wronzki - Slashdot User

Submission + - Personal Data Backup

Submitted by Machitis on Friday June 15, 2007 @04:31PM

Machitis writes: I along with a group of close friends are considering ways to backup all of our important data, including all the normal small files, but also many gigabytes of pictures, home video, etc. We all have a lot of data and not a lot of money, so we've been considering sharing some sort of online backup solution. We would like not only to automatically backup designated files but also to have access to them from anywhere on the internet if the need arises. We've looked into some companies that offer online backup, but the ones we've looked into were either too expensive or didn't offer the features we would like to have. We've started to consider the possibility of a do-it-yourself approach, with a primary server sitting at my apartment and a secondary at another person's place that would synchronize with the primary for good data safety. Does Slashdot have any recommendations on implementation, software, services — DIY or otherwise?

Submission + - NDAs... are they really worth it?

Submitted by Vijay on Friday June 15, 2007 @03:39PM

Vijay writes: Maybe I've been drinking too much FOSS Kool Aid, but I do ponder the relevance of NDAs. With situations like The Consumerist being told that some pretty straightforward items described were proprietary secrets and the Fantastic Four reviewer losing his job, is it seriously worth it for these companies to be so aggressive with their legal departments? If the legal departments were looking to pursue NDA violations for non-obvious things, that is one situation... but for issues such as telling consumers that they need to search and compare for deals on the Dell site, or to tell potential movie-goers that the Fantastic Four may not live up to its hype... c'mon — gimme a break! The backlash from consumers against these businesses is going to be much worse than any harm that was done by the purported NDA violators.
What do fellow slashdotters think?
Full Disclosure: I recently lost my job for discussing with a client an obvious flaw in my employer's software which the client has repeatedly asked about.

YouTube to Host Presidential Debate 180

Posted by Zonk on Friday June 15, 2007 @03:23PM from the bringing-dancing-cats-to-the-world-of-politics dept.

skotte writes "Wired is reporting that July 23 at the Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, Anderson Cooper will host presidential debates in which debaters are asked 20-30 questions culled from a specially designated section of YouTube, where the voting populace can post questions directly. You and I (assuming you're American, probably) can ask questions ourselves, not just a reporter in a crowd. Candidates won't know which questions they are being asked, and the video selection process will remain a complete secret. Interesting, but also the slightest bit scary."

Submission + - Nobody Wins NASA's Regolith Challenge

Submitted by

eldavojohn

on Monday May 14, 2007 @03:14PM

eldavojohn writes: "On Saturday, I submitted a story covering the beginning of NASA's Regolith challenge in which teams were to move 150 kg of regolith (moon rock) on 30 watts of power. Nobody succeeded. This makes it the sixth of seven Centennial Challenges that NASA has held since 2005 to be won by no one."

Submission + - Web searches at US border

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 14, 2007 @02:39PM

An anonymous reader writes: From IHT: "Andrew Feldmar, a Vancouver psychotherapist, was on his way to pick up a friend at the Seattle airport last summer when he ran into a little trouble at the border.

"A guard typed Feldmar's name into an Internet search engine, which revealed that he had written about using LSD in the 1960s in an interdisciplinary journal. Feldmar was turned back and is no longer welcome in the United States, where he has been active professionally and where both of his children live."

"Mike Milne, a spokesman for the Customs and Border Protection agency in Seattle, said he could not discuss individual cases for reasons of privacy. But the law is clear, Milne said. People who have used drugs are not welcome here.

""If you are or have been a drug user," he said, "that's one of the many things that can make you inadmissible to the United States."

"He added that the government was constantly on the hunt for new sources of information. "Any new technology that we have available to us, we use to do searches on," Milne said."

Submission + - Why Microsoft Won't List Patent Violations

Submitted by

BlueOni0n

on Monday May 14, 2007 @02:37PM

BlueOni0n writes: "Earlier today, Microsoft announced it will begin actively seeking reparations for patent infringement by Linux and the Open Source Community in general. One opinion on this issues is that it's fear of having these IP-infringement claims debunked or challenged that's keeping Microsoft from publishing these 235 alleged infringements to the public — and instead waiting until the OS community comes to the bargaining table. But a more optimistic thought is that Microsoft is afraid to list these violations not because it's afraid they're false but because it knows they can be worked-around by the open-source community — leaving Microsoft high & dry without any leverage at all."

Submission + - RIAA Defends "Expert", says "everyone

Submitted by

NewYorkCountryLawyer

on Monday May 14, 2007 @02:33PM

NewYorkCountryLawyer writes: "Arguing that "everyone in his field proceeds the same way that he did", and that "there is no other way to do what he did" (pdf), the RIAA opposes Ms. Lindor's motion to exclude the testimony of Dr. Doug Jacobson at trial based on Dr. Jacobson's deposition testimony in which he admitted that neither his work, nor that of MediaSentry, upon which he relied, had any of the ordinary indicia of "reliability" required of expert testimony in federal court."

Submission + - Cancer therapy without side-effects?

