Submission + - Enlightenment 17 Released (enlightenment.org)
netux writes: The desktop environment Enlightenment 17 has finally reached a stable release.
Submission + - Ada 2012 Language Approved as Standard by ISO (paritynews.com)
hypnosec writes: The Ada Resource Association (ARA) announced that the Ada 2012 programming language has been approved and published as a standard by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Announcing the development, ARA and Ada-Europe said that the new version brings with it the concept of contract-based programming, Concurrency and Multicore Support, Increased Expressiveness and Container Enhancements. Under the contract-based programming, developers will have the “ability to specify preconditions and postconditions for subprograms, and invariants for private (encapsulated) types.”
Submission + - Polio Eradication Program Suspended in Pakistan After Aid Workers Shot 1
Hugh Pickens writes writes: "Jamal Khan reports that the United Nations has suspended its polio vaccination drive in Pakistan after eight people involved in the effort were shot dead in the past two days dealing a grave blow to the drive to bring an end to the scourge of polio in Pakistan, one of only three countries where the crippling disease still survives. Militants accuse health workers of acting as spies for the US and claim the vaccine makes children sterile and Taliban commanders in the troubled northwest tribal region have also said vaccinations can't go forward until the US stops drone strikes in the country. Insurgent opposition to the campaign grew last year after it was revealed that a Pakistani doctor ran a fake polio vaccination program to help the CIA track down and kill Osama bin Laden, who was hiding in the town of Abbottabad in the country's northwest. The Pakistani government has condemned the attacks against aid workers, saying they deprive Pakistan's most vulnerable populations — specifically children — of basic life-saving health interventions. Polio usually infects children living in unsanitary conditions, attacks the nerves and can kill or paralyze. A total of 56 polio cases have been reported in Pakistan during 2012, down from 190 the previous year, according to the U.N. Most of the new cases in Pakistan are in the northwest, where the presence of militants makes it difficult to reach children. The new campaign aimed to give oral polio prevention drops to 34 million children under the age of five. Clerics and tribal elders were recruited to support polio vaccinations in an attempt to open up areas previously inaccessible to health workers."
Comment Re:Once it was said: (Score 0) 485
So a toy company is the number 2 company because people want to be different, just like everyone else.
Comment Opera ASA has prior art (Score 3, Funny) 194
Submission + - Opera Dragonfly changes to Apache License (opera.com)
netux writes: Since 10 February 2010 Opera's answer to firebug has been an open source project under the BSD license. This license change creates patent protection for other browser developers to implement the scope protocol without worry of eventual patent problems ala SCO. Good to see Opera ASA continuing to support open protocols beyond just RFC's.
Submission + - Google Wants to Teach You Security (threatpost.com)
Trailrunner7 writes: Google has released a new online training course for Web application developers designed to teach them how to avoid common programming mistakes that lead to vulnerabilities such as cross-site scripting, cross-site request forgery and others. The course, which is part of the company's Google Code University, is based around the concept of a Twitter-like application called Jarlsberg, an actual app that Google is releasing as part of the course. Known as "Web Application Exploits and Defenses," the course gives developers the opportunity to see the inner workings of a fundamentally insecure application, analyze the vulnerabilities and learn about the programming mistakes that led to those flaws. Google, teaching web app security. Oh, the irony.
Submission + - The Humble Indie Bundle (wolfire.com)
h4rr4r writes: The Humble Indie Bundle is a unique kind of bundle that we are trying out.
Pay what you want. If you bought these five games separately, it would cost around $80 but we're letting you set the price!
All of the games work great on Mac, Windows, and Linux. We didn't want to leave anyone out.
There is no middle-man. You can rest assured that 100% of your purchase goes directly to the developers and non-profits as you specify (minus credit card fees).
We don't use DRM. When you buy these games, they are yours. Feel free to play them without an internet connection, back them up, and install them on all of your Macs and PCs freely.
