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======================================================================
Slashdot Daily Newsletter
In this issue:
* The Machines That Sparked the Beginning of the Computer Age
* Ask Slashdot: Best Certifications To Get?
* Human Brain Places Limit On Twitter Friends
* Patch For <em>The Witcher 2</em> Removes DRM Shortly After Release
* Green Crystal 'Rain' Discovered Near Infant Star
* Activision Reveals <em>Call of Duty</em> Subscription Plans
* Is Bill Gates the Cure For What Ails Microsoft?
* In Censorship Move, Iran Plans Its Own Internet
* World's Largest Amateur Rocket Prepares For Second Attempt
* Carbon Emissions Reached Record High In 2010
* Pentagon Says Cyberattacks Can Count As Act of War
* ECS Shows Universal PadFone-Like Tablet
* <em>StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm</em> Details Released
* No Moon Needed For Extraterrestrial Life
* Senior Citizens Lining Up to Tackle Fukushima
* 'Fee-Deduction' Malware On Android Spotted In the Wild
* Bringing Old Arcade Machines Into the Internet Age
* Jonathan Coulton Answers Your Questions
* Canadian Music Industry Copyright Class Action Settled
* Capturing Femtosecond Snapshots of Molecular Processes
* AMD Betting Future On the GPGPU
* Doom Ported To the Web
* Apple Announces iCloud and iWork For iOS
* Free Software Faces a Test With Qt
* Rapid Browser Development Challenges Web Developers
* Nokia Issues Profit Warning
* Ask Slashdot: Good Homeschool Curriculum For CS??
* Note To Cheaters: Next Time Hire the Brains
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| The Machines That Sparked the Beginning of the Computer Age
| from the in-the-beginning dept.
| posted by samzenpus on Monday May 30, @21:44 (Encryption)
| https://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/05/30/2029201/The-Machines-That-Sparked-the-Beginning-of-the-Computer-Age?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[0]jjp9999 writes "A war of spies and electromechanical machines that
took place beneath the wires during World War II not only played a
crucial role in the Allies' victory, but also helped [1]spark the
beginning of the computer age. Among the devices was the Enigma, a cipher
capable of producing 150,000,000,000,000,000,000 possible code
combinations, and a hulking machine, the Colossus, the first programmable
electronic computer, capable of decoding the Enigma."
Discuss this story at:
https://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/05/30/2029201/The-Machines-That-Sparked-the-Beginning-of-the-Computer-Age?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://techzwn.com/
1. http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/technology/of-codebreakers-and-mechanical-giants-56949.html
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Ask Slashdot: Best Certifications To Get?
| from the i-recommend-terminator-repair dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Monday May 30, @23:51 (IT)
| https://ask.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/0153235/Ask-Slashdot-Best-Certifications-To-Get?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hardhead_7 writes "Our recent discussion about [0]how much your degree is
worth got me thinking. I've been working in the IT field for several
years now, but I don't have anything to my name other than an A+
certificate and vendor specific training (e.g., Dell certified). Now I'm
looking to move up in the IT field, and I want some stuff on my resume to
demonstrate to future employers that I know what I'm doing, enough that I
can get in the door for an interview. So my question to Slashdot is this:
What certifications are the most valuable and sought-after? What will
impress potential employers and be most likely to help land a decent job
for someone who doesn't have a degree, but knows how to troubleshoot and
can do a bit of programming if needed?"
Discuss this story at:
https://ask.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/0153235/Ask-Slashdot-Best-Certifications-To-Get?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://news.slashdot.org/story/11/05/30/1554235/Whats-Your-College-Major-Worth
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Human Brain Places Limit On Twitter Friends
| from the some-brains-do-it-better-than-others dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Tuesday May 31, @02:02 (Twitter)
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/0159228/Human-Brain-Places-Limit-On-Twitter-Friends?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[0]Hugh Pickens writes "Back in early '90s, British anthropologist Robin
Dunbar began studying human social groups, measuring the number of people
an individual can maintain regular contact with, and [1]came up with 150
��� a number that appears to be constant throughout human history ��� from
the size of [2]neolithic villages to military units to 20th century
contact books. But in the last decade, social networking technology has
had a profound influence on the way people connect, vastly increasing the
ease with which we can communicate with and follow others, so it's not
uncommon for tweeters to follow and be followed by thousands of others.
