On 23 October, carnivore keepers at Edinburgh Zoo announced the birth of an African Hunting Dog — a first for the zoo. The announcement coincides with the reopening of the hunting dog walkway, which keepers had closed to visitors in August as they suspected Jet, the pack’s non-dominant female, was pregnant — via ZooBorns
Three years ago, security consultant Dragos Ruiu was in his lab when he noticed something highly unusual: his MacBook Air, on which he had just installed a fresh copy of OS X, spontaneously updated the firmware that helps it boot. Stranger still, when Ruiu then tried to boot the machine off a CD ROM, it refused. He also found that the machine could delete data and undo configuration changes with no prompting. He didn’t know it then, but that odd firmware update would become a high-stakes malware mystery that would consume most of his waking hours.
In the following months, Ruiu observed more odd phenomena that seemed straight out of a science-fiction thriller. A computer running the Open BSD operating system also began to modify its settings and delete its data without explanation or prompting. His network transmitted data specific to the Internet’s next-generation IPv6 networking protocol, even from computers that were supposed to have IPv6 completely disabled. Strangest of all was the ability of infected machines to transmit small amounts of network data with other infected machines even when their power cords and Ethernet cables were unplugged and their Wi-Fi and Bluetooth cards were removed. Further investigation soon showed that the list of affected operating systems also included multiple variants of Windows and Linux.
We were like, ‘Okay, we’re totally owned,’
Ruiu told Ars. ‘We have to erase all our systems and start from scratch,’ which we did. It was a very painful exercise. I’ve been suspicious of stuff around here ever since.
In the intervening three years, Ruiu said, the infections have persisted, almost like a strain of bacteria that’s able to survive extreme antibiotic therapies. Within hours or weeks of wiping an infected computer clean, the odd behaviour would return. The most visible sign of contamination is a machine’s inability to boot off a CD, but other, more subtle behaviours can be observed when using tools such as Process Monitor, which is designed for troubleshooting and forensic investigations.
Another intriguing characteristic: in addition to jumping airgaps
designed to isolate infected or sensitive machines from all other networked computers, the malware seems to have self-healing capabilities — via redwolf.newsvine.com
The story of Detroit is a familiar one for anyone living in the so-called rust belt of the USA, where the once-mighty automotive manufacturing industries have left many towns and cities shadows of their former selves. Now bankrupt, Detroit’s population has halved over the last fifty years. No one actually knows just how many buildings are abandoned, but it is estimated at over 1/3 of all structures. In the midst of this urban decay, farming has started to fill the hole left by industry.
Local businessman John Hantz just bought 600,000 square meters of land from the city of Detroit with an option to buy an additional 700,000, promising to demolish all the existing (abandoned) buildings, clean up the land, and plant hardwood trees. The Bank of America announced plans to demolish 100 homes and donate the land to urban agriculture. They’re not alone, as other small-scale urban farmers are adapting what’s left of the city to meet their needs. Detractors are quick to point out that urban farming will never be a large-scale, mass-produced operation that could compete with big agriculture, but urban farmers have a different goal in mind. Greg Willerer of Detroit says that he isn’t trying to save the world, just to save his city — via redwolf.newsvine.com
In the middle of the night on 9 October, Kidogo the Southern White Rhinoceros gave birth to a healthy male calf at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, the third birth of this species in the zoo’s history. Now just a few weeks old, the calf, which has been named Khari
(K-har-E), an African name meaning king like
, is already romping in the Rhino yard’s mud puddles — via ZooBorns
Hoping to take slow TV
to a new level, Norway’s public broadcaster will air 12 hours of knitting from Friday night, complete with needle tips and a how-to on knitting a cover for a Harley Davidson motorbike.
Broadcaster NRK, a veteran in quirky programming, will also feature an attempt to break a world sheep-shearing record currently held by an Australian shearing group.
We’ll dive deep into the world of knitting, then from midnight, we’ll turn down the pace, if that’s even possible,
Rune Moeklebust, a producer for public television NRK, said.
We’ll watch the arm of a sweater get longer and longer; it will be fascinating… but pretty strange TV
— via redwolf.newsvine.com
Cyber-espionage groups are too numerous to count and are often far less skilled than their reputation suggests, according to threat-trackers.
Costin Raiu, director of global research at Kaspersky Lab, estimated that anything between 100 to 200 hacking crews operate in China alone.
Despite the hype abut zero-day attacks, many successful assaults relied on rudimentary attacks that successfully took advantage of poor patching practices and other rudimentary security mistakes, Raiu said during a panel session at the RSA Europe Conference — via redwolf.newsvine.com
The strongest driver for free software adoption in a public administration? Fear of layoffs.
If you don’t believe it, ask the autonomous province of South Tyrol, in Northern Italy. The local government has just begun implementing a plan that will have most public sector organisations in the region using LibreOffice by 2016. Really.
And why did they do it? Because the austerity measures passed by the national government meant the region was left facing a €16m cut to its personnel budget. In order to avoid cutting employees (or, more likely, their pay), management and unions had to find a creative solution. Which they did: a mass migration from Microsoft Office to an open source equivalent.
