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Businesses

Submission + - Need response for IT's rejection to opensource

Submitted by badcowboy
badcowboy writes: I have been trying to get a LAMP server onto our corporate network. The problem I have been running into is our corporate IT manager has some issues with open source. Here is his response to my request:

"I too like open source software, but not in the enterprise. This would require implementing GPL clients and servers within our organization who's authors have no responsibility or accountability for any security issues that were opened up as a result.

Open source is fine for some implementations. I may take a look at this in my spare time to get a better idea of what it's capabilities and pitfalls are, but in all likelihood this isn't something we're going to implement here for the reasons mentioned above anytime soon.
"

What is the best way to respond?
Privacy

Submission + - Judge orders TorrentSpy to turn over "RAM" (zdnet.com)

Submitted by
virgil_disgr4ce
virgil_disgr4ce writes: "In a monumental example of the gap of understanding between legal officials and technology, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Chooljian "found that a computer server's RAM, or random-access memory, is a tangible document that can be stored and must be turned over in a lawsuit." ZDNet, among others, reports on the ruling and its potential for invasion of privacy."
Input Devices

Submission + - Cleaning your keyboard in a dishwasher

Submitted by i_like_spam
i_like_spam writes: Computer keyboards are a breeding ground for bacteria. Studies have shown that keyboards often contain more bacteria than toilet seats. While the common cleaning methods of using pressurized-air canisters and damp rags help, they leave behind plenty of dirt and grime. As reported on NPR, an alternate technique that is starting to catch on is to clean your keyboard in the dishwasher. Plastic Bugs advises not to use the heated dry cycle, to pop off all of the keys, and to thoroughly air dry for a few days. For those not bold enough to try this with a standard keyboard, dishwasher-safe varieties are now available.
Slashdot.org

Submission + - 10 More Reasons why HD Formats Have Already Failed

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: The author of this article makes a striking case for the reasons why Blu-Ray and HD DVD formats have failed to penetrate the mainstream marketplace. "I believe that both HD DVD and Blu-ray will fail to become successful, mainstream replacement formats for DVD and will instead remain as niche products while eventually fading into obscurity." One wonders how either camp can convince Joe 6 pack of the benefits of upgrading from a perfectly good DVD player to the next gen player that offers better performance to only a discerning eye that possesses quality components? "Sony is launching a new marketing campaign called "The Format War is Over." With this kind of ridiculous marketing (as if merely saying it makes it true) is there any reason media and editors around the Internet are calling Blu-ray's bluff?" How can either camp expect to survive with such obvious smear tactics and preying on consumer ignorance? This to me almost feels like a Presidential debate.
Privacy

Submission + - Japan standing firm on child porn purveyor rights (japundit.com)

Submitted by
fima59
fima59 writes: "Japan Diet members seem to be holding firm in the face of U.S. government demands to make possession of child pornography a crime in Japan. According to the U.S. Japan's current Law for Punishing Acts Related to Child Prostitution and Child Pornography, and for Protecting Children possession of child pornography for the purpose of selling or supplying it crimes, without criminalizing possession for personal use. http://japundit.com/archives/2007/06/11/6246/#comm ent-397172"
Software

Submission + - Nerdy photo in Vista DVDs thwarts disk pirates

Submitted by maximus1
maximus1 writes: Microsoft says that the tiny photo on the Windows Vista business edition installation disks is an antipiracy feature. The tiny photo of three grinning men — less that 1 mm in size — is one of several images incorporated into the hologram's design intended to make it harder to replicate a Vista DVD, according to Nick White on Microsoft's Vista team blog. "The real story is interesting, but conspiracy theorists will be disappointed to learn that it is not the result of a deliberate attempt to deceive," White wrote.
Security

Submission + - Julie Amaro Gets a New Trial (wtnh.com)

Submitted by
ctwxman
ctwxman writes: "WTNH.com reports, Julie Amero, a substitute teacher convicted after pornographic images appeared on a classroom computer, was granted a new trial today. Amero's lawyer says there is new evidence casting doubt on her conviction."
It's funny. Laugh.

