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Programming

Creative Documentation 136

Posted by CmdrTaco
FuriousCurio writes "Linux kernel hackers appear to be an endlessly creative group of individuals. In response to previous documentation attempts not having been read by many people, KernelTrap is reporting about how the lguest documentation was prepared to be something of an adventure story. Self-proclaimed to turn you into an lguest expert, lguest being one of the new solutions for running a virtual instance of the Linux operating system as a user process within a real instance of the Linux operating system, the documentation mixes humor and wit into puzzles, poetry, and of course source code and a low-level understanding of virtualization. But the questions remains, will making documentation more entertaining actually work to get people to read it?"
It's funny. Laugh.

Submission + - Man almost sent to jail for bad jokes on web site 3

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: In Scotland, a 22 year old man was sentenced to 160 hours of community service for posting really tasteless jokes on his web site. The judge indicated that he considered sending him to jail, but since it was a first offence, and the man plead guilty early on, he felt community service was warranted.
Power

Submission + - Six-Stroke Gasoline/Steam Hybrid Engine (autoweek.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Bruce Crower has made a fascinating modification to traditional internal combustion engines: a fifth and sixth stroke. His six-stroke engine injects water into the hot cylinder to achieve a second power stroke with the expanding steam. The engine "burns" equal amounts of gasoline and water, thereby reducing fuel consumption by a whopping 40%. Could this technology the future of petroleum powered vehicles? More information is available on Wikipedia.
Security

Submission + - Sophisticated Computer Crime Uncovered (reuters.com)

Submitted by Ichabod
Ichabod writes: Sophisticated computer criminals stole data from UniSys, Booz Allen, L-3 Communications, Hewlett Packard and Hughes Network Systems. It sounds like they used a combination of social hacking, undetected low-profile malware (reportedly NTOS.exe), compromised Yahoo accounts to steal, encrypt and store sensitive data. An international investigation appears imminent. Yes, unfortunately Reuters calls the criminals "hackers" further blackening the once-revered title. http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN1 638118020070717
United States

Submission + - U.S. has lost ability to build its own roads

Submitted by
michaelmalak
michaelmalak writes: "The land famous for its love of the automobile and construction of Interstates and other highways, with high-elevation tunnels, viaducts snaking through canyons, and water crossings of up to 20 miles is now outsourcing design and construction of its roads to Asia — not because it's cheaper, but because the U.S. has lost the expertise. According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer regarding the newly opened span across the Tacoma Narrows, "the American steel industry had imploded, while steel-making — and the expertise needed to build suspension bridges — had moved to Asia" and "the detailed engineering and fieldwork and all the spinning and cable-wrapping equipment ... were provided by ... Japanese construction giants""
Security

Submission + - Dangerous Java flaw threatens virtually everything (zdnet.com.au)

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: ZDNet is reporting that a java flaw discovered by Google's Security team is "as bad as it gets". Australia's Computer Emergency Response Team (AusCERT) analyst, Robert Lowe, warned that anyone using the Java Runtime Environment or Java Development Kit is at risk. "Delivery of exploits in this manner is attractive to attackers because even though the browser may be fully patched, some people neglect to also patch programs invoked by browsers to render specific types of content": said Lowe. AusCERT has issued an alert.
The Almighty Buck

Submission + - New FICO Rules May Affect Millions (aaacreditguide.com)

Submitted by
crazychane
crazychane writes: "About 60 million consumers are authorized users on someone else's credit card. But, that's all about to change...In September, the FICO credit-scoring system is set to undergo a major overhaul. Fair Isaac Corp., the Minneapolis company that creates the formula used to calculate the score, is downplaying the change, saying it won't have much of an effect."
Graphics

Submission + - Making the GIMP Suck Less (uwaterloo.ca) 1

Submitted by GIMPFan
GIMPFan writes: Most people who have ever tried the GIMP know that its UI leaves much to be desired. Thankfully, at least one person is doing something about it. Usability expert Michael Terry has created an instrumented version of the GIMP called ingimp. The key feature of ingimp is that it collects usability data in order to determine how people are using (or struggling to use) the GIMP. This data is made available on the ingimp site so that researchers can study usability in the GIMP, which can hopefully lead to improved usability of the GIMP.

Terry also recently gave a talk on his project. In his talk, he emphasizes that the user's privacy is a key consideration of the project. He notes that contrary to most usage-collecting applications, ingimp is open-source and that the collected data is available to anyone. He also notes that Inkscape is also very interested in creating an instrumented version.
Security

Submission + - 202c hits german it-security scene

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Just a few days ago, the german Bundestag decided to pass the new paragraph 202. Especialliy section C of the new paragraph was giving headaches to many, as it prohibits the development and use of tools that just might be used for illigal purposes. germany based hacking group Phenoelit, famous for their cisco IOS hacks, has already taken down all content (http://www.phenoelit.de/202/202.html). However, due to the nature of the new law, even admin must fear proscution when using security tools like nmap or nessus when testing their networks.
The Media

Submission + - Sad Kermit and the Future of Copyright (affdoublethink.com) 1

Submitted by
sockit2me9000
sockit2me9000 writes: "Excellent article that talks to the original creator of the "Sad Kermit" meme and analyzes the future of copyright, fair use, and what actually constitutes "acceptable" use. Great article if you want to explain to non-geeks the larger repercussions of copyright on the internet."
United States

Submission + - IRS Tracking Party Affiliation (thenewstribune.com) 1

Submitted by
cybermage
cybermage writes: "According to the News Tribune, the IRS is tracking the party affiliation of taxpayers in the over twenty states that require identification of party affiliation on voter registration forms. The IRS is using the voter registration data to try to locate tax cheats. Some in Congress are looking to take steps to have the IRS purge such information and put a halt to IRS plans to outsource collections until the issue is resolved."
Security

Submission + - Malware Self-Defense Technologies Evolution (net-security.org)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: This article explores how malware has developed self-defense techniques and how these techniques have evolved as it has become more difficult for viruses to survive. It also provides an overview of the current situation. In order to avoid confusion about what is considered a self-defense technology and what is not, it examines only the most popular and obvious means of malware self-defense. First and foremost this includes various means of modifying and packing code, in order to conceal the presence of malicious code in the system and to disrupt the functionality of antivirus solutions.

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