EMA(TM) analysts explore four use cases for Gazzang ezNcrypt deployment.
Responsible for the protection of sensitive information? Wonder which
way to turn when it comes to simple, transparent and unified data
encryption? See what EMA (TM) has to say about data security with ezNcrypt.
http://p.sf.net/sfu/gazzang-sdnews
======================================================================
Slashdot Daily Newsletter
In this issue:
* Ask Slashdot: What's the Best Way To Deal With Roving TSA Teams?
* Are Brain Teasers Good Hiring Criteria?
* What a Black Box Data Dump Looks Like
* Why Fuel Efficiency Advances Haven't Translated To Better Gas Mileage
* US Report Sees Perils To America's Tech Future
* Apple Threatens Steve Jobs Doll Maker With Lawsuit
* AP and 28 News Groups To Collect Fees From Aggregators
* Iran Developing 'Halal' Domestic Intranet
* Apple Patents Power Adapter That Recovers Lost Passwords
* Microsoft In Talks To Buy Nokia's Smartphone Division?
* French Court Frowns On Autocomplete, Tells Google To Remove Searches
* Shopping Center Tracking System Condemned by Civil Rights Campaigners
* US 'Space Warplane' Spying On Chinese Spacelab
* Canadian Gov't Considers Plan To Block Public Domain
* No, SETI Has Not Detected Alien Signals From Space
* Researchers Create First Genetically Modified Monkeys
* Symantec Looks Into Claims of Stolen Source Code
* Solo Explorer Begins Bicycle Journey To South Pole
* Ohm's Law Survives To the Atomic Level
* Is the Canadian Arctic the Future of Astronomy?
* Drones Within a Drone Riding a Balloon
* Ants Turned Into 'Supersoldiers'
* Negative Irreproducible Tweets For Science Publishing
* Mozilla Public License 2.0 Released
* NASA Launches Open Source Portal
* A Whale's Virtual Reality
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Ask Slashdot: What's the Best Way To Deal With Roving TSA Teams?
| from the tip-well dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Friday January 06, @17:26 (Government)
| with 607 comments
| https://ask.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/224234/ask-slashdot-whats-the-best-way-to-deal-with-roving-tsa-teams?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An anonymous reader writes "I live in Boston, and I have noticed the TSA
performs random security checks at the Copley T (subway station) and
other locations. I routinely travel with a laptop, iPhone, and other
gadgetry. What are my rights when asked by one of the TSA agents to 'come
over here'? Can I say no and proceed with my private business? What if a
police officer says that I 'must go over there and cooperate'? Can I
decline or ask for a warrant? Like the majority of the population, I turn
into an absolute shrinking violet when pressured by intimidating
authority, but I struggle with what I see to be blatant social
devolution. Has anybody out there actually responded rationally, without
complying? What were your experiences?"
Discuss this story at:
https://ask.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/224234/ask-slashdot-whats-the-best-way-to-deal-with-roving-tsa-teams?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Are Brain Teasers Good Hiring Criteria?
| from the manholes-are-round-to-accommodate-ninja-turtles dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Friday January 06, @09:30 (Programming)
| with 602 comments
| https://developers.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/1334246/are-brain-teasers-good-hiring-criteria?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
theodp writes "Your brain teaser prowess may [0]win you a job at Google,
but the folks at 37signals [1]don't hire programmers based on puzzles,
API quizzes, math riddles, or other parlor tricks. 'The only reliable
gauge I've found for future programmer success,' explains 37signals'
[2]David Heinemeier Hansson, 'is looking at real code they've written,
talking through bigger picture issues, and, if all that is swell, trying
them out for size.'" Those of you who have hired employees: have you seen
correlation between interview puzzle success and job competency? How
should an interviewee best handle these questions?