The savings are mandatory, so it was either us or the proprietary software,
said Erwin Pfeifer, not entirely joking. Pfeifer is a member of the autonomous province’s IT department and one of the people managing the project — via redwolf.newsvine.com
Diagram of Gypsy’s favourite sleeping positions. (Blanket removed for the sake of clarity) — via Emlz Art
Halloween at Big Cat Rescue. Watch Lions, Tigers, Leopards and more destroy their pumpkins, bats and spiders — via Youtube
Step right up and see the most fantastical unisex tee around! Featuring a bright-red print of an octopus overtaking a classic carnival, this heathered, charcoal-black top is both adorable and full of amusement. Pair it with comfy denim, classic wayfarers, and a colourful backpack, and set out to make a splash with your fair style — via Mod Cloth
I could be wrong, but I’d venture to guess there is more nonsense and misinformation about the flu vaccine than any other vaccine out there. Perhaps it’s because it’s a once-a-year vaccine, so that cyclical nature brings out new myths each year. Or maybe it’s because it’s for an illness that many people have had, even more than once, and survived, so they mistakenly assume a vaccine is unnecessary. Whatever the reasons, I’ve decided a comprehensive post addressing every myth I’ve been able to find is long overdue. I plan to update this post as necessary, and I’ll likely republish it each year as a reference — via Red Wine & Apple Sauce
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has described the previous Labor Federal Government’s attempt to extend fibre broadband to most Australian homes and businesses as wacko
, despite the fact that Labor’s Fibre to the Premises model is seen as the long-term future of most fixed telecommunications networks globally.
Under Labor’s NBN policy, some 93 percent of Australian premises were to have received fibre directly to the premise, delivering maximum download speeds of up to 1Gbps and maximum upload speeds of 400Mbps. The remainder of the population was to have been served by a combination of satellite and wireless broadband, delivering speeds of up to 25Mbps.
Originally, the Coalition’s policy was to have seen fibre to the premises deployed to a significantly lesser proportion of the population — 22 percent — with 71 percent covered by fibre to the node technology, where fibre is extended to neighbourhood nodes
and the remainder of the distance to premises covered by Telstra’s existing copper network. The Coalition’s policy was also continue to use the HFC cable network operated by Telstra and will also target the remaining 7 percent of premises with satellite and wireless.
However, the possibility of a different style of rollout has been raised by Turnbull in the several weeks since the Liberal MP became Communications Minister. In late September, Turnbull appeared to have drastically modified the Coalition’s policy stance on the NBN just weeks after the Federal Election, declaring the Coalition was not wedded to its fibre to the node model and was thoroughly open-minded
about the technology to be used in the network. NBN Co is currently conducting a strategic review into its operations and model that will inform Turnbull’s decisions regarding the project’s future.
However, in a new interview with the Washington Post published this week, Abbott directly stated that Labor’s FTTP model was irrational — via redwolf.newsvine.com
An octopus — via deviantART
— via Youtube
It was a week in which the future of the monarchy looked even more secure, thanks to the Royal christening.
But unbeknownst to members of the Royal family cooing over Prince George, another event has shaken the foundations of the British monarchy to their very core.
An urban fox attacked and killed two ravens in the Tower of London where, according to superstition, there must be six of the birds or else the monarchy, the kingdom and the Tower itself will fall.
The unfortunate ravens, Jubilee and Grip, were snatched and eaten just before they were due to be locked up in their cages overnight — via redwolf.newsvine.com
A study on the impact of climate change on Nebraska, recently approved by the state, may not be carried out — because its own scientists are refusing to be a part of it.
The problem, according to members of the governor-appointed Climate Assessment and Response Committee, is that the bill behind the study specifically calls for the researchers to look at cyclical
climate change. In so doing, it completely leaves out human contributions to global warming.
At a discussion yesterday, the Omaha World-Herald Bureau reports, Barbara Mayes, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, pointed out that cyclical
isn’t even a scientific term.
And it’s not just a misuse of language: State Senator Beau McCoy, who added the word to the bill, is a known climate denier. I don’t subscribe to global warming,
McCoy said during an earlier debate about the legislation. I think there are normal, cyclical changes.
At the meeting, a number of scientists stood up to declare that they refused to take part in the study — via redwolf.newsvine.com
On 21 October Twycross Zoo in the UK welcomed three South American Bush Dogs, the first litter of Bush Dog pups to be born at the zoo in almost a decade!
First time parents Japura and Aztec are doing a superb job caring for their new offspring. The pups have so far remained in their nest, but are now beginning to venture into their outdoor viewing area a few times a day as they explore their new surroundings — via ZooBorns
Baby Cthulhu doesn’t wait dreaming. He’s bright-eyed, curly-tentacled, and ready for your squeeing worship.
Cassia Harries of Monster Mind Sculpts made this little guy. She cast the original sculpture and will soon have an army of Cutethulhus available for sale — via io9
The new Coalition Federal Government has reportedly signalled plans to restart long-running talks between the telecommunications and content industries to deal with the issue of Internet piracy, despite the fact that a previous round of talks between the two sides under the previous Labor administration proved pointless.
The Australian newspaper reported this morning that the Attorney-General’s Department has sent letters to the nation’s top telcos and content creators seeking their participation in a series of industry roundtables to resolve the online piracy issue as a matter of urgency
.
It is not yet clear precisely what new Attorney-General George Brandis or the Attorney-General’s Department is seeking from the talks. as neither has issued a statement on the issue. Delimiter has filed a Freedom of Information request this morning with the department seeking the text of any letters sent by Brandis or the Department to telcos on the issue since Brandis took office. In addition, comment is being sought from Brandis on the issue — via redwolf.newsvine.com
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