71839633
submission
jones_supa writes:
A massive x86 assembly code spring cleaning has been done in a pull request that is to end up in Linux 4.1. The developers have tried testing the code on many different x86 boxes, but there's risk of regression when exposing the code to many more systems in the days and weeks ahead. That being said, the list of improvements is excellent. There are over 100 separate cleanups, restructuring changes, speedups and fixes in the x86 system call, IRQ, trap and other entry code, part of a heroic effort to deobfuscate a decade old spaghetti assembly code and its C code dependencies.
71772681
submission
jones_supa writes:
Last year, Valve made it possible for Debian developers to get free subscription to all Valve games. In the dri-devel mailing list, Daniel Stone informs that now the game company is expanding the offer to Mesa developers as well. If you have 25 or more commits to Mesa in the past 5 years, read the post for instructions on how to get VIP access to the Valve catalogue.
71759273
submission
jones_supa writes:
Being overweight cuts the risk of dementia, according to the largest and most precise investigation into the relationship. The researchers were surprised by the findings, which run contrary to current health advice. The team at Oxon Epidemiology and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine analysed medical records from 2 million people aged 55 on average, for up to two decades. Their most conservative analysis showed underweight people had a 39% greater risk of dementia compared with being a normal healthy weight. But those who were overweight had an 18% reduction in dementia, and the figure was 24% reduction for the obese. Any explanation for the protective effect is distinctly lacking. There are some ideas that vitamin D and E deficiencies contribute to dementia and they may be less common in those eating more. Be it any way, let's still not forget that heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some cancers and other diseases are all linked to a bigger waistline. Maybe being slightly overweight is the optimum to strike, if the recent study is to be followed.
71752221
submission
jones_supa writes:
The Korean electronics company LG ships a split screen tool with their ultra wide displays. It allows to slice the Windows desktop into multiple segments, which is actually a nice feature. However, installing the software seriously compromises security of the particular workstation. The developers required administrator access for the software, but apparently they hacked their way out. The installer silently disables User Account Control, and enables a policy to start all applications as Administrator. In the article there is also a video presentation of the setup procedure. It is safe to say that no one should be running this software in its current form.
71751383
submission
jones_supa writes:
Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Shuhei Yoshida has appointed Toshimasa Aoki to take into account user feedback on the PlayStation 4. Sony is looking for open feedback on the PS4 on what features they should include in the future as part of the core functionality. Already there are a flood of ideas being suggested, though not all are necessarily reasonable or system software requests. If you have a groundbreaking feature that must be included in the next update for the PS4, then tweet @toshimasa_aoki to have it taken into consideration. If your idea is reasonable, there is a chance to get it investigated and eventually even implemented.
71744105
submission
jones_supa writes:
As part of an effort to make encryption a standard component of every application, Linux Foundation has launched its Let's Encrypt project (announcement) along with its intention to provide access to a free certificate management service. Jim Zemlin, executive director for the Linux Foundation, says that the goal for the project is nothing less than universal adoption of encryption to disrupt a multi-billion dollar cracker economy. While there may never be such a thing as perfect security, Zemlin says it's just too easy to steal data that is not encrypted. In its current form, encryption is difficult to implement and a lot of cost and overhead is associated with managing encryption keys. Zemlin claims that the Let's Encrypt project will reduce the effort it takes to encrypt data in an application down to two simple commands. The project is being hosted by the Linux Foundation, but the actual project is being managed by the Internet Security Research Group (ISRG). This work is sponsored by Akamai, Cisco, EFF, Mozilla, IdenTrust, and Automattic, which all are Linux Foundation patrons. Visit Let's Encrypt official website to get involved.
71658465
submission
jones_supa writes:
It seems that the PC version of Grand Theft Auto V has been completed, as Rockstar Games confirms that the preload is officially open. This means that those who prepurchased the game via Steam or Rockstar Warehouse can now start downloading the massive 65 GB game in an encrypted form. The game can be decrypted on the official release date, which is April 14. The official system requirements have been out for a while too.
