Fukushima News

Yoichi Shimatsu Radio Interview 06JAN14 Speaks With Jeff Rense
Shimatsu Editor at Large at 4th Media based Hong Kong.
Former Editor Japan Times Weekly.
[Transcript of Shimatsu's Contribution to the Interview.]

http://wyynd.tripod.com/ys2.txt

Other Resources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmRTwm2V5KQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbQ3Df2-xXY

Apple developer site targeted in security attack, still down

Apple's site for developers was attacked by an intruder last week, the company said Sunday.

In a note to developers, the company said that an "intruder" tried to gain access to developer information, prompting the company to take the service down. Sensitive information on that site was encrypted, Apple said, however it's keeping the site down while security is being hardened. No estimate was provided for when it will be back up.

Apple sent the following to developers on Sunday, detailing some of what happened:

Last Thursday, an intruder attempted to secure personal information of our registered developers from our developer website. Sensitive personal information was encrypted and cannot be accessed, however, we have not been able to rule out the possibility that some developers' names, mailing addresses, and/or email addresses may have been accessed. In the spirit of transparency, we want to inform you of the issue. We took the site down immediately on Thursday and have been working around the clock since then.

In order to prevent a security threat like this from happening again, we're completely overhauling our developer systems, updating our server software, and rebuilding our entire database. We apologize for the significant inconvenience that our downtime has caused you and we expect to have the developer website up again soon.

An Apple spokesman told CNET that the company's developer Web site is "not associated with any customer information" and that "customer information is securely encrypted."

Apple's developer site is home to software downloads, documentation and forums for third-party software developers. The site became inaccessible to registered developers last Thursday, causing angst for users who could not access those features. On Friday the company noted that it would be extending membership periods to cover the outage, and that any published software would not be removed.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57594770-37/apple-developer-site-targeted-in-security-attack-still-down

Ubuntuforums.org Hacked!

Ubuntu Forums is down for maintenance

There has been a security breach on the Ubuntu Forums. The Canonical IS team is working hard as we speak to restore normal operations. This page will be updated with progress reports.

Read more: http://ubuntuforums.org/announce.html

Take action for free JavaScript

Choosing to run free software on your computer is a powerful statement. Unfortunately, regardless of what you have installed on your desktop or laptop, you are almost certainly running hundreds of nonfree programs as you surf the Web. Web sites often use programs written in JavaScript to expand the capabilities of HTML, adding menus, buttons, text editors, music players, and many other features. Browsers come configured to download and run the JavaScript without ever making the user aware of it. Contrary to popular perception, almost no JavaScript runs "on the Web site" -- it runs locally on users' computers when they visit a site.

Source: 
https://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/take-action-for-free-javascript
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/13/05/29/2232224/taking-action-for-free-javascript

Related:
Group:Free Javascript Action Team
Javascript Trap by Richard Stallman

Comet to Make Close Flyby of Red Planet in October 2014

Comet 2013 A1 (Siding Spring) will make a very close approach to Mars in October 2014.

The latest trajectory of comet 2013 A1 (Siding Spring) generated by the Near-Earth Object Program Office at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., indicates the comet will pass within 186,000 miles (300,000 kilometers) of Mars and there is a strong possibility that it might pass much closer. The NEO Program Office's current estimate based on observations through March 1, 2013, has it passing about 31,000 miles (50,000 kilometers) from the Red Planet's surface. That distance is about two-and-a-half times that of the orbit of outermost moon, Deimos.

Source and Read more: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/asteroids/news/comet20130305.html

Raspberry Pi at Southampton

SOURCE AND ORIGINAL: http://www.southampton.ac.uk/~sjc/raspberrypi/index.htm

Comet C/2013 A1 and Mars in 2014

Discovery News

A recently discovered comet will make an uncomfortably close planetary flyby next year — but this time it’s not Earth that’s in the crosshairs.

According to preliminary orbital prediction models, comet C/2013 A1 will buzz by Mars on Oct. 19, 2014. The icy interloper is thought to originate from the Oort Cloud — a hypothetical region surrounding the solar system containing countless billions of cometary nuclei that were outcast from the primordial solar system billions of years ago.

We know that comets have hit the planets before (re: the massive Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9that crashed into Jupiter in 1994), Mars in particular. It’s also believed that Earth’s oceans were created by water delivered by comets — cometary impacts are an inevitable part of living in this cosmic ecosystem.

SOURCE: http://news.discovery.com/space/astronomy/could-a-comet-hit-mars-in-2014-130225.htm

Raw Story

Astronomers say that a comet will make an close flyby next year, not of Earth, but of our neighbor planet, Mars. According to a Monday report on Discovery.com, the recently discovered comet, named C/2013 A1 will fly close to Mars on Oct. 19 of 2014.

