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======================================================================
Slashdot Daily Newsletter
In this issue:
* Debt Deal Reached
* What Do I Do About My Ex-Employer Stealing My Free Code?
* Blizzard Reveals Diablo 3 (Real Money) Auction House
* Massachusetts Lottery Broken
* The Next Firefox UI
* Prosecuted For Critical Twittering
* 3D Printing and the Replicator Economy
* UK Police Charge Suspected Anonymous Spokesman
* Review: Cowboys & Aliens
* WiFi 802.22 Can Cover 12,000 Square Miles
* Radio Energy Harvested With Inkjet-Printed Antenna
* Computer Marries Texas Couple
* Detroit Maker Faire Was Kinda Awesome
* Google Running 900,000 Servers
* NRC Study Lowers Hazard Estimate For Nuke Plants
* Chrome Extension Helps Find Noisy Tabs
* Ask Slashdot: Using Code With an Expired Patent?
* How Face Recognition Can Uncover SSNs
* NASA's Plan To Clean Up Space Program Launch Site Contamination
* Adobe's New HTML5 Design Tool No Threat To Flash
* Archaeologist May Have Found the First Protractor
* Using Brain Waves Can Shorten Braking Distance
* Judge Blasts Prosecution of Alleged NSA Leaker
* Android Trojan Records Phone Calls
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Debt Deal Reached
| from the problem-solved? dept.
| posted by samzenpus on Monday August 01, @08:08 (United States)
| with 747 comments
| https://news.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/048246/Debt-Deal-Reached?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[0]Global markets are on the rise in response to [1]a deal between
President Obama and congressional Republicans on the debt. The deal would
cut more than $2 trillion from federal spending over a decade. However,
most economists think this isn't enough and does not remove the threat
that [2]the nation's AAA credit rating could be downgraded.
Discuss this story at:
https://news.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/048246/Debt-Deal-Reached?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0711/60351.html
1. http://www.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/07/31/debt.talks/index.html
2. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/01/us-usa-debt-economy-idUSTRE7700QI20110801
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| What Do I Do About My Ex-Employer Stealing My Free Code?
| from the get-a-meeting-with-the-bobs dept.
| posted by samzenpus on Monday August 01, @05:06 (Open Source)
| with 514 comments
| https://news.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/0343210/What-Do-I-Do-About-My-Ex-Employer-Stealing-My-Free-Code?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An anonymous reader writes "I recently found out that the company I used
to work for is [0]removing all the open source licenses (GPL and MIT)
from my work, distributing it as proprietary software and taking all the
credit despite the fact that they contributed nothing to it. They are
even renaming it something really silly. What should I do?"
Discuss this story at:
https://news.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/0343210/What-Do-I-Do-About-My-Ex-Employer-Stealing-My-Free-Code?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://frameworkdev.wordpress.com/2011/07/30/my-open-source-dilema/
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Blizzard Reveals Diablo 3 (Real Money) Auction House
| from the this-just-got-real dept.
| posted by CmdrTaco on Monday August 01, @10:17 (The Almighty Buck)
| with 347 comments
| https://games.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/148212/Blizzard-Reveals-Diablo-3-Real-Money-Auction-House?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[0]trawg writes "At a special event at Blizzard HQ in California, gaming
press were treated to the first look at the [1] Diablo 3 auction house ���
featuring real-world money transactions across different regions allowing
you to buy and sell items with real money. There'll be a listing fee and
a sales fee for auctions, and while they're not talking dollar numbers
just yet, Blizzard assures gamers that they're not looking to pinch
pennies." Update: 08/01 17:41 GMT by [2]S :The other big piece of news
about Diablo 3 is that it will [3]require a persistent connection to
Battle.net to play, even for single-player mode. Eurogamer has a detailed
write-up about [4]the current state of the beta.
