All the News that Matters

• Debian: 2989-1: apache2: Summary
  LinuxSecurity.com: Security Report Summary

• Red Hat: 2014:0888-01: qemu-kvm-rhev: Moderate Advisory
  LinuxSecurity.com: Updated qemu-kvm-rhev packages that fix several security issues are now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform 3.0 and 4.0. The Red Hat Security Response Team has rated this update as having Moderate [More...]

• Debian: 2988-1: transmission: Summary
  LinuxSecurity.com: Security Report Summary

• Red Hat: 2014:0941-01: openstack-swift: Moderate Advisory
  LinuxSecurity.com: Updated openstack-swift packages that fix one security issue are now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform 5.0 (Icehouse) for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7. [More...]

• Red Hat: 2014:0940-01: openstack-nova: Moderate Advisory
  LinuxSecurity.com: Updated openstack-nova packages that fix one security issue and several bugs are now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform 5.0 (Icehouse) for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7. [More...]

• Red Hat: 2014:0939-01: python-django-horizon: Moderate Advisory
  LinuxSecurity.com: Updated python-django-horizon packages that fix three security issues, multiple bugs, and add an enhancement are now available for Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform 5.0 (Icehouse) for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7. [More...]

• Ubuntu: 2300-1: LZO vulnerability
  LinuxSecurity.com: LZO could be made to crash or run programs if it processed speciallycrafted data.

• Ubuntu: 2301-1: Jinja2 vulnerabilities
  LinuxSecurity.com: A security issue was fixed in Jinja2.

• Slackware: 2014-204-02: mozilla-firefox: Security Update
  LinuxSecurity.com: New mozilla-firefox packages are available for Slackware 14.1 and -current to fix security issues. [More Info...]

• Slackware: 2014-204-01: httpd: Security Update
  LinuxSecurity.com: New httpd packages are available for Slackware 13.0, 13.1, 13.37, 14.0, 14.1, and -current to fix security issues. [More Info...]

• Slackware: 2014-204-03: mozilla-thunderbird: Security Update
  LinuxSecurity.com: New mozilla-thunderbird packages are available for Slackware 14.1 and -current to fix security issues. [More Info...]

• Ubuntu: 2299-1: Apache HTTP Server vulnerabilities
  LinuxSecurity.com: Several security issues were fixed in Apache HTTP Server.

• Collaboration isn't what they taught you in school
  Throughout most of my education, I was taught that collaboration was cheating. With the exception of teacher-sanctioned group projects, I had learned that working with others to solve problems was not acceptable. So when I got to college and the first assignment in my computer science class was to read an article about the benefits of pairwise programming and open source, I was very confused.read more

• How to use variables in shell Scripting
  In every programming language variables plays an important role , in Linux shell scripting we are using two types of variables : System Defined Variables & User Defined Variables.

• Open source love at first commit
  The power to learn, the freedom to change, and the push for innovation. What is there not to love about open source software? The world of open source consists of a passionate community of individuals hacking away in their dens, all with the same vision for the future of programming: openness and collaboration.read more

• DARPA-derived secure microkernel goes open source tomorrow
  Hacker-repelling, drone-protecting code will soon be yours to tweak as you see fitA nippy microkernel mathematically proven to be bug free*, and used to protect drones from hacking, will be released as open source tomorrow.…

• Home Stretch For Supporting Our Net Neutrality Reporting
  As I mentioned in the past, our reporting on SOPA was toxic to many advertisers. On the advertising side of things, the blog went from profitable to unprofitable as a result of the SOPA fight -- even as our traffic doubled. Our revenue from advertising was cut by more than 50%. And the net neutrality fight is the same way for many as well. I'm not complaining about it, because we knew that was a risk of standing up for what we believe in, and we wouldn't change a thing. But, because of that I need to ask directly for your help today. If we can reach this goal, it will allow us to do a variety of things, including bringing in some additional writers and guests, spending more time digging through various FCC filings and other paperwork for important details (rather than spending time trying to find advertisers).http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140725/16014828011/home-stretch-supporting-our-net-neutrality-reporting.shtml

• How to access Linux command cheat sheets from the command line
  The power of Linux command line is its flexibility and versatility. Each Linux command comes with its share of command line options and parameters. Mix and match them, and even chain different commands with pipes and redirects. You get yourself literally hundreds of use cases even with a few basic commands, and it's hard even […]Continue reading...The post How to access Linux command cheat sheets from the command line appeared first on Xmodulo.Related FAQs:How to look up dictionary via command line on Linux How to speed up directory navigation in a Linux terminal

• Minimal Linux Live
  [url=http://minimal.linux-bg.org]Minimal Linux Live[/url] is a set of Linux shell scripts which automatically build minimal Live Linux OS based on Linux kernel and BusyBox. All necessary source codes are automatically downloaded and all build operations are fully encapsulated in the scripts.

• GUADEC 2014, Day Two: Pitivi, Automotive, Boxes, Fleet Commander
  The second day of GUADEC was also full of interesting talks. Jeff Fortin spoke about the video editor Pitivi. Nathan Willis devoted his keynote to software for automotive and the opportunities for open source software in this area. There have also been a lot of changes in the Web browser and Zeeshan Ali talked on improvements in GNOME Boxes. The biggest news of the day is an announcement of Fleet Commander which should provide tools and infrastructure for large desktop deployments. Something the Linux desktop has been severely lacking.

• Docker acquires Orchard, SAP supports OpenStack, ODF and more in the Opensource.com weekly news roundup
  In this week's edition of our open source news roundup, we take a look at Docker acquiring Orchard, SAP who will support Cloud Foundry and OpenStack, the UK government who made ODF its official document standard, and more!

• First Okular Sprint ever at Barcelona
  Last May a group of three Okular developers met for four days at the Blue Systems Barcelona office to hack on the KDE universal document viewer.

• Salix 14.1
  Salix Openbox 14.1 brings the Openbox window manager, teamed with fbpanel and SpaceFM to create a fast and flexible desktop environment. This is the most lightweight edition we have so far among our 14.1 releases and everything has been tweaked to provide a desktop experience comparable to other Salix editions. The development of this edition involved a long and rigorous period of testing and the final release has evolved a lot since the first beta. This release comes in both 32-bit and 64-bit flavours, with both fitting comfortably within the size of a single CD. The 32-bit flavour is also our first 14.1 release that supports i486, non-PAE capable systems by using the respective kernel, although the default is still the i686 PAE SMP kernel.

• It’s Round Two for Raleigh’s ‘All Things Open’ Conference
  It’s official. The All Things Open (ATO) conference that had it’s inaugural run in Raleigh last year wasn’t just a flash in the pan. As event chair Todd Lewis promised at the end of last year’s event, ATO is returning to the Raleigh Convention Center on October 22nd and 23rd. Again this year, FOSS Force is an official Media Partner of the conference.

• 2014 Calligra Sprint in Deventer
  From the fourth to the sixth of July, the Calligra team got together in sunny Deventer (Netherlands) for the yearly developer sprint at the same location as the last Krita sprint. Apart from seeing the sights and having our group photo in front of one of the main attractions of this quaint old Dutch town in the province of Overijssel, namely the cheese shop (and much cheese was taken home by the Calligra hackers, as well as stroopwafels from the Saturday market) we spent our time planning the future of Calligra and doing some healthy hacking and bug fixing!

• LXer Weekly Roundup for 27-Jul-2014
  [url=[/img][/url] [b]LXer Feature: 27-Jul-2014[/b]In the Roundup this week we have part 2 of 10 Raspberry Pi upgrades, a review of the best Linux browsers of which Pale Moon is my favorite, an "average guy's" review of living witrh Debian for two years and a whole lot more. Enjoy!

• Mine Bitcoins with Raspberry Pi
  The concept of cryptocurrencies has come about in recent years as a sort of reaction to the way standard currencies are controlled. Cryptocurrenices such as Bitcoin are decentralised and not controlled by any one entity. In the past couple of years, Bitcoin has taken off to become a very valuable commodity, with whole Bitcoins becoming worth hundreds of pounds. While you can trade your standard currency for a Bitcoin, you can also mine them with a working computer.

• GOG has released 50 games for Linux
  GOG.com, formerly known as Good Old Games, is a popular digital gaming platform for distribution successful, mainly older, classic PC games. In 2012, the Linux community asked for the Linux games on the GOGs wishlist. Today, 2 years later, the waiting has finally come to an end - 50 games has been released for Linux.

