Wednesday, October 12, 2011

[Slashdot] Stories for 2011-10-12

======================================================================
Optimizing Server Management
HP Insight Control delivers powerful capabilities that enable you to proactively
manage ProLiant server health - whether physical or virtual, deploy ProLiant
servers quickly, optimize power consumption, and control ProLiant servers from
anywhere. Read more to find out how HP ProLiant servers with Intel processors
utilize Insight Control. http://www.accelacomm.com/jaw/sdnl/114/51444346/
======================================================================

Slashdot Daily Newsletter

In this issue:
* Illegal To Take a Photo In a Shopping Center?
* California Governor Vetoes Ban On Warrantless Phone Searches
* Ask Slashdot: Standard Software Development Environments?
* Linux Kernel Developer Declares VirtualBox Driver "Crap"
* Stroke Victim Stranded At South Pole Base
* Mazda Stops Production of the Last Rotary Engine Powered Car
* Latest Humble Bundle Hits $1 Million
* Adobe Demos Photo Unblurring At MAX 2011
* UK ISPs To Begin Censorship of Porn Websites
* First Person Dungeon Crawlers Making a Return
* Microsoft Says IE9 Blocks More Malware Than Chrome
* Behind the Scenes: How Conflict Photographs Come To Be
* Ask Derek Deville About High-Altitude Amateur Rocketry
* Ancient Krakens Making Self-Portraits?
* Cloned Drug-Sniffing Dogs Prove Successful In South Korea
* NYTimes Sues US Gov't To Know How It Interprets the PATRIOT Act
* CCP Deconstructs <em>EVE Online's</em> Microtransaction Missteps
* German State Confesses To, Downplays Government Spyware
* Air Force Network Admins Found Out About Drone Virus Through News Story
* Wine HQ Password Database Compromised
* AOL Creates Fully Automated Data Center
* Jaguar Supercomputer Being Upgraded To Regain Fastest Cluster Crown
* Researchers Dispute Closing of the Bruce Ivins Anthrax Case
* Boeing Suggests Possible Manned Version of the X-37B Space Plane
* Blue Coat Denies Its Devices Helping Syrian Gov't
* Man With Quadriplegia Controls Robot Arm With Mind
* Father of SSL Talks Serious Security Turkey
* FTC Settles With Android Developer In Data Exposure Case

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Illegal To Take a Photo In a Shopping Center?
| from the common-paranoia dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Tuesday October 11, @00:23 (Privacy)
| with 512 comments
| https://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/016226/illegal-to-take-a-photo-in-a-shopping-center?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New submitter Kyrall writes "A man was [0]questioned by security guards
and then police after taking a photo of his own child in a UK shopping
center. The center apparently has a 'no photography' policy 'to protect
the privacy of staff and shoppers and to have a legitimate opportunity to
challenge suspicious behavior.' He was told by a security guard that
taking a photo was illegal. He also said that a police officer claimed,
'he was within in his rights to confiscate the mobile phone on which the
photos were taken.'"

Discuss this story at:
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/016226/illegal-to-take-a-photo-in-a-shopping-center?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

Links:
0. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-15236758

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| California Governor Vetoes Ban On Warrantless Phone Searches
| from the take-that-citizens dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Monday October 10, @20:17 (Cellphones)
| with 419 comments
| https://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/10/10/2358221/california-governor-vetoes-ban-on-warrantless-phone-searches?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

kodiaktau writes "In probably the most important decision Gov. Brown of
California will make this year, he has [0]vetoed the bill that would
require officers to get a search warrant before searching cellular phones
of arrested citizens. This further enables the police to carry out
warrantless searches of private property extending into contacts, email,
photos, banking activity, GPS, and other functions that are controlled by
modern phones. 'He cites a recent California Supreme Court decision
upholding the warrantless searches of people incident to an arrest. In
[1]his brief message (PDF), he also doesn���t say whether it���s a good idea
or not. Instead, he says the state Supreme Court���s decision is good
enough, a decision the U.S. Supreme Court let stand last week.'"

Discuss this story at:
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/10/10/2358221/california-governor-vetoes-ban-on-warrantless-phone-searches?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

Links:
0. http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/10/warrantless-phone-searches/
1. http://gov.ca.gov/docs/SB_914_Veto_Message.pdf

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Ask Slashdot: Standard Software Development Environments?
| from the here's-your-hole-punch-and-branding-iron dept.
| posted by timothy on Tuesday October 11, @14:03 (Programming)
| with 307 comments
| https://ask.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/1650246/ask-slashdot-standard-software-development-environments?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First time accepted submitter sftwrdev97 writes "I have only been doing
software development for about 5 years, and worked most of it at one
company. I recently switched to a new company and am amazed at the lack
of technology used in their development process. In my previous position,
we used continuous integration, unit testing, automated regression
testing, an industry standard (not open source) in version control, and
tried to keep up with the latest tools, Java releases, etc. In the new
position, there is no unit or regression testing, no continuous
integration, compiled files are moved to the production environment
basically by hand and there is no version control on them. The tools we
are using have been unsupported for 5-7 years and we are still using old
Java. I am just wondering since this is only my second job in the
industry, is this the norm for most development environments? Or do most
development environments try to keep up on technology or just use what
ever gets them by?" What's it like in your neck of the woods?

