Become a fan of Slashdot on Facebook

 



Forgot your password?
typodupeerror
×

Comment Re:A vendetta against Java and Flash? (Score 1) 451

This comes the same day that users report the new MacBook Air doesn't have Flash preinstalled; and while you can install it yourself, Safari doesn't prompt you to do so (just displays a generic "missing plugin" over Flash content and ads).

Is that different from "normal" Macs up to now?

United States

Submission + - Government funds new computer forensic institute

Quincy writes: The DHS and Secret Service are setting up a new computer forensic institute in Alabama. Set to open in mid-2008, the new National Computer Forensic Institute will be able to train over 900 law enforcement officers per year. 'It will initially be staffed by 18 Secret Service agents and will feature classrooms, a forensic laboratory, an evidence vault, and server rooms. Courses will be offered in the investigation of electronic crimes, network intrusion investigation, and computer forensics.'
Music

Submission + - A way to break the major label monopoly?

Roger writes: "Who-is-roger.com is the homepage of a project intended to break the grip of major labels on the music industry and put power back in the hands of musicians. The idea is simple: use video sites like Youtube and Metacafe along with word of mouth advertising to promote the project while using online distribution channels like Myspace, iTunes, and Cafepress to sell the songs and merchandise. The videos tell a coherent storyline, with each one broken into an introductory video blog segment followed by a narrative video pertaining to the song. This keeps out all of the middlemen (managers, labels, etc.) and allows earned revenue to go toward ongoing recording and production expenses. Every penny the project makes goes to someone involved in the creative process, not to some label executive who is more concerned with the bottom line than good art. You can find their most recent video here. The songs are available for purchase on their home website, under the heading "Songs.""
Networking

Submission + - The IT Daylight saving checklist

coondoggie writes: "A two-year-old federal law moves expands Daylight Saving Time by a month, starting this year. For humans, it means resetting clocks on a different weekend twice a year, but for computer systems it means upgrades that could cause headaches as the March 11 deadline approaches. Whether you're up to speed or in panic mode, here's a checklist of what you should be doing to prepare. http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/030107-dst-s lides.html"
Patents

Submission + - Orphan 70-Year-Old Plane Data = 'Trade Secrets'?

Anonymous Flyboy Coward writes: The Experimental Aircraft Association is taking on the Federal Aviation Administration, which has denied a FOIA request for access to construction data to the owner of 70+ year old antique Fairchild F45 aircraft. The FAA sided with a company that was formed in 1990 (and which didn't even know the airplane type existed until the FAA's inquiry) that claims it "owns" the design and manufacturing data to the aircraft, calling the data a "trade secret". The company failed to register with the FAA (as required by law) yet the FAA is standing by it's assertion that they "own" this data, which was turned over to the public domain in the 1950s. Many vintage aircraft owners face a Catch-22 situation: they are required by law to perform maintenance to the manufacturer's specs, but much of this data is unavailable because the FAA refuses to release it without the data's owner's permission... even if there is no such owner. The decision in this case will likely have wide-ranging implications on FOIA requests, as well as affect whether historical antique aircraft will remain flyable or lost forever to a pointless bureaucratic death. The full story is available here.
Power

Submission + - Sanyo blamed in Lenovo battery recall

ukhackster writes: Those overheating laptop batteries are back. Lenovo is recalling 205,000 "extended" batteries which shipped with its ThinkPad machines, or were bought as replacements.

Slashdot readers will doubtless remember the flak which Sony attracted last year, after it was blamed for exploding Dell notebooks and several massive recalls. This time, the batteries were made by Sanyo. Could this be the start of another recall franzy?
Hardware Hacking

Submission + - Sweet and Sour Network: $10 Wok == $20,000 DIsh

An anonymous reader writes: The New Zealand Herald reports: "Why pay $20,000 for a commercial link to run your television station when a $10 kitchen wok from the Warehouse is just as effective? This is exactly how North Otago's newest television station 45 South is transmitting its signal from its studio to the top of Cape Wanbrow, in a bid to keep costs down."
The Internet

Submission + - Stevens' (R-Tubes) Website Says Visitors==Aliens?

Series of Tubes writes: "Apparently Sen. Stevens (R-Alaska) has been trying to get a bit more computer savvy after his infamous "series of tubes" speech, but he's found a really strange way to do it. According to the Washington Post's blog, if you enter the wrong password when trying to visit Stevens' official reelection website, you get told that "Through a series of highly sophisticated and complex algorithms, this system has determined that you are not presently authorized to use this system function. It could be that you simply mistyped a password, or, it could be that you are some sort of interplanetary alien-being that has no hands and, thus, cannot type." And the 401 Unauthorized error message only gets weirder..."
Unix

Submission + - Free Opensolaris Starter (DVD) Kit

ericb writes: "The free opensolaris starter (DVD) kit was just announced. The following distributions are included: Solaris Express, Nexenta, Belenix, and Schillix.

To place an order, go here:

http://www.opensolaris.org/kits/

(Note: You'll be directed to a sign-in/registration page first.)"
Communications

Submission + - Dell to build mobile phones?

An anonymous reader writes: Just days after Dell poached Motorola's handset guru, Ron Garriques, speculation is growing that the company is planning to enter the mobile space. Telecoms.com has an article discussing this.

Slashdot Top Deals

"Look! There! Evil!.. pure and simple, total evil from the Eighth Dimension!" -- Buckaroo Banzai

Working...