cyberbian - Slashdot User

Submission + - 1100 Laptops Missing from Commerce Department

Submitted by cyberbian on Friday September 22, 2006 @10:49AM

cyberbian writes: The Washington Post reports(may require signup) that 1100 (!) laptops are missing including at least 250 from the Census Bureau containing such personal information as names, incomes, and Social Security numbers.

This disclosure by the department came in response to a request by the House Committee on Government Reform, which this summer asked 17 federal departments to detail any loss of computers holding sensitive personal information.

This breach of personal privacy could lead to a host of identity thefts, and fundamentally undermines the privacy of hundreds of thousands of Americans. Of the Census Bureau machines, only 107 of those missing were fully encrypted.

Submission + - SMART probe to crash into the Moon.

Submitted by cyberbian on Wednesday August 30, 2006 @05:06PM

cyberbian writes: Amateur astronomers will be excited to note that they can witness the impact of the SMART-1 probe crashing into the moon. NASA reports:

There's nothing wrong with the spacecraft, which is wrapping up a successful 3-year mission to the Moon. SMART-1's main job was to test a European-built ion engine. It worked beautifully, propelling the craft in 2003 on a unique spiral path from Earth to the Moon. From lunar orbit, SMART-1 took thousands of high-resolution pictures and made mineral maps of the Moon's terrain. One of its most important discoveries was a "Peak of Eternal Light," a mountaintop near the Moon's north pole in constant, year-round sunlight. Peaks of Eternal Light are prime real estate for solar-powered Moon bases.

Solar-powered Moon bases! Where do I sign up?

Submission + - Is it SMART to crash into the Moon?

Submitted by

cyberbian

on Wednesday August 30, 2006 @04:10PM

cyberbian writes: "After a highly successful 3 year mission SMART-1 is about to crash into the moon, reports NASA.

Why is SMART-1 crashing? There's nothing wrong with the spacecraft, which is wrapping up a successful 3-year mission to the Moon. SMART-1's main job was to test a European-built ion engine. It worked beautifully, propelling the craft in 2003 on a unique spiral path from Earth to the Moon. From lunar orbit, SMART-1 took thousands of high-resolution pictures and made mineral maps of the Moon's terrain. One of its most important discoveries was a "Peak of Eternal Light," a mountaintop near the Moon's north pole in constant, year-round sunlight. Peaks of Eternal Light are prime real estate for solar-powered Moon bases.
Solar-powered Moon bases! Where do I sign up?"

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