Now Bruno Goncalves has studied the network of links created by three
million Twitter users over four years. After counting tweets that are
mutual and regular as signifying a significant social bond, he found that
when people start tweeting, their [3]number of friends increases to a
saturation point until they become overwhelmed. Beyond that saturation
point, the conversations with less important contacts start to become
less frequent and the tweeters begin to concentrate on the people they
have the strongest links with. So what is the saturation point? The
answer is between 100 and 200, just as Dunbar predicts. 'This finding
suggests that even though modern social networks help us to log all the
people with whom we meet and interact,' says Goncalves, 'they are unable
to overcome [4]the biological and physical constraints that limit stable
social relations (PDF).'"
Discuss this story at:
https://science.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/0159228/Human-Brain-Places-Limit-On-Twitter-Friends?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://poncacityweloveyou.com/
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbar's_number
2. http://www.commonsenseadvice.com/human_cortex_dunbar.html
3. http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/26824/?p1=Blogs
4. http://arxiv.org/pdf/1105.5170v1
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Patch For <em>The Witcher 2</em> Removes DRM Shortly After Release
| from the minimizing-inconvenience dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Tuesday May 31, @03:41 (DRM)
| https://games.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/0233239/Patch-For-The-Witcher-2-Removes-DRM-Shortly-After-Release?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
cozzbp writes with this excerpt from Ars Technica: "A little over a week
after its release, The Witcher 2 is getting its first patch, and with it
[0]all versions of the game will now be DRM free. 'Our approach to
countering piracy is to incorporate superior value in the legal version,'
explained development director Adam Badowski. 'This means it has to be
superior in every respect: less troublesome to use and install, with full
support, and with access to additional content and services. So, we felt
keeping the DRM would mainly hurt our legitimate users. This is
completely in line with what we said before the release of The Witcher 2.
We felt DRM was necessary to prevent the game being pirated and leaked
before release.'"
Discuss this story at:
https://games.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/0233239/Patch-For-The-Witcher-2-Removes-DRM-Shortly-After-Release?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2011/05/the-witcher-2-patch-removes-drm-improves-framerate.ars
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Green Crystal 'Rain' Discovered Near Infant Star
| from the somebody-should-stake-a-claim dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Tuesday May 31, @05:06 (NASA)
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/0212203/Green-Crystal-Rain-Discovered-Near-Infant-Star?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An anonymous reader writes with this quote from a NASA press release:
"Tiny crystals of a green mineral called olivine are [0]falling down like
rain on a burgeoning star, according to observations from NASA's Spitzer
Space Telescope. This is the first time such crystals have been observed
in the dusty clouds of gas that collapse around forming stars.
Astronomers are still debating how the crystals got there, but the most
likely culprits are jets of gas blasting away from the embryonic star.
... The crystals are in the form of forsterite. They belong to the
olivine family of silicate minerals and can be found everywhere from a
periodot gemstone to the green sand beaches of Hawaii to remote galaxies.
NASA's Stardust and Deep Impact missions both detected the crystals in
their close-up studies of comets. ... The findings ([1]abstract) might
also explain why comets, which form in the frigid outskirts of our solar
system, contain the same type of crystals."
Discuss this story at:
https://science.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/0212203/Green-Crystal-Rain-Discovered-Near-Infant-Star?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/spitzer/news/spitzer20110526.html
1. http://iopscience.iop.org/2041-8205/733/2/L32/
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Activision Reveals <em>Call of Duty</em> Subscription Plans
| from the all-about-the-benjamins dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Tuesday May 31, @06:23 (First Person Shooters (Games))
| https://games.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/0227207/Activision-Reveals-Call-of-Duty-Subscription-Plans?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
dotarray writes "Activision has denied it and denied it, but [0]now it's
been revealed ��� Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will feature an online
service (that's what Call of Duty Elite is), [1]complete with monthly
subscription fees. 'Activision executives said they haven't yet figured
out how much to charge for the service, but they expect the cost to be
less than fees for comparable online-entertainment services, such as a
$7.99-a-month Netflix Inc. movie subscription. Portions of the service
will be free, including features inspired by Facebook Inc. that will let
Call of Duty players meet for online gun battles with others who share
various affiliations and interests. Another feature of the service will
give Call of Duty players tools, modeled on those from stock-trading
websites, to analyze their performance within the game, gauging factors
such as which weapons have been most successful for them in killing
enemies.'"
