Tag: linux

Parallax Completes Open Hardware Vision With Open Source CPU

First time accepted submitter PotatoHead (12771) writes “This is a big win for Open Hardware Proponents! The Parallax Propeller Microcontroller VERILOG code was released today, and it’s complete! Everything you need to run Open Code on an Open CPU design. This matters because you can now build a device that is open hardware, open code all the way down to the CPU level! Either use a product CPU, and have access to it’s source code to understand what and how it does things, or load that CPU onto a suitable FPGA and modify it or combine it with your design.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Parallax Completes Open Hardware Vision With Open Source CPU

Idiot Leaves Driver’s Seat In Self-Driving Infiniti, On the Highway

cartechboy writes Self-driving cars are coming, that’s nothing new. People are somewhat nervous about this technology, and that’s also not news. But it appears self-driving cars are already hear, and one idiot was dumb enough to climb out of the driver’s seat while his car cruised down the highway. The car in question is a new Infiniti Q50 which has Active Lane Control and adaptive cruise control. Both of which essentially turn the Q50 into an autonomous vehicle while at highway speeds. While impressive, taking yourself out of a position where you can quickly and safely regain control of the car if needed is simply dumb. After watching the video, it’s abundantly clear why people should be nervous about autonomous vehicles. It’s not the cars and tech we need to worry about, it’s idiots like this guy. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Idiot Leaves Driver’s Seat In Self-Driving Infiniti, On the Highway

Facebook Seeks Devs To Make Linux Network Stack As Good As FreeBSD’s

An anonymous reader writes Facebook posted a career application which, in their own words is ‘seeking a Linux Kernel Software Engineer to join our Kernel team, with a primary focus on the networking subsystem. Our goal over the next few years is for the Linux kernel network stack to rival or exceed that of FreeBSD.’ Two interesting bullet points listing “responsibilities”: Improve IPv6 support in the kernel, and eliminate perf and stability issues. FB is one of the worlds largest IPv6 deployments; Investigate and participate in emerging protocols (MPTCP, QUIC, etc) discussions, implementation, experimentation, tooling, etc. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Facebook Seeks Devs To Make Linux Network Stack As Good As FreeBSD’s

European Rosetta Space Craft About To Rendezvous With Comet

Taco Cowboy (5327) writes After a long 10-year journey spanning some four (4) billion kilometers, Rosetta, an interplanetary space craft from the ESA (European Space Agency), is on its final approach to comet Comet 67P (or comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko). The last in a series of 10 thruster firings over the past few months has slowed Rosetta to the pace of a person walking, about two miles per hour relative to the speed of its target at a distance of about 60 miles. Photographs have already revealed a surprisingly irregular shape for the 2.5-mile-wide comet, possibly an amalgamation of two icy bodies or a result of uneven weathering during previous flybys. From a distance, the blurry blob initially looked somewhat like a rubber duck. As the details came into the focus, it now more resembles a knob of ginger flying through space. Wednesday marks a big moment for space exploration: After a few thruster rockets fire for a little over six minutes, Rosetta will be in position to make the first-ever rendezvous with that comet nickname ‘Rubber Duck.’ ‘This burn, expected to start at 11 a.m. central European time, will tip Rosetta into the first leg of a series of triangular paths around the comet, according to the Paris-based European Space Agency, or ESA, which oversees the mission. Each leg will be about 100 kilometers (62 miles) long, and it will take Rosetta between three to four days to complete each leg. There will be a live streaming webcast of Rosetta’s Aug. 6 orbital arrival starting at 8 a.m. GMT via a transmission from ESA’s spacecraft operations centre in Darmstadt, Germany. Also at the BBC. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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European Rosetta Space Craft About To Rendezvous With Comet

Synolocker 0-Day Ransomware Puts NAS Files At Risk

Deathlizard (115856) writes “Have a Synology NAS? Is it accessible to the internet? If it is, You might want to take it offline for a while. Synolocker is a 0-day ransomware that once installed, will encrypt all of the NAS’s files and hold them for ransom just like Cryptolocker does for windows PC’s. The Virus is currently exploiting an unknown vulnerability to spread. Synology is investagating the issue.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Synolocker 0-Day Ransomware Puts NAS Files At Risk

