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Comment Serve other people (Score 1) 823

by jimminy_cricket (#41766615) Attached to: Ask Slashdot: Rectifying Nerd Arrogance?

I believe that the absolute best way to obtain an appropriate perspective on the value of others is to serve them. Make service part of your everyday life. There are endless opportunities and ways. It can be something as simple as opening the door for people and saying hello with a smile. You can join a service oriented club at your school. You could join a local church on some service project. You could visit people in a retirement center or hospital. You could volunteer whenever the chance arises.

Nothing has helped me appreciate other people more than serving them. I have found an awful lot of happiness in holding doors open, greeting others in a kind way, picking things up for people when they drop them, and participating in service groups. When you serve someone with a smile without expectation of reward, you obtain a happiness and humility that cannot be found in any other way.

Feed Bruce Lee Lives On (wired.com)

From feed by wiredfeed
Filmmaker Justin Lin resurrects the martial-arts master with his latest film, Finishing the Game. Long live "Bruceploitation." By Lisa Katayama.


Media

Submission + - HD DVD lagging, NEC making Blu-ray players

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Former HD-DVD champion NEC has turned agnostic and is working with Sony to launch a lineup of Blu-ray players. This is presumably driven by the market numbers, which show Blu-ray outselling HD-DVD by nearly 5:1 last week according to Neilsen. NEC isn't the only member of the HD DVD which is wavering. Microsoft is openly discussing Blu-ray support for the XBox 360, and rumors are swirling that Universal is considering Blu-ray. To stay in the game, Toshiba is slashing HD DVD player prices to $399, though Blu-ray players are selling for $469 on Amazon. Of course, DVD is outselling both and neither format has any real open source support, so maybe none of this matters.
Sony

Submission + - Record-breaking 165,000 PS3s sold at UK launch

Submitted by
pl1ght
pl1ght writes: "http://www.mcvuk.com/news/26261/Record-breaking-16 5000-PS3s-sold-at-UK-launch The PS3 becomes fastest-selling home console ever over its debut weekend. The figure is three quarters of the total 220,000 UK launch stock for day one, and makes PS3 second only to PSP in the overall launch weekend sales stakes. The Sony handheld shifted 185,000 during its opening weekend back in September 2005. PS3's record-breaking debut for a home console comfortably beats the previous top seller Nintendo Wii, which sold 105,000 after its frantic launch weekend in December last year. Fellow format rival Xbox 360 racked up an estimated 70,000 at launch in December 2005. The figure also means that Sony has not sold all of its opening weekend stock, something the platform holder claims is part of its overall strategy at retail."
Graphics

Submission + - What graphics company should I buy from?

Submitted by PalmKiller
PalmKiller writes: My question is who is a reputable graphics company (reputable as in stands behind their warranty) that makes an AGP 4x/8x video card that performs as well as my Geforce 4 Ti4400 did (i know I know pci-e...but I don't want to upgrade my memory, mb, cpu right now)? I am not stuck on nvidia chipsets though they seem to work better with my amd processor. My Ti4400 spec page:

http://www.pny.com/products/verto/discontinued/geF orce4/ti4400agp.asp

And here is why I am asking:

Well a few days ago my PNY Ti4400 video card went belly up. Flashing color blocks in text mode, the whole gory end type thing. I bought it in june 2003 from a internet reseller, so its slightly less than 4 years old. I put in a geforce 4 mx card I had laying around, and well needless to say it sucks. It had a lifetime warranty, and I am short on cash so due to the wife, new baby, etc...so I then decided to request an RMA from PNY...it was promptly denied.

When I asked why I got this explanation (cut and pasted with only my personal info obscured):

Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2007 12:03:37 -0400
From: Technical
To: *My Real Name*
Subject: RE: RMA Request via Web — Verto Graphics Card

The life time warranty means: the lifetime of the product or life cycle
of the product. All product has a time where it becomes obsolete, as is
this case. It is considered old technology and can not be replaced.

— Original Message —
From: *My Real Name* [mailto:xxxxxx@xxxxx.net]
Sent: Monday, March 26, 2007 11:41 AM
To: Technical
Subject: RE: RMA Request via Web — Verto Graphics Card

It says in my paperwork that it has a lifetime warranty. I am still
alive as is the computer it was put into, so what exactly does lifetime
mean to your company?

thank you
*My Real Name*

On Fri, 23 Mar 2007, Technical wrote:

