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Math

Journal Journal: Pay to the order of...: $e^(i*pi) +1 5

Journal by Otter
One of the Subversion heads received a bill from the Mathematical Association of America for $0.00. Naturally, he took the opportunity to send them a check for e^(i*pi)+1, which went tragically uncashed. Adding to the fun, it was check number 1729! (I'd provide clarification, but if you don't laugh at this as written, an explanation won't help...)
Microsoft

Submission + - Review roundup: Dumping Microsoft Office (computerworld.com)

Submitted by SplatMan_DK
SplatMan_DK writes: Computerworld is running an article about Microsofts dominance in the world of office suites, and pointing to strong alternatives for both Mac and Windows — even if you need MS Office compatibility. Under the title "Review roundup: Dumping Microsoft Office for an alternative suite" Ryan Faas and David Haskin explain that:

there are alternatives out there — all cheaper than Microsoft's standard, and a couple that are even free. We sorted through nine contenders, some for Mac and some for PC (and a couple for both), to find out the best non-Office office suites available.
The article contains a good analysis of 9 non-web Office products for the PC.
Upgrades

Submission + - Sixpack from sitting at the computer (twibright.com)

Submitted by
Clock
Clock writes: "The secret dream of all computer geeks has come true. Surfing the Internet can now have similar positive effect on bodily attractivity as surfing Waikiki or Malibu. Twibright Labs have developed Exciter, a cheap open source DIY exercise bike that is to be used while sitting at a computer. Running as a three-phase self-excited induction machine, it generates electricity to power the computer, the LCD screen or at least a desk lamp. This arrangement both saves time and provides additional motivation and fun in exercise. And if you tweak the excitation capacitors, you can draw over 500 volts!"
Spam

Submission + - Is eBay Now Completely Unusable?

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: I recently read an article about one person's experience trying to sell on eBay, which closely reflects my own. According to the author, eBay is now riddled with so much active fraud and spam that is has become impossible to sell anything or conduct business in any way. He suggests several ways eBay could fix the problem, none of which have yet been implemented. So I'd like to tap the Slashdot community and get more advice for how to make eBay usable for myself, and what else you think eBay should do to fix all their problems?
Biotech

Submission + - Americans Clueless About Cancer Risks (cancer.org)

Submitted by
Invisible Pink Unicorn
Invisible Pink Unicorn writes: "A study conducted by the American Cancer Society found that a surprising number of Americans believe scientifically dubious claims concerning cancer, and that the groups with the greatest burden of cancer are the most likely to be misinformed. For example, the majority of survey respondents didn't think smoking was more likely to cause lung cancer than pollution — despite 87% of lung cancer cases being due to smoking. The most interesting finding was that people who described themselves as knowing the most about cancer were more likely to have false beliefs. Participants who labeled themselves as "very informed" about cancer were more likely to believe underwire bras cause breast cancer, or that quitting smoking did nothing to reduce cancer risks. The article abstract is availabe from the journal Cancer."
Biotech

Submission + - Nursing Home Cat Can Sense Death (yahoo.com) 1

Submitted by
Raver32
Raver32 writes: "When Oscar the Cat visits residents of the Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Providence, Rhode Island, the staff jump into action — Oscar can sense within hours when someone is about to die. In his two years living in Steere's end-stage dementia unit, Oscar has been at the bedside of more than 25 residents shortly before they died, according to Dr. David Dosa of Brown University in Providence. He wrote about Oscar in the New England Journal of Medicine. "It's not that the cat is consistently there first," Dr. Joan Teno, a professor of community health at Brown University, who sees patients in the unit. "But the cat always does manage to make an appearance, and it always seems to be in the last two hours.""
Microsoft

Submission + - Confustion over Vista cause of most support calls (arstechnica.com)

Submitted by harsha_c
harsha_c writes: Support.com, a "Instant Technology Relief" support website that opened its doors to troubled techies in June, has released survey results from its first month of business. The number one reason for support calls? Vista questions.From a pool of 1,000 users that inquired about technical help, 77 percent needed help with Vista. Of those inquiring about Vista, 30 percent needed help navigating around Vista's new Aero user interface. According to Anthony Rodio, the chief marketing director of support.com, the three main issues were navigation problems, device incompatibility, and home networking issues. Consumers are having a hard time with Aero because of the changes between Vista and the Windows 2000 and XP user interfaces. Support.com customers were also complaining about device issues, which were mostly attributed to outdated drivers that needed to be brought up to speed with Vista. Lastly, support.com customers complained about home networking issues in which Vista users were not able to see Windows XP computers connected to their home network.
Biotech

