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Submission + - Huge iOS, OS X vulnerability uncovered that can render apps unusable (bgr.com)

Submitted by redkemper
redkemper writes: Android might be targeted by hackers and malware far more often than Apple’s iOS platform, but that doesn’t mean devices like the iPhone and iPad are immune to threats. A post on a Russian website draws attention to a fairly serious vulnerability that allows nefarious users to remotely crash apps on iOS 6, or even render them unusable. The vulnerability is seemingly due to a bug in Apple’s CoreText font rendering framework, and OS X Mountain Lion is affected as well...

Submission + - DEF CON Advises Feds Not to Attend Conference (krebsonsecurity.com)

Submitted by tsu doh nimh
tsu doh nimh writes: One of the more time-honored traditions at DEF CON — the massive hacker convention held each year in Las Vegas — is "Spot-the-Fed," a playful and mostly harmless contest to out undercover government agents that attend the show each year. But that game might be a bit tougher when the conference rolls around again next month: In an apparent reaction to recent revelations about far-reaching U.S. government surveillance programs, DEF CON organizers are asking feds to just stay away: "I think it would be best for everyone involved if the feds call a âtime-outâ(TM) and not attend DEF CON this year," conference organizer Jeff Moss wrote in a short post at Defcon.org. Krebsonsecurity writes that after many years of mutual distrust, the hacker community and the feds buried a lot of their differences in the wake of 911, with the director of NSA even delivering the keynote at last year's conference. But this year? Spot the fed may just turn into hack-the-fed.

Submission + - isoHunt guilty of inducing infringement (blogspot.com) 1

Submitted by roju
roju writes: The MPAA has won a summary judgment against torrent indexing site isoHunt for inducing copyright infringement. Michael Geist notes that "[t]he judge ruled that the isoHunt case is little different from other U.S. cases such as Napster and Grokster, therefore concluding that there is no need to proceed to a full trial and granting Columbia Pictures request for summary judgment." Attorney Ben Sheffner, who worked on the case for Fox, explains some of the implications, noting that "the most significant ruling in the opinion was the court's holding that the DMCA's safe harbors are simply not available where inducement has been established." This case could have implications on other indexing sites, and creates a gap in the DMCA safe harbor provisions that could have far-reaching implications on other sites.
Power

Submission + - Next-Gen Glitter-Sized Photovoltaic Cells Unveiled (inhabitat.com)

Submitted by MikeChino
MikeChino writes: Sandia National Laboratories recently announced a new breed of glitter-sized solar cells made from crystalline silicon that use 100 times less material to generate the same amount of electricity as standard solar cells made from 6-inch square solar wafers. Perfect for soaking up the sun’s rays on unusual shapes and surfaces, the tiny solar cells are expected to be less expensive, more efficient, and have promising new applications in textiles, clothing, and building facade installations.

Submission + - BBC's plan to kick free/open source out of UK TV (guardian.co.uk)

Submitted by bluec
bluec writes: Generally speaking, the BBC isn't allowed to encrypt or restrict its broadcasts: the licence fee payer pays for these broadcasts. But the BBC has tried to get around this, asking Ofcom for permission to encrypt the "metadata" on its broadcasts – including the assistive information used by deaf and blind people and the "tables" used by receivers to play back the video. As Ofcom gears up to a second consultation on the issue, there's one important question that the BBC must answer if the implications of this move are to be fully explored, namely: How can free/open source software co-exist with a plan to put DRM on broadcasts?
Networking

Submission + - IPv6 and the business-case skeptics (networkworld.com)

Submitted by
Julie188
Julie188 writes: "Experts keep screaming that the IPv4 sky is falling. Three such experts were recently asked point blank to state an irrefutable business case for moving to IPv6 now and their answer was more plausible than the old excuse (the lack of addresses and a yet-to-be-seen killer IPv6 app). They said that there isn't a business case. No company that is satisfied with all of its Internet services will need to move, even in the next few years. They also pointed out that Microsoft is a unique position in the industry both causing adoption through its IPv6 support in its OSes and hindering adoption by not extending IPv6 support into very many of its apps. (That's classic for Microsoft, aye?)"
Power

Submission + - Oil Deposit Could Increase US reserves by 10x 1

Submitted by HighWizard
HighWizard writes: America is sitting on top of a super massive 200 billion barrel Oil Field that could potentially make America Energy Independent and until now has largely gone unnoticed. Thanks to new technology the Bakken Formation in North Dakota could boost America's Oil reserves by an incredible 10 times, giving western economies the trump card against OPEC's short squeeze on oil supply and making foreign threats of disrupted supply irrelevant.
Censorship

Submission + - Muslims Attempt to Censor Wikipedia

Submitted by Nom du Keyboard
Nom du Keyboard writes: As reported on Fox News and The New York Times, some Muslims are attempting to censor Wikipedia because of images of Muhammad contained in the article about him. So does one religion get to tell the rest of the world how they must behave because they'll be offended otherwise, or does the Internet represent all views, even when that view may be offensive to some particular minority?
Censorship

Submission + - Danish ISP Tele2 challenges Pirate Bay-blockade (epn.dk)

Submitted by
krasmussen
krasmussen writes: "After Monday's injuction on Danish ISP Tele2 to block access to The Pirate Bay, the company has now decided to take the case further in court. "We do not like being put in a role where we as ISP have to regulate people's freedom of speech" says Nicholai Pfeiffer, regulatory manager i Telenor, which owns Tele2. However, because the current ruling against Tele2 still stands, the customers are not going to regain access to The Pirate Bay at the moment."

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