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Comment Re:Who cares? (Score 1) 46

Perhaps, although the number of (non-Ubuntu) Linux machines deployed outside of people's parent's basements exceeds fBSD and Ubuntu combined, which is kind of a built-in interest base. My expectation is that most smart people try to stay abreast of trends in the industry they work in ;)

Comment Who cares? (Score -1, Troll) 46

Hours old post, other posts after attracting normal comment volume, this has eleven (11) posts as of this moment. If an update to a shitty, feeble, archaic operating system that only the most devoted antisocial fanbois give a flying fuck about doesn't deserve the "whocares" tag, nothing does.

Image

Beaver Dam Visible From Space Screenshot-sm 286

ygslash writes "The Hoover Dam no longer holds the title of the world's widest dam. Satellite photos of northern Alberta, Canada, show that several families of beavers have apparently joined forces to build a dam 850 meters wide, more than twice as wide as the Hoover Dam."
Programming

Best Seating Arrangement For a Team of Developers? 520

TekNullOG writes "I was given the job to prepare the logistics involved with moving our office. At the same time my bosses asked me to look into buying new desks for a small team of four developers and to consider if it could benefit the team to sit at a round table. In many offices and departments it increases productivity and makes collaboration easy. However, I am concerned that putting developers around a table could potentially be distracting consequently diminishing productivity by increasing coding errors. What are your thoughts?"

Comment This should be amusing... (Score 2, Insightful) 44

As anyone who has ever used an online translation engine can tell you, going between English and either Chinese or Japanese leads to a stream of gibberish which at best gives the wily reader a hint of what the original topic might have been about.

I foresee a few tourists on both sides of the pond having some epic adventures as a result of relying upon this app :)

Patents

BetaNet Sues Everyone For Remote SW Activation 227

eldavojohn writes "Not to be out patent trolled by Eolas, a mystery company named 'BetaNet, LLC' is suing: Adobe Systems, Inc, Apple, Inc., Arial Software, LLC, Autodesk, Inc.,, CARBONITE, INC., Corel Corp., Eastman Kodak Co., International Business Machines Corp., Intuit, Inc., Microsoft Corp., McAfee, Inc., Oracle Corp., Rockwell Automation, Inc., Rosetta Stone, Inc., SAP America, Inc., Siemens Corp. and Sony Creative Software, Inc. for infringement of their patent entitled Secure system for activating personal computer software at remote locations. And of course, this was filed in our favoritest of favorite places: Marshall, TX (Texas Eastern District Court)."
Government

James Murdoch Criticizes BBC For Providing "Free News" 703

Hugh Pickens writes "News Corporation's James Murdoch says that a 'dominant' BBC threatens independent journalism in the UK and that free news on the web provided by the BBC made it 'incredibly difficult' for private news organizations to ask people to pay for their news. 'It is essential for the future of independent digital journalism that a fair price can be charged for news to people who value it,' says Murdoch. 'The expansion of state-sponsored journalism is a threat to the plurality and independence of news provision.' In common with the public broadcasting organizations of many other European countries, the BBC is funded by a television license fee charged to all households owning a television capable of receiving broadcasts. Murdoch's News Corporation, one of the world's largest media conglomerates, owns the Times, the Sunday Times and Sun newspapers and pay TV provider BSkyB in the UK and the New York Post, Wall Street Journal, and Fox News TV in the US." Note that James Murdoch is the son of Rupert Murdoch.
Cellphones

Microsoft Tag, Smartphone-Scannable Barcodes 258

dhavleak writes "Microsoft Research has come up with Microsoft Tag: '...just aim your camera phone at a Tag and instantly access mobile content, videos, music, contact information, maps, social networks, promotions, and more. Nothing to type, no browsers to launch!' Device support is fairly extensive (iPhone, WinMo, BlackBerry and more), and tag scanning appears to work quickly and reliably from different distances and angles. Long Zheng has an overview on his site. The Tag is similar to a barcode, but has obvious visual differences — colored vs. black and white, and triangles vs. squares or lines. The technology looks interesting, but will it get the adoption necessary to be successful? What applications do you see for such technology?"

