​How San Francisco’s Clean Drinking Water Destroyed The 2nd Yellowstone

Did you know Yosemite Valley used to have an identical twin? It was dammed in the early 1900s to provide San Francisco with water it relies on to this day, but recently, conservationists have been calling for its restoration. http://gizmodo.com/how-san-franci… Read more…

Read More:
​How San Francisco’s Clean Drinking Water Destroyed The 2nd Yellowstone

Microsoft Won’t Bring Back the Start Menu Until 2015

DroidJason1 (3589319) writes “Microsoft recently announced plans to reintroduce the Start Menu to Windows in an upcoming version of the operating system. While the plan was to roll out an update to Windows 8.1 and offer the Start menu later this year, it seems like this is no longer the case. Now Microsoft is reportedly looking to release the Start Menu with Windows 9, which is expected in April of 2015. Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 have faced a boat load of criticism and hatred, partly due to the removal of the Start button and Start menu. The restoration of a visible Start button on the taskbar was one of the key features of the Windows 8.1 update, released back in October of 2013.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Visit site:
Microsoft Won’t Bring Back the Start Menu Until 2015

Photos Stream Back From China’s Lunar Lander

After the successful soft landing of its carrier vessel on the surface of the moon, China’s Jade Rabbit lunar rover has begun beaming back photos of the lunar surface. From the BBC’s article, with links to video as well as several photos, comes this description: “Chang’e-3 is the third unmanned rover mission to touch down on the lunar surface, and the first to go there in more than 40 years. The last was an 840kg (1, 900lb) Soviet vehicle known as Lunokhod-2, which was kept warm by polonium-210. But the six-wheeled Chinese vehicle carries a more sophisticated payload, including ground-penetrating radar which will gather measurements of the lunar soil and crust. The 120kg (260lb) Jade Rabbit rover can reportedly climb slopes of up to 30 degrees and travel at 200m (660ft) per hour. … The rover and lander are powered by solar panels but some sources suggest they also carry radioisotope heating units (RHUs), containing plutonium-238 to keep them warm during the cold lunar night. According to Chinese space scientists, the mission is designed to test new technologies, gather scientific data and build intellectual expertise. It will also scout valuable mineral resources that could one day be mined.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Taken from:
Photos Stream Back From China’s Lunar Lander

How a Bitcoin Transaction Actually Works

An anonymous reader writes “Michael Nielsen has written a detailed article describing the nuts and bolts of a Bitcoin transaction. He builds the concepts from the ground up, starting with a basic, no-frills digital currency. He then examines it for flaws and tweaks the currency to patch up areas where we run into technical or security problems. Eventually, he ends up with Bitcoin, and explains how a transaction works. It’s an interesting, technical read; much more in-depth than any explanation I’ve heard. Here’s a brief snippet from a walkthrough of the transaction data: ‘One thing to note about the input is that there’s nothing explicitly specifying how many bitcoins from the previous transaction should be spent in this transaction. In fact, all the bitcoins from the n=0th output of the previous transaction are spent. So, for example, if the n=0th output of the earlier transaction was 2 bitcoins, then 2 bitcoins will be spent in this transaction. This seems like an inconvenient restriction – like trying to buy bread with a 20 dollar note, and not being able to break the note down. The solution, of course, is to have a mechanism for providing change. This can be done using transactions with multiple inputs and outputs…'” Bitcoin is going through another period of heavy fluctuation: it fell from a high of around $1, 200 per bitcoin to roughly half that, and as of this writing trade around $760 per bitcoin. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Follow this link:
How a Bitcoin Transaction Actually Works

Someone’s Been Siphoning Data Through a Huge Internet Security Hole

Sometimes, something is so big that you don’t notice it for a long time. You suddenly realize you’re in a massive crater, say, or that a building is towering overheard. Or, in this case, a gaping security void in the internet. And someone’s been siphoning massive amounts of data out of it. Read more…        

Read the original post:
Someone’s Been Siphoning Data Through a Huge Internet Security Hole

Three Banks Lose Millions After Wire Transfer Switches Hacked

mask.of.sanity writes “Criminals have stolen millions from three unnamed U.S. banks by launching slow and stealthy denial of service attacks as a distraction before attacking wire payment switches. The switches manage and execute wire transfers and could have coughed up much more cash should the attackers have pressed on. RSA researcher Limor Kessem said, ‘The service portal is down, the bank is losing money and reliability, and the security team is juggling the priorities of what to fix first. That’s when the switch attack – which is very rare because those systems are not easily compromised [and require] high-privilege level in a more advanced persistent threat style case – takes place.'” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Read More:
Three Banks Lose Millions After Wire Transfer Switches Hacked

How to Do a Clean Install of Windows Without Losing Your Files, Settings, and Tweaks

There’s nothing like a fresh install of Windows to clear your mind, but it comes at a cost: you have to set everything up again, just the way you like it. Here’s how to reinstall Windows, migrate your important settings, and leave the clutter behind. More »

View the original here:
How to Do a Clean Install of Windows Without Losing Your Files, Settings, and Tweaks

3D Printable Ammo Clip Skirts New Proposed Gun Laws

Sparrowvsrevolution writes “Over the past weekend, Defense Distributed successfully 3D-printed and tested a magazine for an AR semi-automatic rifle, loading and firing 86 rounds from the 30-round clip. That homemade chunk of curved plastic holds special significance: Between 1994 and 2004, so-called ‘high capacity magazines’ capable of holding more than 10 bullets were banned from sale. And a new gun control bill proposed by California Senator Dianne Feinstein in the wake of recent shootings would ban those larger ammo clips again. President Obama has also voiced support for the magazine restrictions. Defense Distributed says it hopes to preempt any high capacity magazine ban by showing how impossible it has become to prevent the creation of a simple spring-loaded box in the age of cheap 3D printing. It’s posted the 3D-printable magazine blueprints on its website, Defcad.org, and gun enthusiasts have already downloaded files related to the ammo holders more than 2,200 times.” Read more of this story at Slashdot.

More:
3D Printable Ammo Clip Skirts New Proposed Gun Laws