• Get OpenVPN up and running, enjoy your privacy
  We are fanatic supporters of privacy. Not so much because we have super secrets to hide, but because we consider privacy as a basic human right. So we believe that anytime anyone chooses to exercise that right on the net, then they should have unencumbered access to all the necessary tools and services.

• How 3D Printing Is Making Better Movie Monsters
  Our render farm is all open source and is quite substantial. We have roughly 1000 Linux nodes between the two facilities and the majority of our artists run on Linux as well, though we have a few Mac boxes for Photoshop and other packages that can’t run on Linux.

• Simple Trick to Speed Up Chrome Browser
  Fine-tuning the software settings of smartphones and desktop computers to unlock the hidden potential of the devices will deliver faster performance.

• Was This Bill Gates’ Worst Mistake?
  While one can never have certainty in alternate-reality scenarios, it's safe to say that Apple benefited greatly from Microsoft in a time when the company needed help. Decades later, by refining the mobile experience Apple has done a great deal to provide headwinds to Microsoft.

• US States Edge Toward Cryptocoin Regulation
  SonicSpike points out an article from the Pew Charitable Trusts' Research & Analysis department on the legislation and regulation schemes emerging in at least a few states in reaction to the increasing use of digital currencies like Bitcoin. A working group called the Conference of State Bank Supervisors’ Emerging Payments Task Force has been surveying the current landscape of state rules and approaches to digital currencies, a topic on which state laws are typically silent. In April, the task force presented a model consumer guidance to help states provide consumers with information about digital currencies. A number of states, including California, Massachusetts and Texas, have issued warnings to consumers that virtual currencies are not subject to “traditional regulation or monetary policy,” including insurance, bonding and other security measures, and that values can fluctuate dramatically. ... The article focuses on the high-population, big-economy states of New York, California and Texas, with a touch of Kansas -- but other states are sure to follow. Whether you live in the U.S. or not, are there government regulations that you think would actually make sense for digital currencies?
  
  
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• Internet Census 2012 Data Examined: Authentic, But Chaotic and Unethical
  An anonymous reader writes "A team of researchers at the TU Berlin and RWTH Aachen presented an analysis of the Internet Census 2012 data set (here's the PDF) in the July edition of the ACM Sigcomm Computer Communication Review journal. After its release on March 17, 2013 by an anonymous author, the Internet Census data created an immediate media buzz, mainly due to its unethical data collection methodology that exploited default passwords to form the Carna botnet. The now published analysis suggests that the released data set is authentic and not faked, but also reveals a rather chaotic picture. The Census suffers from a number of methodological flaws and also lacks meta-data information, which renders the data unusable for many further analyses. As a result, the researchers have not been able to verify several claims that the anonymous author(s) made in the published Internet Census report. The researchers also point to similar but legal efforts measuring the Internet and remark that the illegally measured Internet Census 2012 is not only unethical but might have been overrated by the press."
  
  
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• Oracle Offers Custom Intel Chips and Unanticipated Costs
  jfruh (300774) writes "For some time, Intel has been offering custom-tweaked chips to big customers. While most of the companies that have taken them up on this offer, like Facebook and eBay, put the chips into servers meant for internal use, Oracle will now be selling systems running on custom Xeons directly to end users. Those customers need to be careful about how they configure those systems, though: in the new Oracle 12c, the in-memory database option, which costs $23,000 per processor, is turned on by default."
  
  
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• Attackers Install DDoS Bots On Amazon Cloud
  itwbennett (1594911) writes "Attackers are exploiting a vulnerability in distributed search engine software Elasticsearch to install DDoS malware on Amazon and possibly other cloud servers. Last week security researchers from Kaspersky Lab found new variants of Mayday, a Trojan program for Linux that's used to launch distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. The malware supports several DDoS techniques, including DNS amplification. One of the new Mayday variants was found running on compromised Amazon EC2 server instances, but this is not the only platform being misused, said Kaspersky Lab researcher Kurt Baumgartner Friday in a blog post."
  
  
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• Google's Mapping Contest Draws Ire From Indian Government
  hypnosec writes with news that India's Central Bureau of Investigation has ordered a preliminary enquiry (PE) against Google for violating Indian laws by mapping sensitive areas and defence installations in the country. As per the PE, registered on the basis of a complaint made by the Surveyor General of India's office to the Union Home Ministry, Google has been accused of organizing a mapping competition dubbed 'Mapathon' in February-March 2013 without taking prior permission from Survey of India, country's official mapping agency. The mapping competition required citizens to map their neighbourhoods, especially details related to hospitals and restaurants. The Survey of India (SoI), alarmed by the event, asked the company to share its event details. While going through the details the watchdog found that there were several coordinates having details of sensitive defence installations which are out of the public domain."
  
  
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• Stanford Team Creates Stable Lithium Anode Using Honeycomb Film
  puddingebola (2036796) writes "A team at Stanford has created a stable Lithium anode battery using a carbon honeycomb film. The film is described as a nanosphere layer that allows for the expansion of Lithium during use, and is suitable as a barrier between anode and cathode. Use of a lithium anode improves the coulombic efficiency and could result in longer range batteries for cars." The linked article suggests that the 200-mile-range, $25,000 electric car is a more realistic concept with batteries made with this technology, though some people are more interested in super-capacity phone batteries.
  
  
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• Build Your Own Gatling Rubber Band Machine Gun
  New submitter melarky (3767369) writes This is a fun weekend project that most nerds will appreciate. Step by step instructions and also a handy video will make the construction of this project fast and easy. I have seen lots of plans for sale (or actual guns/kits for sale), but couldn't seem to find any plans for free. I played around with a few different designs (even cut my first few on a homemade CNC machine) and finally landed on this design. I made the guide more accessible to the general public (no need for a CNC machine here), so if you've ever dreamed of ending friendships because of hundreds of rubber band welts, now's your chance! We'd like to see your home-made projects, too.
  
  
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• World's Largest Amphibious Aircraft Goes Into Production In China
  stephendavion (2872091) writes "Chinese aircraft manufacturer China Aviation Industry General Aircraft (CAIGA) has started trial production of its TA600 amphibious aircraft, claimed to be the world's largest of its kind. With an expected maiden flight late next year, the Chinese plane would replace Japan's ShinMaywa US-2 short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft as the largest of its kind globally." Take a look at a side profile illustration of the CA-600, on this Korean language page. The TA600 has a huge maximum takeoff weight of 53.5 tons, but looks a bit puny compared to Howard Hughes' H-4 Hercules.
  
  
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• The Oculus Rift DK2: In-Depth Review (and Comparison To DK1)
  Benz145 (1869518) writes "The hotly anticipated Oculus Rift DK2 has begun arriving at doorsteps. The DK2s enhancements include optical positional tracking and a higher resolution panel, up from 1280×800 to 1920×1080 (1080p) and moved to a pentile-matrix OLED panel for display duties. This means higher levels of resolvable detail and a much reduced screen door effect. The panel features low persistence of vision, a technology pioneered by Valve that aims to cut motion artefacts by only displaying the latest, most correct display information relative to the user's movements – as users of the DK1 will attest, its LCD panel was heavily prone to smearing, things are now much improved with the DK2."
  
  
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• Suddenly Visible: Illicit Drugs As Part of Silicon Valley Culture
  The recent death by overdose of Google executive Timothy Hayes has drawn attention to the phenomenon of illegal drug use (including abuse of prescription painkillers) among technology workers and executives in high-pay, high-stress Silicon Valley. The Mercury News takes a look at the phenomenon; do the descriptions of freely passed cocaine, Red Bull as a gateway drug, and complacent managers match your own workplace experiences? From the Mercury News article: "There's this workaholism in the valley, where the ability to work on crash projects at tremendous rates of speed is almost a badge of honor," says Steve Albrecht, a San Diego consultant who teaches substance abuse awareness for Bay Area employers. "These workers stay up for days and days, and many of them gradually get into meth and coke to keep going. Red Bull and coffee only gets them so far." ... Drug abuse in the tech industry is growing against the backdrop of a national surge in heroin and prescription pain-pill abuse. Treatment specialists say the over-prescribing of painkillers, like the opioid hydrocodone, has spawned a new crop of addicts -- working professionals with college degrees, a description that fits many of the thousands of workers in corporate Silicon Valley. Increasingly, experts see painkillers as the gateway drug for addicts, and they are in abundance. "There are 1.4 million prescriptions ... in the Bay Area for hydrocodone," says Alice Gleghorn with the San Francisco Department of Public Health. "That's a lot of pills out there."
  
