DUMA (Detect Unintended Memory Access) is an open-source library (under GNU General Public License) to detect buffer overruns and under-runs in C and C++ programs. This library is a fork of Buce Perens Electric Fence library and adds some new features to it.

Features of the DUMA library:

• “Overloads” all standard memory allocation functions like malloc(), calloc(), memalign(), strdup(), operator new, operator new[] and also their counterpart deallocation functions like free(), operator delete and operator delete[]
• Utilizes the MMU (memory management unit) of the CPU:
  allocates and protects an extra memory page to detect any illegal access beyond the top of the buffer (or bottom, at the user’s option)
• Stops the program at exactly that instruction, which does the erroneous access to the protected memory page, allowing location of the defectice source code in a debugger
• Detects erroneous writes at the non-protected end of the memory block at deallocation of the memory block
• Detects mismatch of allocation/deallocation functions: f.e. allocation with malloc() but deallocation with operator delete
• Leak detection: detect memory blocks which were not deallocated until program exit
• Runs on Linux / U*ix and MS Windows NT/2K/XP operating systems
• Preloading of the library on Linux (and some U*ix) systems allowing tests without necessity of changing source code or recompilation

The latest version are available at the DUMA project page at Sourceforge.net

With the Windows Live™ ID Web Authentication 1.0 software development kit (SDK) you can have a platform-neutral way to bring the power of the Windows Live ID authentication service to your own Web site.

Overview

Microsoft now introduces an easy way to integrate the Windows Live ID authentication service into your Web site!

The Windows Live ID Web Authentication SDK describes a platform-independent interface for implementing Windows Live ID sign-in on Web sites of all kinds. This release includes a sample application for each of six different programming languages: ASP.NET, Java, Perl, PHP, Python, and Ruby. For each language there is a function library that you can use to extend the sample.

Downloads are available here.

The most expensive iPod (probably) was recently “built” in Norway. It’s the famous Norwegian goldsmith/jeweller Heyerdahl that took on the task of rebuilding the outer shell of an iPod in solid gold (18 carat). He also placed 430 diamonds on the player and headset, all by hand of course.

The redesigned player was named iDiamond (naturally) and is according to the daily manager, Thomas Heyerdahl, created with the intention of combining the art of jewellery and technology to build the most expensive MP3 player available.

The player will be displayed in their main store in Oslo (Norway) throughout September.

In total 59,3 gram white and rosé gold plus 4,30 carats diamonds were used. Of the 430 diamonds 118 are placed on the headset.

The iDiamond are not made for commercial sale (big surprise?!), but it’s value are estimated to be approximately 248.000 Norwegian kroner (€31.000/$42.000).

Adobe announced earlier today that a public beta version of the update to Adobe Flash Player 9 software, code-named Moviestar, will include H.264 and HE-AAC functionality.

The update will be available later today as a free download from Adobe Labs at labs.adobe.com. The final release is expected to be available via update in the fall.

Demonstrations of Adobe Flash® Media Server and Adobe Flash Media Encoder supporting the new codecs will be held during the IBC 2007 at the RAI Exhibition and Congress Center in Amsterdam, September 7- 11 (Stand 7.721) and again at the Adobe MAX conference in Chicago, which begins September 30th.

H.264 encoding is already available in Adobe Premiere® Pro and Adobe After Effects® software. H.264 playback now also enabled in Adobe Flash Player will be supported by the Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) and applications developed with Adobe AIR™ software, including Adobe Media Player™.

Hopefully this means that watching web TV will be even more fun as both sound and picture will be of the highest quality.

Came across this when looking for something completely different on Wikipedia today, truly amazing…

In 1924, Hachikō was brought to Tokyo by his owner, Hidesamurō Ueno, a professor in the agriculture department at the University of Tokyo. During his owner’s life, Hachikō saw him off from the front door and greeted him at the end of the day at the nearby Shibuya Station. Even after Ueno’s death in May 1925, Hachikō returned every day to the station to wait for him, and did so for the next 11 years.

Hachikō’s devotion moved those around him, who nicknamed him “faithful dog”. Some kind vendors who saw the dog waiting every day would give him small bits of food and water. This has caused some people to say that he only returned to the station in order to receive these treats, but this does not answer why he would return only at the time his master’s train was due, and not remain begging after.

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