Comment What about noise pollution? (Score 1) 334
Is the jet engine going to sound like a jet engine? This may turn out to be a problem.
Submission + - Israeli Knesset approves Biometric Database law (ynetnews.com)
Lord Duran writes: The Israeli Knesset approved a bill tonight that will require every Israeli citizen to submit a visual scan of their face and a biometric scan of their fingerprints to a national database. I, for one, fail to see how this is anything but evil. TFA mentions the Israeli census was breached — I'd like to point out, for comparison, that it's still freely available on your peer-to-peer file sharing network of choice.
Comment Just seems like... (Score 4, Informative) 251
a glorified version of Harvest Moon.
Comment Simply not security minded. (Score 1) 265
I honestly don't understand why a web browser, which today is a platform for doing almost anything, would let any foreign code run without an explicit user request/confirmation - in the form of a standard, Firefoxy window the user knows. It's simply not security minded. Don't trust other people's code!
Comment Re:Get Nokia N900 (Score 1) 3
I'll check it out.
Again, the device I'm looking for isn't something more than a PDA - it's just a PDA that'll allow you to run a script if you can't seem to do what you want with the available GUI.
Submission + - Which PDA for the Linux Hacker? 3
Lord Duran writes: Lately I've decided I want to start working with a PDA; having looked at my dad's iPhone, the thing that really bugged me is the lack of power. For instance, I couldn't find a way to erase some 50 emails at once. Several other PDAs were better, but still — for a guy used to working with the GUI but if something quick and dirty needed, always uses the small Python or bash script, they all felt a little cumbersome.
I'd like to stress that I'm not interested in doing more with the PDA than the common user does — appointments, contacts, maybe a few games, a to do list.
So now I ask Slashdot — what PDA — or mobile OS — is best for the programmer type?
I'd like to stress that I'm not interested in doing more with the PDA than the common user does — appointments, contacts, maybe a few games, a to do list.
So now I ask Slashdot — what PDA — or mobile OS — is best for the programmer type?
Comment Re:Bad, but not as bad as Visa (Score 3, Interesting) 230
"If Visa then determines that the charge was legitimate, we get the $13.95 back (but not the $25.)"
How the hell would this hold up in court? You legally prove the customer was an asshole and you did everything as legitimately as possible, kept all the records, anything, and still VISA takes money from you? It's not a small amount either, $11.05 per claim. All your competitors need to do is get up a bunch of enough people, or the same people again, say 5000, have them sign up and cancel the charge, and you get a $55,250 bill in the mail.
I say sue Visa.
Comment What about... (Score 1) 309
battery life?
Such a powerful instrument is bound to either require laptop-style batteries, or have a really, really short battery life.
Submission + - Rutkowska Challenge a No-Go
Lord Duran writes: It appears the challenge set up by Thomas Ptacek of Matasano Security, Nate Lawson of Root Labs and Symantec's Peter Ferrie isn't going to happen. Rutkowska wants $384,000 for her rootkit; Ptacek thinks it's not worth the money. Will either change their mind?
Submission + - Israeli Internet censorship bill passes first call
cow_2001 writes: "From the article:
"Internet censorship bill places Israel in same league as Iran, saudi Arabia
[...]
According to the bill, Internet providers will have to block minors from accessing websites that are intended for adults and whose essence is sex, violence, and gambling.
All these websites will be blocked and access to them would only be made possible through physical or biometric identification of the surfer as well as a password, in order to confirm that the surfer is an adult. The bill includes a NIS 20,000 (roughly $4,500) fine and a one-year prison term for Internet provider managers who fail to comply with the law."
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3371412, 00.html"
"Internet censorship bill places Israel in same league as Iran, saudi Arabia
[...]
According to the bill, Internet providers will have to block minors from accessing websites that are intended for adults and whose essence is sex, violence, and gambling.
All these websites will be blocked and access to them would only be made possible through physical or biometric identification of the surfer as well as a password, in order to confirm that the surfer is an adult. The bill includes a NIS 20,000 (roughly $4,500) fine and a one-year prison term for Internet provider managers who fail to comply with the law."
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3371412
Submission + - BBC strikes Google-YouTube deal
twofish writes: "Google's YouTube video site will soon be showing content from the BBC in a deal announced today. Content will include adverts, clips from popular programs and news items. The deal is likely to be controversial, particularly since the BBC is paid for by a compulsory tax system (the license fee) rather than through advertising or subscription"
Feed Tech Expos Take a Stab at Sex (wired.com)
Submission + - Vista activation cracked by brute force
Bengt writes: The Inquirer has a story about a brute force Vista key activation crack.
From TFA: The crack is a glorified guesser, and with the speed of modern PCs and the number of outstanding keys, the 25-digit serials are within range. The biggest problem for MS? If this gets widespread, and I hope it will, people will start activating legit keys that are owned by other people.
There is really no differentiating between a legit copy with a manually typed in wrong key and a hack attempt. Sure MS can throttle this by limiting key attempts to one a minute or so on new software, but the older variants are already burnt to disk. The cat is out of the bag. The crack was first mentioned on the Keznews forums, a step by step How-to can be found HERE
From TFA: The crack is a glorified guesser, and with the speed of modern PCs and the number of outstanding keys, the 25-digit serials are within range. The biggest problem for MS? If this gets widespread, and I hope it will, people will start activating legit keys that are owned by other people.
There is really no differentiating between a legit copy with a manually typed in wrong key and a hack attempt. Sure MS can throttle this by limiting key attempts to one a minute or so on new software, but the older variants are already burnt to disk. The cat is out of the bag. The crack was first mentioned on the Keznews forums, a step by step How-to can be found HERE