Discuss this story at:
https://developers.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/1334246/are-brain-teasers-good-hiring-criteria?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204552304577112522982505222.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
1. http://37signals.com/svn/posts/3071-why-we-dont-hire-programmers-based-on-puzzles-api-quizzes-math-riddles-or-other-parlor-tricks
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Heinemeier_Hansson
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| What a Black Box Data Dump Looks Like
| from the recording-for-posterity dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Friday January 06, @12:24 (Transportation)
| with 585 comments
| https://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/1723238/what-a-black-box-data-dump-looks-like?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An anonymous reader writes "Massachusetts Lt. Governor Tim Murray
[0]recently crashed his Ford Crown Victoria while reportedly traveling
108 mph. The car was pretty much shredded, but Murray walked away without
major injuries. According to [1]data from the car's black box, Murray and
the Crown Vic experienced the equivalent of 40 gravities during the
crash. The data contradicts the story he gave police. Maybe we should
strap black boxes to all our politicians."
Discuss this story at:
https://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/1723238/what-a-black-box-data-dump-looks-like?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.boston.com/Boston/politicalintelligence/2012/01/gov-tim-murray-traveling-mph-time-nov-crash-fell-asleep-the-wheel/xb4PPxUcuG2PM4QzsS8lNJ/index.html
1. http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/specials/murray_crash_document/?p1=News_links
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Why Fuel Efficiency Advances Haven't Translated To Better Gas Mileage
| from the bigger-better-faster dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Friday January 06, @18:09 (Transportation)
| with 519 comments
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/2255235/why-fuel-efficiency-advances-havent-translated-to-better-gas-mileage?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[0]greenrainbow tips an article about a research paper from an MIT
economist that attempts to explain why technological advances in fuel
efficiency [1]haven't led to substantially better gas mileage for the
average driver. Quoting: "Thus if Americans today were driving cars of
the same size and power that were typical in 1980, the country���s fleet of
autos would have jumped from an average of about 23 miles per gallon
(mpg) to roughly 37 mpg, well above the current average of around 27 mpg.
Instead, Knittel says, 'Most of that technological progress has gone into
[compensating for] weight and horsepower.' ... Indeed, Knittel asserts,
given consumer preferences in autos, larger changes in fleet-wide gas
mileage will occur only when policies change, too. 'It���s the
policymakers��� responsibility to create a structure that leads to these
technologies being put toward fuel economy,' he says. Among environmental
policy analysts, the notion of a surcharge on fuel is widely supported.
'I think 98 percent of economists would say that we need higher gas
taxes,' Knittel says."
Discuss this story at:
https://science.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/2255235/why-fuel-efficiency-advances-havent-translated-to-better-gas-mileage?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://yourfriendbrit.blogspot.com/
1. http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/cars-on-steroids-0104.html
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| US Report Sees Perils To America's Tech Future
| from the cutting-into-our-tv-time dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Friday January 06, @13:54 (Government)
| with 314 comments
| https://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/1848246/us-report-sees-perils-to-americas-tech-future?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
dcblogs sends this excerpt from ComputerWorld: "[0]The ability of the
U.S. to compete globally is eroding, according to an Obama administration
report released Friday. It described itself as a 'call to arms.' Titled '[1]The
Competitiveness and Innovative Capacity of the United States (PDF),' it
points out a number of 'alarms,' including: the U.S. ran a trade surplus
in 'advanced technology products,' which includes biotechnology products,
computers, semiconductors and robotics, until 2002. In 2010, however, the
U.S. 'ran an $81 billion trade deficit in this critically important
sector.' In terms of federal research, in 1980 the federal government
provided about 70% of all dollars spent on basic research, but since then
the government's share of basic research funding given to all entities
has fallen to 57%. It also says real median household income has stalled,
and argues for policies that foster innovation."
Discuss this story at:
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/1848246/us-report-sees-perils-to-americas-tech-future?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9223191/U.S._report_sees_perils_to_America_s_tech_future_
1. http://www.commerce.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2012/january/competes_010511_0.pdf
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Apple Threatens Steve Jobs Doll Maker With Lawsuit
| from the no-doll-for-you dept.
| posted by samzenpus on Thursday January 05, @22:17 (China)
| with 303 comments
| https://apple.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/0041224/apple-threatens-steve-jobs-doll-maker-with-lawsuit?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[0]redletterdave writes "Apple has allegedly threatened to [1]sue Chinese
company 'In Icons' over its eerily realistic 12-inch action figure of
Steve Jobs, the company's late founder and CEO. The 1:6 scale model,
which was said to be distributed by DiD Corp. in late February, comes
with the clothes and accessories popularized by Jobs, such as the black
faux turtleneck, blue jeans and sneakers. The figurine is packaged in a
box that looks like Walter Isaacson's 'Steve Jobs' biography cover, and
also comes with a 'One More Thing...' backdrop, as well as two red
apples, including one with a bite in it. To make it extra creepy, the
doll's realistic head sculpt features Jobs' famous unblinking stare.
