Could it really be? (story from slashdot.org):

Hardware: End of Moore’s Law in 10-15 years?

Posted by CmdrTaco on Wednesday September 19, @10:52AM
from the no-for-real-this-time dept.

javipas writes “In 1965 Gordon Moore — Intel’s co-founder — predicted that the number of transistors on integrated circuits would double every two years. Moore’s Law has been with us for over 40 years, but it seems that the limits of microelectronics are now not that far from us. Moore has predicted the end of his own law in 10 to 15 years, but he predicted that end before, and failed.”

Release date: September 18, 2007

According to the release note ,a critical vulnerability issue regarding the “Code execution via QuickTime Media-link files” has been fixed.

“QuickTime Media-Link files contain a qtnext attribute that could be used on Windows systems to launch the default browser with arbitrary command-line options. When the default browser is Firefox 2.0.0.6 or earlier use of the -chrome option allowed a remote attacker to run script commands with the full privileges of the user. This could be used to install malware, steal local data, or otherwise corrupt the victim’s computer.The fix for MFSA 2007-23 was intended to prevent this type of attack but QuickTime calls the browser in an unexpected way that bypasses that fix. To protect Firefox users from this problem we have now eliminated the ability to run arbitrary script from the command-line. Other command-line options remain, however, and QuickTime Media-link files could still be used to annoy users with popup windows and dialogs until this issue is fixed in QuickTime.

This QuickTime issue appears to be the one described by CVE-2006-4965 but the fix Apple applied in QuickTime 7.1.5 does not prevent this version of the problem.“

“Disabling JavaScript in the browser does not protect against this attack; prior to the fix scripts passed through the -chrome option would be executed regardless of the JavaScript setting for web content, much as interpreters for languages such as perl and Python execute scripts passed on the command line. The NoScript add-on, however, has provided protection against this class of attack since the cross-browser vulnerabilities described by MFSA 2007-23 were discovered.“

Source: http://en-us.www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/2.0.0.7/releasenotes/

Wow here is a story slashdot.org:

IT: Blogger Objects To Accusations Surrounding Vista DRM

Posted by Zonk on Tuesday September 18, @07:05AM
from the two-sides-to-that-coin dept.

Technical Writing Geek writes “Self-described ‘professional paranoid’ Peter Gutmann of the University of Auckland has become the most widely quoted source of information on DRM and content protection in Windows Vista. The trouble is, according to ZDNet Blogger Ed Bott, Gutmann’s work is riddled with factual errors, distortions, contradictions, and outright untruths. From the lengthy piece: ‘As Gutmann would know if he actually understood how HD hardware works, Vista will indeed display HD content on this monitor over the D-Sub and component video outputs, which are capable of outputting 1080p and 1080i signals, respectively. In the future, a content provider might choose to constrict the output to these devices, but that decision would apply only to a specific piece of media, and it would have to be disclosed on the package, giving the buyer the opportunity to choose not to purchase it.’”

Wow.

“They really need to restart the PSP programme in my book. They really need to bring out the PSP 3.0 and start again and try to get a lot of units out by reducing the manufacturing costs, by taking out all the motors and drives and stuff they have in there.”"That will make it even more sexy-looking, because it will be thinner again when they get all that junk out. Then, hopefully, the platform will actually get enough interest so that people will make a game specifically for it,” Perry said.He referred to the recent PSP Slim and Lite remodel as a “head in the sand” move.

As for what current PSP owners will do with their UMDs if Sony turns to a download-only handheld, Perry said that it would be fairly trivial to include software to validate that a user owns a certain game, much like iTunes. With authentication, users should be allowed to download digital versions of UMD games they already own.

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News Source: Gamesindustry.biz

Great News for all the Linux Users that want an Ipod Classic, Ipod Touch, Ipod Shuffle or Ipod Nano 3g. From Slashdot.org:

Hardware: New iPod Checksum Cracked, Linux Supported

Posted by CmdrTaco on Monday September 17, @10:08AM
from the well-that-didn’t-take-long dept.

