Comment I was going to post a reply (Score 0) 145
But I forgot what it was....
Comment Re:Password aging isn't in touch with the real wor (Score 0) 497
Especially when the security breach is due to someone reading someone else's password taped to their monitor.
Dwarf Planets Accumulate In Outer Solar System 93
An anonymous reader tips a piece in Australian Geographic indicating that Pluto may be in for another demotion, as researchers work to define dwarf planets more exactly. "[Australian researchers] now argue that the radius which defines a dwarf planet should instead be from 200–300 km, depending on whether the object is made of ice or rock. They base their smaller radius on the limit at which objects naturally form a spherical rather than potato-like shape because of 'self-gravity.' Icy objects less than 200 km (or rocky objects less than 300 km) across are likely to be potato shapes, while objects larger than this are spherical. ... They call this limit the 'potato radius' ... [One researcher is quoted] 'I have no problem with there being hundreds of dwarf planets eventually.'"
Dead Pigs Used To Investigate Ocean's "Dead Zones" 106
timothy writes "As places to study what happens to corpses, the Atlantic Ocean is both much larger and much more specialized than the famous 'body farm' in Knoxville, TN. But for all kinds of good reasons, sending human bodies into Davy Jones' locker just to see where they float and how they bloat is unpopular. Pigs don't pay taxes, and more importantly, they don't vote. So Canadian scientists have taken to using them as human-body proxies, to study what happens when creatures of similar size and hairlessness (aka, us) end up 86ed and in the drink."
64-Bit Flash Player For Linux Finally In Alpha 172
Luchio writes "Finally, a little bit of respect from Adobe with this alpha release of the Adobe Flash Player 10 that was made available for all Linux 64-bit enthusiasts! As noted, 'this is a prerelease version,' so handle with care. Just remove any existing Flash player and extract the new .so file in /usr/lib/mozilla/plugins (or /usr/lib/opera/plugins)."
Dying Man Shares Unseen Challenger Video 266
longacre writes "An amateur video of the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger explosion has been made public for the first time. The Florida man who filmed it from his front yard on his new Betamax camcorder turned the tape over to an educational organization a week before he died this past December. The Space Exploration Archive has since published the video into the public domain in time for the 24th anniversary of the catastrophe. Despite being shot from about 70 miles from Cape Canaveral, the shuttle and the explosion can be seen quite clearly. It is unclear why he never shared the footage with NASA or the media. NASA officials say they were not aware of the video, but are interested in examining it now that it has been made available."
NASA Tests All-Composite Prototype Crew Module 67
coondoggie writes "With an eye toward building safer, lighter and tougher spacecraft, NASA said today its prototype space crew module made up of composite materials handled tests simulating structural stresses of launch and atmospheric reentry. The idea behind NASA's Composite Crew Module project is to test new structural materials for possible future NASA spacecraft. According to NASA, composite materials are being looked at because they are stiff and lightweight and can be formed into complex shapes that may be more structurally efficient. In space travel, where every additional pound of weight drives costs higher, any weight savings provides increased payload capacity and potentially reduces mission expense."
Comment Re:How does one "remote start" an electric car/vol (Score -1) 454
The Volt does NOT have an internal combustion engine, so how is it that the volt is "started" at all, let alone remotely?
Since electric motors can't be "started", What exactly is this "iPhone app" starting?
Comment How does one "remote start" an electric car/volt? (Score 0) 454
How does "ponying up $40K for a Volt" have anything even remotely to do with Remote starting your car?
Failed Games That Damaged Or Killed Their Companies 397
An anonymous reader writes "Develop has an excellent piece up profiling a bunch of average to awful titles that flopped so hard they harmed or sunk their studio or publisher. The list includes Haze, Enter The Matrix, Hellgate: London, Daikatana, Tabula Rasa, and — of course — Duke Nukem Forever. 'Daikatana was finally released in June 2000, over two and a half years late. Gamers weren't convinced the wait was worth it. A buggy game with sidekicks (touted as an innovation) who more often caused you hindrance than helped ... achieved an average rating of 53. By this time, Eidos is believed to have invested over $25 million in the studio. And they called it a day. Eidos closed the Dallas Ion Storm office in 2001.'"
Comment Re:One solution (Score 0) 418
Well, the FSLA has a specific non-management specification that applied to a large percentage of slashdot readers (such as myself):
The computer professionals exemption mainly applies to computer systems analysts, computer programmers, software engineers and software developers whose primary duties consist of some combination of design, development, documentation, analysis, creation, testing or modification of computer systems and programs, and who earn at least $455 per week on a salaried basis. It does not pertain to help desk workers or to employees involved in the manufacture or repair of computer hardware.
The computer professionals exemption mainly applies to computer systems analysts, computer programmers, software engineers and software developers whose primary duties consist of some combination of design, development, documentation, analysis, creation, testing or modification of computer systems and programs, and who earn at least $455 per week on a salaried basis. It does not pertain to help desk workers or to employees involved in the manufacture or repair of computer hardware.