Discuss this story at:
https://games.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/148212/Blizzard-Reveals-Diablo-3-Real-Money-Auction-House?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.ausgamers.com/
1. http://www.ausgamers.com/features/read/3093728
2. mailto:soulskillatslashdotdotorg
3. http://pc.ign.com/articles/118/1185029p1.html
4. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-08-01-diablo-iii-beta-preview
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Massachusetts Lottery Broken
| from the math-nerds-win-again dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Monday August 01, @15:12 (The Almighty Buck)
| with 323 comments
| https://news.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/1858218/Massachusetts-Lottery-Broken?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
wiredog sends in a story about how knowledge of lottery rules and
statistics has allowed opportunistic players in Massachusetts to spend
hundreds of thousands of dollars on tickets while [0]being assured of a
massive payoff. Quoting: "Because of a quirk in the rules, when the
jackpot reaches roughly $2 million and no one wins, payoffs for smaller
prizes swell dramatically, which statisticians say practically assures a
profit to anyone who buys at least $100,000 worth of tickets. During
these brief periods ��� 'rolldown weeks' in gambling parlance ��� a tiny
group of savvy bettors, among them highly trained computer scientists
from MIT and Northeastern University, virtually take over the game. ...
Srivastava calculated that a gambler who bought 200,000 Cash WinFall
tickets during four rolldown weeks in a year would win enough to cover
the $1.6 million investment and earn a profit of $240,000 to $1.4 million
��� without ever winning the jackpot."
Discuss this story at:
https://news.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/1858218/Massachusetts-Lottery-Broken?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| The Next Firefox UI
| from the let-the-arguing-commence dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Monday August 01, @15:52 (Firefox)
| with 301 comments
| https://news.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/1923223/The-Next-Firefox-UI?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An anonymous reader writes "Mozilla has been constructing [0]a new user
interface for Firefox, and [1]the layout seems to be revealed in new
mockups that show the integrated [2]Home Tab app and the streamlining of
tabs and browsing buttons."
Discuss this story at:
https://news.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/1923223/The-Next-Firefox-UI?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.conceivablytech.com/8634/products/preview-and-images-the-next-firefox-ui
1. http://people.mozilla.com/~shorlander/ux-presentation/ux-presentation.html
2. http://blog.mozilla.com/faaborg/2011/06/10/home-tab-and-new-tab-conceptual-mockups/
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Prosecuted For Critical Twittering
| from the tweets-are-for-jailbirds dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Monday August 01, @14:29 (Electronic Frontier Foundation)
| with 262 comments
| https://politics.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/180258/Prosecuted-For-Critical-Twittering?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[0]lee1 writes "The Electronic Frontier Foundation is trying to [1]urge a
federal court (PDF) to block what they claim is the unconstitutional use
of the federal anti-stalking law to [2]prosecute a man for posting
criticism of a public figure to Twitter. The law was originally targeted
against crossing state lines for the purpose of stalking, but was
modified in 2005 to make the 'intentional infliction of emotional
distress' by the use of 'any interactive computer service' a crime. The
prosecution's theory in this case is that using Twitter to criticize a
public figure can be a criminal act if the person's feelings are hurt."
Discuss this story at:
https://politics.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/180258/Prosecuted-For-Critical-Twittering?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://lee-phillips.org/
1. https://www.eff.org/files/filenode/us_v_cassidy/eff_amicus_cassidy.pdf
2. https://www.eff.org/press/archives/2011/07/29
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 3D Printing and the Replicator Economy
| from the can't-wait-for-claims-of-replicated-copyright-infringement dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Monday August 01, @13:48 (Printer)
| with 261 comments
| https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/1723212/3D-Printing-and-the-Replicator-Economy?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An anonymous reader writes "'Tea. Earl Grey. Hot,' is a command familiar
to every Trek fan as representing everyday use of replicator technology.
