nigelthellama - Slashdot User

Submission + - Burj Dubai - The new world's tallest building (sizzledcore.com) 2

Submitted by

MoNSt3r

on Thursday August 02, 2007 @05:01PM

MoNSt3r writes: "Now coming back to the topic, Burj Dubai is being constructed in "New Downtown" of Dubai and on Saturday, 21 July 2007, the developers reported it's height as 512.1 metres with 141 completed floors surpassing the Taipei 101 (509.2 m) as the tallest high-rise building in the world. Amazing isn't it? :)"

Submission + - Point and click Gmail hacking at Black Hat (tgdaily.com)

Submitted by

not5150

on Thursday August 02, 2007 @04:51PM

not5150 writes: "Using Gmail or most other webmail programs over an unsecured access points just got a bit more dangerous. At Black Hat, Robert Graham, CEO of errata security, showed how to capture and clone session cookies. He even hijacked a shocked attendee's Gmail account in the middle of his Black Hat speech."

Submission + - What qualities make for a good MMORPG?

Submitted by

Anonymous Gamer

on Thursday August 02, 2007 @03:48PM

Anonymous Gamer writes: "I am a long time RPG gamer. I've played pen and paper games for over 20 years, from Palladium Games, to Star Wars, to classic D&D. I have also been playing computer RPGs for a long time, all the way back to Legacy Of The Ancients (1987) and before.

Today's MMO's often leave a lot to be desired. I do not play WoW. I do not play Everquest. I've tried them all, and the "grind" just didn't appeal.

What makes a _good_ MMORPG, in the minds of Slashdot's crowd?

I like factions. I think EVERY world should be full PVP. The user-generated content of games like NeverWinter Nights has kept it going for years now.

My ideal MMO would have a "Elder Scrolls" style of progression in levels. You get better at the things you practice most.
Factions would be blended together, with guildmasters able to declare hostility to others, allowing for the "tags" of others to change colors based on that. User created drama can bring a great deal of fun to a game. Limiting the population somewhat will bring more of a family feel to the world. Limiting the resources to gain money and power quickly will keep the competitiveness high between factions.

There should be laws, and the world should be able to change. For example, if Reynard the thief decides to burn down the pawnshop because he got a bad deal on a gem he stole. The AI of the game should not only allow him to do it, but punish him by causing the guards to target him on sight. Perhaps his name would get a symbol next to it, allowing for players to hunt him down for the bounty. Bottom line, if you're a bad guy, you should eventually be driven out of civilized lands altogether. Good guys and newbie players should be wary of journeying alone in the wilds, because bad things happen to good people.. and good games. Perhaps people on a development team will read our ideas and run with it."

Submission + - Geostationary Banana over Texas (geostationarybananaovertexas.com)

Submitted by mpthompson on Monday July 23, 2007 @09:10PM

mpthompson writes: I'm not sure what to make of this project, but others may be interested in a proposal to place a giant 300 meter Geostationary Banana over the Texas skies as part of an art intervention project in 2008. The helium filled bamboo and balsa banana will float between the high atmosphere and Earth's low orbit. For one month the banana will be clearly recognizable and visible both day and night from the ground. The one question I have is why does Texas get all the fun?

Submission + - Miami Police Shot Protester, then laugh about it.

Submitted by Lanhdanan on Monday July 23, 2007 @08:59PM

Lanhdanan writes: Miami police shoot a peaceful protester, at least twice, and then later at a police gathering, they mock her, laugh at her, and cheer the police officers who shot her with the rubber bullets. Nothing like calling civilians 'scurrying cockroaches'

Submission + - A box to make biofuel from car fumes? (canada.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 20, 2007 @06:21PM

An anonymous reader writes: The world's richest corporations and finest minds spend billions trying to solve the problem of carbon emissions, but three fishing buddies in North Wales believe they have cracked it.

They have developed a box which they say can be fixed underneath a car in place of the exhaust to trap the greenhouse gases blamed for global warming — including carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide — and emit mostly water vapor.

The captured gases can be processed to create a biofuel using genetically modified algae.

Submission + - 1500 Inmates Reenact "Thriller" (thedailyswarm.com)

Submitted by spellcheckur on Friday July 20, 2007 @04:43PM

spellcheckur writes: First it was a college mascot, now 1500 inmates have decided that the best way for a prison-yard workout is to reenact Michael Jackson's iconic "Thriller" video. Cruel and unusual punishment? Possibly, but at least it's something Jackson was famous for that doesn't involve the Neverland Ranch.

Submission + - iPhone Hacked to be Used Without Activation (techlogg.com)

Submitted by

Jason Ferguson

on Thursday July 05, 2007 @06:35PM

Jason Ferguson writes: "'DVD Jon' has found a way to activate the Apple iPhone without using the AT&T 2-year service contract. In his blog, So Sue Me, he has found out the information the iPhone uses to activate itself via the iTunes software. Using this hack, consumers are able to use the iPod and WiFi features of the phone without being forced to sign a contract."

Submission + - Dotworlds sues Google for libelous search results (techdirt.com)

Submitted by Helios1182 on Thursday July 05, 2007 @05:58PM

Helios1182 writes: Techdirt received a press release from dotWORLDS detailing a lawsuit against Google for indexing what they determined to be libelous search results. The filed a similar suit in the USA but it did not proceed so they are attempted again in the UK. The whole article can be found here

Submission + - McDonald's Grease Powering McDonald's Trucks (ecogeek.org)

Submitted by

hankmt

on Thursday July 05, 2007 @05:49PM

hankmt writes: "McDonald's, known mostly for smiling like an evil clown while the world gets fatter and fatter, is now actually doing something productive with all of those kilojoules of grease. The company is planning on powering its entire UK truck fleet with bio-diesel created from its own waste vegetable oil.

The fuel will be composed of 85% fryer oil and 15% virgin rapeseed oil. However, Matthew Howe, Senior VP of McDonald's UK was quoted saying "As we get better at the refinement we will be able to remove virgin rape from the process," a line which we sincerely hope never gets taken out of context."

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