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Yale Law Student Wants Government To Have Everybody's DNA 544

Posted by Soulskill from the just-the-junk dept.
An anonymous reader writes "Michael Seringhaus, a Yale Law School student, writes in the NY Times, 'To Stop Crime, Share Your Genes.' In order to prevent discrimination when it comes to collecting DNA samples from criminals (and even people who are simply arrested), he proposes that the government collect a DNA profile from everybody, perhaps at birth (yes, you heard that right)." Regarding the obvious issue of genetic privacy, Seringhaus makes this argument: "Your sensitive genetic information would be safe. A DNA profile distills a person’s complex genomic information down to a set of 26 numerical values, each characterizing the length of a certain repeated sequence of 'junk' DNA that differs from person to person. Although these genetic differences are biologically meaningless — they don’t correlate with any observable characteristics — tabulating the number of repeats creates a unique identifier, a DNA 'fingerprint.' The genetic privacy risk from such profiling is virtually nil, because these records include none of the health and biological data present in one’s genome as a whole."
The Military

Fraudulent Anti-Terrorist Software Led US To Ground Planes 147

Posted by timothy from the our-man-not-in-havana dept.
The Register, citing this Playboy article, reports that a Nevada man named Dennis Montgomery was able in 2003 to connive his way into a position of respectability at the CIA on the basis of his company's claimed ability, using software, to "detect and decrypt 'barcodes' in broadcasts by Al Jazeera, the Qatari news station." Montgomery was CTO of Reno-based eTreppid Technologies, which produced bucketloads of data purported to represent "geographic coordinates and flight numbers" hidden in these broadcasts. All of which, it seems, was hokum, finally debunked in cooperation with a branch of the French intelligence service — but not, says the article, before the fabricated information, chalked up to "credible sources," was used as justification to ground some international flights, and even evacuate New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Comment Re:I am a "cool" nerd and totally agree. (Score 1) 453

by Veni Vidi Dormi (#30528158) Attached to: The US Economy Needs More "Cool" Nerds
After reading some of the other posts, I just I should add that I was very successful in sports (not football.... wasn't interested in going to college with blowout knees).   Had a chance to walk on to our college track team (a very good one) but declined because it would have used up too much of my time.

All of the other people talking crap about this idea really don't know what they're talking about.  Ignorance is bliss I guess...

Comment I am a "cool" nerd and totally agree. (Score 1) 453

by Veni Vidi Dormi (#30528044) Attached to: The US Economy Needs More "Cool" Nerds
Did pretty well in undergrad and picked up a Computer Engineering degree.

Most of my classmates went on to work for the DoD.  I took the Kurt Vonnegut approach and said, 'no thanks'.   I was also pushed away from being a nerd because of the people.... yeah, I've got my good friends but mostly everyone I graduated with were, well, kinda sad.   So many of them focused on siloing their skill set that they didn't bother peaking their heads out of the basement computer lab to get out a live a WELL-ROUNDED life.

Applied for an MFA program that specialized in 3D (Maya specifically)... did allright, had one heck of a time learning how to paint but was fortunate to have had a lot of this kind of education when I was young (teenager) and not really all the way into computers.

Now, I boot up WoW every 6 months to look at the new artwork and scene design (then turn it off so I can go out and meet hot girls).  I bought BioShock for my Mac (finally!) and played it for a while but seem to have simply lost the taste for gaming.  I know I know... but man, I do SO MUCH ELSE.

Now, I work as a systems architect full-time and teach  drawing and 3D animation 2 nights a week.    I make presentations that communicate so much and do so in a very captivating way....  not to mention, I'm in with both the NERD scene and the ART scene.   Anyone want to guess which is more fun?

I heard it explained in such a way once that practical degrees (engineering, architecture, comp sci, medicine, etc) are a great core skill-set to have but by branching out and getting something less practical, it expands your mind to the nth degree and makes those core skill-sets that much more effective.

