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Databases

Submission + - MySQL vs PostgreSQL benchmarks

Submitted by spatialguy
spatialguy writes: Tweakers is a dutch community of online tweakers that are deciding on new hardware for their website and databases.
The link http://tweakers.net/reviews/674/7 [tweakers.net] leads you to some stunning performance graphs on a 8-way opteron system.
It shows that not only postgresql 8.2 is faster then MySQL 5.0, it also scales much better on heavy loads.
The tweakers community are longterm MySQL users and were new to PostgreSQL. However they even brought in a MySQL/Solaris expert to configure it optimally.
Still PostgreSQL turned out to be the better dbms under heavy loads.
They are very thorough in their tests, are themselves MySQL users, and give insight in which optimizations they used to perform these tests.

Interesting is that they discovered a small issue in the stable release of postgresql 8.2 which was subsequently patched by the postgresql developers.
The version pg 8.2.1 did ship with these patches.
They also revealed issues with Solaris, which were investigated by Sun developers, who helped in configuring the Solaris installation.

This second link http://tweakers.net/search?DB=Reviews&item_catId=1 2&productCatId=&Query=postgresql&x=0&y=0
will give you a search results page with links to many similar benchmarks on different architectures of MySQL vs PostgreSQL on their site.

All in all a very convincing read.
Security

Submission + - Social Networking - For Hackers?

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: A new social networking site has been launched for hackers — called hakspace.net the site has attracted much attention since it was announced on monday with even the world famous Cult Of The Dead Cow becoming involved. From the press release: "Free from the constraints and expectations of the mainstream, Hakspace.net is a place for like minded hackers, crackers and whitehats to communicate in an open, independent and anonymous manner. A place for security enthusiasts to assert their creations, agendas and theories." The first hacker soapbox?

Feed Vista: Benchmarking or Benchmarketing? (pheedo.com)

From feed by thfeed
Windows Vista features built-in benchmarking to assess system and component performance, by calculating so-called Windows Experience Indices (WEI). Can Microsoft really replace traditional benchmarking?
Microsoft

Submission + - Vista to disable security in 'pirate' copies?

Submitted by Bearhouse
Bearhouse writes: Many places are reporting that MS's Steve Ballmer is 'blaming poor Vista sales on piracy'... This seems to be one of the sources (http://www.arnnet.com.au/index.php/id;7680622;fp; 16;fpid;1) From the article, it seems that's not quite what he said. FTA "We have new technologies built into Windows Vista, something we call Windows Genuine Advantage [that] we've really dialed up in capabilities with the Vista release," he said. "I do think that will bring some revenue growth." and "Last fall, when Microsoft announced details of Windows Genuine Advantage in Vista — which included new counterfeit-sniffing software as well as the crippling or disabling of important features....the company took heat from both users and analysts." and We [will] really ferret through how far we can dial it up, and what that means for customer experience and customer satisfaction," Balmer also said that (outside analyst's) sales forecasts for Vista had been 'over optimistic'. So what's the real story here? Is poor takeup of Vista due to little added value and high resource consumption / patchy driver support or is it piracy? Will 'enhanced' WGA increase exiting concerns about upgrading and recovering Vista? Most important, what do people think about MS 'disabling' security features on 'pirate' software, especially in the light of recent posts about S. Korea and China being the source of many attacks? (High rate of piracy = high rate of malware)
Red Hat Software

Submission + - Take Microsoft's Linux money, says Red Hat

Submitted by Robert
Robert writes: Red Hat CEO has said the company is encouraging customers to adopt Microsoft's offer of support vouchers for Novell's rival Linux operating system in order to get the issue over with. Speaking at the Merrill Lynch internet, software and services conference, Red Hat's CEO, Matthew Szulik, dismissed the impact that deal has had on it's business. "I think that there has been a strong amount of external communication by Microsoft and Novell on this topic," he said. "We certainly expect that there will be those cases where customers will consume those coupons. We're certainly encouraging one or two customers to consume all of them, let's get this over with."
User Journal

