orpheum - Slashdot User

Submission + - TTC installing cameras in all vehicles by June '08 (www.cbc.ca)

Submitted by

orpheum

on Monday October 22, 2007 @10:44PM

orpheum writes: "From the article:

Plans are underway to ensure every person using Toronto's transit system will be photographed as of next June. As many as 12,000 mini-cameras are being installed on every bus, streetcar, subway car and at each station. The cameras will snap photos of each of the 1.5 million people who ride the TTC daily.

When are government's going to learn that cameras don't work? London, England and my own London, Ontario spring to mind."

Submission + - 1TB Optical Discs Coming!

Submitted by Anonymous Howard on Wednesday March 28, 2007 @11:56AM

Anonymous Howard writes: Have you heard of Mempile? I haven't, but this company based out of Israel have gone on the record stating that they are working on a 1TB optical disc that is the same size as a standard DVD disc. They key here is that they have actually demonstrated the optical disc, dubbed TeraDisc, successfully, so it's not just vaporware. Mempile says it is using non-linear two-photon technology to read and record data in over 100 transparent "virtual" layers which take up the entire volume of a disc. The approach is radically different from conventional blue-laser technology like Blu-ray and HD DVD, in which partial reflection from multiple layers significantly reduces signal while increasing background noise and interference. Mempile's technology, conversely, can handle over 100 layers wile providing true WORM capabilities and bit-by-bit recording and addressing. The best part: Mempile recently demonstrated the technology to Japanese consumer electronics manufacturers and they were reported as being "amazed". Could this be the beginning of the end of the Blu-ray and HD-DVD format wars?

Submission + - Novel Open Source Software Distribution System

Submitted by

SpectralDesign

on Wednesday March 28, 2007 @11:20AM

SpectralDesign writes: "Is it a candy vending machine, or an Open Source software vending machine? That's what you might ask yourself if you walk past the proposed "Seneca Freedom Toaster", a concept that has won designer Andrew Smith (a fourth year Software Development student at Ontario's Seneca College) a $2500.00 prize to bring the concept to life.

Evan Weaver, Chair of the School of Computer Studies, says, "The Seneca Freedom Toaster's purpose is to encourage distribution and use of Open Source software, which is a very important cause for us at Seneca." Seneca College, Ontario's largest college — boasting a population of more than 100,000 students, has become more and more involved in Open Source software over the last number of years, in-part due to corporate partnerships such as with Mozilla.

Andrew says that many students have shied away from downloading Open Source software because of the time involved, and the difficulty in obtaining reliable and complete programs that are easy to install and upgrade. His idea for the Freedom Toaster came from exposure last year to a similar project in South Africa. To use the Freedom Toaster, simply bring your own CDR disc to the kiosk, and the library of Open Source software in it's hard drive is ready to browse and burn (err, Toast)."

Submission + - Gamers Make Better Surgeons

Submitted by

orpheum

on Wednesday March 28, 2007 @11:01AM

orpheum writes: "Reuters has an article about a study done recently to see if doctors who are also gamers are better surgeons or not. Apparently doctors who play videogames regularly perform laparoscopic are quite a bit better than their non-gaming counterparts. Doctors who play videogames more than 3 hours a week performed even better.

From the article: "Perhaps patients contemplating surgery ought to add a new question to the familiar preoperative discussion: Where did you train? How many of these procedures have you previously performed? What was your highest score on Legend of Zelda?""

Journal Journal: Joint Parliamentary Committee for the US and Israel !?! 2

Journal by Philip K Dickhead on Wednesday February 21, 2007 @03:15PM

Can such a creature exist!

Iran was at the center of talks held between members of the Joint Parliamentary Committee for the US and Israel, Knesset Member Yuval Steinitz told Ynetnews on Monday evening.

Submission + - Windows XP is slavery

Submitted by robix_mevdev on Wednesday February 21, 2007 @03:14PM

robix_mevdev writes: Go to the catalog at the duluth library:

Duluth Public Library

then for a search term type in: windows xp

It is a hilarious 1st result!

Feed Smaller Tank Boosts Natural Gas (wired.com)

From feed by wiredfeed on Wednesday February 21, 2007 @03:12PM

Researchers shrink the oversized, high-pressure tanks that store natural gas in vehicles, giving the cleanest non-electric vehicle a fighting chance. Plus: Batteries determine the fate of plug-ins. In Autopia.

Journal Journal: RIAA Cracks Down on College Students 1

Journal by slayermet420 on Wednesday February 21, 2007 @03:05PM

So it appears that the RIAA is once again striking fear into the hearts of college students. In an article on CNN http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/02/21/downloading.music.ap/index.html, the RIAA details its "Complaint Letters" being sent out to college students, and shows which colleges are being hit the hardest. I personally find it funny that the author continually refers to the RIAA as "complaining".

Oblivion Designer Moves To New Company 37

Posted by Zonk on Wednesday February 21, 2007 @02:54PM from the big-huge-gig dept.

Gamasutra reports on the new position that former Bethesda designer Ken Rolston has taken with Big Huge Games. The lead designer for Bethesda's hit titles Morrowind and Oblivion, Rolston is now slated to be working on an unnamed title for the Rise of Nations developer. Rolston announced he was planning to retire early last year but ... apparently not. The designer characterizes his new project as 'a strikingly original and cunning concept for a console RPG'. No name or concept was included in the announcement.

Submission + - Numbers not looking good for PS3

Submitted by Engineer Chris on Wednesday February 21, 2007 @02:53PM

Engineer Chris writes: An interesting look at some of the numbers behind console sales, and it's not looking good for Sony.

"The three points of the triangle are cost, installed base and games. If you don't have two of them, the third will never happen, and if you do have two, the third will come for free. Basically it is a feedback loop, you will excel at all three and ramp up the numbers or you will be in a death spiral quicker than you can say comprehensive Blu-Ray crack. There is no middle ground."

Submission + - James Gosling Appointed to the Order of Canada

Submitted by Andrija Ifkovic on Wednesday February 21, 2007 @02:49PM

Andrija Ifkovic writes: James Gosling, the creator of Java language and a VP of Sun has been appointed to the Order of Canada. This is the highest honour Canada can bestow upon its citizens. http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/02/21/tech -20070221.html

Submission + - UK Government Rejects Anti-DRM e-Petition

Submitted by

Anonymous Coward

on Wednesday February 21, 2007 @02:44PM

Anonymous Coward writes: "The UK government has rejected an e-Petition calling for a ban on DRM. In a response posted to the e-Petitions site, they claim that DRM gives users "unprecedented choice". BBC News reports on the response: "It said DRM acted as a policeman in that it protected digital content, but, it added, the technology also improved choice and the price consumers wished to pay." The response did, however, recognise that "the needs and rights of consumers must also be carefully safeguarded.""

Submission + - How to Laser Tag (i.e. graffiti) a Building

Submitted by

John3

on Wednesday February 21, 2007 @02:38PM

John3 writes: "The Graffiti Research Lab has posted video of laser graffiti they created on a Rotterdam building. The effect is very cool, and a complete guide on how they did it is posted on Theodore Watson's website. All you need is a laptop, LCD projector, and laser and you too can graffiti buildings without any permanent damage (unless you fry the retinas of a curious late night janitor). The GRL site states they are "dedicated to outfitting graffiti artists with open source technologies for urban communication" and there are several other examples of previous high-tech graffiti experiments, including drive-in GIF theater."

Slashdot Top Deals