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Television

MythTV 0.23 Released 214

An anonymous reader writes "After six months of our new accelerated development schedule, MythTV 0.23 is now available. MythTV 0.23 brings a new event system, brand new Python bindings, the beta MythNetvision Internet video plugin, new audio code and surround sound upmixer, several new themes (Arclight and Childish), a greatly improved H.264 decoder, and fixes for analog scanning, among many others. Work towards MythTV 0.24 is in full swing, and has be progressing very well for the last several months. If all goes according to plan, MythTV 0.24 will bring a new MythUI OSD, a nearly rewritten audio subsystem capable of handling 24- and 32-bit audio and up to 8 channels of output, Blu-ray disc and disc structure playback, and various other performance, usability, and flexibility improvements."
Classic Games (Games)

OpenTTD 1.0.0 Released 107

Gmer writes "Eming.com reports that OpenTTD, the open source clone of the Microprose game Transport Tycoon Deluxe, has reached a milestone. OpenTTD 1.0.0 has been released 6 years after work started on the first version, with the help of hundreds of contributors and thousands of testers/players. Over 30 language translations are considered complete, and OpenTTD is available for *BSD, Linux, Solaris and Windows. OpenTTD is a business simulation game in which the player is in control of a transport company and can compete against rival companies to make as much profit as possible by transporting passengers and various goods by road, rail, sea or air."
PC Games (Games)

An Early Look At Civilization V 286

c0mpliant writes "IGN and Gamespot have each released a preview of the recently announced and eagerly awaited Civilization V. Apart from the obvious new hexagon shape of tiles and improved graphics, the articles go on to outline some of the major changes in the game, such as updated AI, new 'flavors' to world leaders, and a potentially game-changing, one-unit-per-tile system. No more will the stack of doom come to your city's doorsteps. Some features which will not be returning are religion and espionage. The removal of these two have sparked a frenzy of discussion on fan-related forums."
Privacy

Submission + - School District Spying on Students (boingboing.net)

Ma8thew writes: A lawsuit has been filed against the Lower Merion School District by a student's family after a school principle disciplined a student for 'improper behaviour in his home'. It would seem that not only do the school district have the capability to remotely activate the webcams in take-home laptops, they also believe they have a right to monitor students wherever they are in the world.

Comment Re:Nice! (Score 1) 589

I wonder if the "profits" of civilization were so good why almost 100% of all the destroyed and assimilated tribal cultures on Earth fought to the death instead of happily joining the club...you show total ignorance in history, anthropology, sociology and most distressing, you show complete lack of sense...

BTW, assume for the sake of decency that I have just called you every name you can imagine my post. I am from eastern Europe - we are champions in swearing over there. Still your posts are so appalling that even my substantial arsenal of swear words betrayed me for a moment. If the majority of humans still think like this I am looking around for "End of the world" button. Gosh, I think your posts can convince CERN's scientists to create not-so-small black hole after all...

Comment Re:A great idea (Score 1) 153

Some of the most useful publications I've read were people admitting stuff doesn't work. In computer science, you never see these in peer reviewed journals, but you often see them on researchers' blogs. When you read a paper that says 'we tried this and it works' it often comes with the small print 'in these very narrow conditions that aren't applicable to any real-world cases'. When you see an idea that someone tried and didn't work, quite often you can see a way of changing it slightly so that it will solve your problem, even when it doesn't solve their original one.

But my point is, in all my experience as scientist. I've never seen one of my colleagues say "we should hide this", but I've often heard "I would like to tell about this, but I don't know of a paper that would accept it".

Absolutely. I proposed the idea of an online journal of failed ideas a few years ago while I was doing my PhD. The problem is that, even if we'd accept the paper, you don't get much recognition for trying stuff that doesn't work. Reputations are built on success, not effort, and so it's not worth much time writing something up in a publication-ready form for such a journal. You'd save other people the time and effort of failing in the same way as you, but that doesn't actually benefit you - if anything it's better if your competition is trying approaches you already know won't work because it makes it less likely that they will try the approach that you are working on that does work and publish the success before you.

Comment Re:Is that the best you can do? (Score 1) 262

OK...a more reasoned response for you.

"The British government has two choices: either solve it now by harshly cutting out any part of the Muslim population that looks even remotely likely it sympathizes with Islamists, or face the prospect that in 20 years as demographics shift, a group like the BNP will stage a coup and take matters into its own hands militarily."

This is an attempt to shift the blame to those you wish to expel for the actions against them. You state that you wish to 'cut out' any part of the Muslim population that might be 'remotely likely' to sympathise with extremist Islamic views. You have also stated that 40% of the UK Islamic population support Sharia law. Do the people you wish to cut out include that 40%?

I would conjecture that that this would in fact radicalise many more people as the UK state apparently undertook a war against versions of Islam it disliked. It would also be a direct breach of ECHR rights to free speech. I am curious what specific actions you would call for to cut out people from the population, especially given that incitement to terrorism is illegal already. Are you referring to deportation?

"The British government should infiltrate radical mosques and monitor them. Over time, if the agents feel that the congregation is too radical, identify the non-citizens and mark them for deportation."

We do this. MI5 has experience infiltrating the IRA, and certainly runs agents in the more extreme anti-Western mosques. However you appear to have stated that anyone that might be remotely likely to sympathise should be cut out. Does this then include citizens?

Please note when suggesting solutions that
a) you cannot make a mere opinion that the state should change legal system (even to Sharia law) punishable without a breach of the ECHR Art.9 and
b) this would arguably also breach ECHR Art.6(1) as the state action would itself be illegal, and so the trial would be unfair due to ultra vires actions.

Comment Re:One day they'll have to confront it head on (Score 2, Interesting) 262

Yes...yes! Maybe we could make them wear yellow crescents!

Nice strawman. Do you realize that you just validated the grandparent's point? He talks about deporting immigrants who've expressed hostility towards their host culture, some to the point of committing crimes, even murder, and you come out and call him a nazi. That gives him the option of either giving up - which, in his view, results in his nation getting destroyed - or moving towards more radical methods.

Congratulations. You've prevented the matter from being discussed in a calm and reasonable manner, thus making sure that anyone concerned has little choice but to radicalize. Well done.

Could we cut them out by some kind of economic sanctions based on religious belief? Maybe just prevent them from owning businesses and stuff. Or deport them! Do you know if this plan has ever been tried before?

Yes, I'm pretty sure that hostile immigrants have been deported before. Are these hostile immigrants? Who knows, you cut the discussion short in favour of shouting "Nazi nazi nazi", so now I'll just have to assume the worst or risk my country. Again, congratulations. Pat yourself on the back.

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