Ahead of next week’s LLVM 6.0 feature freeze / code branching, the Clang C/C++ compiler front-end has picked up support for the concept of configuration files…
Source: Phoronix – LLVM Clang Gets Support For Configuration Files
Monthly Archives: December 2017
All 50 States Vote Yes On AT&T's $40 Billion Emergency Response Network FirstNet
AT&T will be providing dedicated broadband to first responders throughout the country: all 50 states, including Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, have opted into the company’s FirstNet program for universal emergency response communications. It’s considered a big win for AT&T, as the deal has effectively granted them prized LTE spectrum.
For AT&T, the victory provides a new source of revenue from local police and fire departments, who will presumably come to rely on FirstNet for their emergency communications. It also gets a serious boost in its spectrum, along with free cash from taxpayers. But for all of us, it seems billions of dollars will be spent to create a specialist comm channel, when existing technologies are more than up to the task of providing these highly reliable services.
Discussion
Source: [H]ardOCP – All 50 States Vote Yes On AT&T’s Billion Emergency Response Network FirstNet
Could We Reduce Data Breaches With Better Open Source Funding?
The CEO of Wireline — a cloud application marketplace and serverless architecture platform — is pushing for an open source development fund to help sustain projects, funded by an initial coin offering. “Developers like me know that there are a lot of weak spots in the modern internet,” he writes on MarketWatch, suggesting more Equifax-sized data breaches may wait in our future.
In fact, many companies are not fully aware of all of the software components they are using from the open-source community. And vulnerabilities can be left open for years, giving hackers opportunities to do their worst. Take, for instance, the Heartbleed bug of 2014… Among the known hacks: 4.5 million health-care records were compromised, 900 Canadians’ social insurance numbers were stolen. It was deemed “catastrophic.” And yet many servers today — two years later! — still carry the vulnerability, leaving whole caches of personal data exposed…
[T]hose of us who are on the back end, stitching away, often feel a sense of dread. For instance, did you know that much of the software that underpins the entire cloud ecosystem is written by developers who are essentially volunteers? And that the open-source software that underpins 70% of corporate America is vastly underfunded? The Heartbleed bug, for instance, was created by an error in some code submitted in 2011 to a core developer on the team that maintained OpenSSL at the time. The team was made up of only one full-time developer and three other part-timers. Many of us are less surprised that a bug had gotten through than that it doesn’t happen more often.
The article argues that “the most successful open-source initiatives have corporate sponsors or an umbrella foundation (such as the Apache and Linux foundations). Yet we still have a lot of very deeply underfunded open-source projects creating a lot of the underpinnings of the enterprise cloud.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – Could We Reduce Data Breaches With Better Open Source Funding?
This Creator Re-Shot The Last Jedi's Throne Room Scene in Fabulous Lego Stop-Motion
What can I say? I’m a sucker for good Lego art. And this, my friends, is fantastic Lego art.
Source: Gizmodo – This Creator Re-Shot The Last Jedi’s Throne Room Scene in Fabulous Lego Stop-Motion
Samsung Patent Hints at Modular All-in-One Desktop PC
Patently Apple has discovered a Samsung patent regarding a system that would allow its user to dock and pair swappable components, such as a display, speaker, or charging unit to form some kind of all-in-one PC. They say that these customizable systems will be the next big thing, but aren’t regular PCs already “modular” enough?
The modular desktop is going to be the trend to watch for over the next several years as Intel delivers next-gen 10nm and 7nm processors that will be able to deliver desktop power in all-in-one form factors like a modular desktop. For 80% of the consumer market, the tower-based desktops will be a thing of the past.
Discussion
Source: [H]ardOCP – Samsung Patent Hints at Modular All-in-One Desktop PC
Apple's iPhone Throttling Apology Tour Continues With Slash in Battery Replacement Price
Apple has slashed the price of replacement batteries for out-of-warranty iPhone models the company throttled earlier than expected, lowering the price from $79 to $29.
