the_ed_dawg - Slashdot User

Where Do You Go for Worthwhile Product Reviews? 88

Posted by Cliff on Friday January 19, 2007 @02:45AM from the head-to-head dept.

An anonymous reader asks: "What's the deal with reviews and product comparisons? My boss wants independent comparative reviews of proxy and web servers to use to make/justify his decision. We all know that what the vendors write about their own (and competitive) products, so I tried searching for 3rd party reviews. I can find heaps of articles on the web telling us how great IIS is or how good Microsoft's Proxy server is, but nothing showing a back-to-back comparison of Squid vs. Sun Java Proxy vs. Microsoft Proxy, and the same for Apache and IIS. What's happening here? Where can I find an honest back-to-back product comparison?"

Submission + - Profanity Filter API

Submitted by

Jonathan Freger

on Friday January 19, 2007 @01:49AM

Jonathan Freger writes: "I have been a Web Developer (perl, php, coldfusion, java) for over 10 years. I have created web applications for various large companies that can't allow profanity to get through to their users. Quite often I have been asked to create "profanity filters" to screen user input. Each time I wrote the code from scratch searching the web for best techniques. Everyone has their own opinion on the best way to search text for profanity. Some more efective thans other.

I realized that this would make a great API and with user collaboration a very effective tool could be create and used by all. I know that no profanity filter can be 100% effective, but I am going to try and get as close as possible. So I announce the release of "WebPurify" http://www.webpurify.com/ a free easy to use Profanity Filter API.

This isn't an advertisement as much as a was to start a dialogue on creating APIs for commonly requested programming task."

Nobel Prize Winners Live Longer 144

Posted by CowboyNeal on Friday January 19, 2007 @12:11AM from the torturing-the-data dept.

anthemaniac writes "A new study finds those who won Nobel Prizes between 1901 and 1950 lived about 2 years longer than nominees who didn't win. The researchers conclude that the instantly conferred social status leads to health benefits. From the story: 'The research rules out the possibility that intervening prize-related money itself adds the years through improved prosperity.' If you're thinking of aiming for the prize, pick the right field. Nobel laureates in physics lived nearly a year longer than winners in chemistry."

Submission + - Sony all too happy to void your warranty?

Submitted by Hej on Thursday January 18, 2007 @09:11PM

Hej writes: According to this post on the AVS Forum, a customer who bought a Playstation 3 had the warranty voided because he used 3rd party cables to hook it up to his television. From the thread, "Just got off the phone with Sony Support. Because I have a generic brand of component cables, instead of officially licensed Sony components, Sony has voided the warranty on my PS3 and will only replace it for $150 dollars! ... So now my system boots up and sits there with a blank screen. Thank god I kept the receipt." Original AVSForum.com thread here. I'm curious if this is just a case of a customer service rep taking things a bit too literally, or if Sony is actually that eager to screw over their customers. Any Slashdotters with similiar stories of warranty woe?

The Games Industry's 2007 Resolutions 57

Posted by Zonk on Thursday January 18, 2007 @08:27PM from the thou-shalt-not-release-crappy-sequels dept.

Gamasutra has a piece up from earlier this week, with some late New Year's resolutions for the games industry. Their frequently-done 'Question of the Week' series pulled in comments from game developers and designers working right now, with their hopes for the best in 2007. From the article: "Now that 2006 is over can we finally stop worrying about who's going to win the console war and start focusing on the games? Arguing about which next-gen system is the best is as silly as arguing about which five-star restaurant has the finest china and silverware. It's the food on the plate that matters to the customers after all. With any luck we'll see delicious games with plenty of innovation on all of the platforms this year! - Patrick Curry, Midway Games"

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