Slashback: Dry Mars, Wet Doc, Keyboard Teaser

Slashback tonight brings some corrections, clarifications, and updates to previous Slashdot stories, including a possible release date for the long awaited Optimus keyboard, yet another extension in the Blackberry court case, lakebed theory on Mars possibly all wet, US-CERT statistics perhaps not all they are cracked up to be, stem cell investigation reveals papers were faked, the FTC objects to the Netflix settlement, and a new Crossover Office fixes the WMF exploit among other things. Read on for details.

Optimus keyboard may have a real release date? Jacket writes to tell us that the much talked about Optimus keyboard has a suggestive message on their website. With "Good things come in small packages February 1, 2006" could it be possible that this holy grail (for some) keyboard could be available in our near future?

Yet another delay for Blackberry court case. ahsile writes "TheGlobeandMail.com is reporting that 'NTP Inc., the company suing Research in Motion Ltd over the Blackberry e-mail service, wants more time to respond to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's preliminary rejections of its patents.'

Lakebed theory on Mars all wet? Sensible Clod writes "The Meridiani Planum region on Mars, long believed to have been covered with water millions of years ago, may not have been so wet after all, according to a new study from the University of Colorado at Boulder. From the article: 'The new study indicates chemical signatures in the bedrock, interpreted...as evidence for widespread, intermittent water at Mars' surface, may have instead been created by the reaction of sulfur-bearing steam vapors moving up through volcanic ash deposits. Known as Meridiani Planum, the region may have been more geologically similar to volcanic regions in parts of North America, Hawaii or Europe.'"

US-CERT statistics not all they are cracked up to be? jtshaw writes "Tectonic has an interesting article about the latest US-CERT stats. The actual vulnerabilities for a hand full of OS's after wading through the data: Microsoft Windows - 44, Apple Mac OS X - 21, IBM AIX - 21, HP-UX - 15, SCO Unix - 9, Red Hat Linux - 7, Suse Linux - 12, Debian Linux - 10, Gentoo Linux - 5, FreeBSD - 13, NetBSD - 2. It appears to me that commercial unix systems and open source *nix systems did pretty well compared to Windows on the vulnerability front."

Stem cell papers, confirmed fakes. An anonymous reader writes "The committee created to investigate stem cell researcher Hwang Woo Suk has confirmed that his first and second papers were faked. 'dashing hopes that his work is a breakthrough in treatments for diabetes and Parkinson's disease. [...] The panel backed Hwang's claim that he cloned the world's first dog.'"

FTC objects to Netflix settlement. AtariDatacenter writes "Although some question the validity of a recent lawsuit against Netflix, many users were up in arms about the terms of the settlement, which seemed like more of a marketing gimmick. Today, we learned that The Federal Trade Commission agreed, and asked the judge to reject the terms of the settlement."

New Crossover Office fixes,among other things, WMF exploit. ubuntuincleelum writes "Just on the heels of the announcement of new WMF security vulnerabilities Codeweavers is releasing Crossover Office 5.0.1. A bugfix release, this release features a fix for the original WMF bug. Among the changes in this release: Improved support for Gnome, improvements in Debian packaging and improvements in general for operability on Debian and Debian Derivatives."

Comments

Optimus

[iMaple]

Optimus keyboard may have a real release date

Its highly unlikely that they will release a product by 1 Feb (a a resonable price , say $500). The price of high res OLED displays (required for each key!) is simple too expensive even now. Maybe we will see that in 2007. Notice that their site does not have a clear release date (which it would to hype up the launch).

Re:Optimus

[ecryder]

Check this FAQ on artlebedev http://www.artlebedev.com/portfolio/optimus/answer s/ "...less than a good mobile phone"

Re:Optimus

[Tim Browse]

It will most likely use the OLED technology (e-paper is sooo slow).

Yeah, because I know I demand my keytop displays to be locked to a 60fps update, otherwise it breaks the illusion.

Re:Optimus

[Crudely_Indecent]

OK, 1 joke and 2 serious notes.

Has anyone considered the ramifications of the "BLUE KEYBOARD OF DEATH" scenario when Windows halts with a BSOD.

My first serious note is; Why hasn't Apple jumped on this like stink-on-poo. This seems like an item that would be right up their alley.

Second; Depending on the SDK, of course, imagine writing applications that can modify the keyboard based on available program options.

Scenario: Using `less`, the left and right keys are dimmed while the up arrow is red (indicating that you're at the top of the document) and the down arrow is flashing green with a number (indicating the number of rows remain in the document.) As you scroll down, the remaining lines decrease.

