Become a fan of Slashdot on Facebook

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror
×
PlayStation (Games)

Submission + - Play HD-DVD on PS3

Submitted by
Franck Martin
Franck Martin writes: "The PSUbuntu Forum reports that you can buy an X-BOX 360 HD-DVD drive and connect it to a PS3 and play HD-DVD and Blue-Ray disks using Ubuntu. Installation and configuration seems still tricky but it is possible!"
Technology (Apple)

Submission + - Is Apple Going Green? (macishere.com)

Submitted by
Macishere
Macishere writes: "Since 1990, Apple Computers (*cough* Apple inc.) has implemented an environmental policy that started taking effect with the phasing out of CFCs in their manufacturing plants all over the globe. Since then, many steps have been taken, over at Apple, to ensure a greener future for our planet.

Is it really enough? Is Apple doing this for the right reasons? If Apple has been on the ball since the early 90's, shouldn't they be at the top of the green totem pole? In fact, as Greenpeace reported, Apple has long ways to go. Steve Jobs et alt are struggling to get past the middle of the pack as shown in the Greenpeace's "Guide to Greener Electronics".

In May of 2007, Apple was barely past the 3rd marker while having managed to gain 2 levels. However, the apple is still red and Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Dell are way ahead and greener. Greenpeace associates this drawback for Apple, in part, because of their poor take back program — not giving the opportunity for users to recycle their computers through a company program (in Apple's defense they do offer a program for recycling iPods and cellphones)."
Toys

Submission + - Korean Bank introduces Credit Card to play Media

Submitted by
LordThundering
LordThundering writes: "A Korean Bank and Samsung introduced a Credit Card with a Data-Chip today (as reported by Chosung), storing media-files and your transactions records on there. Together with a Cardcase with an AMOLED, you can view the files and check your records anywhere. But how is your data protected? It doesn't say anything. Sounds like a nightmare to loose that Card. And anyways, do you really need a Credit-Card to play videos?"
Announcements

Submission + - DESERT BUS FOR HOPE - Gaming for charity 1

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: Unlike most video game fanatics, when Canadian comedy group LoadingReadyRun sits down for a gaming marathon they do it for a good cause. On November 23, 2007, 4 young men will sit down, and by the time they get up, they hope to have raised more than $5000 for children's charity Child's Play.

http://desertbus.org/
Announcements

Submission + - One Laptop Per Child: exciting updates (blogspot.com)

Submitted by
Christoph Derndorfer
Christoph Derndorfer writes: "A series of exciting updates were revealed by OLPC earlier today when they announced that (1) their "Give 1, Get 1" program has been extended to December, 31st (2) G1G1 is now available world-wide (with the limitation that you need a North-American shipping address) (3) an average of 10.000 X0s per day were sold via Give 1, Get 1 since the program was started on November, 12th."
The Military

Submission + - British Nukes Protected with Bicycle Locks

Submitted by
Ponca City, We Love You
Ponca City, We Love You writes: "Until 1998 British nuclear weapons were armed by inserting a bicycle lock key into the arming switch and turning it 90 degrees, the BBC reported last week. There was no code required or dual key system to prevent a rogue individual from arming the Bomb. The British military resisted proposals to fit bombs with Permissive Action Links — or PALs — which would prevent them being armed unless the right code was sent. PALs were introduced in the 1960s in America to prevent a mad General or pilot launching a nuclear war off their own bat — the Dr Strangelove scenario. The correct code had to be transmitted by the US Chiefs of Staff and dialed into the Bomb before it could be armed otherwise it would not detonate. Papers at Britian's National Archive show that as early as 1966 an attempt was made to impose PAL security on British nuclear weapons. The Royal Navy argued that officers of the Royal Navy as the Senior Service could be trusted: "It would be invidious to suggest... that Senior Service officers may, in difficult circumstances, act in defiance of their clear orders". Learn how to arm a WE 177 nuclear bomb (video)."
The Internet