  
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• Microsoft's Nokia Plans Come Into Better Focus
  Forbes has an update on what sort of future Nokia faces, as Microsoft reveals a strategy for making sense of the acquisition: [Microsoft EVP of devices Stephen] Elop laid out a framework for cost cuts in a memo to employees on July 17. Devices would focus on high and low cost Windows smartphones, suggesting a phasing out of feature phones and Android smartphones. Two business units, smart devices and mobile phones, would become one, thereby cutting overlap and overhead. Microsoft would reduce engineering in Beijing and San Diego and unwind engineering in Oulu, Finland. It would exit manufacturing in Komarom, Hungary; shift to lower cost areas like Manaus, Brazil and Reynosa, Mexico; and reduce manufacturing in Beijing and Dongguan, China. Also, CEO Satya Nadella gave hints about how Microsoft will make money on Nokia during Tuesday' conference call. Devices, he said, "go beyond" hardware and are about productivity. "I can take my Office Lens App, use the camera on the phone, take a picture of anything, and have it automatically OCR recognized and into OneNote in searchable fashion. There is a lot we can do with phones by broadly thinking about productivity." In other words, the sale of a smartphone is a means to other sales.
  
  
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• How Bird Flocks Resemble Liquid Helium
  sciencehabit (1205606) writes "A flock of starlings flies as one, a spectacular display in which each bird flits about as if in a well-choreographed dance. Everyone seems to know exactly when and where to turn. Now, for the first time, researchers have measured how that knowledge moves through the flock—a behavior that mirrors certain quantum phenomena of liquid helium. Some of the more interesting findings: Tracking data showed that the message for a flock to turn started from a handful of birds and swept through the flock at a constant speed between 20 and 40 meters per second. That means that for a group of 400 birds, it takes just a little more than a half-second for the whole flock to turn."
  
  
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• Popular Android Apps Full of Bugs: Researchers Blame Recycling of Code
  New submitter Brett W (3715683) writes The security researchers that first published the 'Heartbleed' vulnerabilities in OpenSSL have spent the last few months auditing the Top 50 downloaded Android apps for vulnerabilities and have found issues with at least half of them. Many send user data to ad networks without consent, potentially without the publisher or even the app developer being aware of it. Quite a few also send private data across the network in plain text. The full study is due out later this week.
  
  
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• Newly Discovered Virus Widespread in Human Gut
  A newly discovered virus has been found by a San Diego State University team to live inside more than half of all human gut cells sampled. Exploring genetic material found in intestinal samples, the international team uncovered the CrAssphage virus. They say the virus could influence the behaviour of some of the most common bacteria in our gut. Researchers say the virus has the genetic fingerprint of a bacteriophage - a type of virus known to infect bacteria. Phages may work to control the behaviour of bacteria they infect - some make it easier for bacteria to inhabit in their environments while others allow bacteria to become more potent. [Study lead Dr. Robert] Edwards said: "In some way phages are like wolves in the wild, surrounded by hares and deer. "They are critical components of our gut ecosystems, helping control the growth of bacterial populations and allowing a diversity of species." According to the team, CrAssphage infects one of the most common types of bacteria in our guts. National Geographic gives some idea why a virus so common in our gut should have evaded discovery for so long, but at least CrAssphage finally has a Wikipedia page of its own.
  
  
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• Off the Florida Coast, Astronauts Train For Asteroid Mission
  Space.com gives an overview of the training that four astronauts are undergoing over 9 days submerged off the coast of Florida near Key Largo. The training mission, dubbed NEEMO 18, is one step toward a proposed (mid-2020s) mission to actually visit a captured asteroid in lunar orbit. In addition to the complications of working outside their school-bus sized habitat while awkwardly suited up in a low-gravity (or at least high buoyancy) environment, their mission also includes a 10-minute communications delay, to simulate the high-latency communications with mission control that would be inevitable for an actual asteroid mission. The experiments astronauts are doing during the mission, which began Monday (July 21), range from the physical to the behavioral. For example, each of the crew members sports a sensor that records how close the crew members work with each other inside the school-bus-size habitat. ... Communications with NEEMO Mission Control is usually constant, and there is the ability to send items to and from the habitat as needed. Also living inside the habitat are two support staff who are assisting with Aquarius maintenance and systems, as required. The crew members also have Internet and phone service to talk with family and friends.
  
  
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• Valencia Linux School Distro Saves 36 Million Euro
  jrepin (667425) writes "The government of the autonomous region of Valencia (Spain) earlier this month made available the next version of Lliurex, a customisation of the Edubuntu Linux distribution. The distro is used on over 110,000 PCs in schools in the Valencia region, saving some 36 million euro over the past nine years, the government says." I'd lke to see more efforts like this in the U.S.; if mega school districts are paying for computers, I'd rather they at least support open source development as a consequence.
  
  
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• A Router-Based Dev Board That Isn't a Router
  An anonymous reader writes with a link to an intriguing device highlighted at Hackaday (it's an Indiegogo project, too, if it excites you $90 worth, and seems well on its way to meeting its modest goal): The DPT Board is something that may be of interest to anyone looking to hack up a router for their own connected project or IoT implementation: hardware based on a fairly standard router, loaded up with OpenWRT, with a ton of I/O to connect to anything. It's called the DPT Board, and it's basically an hugely improved version of the off-the-shelf routers you can pick up through the usual channels. On board are 20 GPIOs, USB host, 16MB Flash, 64MB RAM, two Ethernet ports, on-board 802.11n and a USB host port. This small system on board is pre-installed with OpenWRT, making it relatively easy to connect this small router-like device to LED strips, sensors, or whatever other project you have in mind.
  
  
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• Satellite Images Show Russians Shelling Ukraine
  U.S. officials today made public satellite imagery which they say proves that Russian forces have been shelling eastern Ukraine in a campaign to assist rebel groups fighting Ukraine’s government. The U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which released the civilian-taken satellite images Sunday, said they show visual evidence that Russia has been firing shells across the border at Ukrainian military forces. Officials also said the images show that Russia-backed separatists have used heavy artillery, provided by Russia, in attacks on Ukrainian forces from inside Ukraine. One image dated July 25/26 shows what DNI claims is “ground scarring” on the Russian side of the border from artillery aimed at Ukrainian military units in Ukraine, as well as the resultant ground craters on the Ukrainian side of the border:
  
  
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• Linus Torvalds: "GCC 4.9.0 Seems To Be Terminally Broken"
  hypnosec (2231454) writes to point out a pointed critique from Linus Torvalds of GCC 4.9.0. after a random panic was discovered in a load balance function in Linux 3.16-rc6. in an email to the Linux kernel mailing list outlining two separate but possibly related bugs, Linus describes the compiler as "terminally broken," and worse ("pure and utter sh*t," only with no asterisk). A slice: "Lookie here, your compiler does some absolutely insane things with the spilling, including spilling a *constant*. For chrissake, that compiler shouldn't have been allowed to graduate from kindergarten. We're talking "sloth that was dropped on the head as a baby" level retardation levels here .... Anyway, this is not a kernel bug. This is your compiler creating completely broken code. We may need to add a warning to make sure nobody compiles with gcc-4.9.0, and the Debian people should probably downgrate their shiny new compiler."
  
  
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• SpaceX Executive Calls For $22-25 Billion NASA Budget
  MarkWhittington (1084047) writes "While participating in a panel called "The US Space Enterprise Partnership" at the NewSpace Conference that was held by the Space Frontier Foundation on Saturday, SpaceX Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell opined that NASA's budget should be raised to $22-25 billion, according to a tweet by Space Policy Online's Marcia Smith. The theory is that a lot of political rancor has taken place in the aerospace community because of the space agency's limited budget. If the budget were to be increased to pay for everything on the space wish list, the rancor will cease. The statement represents something of a departure of the usual mutual antagonism that exists between some in the commercial space community and some at NASA. Indeed Space Politics' Jeff Foust added a tweet, "Thought: a panel at a Space Frontier Foundation conf is talking about how to increase NASA budget. Imagine that in late 90s." The Space Frontier Foundation has been a leading voice for commercializing space, sometimes at the expense of NASA programs."
  