Comets are balls of ice and debris flung off in the process of forming planets and stars. Comet c/2013 is believed, like many others that pass through our solar system, to have originated in what is known as the Oort Cloud. The Oort Cloud is a massive field of many billions of comets that surrounds our solar system. The cloud was theorized by astronomer Jan Oort in 1950, but it has never been seen and scientists, while mostly accepting that it exists, argue about its size and where the comet nuclei floating in it came from.

SOURCE: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/02/26/comet-could-collide-with-mars-in-2014/

Meteor Strikes 2013-02-15 [ALERT]

source: www.eumetsat.int

In this photo taken with a mobile phone, a meteor contrail is seen in Chelyabinsk region of Russia, Feb. 15, 2013.

/ AP

[CBS News]

A meteor streaked across the sky above Russia's Ural Mountains on Friday morning, causing sharp explosions and injuring more than 500 people, many of them hurt by broken glass.

Fragments of the meteor fell in a thinly populated area of the Chelyabinsk region, the Emergency Ministry said in a statement. About 6,000 square feet of a roof at a zinc factory collapsed, but it was unclear whether that was caused by meteor fragments impacting the building, or by a shock wave from a nearby impact.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57569551/meteorites-slam-into-russia-as-meteor-seen-streaking-through-morning-sky/


[Wikipedia]

The 2013 Russian meteor event occurred on the morning of 15 February 2013 over South Ural, Russia, at approximately 09:15 local time (03:15UTC).^[1][2] At least one object streaked across the early morning sky at a speed of at least 54,000 km/h^[3] and shattered over the city ofChelyabinsk. The main object seems to have hit Lake Chebarkul.^[4] The Russian news agency RIA Novosti said officials detected a mid-air blast at an approximate altitude of approximately 10,000 metres.^[5] The Russian Academy of Sciences estimated that the meteor weighed 10 tons.^[6]

Location of the meteor event

Local residents said they witnessed extremely bright burning objects in the sky of the Chelyabinsk, Sverdlovsk, and Orenburg regions and neighbouring regions in Kazakhstan.^[7][8] Amateur videos showed what appears to be a fireball streaking across the sky and a loud sonic boom^[9]afterward. At times the object was so bright that it cast shadows.^[10][11] At least 20 children were injured when the windows of a school and kindergarden burst at 09:20.^[12] The Associated Press quoted an interior ministry spokesman as saying that approximately 600 m² of a roof at a zincfactory collapsed during the event.^[13]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelyabinsk_Meteor_shower

[2012 DA14]
2012 DA₁₄ is a near-Earth asteroid with an estimated diameter of 50 meters (160 ft) and an estimated mass of 190,000 metric tons.^[4] It was discovered on February 23, 2012, by the Observatorio Astronómico de La Sagra, Granada in Spain (J75)^[1] seven days after passing 0.0174 AU(2,600,000 km; 1,620,000 mi) from Earth.^[3] Calculations show that on February 15, 2013, the distance between the asteroid and the center-point of Earth will be 0.0002276 AU (34,050 km; 21,160 mi).^[3] The asteroid will pass 27,700 km (17,200 mi) from the surface of Earth.^[2] This is a record close approach for a known object of this size.^[2]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_DA14

[the guardian Live Updates]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2013/feb/15/meteorite-explodes-over-russian-urals-live-updates

Aaron Swartz

Aaron H. Swartz (November 8, 1986 – January 11, 2013) was an American computer programmer, writer, archivist, political organizer, and Internet activist.

Swartz was a member of the RSS-DEV Working Group that co-authored the "RSS 1.0" specification of RSS,^[2] and built the Web site framework web.py and the architecture for theOpen Library. He also built Infogami, a company that merged with Reddit in its early days, through which he became an equal owner of the merged company.^[i] Swartz also focused on sociology, civic awareness and activism. In 2010 he was a member of the Harvard UniversityCenter for Ethics. He cofounded the online group Demand Progress (known for its campaign against SOPA) and later worked with US and international activist groups Rootstrikers and Avaaz.

On January 6, 2011, Swartz was arrested in connection with systematic downloading of academic journal articles from JSTOR, which became the subject of a federal investigation.^[3][4] Swartz opposed JSTOR's practice of compensating publishers, rather than authors, out of the fees it charges for access to articles. Swartz contended that JSTOR's fees limited access to academic work produced at American colleges and universities.^[5][6]

Read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Swartz

The Unorthodox Engineers: Australian Fire Maps released!

The Unorthodox Engineers: Australian Fire Maps released!: It's fire season in Australia. My state in particular, Queensland, tends to catch fire quite a lot. I know this because I recently worked fo...

Blizzard Entertainment Planning A Linux Game For 2013

Blizzard Entertainment, the game studio behind wildly-popular games like World of Warcraft, Diablo, and StarCraft, is planning for a Linux game announcement in 2013. 