Discuss this story at:
https://ask.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/1650246/ask-slashdot-standard-software-development-environments?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Linux Kernel Developer Declares VirtualBox Driver "Crap"
| from the not-all-code-is-created-equal dept.
| posted by Unknown Lamer on Tuesday October 11, @15:49 (Oracle)
| with 259 comments
| https://linux.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/1845226/linux-kernel-developer-declares-virtualbox-driver-crap?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An anonymous reader writes "Linux kernel developers have decided to mark
[0]the VirtualBox kernel driver as tainted crap for the significant
[1]number of problems this open-source driver has caused. The VirtualBox
kernel driver reportedly causes memory corruption and other problems.
With the driver being flagged as tainted crap, bug reports caused by the
driver will be taken less seriously."

Discuss this story at:
https://linux.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/1845226/linux-kernel-developer-declares-virtualbox-driver-crap?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

Links:
0. http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=OTk5Mw
1. https://lkml.org/lkml/2011/10/6/317

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Stroke Victim Stranded At South Pole Base
| from the i-saw-this-episode-of-house dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Tuesday October 11, @02:18 (Medicine)
| with 241 comments
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/0132250/stroke-victim-stranded-at-south-pole-base?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[0]Hugh Pickens writes "Renee-Nicole Douceur, the winter manager at the
Amundsen-Scott research station at the South Pole, was sitting at her
desk on August 27 when she suffered a stroke. 'I looked at the screen and
was like, "Oh my God, half the screen is missing."' But both the National
Science Foundation and contractor Raytheon say it would be [1]too
dangerous to send a rescue plane to the South Pole now, since Douceur's
condition is not life-threatening. Douceur's niece Sydney Raines has set
up a Web site that urges people to [2]call officials at Raytheon and the
National Science Foundation. However, temperatures must be higher than
-50 degrees F for most planes to land at Amundsen-Scott or the fuel will
turn to jelly. While that threshold has been crossed at the South Pole
recently, the temperature still regularly dips to 70 degrees below zero.
'It's like no other airfield in the U.S.,' says Ronnie Smith, a former
Air Force navigator who has flown there about 300 times. A pilot landing
a plane there in winter, when it is dark 24 hours a day, would be flying
blind 'because you can't install lights under the ice.' The most famous
instance of a person being airlifted from the South Pole for medical
reasons was that involving Jerri Nielsen FitzGerald, a doctor who
diagnosed and treated her own breast cancer. Using only ice and a local
anesthetic, [3]she performed her own biopsy with the help of a resident
welder. When she departed on October 16, 1999, it was the earliest in the
Antarctic spring that a plane had taken off."

Discuss this story at:
https://science.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/0132250/stroke-victim-stranded-at-south-pole-base?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

Links:
0. http://poncacityweloveyou.com/
1. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/08/science/08southpole.html
2. http://saverenee.org/
3. http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-jerri-nielsen-fitzgerald2-2009jun25,0,1199342.story

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Mazda Stops Production of the Last Rotary Engine Powered Car
| from the ever-twirling-toward-speed dept.
| posted by Unknown Lamer on Tuesday October 11, @16:54 (Transportation)
| with 238 comments
| https://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/2021239/mazda-stops-production-of-the-last-rotary-engine-powered-car?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[0]Hugh Pickens writes "After a 45-year production run, Mazda Motor Corp
announced that the latest edition of the [1]Mazda RX-8 will end
production in June 2012. The Japanese automaker ... introduced its first
rotary engine car in 1967 and is the only automaker in the world that
makes rotary engine vehicles, [2]once the darling of the automotive
industry. Such engines have [3]fewer moving parts and are quieter than
comparable piston engines but are more expensive to manufacture and
consume more fuel. Cumulative sales of Mazda vehicles with rotary engines
total about 1.995 million but Mazda sold only 2,896 RX-8 cars last year,
with 1,245 of them in North America and 963 in Japan. 'Although R-X
production is ending, the rotary engine will always represent the spirits
of Mazda, and Mazda remains committed to its ongoing development,' says
Mazda Chief Executive and President Takashi Yamanouchi recalling the
[4]victory of Mazda's rotary engine at Le Mans 20 years ago... Mazda does
not have flashy green technologies in its lineup that its bigger Japanese
rivals do ��� such as the hybrids at Toyota Motor Corp. or electric
vehicles at Nissan Motor Co. The fading away of its prized rotary engine
��� although largely symbolic ��� is yet another blow."