  
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• Ask Slashdot: What Would You Do With Half a Rack of Server Space?
  New submitter Christian Gainsbrugh (3766717) writes I work at a company that is currently transitioning all our servers into the cloud. In the interim we have half a rack of server space in a great datacenter that will soon be sitting completely idle for the next few months until our lease runs out. Right now the space is occupied by around 8 HP g series servers, a watchguard xtm firewall, Cisco switch and some various other equipment. All in all there are probably around 20 or so physical XEON processors, and probably close to 10 tb of storage among all the machines. We have a dedicated 10 mbs connection that is burstable to 100mbs. I'm curious what Slashdot readers would do if they were in a similar situation. Is there anything productive that could be done with these resources? Obviously something revenue generating is great, but even if there is something novel that could be done with these servers we would be interested in putting them to good use.
  
  
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• Amputee Is German Long Jump Champion
  hweimer (709734) writes "German long jumper Markus Rehm has written sports history yesterday, becoming the first disabled athlete to win a national able-bodied championship. His jump to 8.24 meters put him on the 9th place of the current season rankings and make him egligible to compete in the upcoming European championships, further sparking the debate whether his prosthetic leg provides him with an unfair advantage."
  
  
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• Nasty Business: How To Drain Competitors' Google AdWords Budgets
  tsu doh nimh (609154) writes KrebsOnSecurity looks at a popular service that helps crooked online marketers exhaust the Google AdWords budgets of their competitors.The service allows companies to attack competitors by raising their costs or exhausting their ad budgets early in the day. Advertised on YouTube and run by a guy boldly named "GoodGoogle," the service employs a combination of custom software and hands-on customer service, and promises clients the ability to block the appearance of competitors' ads. From the story: "The prices range from $100 to block between three to ten ad units for 24 hours to $80 for 15 to 30 ad units. For a flat fee of $1,000, small businesses can use GoodGoogle's software and service to sideline a handful of competitors' ads indefinitely."
  
  
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• In France, Most Comments on Gaza Conflict Yanked From Mainstream News Sites
  An anonymous reader writes with an unpleasant statistic from France, quoting David Corchia, who heads a service employed by large French news organizations to sift through and moderate comments made on their sites. Quoting YNet News: Corchia says that as an online moderator, generally 25% to 40% of comments are banned. Moderators are assigned with the task of filtering comments in accordance with France's legal system, including those that are racist, anti-Semitic or discriminatory. Regarding the war between the Israelis and Hamas, however, Corchia notes that some 95% of online comments made by French users are removed. "There are three times as many comments than normal, all linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," added Jeremie Mani, head of another moderation company Netino. "We see racist or anti-Semitic messages, very violent, that also take aim at politicians and the media, sometimes by giving journalists' contact details," he added. "This sickening content is peculiar to this conflict. The war in Syria does not trigger these kinds of comments."
  
  
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• Do Apple and Google Sabotage Older Phones? What the Graphs Don't Show
  Harvard economics professor Sendhil Mullainathan takes a look in the New York Times at interesting correlations between the release dates of new phones and OSes and search queries that indicate frustration with the speed of the phones that people already have. Mullainathan illustrates with graphs (and gives plausible explanations for the difference) just how different the curves are over time for the search terms "iPhone slow" and "Samsung Galaxy slow." It's easy to see with the iPhone graph especially how it could seem to users that Apple has intentionally slowed down older phones to nudge them toward upgrading. While he's careful not to rule out intentional slowing of older phone models (that's possible, after all), Mullainathan cites several factors that mean there's no need to believe in a phone-slowing conspiracy, and at least two big reasons (reputation, liability) for companies — Apple, Google, and cellphone manufacturers like Samsung — not to take part in one. He points out various wrinkles in what the data could really indicate, including genuine but innocent slowdowns caused by optimizing for newer hardware. It's an interesting look at the difference between having mere statistics, no matter how rigorously gathered, and knowing quite what they mean.
  
  
  Read more of this story at Slashdot.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Linux.com offline for now

Engadget

• Solid's vibrating handlebars navigate bike lanes on its 3D printed frame
  
  Just like when you're driving a car, glancing down at your phone while biking the busy streets of your city can be quite dangerous. Thanks to a Portland-based design firm, there's a bike that allows you to keep your eyes on the road while getting those much-needed directions. The folks at Industry teamed up with local builders Ti Cycles for Solid: a Bluetooth-enabled two-wheeler that connects to a smartphone app monitoring bike maintenance and offers vibrating handlebars for head's up GPS navigation. A companion app, My Bike, keeps an eye on burned out lights and other potential upkeep headaches. My City, a second bit of software, serves as guide for blazing the bike lanes of your chosen locale.
  
  In order to keep your eyes on the road, haptic grips will buzz when you're approaching a turn and they'll both vibrate when you've missed one. All of Solid's on-board electronics are pedal powered with its components tucked inside a 3D-printed titanium frame that unscrews for easy access. Oh yeah, the gears are sorted electronically as well -- at the push of a button -- and those safety lights turn off thanks to built-in sensors. The silver-clad unit is the group's entry into The Bike Design Project that's matched designers in five cities against each other for a public vote on who's made the best foot-powered option.
  
  Filed under: Transportation
  
  Comments
  
  Via: Wired
  
  Source: The Bike Design Project
  

• NPR One delivers personalized public radio on the go
  
  NPR already has a few options for sorting its range of programming, but now the public radio outfit is looking to get more specific. The latest effort is the NPR One, which offers a local stream along with curated content that's accessible with one tap -- all broken down into short segments. For example, upon launching the app and signing in with a Facebook, Google or NPR account, pressing play begins streaming the latest update from the closest station (WUNC in my case). Swiping to the left of the Now Playing section offers a history of recently broadcast content for a quick recap, while a swipe to the right allows you to scroll through upcoming bits. There's also controls for skipping back in 15-second increments and jumping from the current story to another. Of course, if you're after the latest All Songs Considered or Fresh Air episodes, those are easily searchable as well. Both Android and iOS apps are available via their respective repositories.
  
  Filed under: Podcasts, Software, Mobile
  
  Comments
  
  Via: NPR
  
  Source: iTunes, Google Play
  

• Hilton will let you use your phone as a hotel room key
  
  Starwood isn't the only hotel chain that wants you to use your smartphone as a hotel room key; Hilton is launching an initiative that lets you use your Android or iOS device to control virtually every aspect of your stay. Later this summer, a Hilton app will let you choose your preferred room, make special requests, check in and check out. You'll only have to speak to staff when it's time to pick up or return your keys. And in 2015, you won't even need to do that much -- your phone will also unlock your room, letting you make a beeline for your bed after a long flight.
  The rollout will take some time, but it should trump Starwood in terms of sheer scale. Room selection should be available in over 4,000 Hilton-affiliated hotels by the end of the year, including DoubleTree and Embassy Suites. Marriott will have check-in and check-out features at a similar number of locations by the end of the year, but Hilton's room selection and key features might give it an edge. Whichever hotel chain you prefer, the advancements are good news if you're a globetrotter -- you can spend more time sleeping, and less time waiting in line.
  Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile
  
  Comments
  
  Via: Wall Street Journal
  
  Source: Hilton
  

• PantryChic's Bluetooth ingredient dispenser is for lazy, type-A bakers
  
  Earlier this summer, we showed you a smart kitchen scale that worked with an iPad app to make sure you were adding the right amount of each ingredient to your recipe. At the time, it seemed like the Internet of Things had reached its peak. Jumped the shark, even. Well, apparently even that requires too much effort. Meet PantryChic, an airtight food canister that dispenses ingredients into a digital scale, so that you never even have to break out a measuring cup. All told, if you were serious about your baking (and seriously OCD), you could buy any number of these stackable canisters, and fill each with a different ingredient, like baking soda or brown sugar. Then, when you need one, you attach it to the digital scale, which is pre-programmed to dispense 50 ingredients (meaning, it knows how to convert volume to weight). Oh, and don't worry about pushing any buttons: You can connect over Bluetooth using the PantryChic app, at which point the machine can "see" what recipe you're using and know, for instance, that you need three cups of flour.
  
