Follow Slashdot blog updates by subscribing to our blog RSS feed

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror
×

Comment Re:So what's it gonna be? (Score 2, Informative) 257

by MattXBlack (#28516723) Attached to: Standard Cellphone Chargers For Europeans
When this came up first time round I emailed Günter Verheugen, Vice President of the European Commission and in charge of this. One of his staff replied after a few weeks (in TIF format, usefully). This is hastily retyped, so spelling mistakes are likely mine.

... You observe that phones have non-standard connectors and therefore require special cables to be connected to computers. A standardised charger requires a standard plug. I expect that this standard plug would not just be used for charging, but also for connecting to computers. The issue will therefore be addressed in parallel. ...

So it seems they are aware of the issue and 'addressing' it. I'm interpreting 'expect' in the sense of 'England expects every man to do his duty' rather than 'I expect it'll be alright'.

Comment Re:Possible to do dirt cheap one-way. Analog cheap (Score 1) 541

by MattXBlack (#28445691) Attached to: Could We Beam Broadband Internet Into Iran?

Have some sort of simple one-way streaming multi-cast protocol. (You'd only need to do multi-cast on the LAN, and depend on distributing lots of units to get wide area coverage.) You'd have to distribute a new piece of software so that RSS readers and web browsers could view the content. Opera Unite might be able to do this. Any kind of locally installable web browser would do.

Basically, Teletext?

Comment Re:It's not really homeopathic (Score 1) 452

by MattXBlack (#28371059) Attached to: FDA Says Homeopathic Cure Can Cause Loss of Smell
In the case of this cold remedy there are probably other things helping the placebo effect. Buying it in a chemist (where the medicines live); word of mouth (it really worked wonders for Maureen next door - her cold was gone in just a week and a half!); a sciencey label with precise directions on how to use it, including, I'm guessing, a little diagram with viruses being blocked.

Comment Re:And Slashdot couldn't even link to it? (Score 1) 310

by MattXBlack (#28175167) Attached to: Microsoft Bing Search Launches Early Preview
Try searching for 'windows'. These were the sponsored links I got at the top of the page:

# Windows at Everest - www.everest.co.uk Warm, secure & draught-free windows, made to measure for your home. # Anglian Windows VAT Free - www.anglianhome.co.uk/windows Pick & Mix Home Improvements Sale. Which 3 savings will you choose? # Online Window Quotes - www.windowquotes.org 70% Discounts on Fitted Windows. Get up to 3 Free Quotes Online Now!

You'd think they'd at least buy their own keywords.
Hardware Hacking

EFF Sues Apple Over BluWiki Legal Threats 242

Posted by timothy from the fight-fight-fight dept.
Hugh Pickens writes "The Electronic Frontier Foundation has filed suit against Apple to defend the First Amendment rights of BluWiki, a noncommercial, public Internet 'wiki' site operated by OdioWorks. Last year, BluWiki users began a discussion about making some Apple iPods and iPhones interoperate with software other than Apple's iTunes. Apple lawyers demanded removal of the content (pdf) sending a letter to OdioWorks, alleging that the discussions constituted copyright infringement and a violation of the DMCA's prohibition on circumventing copy protection measures. Fearing legal action by Apple, OdioWorks took down the discussions from the BluWiki site but has now filed a lawsuit to vindicate its right to restore those discussions (pdf) and seeking a declaratory judgment that the discussions do not violate any of the DMCA's anti-circumvention provisions, and do not infringe any copyrights owned by Apple. 'I take the free speech rights of BluWiki users seriously,' said Sam Odio, owner of OdioWorks. 'Companies like Apple should not be able to censor online discussions by making baseless legal threats against services like BluWiki that host the discussions.'" Random BedHead Ed adds ZDNet quotes EFF's Fred von Lohmann, who says that this is an issue of censorship. 'Wikis and other community sites are home to many vibrant discussions among hobbyists and tinkerers. It's legal to engage in reverse engineering in order to create a competing product, it's legal to talk about reverse engineering, and it's legal for a public wiki to host those discussions.'"

Comment Complain! (Score 1) 360

by MattXBlack (#27665431) Attached to: BT Blocks Access To Pirate Bay

BT's warning message advises customers to contact customer services if they want the block on the site to be lifted.

Are BT just trying to get loads of complaints, so they prove they tried to stop piracy and discovered it wasn't commercially viable? Either way, I'd recommend calling up and complaining, even if it means waiting on hold for an hour. Threaten to change your service provider. Enough people do that, I'm sure they'll sit up and listen.

Slashdot Top Deals

BLISS is ignorance.

Close