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Submission + - Linus Torvalds Explains Scheduler Decision (kerneltrap.org)

Submitted by Firedog
Firedog writes: There's been a lot of recent debate over why Linus Torvalds chose the new CFS process scheduler written by Ingo Molnar over the SD process scheduler written by Con Kolivas, ranging from discussing the quality of the code to favoritism and outright conspiracy theories. KernelTrap is now reporting Linus Torvalds' official stance as to why he chose the code that he did. "People who think SD was 'perfect' were simply ignoring reality," Linus is quoted as saying, going on to explain that he selected the Completely Fair Scheduler because it had a maintainer who has proven himself willing and able to address problems as they are discovered. In the end, the relevance to normal Linux users is two part: one is the question as to whether or not the Linux development model is working, and the other is that with the recently released 2.6.23 kernel we should all notice an improved desktop experience.
Sci-Fi

Submission + - Robbie Williams to play Captain Kirk

Submitted by AxminsterLeuven
AxminsterLeuven writes: After yesterday's announcement that Leonard Nimoy will be playing Spock again, reports are coming in that none other than Robbie Williams will be cast as Captain Kirk. Here's just one example, that quotes director J.J. Abrams as saying: "I think (Williams)'d be a good Captain Kirk. The Kirk in my movie is quite young, it's like the early years."
Microsoft

Submission + - How Microsoft beat Linux in China (com.com)

Submitted by kripkenstein
kripkenstein writes: An analysis on TechRepublic details how Microsoft beat Linux in China, and the consequences of that victory:

Linux has turned out to be little more than a key bargaining chip in a high stakes game of commerce between the Chinese government and the world's largest software maker
[...]
The fact that [...] Linux failed to gain a major foothold in China is yet another blow to desktop Linux. After nearly eight years of being on the verge of a breakthrough, Linux seems more destined than ever to be a force in the server room but little more than a narrow niche and an anomaly on the desktop.
With the soon-to-be largest economy standardized on Windows desktops, desktop Linux does seem to have an uphill battle ahead of it.
Operating Systems

Submission + - Cross-OS file system that sucks less?

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: I recently got an external harddisk with USB 2.0/Firewire/Firewire 800/eSATA to be used for backup and file exchange — my desktop runs Linux (with a Windows partition for games but no data worth saving), and the laptop is a MacBook Pro.

So the question popped up: what kind of filesystem is best for this kind of situation? Is there a filesystem that works good under Linux, MacOS X and Windows? Linux has HFS+ support but apparently doesn't support journaling and there's also an issue with the case-insensitivity of HFS+.

Are we stuck with shitty VFAT forever or are there efforts underway to bring a modern filesystem (I'm thinking something like ZFS, BeFS, or XFS) to all platforms our there? Or are there other clever solutions like storing ISO images and loop-mounting those?
Space

Submission + - New carbon-based paper stronger than nanotubes (sciencemag.org)

Submitted by
LynnwoodRooster
LynnwoodRooster writes: "Science Magazine reports that a group from Northwestern University in Illinois has a new process for creating carbon-based paper that's stronger than nanotubes, and incredibly easy to use to make sheets of any desired sizes. Huge implications for aircraft, automobiles, and the ever-sought-after space elevator? Forget that, I want to make some new speaker cones with this technology..."
Security

Submission + - Researchers Crack *All* CA State Voting Machines

Submitted by
ewhac
ewhac writes: "The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that computer security researchers throughout the University of California system managed to crack the security on every voting machine they tested that has been approved for use in the state. The researchers are unwilling to say how vulnerable the machines are, as the tests were conducted in an environment highly advantageous to the testers. They had complete access to the devices' source code and unlimited time to try and crack the machines. No malicious code was found in any of the machines, but Matt Bishop, who led the team from UC Davis, was surprised by the weakness of the security measures employed. The tests were ordered by Secretary of State Debra Bowen, who has until Friday of next week to decide whether to decertify any of the machines for use in the upcoming Presidential primary election."
Software

Submission + - Dump using Vista but not XP and wait for Windows 7 (blorge.com)

Submitted by Anonymous
Anonymous writes: In hopes of providing the best guide to users and enterprises in choosing the best Windows OS, the article articulates three critical aspects one should look into: (1)the advantages of using XP over Vista; (2) the disadvantages of moving now to Vista; and (3)the worth of waiting for the release of Windows 7.