While its use on the show is simply sci-fi wizardry, [0]the beginnings of
that technology is now making it into homes, and could spark an
industrial revolution. 'New 3D printing and other so-called additive
manufacturing technologies are based on methods that industries developed
over the past quarter century to rapidly create prototypes of mechanical
parts for testing. But as these methods become increasingly
sophisticated, demand is rising to use them to manufacture finished
products, not only in factories but also at a boutique, one-off level for
individuals. ... Already, 3D printing has been used to make tools and
artworks, custom-fitted prosthetics for amputees, components for aviation
and medical instruments, solid medical models of bones and organs based
on MRI scans, paper-based photovoltaic cells, and the body panels for a
lightweight hybrid automobile.'"
Discuss this story at:
https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/1723212/3D-Printing-and-the-Replicator-Economy?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.txchnologist.com/volumes/advanced-manufacturing/3d-printing-and-the-replicator-economy
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| UK Police Charge Suspected Anonymous Spokesman
| from the not-so-anonymous dept.
| posted by samzenpus on Sunday July 31, @22:55 (Crime)
| with 243 comments
| https://it.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/019245/UK-Police-Charge-Suspected-Anonymous-Spokesman?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An anonymous reader writes "Scotland Yard has tonight charged 18-year-old
Jake Davis, who was arrested in the Shetland Islands last week, with five
offenses including [0]unauthorized computer access and conspiracy to
carry out a DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attack against the SOCA
(Serious Organized Crime Agency) website. When announcing his arrest on
Wednesday, police said that they believed Davis used the online nickname
'Topiary' and acted as the spokesperson for the Anonymous and LulzSec
hacking groups. Topiary's final twitter message said 'You can't arrest an
idea' just before his arrest."
Discuss this story at:
https://it.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/019245/UK-Police-Charge-Suspected-Anonymous-Spokesman?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Review: Cowboys & Aliens
| from the i-really-should-expense-the-babysitter dept.
| posted by CmdrTaco on Monday August 01, @12:17 (Movies)
| with 210 comments
| https://entertainment.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/1555257/Review-Cowboys-amp-Aliens?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The name pretty much sums it up: There are cowboys. There are aliens. And
Iron Man Director Jon Favreau has blown a pretty penny trying to make the
whole thing work, getting the sexiest woman alive from Maxim a few years
back, as well as a James Bond and a Han Solo to convince you to come to
the theater and watch 6-shooters take on the little green men. Spoilers
may exist below, but I promise to keep the review mostly lacking
substance: just like the movie.
This story continues at:
https://entertainment.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/1555257/Review-Cowboys-amp-Aliens?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
Discuss this story at:
https://entertainment.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/1555257/Review-Cowboys-amp-Aliens?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| WiFi 802.22 Can Cover 12,000 Square Miles
| from the thats-a-lotta-sq dept.
| posted by CmdrTaco on Monday August 01, @13:05 (Wireless Networking)
| with 193 comments
| https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/1617224/WiFi-80222-Can-Cover-12000-Square-Miles?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[0]tekgoblin writes "IEEE has just [1]announced a new Wireless standard,
[2]802.22, that can cover up to 12,000 square miles. The standard is
actually for Wireless Regional Area Networks (or WRAN), which use the
white spaces left in the TV frequency spectrum."
Discuss this story at:
https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/1617224/WiFi-80222-Can-Cover-12000-Square-Miles?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.twitter.com/tekgoblin
1. http://www.tekgoblin.com/2011/08/01/wifi-802-22-can-cover-12000-square-miles/
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.22
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Radio Energy Harvested With Inkjet-Printed Antenna
| from the catching-the-waves dept.
| posted by samzenpus on Sunday July 31, @20:05 (Power)
| with 159 comments
| https://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/07/31/2218247/Radio-Energy-Harvested-With-Inkjet-Printed-Antenna?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[0]judgecorp writes "Everlasting green energy for RF tags and other
low-power devices could be possible as scientists have [1]harvested
energy from ambient radio waves using cheap antennas printed by an
ordinary inkjet. The scientists, from Georgia Tech, started at 100MHz but
have now produced systems which scavenge power at up to 60GHz, allowing
them to draw power from most of today's major radio technologies."