Discuss this story at:
https://games.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/0227207/Activision-Reveals-Call-of-Duty-Subscription-Plans?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.gamepron.com/news/2011/05/30/activision-reveals-call-of-duty-subscription-plans/
1. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304563104576355310423496054.html
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Is Bill Gates the Cure For What Ails Microsoft?
| from the more-cowbell-not-available dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Tuesday May 31, @08:15 (Microsoft)
| https://news.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/0218202/Is-Bill-Gates-the-Cure-For-What-Ails-Microsoft?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
theodp writes "After reading the recent call for Steve Ballmer to [0]step
down, gdgt's Ryan Block concludes that [1]it's time for Bill Gates to
come back to Microsoft. 'I've long seen it as a foregone conclusion that
Ballmer isn't the guy to be running what was until quite recently the
world's preeminent technology company,' writes Block. 'The more pressing
question is: who should replace him? I think we all know damn well who ���
but I'm not so sure he's available. Yet.' Block adds: 'I'm not saying
Bill's going to leave his new gig as the world's greatest living
philanthropist with aplomb, but the multi-billion dollar wheels at The
Gates Foundation have been set in motion ��� and lest we all forget, the
Foundation's endowment is tied directly to Microsoft's long-term success.
It may just happen that Bill can help the Foundation more by securing
Microsoft's future.'"
Discuss this story at:
https://news.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/0218202/Is-Bill-Gates-the-Cure-For-What-Ails-Microsoft?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://slashdot.org/story/11/05/27/1150244/Steve-Ballmers-Head-On-the-Block
1. http://gdgt.com/discuss/it-s-time-for-bill-gates-to-come-back-to-microsoft-dqz/
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| In Censorship Move, Iran Plans Its Own Internet
| from the they-threw-a-party-and-nobody-came dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Tuesday May 31, @08:55 (Censorship)
| https://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/1238226/In-Censorship-Move-Iran-Plans-Its-Own-Internet?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An anonymous reader writes "Iran is taking steps toward an aggressive new
form of censorship: a so-called national Internet that could, in effect,
[0]disconnect Iranian cyberspace from the rest of the world (summary of
[1]paywalled WSJ report). The leadership in Iran sees the project as a
way to end the fight for control of the Internet, according to observers
of Iranian policy inside and outside the country. Iran, already among the
most sophisticated nations in online censoring, also promotes its
national Internet as a cost-saving measure for consumers and as a way to
uphold Islamic moral codes." The article also mentions unconfirmed local
press reports suggesting that Iran is building its own national operating
system.
Discuss this story at:
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/1238226/In-Censorship-Move-Iran-Plans-Its-Own-Internet?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/05/29/new-form-censorship-iran-moves-disconnect-internet-world/
1. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704889404576277391449002016.html
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| World's Largest Amateur Rocket Prepares For Second Attempt
| from the i-can-see-my-house-from-here dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Tuesday May 31, @09:34 (Space)
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/1318217/Worlds-Largest-Amateur-Rocket-Prepares-For-Second-Attempt?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Plammox writes "Last year, non-profit, volunteer-based [0]Copenhagen
Suborbitals [1]failed at launching what they call the world's largest
amateur rocket, because of a frozen LOX-valve. This year, the sea launch
platform 'Sputnik' has become self-propelled, eliminating the need for
their home-built submarine(!). Sputnik is on its way into the Baltic Sea
right now and [2]a launch attempt is expected on Friday. However, one of
the founders warns that even if ignition should occur, it might very well
[3]look like this."