Source: Gizmodo – Apple’s iPhone Throttling Apology Tour Continues With Slash in Battery Replacement Price
GTA 5 Mod menu on ps3 rebug 4.81 DEX
hello everyone
can someone show me how to install gta menu mod on my 4.81 dex ps3 ??
Source: PS4 News – GTA 5 Mod menu on ps3 rebug 4.81 DEX
These Food-Based Pokémon Concepts Are Simply Delectable
Developer and illustrator PaperBeatsScissors has prepared an entire menu of tasty Pokémon creations over the past few weeks.
Source: Gizmodo – These Food-Based Pokémon Concepts Are Simply Delectable
Don't Throw Out Prepaid Debit Cards When They're Done
If you were gifted a prepaid debit card over the holidays, first, congratulations. Second, and I’m sorry I’m about to seemingly saddle you with clutter, but: save the card even when its balance is spent.
Source: LifeHacker – Don’t Throw Out Prepaid Debit Cards When They’re Done
Blockchain Brings Business Boom To IBM, Oracle, and Microsoft
An anonymous reader quotes Fortune’s new report on blockchain:
Demand for the technology, best known for supporting bitcoin, is growing so much that it will be one of the largest users of capacity next year at about 60 data centers that IBM rents out to other companies around the globe. IBM was one of the first big companies to see blockchain’s promise, contributing code to an open-source effort and encouraging startups to try the technology on its cloud for free. That a 106-year-old company like IBM is going all in on blockchain shows just how far the digital ledger has come since its early days underpinning bitcoin drug deals on the dark web. The market for blockchain-related products and services will reach $7.7 billion in 2022, up from $242 million last year, according to researcher Markets & Markets.
That’s creating new opportunities for some of the old warships of the technology world, companies like IBM and Microsoft Corp. that are making the transition to cloud services. And products that had gone out of vogue, such as databases sold by Oracle Corp., are becoming sexy again… In October, Oracle announced the formation of Oracle Blockchain Cloud Service, which helps customers extend existing applications like enterprise-resource management systems. A month earlier, rival SAP SE said clients in industries like manufacturing and supply chain were testing its cloud service. And on Nov. 20, Microsoft expanded its partnership with consortium R3 to make it easier for financial institutions to deploy blockchains in its Azure cloud. Big Blue, meanwhile, has been one of key companies behind the Hyperledger consortium, a nonprofit open-source project that aims to create efficient standards for commercial use of blockchain technology.
A Juniper Research survey found six in 10 larger corporations are considering blockchain, according to the article, which adds that blockchain “is increasingly being tested or used by companies such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Visa Inc. to streamline supply chain, speed up payments and store records.”
And because of blockchain’s popularity, the CEO of WinterGreen Research predicts that 55% of large companies with over 1,000 employees will use the cloud rather than their own data centers within five years — up from 17% today.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – Blockchain Brings Business Boom To IBM, Oracle, and Microsoft
Apple's $29 iPhone battery replacements are available a month early
Apple was only poised to offer discounted iPhone battery replacements to Americans in late January, but they’re already here. The company has issued a statement announcing that the $29 replacements are available today (December 30th) in the US for af…
Source: Engadget – Apple’s iPhone battery replacements are available a month early
Apple's Apology for Batterygate Didn't Go Far Enough
Despite apologizing twice for its battery fiasco, people aren’t convinced that Apple is any sorrier: publications such as USA Today are questioning why “the world’s most profitable company, a firm that paid CEO Tim Cook $102 million in salary and bonuses in 2017” has declined to offer replacement batteries free of charge.
Analyst Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights says Apple’s replacement battery costs less than $10. He estimates that only around 100,000 consumers will take up Apple on its offer. Even if the battery replacement was free, he says some 250,000 people would participate, the result of which would be “barely a blip to Apple’s earnings.”
