grand challenges identified in the President's innovation strategy, other possible grand challenges, and the partners (e.g. companies, universities, non-profit organizations) that would need to collaboration to achieve these ambitious goals. The deadline for responses is Thursday, April 15th."
Give it to them boys!
Submission + - "Star wars" Mosquito solution, -- LASE THEM! (intellectualventureslab.com)
way2trivial writes: From the NY times http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/12/using-lasers-to-zap-mosquitoes/
seriously, "intellectual ventures" wants to build virtual laser fences to surround places like malaria ridden hospitals.
they can apparently identify mosquitos vs. other species (even by sex) rather well
as a hotelie, I find the fact that they kept there demonstration supply in the bathroom appalling
(housekeeping said they had WHAT in the tub?)
but there is a real nice slomo video (26 mb) of one getting sliced available here
http://intellectualventureslab.com/wp-content/videos/Mosquito_Shootdown_Sequence
(how long has it been since slashdot took down a video server anyway?)
bring on the overlord or shark jokes..
Submission + - 4chan blocked by verizonwireless? (readwriteweb.com)
way2trivial writes: According to 4chan's Twitter account and status update blog, they have been "explicitly blocked" by the Verizon wireless network.
someone with editing skills will have to make it slashdot ready, I lack the skills to do it in time.
someone with editing skills will have to make it slashdot ready, I lack the skills to do it in time.
Submission + - WI D.O.C. "Playing D&D = you are a gang membe (yahoo.com)
way2trivial writes: According to the Wisconsin department of corrections, D&D is not to be allowed within cells because it
"promotes fantasy role playing, competitive hostility, violence, addictive escape behaviors, and possible gambling,"
Yikes.. the policy has since been further expanded to block all fantasy games- I wonder if that includes fap races?
"promotes fantasy role playing, competitive hostility, violence, addictive escape behaviors, and possible gambling,"
Yikes.. the policy has since been further expanded to block all fantasy games- I wonder if that includes fap races?
Submission + - Can card transaction be individually protected? (consumerist.com)
way2trivial writes: Dear Ask Slashdot:
I'm reading an article at the consumerist http://consumerist.com/5260257/credit-card-processors-launch-a-new-strategy-to-defeat-theft that says credit card processors are trying to come up with ways to protect card data from theft- largely by securing it into smaller little chunks...
I am a credit card accepting merchant, and know from my interactions with credit card proccessor salesman and technical support that I have a better than average understanding of the means by which credit card transactions move around. After reading that piece I researched a little more more and verified what I thought I knew. For primers see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_card_numbers and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public-key_cryptography
The question I've been unable to answer for myself is- why not make every individual transaction a secure chunk?? Public key cryptography should enable the possibility of ALL the individual account data to be unreadable from the point of leaving my terminal until it hits the issuing bank. If my credit card terminal contained for each of the the six digit issuer identification numbers (IIN) a public key- why not wrap up the entire rest of the transaction in a public cypher-- send it to my processor- who sends that encrypted packet to the issuing bank, who decodes and sends back an approval with a re-encrypted proof of same... the only thing my processor needs to get paid and pay me is my merchant #, the 6 digit bank that I sent it to, and the dollar amount I ultimately expect to be paid on-- when the reply comes back- my processor knows if it was approved. Any individual interception en route or stored by individual merchants electronically is useless.
The only potential flaw I can think of on my own- is that perhaps as all the original clear messages are of fixed length and format- it may prove easier to decode than a usual message. I don't know enough about the depths of public key methods to know if that simplifies breaking the private keys- but even if so a very long key may solve that.
Can anyone shoot a well reasoned hole through my solution?
I'm reading an article at the consumerist http://consumerist.com/5260257/credit-card-processors-launch-a-new-strategy-to-defeat-theft that says credit card processors are trying to come up with ways to protect card data from theft- largely by securing it into smaller little chunks...
