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United States

Submission + - Executive order overturns Fifth Amendment (whitehouse.gov)

Submitted by RalphTWaP
RalphTWaP writes: Tuesday, there wasn't even a fuss. Wednesday, the world was a little different; by executive order, the Secretary of the Treasury may now seize the property of any person who undermines efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq. The Secretary may make his determination in secret and after the fact.
Robotics

Submission + - Bird sized airplane opens intelligence options (networkworld.com)

Submitted by
coondoggie
coondoggie writes: "Look up in the sky — it's a bird, it's a plane it's...both? Researchers today introduced a very cool micro-aircraft shaped like the swift — one of nature's most efficient flyers. The RoboSwift can sweep its wings back and forth, changing the shape and the wing's surface area. The idea is to make the aircraft fly more efficiently and agilely than fixed-wing aircraft. The micro — airplane is powered by a special propeller that folds during gliding to minimize air drag. RoboSwift steers by sweeping back one wing more than the other. The difference in wing position allows RoboSwift to make very sharp turns. http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/17672"
Power

Submission + - Paint-on Solar Panels (eurekalert.org)

Submitted by LeadSongDog
LeadSongDog writes: "Someday homeowners will even be able to print sheets of these solar cells with inexpensive home-based inkjet printers. Consumers can then slap the finished product on a wall, roof or billboard to create their own power stations."

Guess I won't need that Mr. Fusion after all.
Networking

Submission + - China taking on U.S. in cyber arms race (cnn.com)

Submitted by
Pabugs
Pabugs writes: "China has developed information warfare units — China is seeking to unseat the United States as the dominant power in cyberspace, a U.S. Air Force general leading a new push in this area said Wednesday."

Feed Muscle Weakness: New Mutation Identified (sciencedaily.com)

From feed by sdfeed
New research has identified a novel mutation associated with muscle weakness and distal limb deformities. The study demonstrates that muscle weakness experienced by persons with a regulatory protein tropomyosin mutation is directly related to a mechanism by which the mutant tropomyosin modulates contractile speed and force-generation capacity.

Feed Screening Approach Leads To Discovery Of Gene Linked To Breast Cancer (sciencedaily.com)

From feed by sdfeed
Using a novel three-part screening process, scientists have identified a gene that is made inappropriately in about a third of all breast cancers. Unlike breast cancer-susceptibility genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, the newly identified gene, called IKBKE, is not inherited in a mutated form that increases the risk of developing breast cancer at an early age. Rather, the mutation arises during a woman's life.
Privacy

Submission + - FBI audit finds widespread abuse in data collectio

Submitted by
Pritchard1
Pritchard1 writes: "If we violate the law, ignorance of the law is not an acceptable rationale. Why is it for a Government agency? http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070614/tc_nm/fbi_patr iotact_abuses_dc_3;_ylt=AgAaotQ923PNz1otcRKmX54E1v AI FBI audit finds widespread abuse in data collection 2 hours, 25 minutes ago WASHINGTON (Reuters) — An internal FBI audit has found the agency violated rules more than 1,000 times while collecting data on domestic phone calls, e-mails and financial transactions in recent years, The Washington Post reported on Thursday. ADVERTISEMENT The number of violations uncovered by the audit was far greater than those previously documented in a Justice Department report in March, the Post said. The vast majority of newly discovered violations were instances in which telephone companies and Internet providers gave agents phone and e-mail records the agents did not request and were not authorized to collect, the Post said. The agents retained the information in their files, which mostly concerned suspected terrorist or espionage activities, according to the report. The new audit covers just 10 percent of the FBI's national security investigations since 2002, so the actual number of violations in the FBI's domestic surveillance efforts probably number several thousand, bureau officials told the newspaper in interviews. The Justice Department audit found 22 violations in a much smaller sampling. Of the more than 1,000 violations uncovered by the new audit, about 700 involved the provision of information by phone companies and other communications firms that exceeded what the FBI's National Security Letters had sought, the Post said. However, some two dozen of the newly discovered violations involved agents' requests for information that U.S. law did not allow them to have, the audit found. National Security Letters allow the FBI to compel the release of private information such as communications or financial records without getting court authority. Their use has grown exponentially since the September 11, attacks, the Post said. More than 19,000 such letters were issued in 2005 seeking 47,000 pieces of information, it said. "The FBI's comprehensive audit of National Security Letter use across all field offices has confirmed the inspector general's findings that we had inadequate internal controls for use of an invaluable investigative tool," FBI General Counsel Valerie Caproni was quoted as telling the Post. Caproni said that steps have been implemented since March 2007 to fix the problem. FBI officials said the audit found no evidence that any agent knowingly or willingly violated the laws or that supervisors encouraged such violations, the Post reported. Rather it showed that many agents did not understand or follow the required legal procedures and paperwork requirements when collecting personal information, the Post reported."
Linux Business

Submission + - Dell offering Ubuntu XPS, featured on front page

Submitted by stoomart
stoomart writes: When going to www.dell.com today, I was surprised to see their Ubuntu product line staring at me. After clicking on the link, another surprise was that they are now offering an XPS 410 N with Ubuntu.

This is very cool to me because it seems that they are actively trying to validate their other products to run Ubuntu. Hopefully this leads to a choice between MS Windows and Ubuntu when choosing any product.

Feed Jet engine-powered go-kart roars onto eBay (engadget.com)

From feed by engfeed

Filed under: Transportation

Here's one that's sure to make Toad weep, even if he's toting a golden mushroom or two. In a bid to make every Mario Kart (or speed demon) freak's dream come true, a bloke in Inverness has concocted a jet engine-equipped go-kart that actually sports a functioning afterburner. Similar to a number of other jet-powered vehicles we've seen, this one is fitted with a military spec JFS-100 jet engine and a push button afterburner that emits "extra thrust, noise, and spectacular fire / smoke effects." Moreover, you'll find an EGT gauge, MOMO steering wheel, and digital RPM meter crammed inside the wee vehicle, and if you just so happen to reside in the UK, you can get the bidding starting for a mere £5,000 ($9,864). More drool-worthy snapshots after the break.

[Via El Reg]

Continue reading Jet engine-powered go-kart roars onto eBay

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
Security

Submission + - Vista "Security feature"

Submitted by jaritk
jaritk writes: How to crack Microsoft Windows Vista / XP-workstations and Windows 200x servers in a minute?

"What's the problem?

This problematic security feature exists because Windows Vista Repair Computer / System Recovery program enables the use of command prompt without any user authentication with highest possible — system-level — priviledges.

Cracking Windows operating systems has been possible by using cracking software found from various web pages. This is the first time when cracking Windows operating systems is really easy and needs no deeper technical knowledge. This is the reason, why everyone using Windows should understand the cracking method and start preparing safety systems, if needed."

Read the whole story : http://ict-tuki.fi/vistasec_eng/

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