http://slashdot.org/firehose.pl News for nerds, stuff that matters en-us Copyright 1997-2009, Geeknet, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2009-11-25T01:23:04+00:00 Geeknet, Inc. help@slashdot.org Technology hourly 1 1970-01-01T00:00+00:00 http://a.fsdn.com/sd/topics/topicslashdot.gif http://slashdot.org/firehose.pl //slashdot.org/submission/1121810/Wal-Mart-Amazon-Battle-for-Online-Retails-Future?from=rss The NY Times reports that Amazon and Wal-Mart are waging an price war for the future of online retailing that is spreading through product areas like books, movies, toys and electronics. The tussle began last month over which company had the lowest prices on the most anticipated new books and DVDs this fall but has now spread to select video game consoles, mobile phones, even to the humble Easy-Bake Oven. “It’s not about the prices of books and movies anymore. There is a bigger battle being fought,” said Fiona Dias, executive vice president at GSI Commerce, which manages the Web sites of large retailers. “The price-sniping by Wal-Mart is part of a greater strategic plan. They are just not going to cede their business to Amazon.” Wal-Mart, with $405 billion in sales last year, dominates by offering affordable prices to Middle America in its 4,000 stores while Amazon with $20 billion in sales, caters mostly to affluent urbanites who would rather click with their mouse than push around a cart. But Amazon is expanding its slice of the retail pie at an alarming rate with Amazon sales shooting up 28 percent in the third quarter of this year while sales in Amazon’s electronics and general merchandise business are up 44 percent. “We have to put our foot down and refuse to let them grow more powerful,” says Dias. “I applaud Wal-Mart. It’s about time multichannel retailers stood up and refused to let their business go away.” pickens 2009-11-24T12:53:01+00:00 //slashdot.org/submission/1118526/GIMP-dropped-from-Ubuntu-1004?from=rss It seems like the Ubuntu developers consider GIMP to be too powerful for a normal desktop user. So they are removing it from the upcoming Ubuntu 10.04. This actually feels like a good reason as most people uses GIMP as a "Paint"-like software. kai_hiwatari 2009-11-19T05:53:34+00:00 //slashdot.org/submission/1119924/Apple-Voids-Smokers-Warranties?from=rss Consumerist reports that Apple is refusing to work on computers that have been used in smoking households. "The Apple store called and informed me that due to the computer having been used in a house where there was smoking, that has voided the warranty and they refuse to work on the machine, due to 'health risks of second hand smoke'," wrote one customer. Another said, "When I asked for an explanation, she said [the owner of the iMac is] a smoker and it's contaminated with cigarette smoke which they consider a bio-hazard! I checked my Applecare warranty and it says nothing about not honoring warranties if the owner is a smoker."Apple claims that honoring the warranty would be an OSHA violation. (Remember when they claimed enabling 802.11n for free would be a Sarbanes-Oxley violation?) Mr2001 2009-11-21T03:23:31+00:00 //slashdot.org/submission/1119812/Bing-Censoring-all-Chinese-Language-Querys?from=rss Nicholas Kristof, a New York Times journalist is calling for a boycott of Microsoft Bing (so don't click that link). They have censored search requests at the request of the Chinese Government (like certain others). The difference is that Bing have censored all searches done anywhere in simplified Chinese characters (The characters used in mainland China). This means that a Chinese speaker searching for Tiananmen anywhere in the world now gets the impression that it is just a lovely place to visit. boggis 2009-11-20T20:32:29+00:00 //slashdot.org/submission/1118208/Windows-7-seems-to-hate-real-LANs?from=rss Windows 7 really tries to make things better for the average user — as long as he or she does not try to set up a static-IP LAN without default gateway and DNS. This leads to Windows crippling this network's connectivity by categorizing it as "Unidentified" and it's location as "Public", which it does not even let you change. This — in my eyes — is a very poor design decision and has already caused much grief in the Windows community. Microsoft also does not seem to acknowledge the problem. Does any persistent solution exist for this problem? jakie 2009-11-18T18:39:23+00:00 //slashdot.org/submission/1119820/Pittsburgh-Will-Tax-Students?from=rss "Local government officials are in the process of approving an operating budget for fiscal year 2010. Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl has proposed taxing college and professional students for the privilege of receiving an education in the city. The proposed tax will charge students in the city at a rate of 1% of their yearly tuition — which, at Carnegie Mellon, would mean roughly a $400 tax on most students. As the tax proposal hit local media outlets this week, the mayor repeatedly emphasized the burden that college students have placed on city services, and the need for students to pay their 'fair share.'" societyofrobots 2009-11-20T20:46:55+00:00 //slashdot.org/submission/1121266/New-Virginia-IT-Systems-Lack-Network-Backup?from=rss Virginia's new state IT system is experiencing downtime in key services because of a mind-boggling oversight: the state apparently neglected to require network backup in a 10-year, $2.3 billion outsourcing deal with Northrop Grumman. The issue is causing serious downtime for state services. This fall the Virginia DMV has suffered 12 system outages panning a total of more than 100 hours, and downtime hampered the state transportation department when a state of emergency was declared during the Nov. 11 Northeaster. Where was the oversight? Virginia's Secretary of Technology while the system was being implemented was Aneesh Chopra, who is now the federal CTO for the Obama administration. 1sockchuck 2009-11-23T20:34:33+00:00 //slashdot.org/submission/1121872/Filesharing-laws-unenforceable-on-mobile-networks?from=rss UK mobile broadband providers currently have no way of telling which subscribers are file-sharing which copyrighted content, ZDNet UK reports. This represents something of a problem for new laws that have been proposed to crack down on unlawful filesharing. According to the article, databases could be built to make it possible to identify what specific users are downloading, but the industry is loath to fund this sort of project itself. Also, as an analyst points out in the piece, prepay users are mostly anonymous in the UK, which creates a new challenge for the government's plans. And if that isn't enough, connection-sharing apps like JoikuBoost would make identification pretty much impossible anyway. superglaze 2009-11-24T14:28:41+00:00 //slashdot.org/submission/1121162/Solar-Powered-Plane-Makes-Runway-Debut?from=rss The much-hyped Solar Impulse airplane just completed its first runway test, paving the way for a 20 to 25 day trip around the world next year. Conceived by Bertrand Piccard, the single-pilot plane successfully used its four solar powered motors to taxi around the runway. If all goes according to plan the plane will be able to fly day and night without fuel, signaling a bright future for solar powered flight. MikeChino 2009-11-23T17:48:56+00:00 //slashdot.org/submission/1121404/Nvidias-DX11-GF100-graphics-processor-detailed?from=rss While it's played up the general-purpose computing prowess of its next-gen GPU architecture, Nvidia has talked little about Fermi's graphics capabilities—so much so that some accuse Nvidia of turning its back on PC gaming. Not so, says The Tech Report in a detailed architectural overview of GF100, the first Fermi-based consumer graphics processor. Alongside a wealth of technical information, the article includes enlightening estimates and direct comparisons with AMD's Radeon HD 5870. The GF100 will be up to twice as fast as the GeForce GTX 285, the author reckons, but the gap with the Radeon HD 5870 should be "a bit more slender." Still, Nvidia may have the fastest consumer GPU ever on its hands—and far from forsaking games, Fermi has been built as a graphics processor first and foremost. J. Dzhugashvili 2009-11-24T01:51:12+00:00 //slashdot.org/submission/1120110/Has-sci-fi-run-out-of-steam?from=rss Science fiction has long inspired real-world technology, but have the authors of sci-fi stories finally run out of steam? PC Pro has traced the history of sci-fi's influence on real-world technology, from Jules Verne to Snow Crash, but suggests that writers have run out of ideas when it comes to inspiring tomorrow's products. "Since Snow Crash, no novel has had quite the same impact on the computing world, and you might argue that sci-fi and hi-tech are drifting further apart," PC Pro claims. Author Charles Stross tells the magazine that he began writing a sci-fi novel in 2005 and "made some predictions, thinking that in ten years they’d either be laughable or they’d have come true. The weird bit? Most of them came true already, by 2009!” Barence 2009-11-21T11:48:03+00:00 //slashdot.org/submission/1118302/US-Government-Using-PS3s-to-Break-Encryption?from=rss As reported here and here.. It seems that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Cyber Crimes Center, known as C3 have replaced their "$8,000 Tableau/Dell server combination" with more efficient and much cheaper $300 PS3s. Each PS3 is capable of 4 million passwords per second, and C3 currently has 20 PS3s with plans to buy 40 more.Naturally this is only being used to break encryption on computers seized with a warrant and suspected of harboring child pornography. Entropy98 2009-11-18T21:04:44+00:00 //slashdot.org/submission/1119558/XBox-Live-Class-Action-Lawsuit-Started?from=rss