LordRobin - Slashdot User

Submission + - New IE Bug Being Used in Targeted Attacks (threatpost.com)

Submitted by Trailrunner7 on Wednesday November 03, 2010 @12:09PM

Trailrunner7 writes: There's a new flaw in all of the current versions of Internet Explorer that is being used in some targeted attacks right now. Microsoft has confirmed the bug and said it is working on a fix, but has no time line for the patch release yet. The company did not rule out an emergency out-of-band patch, however. The new bug in Internet Explorer affects versions 6, 7 and 8, but is not present in IE 9 beta releases, Microsoft said.

"At this time, we are aware of targeted attacks attempting to use this vulnerability. We will continue to monitor the threat environment and update this advisory if this situation changes. On completion of this investigation, Microsoft will take the appropriate action to protect our customers, which may include providing a solution through our monthly security update release process, or an out-of-cycle security update, depending on customer needs," Microsoft said.

Submission + - Chip allows blind people to see (medicalnewstoday.com)

Submitted by crabel on Wednesday November 03, 2010 @11:11AM

crabel writes: 3 blind people got implanted with a retinal chip that allowed them to see shapes and objects within days of the procedure.
"One of the patients surprised researchers by identifying and locating objects on a table; he was also able to walk around a room unaided, approach specific people, tell the time from a clock face, and describe seven different shades of gray in front of him."

Comment They don't use the Cone of Silence anymore. (Score 1) 122

by LordRobin on Friday October 29, 2010 @03:08PM (#34066234) Attached to: British Pizza Chain To Install Cones of Silence

They use hover-cover.

(Now to see if I'm the only person in the universe who still gets that reference.)

------RM

Italy Floats Official Permission Requirement for Web Video Uploads 131

Posted by timothy on Saturday January 16, 2010 @06:04PM from the state-v.-man dept.

An anonymous reader writes with some bad news from Italy, noting that new rules proposed there would "require people who upload videos onto the Internet to obtain authorization from the Communications Ministry similar to that required by television broadcasters, drastically reducing freedom to communicate over the Web." Understandably, some say such controls represent a conflict of interest for Silvio Berlusconi, "who exercises political control over the state broadcaster RAI in his role as prime minister and is also the owner of Italy's largest private broadcaster, Mediaset."

Zombie Pigs First, Hibernating Soldiers Next 193

Posted by samzenpus on Monday December 07, 2009 @07:06PM from the fattening-up-on-brains dept.

ColdWetDog writes "Wired is running a story on DARPA's effort to stave off battlefield casualties by turning injured soldiers into zombies by injecting them with a cocktail of one chemical or another (details to be announced). From the article, 'Dr. Fossum predicts that each soldier will carry a syringe into combat zones or remote areas, and medic teams will be equipped with several. A single injection will minimize metabolic needs, de-animating injured troops by shutting down brain and heart function. Once treatment can be carried out, they'll be "re-animated" and — hopefully — as good as new.' If it doesn't pan out we can at least get zombie bacon and spam."

Comment Re:Anyone actually use "Genius"? (Score 2, Interesting) 174

by LordRobin on Thursday November 05, 2009 @11:55PM (#30002920) Attached to: Going Head To Head With Genius On Playlists

Well, actually, yes. I use Genius. A lot.

Look, it's not perfect, but for folks like me, who don't have either the time or the desire to craft a playlist for each mood I may happen to be in, it's a godsend. Before Genius came along, my options were either to listen to a specific album or artist, or shuffle the whole damn iPod. I'd do that occasionally, but the end result was heavy on Beatles and J-Pop. I obvious like both genres, or my iPod wouldn't be full of the stuff, but sometimes I'm just not in the mood for either. The Genius playlists do a decent job of segregating my collection into various flavors of rock, J-Pop, and anime soundtracks.

It's just a matter of convenience for this casual listener. I can understand why a more hardcore music collector (like say, someone who has 300+GB of music) might not find Genius sufficient. But then, I find it hard to believe such a collector would be satisfied with any automated playlist generator.

------RM

Comment Re:Wont work. (Score 1) 465

by LordRobin on Thursday June 11, 2009 @03:19PM (#28298457) Attached to: $33 Million In Poker Winnings Seized By US Govt

I'm not so sure. $33 million sounds like a lot, but it was the total for 27,000 players. That's an average of about $1,200 each. A nice check, but these guys aren't exactly high rollers. I'd be surprised if more than a tiny minority had the funds to open offshore accounts.
------RM

Comment Re:badass (Score 3, Insightful) 69

by LordRobin on Saturday May 16, 2009 @02:47PM (#27980635) Attached to: Dormitory Turned Into Huge Color Display

I dunno, man. Watching this today, I thought it was incredibly cool. But when I was in college 20 years ago, I was a different person. It was a difficult time for me, socially, and my dorm room was the only place I could "get away" when I needed to. I think I might have been a little bitter if I was told I had to let someone in to wire up lights, and essentially be kicked out on show night ('cuz it's not like you could study or sleep in there when the show was on). I find it hard to believe that with as many as 240 students affected, there wasn't at least one poor schmuck who just wanted to be left alone.

I guess I'm just saying that I hope this wasn't crammed down everyone's throats without giving them a choice.

------RM

Scientists Discover Common Ancestor of Monkeys, Apes, and Humans 391

Posted by Soulskill on Saturday May 16, 2009 @01:27PM from the your-n-mother-had-a-lengthy-tail dept.

reporter writes "According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, scientists have discovered the common ancestor of monkeys, apes, and Slashdotters. The 47 million year old fossils were discovered in Germany. The ancestor physically resembles today's lemur. Quoting: 'The skeleton will be unveiled at New York City's American Museum of Natural History next Tuesday by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and an international team involved in the discovery. According to Prof. Gingerich, the fossilized remains are of a young female adapid. The skeleton was unearthed by collectors about two years ago and has been kept tightly under wraps since then, in an unusual feat of scientific secrecy. Prof. Gingerich said he had twice examined the adapid skeleton, which was "a complete, spectacular fossil." The completeness of the preserved skeleton is crucial, because most previously found fossils of ancient primates were small finds, such as teeth and jawbones.'"

Comment Too much concentration on the testosterone market (Score 2, Interesting) 424

by LordRobin on Tuesday July 10, 2007 @01:17PM (#19815317) Attached to: In Wake of Price Drops, Further PS3 Doubts

So let's look at the AAA exclusives for PS3: Resistance, Motorstorm, Ninja Gaiden Sigma. Now the AAA exclusives for PS3: Zelda, Wii Sports(!?!), Wario Ware (?????).

Note that all three of the PS3 titles listed appeal primarily to young adult males. While the Wii titles appeal to kids, older adults, and women.

This is why Nintendo is winning this war, folks. Sony and Microsoft have narrowed their focus to the testosterone-junkie market, leaving all the little kids, old folks, and females to be served by the DS and Wii.

My wife is the big gamer in our house. She owns almost console ever made. Yet until Ratchet & Clank comes out, there won't be anything on the PS3 to grab her attention.

------RM

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