  Obviously, this doesn't remove all the work -- only one canister can attach to the scale at once, so you'd still have to swap in different containers as you proceed with your recipe. Still, it's definitely less messy than a normal baking workflow; without any measuring spoons or cups, and with little risk of spillage, you're looking at way less cleanup. Additionally, as a standalone scale, it's capable of measuring meats and liquids in addition to dry goods, so you could use it that way too, if you were so inclined.
  
  Nik of Time, PantryChic's parent company, just launched a Kickstarter campaign, with a fundraising goal of $50,000. If you order now, it'll cost $199 with two canisters, though the company says the price will be $249 when it finally hits retail stores. Meanwhile, canisters come in packs of two for $59 (the price will later be raised to $69). All told, the pricing seems sounds about right, considering both the "smarts" inside the main scale, as well as the premium brushed stainless steel construction. Also, let's be real: A gadget like this would be catnip for upscale shoppers at places like Williams Sonoma, where folks routinely pay hundreds of dollars for whiz-bang kitchen appliances. Tentatively, Nik of Time is saying shipments will begin in February of next year, with retail availability coming later. In the future, too, the outfit might add WiFi integration, along with substitution suggestions, "recipe walkthroughs" (whatever that means) and a 100-calorie brownie pan, cookie scoop and cupcake tin. First things first, though: The project needs to achieve funding and then, you know, get made.
  
  Filed under: Household
  
  Comments
  
  Source: PantryChic, Kickstarter
  

• Russia offers a $110,000 bounty if you can crack Tor
  
  
  Countries that have less-than-stellar records when it comes to dissenting voices must really, really hate Tor. Coincidentally, Russia's Interior Ministry has put out a bounty of around $110,000 to groups who can crack the US Navy-designed privacy network. After the country's vicious crackdown on dissenting voices back in 2012, protestors who hadn't escaped or been jailed began using anonymous internet communication as their first line of defense against the Kremlin. If you're considering taking part in the challenge (and earning yourself a tidy stack of cash to quell your conscious), be warned -- the bounty is only open to organizations that already have security clearance to work for the Russian government.
  
  Filed under: Internet
  
  Comments
  
  Via: The Inquirer
  
  Source: Russian Interior Ministry
  

• What you need to know about card skimming
  
  "Skimming" is a blanket term used when referencing a crime where you take small amounts of money. It literally means to take cash off the top, as if money were the sweet cream floating atop a cauldron of lesser riches. Fifty years ago, skimming might have meant stealing a handful of dollars from your employer, or even millions in elaborate scams we've seen in countless Hollywood films. Today's skimming, however, employs tricks and hardware that are absurdly complex and yet sneaky enough to elude detection. Unless you know what to look for, of course. Today's world of skimming is high-tech, and it wants your credit card and banking info.
  
  Though we can't help you catch every conceivable method that crooks are using to try to rip you off, being armed with a bit of knowledge on the topic could save you major hassle down the road. No matter what you take away form this read, at a minimum you'll never look at an ATM or POS terminal the same way again.
  WHAT IS IT?
  
  A skimmer in the ATM world usually features two important pieces of hardware: A micro camera positioned within eyesight of the keypad, and a magnetic card reading device that captures your card's details. To "clone" -- duplicate -- your card, this is all the info a would-be thief needs. The scenario is, sadly, very simple: You wander up to your local ATM, pop your card in and a device captures your card details; next you type in your PIN and that's captured on camera. You carry on with your day, business as usual, but in the following weeks you'll get a call from the bank or credit card company about "strange" transactions on your account. Perhaps you've heard this story before?
  
  Similar things happen with POS terminals in retail shops -- payment registers -- sometimes with the employee's knowledge and sometimes without. Bogus terminals exist that will even print out a "transaction complete" record when the device never actually contacted your bank. You buy a pack of gum, run the sale through with your card and the thief buys your treat for you. Then, using the info gleaned easily recovers his or her losses. Nervous yet? You should be, this stuff is rampant.
  
  Recently there's been a spate of reports that gas stations are being targeted for skimming. The same principle for ATM systems is used, but the concentration of cards passing through gas stations is higher. It's like an ATM card smorgasbord. The system can be installed in under two minutes and the stored card details are easily captured remotely via Bluetooth by the crook. So unless someone notices the device, or its battery dies, a thief could quickly grab hundreds of accounts from just one skimmer.WHY SHOULD I CARE?Nobody wants to lose his or her hard earned money to some criminal, right? In most cases you'll have an argument to recover your losses, but the cost in time and to the banks is real. Consider the time and effort required to deal with your bank, your card company, any pre-authorized payments you have, potentially time off work. It'd be a pretty bleak feeling to get taken like this. Many of us have gone through the hassle of replacing cards when somebody got the details and used them without asking permission. Most people assume it happened because of an online scam, but the new reality is that more and more opportunities exist for this type of crime.HOW DOES IT WORK?
  
  ATM skimmers run the gamut from cheapish homemade plastic to the sophisticated custom pinhole cameras, keypad overlays and magnetic readers that can go in or over the existing slot. Plastic parts can be printed with a 3D printer: paint for parts is easily matched to ape the real thing, and then using double-sided tape they're slapped on in just a few minutes. Skimmers can be purchased on the web by sites boasting how effective their equipment is, card printing stock and equipment to make credit and debit cards is fairly easily sourced as well. All this aligns to make it pretty easy to understand why somebody with some money and no worry of arrest would want to get involved.
  
  So what do they do with this info? Well, the thief heads back to wherever he left his gear and physically retrieves it, or remotely downloads the info. A new card is then printed with your stolen details -- the aforementioned clone. Then a "runner" -- there are job titles! - is dispatched to either take all the cash they can using bank machines, or sent shopping for easily sold goods. Credit cards, of course, offer even more flexibility since they can be used online at many more places than debit can.WHAT CAN I DO TO PROTECT MYSELF?
  
  
  There's no magic answer yet, Interac Inc claims that Chip and Pin systems have done a lot to reduce debit and credit card fraud in Canada, but these systems are still backward compatible with the swipe system. The best advice is to pay some attention when paying for your transaction or taking out cash. Since the reader device is typically only secured with double sided tape, yank on it. You're not going to break anything. Give the ATM a bit of scrutiny before using it. Does it look like the others nearby? Are there any strange-looking bits that bulge out? Look above the keypad or to the side for pinhole cameras. If anything seems out of place, don't use it! Find another.
  
  Cover your hand when entering your PIN number! It's a really easy thing to do and that one step will absolutely make the collected card details worthless.
  
  Call your bank, talk to them about security policies. Are you covered if anything should ever happen? Are they taking steps to work with card providers to create new or improve existing policies? Banks are slowly beginning to use Two-Factor authorization to protect you and your money. Two-Factor means you use your password and a one-off key to access online accounts or login to your bank. So even if a thief has your card details and password, without the key they can't get in. Banks consider your card and PIN to be a two-factor system, though considering how simple it seems to be to get access, we'd suggest another layer wouldn't hurt.
  WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY?
  
  There's nothing vague about the law here. Theft is theft is theft, though; sometimes catching the people involved is difficult as the money can be spent abroad or on goods delivered to a P.O. box. Also, unfortunately, people often only contact the bank about a skimming-related crime and the bank sorts it out for the consumer. Once your bank has started the process to resolve it, call your local police and report it to them, too. Banks like paying out money about as much as you do, while it costs for them to spend on security, they'll do it to stop fraud to protect you their bottom lineWANT TO KNOW MORE?
  There's a wealth of great information out there about skimming and what current scams exist, arm yourself against them by taking an interest and protecting yourself by knowing a bit about them. Brian Krebs security site has a great series of articles on this very topic, I encourage you to take some time to read and check out all the pics of the various devices. Go have a peek at TwoFactorAuth.org, they maintain a great list of institutions that support two-factor and handy links to tweet to those that don't.
  
  [Image credit: bedharak / Flickr, ASSOCIATED PRESS, Shutterstock / Oliver Hoffmann, Brian Krebs / krebsecurity.com]
  
  Filed under: Wireless, Networking, Internet, Software
  
  Comments
  

• Judges ruling on secret telecoms cases found to own Verizon stock
  
  
  It looks as if the judges who operate the gateway between the NSA and the cable companies may not be as impartial as their job description requires them to. An investigation by Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court are also Verizon shareholders. Big Red, of course, has previously tried to fight metadata collection, but isn't entitled to have a say, or participate in these secret hearings. Naturally, judges are bound by a conflict of interest law that requires them to step away from any case where their judgment could be materially affected, which may not apply in this situation. Still, it doesn't seem the wisest thing to do if you're trying to maintain an unimpeachable reputation for fairness, does it?
  
  Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Verizon
  
  Comments
  
  Via: Ars Technica
  
  Source: Vice
  

• Amazon now lets you customize and buy 3D-printed products
  
  3D printing has made low-volume manufacturing of highly personalized products both affordable and accessible, but first you need a printer. A number of businesses have sprung up to bridge that gap -- investing in printers so you don't have to -- and now Amazon has opened up a dedicated storefront on its US site to connect customers with these sellers. The themed portal is stocked with over 200 products at launch, from jewelry to homeware to toys, that companies will print to order. Many can be also be customized, whether that simply be choosing a different color or tweaking numerous features of a design. You can also preview a 3D mockup of your creation before you buy, and now if you'll excuse us, we've got bobbleheads to order.
  
  Filed under: Misc, Amazon
  
  Comments
  
  Source: Amazon (1), (2)
  

• Here's a book about people tweeting about writing their novels
  
  Sorry guys, I can't tweet this picture of a cat wearing a party hat right now, because I'm #amwriting. I'm in a coffee shop, you see, with my laptop and notebook proudly displayed so that anyone who walks past will know that I'm #amwriting a novel. Obviously, you can only make grammatical errors like saying I'm #amwriting on Twitter, that shit doesn't fly in the novel that I'm writing right now.
  
  What? Artist Cory Arcangel has written a book that just collates people's tweets that include the phrase "working on my novel?" He's, no, that's not a real thing, is it? It's being published by PENGUIN? All of these other people are what, just trying to write the next great modern / erotic / literary / young adult novel? Man. I wish I'd come up with that idea. #amwriting
  
  Comments
  
  Via: The Fader
  
  Source: Working on my novel, Cory Arcangel (Twitter)
  

• Europe approves Apple's $3 billion takeover of Beats
  $3 billion merger has just been cleared in Europe. The EU commission ruled that the merger "did not raise concerns because the combined (headphone) market share of Apple and Beats Electronics is low." That might sound like an odd thing to say about Apple, but the EU pointed out that after buying Beats, it would still have Bose, Sennheiser, Sony and other competitors in the sector. As a result, Apple/Beats would be far from a headphone monopoly, which was the EU's main concern. The purchase still has to be cleared in the US, but most pundits think regulators there will toe a similar line. Apple has a new headache, though: one of those competitors, Bose, has just sued it over its noise-cancelling patents.
  
  Filed under: Home Entertainment, Apple
  
  Comments
  
  Source: European Union
  

• New photo app is all Selfies, all the time
  
  We know what you're thinking, but a new app called Selfies is actually kind of fun, considering that it's a barely-promoted one-off from Automattic (the company responsible for WordPress). It told Gravatar universal avatar app before it became a separate thing. Trying the app showed that its basic-ness is part of the kick, since it let us post our own pic right after logging on. (We also found it to be a little rough around the edges with a few crashes.) Right now, there's just a single public feed showing ever photo, but the company has plans to filter the best content soon. You can try it now for yourself, but only on Android -- the company narrowly picked that platform to launch it first thanks to a user poll.
  
  Filed under: Cellphones, Cameras, Software, Mobile
  
  Comments
  
  Via: Techcrunch
  
  Source: Selfies
  

• London will be a 5G city by 2020, promises Boris
  
  As London becomes the bright shining center of the European tech scene, it's only natural that the city would like to maintain its place at the top of the pile. That's why mayor Boris Johnson is pledging that London will roll out a 5G network across the city by 2020. It's part of a long-term infrastructure investment plan that'll see connectivity given equal prominence to more conventional resources like transport, energy and water. At the same time, broadband speeds for each home in the capital will be made public alongside data from the networks in order to find communication blackspots that require additional work. Of course, given that 5G as a standard has yet to be defined, it'll be interesting to see if the mayor can make good on his promise -- unlike the one about turning London into a giant WiFi hotspot by 2012.
  
  Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile
  
  Comments
  
  Source: The Telegraph
  

• Floating 3D video shows 'Star Wars' holograms are closer than we think
  
  Thanks to Princess Leia's famous Star Wars plea, true holograms rank just behind flying cars as tech we want, nay deserve to have in our lifetimes -- and Tupac-style flimflam won't cut it. Now, an exhibition from artists Chris Helson and Sarah Jackets whimsically called "Help Me Obi" projects objects as large as 30cm (12-inches) in space. Visible from any angle in the room, the subjects include a newborn baby and NASA's Voyager 1 space probe. The creators are quick to point out that the machine doesn't create a true hologram, but rather a "360-degree video object." We take that to mean that it's more like a floating 3D movie that looks the same from any angle, rather than a true holographic object you can study from all sides. Since they're seeking a patent, Helson and Jackets are coy about exactly how it works, but say that there's nothing else quite like it (that they know of). If you're in the Edinburgh, Scotland area between July 31st and August 30th, you can judge for yourself at the Alt-W exhibition.
  
  Filed under: Home Entertainment, Science, Alt
  
  Comments
  
  Via: CNET
  
  Source: Helson and Jackets
  

• Korean baseball team recruits robots as stand-ins for fans
  
  
  In South Korea, the Hanwha Eagles baseball team has gained a bunch of new fans that'll never abandon them even if they lose every game they play. After all, these new die-hard supporters are robots -- stomping, chanting, Mexican waving faceless robots designed to encourage human followers to cheer the Eagles on. They're officially called "fanbots," and they'll occupy three rows in the bleachers during a game, toting LED placards that display fans' (the flesh-and-blood ones) text messages for the team.Those screens that take the place of their faces? They also have a purpose: to display fans' faces as they watch the game remotely. It's definitely unusual, but the Eagles can use all the support they can get as they don't exactly have a good record. And who knows -- these fanbots could end up converting non-believers and getting more actual human supporters to show up at their games.
  
  Filed under: Robots
  
  Comments
  
  Source: BBC, The Korea Biz Wire
  

• How well do Uber drivers rate you? (update)
  
  
  Uber's car service lets you rate your drivers, but it also lets them rate you. The customer might always be right, but some customers are simply jerks -- and the system lets drivers know what they might be in for. Until now, there's been no way to draw out your customer rating from the app, but with a little Javascript magic, courtesy of Aaron Landy, you can cajole Uber's mobile site into spitting out your rating, out of 5. Log into Uber's mobile site, then open the console (for Chrome: View -> Developer -> Javascript Console from the drop-down menu), and paste some javascript code in. The browser will reload, and you'll need to paste the code again. Another reload, and a popup will offer up your user details and your passenger rating. The hack might even the odds a little: drivers have been able to see how passengers have ranked their rides for a while. It's like leaving feedback on eBay all over again.
  
  Update: It appears Uber noticed the sudden influx to its mobile site and has now patched the JavaScript 'hack.'
  
  Only thing holding me back from a perfect 5 is that one driver who got a ticket and took it out on me.
  - Sarah Silbert (@sarahsilbert) July 28, 2014
  4.7 :/ RT @engadget: How well do @Uber drivers rate you? http://t.co/SWKftogyER pic.twitter.com/9xrGrVk1L0
  - John Colucci (@johncolucci) July 28, 2014
  Want to know the really super easy way of seeing your Uber rating? Ask your next driver to show you. Mine's 4.3 apparently
  - Kadhim (@kadhimshubber) July 28, 2014
  5.0. The gold standard. How well do @Uber drivers rate you? http://t.co/fQgGLhdAxl
  - Mat Smith (@thatmatsmith) July 28, 2014
  Filed under: Transportation, Internet
  
  Comments
  
  Source: Medium (Aaron Landy)
  

• How would you change the BlackBerry Q10?
  
  BlackBerry was slow to see the danger of touchscreen phones, which meant that BlackBerry 10 was a year or so too late to arrive. When it did, however, the company launched the all-touch Z10 first, alienating the keyboard-loving faithful that clung to BlackBerry in its darkest days. But when the Q10finally came, our Tim Stevens found it to be painfully average -- and the subsequent year hasn't been kind to either the device or the company. But lets talk about the hardware itself, talk to us about your experiences and what, if anything would you change? While you're thinking that way, why not try writing a review of the device, too? Just hit the "Review Device" button and you can add your voice to that of our critics.
  
  Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Blackberry
  
  Comments
  
  Source: Engadget Product Forums, Engadget Reviews
  

• Next-generation lithium cells will double your phone's battery life
  
  The lithium ion batteries in your mobile devices are inherently limited by the "ion" part of their name; they can safely use lithium only in the part of the cell that supplies ions, wasting a lot of potential energy. It's good news, then, that researchers at Stanford have developed a new lithium battery that could last for much, much longer. The technique allows for denser, more efficient lithium in the battery's anode (which discharges electrons) by using a nanoscopic carbon shield that keeps the unstable chemical in check -- uncontrolled, it can quickly shorten the device's lifespan.
  The result is a power pack that lasts considerably longer on charge, won't decay quickly and remains relatively safe. Stanford's Steven Chu (the former US Secretary of Energy) reckons that a cellphone equipped with these advanced lithium cells could have two to three times the battery life, and automakers could build cheap electric cars that still offer a healthy driving range. There's more engineering work required before you see any shipping products, but it's entirely possible that future portable gadgets will run for more than a day on a charge without resorting to giant battery packs.
  Filed under: Cellphones, Laptops, Tablets, Science
  
  Comments
  
  Via: Phys.org
  
  Source: Nature
  

• Feedback Loop: Yosemite beta, Kindle Unlimited and more!
  
  
  Ready for a fresh edition of Feedback Loop? This week featured discussions about Apple's OS X Yosemite beta, Kindle Unlimited, Nokia's naming conventions, MMO mice and iWatch speculation. Head past the break to talk about all this and more with your fellow Engadget readers.
  Share your impressions of the OS X Yosemite beta
  Apple just made the beta version of its upcoming operating system update available for download. Engadget Managing Editor Dana Wollman took a look at what we can expect in her Yosemite preview. Are you one of those brave souls who likes living on the bleeding edge? If so, share your own impressions of OS X Yosemite and let us know what you think!
  Is Kindle Unlimited worth the cost?
  Amazon's new Kindle Unlimited service gives you all-you-can-read access for $10 per month, competing against services like Oyster and Scribd. Engadget's product database manager, Kris, wonders whether the service is worth it. She argues that it's easy to binge-watch shows and movies on services like Netflix, but it's much harder to binge-read a series of novels. Will you be subscribing to Amazon's new service? Sound off in the Engadget forums!
  Silly model numbers from Microsoft and Nokia
  It should be pretty easy to figure out which devices are better based on model numbers alone, right? A "2" is bigger than a "1," so "2" must be better. Take the Nokia Lumia 520 and Lumia 530 for example. TgD examines the differences between each device and wonders whether the Lumia 530 is really better than the Lumia 520. How do you feel when manufacturers do this?
  Where are all the MMO mice?
  Massively multiplayer online games are some of the most popular types of titles that people play. There was a time when hardware manufacturers like Razer and Logitech made gaming mice that specifically catered to this group. However, Quaddragon feels there's been little innovation in this area. Where are all the good MMO gaming mice?
  Should Apple's rumored smartwatch include a SIM card?
  Apple's smartwatch has long been rumored and we may finally see it as soon as this fall. Engadget forums user Korrekturlesen speculates on whether or not the watch would have a SIM card. Does this sound like a good idea? Share your thoughts right here.
  Other discussions you may also like: What's a good homepage for your browser? Sony RX-10 vs. Canon T3i Rebel Why is OS X sooooooooo slow to access SMB shares over a network?
  That's all this week! Want to talk about your favorite gadget or have a burning question about technology? Register for an Engadget account today, visit the Engadget forums and start a new discussion!
  
  Comments
  

• Amazon is reportedly making a Square-like payment card reader
  
  Amazon's business may revolve around online shopping, but the company apparently has some interest in brick-and-mortar retail -- there are now hints that it's launching a Square-style payment card reader. The crew at 9to5Mac has obtained documents from Staples showing that a $10 "Amazon Card Reader" is launching sometime in the near future. While there's no exact release date on hand, the office supply store is expected to start advertising Amazon's gadget on August 12th; logic suggests the peripheral would go on sale around then.
  The company hasn't confirmed any plans, so take the apparent leak with a few grains of salt. We've reached out to Amazon to see if it can shed more light on the subject. Such a move would make sense for the e-commerce giant, though. It launched a wallet app mere days ago, so it clearly has an existing interest in the mobile payment sphere. Provided the leak is accurate, the real question is whether or not Jeff Bezos and company can lure stores away from the likes of Square or PayPal. This is already a fiercely competitive space, and many retailers are already wary of Amazon given that it thrives on luring customers away from conventional shops.
  Filed under: Peripherals, Internet, Amazon
  
  Comments
  
  Source: 9to5Mac
  

• Sure enough, you can play 'Doom' on an ATM
  
  The quest to play Doom on just about everything won't be over any time soon, it seems. A team of Australians has torn open and modified an ATM to play id Software's classic first-person shooter using some of the bank machine's built-in controls. This isn't the hardest hack in the world -- ATMs like this run Windows XP, after all -- but it still required custom software and logic, including a circuit board that can remap buttons meant for deposits instead of demon slaying. What you see in the video below is just the start, too. The group already has the side buttons working for weapon selection, and it hopes to make the number pad usable. There's also talk of tweaking the game to use the receipt printer; if you wanted, you could have it spit out proof that you finished a tough level. The odds of getting the hardware to recreate this feat are sadly rather slim, but it's good to know that even your local ATM can handle some proper shoot-'em-up action.
  
  Filed under: Gaming
  
  Comments
  
  Via: Hack A Day
  
  Source: Aussie50 (YouTube)
  

• Windows Phone's next update will support smart cases and giant devices
  
  Windows Phone 8.1 may have only just reached the general public, but it's already in line for a surprisingly large update. Microsoft has posted developer documents (sign-in required) for Windows Phone 8.1 GDR1, a tweak that fills in a few key hardware and software gaps. Aside from previously revealed folder support, the upgrade will allow for smart cases akin to HTC's Dot View or LG's QuickCircle. Phone makers will get to run special apps when the cover is closed, and specify what happens when it's open. This seemingly simple addition could be important, since The Verge claims that HTC is preparing a Windows Phone version of the new One -- such a device would need smart cover features to perform the same tricks as its Android counterpart.
  The revision should also enable more of the tablet-sized phones that are all the rage in some corners of the globe. It'll support a 1,280 x 768 resolution on screens as large as 7 inches, and there's a new 1,280 x 800 option useful for larger devices that use software navigation buttons. Other upgrades are smaller, but should be important in the long run -- the update should bring high-quality voice over LTE, higher-quality Bluetooth music (through aptX) and manufacturer-defined custom lock screens. There's no confirmed schedule for when GDR1 would arrive, but Microsoft is clearly getting close. It won't be surprising if the next big wave of Windows Phones ships with the new features built in.
  Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Microsoft, HTC, Nokia
  
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  Via: NokiaPowerUser, WPCentral
  
  Source: Microsoft (1), (2)
  

• Gadget Rewind 2005: BenQ Z2
  
  BenQ may not be a familiar name to some -- at least not in the US -- but its roots in the electronics industry date back to the '80s. The company, formerly a division of Acer, was spun off in 2001 in an attempt to build a brand name for itself. With a background in manufacturing, BenQ began building devices for companies like Nokia and Motorola; devices that were mostly for sale in Asian markets. Soon, it started its own line of mobile handsets and in 2005, BenQ announced a cube-like multimedia device called the Z2. It was poised to compete with the other camera-toting and music-playing cellphones at the time, while also targeting the youth market with its unique form factor and colorful exteriors. Curious to know more? Check out our gallery below.
  
  Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile
  
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• Inhabitat's Week in Green: bonsai in space, rising sea levels and the blood of horseshoe crabs
  Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green.
  
  
  Google has a long list of environmental initiatives -- and its latest project is to outfit its Street View cars with environmental sensors to track down methane emissions that contribute to climate change. But when it comes to futuristic transportation, there's no greater innovator than Elon Musk. The serial entrepreneur Tesla, the Hyperloop and SpaceX.
  
