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Comment Re:The problem with an OLED e-reader is the E. (Score 1) 118

by The Salamander (#30255060) Attached to: Flexible, Color OLED Screens For E-Readers

Actually, one reason I haven't bought a kindle is because it does not contain a built-in light. (The other reasons would be cost and DRM)

I like to read in bed before I go to sleep, and having to use a desk lamp or a book light is rather annoying. I currently read some ebooks on my iPhone which works pretty well on its lowest brightness setting.

I would prefer a bigger / better resolution display, though, which is why I have atleast considered some ebook readers. But having to turn a light on just to read? Not really an option for me.

Now, during the day an eInk display would be wonderful! But it needs to work in the dark as well, atleast for me.

Comment Re:not surprising.. (Score 2, Informative) 422

by The Salamander (#28636337) Attached to: Standalone GPS Receivers Going the Way of the Dodo

That's not even an advantage anymore, as several apps can cache the maps for usage when away from coverage.

My app, iTopoMaps, is specifically designed for this usage as it provides USGS topographic maps in the backcountry. I've had countless users tell me they've stopped using their Garmins, etc.

Battery life is still an issue compared to commercial units, and the GPS isn't the best, but hopefully that will be remedied soon by some external bluetooth units.
Cellphones

Cellphone Networks Survive Inauguration, Mostly 121

Posted by timothy from the ever-more-robust dept.
nandemoari writes "Everybody was talking about Barack Obama's inauguration on Tuesday morning, and it showed. According to reports, a number of mobile phone networks faced overload circumstances that day until late afternoon, when the chat sessions finally began to dissipate. Having the most trouble that morning appears to have been T-Mobile, and AT&T also had some difficulty that morning."

Comment Re: configuration (Score 1) 306

by The Salamander (#26213379) Attached to: Shuttleworth Proposes Overhaul of Desktop Notifications

I've had a pain in the ass time doing dual monitors. Not to mention, one of my monitors can pivot (rotate) 90 degrees.. (its nice to see 2 whole pages of text when your typing on a "long screen", instead of a widescreen) but last time I looked, there is no easy way to adjust that either..

For what it's worth, both 2nd monitor and rotation are easy GUI options in KDE. I haven't used Gnome in many years...

Plugged a new monitor into my laptop and it just works.
Government

Watergate "Deep Throat" Mark Felt Dead At 95 126

Posted by kdawson from the linda-lovelace-in-mourning dept.
Hugh Pickens writes "W. Mark Felt Sr., 95, associate director of the FBI during the Watergate scandal, better known as 'Deep Throat,' the most famous anonymous source in American history, died at his home in Santa Rosa, California. Felt secretly guided Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein to pursue the story of the 1972 break-in of the Democratic National Committee's headquarters at the Watergate office buildings, and later of the Nixon administration's campaign of spying and sabotage against its perceived political enemies. 'It's impossible to exaggerate how high the stakes were in Watergate,' wrote Felt in his 2006 book A G-Man's Life. 'We faced no simple burglary, but an assault on government institutions, an attack on the FBI's integrity, and unrelenting pressure to unravel one of the greatest political scandals in our nation's history.' No one knows exactly what prompted Felt to leak the information from the Watergate probe to the press. He was passed over for the post of FBI director after Hoover's death in 1972, a crushing career disappointment. 'People will debate for a long time whether I did the right thing by helping Woodward. The bottom line is that we did get the whole truth out, and isn't that what the FBI is supposed to do?'"
Transportation

Ford To Introduce Restrictive Car Keys For Parents 1224

Posted by kdawson from the no-you-cannot-borrow-my-keys dept.
thesandbender writes "Ford is set to release a management system that will restrict certain aspects of a car's performance based on which key is in the ignition. The speed is limited to 80, you can't turn off traction control, and you can't turn the stereo up to eleven. It's targeted at parents of teenagers and seems like a generally good idea, especially if you get a break on your insurance." The keys will be introduced with the 2010 Focus coupe and will quickly spread to Ford's entire lineup.
The Courts

Submission + - U.of Oregon Says No to RIAA; ID no good

Submitted by
NewYorkCountryLawyer
NewYorkCountryLawyer writes: "The University of Oregon has filed a motion to quash the RIAA's subpoena for information on student identities, in what is believed to be the first such motion made by the university itself, rather than by the students, and the first instance of a State Attorney General bringing a motion to quash an RIAA subpoena. The motion (pdf) explains that it is impossible to identify the alleged infringers from the information the RIAA has presented: "Five of the seventeen John Does accessed the content in question from double occupancy dorm rooms at the University. With regard to these Does, the University is able to identify only the room where the content was accessed and whether or not the computer used was a Macintosh or a PC.... The University cannot determine whether the content in question accessed by one occupant as opposed to another, or whether it was accessed instead by a visitor. Two of the seventeen John Does accessed the content in question from single occupancy dorm rooms....No login or personally identifiable information, i.e. authentication, was used by the Does to access the university's network because none is required. The University cannot determine whether the content was accessed by the room occupant or visitor. Nine of the seventeen John Does accessed the content in question from the University's wireless network or a similar system called the "HDSL Circuit." These systems do record a user name associated with the access. For these John Does, the University can determine the identity of the individual who bas been assigned the user name, however, it is unable to determine whether the content was accessed by the individual assigned that user name or by someone else using the computer associated with the user name. In the case of sixteen of the seventeen John Does, .... it is not possible for the University to identify the alleged infringers without conducting interviews and a forensic investigation of the computers likely involved." The AG's motion further argues (pdf) that "Plaintiffs' subpoena is unduly burdensome and overbroad. It seeks information that the University does not readily possess. In order to attempt to comply with the subpoena, the University would be forced to undertake an investigation to create discovery for Plaintiffs — an obligation not imposed by Rule 45. As the University is unable to identify the alleged infringers with any accuracy, it cannot comply with its federal obligation to notify students potentially affected by the subpoena." One commentator has likened the AG's argument to saying, in effect, that the RIAA's evidence is "rubbish"."
Spam

Submission + - Spammers Enlist the Aid of Virtual Strippers

Submitted by Tha_Big_Guy23
Tha_Big_Guy23 writes: Spammers have a new way around captchas: A virtual stripper who is paid when you fork them over. The BBC is reporting that a Windows game shows a woman in "a state of undress" when a person correctly types in a Captcha. In the game, a woman named Melissa invites victims to decipher the text. After a bunch of Captchas you get your payoff and the malicious program gets its way around the Captcha system.
Wireless Networking

Submission + - Memory card adds wi-fi to digital cameras (gizmodo.com)

Submitted by ISurfTooMuch
ISurfTooMuch writes: Gizmodo has a story on the Eye-Fi, an SD memory card that doubles as a wi0fi card. Plug the card into your digital camera, and it connects to a wireless router and automatically uploads any photos you take to your choice of 20 sites or your local computer. You can use it to automatically send your family photos to your PC, or, for the activists among us, you could use it to take pictures of protests and get them out on the Internet before someone can try to take your camera.
Space

Submission + - Hillary Clinton Declares War on Space Exploration (associatedcontent.com)

Submitted by
MarkWhittington
MarkWhittington writes: "Recently, Senator Hillary Clinton revealed her science agenda. Of great interest to people involved in making and debating space policy were the three bullets concerning the space program. To be brief and to the point, Hillary's agenda would be terrible news for anyone who supports space exploration and space commerce."

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