Feed Lawmaker Probes TSA Website Gaffe (wired.com)
Submission + - Use Linux, Lose an Election
johnlittledotorg writes: "Rob Enderle has written a piece on Cuba's increasing adoption of Linux that represents an astounding achievement in the art of sowing FUD:
What next Rob? A bounty on Osama bin Linus? Please tell us how to we can stamp out this threat to our nation. Oh, all we have to do is install Windows Vista? Sweeeeet."If I'm running against an incumbent (who probably has no clue about software at all) and I know some organization under them deployed Linux and that it is being positioned as anti-U.S., might I not use that in the election? "Ladies and gentlemen I promise that under my administration we will not implement products like Linux that put the nation at risk, which contribute critical technology to the terrorists, and embolden our enemies."
Submission + - Study Abroad Programs Covered by NextStudent PLUS
Jeff Mictabor writes: "In this day and age of international business that knows no borders and foreign relations that demand at least a familiarity with foreign cultures, many students are seeking to expand their perspectives through studying abroad. No longer content with a singular understanding of the world, a large number of college graduates are rounding out their college experience by immersing themselves in a foreign learning experience.
The Federal PLUS Loan (Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students) is a little-known but wise method for covering the costs of study abroad programs, according to NextStudent, the Phoenix-based premier education funding company. The reason PLUS Loans are such a great choice for study abroad students is because it is available year-round, and just about everyone is eligible since it is not need-based. The major stipulation is that borrowers must have completed their FAFSA in order to qualify for a PLUS Loan.
Streamlined Application Process for PLUS Loans
Applying online for a NextStudent PLUS Loan is a simple, easy procedure. When parents contact NextStudent, they are assigned their own personal Education Finance Advisor who will guide them step-by-step through the student loan process, from start to finish. Borrowers usually know within minutes if they are qualified and may consolidate multiple PLUS Loans, even if they are from different students. In order to qualify for the Federal Student Loan Consolidation Program, all PLUS Loans must have been disbursed through one parent’s Social Security number. Since there is no grace period for Federal PLUS Loans, repayment begins after 60 days of loan disbursement.
Parents may apply for PLUS Loans even if they already have taken care of all other education expenses for the year, including tuition. As long as the study abroad program is sponsored by an accredited college in the United States, they may use PLUS loan funds for this purpose. The federal government funds these student loans, and NextStudent offers distinguishing benefits and incentives to parents.
Enticing Incentives for PLUS Loan Borrowers
In order to take advantage of significant savings, parents may opt for several benefits. If they choose to pay via Auto-Debit, they will receive an automatic .25 percent reduction in interest. Once they make 12 months of consecutive on-time payments, they will receive a 3 percent cash rebate on the remaining principal balance of their student loan. If they continue to keep their payments current, after 48 months of consecutive on-time payments, they will receive a 2 percent interest rate reduction.
PLUS Loans Makes It Possible
Whatever a student’s background, studying abroad can be the opportunity of a lifetime. Not the extended international vacation that many students perceive it to be, studying abroad can be a challenging endeavor that encompasses learning a foreign language, immersing oneself in a different culture and surviving in a foreign environment. Contrary to popular belief, funding the experience does not have to be from cash savings, but may be covered by the Federal PLUS Loan through NextStudent.
NextStudent believes that getting an education is the best investment you can make, and it is dedicated to helping you pursue your education dreams by making college funding simple. Learn more about student loans and student loan consolidation at http://www.nextstudent.com/."
The Federal PLUS Loan (Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students) is a little-known but wise method for covering the costs of study abroad programs, according to NextStudent, the Phoenix-based premier education funding company. The reason PLUS Loans are such a great choice for study abroad students is because it is available year-round, and just about everyone is eligible since it is not need-based. The major stipulation is that borrowers must have completed their FAFSA in order to qualify for a PLUS Loan.
Streamlined Application Process for PLUS Loans
Applying online for a NextStudent PLUS Loan is a simple, easy procedure. When parents contact NextStudent, they are assigned their own personal Education Finance Advisor who will guide them step-by-step through the student loan process, from start to finish. Borrowers usually know within minutes if they are qualified and may consolidate multiple PLUS Loans, even if they are from different students. In order to qualify for the Federal Student Loan Consolidation Program, all PLUS Loans must have been disbursed through one parent’s Social Security number. Since there is no grace period for Federal PLUS Loans, repayment begins after 60 days of loan disbursement.
Parents may apply for PLUS Loans even if they already have taken care of all other education expenses for the year, including tuition. As long as the study abroad program is sponsored by an accredited college in the United States, they may use PLUS loan funds for this purpose. The federal government funds these student loans, and NextStudent offers distinguishing benefits and incentives to parents.
Enticing Incentives for PLUS Loan Borrowers
In order to take advantage of significant savings, parents may opt for several benefits. If they choose to pay via Auto-Debit, they will receive an automatic
PLUS Loans Makes It Possible
Whatever a student’s background, studying abroad can be the opportunity of a lifetime. Not the extended international vacation that many students perceive it to be, studying abroad can be a challenging endeavor that encompasses learning a foreign language, immersing oneself in a different culture and surviving in a foreign environment. Contrary to popular belief, funding the experience does not have to be from cash savings, but may be covered by the Federal PLUS Loan through NextStudent.
