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The Internet

Submission + - Disaster recovery

Submitted by moogoogaipan
moogoogaipan writes: After a few days thinking about the quickest way to bring my website back to the internet users, I am still stuck at DNS. From experience, even if I set the TTL for my DNS zone file as low as 5 mins, there are still DNS servers out there won't update until a few days later(yeah you, AOL). Here is my situation. Say, I have my web servers and database servers at a remote backup location. They are ready to serve. So my question for ./ers is that if we get hit by an earthquake at our main location, what can I do in a few hours to get everyone to go to our backup location?
Communications

Submission + - A good mobile phone with no camera?

Submitted by SuperG
SuperG writes: It seems like every mobile phone out there has a camera on it these days. The only ones without cameras are low-end models with poor battery life, poor reception, and minimal features. And low-end means the cool factor is nonexistent as well. I often visit facilities where phones with cameras are not allowed, so I end up being incommunicado with my current camera phone. Is there a good (in terms of battery life, call quality, build quality, and style points) phone without a camera out there in the US market?
Privacy

Submission + - US to pass bill outlawing genetic discrimination

Submitted by
fatduck
fatduck writes: "NewScientist reports that, "On 25 April, the House of Representatives voted 420 to 3 to pass the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). The Senate is expected to endorse the act within a few weeks, which is also supported by President Bush." "There is no gene for the human spirit.""
Digital

Submission + - Technology and your Health: Personal Health Record

Submitted by
lexus123
lexus123 writes: "http://medicdrive.org/?page_id=54 The personal health care record will be a necessary tool supporting the individual centered shared care in the near future. There are many hurdles to overcome before it can be a standard feature. security and common standard are some of the key issues. When these are settled it can offer significant benefits to long term patient care in reducing medical errors and also offering significant financial saving benefits to health care industry."
The Internet

Submission + - Xinhua stealing website code from CNN?

Submitted by
Anonymous Coward
Anonymous Coward writes: "Xinhua (China's state news agency) appears to be stealing elements of its layout straight from an American competitor — CNN. Here's an example of a Xinhua news story: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-05/06/conte nt_6063951.htm Here is a CNN news story: http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/05/06/kenya.p lane/index.html Besides the obvious grab by Xinhua of the 'story highlights' concept, the color, font and shape are identical. Other elements of the layout are clearly 'influenced,' if not directly stolen, from CNN's site. Besides the questions of professionalism on the part of Xinhua, is Xinhua violating copyright? Is there any recourse for CNN?"
Editorial

Submission + - Boredom Drives Open-Source Developers?

Submitted by Henry McClyde
Henry McClyde writes: Chris Anderson of The Long Tail posted an article yesterday in which he claims that "spare cycles" — or boredom and the tons of people who wish they had something better to do — is what drives Web 2.0.... and the open source development community. While Web 2.0 in general is driven by "the long tail," NeoSmart seems to have taken up issue with Anderson's claims that open source developers (and other freeware programmers in general) do what they do because they're bored and have nothing better to spend their time on. Same with Wikipedia contributors, and bloggers in general.

I feel it's a mix between the two. It may have started off as boredom and ended up as a real passion for helping people out and making a difference. But definitely interesting that Anderson of all people would compare a Linux kernel developer to a bored sheriff watching a DVD or a travel playing Solitaire.
XBox (Games)

Submission + - Modders beat Microsoft to The Punch

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: The week of May 7th 2007 might not be know for any great historical references, but for XBOX 360 gamers it might just be the beginning of a bitter battle between XBOX 360 modders and Microsoft. full article here: http://www.gameswank.com/portal/?p=422
Television

CNN To Release Debates Under Creative Commons 151

Posted by kdawson from the coming-to-their-senses dept.
remove office writes "After calls from several prominent bloggers and a couple of presidential candidates, CNN has agreed to release the footage from its upcoming June presidential debates uncopyrighted. Senator Barack Obama was the first candidate to call for all presidential debates to be released under Creative Commons, with fellow Democratic hopeful John Edwards following shortly afterwards. CNN will be the first to do so with their June 3rd and 5th Democratic and Republican debates. MSNBC hosted the first presidential debates recently but refused to release them under Creative Commons, opting instead to post online only commercial-ridden clips in Windows Media format."
Encryption

Submission + - Church reveals 600 year old musical code

Submitted by
Person99
Person99 writes: "A father and son have deciphered a musical code in a Scottish church's arches. It is supposedly a 600-year old musical code. Quote from the article: A Scottish church which featured in the bestselling novel "The Da Vinci Code" has revealed another mystery hidden in secret code for almost 600 years. A father and son who became fascinated by symbols carved into the chapel's arches say they have deciphered a musical score encrypted in them. Thomas Mitchell, a 75-year-old musician and ex-Royal Air Force code breaker, and his composer and pianist son Stuart, described the piece as "frozen music." "The music has been frozen in time by symbolism," Mitchell told European media, which details the 27-year project to crack the chapel's code. "It was only a matter of time before the symbolism began to thaw out and begin to make sense to scientific and musical perception." The 15th Century Rosslyn Chapel, about seven miles south of the Scottish capital Edinburgh, featured in the last part of Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" — one of the most successful novels of all time which has been turned into a Hollywood film. Stuart Mitchell said he and his father were intrigued by 13 intricately carved angel musicians on the arches of the chapel and by 213 carved cubes depicting geometric-type patterns. "They are of such exquisite detail and so beautiful that we thought there must be a message here." Years of research led the Mitchells to an ancient musical system called cymatics, or Chladni patterns, which are formed by sound waves at specific pitches. The two men matched each of the patterns on the carved cubes to a Chladni pitch, and were able finally to unlock the melody."
Nintendo

Submission + - Nintendo and the myth of console shortages

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: Chi Kong Lui of GameCritics.com writes:

"The point of business is to make money and it more or less boils down to a numbers game. Sell as many products as you can for the highest price the market will accept. From the perspective of a business owner/investor/stockholder, having media "buzz" and hype is gravy, but the idea that Nintendo would sacrifice substantial amounts of profit and market share in exchange for media "buzz" is foolish."
Read the rest of his blog here.
Robotics

Submission + - Ionatron ray-gun disables IEDs, autos, humanoids

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Ionatron has a $10M contract with the U.S. Government to develop its next generation Directed Energy Weapons system. Their device uses high powered ultra short laser pulses to create a plasma air channel, which acts like a virtual wire, and directs a high voltage controlled discharge at a target. They claim to be able to precisely control both direction and range to "disable people or vehicles that threaten our security." I hope the police don't start zapping your car if you're speeding!
United States

Submission + - Who's the best 2008 candidate for cyber security?

Submitted by
Luke
Luke writes: "We've all seen their web site rankings, and we know that McCain's already disqualified, but which candidate has the best record in terms of cyber security? The war on terror rages in the Middle East, but I haven't heard much about steps the government has taken to guard against cyber terrorism (which many believe has the potential to be the most deadly form). What cyber security obligations should be felt by the US Government, and which candidate is the most qualified to make sure those obligations are met?"

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