Apple reportedly wrote 'In Icons', telling the Chinese manufacturer that
any toy that resembles Apple's logo or products, or Job's name or
appearance, is a 'criminal offense.' Attorneys believe a Steve Jobs
action figure released after his death violates the 'right of publicity,'
which is a state law that protects one's image, voice, photograph,
identity or signature from being used commercially without consent.
Furthermore, California's Celebrity Rights Act in 1985 protects a
celebrity's personality rights up to 70 years after their death."
Discuss this story at:
https://apple.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/0041224/apple-threatens-steve-jobs-doll-maker-with-lawsuit?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. mailto:Davesmith229@gmail.com
1. http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/277294/20120105/steve-jobs-action-figure-apple-threatens-lawsuit.htm
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| AP and 28 News Groups To Collect Fees From Aggregators
| from the that-link-will-cost-you dept.
| posted by samzenpus on Thursday January 05, @20:06 (Media)
| with 281 comments
| https://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/004211/ap-and-28-news-groups-to-collect-fees-from-aggregators?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
jjp9999 writes "The Associated Press is launching the NewsRight project
to make aggregators pay for content. Some of the top names in the news
industry are currently on board, including New York Times Co. and
Washington Post Co, and they're currently negotiating with Gannett,
Tribune, Cox and News Corp. The project will [0]license original news
from the media companies and collect royalties from aggregators. The use
of lawsuits and threats of lawsuits are already on the agenda.
NewsRight's first salesperson starts work this week."
Discuss this story at:
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/004211/ap-and-28-news-groups-to-collect-fees-from-aggregators?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://techzwn.com/2012/01/ap-28-news-orgs-to-collect-fees-from-aggregators/
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Iran Developing 'Halal' Domestic Intranet
| from the taking-their-toys-and-going-home dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Friday January 06, @08:48 (Censorship)
| with 220 comments
| https://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/1322206/iran-developing-halal-domestic-intranet?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An anonymous reader writes "The WSJ reports that Iran is [0]beginning a
crackdown on Internet use by its citizens, creating new blocks against
foreign content and stepping up surveillance of browsing habits. Internet
cafes in Iran have 15 days to set up security cameras and start
collecting information on customers, and people are finding it
increasingly difficult to use social networking sites. The new
restrictions are likely being implemented now to head off dissent and
protests about the upcoming parliamentary elections. According to the
article, 'The network slowdown likely heralds the arrival of an
initiative Iran has been readying���a "halal" domestic intranet that it has
said will insulate its citizens from Western ideology and un-Islamic
culture, and eventually replace the Internet. This week's slowdown came
amid tests of the Iranian intranet, according to domestic media reports
that cited a spokesman for a union of computer-systems firms. He said the
intranet is set to go live within a few weeks.'"
Discuss this story at:
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/1322206/iran-developing-halal-domestic-intranet?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203513604577142713916386248.html
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Apple Patents Power Adapter That Recovers Lost Passwords
| from the charging-for-security dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Friday January 06, @11:40 (Crime)
| with 190 comments
| https://apple.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/1639202/apple-patents-power-adapter-that-recovers-lost-passwords?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sparrowvsrevolution writes "Apple has patented [0]a power charger that
also serves as a password recovery backup. If a user forgets his
Macbook's password, for instance, he simply plugs in the cord, and it
would provide a unique ID number stored in a memory chip in the adapter
that acts as a decryption key, unscrambling an encrypted copy of the
password stored on the machine. The technique, according to the patent,
incentivizes better password use by avoiding traditional password
recovery techniques that annoy users and lead to disabled or
easily-guessed passwords. The new technique is only secure, the patent
admits, in cases where the user leaves a mobile device's charger at home.
So the idea may make the most sense for long-battery-life devices like
iPods, iPads and iPhones rather than laptops, at least until laptop
batteries last long enough that users don't take their power adapters
with them and expose them to theft."