Discuss this story at:
https://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/07/31/2218247/Radio-Energy-Harvested-With-Inkjet-Printed-Antenna?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.eweekeurope.co.uk/
1. http://www.eweekeurope.co.uk/news/scavenging-free-green-power-from-radio-waves-35622
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Computer Marries Texas Couple
| from the robotic-minister-overlords dept.
| posted by samzenpus on Monday August 01, @02:10 (Robotics)
| with 135 comments
| https://idle.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/0324212/Computer-Marries-Texas-Couple?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[0]cultiv8 writes "When Miguel Hanson and his fiancee, Diana Wesley, got
married on Saturday, [1]a computer program Hanson wrote served as the
minister. During the wedding, held in the Houston home of Hanson's
parents, the couple stood before a 30-inch monitor in the backyard. In a
robotic voice, the computer greeted the guests, and told how the couple
met."
Discuss this story at:
https://idle.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/0324212/Computer-Marries-Texas-Couple?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://robertjtownsend.com/
1. http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/weird/Computer-to-Marry-Texas-Couple-126414383.html
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Detroit Maker Faire Was Kinda Awesome
| from the worth-an-afternoon dept.
| posted by CmdrTaco on Monday August 01, @08:51 (News)
| with 131 comments
| https://news.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/1246215/Detroit-Maker-Faire-Was-Kinda-Awesome?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was excited to have a chance to go to the Detroit Maker Faire this
year. I've always wanted to attend such a thing, but the stars never
aligned. I saw an entire tent filled with DIY 3D Printers making strange
objects including the coolest polyhedral dice ever. Utilikilts held in
place with suspenders! Haberdashery! Quilting! Blacksmithing! Books! A
Cupcake Car! Gomp! Beer! Remote control turtles! A giant hay bailer!
Numerous strange pedal powered forms of locomotion, and an entire
garrison of Star Wars costumes... Besides, it's not often you have the
opportunity to witness a giant steel dragon blow fireballs in a parking
lot. I've shared a [0]giant collection of photos if you want to see these
things and more for a taste of the inspiring insanity I can't wait for
next year... and between now and then I have some projects to tackle.
Discuss this story at:
https://news.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/1246215/Detroit-Maker-Faire-Was-Kinda-Awesome?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. https://plus.google.com/photos/105030465637303791249/albums/5635519623583589521
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Google Running 900,000 Servers
| from the yeah-but-how-many-cores-chris dept.
| posted by CmdrTaco on Monday August 01, @11:00 (Google)
| with 118 comments
| https://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/1449212/Google-Running-900000-Servers?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1sockchuck writes "How many servers is Google using? The company won't
say, but a new report places the number at [0]about 900,000. The estimate
is based on data Google shared with researcher Jonathan Koomey, for a new
report on data center power use. The data updates a [1]2007 report to
Congress, and includes a surprise: data centers are [2]using less energy
than projected, largely due to the impact of the recession (buying fewer
servers) and virtualization."
Discuss this story at:
https://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/1449212/Google-Running-900000-Servers?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2011/08/01/report-google-uses-about-900000-servers/
1. http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/07/08/06/1446222/EPA-Sends-Data-Center-Power-Study-to-Congress
2. http://www.nytimes.com/glogin?URI=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/01/technology/data-centers-using-less-power-than-forecast-report-says.html&OQ=_rQ3D4&OP=4d6eae83Q2FQ22Q5C.dQ22Q3CQ2FQ5D!nQ2FQ2Ft4Q224f--Q22f@Q22f-Q22t.Q5D1,Q2FWQ2FcsQ22Q3CCtCbQ5D.,t.n!bQ3E!Q27,cbW.!!biQ2FQ5C.nbt1C,b7Q2Fn.Q5DC!tbn.iQ2Fntb!Cs!Q2A1tRW
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| NRC Study Lowers Hazard Estimate For Nuke Plants
| from the but-everybody-panic-anyway-just-to-keep-in-practice dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Monday August 01, @17:15 (Power)
| with 110 comments
| https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/2044224/NRC-Study-Lowers-Hazard-Estimate-For-Nuke-Plants?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[0]JSBiff writes "With the incident at Fukushima causing much renewed
concern about the risks of nuclear power this year, the NY Times brings
news that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has released the
preliminary version of a safety report due out in April 2012, based upon
new science about the behavior of Cesium-137. The report finds that the
public health hazards of nuclear accidents at the types of reactor
designs currently in common use [1]are lower than previously thought,
based upon a better understanding of the science behind earlier
estimates."