I am a credit card accepting merchant, and know from my interactions with credit card proccessor salesman and technical support that I have a better than average understanding of the means by which credit card transactions move around. After reading that piece I researched a little more more and verified what I thought I knew. For primers see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_card_numbers and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public-key_cryptography
The question I've been unable to answer for myself is- why not make every individual transaction a secure chunk?? Public key cryptography should enable the possibility of ALL the individual account data to be unreadable from the point of leaving my terminal until it hits the issuing bank. If my credit card terminal contained for each of the the six digit issuer identification numbers (IIN) a public key- why not wrap up the entire rest of the transaction in a public cypher-- send it to my processor- who sends that encrypted packet to the issuing bank, who decodes and sends back an approval with a re-encrypted proof of same... the only thing my processor needs to get paid and pay me is my merchant #, the 6 digit bank that I sent it to, and the dollar amount I ultimately expect to be paid on-- when the reply comes back- my processor knows if it was approved. Any individual interception en route or stored by individual merchants electronically is useless.
The only potential flaw I can think of on my own- is that perhaps as all the original clear messages are of fixed length and format- it may prove easier to decode than a usual message. I don't know enough about the depths of public key methods to know if that simplifies breaking the private keys- but even if so a very long key may solve that.
Can anyone shoot a well reasoned hole through my solution?
Submission + - Va. Court Strikes Antis-Spam law Jaynes 2b release (google.com)
way2trivial writes: unanimous opinion-- no dissents-- said the law was too broad and included 1st amendment & protected speech...
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=virginia+state+supreme+court
Submission + - I need math help==Halloween is coming (wikipedia.org)
way2trivial writes: I run a small 4 story business- I'm going to decorate the exterior of building for Halloween-- and I've decided on a spider them-- big inflatable spiders..
I'm going to use manilla rope for the spokes, and some not 'cheap' garland for the web around the spokes.. I've poked around, I'm looking for a formula to compute the length of a spiderweb
(a decreasing coil) Any math folks wanna give me a hand?
First and foremost- I'm looking for someone to give me some math I can use to compute the amount of 'festooning' I need for a web that will be roughly 300ft long, and 50 ft high...
Second, I'm asking if anyone has any experience building such a thing so very large-- the rope I'm using is plain manilla 3/8's, ther festooning I've found has an apparent width of about 4"- and I'm wanting people to see this thing from the street-- about 80-100 feet away.. I'm sticking 5 constantly inflating 8' spiders on it... I'm doing this early, so I can do it right..--- anyone have feedback? PS-- Tim Berners-Lee and Robert Cailliau have made my personal research really painful through their use of arachnid terminology, now so pervasive throughout the internet-- I realize it wasn't personal~ but my god-- anyone doing arachnology must really suffer...
Second, I'm asking if anyone has any experience building such a thing so very large-- the rope I'm using is plain manilla 3/8's, ther festooning I've found has an apparent width of about 4"- and I'm wanting people to see this thing from the street-- about 80-100 feet away.. I'm sticking 5 constantly inflating 8' spiders on it... I'm doing this early, so I can do it right..--- anyone have feedback? PS-- Tim Berners-Lee and Robert Cailliau have made my personal research really painful through their use of arachnid terminology, now so pervasive throughout the internet-- I realize it wasn't personal~ but my god-- anyone doing arachnology must really suffer...
Submission + - WARGAMES BACK IN THEATERS! one night only... (fathomevents.com)
way2trivial writes: Fathom and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios are proud to present WarGames back on the big screen after 25 years. Don't miss this one-night-only event in select movie theatres nationwide on Thursday, July 24th at 7:30PM (local).
The event will include never-before-seen interviews with cast and crew on how the movie was ahead of its time and its relevance today. Additionally, only at this one night event, get a sneak peek at the making of the sequel — WarGames: The Dead Code.
YIPEE!
http://fathomevents.com/details.aspx?eventid=724
Submission + - Open wifi at your house? Congess new "SAFE ACT
way2trivial writes: 'ccording news.com "The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved a bill saying that anyone offering an open Wi-Fi connection to the public must report illegal images including "obscene" cartoons and drawings — or face fines of up to $300,000.
That broad definition would cover individuals, coffee shops, libraries, hotels,"
crap! first offenses start at 300k!
http://www.news.com/8301-13578_3-9829759-38.html?tag=nefd.top
and they are ramming it through- it's for the children!