Discuss this story at:
https://apple.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/1639202/apple-patents-power-adapter-that-recovers-lost-passwords?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Microsoft In Talks To Buy Nokia's Smartphone Division?
| from the how-much-were-you-asking? dept.
| posted by samzenpus on Thursday January 05, @19:18 (Microsoft)
| with 184 comments
| https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/12/01/05/2325227/microsoft-in-talks-to-buy-nokias-smartphone-division?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
lightbox32 writes "Analyst Eldar Murtazin announced today that Microsoft
chief executive Steve Ballmer was soon to meet his Nokia counterpart
Stephen Elop to [0]finalize the purchase of Nokia's smartphone division,
which would see patents, staff, and some plants transferred to Microsoft,
for an undisclosed price. From the article: '���Steve Ballmer, Andy Lees
and Stephen Elop and Kai Ostamo will meet in Las Vegas to finalize
agreement about Nokia smartphone unit. Bye Nokia,��� he tweeted on Thursday
morning."
Discuss this story at:
https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/12/01/05/2325227/microsoft-in-talks-to-buy-nokias-smartphone-division?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| French Court Frowns On Autocomplete, Tells Google To Remove Searches
| from the la-coste-has-an-esalligator dept.
| posted by timothy on Friday January 06, @18:44 (Google)
| with 180 comments
| https://search.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/2327246/french-court-frowns-on-autocomplete-tells-google-to-remove-searches?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New submitter Lexx Greatrex writes with this excerpt from Ars Technica: "[0]Google
had been sued by insurance company Lyonnaise de Garantie, which was
[1]offended by search results including the word 'escroc,' meaning crook,
according to a story posted Tuesday by the Courthouse News Service.
'Google had argued that it was not liable since the word, added under
Google Suggest, was the result of an automatic algorithm and did not come
from human thought,' the article states. 'A Paris court ruled against
Google, however, pointing out that the search engine ignored requests to
remove the offending word... In addition to the fine, Google must also
remove the term from searches associated with Lyonnaise de Garantie.'"
Discuss this story at:
https://search.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/2327246/french-court-frowns-on-autocomplete-tells-google-to-remove-searches?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/01/french-court-frowns-on-google-autocomplete-issues-65000-fine.ars?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+arstechnica%2Findex+(Ars+Technica+-+Featured+Content)&utm_content=Google+International
1. http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/01/03/42729.htm
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Shopping Center Tracking System Condemned by Civil Rights Campaigners
| from the on-the-do-not-track-list dept.
| posted by samzenpus on Friday January 06, @03:08 (Privacy)
| with 151 comments
| https://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/0255217/shopping-center-tracking-system-condemned-by-civil-rights-campaigners?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
hypnosec writes "Civil rights campaigners have [0]spoken out against a
technology used by several shopping centers in the UK to track consumers
using their mobile signals. The shopping centers claim that the
technology helps them provide better services to consumers and retailers
without compromising privacy. The system, called the Footpath, allows
them to know how people are spending time in a shopping center, which
spots they visit the most and even the route they take while walking
around. [1]Several consumer and civil rights groups, including Big
Brother Watch, say consumers must be given a choice on whether they want
their movement tracked or not." We covered [2]a similar tracking system
here in the U.S. last month.
Discuss this story at:
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/0255217/shopping-center-tracking-system-condemned-by-civil-rights-campaigners?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.itproportal.com/2012/01/05/shopping-centre-tracking-system-faces-civil-rights-campaigners-wrath/#ixzz1ibA7jLbU
1. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/jan/04/shopping-centre-tracking-system-condemned?newsfeed=true
2. http://yro.slashdot.org/story/11/11/23/2023223/malls-track-shoppers-cell-phones-on-black-friday
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| US 'Space Warplane' Spying On Chinese Spacelab
| from the it-is-now-the-future dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Friday January 06, @10:54 (China)
| with 151 comments
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/1543222/us-space-warplane-spying-on-chinese-spacelab?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PolygamousRanchKid sends this excerpt from El Reg: "The U.S. Air Force's
second mysterious mini-space shuttle, the X-37B, could be [0]spying on
China's space laboratory and the first piece of its space station,
Tiangong-1. Amateur space trackers told the British Interplanetary
Society publication Spaceflight that the black-funded spaceplane
[1]seemed to be orbiting the Earth in tandem with Tiangong-1, or the
Heavenly Palace, leading the magazine to speculate that its unknown
mission is to spy on [the lab]. ... The lab is unmanned for the moment,
so all there'd be to study is the technology of the craft and what
experiments it's doing. Still, the U.S. is hugely suspicious of China's
space endeavors, so it's more than possible that they'd want to get a
look at Tiangong-1 just in case it's doing anything unexpected." Update:
01/06 21:50 GMT by [2]S : Further calculations have [3]shown that this is
not the case after all.