Discuss this story at:
https://science.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/1318217/Worlds-Largest-Amateur-Rocket-Prepares-For-Second-Attempt?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.copenhagensuborbitals.com/
1. http://www.space.com/9113-hair-dryer-glitch-pushes-private-danish-rocket-launch-2011.html
2. http://www.universetoday.com/86097/copenhagen-suborbitals-upcoming-launch-attempt-in-june/
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtjavGsYvao
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Carbon Emissions Reached Record High In 2010
| from the posted-from-my-wood-burning-tablet dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Tuesday May 31, @10:12 (Earth)
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/1331244/Carbon-Emissions-Reached-Record-High-In-2010?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[0]iONiUM writes "Last year, greenhouse gas emissions [1]rose to a record
amount of 30.6 gigatons, according to [2]estimates from the International
Energy Agency. From an article at the Guardian: 'Professor Lord Stern of
the London School of Economics, the author of the influential Stern
Report into the economics of climate change for the Treasury in 2006,
warned that if the pattern continued, the results would be dire. "These
figures indicate that [emissions] are now close to being back on a
'business as usual' path. According to the [Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change's] projections, such a path... would mean around a 50%
chance of a rise in global average temperature of more than 4C by 2100,"
he said.'" jamie points out a recent report that the cost of solar cells
has dropped about 21 percent this year, leading to predictions that solar
power may become [3]cheaper than nuclear and fossil power within five
years.
Discuss this story at:
https://science.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/1331244/Carbon-Emissions-Reached-Record-High-In-2010?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://upup-downdown.com/
1. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/may/29/carbon-emissions-nuclearpower
2. http://www.iea.org/index_info.asp?id=1959
3. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-26/solar-may-be-cheaper-than-fossil-power-in-five-years-ge-says.html
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Pentagon Says Cyberattacks Can Count As Act of War
| from the now-we-can-invade-anybody dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Tuesday May 31, @10:52 (Government)
| https://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/1425258/Pentagon-Says-Cyberattacks-Can-Count-As-Act-of-War?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
suraj.sun tips news that the Pentagon has decided computer sabotage
originating from another country [0]can be classified as an act of war.
"The Pentagon's first formal cyber strategy, unclassified portions of
which are expected to become public next month, represents an early
attempt to grapple with a changing world in which a hacker could pose as
significant a threat to US nuclear reactors, subways or pipelines as a
hostile country's military." This news comes only days after the Chinese
military admitted the existence of [1]a team of cyberwarriors. "The
report will also spark a debate over a range of sensitive issues the
Pentagon left unaddressed, including whether the US can ever be certain
about an attack's origin, and how to define when computer sabotage is
serious enough to constitute an act of war. These questions have already
been a topic of dispute within the military."
Discuss this story at:
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/1425258/Pentagon-Says-Cyberattacks-Can-Count-As-Act-of-War?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304563104576355623135782718.html
1. http://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/05/30/015253/Chinese-Military-Admits-Existence-of-Cyberwarfare-Unit
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| ECS Shows Universal PadFone-Like Tablet
| from the one-device-to-rule-them-all dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Tuesday May 31, @11:31 (Handhelds)
| https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/1519248/ECS-Shows-Universal-PadFone-Like-Tablet?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
siliconbits writes with this excerpt from ITProPortal: "Just 24 hours
after Asus [0]unveiled its padfone, ECS is toying with an idea that
resembles the Asus PadFone ��� in a nutshell, a tablet that becomes a
docking station for your smartphone just by slotting it at the back.
While the Padfone works only with Asus' own smartphone, [1]the ECS model
will be open to other models and the one we played with was physically
compatible with the Apple iPhone 4. Wu reckons that the accessory will
appeal to users because it doesn't require them to ditch their existing
handsets and will be compatible with future models using what Wu
described as 'simple upgrades.' The tablet will work across platforms;
Windows Phone, Android & iOS which should include the iPhone 5."
Discuss this story at:
https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/1519248/ECS-Shows-Universal-PadFone-Like-Tablet?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/30/asus-targets-christmas-ice-cream-sandwich-for-padfone-launch-v/
1. http://www.itproportal.com/2011/05/31/exclusive-ecs-preparing-padfone-tablet-iphone-5-computex/
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| <em>StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm</em> Details Released
| from the call-it-a-sequelspansion dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Tuesday May 31, @11:51 (Real Time Strategy (Games))
| https://games.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/1542205/StarCraft-2-Heart-of-the-Swarm-Details-Released?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[0]trawg writes "Blizzard has lifted the veil of secrecy surrounding
StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm at a recent media event held at Blizzard
HQ in California, where press were treated to a [1]hands-on preview of
the game. Gamers can expect 20 new single-player missions with Kerrigan
as a playable hero, and while they're tight-lipped about multiplayer they
have confirmed in a [2]FAQ that there will be new units and maps."
