Comment Update (Score 1) 160
Large Hadron Collider to be shut down for two months to undergo repairs for damage caused by an electrial fault, AP reports.
Submission + - The Rising Barcode Security Threat (heise-security.co.uk)
eldavojohn writes: "As more and more businesses become dependent on barcodes, people are pointing out common problems involving the security of one or two dimensional barcode software. You might scoff at this as a highly unlikely hacking platform but from the article, "FX tested the access system of an automatically operated DVD hire shop near his home. This actually demanded a biometric check as well, but he simply refused it. There remained a membership card with barcode, membership number and PIN. After studying the significance of the bar sequences and the linear digit combinations underneath, FX managed to obtain DVDs that other clients had already paid for, but had not yet taken away. Automated attacks on systems were also possible, he claimed. But you had to remember not to use your own membership number." The article also points out that boarding passes work on this basis — with something like GNU Barcode software and a template of printed out tickets, one might be able to take some nice vacations."
Submission + - FCC says 'no' to cheap rural Internet (theinquirer.net)
Tech.Luver writes: "theinquirer reports,
" THE FCC has rejected plans to use spare capacity in the broadcast spectrum to provide cheap, fast, Internet access to remote areas of the country.
A consortium of practically unknown technology companies including Microsoft, Google, Dell, Intel, HP and Philips have been told that their plan could cause interference to TV broadcasts. The FCC claims that the proposed system 'cannot reliably detect' spare capacity and rejected the scheme that could have brought fast Web access to rural areas badly served by existing transport mechanisms."
Submission + - Warhawk PS3 Server Clusters (adam.ne.jp)
News for nerds writes: "The official Sony Playstation blog posted the game server details of the upcoming online shooter game Warhawk. Surprisingly the game's Ranked Dedicated servers, available in addition to user-hosted PS3 servers, are hosted in rack-mounted PS3 clusters."
Submission + - Red Cross sued for using... a red cross (iht.com) 4
Swampash writes: "Johnson & Johnson, the health-products giant that uses a red cross as its trademark, is suing the American Red Cross, demanding the charity halt its use of the red cross symbol on products it sells to the public."
Submission + - Public Discussion on Space Solar Power Opened (wordpress.com)
eldavojohn writes: "The National Security Space Office (NSSO), an office of the DoD, has taken a novel approach to a study they are doing on space based solar power. They've opened a public forum for it and are interested in anyone and everyone's expertise, experience and ideas on the best means to harvest energy in space. I suppose this is similar to the DoD's $1 million for an energy pack just without the award. Still, if you want to have an influence on the US's plans in space, this would be an easy armchair place to start — if there's one thing in abundance on Slashdot, it's armchair speculation. Space.com has more on the details."
Submission + - Malaysia Uses Anti-Terrorism Laws to Stop Bloggers
Academiphiliac writes: "The BBC reports in an article this morning that "the Malaysian government has warned it could use tough anti-terrorism laws against bloggers who insult Islam or the country's king."
"The move comes as one of Malaysia's leading online commentators has been questioned by police following a complaint by the main governing party. The new rules would allow a suspect to be detained indefinitely, without being charged or put on trial.But officials insist the law is not intended to strangle internet freedom.
Submission + - Hitachi Developes Visual Search (nikkeibp.co.jp)
Tech.Luver writes: "From:: Tech Luver ::
Hitachi's Visual Search Finds Similar Images from Millions of Targets in 1 Second:
( http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20070 725/136751/ )
Tech-On! reportts,
" Hitachi Ltd. has developed a search technology that can find images similar to a specified image from millions of images and video data in one second.
The technology assesses the similarity of images based on image characteristics presented as high-dimensional numeric information. The information is acquired by automatically detecting information regarding the images, such as color distribution and shapes. The technology can be applied to video search as well.
The new technology features (1) high-speed visual similarity search using two-step search clustering technology and (2) faster reading through optimized data allocation on an HDD. ""
Submission + - The Swedish $150 Linux Laptop for the masses (medisoncelebrity.com)
Xemu writes: "Inspired by Negropontes laptop for children, the Swedish company Medison are now taking orders for their US$150 Linux laptop, the Medison Celebrity. The laptop is a 1.5 GHz Celeron M 370 with 14 inch screen, wireless network and it comes with Fedora Redhat pre-installed."
Submission + - Google Maps shows Chinese Nuclear Sub Prototype (fas.org)
mytrip writes: "An image of what could be one of China's new nuclear ballistic missile submarines is available on the Google Maps and Google Earth satellite-image site, a defense blogger claimed Tuesday.
The satellite picture was discovered by Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project for the Federation of American Scientists, and announced Tuesday on his blog. Kristensen believes the picture, taken by the Quickbird satellite late last year, reveals China's new Jin-class, or Type 094, nuclear ballistic missile sub.
The new sub class is approximately 35 feet longer than its predecessor, the Xia-class, also known as Type 092, according to two images Kristensen compares on the blog. The Jin-class sub has an extended midsection that houses 12 missile tubes and part of the reactor compartment, Kristensen explains."
Journal SPAM: California Man May Go to Prison for Kissing on a Plane 8
Carl Persing was convicted Thursday of interfering with flight attendants and crew members after he and his girlfriend, Dawn Sewell, were seen "embracing, kissing and acting in a manner that made other passengers uncomfortable," according to a criminal complaint.
Feed Proposals would turn highways into wind farms (engadget.com)
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Feed Screeenshots: Google Earth puts village in wrong country (com.com)
Residents of Villa O'Higgins thought they lived in Chile but Google Earth has the tiny village located in neighboring Argentina.
Feed Make Gmail better (slashdot.org)
Many people have embraced Google's Gmail service due to its slick interface and ample storage -- but like any application, Gmail leaves a few things to be desired. To trick Gmail out to your specifications, take a look at Lifehacker's Better Gmail,...
Feed News: Invoices update makes billing easier (macworld.com)
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