Discuss this story at:
https://science.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/1543222/us-space-warplane-spying-on-chinese-spacelab?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/01/06/x_37b_spying_tiangong_1/
1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16423881
2. mailto:soulskillatslashdotdotorg
3. http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/aerospace/military/bloopers-in-space
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Canadian Gov't Considers Plan To Block Public Domain
| from the victory-for-dead-authors dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Friday January 06, @13:06 (Canada)
| with 142 comments
| https://politics.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/1749239/canadian-govt-considers-plan-to-block-public-domain?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An anonymous reader writes "Canada celebrated New Year's Day this year by
welcoming the likes of Ernest Hemingway and Carl Jung [0]into the public
domain just as European countries were celebrating the arrival of James
Joyce and Virginia Woolf, 20 years after both entered the Canadian public
domain. The Canadian government is now [1]considering a plan to enter
trade negotiations that would extend the term of copyright by 20 years,
meaning nothing new would enter the public domain in Canada until at
least 2032. The government is holding a public consultation with the
chance for Canadians to [2]speak out to save the public domain."
Discuss this story at:
https://politics.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/1749239/canadian-govt-considers-plan-to-block-public-domain?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://publicdomain.xanga.com/757968422/public-domain-day-2012/
1. http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6176/125/
2. http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/6225/125/
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| No, SETI Has Not Detected Alien Signals From Space
| from the feel-free-to-panic-anyway-though dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Friday January 06, @14:36 (Space)
| with 140 comments
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/1935210/no-seti-has-not-detected-alien-signals-from-space?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[0]The Bad Astronomer writes "Rumors are going around that SETI
astronomers have detected possible alien signals from space. Bottom line:
[1]signals were detected when the Green Bank Telescope was pointed at
target planets discovered by Kepler, but [2]the signals are almost
certainly interference from man-made satellites orbiting the Earth. This
happens pretty often, so we need to be aware that these kinds of false
positives pop up."
Discuss this story at:
https://science.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/1935210/no-seti-has-not-detected-alien-signals-from-space?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. mailto:thebadastronomer.gmail@com
1. http://seti.berkeley.edu/kepler-seti-interference
2. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2012/01/06/no-seti-has-not-detected-an-alien-signal-from-a-kepler-planet/
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Researchers Create First Genetically Modified Monkeys
| from the didn't-we-just-see-this-movie dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Friday January 06, @10:12 (Biotech)
| with 129 comments
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/143204/researchers-create-first-genetically-modified-monkeys?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Several readers tipped news that [0]U.S. scientists have created
'chimeric' monkeys, made with genetic material from as many as six
different genomes ([1]abstract). This is significant because it's the
first time researchers have [2]used the technique on a primate. From the
article: "Researchers took very early stem cells, called totipotent stem
cells, from separate developing embryos and basically glued them
together, implanting the mixed embryos into surrogate mother monkeys. The
cells ��� from totally different sources ��� didn���t fuse, but worked together
in harmony, forming fully fledged, normal, healthy animals. ... The key
here was the scientists��� use of totipotent cells, so named for their
ability to differentiate into the totality of possible cells in an
animal. A totipotent cell can give rise to a whole animal. Pluripotent
stem cells, the type most frequently used in stem cell research, can
differentiate into any cell in the body, but can���t become a whole animal,
and can���t make other embryonic tissues like a placenta. Totipotent stem
cells are only derived from the very earliest stages of a zygote, mere
days after fertilization. In humans, totipotent cells differentiate into
pluripotent cells after four days."
