Network Adapter Keeps Talking While a PC Is Asleep 188
Al writes "Researchers at Microsoft and the University of California, San Diego have developed a network adapter that lets a computer enter sleep mode without disrupting the network connection. The adapter, dubbed Somniloquy (meaning to talk in one's sleep), consists of a gumstix running embedded Linux, 64MB of RAM and a 2G SD memory card, connected via USB. The adapter keeps the network connection going and the researchers have also developed a simplified IM client and bittorrent client that carry out more complicated tasks autonomously, only waking the computer if, for example, an actualy IM is received or a download is completed."
Slashdot editor's demonstrate..... (Score:5, Informative)
Apparently Timothy doesn't understand how to use Google [google.com], or, dare I say, even the Slashdot "Old Stories" search [slashdot.org]
Almost the exact same story was posted on Monday, April 27
jdb2
Re:Microsoft using Linux? (Score:5, Informative)
if the work came out of MSR, they have a very high degree of platform & technology autonomy.
MSR is basically academia, without classroom requirements. There are some product unit partnership projects where obviously a focus on shipping/evolutionary MS platforms or technologies make sense for the problem domain, but more abstract problems are often solved entirely with non-MS tools.
Re:Yo Dawg (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Microsoft using Linux? (Score:5, Informative)
Both of you need to chill. Embedded linux is practically the standard for networking and routing devices...If they'd used anything else it would have been weird and worth of comment.
Using something else would have been like having something other than an RJ45 port on it.
Re:So in other words... (Score:2, Informative)
But it IS safer to have your computer off than on.
Moreover, your tech people think that it's acceptable to have an environment where the security precaution is to turn off your computer when you're not using it?
If it is THE precaution, then it would be bad. Having it as A precaution, if you don't have a strong firewall/gateway, isn't bad.
Re:So in other words... (Score:4, Informative)
I think it's time to put this one to rest. In any sort of corporate environment where "employees" are using computers, there should be multiple layers of defense to eat the 'click here to see the kitten' program before it makes it to the desktop. Between anti-virus on the email server, content filters and the like on the perimeter and anti-virus on the desktop, it should be next to impossible for an employee to get a virus.
I'll be the first to admit that having to have those various levels of security is pretty insane, but it is what it is. Where I work we use Websense to filter malicious content from the web. We route our email through Postini (Google) first and then scan it on the Exchange server before it gets delivered to the users' mailboxes. Then we're running AV on the desktop and Firefox as the default browser (with AdBlock) to pick up whatever Websense doesn't filter. It sucks to have to run the network that way, but it has kept infections down to zero so far this year. One of the pluses is that the users are starting to run Firefox at home because they appreciate the lack of ads at work.