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First time accepted submitter Nick Fel writes "As the UK nears the end of a lengthy digital TV switch-over, the sale of the analogue TV spectrum for 4G mobile phones will disrupt digital TV in almost a million homes. Affected homes will be issued with a filter or required to upgrade to satellite or cable, and in extreme cases may be granted funding to find their own solution."

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alphadogg writes "U.S. Internet service providers should take new steps to protect subscribers against cyber attacks, including notifying customers when their computers are compromised, the chairman of the FCC said Wednesday. Julius Genachowski called on ISPs to notify subscribers whose computers are infected with malware and tied to a botnet and to develop a code of conduct to combat botnets. Genachowski also called on ISPs to adopt secure routing standards to protect against Internet Protocol hijacking and to implement DNSSEC, a suite of security tools for the Internet's Domain Name System."

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An anonymous reader writes "Biologists have previously predicted that that the male sex-determining Y chromosome, which once carried around 800 genes, like the X, has lost hundreds of them over the past 300 million years, will mutate itself out of existence, leading to the eventual extinction of men. However, researchers of a study published in the latest issue of Nature found evidence to suggest that the Y chromosome will not shed anymore of the 19 ancestral genes that it is left with."

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mdsolar writes "The Nuclear Regulatory Commission today released transcripts and audio recordings made at the NRC Operations Center during last year's meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan. The release of these audio recordings comes at the request of the public radio program 'BURN: An Energy Journal,' and its host Alex Chadwick. The recordings show the inside workings of the U.S. government's highest level efforts to understand and deal with the unfolding nuclear crisis as the reactors meltdown. In the course of a week, the NRC is repeatedly alarmed that the situation may turn even more catastrophic. The NRC emergency staff discusses what to do — and what the consequences may be — as it learns that reactor containment safeguards are failing, and that spent fuel pools are boiling away their cooling water, and in one case perhaps catching fire."

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redletterdave writes "Business networking site LinkedIn acquired Rapportive on Wednesday, which is a Gmail add-on that provides information about your social contacts as you e-mail them. The deal was reportedly already in place by Dec. 8, but Rapportive confirmed the acquisition on Wednesday in its company blog. Rapportive, which is still available over Gmail, adds an e-mailer's social networking accounts, including their Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts, and overlays the information over open messages and e-mail drafts. Neither Rapportive nor LinkedIn would release the financial details of the acquisition, but sources close to the situation say the deal closed in the 'low teens' of millions of dollars."

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eldavojohn writes "As the presidential race heats up, the smear ads on TV are also increasing. But Microsoft isn't going to site idly by and let the politicians engage in all that song and dance — and Microsoft really does employ both song and dance. Their Youtube channel appears to be slowly transforming from trade show videos and launches into a marketing attack or propaganda campaign that only targets Google (both videos I've watched seemed to have nothing positive about Microsoft in them). Under a month ago, they launched a spoof called GMail man, a creepy guy that flips through all your GMail and serves up super personal ads that are wrong (although they never say if Hotmail engages in targeted marketing). And a few days ago Googlighting shows up to spread fear and uncertainty about Google Docs. Most amusing to this viewer was that I found no such trace of 'Googlighting' on Bing's video service."

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First time accepted submitter El Fantasmo writes "I work in public education, K-12, for a small, economically shaky, low performing school district. What are some good or effective tactics for getting budget controllers to stop bypassing the IT boss/department? We sometimes we end up with LOW end MS Win 7 Home laptops, that basically can't get on our network (internet only) or be managed. The purchaser refuses to return them for proper setups. Unfortunately, IT is currently under the 'asst. superintendent of curriculum and instruction,' who has no useful understanding of maintaining and acquiring IT resources and lets others make poor IT purchasing decisions, by bypassing the IT department, and dips into IT funds when their pet project budgets run low. How can this be reversed when you get commands like 'make it work' and the budget is effectively $0?"

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smolloy writes "It would appear that the hotly debated faster-than-light neutrino observation at CERN is the result of a fault in the connection between a GPS unit and a computer. This connection was used to correct for time delays in the neutrino flight, and after fixing the correction the researchers have found that the time discrepancy appears to have vanished."