Discuss this story at:
https://science.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/143204/researchers-create-first-genetically-modified-monkeys?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-01/monkey-embryo-mashup-results-first-primate-chimeras
1. http://www.cell.com/abstract/S0092-8674(11)01508-X
2. http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/jan/05/chimera-monkeys-combining-several-embryos
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Symantec Looks Into Claims of Stolen Source Code
| from the all-your-code-are-belong-to-us dept.
| posted by samzenpus on Friday January 06, @00:27 (Security)
| with 112 comments
| https://news.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/0243220/symantec-looks-into-claims-of-stolen-source-code?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
wiredmikey writes "A group of [0]hackers claim to have stolen source code
for Symantec's Norton Antivirus software. The group is operating under
the name Dharmaraja, and claims it found the data after compromising
Indian military intelligence servers. So far it's unclear if the claims
are a significant threat, as the information posted thus far by the
hackers includes a document dated April 28, 1999, that Symantec describes
as defining the application programming interface (API) for the virus
Definition Generation Service. However, a second post entitled 'Norton AV
source code file list' includes a list of file names reputedly contained
within Norton AntiVirus source code package. Symantec said it is still in
the process of analyzing the data in the second post." Update: 01/06
07:05 GMT by [1]S : In a post to their Facebook page, Symantec has now
said [2]some of their source code was indeed accessed, but it was four or
five years old.
Discuss this story at:
https://news.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/0243220/symantec-looks-into-claims-of-stolen-source-code?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.securityweek.com/symantec-investigating-possible-theft-norton-av-source-code
1. mailto:soulskillatslashdotdotorg
2. http://www.facebook.com/Symantec/posts/10150465997682876
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Solo Explorer Begins Bicycle Journey To South Pole
| from the things-i-really-don't-want-to-ever-do dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Friday January 06, @15:59 (Transportation)
| with 111 comments
| https://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/209235/solo-explorer-begins-bicycle-journey-to-south-pole?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[0]Hugh Pickens writes "Helen Skelton, the first person to [1]solo kayak
the length of the Amazon, has set for herself another difficult task ��� to
travel up to 14 hours a day battling 80mph winds and -50C temperatures
[2]800km across Antarctica in an attempt to reach the South Pole by
bicycle. It's no average ride, and Skelton, 28, is not using your average
bike. Her specially-built Hanebrink 'ice bike' took designers in Los
Angeles three months to finish. It features a seamless frame made of
aluminium aircraft tubing, heat-treated to withstand harsh environments,
and fat, tubeless, rubber tires designed to bulge over the rim to provide
maximum stability and traction. The bike is designed to be as minimalist
as possible, to make it aerodynamic and very low maintenance. 'The
[3]bike is designed specifically to cycle in soft snow or sand,' says
polar guide Doug Stoup. 'We trained together in the desert this past
summer. It helps because the temperatures are so cold the snow has little
moisture and has a sand-like consistency.' Explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes
commends Skelton for taking on 'incredibly tough and grueling challenge.'
'[4]Like Captain Scott, Helen is attempting something that has never been
tried before and I applaud her pioneering efforts.'"
Discuss this story at:
https://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/209235/solo-explorer-begins-bicycle-journey-to-south-pole?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://hughpickens.com/
1. http://www.metro.co.uk/news/815232-blue-peters-helen-skelton-kayaks-2-000-miles-along-amazon
2. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/8992225/Helen-Skeltons-Polar-Challenge-begins.html
3. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16345232
4. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/he-lost-the-race-to-south-pole-but-made-discoveries-for-science/2011/12/08/gIQAajzhWP_story.html
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Ohm's Law Survives To the Atomic Level
| from the smaller-the-better dept.
| posted by samzenpus on Friday January 06, @08:05 (Science)
| with 101 comments
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/044208/ohms-law-survives-to-the-atomic-level?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[0]Hugh Pickens writes "Moore's Law, the cornerstone of the semiconductor
industry, may get a reprieve from its predicted demise. As wires shrink
to just nanometers in diameter, their resistivity tends to grow
exponentially, curbing their usefulness as current carriers. But now a
team of researchers has shown that it is possible to fabricate
low-resistivity nanowires at the smallest scales imaginable by
[1]stringing together individual atoms in silicon as small as four atoms
(about 1.5 nanometers) wide and a single atom tall. The secret is to
introduce phosphorus along that line because each phosphorus atom donates
an electron to the silicon crystal, which promotes electrical conduction.
