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Cellphones

Apple Wants Patents For Crippling Cellphones 371

Posted by kdawson from the say-it-ain't-so-steve dept.
theodp writes "Evil is in the eye of the beholder, but there's certainly not much to like in the newly-disclosed Apple patent applications for Systems and Methods for Provisioning Computing Devices. Provisioning, says Apple, allows carriers to 'specify access limitations to certain device resources which may otherwise be available to users of the device.' So what problem are we trying to solve here? 'Mobile devices often have capabilities that the carriers do not want utilized on their networks,' explains Apple. 'Various applications on these devices may also need to be restricted.'"

Comment Re:This is what most fortune 500 companies want! (Score 1) 926

by pugdk (#29219595) Attached to: FSF Attacks Windows 7's "Sins" In New Campaign

Because doing things "the company way" (read: The BOFH IT administrator way) is not always the fastest or most efficient way to do things - if the company want value for money/paycheck, they won't lock my software down so hard I can barely breathe.

Can you tell I've just been hit with the totally locked down Exchange-server virus at my workplace? ;-)

Comment This is what most fortune 500 companies want! (Score 2, Insightful) 926

by pugdk (#29213627) Attached to: FSF Attacks Windows 7's "Sins" In New Campaign

.... complete control of their employees computers. More lockdown features present in the OS = more power to the IT department = easier for BOFH IT administrators to take away any and all "freedoms" you may think you have when using equipment provided by your workplace.

In other words: What a waste of time sending letters to these companies!
Biotech

Prehistoric Gene Reawakened To Battle HIV 360

Posted by kdawson from the learning-from-our-distant-cousins dept.
Linuss points out research published in PLoS Biology that demonstrates the reawakening of latent human cells' ability to manufacture an HIV defense. A group of scientists led by Nitya Venkataraman began with the knowledge that Old World monkeys have a built-in immunity to HIV: a protein that can prevent HIV from entering cell walls and starting an infection. They examined the human genome for any evidence of a latent gene that could manufacture such a protein, and found the capability in a stretch of what has been dismissively termed "junk DNA." "In this work, we reveal that, upon correction of the premature termination codon in theta-defensin pseudogenes, human myeloid cells produce cyclic, antiviral peptides (which we have termed 'retrocyclins'), indicating that the cells retain the intact machinery to make cyclic peptides. Furthermore, we exploited the ability of aminoglycoside antibiotics to read-through the premature termination codon within retrocyclin transcripts to produce functional peptides that are active against HIV-1. Given that the endogenous production of retrocyclins could also be restored in human cervicovaginal tissues, we propose that aminoglycoside-based topical microbicides might be useful in preventing sexual transmission of HIV-1."

Comment Re:One word.... (Score 2, Funny) 369

by pugdk (#27944995) Attached to: Scientists Create RNA From Primordial Soup

I earn a living (well, if you can call it that) doing biochemical research, but frankly I don't care if you believe me (RTFA, it pretty much speaks for itself).

Sorry, not bored enough to give examples, but using google scholar will most definitely help you (if you are that bored ;-).

Possible vector of contamination? Are you serious? Try just about everything they may have come into contact with.... removal of "all things resembling RNA" is much easier than it sounds... destruction of RNA strands, yes... quite easy (however that may introduce yet more contamination ;-). Removal of all nucleotides... good luck.

Contamination is actally quite a good shot as to what may have brought on at least the start of the process...

Did I mention I'm not that worried if you don't believe me? :-)

Comment Re:One word.... (Score 1) 369

by pugdk (#27944541) Attached to: Scientists Create RNA From Primordial Soup

From what I know plenty of previous attempts or rather "succesful" attemps have been shown to be due to contamination.

Now, I'm not saying these people don't know what they are doing, I'm saying the chance of contamination with discrete amounts of RNA / RNA bases / whatever in my eyes are probably far greater than the chance of actually making RNA.

(and no, I'm not some sort of creationist bastard heh)
Games

BioShock 2 Multiplayer Details Revealed 19

Posted by Soulskill from the fun-for-the-whole-busted-family dept.
2K Games has revealed information about the multiplayer portion of BioShock 2, which will be developed by Digital Extremes. Multiplayer will be a prequel story that takes place prior to Rapture's fall, where "players assume the role of a Plasmid test subject for Sinclair Solutions, a premier provider of Plasmids and Tonics in the underwater city of Rapture that was first explored in the original BioShock." The press release says players will gain experience points which they can spend to gain access to "new Weapons, Plasmids and Tonics that can be used to create hundreds of different combinations, allowing players to develop a unique character that caters to their playing style." It will also expand on the BioShock story.
Security

Computer Spies Breach $300B Fighter-Jet Project 330

Posted by CmdrTaco from the we're-still-number-one-at-this dept.
suraj.sun writes "Computer spies have broken into the Pentagon's $300 billion Joint Strike Fighter project — the Defense Department's costliest weapons program ever — according to current and former government officials familiar with the attacks. Similar incidents have also breached the Air Force's air-traffic-control system in recent months, these people say. In the case of the fighter-jet program, the intruders were able to copy and siphon off several terabytes of data related to design and electronics systems, officials say, potentially making it easier to defend against the craft."
Supercomputing

Supercomputer As a Service 78

Posted by samzenpus from the do-your-own-base-pair-matching dept.
gubm writes "Nearly one and a half years after making a stunning entry into the global supercomputer list with Eka, ranked as the fourth-fastest supercomputer in the world, Computational Research Laboratories (CRL), a Tata Sons' subsidiary, has succeeded in creating a new market for supercomputers — that of offering supercomputing power on rent to enterprises in India. For now, for want of a better word, let us call it 'Supercomputer as a Service.'"

Comment Hmm (Score 1) 195

by pugdk (#26505783) Attached to: Google Terminates Six Services

I've never heard of the other ones, but Google Notebook have come in handy plenty of times.

Sad that Google feel the need to close down these services, I mean... how much man power could it really cost just to keep them running?
Earth

More Climate Scientists Now Support Geoengineering 458

Posted by Soulskill from the this-earth-is-busted-let's-build-a-new-one dept.
ofcourseyouare writes "The Independent is a UK newspaper which has been pushing hard for cuts in CO2 emissions for years. It recently polled a group of 'the world's leading climate scientists,' revealing a 'growing support for geoengineering' in addition to cutting CO2 — not as a substitute. For example, Jim Lovelock, author of The Gaia Theory, comments: 'I disagree that geoengineering the climate is a dangerous distraction and I disagree that on no account should it ever be considered. I strongly agree that we now need a "plan B" where a geoengineering strategy is drawn up in parallel with other measures to curb CO2 emissions.' Professor Kerry Emanuel of MIT said, 'While a geoengineering solution is bound to be less than desirable, the probability of getting global agreement on emissions reductions before it is too late is very small.'"

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