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Bitcoin

Bitcoin's Success With Investors Alienates Earliest Adopters 79

Posted by timothy
from the who-has-the-gold-wins dept.
holy_calamity writes "Digital currency Bitcoin is gaining acceptance with mainstream venture capitalists, reports Technology Review, but at the price of its famed anonymity and ability to operate without central authority. Technology investors have now ploughed millions of dollars into a handful of Bitcoin-based payments and financial companies that are careful to follow financial regulations and don't offer anonymity. That's causing tensions in the community of Bitcoin enthusiasts, some of whom feel their currency's success has involved abandoning its most important features."
The Internet

WIPO Panel Says Ron Paul Guilty of Reverse Domain Name Hijacking 124

Posted by timothy
from the take-a-man's-name dept.
An anonymous reader writes "Ron Paul lost his two cybersquatting complaints against RonPaul.com and RonPaul.org. In the case of RonPaul.org, Paul was been found guilty of 'reverse domain name hijacking'. A reverse domain name hijacking finding means that the arbitration panel believes the case was filed in bad faith, resulting in the abuse of the administrative process. The panel ruled this way since Paul filed the case after the owner of RonPaul.org had already offered to give him the domain for free. The panel also ruled against Paul for the RonPaul.com domain name."

+ - Cockroaches Evolving to Avoid Roach Motels->

Submitted by sciencehabit
sciencehabit writes "Only a few years after roach motels were introduced in the 1980s, they lost their allure for an increasing number of German cockroaches. Researchers soon realized that some roaches had developed an aversion to glucose—the sugary bait disguising the poison—and that the insects were passing that trait on to their young. Now, scientists have figured out how this behavior evolved."
Link to Original Source
Canada

5-Pound UAV Flies For 50 Minutes, Streams HD From Over 3 Miles 75

Posted by timothy
from the so-much-better-than-model-rockets dept.
An anonymous reader writes "Looks like those guys from Aeryon Labs are at it again. Today they announced the SkyRanger a bigger brother to their Scout drone (the one that the Libyan rebels used back in 2011). This one claims flight time of close to an hour, streaming 1080p30 HD video, a range of over 3 miles and a camera that can shoot 15 Megapixel stills and thermal video simultaneously. Not only that but it pops out of a backpack and is ready to fly instantly. It ain't cheap, but it can fly at 40 mph!"

+ - Ron Paul found guilty of Reverse Domain Name Hijacking in domain dispute->

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes "Ron Paul lost his two cybersquatting complaints against RonPaul.com and RonPaul.org.

In the case of RonPaul.org, Paul was been found guilty of "reverse domain name hijacking".

A reverse domain name hijacking finding means that the arbitration panel believes the case was filed in bad faith, resulting in the abuse of the administrative process.

The panel ruled this way since Paul filed the case after the owner of RonPaul.org had already offered to give him the domain for free.

The panel also ruled against Paul for the RonPaul.com domain name."
Link to Original Source
Cloud

Google Code Deprecates Download Service For Project Hosting 140

Posted by timothy
from the look-but-don't-slurp dept.
New submitter c0d3g33k writes "Google Project Hosting announced changes to the Download service on Wednesday, offering only 'increasing misuse of the service and a desire to keep our community safe and secure' by way of explanation. Effective immediately, existing projects that offer no downloads and all new projects will no longer be able to create downloads. Existing projects which currently have downloads will lose the ability to create new downloads by January 2014, though existing downloads will remain available 'for the foreseeable future.' Google Drive is recommended as an alternative, but this will likely have to be done manually by project maintainers since the ability to create and manage downloads won't be part of the Project Hosting tools. This is a rather baffling move, since distributing project files via download is integral to FOSS culture."

Comment: Re:Extortion maybe? (Score 1) 111

I'd never heard of Kim Dotcom before the raid, and my opinion of him has been shaped solely by /. comments (who has time to RTFA?). So I'm in a pretty good position to comment on the "Slashtard hypocrisy".

The general consensus seems to boil down to "He's a dick who's on the right side of one specific issue". So you'll see comments supporting him in the one specific issue, but you'll see other comments decrying his general dickishness - including his current patent trolling.

However, I'm not really sure having a nuanced view of a person really qualifies as "hypocrisy".

Book Reviews

+ - Book Review: Creating Mobile Apps with jQuery Mobile->

Submitted by sagecreek
sagecreek writes "You can judge this book, at least in part, by the lengthy tagline on its cover: “Learn to make practical, unique, real-world sites that span a variety of industries and technologies with the world’s most popular mobile development library.”

jQuery might not be your favorite framework on the long, long list of JavaScript possibilities. But Shane Gliser unabashedly describes himself as a jQuery “fanboy...if it’s officially jQuery, I love it.”

