The FBI just switched over to Next-Generation Identification, a new digital system for keeping track of the 83 million fingerprint cards the bureau maintains. That means dismantling thousands of filing cabinets that were once hand-searched by Bureau employees, twenty-four hours a day. Here’s how they did it. Read more…
Read More:
The Ultra-Laborious Way the FBI Matched Fingerprints to Paper Files
schwit1 (797399) writes The U.S. Air Force on Thursday issued a request for information from industry for the replacement of the Russian-made engines used by ULA’s Atlas 5 rocket: “Companies are being asked to respond by Sept. 19 to 35 questions. Among them: “What solution would you recommend to replace the capability currently provided by the RD-180 engine?” Air Force officials have told Congress they only have a broad idea of how to replace the RD-180. Estimates of the investment in money and time necessary to field an American-built alternative vary widely. Congress, meanwhile, is preparing bills that would fund a full-scale engine development program starting next year; the White House is advocating a more deliberate approach that begins with an examination of applicable technologies. In the request for information, the Air Force says it is open to a variety of options including an RD-180 facsimile, a new design, and alternative configurations featuring multiple engines, and even a brand new rocket. The Air Force is also trying to decide on the best acquisition approach. Options include a traditional acquisition or a shared investment as part of a public-private partnership. [emphasis mine]” The Atlas 5 is built by Lockheed Martin. This is really their problem, not the Air Force or ULA. In addition, the Air Force has other options, both from Boeing’s Delta rocket family as well as SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. Read more of this story at Slashdot.
See more here:
Air Force Requests Info For Replacement Atlas 5 Engine
SpzToid (869795) writes The state of Oregon sued Oracle America Inc. and six of its top executives Friday, accusing the software giant of fraud for failing to deliver a working website for the Affordable Care Act program. The 126-page lawsuit claims Oracle has committed fraud, lies, and “a pattern of activity that has cost the State and Cover Oregon hundreds of millions of dollars”. “Not only were Oracle’s claims lies, Oracle’s work was abysmal”, the lawsuit said. Oregon paid Oracle about $240.3 million for a system that never worked, the suit said. “Today’s lawsuit clearly explains how egregiously Oracle has disserved Oregonians and our state agencies”, said Oregon Atty. Gen. Ellen Rosenblum in a written statement. “Over the course of our investigation, it became abundantly clear that Oracle repeatedly lied and defrauded the state. Through this legal action, we intend to make our state whole and make sure taxpayers aren’t left holding the bag.” Oregon’s suit, alleges that Oracle, the largest tech contractor working on the website, made falsely convinced officials to buy “hundreds of millions of dollars of Oracle products and services that failed to perform as promised.” It is seeking $200 million in damages. Oracle issued a statement saying the suit “is a desperate attempt to deflect blame from Cover Oregon and the governor for their failures to manage a complex IT project. The complaint is a fictional account of the Oregon Healthcare Project.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.
See the article here:
Oregon Sues Oracle For "Abysmal" Healthcare Website
MikeChino writes A new paper by a group of researchers from Montana State University confirms that life can survive under antarctic ice. Researchers led by John Priscu drilled down into the West Antarctic Ice Sheet and pulled up organisms called Archaea. These organisms survive by converting methane into energy, enabling them to survive where there is no wind or sunlight, buried deep under the ice. Read more of this story at Slashdot.
More here:
Scientists Confirm Life Under Antarctic Ice
Chrome: It’s no secret that AdBlock is one of our favorite add-ons, and it does a lot of cool things . However, it’s definitely memory hungry , and can slow your system down. If you want a leaner alternative that still keeps the web clean and protects your privacy, try uBlock (or rather, µBlock.) Read more…
Read More:
uBlock Is a Fast and Lightweight Alternative to AdBlock Plus
paysonwelch writes The United Parcel Service announced that customers’ credit and debit card information at 51 franchises in 24 states may have been compromised. There are 4, 470 franchised center locations throughout the U.S., according to UPS. The malware began to infiltrate the system as early as January 20, but the majority of the attacks began after March 26. UPS says the threat was eliminated as of August 11 and that customers can shop safely at all locations. Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Visit site:
UPS: We’ve Been Hacked
Good old Brian Krebs has the scoop on a new card skimmer found in Europe. How is it different? It literally fits right into the card slot of any ATM, essentially allowing unfettered access to cards as they slide through. Add in a tiny camera and you’ve got a complete card cloning system. The skimmer is powered by a simple watch battery and uses a very small PCB and magnetic strip reader… Read More
Excerpt from:
This New Card Skimmer Is Almost As Thin As A Credit Card
Windows/Mac/Linux: Calibre, one of the best free ebook managers out there (and a great tool for removing DRM ), released a big update this week. Calibre 2.0 includes a new editor function, comparison tool, support for Android phones on OS X, and more. Read more…
Read More:
Calibre 2.0 Adds an Editor, Book Comparison, and More
Scientists already know how to make a tasty tomato , but in the quest for mass production, there’s another barrier to overcome: how to make a tomato that grows 24 hours a day. Read more…
Visit site:
Scientists Are Building a Tomato That Grows 24 Hours a Day
A few years ago, we looked at NASA’s long project to design a paint so black, it would absorb nearly every bit of light around it (that’s it above, in the “D” spot). Now, NASA has finally launched the stuff into space —which means that the six-year effort to make it is finally paying off. So, why is this such a vital project for NASA? Read more…
Visit link:
Why NASA Launched One of the Blackest Materials Ever Made Into Space