Comment Montserrat Volcano Observatory (Score 5, Informative) 42
http://www.mvo.ms/ Pictures and info about the volcano, official site.
Google Wins Agreement To Anonymize YouTube Logs 242
Barence, following up on yesterday's news that Viacom is looking for videos uploaded by Google staff, links to an article at PC Pro, excerpting: "Google and Viacom have reached a deal to protect the privacy of millions of YouTube watchers. Earlier this month, a New York federal judge ordered Google to turn over YouTube user data to Viacom and other plaintiffs to help them prepare a confidential study of what they argue are vast piracy violations on the video-sharing site. Google claims it had now agreed to provide plaintiffs' attorneys with a version of a massive viewership database that blanks out YouTube usernames and IP addresses that could be used to identify individual video watchers."
Disgruntled Engineer Hijacks San Francisco's Computer System 1082
ceswiedler writes "A disgruntled software engineer has hijacked San Francisco's new multimillion-dollar municipal computer system. When the Department of Technology tried to fire him, he disabled all administrative passwords other than his own. He was taken into custody but has so far refused to provide the password, and the department has yet to regain admin access on their own. They're worried that he or an associate might be able to destroy hundreds of thousands of sensitive documents, including emails, payroll information, and law enforcement documents."
Thinking of Security Vulnerabilities As Defects 158
SecureThroughObscure writes "ZDNet Zero-Day blogger Nate McFeters has asked the question, 'Should vulnerabilities be treated as defects?' McFeters claims that if vulnerabilities were treated as product defects, companies would have an effective way of forcing developers and business units to focus on security issue. McFeters suggests providing bonuses for good developers, and taking away from bonuses for those that can't keep up. It's an interesting approach that if used, might force companies to take a stronger stance on security related issues."
North Pole Ice On Track To Melt By September? 978
phobos13013 writes "Recently released evidence is showing the North Pole ice is melting at the highest rate ever recorded. As a result, the Pole may be completely ice-free at the surface and composed of nothing but open water by September. As reported in September of last year, the Northwest Passage was ice-free for the first time known to man. The implications of this, as well as the causes, are still being debated. Are global warming experts just short-sighted alarmists? Are we heading for a global ice age? Or is the increase in global mean temperature having an effect on our planet?"
Harvard Study Questions "Long Tail" Theory 177
mjasay writes "Remember 'the long tail?' That was the idea that there was gobs of money to be made in the more obscure tastes of any given market, enabled by the web. In recent research highlighted in the Harvard Business Review, however, the long tail theory comes under withering criticism. Not only is a hits-based business more profitable for vendors according to the new research, but the research suggests that consumers also derive more enjoyment from the hits, rather than the tail. In short, the researchers find that 'the tail is long and flat, and therefore that content providers will find it hard to profit much from it.'" Long Tail advocate Chris Anderson defends his theory, and it seems that most of the debate centers around how you define "head" and "tail."
Scientists Create Synthesized DNA Bases 125
Iddo Genuth writes to tell us that researchers at the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego have created two artificial DNA bases in an effort to "expand biology's potential." "In the future, [chemist Floyd] Romesberg envisions manipulating the genetic code of bacteria in order to assemble better drugs or even man-made proteins. Until now, the bases only work in bacteria, so human augmentation is currently not possible. Another option is to use alpha and beta to help construct nanomachines to be used for drug delivery. 'This is like jumping from the Stone Age to the Bronze Age,' Romesberg says. 'It takes time to figure out how best to use metal.'" Update 18:10 GMT by SM: Roger writes to share the NewScientist link with a bit more information. There is also the original release text for consideration.
Submission + - Invitation to trial our Software iPhone(TM) Unlock (iphonesimfree.com)
iphonesimfree.com writes: "It gives us great pleasure to announce the worlds first (and only) software driven sim unlocking service for the iPhone(tm). No need to open your phone. No need to solder.
Major benefits include:
* Chose the provider you want, use any SIM card from any network provider in any country
* No more outrageous roaming charges. When traveling simply pick the local provider of your choice and change your sim card.
* Poor network coverage no longer an issue, use the network provider best suited to your region
* Save money! A favorable exchange rate makes for excellent value for money when importing
To silence any doubters out there, we are welcoming publications from around the world to apply to receive their iPhones(tm) unlocked FREE OF CHARGE. If interested, please submit an application via clicking the respective link directly below. The top three applications will receive a free un-lock within the next 48 hours, which will be soon followed by the commercial launch of the software for public consumption.