Gliser is an experienced mobile developer and blogger who operates Roughly Brilliant Digital Studios. He also has some background in mobile UX (user experience), and both qualities show in this smoothly written, well-illustrated, 234-page how-to book that focuses on jQuery Mobile, a “touch-optimized” web framework for smartphones and tablets.

Don’t be surprised when you extract the book’s code examples and related items from a ZIP file that is almost 100MB in size. Gliser covers a lot of ground, and he covers it well in his 10 chapters. And each chapter contains a project.

The first thing you don’t do in Chapter 1, “Prototyping jQuery Mobile,” is work at a computer. In the true spirit of UX, Gliser briefly has you work with a pen and some 3x5 note cards. (Remember those?) Your initial goal is to roughly sketch out some designs for a jQuery Mobile website for a new pizzeria. But why the ancient technology? “We are more willing to simply throw out a drawing that took less than 30 seconds to create,” Gliser writes. And: “Actually sketching by hand uses a different part of the brain and unlocks our creative centers.” Furthermore, those on your team who are not coders can contribute comments, suggestions, and corrections to the emerging design.

In Chapter 2, “A Mom-and-Pop Mobile Website,” you step over to your computer with Chapter 1’s paper prototype in hand. You start converting the sketched design “into an actual jQuery Mobile (jQM) site that acts responsively and looks unique.” You also begin building “a configurable server-side PHP template,” and you work with custom fonts, page curl effects using CSS, and other aspects of creating and optimizing a mobile site.

“Mobile is a very unforgiving environment,” Gliser cautions, “and some of the tips in this section will make more difference than any of the ‘best coding practices.’” Indeed, he wants you to be aware of optimization “at the beginning. You are going to do some awesome work and I don’t want you or your stakeholders to think it’s any less awesome, or slow, or anything else because you didn’t know the tricks to squeeze the most performance out of your systems. It’s never too early to impress people with the performance of your creations.”

Chapter 3, “Analytics, Long forms, and Front-end Validation,” moves beyond “dynamically link[ing] directly into the native GPS systems of iOS and Android.” Instead, Gliser introduces how to work with Google static maps, Google Analytics, long and multi-page forms, and jQuery Validate. As for static maps, he says, “Remember to always approach things from the user’s perspective. It’s not always about doing the coolest thing we can.” Indeed, a static map may be all the user needs to decide whether to drive to a business, such as a pizzeria, or just call for delivery. And, as for Google Analytics: “Every website should have analytics. If not, it’s difficult to say how many people are hitting your site, if we’re getting people through our conversion funnels, or what pages are causing people to leave our site.”

Meanwhile, desktop users are familiar with (and frequently irritated by) long forms and multi-page forms. Lengthy forms can be real deal-breakers for users trying to negotiate them on mobile devices. The author presents some ways to shorten long forms and break them “into several pages using jQuery Mobile.” And he emphasizes the importance of using the jQuery Validate plug-in to add validation to any page that has a form, so the user can see quickly and clearly that an entry has a problem.

The focus in Chapter 4, “QR Codes, Geolocation, Google Maps API, and HTML5 Video,” is on handling concepts that can be “applied to any business that has multiple physical locations.” Gliser uses a local movie theater chain as his development example. It is “considering throwing its hat into the mobile ring,” so a site is created that makes use of QR codes, geolocation, Google Maps, and linking to YouTube movie previews. Then, he shows how to use embedded video to keep users on the movie chain’s site rather than sending them off to YouTube.

In Chapter 5, the goal is “to create an aggregating news site based off social media.” So the emphasis shifts to “Client-side Templating, JSON APIs, and HTML5 Web Storage.” Notes Gliser: “Honestly, from a purely pragmatic perspective, I believe that the template is the perfect place for code. The more flexible, the better. JSON holds the data and the templates are used to transform it. To draw a parallel, XML is the data format and XSL templates are used to transform. Nobody whines about logic in XSL; so I don’t see why it should be a problem in JS templates.”

Next, he shows how to patch into Twitter’s JSON API to get “the very latest set of trending topics” and “whittle down the response to only the part we want...and pass that array into JsRender for...well...rendering” in a manner that will be “a lot cleaner to read and maintain” than looping through JSON and using string concatenation to make the output.

Other topics in Chapter 5 include programmatically changing pages in jQuery Mobile, understanding how jQuery Mobile handles generated pages and Document Object Model (DOM) weight management, and working with RSS feeds. Gliser points out that there is still “a lot more information out there being fed by RSS feeds than by JSON feeds.” The chapter concludes with looks at how to use HTML5 web storage (it’s simple, yet it can get “especially tricky on mobile browsers”), and how to leverage the Google Feed API. Explains Gliser: “The Google Feeds (sic) API can be fed several options, but at its core, it’s a way to specify an RSS or ATOM feed and get back a JSON representation.”

Chapter 6 jumps into “the music scene. We’re going to take the jQuery Mobile interface and turn it into a media player, artist showcase, and information hub that can be saved to people’s home screens,” Gliser writes. He proceeds to show how “ridiculously simple it can be to bring audio into your jQuery Mobile pages.” And he explains how to use HTML5 manifest “and a few other meta tags” to save an app to the home screen. Furthermore, he discusses how to test mobile sites using “Google Chrome (since its WebKit) or IE9 (for the Windows Phone)” as browsers that are shrunken down to mobile size. “Naturally, this does not substitute for real testing,” he cautions. “Always check your creations on real devices. That being said, the shrunken browser approach will usually get you 97.5 percent of the way there. Well...HTML5 Audio throws that operating model right out the window.”

Since “mobile phones are quickly becoming our photo albums,” Gliser’s Chapter 7, “Fully Responsive Photography,” begins with creating a basic gallery using Photoswipe. Then, in a section focused on “supporting the full range of device sizes,” he shows how to start using responsive web design (RWD), “the concept of making a single page work for every device size.” The issues, of course, range from image sizes and resolutions to text sizes and character counts per line, on screens as small as smart phones and tablets, or larger.

In Chapter 8, “Integrating jQuery Mobile into Existing Sites,” three topics are key: (1) “Detecting mobile — server-side, client-side, and the combination of the two”; (2) “Mobilizing full site pages — the hard way”; and (3) Mobilizing full site pages — the easy way.” Gliser avoids some potential “geek war” controversies over “browser sniffing versus feature detection” when detecting mobile devices. He zeroes in first on detection using WURFL for “server-side database-driven browser sniffing.” He also shows how to do JavaScript-based browser sniffing, which he concedes may be “the worst possible way to detect mobile but it does have its virtues,” especially if your budget is small and you want to exclude older devices that can’t handle some new JavaScript templating. He also describes JavaScript-based feature detection using Modernizer, plus some other feature-detection methods.

As for mobilizing full-site pages “the hard way,” he states that there is really “only one good reason: to keep the content on the same page so that the user doesn’t have one page for mobile and one page for desktop. When emails and tweets and such are flying around, the user generally doesn’t care if they’re sending out the mobile view or the desktop view and they shouldn’t.” He focuses on how “it’s pretty easy to tell what parts of a site would translate to mobile” and how to add data attributes to existing tags “to mobilize them. When jQuery’s libraries are not present on the page, these attributes will simply sit there and cause no harm. Then you can use one of our many detection techniques to decide when to throw the jQM libraries in.”

Mobilizing full-size pages “the easy way” involves, in his view, “nothing easier and cleaner than just creating a standalone jQuery Mobile page...and simply import the page we want with AJAX. We can then pull out the parts we want and leave the rest.” His code samples show how to do this.

Chapter 9, “Content Management Systems and jQM” looks at the pros and cons of using three different content management systems (CMS) with jQuery Mobile: WordPress, Drupal, and Adobe Experience Manager. “The key to get up and running quickly with any CMS is, realizing which plugins and themes to use,” Gliser writes. “For WordPress, I would not recommend a jQuery Mobile plugin. As I was experimenting for this chapter, it broke the admin interface and was, in general, a miserable experience. However, there are several jQuery Mobile themes that will serve you well. Some are free, some paid.” He explains how to use mobile theme switchers.

Meanwhile, Drupal offers some standard plugins that provide contact forms, CAPTCHA, and custom database tables and forms, and enable you to “create full blown web apps, not just brochureware sites.” But: “The biggest downside to Drupal is that it has a bit of a learning curve if yo want to tap its true power, Also, without some tuning, it can be a little slow and can really bloat your page’s code,” he says.

As for Adobe Experience Manager (AEM), Gliser merely introduces it as a “premier corporate CMS” and a “major CMS player that comes with complete jQuery Mobile examples.” He doesn’t show “how to install, configure, or code for AEM. That’s a subject for several training manuals the size of this book.” He adds: “If you work for a company that can afford AEM, you’ll already be well-versed in the mobile implementation. The power this platform gives to content authors is astounding.”

Chapter 10, the final chapter, is titled “Putting It All Together — Flood.FM.” Using what you’ve learned in the book, including paper prototyping the interfaces, you create “a website where listeners will be greeted with music from local, independent bands across several genres and geographic regions.”

