Slashdot is powered by your submissions, so send in your scoop

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror
×
Power

Submission + - Wind-powered data center for Google 3

Submitted by TT
TT writes: Google is considering building a wind-powered data center in Greensburg, Kan. In addition to the huge solar-panel project it's building in Mountain View, this 20-megawatt data center in Greensburg would go a long way toward helping Google get carbon neutral, as is its goal. The company, like the entire universe today, is on the green kick. It announced last month that it wants to make renewable energy cheaper than coal.
Software

Submission + - Best OpenOffice.org Resources? (openoffice.org)

Submitted by
stoolpigeon
stoolpigeon writes: "I work for a large, international non-profit. In January I will be attending a conference for our Eastern European staff in Tehany, Hungary. I've been asked to do presentations on OpenOffice.org. As part of the materials I'd like to bring CDs that I can give out with the software, documentation, and resources to help new OpenOffice.org users. Aside from the obvious places, what are some links or additional materials that I should be sure to include?"
Mozilla

Firefox 2.0.0.11 Released 199

Posted by CmdrTaco from the download-compile-reboot-repeat dept.
BrianAU writes "Firefox 2.0.0.11 has been released, the Release Notes show the only major change as a correction of a compatibility issue with some websites and extensions as discovered in Firefox 2.0.0.10."
It's funny. Laugh.

Submission + - Yoga for Geeks: I can haz wifi now? (itworldcanada.com)

Submitted by
NewsCloud
NewsCloud writes: "itWorld Canada reports on a yoga class geared for those who spend their lives around and in front of computers: 'No Lululemon required in Yoga for Geeks which includes postures for head and shoulder mobility, opening up the connective tissue in the upper body and opening up the hips, which get tight if you're sitting all day. The class also includes breathing and relaxation.' Laptop pain is serious business so don't be a laptop loser (pdf), work safely and mind your boyz. See also I can haz wifi now? and photos from Linux Fest and Penguin Day."
Novell

Submission + - Novell Updates Indemnification Program

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: After a whirlwind couple of days that included Steve Ballmer's latest FUD eruption, and perhaps not coincidentally the first patent infringement lawsuit filed against Linux, Novell has announced that they have updated their technology assurance (indemnification) program. Perhaps the most interesting aspect is that Microsoft is apparently extending their patent covenant to GPLv3, once there is a v3 product included in SUSE Linux Enterprise.
Programming

Any "Pretty" Code Out There? 658

Posted by kdawson from the prettyprinting-doesn't-count dept.
andhow writes "Practically any time I hear a large software system discussed I hear "X is a #%@!in mess," or "Y is unmanageable and really should be rewritten." Some of this I know is just fresh programmers seeing their first big hunk o' code and having the natural reaction. In other cases I've heard it from main developers, so I'll take their word for it. Over time, it paints a bleak picture, and I'd be really like to know of a counterexample. Getting to know a piece of software well enough to ascertain its quality takes a long time, so I submit to the experience of the readership: what projects have you worked on which you felt had admirable code, both high-level architecture and in-the-trenches implementation? In particular I am interested in large user applications using modern C++ libraries and techniques like exception handling and RAII."
XBox (Games)

Submission + - Retailers Estimate Xbox 360 Failure Rate as 33% (adam.ne.jp)

Submitted by
News for nerds
News for nerds writes: "Dailytech reveals that EB Games held conference calls for its Canadian stores informing them of the new policy changes and revealing alarming failure rates of the Xbox 360. "The real numbers were between 30 to 33 percent," said former EB Games employee. An anonymous Best Buy customer service department manager said that failure rates for the console were "between a quarter to a third" of all units sold."
Wireless (Apple)

Submission + - iPhone -any phones for the Deaf?