This is by far the best decision I have made in my life. 
Communications

ELF Knocks Down AM Towers To Save Earth, Intercoms 616

Posted by timothy from the damn-right-wing-nutjobs dept.
ScentCone writes "The ELF (Earth Liberation Front) has claimed responsibility for destroying the primary AM towers used by radio station KRKO in Washington state. From their statement: 'AM radio waves cause adverse health effects including a higher rate of cancer, harm to wildlife, and that the signals have been interfering with home phone and intercom lines.' The poor intercom performance must have been the last straw."
Security

What Is the Best Way To Track Stolen Gadgets? 101

Posted by timothy from the glue-to-foot dept.
An anonymous reader writes "Now that gadgets can determine their location and phone home, many companies are creating tools for finding lost and stolen gadgets. It sounds like a simple process, but this NY Times article describes a number of wildly different approaches. Some report all of the information back to the owner while others deliberately keep the owner in the dark to avoid dangerous confrontations. Some start grabbing pictures from the web cameras and logging keystrokes. Others just record IP addresses. Some don't do anything but record serial numbers to make it easier for the police to do their job. Are sophisticated systems dangerous because the tracking mechanisms could be misused to violate the privacy of the owner? Are the stakes different when a company purchases the software and gives the IT manager the ability to track everyone in the company? What are the best practices that are emerging? What should I recommend if my boss reads this article and wants to track our laptops and Blackberries?"

Comment State vs US from a Southerner. (Score 2, Interesting) 414

by Veni Vidi Dormi (#27927023) Attached to: NY Court Says Police Can't Track Suspect With GPS
We here in South Carolina applaud your rhetoric but thanks to that Yankee jackass Lee, your assertion that we are state citizens first and US citizens second has been proven false.

For all the crap people give the south, I'm glad y'all are realizin' what the whole "state rights" thing was about. I always read with interest the rants most recently from Cali and Texas governments about their relationship with the Fed.

Comment Brother . . . (Score 1) 216

by Veni Vidi Dormi (#27737133) Attached to: A Look At the Wolfram Alpha "Search Engine"
. . . either you don't have any imagination or you simply don't get it.

This tool is going to be pretty awesome and I for one look forward to using it. If this app works out, I think it is going to be one of the first true Web 3.0 (yes, I hate the term too) services. Add a little personal automation (script your own) and we've all of the sudden have a little AI dumb terminal in our back pockets we can tap for info. I am looking forward to it and as I suspect it will be a free service, I'm not going to look that particular gift horse in the mouth.

Cheers,
Veni

Comment why Twitter is interesting .. . (Score 1) 186

by Veni Vidi Dormi (#27620429) Attached to: Ford Bets On Social Media For Fiesta
Well, we're very happy for you and your vernacular.

I used to think the same thing but have done a 180 in the past few months. Please let me elaborate:
  • For one thing, Twitter has given the Internet as an entity its own voice. Think about the information people are able to provide as real-time sensors.
  • Twitter is an incredibly simple 1 to N communication medium. You post to 1 location, the message is delivered to N followers.
  • Some people might be using it to blog about breakfast (I follow a few) but for myself I use it as a way to setup really awesome interlinked tools. With oAuth now officially supported, this real time neural linkage of threaded/cronned progs is going to get loop!

But no, you just keep sitting over there in the corner sulking. Twitter as a business may be silly (God love em) but how else could you bring an idea like this to market?

I honestly think it's started changing some markets. There is a specialty beer store here that posts it's current daily list online. Nightclubs and their acts. Need to know the weather? A scrabble word?

Give it a try at least. Email me and I'd be more than happy to point out some more stuff.

Cheers! Veni

Comment Beta API to search across your data (Score 1) 266

by Veni Vidi Dormi (#27604319) Attached to: Encrypted But Searchable Online Storage?
This company has a Beta API to do just that I think.

I know of some people that are using it for searching across anonymized medical data.

BeliefNetworks Web Services API
http://beliefnetworks.net/bnws/

They have code samples too and a downloadable Java Library.
http://beliefnetworks.net/bnws/examples.html
http://beliefnetworks.net/bnws/security.html
Software

Internal Instant Messaging Client / Server Combo? 360

Posted by kdawson from the this-message-is-being-recorded dept.
strongmantim writes "I manage an internal help desk (25-30 people) for a medium-large company in the healthcare industry. We're looking for an internal, secure, FOSS (if possible) instant messaging / presence awareness client and server combo. Transmission of Protected Health Information is a sensitive issue, so the server has to be able to log any conversations that occur. It is preferred that the client not support outside protocols such as AIM, MSN, Yahoo, etc.; if it does, I will have to promulgate and enforce yet one more policy that my techs not connect to them. All of the computers that will connect run Windows XP. The system should be scalable up to ~100 people (in case we decide to include our entire office in the roll-out). Hardware and OS for the server are not an issue. Oh, and one more thing: It has to be free. Suggestions?"

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