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Submission + - Open Source Tech Providing Mobile Communications In Developing Nations (arstechnica.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: A village in the West Papua central highlands runs a telecom network out of a box latched to a tree. The network runs on open source. 'OpenBTS, an all-software cellular transceiver, is at the heart of the network running on that box attached to a treetop. Someday, if those working with the technology have their way, it could do for mobile networks what TCP/IP and open source did for the Internet. The dream is to help mobile break free from the confines of telephone providers’ locked-down spectrum, turning it into a platform for the development of a whole new range of applications that use spectrum "white space" to connect mobile devices of every kind. It could also democratize telecommunications around the world in unexpected ways. ... It is a 2G GSM system with two operating channels (GSM absolute radio-frequency channel numbers, or ARFCNs) in the 900MHz range, putting out 10 watts of signal power from an omnidirectional antenna. That gives the system a range of about five kilometers under ideal conditions, but in reality it averages about a three kilometer range because of vegetation and terrain (1.86 miles to 3.10 miles). The whole system is installed in a weatherproof box up a tree and draws less than 80 watts of power.'

Submission + - Scientists demonstrate first contagious airborne WiFi virus (scienceblog.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Researchers at the University of Liverpool have shown for the first time that WiFi networks can be infected with a virus that can move through densely populated areas as efficiently as the common cold spreads between humans. The team designed and simulated an attack by a virus, called "Chameleon" that could not only spread quickly between homes and businesses, but avoided detection and identified the points at which WiFi access is least protected by encryption and passwords. The research appears in EURASIP Journal on Information Security.

Submission + - Mt Gox hacked. All coins gone. (wired.com)

Submitted by ch0ad
ch0ad writes: Mt. Gox, once the world’s largest bitcoin exchange, has gone offline, apparently after losing hundreds of millions of dollars due to a years-long hacking effort that went unnoticed by the company.

The hacking attack is detailed in a leaked “crisis strategy draft” plan, apparently created by Gox and published Monday by Ryan Selkis, a bitcoin entrepreneur and blogger (see below). According to the document, the exchange is insolvent after losing 744,408 bitcoins — worth about $350 million at Monday’s trading prices.

Comment Re:Malice? I think not. (Score 1) 166

by blackicye (#46322947) Attached to: Study Shows Agent Orange Still Taints Aging C-123s

In fairness social psychology at least seems to be becoming a real science - it's apparently not nearly so difficult to model the behavior of groups of people as individuals. Just our luck that the only branch of psychology to be an actual science is the one that's really good for manipulating us (as a group) into buying shit we wouldn't otherwise want, and predicting just how far they can push a population before something snaps. Coincidence?

Sociology / Social Psychology is largely statistics though, they can't do much experimentation due to ethical reasons.

Corporations don't have these same constraints as they generally have the ample resources and lack of ethics in equal measure.

This is what happens when Sociologists go to the dark side.
Businesses

Exxon Mobile CEO Sues To Stop Fracking Near His Texas Ranch 317

Posted by samzenpus from the hoisting-with-his-own-petard dept.
Hugh Pickens DOT Com writes "Exxon Mobile's CEO Rex Tillerson's day job is to do all he can to protect and nurture the process of hydraulic fracturing—aka 'fracking'—so that his company can continue to rake in billions via the production and sale of natural gas. 'This type of dysfunctional regulation is holding back the American economic recovery, growth, and global competitiveness,' said Tillerson in 2012 of attempts to increase oversight of drilling operations. But now Rick Unger reports at Forbes that Tillerson has joined a lawsuit seeking to shut down a fracking project near his Texas ranch. Why? Because the 160 foot water tower being built next to Tillerson's house that will supply the water to the near-by fracking site, means the arrival of loud trucks, an ugly tower next door, and the general unpleasantness that will interfere with the quality of his life and the real estate value of his sizeable ranch. The water tower is being built by Cross Timbers Water Supply Corp., a nonprofit utility that has supplied water to the region for half a century. Cross Timbers says that it is required by state law to build enough capacity to serve growing demand. In 2011, Bartonville denied Cross Timbers a permit to build the water tower, saying the location was reserved for residences. The water company sued, arguing that it is exempt from municipal zoning because of its status as a public utility. In May 2012, a state district court judge agreed with Cross Timbers and compelled the town to issue a permit. The utility resumed construction as the town appealed the decision. Later that year, the Tillersons and their co-plaintiffs sued Cross Timbers, saying that the company had promised them it wouldn't build a tower near their properties. An Exxon spokesman said Tillerson declined to comment. The company 'has no involvement in the legal matter' and its directors weren't told of Mr. Tillerson's participation, the spokesman said."

Comment Re:Oh my god, what a stupid idea. (Score 1) 144

by blackicye (#46319277) Attached to: WhatsApp Founder Used Unchangable Airline Ticket To Pressure Facebook

This is Facebook we're talking about. They could have offered to charter a jet to take him where he needed to go if missing his flight was a possibility from long negotiations.

Yeah, Facebook caved over an airline ticket cost.

Yeah, that and it wasn't as though there were other parties lining up to throw $19B at him. Facebook could probably have "lowballed" him at $15B and still closed the sale.

Comment Re:Are you a creepy guy who wants to video tape pp (Score 1) 421

by blackicye (#46301817) Attached to: Ask Slashdot: Should I Get Google Glass?

No, I really have no use for the camera part. I perfer s SLR. My question is more what apps are out there?

Unless you're intending to develop applications for it,
I'm also going to hazard a guess that you could spend the money on other more fun (and/or useful) stuff.

DSLR Lenses, VR headsets, 3D Printers, alcohol and Cryptocurrency mining come first to mind...

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