Want to read Slashdot from your mobile device? Point it at m.slashdot.org and keep reading!

 



Forgot your password?
typodupeerror

Comment Re:Keypad (Score 1) 102

No, they were just stupid.

By and large I've found that the reason we say crime doesn't pay is that we only catch the dumb ones.

As I like to say, "crime doesn't pay, but only because when it does we call it politics."
Security

Submission + - Thermal noise encyrption

Light Licker writes: Measuring the thermal properties of existing cables can offer encryption more secure and cheaper than quantum cryptography, says New Scientist. A scheme from Texas A&M University exploits the fact thermal noise is related to resistance. Sender and receiver transmit over a wire using resistors to manipulate the noise — any eavesdropping attempt can instantly be spotted because it will change the resistance. Messages have been transmitted this way over more than 2000 kilometres — much further than any quantum security scheme.
The Internet

How Do You Keep Track of Your Web-Based Research? 150

time961 asks: "I use the Web extensively to research a wide variety of topics (weird, huh?). However, much of the time I end up printing out web pages and filing them on paper, because that's the easiest way I know to say 'OK, that was interesting, I'll hold on to it until I actually do something about this topic'. Often, I'll run across something that seems relevant to a long-term project or interest and just want to grab it without even reading the details. Paper is OK for reading, browsing, and scribbling, but it's hard to search, it's heavy, and it's wasteful (and I yearn for a day when browsers can reliably print what's on the screen, instead of cutting it off at the margin because some designer doesn't understand layout!). How do others deal with organizing the results of browsing?"
It's funny.  Laugh.

Submission + - Zune team getting amnesty for iPod use

MsManhattan writes: The Zune development team at Microsoft is apparently offering amnesty to employees who give up their iPods in favor of using the Zune MP3 player. An MSNBC employee has posted a photo on Flickr of the company's "iPod Amnesty Bin," which sports an image of a bitten green apple and the words "Bite me." Whether it's to be taken seriously or is a joke to boost employee morale is anyone's guess, and naturally no one at Microsoft was available for comment. From what can be seen in the photo, only a few early-model iPods have been deposited.
United States

Submission + - Best Presidential Candidate for Geeks

blast writes: I was wondering who the community thinks best candidate for geeks. I.e, regarding the war on privacy, "total information awareness" or whatever they're calling it these days, Internet regulation and taxation, copyright/patent reform, the right to read, the right to secure communications, the right to tinker, etc.
Sun Microsystems

Submission + - Sun Says OSS Developers Need To Be Compensated

krelian writes: "Talking at Netbeans Day, Rich Green, Sun executive vice president for software, expressed doubts about the current model in which open-source developers create free intellectual property and have others scoop it up to generate huge amounts of revenue. "It really is a worrisome social artifact," Green said. "I think in the long term that this is a worrisome scenario [and] not sustainable. We are looking very closely at compensating people for the work that they do.""
The Internet

Submission + - Disaster recovery

moogoogaipan writes: After a few days thinking about the quickest way to bring my website back to the internet users, I am still stuck at DNS. From experience, even if I set the TTL for my DNS zone file as low as 5 mins, there are still DNS servers out there won't update until a few days later(yeah you, AOL). Here is my situation. Say, I have my web servers and database servers at a remote backup location. They are ready to serve. So my question for ./ers is that if we get hit by an earthquake at our main location, what can I do in a few hours to get everyone to go to our backup location?
Privacy

Submission + - US to pass bill outlawing genetic discrimination

fatduck writes: "NewScientist reports that, "On 25 April, the House of Representatives voted 420 to 3 to pass the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). The Senate is expected to endorse the act within a few weeks, which is also supported by President Bush." "There is no gene for the human spirit.""
Editorial

Submission + - Boredom Drives Open-Source Developers?

Henry McClyde writes: Chris Anderson of The Long Tail posted an article yesterday in which he claims that "spare cycles" — or boredom and the tons of people who wish they had something better to do — is what drives Web 2.0.... and the open source development community. While Web 2.0 in general is driven by "the long tail," NeoSmart seems to have taken up issue with Anderson's claims that open source developers (and other freeware programmers in general) do what they do because they're bored and have nothing better to spend their time on. Same with Wikipedia contributors, and bloggers in general.

I feel it's a mix between the two. It may have started off as boredom and ended up as a real passion for helping people out and making a difference. But definitely interesting that Anderson of all people would compare a Linux kernel developer to a bored sheriff watching a DVD or a travel playing Solitaire.
Television

CNN To Release Debates Under Creative Commons 151

remove office writes "After calls from several prominent bloggers and a couple of presidential candidates, CNN has agreed to release the footage from its upcoming June presidential debates uncopyrighted. Senator Barack Obama was the first candidate to call for all presidential debates to be released under Creative Commons, with fellow Democratic hopeful John Edwards following shortly afterwards. CNN will be the first to do so with their June 3rd and 5th Democratic and Republican debates. MSNBC hosted the first presidential debates recently but refused to release them under Creative Commons, opting instead to post online only commercial-ridden clips in Windows Media format."

Feed VeriSign set to offer one-time use passwords on bank cards (engadget.com)

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

VeriSign has already teamed up with PayPal to offer one-time use passwords on key fobs, but it looks like it's now found a way to make that additional layer of protection even more portable, partnering with Innovative Card Technologies Inc. to squeeze the disposable digits onto standard size bank cards. Apparently, you'll get a new password after each transaction you make online (displayed by pushing a button on the back of the card), making it theoretically impossible for anyone without the card to access your account, even if they somehow manage to get a hold of your regular password. While it's not clear when the cards will actually be put into use, VeriSign is promising to make an announcement about a "major bank" set to use the cards sometime this month.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!


Feed Domestic Violence And Asthma Linked, According To Study (sciencedaily.com)

The link between environmental exposures and asthma has been clearly described, but a new study from researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health finds a strong association between domestic violence and asthma. The study raises questions about the role of stress in the development of this common respiratory condition.

Slashdot Top Deals

You're already carrying the sphere!

Working...