Submitted by

Roland Piquepaille

on Monday May 14, 2007 @01:30PM

Roland Piquepaille writes: "Most of you know at least one person who has been affected by cancer and treated by chemotherapy, suffering from side-effects such as hair loss or nausea. This is because chemotherapy attacks both healthy and unhealthy cells in the whole body. Now, Australian researchers are using nanotechnology to offer chemotherapy relief. They've created 'nano-cells' from 'inert' bacteria — meaning they can't reproduce — which can deliver potent drugs exactly where they're needed. As this new therapy allows to target very precisely the tumors, the amounts of drugs are much smaller and the harmful side-effects of chemotherapy will be avoided in the future. This method could be used for a wide variety of cancers and human clinical trials should start by the end of this year. Read more for many additional references about this future harmless cancer therapy."

Submission + - Better communication with non-technical people?

Submitted by tinpan on Monday May 14, 2007 @01:19PM

tinpan writes: I've got a communication problem. When non-technical managers ask me to explain technical choices, they often make choices I recommend against and they later regret. I can tell that they do not understand their choice because of how they are explaining things to each other, but they usually refuse further explanation.

So it's time for some education. I want to get better at communicating technical subjects to non-technical people. More accurately, I want to get better at helping non-technical people make better technical decisions and I'm willing to accept it may include some understanding of "selling your idea."

What books, online courses and/or seminars do you recommend and why?

Submission + - Landlines a new symbol of advancing years?

Submitted by

netbuzz

on Monday May 14, 2007 @01:15PM

netbuzz writes: "More than a quarter of the under-30 crowd has decided you only need one telephone ... and it sure as heck does not plug into a wall. The trend toward an all-mobile lifestyle is accelerating, too, according to a new survey. And while businesses may be a bit slower on the cell-only uptake, there appears to be little doubt at this point that the traditional landline will be joining rotary dials and party lines as relics of the telecommunications industry.

http://www.networkworld.com/community/?q=node/1512 7"

Submission + - How far should screening go?

Submitted by SlashSquatch on Monday May 14, 2007 @11:43AM

SlashSquatch writes: My sister is getting screened for a programming position with a financial firm. I was alarmed to hear she'll be getting fingerprinted at the sheriff's office as part of the screening process. Instantly I conjure up scenes of frame-ups and corporate scandals. I want to know, should this raise a flag? Would you submit to fingerprinting, blood tests and who knows what else (genetic code screening etc), for a programming position?

Submission + - Top 10 reasons Microsoft loves/hates open souce

Submitted by

coondoggie

on Monday May 14, 2007 @11:27AM

coondoggie writes: "Over the years, Microsoft has had some pretty harsh words (and actions) for the open source community in general and for Linux in particular. And with news this week that the company reportedly wants open source software users to pay royalties on 235 alleged patent violations, the relationship is obviously changing. We take a look at five ways Microsoft is embracing open source or Linux and five ways it is doing to battle against those same forces. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/051407-micro sft-open-source.html"

Submission + - Graduate Degree in Artificial Intelligence

Submitted by Wyrd01 on Monday May 14, 2007 @11:21AM

Wyrd01 writes: I got my degree in Computer Science several years ago. One of my related passions has always been Artificial Intelligence, and while I've read a lot of books on the subject I've never done much with it. I've been thinking about going to back school lately and wanted to get some feedback from the wise and very blunt crowd here at Slashdot. I've heard many times that if you love something you shouldn't make it your job, lest you become burned out. On the other hand I've heard doing what you love for a living makes getting up a pleasure every morning. I doubt that debate will be resolved here.
So I've looked into a few schools and UAT's (http://www.uat.edu/) new Artificial Life program (http://www.artificiallifedegree.com/) caught my eye. Does anyone know anything about this school/program? For all I know it's just a fancier looking ITT Tech, Devry, or other such school that might not garner a lot of respect in the field. Then again it could be "The Next Big Thing".
Another factor here is that I will likely need to move in the next 2 or 3 years, so a place where I could do an online degree might be helpful. Would people strongly recommend I wait until I can physically attend a Grad School, or is an online degree a valid alternative? Are one of these "tech" schools a valid option, or should I stick to the traditional Universities?
And finally, does anyone in the field of Artificial Intelligence/Life have any words of wisom (or warning) for those of us aspiring to join your ranks?

Submission + - Inside the Mind of a Phisher

Submitted by ancientribe on Wednesday May 09, 2007 @05:28PM

ancientribe writes: You see phishing attack attempts nearly every day, but what you don't see is the face behind the attack. In a rare glimpse into the mind of a phisher, an attacker who says he makes $3,000 to $4,000 dollars a day was willing to share a bit about himself and how he operates.

http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=123 671&WT.svl=news1_1

Dark Matter Stars in the Early Universe? 168

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on Wednesday May 09, 2007 @05:27PM from the grey-matter-over-dark-matter dept.

OriginalArlen writes "UniverseToday reports new research which suggests dark matter could have condensed to form 'dark stars' in the early universe. These stars would have been very massive and burned very slowly, fueled by non-fusion reactions, they could still be with us. Astronomers hope to better constrain theories of early galaxy and star formation with observations of gravitational lensing events caused by these ghosts of the primordial universe."

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