Your contribution supports the amazing Child's Play charity and Electronic Frontier Foundation. By default, the amount is split equally between the seven participants (including Child's Play and EFF), but you can tweak the split any way you'd like.
Pay what you want. If you bought these five games separately, it would cost around $80 but we're letting you set the price!
All of the games work great on Mac, Windows, and Linux. We didn't want to leave anyone out.
There is no middle-man. You can rest assured that 100% of your purchase goes directly to the developers and non-profits as you specify (minus credit card fees).
We don't use DRM. When you buy these games, they are yours. Feel free to play them without an internet connection, back them up, and install them on all of your Macs and PCs freely.
Your contribution supports the amazing Child's Play charity and Electronic Frontier Foundation. By default, the amount is split equally between the seven participants (including Child's Play and EFF), but you can tweak the split any way you'd like.
Submission + - Why open source and other VoIP and UC deployment m (techtarget.com)
Leigha Cardwell writes: SearchUnifiedCommunications.com was recently deluged by positive — but mostly negative — comments, blog postings, etc., in response to an article we posted on a failed open source (Asterisk) deployment (Failed open source VoIP deployment leads to hosted VoIP strategy: http://searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com/news/article/0,289142,sid186_gci1508323,00.html). I wrote a follow-up piece that explained why Asterisk's open source communication server was not a viable solution for one organization with limited in-house expertise and resources; what this company could have done differently to achieve anticipated results; why so many organizations are struggling with their VoIP and UC deployments and how to resolve those issues; and described Digium's Asterisk and Switchvox telephony platforms.
Here are some excerpts from the follow-up article (there are some useful sidebars, etc.):
For so many organizations, deploying VoIP and unified communications (UC) can be likened to the Gordian Knot metaphor.
In a recent case study, "Failed open source VoIP deployment leads to hosted VoIP strategy," John DeRudder, vice president of CuDerm Corp., was puzzled with the same problem many organizations are struggling to unravel: Successfully deploying VoIP and unified communications (UC) yesterday on an always freshly cut budget.
Deploying VoIP and UC has always been an arduous undertaking for the uninitiated. Trying to shepherd the unbridled evolution of communication and collaborative technologies under the lingering cloud of the weak economy has emboldened IT and network managers to cut the Gordian Knot.
As I discussed in a previous column, IT managers are shouldering the load of developing and executing solid VoIP and unified communications (UC) strategies, often while staying the weight of their day-to-day responsibilities.
"[UC applications] are unlike any application most network managers have dealt with before, and there's only a couple ways to get that experience," explained Zeus Kerravala, a distinguished research fellow at Yankee Group. "I always maintain you should never do your first UC deployment on your own."
A lesson learned the hard way by CuDerm Corp., a Dallas-based skincare marketing and promotions company, which eventually abandoned Asterisk (a free, open source telephony platform) for a hosted VoIP solution.
Would more upfront research have helped DeRudder craft a better VoIP/UC strategy? Sure. Could he have salvaged the Asterisk debacle? Absolutely.
However, like so many IT and network managers, DeRudder and his team were under extraordinary pressure to make quick, manifold decisions with limited resources. Not so different from Alexander the Great, DeRudder tried to untie the Gordian Knot.
But under pressure to solve an intractable problem, he sliced through the knot instead.
Free and open source software (FOSS) communication engines, such as Digium's Asterisk (credited as being the most widely deployed open-source telephony platform) may sound like the perfect fit for budget-strained organizations looking to transition from traditional TDM-based telephony to IP telephony — but beware. Promoted as the "telephony glue" that ties VoIP to TDM, Asterisk can be especially beguiling to companies looking to gradually migrate to VoIP by combining legacy PBXs with IP PBX servers. But take heed.
To harness the power of Asterisk and exploit the platform's near boundless capabilities, you must have the in-house expertise to do so, or at least bring in a well-vetted Asterisk consultant.