[3]Eurogamer's detailed preview sums up the expansion's relation to Wings
of Liberty thus: "Heart of the Swarm is still evolution rather than
revolution," adding, "What they've clearly got right is the atmosphere.
The hubs between missions, and the whole look of Heart of the Swarm's
interface and environment, are infused with the moist and creeping
personality of the Zerg, every surface chitinous, every hole infested."
Discuss this story at:
https://games.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/1542205/StarCraft-2-Heart-of-the-Swarm-Details-Released?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.ausgamers.com/
1. http://www.ausgamers.com/features/read/3065606
2. http://www.ausgamers.com/features/read/3065752
3. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-05-30-starcraft-ii-heart-of-the-swarm-preview
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| No Moon Needed For Extraterrestrial Life
| from the sheer-luna-cy dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Tuesday May 31, @12:13 (Moon)
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/1612202/No-Moon-Needed-For-Extraterrestrial-Life?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
sciencehabit writes "Given the generally accepted idea of how Earth got
its big moon ��� through a dramatic collision with a Mars-sized body that
knocked a huge chunk of Earth loose ��� astronomers estimate that only 1%
of all Earth-like planets in the universe might actually have such a
hefty companion. That would mean planets harboring complex life might be
relatively rare. But researchers have now carried out large numbers of
detailed numerical simulations of 'moon-less Earths,' which show that the
[0]consequences are less dire than is generally assumed. According to the
simulations, these planets would have ample time for advanced land life
to evolve. As a result, the number of Earth-like extrasolar planets
suitable for harboring advanced life could be 10 times higher than has
been assumed until now."
Discuss this story at:
https://science.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/1612202/No-Moon-Needed-For-Extraterrestrial-Life?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2011/05/who-needs-a-moon.html?ref=hp
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Senior Citizens Lining Up to Tackle Fukushima
| from the greatest-and-most-radioactive-generation dept.
| posted by samzenpus on Tuesday May 31, @12:29 (Idle)
| https://idle.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/1527213/Senior-Citizens-Lining-Up-to-Tackle-Fukushima?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some have compared them to kamikazes, but the [0]more than 200 elderly
volunteers who want clean up the Fukushima power station say they are
just being practical. 72-year-old retired engineer Yasuteru Yamada says:
"I am 72 and on average I probably have 13 to 15 years left to live. Even
if I were exposed to radiation, cancer could take 20 or 30 years or
longer to develop. Therefore us older ones have less chance of getting
cancer." So far the government is hesitant to let the volunteers into the
power station but Yamada and the others have been lobbying for the right
to aid in the clean up. He says: "At this moment I can say that I am
talking with many key government and Tepco people. But I am sorry I can't
say any more at this moment. It is on the way but it is a very, very
sensitive issue politically."
Discuss this story at:
https://idle.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/1527213/Senior-Citizens-Lining-Up-to-Tackle-Fukushima?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13598607
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 'Fee-Deduction' Malware On Android Spotted In the Wild
| from the another-day-another-threat dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Tuesday May 31, @12:50 (Android)
| https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/167238/Fee-Deduction-Malware-On-Android-Spotted-In-the-Wild?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
wiredmikey writes "New malware has been [0]discovered embedded in more
than 20 Android applications circulating via various forums on the
Internet which auto-dials phone numbers to incur high user fees. Dubbed
BaseBridge, the malware can be embedded in legitimate applications, and
during the application's installation, the malware prompts the user to
upgrade. If the user chooses to upgrade, the malware is installed on the
Android device under the name 'com.android.battery'. Then, another prompt
would pop up to ask the user to restart the app to run it, and the
malware is formally activated upon restart. Once activated, the malware
can activate three malicious services ��� AdSmsService, BridgeProvider and
PhoneService, to communicate with a control server, from which it will
download a configuration file to read related information and dial calls
or send out SMS messages, incurring fees for users."