This year is already looking fantastic for Linux-based gaming thanks to so many recent announcements and more being just around the cog in the future.rner. Since Valve's major Linux push with their native Steam Linux client and their continued porting of Source Engine games to Linux, many other game studios have stepped up with Linux interest, especially withthe Linux-based Steam console coming in the future. 

Besides Valve, among the publishers expressing Linux gaming interest have been Egosoft,THQ, Overhaul Games, and many other developers large and small have talked about their Linux plans. To add to the ever-growing list of Linux game milestones is now Blizzard Entertainment. 

Blizzard has already been controversial with Linux gamers due to (reportedly accidental) banning of players from their games using Wine to run the Windows titles on Linux, always-online/DRM practices on Windows, and other matters, but it seems the California-based company is finally taking Linux seriously. 

Read more: http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=MTI2ODE

Android SDK is now proprietary, Replicant to the rescue

I just noticed that the Android SDK is now non-free software. If you go to

https://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html#download

and click on one of the files, you are presented with lengthy “Terms and Conditions” which for example say:

In order to use the SDK, you must first agree to this License Agreement. You may not use the SDK if you do not accept this License Agreement.

This sentence alone already violates freedom 0, the freedom to use the program for any purpose without restrictions.

Today, the truly Free Software version of Android called Replicant came to the rescue and released a free (as in free speech) version of the SDK.

Cree Reaches LED Industry Milestone with 200 Lumen-Per-Watt LED

DURHAM, NC -- Two years after breaking the 200 lumens-per-watt (LPW) R&D efficacy barrier, Cree, Inc. (Nasdaq: CREE) delivers another industry first with the introduction of the Cree XLamp® MK-R LEDs. The new MK-R LEDs leverage the SC³ Technology™ next-generation LED platform to deliver up to 200 lumens-per-watt (at 1 W, 25°C) LEDs.

The new MK-R LEDs make the next generation of 100+ lumens-per-watt system possible for high-lumen applications, including outdoor and indoor directional applications, such as halogen replacement lamps. MK-R LEDs are available in EasyWhite® color temperatures, providing the LED industry’s best color consistency for designs that use only one LED. For systems that use multiple LEDs, MK-R enables manufacturers to use fewer LEDs while still maintaining light output and quality, which translates to lower system cost.

“It’s amazing that Cree is able to achieve a 200 lumens-per-watt LED so quickly,” said Nicola Vendrame, CEO, Linea Light group. “The high efficacy of the MK-R LED means that we can drive the LED harder for more light output without creating heat issues. In addition, the MK-R LED has the right combination of size, color consistency and optical control to enable the next generation of performance in our indoor directional luminaires.”

“Cree’s relentless innovation continues to push the boundaries of what is possible with LED lighting,” said John Edmond, Cree co-founder and director of advanced optoelectronics. “The MK-R LED is another game-changer for the industry. An LED with this level of performance can accelerate the development of high-output lighting applications and could enable applications we haven’t even thought of yet.”

The MK-R LED features a 7 mm x 7 mm footprint with a 6 mm optical source and delivers up to 1600 lumens at 15 W, 85°C. Characterized at 85°C, the MK-R component is available in 2700 K to 7000 K color temperatures and offers minimum CRI options of 70, 80 and 90 (at selected color temperatures). The MK-R LED is the ninth product built on Cree’s SC³ Technology platform. The innovative platform leverages Cree’s advanced silicon-carbide technology, features advancements in LED chip architecture and phosphor and boasts a new package design to deliver the most advanced LED components in the industry.

Cree Reaches LED Industry Milestone with 200 Lumen-Per-Watt LED

Obama Administration: We Can and Will Force Christians to Act Against Their Faith | CNS News

(CNSNews.com) - In a legal argument formally presented in federal court in the case of Hobby Lobby v. Kathleen Sebelius, the Obama administration is claiming that the First Amendment—which expressly denies the government the authority to prohibit the “free exercise” of religion—nonetheless allows it to force Christians to directly violate their religious beliefs even on a matter that involves the life and death of innocent human beings.

Because federal judges—including Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor—have refused to grant an injunction protecting the owners of Hobby Lobby from being forced to act against their Christian faith, those owners will be subject to federal fines of up to $1.3 million per day starting Tuesday for refusing to include abortion-inducing drugs in their employee health plan.

The Obama administration is making a two-fold argument for why it can force Christians to act against their faith in complying with the regulation it has issued under the Obamacare law that requires virtually all health care plans to cover, without co-pay, sterilizations, contraceptives, and abortion-inducing drugs.