Discuss this story at:
https://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/2021239/mazda-stops-production-of-the-last-rotary-engine-powered-car?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

Links:
0. http://hughpickens.com/
1. http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/industries/mazda-to-drop-production-of-vehicles-with-trademark-rotary-engines/2011/10/07/gIQAfTy3RL_story.html
2. http://books.google.com/books?id=1UOduBQ8f7IC&pg=PA176&lpg=PA176&dq=rotary+engine+darling&source=bl&ots=K4SXTZW7Q_&sig=T8M-MQp-rye1FZzp9mb_Faf-oTE&hl=en&ei=OTCUTrOwLbKjsQLArcjvAQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CB4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=rotary%20engine%20darling&f=false
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wankel_engine
4. http://www.tenerife-training.net/Tenerife-News-Cycling-Blog/2007/10/inspirational-people/the-1991-le-mans-mazda-team-and-the-legendary-rotary-renown-787b/

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Latest Humble Bundle Hits $1 Million
| from the emergent-order dept.
| posted by timothy on Tuesday October 11, @09:33 (Stats)
| with 232 comments
| https://games.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/1326227/latest-humble-bundle-hits-1-million?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

dylan_- writes "The [0]Humble Frozen Synapse Bundle ��� where you pay
whatever you want for a collection of games ��� has just hit the $1 million
mark with 1 day and 9 hours left to buy. The games are DRM free,
available for Windows, Mac and Linux, and include a donation to the EFF
and Child's Play charity. As with previous bundles, Linux users are the
most generous, paying an average $9.18, Mac users come in second paying
$6.58 leaving Windows users lagging behind, paying $4.11 on average."
These stats are presented right on the page dynamically, so you might see
slightly different figures ��� the dollar figure should only be moving one
direction, though.

Discuss this story at:
https://games.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/1326227/latest-humble-bundle-hits-1-million?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

Links:
0. http://www.humblebundle.com/

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Adobe Demos Photo Unblurring At MAX 2011
| from the 174-days-early dept.
| posted by timothy on Tuesday October 11, @11:00 (Graphics)
| with 224 comments
| https://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/148216/adobe-demos-photo-unblurring-at-max-2011?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

karthikmns writes with word of an [0]amazing demo presented last week at
Adobe's annual MAX convention. You'll have to watch the video, but the
enthusiastic crowd reaction seems genuine (or at least justified), even
in an audience full of Photoshop enthusiasts, as [1]photographs are
algorithmically deblurred. (Maybe in the future, cameras will keep
records of their own motion in metadata to assist such software efforts,
rather than relying on in-built anti-shake software.) No word about when
this will turn up for consumers in anything besides demo form, but I
suspect similar software's already in use at Ft. Meade and Langley.

Discuss this story at:
https://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/148216/adobe-demos-photo-unblurring-at-max-2011?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

Links:
0. http://news.yahoo.com/adobe-unveils-amazing-unblur-feature-photoshop-video-125451682.html
1. http://hoowstuffworks.blogspot.com/2011/10/adobe-demos-amazing-unblur-feature.html

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| UK ISPs To Begin Censorship of Porn Websites
| from the just-wipe-this-blood-over-your-threshold dept.
| posted by timothy on Tuesday October 11, @08:50 (Censorship)
| with 178 comments
| https://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/1243243/uk-isps-to-begin-censorship-of-porn-websites?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

An anonymous reader writes "In a plan sponsored by the UK government,
four major UK ISP's, Virgin, BT, TalkTalk and Sky, are set to implement
blocking of porn websites, [0]requiring subscribers to 'opt-in' if they
want to visit blocked websites (or to put it another way, 'opt-out' of
internet censorship)."

Discuss this story at:
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/1243243/uk-isps-to-begin-censorship-of-porn-websites?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

Links:
0. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/oct/11/pornography-internet-service-providers

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| First Person Dungeon Crawlers Making a Return
| from the what's-old-is-new dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Tuesday October 11, @01:12 (Classic Games (Games))
| with 157 comments
| https://games.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/025210/first-person-dungeon-crawlers-making-a-return?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

jjp9999 writes "Anyone who remembers Eye of the Beholder should be glad
to know a group of developers is trying to bring back the first person
dungeon crawl genre while holding true to the classic style. Legend of
Grimrock is still in its pre-alpha state, but could [0]breathe new life
into a genre that many a geek still remembers fondly. The game gives
players control of four characters as they try to escape a prison
labyrinth. The graphics and lighting are what you'd expect from a modern
game, but early videos show it doesn't stray too far from everything that
was done right by Eye of the Beholder."

