Links for 2009-05-18

• The SPIRIT Consortium Announces Release of the SystemRDL Specification [feedly]

  via Design And Reuse
  The SystemRDL semantics support the entire life-cycle of registers from specification, model generation, and design verification to maintenance and documentation. Registers are not just limited to traditional configuration registers, but can also refer to register arrays and memories.

• DeHaan: Recognizing and Avoiding Common Open Source Community Pitfalls [feedly]

  via LWN.net
  Michael DeHaan looks at open source development misconceptions in a posting to his blog. In it, he looks at around a dozen different “stumbling blocks” that projects might run up against. “What typically isn’t written though are about some of the misconceptions — A lot of folks contributors appear overnight out of the woodwork, that users grow on trees, and that it’s possible to direct community members as if they were employees — not so, of course, and folks get disappointed or discouraged when it doesn’t happen.“

• Why Isn’t My Encryption.. Encrypting?

  via Coding Horror

  Shared by Balau

  Encryption: details matter. A real-life example of a subtle parameter that screws up the security of a small system.

  In our case, we were using this Encrypt() method to experiment with storing some state data in web pages related to the login process. We thought it was secure, because the data was encrypted. Sure it’s encrypted! It says Encrypt() right there in the method name, right?

  Wrong.

  There’s a bug in that code. A bug that makes our encrypted state data vulnerable. Do you see it?

• Assisted Creation and Refinement of Transactional Level Specifications Based on IP-XACT

  via Design And Reuse

  Shared by Balau

  A detailed article that considers hardware design using IP-XACT standard and SystemC.

  High abstraction levels, design automation and reuse are currently the three main axes to solve the productivity gap issue. This paper describes a high level platform prototype based on IP-XACT. It supports SystemC models and simulations; and also provides a set of tools for fast design generation and simple user experience.

• Are Your “Secret Questions” Too Easily Answered? (Robert Lemos/Technology Review)

  via Techmeme
  

  Robert Lemos / Technology Review:
  Are Your “Secret Questions” Too Easily Answered? —  Research finds that the answers to secret questions used to retrieve forgotten passwords are easily guessed.  —  Brian Green’s experience with not-so-secret questions began when he logged on to his World of Warcraft account in March …

• Credit Management meets computer automation

  via The Register

  Shared by Balau

  I’m all about automation, but it should be done in the right way, otherwise (other than doing direct damage) it will become unpopular and harder to implement.

  A necessary balancing act. A risky business

  Shortly after Easter, a newly installed computer system sent out red letters to over 3,000 Derby City residents who had already paid their Council Tax. There were howls of outrage, and an obligatory computer error excuse from the Council. Matters were then compounded as angry residents tried contacting the Council to put the matter right – and found themselves blocked by an automated call system.…

  

• Video explains fair use for video (video video)

  via Boing Boing

  Shared by Balau

  A tutorial on what can and can’t be used in any video you put online.

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Tagged: denali, encryption, fair use, ip-xact, open source, security, spirit, systemrdl

Posted in: Links