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Operating Systems

Submission + - Slackware 12.0 is released (slackware.com)

Submitted by
Matt
Matt writes: "Straight from our good friend and colleague in the fight for quality distributions, Mr. Patrick Volkerding, comes a brand-new and eagerly-awaited release of Slackware, version 12. HAL automount, KDE 3.5.7 and XFCE 4.4.1, Xorg 7.2, 2.6 kernels as far as the eye can see, oodles of updated applications and utilities, and hardware support for just about anything under the sun. Enjoy! I know I will."
Announcements

Submission + - Slackware 12.0 Released!

Submitted by lazyeye
lazyeye writes: Pat Volkerding and the rest of the Slackware team have graced us with a brand new version of Slackware, version 12.0. From the release announcement:

Among the many program updates and distribution enhancements, you'll find two of the most advanced desktop environments available today: Xfce 4.4.1, a fast and lightweight but visually appealing and easy to use desktop environment, and KDE 3.5.7, the latest version of the award-winning K Desktop Environment. We have added to Slackware support for HAL (the Hardware Abstraction Layer) which allows the system administrator to add users to the cdrom and plugdev groups. Then they will be able to use items such as USB flash sticks, USB cameras that appear like USB storage, portable hard drives, CD and DVD media, MP3 players, and more, all without requiring sudo, the mount or umount command. Just plug and play. Properly set up, Slackware's desktop should be suitable for any level of Linux experience.
Announcements

Submission + - Jim Butterfield, 1936 - 2007 1

Submitted by
ewhac
ewhac writes: "While nearly everyone was going crazy over the iPhone, the computing community lost a luminary on Friday. Jim Butterfield, an early columnist and author for hobbyist computing in the 1970's and 80's, passed away peacefully in his sleep at 1:30 AM on 29 June. He was 71. Jim had been battling cancer since at least December of last year, when he announced he was beginning chemotherapy. Jim was a frequent contributor to periodicals such as The Transactor, COMPUTE!, and TPUG; and was the author of several books on introductory programming. Jim's clear and incisive writing helped introduce a generation of newcomers to the joys and wonders of computers and computer programming. No small fraction of today's engineers owe their livlihoods to Jim's writing and enthusiasm, this chronicler included. He will be missed."
Communications

Submission + - OpenMoko to begin selling Neo1973's July 9th (openmoko.com)

Submitted by
Jaidan
Jaidan writes: "OpenMoko is to begin selling Neo1973's on July 9th according to a post on openmoko.com. According to the site the initial release will be about 1000 (400 ready now, and another 600 soon). Two versions will be sold: a base version for $300, and an advanced version for $450.

The post also indicates that a mass production version known as GTA02 will be available in October. This version will be the same as the original excepting that it will include a number of new features such as:
  • 802.11 b/g WiFi
  • Samsung 2442 SoC
  • SMedia 3362 Graphics Accelerator
  • 2 3D Accelerometers
  • 256MB Flash


The mass market version according to the site will run $450 and $600 for the base and advanced versions respectively."
Portables

Submission + - ASUS $199 Linux Laptop

Submitted by
walterbyrd
walterbyrd writes: "New Eee laptop is supposed to compete with OLPC — but it will be available to anybody. It uses flash memory for storage 4GB for $199, and 8GB for $299."
Portables

Submission + - Are laptop batteries the next "printer ink"

Submitted by Quixote
Quixote writes: Sometime back I bought a Dell Inspiron laptop because Dell was offering a very good deal on it. A few weeks after the warranty expired, the battery suddenly died. It was as if the battery was non-existent: the laptop would shutdown if unplugged even if the battery had been in the laptop the whole time. When plugged in, the battery charging light would keep flashing. This seemed quite puzzling, since just days before this, the battery used to give me a good 2 hours or so of use.

Searching around on the web to see if the flashing lights meant anything, I came across this page. It seems like lots of people have been reporting the same symptoms: just after the warranty expires, the battery mysteriously "dies". Even the Dell forums are replete with posts from unhappy users.

The solution from Dell is: buy a new battery. But they aren't cheap: a Dell one runs you about $100.

