Comment Re:Google for domains (Score 1) 619
I have one for fun, but I use first.last@gmail.com for business stuff. I guess I should suck it up and get another for business related uses.
Comment Re:Gmail's canned responses are worthless (Score 1) 619
Ah!
Much of my misdirected email is firstnamelastname@gmail. I wonder if this is the root of the problem.
Submission + - Many Stuxnet Bugs Still Unpatched by Siemens (threatpost.com)
Trailrunner7 writes: The media storm over the Stuxnet worm may have passed, but many of the software holes that were used by the worm remain unpatched and leave Siemens customers open to a wide range of potentially damaging cyber attacks, according to industrial control system expert Ralph Langner.
Langner said that the media paid too much attention to the four, zero day Windows vulnerabilities that enabled the Stuxnet worm, but overlooked the other security holes used by the worm. Unlike the Windows vulnerabilities, which Microsoft quickly fixed, many of the holes in Siemens' products remain unpatched, he contends.
Langner enumerates three types of exploits used by Stuxnet — only one category of which (Windows operating system exploits) have been closed. The other two are Windows applications exploits aimed at Siemens Siemens Simatic Manager and the Siemens WinCC SCADA application, and controller exploits aimed at Siemens S70-300 and 400 series controllers.
Langner said that the media paid too much attention to the four, zero day Windows vulnerabilities that enabled the Stuxnet worm, but overlooked the other security holes used by the worm. Unlike the Windows vulnerabilities, which Microsoft quickly fixed, many of the holes in Siemens' products remain unpatched, he contends.
Langner enumerates three types of exploits used by Stuxnet — only one category of which (Windows operating system exploits) have been closed. The other two are Windows applications exploits aimed at Siemens Siemens Simatic Manager and the Siemens WinCC SCADA application, and controller exploits aimed at Siemens S70-300 and 400 series controllers.
Feed Techdirt: NJ Supreme Court Can't Comprehend That Everyone Can Be A Journalist (techdirt.com)
We've covered the case of Shellee Hale for a few years now. She was sued for defamation over some comments she left in an online forum concerning a software company for the porn industry, Too Much Media LLC. Hale claimed that she got the information from a source as part of an investigation she was doing for a website which she had not yet opened. However, she posted some of that info on this forum, and upon being sued, tried to claim journalistic privilege in protecting her sources under New Jersey's journalist shield law. Both the district court and the appeals court ruled against her, suggesting that because the online forum was not an appropriate venue for journalism, there was no journalism shield. She appealed to the New Jersey Supreme Court, which has tragically upheld the lower court rulings, once again taking issue with the venue:
Once again, that's totally irrelevant. What others do on forums is meaningless. The entire question should have been whether or not Hale was engaged in the action of journalism. The court warns that if Hale's argument is accepted than "anyone with a Facebook account, could try to assert the privilege." But, what's wrong with that? If the person is actually engaged in journalism, than what's the problem? Nothing in what Hale was claiming would mean that everyone with a Facebook page was automatically protected by the shield law. The person would still need to prove that they were engaged in journalism. It's really too bad that the New Jersey Courts couldn't see this.
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We do not find that online message boards are similar to the types of news entities listed in the statute, and do not believe that the Legislature intended to provide an absolute privilege in defamation cases to people who post comments on message boards.But I don't think that's what anyone was trying to claim. This isn't about the venue, but about the action. Journalism is not a venue, it's a process. If the information was acquired in the course of journalism, it shouldn't matter where it was published. Yet all three courts seemed to miss this key point and focus mainly on the venue issue. So, even if you're doing journalism, but publish it somewhere the judges don't like, suddenly, you're not doing journalism. This is quite strange and I don't buy the court's explanation here. They even note that the law itself is written broadly to protect "all significant news-gathering activities." And yet it still says that venue of publication is a key factor in determining what is journalism. This is an outdated and, frankly, troubling view of journalism. The court even goes on a bit of a screed about "unfiltered, unedited" forums as being this anarchy of the internet that does not resemble journalism.
Once again, that's totally irrelevant. What others do on forums is meaningless. The entire question should have been whether or not Hale was engaged in the action of journalism. The court warns that if Hale's argument is accepted than "anyone with a Facebook account, could try to assert the privilege." But, what's wrong with that? If the person is actually engaged in journalism, than what's the problem? Nothing in what Hale was claiming would mean that everyone with a Facebook page was automatically protected by the shield law. The person would still need to prove that they were engaged in journalism. It's really too bad that the New Jersey Courts couldn't see this.
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Submission + - Ask Slashdot:How to I not get other people's email
vrimj writes: vrimj writes "I have a common enough first name lastname combination that I sometimes get other peoples email at my firstname.lastname@gmail.com account.
It isn't a big deal if it is a person, I let them know, they fix it.
The big problem I am having is with companies and websites. These emails are often no reply which means I can't send back a quick note.
I got someone's credit card bills for three months before I realized there was nothing for it but calling the company (I tried a couple of emails first).
Recently got a notice about someone's kid signing up for a website. I don't have any but to hit the response and tell them that I first have to say I am that kids parent or guardian. I didn't know where to go from there.
Today I get an invoice from a cable company, it is for a different state. I can't reply. I go to the online support, they tell me my only choice is to call the sales office. I gave in for the bank but I am not talking to someone else's cable company.
