The Case Against Gmail

stry_cat writes “Ed Bot makes the case against Gmail: ‘Gmail was a breath of fresh air when it debuted. But this onetime alternative is showing signs that it’s past its prime, especially if you want to use the service with a third-party client. That’s the way Google wants it, which is why I’ve given up on Gmail after almost a decade.’ Personally, I’ve always thought it odd that no other email provider ever adopted Gmails “search not sort” mentality. I’ve been a Gmail user since you needed an invitation to get an account. However Gmail has been steadily moving towards a more traditional email experience. Plus there’s the iGoogle disaster that got me looking into alternatives to everything Google.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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The Case Against Gmail

World’s Deepest Undersea Tunnel Weaves Together Two Continents

It’s been a long time (centuries!) since Istanbul was the focal point of trade between Asia and the West. But, yesterday, at the opening of the deepest underwater railway ever built, Turkish officials described their vision to “restore the Silk Road” linking London and Beijing—thanks to a Japanese-funded railway beneath the Bosphorus. Read more…        

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World’s Deepest Undersea Tunnel Weaves Together Two Continents

Russian Authorities Seize Goods from China Implanted with "Spy" Chips

A weird thing happened in St. Petersburg last week. The Russian press reports that local officials intercepted a shipment from China that contained home appliances with “spy” microchips capable of spreading malware to wi-fi enabled devices within 200 meters. Tea kettles were apparently the chief culprit. Read more…        

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Russian Authorities Seize Goods from China Implanted with "Spy" Chips

Infosys Fined $35M For Illegally Bringing Programmers Into US On Visitor Visas

McGruber writes “The U.S. government fined Infosys $35 million after an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department found that the Indian company used inexpensive, easy-to-obtain B-1 visas meant to cover short business visits — instead of harder-to-get H-1B work visas — to bring an unknown number of its employees for long-term stays. The alleged practice enabled Infosys to undercut competitors in bids for programming, accounting and other work performed for clients, according to people close to the investigation. Infosys clients have included Goldman Sachs Group, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Cisco Systems Inc. Infosys said in an email that it is talking with the U.S. Attorney’s office, ‘regarding a civil resolution of the government’s investigation into the company’s compliance’ with employment-record ‘I-9 form’ requirements and past use of the B-1 visa. A company spokesman, who confirmed a resolution will be announced Wednesday, said Infosys had set aside $35 million to settle the case and cover legal costs. He said the sum was ‘a good indication’ of the amount involved.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Infosys Fined $35M For Illegally Bringing Programmers Into US On Visitor Visas

New Instant-Fix Fabric Is 100x Stronger Than Duct Tape

It’s joked that duct tape can be used to fix almost anything. But a new product called FiberFix might very well be the only tool you’ll ever need for emergency repairs. And the secret is its special resin adhesive that hardens stronger than steel as it cures. Read more…        

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New Instant-Fix Fabric Is 100x Stronger Than Duct Tape

CAPTCHA Busted? Company Claims To Have Broken Protection System

sciencehabit writes “A software company called Vicarious claims to have created a computer algorithm that can solve CAPTCHA with greater than 90% accuracy. If true, the advance would represent a major breakthrough in artificial intelligence. It would also mean that the internet will have to start looking for a new security system. The problem, however, is that Vicarious has provided little evidence for its claims, though some well-known scientists are behind the work.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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CAPTCHA Busted? Company Claims To Have Broken Protection System

Lost Star Wars Footage Found On LaserDisc

drxenos writes “A LaserDisc purchased on eBay was found to contain raw footage from Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi. From the article: ‘The origin of the LaserDisc isn’t entirely clear, but it was purchased for $699 off eBay, apparently once used to demonstrate Lucasfilm’s EditDroid station — one of the first digital film editing systems sold nearly 30 years ago. Ironically, George Lucas himself never used EditDroid to make a movie; the Star Wars clips were loaded simply to show off its capabilities to prospective buyers.'” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Lost Star Wars Footage Found On LaserDisc

Relive the ’80s and Run Windows 1.01 in Your Browser

In these smartphone-studded days, it’s easy to forget how computers worked. Once you had to run programs off of floppy disks and wait ages for everything to load. Luckily for your nostalgia, some bored developers are keeping the past alive with full-featured emulators that run in your browser. Read more…        

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Relive the ’80s and Run Windows 1.01 in Your Browser

A Cyber Attack Against Israel Shut Down An Entire Road Last Month

Hackers managed to infiltrate and shut down an enormous tunnel system in Israel last month, causing massive traffic jams for eight hours, according to the AP. Though their sources indicate that the attack didn’t come from a state actor, this first strike opens up a whole new world of cyber warfare. Read more…        

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A Cyber Attack Against Israel Shut Down An Entire Road Last Month

A Fully Loaded Mac Pro Could Cost You $14,000

The cheapest Mac Pro you can buy, Apple informed us last week , will cost you $3, 000. That’s a pretty penny, sure, but not outrageous for a workstation these days. What if, though, you spec it out as far as you can go? That’s when we hit new car territory. Read more…        

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A Fully Loaded Mac Pro Could Cost You $14,000