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Slashback: Dilemma, Privacy, Chess

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the lobsters-beware-we're-coming-for-you dept.

Slashback tonight with updates on Deep Fritz, the interaction of Microsoft service packs and privacy laws, and the view from the shuttle tank-cam, and a depressing update on the Nissan squatting case. Read on for the details.

Front-row seats. zer0vector writes "The previously mentioned camera that was attached to the external fuel tank on Atlantis gave some great shots of launch this afternoon on NASA TV. During the feed, it looked like the ejection of the solid rocket boosters damaged or obscured the camera, leading to a fuzzy image during the fuel tank separation stage."

SkyNet has not yet achieved consciousness. DrEnter writes "According to this Yahoo article, Vladimir Kramnik has defeated 'Deep Fritz' (apparently the world's most powerful chess computer) to take the lead, 2.5-0.5 (the first game was a draw). You can find out more details at the contest site."

Damned if you do, but also if you don't. cybaea writes "A recent article in InfoWorld argues that the latest Windows 2000 and Windows XP Service Packs may be illegal for health care providers under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. To make matters worse, not installing the Service Packs may also be illegal. Damned if you do, damned if you don't ..."

Dad, please switch to a real operating system. It's still spreading. deego writes " An e-mail-borne computer virus that lets crackers control infected Windoze machines remotely continues to spread and constitutes the most severe attack this year. The worm, known as W32.Bugbear, or I-Worm.Tanatos, infects computers that use Microsoft's Windows operating systems. It was first spotted a week ago and has spread to dozens of countries. Article here."

Please sit down first. calib0r writes "CNN.com is running an article on the most recent events dealing with the nissan.com lawsuit. Salon.com ran an article about this a few months ago. More information can also be found here."

8 of 340 comments (clear)

  1. What a deal... by LaDanserie · · Score: 5, Funny

    Kramnik gets $1,000,000 if he wins, $800,000 if he draws, and $600,000 if he loses. I knew I wasn't spending all that time on Yahoo! Chess for nothing...

    1. Re:What a deal... by unicron · · Score: 5, Funny

      The people behind Deep Fritz are paying him to go down in the 4th.

      --
      Finally, math books without any of that base 6 crap in them.
    2. Re:What a deal... by targo · · Score: 5, Funny

      It is actually $1m-$700k-$500k.
      But the interesting fact is that for Fritz these numbers are $500k-$300k-$0(zero).
      I guess that even though computers are getting close to humans when playing chess, humans are still way better negotiators ;)

      --
      When men used to be men
    3. Re:What a deal... by timeOday · · Score: 5, Funny

      Is that a lot? Tyson got $17 million for losing.

  2. Re:Chess by Zeinfeld · · Score: 5, Funny
    It's laughable to say that Deep Fritz is the strongest computer programme - Deep Blue (that defeated Kasparov) evaluated 200 million positions per second compared to Deep Fritz's 3-4 million. Deep Blue was running on an IBM-made supercomputer. Fritz isn't.

    Deep Blue has been broken up and sold off in bits. It was not so much a computer as a temporary assembly of parts. So Deep Fritz would be the strongest living chess computer. After all we don't expect Kasparov to beat dead grandmasters.

    I think that it is time to introduce weight categories like they have in boxing. So neither competitor would be allowed to weigh more than 1000 pounds. Otherwise the game is a bit like watching an industrial robot beat the crap out of Mike Tyson, OK so it might be fun to watch but it is not real sport.

    --
    Looking for an Information Security student project suggestion?
    Try http://dotcrimeManifesto.com/
  3. Bugbear by Henry+V+.009 · · Score: 5, Funny

    There is no way to save users from themselves. If a sizable part of the population need to use computers, there will always be a significant number of those who do stupid things from them. These problems will continue no matter how secure Windows becomes. These problems will occur on any software platform that is simple enough for the general population to use.

    Actually, with a certain class of user, Windows' automatic updates make Windows more secure than Linux. Amoung windows users, that class is rather large. We may see less of the Code Red Viruses, but the Shoot Yourself in the Foot Viruses will continue.

    Linux does have one advantage though. It is intensely hard to install programs for Linux. It is so complicated that it is very hard to automate. And as long as users have to install viruses by hand, and download the correct libraries to get them to run, you can be sure that Linux users won't have to worry much about a Linux virus spreading like wildfire across the net.

  4. Re:The most worrying thing... by unicron · · Score: 5, Funny

    Would you prefer Linux? Immensely stable but they keep having to re-administer the anasthesia because you keep waking up while your neurosurgeon reads the FAQ?

    --
    Finally, math books without any of that base 6 crap in them.
  5. Re:Nissan.... by chriso11 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Maybe the U.S. Constitution should be changed to something like:
    "We, the Corporations of the United States (and other countries), in order to have a more perfect customer base, establish commerce, insure domestic profits, provide for our CEOs, promote the use of tax shelters, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

    --
    No, I don't trust in god. He'll have to pay up front, like everybody else.