If this gets popular, how long 'til spam infiltrates your keyboard? Where's my backspace key.....what the... \/1@6®/\

Re:Optimus

[shaka]

My first serious note is; Why hasn't Apple jumped on this like stink-on-poo. This seems like an item that would be right up their alley.

My thoughts exactly. I must admit I'm a bit frustrated that even geeks who like the idea of this keyboard doesn't seem to view it as more than a cute toy. I think it might revolutionize human-computer interaction (I explain this in more detail below). Imagine the new Mac Book Pro with a keyboard like this, and application support in every Apple application...

Scenario: Using `less`, the left and right keys are dimmed while the up arrow is red (indicating that you're at the top of the document) and the down arrow is flashing green with a number (indicating the number of rows remain in the document.) As you scroll down, the remaining lines decrease.

While this is cute (and I would love it), it's not good enough.

Scenario: When you point your mouse at a text-input area (such as the one I'm typing in right now), the keyboard is a regular keyboard with a few cool shortcuts. When you're done typing, and click at the browser area (in which you can't type), it all changes. Suddenly, keys are instead shortcuts to Reload, Back, Home, this type of stuff. The "/" key is a magnifying glass, and when you press it, you get your regular keyboard to indicate that you can enter text to search in the page.

While surfing, the Email-key on your keyboard starts pulsating with an envelope, indicating that new mail has arrived (Biff in your keyboard baby!). You switch focus to your MUA, and the keyboard buttons transform into icons for Reply, Forward, Write new, Next unread message... You reply to the new message, and voilà, there's your regular keys again.

When you're done, the IM key starts blinking... Well, you get my drift.

So, what does this change in your UI? Well, for starters, we can finally get rid of all these space hogging, most often ugly, shortcut tool-/buttonbars. All of this functionality will instead be available in the keyboard. Learning shortcuts in a new application will be a breeze - the first times you're using it, the keys show what they mean, and after a while, you have it in your fingers and can make all keys turn black, effectively cloning the Das Keyboard... ;)

The real action, of course, happens in applications with heavy use of shortcuts, such as Photoshop, Word, Eclipse and other IDEs, and the ruler of them all: Emacs! Imagine pressing Alt, then Meta, then Ctrl... While the keys are updated to reflect their current functionality!

Again, people view this as cute; I view it as a potential user interface revolution in the hands of someone like Apple (or preferably Gnome!).

Re:Optimus

[shaka]

Can you imagine the power consumption? Not to mention possibly needing a cooling fan (the thing would need some kind of internal processor). The whole thing would generate quite a bit of heat, too. This is your keyboard we're talking about! It's hot, noisy, you have to reboot it every now and then, too.

Very funny. I can imagine the power consumption. this OLED screen is about as big as I expect the Enter-key on the Optimus will be. The Optimus images show 140 buttons. Even if every button would be as big as the Enter-key, and they would all have 65k colors, and they would continuously show full screen white color, the power consumption would be ~50 watts. Calculating with an average size of a quarter of that (~14x14 mm) would give us a much lower number. Given that they will always show mostly black, I'd say an average of less than 7 watts is probable.

The keyboard would need "some kind of internal processor", yes (as does any USB keyboard), but it would do with your average microcontroller, well maybe a couple of them. My guess is that the power dissipation of each would be 1-2 watts. No need for fans. No more heat than the keyboard I'm typing on now (it's a laptop). No need for reboots of the keyboard - it would obviously be driven from the computer, the keyboard won't need to know anything about what it's showing.

Re:Optimus

[joshki]

Does anyone actually look at their keyboard?? I can't remember the last time I even saw mine! Anyone who seriously uses a computer should be able to touch type, and I don't remember the last time I used an "email shortcut" key or anything like that. In all honesty, I can't even tell you what that key does in Linux at the moment -- I've never pressed it or any of the keys in that row. They're just detritus that I completely ignore. It sounds like your idea would be a neat toy, or maybe a training aide for someone who doesn't know emacs (though the tab key works pretty well to find the command you're looking for once you hit meta), but for a serious user I simply can't see any value added whatsoever. A keyboard is a simple tool designed to do a simple job -- input characters to the operating system. You start going beyond that and in my opinion, you wind up decreasing its usefulness.

Re:Optimus

[shaka]

Well, I'm sure you are a great touch-typist. I'm pretty good, too. However, I'm talking about the other stuff you're able to use your keyboard for. In Photoshop, for instance, all those keys actually are shortcuts right now, but since most people - even someone like my ex-girlfriend who is a photographer and has spent years in school and work using Photoshop - don't know a fraction of the shortcuts available, they bring the mouse and wander away in the menus.