I know I should have known better than buying a Dell (cue the "Dude!" jokes). But this begs a bigger question: is this legal (it certainly doesn't seem ethical)? How many of these (working) batteries end up in the landfill? Have laptop batteries become the next "printer ink", forcing us to keep buying new ones?
Security

Submission + - Phrack has reborn : #64 is out

Submitted by
The Circle of Lost Hackers
The Circle of Lost Hackers writes: "The hacking electronic magazine Phrack is back online. A new issue has been released this week-end, which ends up more than a year and a half without publication. This issue features a mix of scene articles and many highly technical papers dealing with almost all topics of computer hacking: Hardware, Code analysis & Reverse engineering, previously unpublished Kernel & Heap exploits techniques, applied network intrusion on Windows and UNIX, Cryptanalysis, OsX kernel tricks, are waiting for you. A new volume of a very high quality that reminds some old-school issues as it also includes its amount of Underground and body/mind experiences reports. A must read."
Networking

Submission + - A Linux Computer in Every Garage?

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: A U.S. government- and industry-led coalition aiming to equip every car and roadside in America with wirelessly connected computers has tapped Linux for the design of a system that aims to lower driver death rates, reduce traffic jams, and media-enable cars. The project, which is under the auspices of the Vehicle Infrastructure Integration Consortium (VII-C) and funded by the Department of Transportation (DOT), ten state departments of transportation, and seven vehicle manufacturers, has adopted an Linux and open source strategy, at least at the prototype level.
Puzzle Games (Games)

Submission + - Checkers has been Solved

Submitted by
r55man
r55man writes: "The Chinook project recently announced that checkers has been solved. Perfect play from both sides results in a draw. From their website:

On May 8, 2007, we were pleased to announce that checkers is now solved. From the standard starting position, Black (who moves first) is guaranteed a draw with perfect play. White (moving second) is also guaranteed a draw, regardless of what Black plays as the opening move. Checkers is the largest game that has been solved to date.
"
Security

Submission + - Phone-based Two-Factor Coolness

Submitted by
dispensa
dispensa writes: "Today at Interop Las Vegas, Positive Networks debuted its new two-factor authentication service, called PhoneFactor. Unlike other two-factor technologies, this one works by placing a confirmation call to your phone during login, so it works with any phone and with no software to install.

PhoneFactor will be made available for free to anyone. Enterprise-level upgrades will also be available.

More here:
    http://weblog.infoworld.com/smbit/archives/2007/05 /interop_twofact.html
    http://kernelmustard.com/2007/05/21/phonefactor-fr ee-two-factor-authentication-for-everyone/

(Disclaimer: I'm an architect and coder on this project, and Positive's CTO.)"
Security

Submission + - First OpenOffice virus emerges

Submitted by
Slinkysausage
Slinkysausage writes: "Pop the champagne corks, Microsoft. Yes, it's another round of FUD from an anti-malware vendor that has gotten hold of a proof-of-concept virus that has never been spotted in the wild. STILL, it is kinda interesting: the worm exploits a vulnerability in the "StarBasic" scripting language included in OpenOffice to drop scripts in platform-appropriate languages onto the host computer. For example, on Windows it drops Javascript files as well as using MiRC to propagate, on OS X, Rubyscript, and on Linux, Python and Pearl. APC Magazine has the lowdown including part of the indecent picture the virus shows ... of a man in a bunny suit doing a gal in the woods."
Music

Submission + - RIAA Seeks Royalties From Terrestrial Radio

Submitted by
SierraPete
SierraPete writes: "First it was Napster, then it was Internet radio, then it was college students and dead/dying people. But now our friends at the RIAA are going decidedly low-tech. The Los Angeles Times reports that the RIAA wants royalties from radio stations. Congress long ago exempted radio stations from paying royalties to performers and labels because radio helped sell music. But since the labels that make up the RIAA are not getting the cash they desire through sales of CD's and since Internet and Satellite broadcasters are forced to cough up cash to their racket, now the RIAA wants terrestrial radio to pay up as well. That sound you're hearing is the goose that laid the golden egg taking one for the team..."

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UNIX was not designed to stop you from doing stupid things, because that would also stop you from doing clever things. -- Doug Gwyn

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