Slashdot is powered by your submissions, so send in your scoop

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror
×

Comment Re:I like Steam (Score 1) 241

by closetpsycho (#26001405) Attached to: Valve's Gabe Newell On DRM
What multiplayer console game does this? I play a LOT of games, and I've never encountered this problem with any of them. If it's a downloaded game, then yes, it is tied to your system. But every console game that I've ever purchased a disc for has been able to be resold. The only exceptions are things like pre-order bonuses that can't be transferred once linked to your account. But those are usually just extra skins for something or another and don't actually add any gameplay elements. You can still very much play all of the multiplayer and single player modes with ease.
Announcements

Submission + - World population to pass 6,666,666,666 today (census.gov)

Submitted by
suso
suso writes: ""The estimated population of the world will pass 6,666,666,666 today. No doubt an interesting number for people everywhere (not referring to any religion connotations). 5,555,555,555 was passed about 14 years ago. You may not realize that only a 80 years ago, the population of the Earth was only around 2 billion. This shows how the population of the world has increased at an alarming rate in recent times. Although the growth rate is almost half what it was at its peak in 1963, when it was 2.2%. Unrelated but also an interesting coincidence, the estimated number of available IPv4 addresses is getting very close to 666,666,666. It should cross over today as well.""
Security

Submission + - New Encryption Standard may Contain Backdoor 1

Submitted by
Hugh Pickens
Hugh Pickens writes: "Bruce Schneier has a story on Wired about the new official standard for random-number generators the NIST released this year that will likely be followed by software and hardware developers around the world. There are four different approved techniques (pdf), called DRBGs, or "Deterministic Random Bit Generators" based on existing cryptographic primitives. One is based on hash functions, one on HMAC, one on block ciphers and one on elliptic curves. The generator based on elliptic curves called Dual_EC_DRBG has been has been championed by the NSA and contains a weakness that can only be described a backdoor. In a presentation at the CRYPTO 2007 conference (pdf) in August, Dan Shumow and Niels Ferguson showed that there are constants in the standard used to define the algorithm's elliptic curve that have a relationship with a second, secret set of numbers that can act as a kind of skeleton key. If you know the secret numbers, you can completely break any instantiation of Dual_EC_DRBG. "We don't know where the constants came from in the first place. We only know that whoever came up with them could have the key to this backdoor. And we know there's no way for NIST — or anyone else — to prove otherwise," says Schneier."
Announcements

Submission + - Smallest Double Slit Experiment (typepad.com)

Submitted by sulimma
sulimma writes: Scientists at LBNL showed that two protons and one electron are enough to build a double slit experiment. When adding a second electron the system starts to show classical particle behaviour although some quantum interference is still present. The experiments provides for essential insight into the transition from quantum to classical behaviour.
Wine

Submission + - Winefix - improved desktop integration for Wine (blogspot.com)

Submitted by
Anonymous Coward
Anonymous Coward writes: "I found this on the Ubuntu user forums, thanks goes out to (deadlydeathcone) here is his post.

A script called winefix. In short, it allows Wine applications to be run just as easily as those native to Linux, meaning that they can be linked to or run from any directory, whether from a terminal or even a file manager like nautilus. It also handles some of the more awkward Wine extensions like .lnk and .msi, akkowing them to be run with a double click.

It also offers a good number of enhancements and fixes over "vanilla" Wine, especially in regards to Compiz and Beryl. If either of the two are running when a Wine application requiring DirectX or OpenGL is run, you'll be asked if they should be temporarily disabled, and reinstated immediately after the application exits. it also allows for the "Legacy Apps" workaround in Compiz Fusion to be similarly enabled and disabled, as always leaving it on is a disaster — while it can fix the fullscreen modes of Wine apps, it actually breaks those of most native ones. The other enhancements allow the option for each application to have it's own dedicated virtual Windows desktop (basically whether a program should be started "windowed" ), be reniced, ensure that fullscreen applications restore the desktop resolution properly, or, for 64 bit machines, run in 32-bit compatability mode (thanks to mikey for suggesting the last two!)