Comment Complete answers to uniscrew exam (Score 1) 581

Fuck it, and fuck them. This sort of thing leads direct to "Idiocracy" becoming reality. So this bit is borrowed from Melbel, who posted it in the hopes that the information gets spread far and wide. If you are looking for a job that uses this exam, I'm sorry for you, but here's at least a glimpse into how the faragin bastidges want you to conform:

SA = Strongly Agree
A = Agree
D = Disagree
SD = Strongly Disagree

You expect to succeed in whatever you do SA
You are good at taking charge of a group A
You keep calm when under stress SA
You are somewhat of a thrill-seeker SD
You like to be alone SD
You are well aware of your inner feelings SA
People are often mean to you SD
You get angry more often than nervous SD
You know when someone is in a bad mood, even if they donâ(TM)t show it SA

You would like a job that is quiet and predictable SD
You work hard at what you do SA
You keep your promises, no matter what SA
You work better with your hands than your mind A
You donâ(TM)t work too hard because it doesnâ(TM)t pay off anyway SD
You love to be with people SA
You love to listen to people talk about themselves SA
You hate to give up if you canâ(TM)t solve a hard problem SA
You prefer to do things alone SD
When under pressure, you think about all that can go wrong SD
It is easy for you to ignore small problems SD
You feel lively and energetic at parties SA
You are a quiet person SD
You donâ(TM)t like to be interrupted when you are doing something SD

When someone is rude to you, you get over it quickly SA
You do not always feel hopeful about your future SD
When you need to, you take it easy at work SD
You attract attention to yourself SD
You believe that you would be very successful at a sales job SA
You finish the work you have to do, even when youâ(TM)re tired or bored SA
You are proud of the work you do at school or on a job SA
You look forward to going to work (or school) SA
You quickly see the solutions to new problems SA
You have no big regrets about your past SA
In school, you were one of the best students SA
It bothers you when something unexpected disrupts your day SD
When someone treats you badly, you ignore it SA
You like people to notice you A

Slow-moving people make you impatient A
You often feel nervous about something SD
You got mostly good grades in high school SA
Many people cannot be trusted D
You rarely act without thinking SA
You have friends, but donâ(TM)t like them to be too close SD
You could describe yourself as âtidyâ(TM) SA
In your free time, you go out more than stay home SA
Your stuff is often kind of messy SD
People have a lot of arguments with you SD
You have a lot of different abilities SA
Your moods are steady from day to day SA
You are lively and talkative SA
There are some people you really canâ(TM)t stand SD
You do not fake being polite SD
You show it when you are in a bad mood SD
When things go wrong, itâ(TM)s hard to control your temper SD

It bothers you when you have to obey a lot of rules SD
You can argue hard but still keep it friendly SA
You would rather not get involved in other peopleâ(TM)s problems D
It is not easy for you to put your ideas in writing SD
When you are annoyed with something, you say so SD
You were absent very few days from high school SA
Youâ(TM)ve had some disappointments that youâ(TM)ll never get over SD
You follow through on everything that you start SA
You feel nervous when there are demands you canâ(TM)t meet A
You think a lot about the worries and stresses you have D
Peopleâ(TM)s feelings are sometimes hurt by what you say SD
You make more sensible choices than careless ones SA
It bothers you a long time when someone is unfair to you SD
You change from feeling happy to sad without any reason SD
You like to try things that are new and different SA
You do some things that upset people SD
When you are done with your work, you look for more to do. SA

You are always learning about new things SA
You are skilled at convincing people SA
You swear when you argue SD
You donâ(TM)t act polite when you donâ(TM)t want to SD
When people make mistakes, you correct them SA
You usually like to be by yourself SD
You talk cheerfully to people you meet SA
You do what you want, no matter what others think SD
You tend to follow others more than lead A
Realistically, some of your projects will never be finished SD
People do a lot of things that make you angry SD
You like to take the lead with others SA
You make new friends all the time SA
You sometimes thought seriously about quitting high school SD
Any trouble you have is your own fault SA
When someone criticizes you, you criticize back SD
You like to plan things before you start to do them SA
You shy away from trying new things SD
You are good at leading people D

