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AMD

Submission + - AMD Releases Open-Source Radeon HD 7000 Driver (phoronix.com)

An anonymous reader writes: AMD has publicly released the open-source code to the Radeon HD 7000 series "Southern Islands" graphics cards for Linux users. This allows users of AMD's latest-generation of Radeon graphics cards to use the open-source Linux driver rather than Catalyst, plus there's also early support for AMD's next-generation Fusion APUs.
Idle

Submission + - Google Engineer Builds Ultimate LAN Party House (gizmag.com)

Zothecula writes: Anyone who has a attended a LAN party — where people connect their computers on one network in one location to play multiplayer games together — can tell you that they can be both very fun but also kind of a hassle. Playing games with your friends all in the same room: fun. Having to organize all your friends to each haul their usually-oversized gaming rigs to one person's house, ensuring they all have the same software, and inevitably dealing with one or more people having trouble connecting: not fun. With that in mind, it makes sense that one Google employee decided to bypass all that inconvenience and just build a house specifically for LAN parties, complete with multiple networked computers and TVs connected to game consoles.

Submission + - Spock gives up the con (cbsnews.com)

tverbeek writes: Leonard Nimoy announced at the Creation Con in Chicago, celebrating the 45th anniversary of Star Trek, that this would be his last appearance at a Trek convention. He spoke for an hour, which at least suggests that he's making this move by choice and not out of necessity. He's 80 years old. "Live long and prosper," he told the crowd.

Submission + - BerliOS closes down (berlios.de)

An anonymous reader writes: Dear BerliOS developers and users,

BerliOS was founded 10 years ago as one of the first repositories in Europe. It was
developed and maintained by Fraunhofer FOKUS. As an European, non-proprietary
project BerliOS pursued the goal to support the various open-source players and provide
a neutral mediator function. In 2011 over 4710 projects have been hosted on BerliOS,
with 50,000 registered users and over 2.6 million file downloads each month. We are
proud that with BerliOS we have brought the idea of an OSS repository to Europe.
Meanwhile, the concept has prevailed and there are many good alternatives.

Unfortunately, as a research institute Fraunhofer FOKUS has only few opportunities to
operate a repository like BerliOS. Such a project will only work with a follow-up financing,
or with sponsors or partners taking over the repository. In the field of OSS this is a
difficult undertaking. In a recent survey the community indicated some support in funds
and manpower which we would like to thank you for. Unfortunately, the result is not
enough to put the project on a sustainable financial basis. In addition the search for
sponsors or partners was unsuccessful.

Open Source is understood by Fraunhofer FOKUS as a paradigm for future-oriented
intelligent use of IT. It hurts us all the more that we are forced to discontinue the hosting
for BerliOS by 31.12.2011.

* As a developer, you should export your BerliOS project into another repository.
Alternatives see
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_open_source_software_hosting_facilities

* On our site you will find a guide on how to get your project data out of the portal and
migrate it in a different platform, see
http://developer.berlios.de/docman/display_doc.php?docid=2056&group_id=2

Fraunhofer FOKUS has a strong commitment to open source and interoperability, and is
involved in numerous successful OSS projects. The institute focuses on the development
of quality standards for open source software and in particular on the technical, semantic
and organizational interoperability between open source software components and
between open source and closed source software. Example of our OSS activities including
our management of the German Competence Center QualiPSo.

We thank all who have used BerliOS over the years.

Fraunhofer FOKUS
www.fokus.fraunhofer.de

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Direct any questions to admin@berlios.de, or reply to this email.

Government

Submission + - FCC to test opening white spaces up to public (thehill.com)

GovTechGuy writes: The FCC will begin a test on Monday that will give the public access to "white spaces," the unused spectrum between TV and radio stations. The Commission is in the process of opening up the airwaves for public use; the last release of unlicensed airwaves eventually spawned a number of innovations such as WiFi, cordless phones and baby monitors. Officials hope this move will lead to better WiFi technology that can cover up to 50 miles.
Piracy

Submission + - Where can I buy ROMs? 1

PktLoss writes: "I'm interested in building an arcade machine, following the footsteps of Cmdr Taco amongst many others. Not being all that interested in piracy, I need to find somewhere to buy games. Starroms used to be the kind of thing I was looking for, though with an incredibly short catalog. The MAME people have a few available for free (non-commercial), but this isn't going to sate my needs.

There's an entire cottage industry supporting this goal. People are ready to sell me plans, kits, buttons, joy sticks, glass marquees, and entire machines. That's fantastic, but where can I get the games? I refuse to believe that this entire industry is built on piracy."