Submission + - Mark Cuban calls on ISPs to block P2P

Submitted by boaz112358
boaz112358 writes: Mark Cuban, Dallas Mavericks owner, HDNet CEO, and noted gadfly is publishing on his blog that Comcast and other ISPs should block all P2P traffic, because as he says, "As a consumer, I want my internet experience to be as fast as possible. The last thing I want slowing my internet service down are P2P freeloaders." He complains that commercial content distributors instead of paying for their own bandwidth, are leeching off consumers who are paying for the bandwidth. As an alternative distribution method (at least for audio and video), he suggests Google video.
It's funny. Laugh.

Submission + - Duke Nukem in 2008

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: As it is, our all time favorite hero, Duke Nukem seems to be back. Again. GameGuru appears to have some inside info on the cigar smoking badass being far from dead. And we believe them. Again.
The Internet

Submission + - Belarusian Internet access is incredibly expensive

Submitted by
BastardBy
BastardBy writes: "Its not cheap living the Belarusian lifestyle, especially with relatives in other countries and the constant need to speak with them over the phone. International call expenses grow rather large.

As many probably know, ITIF published a list of countries with the most advanced Internet connection speed and prices. The list included aspects such as amount of broadband connections, average download speed and prices for a megabit of bandwidth per month given the highest speed connection plan available.

The list is headed off by South Korea (90% broadband availability, average speed at 45.6 Mbps, $0.45 for 1 Mbit of bandwidth per month), Japan (52%, 61.0 Mbps, $0.27) and Iceland (83%, 6.0 Mbps, $4.99).

For some contrast, here are the prices for unlimited ADSL access (a month of 1 Mbps access) in our region: Poland: $20, Lithuania: $18, Latvia: $21, Russia (Moscow): $33, Belarus: $986.

Im appalled! Belarusian Internet access is incredibly expensive! Other civilised countries allow one to easily make phone calls over the Internet, for example, via Skype, making international calls to friends and relatives much more comfortable. Everyone knows that. But what if those relatives dont have Internet access? International calls from Belarus are expensive. Calling through Skype is the same if not more expensive: having to pay $986 for unlimited Internet access and then paying for Skype too. Unbelievable!

But browsing through the vast plains of the Internet I found a curious store that sells phone cards: http://www.worldwide-calls.com/

It allows one to purchase prepaid phone cards that make it possible to make calls world wide. What I liked most about it is that their prices are indeed quite reasonable.

More so, they accept payments via online payment systems, not just credit cards like most typical online stores. They even accept WebMoney (those living on the territory of the former USSR will find that a plus).

So, all in all, it seems Ive found a solution. Ill be calling my relatives using cards from this online store.

I just hope that our Internet prices will drop some time in the future. And if not, Ill win a Green Card and move to the USA."
Censorship

Submission + - Marvel / DC Shut Down Comic Torrents on ZCultFM

Submitted by
trekbody
trekbody writes: "After getting into the digital comics business themselves, Marvel along with marketplace rival DC have contacted the proprietory of www.zcultfm.com, a comic community and torrent sharing site. ZCult has taken their tracker down to assess the problem, after receiving e-mail letters from both companies. Marvel apparently had asked for the entire site to be taken down, but ZCult owner "Serj" vows to keep the site alive, even without torrents. More information is available in zCultFM forums... http://zcultfm.com/~comic/ or this page from TorrentFreak... http://torrentfreak.com/marvel-dc-comics-target-bittorrent-071122/"
AMD

Submission + - Is AMD Doomed?

