plasmasurfer - Slashdot User

Submission + - The etymology of MS technology names.

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 08, 2007 @12:44PM

An anonymous reader writes: Why did Microsoft name ActiveX and DirectX what they did? Where does the 'X' come from? I would have added "Windows XP" to the list, even though it comes from a later timeframe (c. 2000 rather than '95 or '96), but then I learned in a Microsoft press release (http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2001/Feb 01/02-05NamingPR.mspx) that 'XP' stands for 'Experience'.

Feed The Wait for Watchmen (wired.com)

From feed by wiredfeed on Thursday March 08, 2007 @11:52AM

Zack Snyder's adaptation of Frank Miller's 300 is here, but we're already wanting more. Watch for a summer production of Alan Moore's canonical Watchmen. In Underwire.

Submission + - Per Apple - Get all your iPod drivers from Dell!

Submitted by

on Thursday March 08, 2007 @11:30AM

An anonymous reader writes: This may or may not be of interest to you. I hope that it may bring to light that Apple needs to improve training in it's tech support centers. If you look at the linked article, you will see several very outlandish and ridiculous things that were suggested to me by Apple support to get my iPod working with Windows Vista. Mind you, I already knew it wasn't supported, was just calling to see if they had an ETA on formal Vista support.

Key points were that Apple doesn't support iPods for Windows and that I was told four times to go to Dell, that only Dell (my laptop manufacturer) could supply proper drivers for my iPods.

Sheer balls. See the entire article for the full chat log transcript.

http://lastaddress.blogspot.com/2007/03/wtf-apple- no-longer-supports-windows.html

Submission + - Duke Grad Builds Beer Tossing Fridge

Submitted by grommet_tdi on Thursday March 08, 2007 @11:22AM

grommet_tdi writes: This guy builds what I think is one of the coolest uses for robotics yet...A refrigerator that launches beers directly to a happy recipient on the couch. FTFA:

"With a click of the remote, fashioned from a car's keyless entry device, a small elevator inside the refrigerator lifts a beer can through a hole and loads it into the fridge's catapult arm. A second click fires the device, tossing the beer up to 20 feet — "far enough to get to the couch," he said."

You can watch the video here, or see it directly on his website.

Submission + - What are the best cell phone services in the US?

Submitted by James Hewfanger on Thursday March 08, 2007 @11:21AM

James Hewfanger writes: Cnet.co.uk has run an article on the five best cell phone services in the UK. These include a text-based service that gets you the number of a licensed cab company in London, Google Maps and Gmail on your phone, a service that can tell what artist and song you're listening to, an online service that backs up all your cell phone contacts and a text-based service that answers any question you can throw at it. What, however, are the five best cell phone services in the US?

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