Journal Journal: Boycotting Broken Gadgets

Journal by MattSparkes
I've become bored of my gadgets, because they don't seem to do what I want them to do. A few years ago I had a smart phone, which let me download and listen to MP3 tracks via bluetooth, carry files from computer to computer and lots of other tricks that were very useful. Now I have 'upgraded', and my phone does none of those things. My MP3 player looks very good, but I can't just drop MP3 files on and listen to them, and I can't sync with my work PC as well as my Mac at home. What are the option
Internet Explorer

Submission + - IE7 and Firefox could be target of hackers

Submitted by
Vinit
Vinit writes: "Michal Zalewski, a security researcher has found flaws in IE7 and Firefox which could be the next target of hackers. The flaws will lead users to malicious websites controlled by hackers, thus allowing them to grab files from your hard drive. Microsoft has already confirmed the flaw and said, "the company is taking appropriate action." In addition to the above mentioned flaw, Firefox is vulnerable to another severe flaw which allow hackers to alter cookies stored on a computer. It indicates that display of some sites could be tempered. Firefox has already come up with a fix which will be released soon. http://www.pclaunches.com/software/ie7_and_firefox _could_be_target_of_hackers_who_can_play_with_your _hard_drive.php"
Enlightenment

Submission + - A paradox is more powerful than God

Submitted by ThomasTheTankEngine
ThomasTheTankEngine writes: Can God be all of the following

1. Fair. ie Everyone gets the same chances of going to heaven. Does anyone actually believe that everyone has the same chance?
How can someone who has never known anything other than killing and raping all of their life be allowed in to Heaven?

2. Truthful. God can't lie to us can he? ( he can't tell us we are in heaven when we aren't or say we are in heaven with a loved one when they are really in hell, can he?)

3. Non-intervening. This get's back to being fair. How can God intervene for one and not another?

4. Rational. God can't make red blue, A square circle, and he can't send you to heaven and not to heaven at the same time.

God and heaven are inextricably linked.
If there is no reward for life on earth, there is no need to believe in God.

Heaven, what a preposterous concept.

What is Heaven?

1. Do we have memory of what a life on earth was?
Surely we must or what is the point. Why burn in hell and not know why?
Also, if you don't have any memory of life on earth it is as good as being dead anyway, what is the difference?

2.What form do we take in heaven?
Would we be exactly the same as on earth. Sounds nice and is the one I would vote for. Can we have sex? Can we have all of the good things that we enjoy on earth. Or do we just sit around humming all day?
If not. Again what is the point.

3. Do we have free will in heaven?
or are we just robots with no free will (sounds a lot like hell to me).
If we do have free will can we be bad in heaven?
If we are already in heaven, can we get kicked out for bad behaviour.

4. Are we totally happy in heaven?
I don't want to go to heaven unless my wife is there with all of my kids and family and friends. But what happens if one of them doesn't make it.
I would not be happy with that situation. (This gets back to the rational question).

For example, a wonderful, giving, altruistic deeply religious woman marries an evil man
but doesn't know he is evil(he rapes and murders children but she never finds out). She dies blissfully knowing that she will meet up with her darling on the other side.
How would God handle this?
Remember, what is the point of not knowing your earth-life.
Remember, God should be fair and rational and truthful
Space

Submission + - Asteroid deflection talks at the UN

Submitted by
MattSparkes
MattSparkes writes: "The asteroid Apophis has a 1 in 45,000 chance of hitting Earth on 13 April 2036, which although reasonably small, is very real. Because the impact site would be hard to predict accurately, discussion about a possible deflection attempt would have to be international. A new group, formed by a former Apollo astronaut, will host a series of meetings to provide the UN with a 'decision process' for assessing and acting on the hazard posed by Apophis and other near-Earth asteroids (NEAs)."

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