Discuss this story at:
https://games.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/025210/first-person-dungeon-crawlers-making-a-return?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

Links:
0. http://techzwn.com/2011/10/legend-of-grimrock-bringing-back-the-fp-dungeon-crawl/

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Microsoft Says IE9 Blocks More Malware Than Chrome
| from the i-heard-macs-don't-get-viruses dept.
| posted by Unknown Lamer on Tuesday October 11, @17:37 (Microsoft)
| with 151 comments
| https://it.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/2110214/microsoft-says-ie9-blocks-more-malware-than-chrome?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CSHARP123 writes "In a move that's sure to raise some eyebrows, Microsoft
today debuted a new web site designed to [0]raise awareness of security
issues in web browsers. When you visit the site, called Your Browser
Matters, it allows you to see a score for the browser you're using. Only
IE, Chrome, or Firefox are included ��� other browsers are excluded. Not
surprisingly, Microsoft's latest release, Internet Explorer 9, gets a
perfect 4 out of 4. Chrome or Firefox do not even come close to the score
of 4. Even though the web site makes it easy for users to upgrade to the
latest version of their choice of browser, Roger Capriotti [1]hopes
people will choose IE9, as it blocks more malware compared to Chrome or
Firefox." Of note in the Windows Team post is that the latest Microsoft
[2]Security Intelligence Report discovered that 0-day exploits account
for a mere tenth of a percent of all intrusions. Holes in outdated
software and social engineering account for the majority of successful
attacks.

Discuss this story at:
https://it.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/2110214/microsoft-says-ie9-blocks-more-malware-than-chrome?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

Links:
0. http://www.yourbrowsermatters.org/
1. http://windowsteamblog.com/ie/b/ie/archive/2011/10/11/are-you-one-of-the-millions-at-risk-from-socially-engineered-malware.aspx
2. http://www.microsoft.com/security/sir/default.aspx

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Behind the Scenes: How Conflict Photographs Come To Be
| from the have-you-tried-throwing-left-handed? dept.
| posted by timothy on Tuesday October 11, @11:43 (The Media)
| with 141 comments
| https://politics.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/1424224/behind-the-scenes-how-conflict-photographs-come-to-be?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First time accepted submitter benro03 writes "Airing photojournalism's
dirty secret, Italian photographer Ruben Salvadori demonstrates how
[0]conflict photography is often staged by the photographers themselves.
He spent a significant amount of time in East Jerusalem studying the role
that photojournalists play in what the world sees. Ruben is about to
graduate with dual majors for a BA in International Relations and
Anthropology/Sociology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel."
Some commenters on the linked story defend much of what's shown as
ordinary aesthetic and editorial decisions; doubtless a parallel
documentary could have been shot from a few hundred yards away with an
opposite slant.

Discuss this story at:
https://politics.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/1424224/behind-the-scenes-how-conflict-photographs-come-to-be?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

Links:
0. http://www.petapixel.com/2011/10/04/an-eye-opening-look-at-how-many-conflict-photos-are-staged/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+PetaPixel+(PetaPixel)

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Ask Derek Deville About High-Altitude Amateur Rocketry
| from the next-week-shatner's-answers dept.
| posted by timothy on Tuesday October 11, @12:30 (Toys)
| with 138 comments
| https://interviews.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/1451219/ask-derek-deville-about-high-altitude-amateur-rocketry?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few days ago, we posted about Derek Deville's [0]mind-blowing
high-altitude rocket-launch in the Nevada desert. His 14-foot,
GPS-equipped (four GPS units, actually) home-made rocket ("[1]Qu8k")
managed to hit 121,000 feet, an effort that took more than a trip to the
store for more Estes "D" engines. Derek has graciously agreed to answer
questions about Qu8k and [2]other rocketry projects. Please confine your
questions to one per post, but [3]ask as many as you'd like.

Discuss this story at:
https://interviews.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/1451219/ask-derek-deville-about-high-altitude-amateur-rocketry?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

Links:
0. http://science.slashdot.org/story/11/10/09/1618252/qu8k-rockets-above-the-balloons
1. http://www.ddeville.com/derek/Qu8k.html
2. http://www.ddeville.com/rockets.htm
3. http://slashdot.org/faq/interviews.shtml

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Ancient Krakens Making Self-Portraits?
| from the not-sexting-but-octing dept.
| posted by timothy on Tuesday October 11, @09:11 (Science)
| with 126 comments
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/134240/ancient-krakens-making-self-portraits?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First time accepted submitter Sanoj writes "Strange patterns of
ichthyosaur bones have been found on an ancient deep-water seabed. One
paleontologist has put forward the theory that these could have been the
work of giant cephalopods who were eating the swimming dinosaurs and then
[0]arranging the vertebrae to resemble their own tentacles. Sound
far-fetched? Apparently, the modern octopus also does this."

Discuss this story at:
https://science.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/134240/ancient-krakens-making-self-portraits?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

Links:
0. http://www.tgdaily.com/general-sciences-features/58953-triassic-kraken-may-have-created-self-portrait

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Cloned Drug-Sniffing Dogs Prove Successful In South Korea
| from the send-in-the-clones dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Tuesday October 11, @05:08 (Biotech)
| with 111 comments
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/0252248/cloned-drug-sniffing-dogs-prove-successful-in-south-korea?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rexdude writes "A prized drug-sniffing dog at Incheon Airport in South
Korea was cloned four years ago, and now the clones have proven to be
[0]much more successful at becoming sniffer dogs themselves compared to
regular dogs. Not as controversial as human cloning, but are we going to
see genetic copyrights on prized animal breeds in the future?"