Submission + - Losing suit pants leads to costly lawsuit

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Imagine, if you will, an ordinary dry cleaner where you drop off your suit pants for cleaning to wear to your new job in two days. Contrary to promises and the signs on the window claiming "Same Day Service" and "Satisfaction Guaranteed", the pants aren't ready. Worse, they've been lost, and you are definitely not satisfied. The solution? Why, sue the cleaners for $67 million dollars, of course, just as District of Columbia judge Roy Pearson has done. The lawsuit was recently reduced to only $54 million, but the plaintiff is pressing ahead with the case.
Patents

Submission + - Government-initiated Patent Reform in the Works

Submitted by ArieKremen
ArieKremen writes: The New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/06/business/07cnd- patent.html?_r=1&oref=slogin) discusses an overhaul of the patent system, initiated by the administration, to improve quality of patents and to "curb the rising wave of patent disputes and lawsuits". The reform is to encompass "requiring better information from inventors and allowing public scrutiny of applications, according to the director of the government's patent office", and would address software patents as well. The article does discuss an ongoing pilot underway at the USPTO to reform the software patent application and review process. Other steps aimed at improving performance are mentioned, such as increasing the number of reviewers from less than 4k to more than 5k.
Data Storage

Submission + - Hard Disk Drive Myths Debunked

Submitted by babyshiori
babyshiori writes: This guide got down to basics and examined some of the common hard disks related fallacies or myths and debunked them. Although many articles have covered these topics, it is apparent that hard disk urban legends are still more popular than the simple truth such as 'formatting a hard drive too many times will cause it to fail' or 'If your hard drive has bad sectors, formatting will cause more bad sectors to appear' and many more. Read on and find out about these myths and most probably you'll get a laugh out of them.
The Courts

Submission + - Use our product or we'll sue ... (podcastingnews.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Two manufacturers of digital rights management (DRM) systems, Media Rights Technologies (MRT) and BlueBeat.com, "have issued cease and desist letters against Apple, Microsoft Real and Adobe for not including their technological protection measures in products like Windows, iPod and Flash Player." (TechnoLlama, May 12; Louisville Music News, May 16, whose headline we have borrowed). Explains Podcasting News (May 12): The companies are using an unusual interpretation of the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) to make their case. The DMCA, signed into law by President Clinton in 1998, makes prohibits the manufacture of any product or technology that is designed for the purpose of circumventing a technological measure which effectively controls access to a copyrighted work or which protects the rights of copyright owners. According to the firms, mere avoidance of an effective copyright protection solution is a violation of the DMCA.
Sci-Fi

Submission + - What is your favorite piece of Star Wars tech?

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: lightsaber
X-Wing
Millennium Falcon
Death Star
Super Star Destroyer
The Force
droids
Leia's metal bikini
Privacy

Submission + - Finding someone using Social Networking (blobfisk.com)

Submitted by
BlobFisk
BlobFisk writes: "A memory card was found in Portugal filled with photos. These were not your normal holiday snaps, they looked like photos for a stop motion animation film or an art project. An experiment was begun to see if the owner of the memory card could be found (and reunited with his/her lost property) using the power of social networkings. So, the story was submitted to Digg and quickly made the home page and generated lots of discussion. Can the owner be found this way? Can Digg and other types of online story sharing generated enough momentum to find someone with no further clues other than a country and two example photos from the card?"
Businesses

Submission + - Best Buy Lawyer Discovered Editing Documents

Submitted by tengu1sd
tengu1sd writes: A new chapter in the Best Buy Saga. Everyone's favorite vendor may have it's head in a noose. . . . revelations about the actions of Minneapolis attorney Timothy Block do not bode well for the company. The lawsuit, filed in 2003, accuses Best Buy of signing up at least 100,000 customers for trial subscriptions to Microsoft Corp.'s MSN Internet service from 1999 to 2003, in many cases without their knowledge. Once the trial period ended, the customers began incurring credit card charges they had not approved. He's accused of altering documents during discovery. Is Tim falling on his sword and taking one for the team and is Best Buy trying pull another over us?

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