Discussion
Source: [H]ardOCP – Apple’s Apology for Batterygate Didn’t Go Far Enough
NVIDIA Backdoor Allows for Homebrew Games on Nintendo Switch
Hackers at the 34C3 hacking conference in Germany have demonstrated how the security in the Nintendo Switch’s NVIDIA Tegra X1 GPU can be defeated, leading the way to unofficial programs and games for the console. While the actual exploit will not be released, a homebrew launcher is coming.
One of the highlights of the presentation is how the hackers leveraged the fact that the Nintendo Switch uses an “off the shelf” NVIDIA Tegra X1: a GPU that is well documented, and for which debugging hardware can also be officially acquired at reasonable prices. The X1 documentation, in particular, gave the hackers detailed information on how to bypass some security of the SMMU (System Memory Management Unit).
Discussion
Source: [H]ardOCP – NVIDIA Backdoor Allows for Homebrew Games on Nintendo Switch
Make Resolutions Without Moralizing
“Self-improvement” is a tricky framework for resolutions. We take the phrase for granted, but what is it really saying? That changing a lifestyle habit improves your very self? That implies moral value to your choices, labeling some habits intrinsically “good” and others “bad.” This ends up at the idea that your…
Source: LifeHacker – Make Resolutions Without Moralizing
Apple’s $29 iPhone Battery Replacement Program Accelerated, Available From Today
Following widespread criticism for reducing SoC frequency because of battery degradation, Apple announced plans to cut down the price of an out-of-warranty battery replacement for the iPhone 6 and newer models to $29 (from $79) throughout 2018. The battery swap program was expected to kick off early in 2018, but Apple has decided to initiate it immediately in the US, starting December 30. Later on, the company plans to update its iOS in early 2018 to give its customers a visibility of battery wear out and help them to decide whether they need a swap or not.
“We expected to need more time to be ready,” Apple said in a statement published by TechCrunch. “But we are happy to offer our customers the lower pricing right away. Initial supplies of some replacement batteries may be limited.”
Earlier this month Apple confirmed that it reduces the iPhone SoC frequency, among other things, as its battery capacity depreciates over time in order to avoid unexpected shutdowns from high current draw. The company claims that at times its processors demand a higher peak current than a degraded battery can provide. In particular, as batteries age (or are operated in a low temperature environment), the impedance grows and the ability to supply enough current at a stable voltage drops. Apple’s power management monitors a combination of the iPhone temperature, battery charge, and the battery’s impedance (the company does not say how it can monitor the impedance of a battery). Since all components require certain voltages and currents to operate, in a bid to avoid unexpected shutdowns, iOS reduces the SoC frequency and therefore reduces the performance of the smartphone until the power management IC finds it reasonable.
We have already published two stories covering the Apple battery fiasco, where we covered some additional details on the matter:
While an iPhone is guaranteed to make an emergency call, its aged battery may not provide required performance for all the third-party applications needed. In a bid to remedy the battery situation, Apple offers owners of the iPhone 6, 6S, SE and 7 in the US to install a new battery for $29, starting today. To do so, owners of the said iPhones will have to either send their smartphones to Apple, bring them to the company’s stores, or bring them to an Apple authorized service provider. The final details yet have to be published. Apple says that it usually takes 7-9 days to replace a battery, but if a large number of clients decide to replace their existing units straight away, the service will take longer and shortages of certain battery units may occur. It remains to be seen how Apple deals with its customers in Asia and Europe.
Sometimes early next year Apple intends to update its iOS to give their customers a clear understanding of the health of their iPhone’s batteries. This probably indicates that Apple will continue to lower performance of its SoCs going forward to prevent shutdowns, prolong battery life and guarantee phone operation in case of emergencies for all of its customers.