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First time accepted submitter benrothke writes "It is said that the song Wipe Out launched a generation of drummers. In the world of information security, the classic Applied Cryptography: Protocols, Algorithms, and Source Code in C by Bruce Schneier may have been the book that launched a generation of new cryptographers. Schneier's latest work of art is Liars and Outliers: Enabling the Trust that Society Needs to Thrive. For those that are looking for a follow-up to Applied Cryptography, this it is not. In fact, it is hard to classify this as an information security title and in fact the book is marked for the current affairs/sociology section. Whatever section this book ultimately falls in, the reader will find that Schneier is one of the most original thinkers around." Keep reading for the rest of Ben's review.

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tsu doh nimh writes "Millions of computers infected with the stealthy and tenacious DNSChanger Trojan may be spared a planned disconnection from the Internet early next month if a New York court approves a new request by the U.S. government. Meanwhile, six men accused of managing and profiting from the huge collection of hacked PCs are expected to soon be extradited from their native Estonia to face charges in the United States."

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itwbennett writes "Google's new privacy policy will consolidate all your data at google.com — unless you erase it first. And today is your last day to do it. The change goes into effect tomorrow. Which is why the helpful folks at EFF have posted some simple instructions showing how to delete your web history at Google."

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First time accepted submitter RenderSeven writes "Manufacturing .NET reports that U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials plan to investigate whether inhalable caffeine sold in lipstick-sized canisters is safe for consumers and if its manufacturer was right to brand it as a dietary supplement. AeroShot went on the market late last month in Massachusetts and New York, and it's also available in France. Consumers put one end of the canister in their mouths and breathe in, releasing a fine powder that dissolves almost instantly."

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YokimaSun writes "Sony have today released the PSVita in the USA and Europe, the console comes with features such as dual touch pads at the front and rear, dual cameras at the front and rear, dual analog sticks, a 5-inch OLED screen, GPS, six-axis motion sensors and a three-axis electronic compass. The PSVita is Sony's attempt at stealing the thunder away from the 3DS but also bringing back the gamers lost to the likes of Android and IOS Devices. The PSVita in japan sold massively on its first release week but since has struggled and sold less than the PSP. With this in mind sites like Amazon have been offering many different deals to entice people to buy the console. Can Sony stop homebrewers from taking over this console?"

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New submitter rescrv writes "Key-value stores (like Cassandra, Redis and DynamoDB) have been replacing traditional databases in many demanding web applications (e.g. Twitter, Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, and others). But for the most part, the differences between existing NoSQL systems come down to the choice of well-studied implementation techniques; in particular, they all provide a similar API that achieves high performance and scalability by limiting applications to simple operations like GET and PUT. HyperDex, a new key-value store developed at Cornell, stands out in the NoSQL spectrum with its unique design. HyperDex employs a unique multi-dimensional hash function to enable efficient search operations — that is, objects may be retrieved without using the key (PDF) under which they are stored. Other systems employ indexing techniques to enable search, or enumerate all objects in the system. In contrast, HyperDex's design enables applications to retrieve search results directly from servers in the system. The results are impressive. Preliminary benchmark results on the project website show that HyperDex provides significant performance improvements over Cassandra and MongoDB. With its unique design, and impressive performance, it seems fittng to ask: Is HyperDex the start of NoSQL 2.0?"

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judgecorp writes "Microsoft has filed a complaint with the European Commission complaining that Motorola Mobility is charging too much for use of its patented technology in phones and tablets. The complaint follows a similar one by Apple last week, and will need to be resolved by Google as it takes charge of Motorola Mobility."

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ABC News
Santorum takes heavy fire in Arizona Republican debate
Reuters
By Steve Holland and Tim Gaynor | MESA, Arizona (Reuters) - Rivals piled criticism on US presidential candidate Rick Santorum at a testy debate on Wednesday, attempting to blunt his surprise surge at a pivotal period in the Republican race.
Romney, Seeking Traction, Duels With SantorumNew York Times
GOP presidential debate: Winners and LosersCBS News
Republican debate: Rick Santorum comes off looking 'like a fourth-place candidate'New York Daily News
The Associated Press -Fox News
all 3,121 news articles »

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USA TODAY
Va. Gov. McDonnell calls for amendments to ultrasound bill
CBS News
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, who staunchly opposes abortion rights, is objecting to a bill mandating that women receive ultrasounds before having an abortion, and has requested the bill be amended to "explicitly state that no woman in Virginia will ...
Abortion bill falters as Virginia governor backs awayThe Virginian-Pilot
UPDATE 2-Virginia Gov. shifts on abortion bill; revised measure passesChicago Tribune
Virginia Gov. shifts on abortion bill; revised measureReuters
New York Times -Washington Post -Roanoke Times
all 1,201 news articles »