71615063
submission
jones_supa writes:
Windows 7 SP1 and 8.1 users are being offered a mystical update KB3035583 that "enables additional capabilities for Windows Update notifications". The update is offered as a recommended update since March 28th. Myce did some investigation about what this means, and discovered that the update is actually a download helper for Windows 10, which will also notify the user when Microsoft's upcoming operating system can be acquired. Once the update is downloaded, it places a folder to %WINDIR%\System32 called GWX which contains some files and a folder called Download. One of the four executables reveals what the update really is, as the description of GWXUXWorker.exe states "Download Windows 10". The configuration file defines some rules as to how to behave when the Windows 10 release date nears.
71611045
submission
jones_supa writes:
Google is in talks towards a deal with Hutchison Whampoa, the owner of the mobile operator Three, that will allow United States customers to use their phones abroad at no extra cost. The two giants are discussing a wholesale access agreement that would become an important part of Google’s planned attempt to shake up the US mobile market with its own network. It is understood that Google aims to create a global network that will cost the same to use for calls, texts and data no matter where a customer is located. By linking up with Hutchison, it could gain wholesale access to mobile service in the UK, Ireland, Italy and several more countries where the Hong Kong conglomerate owns mobile networks.
71567833
submission
jones_supa writes:
Version 4.0.0 has been released of Mono, the FOSS implementation of the .NET Framework. This is the first release of Mono that replaces various components of Mono with code that was released by Microsoft under the MIT license. Microsoft itself is working towards .NET Core: a redistributable and re-imagined version of .NET, which has two code drops: CoreFX and CoreCLR. Mono at this point continues to provide an API that tracks the .NET desktop/server version. This means that most of the Mono code that has been integrated from Microsoft comes from the ReferenceSource code drop. Mono's C# compiler now also defaults to C# 6.0.
71559413
submission
jones_supa writes:
The second technical preview of Windows Server 2016 will be launching in May as the first one nears its expiration date. The next Windows Server is being developed and targeted for an early 2016 release, however, the latest and greatest preview builds haven't been released to the public by Microsoft since October 2014. At the same time, Windows 10 builds have been released regularly to everybody who wants to try them out. It was revealed earlier that the Windows Server release won't take place along with that of Windows 10, so it makes sense that Microsoft is pushing more builds of the desktop OS out for testing first. There is no mention of an exact date of the upcoming Windows Server Technical Preview, but an announcement can be expected during the upcoming BUILD 2015 conference which starts on 29th April.
71534623
submission
jones_supa writes:
Some of you have probably used the Feedback app of Windows 10 Technical Preview, which has enabled us to submit feature requests and bug reports directly to Microsoft in order to improve the operating system as the company approaches the final release. While Microsoft tries to make some of the requests available, it also depends on the number of votes that each submission gets. Softpedia takes a look at the top 5 requests right now: make Feedback app available in final Windows too, improve network connections management, allow task view drag windows between desktops, give Cortana the ability to open programs, and bring back resize options for Start Menu.
71509673
submission
jones_supa writes:
Phoronix has noticed that the Visual Studio 2015 product page mentions that the new IDE can target Linux out of the box. Specifically the page says "Build for iOS, Android, Windows devices, Windows Server or Linux". What this actually means is not completely certain at this point, but it certainly laces nicely with the company opening up the .NET Framework.
71475215
submission
jones_supa writes:
A critical vulnerability has been found in the MPEG-1 Layer III playback backend of Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird. Security researcher Aki Helin reported a use-after-free scenario when playing certain audio files on the web using the Fluendo MP3 plugin for GStreamer on Linux. This is due to a flaw in handling certain MP3 files by the plugin and its interaction with Mozilla code. A maliciously crafted MP3 file can lead to a potentially exploitable crash. Linux is the only affected platform, so Windows and OS X users are safe from this particular vulnerability.
71455829
submission
jones_supa writes:
Well, we saw this one coming. Just a couple of days after computer science student Erik Roystan Ross released a free recreation of the first level of Nintendo's 1996 Super Mario 64, Nintendo filed a Digital Millennium Copyright Act complaint. It was sent to the content distribution network CloudFlare and the complaint asked to immediately disable public access to the page hosting the remade game. CloudFlare forwarded the complaint to the person hosting Ross' game, after which the hosting provider (a friend of Ross) had to take the game down. Nintendo also sent Ross takedown notices for his downloadable desktop versions of the Bob-Omb Battlefield. Nintendo is famously protective of its copyright, taking issue even with "Let's Play" videos posted on YouTube and threatening to shut down live-streamed Super Smash Bros tournaments.
