Comment It's been tryed - U.S.A. election 2004 (Score 1) 102
Not something I think we need to repeat.
Why is it that every time I see 'Diebold' my mind replaces it with 'Diabolical'.
Comment Re:Killing the appetite??? (Score 2, Funny) 152
Maybe, but unfortunately most morbidly obese people cannot fit into or be supported by the MRI machines that hospitals have. It is quite the reality check when these people have to be sent to the Zoo to make use of the same equipment they use for large animals.
Comment Re:Finally (Score 1) 164
But my computer always POST before I can login...
Comment Re:IBM Trackpoint (Score 1) 569
These thing are amazing, the server room at work has boxes of them I have one for my personal keyboard. You can also get them from Lenovo here (This is the full flavour version you can also get a compact version as well). A bit pricey they are, but when you can kick back, put you hand on the keyboard and never have to have them leave it is just heaven, not to mention that you don't need a flat space or space at all to move your mouse. They do take geting use to but all who I have got to try them have never looked back.
Comment Re:Klingon Linux distro (Score 1) 94
Well yes, of course
Ubuntu 8.10, you can get it here:
http://klingbuntu.wizage.net/
Comment Selling books (Score 1) 2
Odd, when I did the search, the top 2 results were selling your book next 3 being universities using it for courses then it was a mix of the torrents and legal references.
Maybe you need to distribute it via a different mechanism, we are all techies that sit and consume digital media while some of us do enjoy the feel and smell of processed dead trees not all of us do.
So I would go with ether a digital distribution or an online ad driven reference would probably be greatly used.
$70 to a student is expense, especially when one can get it for $20 used or free for those who will use it less on line to which ether you will not see any money.
BTW, I do have a dead tree copy of the book and was useful and interesting enough that it was not resold at the end of the term.
Submission + - What do I do about websites distributing my books? (wayner.org) 2
peterwayner writes: "I recently noticed that some of my books are widely distributed on places like Pirate Bay. They're so widely distributed that typing "wayner data compression textbook" into Google returns ten pages and none of them are selling my book. Some are devoted to other books, but the bulk of the results are filled with sites like ExtraTorrent pushing a big download "Great Science Textbooks". While it's a great complement to be included in such a list of books, it pretty much confirmed that I won't be able to pay the rent or support my family writing these books as I have in the past. If others found success giving away books, it's eluded me and I'm guessing that the hype is what really drives sales. (The proliferation of digital readers is going to really hurt the viability of this mechanism.) So I've started asking people for advice. Do I (1) get another job, (2) sue people, or (3) invent some magic spell? Is society going to be able to support people who synthesize knowledge or will we need to rely on the Wikipedia for everything? I'm open to suggestions."
Submission + - Diamond May Be The Silicon of Quantum Computing (technologyreview.com)
Al writes: "The Physics Arxiv Blog reports that diamond could turn out to be a vital ingredient for useful quantum computers. Marshall Stoneham and colleagues at University College London's Centre for Materials Research suggest that crystalline carbon containing nitrogen vacancies (diamond, that is) could store qubits for long periods and could house a relatively large number of qubits in a small volume. Qubits could also become entangled, allowing the information they contain to be transferred and processed. Furthermore, diamond could be addressed relatively easily using photon guns."
Comment Little late for April fools Microsoft (Score 0) 227
ah... there sill trying to convince us it is an open license.
Comment Re:Same as you deal with pirated music (Score 1) 958
I agree it is no different except in one small but important point.
Software that is being used to make money (part or in a business setting) or in the case of a school used in a public setting is equivalent to someone reselling music or DVD's or doing a public broadcast of a show without the rights to do so.
I think most of Slashdot would agree that this is illegal and morally wrong whether it is software or music.
Now the other case which you are using referring to pirated music for individual does get ambiguous for both software and music. I would go as far to say even it is not looked upon generally and morally wrong. I most cases the companies in question realize it is not worth there time and these people are just customers in training.
I will be the first to admit it, that when I was in school I pirated both software and music. Now I am in a business environment and for my self that I have the money to buy the software, I do pay for it. It also probably the only reason I insisted that the company I work for get a certain IDE instead of using eclipse and I have Photoshop instead of GIMP. I do love the FOSS alternative but they are just not the same.
Comment Re:The real problem (Score 2, Insightful) 256
- Diebold is inept and we have mass issues in our banking systems.
Just a quick replay to your first point.
WE DO HAVE A MASSIVE ISSUE WITH OUT BANKING SYSTEM.
where have you been the past year? Canada
Submission + - Cancer Researcher Makes Fuel by Burning Salt Water (wired.com)
HalcyonJedi writes: It seems that a Pennsylvania cancer researcher has created fuel by burning salt water — he came upon the discovery accidentally when he was attempting to desalinate water using a generator. Apparently when salt water is exposed to radio waves, the contact creates a reaction which causes the hydrogen in the water to burn — at more than 3000 degrees Fahrenheit. From the article:
"Rustum Roy, a Penn State University chemist and expert in water structure, tells the Post-Gazette the guy is not just a nut bar. He says he recreated the phenomenon last week at the university's Materials Research Laboratory in State College."
The full article can be found on various news sites, and here is the link to the article on Wired.com: http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/09/pennsylvania-ma.html
Submission + - PCWorld refuse hardware repair due to Linux. 10
Tikka writes: "Today I visit PC World (London, UK) because my 5 months old laptop has developed a manufacturing fault, the hinge to the display has started to crack the plastic casing.
Anyone in the know, will know that this is due to the joint inside and this means that ultimately the screen will separate from the keyboard in time.
Repair was refused, because I have Gentoo Linux on my laptop — Replacing the Windows Vista that was pre-installed.
PC World have said that this has void my warranty and there is nothing they will do for me, I spoke to a manager who said that he has been told to refuse any repairs if the operating system has been changed.
I feel this has really gone against my statutory rights and will do everything I can to fight it, I will review comments for your advice."
Anyone in the know, will know that this is due to the joint inside and this means that ultimately the screen will separate from the keyboard in time.
Repair was refused, because I have Gentoo Linux on my laptop — Replacing the Windows Vista that was pre-installed.
PC World have said that this has void my warranty and there is nothing they will do for me, I spoke to a manager who said that he has been told to refuse any repairs if the operating system has been changed.
I feel this has really gone against my statutory rights and will do everything I can to fight it, I will review comments for your advice."
Submission + - Robot Chicken's sunday Star Wars special.
Submission + - A good mobile phone with no camera?
SuperG writes: It seems like every mobile phone out there has a camera on it these days. The only ones without cameras are low-end models with poor battery life, poor reception, and minimal features. And low-end means the cool factor is nonexistent as well. I often visit facilities where phones with cameras are not allowed, so I end up being incommunicado with my current camera phone.
Is there a good (in terms of battery life, call quality, build quality, and style points) phone without a camera out there in the US market?