Japan To Launch a Military Space Force In 2019

Taco Cowboy writes Japan is planning to launch a military space force by 2019. The Mainichi Shimbun is reporting that Japan plans to create a “space force” within its existing Self Defence Force, hoping to have it operational by 2019. Japan would provide the US military with information obtained by the force as part of the joint bid to strengthen ties in space, the so-called “fourth battlefield”, Kyodo news agency said, citing unnamed sources. Note that this plan, which involves simply looking into space using old civilian astronomy equipment and radar, is just the beginning. The transforming space fighters and combat mechs will presumably come later. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Japan To Launch a Military Space Force In 2019

UK Spy Agency Certifies Master’s Degrees In Cyber Security

An anonymous reader writes Intelligence agency GCHQ has just accredited six UK universities to teach Master’s degrees in online security that meet the intelligence agency’s “stringent criteria.” From the press release: “The certification of six Master’s degrees in Cyber Security was announced by Rt.Hon Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office, when he visited GCHQ today. This marks another significant step in the development of the UK’s knowledge, skills and capability in all fields of Cyber Security as part of the National Cyber Security Programme. The National Cyber Security Strategy recognises education as key to the development of Cyber Security skills and, earlier in the year, UK universities were invited to submit their Cyber Security Master’s degrees for certification against GCHQ’s stringent criteria for a broad foundation in Cyber Security.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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UK Spy Agency Certifies Master’s Degrees In Cyber Security

NASA Tests Microwave Space Drive

schwit1 (797399) writes with news that NASA scientists have tested the EmDrive, which claims to use quantum vacuum plasma for propulsion. Theoretically improbable, but perhaps possible after all. If it does work, it would eliminate the need for expendable fuel (just add electricity). From the article:Either the results are completely wrong, or NASA has confirmed a major breakthrough in space propulsion. A working microwave thruster would radically cut the cost of satellites and space stations and extend their working life, drive deep-space missions, and take astronauts to Mars in weeks rather than months. … [According to the researchers] “Test results indicate that the RF resonant cavity thruster design, which is unique as an electric propulsion device, is producing a force that is not attributable to any classical electromagnetic phenomenon and therefore is potentially demonstrating an interaction with the quantum vacuum virtual plasma.” Skepticism is certainly warranted: NASA researchers were only able to produce about 1/1000th of the force the Chinese researchers reported. But they were careful to avoid false sensor readings, so something is going on. The paper declined to comment on what that could be, leaving the physics of the system an open problem. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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NASA Tests Microwave Space Drive

Passport Database Outage Leaves Thousands Stranded

linuxwrangler (582055) writes Job interviews missed, work and wedding plans disrupted, children unable to fly home with their adoptive parents. All this disruption is due to a outage involving the passport and visa processing database at the U.S. State Department. The problems have been ongoing since July 19 and the best estimate for repair is “soon.” The system “crashed shortly after maintenance.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Passport Database Outage Leaves Thousands Stranded

NASA’s JPL Develops Multi-Metal 3D Printing Process

yyzmcleod (1534129) writes The technology to 3D print a single part from multiple materials has been around for years, but only for polymer-based additive manufacturing processes. For metals, jobs are typically confined to a single powdered base metal or alloy per object. However, researchers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory say they have developed a 3D printing technique that allows for print jobs to transition from one metal to another in a single object. From the article: In JPL’s technique, the build material’s composition is gradually transitioned as the print progresses. For example, the powdered build material might contain 97 percent titanium alloy and 3 percent stainless steel at the beginning of the transition. Then, in 1 percent increments between layers, the gradient progresses to 97 percent stainless steel and 3 percent Ti alloy by some defined point in the overall 3D printing process. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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NASA’s JPL Develops Multi-Metal 3D Printing Process