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Submission + - Gawker source code and databases compromised (gawker.com)

Submitted by __roo
__roo writes: Gawker is reporting that "various copies of our source code available for download", including a link to the torrent. The report includes the statement, "We protect our data with UNIX Standard hash encryption method crypt(3), which is absolutely 100% impossible to crack" (more on the history of cracking crypt(3) algorithms here: link, link, link). The torrent description makes references to past Gawker posts about 4chan's Anonymous.

Comment Hey! I resemble that! (Score 2, Interesting) 77

by __roo (#34091284) Attached to: Typewriter Hacked To Play <em>Zork</em>

Some of us actually grew up playing Adventure (still playable online today -- wow!) on something that looks suspiciously similar to that! In my case, a LA36 DECWriter II, which apparently came standard with hippie dress, porn mustache and butterfly collar. I think I still have the old 300 baud acoustic coupler modem lying around somewhere.

Comment Obligatory pedantic objection (Score 1) 538

by __roo (#34067116) Attached to: US Objects To the Kilogram

... blah blah blah ... kilograms ... blah blah blah ... measure of weight ... blah blah blah ... mass and weight are not the same thing ... blah blah blah ... measure of force ... blah blah blah ... weight ... blah blah blah ... mass ... blah blah blah ... Earth's gravity ... blah blah blah ...

obligatory Wikipedia link to back up overly pedantic argument
Idle

Submission + - Opossums overrun Brooklyn, fail to eliminate rats (nypost.com)

Submitted by __roo
__roo writes: In a bizarre case of "life imitates the Simpsons," New York City officials introduced a population of opossums into Brooklyn parks and under the boardwalk at Coney Island, apparently convinced that the opossums would eat all of the rats in the borough and then conveniently die of starvation. ("City brought possums in to take care of rats," read Community Board 15 notes from a 2007 Brooklyn forum meeting where the effort was discussed.) Several years later, the opossums have not only failed to eliminate the rat epidemic from New York City, but they have thrived, turning into a sharp-toothed, foul-odored epidemic of their own.

Comment What goes around... (Score 5, Interesting) 602

by __roo (#33416290) Attached to: Tech's Dark Secret, It's All About Age

A while back, a friend of mine -- a very experienced software development manager -- was running a development team, and was planning to hire a developer who was in his early 40s. One of the team members openly objected to the candidate because of his age, saying something like, "How could he possibly be up to date on current technology or keep up with the rest of the team? He's so old!" My friend eventually hired him anyway, and the "old" developer turned out to be a superstar, one of the best on the team.

That was about eight years ago. The guy who raised the objection is now about the same age as the candidate he had wanted to reject. I wonder if he's facing the same kind of age discrimination, now that he's "so old."
Science

Submission + - Froot Loops packaging: dangerous to your health? (washingtonpost.com)

Submitted by __roo
__roo writes: The Washington Post reports that Kellogg recalled 28 million boxes of Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, Corn Pops and Honey Smacks after dozens of consumers reported a strange taste and odor, and some complained of nausea and diarrhea after eating it. U.S. regulators suspect the chemical 2-methylnaphthalene is the cause, but neither the Food and Drug Administration nor the Environmental Protection Agency have basic scientific health and safety data it — "even though the EPA has been seeking that information from the chemical industry for 16 years." The chemical, along with thousands of others commonly used in industry, is specifically exempted from the Toxic Substances Control Act.
Idle

Submission + - North Korea develops anti-aging "super-drink" (time.com) 4

Submitted by __roo
__roo writes: According to North Korea's official "news" agency, a drink produced by North Korea's Moranbong Carbonated Fruit Juice Joint Venture Company, can cure aging and all disease. "It, with effects of both preventive and curative treatment, helps improve mental and retentive faculties by multiplying brain cells. It also protects skin from wrinkles and black spots and prevents such geriatric diseases as cerebral hemorrhage, myocardium and brain infarction by removing acid effete matters in time." It also has no side-effects.

Comment Traffic signals (Score 2, Interesting) 73

by __roo (#32459546) Attached to: New Radar Device Helps Blind People 'See'

A system like this shouldn't have too much trouble identifying pedestrian "walk/don't walk" traffic signals and giving an audio signal when they turn red or green. GPS locations of known traffic lights should make this even easier. That would make navigating through a city much easier for the visually impaired. There's some research in this area (link, link) already, but having a system like this in place makes it much more likely for a real, usable production system to eventually end up in the hands of the people who need it.
Cellphones

Submission + - Why overheard cell phone chats are annoying (reuters.com)

Submitted by __roo
__roo writes: American researchers think they have found the answer to the question of why overhearing cell phone chats are annoying. According to scientists at Cornell University, when only half of the conversation is overheard, it drains more attention and concentration than when overhearing two people talking. According to one researcher, "We have less control to move away our attention from half a conversation (or halfalogue) than when listening to a dialogue. Since halfalogues really are more distracting and you can't tune them out, this could explain why people are irritated." Their study will be published in the journal Psychological Science.

Comment Ico or Shadow of the Collossus, anyone? (Score 1) 733

by __roo (#31902948) Attached to: Roger Ebert On Why Video Games Can Never Be Art

Clearly, Roger Ebert hasn't played Ico or Shadow of the Collossus. They are easily covered by any definition of "art" I can think of. I've seen very few movies that have as wide a range of emotion and give such an emotional connection as those two games.

(I went to Performing Arts for high school and I've been a musician all my life, so I feel like I can speak with at least a little authority on this.)

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