Source: AnandTech – Apple’s iPhone Battery Replacement Program Accelerated, Available From Today
In a Declining Comics Market, DC Beats Marvel
An anonymous reader quotes the Hollywood Reporter:
Looking at the most-ordered comic books in the North American comic market, DC Entertainment had a particularly strong year, with seven of the top 10 issues of the year being published by the home of Superman, Batman and the Justice League… just three years ago, not one DC title made it to the list, with nine titles coming from Marvel alone. (By comparison, Marvel takes just three places this year, with one of those due to its inclusion in a subscription mystery box service)… Perhaps surprisingly, the big winner of 2017 looking at the top 10 list is DC’s crossover between its DC Universe and Watchmen properties. The first issue of the Doomsday Clock series charted third â” and could end up higher on the final list for the year, depending on re-order numbers in December â” but all four issues of the prologue storyline “The Button,” from summer issues of Batman and The Flash, also made it into the top 10.
it’s worth noting that, across the board, order numbers for comics in the North American market fell 10 percent compared with last year. The market is shrinking, unless something turns it around soon… One last thing to note about the year’s top 10, and also the comic market as it currently exists in general: It’s probably time to stop pretending that mass media projects significantly impact comic book orders. In a year with Justice League, Wonder Woman, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Logan, Thor: Ragnarok and Spider-Man: Homecoming in theaters, there isn’t a Justice League, Wonder Woman, Guardians of the Galaxy, Wolverine, Thor or Spider-Man title in the top 10. Indeed, Marvel has just canceled the Guardians of the Galaxy comic book series.
Mavel had the most-ordered comic book of the year — Marvel Legacy No. 1 — though the article notes that all of its numbers are inevitably skewed by “ordering incentives put in place by publishers that require that a certain number of copies are ordered by stores in order to achieve a specific discount.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Source: Slashdot – In a Declining Comics Market, DC Beats Marvel
State Department releases emails from Clinton aide Huma Abedin
Source: Engadget – State Department releases emails from Clinton aide Huma Abedin
"Star Wars" Franchise Crosses $4 Billion, Eclipsing Disney's Lucasfilm Price
Was George Lucas crazy for selling Lucasfilm and the rights to Star Wars and Indiana Jones for “only” $4 billion? Perhaps he should have asked for more, as Disney has already managed to reap handsomely from the acquisition: the latest films have surpassed $4.06 billion in ticket sales at the worldwide box office.
The Lucasfilm purchase followed Disney’s 2009 acquisition of Marvel Entertainment and its 2006 purchase of Pixar, all engineered by Iger. The stable of companies, along with the studio’s own live-action division and Disney Animation, has propelled Disney to become the most successful film studio in Hollywood, led by chief Alan Horn.
Discussion
Source: [H]ardOCP – “Star Wars” Franchise Crosses Billion, Eclipsing Disney’s Lucasfilm Price
Trump Wants Postal Service to Charge "Much More" for Amazon Shipments
With the agency losing billions of dollars a year, the President thinks that the USPS should start charging Amazon more for utilizing its shipping services. The Postal Service is Amazon’s number one carrier, delivering “about 62 percent of Amazon packages, for about 3.5 to 4 million a day during the current peak year-end holiday shipping season.”
“Why is the United States Post Office, which is losing many billions of dollars a year, while charging Amazon and others so little to deliver their packages, making Amazon richer and the Post Office dumber and poorer? Should be charging MUCH MORE!” Trump wrote on Twitter. The U.S. Postal Service, which runs at a big loss, is an independent agency within the federal government and does not receive tax dollars for operating expenses.
Discussion
Source: [H]ardOCP – Trump Wants Postal Service to Charge “Much More” for Amazon Shipments
What to Play at 11:58 New Year's Eve to Start 2018 Off Right
Kicking off the new year by counting down from 10 is so 2016. Instead, this year why not count down the final moments of 2017 with something a little different… like a movie.
Source: LifeHacker – What to Play at 11:58 New Year’s Eve to Start 2018 Off Right