The same thing with me and Eclipse or IntelliJ Idea - there are hundreds of shortcuts. Most of them are very valuable. But it's so damn hard to learn them because they are so many, most of them go unnoticed - to me anyway. Maybe you are different, but if I can use my keyboard for more, and my mouse for less, I will be a happy guy.

And that thing about Emacs was a joke. I use vi.

Re:Optimus

[TheCRAIGGERS]

In Photoshop, for instance, all those keys actually are shortcuts right now, but since most people - even someone like my ex-girlfriend who is a photographer and has spent years in school and work using Photoshop - don't know a fraction of the shortcuts available, they bring the mouse and wander away in the menus.

I don't see how this will help. Have you ever watched somebody new to computing do the "hunt and peck" when they're looking for the 'J' key? Just think, if they can't even see the 'J' key, which is ALWAYS in the same place, what are they going to do when their keys are all glowing shortcut icons that may change from app to app? Either they push the mouse through menus looking for the right command in photoshop, or their eyes glaze over looking for the right button on their keyboard.

It *might* save time for people like your ex, who may be a power user, but just never took the time to learn the shortcuts... but I doubt it would be worth the price this keyboard is going to cost.

Re:Optimus

[japhmi]

So what's the point of this keyboard?

Dynamic. For those of us that type in 3 different alphabets it'd be great (especially when trying to learn the key combos for different accents). Change for games, etc. I usually don't look at the keys when typing in the Latin alphabet either, but I seem to when typing in other ones (and trying to do the changes in my head).

Meridiani Planum

[Anonymous Coward]

Known as Meridiani Planum, the region may have been more geologically similar to volcanic regions in parts of North America, Hawaii or Europe.'"
Which means it bears no similarity to volcanic regions in New Zealand?

Optimus

[ACME Septic]

If you click on the Answers link on that page for the Optimus keyboard, it says: It's in the initial stage of production. We hope it will be released in 2006. It will cost less than a good mobile phone. It will be real. It will be OS-independent (at least it's going to be able to work in some default state with any OS). It will support any language or layout. Moscow is the capital of Russia. Each key could be programmed to produce any sequence. It will be an open-source keyboard, SDK will be available. Some day it will be split (and made "ergonomic"). It will most likely use the OLED technology (e-paper is sooo slow). Our studio is located two blocks from the Kremlin. It will feature a key-saver. Keys could be animated when needed. It has a numeric keypad because we love it. There's no snow in Moscow in summer. It will be available worldwide (why not?) OEM is possible (why not?)

URLs for the Patch & Story

[Anonymous Coward]

There we go, I found the links again:

• Story on the Win 98 Patch
  
• NOD 32's info on the patch
  
• Win 98/ME Patch Download Site
  
• Alternate Win 98/ME Patch Download Site
  

Note: I don't even know if these work. Avery reported that he couldn't get any exploits to actually run on Win 98. Use at your own risk.

US-CERT faulty stats

[gbobeck]

Attrition.org posted a nice rant about this on 1/2/2006.

http://www.osvdb.org/blog/?p=79

Likewise, good ole /. users made quite a few comments about the US-CERT line of BS at http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/12/31/081 2210&from=rss

Case for water still strong

[amightywind]

The new study indicates chemical signatures in the bedrock, interpreted...as evidence for widespread, intermittent water at Mars' surface, may have instead been created by the reaction of sulfur-bearing steam vapors moving up through volcanic ash deposits.

The famed 'blueberries' present in the Martian sediments are concretions. On Earth they only form in the presence of water. They are very widespread in the sedimentary layers of Meridiani. The article gives no alternate explanation. Such concretions are not present in the fumurole-altered sediments of Solfatara Crater. That does not mean the Martian sediments are not volcanoclastic in origin, but the case for water immersion is still strong.

"Good things come in small packages"

[renrutal]

Are they only delivering the keys?

The world's first dog ?

[DrSkwid]

I had a dog long before this guy cloned one.

Perhaps the submitted meant "the first to sucessfully clone a dog"

Talking of dogs, you can sponsor the poor beggers here (after looking at the one I sponsor)

Re:The world's first dog ?

[weierstrass]

Yes, it's because he cloned the first one that there is now more than one dog.

For real ease of use, there must be 2 keys only

[mi]

The only two keys: "DO" and "Undo". The software is supposed to be able to figure out (correctly!), what to do (or undo).

Re:For real ease of use, there must be 2 keys only

[Michael Woodhams]

Ha! My keyboard is even easier to use - it has only *one* key. I entered this message in Morse code. :-)

Re:That keyboard looks cool, but...

[mattkime]

that link to the anti-circumcision page is quite a hoot!