Is there any way to make emails to an improperly formatted gmail address bounce or do something else obvious? Is there a technical solution I am overlooking.
I doesn't happen that often but it is an increasing PITA with no reply email addresses. I hate just setting up a filter because that cuts off these other people who made a typo or had someone not enter something correctly, but it is looking like the best choice.
It isn't spam, but it isn't my meat."
It isn't a big deal if it is a person, I let them know, they fix it.
The big problem I am having is with companies and websites. These emails are often no reply which means I can't send back a quick note.
I got someone's credit card bills for three months before I realized there was nothing for it but calling the company (I tried a couple of emails first).
Recently got a notice about someone's kid signing up for a website. I don't have any but to hit the response and tell them that I first have to say I am that kids parent or guardian. I didn't know where to go from there.
Today I get an invoice from a cable company, it is for a different state. I can't reply. I go to the online support, they tell me my only choice is to call the sales office. I gave in for the bank but I am not talking to someone else's cable company.
Is there any way to make emails to an improperly formatted gmail address bounce or do something else obvious? Is there a technical solution I am overlooking.
I doesn't happen that often but it is an increasing PITA with no reply email addresses. I hate just setting up a filter because that cuts off these other people who made a typo or had someone not enter something correctly, but it is looking like the best choice.
It isn't spam, but it isn't my meat."
Comment Re:make stuff (Score 1) 458
You could use shrink film and show them how to make their own bits of plastic. Custom game bits, stuff that goes with current plastic bits. It is a small simple thing, but you can start to show them how to hack their toys.
And while a lot of these suggestions are awesome they are basically toys that require hacking, any toy can be hacked with some tools. Think about a toy mod kit paint pens, shrink film, design your own stickers, iron on able printer paper. You can start giving them the idea that they can impose their aesthetic and desires on their stuff instead of just leaving it an unremarkable pile of plastic.
And while a lot of these suggestions are awesome they are basically toys that require hacking, any toy can be hacked with some tools. Think about a toy mod kit paint pens, shrink film, design your own stickers, iron on able printer paper. You can start giving them the idea that they can impose their aesthetic and desires on their stuff instead of just leaving it an unremarkable pile of plastic.
Making Airport Scanners Less Objectionable 681
Hugh Pickens writes "The Washington Post reports that one of the researchers who helped develop the software for the scanners says there is a simple fix that would make scanning less objectionable. The fix would distort the images captured on full-body scanners so they look like reflections in a fun-house mirror, but any potentially dangerous objects would be clearly revealed, says Willard 'Bill' Wattenburg, a former nuclear weapons designer at the Livermore lab. 'Why not just distort the image into something grotesque so that there isn't anything titillating or exciting about it?' asks Wattenburg, adding that the modification is so simple that 'a 6-year-old could do the same thing with Photoshop... It's probably a few weeks' modification of the program.' Wattenburg said he was rebuffed when he offered the concept to Department of Homeland Security officials four years ago. A TSA official said the agency is working on development of scanner technology that would reduce the image to a 'generic icon, a generic stick figure' that would still reveal potentially dangerous items." Reader FleaPlus points out an unintended consequence: some transportation economists believe that the TSA's new invasive techniques may lead to more deaths as more people use road transportation to avoid flying — much more dangerous by the mile than air travel.
Submission + - Splash, splatter, sploosh, and bloop! (cornell.edu)
Acoustic Bubble writes: Researchers at Cornell University have developed the first algorithm for synthesizing familiar bubble-based fluid sounds automatically from 3D fluid simulations, e.g, for future virtual environments. The research (entitled "Harmonic Fluids") will appear at ACM SIGGRAPH 2009 in New Orleans this August 2009. Videos of falling, pouring, splashing and babbling water simulations (computed on a Linux cluster) are available at http://www.cs.cornell.edu/projects/HarmonicFluids
Comment Section 1983 can provide recourse (Score 2, Interesting) 160
There is a way to get the decision reviewed, because the MBTA is a state agency the students can use 1983 to claim that in seeking a protective order under these conditions it deprived them of constitutionally protected rights.
They could counter-claim if the MBTA keeps up its suit or file on their own if it is dismissed.
Sure is it just cash damages (including attorneys fess) but it is recourse
Submission + - iTunes tracks embed all your personal account info
Jaknet writes: The BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6711215.stm today reported that the new DRM free music available from iTunes contains embedded within them the full name and account information, including e-mail address, of who bought them.
The BBC goes on to speculate... It suggested that this information could be an anti-piracy measure as it could help work out who was putting downloads on file-sharing sites. But it also added that the user information was found on all the tracks that people buy on iTunes whether free of DRM or not.
The BBC has contacted Apple seeking comment but so far the company has not responded.
Other websites said it was only a matter of time before a utility program was produced that which stripped out the identifying information. At this point it is not yet clear how deeply the user data is buried in the track or how easy it is to remove. Lets hope it's soon
The BBC goes on to speculate... It suggested that this information could be an anti-piracy measure as it could help work out who was putting downloads on file-sharing sites. But it also added that the user information was found on all the tracks that people buy on iTunes whether free of DRM or not.
The BBC has contacted Apple seeking comment but so far the company has not responded.
Other websites said it was only a matter of time before a utility program was produced that which stripped out the identifying information. At this point it is not yet clear how deeply the user data is buried in the track or how easy it is to remove. Lets hope it's soon
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