NextStudent believes that getting an education is the best investment you can make, and it is dedicated to helping you pursue your education dreams by making college funding simple. Learn more about student loans and student loan consolidation at http://www.nextstudent.com/."
Submission + - CERA News Archive
C Craine writes: "Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA) http://cera.ecnext.com/ is introducing an information and news archive where readers can find current energy-related articles and media postings. Compiled articles cover topics such as energy security measures, oil-related economics and utility research."
The Principles of Beautiful Web Design 209
Trent Lucier writes "Fellow programmers, beware! Graphic designers have been invading our territory. A flood of books have been released aimed at artists who want to learn web development skills. Oh, it starts innocently enough, usually with CSS and XHTML. But soon they are learning JavaScript, PHP, and even SQL! What have we techies fought back with? What material is there for us to boost our artistic right-brain power? Sadly, our motley collection of Gimp tutorials alone will not win this battle. We need something stronger. We need to understand the principles of graphic design. But the shelves have been empty of books that make this topic accessible to tech-minded people. Well, empty until now." Read below for the rest of Trent's review.
Submission + - Windows Vista creates corrupted AVI files
An anonymous reader writes: It is reported that Windows Vista has a serious bug in the AVIFile library function and outputs corrupted AVI files. All video-authoring applications which depend on this function are affected.
Journal Journal: Marconi Myriad - playing music
Just seen the following posting.
start
Marconi Myriad (Score:1)
by Hugo Graffiti (95829) on Wednesday November 15 (2006 I assume), @10:02PM (#16859972)
The first computer I ever programmed on back in 1977 was a Marconi Myriad. It had a small speaker that made a different tone depending on what instruction was being executed. It provided excellent feedback on the health of the system. When everything was running normally it made a very rich and
Submission + - Jobs to get "Rotten Apple' award without apolo
fenreer writes: "The California Federation of Teachers has invited Apple CEO Steve Jobs to either attend an annual CFT convention next month or offer a public apology for his "insulting comments" to California's teachers. Should Jobs fail to apologize or neglect to attend the conference, where he is encouraged to speak with the people who educate California's children and hear from them what the situation is like, the CFT will create a new award specifically for Apple's chief. "We'll call it the Rotten Apple, for the individual who best personifies the need to think differently about public education and teacher unions," California Federation of Teachers president Mary Bergan wrote in a letter to the executive. Bergan aggressively refuted Jobs' statement to an educational reform conference last week, where he expressed belief that the schools have become unionized "in the worst possible way" and that the unionization with lifetime employment of K-12 teachers is "off-the-charts crazy.""
Submission + - Gizmodo calls for RIAA boycott in March
An anonymous reader writes: Gadget review site Gizmodo is calling for a boycott of RIAA-signed bands in the month of March: http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/home-entertainment/putt ing-our-money-where-our-mouths-are-boycott-the-ria a-in-march-239281.php
Instead, they suggest spending your greenbacks on indy artists, or attending concerts/buying merchandise from your favorite RIAA artist (which puts money in the artist's pocket), rather than buying recordings (and further enriching the fat cats at the RIAA).
All I can say is, "hell yes!"
Submission + - LEGO basics key strong profit growth
An anonymous reader writes: After giant losses LEGO has not only reported a second consecutive year of profits but saw an increase beyond expectations thanks primarily to classic building sets. From the article:
While the company's new Mindstorm robots were the company's biggest individual seller, earning DKK 100 million, it was, according to Kundstorp, an increased focus on the classic building sets that are forming the foundation for Lego's future. The basic Lego City line dominated sales, earning over DKK 1 billion.
Submission + - Port 25 publishes PostgreSQL primer
einhverfr writes: "Microsoft's Open Source Software lab's Port25 web site has published a primer (written by me) on running PostgreSQL on Windows. This paper covers the installation and initial configuration of PostgreSQL 8.2 on Windows up to a point where a database is created and plpgsql is installed in it. We assume an ability to walk through the install wizard in general, though screens that do require additional information are covered (with screenshots). Important options in the postgresql.conf and pg_hba.conf are covered, as are database creation in PgAdmin III."
Submission + - More details on MS and rent-as-you-go Office
MacHater99 writes: This story has more details on particulars of MSFT's pay-as-you-go Office trial:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=228
Submission + - Overclocking Notebook At SubZero Temps!
Searching4Sasquatch writes: "The gang over at Hot Hardware managed to get ahold of a new Dell XPS M1710 notebook and attempted to overclock the system in the subzero temperatures of New Hampshire. Thanks to -9*F winter temperatures, they were able to overclock the system from the stock 2.33GHz speed all the way up to 3GHz with solid stability. There's also some great shots of the notebook's internals, for those who like seeing hardware instead of just reading specifications."
Consumers Unlikely To Pay $500 for iPhone 412
narramissic writes "A survey by online market research firm Compete Inc. finds that of the 26% of those who said they're likely to buy an iPhone, only 1% said they'd pay $500 for it, while 42% said they'd likely buy the phone for $200 to $299. Sixty percent of likely iPhone buyers would be willing to make the switch to AT&T wireless to get it."
