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Comment Re:Maybe they shouldn't have used Suse (Score 3, Insightful) 380

by CogDissident (#24967517) Attached to: Lenovo Removes Linux Option For Home Buyers
And that is why Linux is a bad idea for them. Every linux nerd that wants a pre install, wants their favorite "flavor" of pre install. And gets pissy when their favorite brand name isn't in first place. And half the time people buy linux machines for their computer-illiterate relatives, making them take up huge amounts of phone-support time.

Easier to pitch it and say "eh, we have windows. Enjoy."
Google

Submission + - Google mistakenly disables email accounts

Submitted by little hacksaw
little hacksaw writes: In an attempt to curb spammers operating with google mail accounts, Google has disabled an undisclosed number of email accounts of innocent civilians. The problem manifests as a "sector 6 lockdown error", but variations exist — sudden influx of spam, and inability to view or download attachments. Although claims of fixédness were made as early as April 7, the problem appears to be persisting.
Privacy

Submission + - Inside Wal-Mart's 'Threat Research' Operation

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: The Wal-Mart Stores Inc. worker fired last month for intercepting a reporter's phone calls says he was part of a larger, sophisticated surveillance operation that included snooping not only on employees, but also on critics, stockholders and the consulting firm McKinsey & Co. As part of the surveillance, the retailer last year had a long-haired employee infiltrate an anti-Wal-Mart group to determine if it planned protests at the company's annual meeting, according to Bruce Gabbard, the fired security worker, who worked in Wal-Mart's Threat Research and Analysis Group. The company also deployed cutting-edge monitoring systems made by a supplier to the Defense Department that allowed it to capture and record the actions of anyone connected to its global computer network. The systems' high-tech wizardry could detect the degree of flesh-tone on a viewed Internet image, and alerted monitors that a vendor sharing Wal-Mart networks was viewing pornography. Wal-Mart has since disconnected some systems amid an internal investigation of the group's activities earlier this year, according to an executive in the security-information industry. The revelations by Mr. Gabbard, many of which were confirmed by other former Wal-Mart employees and security-industry professionals, provide a rare window into the retail giant's internal operations and mindset. The company fired Mr. Gabbard, a 19-year employee, last month for unauthorized recording of calls to and from a New York Times reporter and for intercepting pager messages. Wal-Mart conducted an internal investigation of Mr. Gabbard and his group's activities, fired his supervisor and demoted a vice president over the group as well. Mr. Gabbard says he recorded the calls on his own because he felt pressured to stop embarrassing leaks. But he says most of his spying activities were sanctioned by superiors. "I used to joke that Wal-Mart paid me to be paranoid and they got their money's worth," Mr. Gabbard says. Wal-Mart says it permitted recording employee calls "only in compelling circumstances and with written permission from the legal department." But because pager messages were sent over a frequency that was not secure, Mr. Gabbard inadvertently intercepted pages from non-Wal-Mart employees as well. A U.S. attorney is investigating whether any laws were violated as a result of the phone and pager intercepts. Aside from that possible infraction, Wal-Mart's surveillance activity appears to be legal. U.S. courts have long held that companies can read employee emails, and Wal-Mart employees are informed they have "no expectation of privacy" when using company-supplied computers or phones. The surveillance of people in public places is also legal. http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB117565486864 559297-lMyQjAxMDE3NzA1OTYwNTk0Wj.html
Republicans

Submission + - White House Email Accounts Draw Scrutiny

Submitted by
David Kesmodel from WSJ
David Kesmodel from WSJ writes: "The extensive use of private email accounts by some top White House officials has prompted a congressional probe into whether the practice violates a post-Nixon law requiring that White House deliberations be documented, the Wall Street Journal reports. A top Democratic lawmaker says outside email accounts were used in an effort to escape scrutiny; the White House defends the practice. The outside accounts tend to be maintained on computers based off White House premises, such as at Republican National Committee headquarters, the WSJ reports."
Microsoft

Journal Journal: News from the ancient past

Journal by badc0ffee

(following from alt.fan.bill.gates circa 1990's sometime. Original author unknown)

Monday, 10 AM -- Chicago, Illinois -- Start-up software developer Cuisine
International announced CUISINENET, the first internetworking program to
seamlessly integrate word and food processing. Called a breakthrough for
small restaurants and snack bars, Cuisine Chairman Mark Meigs confidently
predicted sales of thousands of copies with shipments soon to begin.

Feed DS-Xtreme bumped to 2GB, costs as much as a DS (engadget.com)

From feed by engfeed

Filed under: Gaming, Storage

It's just always gotta be "more, more, more" with you, doesn't it? Never content with the 512MB DS-Xtreme homebrew cart your mother brought you into the world with, you've gotta go for a whole 2GB to house your various homebrew, ROMs, game backups and musics. Well, we're right there with you, and that's why we're happy to report that the DS-X folks have released a 2GB version of their homebrew companion, for the hefty sum of $130. Hey, nobody said being pirate user of legitimately acquired ROMs, backups and homebrew was cheap.

[Via OhGizmo!]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD A new documentary series. Be part of the transformation as it happens in real-time

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
Security

Submission + - Amazon.com Entering Spyware Arena ?

Submitted by Privacy Lover
Privacy Lover writes: There is this thread going on Apple Support Forums on an alleged phenomena about Apple software update contacting Amazon.com from both Macs and PCs. I may not have believed it, but my firewall holds a record for such http transactions from Apple Software Update to g-images.amazon.com! Did Amazon find a way to exploit a hole in Apple software, or is Apple willingly collaborating on some evil plot thinking no one would notice?
Privacy

Submission + - Britain's talking spy cameras - with kids' voices

Submitted by
newtley
newtley writes: "Middlesbrough, a large town in North East England, has something other places in in the UK don't have.' Yet. It boasts loudspeakers fitted to CCTV cameras so operators can, "bark commands at people committing anti-social behaviour," says the South London Press. Now home secretary John Reid plans to expand the use of 'talking' CCTV cameras across the country, says Press Association, and "Competitions are being held at schools in many of the areas for children to become the 'voice' of CCTV cameras, Mr Reid said," according to ITV. With kids already doing spycam voice-overs, will the next step be getting them to act as remote copyright spies like they do in Hong Kong?"
Space

Submission + - A corporate anthem for the spooks!

Submitted by
judgecorp
judgecorp writes: "Who would have thought the US National Reconnaissance Office — the body that runs America's spy satellites — would have its own song? Made in 2000, it has just been forced into the open thanks to Freedom of Information. It's a soft-rock number, with lots of archive news footage and political voice overs. And some extremely rare official images of spy satellites."

Feed Story of a Credit Card Fraudster (schneier.com)

From feed by bsfeed
A two-part story from The Guardian: an excerpt from Other People's Money: The Rise And Fall Of Britain's Most Audacious Credit Card Fraudster. The first time I did the WTS, it was on a man from London who was staying...
Businesses

To Verizon, "Unlimited" Means 5 GB 743

Posted by kdawson from the sue-for-false-advertising dept.
Jason writes "For years there have been stories about people getting their unlimited Verizon EVDO Wireless accounts terminated because of excessive data usage, but Verizon never explicitly said that there is a limit. Now if you dive into the terms of the Unlimited Data Service plan they have put a section in that specifically states that anything over 5GB of data usage in a one month period is considered prima facie evidence that you must be downloading movies, and you will be cut off."

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