Submission + - Interesting admissions from riaa members-industry (nytimes.com)
way2trivial writes: A lot of slashdotters say the reason music sales are off is the content..
it appears so too believe the music producers (at least some of them)
in todays NY times magazine, an article with a lot of interesting attributions and commentary that the content of todays music is the problem.
I find one item to not match my idea of reality however, it reads in part "and the once lucrative album market has been overshadowed by downloaded singles, which mainly benefits Apple" and here I thought Apple made a pittance on each track- and gave the majority to the producers.... and really cleanedup with their hardware sales.... http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/02/magazine/02rubin .t.html?pagewanted=1
it appears so too believe the music producers (at least some of them)
in todays NY times magazine, an article with a lot of interesting attributions and commentary that the content of todays music is the problem.
I find one item to not match my idea of reality however, it reads in part "and the once lucrative album market has been overshadowed by downloaded singles, which mainly benefits Apple" and here I thought Apple made a pittance on each track- and gave the majority to the producers.... and really cleanedup with their hardware sales.... http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/02/magazine/02rubi
Submission + - I need ethical help-life decision...
Please Don't Ask writes: I need advice. I have been encouraged by the topics covered in the past, I believe the /.'ers can produce gems on any subject.
I am going to remain of neccesity ambigious and anonymous.
I have invested over a decade of my life at the same small business, and I love it.
It is changing, and it is given me a wonderful financial opportnuity, and I can see this being the launch point of serious lifelong financial success, and it could easily lead to me being involved in this small business for the rest of my decades.
it is going from single owner to effectively a small corporation with about 30-90 shareholders, with a specialist filling in for the single owner to oversee the 'flip'
I will become the lead agent/representative for the corporation.
now 2 years into the project, which may take 3-5 more, as I am perusing the reams of contracts under which the corporation was offered, and there are some contractual (template?) clauses that if noticed/enforced, would increase the costs of the single owner, but as it stands, the new corporate members are shouldering the costs...
I just noticed this, and advised the specialist, whose reply boils down to 'shush'
this is something I have to decide what to do about it, as it will affect (as planned so far) my entire life. contractually, I am currently beholden to perform the instructions of the specialist. in two years, I expect to be bound to the shareholders.
now /. how would you solve this issue or where do you go to find an 'ethics advisor' (I'd be happy to shell out a few hundered dollars in professional consult-if I was not afraid it was being wasted) to whom I could provide all the explicit story details and items, and get advice from someone who knows the whole ball of wax confidentially.
the stress of what to do here is killing me
where do you go for business advice-when the efforts of your whole life to date (and its reward) is on the line?
I have invested over a decade of my life at the same small business, and I love it.
It is changing, and it is given me a wonderful financial opportnuity, and I can see this being the launch point of serious lifelong financial success, and it could easily lead to me being involved in this small business for the rest of my decades.
it is going from single owner to effectively a small corporation with about 30-90 shareholders, with a specialist filling in for the single owner to oversee the 'flip'
I will become the lead agent/representative for the corporation.
now 2 years into the project, which may take 3-5 more, as I am perusing the reams of contracts under which the corporation was offered, and there are some contractual (template?) clauses that if noticed/enforced, would increase the costs of the single owner, but as it stands, the new corporate members are shouldering the costs...
I just noticed this, and advised the specialist, whose reply boils down to 'shush'
this is something I have to decide what to do about it, as it will affect (as planned so far) my entire life. contractually, I am currently beholden to perform the instructions of the specialist. in two years, I expect to be bound to the shareholders.
now
the stress of what to do here is killing me
where do you go for business advice-when the efforts of your whole life to date (and its reward) is on the line?
Submission + - Microsoft Linux?
way2trivial writes: http://www.forbes.com/2006/11/02/linux-opensource- microsoft-tech-enter-cz_dl_1102linux.html?partner= links
I am flabbergasted.
Here's a conspiracy idea to get you started.
MS and Oracle cooked this up to kill red hat, then as soon as redhat folds, they'll both decide their linux operations are as supportable as MS-Office on the Mac
