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Submission + - Microsoft, FBI takedown Citadel botnet (paritynews.com) 1

Submitted by hypnosec
hypnosec writes: Microsoft has successfully taken down Citadel botnet in collaboration with the FBI which was known to control millions of PCs across the globe and was allegedly involved in and responsible for bank fraud in tune of more than $500 million. Citadel was known to have over 1,400 instances across the globe with most of the instances located in the US, Europe, India, China, Hong Kong and Singapore. The botnet a malware by the same name and this malware once on a system was used to install key-logging tools on target systems, which were then used to steal online banking credentials.

Submission + - NSA Building $860 Million Data Center in Maryland (datacenterknowledge.com)

Submitted by 1sockchuck
1sockchuck writes: As its current data collection makes headlines, the National Security Agency is continuing to expand its data storage and processing capabilities. The agency recently broke ground on an $860 million data center at Fort Meade, Maryland that will span more than 600,000 square feet. The project will provide additional IT capacity beyond the NSA's controversial Utah data center. The new facility will be supported by 60 megawatts of power and use both air-cooled and liquid-cooled equipment.

Submission + - Google Plans Wireless Networks in Emerging Markets (wsj.com)

Submitted by kgeiger
kgeiger writes: The next billion customers gotta come from somewhere. The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) today reports that Google will fund, deploy, and manage wireless networks in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. From TFA:

The Silicon Valley company is deep in the throes of a multipronged effort to fund, build and help run wireless networks in emerging markets such as sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, said people familiar with the strategy. The wireless networks would be available to dwellers outside of major cities where wired Internet connections aren't available and could be used to improve Internet speeds in urban centers, these people said.
Power

Submission + - Is safe, green thorium power finally ready for prime time? (extremetech.com)

Submitted by
MrSeb
MrSeb writes: "If you’ve not been tracking the thorium hype, you might be interested to learn that the benefits liquid fluoride thorium reactors (LFTRs) have over light water uranium reactors (LWRs) are compelling. Alvin Weinberg, who invented both, favored the LFTR for civilian power since its failures (when they happened) were considerably less dramatic — a catastrophic depressurization of radioactive steam, like occurred at Chernobyl in 1986, simply wouldn’t be possible. Since the technical hurdles to building LFTRs and handling their byproducts are in theory no more challenging, one might ask — where are they? It turns out that a bunch of US startups are investigating the modern-day viability of thorium power, and countries like India and China have serious, governmental efforts to use LFTRs. Is thorium power finally ready for prime time?"
Government

Submission + - IEEE Standards for Voting Machines (ieee.org)

Submitted by kgeiger
kgeiger writes: Voting machine designs and data formats are a free-for-all. The result is poor validation and hence opportunity for fraud. From TFA:

IEEE Standards Project 1622 is working on electronic data interchange for voting systems. The plan is to create a common format, based on the Election Markup Language (EML) already recommended for use in Europe. This is a subset of the popular XML (eXtensible Markup Language) that specifies particular fields and data structures for use in voting.

Submission + - Kim Dotcom Outs Mega Teaser Site, Finalizes Me.ga as Domain Name (paritynews.com)

Submitted by hypnosec
hypnosec writes: Kim Dotcom has let out more information about the launch of Megaupload’s successor Mega, which he claims will be "bigger, better, faster, stronger, [and] safer." Mega is currently looking for partners those are willing to provide servers, supports and connectivity and become "Mega Storage Nodes." The prime requirement, according to Dotcom, is that the servers should be located outside the US and that the companies should also be based outside of the US. For this reason, Dotcom has decided that the new service will be launching with "Me.ga" domain name.
Communications

Submission + - Satellite Uplinks for the Masses (ieee.org) 1

Submitted by kgeiger
kgeiger writes: Intellectual Ventures has spun out Kymeta to develop and mass-produce their mTenna product line. mTennas are based on metamaterials like the invisibility cloaks discussed on Slashdot and elsewhere. Metamaterials enable beam-steering that ensures an mTenna remains in contact with satellites even during motion. Kymeta will use 'established lithographic techniques' to make them.

IMHO, these antennas may be as big a leap for mobile computing and remote communications as the invention of fractal antennas was for mobile phones.

Submission + - No More Free Conference Calls (ieee.org)

Submitted by kgeiger
kgeiger writes: The FCC is changing the call termination tariffs that subsidized rural wireline service and coincidentally free conference calls. Free conference call services had located their dial-in centers in rural areas to scoop up FCC tariffs from its Universal Service Fund. USF monies will go to broadband deployment instead. Be prepared to put more nickels in the box.

Submission + - DARPA researches 'Avatar' Surrogates (ieee.org) 1

Submitted by kgeiger
kgeiger writes: Feeling blue? DARPA is funding a program to investigate the feasibility of battlefield cyborg-surrogates:

"In its 2012 budget, DARPA has decided to pour US $7 million into the 'Avatar Project' whose goal is the following: 'develop interfaces and algorithms to enable a soldier to effectively partner with a semi-autonomous bi-pedal machine and allow it to act as the soldier’s surrogate.'"

Power and bandwidth constraints aside, what could go wrong? Chinese hackers swooping in and commandeering one's army? Gives new meaning to the question "Where's Waldo?"

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