Were you negatively affected by the recent ban on XBox Live for modifying hardware you own? Did you modify it for homebrew or altering things you paid for and NOT engage in piracy? Abington IP would like to hear from you and may be able to help. From that page, "If you are an Xbox Live subscriber, had your modified Xbox console banned from Xbox Live, were not refunded a prorated sum for the time left on your subscription or have experienced other problems as a result of being banned, and would like to participate in a class action against Microsoft, please submit your information below." Is someone finally standing up for the legitimate hobbyists? Should Microsoft be afraid? eldavojohn 2009-11-20T14:25:59+00:00 //slashdot.org/submission/1119752/Microsoft-Silverlight-now-with-hidden-Windows-bias?from=rss In a new show of openness, Microsoft adds Windows only features to Silverlight 4. Anonymous Coward 2009-11-20T18:33:59+00:00 //slashdot.org/submission/1121644/Inside-England-and-Wales-DNA-Regime?from=rss The UK's Human Genetics Commission has published its report on the collection of DNA by the Police forces in England and Wales. Currently, Police collect DNA from every suspect in a case which could lead to a criminal record, and retain that material, which the European Court of Human Rights has ruled illegal. The government plans to keep all DNA samples for suspects from England, Wales and Northern Ireland for up to six years, except for DNA from individuals arrested during terrorism-related investigations, which will be retained forever. The report states that the police frequently performed arrests solely to collect DNA, that certain demographics (such as young, black men) where "very highly over-represented", that there was "very little concrete evidence" that the DNA database had any actual use in investigating crime, and that the database contained material from individuals arrested in Scotland and Northern Ireland, outside its remit. Of the 4.5m individuals in the database, a fifth have never received any convictions or cautions from the Police. The report recommends that an independent advisory body oversee the database, and that laws be passed to limit the uses of the database, while tracking those with access to it, and making misuse of the information a criminal offence. Sockatume 2009-11-24T09:09:57+00:00 //slashdot.org/submission/1119262/Linus-Torvalds-suggested-for-Nobel-Peace-Prize?from=rss I'm as much of a fanboy as anyone else, but I've never thought of anything in computing as being worth a Nobel Peace Prize. Apparently, there are those who take global collaboration seriously, though... Anonymous Coward 2009-11-20T03:52:56+00:00 //slashdot.org/submission/1118308/Vulgar-Comment-on-Newspaper-site-costs-man-his-job?from=rss ReadWriteWeb has an article up today discussing an incident in which a school employee lost his job after leaving a comment on the website of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper. After the school employee responded to the newspaper's poll of "the strangest thing you've ever eaten" with a feline-inspired vulgarity, Kurt Greenbaum, the site's director of social media, tracked down the commenter's identity through his IP Address and reported him to school officials. When confronted, the school employee resigned from his job. Here is Greenbaum's follow up article discussing the employee's resignation. DeeFresh 2009-11-18T21:17:04+00:00 //slashdot.org/submission/1118314/Respected-developers-begin-fleeing-from-App-Store?from=rss Facebook's Joe Hewitt, Second Gear's Justin Williams, long-time Mac software developer known as "Rogue Amoeba" and other respected App Store developers have recently decided to discontinue their work on the platform, citing their frustration with Apple's opaque approval processes. Continued issues with erroneous and snap application and API rejections are prompting more and more developers to shun the platform entirely. Though there are tens of thousands of other developers pumping out over 100,000 iPhone apps, continued migration away from iPhone development will most likely result in less quality software for the platform. wiedzmin 2009-11-18T21:31:01+00:00 //slashdot.org/submission/1121324/Bing-Cashback-can-cost-you-money?from=rss Microsoft and various retailers have teamed up to bring you cashback on purchases made via Bings price comparison feature. There is a little snag though — it seems that when you have a Bing cookie living in your browser, some retailers will quote you a higher price than if you come with no Bing-cookie in your system. paltemalte 2009-11-23T22:15:16+00:00 //slashdot.org/submission/1118150/Bomb-Proof-Wallpaper-Developed?from=rss Working in partnership with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, Berry Plastics has rolled out a new breed of bomb-proof wallpaper. Dubbed the X-Flex Blast Protection