nostrodecus - Slashdot User

Submission + - BBC on-demand video to use Microsoft DRM

Submitted by kayle on Thursday February 22, 2007 @01:41PM

kayle writes: Several sources have strong statements against the BBC's plan to use Microsoft's DRM in their on-demand video broadcasts (audio will be DRM-free). They will require Windows Media Player. They currently have an open consultation for feedback. Tell them what you think!

Submission + - Super robots gear up for space

Submitted by

coondoggie

on Thursday February 22, 2007 @01:39PM

coondoggie writes: "They look a little like Legos on steroids and indeed, that's what they act like too. Called Superbots, these robots are made up of identical modular units that plug into each other to create robots that can stand, crawl, wiggle and roll. The robots are being developed mainly to carrying out multiple complex tasks such as assembly, inspection, maintenance, habitat construction, surface landing, and exploration in space and on planet surfaces. Perhaps their greatest feature is flexibility in the different modules can be connected to have the robot handle a variety of tasks rather than have one robot dedicated to a single task,. The traditional approach of building separate robots for separate tasks is no longer adequate for affordable space exploration, researchers said. http://www.networkworld.com/community/?q=node/1175 7"

Inside the Windows Vista Kernel, Part 2 290

Posted by kdawson on Thursday February 22, 2007 @01:37PM from the memory-hungry dept.

BuR4N writes "Mark Russinovich takes a look at the Windows Kernel and the changes made in Vista. In this second part he describes the workings of the features SuperFetch, ReadyBoost, ReadyBoot, and ReadyDrive and how they improve system performance."

Submission + - A Wacky Recruiting Adventure

Submitted by

TheBolten

on Thursday February 22, 2007 @01:34PM

TheBolten writes: "Three recruiters from Orange Inc. find more than they bargained for while recruiting at Georgia Tech..."

Submission + - Geek Squad outsourcing their "In Store" re

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 22, 2007 @01:09PM

An anonymous reader writes: BestBuy's GeekSquad has had hundreds if not thousands of employees silently laid off accross the country in the past couple of months. All these in-store technicians are being replaced by "Agent Jonny Utah". (Jonny Utah being a pop culture reference to the movie Point Break.)

"Agent Jonny Utah" is basically a KVM switch and a piece of software similar to PC-Anywhere that allows technicians from remote locations do diagnostics, virus removals, and software procedures on computers.

This is link where GeekSquad technicians can see what computers are being worked on listed be each store. http://www.dudev1.com/StoreViewExample/StoreView.a spx

Most disturbing is that GeekSquad agents have a tool to talk directly to the remote agent's, a majority of whom admit they work as far away as India, but BestBuy is claiming that all work is done from a remote center in the U.S.

All customer's private and sensitive data is being put on line and being accessed by people on the other side of the world and these customers are either not being told about it or are being directly lied to be BestBuy about it.

This is a call for GeekSquad agents to post what they know here and for everyone to start calling BestBuy and asking "who" really will be working your computer and how they intend to keep your data private on the other side of the globe.

Submission + - Microsoft Tells Some Users No on Vista

Submitted by kog777 on Thursday February 22, 2007 @12:59PM

kog777 writes: After years of delays and billions in development and marketing efforts, it would seem that Microsoft Corp. would want anyone who possibly can to buy its new Windows Vista operating system. Yet Microsoft is making it hard for Mac owners and other potentially influential customers to adopt the software. Microsoft says the blockade is necessary for security reasons. But that is disputed. The circumstances might simply reflect a business decision Microsoft doesn't want to explain.

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