Discuss this story at:
https://science.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/0252248/cloned-drug-sniffing-dogs-prove-successful-in-south-korea?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

Links:
0. http://singularityhub.com/2011/10/04/four-years-after-cloning-drug-sniffing-dogs-celebrate-remarkable-success-in-south-korean-airport/

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| NYTimes Sues US Gov't To Know How It Interprets the PATRIOT Act
| from the however-it-pleases dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Tuesday October 11, @19:01 (Censorship)
| with 103 comments
| https://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/2234233/nytimes-sues-us-govt-to-know-how-it-interprets-the-patriot-act?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

hydrofix writes "Techdirt has been following the story of [0]the DoJ's
classified interpretation of the PATRIOT Act. Specifically, it's all
about Section 215, the so-called 'business-records provision,' which
empowers the FBI to get businesses to turn over any records it deems
relevant to a security investigation. Senators Ron Ryden and Mark Udall
have been pushing the government to [1]reveal how it uses these
provisions to deploy 'dragnets' for massive amounts of information on
private citizens 'without any connection to terrorism or espionage,' a
[2]secret reinterpretation that is 'inconsistent with the public's
understanding of these laws.' After NYTimes reporter Charlie Savage had
his Freedom of Information request denied, the NYTimes has now [3]sued
the government (PDF) to reveal how it interprets the very law under which
it's required to operate."

Discuss this story at:
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/2234233/nytimes-sues-us-govt-to-know-how-it-interprets-the-patriot-act?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

Links:
0. http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111010/04043716279/nytimes-sues-federal-government-refusing-to-reveal-its-secret-interpretation-patriot-act.shtml
1. http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/05/secret-patriot-act/
2. http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2011/05/24/wyden-and-udall-want-obama-to-admit-to-secret-collection-program/
3. http://www.lawfareblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Secret-law-FOIA-complaint.pdf

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| CCP Deconstructs <em>EVE Online's</em> Microtransaction Missteps
| from the pay-seventy-cents-to-continue-reading dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Tuesday October 11, @03:43 (Businesses)
| with 99 comments
| https://games.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/038243/ccp-deconstructs-eve-onlines-microtransaction-missteps?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few months ago we discussed [0]an uproar in the EVE Online community
over CCP Games' implementation of microtransactions within the game.
Hilmar P��tursson, the company's CEO, recently [1]posted a lengthy apology
and an explanation of their thought process, which he admits was "wrong."
Now, at GDC Online, CCP has gone into further detail about [2]the lessons
they've learned from the fiasco. Quoting: "Of the eight original items,
Cockerill said all but one was in the mid- to high-tier price range.
Players naturally assumed the lower-tier range would be neglected going
forward, which served to push some of them away. The second wave (and the
forthcoming fourth wave) featured more lower-tier options, but it wasn't
enough. Cockerill said virtual-goods sellers should release a range of
goods at all of their price points to start with, or else they'll face
the wrath of the user base. What's more, the team should have targeted
the desires of its then-current user base, who cared much more about
having virtual clothes for their ships instead of their avatars."

Discuss this story at:
https://games.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/038243/ccp-deconstructs-eve-onlines-microtransaction-missteps?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

Links:
0. http://games.slashdot.org/story/11/06/25/1847248/eve-online-players-rage-protest-over-microtransactions
1. http://www.eveonline.com/devblog.asp?a=blog&nbid=2672
2. http://www.gamespot.com/news/6339021/microtransaction-missteps-in-eve-online

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| German State Confesses To, Downplays Government Spyware
| from the nussink-to-vorry-about dept.
| posted by timothy on Tuesday October 11, @10:19 (Privacy)
| with 95 comments
| https://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/1322202/german-state-confesses-to-downplays-government-spyware?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First time accepted submitter clickforfreepizza writes with this [0]news
on the German 'state trojan' [1]analyzed by the CCC: '[The] Bavarian
Interior Minister [confirmed] that state officials had indeed used the
software, but argued that the use had been conducted legally. [...] [A]
lawyer said his client had had the software in question installed on his
computer during a customs check. That software, which could be legally
used for monitoring telecommunications, had been altered to allow it to
grab screen shots.' The H's sister site heise.de reports [2]this case
involves nothing like terrorism, but legal substances which 'may become'
illegal when exported. ([3]German original) The [4]Bavarian press release
([5]German original) also says the code analyzed by the CCC might be an
earlier test version."

