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Submission + - Researchers Make A Major Breakthrough In The Battle Against HIV Virus

Submitted by adeelarshad82
adeelarshad82 writes: Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) have determined the precise chemical structure of the HIV 'capsid,' a protein shell that protects the virus's genetic material and is a key to its virulence. The experiment involved mapping an incredible 64 million atoms to simulate the HIV capsid, pictured here. Interestingly no current HIV drugs target the HIV capsid and researchers believe that understanding the structure of the HIV capsid may hold the key to the development of new and more effective antiretroviral drugs. What makes this whole experiment even more fascinating is the use of Blue Waters, a Cray XK7 supercomputer with 3,000 Nvidia Tesla K20X GPU accelerators.

Comment Re:Where is my option? (Score 1) 187

by Aerokii (#43850683) Attached to: My plans for summer ...
One of my ideal vacation plans involves re-visiting Thailand, so I'm kind of jealous! Depending on where you are there are some absolutely gorgeous locations that I haven't seen in years... Though I could do without all the women with Adams Apples in Bangkok. Never trust a woman with a scarf.

Submission + - Microsoft TV tracks viewers behavior (gamesindustry.biz)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: [PJ: OMG. Three things I detest all in one noxious bundle: having my privacy invaded, method patents, and Microsoft. Here's the patent application, and it includes this creepy sentence: "The computing system 102 may be configured to track the viewing behaviors of one or more viewers. The computing system 102 may then compile one or more user-specific reports of the viewing behaviors, and send the user-specific reports to a remote device to determine whether the user-viewing goal has been met. If the viewing goal has been met, an award may be granted to the viewer." And Microsoft complains to regulatory bodies about Google privacy issues? This is 1984 on steroids. A device in your house that watches you watching it and judges your conduct.]

Submission + - Stanford's Flying Fish Glider Bests Ordinary Jumping Robots (gizmag.com)

Submitted by Zothecula
Zothecula writes: Researchers at Stanford University have developed a small "aircraft" that resembles a flying fish which can jump and glide over a greater distance than an equivalent jumping robot. Using a carbon fiber spring to take off, the jumpglider has a pivoting wing that stays out of the way during ascent, but which locks into place to glide farther on the way down.

Submission + - Hospital Resorts to Big Brother Tactics to Ensure Employees Wash Hands

Submitted by onehitwonder
onehitwonder writes: Long Island's North Shore University Hospital is using sensors and video cameras to make sure employees wash their hands, according to an article in today's New York Times. Motion sensors detect when hospital staff enter an intensive care unit, and the sensors trigger a video camera. Feeds from the video camera are transmitted to India, where workers there check to make sure staff are washing their hands. The NYT article notes that hospital workers wash their hands as little as 30 percent of the time that they interact with patients. The Big Brother like system is intended to reduce transmission of infections as well as the costs associated with treating them.

Submission + - Singapore: Regulating the Internet (reuters.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Currently ranked 149th globally in terms of press freedom, alongside Iraq and Myanmar, the Singapore government chose the further tighten its grip on the media instead of letting up. The Media Development Authority (MDA) announced yesterday that "online news sites" reporting regularly on issues relating to Singapore and have significant reach among readers here will require an individual licence from the MDA. Under the regime, website operators have to comply within 24 hours with any directives from the MDA to take down content that breaches standards. These sites also have to put up a “performance bond” of S$50,000. The Government also plans to amend the Broadcasting Act next year, to ensure that websites which are hosted overseas but report on Singapore news are brought under the licensing framework as well.

Submission + - Google acquires kite-power generator (suasnews.com)

Submitted by garymortimer
garymortimer writes: Google has acquired a US company that generates power using turbines mounted on tethered kites or wings.

Makani Power will become part of Google X – the secretive research and development arm of the search giant.

The deal comes as Makani carries out the first fully autonomous flights of robot kites bearing its power-generating propellers.

Google has not said how much it paid to acquire Makani, but it has invested $15m (£9.9m) in the company before now.

Submission + - Sunglasses and Dolls but Definitely not Guns - How 3D Printing Really Works (ibtimes.co.uk)

Submitted by DavidGilbert99
DavidGilbert99 writes: 3D printing guns have been in the news a lot lately thanks to Defense Distributed and The Liberator. But this has led to a huge number of myths and misunderstandings about the possibilities of 3D printing. Here expert Jonathan Rowley debunks many of the myths associated with the process and says that making guns this way is simply not viable.

Submission + - Judge Slaps Apple in Amazon E-Books Case (slashdot.org)

Submitted by Nerval's Lobster
Nerval's Lobster writes: Apple could face a difficult time winning its court case against the U.S. Department of Justice over e-book pricing, according to the federal judge overseeing the trial. “I believe that the government will be able to show at trial direct evidence that Apple knowingly participated in and facilitated a conspiracy to raise prices of e-books,” U.S. District Judge Denise Cote said during a May 23 pretrial hearing, according to Reuters, “and that the circumstantial evidence in this case, including the terms of the agreements, will confirm that.” Apple’s legal counsel is a bit perturbed over her comments. “We strongly disagree with the court’s preliminary statements about the case today,” Apple lawyer Orin Snyder wrote in a statement also reprinted by Reuters. The Justice Department has asserted that Apple, along with those publishers, conspired to raise retail e-book prices in tandem “and eliminate price competition, substantially increasing prices paid by consumers.” Apple battles Amazon in the e-book space, with the latter company achieving great success over the past few years by driving down the price of e-books and Kindle e-readers; while Apple co-founder insisted in emails to News Corp executive James Murdoch (son of Rupert Murdoch), that Amazon’s pricing was ultimately unsustainable, the online retailer shows no signs of flagging with regard to its publishing-industry clout.

Submission + - Project management lessons from Game of Thrones (smartbear.com)

Submitted by Esther Schindler
Esther Schindler writes: In George R.R. Martin’s masterful series, A Song of Ice and Fire (currently an HBO television show, Game of Thrones), many characters in the fantasy world of Westeros create goals, make plans, maneuver people and events toward the goal they want, and eventually realize their goal. It’s kind of like project management, says Carol Pinchefsky in Everything I Know About Project Management, I Learned from Game of Thrones, but with more entrails.

For example:

Danerys also shows another key quality of good project management: She constantly seeks to learn, and she frequently integrates new information into her plans. That allows her to take advantage of opportunities when they arise, where an inflexible project leader (say, King Joffrey) sees only distractions.

At one point, she tells her people, “I swear to you that those who would harm you will die screaming.” Remember that loyalty to your team is important, although threatening blood and fire might not work in the boardroom.

Well, perhaps it depends on your boardroom.

Submission + - 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.

Submission + - Twitter Enables Two-Factor Authentication

Submitted by Trailrunner7
Trailrunner7 writes: Responding to a wave of high-profile account takeovers in recent months, Twitter has implemented a phone-based two-factor authentication scheme that will require a numerical code along with a username and password when users log in to their accounts. The feature, known as login verification, is similar to one used by Google in its Gmail service.

The new security feature comes at a time when attackers are having a field day with account takeover attacks against prominent Twitter users. In the last few months, attackers have compromised the accounts of the Associated Press and The Onion, the satirical U.S. news site, among others. Twitter’s login verification is designed to help prevent these takeovers by requiring an extra piece of information when a user logs into her account on a new device or application.

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