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Linux

Submission + - Performance benefits of the "noop" I/O scheduler on Linux when using SSDs (anchor.com.au)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: The default I/O scheduler in Linux, Completely Fair Queueing, is a pretty good all-round option for traditional hard drives. Its assumptions don't translate to SSDs at all, which are fast becoming quite popular. Disabling the scheduler entirely can have substantial benefits in certain usage cases, which Anchor investigates here.

Submission + - Author Threatens to Sue Book Reviewers over Trademark Infringement (the-digital-reader.com)

Submitted by Nate the greatest
Nate the greatest writes: Do you know what is crazier than sending DMCA notices to a site like Lendink which doesn't host any content? It's when an author threatens to sue book reviewers over trademarks. Jazan Wild, a comics creator, is sending out threatening emails to any and all book blogs who review a recently published book called Carnival of Souls. The book was written by Melissa Marr, and it happens to use a title which Jazan Wild owns the registered trademark. He's also suing the publisher for trademark infringement, but HarperCollins is laughing it off. The book blog Bookalicious posted the email they got from Jazan. Needless to say they did not take down the review.
Android

Submission + - Google Donates $20,000 to Eclipse Foundation (thepowerbase.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: In response to user's concerns about performance issues on the latest Eclipse release, Google’s Open Source Programs Office has agreed to make a $20,000 donation to the Eclipse Foundation so they can setup a dedicated performance testing lab.

Considering Google ships Eclipse with every copy of their Android development kit, improving it means happier Android developers. Will improvements to Eclipse increase Android adoption rate among developers?
Wireless Networking

Submission + - The Danger In Exempting Wireless From Net Neutrality (northmobilepost.com)

Submitted by
nmpost
nmpost writes: "Nearly two years ago, the FCC outlined its rules for net neutrality. Notably absent were rules for wireless networks. There are several legitimate reasons that the same rules applied to wired networks can not apply to wireless networks. However, the same danger lies in leaving wireless networks unguarded against the whims of its administrators. As we move more and more towards a wireless dominated internet, those dangers will become more pronounced. We are going to need a massive investment in infrastructure in this country regardless of net neutrality rules. Demand for wireless is going to continue to grow for many years to come, and providers are not going to be able to let up. Data caps and throttling are understandable now as demand is far outpacing infrastructure growth. Eventually, demand will slow, and these practices will have to be addressed. This is where allowing internet providers to regulate themselves becomes an issue. Self regulation usually does not end well for the consumer. Imagine allowing power plants and oil refineries to determine what chemicals they could pour into the air. Would they have the population’s best interest at heart when making that determination? In the future when the infrastructure can match the demand, what will stop internet providers from picking winners and losers over their wireless networks? As conglomerates like Comcast gobble up content providers like NBC, a conflict of interest begins to emerge. There would be nothing from stopping one of the big wireless providers like AT&T or Verizon from scooping up a content provider and prioritizing its data speed over the network."
GNOME

Submission + - Torvalds pours scorn on De Icaza's desktop claims (itwire.com) 2

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Linux creator Linus Torvalds has poured scorn on claims made by the co-founder of the GNOME Desktop project, Miguel de Icaza, that he (Torvalds) was in any way to blame for the lack of development in Linux desktop initiatives.
Microsoft

Submission + - Microsoft download potentially private/sensitive files due to SmartScreen filter (blogspot.co.uk) 1

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Internet Explorer's SmartScreen filter phones home to Microsoft with information about files a user has downloaded, not only do they have the file name but a short time afterwards they download three copies of the file to MSN servers! Security researchers from the UK have updated research information from 2011 testing IE's SmartScreen filter on IE10 and believe that this is a major invasion of privacy.
Google

Submission + - Microsoft Sends DMCA Notices To Legitimate Websites

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: In the past couple of days, a bunch of technology sites received a DMCA takedown notice from Microsoft (through Google). NGOHQ and PowerArchiver for hosting screenshot(s) of Windows 8 RTM while their forum users were criticizing the new Metro UI. BetaNews received a notice for posting a link to the Windows 8 Developer Preview.