Discuss this story at:
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/1322202/german-state-confesses-to-downplays-government-spyware?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

Links:
0. http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1667873.php/German-spy-software-scandal-focuses-on-Bavaria
1. http://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/10/08/2029221/german-governments-malware-analyzed
2. http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.heise.de%2Fnewsticker%2Fmeldung%2FStaatstrojaner-Eine-Spionagesoftware-unter-anderem-aus-Bayern-1358091.html
3. http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Staatstrojaner-Eine-Spionagesoftware-unter-anderem-aus-Bayern-1358091.html
4. http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=www.innenministerium.bayern.de%2Fpresse%2Farchiv%2F2011%2F385.php
5. http://www.innenministerium.bayern.de/presse/archiv/2011/385.php

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Air Force Network Admins Found Out About Drone Virus Through News Story
| from the right-wing-doesn't-know-what-left-wing-is-doing dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Tuesday October 11, @19:43 (The Military)
| with 89 comments
| https://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/2311215/air-force-network-admins-found-out-about-drone-virus-through-news-story?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nemesisghost writes "Wired's Danger Room reports that the network admins
of the 24th Air Force [0]found out about the virus infecting the drone
cockpits at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada by reading [1]the earlier
news article. Quoting: 'Not only were officials in charge kept out of the
loop about an infection in America���s weapon and surveillance system of
choice, but the surprise surrounding that infection highlights a flaw in
the way the U.S. military secures its information infrastructure: There���s
no one in the Defense Department with his hand on the network switch. In
fact, there is no one switch to speak of. The four branches of the U.S.
armed forces each has a dedicated unit that, in theory, is supposed to
handle cyber defense for the entire service. ... In practice, it���s not
that simple. Unlike most big private enterprises, the 24th doesn���t have a
centralized system for managing and monitoring its networks. There���s no
place at the 24th���s San Antonio headquarters where someone could see all
the digital traffic hurtling through the service���s pipes.'"

Discuss this story at:
https://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/2311215/air-force-network-admins-found-out-about-drone-virus-through-news-story?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

Links:
0. http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/10/drone-virus-kept-quiet/
1. http://news.slashdot.org/story/11/10/07/1828220/us-drone-fleet-hit-by-computer-virus

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Wine HQ Password Database Compromised
| from the assailant-reportedly-doped-up-on-php dept.
| posted by Unknown Lamer on Tuesday October 11, @18:00 (Wine)
| with 85 comments
| https://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/2125248/wine-hq-password-database-compromised?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With his first accepted submission, [0]tyler.russell writes with a report
that the WineHQ database systems were compromised. Quoting the official
announcement: "We are sorry to report that recently our login database
for the Wine HQ Application Database was compromised. We know that the
[1]entire contents of the login database was stolen by hackers. The
password was encrypted, but with enough effort and depending on the
quality of your old password, it could be cracked. We have closed the
hole in our system that allowed read access to our database tables. To
prevent further damage we have reset your password to what is shown
below. We strongly suggest that if you shared your AppDB password on any
other sites that you change that password as soon as possible.". He adds:
"A new username and password were included with this email."

Discuss this story at:
https://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/2125248/wine-hq-password-database-compromised?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

Links:
0. mailto:tyler_russell3476@att.net
1. http://www.winehq.org/pipermail/wine-users/2011-October/097753.html

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| AOL Creates Fully Automated Data Center
| from the tomorrow-system-architect-automates-himself dept.
| posted by Unknown Lamer on Tuesday October 11, @18:18 (America Online)
| with 80 comments
| https://it.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/2134212/aol-creates-fully-automated-data-center?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

miller60 writes with an except from a Data Center Knowledge article: "AOL
has begun operations at a new [0]data center that will be completely
unmanned, with all monitoring and management being handled remotely. The
new 'lights out' facility is part of a broader updating of AOL
infrastructure that leverages virtualization and modular design to
quickly deploy and manage server capacity. 'These changes have not been
easy,' AOL's Mike Manos writes in a blog post about the new facility.
'It's always [1]culturally tough being open to fundamentally changing
business as usual.'" Mike Manos's weblog post provides a look into AOL's
internal infrastructure. It's easy to forget that AOL had to tackle
scaling to tens of thousands of servers over a decade before the term
Cloud was even coined.

Discuss this story at:
https://it.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/2134212/aol-creates-fully-automated-data-center?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

Links:
0. http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2011/10/11/aol-launches-new-lights-out-data-center/
1. http://loosebolts.wordpress.com/2011/10/11/breaking-the-chrysalis/

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Jaguar Supercomputer Being Upgraded To Regain Fastest Cluster Crown
| from the twenty-quadreeelon-laser-sharks dept.
| posted by Unknown Lamer on Tuesday October 11, @14:44 (Supercomputing)
| with 78 comments
| https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/1829227/jaguar-supercomputer-being-upgraded-to-regain-fastest-cluster-crown?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[0]MrSeb writes with an article in Extreme Tech about the Titan
supercomputer. From the article: "Cray, AMD, Nvidia, and the Department
of Energy have announced that the Oak Ridge National Laboratory's
[1]Jaguar supercomputer will soon be [2]upgraded to yet again become the
fastest HPC installation in the world. The new, mighty-morphing computer
will feature thousands of Cray XK6 blades, each one accommodating up to
four 16-core AMD Opteron 6200 (Interlagos) chips and four Nvidia Tesla
20-series GCGPU coprocessors. The Jaguar name will be suitably inflated,
too: the new [3]behemoth will be called Titan. The exact specs of Titan
haven't been revealed, but the Jaguar supercomputer currently sports 200
cabinets of Cray XT5 blades ��� and each cabinet, in theory, can be
upgraded to hold 24 XK6 blades. That's a total of 4,800 servers, or
38,400 processors in total; 19,200 Opterons 6200s, and 19,200 Tesla GPUs.
... that's 307,200 CPU cores ��� and with 512 shaders in each Tesla chip
that's 9,830,400 compute units. In other words, Titan should be capable
of massive parallelism of more than one million concurrent operations.
When the server is complete, towards the end of 2012, Titan will be
[4]capable of between 10 and 20 petaflops, and should recapture the crown
of Fastest Supercomputer in the World [5]from the Japanese 'K' computer."