Discuss this story at:
https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/2044224/NRC-Study-Lowers-Hazard-Estimate-For-Nuke-Plants?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://atomicinsights.com/
1. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/30/science/earth/30radiation.html
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Chrome Extension Helps Find Noisy Tabs
| from the where-have-you-been-all-my-life dept.
| posted by CmdrTaco on Monday August 01, @09:34 (Chrome)
| with 101 comments
| https://slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/1316221/Chrome-Extension-Helps-Find-Noisy-Tabs?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[0]mutetab writes "I recently wrote a Chrome extension called MuteTab
that helps you narrow down [1]which tab is making a sound by detecting
which tabs contain plugins, HTML5 audio/video, and Java applets. It also
gives you a right click menu that will mute tabs (via Javascript APIs
when available, otherwise hiding them like FlashBlock does) and can
automatically mute background tabs. Be sure to read the FAQ writeup to
learn about some [2]ways we can improve detecting which tab has sound and
mute it." This really seems like stuff that should be a built in browser
preference: like maybe an option to only allow audio out of the visible
tab.
Discuss this story at:
https://slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/1316221/Chrome-Extension-Helps-Find-Noisy-Tabs?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. mailto:mutetabextension@gmail.com
1. http://www.mutetab.com/
2. http://www.mutetab.com/mutetabfaq.html#fixingbrowsersound
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Ask Slashdot: Using Code With an Expired Patent?
| from the warm-up-the-mechanical-lawyer dept.
| posted by timothy on Monday August 01, @19:18 (Patents)
| with 98 comments
| https://ask.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/231246/Ask-Slashdot-Using-Code-With-an-Expired-Patent?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[0]kruhft writes "I was recently doing some research into Genetic
Programming and found [1]a library [1] through a [2]blog post that looks
to be useful. After looking over the code and license, I found that this
was the first piece of code I had seen that was protected by [3]a patent,
issued on June 19, 1990. I read that patents last for 20 years, meaning
that the patent that this code refers to is expired. Is there any way for
me to be sure that using this code is safe from any patent troll attacks
if I choose to use it? Would rewriting the code keep me from violating
any other patents that the author might have regarding the use of such an
algorithm? Does the code pass into the public domain after the patent
expires?" Note to Chrome users: the above link ("a library") works for me
in Firefox, but not in Chrome on Linux; YMMV.
Discuss this story at:
https://ask.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/231246/Ask-Slashdot-Using-Code-With-an-Expired-Patent?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. mailto:kruhft@gmail.com
1. ftp://cs.ucl.ac.uk/genetic/ftp.io.com/code/koza-book-gp-implementation.lisp
2. http://bc.tech.coop/blog/040619.html
3. http://www.ptodirect.com/Results/Patents?query=PN/4935877
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| How Face Recognition Can Uncover SSNs
| from the oh-thats-just-fine dept.
| posted by CmdrTaco on Monday August 01, @11:42 (Privacy)
| with 97 comments
| https://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/1533210/How-Face-Recognition-Can-Uncover-SSNs?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
nonprofiteer writes "Building on previous work showing that social
security numbers are not random, CMU researchers ran experiments in which
they [0]predicted students' social security numbers after taking a photo
of them with a cheap webcam. Using off-the-shelf facial recognition
technology and data-mining publicly available Facebook photos and profile
information, they were able to come up with the social security numbers
of several of the students. (More impressive, as they note that 60% of
the students were foreign, and had no SSNs, leaving them a pool of less
than 50)."