Now that Microsoft has finally set a date for Windows 7 in 2010, and since Windows XP is proving to be more stable than Vista, it seems to make more sense to avoid Vista altogether, keep Windows XP, and just wait until Windows 7.
Slashdot.org

Submission + - Slashdot References in Popular Culture? 1

Submitted by
The Living Fractal
The Living Fractal writes: "So I'm reading Century Rain, a great SF book by Welsh author Alastair Reynolds, and at about page 80 or so I stumble onto a hidden Slashdot reference. Reynolds' character "Niagara" runs a finger diagonally across his chest then 'dots' next to the slash, then goes on to talk about a community of progressive thinkers on one of the earliest computer networks (today's internet) who eventually founded his society. They're even called Slashers! Maybe old news to some of you, but a nice surprise for me nevertheless.
Does anyone else have /. easter eggs they've found that they can share with us?"
Books

Submission + - JKRowling, Goblins and *IAA

Submitted by 140Mandak262Jamuna
140Mandak262Jamuna writes: In the latest book, The Deathly Hallows by JKR I came across a very interesting passage. Don't worry, this is not a spoiler. It does not reveal any plot details.

"You don't understand, Harry, nobody could understand unless they have lived with the goblins. To a goblin, the rightful and true master of any object is its maker, not the purchaser. All goblin-made objects are, in goblin eyes, rightfully theirs."

"But if it was bought — "

" — then they would consider it rented by one who had paid the money. They have, however, great difficulty with the idea of goblin-made objects passing from wizard to wizard. [snip] I believe he thinks, as do the fiercest of his kind, that it ought to have been returned to the goblins once the original purchaser died. They consider our habit of keeping goblin-made objects, passing them from wizard to wizard without further payment, little more than theft."

I thought it is remarkably similar to the way a slashdotter would describe the mind set of *IAA people about CDs and DVDs! Has JKR expressed any opinion about *IAA and its tactics?
Software

Submission + - Creative charging for drivers.

Submitted by
imau
imau writes: "Creative as started to sell ALchemy Audigy Edition [in Dailytech ], drivers that bring back EAX support in Windows VIsta for Audigy sound card. This same drivers are available for free for x-fi cards, while owners of older cards have to pay Creative for its hardware to work. Is this the starting point of payed drivers?"
Patents

Submission + - A simple plan to defeat dumb patents (blogspot.com)

Submitted by
Steve Jones
Steve Jones writes: "With the EU being rumoured to look at software patents again I thought I'd have a look at the root of the problem — the US Patent Office — and work out if there is a simple way to defeat dumb patents, and I think there is... The big thing, as everyone knows, that defeats a patent is prior art, at the Patent Office they have the definition of Prior Art which includes the phrase

"known or used by others in this country, or was patented or described in a printed publication in this or a foreign country"


Which made me think. If every time we have an idea that we think is "obvious" but not done before, or something we think would be interesting (e.g. Using a PVR for targeted ads) but don't have the money to create, then we should always blog about that idea, tag it as "prior art" via Technorati thus giving people an RSS feed.

My argument is that by doing this we can, rightly claim, that the ideas have been described in the 21st Century version of a printed publication, and even if that is challenged, it is undeniable that by using the RSS feed it can be proven that people in a given country could have "known" about it.

I'm fed up thinking "bloody hell I did that ten years ago" or "I thought about doing that, its a bit obvious" when companies with as little intention as I had in developing the idea up start putting the squeeze on businesses and developers. What I've always lacked is the visible proof to submit against a claim. This is a simple suggestion about using the power of the web to create a massive prior art database. IANAL, but surely it can't be this simple?"

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