I dont see it

[TwentyQuestions]

I dont see that keyboard happening this year, maybe not at all.

They obviously dont even have a protype worth photographing because all their pictures are CG.

The whole thing makes me suspicious.

It says "It will cost less than a good mobile phone". I really cant see that happening. The displays will cost alot, but the microcontrollers to make this thing be "OS-independent" would put it over $200-$300 alone I think.

"It will most likely use the OLED technology (e-paper is sooo slow)."
Its just a keyboard...If E-Ink is good enough and cheap enough for everything from Wristwatches(http://compuquart.com/content/view/17 63/2/) to EBook readers(http://www.engadget.com/2005/12/29/sony-to -announce-us-e-book-reader/), I think it can do the job for a fairly static keyboard(less power usage too).

Above of all to me the silliness on their answers page("Moscow is the capital of Russia." etc..) shows they arent very serious.

Re:That keyboard looks cool, but...

[DrSkwid]

All my new keyboards are dead, all my old ones are still going.

I don't know how old this Silcon Graphics one is but it has a "YES Netware Approved" sticker on the bottom and I bought it *used* 3 yrs ago. None of the keytops show's the slightest wear, despite all day use sine it arrived.

I could hit burglars with the beast and still keep typing.

even at $400, 2 years is only $4 a week

I'm sure I'd pay $400 for the gee whizzest keyboard in the world, esp. if no other geek in town has one.

The bitches'll be on me like gnats on a dog's dick when I attach mine to my laptop at the WiFi hotspot.

SCO has best flaw/user ratio.

[twitter]

SCO had only nine.

That's one for each user, fantastic!

Re:US-CERT stats

[pla]

The original stats are not incorrect in the sense that they do not represent the data.

True. They count as incorrect in that they duplicate entries in the data.

if a kernel or major package vulnerability affects one distro, it affects them all (mostly). Do we count a buffer overflow in an abscure SCSI card driver once, or once per known distro using that driver?

For a fair comparison, the recent WMF exploit affected all know versions of Windows at least back to Win95. Do we therefore count it 24+ or so times (three versions of Win95, three of Win98, one NT3.5, three of NT4, one(?) of ME, three of Win2K, five of XP, five of Win2k3 (and that doesn't even count the major "Service Pack X included" re-releases, but since US-CERT didn't include different version of RedHat, I'll grant concede that point)?

Re:That keyboard looks cool, but...

[Peyna]

We had a bunch of these at a small ISP I used to work at. The customers would constantly complain over the phone about the annoying "typewriters" in the background. Needless to say, they are very tough keyboards.

Should have included that Damn CD story

[Crashmarik]

After I had some time I checked my collection of old burnt CD's. I found 10 from 96 and 10 were good. I had 3 different brands of CD. While 10 CD's may not be any way statiscally indicative. If the things had an absolute max life of 5 years you owuld have expected at least 1 not to read. I also found a couple from 98,99 and 2000 all good as well. I have to ask what agenda does the guy promulgating the short CD life theory have ?? Is IBM starting to manufacture a new tape drive tech ?

Actual Date

[El Royo]

It was a small typo on the web page. The release date is April 1, 2006.

Re:Almost Identical to a Type 6

[Losifer]

It's not for typing.

There are several applications that use an incredible number of essential keyboard shortcuts.

I work at a video editing firm, and every Avid suite has a custom, color-coded keyboard. This sort of thing is very useful in non-typing situations. If it was context-sensitive, and would display the new commands when you go into, say, After Effects, your work would get done faster.

This is for the video editor who switches between Avid and Final Cut Pro. Or the 3d animator who switches between 3DS Max and Lightwave. Or the photographer using both Photoshop and Aperture. Or one person using more than one of these programs.

Re:I am a Touch Typist

[aduzik]

That's true; a keyboard like this won't be of much use to someone who only uses a keyboard to type. However, certain applications exploit the keyboard so that the user won't have to move the mouse to choose tools and commands. Two good examples of this are Photoshop and Final Cut Pro. While I don't use FCP, I do use Photoshop and I know that not knowing the keyboard shortcuts really slows me down. It would be nice to be able to see what key to hit to switch tools or even to see what the modifier keys will do to the current tool.

A friend of mine who does use FCP has a neat modified Apple Pro keyboard called the Logic Keyboard that replaces a number of the standard keycaps with color-coded keys labelled with icons from the program. Also, I could see gamers really latching onto this. The more complex games get, the more likely it is that you'll need a richer set of commands which are most easily accessed from the keyboard. Even the picture from the website shows the keyboard relabelled for Doom. If you play a lot of games this would be a godsend.