Submission + - Iraq vet gets bionic hand

Submitted by
mcgrew
mcgrew writes: "CNN is carrying a report about a new prosthetic device, called an 'i-LIMB', that user Sgt. Juan Arredondo, who lost his real hand in Iraq, likens to the robotic bionics in 'Star Wars' and 'Terminator'. 'My son, he goes nuts about it,' the Sergent said.

'To have this movement, it's — it's amazing,' Arredondo said Monday as he showed off the limb made by Scotland-based Touch Bionics. 'It just gets me more excited about now, about the future.'

Five individual motors power the fingers, allowing the person to grasp round objects. The hand's gestures are made possible through electrode plates that detect electrical signals generated in the remaining muscles in the amputated limb.
And I thought my eye implant was cool! Welcome to the 21st century!"
Media

Submission + - MySpace finds 29,000 sex offenders

Submitted by taoman1
taoman1 writes: MySpace has identified more than 29,000 registered sex offenders among those registered to use its site — more than four times what the company said in May it had found from an investigation, according to North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper.
Windows

Journal Journal: Acer CEO Pans Vista. Claims "Whole Industry is Disapponted" 1

Journal by Erris

Low sales has Acer and others up in arms:

Acer president Gianfranco Lanci today became the first major PC manufacturer to openly attack Microsoft over the Windows Vista operating system. ... riddled with problems and gave users and businesses no reason to buy a new PC ...

The Almighty Buck

Submission + - The seven habits of highly subversive people (blogspot.com)

Submitted by
frank_adrian314159
frank_adrian314159 writes: "Tired of the repression in the US? Want to fight "da man"? Want to be a subversive? A person who grew up in an authoritarian regime tells you how to do it in seven simple habits. Although couched in language of ecological concern Amanda Kovattana gives everyone who wants to get off their butts and make a difference a good set of guidelines."
Power

Submission + - Compressed Air Car

Submitted by FridayBob
FridayBob writes: Yesterday, a Belgian newspaper published this article (translation) about a new car that runs on nothing but compressed air. Apparently, it can run for about 200km on a tank of air filled up to a pressure of 300 bar (4351 psi). Special filling stations can refill an empty tank in only 3 minutes, but the car can also refill itself in six hours using an electrical outlet and its own on-board compressor. The car was developed by MDI (lots of info), a company set up by French engineer, Guy Nègre (ex-Formula One), that makes its money by selling patents and manufacturing licenses. It will become available in Belgium some time next year for a minimum price of only EUR 4,000 ($5,402). The Indian company, Tata, have also bought a manufacturing license and plan to sell a model for as little as EUR 1,835 ($2,478). This Wikipedia article has some interesting information regarding the air engine. Until a good enough battery appears with which to run an electric car, this seems like an excellent solution.
It's funny. Laugh.

Journal Journal: RIAA Lauds Baltimore

Journal by beadfulthings

As a Baltimore resident, I hereby blush in everyone's direction. We may be the second-most violent city in the U.S., and we may have 300+ homicides to our credit already this year, but it's great to know that the RIAA gives our law enforcement officials HIGH MARKS for being "on track" with catching "music piracy." This article at local CBS affiliate wjz.com is enlightening. We should all be aware that "pirating CDs is a way to make
Google

Submission + - UK businessman sues Google over defamatory posts

Submitted by thefickler
thefickler writes: The British owner of domain registrar dotworlds is suing Google for directing web searches to sites defaming him and his company.

A Google search of "dotworlds scam" brings up a number of forum posts that accuse Brian Retkin and his company dotworlds of fraud, and of cashing in on the 9/11 tragedy.

In the US search engines and other third party information services are protected from defamation actions, but in the UK, where Retkin suing Google, the situation is different.

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"What man has done, man can aspire to do." -- Jerry Pournelle, about space flight

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