Online codebreaking enthusiasts working to solve a series of German World War II ciphers have cracked the second of three codes. Thousands of users around the world have joined the M4 Project, using spare computing power to crack the codes — via BBC News
European Data Protection Supervisor Peter Hustinx criticised governments’ fondness for biometrics to identify citizens and warned that greater interoperability of databases may have serious implications for people
Telstra yesterday officially launched a free blogging service to broadband customers of its retail BigPond arm
Nanotechnology has restored the sight of blind rodents, a new study shows. After injecting the hamsters with a solution containing nanoparticles, the nerves re-grew and sight returned — via BBC News
Up to one million litres of oil have leaked from a damaged pipeline in Alaska’s North Slope, the worst spill in the region’s history. The leak, apparently caused by metal corrosion, was detected March 2 in the United States’ largest oil field in Prudhoe Bay, which lies about 1,040 kilometres north of Alaska’s biggest city, Anchorage
Rosuvastatin, a drug that reduces cholesterol, has been found to turn the clock back
in narrowed arteries, a discovery that could prevent heart attacks and strokes in thousands of people
New versions of Ubuntu Linux have been released at a steady six-month cadence, but project founder Mark Shuttleworth is considering a six week delay to improve the reliability of an important new version
A recent virus-definition update from security firm McAfee incorrectly flagged several applications as viruses, even removing the core Microsoft Excel executable from some users’ computers
In another blow to the reputation of the agency that just can’t seem to get anything right, the Chicago Tribune used web searches and various commercial online databases to uncover a treasure trove of information about the CIA. The Tribune found the identities of over 2600 CIA employees (including an undisclosed number of covert operatives) as well as the locations of over two dozen CIA facilities across the US, internal telephone numbers, and information on 17 aircraft
A family of animals known as Diatomyidae thought to have been dead for 11 million years has been discovered in Laos. Fossilised remnants of this group have been found throughout Asia with a distinctive jaw structure and molars. It represents a rare opportunity to compare assumptions derived from the fossil record and an actual living specimen to determine overall accuracy of the techniques involved. This discovery also provides a compelling argument for preservation efforts in Southeast Asia
Automated phone system annoy the hell out of people, so it is a welcome relief to find GetHuman, which offers a list of hacks for getting to talk to a human faster. The Australian section is still in progress
Today, the possibility of being moved around by an outside force is more science than fiction, thanks to researchers at Nippon Telegraph and Telephone in Japan
iiNet will invest a further AU$15 million into expanding its ADSL2+ network which should increase its coverage to 90 percent of metropolitan Australia. The additional funding would allow the nation’s third largest ISP to install another 150 DSLAMs (DSL Access Multiplexers) in exchanges around Australia by January 2007
Australian scientists have uncovered what they believe are the earliest examples of Buddhist literature. Carbon dating of rare manuscripts from a private collection dubbed the Dead Sea scrolls of Buddhism
may reveal the religion’s ancient origins
An upcoming version of Firefox will include protection against phishing scams, using technology that might come from Google
Google’s official blog tells us that Google has acquired Writely, a collaborative word processor. To be clear, Writely is still in beta, and it’s far from perfect. Upholding our great user experience means everything to us, so we’re not accepting new registrations until we’ve moved Writely to Google’s software architecture. If you’re interested in giving us a try, we hope you’ll get on the waitlist so we can let you know when you’ll be able to try out Writely
Google is preparing to offer online storage to web users, creating a mirror image of data stored on consumer hard drives, according to company documents that were mistakenly released on the web
Cops in Orange County, California, have recently been issuing citations to public transit users who listen to music on headphones while riding the bus — via boingboing
Scientists at the University of Dublin have found a way to break down styrofoam, the bane of recyclers/composters everywhere. This could be a great step towards sustainability, but it does require the styrofoam to be heated first
Walter Soehnge, a retired Texas schoolteacher, and his wife had a little run in with the Department of Homeland Security. The crime? Paying off their credit card
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