System, the wallpaper is so effective that a single layer can keep a wrecking ball from smashing through a brick wall, and a double layer can stop blunt objects (i.e. a flying 2×4) from knocking down drywall. According to its designers, covering an entire room takes less than an hour. MikeChino 2009-11-18T16:50:58+00:00 //slashdot.org/submission/1118226/Chicagos-Camera-Network-Is-Everywhere?from=rss Over the past few years, the City of Chicago has installed video cameras all over the city. Now the Wall Street Journal reports that the city has not only installed its own cameras for law enforcement purposes, but with the aid of IBM, has built a network that possibly links thousands of video surveillance cameras all over Chicago. Possibly, because the city refuses to confirm just how many cameras are in the network. Critics say that Chicago is becoming the city of Big Brother."The city links the 1,500 cameras that police have placed in trouble spots with thousands more—police won't say how many—that have been installed by other government agencies and the private sector in city buses, businesses, public schools, subway stations, housing projects and elsewhere. Even home owners can contribute camera feeds. Rajiv Shah, an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago who has studied the issue, estimates that 15,000 cameras have been connected in what the city calls Operation Virtual Shield, its fiber-optic video-network loop."There are so many camera feeds coming in that police and officials can't monitor them all, but when alerted to a situation, can zoom in on the area affected. The ACLU has requested a total number of video feeds and cameras, but as of yet, this information has not been supplied. Worries have been raised about the possible abuses of the system... other cities have had cases where male police officers would follow females via video even though no suspicious behavior was exhibited. Chicago Police brush off such criticism, saying that all use of the system is logged, and that the benefits of public safety and law enforcement are huge. DesScorp 2009-11-18T19:10:03+00:00 //slashdot.org/submission/1120268/Ten-Things-Mobile-Phones-Will-Make-Obsolete?from=rss recombu.com has an article examining ten things mobile phones will make obsolete, including phone booths, wristwatches and handheld games consoles. It's interesting to see how many devices have been absorbed into mobile phone technology and it begs the question, are we better off having everything in one device? The author poignantly concludes that while it's great to have so much power at our fingertips it does mean that some of us will rely on mobile phones for even basic mental tasks, which is great until the battery runs out. Anonymous Coward 2009-11-21T18:23:14+00:00 //slashdot.org/submission/1119936/Military-Goes-Green-with-Ion-Tiger-UAV?from=rss Increasingly, the military is deploying unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, as eyes in the sky to scan the ground for targets and threats, especially for missions that are too dangerous for manned aircraft. Now Live Science reports that a new robotic spy plane called "Ion Tiger" will harness alternative energy to make it more covert and longer lasting than battery-powered or engine powered UAVs. A 550-watt, 0.75 horsepower hydrogen fuel cell will power the Ion Tiger with four times the efficiency of a comparable internal combustion engine and seven times the energy of the equivalent weight of batteries. When Ion Tiger took flight on October, it exceeded any demonstration of electrically powered flight so far, flying 23 hours and 17 minutes. "And it carried a 5 lbs. payload to boot — enough to carry, say, a day-and-night camera," says researcher Karen Swider-Lyons, head of the alternative energy section at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington. "No one has come close to flying 24 hours with a significant payload before." Another big advantage is the Ion Tiger's reduced noise, heat and emissions. "Think about lawnmowers or chainsaws — they're really loud," says Swider-Lyons. "It's hard to spy on people when they know you're there, so you had to fly them at high altitudes to keep them from being heard." pickens 2009-11-21T04:27:02+00:00 //slashdot.org/submission/1119048/Releasing-the-Chromium-OS-open-source-project?from=rss Google has released the source to what will eventually become Chrome OS, and will begin developing it as an open source project like Chromium. The OS differs from the usual computing model by (1) making all apps web apps (2) sandboxing everything and (3) removing anything unnecessary, to focus on speed. Kelson 2009-11-19T19:15:32+00:00 //slashdot.org/submission/1119850/Brazilian-breaks-secrecy-of-electronic-e-voting?from=rss Brazilian breaks secrecy of electronic voting machine in Brazil, using the Van Eck phreaking process. ateu 2009-11-20T22:19:55+00:00