Perhaps DeRudder could have invested more time and resources developing a VoIP strategy. Perhaps he could have hired a vetted consultant sooner in order to salvage the deployment. But under mounting pressure to find an economical VoIP and UC solution, DeRudder cut the knot and tried to solve an intricate problem with an unconventional solution. Impetuous? Reckless? Courageous? Enterprising?
However you classify it, DeRudder has earned valuable insight — translatable wisdom he is sharing with others. And a free and open exchange of knowledge is the true value of networking and collaboration.
While one person hesitates because he feels inferior, the other is busy making mistakes and becoming superior.
Henry C. Link
Here are some excerpts from the follow-up article (there are some useful sidebars, etc.):
For so many organizations, deploying VoIP and unified communications (UC) can be likened to the Gordian Knot metaphor.
In a recent case study, "Failed open source VoIP deployment leads to hosted VoIP strategy," John DeRudder, vice president of CuDerm Corp., was puzzled with the same problem many organizations are struggling to unravel: Successfully deploying VoIP and unified communications (UC) yesterday on an always freshly cut budget.
Deploying VoIP and UC has always been an arduous undertaking for the uninitiated. Trying to shepherd the unbridled evolution of communication and collaborative technologies under the lingering cloud of the weak economy has emboldened IT and network managers to cut the Gordian Knot.
As I discussed in a previous column, IT managers are shouldering the load of developing and executing solid VoIP and unified communications (UC) strategies, often while staying the weight of their day-to-day responsibilities.
"[UC applications] are unlike any application most network managers have dealt with before, and there's only a couple ways to get that experience," explained Zeus Kerravala, a distinguished research fellow at Yankee Group. "I always maintain you should never do your first UC deployment on your own."
A lesson learned the hard way by CuDerm Corp., a Dallas-based skincare marketing and promotions company, which eventually abandoned Asterisk (a free, open source telephony platform) for a hosted VoIP solution.
Would more upfront research have helped DeRudder craft a better VoIP/UC strategy? Sure. Could he have salvaged the Asterisk debacle? Absolutely.
However, like so many IT and network managers, DeRudder and his team were under extraordinary pressure to make quick, manifold decisions with limited resources. Not so different from Alexander the Great, DeRudder tried to untie the Gordian Knot.
But under pressure to solve an intractable problem, he sliced through the knot instead.
Free and open source software (FOSS) communication engines, such as Digium's Asterisk (credited as being the most widely deployed open-source telephony platform) may sound like the perfect fit for budget-strained organizations looking to transition from traditional TDM-based telephony to IP telephony — but beware. Promoted as the "telephony glue" that ties VoIP to TDM, Asterisk can be especially beguiling to companies looking to gradually migrate to VoIP by combining legacy PBXs with IP PBX servers. But take heed.
To harness the power of Asterisk and exploit the platform's near boundless capabilities, you must have the in-house expertise to do so, or at least bring in a well-vetted Asterisk consultant.
Perhaps DeRudder could have invested more time and resources developing a VoIP strategy. Perhaps he could have hired a vetted consultant sooner in order to salvage the deployment. But under mounting pressure to find an economical VoIP and UC solution, DeRudder cut the knot and tried to solve an intricate problem with an unconventional solution. Impetuous? Reckless? Courageous? Enterprising?
However you classify it, DeRudder has earned valuable insight — translatable wisdom he is sharing with others. And a free and open exchange of knowledge is the true value of networking and collaboration.
While one person hesitates because he feels inferior, the other is busy making mistakes and becoming superior.
Henry C. Link
Submission + - Metasploit: Anatomy of a sell out? (networkworld.com)
coondoggie writes: Last week, I got on the phone with HD Moore to ask him how things have been going since he sold Metasploit to Rapid7, sending the open source security world into a frenzy some six months ago. Rapid7 had just released the commercial version, dubbed Metasploit Express, of Moore's much beloved open source penetration testing tool.