An anonymous reader writes “After 36 hours of reverse engineering, the method for producing the checksum on new iPods has been discovered.” You can also get linux support working if that’s what you crave for your shiny new toy.

 Heres’ to People looking out for Linux Users!

Here is a crazy story from slashdot.org:

Gates Successor Says Microsoft Laid Foundation for Google

Posted by Zonk on Friday September 14, @11:43AM
from the yin-and-yang dept.

thefickler writes “According to Bill Gates’ successor Craig Mundie, there would have been no Google without Microsoft. ‘I mean, the fact is: Google’s existence and success required Microsoft to have been successful previously to create the platform that allowed them to go on and connect people to their search servers. Now, Microsoft’s business is not to control the platform per se, but in fact to allow it to be exploited by the world’s developers. The fact that we have it out there gives us a good business, but in some ways it doesn’t give us an advantage over any of the other developers in terms of being able to utilize it.’ This comment comes from a lengthy interview between Mundie and APC magazine, which talks with the newly installed strategy and R&D head. Other interesting topics discussed include the future of Microsoft and Windows, OOXML, and and the ‘rise of Linux’ on the desktop.”

This I think is crap!

Wow! Debian has a win32 bootloader.

Linux: Debian win32-loader Goes Official

Posted by kdawson on Thursday September 13, @10:42AM
from the like-a-live-cd-on-steroids dept.

An anonymous reader writes “After a long process of review and polishing, the win32 loader from goodbye-microsoft.com has finally made its way to official Debian CDs. Latest daily builds of lenny (the development version) are including it, making starting Debian Installer as simple as just a few clicks (OGG). The win32-loader version, now based on GRUB 2, includes new features such as detection and pre-seeding of Windows settings, and is translated to 20 languages.”

Wow this is a nice story if we all had Wifi N we may not need ethernet cables:

Hardware: Does 802.11n Spell the ‘End of Ethernet’?

Posted by CmdrTaco on Wednesday September 12, @09:56AM
from the not-bloody-likely dept.

alphadogg writes “Is the advent of the 802.11n wireless standard the “end of Ethernet“…at least in terms of client access to the LAN? That’s the provocative title, and thesis, of a new report in which the author began looking into the question when he heard a growing number of clients asking whether it was time to discontinue wired LAN deployments for connecting clients. Would 11n, the next generation high-throughput Wi-Fi, make the RJ45 connector in the office wall as obsolete as gaslights”

Microsoft is at it again!

Here is the story from slashdot.org:

Your Rights Online: Microsoft’s Consent-or-Die Patent

Posted by Zonk on Tuesday September 11, @09:43AM
from the i’m-more-of-a-cake-or-death-man-myself dept.

 

theodp writes “Maybe you shouldn’t get too attached to those new Windows Live services. On Tuesday, the USPTO granted Microsoft a patent for privacy policy change notification, which describes how to threaten users with the loss of their accounts and access to web sites and services should they refuse to consent to changes in a privacy policy. This includes the case where a user might object to allowing personal information, collected earlier with a promise of confidentiality, to be shared in the future with third parties. Also described is a ‘Never Notify Me’ option so you won’t have to ‘worry’ over privacy policy changes.”

Here is a story that will change the way you use your computer:

IT: Ophcrack Says Your Password Is Insecure

Posted by CmdrTaco on Monday September 10, @11:42AM
from the something-to-play-with dept.

javipas writes “An insightful article at Jeff Atwood’s Coding Horror reveals the power inside Ophcrack, an Open Source program that is capable of discovering virtually any password in Windows operating systems. The article explains how passwords get stored on Windows using hash functions, and how Ophcrack can generate immense tables of words and letter combinations that are compared to the password we want to obtain. The program is available in Windows, Mac OS and Linux, but be careful: the generated tables that Ophcrack uses are really big, and you should allow up to 15 Gbytes to store these tables.”

 

Thanks for reading.