Discuss this story at:
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/1533210/How-Face-Recognition-Can-Uncover-SSNs?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
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| NASA's Plan To Clean Up Space Program Launch Site Contamination
| from the lots-of-paper-towels dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Monday August 01, @16:35 (NASA)
| with 83 comments
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/2014257/NASAs-Plan-To-Clean-Up-Space-Program-Launch-Site-Contamination?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elliot Chang tips a story about plans from NASA and the US Air Force to
[0]clean up the areas around the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral
Air Force Station, which have been contaminated with decades worth of
carcinogenic chemicals from launching Shuttles, the Apollo moon missions,
and other rockets. The KSC cleanup is expected to take 30 years, and will
cost an estimated $96 million. "By far, the most common contaminant is a
chlorinated solvent called trichloroethylene, or 'trike,' and its
breakdown products ��� substances known to cause birth defects and cancer
and reaching concentrations thousands of times higher than federal
drinking water standards allow. ... Kennedy's sandy, alkaline soils are
thought to neutralize most metals and other contaminants before they
become a problem up the food chain. But trike dies hard. And workers kept
pouring it into the ground in the early years of the shuttle program,
thinking it would evaporate."
Discuss this story at:
https://science.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/2014257/NASAs-Plan-To-Clean-Up-Space-Program-Launch-Site-Contamination?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2011-07-31-nasa-environmental-cleanup_n.htm
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Adobe's New HTML5 Design Tool No Threat To Flash
| from the diversifying-investments dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Monday August 01, @17:54 (Software)
| with 70 comments
| https://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/210247/Adobes-New-HTML5-Design-Tool-No-Threat-To-Flash?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[0]pbahra writes "It is a reflection of [1]the huge interest in HTML5 as
a possible alternative to Flash that Adobe's launch of a very early
preview of [2]a toolkit for professional web developers immediately
became a trending topic on Twitter. What has excited people is Adobe's
statement that Edge will, 'bring animation, similar to that created in
Flash Professional, to websites using standards likes HTML, JavaScript
and CSS.' Across the web some headline writers been almost apocalyptic.
Beta News, for instance, talks of [3]The Final Days of Flash while
SlashGear says, 'Adobe Edge HTML5 app could [4]eat Flash from the inside.'
Many analysts, however, are more sanguine. 'People have shown that you
can do animation with HTML5, but it's not nearly as well realized as with
Flash,' said James Governor, an industry analyst at RedMonk."
Discuss this story at:
https://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/210247/Adobes-New-HTML5-Design-Tool-No-Threat-To-Flash?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. mailto:parminder.bahra@wsj.com
1. http://blogs.wsj.com/tech-europe/2011/08/01/adobe-launches-new-html5-design-tool/
2. http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/edge/
3. http://www.betanews.com/article/The-Final-days-of-Flash-Adobe-releases-public-preview-of-Edge-HTML5-editor/1312127434
4. http://www.slashgear.com/adobe-edge-html5-app-could-eat-flash-from-the-inside-01168612/
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Archaeologist May Have Found the First Protractor
| from the where's-the-compass? dept.
| posted by samzenpus on Monday August 01, @11:50 (Math)
| with 63 comments
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/159247/Archaeologist-May-Have-Found-the-First-Protractor?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If physicist Amelia Sparavigna is correct, in addition to frogs, lice,
and locusts, Egyptian schoolchildren were also plagued with useless
geometry instruments in their new notebooks at the beginning of every
school year. A mysterious object was found in the architect Kha's tomb in
1906 and its function has remained the subject of debate ever since.
Sparavigna is certain the object is actually [0]the world's first
protractor. From the article: "The key, she says, lies in [1]the numbers
encoded in the object's ornate decoration,(Pdf) which resembles a compass
rose with 16 evenly spaced petals surrounded by a circular zigzag with 36
corners."
