Ask Slashdot: How Does One Verify Hard Drive Firmware?
In light of recent revelations from Kaspersky Labs about the Equation Group and persistent hard drive malware, I was curious about how easy it might be to verify my own system's drives to see if they were infected. I have no real reason to think they would be, but I was dismayed by the total lack of tools to… Read More »
Posted on 1 March 2015 | 4:37 amGenetic Data Analysis Tools Reveal How US Pop Music Evolved
The history of pop music is rich in anecdotes, folklore and controversy. But despite the keen interest, there is little in the form of hard evidence to back up most claims about the evolution of music. Now a group of researchers have used data analysis tools developed for genomic number crunching to study the evolution of U.S.… Read More »
Posted on 1 March 2015 | 1:28 amFoxconn Factories' Future: Fewer Humans, More Robots
Foxconn, which supplies much of Apple's manufacturing muscle and has been criticized for various labor sins, is now moving to hire employees who won't complain because they're robots. The company expects 70 percent of its assembly line work to be robot-driven within three years. Read more of this story at Slashdot.… Read More »
Posted on 28 February 2015 | 10:33 pmUber Discloses Database Breach, Targets GitHub With Subpoena
Uber has revealed a database breach from 2014. The company says the database contained names and diver's license numbers of their drivers, about 50,000 of which were accessed by an unauthorized third party. As part of their investigation into who was behind the breach, Uber has filed a lawsuit which includes a… Read More »
Posted on 28 February 2015 | 7:30 pmOracle Sues 5 Oregon Officials For 'Improper Influence'
Following up on an earlier Slashdot story, the Oracle Corporation has filed a rather timely suit against five of former governor John Kitzhaber's staff for their "improper influence" in the decision to shutter the Cover Oregon healthcare website, while blaming Oracle to defuse the political consequences. Oracle argues the website… Read More »
Posted on 28 February 2015 | 6:33 pmAs Big As Net Neutrality? FCC Kills State-Imposed Internet Monopolies
On Thursday, before it voted in favor of "net neutrality," the Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 to override state laws in Tennessee and North Carolina that have barred local governments and public utilities from offering broadband outside the areas where they have traditionally sold electricity. Christopher Mitchell… Read More »
Posted on 28 February 2015 | 5:28 pm