Discuss this story at:
https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/1829227/jaguar-supercomputer-being-upgraded-to-regain-fastest-cluster-crown?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

Links:
0. http://mrseb.co.uk/
1. http://tech.slashdot.org/story/08/11/14/2148226/jaguar-worlds-most-powerful-supercomputer
2. http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/99413-titan-supercomputer-38400-processor-20-petaflop-successor-to-jaguar
3. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/10/11/oak_ridge_cray_nvidia_titan/
4. http://www.hpcwire.com/hpcwire/2011-10-11/cray_lands_$97_million_contract_to_upgrade_supercomputer_at_oak_ridge_national_laboratory.html
5. http://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/06/20/133257/japans-8-petaflop-k-computer-is-fastest-on-earth

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Researchers Dispute Closing of the Bruce Ivins Anthrax Case
| from the it-was-the-one-armed-bioterrorist dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Tuesday October 11, @08:11 (Crime)
| with 77 comments
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/0240226/researchers-dispute-closing-of-the-bruce-ivins-anthrax-case?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[0]Stirling Newberry writes "The New York Times reports that an upcoming
paper by Martin E. Hugh-Jones, Barbara Hatch Rosenberg, and Stuart
Jacobsen ��� all of whom have [1]long questioned the closing of the
[2]Bruce Ivins anthrax case ��� points to the presence of tin in the spore
samples as a sign that [3]the samples mailed had been processed beyond
what Ivins alone could have done. While not disputing that the spores
came from Ft. Detrick, Hugh-Jones, who has co-authored several papers on
anthrax signatures, contends according to the Times: 'it appears likely
that Dr. Ivins could not have made the anthrax powder alone with the
equipment he possessed, as [4]the F.B.I. maintains. That would mean
either that he got the powder from elsewhere or that he was not the
perpetrator.' For a good summary of the case from a medical standpoint,
[5]this paper in the Annals of Internal Medicine is an excellent place to
start. A review by the National Resources Council that stated [6]the
evidence available was not sufficient to locate the source of the spores
is also available."

Discuss this story at:
https://science.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/0240226/researchers-dispute-closing-of-the-bruce-ivins-anthrax-case?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

Links:
0. mailto:stirling.newberry@xigenics.net
1. http://articles.courant.com/2011-02-15/news/hc-anthrax-investigation-0216-20110215_1_amerithrax-anthrax-expert-martin-hugh-jones-anthrax-attacks
2. http://yro.slashdot.org/story/08/08/01/1532217/apparent-suicide-in-anthrax-case
3. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/10/science/10anthrax.html?pagewanted=all
4. http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2010/February/10-nsd-166.html
5. http://www.annals.org/content/early/2011/09/30/0003-4819-155-12-201112200-00373.full
6. http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13098

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Boeing Suggests Possible Manned Version of the X-37B Space Plane
| from the zoom-out-enhance-scale-up dept.
| posted by Unknown Lamer on Tuesday October 11, @15:10 (NASA)
| with 76 comments
| https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/184201/boeing-suggests-possible-manned-version-of-the-x-37b-space-plane?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[0]garymortimer writes with an article in sUAS News. From the article: "A
Boeing chief has suggested that the company's [1]mysterious unmanned
space-plane, called X-37B, developed for the US Air Force, [2]could be
scaled up and modified to carry astronauts. The company's X-37B project
chief Art Grantz revealed that at least two more versions of the 9-meter
long space-plane are under investigation ��� one of which involves adding a
crew to a much-enlarged version of the space drone, New Scientist
reported. If built, the new version would [3]give the US back its ability
to shuttle people to the International Space Station."

Discuss this story at:
https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/184201/boeing-suggests-possible-manned-version-of-the-x-37b-space-plane?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

Links:
0. http://www.suasnews.com/
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_X-37
2. http://www.suasnews.com/2011/10/9144/manned-x37b-version-suggested-at-space-2011/
3. http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/onepercent/2011/10/hypersonic-x-37-spaceplane-cou.html

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Blue Coat Denies Its Devices Helping Syrian Gov't
| from the und-I'm-learning-chinese-says-werner-von-braun dept.
| posted by timothy on Tuesday October 11, @13:18 (Government)
| with 73 comments
| https://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/1629238/blue-coat-denies-its-devices-helping-syrian-govt?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

First time accepted submitter drmemnoch writes with a follow-up to a
report last week that Internet proxy / filtering / logging devices made
by Sunnyvale, CA based Blue Coat Systems have been used by the Syrian
government to [0]monitor and censor Syrian's Internet usage. drmemnoch
notes that "Sales to restricted countries can often occur through 3rd
party resellers. Blue Coat [1]has yet to provide any information other
than denial." Specifically, the company denies direct sales, but in the
linked ZDnet report kept mum on how third-party resellers might be
involved. I requested comment from the company about how their products
might have ended up in Syria; Steve Schick of Blue Coat has responded to
that request with a more detailed denial (included below) of the
company's involvement, and says that there is "no firm evidence" in the
logs leaked by Telecomix that Syria has any Blue Coat equipment at all;
dissection of that response is invited.