  In other space news, this week NASA scientists suggested that future moon dwellers could live in the hundreds of caves that dot the surface of the moon. It's believed that the caves would protect humans from sun radiation, meteors and the wild temperature swings on the moon. Japanese artist Azuma Makoto also captured our imagination this week by sending a bonsai tree into space and snapping some gorgeous photos as it orbited the Earth. The time when space exploration was limited to a pair of superpowers -- the USA and the Soviet Union -- is long gone; these days, several other countries are looking to explore faraway planets. The United Arab Emirates just announced that it's setting up a Space Agency - and it plans to send an unmanned probe to Mars by 2021. There's still plenty to explore on our own planet, though. A giant hole in the earth, about 262 feet in diameter, was recently discovered in Russia's far north, and scientists are baffled about the cause of the chasm.
  
  Sea levels are rising, and if we continue the course we're on, they're likely to continue to rise significantly. Case in point: The amazing Cape Romano dome homes located off the coast of Florida are now being swallowed up by rising sea levels. On the topic of sea-level rise, this week Inhabitat interviewed architect Koen Olthuis about how cities can adapt to rising sea levels. His response? Embrace the water by building on it instead of running from it. In other ocean-related news, Captain Charles Moore, the man who discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch back in 1997, recently returned to the Pacific and discovered that permanent islands of plastic now exist within the patch. And you won't believe what people are doing to horseshoe crabs -- every year, over 250,000 of the creatures are captured so that humans can harvest their blue blood.
  
  What if you could transform your entire house with the push of a button? That's precisely the idea behind the Sharifi-ha House, which features rotating rooms that swing outwards to soak up sunlight and provide additional space. Football season is fast approaching, and when it begins, the San Francisco 49ers will move into their new home at Levi's Stadium, the country's first LEED Gold-certified NFL stadium. The stadium is equipped with photovoltaic panels that will generate enough energy to power all 10 games each season. A historic farm in the Dutch countryside also received a green energy upgrade with the addition of a modernist solar shed that provides 100 percent of the farm's energy needs. And Sainsbury's, a popular UK grocery store, just became the first in the country to be totally powered by food waste. The store recently split from the national power grid in favor of food power created through the anaerobic digestion of food scraps.
  
  On the wearable-technology front, the productivity blogger Maneesh Sethi has developed the "Pavlok" wristband, which shocks you into forming better habits. If you don't meet your goals -- whether it's exercising or simply arriving to work on time -- the device will deliver a jolt of electric current to your wrist. But if you want a bracelet that will help you instead of hurt you, you might be better off with the Safelet, a wristband that signals for help when you're in danger. Using a Bluetooth-connected app, the Safelet calls the police or the other emergency services when its wearer is in trouble. And in what could be a major breakthrough for STD prevention, an Australian biotech firm has developed a gel that actually fights STDs and has proven effective in killing 99.9 percent of viruses. A condom that uses the gel has received approval for release in Australia, and it could hit shelves within the next few months.
  
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• Solar cells cool themselves to produce more power
  
  Solar power cells need to stay relatively cool for the sake of both efficiency and longevity, but active cooling (like ventilation) isn't practical; it's expensive, and may block the very rays the cells are supposed to collect. To tackle this problem, Stanford University researchers have created a new form of solar cell that cools itself. The technique embeds a pattern of very small cone and pyramid shapes into the collector's silica surface, bouncing hot infrared wavelengths away while letting in the visible light that generates the most energy.
  
  The result is a heavily optimized panel that not only scoops up more power, but avoids cooking itself to death -- it's very nearly ideal, according to scientists. The Stanford team has a long way to go (it still has to try the self-cooling tech outdoors), but it foresees commercial products. Don't be surprised if you can eventually install a refined solar array at home that not only powers more of your gadgets, but doesn't need to be replaced after suffering through a few too many scorching summers.
  
  [Top image credit: AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi]
  
  
  Filed under: Science
  
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  Via: Treehugger, LaserFocusWorld
  
  Source: Optical Society, OpticsInfoBase
  

• Homer for iPhone lets you peek at the apps your friends use
  
  Ever had the urge to peek at your friends' phone screens, whether it's to learn about their favorite apps or simply pry into their digital lives? Well, you can now do that without having to either strike up an awkward conversation or get overly nosy. PayPal co-founder Max Levchin and the HVF crew have launched Homer, an iPhone app that lets you share your app picks with fellow users. All you do is take screenshots of your home screens and submit them; Homer scans the pictures and identifies the apps, making it easy to compare them with pals in your contacts or on social networks.
  As you'd hope, there's some privacy features baked in. Besides the voluntary nature of screen captures, you can hide individual apps you'd rather keep a secret -- you don't have to share your Tinder addiction with the rest of the world. There's no mention of Homer versions for other platforms (or people outside the US, for that matter), but you can try it today if you have both an iPhone and an unquenchable curiosity about your buddies' mobile habits.
  Filed under: Cellphones, Internet, Mobile
  
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  Via: GigaOM
  
  Source: App Store, HVF Labs
  

• diff -u: What's New in Kernel Development
      
  Once in a while someone points out a POSIX violation in Linux. Often the answer is to fix the violation, but sometimes Linus Torvalds decides that the POSIX behavior is broken, in which case they keep the Linux behavior, but they might build an additional POSIX compatibility layer, even if that layer is slower and less efficient. 
     

• Great Scott! It's Version 13!
      
  No matter how much I love Plex, there's still nothing that comes close to XBMC for usability when it comes to watching your network media on a television. I've probably written a dozen articles on Plex during the last few years, so you know that's tough for me to admit.
     

• Adminer—Better Than Awesome!
      
  I've always loved PHPMyAdmin for managing MySQL databases. It's Web-based, fairly robust and as powerful as I've ever needed. Basically, it's awesome. Today, however, I discovered something better than awesome: Adminer. Although it is conceptually identical to PHPMyAdmin, it is far simpler and far more powerful. How can it be both?
     

• It Actually Is Rocket Science
      
  I've never once made a model rocket. I've always wanted to, but apart from "tube with explodey rocket part", I really didn't know where to start with designing. I recently found an open-source application that should help me with my lack of rocket science know-how: OpenRocket. 
     

• Android Candy: Repix, Not Just Another Photo App
      
  Apps like Instagram have made photo filters commonplace. I actually don't mind the vintage look for quick cell-phone snapshots, but a filter can do only so much. At first glance, Repix is another one of those "make your photo cool" apps that does little more than add a border and change saturation levels.
     

• Wanted: Your Embedded Linux Projects
     
  Our "Embedded Linux" issue of Linux Journal is just around the corner, and we want YOUR project to be in it! Whether you're embedding a Beagle Bone Black into a dish so you can automatically feed your black Beagle a bone, or you're developing an Arduino-based butler to answer your front door -- we want to hear about it!
     

• Linux Kernel Testing and Debugging
      Linux Kernel Testing Philosophy
  Testing is an integral and important part of any software development cycle, open or closed, and Linux kernel is no exception to that.
     

• Tails above the Rest, Part III
      
  In my first two columns in this series, I gave an overview of Tails, including how to get the distribution securely, and once you have it, how to use some of the basic tools.
     

• Dolphins in the NSA Dragnet
     
  There's an old quote from Jamie Zawinkski that goes: "Some people, when confronted with a problem, think ‘I know, I'll use regular expressions.’ Now they have two problems." Even people like me who like regular expressions laugh at the truth in that quote, because we've seen the consequences when someone doesn't think through the implications of a poorly written pattern. When some people write a bad pattern, they end up with extra lines in a log file. When the NSA does it, they capture and retain Internet traffic on untold numbers of innocent people. 
     

• Are you an extremist?
      
  Since the news broke yesterday that we are an extremist publication according to the NSA, we at Linux Journal have thought a lot about what that might mean t
     

• Tails above the Rest, Part II
      
  Now that you have Tails installed, let's start using it. 
     

• Tails above the Rest: the Installation
      
  A few columns ago, I started a series aimed at helping everyone improve their privacy and security on the Internet. The first column in this series was an updated version of a Tor column I wrote a few years ago.
     

• A Bundle of Tor
      
  I don't know how many readers know this, but my very first Linux Journal column ("Browse the Web without a Trace", January 2008) was about how to set up and use Tor. Anonymity and privacy on the Internet certainly take on a different meaning in the modern era of privacy-invading software and general Internet surveillance.
     

• NSA: Linux Journal is an "extremist forum" and its readers get flagged for extra surveillance
      
  A new story published on the German site Tagesschau and followed up by BoingBoing and DasErste.de has uncovered some shocking details about who
     

• A Pain in the Person
       At what point will we say "enough"?