> Randal,
>
>
>
> We're sorry that video cards life cycle has expired and the warranty
is
> no longer in place.
>
>
>
> ________________________________
>
> From: xxxxxx@xxxxx.net [mailto:xxxxxx@xxxxx.net]
> Sent: Friday, March 23, 2007 5:06 PM
> To: Technical
> Subject: RMA Request via Web — Verto Graphics Card
>
>
>
> Name: *My Real Name*
> Email: xxxxxx@xxxxx.net
> Phone Number: 870-853-xxxx
> Address: *My Street*
> City: *My City*
> State: *My State*
> Zipcode: *My Zip*
> Country: United States of America
> Date of Purchase: 06/04/2003
> Proof of Purchase: yes
> UPC Code: N/A Lost box
> Product Category: Verto Graphics Card
> Product: GeForce4 Ti4400
> System Information: Soyo Dragon 333 Ultra motherboard
> Operating System: Windows 2000
> Description: Was working great with this mainboard, suddenly it has
> strange color blocks all over the place in graphics modes, and funny
> text in text mode. Does the same thing with a new gigabyte mainboard.
> I tried a geforce 440mx in the mainboard and it worked properly, so I
> determined that this board has died.
>
>
Security

Submission + - Surveillance society must be managed

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: People think there has to be a choice between privacy and security; that increased security means more collection and processing of personal private information. However, in a challenging report published on Monday 26 March 2007, The Royal Academy of Engineering says that, with the right engineering solutions, we can have both increased privacy and more security. Engineers have a key role in achieving the right balance.

One of the issues that Dilemmas of Privacy and Surveillance — challenges of technological change looks at is how we can buy ordinary goods and services without having to prove who we are. For many electronic transactions, a name or identity is not needed; just assurance that we are old enough or that we have the money to pay. In short, authorisation, not identification should be all that is required. Services for travel and shopping can be designed to maintain privacy by allowing people to buy goods and use public transport anonymously. "It should be possible to sign up for a loyalty card without having to register it to a particular individual — consumers should be able to decide what information is collected about them," says Professor Nigel Gilbert, Chairman of the Academy working group that produced the report. "We have supermarkets collecting data on our shopping habits and also offering life insurance services. What will they be able to do in 20 years' time, knowing how many donuts we have bought?"

Another issue is that, in the future, there will be more databases holding sensitive personal information. As government moves to providing more electronic services and constructs the National Identity Register, databases will be created that hold information crucial for accessing essential services such as health care and social security. But complex databases and IT networks can suffer from mechanical failure or software bugs. Human error can lead to personal data being lost or stolen. If the system breaks down, as a result of accident or sabotage, millions could be inconvenienced or even have their lives put in danger.

The Academy's report calls for the government to take action to prepare for such failures, making full use of engineering expertise in managing the risks posed by surveillance and data management technologies. It also calls for stricter guidelines for companies who hold personal data, requiring companies to store data securely, to notify customers if their data are lost or stolen, and to tell us what the data are being used for.

"Technologies for collecting, storing, transmitting and processing data are developing rapidly with many potential benefits, from making paying bills more convenient to providing better healthcare," says Professor Gilbert. "However, these techniques could make a significant impact on our privacy. Their development must be monitored and managed so that the effects are properly understood and controlled." Engineering solutions should also be devised which protect the privacy and security of data. For example: electronic personal information could be protected by methods similar to the digital rights management software used to safeguard copyrighted electronic material like music releases, limiting the threat of snooping and leaks of personal data.

The report also investigates the changes in camera surveillance — CCTV cameras can now record digital images that could be stored forever. Predicted improvements in automatic number-plate recognition, recognition of individual's faces and faster methods of searching images mean that it may become possible to search back in time through vast amounts of digital data to find out where people were and what they were doing. The Royal Academy of Engineering's report calls for greater control over the proliferation of camera surveillance and for more research into how public spaces can be monitored while minimising the impact on privacy.

"Engineers' knowledge and experience can help to 'design in privacy' into new IT developments," says Professor Gilbert. "But first, the government and corporations must recognise that they put at risk the trust of citizens and customers if they do not treat privacy issues seriously."

The full report is at http://www.raeng.org.uk/policy/reports/pdf/dilemma s_of_privacy_and_surveillance_report.pdf
The Internet

Submission + - FCC announces inquiry into "net neutrality"

Submitted by yuna49
yuna49 writes: Last Thursday, the US Federal Communications Commission announced a "Notice of Inquiry" (warning: pdf) into "the behavior of broadband market participants, including:
  • How broadband providers are managing Internet traffic on their networks today
  • Whether providers charge different prices for different speeds or capacities of service
  • Whether our policies should distinguish between content providers that charge end users for access to content and those that do not
  • How consumers are affected by these practices."
According to this article at eWeek, the study is targeted at whether broadband providers are treating some content providers more favorably than others. Distinctly absent is any discussion about port filtering or other restrictions on Internet usage.

