143346798
submission
linuxwrangler writes:
A programmer who goes by the name Turtius has managed to install and run a Minecraft server on a Canon DSLR. Turtius was working on reverse-engineering Canon’s network processor when he decided to try and see if it could be done and posted a short video of it in action.
93837809
submission
linuxwrangler writes:
In 1988 at retreat for San Francisco Exploratorium staff, Larry Shaw proposed linking the digits of pi, which begins 3.14, with the date March 14. Initially the "holiday" was only celebrated by museum staff but it didn't take long for the idea to spread and Pi Day was born.
For 38 years, Mr. Shaw donned a red cap emblazoned with the magic digits and led a parade of museum goers, each of them holding a sign bearing one of the digits of pi.
Shaw died August 19 at age 78 and a memorial is planned for Sunday September 24.
90130151
submission
linuxwrangler writes:
Backed by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper, drone startup Natilus is attempting to reduce global airfreight costs by 50% through the use of autonomous cargo drones. To reduce regulatory and infrastructure burden, they plan to have their cargo drones take off and land on water 12 miles offshore and fly over uninhabited areas below controlled airspace. Shipments that take 11 hours in a 747 would take 30 in the drone but at half the cost. Container shipping is less than half the cost of the drone but takes three weeks. Test flights of a 30 foot prototype over San Pablo Bay north of San Francisco are planned for this summer.
90096389
submission
linuxwrangler writes:
Chinese drone maker DJI proposed today that drones be required to transmit a unique identifier to assist law enforcement to identify operators where necessary. Anyone with an appropriate receiver could receive the ID number but the database linking the ID with the registered owner would only be available to government agencies. DJI likens this to a license plate on a car and offers it as a solution to a congressional mandate that the FAA develop methods to remotely identify drone operators.
89843221
submission
linuxwrangler writes:
For over 4 years, lights top Adobe's office building in San Jose have flashed out a secret message. This week the puzzle was solved by Tennessee math teacher Jimmy Waters. As part of the winnings, Adobe is donating software and 3D printers to Waters' school in his name.
74540139
submission
linuxwrangler writes:
Prolific aircraft designer James "Jim" Bede has died at age 82. Although Bede designed numerous aircraft he is most commonly associated with the BD-5J, the "world's smallest jet", that was famously used to help James Bond escape in the movie "Octopussy." Bede's company currently has that aircraft for sale.
70656767
submission
linuxwrangler writes:
The government has fought hard to keep details about use and effects of the controversial Stingray device secret. But this Wired article points to recently released documents in which the government admits that the device can cause collatoral damage to other network users. The controversy has heated to the point that Florida senator Bill Nelson has made combative statments that such devices will inevitably force lawmakers to come up with new ways to protect privacy — a comment that is even more remarkable considering that the Stingray is produced by Harris Corporation which is headquartered in Nelson's home state.
68640557
submission
linuxwrangler writes:
Aktarer Zaman, a young computer scientist, started a "side project" called Skiplagged to compile a relatively well-known method of finding inexpensive airfares. But organizing fully public information into a user-friendly form has gotten him sued by United and Orbitz who are less than enthralled by his activities and are accusing his not-for-profit site of "unfair competition" and promotion of "strictly prohibited" travel. Sounds like some large corporations need to brush up on the first amendment to the United States Constitution.
65841145
submission
linuxwrangler writes:
A flight from LAX to London was delayed after a passenger reported seeing "Al-Quida Free Terror Nettwork" as an available hotspot name and reported it to a flight attendant. The flight was taken to a remote part of the airport and delayed for several hours but "after further investigation, it was determined that no crime was committed and no further action will be taken."
63245719
submission
linuxwrangler writes:
Job interviews missed, work and wedding plans disrupted, children unable to fly home with their adoptive parents. All this disruption is due to a outage involving the passport and visa processing database at the U.S. State Department. The problems have been ongoing since July 19 and the best estimate for repair is "soon."
53216411
submission
linuxwrangler writes:
San Francisco Bay Area commuters awoke this morning to the news that BART, the major regional transit system which carries hundreds of thousands of daily riders, was entirely shut down due to a computer failure. Commuters stood stranded at stations and traffic backed up as residents took to the roads. The system has returned to service and BART says the outage resulted from a botched software upgrade.
51711755
submission
linuxwrangler writes:
NSA's new Utah data-center has been sufferering numerous power-surges that have caused as much as $100,000 damage per event. The root cause is "not yet sufficiently understood" but may is suspected to relate to the site's "inability to simultaneously run computers and keep them cool." Frustrating the analysis and repair are "incomplete information about the design of the electrical system" and the fact that "regular quality controls in design and construction were bypassed in an effort to fast track the Utah project."
41760333
submission
linuxwrangler writes:
Two teens are behind bars after drugging the milkshakes they gave to the parents of one of the kids. The parents were suspicious after waking groggy the next day though they drank only a quarter of the shake so they used a home drug-test on the remaining drink. The teens hatched the plot to evade their 10-pm Internet curfew.
33335681
submission
linuxwrangler writes:
After mowing down a motorcycling couple while distracted by texting, Kyle Best received a slap on the wrist. The couple's attorney then sued girlfriend Shannon Colonna for sending him messages when he was driving arguing that while she was not physically present, she was "electronically present." In good news for anyone who sends server-status, account-alerts or originates a call, text or email of any type that could be received by a mobile device the judge dismissed the plantiff's claims against the woman.
31877765
submission
linuxwrangler writes:
It started with a dream of building a full-sized jet flight simulator. Now, 20-years, $150,000 and one divorce later, James Price can walk to his garage and fly the 737 simulator he built built from the nose of a surplus 737.