The script also changes Wine's error reporting behavior. Wine normally reports every error and fixme message that is encountered when an application is running, meaning that running programs via terminal results in a deluge of error messages that can greatly hurt performance, and that running them via script or file manager results in losing the ability to see any error messages at all. This script, by default, only reports critical system and Wine error messages, and only displays them if a Wine program actually crashes, in which case you'll then see a dialog much like this:

If it's the first time a particular application has crashed, you'll also be given the option to view its Winehq.org Application Database page, or if not found, asked if you'd like to create one.

The script also allows for more thorough error reporting by the use of command line options. Adding the flag "-d 1" causes all errors normally reported by Wine to be displayed, and saves application to the "log" folder in your Wine directory. There's also a "-d 2" option that causes ALL errors and system relays to be reported, but it's really only useful for debugging (it's insanely slow).

Using the script is pretty easy — it's used in exactly the same manner as wine itself, ie 'winefix drive_c/Program Files/dwarfort.exe' or 'winefix "C:\Program Files\dwarfort.exe"', and accepts all of wine's environment varables. It adds many command line options as well — run "winefix -?" in a terminal for a complete list.

The easiest way to use the script is to install the attached deb — the script will be automatically integrated with Gnome, allowing Wine apps to be run with a double click — something that can't be reliably done with Wine alone (see Bug #1, below). It does the same with Wine files of the .msi, and .lnk extensions, and adds Tango icons to the Wine menu as well:"
It's funny. Laugh.

Submission + - Why You Feel Like Less of a Man Once You Marry

Submitted by
theodp
theodp writes: "Just in case you haven't picked up this month's Current Anthropology, it's official — getting married saps your testosterone. After measuring testosterone in 205 Ariaal men in Kenya, researchers found that those with one wife had lower levels of the hormone than unmarried men, and men with more than one wife had the lowest levels of all. 'Testosterone levels are lower among married men probably because they are investing less in mating effort,' said Peter Gray of the UNLV. Ball Finder, anyone?"
Programming

Submission + - Craft useful front ends for Ajax not tech overload

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Ajax is not about technology. Most developers will try to convince you that it is, using languages like XML and JavaScript to prove their points. However, that's a very limited view. Customers don't care about technology; they care about how the application feels, how it works underneath their hands via a mouse and keyboard. The goal is to marry technology and usability, and this is particularly true in the case of Ajax apps. This article focuses on how to build intuitive, easy-to-use Ajax-driven applications that look and feel good to use.
Debian

Ubuntu 7.10 "Gutsy Gibbon" Is Out 755

Posted by kdawson from the while-it's-hot dept.
Many readers are sending the news that Ubuntu 7.10 Gutsy Gibbon has been released. Download options include mirrors and torrents. Wired has a review based on the release candidate: "Gamers and hardcore media hounds may still feel left out... but we found playing music and watching movies in the new Ubuntu to be every bit as pleasant as it is under OS X or Windows... Wi-Fi, printing, my digital camera and even my iPod all worked immediately after installation — no drivers or other software required... I did have to install additional codecs to get MP3 and Windows Media Audio support."
PlayStation (Games)

Submission + - 40GB PS3 confirmed for US, Spiderman 3 bundled (psu.com)

Submitted by
nousemerk
nousemerk writes: "Jack Tretton, President of Sony Computer Entertainment America has now confirmed that the new 40GB PlayStation 3 will make it's way to the U.S., releasing on November 2 for a retail price of USD 400. If that wasn't good enough, Tretton also confirmed that the 80GB version will be getting a hundred price cut, dropping it from USD 600 — 500. Also PSU.com was notified that the 80GB price cut is effective today and Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbush Morgan Securities in Los Angeles, the 40GB PS3 will come bundled with Spider-Man 3 Blu-ray disc as previously rumoured."

Slashdot Top Deals

If you think the system is working, ask someone who's waiting for a prompt.

Close