They then encase the nanowires entirely in silicon, which makes the
conduction electrons more immune to outside influence. By embedding
phosphorus atoms within a silicon crystal with an average spacing of less
than 1 nanometer, the team achieved a diameter-independent resistivity,
which [2]demonstrates ohmic scaling to the atomic limit. 'That moves the
wires away from the surfaces and away from other interfaces,' says
physicist says Michelle Simmons. 'That allows the electron to stay
conducting and not get caught up in other interfaces.' The wires have the
carrying capacity of copper, indicating that the technique might help
microchips continue their steady shrinkage over time and may even
[3]extend the life of Moore's Law. 'Fundamentally, we have shown that we
can maintain low resistivities in doped silicon wires down to the atomic
scale,' says Simmons, adding that it may not be ready for production now,
but, 'who knows 20 years from now?'"
Discuss this story at:
https://science.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/044208/ohms-law-survives-to-the-atomic-level?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://hughpickens.com/
1. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=nanowires-silicon
2. http://www.sciencemag.org/content/335/6064/64
3. http://spectrum.ieee.org/semiconductors/nanotechnology/ohms-law-survives-at-the-atomic-scale
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Is the Canadian Arctic the Future of Astronomy?
| from the planets-and-poutine dept.
| posted by samzenpus on Friday January 06, @05:35 (Canada)
| with 93 comments
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/0410207/is-the-canadian-arctic-the-future-of-astronomy?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
sciencehabit writes "Frigid temperatures, dry air, and endless nights
should, in theory, make the polar regions top spots for ground-based
optical astronomy. So far, Antarctica has been getting all the action,
with a handful of optical telescopes peering into the sky from the icy
continent. But a new study indicates that [0]the Canadian high Arctic is
also a good spot for ground-based optical astronomy. In fact, the great
white north offers some practical advantages over the Antarctic."
Discuss this story at:
https://science.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/0410207/is-the-canadian-arctic-the-future-of-astronomy?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2012/01/move-over-santa-here-come-the-as.html?ref=hp
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Drones Within a Drone Riding a Balloon
| from the unidentifiable-flying-object dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Friday January 06, @15:17 (The Military)
| with 91 comments
| https://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/1941200/drones-within-a-drone-riding-a-balloon?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
smitty777 writes "Given the U.S.'s [0]recent drone issues, what is [1]the
new recipe for sending a drone over another country of interest? Simple,
just take a balloon and attach a [2]Tempest drone to the bottom of it.
Now, attach two more [3]CICADA drones to that. The balloon climbs to over
55k feet, then drops the first drone, which can travel another 11 miles
or so. It then deploys the CICADA drones. These unpowered gliders slip
past radar undetected and start sending back information. There are
future plans to mount many (count hundreds) of the CICADA glider drones
to the Tempest in the future. The article quotes the flight engineer
describing the process as 'straightforward.'"
Discuss this story at:
https://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/1941200/drones-within-a-drone-riding-a-balloon?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/12/13/1837229/iran-wants-to-clone-downed-us-drone
1. http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/01/balloon-drones/
2. http://uasusa.com/tempest.php
3. http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-01-03/news/30583304_1_weather-balloon-image-drone
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Ants Turned Into 'Supersoldiers'
| from the ok-science-we're-through dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Friday January 06, @17:01 (Science)
| with 61 comments
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/2141232/ants-turned-into-supersoldiers?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New submitter jmcdougald.esq sends word that a team of researchers from
McGill University has tinkered with the development of a type of ant
[0]to produce what they call a 'supersoldier' subcaste ��� ants that are
much larger than average workers but only appear naturally in a few
species ([1]abstract). The team's work showed that by exposing the ant
larvae to a hormone-like chemical, they could induce 'supersoldier'
growth in many more species. "This result suggests that supersoldiers
existed in the common ancestor of the entire genus. Even though the
supersoldier subcaste eventually disappeared in most species, the ants
kept the potential to make it. Because the same hormone sets the fate of
both supersoldiers and soldiers, it may not have been possible to
completely lose one without compromising the other. ... In some species
that evolved later, such as Pheidole obtusospinosa, the supersoldiers
became a permanent addition. Whereas most Pheidole species simply
evacuate their nests when army ants invade, for some reason P.
obtusospinosa find it beneficial to stay, which makes supersoldiers a
useful addition to the community."