Submission + - Disposable Cell Phone Helps Trace NY Bomb Suspect (computerworld.com)
CWmike writes: Investigators used a telephone number from a disposable cell phone to help locate the Pakistani-American man suspected in the Times Square car bomb attempt, reports say. Politico.com and other news outlets reported that an unnamed senior official said the suspect used a disposable phone to arrange the purchase of the 1993 Nissan Pathfinder left Saturday packed with bombs in Times Square. Investigators 'were able to basically get one phone number and by running it through a number of databases, figure out who they thought the guy was,' the official told Politico. A spokesman at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York and two spokesmen for the New York office of the FBI said they could not confirm that report. Latest news on the case is that the suspect has confessed, according to a discussion on LA's KCRW on Tuesday at about 11:15 PDT.
Submission + - Cary Grant's Thoughts on LSD from autobiography (makeahistory.com)
An anonymous reader writes: "The action of the chemical releases the subconscious so that it becomes apparent to yourself. So that you can see what transpires in the depth of you mind — and what goes on there you wouldn’t believe, ladies and gentlemen — and learn which misconceptions, guilts and fears, with their resultant repressions, inhibitions and insecurities, have formed the pattern for your past behavior. A successively recurring pattern since childhood...."
Submission + - RapidShare Wins Appeal; Doesn't Have to Filter (arstechnica.com)
eldavojohn writes: RapidShare, on appeal, has won the court's agreement that it does not have to filter uploaded files. From the article, 'Because RapidShare does not make uploaded files publicly available (those who upload them can control access), the court found that it could not be held liable for distribution and that running filename filters on all uploads would produce too many false positives.' Quite a different turn of events from last year.
Submission + - Google Brings Gmail Back To Britain (eweekeurope.co.uk)
justice4all writes: Users of Google's email service in the UK will be able to use @gmail.com domain names from this week
Submission + - Opera open sources Firebug like tool (opera.com)
netux writes: Starting today (Feb 10), Opera Dragonfly is a fully open source project, hosted on BitBucket. Since the previous version of Opera Dragonfly, a lot of work has gone on behind the scenes replacing the existing architecture with a modern version of the Scope Protocol–STP–1.
As well as the current and previous versions of the Opera Dragonfly source code, we have released a couple of tools to help with Opera Dragonfly development. The first is Dragonkeeper. This is a standalone proxy, which translates STP (Scope Transport Protocol) to HTTP. This can also be useful for remote debugging. The second tool is Hob. Hob is a utility to create code from Protocol Buffer descriptions. Protocol Buffers are one of the formats Scope STP-1 supports along with JSON and XML.
If you have a Mercurial client you can visit the Opera Dragonfly STP-1 repository and check out the source code. We have provided initial documentation in the Wiki to get you started. This is Opera’s first full open source project, so there will be a learning curve. We ask you to bear with us while we get everything up and running and policies in place. Coming from a closed source background there are some hurdles to overcome, such as the current bug tracking system being on a closed server. We hope to migrate to an open bug tracking system as the project gets on its feet.
As well as the current and previous versions of the Opera Dragonfly source code, we have released a couple of tools to help with Opera Dragonfly development. The first is Dragonkeeper. This is a standalone proxy, which translates STP (Scope Transport Protocol) to HTTP. This can also be useful for remote debugging. The second tool is Hob. Hob is a utility to create code from Protocol Buffer descriptions. Protocol Buffers are one of the formats Scope STP-1 supports along with JSON and XML.
If you have a Mercurial client you can visit the Opera Dragonfly STP-1 repository and check out the source code. We have provided initial documentation in the Wiki to get you started. This is Opera’s first full open source project, so there will be a learning curve. We ask you to bear with us while we get everything up and running and policies in place. Coming from a closed source background there are some hurdles to overcome, such as the current bug tracking system being on a closed server. We hope to migrate to an open bug tracking system as the project gets on its feet.