Discuss this story at:
https://science.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/159247/Archaeologist-May-Have-Found-the-First-Protractor?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn20748-egyptian-tomb-mystery-may-be-worlds-first-protractor.html
1. http://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1107/1107.4946.pdf
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Using Brain Waves Can Shorten Braking Distance
| from the using-your-brain-full-stop-can-too dept.
| posted by timothy on Monday August 01, @19:41 (Transportation)
| with 61 comments
| https://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/2337205/Using-Brain-Waves-Can-Shorten-Braking-Distance?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
cheros writes "A BBC article reports on [0]work at the Berlin Institute
of technology where [1]brainwaves are used to trigger brakes. Apparently
this cuts braking distance by more than 3m (10ft), but I have
reservations about skull electrodes in any circumstances. I'll stick with
radar, thanks."
Discuss this story at:
https://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/2337205/Using-Brain-Waves-Can-Shorten-Braking-Distance?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://iopscience.iop.org/1741-2552/8/5/056001
1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14329748
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Judge Blasts Prosecution of Alleged NSA Leaker
| from the be-less-bad dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Monday August 01, @18:34 (The Courts)
| with 59 comments
| https://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/2140200/Judge-Blasts-Prosecution-of-Alleged-NSA-Leaker?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[0]Hugh Pickens writes "The Washington Post reports that Judge Richard D.
Bennett [1]harshly criticized US prosecutor William M. Welch III for his
treatment of a former spy agency official Thomas Drake, who was accused
of leaking classified material. Bennett called the delays in the
now-closed case 'unconscionable' and compared it to British tyranny in
the colonial era. In 2007, FBI agents raided Drake's house, but it
[2]took over two years for officials to indict him. 'And then, over a
year later, on the eve of trial, in June of 2011, the government says,
"Whoops, we dropped the whole case,"' Bennett said. Drake was given a
mild penalty for pleading guilty to the misdemeanor charge of exceeding
authorized use of a computer: a year's probation and 240 hours of
community service while [3]all 10 felony counts were dropped. 'That's
four years of hell that a citizen goes through,' Bennett said. 'It was
not proper. It doesn't pass the smell test.' In contrast with his tough
words for Welch, Bennett singled out for praise Drake's public defenders,
James Wyda and Deborah L. Boardman, saying their work on behalf of Drake
was 'at the highest level of professionalism.' Judge Welch said the
matter was now closed and addressed Drake: 'I wish you the best of luck
in the rest of your life.'"
Discuss this story at:
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/2140200/Judge-Blasts-Prosecution-of-Alleged-NSA-Leaker?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://hughpickens.com/
1. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/national-security/judge-blasts-prosecution-of-alleged-nsa-leaker/2011/07/29/gIQAfFcDiI_story.html
2. http://yro.slashdot.org/story/10/04/16/089235/Ex-NSA-Officlal-Indicted-For-Leaks-To-Newspaper
3. http://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/06/10/0147205/Thomas-Drake-Innocent-of-All-Ten-Original-Charges
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Android Trojan Records Phone Calls
| from the goodnight-snookums-wookums dept.
| posted by timothy on Monday August 01, @18:57 (Android)
| with 47 comments
| https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/2242233/Android-Trojan-Records-Phone-Calls?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[0]jbrodkin writes "A new Android Trojan is [1]capable of recording phone
conversations, according to a CA security researcher. While a previous
Trojan found by CA logged the details of incoming and outgoing phone
calls and the call duration, new malware identified this week records the
actual phone conversations in AMR format and stores the recordings on the
device's SD card. The malware also 'drops a 'configuration' file that
contains key information about the remote server and the parameters,' CA
security researcher Dinesh Venkatesan writes, perhaps suggesting that the
recorded calls can be uploaded to a server maintained by an attacker.
Installation of the Trojan requires some user interaction, but the
malware recreates the look and feel of the standard Android application
installation process, and may fool some unsuspecting users."
Discuss this story at:
https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/11/08/01/2242233/Android-Trojan-Records-Phone-Calls?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.networkworld.com/
1. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/080111-android-trojan.html
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