schwep - Slashdot User

Comment Re:Is it better? (Score 1) 171

by schwep on Tuesday May 24, 2011 @04:03PM (#36231858) Attached to: Fedora 15 Released

I tried Gnome 3 with a pretty open mind (I also liked Gnome 2 interface), and couldn't cope with it. I was not able to configure anything of value to me. Despite being a Fedora contributor (just 1 package), I dumped F15 for Scientific Linux 6.

Gnome 3 would be really cool on a tablet, just not a desktop where you actually do work. In fairness, I was unable to switch to either of the other window managers (KDE, etc.).

I liked the rest of Fedora 15 because it worked well on my laptop (hardware support-wise). I just couldn't make the UI work for me.

Comment We're going to IPO in 3 months... oh, nevermind. (Score 1) 136

by schwep on Friday February 18, 2011 @08:14PM (#35250176) Attached to: National Security Jobs To Rival Silicon Valley Over the Next 10 Years?

No chance of becoming independently wealth, just quite literally a long term government job, with little real chance of advancement.

No thank you.

Comment Sun tired of energy being stolen, protesting (Score 2) 204

by schwep on Sunday February 13, 2011 @08:58PM (#35195682) Attached to: Two Huge Holes In the Sun Spotted

After decades of 'free' energy being stolen from the sun, the sun has finally had enough & started a protest. If the 'free' energy theft continues, according to sources close to the sun who wish to remain unnamed, then it will start sending DRM takedown notices to all solar panel owners. The sun's legal team insists that solar power harvesting is breaking the physical encryption it is using & is therefore covered by the DMCA.

The sun could not be reached for direct comment.

Comment Re:My take (Score 3, Informative) 337

by schwep on Tuesday August 03, 2010 @10:20PM (#33133496) Attached to: Oscilloscopes For Modern Engineers?

I agree with Andrew. I like having a stand alone instrument that data can be sent to the PC. It really depends on what you're going to be doing as to what you should buy... For $2k you can get a great deal on a used one (like from ebay) but you'll need to do some research first.

Dave does some good reviews here:
http://www.eevblog.com/episodes/

Iron Baby 139

Posted by kdawson on Friday May 28, 2010 @10:51AM from the energizer-bunnies-beware dept.

When Iron Baby wants O's, Iron Baby gets O's.

Study Finds Fast-Food Logos Make You Impatient 122

Posted by samzenpus on Tuesday April 20, 2010 @11:14AM from the I-got-the-cowboyneal-jitters dept.

A study conducted by the University of Toronto has found that exposure to fast-food logos can cause people to feel impatient and make them more likely to buy things. Subjects in the study were exposed to nearly imperceptible flashes of images (for 12 to 80 milliseconds) which included fast-food logos for some. The subjects were then asked to read about and choose between two different kinds of skin-care treatments, one of which was a three-in-one. Those who had the logos flashed before them read "significantly faster" and chose the more time-saving skin product. From the article: "The researchers concluded 'fast food, originally designed to save time, can have the unexpected consequence of inducing haste and impatience' and 'preference for time-saving products when there are potentially other important aspects upon which to choose a product.' So, basically, driving past a McDonald's on the highway has the potential to not only make you drive faster, it will make you more likely to buy two-for-one Pantene Pro-V Shampoo and Conditioner the next time you go to Duane Reade. One, it seems, is considerably less ominous than the other." I guess this explains why my nephews will chew on their seat belts and try to get out the windows just to be first into the McDonald's Playland.

Star Wars: The Old Republic Sarlacc Enforcer Class Unveiled 27

Posted by Soulskill on Thursday April 01, 2010 @06:58PM from the thinking-big dept.

Today BioWare unveiled the most impressive new class yet seen for their upcoming MMO, Star Wars: The Old Republic. Sarlacc Enforcers are "paragons of patience and planning, always waiting for the right moment to pounce on their quarry – even if it takes one thousand years." Gamespot had an interview with the game's developers to get a clear picture on how such a unique and innovative class was designed. Quoting: "Well, this is a stealth class, so the soloing experience of the Sarlacc enforcer is going to be a little slow. [This character] spends a lot of time slowly sneaking into position before unleashing potent close-ranged attacks, such as 'devour.' But once exposed, the enforcer heavily relies on companion characters to lure enemies close, so he/it can unleash his/its close-ranged attacks. However, the enforcer shines in a group, especially when paired with a Jedi consular that can knock enemies toward him. At this point, the Sarlacc enforcer can use his/its powerful suite of damage-over-time abilities, like 'digest' and 'regurgitate.'"

Comment Re:DreamHost (Score 1) 456

by schwep on Sunday February 21, 2010 @11:29PM (#31225364) Attached to: Things To Look For In a Web Hosting Company?

I have been using them for nearly a year & also like their service.

Things I need in a webhost:
1. ssh access & my machine is linux - my business is a linux only shop (except for the occasional VM with WinXP as a work-around) for a number of reasons
2. Allowing me to install whatever I want/need. Some parts of my site are PHP, others are Ruby on Rails
3. 'unlimited' space/bandwidth - I realize it's not, but I don't have to worry about my normal usage.
4. ssl certificates/hosting for a reasonable amount
5. Subversion or Git hosting is great for distributed teams in an easy to maintain place.
6. Allowing me to write & run custom crontabs for automatic processes - like backing up!

Comment Business Opportunity (Score 1) 139

by schwep on Friday February 19, 2010 @05:52PM (#31204778) Attached to: eBay Urges Rethink On EU Plan's "Brick and Mortar" Vendor Requirement

1. Buy a small brick & mortar location (it can be out of the way - that's not the point).
2. 'Host' a virtual business store front in a portion of your location for a monthly fee.
3. To keep the overhead low, only be open for 1 hour a day & require that there be no products available for sale.
4. Only accept cash.
5. The money from sales made (which there shouldn't be) go to the brick & mortar business owner.

It's just like web hosting, except your' renting virtual brick & mortar space.

Jetman Attempts Intercontinental Flight 140

Posted by samzenpus on Wednesday November 25, 2009 @01:32PM from the a-jetwing-and-a-prayer dept.

Last year we ran the story of Yves Rossy and his DIY jetwings. Yves spent $190,000 and countless hours building a set of jet-powered wings which he used to cross the English Channel. Rossy's next goal is to cross the Strait of Gibraltar, from Tangier in Morocco and Tarifa on the southwestern tip of Spain. From the article: "Using a four-cylinder jet pack and carbon fibre wings spanning over 8ft, he will jump out of a plane at 6,500 ft and cruise at 130 mph until he reaches the Spanish coast, when he will parachute to earth." Update 18:57 GMT: mytrip writes: "Yves Rossy took off from Tangiers but five minutes into an expected 15-minute flight he was obliged to ditch into the wind-swept waters."

Comment Who cares where the data center is? (Score 4, Insightful) 142

by schwep on Wednesday August 12, 2009 @09:29PM (#29046595) Attached to: Will Silicon Valley Run Out of Data Center Space?

Just put in a fat pipe to the data center & connect it to the backbone. Data centers are (by design) a commodity, and as such will be outsourced to where it makes sense.

Slashdot Top Deals