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New York Daily News
Ex-UVA Student Huguely Guilty of Murdering Yeardley Love
BusinessWeek
By Bonnie V. Winston and Tom Schoenberg Feb. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Former University of Virginia lacrosse player George W. Huguely V was found guilty of second degree murder in the beating death of his sometimes girlfriend, Yeardley Love, a 22-year-old UVA ...
Jury: 26 Years Total for Former U.Va. Lax PlayerABC News
Jury: 26 years total for former US lax playerThe Associated Press
Ex-lacrosse player at UVA convicted of murderingReuters
Chicago Tribune
all 1,365 news articles »

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Keen News Service
Federal judge rules government cannot deny health benefits to same-sex spouses
Fox News
SAN FRANCISCO ? A federal judge in San Francisco ruled Wednesday that the US government cannot deny health benefits to the wife of a lesbian court employee by relying on the 1996 law that bars government recognition of same-sex unions.
Bay Area couple wins case against federal same-sex marriage lawSan Jose Mercury News
US District Court Judge Rules DOMA UnconstitutionalOutcome Buffalo
Defense of Marriage Act ruled unconstitutional by judgeSun-Sentinel

all 250 news articles »

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USA TODAY
Many mark Ash Wednesday
Washington Post
Washington area residents attended churches and other religious services on Ash Wednesday, which is the first day of Lent. For the faithful, placing ashes on the forehead is viewed as a sign of penitence. The Rev. Emanuel Lipscomb of Zion Baptist ...
?Ashes to Go'' offered at Beverly train stationBoston Globe
SC Ash Wednesday services in York County begin Lent season for ChristiansThe Herald | HeraldOnline.com
Lent: A 40-day invitation to transformationAsbury Park Press
Taunton Daily Gazette -MSU State News -Norwich Bulletin
all 894 news articles »

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BBC News
Argentina train crash in Buenos Aires kills 49
BBC News
At least 49 people have been killed and more than 600 injured in the worst train crash in Argentina in 40 years, officials say. The train hit the end of the platform at Once station in the capital Buenos Aires during the morning rush hour.
Cause of Argentine train crash still unknownCBS News
Argentina: 49 dead, 600 injured in rail accidentHindustan Times
Argentine train slams into busy station, killing 49CTV.ca
Wall Street Journal
all 1,280 news articles »

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Bloomberg
Gillard Calls Australian Leadership Vote, Expects to Face Predecessor Rudd
Bloomberg
Enlarge image Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard Morne de Klerk/Getty Images Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard speaks at a news conference at the South Australian Parliament house in on February 23, ...
Resignation Sparks Australia Leadership FightWall Street Journal
Australian PM Calls Leadership VoteTIME
Carr, Ferguson say they're in the Rudd cornerABC Online
Sydney Morning Herald -CBS News -The Australian
all 6,420 news articles »

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Palm Beach Post
Wichita State downs Illinois State, claims MVC crown
Chicago Tribune
Normal, IL ? Joe Ragland paced four Wichita State players in double figures with 14 points as the Shockers took down Illinois State by a 68-55 count on Wednesday to lock up the Missouri Valley Conference title. Garrett Stutz had a double-double with 12 ...
Illinois State loses 68-55 to No. 19 Wichita StateSan Francisco Chronicle
Wichita State beats Ill. State to clinch MVC titleCBSSports.com

all 228 news articles »

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Bloomberg
Voluntary guidelines for Web privacy backed by Obama administration
Washington Post
The Obama administration on Thursday plans to announce voluntary guidelines for Web companies to protect consumers' privacy online, a win for Google, Facebook and other Internet giants that have fought against heavier federal mandates.
Web Firms to Adopt 'No Track' ButtonWall Street Journal
Obama Looks to Web Industry for Online Consumer Privacy StandardBusinessWeek
White House Pushes for New Privacy Codes of ConductPCWorld
Fox News -New York Times -USA TODAY
all 73 news articles »

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Boston.com
Mobile applications to post privacy policies before installation under ...
Washington Post
SAN FRANCISCO ? California is clamping down on nosy mobile applications, telling them they must give people advance warning if they want to keep pulling sensitive information from smartphones and computer tablets. The crackdown comes six months after ...
Online privacy policies come under scrutinyLos Angeles Times
Calif. pledges better mobile privacy disclosuresSan Francisco Chronicle
Calif. cracks down on mobile privacyUSA TODAY

all 610 news articles »