Group items tagged

News and feature lists of Linux and BSD distributions.

Boot to Gecko - a mobile OS by the Mozilla foundation

Some of the points are: 3. information falsitication The intention to cause errors in juridical relations by introducing, modifying, deleting or suppressing data or by producing non-genuine documents can lead to a fine of 120 to 600 days, or 5 years of jail. 4. Damage relative to programs or data Whoever does not have legal permission or the administrator's consent to delete, alter and impossibilitate utilisation of programs or data, will be punished with up to 3 years in jail or a fine. 5. electronic sabotage Whoever does not have legal permission or the administrator's consent to obstruct, interrupt of gravely disrupt the functioning of an information system through introduction of, alteration of, damaging of, or suppression of programs and data will be punished with up to 5 years in jail or a 600-day fine. 6. Ilegitimate access Whoever does not have legal permission or the administrator's consent and tries to access an IT system will be punished with up to 1 year in jail or a 120-day fine. Punishments also true for users who produce, sell or distribute a set of executable instructions destined to cause the aforementioned unauthorised actions. 7.Ilegitimate interception Whoever does not have legal permission or the administrator's consent and tries to intercept the transmission of data  will be punished with 3 years of jail.

Someone reportedly tampers with a demo iPhone 4S so that when a 12-year-old boy picks it up and asks Siri a question, she is not amused or amusing. She tells him to 'Shut the f*** up.' Read this blog post by Chris Matyszczyk on Technically Incorrect.

The main social and ethical issues are integrity of the system, security, and people and machines. Although I do not own an iPhone 4S, I would imagine it the product had been hacked and its set-up instructions had been reprogrammed by a user who is extremely knowledgeable on issues such as encryption and programming know-how. Perhaps because the iPhone referred to in the news story was a "demonstration" version, I suppose its encryption levels are not as powerful as the real product (Apple would have to invest less money in manufacturing). However, there is a much simpler explanation, according to "MacTrast" (http://www.mactrast.com/2011/12/siri-tells-twelve-year-old-to-shut-the-fck-up-after-pranksters-tamper-with-display-iphone/): Simply changing the name in the contact card by verbalising it (asking Siri "Call me (insert ridiculous statement here)") allows the user to tamper with the phrase voiced by Siri, without having to deal with complicated encryption or validation processes. This means the system itself is integral and works correctly, but the given primary contact's nickname is has been inappropriately altered. To solve this problem, the company should enforce the security of its demo versions of the Siri for iPhone 4S by impossibilitating a deliberate change of contact names and redistribute them across retailers.

Firefox: CPU usage problem

"Google tests cars that drive themselves"

This is a good system since cars that drive themselves will decrease danger in the road. They're programmed and don't have the problem of "drinking and driving" like humans do. This is an advantage because it will reduce danger. Plus, it will increase time for leisure since people can be socializing with people or doing work instead of driving.

Here is a link to one of google's self driving cars. http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-02-24/tech/31094289_1_sergey-brin-google-car