Check out http://www.iphonesimfree.com/ :)"
Major benefits include:
* Chose the provider you want, use any SIM card from any network provider in any country
* No more outrageous roaming charges. When traveling simply pick the local provider of your choice and change your sim card.
* Poor network coverage no longer an issue, use the network provider best suited to your region
* Save money! A favorable exchange rate makes for excellent value for money when importing
To silence any doubters out there, we are welcoming publications from around the world to apply to receive their iPhones(tm) unlocked FREE OF CHARGE. If interested, please submit an application via clicking the respective link directly below. The top three applications will receive a free un-lock within the next 48 hours, which will be soon followed by the commercial launch of the software for public consumption.
Check out http://www.iphonesimfree.com/
Submission + - Cheating IT Grads are being deported
kalpatin writes: International students could be getting deported from Australia if they are found guilty of cheating. ABC Australia reports that Masters students have been cheating in their theses and the hard copies of their work matches the electronic sources found on the Internet.
Submission + - A-Space is CIA's version of Facebook
An anonymous reader writes: The CIA is to open a communications tool called A-Space for its staff, modeled on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, the Financial Times reports. Mike Wertheimer, a senior official at the Department for National Intelligence (DNI)stated that we are willing to experiment in ways that we have never experimented before.
He told the FT that the new infrastructures would help break down some of the physical communications problems in the intelligence community.
"I am unable to send email, and even make secure phone calls, to a good portion of the community from my desktop because of firewalls," he said.
He added that while it was understandable that some operatives were reticent about sharing information which could pose a risk, the 9/11 attacks had showed that not pooling data could also cost lives.
"We are willing to experiment in ways that we have never experimented before," he said.
The DNI already operates a collaborative online encyclopaedia — or wiki — for members of the US intelligence community, and earlier this year the CIA used Facebook to advertise job opportunities within the organisation.
Submission + - Hackers Hold Monster.com Users' Files Hostage 1
Hypercoyote writes: Hundreds of thousands of people, mostly in the U.S., have been exposed to the risk of file ransom after the Web site of the world's largest online recruiter was hacked.
Personal details stored on Monster.com, a Web site that lists job seekers and job opportunities, were taken after a raid by hackers who posed as employers to gain access to the site.
Read more about it here
Submission + - Odd fossil trees provide vital clues to climate
Device666 writes: uly 31, 2007 — It may look like a haunted forest — but a rare cluster of fossilized trees is luring scientists in, not scaring them away. [...] The remains of the 16 uncovered trees [...] are an oddity because they did not petrify, or turn to stone, as preserved trees usually do. Instead, the trees retain their original wood, giving scientists vital clues to the puzzling geology and climate of ancient central Europe.
"The importance of the findings is that so many trees got preserved in their original position in one place," Alfred Dulai, a geologist at the Hungarian Natural History Museum.
"The importance of the findings is that so many trees got preserved in their original position in one place," Alfred Dulai, a geologist at the Hungarian Natural History Museum.
Submission + - MIT powers lightbulb wirelessly
kcurtis writes: According to the Boston Globe, MIT Researchers lit a light bulb remotely. The successful experiment to lit a 60-watt light bulb from a power source two meters away, with no physical connection between the power source and the light bulb. Details about WiTricity, or wireless electricity, are scheduled to be reported today in Science Express, the advance online publication of the journal Science, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said.
Submission + - US Government Storming freedom fighter's House
savage1r writes: Everyone wake up! This is the biggest story not being covered by ANY mainstream media! New Hamshire couple Ed and Elane Brown are under siege by the US government. They fought against the tax laws and were sentanced to a rediculous amount of prison time. They refused to obey the order and have been holding out in their house since their sentencing. The Government forces are surrounding their house NOW this is their website: http://questforfairtrialinconcordnh.blogspot.com/
Everyone should know about this because these are the people on the front lines!
Submission + - A Third Way: RomneyCare vs. Socialized Med.
IConrad01 writes: "Provisions for the Poor is an op/ed piece by a technophile libertarian (yours truly) that attempts to document precisely how "traditional" health insurance — either private (mandated or not), or socialized, will only make medicine less accessible to the poor and middle class. (Sorry for placing the URL here; Slashdot was rejecting it as invalid despite being correct.)"
