Monthly Archives: January 2018

Dell is Considering a Sale To VMware in What May Be Tech's Biggest Deal Ever

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CNBC reports: Dell Technologies could emerge as a public company through a reverse-merger with VMware, the $60 billion cloud computing company it already controls, according to people familiar with the matter. The reverse merger, whereby VMware would actually buy the larger Dell, would then allow Dell to be traded publicly without going through a formal listing. It would also likely be the biggest deal in tech industry history, giving investors who backed Dell’s move to go private in 2013 a way to monetize their deal, while helping Dell pay down some of its approximately $50 billion debt.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.



Source: Slashdot – Dell is Considering a Sale To VMware in What May Be Tech’s Biggest Deal Ever

How to Keep Strava From Telling Everyone Where You Live

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Sharing your running and cycling routes is the whole point of using Strava—you can see whether you’re the fastest in your neighborhood at climbing that big hill, or take on a friend’s favorite running route to see how you compare. But this weekend, analyst Nathan Ruser pointed out that the app’s heatmap of popular…

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Source: LifeHacker – How to Keep Strava From Telling Everyone Where You Live

A Snake Swimming Around With A Decapitated Fish Head On Its Head

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This is a short video of what appears to be a garter snake swimming around with a decapitated fish head on its own. Why is it doing that? Presumably to sneak up on a school of fish wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing style and eat them all! You know, or not. Per herpetologist Emily Taylor:

“I can tell you that the snake definitely did not eat the rest of the fish. First, that fish it too big for the snake,” she said in an e-mail. “Second, snakes don’t take bites — they eat their meals whole.”

“Someone caught the fish and cleaned it, and threw the head back in the creek,” she said in an e-mail to Inverse. “The snake investigated the cut-off head, and may have found some loose bit of tissue (such as a gill) that it tried to eat but can’t separate from the rest of the head.”

I guess you could say that snake *putting on cool guy sunglasses* bit off more than it could chew. “Did you even read the quote? It just said that’s not what happened.” Well then *taking off cool guy sunglasses* I guess you could say that snake *immediately putting on cool guy sunglasses again* likes to smell fishy. “Give me those.” No, they’re mine!

Keep going for the whole video.

Source: Geekologie – A Snake Swimming Around With A Decapitated Fish Head On Its Head

The Racist Strain of 'Marijuana'

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You probably never called it “cannabis”: When you were growing up, you might have referred to it as “pot” or “weed” or “trees.” Whatever the name, the plant has become exponentially more mainstream since Colorado became the first state to pass laws allowing its recreational use in early 2014. Despite Attorney General…

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Source: Gizmodo – The Racist Strain of ‘Marijuana’

Intel's Never-Ending Spectre Saga Continues to Be a Hot Mess

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We’re nearly a month since The Register first revealed that every single major processor in devices today is subject to a series of harrowing security vulnerabilities known as Spectre and Meltdown. Today, in light of news that Intel informed foreign interests of the vulnerabilities before the US government, and that…

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Source: Gizmodo – Intel’s Never-Ending Spectre Saga Continues to Be a Hot Mess

Lenovo's Fingerprint Scanner Can Be Bypassed via a Hardcoded Password

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Lenovo has issued an update to address a vulnerability in its fingerprint scanner app that it ships with ThinkPad, ThinkCentre, and ThinkStation models running Windows 8.1 or older version of Windows. From a report: Fingerprint Manager Pro is an application developed by Lenovo that allows users to log into Windows machines and online websites by scanning one of their fingerprints using the fingerprint scanner embedded in selected Lenovo products. “A vulnerability has been identified in Lenovo Fingerprint Manager Pro,” said Lenovo in a security advisory published last week. “Sensitive data stored by Lenovo Fingerprint Manager Pro, including users’ Windows logon credentials and fingerprint data, is encrypted using a weak algorithm, contains a hard-coded password, and is accessible to all users with local non-administrative access to the system it is installed in,” the company said.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.



