1234781
submission
neonsignal writes:
Raja Petra Kamarudin, a Malaysian blogger, is in court under the Internal Security Act, under which he can be detained indefinitely. He is well known for his commentary on the Malaysian government, and was arrested after a piece on the murder of a Mongolian woman, who was allegedly killed by two policeman and an associate of the deputy prime minister. RPK founded and writes for a site called Malaysia Today , which receives over 1 million hits every day.
1234759
submission
OriginalArlen writes:
NASA's next-generation rover, the nuclear-powered, laser-equipped Mars Science Laboratory is reported to be at a serious risk of cancellation due to budget and schedule overruns, including non-delivery of vital parts by a subcontractor. Costs are running over $2B so far, and the already thin schedule of Mars missions planned for the next decade — with budget ring-fenced for an outer planets flagship mission — is in danger of further cuts if MSL's budget is expanded.
1190505
submission
scream at the sky writes:
URGENT ~ APPLE AC ADAPTER RECALL
Important Safety Notice
Apple has determined that under certain conditions the new ultracompact Apple USB power adapter's metal prongs can break off and remain in a power outlet, creating a risk of electric shock. They have received reports of detached blades involving a very small percentage of the adapters sold, but no injuries have been reported.
The ultracompact USB power adapters were supplied with every iPhone 3G sold in Canada, and may also have been purchased separately as an accessory:
Customer safety is always Apple's top priority, and therefore they have voluntarily decided to exchange every ultracompact power adapter for a new, redesigned adapter, free of charge.
Users with ultracompact power adapters should immediately stop using them until they exchange them for a new, redesigned ultracompact adapter. Complete details on the exchange program are available on the web at:
www.apple.com/support/usbadapter/exchangeprogramwww.apple.com/support/usbadapter/exchangeprogram
In the meantime, customers should charge their iPhone 3G by connecting it to their computer with the USB cable that came with their iPhone or by using a standard-sized Apple USB Power Adapter (with fold up prongs) or with a third party adapter designed to work with the iPhone, such as a car charger.
Customers who have purchased this ultracompact adapter as a standalone accessory, may also exchange it for a new one.
838063
submission
OriginalArlen writes:
NASA's first attempt to test Orion parachutes didn't go so well. "The result was a landing that severely damaged the test mock-up." (A type of landing also known as 'lithobraking'.) The parachutes, which would be used to safely land the Orion crew capsule in the event of a launch abort after an escape rocket pulls the capsule clear of the booster, failed to open after a drogue earlier in the sequence failed to open properly. A NASA spokesperson pointed out that this was the most complex test of it's type since the '60s, with a total of 18 parachutes involved. (The footage is on YouTube as well.)
837847
submission
elguillelmo writes:
In yet another case of British ill handling of sensitive data, The Times informs that "Confidential records and sensitive intelligence on tens of thousands of the country's most prolific criminals have been lost in a major breach of data security".
The details of the loss are stunning: "The data had been encrypted for security reasons but was decoded by staff at PA Consulting Group and placed on a computer memory stick that was subsequently lost".
As you might remember, it's not the first time a UK Government department losses sensitive data.
424022
story
An anonymous reader writes
"There are reports that satellites have aided scientists in confirming why the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) exists. 'New data from NASA's Themis mission, a quintet of satellites launched this winter, found the energy comes from a stream of charged particles from the sun flowing like a current through twisted bundles of magnetic fields connecting Earth's upper atmosphere to the sun. The energy is then abruptly released in the form of a shimmering display of lights.'"
423948
story
walterbyrd writes
"Linux magazine has up a decent article comparing Gutsy Gibbon to Leopard. 'The stereotype for each OS is well known: Mac OS X is elegant, easy-to-use, and intuitive, while Ubuntu is stable, secure, and getting better all the time. Both have come a long way in a short time, and both make excellent desktops. So we have two great desktop operating systems out at roughly the same time. Let's see how they stack up against each other.'"
421251
submission
An anonymous reader writes:
Pro-Linux reports that KDE 4, scheduled to be released in January 2008, consumes almost 40% less memory than KDE 3.5, despite the fact that version 4 of the Free and Open Source desktop system includes a composited window manager and a revamped menu and applet interface. KDE developer Will Stephenson showcased KDE 4's 3D eye-candy on a 256Mb laptop with 1Ghz CPU and run-of-the-mill integrated graphics, pointing out that mini-optimizations haven't even yet been started. Will this combination of resource efficiency and consumer appeal make KDE 4 the leader in the booming Linux-based ultra mobile laptop and energy efficient desktop markets?
421231
submission
JaJ_D writes:
According to Paul Kidby's website, Terry Pratchet has been diagonsed with early onset Alzheimer's.
From the site:
would have liked to keep this one quiet for a little while, but because of upcoming conventions and of course the need to keep my publishers informed, it seems to me unfair to withhold the news. I have been diagnosed with a very rare form of early onset Alzheimer's, which lay behind this year's phantom "stroke".
Jaj
