John Boone - Slashdot User

Submission + - UK Government Loses Data on 25 Million Citizens

Submitted by Strudelkugel on Wednesday November 21, 2007 @02:04PM

Strudelkugel writes: News outlets are reporting "British trust in the way government stores and secures vital personal information was sorely tested Wednesday after it emerged that sensitive data on about 25 million Britons (almost half the population) was lost in the mail in an unprecedented security blunder. Computer files on 7.25 million families — everyone with children under 16 — have been missing ever since they were sent on two compact discs through the domestic mail system a month ago by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs." The choice quote: "If you centralize data, what will fail is the carbon-based life form (humans), not the technology," says Simon Davies, director of Privacy International, a watchdog group.

Submission + - Programming with molecules

Submitted by

Roland Piquepaille

on Wednesday November 21, 2007 @01:59PM

Roland Piquepaille writes: "It has been tried before, but researchers are now fully realizing the potential of DNA and want to create a programmable way of combining computers with chemistry. As said one the leading researchers at CalTech, 'Programming chemical systems needs to be thought about. The meeting of computer science and chemistry hasn't happened yet, but is right around the corner. There's nothing logically, chemically or physically impossible about computing with molecular systems.' Another researcher from the University of Washington added that 'if we understand the language, we could develop a biological response through reprogramming, no different than a remedy pushed out by Norton AntiVirus on a computer.' The same researcher said something that might one day become history. 'The 20th century was the age of information. The 21st century is going to be the age of life.' But read more for additional references and quotes from scientists mixing humor and science."

Submission + - Russia's New Cosmodome Approved (space.com) 1

Submitted by

eldavojohn

on Wednesday November 21, 2007 @01:09PM

eldavojohn writes: "You may recall discussing Baikonur, the Kazakhstan city rented by Russia that has been used as a launch site for quite sometime. Today, Putin has just approved construction of Vostochny between 2010 and 2018 which will be positioned in the far east of Russia to complement the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the northern part of the country. This is not bad news for Kazakhstan as the director of the Russian Federal Space Agency has announced they plan to operate this facility alongside Baikonur. Is this a sign of a growing healthy space program in Russia?"

Submission + - Apple Forced to Sell Un-Locked iPhones in Germany (techluver.com)

Submitted by

Tech.Luver

on Wednesday November 21, 2007 @12:28PM

Tech.Luver writes: "Apple has been forced to release a version of the iPhone in Germany that is not locked into a specific network or contract, scuppering its exclusive deal with Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile. Following a preliminary injunction, T-Mobile said that it would sell an unlocked phone for $1465 ( 999 ) until a final decision is reached. It will continue to offer iPhones locked into a two-year contract for $585 ( 399 ). Its announcement comes after rival Vodafone went to a German court to challenge T-Mobile's exclusive tie-up with the iPhone in Germany. Vodafone Deutschland won the injunction barring T-Mobile from offering the iPhone exclusively with a so-called SIM lock that stops users from switching the device to any other operator's network, and with a minimum two year contract. ( http://techluver.com/2007/11/21/t-mobile-germany-sell-un-locked-iphones-without-contract/ )"

Submission + - Obama Would Delay Funding Moon Mission (electiongeek.com) 2

Submitted by thinkerx on Wednesday November 21, 2007 @11:10AM

thinkerx writes: Senator Barack Obama has unveiled an education proposal that would reform no Child Left Behind, fund Universal pre-K and increase math and science education. As Election Geek points out his plan would be paid for by delaying the NASA Constellation program which is in support of bringing Americans back to the moon and is the stepping stone to human Mars exploration. With China, India, Russia and Japan all setting their sites on space and moon exploration a five year delay would eliminate any competitive advantage the U.S. has in space exploration. Are we looking at a return to troubled times for NASA?

Submission + - UK government bitten by own data laws (zdnet.co.uk)

Submitted by

Anonymous Coward

on Wednesday November 21, 2007 @10:48AM

Anonymous Coward writes: "The largest government data fiasco in UK history has taken an ironic, "biter bit" twist. The Information Commissioner's Office, which feebly enforces data protection in Britain, has said that the UK government may be in breach of its own laws. The ICO said the government is 'bang to rights'. From the article: "This is the biggest privacy disaster by our government," said Jonathan Bamford, assistant information commissioner. "There is no doubt that [chancellor of the exchequer] Alistair Darling and others will have to deal with the fact there are legally enforceable [privacy] standards. In Britain we have the phrase 'bang to rights'. Someone is bang to rights over that breach. Clearly on the facts available there appears to be a major contravention of data-protection laws.""

Submission + - Tiny projectors (reuters.com)

Submitted by Thanshin on Wednesday November 21, 2007 @08:03AM

Thanshin writes: Tiny mobile-integrated projectors are almost here.

Cameras had quite an impact. Video recording plus YouTube makes news every day. Do you imagine the effect of everybody having a mobile projector?

What will the MPAA (and it's thousand young) do when people start projecting unreleased movies anywhere?
Can you imagine someone watching a pr0n movie projected in a bus wall?
Will spammers walk around projecting viagra advertising?

http://technabob.com/blog/2007/03/26/ti-working-on-worlds-smallest-dlp-projectors/
http://www.microvision.com/
http://technabob.com/blog/2006/07/03/ultra-mini-projector-with-frickin-laser-beams/
http://www.engadgetmobile.com/tag/projector
http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/20/oculons-hikari-pro920-might-be-the-worlds-tiniest-projector/

Submission + - The right to keep handguns at home (latimes.com)

Submitted by Thanshin on Wednesday November 21, 2007 @06:56AM

Thanshin writes: In the past, many judges have dismissed the 2nd Amendment as archaic and limited to protecting a state's authority to maintain "a well-regulated militia," a phrase from the opening clause of the amendment. The 2nd Amendment's full text is: "A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-scotus21nov21,1,4804010.story?coll=la-headlines-frontpage

Submission + - On Point On the New Anti-Americanism (onpointradio.org) 2

Submitted by

Wellington Grey

on Wednesday November 21, 2007 @02:59AM

Wellington Grey writes: "On Point recently did a show on the new Anti-Americanism. While Anti-Americanism has existed since the country emerged as the world's only superpower, the program stresses the differences and dangers of the current situation.

Anti-Americanism could be brushed off in the past because it was a small, if vocal, group espousing the idea. The problem is now that Anti-American sentiment abroad is no longer countered by a general population with positive feelings toward the US. Positive thoughts, even in America's allies, are now difficult to find.

Take, for example, Turkey. Ten years ago it was one of the most pro-American countries in the world, with Turkish support of the US at over 90%. Currently, support for the US is less than 9%.

From the show's summary: You want to know about anti-Americanism in the world? Here's the unhappy conclusion of a big-time panel of Republican and Democratic heavyweights, out yesterday: "America's reputation, standing, and influence are at all-time lows, and possibly sinking further."

Never in our history, says the report, have we, as a nation, been so poorly regarded in the world. And that has consequences. When America tries to lead, who follows? And if America stands too much alone, can it possibly prosper? Can it ever be safe?"

Submission + - Pentagon is preparing for nuclear Iran

Submitted by

mernil

on Sunday November 18, 2007 @10:19AM

mernil writes: "The Jerusalem Post reports: "Officials in both the US and Israel reportedly told the Telegraph that Iran has hidden and scattered its nuclear facilities more effectively than previous intelligence has indicated. Pentagon adviser Dan Goure told the paper that while "military strikes [against Iran's nuclear facilities] might set the program back a couple of years... current thinking is that it is just not worth the risks."

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