Comment Political ads on slashdot (Score 1) 422
can't believe the Huge Deluge of local Democratic ads on the side of this Slashdot page. URRGH
Comment already in the works? (Score 1) 246
the newest, cheapest desktop HP's, that start at $299, are giving away Works. Does that mean they are the new AdWorks?
Submission + - Do patents stop people creating 'perfect' devices?
Chris M writes: In a recent CNET article, the mobile phone editor writes about what he thinks would make a perfect phone. Unfortunately, as someone in the comments section points out, much of the technology that is used in this concept phone belongs to separate companies. 'Im sorry to be the devils advocate here, but most of those things are patented to separate companies. So it would require almost all the major manufacturers to do this, which is highly unlikely.' Do you think patents are stopping companies from creating devices or is it just a lack of imagination?
Submission + - Apple Upgrades the iPhone Before Launch (apple.com)
Dekortage writes: "Much prior to its much-hyped launch on June 29, Apple has announced upgrades to its battery life (almost 40% more than originally announced) and scratch resistance (using "optical quality glass" rather than plastics). The announcement also includes a comparison chart pitting the iPhone against smartphones from Nokia, Samsung, Palm, and Blackberry."
Submission + - SPAM: Marriott IT exec shares network "horror story
alphadogg writes: Neil Schubert is only partly kidding when he calls Marriott International's move toward a converged network a "horror story." "I'm here to tell you a terrifying tale of network design, support and administration," he said at an IT conference in Boston, referring to a major bandwidth crunch caused by guests wielding Slingboxes and other network devices that overran the hotel chain's outdated network.
[spam URL stripped]b ert-marriott.html
Submission + - JFK bullet analysis was wrong
Spy Handler writes: "Researchers analyzing bullet fragments from the 1963 Kennedy assassination using new techniques say that the government's 1976 conclusion that the bullets came from only one gun (Oswald's) is wrong."
Submission + - Malware Hijacks Windows Update
clickclickdrone writes: "The BBC are reporting a new piece of malware is in the wild that can hijack Windows Update's functionality and bypass firewalls allowing it to install malicious code on users PCs. news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6657677.stm notes the new code was discovered by Frank Boldewin at http://www.reconstruction.org/ in an email.
The attack utilises the BITS system but as ever, the best way to avoid it is common sense and an up to date AV package.
To be honest, I'm surprised it's taken this long to find a way to use Windows Update as a way in to otherwise secure systems."
The attack utilises the BITS system but as ever, the best way to avoid it is common sense and an up to date AV package.
To be honest, I'm surprised it's taken this long to find a way to use Windows Update as a way in to otherwise secure systems."
Submission + - Simple chemical trick to boost battery efficiency
space_mongoose writes: Hitachi reckons that a simple chemical additive could significantly improve battery life. Alkaline batteries have a positive electrode of manganese oxide and a negative electrode of finely powdered zinc, but zinc oxide forms around these grains of zinc. Hitachi's solution is to replace the zinc with a fine powder of zinc-aluminium alloy, displaces the zinc within the zinc oxide layer making it a much better conductor.