Discuss this story at:
https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/167238/Fee-Deduction-Malware-On-Android-Spotted-In-the-Wild?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.securityweek.com/fee-deduction-malware-targeting-android-devices-spotted-wild
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Bringing Old Arcade Machines Into the Internet Age
| from the what's-old-is-new dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Tuesday May 31, @13:11 (Classic Games (Games))
| https://games.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/1627252/Bringing-Old-Arcade-Machines-Into-the-Internet-Age?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An anonymous reader writes "To celebrate the opening of their
hackerspace, Sprite_tm of SpritesMods [0]hacked an old 1943 arcade
machine to [1]record its high scores, as well as post them on Twitter,
via a newly added TCP/IP stack. The bus-tapping module he added to the
machine lets him read the full contents of the Z80 logic board's memory,
allowing him to store high scores for posterity as well as add an
Ethernet interface. The device should work on any Z80-based machine,
which makes it easy to add these same capabilities to any old arcade
cabinet."
Discuss this story at:
https://games.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/1627252/Bringing-Old-Arcade-Machines-Into-the-Internet-Age?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://spritesmods.com/?art=twitter1943
1. http://hackaday.com/2011/05/27/adding-persistent-memory-and-ethernet-to-vintage-arcade-machines/
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Jonathan Coulton Answers Your Questions
| from the answers-redacted dept.
| posted by samzenpus on Tuesday May 31, @13:12 (Music)
| https://idle.slashdot.org/story/11/05/30/1429253/Jonathan-Coulton-Answers-Your-Questions?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Last week you [0]asked some questions of musician and programmer Jonathan
Coulton. He's answered your inquiries about the music industry, video
games, and being an ex-code monkey. Read below to see what he had to say.
This story continues at:
https://idle.slashdot.org/story/11/05/30/1429253/Jonathan-Coulton-Answers-Your-Questions?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
Discuss this story at:
https://idle.slashdot.org/story/11/05/30/1429253/Jonathan-Coulton-Answers-Your-Questions?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Canadian Music Industry Copyright Class Action Settled
| from the too-big-to-pirate dept.
| posted by Unknown Lamer on Tuesday May 31, @13:47 (Music)
| https://entertainment.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/177259/Canadian-Music-Industry-Copyright-Class-Action-Settled?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[0]limber writes "The largest [1]Canadian copyright class action suit has
been [2]settled for $50 million. The offenders? The four labels
comprising the Canadian Recording Industry Association ��� EMI, Sony Music,
Universal Music, and Warner Music. Ahem." The terms of the settlement are
a compromise ��� anyone with works on the pending list can receive
compensation while the music industry is absolved of further liability.
The two major Canadian licensing agencies ([3]CMRRA and [4]SODRAC) will
be tasked with improving the licensing process to prevent future abuse.
Discuss this story at:
https://entertainment.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/177259/Canadian-Music-Industry-Copyright-Class-Action-Settled?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. mailto:halfpint.jones@NosPaM.gmail.com
1. http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/content_display/industry/news/e3ic79966a20ccff3922e6da510c499d784
2. http://business.financialpost.com/2011/05/30/judge-approves-settlement-in-music-royalties-class-action/
3. http://www.cmrra.ca/default.htm
4. http://www.sodrac.ca/Accueil_EN.aspx
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Capturing Femtosecond Snapshots of Molecular Processes
| from the a-lot-can-happen-in-a-quadrillionth-of-a-second dept.
| posted by Unknown Lamer on Tuesday May 31, @14:28 (Science)
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/1739204/Capturing-Femtosecond-Snapshots-of-Molecular-Processes?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
umarkalim writes "Staff Scientist Apurva Mehta says, 'For 40 years at
[0]Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, we have been taking very
high-resolution photographs-photographs of atoms in molecules and
crystals and of electronic structures. But [1]now we want to make movies.'
He and his colleagues are developing a new 'pump-probe' facility that
promises to expand SSRL's capabilities and complement those of SLAC's
X-ray laser, the [2]Linac Coherent Light Source."
