January 2013 – Page 17

Star Wars Live-Action Show Could Still Happen

An anonymous reader writes “According to ABC entertainment president Paul Lee: ‘We’d love to do something with Lucasfilm, we’re not sure what yet. We haven’t even sat down with them. We’re going to look at [the Star Wars live-action TV series], we’re going to look at all of them, and see what’s right. We weren’t even able to discuss this with them until [the deal] closed and it just closed. It’s definitely going to be part of the conversation.’ Not only that, but it’s also been announced that some of the 50 completed episode scripts that producer Rick McCallum has previously mentioned have been written by none other than Ron Moore of Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica fame.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Star Wars Live-Action Show Could Still Happen

Convert a $20 Router Into an Internet Radio

It’s not hard to find a cheap router, but you probably don’t want to use most of them for your actual network. German hacker Peter Feuerer decided to turn a $20 TP Link 703n into an internet radio using a cheap ATtiny85. More »

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Convert a $20 Router Into an Internet Radio

You Can Send a Message to Zuckerberg’s Inbox (For $100)

If you have something you feel you desperately need to tell Mark Zuckerberg, now might be a real good time. For the handsome sum of $100, you can send a message to Mark’s Facebook inbox, without being automatically sent to spam. How nice. More »

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You Can Send a Message to Zuckerberg’s Inbox (For $100)

The Smartest Computer in the World Also Has the Dirtiest Mouth

We already knew Ken Jennings thought IBM’s Jeopardy-winning supercomputer was a dick , but he’s not alone. Developers at IBM were forced to wipe part of Watson’s memory once they realized their hyperintelligent computer had turned into a bit of a smartass. More »

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The Smartest Computer in the World Also Has the Dirtiest Mouth

Windows RT Jailbreak Tool Released

An anonymous reader writes “Earlier this week, reports surfaced that the Windows RT operating system had been jailbroken to allow for the execution of unsigned ARM desktop applications. Microsoft quickly issued a statement saying it does not consider the findings to be part of a security vulnerability, and applauded the hacker for his ingenuity. Now, a Windows RT jailbreak tool has been released.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

James Watson Says Antioxidants May Actually Be Causing Cancer

Celebrated geneticist James Watson, one of several researchers who won the Nobel Prize for discovering the structure of DNA, has just published what can only be called a cancer manifesto in Open Biology . It’s full of fairly harsh criticisms for current cancer researchers, but also suggests several ways forward in the “war on cancer.” Among other claims, Watson asserts that antioxidants like vitamin C — often recommended as cancer-prevention supplements — could be causing some forms of cancer. He also has harsh words for personalized medicine, and the laziness of cancer researchers. More »

Thousands of SCADA Devices Discovered On the Open Internet

Trailrunner7 writes with news of the continuing poor state of security for industrial control systems. From the article: “Never underestimate what you can do with a healthy list of advanced operator search terms and a beer budget. That’s mostly what comprises the arsenal of two critical infrastructure protection specialists who have spent close to nine months trying to paint a picture of the number of Internet-facing devices linked to critical infrastructure in the United States. It’s not a pretty picture. The duo … have with some help from the Department of Homeland Security (PDF) pared down an initial list of 500,000 devices to 7,200, many of which contain online login interfaces with little more than a default password standing between an attacker and potential havoc. DHS has done outreach to the affected asset owners, yet these tides turn slowly and progress has been slow in remedying many of those weaknesses. …The pair found not only devices used for critical infrastructure such as energy, water and other utilities, but also SCADA devices for HVAC systems, building automation control systems, large mining trucks, traffic control systems, red-light cameras and even crematoriums.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Thousands of SCADA Devices Discovered On the Open Internet

Tracking Oscar screener piracy, the 2013 edition

Since 2003, Waxy.org ‘s Andy Baio has been documenting evidence of pirated/leaked Oscars screeners— in other words, copies of nominated films sent to Academy Awards voters which then make their way on to filesharing networks. The 2013 edition of his spreadsheet is out . He’ll post analysis tomorrow. “Most shocking find so far,” he tweets , “The Les Misérables screener hasn’t leaked online yet. Everyone knows pirates love musicals!”

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Tracking Oscar screener piracy, the 2013 edition

Skype 6.1 for Windows adds Outlook integration, (slightly) refreshed toolbar

Skype’s latest update has arrived on Windows (although not Windows 8) and, likely due to its status within Microsoft , it’s integrated Outlook features into version 6.1 alongside some cosmetic refreshes. You can now get access to your Skype contacts’ status, mood message and other contact details within Outlook contact cards, with the same profiles now appearing within the Skype program. You also call any phone number from within Outlook , with Skype already doing the legwork of connecting to any contact whose details are stored within your email client. Better still, if you’ve already got them added as a contact in Skype, you can send instant messages and make or video calls from the outset. These features will work on Outlook 2010, while it’s now easier to add new contacts to Skype when you don’t already have a someone in your contact list. You can pick up the new integrated app (with a gently tweaked toolbar) at the source. ( Update: We’ve also been informed that the Mac version has been bumped up to version 6.1, and you’ll now be able to call direct from Safari webpages.) Filed under: Software , Microsoft Comments Source: Skype

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Skype 6.1 for Windows adds Outlook integration, (slightly) refreshed toolbar

Drug Allows Deafened Mice to Regrow Inner Ear Hair

sciencehabit writes “All you graying, half-deaf Def Leppard fans, listen up. A drug applied to the ears of mice deafened by noise can restore some hearing in the animals. By blocking a key protein, the drug allows sound-sensing cells that are damaged by noise to regrow. The treatment isn’t anywhere near ready for use in humans, but the advance at least raises the prospect of restoring hearing to some deafened people.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Drug Allows Deafened Mice to Regrow Inner Ear Hair

Ken May

Month: January 2013