Submission + - Michael Hart, inventor of the e-book, dead at 64 (gutenberg.org) 1

FeatherBoa writes: Michael Hart, the founder and long time driving force behind Project Gutenberg and 1971 inventor of the electronic book has died at his home in Urbana Ill, on Sept. 6th 2011. Project Gutenberg is recognized as one of the earliest and longest-lasting online literary projects, has spawned sister projects in Australia, Canada, Germany and other locations to transcribe public domain literature and make it available via the Internet.

Submission + - RealNetworks crushes Dutch webmaster for hyperlink (pcadvisor.co.uk)

An anonymous reader writes: In the ever lasting contest for the most idiotic lawsuit, RealNetworks has sued a Dutch man for posting a link to a competing freeware program, that allegedly infringes on RealNetworks' intellectual property. The company also secretly obtained a court order that resulted in confiscation of all computers belonging to the man and his family. The 26-year-old has already incurred over €66,000 in legal fees and if he looses the case, he's facing €210,000 in fines.

Where are the Anonymous, when you need them?

Electronic Frontier Foundation

Submission + - The EFF reflects on ICE seizing a Tor exit node (eff.org)

An anonymous reader writes: Senior staff attorney at the EFF, Marcia Hofmann gives more information on the first known seizure of equipment in the US, due to a warrant executed against a private individual running a Tor exit node. 'This spring, agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) executed a search warrant at the home of Nolan King and seized six computer hard drives in connection with a criminal investigation. The warrant was issued on the basis of an Internet Protocol (IP) address that traced back to an account connected to Mr. King's home, where he was operating a Tor exit relay.' The EFF was able to get Mr King's equipment returned, and Marcia points out that 'While we think it's important to let the public know about this unfortunate event, it doesn't change our belief that running a Tor exit relay is legal.' She also links to the EFF's Tor Legal FAQ. This again brings up an interesting dichotomy in my mind, concerning protecting yourself from the Big digital Brother: Running an open Wi-Fi hotspot, or Tor exit node, would make you both more likely to be investigated but less likely to be convicted of any cyber crimes.
Patents

Submission + - Samsung cites Kubrick film in Apple patent case (cnet.com)

suraj.sun writes: In its ongoing legal battle with Apple, Samsung has returned fire against Apple's motion for a preliminary injunction that aims to bar some of its phones and Galaxy Tab in the US.

In a new filing, picked up by intellectual-property tracking blog Foss Patents, Samsung has opposed the preliminary injunction Apple filed for in early July. While the document is sealed at the moment, Foss points to one of the non-sealed exhibits Samsung is using to go up against Apple, which cites Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film "2001: A Space Odyssey" as clear evidence that tablets were an idea long before Apple's 2004 patent design filing:

        Attached hereto as Exhibit D is a true and correct copy of a still image taken from Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film "2001: A Space Odyssey." In a clip from that film lasting about one minute, two astronauts are eating and at the same time using personal tablet computers. The clip can be downloaded online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ8pQVDyaLo. As with the design claimed by the D'889 Patent, the tablet disclosed in the clip has an overall rectangular shape with a dominant display screen, narrow borders, a predominately flat front surface, a flat back surface (which is evident because the tablets are lying flat on the table's surface), and a thin form factor.

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQ8pQVDyaLo

CNET News: http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20096061-248/samsung-cites-kubrick-film-in-apple-patent-spat/

Comment Re:Please take some good photos of Apollo remains. (Score -1) 92

Conspiracy theories work because there is no evidence to the contrary. If you want me to believe we went to the moon 40 years ago, then do it again. And do it with live streaming video like they did in the 60s. Oh, and do it without any time delay or interference, like they did in the 60s.

Strange though, that even today live video suffers from time delays and interference ON EARTH (say from the Middle East to the US), but 40 years ago we did it from the moon with no problem...

I want video of the landing spot. From the departure from earth, to landing on the moon, to a smiling pic of the astronaut(s) with the apollo flag, to moon departure, and back to earth. Hell, why not just stream it all live...

Submission + - Cryptic codes in Oslo-terrorist manifest (no.net)

repvik writes: The 1500 page manifest of terrorist that killed 77 people in Oslo and on Utøya two weeks ago, contains a series of seemingly encrypted URLs. There are 46 of them, and the initial part of the URLs appear to be GPS coordinates. An effort to analyze the codes have been launched.

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