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Comment Re:Browser process models and multitasking (Score 1) 261

If firefox is using userland threads, then the library they use must only be able to use one OS thread. This is a disadvantage in a computing world where desktop cores seems to be increasing in number and decreasing in power. Using a separate thread for each tab might be more trivial than trying to make the userland library OS thread aware.

Education

Submission + - A lecture to engage students into Computer Science

cpcfoursixfour writes: I'm College Professor and I was challenged to give high school students a lecture to get them passionate about Computer Science. Our 3rd year students are organizing a small summer school for high school students. The idea is to motivate them to enroll into Engineering degrees. This summer school consists of several activities and classes on subjects like Electronics, Networking, Computer Science, etc.
Now, if you were given one hour to get high school students passionate about Computer Science, how would you go about it?
PlayStation (Games)

Submission + - PlayStation Pull-Back Hurts Inexpensive Supercompu (itworld.com)

JimLynch writes: Yesterday, April 1st, brought the inevitable round of high-tech hijinks, as individuals and companies jockeyed to see who could be funnier. My personal favorite was Google renaming itself to Topeka, a move sure to consternate anyone not in the know and amuse those who were.

One tech company, however, released a software update that was decidedly unfunny.

Comment This is not censorship (Score 0, Flamebait) 1

This is not censorship. The leader of the protest had the authority to do what they did, which under the circumstances was probably a good idea, as they were trying to use the protest for their own ends.
The anti-immigration group also has the power to hold their own protest, for their own ideas. So there is no way you can call it censorship.

Australia

Submission + - Anti-censorship protestors censor "racist" group (itnews.com.au) 1

schliz writes: An "anti-immigration group" in Perth, Australia was ironically turned away from an anti-censorship rally on Saturday. The rally was organised to protest the Federal Government's plan to implement an ISP-level Internet filter, and featured speeches from an academic and political parties.

The anti-immigration group unfurled a "racist banner" above the stage as Greens Senator Scott Ludlam delivered the keynote speech, leading anti-filter protesters to chant: "No room for racists." An organiser explained: "We don't support people who oppress others with their words. That is not censorship — it is human rights."

Operating Systems

Submission + - Once free software no longer free (irradiatedsoftware.com)

An anonymous reader writes: TwoUp is/was a piece of free (as in beer) software that offers similar functionality to a Windows 7 feature where you can drag a window to the side to automatically resize and easily compare two windows, but it is keyboard-based and runs on OS X. The developer has "discontinued" TwoUp (read, removed all download links from his site) in order to "concentrate on Cinch and SizeUp," his or her pay-to-play offerings. While you get more features, you have to pay for functionality that once was free.

Question is: am I free to (legally) distribute the application file (rather, disk image) that I currently have on my machine? I downloaded it when it was free, and anyone at the time could have done the same. Currently there is no file available from the developer directly, but I could provide the once-free file, much as if the developer had decided to close up shop or other similar circumstance. In general, it seems like a pretty low move to offer a piece of software for free, let it get noted on blogs and news sites, then pull the rug out from under people who didn't get it in time and force them to pay because they didn't want all the fancy features you had to offer.

Microsoft

Submission + - Microsoft wins Windows XP WGA lawsuit

Rish writes: A lawsuit that accused Microsoft of misleading consumers to download and install an update for Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) under the guise that it was critical security update has been tossed out. Last month, a federal judge refused to certify the lawsuit as a class action, which would have meant anyone who owned a Windows XP PC in mid-2006 could join the case without having to hire an attorney, and on Friday the same judge dismissed the case completely.

Submission + - Is Internet Explorer 6/7 support actually required (frozenrails.eu) 3

k33l0r writes: Following Google's announcement ending support for Internet Explorer 6, has me wondering whether we (web developers) really need to continue providing support for IE6 and 7?

Especially when creating web sites intended for technical audiences, wouldn't it be best to end support for obsoleted browsers? Would this not provide additional incentives to upgrade?

Recently I (and my colleagues) had to decide whether it was worth our time to try and support anything before IE8, and in the end we decided to redirect any IE6/7 user-agent to a separately set up page explaining that the site is not accessible with Internet Explorer 6 or 7. For us this was easy once we saw from our analytics that under 5% of visitors to the site were using IE at all.

Have you had to make choices like this and, if so, what was your reasoning behind the decision?

Submission + - Conroy orders ISPs to "monetise" downloads or else (smh.com.au)

CuteSteveJobs writes: Australian Censorship Minister Steven Conroy has threatened new legislation that would make ISPs liable for customers downloading torrents. Conroy was responding to a coaltion of 34 corporations including Disney, Universal and Kerry Stoke's Channel 7 losing a case against Australian ISP iiNet. Conroy is calling for the ISPs to "work out or to monetise a solution" for copyright holders. But Monash Law School Dr Rebecca Giblin says it's little wonder Australians download shows: An Aussie buying a legit movie or TV show through iTunes will pay up to 45% more than Americans, and have to wait longer before they can see the latest episodes. Giblin points out these are controlled by the same corporations that tried to sue iiNet. The court decision doesn't seem to be holding back Nintendo, who just fined gamer James Burt $1.5M for pre-releasing a Nintendo game on his web site. Media giants are still betting they can win the day using "lobby and sue".
Businesses

Submission + - Steve Jobs the Most Powerful Man in Technology?

Hugh Pickens writes: "Chris O'Brien writes in the Mercury News that with the iPad Apple CEO Steve Jobs thinks he's in a position to dictate the rules of the technology industry and define his opponents in a way he hasn't been able to since his early days at Apple of decades ago when he was a famous and fearsome presence right up until Apple's board shoved him aside in 1985. "Jobs has been rebuilding his power base block by block over the past decade," writes O'Brien. Since the release of the iPod and iTunes, Apple has had the music industry under its thumb and with the iPhone, Apple was able to change the balance of power between device makers and phone companies. Now with the iPad Jobs is flexing his growing power and influence: For the first time, Apple has built its own homegrown microprocessor for a product potentially setting up a new rivalry with Intel in the mobile computing business; Jobs has secured a a 3G wireless plan from AT&T for $29.99 per month, about half what it costs from rivals; and Apple's new bookstore will let publishers charge more, already sparking a competition that will let publishers leverage concessions from Amazon. Apple's control isn't total. TV networks and movie studios haven't capitulated to iTunes' pricing plans and selection on iTunes for video content is still weak but stay tuned. "If [the iPad] is a hit with consumers, they may have no choice," writes O'Brien. "and Jobs will likely cement his role as the most powerful man in technology."

Comment Re:Stupid!! (Score 2, Insightful) 298

For most people, a word processor is a fundamental part of the operating system. Some people also do not have access to the internet. This means that there WILL be some people who want to use a word processor before they are able to access the internet, which means they won't have a change to download open office or be able to use google docs. This is why an off-line, light weight alternative should be included.

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