Obama Administration: We Can and Will Force Christians to Act Against Their Faith | CNS News

Japan whaling fleet leaves port for Antarctica

Japan's whaling research ship 'Nisshin Maru' is seen leaving from Innoshima island port in Hiroshima prefecture, western Japan, on December 28, 2012. Japanese whaling vessels left port bound for the Southern Ocean on their annual hunt for the huge marine mammals, according to a media report and Greenpeace. Japanese whaling vessels left port Friday bound for the Southern Ocean on their annual hunt for the huge marine mammals, a media report and Greenpeace said.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2012-12-japan-whaling-fleet-port-antarctica.html#jCp

2012 Delhi gang rape case

A female physiotherapy^[1] student was gang raped in Delhi on 16 December 2012.^[2][3] The woman, whose name has not been disclosed, is referred to as Damini (after the 1993 Hindi film Damini), Nirbhaya and Amanat by the Indian public and media.^[4][5] The victim, with a male companion, boarded a bus in South Delhi around 9:30 pm^[1]after watching a film (movie). They both were assaulted by a group of six males already on board the bus, who raped the woman.^[6] The young woman is being treated atSafdarjang Hospital, where she has been on ventilator support for five days.^[7][8]

The incident has generated public protests and international coverage,^[2][6][9] being condemned by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, who called on the Government of India and the Government of Delhi “to do everything in their power to take up radical reforms, ensure justice and reach out with robust public services to make women’s lives more safe and secure”.^[10]

At the suggestion of Sheila Dikshit, Delhi Chief Minister, five fast track courts were approved to try the rape cases.^[11] The Parliament’s Standing Committee on Home Affairs meets on 27 December 2012 to discuss the issue, with summonses for Union Home Secretary R. K. Singh and Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar.^[12] On 21 December 2012, the government promised to file the charge sheet “quickly” and seek the maximum penalty of life imprisonment for the perpetrators.^[13]

Read more @wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Delhi_gang_rape_case

Court rejects plea to block taping of police

The Supreme Court has rejected an Illinois prosecutor's plea to allow enforcement of a law aimed at stopping people from recording police officers on the job.

The justices on Monday left in place a lower court ruling that found that the state's anti-eavesdropping law violates free speech rights when used against people who tape law enforcement officers. The law sets out a maximum prison term of 15 years.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in 2010 against Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez to block prosecution of ACLU staff for recording police officers performing their duties in public places, one of the group's long-standing monitoring missions.

Opponents of the law say the right to record police is vital to guard against abuses.

From: http://my.earthlink.net/article/us?guid=20121126/0816a204-ad36-4679-bc8b-6824052c4452

Dotcom: We've hit the jackpot

A fresh legal bid to throw out the case against Kim Dotcom in the United States is being made after claims of an FBI double-cross.

Evidence has emerged showing the Department of Homeland Security served a search warrant on Mr Dotcom's file-sharing company Megaupload in 2010 which he claims forced it to preserve pirated movies found in an unrelated piracy investigation.

The 39 files were identified during an investigation into the NinjaVideo website, which had used Megaupload's cloud storage to store pirated movies.

When the FBI applied to seize the Megaupload site in 2012, it said the company had failed to delete pirated content and cited the earlier search warrant against the continued existence of 36 of the same 39 files.

The details emerged after the US District Court in East Virginia allowed partial access to the FBI application which led to the shutdown of the Mega family of websites.

Other information from the case to emerge this week includes a collection of photographs from the day of the raid at Mr Dotcom's Coatesville property on January 20 this year. The High Court released the material after applications from the Herald.

Read more: http://m.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10849627

PSA: Transition to CyanogenMod.org

We at CM are very trusting of our members, showed by both respect and permissions granted to those people we consider part of the team. Last month, this trust was violated in a substantial way. In the spirit of openness, here is what happened.

CM’s history is well established, with Cyanogen releasing his original ROM for the G1 on XDA forums. Back then, there was no “CyanogenMod” in terms of the organization and structure that we have today. The builds were hosted on Steve’s personal machine, the original server was a donation of spare kit from Phaseburn. And due to the small size (and lack of funds), the CyanogenMod.com domain was bought by a third-party back in 2009 and donated to CM, when CM was a much smaller project and had no online presence besides XDA.

Read full article: http://www.cyanogenmod.org/blog/psa-transition-to-cyanogenmod-org

Ocean still suffering from Fukushima fallout

Radioactivity is persisting in the ocean waters close to Japan's ruined nuclear power plant at Fukushima Daiichi.

New data presented at a conference held on 12–13 November at the University of Tokyo show that levels of radioactivity in the sea around the plant remain stable, rather than falling as expected. Researchers believe that run-off from rivers, as well as continued leaks from the plant, may be partially to blame. But contaminated sediment and marine organisms also seem to be involved.

The level of contamination is not likely to pose a significant health risk to humans. But it could have long-term economic consequences for fishermen along Japan's east coast.

Read more: http://www.nature.com/news/ocean-still-suffering-from-fukushima-fallout-1.11823