Submitted by Hilary Wittrock
Hilary Wittrock writes: Can a $622M dollar cash infusion plus reasonably profitable GPUs give AMD enough breathing room to prove its gamble on true quad core was a good one? "The jury is still out", according to Loyd Case, "but the portents are not very encouraging. The tech world really needs a scrappy, nimble CPU company like AMD, just like it needs a scrappy, cool computer company like Apple." With Intel's QX9770 outperforming the highly-anticipated Phenom, is the Radeon line the only light at the end of the tunnel?
Television

Submission + - Annoying background noise on Fox Sports Broadcasts 1

Submitted by notnAP
notnAP writes: Question... I first noticed a very annoying, oscillating square wave like noise in the background during the World Series Broadcasts. I live near Boston, and watched the games at home on a non-HD TV, fed via Comcast Digital Cable. I figured it was just a local problem — perhaps specific to my connection (my building's cable wiring is mid 80's, practically unshielded, and has caused reception problems). Or perhaps, my local Fox Affiliate, or it's feed to Comcast. Whatever — I just grinned and allowed the glory of the Red Sox to overshadow the annoying background noise.


Now, I'm hearing the same noise during a regular Fox NFL Broadcast — Giants vs. Cowboys. I'm starting to think there's something else at play here. A quick search on line has found others complaining about the "whine." No, nothing necessarily sinister (though I do welcome my new mind-control, broadcast overlords).


But as a former semi-pro audio engineer, I have to say there is no way this is could be making it past anyone with an ear — this must be intentional.


Anyone here on Slashdot hav an idea what its purpose is? Should I be fashioning the tin foil hat?


And please, if you haven't heard it, refrain from snideness. I've talked with a few, and while I can't discern a pattern, it's obvious some hear it and others do not.
Sci-Fi

Submission + - Update: Arthur C. Clarke Independent Film Delayed

Submitted by SoyChemist
SoyChemist writes: When an Industrial Light and Magic employee set out to complete a short film based on Maelstrom II by Arthur C. Clarke's 90th birthday, it looked like he would finish on time. When his sources of funding backed out, filmmaker Jeroen Lapré watched his project slow to a crawl in post-production. Just over a month before his self-imposed deadline, Lapré is far behind schedule and terrified that he may not be able to complete the film before the bedridden legend passes away. A rough cut of the first third of the film is available on his website. It shows that his project is far from complete.
Democrats

Submission + - Democrats: Colleges must police copyright, or else (news.com) 1

Submitted by
Brian Knotts
Brian Knotts writes: "News.com reports that congressional Democrats have introduced a bill creating a new corporate welfare program, which would force colleges into subscribing to music services, or else lose $100 billion of federal financial aid programs.

Unsurprisingly, the MPAA is on board with the bill.



"We very much support the language in the bill, which requires universities to provide evidence that they have a plan for implementing a technology to address illegal file sharing," said Angela Martinez, a spokeswoman for the MPAA.
"
Google

Submission + - Clues to the Strategy Behind the gPhone 4

Submitted by
Hugh Pickens
Hugh Pickens writes: "The New York Times is running a story about Andy Rubin, Google's resident gadget guru, and one of the primary architects of the gPhone. You won't find any new technical details about the gPhone in the story, (Google is planning an announcement on Monday about it's future mobile plans.) but the story about Rubin gives some clues that indicate that Google plans to do more than merely develop an operating system for cellular phones. One clue to the gPhone is that after Rubin left Apple he joined General Magic, the company co-founded with Mac pioneers Bill Atkinson and Andy Hertzfeld, that developed Magic Cap in the 1990's, a PDA precursor years ahead of it's time that included a cell phone and email. The Times speculates that Google may also be planning to replay the strategy that Microsoft used to bulldoze Netscape in the mid-1990s by "cutting off" Microsoft's air supply by giving the gPhone away to hand-set makers and to put Microsoft Windows Mobile out of business. If the strategy works, it will be because Rubin and his team have successfully developed a vision of the smartphone of the future and a strategy for getting it accepted by the public and by the carriers."

Slashdot Top Deals

Understanding is always the understanding of a smaller problem in relation to a bigger problem. -- P.D. Ouspensky

Close