Discuss this story at:
https://science.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/2141232/ants-turned-into-supersoldiers?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.nature.com/news/return-of-the-super-ants-1.9746
1. http://www.sciencemag.org/content/335/6064/79.abstract
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Negative Irreproducible Tweets For Science Publishing
| from the but-let's-not-call-them-that dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Friday January 06, @16:42 (Communications)
| with 40 comments
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/2113223/negative-irreproducible-tweets-for-science-publishing?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New submitter mwolfam writes "Every scientist has at least one paper or
graph tucked in a folder that lies in a dusty corner of the hard drive
next to that dancing baby that used to be all the rage. The data is
interesting, but doesn't lend itself to the creation of the grand
narrative you must have for a traditional publication. It's time to
expand traditional scientific publication to [0]include a place for the
data that normally falls through the cracks: short but interesting bits
of data, negative results, and irreproducible results."
Discuss this story at:
https://science.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/2113223/negative-irreproducible-tweets-for-science-publishing?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-ham/negative-irreproducible-t_b_1187392.html?ref=science
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Mozilla Public License 2.0 Released
| from the expect-3.0-beta-tomorrow dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Friday January 06, @13:25 (Mozilla)
| with 33 comments
| https://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/1752240/mozilla-public-license-20-released?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
revealingheart writes "Mozilla has announced the release of the
[0]Mozilla Public License 2.0. The new version provides for compatibility
with the Apache and GPL licenses, improved patent protections and recent
changes in copyright law. The full license text is [1]available online.
Mozilla has updated their wiki with plans to [2]upgrade their codebase;
Bugzilla has also said that they will [3]update (with an exemption to
keep the project MPL only). The MPL was previously incompatible with
other copyleft licenses like the GPL. The new version is compatible
(unless exempted) and doesn't require multiple licenses (as currently
stands with Firefox and Thunderbird). This will allow Mozilla to
incorporate Apache-licensed code; but will mean that their software
becomes [4]incompatible with GPL2 code."
Discuss this story at:
https://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/1752240/mozilla-public-license-20-released?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. https://mpl.mozilla.org/2012/01/03/announcing-mpl-2-0/
1. https://www.mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/
2. https://wiki.mozilla.org/MPL_Upgrade
3. https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=680131
4. https://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html#GPLIncompatibleLicenses
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| NASA Launches Open Source Portal
| from the not-your-typical-nasa-launch dept.
| posted by Soulskill on Friday January 06, @14:59 (NASA)
| with 28 comments
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/1957205/nasa-launches-open-source-portal?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
sproketboy writes "NASA has launched [0]code.nasa.gov, which will
[1]become a portal for NASA's open source software development activities.
In its current form, it hosts a directory of the organization's open
source software projects and provides documentation about NASA's open
source software processes."
Discuss this story at:
https://science.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/1957205/nasa-launches-open-source-portal?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://code.nasa.gov/
1. http://open.nasa.gov/blog/2012/01/04/the-plan-for-code/
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| A Whale's Virtual Reality
| from the sounds-like-a-good-video-game dept.
| posted by timothy on Friday January 06, @18:22 (Science)
| with 14 comments
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/2321238/a-whales-virtual-reality?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
sciencehabit writes "A surfacing whale is a sight to see, but it would be
even more dramatic to watch one ply the ocean depths. Researchers have
taken a step closer to doing just that with sophisticated radio-tagging
technology and a new computer program that [0]uses the data to recreate a
whale's path underwater. The results, which look a bit like a whale
riding a roller coaster (see video), are helping scientists understand
how the school bus-sized beasts are able to take in enough food to
sustain their great girth, and how underwater noises, such as sonar,
might affect their well-being."
Discuss this story at:
https://science.slashdot.org/story/12/01/06/2321238/a-whales-virtual-reality?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email#commentlisting
Links:
0. http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2012/01/a-whales-virtual-reality.html?ref=hp
Copyright 1997-2012, 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
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar