35958195
submission
alphadogg writes:
A new audit of the Internal Revenue Service has found the agency paid refunds to criminals who filed false tax returns, in some cases on behalf of people who had died, according to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), which is part of the U.S. Treasury. The IRS stands to lose as much as $21 billion in revenue over the next five years due to identity theft, according to TIGTA's audit, dated July 19 but publicized on Thursday.
35955643
submission
hawkinspeter writes:
The BBC is reporting that Microsoft is dropping the 'Metro' name for the new Windows 8 UI. Apparently, the catchy new name they've settled on is 'Windows 8 style UI'! This has happened due to a (potential) trademark dispute with Metro AG , a German retail giant.
I'm wondering if Microsoft planned this to get publicity for their new OS and UI or whether they just forget to check on how 'Metro' is used around the world.
35953913
submission
recrudescence writes:
HumbleBundle, a Previously-100%-DRM-free games (and not only) website, promoting indie developers via regular, pay-what-you-want events, has now started introducing restrictions on what users can do with their purchases. HumbleBundle gained popularity over other similar schemes, partly due to its policy that all content included in bundles should be DRM-free, and run on all three major desktop operating systems (i.e. including Linux). In their latest bundle, they introduced a new 'accounts' feature, which irreversibly links all past purchases with that account, rendering previously open key pages inactive. In other words, you can no longer share a bundle with a friend. While this isn't as restrictive as, say, Steam, (a game can still be downloaded by the account holder, then transferred, for instance), it is a surprising move for an organisation whose business model relies on good-will and trust; restricting access rights in this way is more likely to alienate users, and hurt HumbleBundle's business model, rather than secure it.
35952729
submission
cylonlover writes:
There are plenty of different 3D printers to choose from these days, from the popular Makerbot Thing-O-Matic to the budget-priced Solidoodle. These all have one drawback however in that they aren't exactly portable. Most need to be disassembled to be moved and even the fully-assembled Cubify printer isn't really built for travel. But now, two MIT students have developed the PopFab, a machine that does 3D printing and more, all while fitting inside a small suitcase. With different heads, the machine could also be used for milling, vinyl cutting, drawing, and much more, to create a wide variety of objects. The creators have also tested its portability by traveling with it as a carry-on suitcase to Saudi Arabia, Germany, and within the U.S.
35952281
submission
An anonymous reader writes:
If you’ve read any news coming out of Microsoft over the past year relating to Windows 8 or Windows Phone, you’ve heard the name “Metro” used quite heavily. Metro refers to the design language and overall style of the interface Microsoft is using for both its desktop/tablet and mobile operating systems.
As of today, Metro is no longer a word Microsoft will be using to describe anything to do with their product line-up. It has officially been killed off as a term Microsoft’s staff and marketing is allowed to use.
The specific reason for this sudden change remains unclear. It was first thought to be due to a trademark infringement Microsoft couldn’t settle with German company Metro AG. Microsoft has since sent around an internal memo stating Metro will no longer be used following “discussions with an important European partner.”
35948861
submission
Thinkcloud writes:
Changes include the removal of legacy symlinks to removable disk devices, systemd improvements to autofs and rsync, and some fixes to Plymouth, the new splash screen in 12.2.
35948713
submission
Diggester writes:
New research, which consists of three independent studies, shows that tumors are fueled by cancer stem cells. Stem cells are biological cells that can divide and differentiate to into specialized cell types and can self-renew to make more stem cells. So in the case of this discover of cancer stem cells, if their gone then nothing can multiple and infect the body. Now the medical community just needs to find a way to isolate these cells and get rid of them before the spread starts, whether that be through vaccine or surgery, and it could potentially extend the life as we know it.
35943779
submission
theodp writes:
Responding to Microsoft's Windows 8 efforts, Apple CEO Tim Cook insisted in late April that combining a tablet and a notebook would be like converging a toaster and a refrigerator. But a patent application submitted by Apple last year — and made public Tuesday morning — proposes marrying a tablet and a keyboard to create 'a true laptop alternative,' which GeekWire notes looks a lot like Microsoft Surface (comparison pic). In its patent filing, Apple describes various ways that a tablet's cover could be used as an I-O device — as a tactile-feedback keyboard ('word processing and email become much more efficient'), to display additional output, as a touchpad replacement, and even to receive stylus input. 'The experience,' claims Apple, 'is even better in some ways than the laptop experience.' So, with Apple and Microsoft both onboard, will Chick-fil-A eventually come out in support of toaster-and-refrigerator marriage?
35941347
submission
schliz writes:
iTnews in Australia has published an interview with CERN's deputy head of IT, David Foster, who explains what last month's discovery of a "particle consistent with the Higgs Boson" means for the organisation's IT department, why it needs a second "Tier Zero" data centre, and how it is using grid computing and the cloud.
35941345
submission
zonky writes:
Tokelau has become the first country in the world to go 100% solar generation, moving away from their entirely diesel power supply, which formerly supplied the energy needs of the 1400 residents of their small south pacific Island Nation.
35934651
submission
silentbrad writes:
From IGN: "GameStop’s bosses are obviously tired of hearing about how used games are killing gaming, about how unfair they are on the producers of the games who get nothing from their resale. One astonishing stat is repeated by three different managers during presentations. 70 percent of income consumers make from trading games goes straight back into buying brand new games. GameStop argues that used games are an essential currency in supporting the games business. The normal behavior is for guys to come into stores with their plastic bags full of old games, and trade them so that they can buy the new Call of Duty, Madden, Gears of War. GameStop says 17 percent of its sales are paid in trade credits. The implication is clear — if the games industry lost 17 percent of its sales tomorrow, that would be a bad day for the publishers and developers."
35934395
submission
zacharye writes:
Apple and Samsung are tech’s greatest frenemies. On one hand, the consumer electronics giants are bitter rivals fighting for smartphone industry dominance and suing each other every chance they get. On the other hand, Apple is Samsung’s No.1 customer, buying billions worth of components for its popular iPhone, iPad and Mac product lines from Samsung. According to a new report, the companies’ patent war may now be spilling over into its business relationship as Apple cuts display panel orders from Samsung in favor of screens from rivals Sharp and LG Display...