Submitted by
I_am_Dodie
I_am_Dodie writes: "When will phones be out for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing? We thought iPhones will have video phones in it but not! Are there wireless phones out there that has video phones built in where we can talk (visual) with sign language over back and forth as Hearing folks do with thier wireless phones? Thank You!"
Portables

Submission + - Are laptop batteries the next "printer ink"

Submitted by Quixote
Quixote writes: Sometime back I bought a Dell Inspiron laptop because Dell was offering a very good deal on it. A few weeks after the warranty expired, the battery suddenly died. It was as if the battery was non-existent: the laptop would shutdown if unplugged even if the battery had been in the laptop the whole time. When plugged in, the battery charging light would keep flashing. This seemed quite puzzling, since just days before this, the battery used to give me a good 2 hours or so of use.

Searching around on the web to see if the flashing lights meant anything, I came across this page. It seems like lots of people have been reporting the same symptoms: just after the warranty expires, the battery mysteriously "dies". Even the Dell forums are replete with posts from unhappy users.

The solution from Dell is: buy a new battery. But they aren't cheap: a Dell one runs you about $100.

I know I should have known better than buying a Dell (cue the "Dude!" jokes). But this begs a bigger question: is this legal (it certainly doesn't seem ethical)? How many of these (working) batteries end up in the landfill? Have laptop batteries become the next "printer ink", forcing us to keep buying new ones?
Privacy

Submission + - RIAA must turn over attorney billing records

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Usually most people settle with the RIAA for a few thousand dollars, but Debbie took the case to court and asked for the RIAA to produce records of what files she supposedly downloaded, along with the dates of the downloads. The RIAA couldn't produce the records and offered to withdraw the case. Now here is where it gets interesting, Debbie asked to be awarded reasonable attorneys fees for her ordeal and submitted her expenses to the court. The RIAA argued that the mother was asking for too much, to which the judge basically said, "Well if you think her fees are too much, show me yours."
It's funny. Laugh.

Submission + - Female Gamers have More Sex

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: A Belgian research firm found that girls who never play computer games have less sex than girls who do play games on their PC or gaming consoles. Breeze says the girls who do play games have sex 4.3 times a week, while the girls who never play games only go to bed 3.2 times a week.
Republicans

Submission + - Congress Wants ISPs to Log Your Online Life

Submitted by
walmartshopper67
walmartshopper67 writes: "Crooks and Liars is reporting that Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX) has introduced a bill that would require ISPs to "record all users' surfing activity, IM conversations and email traffic indefinitely". The bill would impose heavy fines and jail time on ISPs that do not save the required information. Not that this will pass, but come on, how can anyone think this is a good idea?"
Media

Submission + - Scientists increasingly sure about global warming

Submitted by Marcika
Marcika writes: The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the authoritative scientist group on global warming, published a new report on Friday (Financial Times article). Conclusions: The likely rise in sea levels can be quantified more accurately between about 28cm and 43cm (2001 predictions gave a range from 9cm to 88cm). The arctic ice cap is likely to melt, but the Antarctic ice shield is safe due to increased precipitation. The panel thinks that it is 90% certain that human action is shaping the climate, up from 50% 6 years ago. Even before publication, scientists warn that the report is too optimistic (NY Times article).

Universal Music Sues MySpace 116

Posted by Zonk from the hey-that's-our-money dept.
Grooves writes "Universal Music is suing MySpace for copyright infringement. Universal threatened to sue YouTube before the Google acquisition was announced, so now it looks like they have moved on to the next target. Ars speculates that Universal is really after a piece of the action. 'On the morning of the Google-YouTube deal, Universal — along with Sony BMG and CBS — signed a licensing agreement with YouTube. If MySpace were to sign a similar agreement with the label, there is little doubt that the lawsuit would disappear.'"

Google "Office" Released 394

Posted by CmdrTaco from the you-got-web-all-over-my-desktop dept.
pumpknhd writes "Looks like Google has finally integrated Writely and spreadsheets into Google "Docs & Spreadsheets". Writely.com now redirects to this new location. The design has also changed to match the look of other Google services." The more "applications" I try forcing into a tabbed web MDI model under a Mac, the more clumsy it gets. They aren't in my Dock, they can't be apple-tabbed through. Issues like this really frustrate me as I find myself wanting to use more web2.0 ajaxy fancy pants programs.

Slashdot Top Deals

"It's the best thing since professional golfers on 'ludes." -- Rick Obidiah

Close