Discuss this story at:
https://science.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/1739204/Capturing-Femtosecond-Snapshots-of-Molecular-Processes?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www-ssrl.slac.stanford.edu/aboutssrl/index.html
1. https://news.slac.stanford.edu/features/viewing-ultra-fast-ssrl-first-pump-probe-experiments-under-way
2. http://lcls.slac.stanford.edu/WhatIsLCLS_1.aspx
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| AMD Betting Future On the GPGPU
| from the shiny-things-sell-best dept.
| posted by Unknown Lamer on Tuesday May 31, @15:10 (AMD)
| https://slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/1820230/AMD-Betting-Future-On-the-GPGPU?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
arcticstoat writes with an interview in bit-tech "AMD's manager of Fusion
software marketing Terry Makedon revealed that 'AMD as a company made a
very, very big bet when it purchased ATI: that things like [0]OpenCL will
succeed. I mean, [1]we're betting everything on it.' He also added: 'I'll
give you the fact that we don't have any major applications at this point
that are going to revolutionize the industry and make people think "oh, I
must have this," granted, but we're working very hard on it. Like I said,
it's a big bet for us, and it's a bet that we're certain about.'"
Discuss this story at:
https://slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/1820230/AMD-Betting-Future-On-the-GPGPU?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.khronos.org/opencl/
1. http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpus/2011/05/30/amd-betting-everything-on-opencl/1
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Doom Ported To the Web
| from the when-can-i-run-firefox-in-firefox-in-firefox dept.
| posted by Unknown Lamer on Tuesday May 31, @15:39 (Games)
| https://games.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/1833239/Doom-Ported-To-the-Web?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
kripkenstein writes "Ever since Id Software released the Doom source code
under the GPL, it's been ported to platform after platform. Now, you can
play [0]Doom compiled to JavaScript on the web, using standard web
technologies like Canvas and without any plugins. If your browser has
trouble running it, [1]here's a screencast." The translation was
accomplished using Emscripten, a [2]Javascript backend for LLVM. As per
the GPL, [3]full source code is available. Pretty neat.
Discuss this story at:
https://games.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/1833239/Doom-Ported-To-the-Web?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/demos/detail/doom-on-the-web/
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDUPZRQf7oc
2. https://github.com/kripken/emscripten/wiki
3. http://www.syntensity.com/static/doom.source.tar.bz2
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Apple Announces iCloud and iWork For iOS
| from the computers-are-for-entertainment-only dept.
| posted by Unknown Lamer on Tuesday May 31, @16:18 (Cloud)
| https://apple.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/192223/Apple-Announces-iCloud-and-iWork-For-iOS?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[0]iONiUM writes "Through a press release [1]ahead of WWDC, Apple has
revealed that it will be [2]releasing its own cloud service to rival
Google and Amazon's. In addition, they will unveil the new iOS, and the
latest [3]desktop OS." Apple also announced the release of the [4]iWork
suite for iOS devices.
Discuss this story at:
https://apple.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/192223/Apple-Announces-iCloud-and-iWork-For-iOS?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://upup-downdown.com/
1. http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2011/05/31wwdc.html
2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13605219
3. http://www.apple.com/macosx/lion/
4. http://news.cnet.com/8301-27076_3-20067560-248.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Free Software Faces a Test With Qt
| from the here-code-pick-me dept.
| posted by Unknown Lamer on Tuesday May 31, @16:57 (KDE)
| https://news.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/202238/Free-Software-Faces-a-Test-With-Qt?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An anonymous reader writes with an article in TechRadar. From the
article: "Thanks to Nokia's jump to Windows Phone 7, from the frying pan
into the fire, its Free Software darling, the Qt toolkit, has been left
living on vague promises and shell-shocked, hollow enthusiasm. Nokia has
pledged some continued investment, bonuses for developers who stick with
the platform and even a phone or two that might use it. But the truth is
that [0]Qt is deprecated, the project has stalled, and its future is
uncertain."