In published statements, the two Democrats on the Commission pressed for a "Notice of Rulemaking" rather than a "Notice of Inquiry" arguing that the Commission should declare a policy of non-discrimination now rather than waiting months or years for another study to be conducted. The Republican majority ignored these arguments and voted for an Inquiry to which the Democrats concurred.
Sun Microsystems

Submission + - Sun Pushes Upgrading From Linux to Solaris OS

Submitted by Petersko
Petersko writes: In Sun's Inner Circle newsletter is a new article, 'Upgrading from Linux to the Solaris OS'. Their point is summed up in the subheading, 'When "Good Enough" is no longer good enough'. Quotes like this one abound: '...but many companies have discovered that an OS that had first been presented as being "free" in cost actually incurs costs similar to or exceeding what, say, Microsoft charges for its operating system. Many companies are learning that while Linux is relatively inexpensive to acquire, it comes with high deployment and maintenance costs.'
Sci-Fi

Submission + - Dramatic rise in Bee Deaths cause for concern

Submitted by
Logicalmoron
Logicalmoron writes: "Quoted from Albert Einstein: "If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man." According to a story on Spiegel Online, there have been extinction-level collapses of bee colonies throughout Germany and the U.S., on the order of ~60-70% in some isolated locations. What does this mean exactly? Well, with the dramatic fall in bee populations, there is a dangerously high threat to agriculture — namely the inability to pollinate crops. Researchers say that if the trend continues, it could cost the U.S. roughly $14 billion in agricultural products. Link: http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518 ,473166,00.html"
Businesses

Submission + - Multiseat computing:One computer - Multiple users

Submitted by
guy
guy writes: "Multiseat Computing: A new way of computing. Two to six users on one computer:using the pc independantly but every user has his own homedirectory. * Huge savings on hardware * Less service * Less electric power needed * Stable virus-free Ubuntu software Multiseat "islands" can be organised as twoseat, threeseat, foruseat, fiveseats and sixseat configuration. With optional wireless internetaccess, printers and network. We have chosen the Ubuntu Linux software as operating system(with windows it is technicaly impossible and the licence forbids it) . Ubuntu linux is safe, stable and easy to use with openoffice, firefox, gimp and hundreds of software pre-installed.. Multiseat systems can be used at work and at home also.This computing system is extremely good for education use, internet cafe etc.. For schools there is a huge saving on hardware and energie . http://www.multiseatcomputer.be/eng/index.html"
Wii

Submission + - Seniors love the Wii

Submitted by textureglitch
textureglitch writes: Nintendo's mission to expand the $30 billion global video game market far beyond the children and young males who make up its core consumers is well under way. The Wii's focus on intuitive gameplay rather than high-powered graphics has made it outsell the more expensive Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 so far, and now CNN reports that retirees love the Wii.

"I played tennis, if you can call it that, as a high school student. I had such fun doing it," Ebert swung the Wiimote just like a tennis racquet and said playing the game reminded her of the feeling she had all those years ago.

Flora Dierbach, 72, chairs the entertainment committee of Erickson Retirement Communities in Chicago and helped arrange a Wii bowling tournament.

"It's a very social thing and it's good exercise ... and you don't have to throw a 16-pound bowling ball to get results."
Privacy

Submission + - Thumbprint required to buy a car in Southern CA

Submitted by
saccade.com
saccade.com writes: "Here's an insidious use of biometrics: A southern California car dealership actually refuses to sell you a car unless you submit your thumbprint. From the posting:

The dealership claimed that the fingerprinting was for my protection. To make sure I'm really who I say I am, and haven't just stolen someone's social security number.

But I don't get it. How does that work? No one's checking to make sure the fingerprint I leave matches the one on file with the DMV. There's no forensics expert on staff. And I don't have data on this but I feel pretty certain that any car thief worth his salt probably already has more than one set of prints on file.
...
Dollar Rent-A-Car tried fingerprinting their customers for a while. They gave up after realizing that it had no effect on fraud or theft. Simply, treating your customers like felons is bad for business.
"
Caldera

Submission + - IBM Asks Court to Declare Linux Non-Infringing

Submitted by
A Cyclic Graph
A Cyclic Graph writes: "We finally have a redacted version of IBM's Reply Memorandum in Support of Summary Judgment on Counterclaim 10 in SCO v. IBM. In short, IBM is asking the Court to declare that Linux doesn't infringe upon any of SCO's purported intellectual property. This document is the last word on that matter until the Court either declares there to be no doubt that Linux is free of infringement, or decides that that issue has to be decided by the jury. In their brief, IBM points out that SCO puts forth a convoluted set of non-answers referencing each other to disguise it's inability to answer IBM. Their set of cross-references is so complex that Groklaw readers graphed the claims to make what little sense of them they could."
Space

Submission + - Spacecraft may surf on magnetic fields

Submitted by
Matthew Sparkes
Matthew Sparkes writes: "NASA's Institute for Advanced Concepts have proposed spacecraft that surf the magnetic fields of Earth and other planets, taking previously unfeasible routes around the solar system. The electrically charged craft would not need rockets or propellant of any kind. A cylindrical mesh of fibres would be attached to the spacecraft. To charge itself up, the stocking could be coated with a radioisotope such as polonium-210, the isotope used to poison former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko."

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