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Comment Re:Interesting... (Score 1) 376

Ah! I believe that Ubuntu's (and so Debian's) update is fantastically better, but mainly in that they cover the entire distro (and any third-party repos that you explicitly enable), whereas Windows's updates only cover the OS.

But since it's "Windows Update", that's fitting enough. The article claimed Windows didn't have an automatic update feature, which I found absurd. Ignoring scope, I also felt that they're extremely similar (although I spent two hours last night trying to play a fullscreen game while fighting 15-minute Windows update reboot reminders--that's a feature I don't miss in Ubuntu).

When I said that Windows' update feature "rivaled" Ubuntu's, I meant that it was similar enough to merit a comparison, not that one was better than the other.

Comment Re:Interesting... (Score 1) 376

You claimed that my assertion that Windows offers automatic updates was wrong. You talked about what Ubuntu and Debian are capable of, but you did not seem to explain why you felt my assertion is wrong.

I am not challenging you to a game of semantics, I am genuinely interested in your opinion.

Comment Re:Interesting... (Score 1) 376

I am curious. Windows offers automatic updates and the default if you click through is to enable them.

Ubuntu and Debian offer automatic updates but it is not default and you have to either set a crontab or in Ubuntu dig under the Updates tab in System > Administration > Software Sources.

In what manner is this substantially different?

Comment Re:Interesting... (Score 1) 376

As I said, there is no match in scope, but that is a limitation of proprietary software.

But for OS components--and Microsoft considers IE such--the automatic updates feature is on par with anything offered by the leading Linux distros. And by default it is completely automatic.

I don't believe that Windows' update system is anywhere near as nice as Ubuntu's, but that's not really the point. Microsoft has tried to make it as painless as possible to have critical updates applied to a system. You are free not to trust them (I check every update from Microsoft as well), but that wasn't really the point. The article summary said that Windows didn't have an update feature, and this is simply not true.

Comment Interesting... (Score 4, Insightful) 376

Internet Explorer may not have an auto-update system, but Microsoft Windows has an update system rivaling that of Ubuntu and OS X in automaticness, if not scale.

Since Windows encourages users to allow automatic updates installed at 3am every morning and also by default installs any pending critical updates at system power down, it doesn't seem like any supported version of Internet Explorer should remain unpatched for too long.

Comment I'm dubious about this. (Score 5, Insightful) 356

Frankly, I've dropped my Wii remote a total of once, maybe twice. And I mean I let go of it while standing idle. None of my family was confused about whether they should throw the remote, and the only ones I've had to deal with were my godchildren who liked to swing the remotes while idle, and not let go while playing.

I don't find the remotes particularly difficult to grasp, and while I have replacement straps, I still have the originals on the remotes. As much as I feel bad for anyone who accidentally threw a remote through a window, lamp, or TV, I just have difficulty believing that somehow Nintendo is to blame for this, or that they should be liable.

Hardware Hacking

Submission + - Home Temperature Monitoring System?

nhaines writes: "I have a couple wireless thermometers that report back to a base unit in my living room. I'd really like to set up a system that could track current weather conditions in several locations and use my computer to monitor and record the data. Aside from inside and outside the house, I'd like to measure the pool temperature at surface and bottom depth if that's possible. Is there anything like this available that I could control with my Linux computer?"
Debian

Submission + - Ubuntu 9.04 Announced (ubuntu.com)

nhaines writes: "Now that the next Ubuntu Developer Summit is gearing up for December 8th — 12th, Mark Shuttleworth has announced the development codename for Ubuntu 9.04: the Jaunty Jackalope.

There are some specific goals that we need to meet in Jaunty. One of them is boot time. We want Ubuntu to boot as fast as possible — both in the standard case, and especially when it is being tailored to a specific device.... Another goal is the the blurring of web services and desktop applications.

I'm looking forward to integration between Ubuntu and Launchpad that will let me branch an Ubuntu package with Bazaar and easily publish my own changes with Personal Package Archive support. Especially now that Launchpad has a roadmap for going entirely Open Source."

Medicine

Submission + - QLD scientists make synthetic embryonic stem cell (brisbanetimes.com.au)

rohan972 writes: The Brisbane Times reports:
Queensland scientists have successfully turned synthetic material into an embryonic stem cell, in a research breakthrough that may one day quell the debate over stem cell therapies.

The process, which derives embryonic stem cells from chemically-synthesised proteins, may eventually eliminate the controversial step of destroying human embryos for stem cell therapies, scientists from Queensland University of Technology (QUT) say.

QUT Associate Professor David Leavesly said the artificial proteins are also cheaper and more efficient.

Businesses

Submission + - FDIC closes Netbank, Inc.

An anonymous reader writes: One of the first and best, in my opinion, internet banks in the country was closed by the FDIC today. Being a loyal customer for 8 years, I am saddened that an institution that provided me with so much great service and a cool, hi tech way [early 2000 way at least] to conduct my financial transactions is shutting down. Seems that mortgage defaults are to blame. Here's the link to the story and the defunct web page... http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200709281658DOWJONESDJONLINE000790_FORTUNE5.htm http://www.netbank.com/
Privacy

Journal Journal: No good deed goes unpunished...

A few nights ago I was reading my email when I got some phish; an email broken English stating that I MUST use their software. (Not included in the email but linked to instead) to access my Monster.com account. Notwithstanding Monster's WAY too lazy security policy on email addresses (I get a few "shipping coordinator" offers a week); something about this piqued my curiosity.
Programming

Submission + - Joining an OSS project

spiffcow writes: "I'm a programmer (primarily C/C++), and for the last year or so, I've had a job programming in ASP.NET. Needless to say, I'm not getting my programming "fix" at work. I'd like to work on an OSS project to keep my skills from getting too rusty, not to mention having something to show potential future employers in hopes that I can land a good C programming job. I'm somewhat unconcerned with what it is I work on, as long as 1.) the project is at least somewhat interesting, and 2.) the project actually needs my help. I've never worked on an OSS project before, and I think it's time I give it a try. Is there any listing of projects out there with positions to fill?"

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