Linux-based autopilots target commercial UAVs

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The computers offer pre-installed flight control and mission software built upon the Linux-based AirwareOS platform. The software is provided under a royalty-free license that enables modification, extension third party software, and inclusion in proprietary products, says the company. The Linux-based software is written in C++, and provides a single hardware-independent Unified Autopilot Interface (UAI) API to the INS/GPS solution, system status, sensor data, actuators, datalink radio, and payloads.

via Linux-based autopilots target commercial UAVs ·  LinuxGizmos.com.

“Bloodsucking leech” puts 100,000 servers at risk of potent attacks

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The threat stems from baseboard management controllers that are embedded onto the motherboards of most servers. Widely known as BMCs, the microcontrollers allow administrators to monitor the physical status of large fleets of servers, including their temperatures, disk and memory performance, and fan speeds. But serious design flaws in the underlying intelligent platform management interface, or IPMI, make BMCs highly susceptible to hacks that can cascade throughout a network, according to a paper presented at this week’s Usenix Workshop on Offensive Technologies.

via “Bloodsucking leech” puts 100,000 servers at risk of potent attacks | Ars Technica.

Grading Essays at College Level

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EdX, the nonprofit enterprise founded by Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to offer courses on the Internet, has just introduced such a system and will make its automated software available free on the Web to any institution that wants to use it. The software uses artificial intelligence to grade student essays and short written answers, freeing professors for other tasks.

via New Test for Computers – Grading Essays at College Level – NYTimes.com.

Two start-ups, Coursera and Udacity, recently founded by Stanford faculty members to create “massive open online courses,” or MOOCs, are also committed to automated assessment systems because of the value of instant feedback.

OpenStack is not for the enterprise

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OpenStack backers scoff at the notion that the open source platform is not meant for enteprises. “We’ve seen significant traction from service providers globally, but we’ve also seen significant demand for OpenStack on-premise, hosted private and hybrid cloud by both medium and large enterprises,” wrote Lauren Sell, who manages public relations for OpenStack. Bloomberg, Fidelity, Best Buy, Cisco WebEx and Comcast have all shared their experiences using OpenStack, she notes.

via VMware CEO: OpenStack is not for the enterprise – Network World.

Hyperloop

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The Hyperloop or something similar is, in my opinion, the right solution for the specific case of high traffic city pairs that are less than about 1500 km or 900 miles apart. Around that inflection point, I suspect that supersonic air travel ends up being faster and cheaper. With a high enough altitude and the right geometry, the sonic boom noise on the ground would be no louder than current airliners, so that isn’t a showstopper. Also, a quiet supersonic plane immediately solves every long distance city pair without the need for a vast new worldwide infrastructure.

via Hyperloop | Blog | Tesla Motors.

Microsoft to Squeeze Datacenters on Price of WinServer 2012 R2

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Microsoft Corp. plans to raise the price of the Datacenter edition of the upcoming R2 release of Windows Server 2012 by 28 percent, adding to what analysts call a record number of price increases for enterprise software products from Redmond.

According to licensing data sheets available for download from the Windows Server 2012 R2 Website (PDF), the price of a single license of Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter will be $6,155, compared to $4,809 today—plus the cost of a Client Access Licenses (CAL) for every user or device connecting to the server.

via Microsoft to Squeeze Datacenters on Price of WinServer 2012 R2.