Source: Slashdot – Lenovo’s Fingerprint Scanner Can Be Bypassed via a Hardcoded Password

Metal Gear Survive Official PC System Requirements Released

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Metal Gear Survive is coming out next month on Steam, and today Konami has unveiled it’s official requirements. For minimum requirements they list an Intel Core i5-4460 , 4GB of RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 (2GB) graphics card. For recommended an i7-4790, 8GB of RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 graphics card. The game will also require 20GB of free hard drive space.



I wish that companies would take the hint from FarCry 5 and release system specs based on resolution and framerate. Although now that Kojima is gone it’s tough to say how many people will be buying Metal Gear Survive anyway.

METAL GEAR SURVIVE is a spin off from the main METAL GEAR SOLID V story that takes place in a strange alternative universe. Create your own character and learn to survive. Scavenge resources, craft weapons, build a base camp and explore the unknown while developing the survival skills necessary in this hostile environment.

Discussion

Source: [H]ardOCP – Metal Gear Survive Official PC System Requirements Released

Microbes Could Turn Human Waste Into Food For Astronauts

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Scientists have apparently developed a method of converting human waste into a potential food source that could be used by astronauts on missions to Mars and beyond. Using anaerobic digestion, microbes to break down solid and liquid waste, they created the protein and fat-rich substance.



Ew. I think if this becomes a thing you’re going to see the number of kids wanting to be astronauts plummet. The original paper is available here. Enjoy your lunch.

The microbe researcher at Pennsylvania State University added: “It’s a little strange, but the concept would be a little bit like Marmite or Vegemite, where you’re eating a smear of ‘microbial goo.”

Discussion

Source: [H]ardOCP – Microbes Could Turn Human Waste Into Food For Astronauts

Der8auer Gets Epyc Working on X399

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YouTuber and extreme overclocker De8auer has gotten an Epyc CPU working on an X399 Threadripper motherboard.. sort of. In his testing Der8auer has found that there is a single ID pin on Epyc that when covered, will allow you to partially boot an Epyc CPU. The BIOS stopped loading at memory checks, so a BIOS that is compatible with Epyc is required, but this proves that the sockets and pinouts are the same.





Quite amazing stuff. I have my doubts if a partner will ever release a BIOS that allows Epyc in an X399 motherboard, but it opens up possibilities for sure.

Discussion

Source: [H]ardOCP – Der8auer Gets Epyc Working on X399

Adjust Your Top Dishwasher Rack Height Like a God of Time and Space

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This is not a dream. The top rack of your dishwasher is (probably) adjustable. Whatever height you always left it at, that was only one of multiple options. Go, adjust it. Now you can fit your pans and platters in the bottom rack—or now you can fit tall glasses and crockery in the top rack. You can even remove the top…

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Source: LifeHacker – Adjust Your Top Dishwasher Rack Height Like a God of Time and Space

A packed grid of prototypes battles it at a record-breaking Daytona 24-hour race

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Source: Ars Technica – A packed grid of prototypes battles it at a record-breaking Daytona 24-hour race

Robotic Exotic Dancers Make Debut At Las Vegas Gentlemen's Club

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Two robotic exotic dancers (previously seen here), seriously named #R2DoubleD and #TripleCPU, made their strip club debut at the Sapphire Gentlemen’s Club in Las Vegas earlier this month during CES 2018. No word if they garnered any tips besides, “Get off the stage and back on the assembly line!”

A rep for the club tells Metro that the robots will be “set up on stage and electronically gyrate/dance around the pole, during which human entertainers will also be performing normally around them.”

That sounds like a terrible time. I don’t care how good the buffet might have been, I would not have payed money to see that. And if I had accidentally paid money to see that I would definitely demand a refund, which they blatantly refused before kicking me out.

Keep going for a video demonstration of all the opposite of fun to be had. Note: video contains some human footage too so might not be suitable for work.

Source: Geekologie – Robotic Exotic Dancers Make Debut At Las Vegas Gentlemen’s Club

UK to fine companies up to £17 million for cybersecurity lapses

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The UK government will fine companies in “critical industries” up to £17 million if they have woefully inadequate cybersecurity defences. The penalty system is a response to an EU directive, passed in August 2016, that was drawn up to ensure it…

Source: Engadget – UK to fine companies up to £17 million for cybersecurity lapses