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NASA

NASA Solar Probe Blasts Toward Rendezvous With Sun 90

Posted by CmdrTaco from the bring-me-danny-boyle dept.
coondoggie writes "NASA this morning used a United Launch Alliance Atlas rocket to blast its 6,800lb Solar Dynamics Observatory into an orbit 22,300 miles above Earth. The $808 million spacecraft will ultimately study the Sun and send back what NASA called a prodigious rush of pictures about sunspots, solar flares and a variety of other never-before-seen solar events. The idea is to get a better idea of how the Sun works and let scientists better forecast the space weather to offer earlier warnings to protect astronauts and satellites, NASA said."
XBox (Games)

What To Do With a Free Xbox 360 Pro? 416

Posted by samzenpus from the donate-it-to-me dept.
OzPeter writes "Last week I won an Xbox 360 Pro. However, I am not a gamer, and after looking at the current MS offerings, I am not tempted to become one. But I am in the market for a Media Center PC that I can use for streaming TV shows off the 'net as well as general web browsing and displaying video through the HDMI port. With that in mind, I again looked at MS and saw they seemed to have positioned the Xbox as an adjunct to a separate Windows Media Center PC and not as a stand alone unit (which is not what I want). So, once again, I did some more research into the Xbox homebrew scene and discovered things like Xbox Linux. But after reading that site, it is apparent that MS is trying to beat down the homebrewers, and I am left wondering how much hassle it would be to go down that path. So my question is: how should I re-purpose my Xbox? Is it worthwhile doing the Homebrew/Linux option (and can anyone share any experiences)? Are there other ways of re-purposing the device that I haven't considered? Or should I just keep it boxed up as a Christmas present for a favorite nephew?"

Comment Tier I Technicians (Score 2, Insightful) 593

by ben2umbc (#25938155) Attached to: Recourse For Poor Customer Service?
I say if you can't resolve your customer service issue in the first call, ask for the supervisor, or the next level of service. In my experience, it usually gets you connected with somebody with a) knowledge and b) ability to make decisions on behalf of the company, much faster. In some cases that may get you speaking with a native english speaking person for the first time.

Comment Re:re Hard to decide ... (Score 1) 448

by ben2umbc (#25812709) Attached to: Microsoft To Offer Free Anti-Virus Software
Pretty much all cars come with a radio/cd/mp3 player. It is probably alright, but it doesn't get the HD channels, or allow sound presets. Some people still upgrade for better options.

But if the MS software stops people from getting those dumb viruses that encourage people to buy the "only software that can remove it" and pay for bad antivirus software - then it can't be all bad.

Comment Re:Lol... netherlands (Score 1) 97

by ben2umbc (#25775343) Attached to: "Heat Wheel" Could Lower Data Center Power Bills
Hahaha! The Netherlands!

The Netherlands has a maritime climate, with cool summers and mild winters. The average temperature is 2C (36F) in January and 19C (66F) in July, with an annual average of about 10C (50F). Clouds generally appear every day, and in the winter months fog often abounds, while rainfall occurs frequently. Average annual rainfall is about 76.5 cm (30 in). The mild, damp climate is ideal for dairying and livestock raising, but the limited sunshine restricts the growing of food crops.

Yeah, 11 hot days in July. Well, I suppose there is a good reason not to build your data center in Dallas 28 days in July above 90F.

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