Discuss this story at:
https://news.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/202238/Free-Software-Faces-a-Test-With-Qt?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.techradar.com/news/software/free-software-is-facing-a-monumental-test-959108
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Rapid Browser Development Challenges Web Developers
| from the commitment-is-too-scary dept.
| posted by Unknown Lamer on Tuesday May 31, @17:39 (The Internet)
| https://developers.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/211216/Rapid-Browser-Development-Challenges-Web-Developers?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[0]Esther Schindler writes "Feeling a little overwhelmed by changing web
standards and new browser choices? You aren't the only one. Mozilla is
launching development tracks for the [1]next two editions of its Firefox
Web browser immediately, with hopes to push both into general release
before the end of the year. This while Microsoft previews Internet
Explorer 10 on the heels of its IE9 release, and Google projects
[2]Chrome 13 just one year after Chrome 7. Meanwhile, [3]HTML5, the next
version of the Web's primary language, appears to have entered a
permanent gestation phase. Writes Scott Fulton: All the confusion has
prompted Web developers to ask this question: [4]What do we develop our
sites against now?"
Discuss this story at:
https://developers.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/211216/Rapid-Browser-Development-Challenges-Web-Developers?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. mailto:esther@bitranch.com
1. http://kracekumar.wordpress.com/2011/05/31/firefox-6-arrives-in-aurora-channel/
2. http://google-chrome-browser.com/google-chrome-13-hits-dev-channels-adds-background-apps-support-multiple-profiles-and-more
3. http://www.whatwg.org/specs/web-apps/current-work/multipage/
4. http://www.softwarequalityconnection.com/2011/05/will-the-next-web-platform-please-hold-still/
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Nokia Issues Profit Warning
| from the our-new-strategy-is-failure dept.
| posted by Unknown Lamer on Tuesday May 31, @18:20 (Cellphones)
| https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/1957222/Nokia-Issues-Profit-Warning?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[0]jones_supa submitted an article in the Guardian. From the article
"Shares in the Finnish phone maker Nokia plunged by 15% on Tuesday as the
company warned that it [1]may make no profit on phone sales in the
quarter to the end of June, and that overall phone sales will be
'substantially below' its earlier forecast of ���6.1bn to ���6.6bn. Carolina
Milanesi, mobile phones analyst for the research company Gartner, said
Tuesday's warnings could mark the low point for Nokia, which has not made
a loss in its handset division for more than a decade."
Discuss this story at:
https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/1957222/Nokia-Issues-Profit-Warning?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. mailto:jza@saunalahti.fi
1. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/may/31/nokia-shares-dive-profit-warning
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Ask Slashdot: Good Homeschool Curriculum For CS??
| from the ok-now-track-the-family-budget dept.
| posted by timothy on Tuesday May 31, @19:01 (Education)
| https://news.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/2229223/Ask-Slashdot-Good-Homeschool-Curriculum-For-CS?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
dingo_kinznerhook writes "I grew up in a homeschooling family, and was
homeschooled through high school. ( I went on to get a B.S. and M.S. in
computer science; my mom has programming experience and holds bachelor's
degrees in physics and math ��� she's pretty qualified to teach.) Mom is
still homeschooling my younger brother and sister and is looking for a
good computer science curriculum that covers word processing,
spreadsheets, databases, intro to programming, intro to operating
systems, etc. Does the Slashdot readership know of a high school computer
science curriculum suitable for homeschooling that covers these topics?"
Discuss this story at:
https://news.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/2229223/Ask-Slashdot-Good-Homeschool-Curriculum-For-CS?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Note To Cheaters: Next Time Hire the Brains
| from the in-canada-of-all-places dept.
| posted by timothy on Tuesday May 31, @19:41 (Canada)
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/2339251/Note-To-Cheaters-Next-Time-Hire-the-Brains?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An anonymous reader writes "A man and his accomplice are [0]accused of
cheating on a Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) by using a wireless
pinhole camera and cellphone to send realtime images of the exam
questions to a team of people supplying the 'correct' answers. One
problem: the 'answer team' was tricked into the job by being told they
were taking a test to qualify them as MCAT tutors. There were several
clues the 'tutor exam' was bogus, including the poor quality of the
images of the questions. Suspicious, the 'answer team' discovered the
real MCAT test was occurring at the same time. They started feeding wrong
answers to the accused cheaters and called campus security. The two
accused cheaters now face several charges as a result."
Discuss this story at:
https://science.slashdot.org/story/11/05/31/2339251/Note-To-Cheaters-Next-Time-Hire-the-Brains?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/05/31/bc-high-tech-mcat-scam.html
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