Along the way, Gliser introduces Balsamiq, “a very popular UX tool for rapid prototyping.” He discusses using Model-View-Controller (MVC), Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM), and Model-View-Whatever (MV*) development structures with jQuery Mobile. He introduces how to work with the Web Audio API , and he illustrates how to prompt users to download the Flood.FM app to their home screens. He finishes up with brief discussions of accelerometers, cameras, “APIs on the horizon,” plus “To app or not to app, that is the question” and whether you should compile an app or not. Finally, he shows PhoneGap Build, the “cloud-based build service for PhoneGap.”

Shane Gliser’s book does indeed cover a lot of ground, clearly and with good examples. If you truly demand that some nits must be picked, I can report that an occasional dash is missing or a comma sometimes shows up out of place, such as this example in Chapter 2: “A practice is only best until a new practice, [misplaced comma] comes along that is better.” Iin the printed book’s table of contents, there are style and spelling glitches in the heading for Chapter 3. “Analytics, long forms, and frontend validation” should be “Analytics, Long Forms, and Front-end Validation.” And, in Chapter 5, Gliser refers to the “Google Feeds API” when it’s actually “Google Feed API.” But the term “Google Feeds API” commonly is misused by developers on Stack Overflow and other sites.

I am not a mobile developer. I am a tech writer, frequent book reviewer, and occasional coder. I have played with some of the code examples in this book, but I have not tried them all. So I can’t say if there are code glitches. However, the book was reviewed before publication by at least four software professionals with impressive resumes.

Aside from occasional spots where the text needed tighter editing, this book is, in my view, well written and rich with information, examples, sources, and tips for working effectively with jQuery Mobile. I intend to put it to good use as I continue learning."
Link to Original Source

+ - Debian's oldest developer, Ray Dassen, has died of unknown causes.->

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes "The Debian Project today is mourning the loss of legendary Linux developer Ray Dassen. Ray Dassen served the Linux community and Debian at large for nearly all of Debian’s life, having joined the project in the very beginning working hand-in-hand while the project’s founder, Ian Murdock."
Link to Original Source

+ - Android Malware Intercepts Text Messages, Forwards to Criminals

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes "A new piece of Android malware has been discovered that can intercept your incoming text messages and forward them on to criminals. Once installed, the trojan can be used to steal sensitive messages for blackmailing purposes or more directly, codes which are used to confirm online banking transactions. The malware in question, detected as "Android.Pincer.2.origin" by Russian security firm Doctor Web, is the second iteration of the Android.Pincer family according to the company. Both threats spread as security certificates, meaning they must be deliberately installed onto an Android device by a careless user."
Businesses

Sears Is Turning Shuttered Stores Into Data Centers 110

Posted by timothy
from the dystopian-or-utopian-you-decide dept.
miller60 writes "Servers may soon fill the aisles where shoppers once roamed. Sears Holdings is seeking to convert former Sears and Kmart stores into Internet data hubs. Some stand-alone stores and distribution centers may be repurposed as data centers, while mall-based stores can be converted into disaster recovery sites, the company says, offering access to stores and eateries for displaced workers who may be on site for weeks. Then there's the wireless tower opportunity. Seventy percent of the U.S. population lives within 10 miles of a Sears or Kmart store, and these rooftops can be leased to fill gaps in cell coverage. It's not the first effort to convert stores into IT infrastructure, as Rackspace is headquartered in an old mall, and companies have built data centers in malls in Indiana and Maryland. But Sears, which operates 25 million square feet of real estate, hopes to make this strategy work at scale." Also at Slash DataCenter.

+ - Java developer says he built, launched basic open source office suite in 30 days->

Submitted by alphadogg
alphadogg writes "A freelance Java developer claims it took him only 30 days to build and launch a basic open source office suite that runs on multiple OSes. Called Joeffice, it works on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux as well as in browsers, according to the developer, Anthony Goubard. It includes a very basic word processor, spreadsheet program, presentation program and database software, Goubard said. The office suite was built with NetBeans and uses many popular open source Java libraries, Goubard said. That allowed him to built the program in 30 days, he said, a process that he documented daily on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSvFkO-6_DQlh5biXEs7JVw/videos?sort=dd&view=0&tag_id= The suite was released as an alpha version, which means that not everything works yet. Goubard's Amsterdam company, Japplis, launched the suite, which is available under an Apache 2.0 license. This license allows companies to change and redistribute the code internally without having to share the new code publicly, he said."
Link to Original Source

I don't make the rules, Gil, I only play the game. -- Cash McCall

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