Submission + - Best use for an old smartphone?

Submitted by zaba
zaba writes: Ask Slashdot:
The original iPhone was a dream come true for me. Phone, camera, mp3 player and data all in one device. It had more cpu and memory than my first computer!

Several generations of smartphones later, my wife and I have some random smartphones (some iPhone, some Android) lying around. Between privacy concerns, bad batteries, etc. these phones are not worthy of donation.

So, I ask you, Slashdot readers, have you done anything fun with an old smartphone? Any suggestions/ideas?
Security

Submission + - After Hacker Exposes Hotel Lock Insecurity, Lock Firm Asks Hotels To Pay For Fix (forbes.com)

Submitted by Sparrowvsrevolution
Sparrowvsrevolution writes: In an update to an earlier story on Slashdot, hotel lock company Onity is now offering a hardware fix for the millions of hotel keycard locks that hacker Cody Brocious demonstrated at Black Hat were vulnerable to being opened by a sub-$50 Arduino device. Unfortunately, Onity wants the hotels who already bought the company's insecure product to pay for the fix.

Onity is actually offering two different mitigations: The first is a plug that blocks the port that Brocious used to gain access to the locks' data, as well as more-obscure Torx screws to prevent intruders from opening the lock's case and removing the plug. That band-aid style fix is free. A second, more rigorous fix requires changing the locks' circuit boards manually. In that case, Onity is offering "special pricing programs" for the new circuit boards customers need to secure their doors, and requiring them to also pay the shipping and labor costs.
Movies

Submission + - Glasses-Free 3D A Possibility for Commercial Theaters...May Even Be Cheaper (themoviepool.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Despite how many people feel on the issue, it doesn't look like 3D movies are going away any time soon. One of my key issues with the format (besides it not being used optimally) has to deal with the glasses you have to wear in order to watch. I wear normal glasses (shocking this day and age, I know) so every 3D movie forces me to put glasses over my glasses, resulting in an awkward and often uncomfortable experience. One research group thinks it can rectify that problem with glasses-free 3D display technology designed for commercial theaters.
Be

Submission + - Be OS Moves forward? (macworld.com) 1

Submitted by AgNO3
AgNO3 writes: While this moves forward it seems to me that this would have been a great Phone OS for the current hardware we have in phones.
Games

Submission + - First shots fired in graphics price war (techreport.com)

Submitted by
crookedvulture
crookedvulture writes: "Looks like the first shots have been fired in a PC graphics price war. Last week, Nvidia introduced the new GeForce GTX 660 Ti at $299, largely matching the performance of AMD's incumbent Radeon HD 7950 for 50 bucks less. Today, AMD announced price cuts for its mid-range Radeon lineup, including a $30 discount on the 7950. The Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition will drop from $249 to $199, and the 7850 from $209 to $189. The two graphics giants also have warring game bundles. The GeForce GTX 660 Ti comes with a download code for Borderlands 2, while the Radeon HD 7800 series will start including one for Sleeping Dogs. With the usual torrent of holiday game releases due in next few months, it's nice to see strong competition delivering better deals for consumers. If only the CPU market was as competitive. Intel has managed to hold prices largely steady through two generations of desktop processors."

Submission + - Asexuals: A Growing Population?

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: About 1 percent, or 70 million, of people worldwide belong to what researchers are now calling the 'fourth sexual orientation,' a small but often misunderstood and often overlooked group of 'asexual' men and women who feel absolutely no sexual attraction to other people.
Graphics

Submission + - Introducing the brand new OpenGL ES 3.0 (imgtec.com)

Submitted by
ImaginationPR
ImaginationPR writes: "Five years after revealing OpenGL ES 2.0 to the world, the Khronos Groups has recently published the brand new OpenGL ES 3.0 specification. Aimed to be backwards compatible with the previous version, this iteration will enable developers to add more features to graphics applications. Imagination have been one of the key members of the Khronos Group, having worked closely with them to make sure that the new version has all the features needed for PowerVR Series6 ‘Rogue’, the next generation of high performance GPUs."

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