This story continues at:
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/1629238/blue-coat-denies-its-devices-helping-syrian-govt?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email

Discuss this story at:
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/1629238/blue-coat-denies-its-devices-helping-syrian-govt?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

Links:
0. http://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/10/05/1249209/telecomix-releases-54gb-of-syrian-censorship-logs
1. http://advocacy.globalvoicesonline.org/2011/10/10/bluecoat-us-technology-surveilling-syrian-citizens-online/

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Man With Quadriplegia Controls Robot Arm With Mind
| from the give-him-a-hand dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Monday October 10, @22:16 (Medicine)
| with 67 comments
| https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/0057247/man-with-quadriplegia-controls-robot-arm-with-mind?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

awtbfb writes "Tim Hemmes, with the help of University of Pittsburgh
researchers, [0]successfully controlled a robot arm in three dimensions.
He's had quadriplegia for seven years. The feat was accomplished using
implanted ECoG electrodes and weeks of computer training. From the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 'Ever since his accident, Mr. Hemmes said, he's
had the goal of hugging his daughter Jaylei.' Next up are six more 30-day
participants, followed by a year-long study."

Discuss this story at:
https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/0057247/man-with-quadriplegia-controls-robot-arm-with-mind?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

Links:
0. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11283/1181062-53.stm

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Father of SSL Talks Serious Security Turkey
| from the trust-me-i-invented-a-cipher-system dept.
| posted by Unknown Lamer on Tuesday October 11, @15:27 (Security)
| with 54 comments
| https://it.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/1743213/father-of-ssl-talks-serious-security-turkey?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[0]coondoggie writes with an excerpt from a Network World article:
"SSL/TLS, the protocol that protects security of e-commerce, has taken a
beating lately, with news items ranging from the violation of certificate
authorities to the discovery of an exploit that beats the protocol
itself. But [1]despite the exploit ... and the failures of certificate
authorities such as Comodo and [2]DigiNotar that are supposed to
authenticate users, the protocol has a lot of [3]life left in it if
properly upgraded as it becomes necessary, says Taher [4]Elgamal, CTO of
Axway and one of the creators of SSL."

Discuss this story at:
https://it.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/1743213/father-of-ssl-talks-serious-security-turkey?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

Links:
0. http://networkworld.com/
1. http://it.slashdot.org/story/11/09/20/1833232/Hackers-Break-Browser-SSLTLS-Encryption
2. http://it.slashdot.org/story/11/09/20/1237207/diginotar-goes-bankrupt-after-hack
3. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/101111-elgamal-251806.html?hpg1=bn
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ElGamal_encryption

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| FTC Settles With Android Developer In Data Exposure Case
| from the privacy-is-mandatory dept.
| posted by Unknown Lamer on Tuesday October 11, @16:11 (Android)
| with 27 comments
| https://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/1943223/ftc-settles-with-android-developer-in-data-exposure-case?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trailrunner7 writes with some good/bad news concerning Android and
privacy. Quoting the Threatpost article: "In a landmark move, the Federal
Trade Commission has settled charges it brought against the maker of a
P2P file-sharing application that the commission alleged included
[0]unfair default settings that caused users to unknowingly share photos,
videos and other personal data. The settlement with [1]FrostWire LLC may
well be an indication that the federal government is going to be taking a
hard look at the way developers set up their apps and what users know
about the data they collect and share." The settlement is pretty light:
they have to change their defaults and give everyone affected an upgrade.
FTC involvement in this is interesting: on the one hand people were
unknowingly exposing private data; on the other hand, is FTC regulation
of something like this a good thing? In the case of Free Software who
does the FTC sue? How would they enforce any rulings?

Discuss this story at:
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/10/11/1943223/ftc-settles-with-android-developer-in-data-exposure-case?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting

Links:
0. https://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/ftc-settles-charges-android-app-developer-over-unfair-default-settings-101111
1. http://sourceforge.net/projects/frostwire/


Copyright 1997-2010, Geeknet, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


======================================================================

You have received this message because you subscribed to it
on Slashdot. To stop receiving this and other
messages from Slashdot, or to add more messages
or change your preferences, please go to your user page.

http://slashdot.org/prefs/messages

You can log in and change your preferences from there.

Slashdot 11216 Waples Mill Rd., Suite 100, Fairfax, VA 22030

No comments:

Post a Comment