You worry about saying the wrong things to people A
You like to take frequent breaks when working on something difficult SD
You have plenty of self-confidence SA
You are not interested in your friendsâ(TM) problems SD
You do not like to meet new people SD
Your friends and family approve of the things you do SA
You bounce back right away from disappointments SA
Itâ(TM)s fun to go out to events with big crowds SA
It is important for you to feel good about your work SA
You feel bad for a long time after youâ(TM)ve made a mistake SD
Youâ(TM)d rather not compete very much SD
You avoid arguments as much as possible SD
You can easily cheer up and forget a problem SA
You like to talk a lot SA
You do things carefully so you donâ(TM)t make mistakes SA
You have to give up on some things that you start SD
You donâ(TM)t believe a lot of what people say SD
You donâ(TM)t care what people think of you SD
You like to have a lot to do SA

You finish your work no matter what SA
You are careful not to offend people SA
You think a lot about things that have bothered you SD
You could not deal with difficult people all day SD
You donâ(TM)t care if you offend people SD
You pay close attention to peopleâ(TM)s feelings SA
You agree with people more than you argue SA
You work best at a slow but steady speed SD
You think of yourself as being very sensible SA
Right now, you care more about having fun than being serious at school or work SD
You act pleasant even when you feel bad SA
You want to be the best at everything you do SA
You donâ(TM)t worry about making a good impression SD
You wait to start your work until you are told to SD

You get mad at yourself when you make mistakes SA
Youâ(TM)d rather blend into a crowd than stand out D
You look back and feel bad about things youâ(TM)ve done SA
In school or on a job, you could be doing better than you are SD
When you go someplace, you are never late SA
You have no big worries SD
You donâ(TM)t work harder than you have to SD
You take the lead in conversations or discussions SA
It is maddening when the court lets guilty criminals go free SA
Other peopleâ(TM)s feelings are their own business D
You always try not to hurt peopleâ(TM)s feelings SA
In groups, someone else usually takes the lead D
You are a good reader.SA
You do not like small talk SD
You do all you can do to win SA
You do not like to take orders SD
You have trouble dealing with sudden changes SD

You try to sense what others are thinking and feeling SA
You try to make everything you do perfect SA
Youâ(TM)ve done your share of trouble making SD
You would rather work on a team than by yourself SA
You are hard to get along with when you are in a bad mood SD
You criticize people when they deserve it SD
You have always had good behavior in school or work SA
People who talk all the time are annoying D
You like to be in the middle of a big crowd SA
You have confidence in yourself SA
You give direct criticism when you need to SA
You ignore people you donâ(TM)t like SD
You donâ(TM)t care if you offend people SD
You chat with people you donâ(TM)t know SA
You have a busy, active schedule SA

Social Networks

Personality Testing For Employment 581

Thelasko writes "While I was in college, I had the opportunity to take an elective course in Industrial Psychology. One section of the course covered hiring practices and the validity of 'personality testing' to screen applicants (Google link for non-subscribers). The Wall Street Journal has a long article discoursing on how such tests are used in today's economy. While personality tests may be designed to uncover underlying personality traits such as honesty, critics claim that the tests instead reward cheaters." The article talks mostly about the tests' use in winnowing candidates for retail positions — deciding whom to interview. Anybody encountered them in an IT or more technical context?
Security

Walmart Photo Keychain Comes Preloaded With Malware 224

Blowit writes "With the Christmas holidays just past and opening up your electronic presents may get you all excited, but not for a selected lot of people who got the Mercury 1.5" Digital Photo Frame from Walmart (or other stores). My father-in-law attached the device to his computer and his Trend Micro Anti-virus screamed that a virus is on the device. I scanned the one I have and AVAST did not find any virus ... So I went to Virscan.org to see which vendors found what, and the results are here and here." Update: 12/29 05:44 GMT by T : The joy is even more widespread; MojoKid points out that some larger digital photo frames have been delivered similarly infected this year, specifically Samsung's SPF-85H 8-inch digital photo frame, sold through Amazon among other vendors, which arrived with "W32.Sality.AE worm on the installation disc for Samsung Frame Manager XP Version 1.08, which is needed for using the SPF-85H as a USB monitor." Though Amazon was honest enough to issue an alert, that alert offers no reason to think that only Amazon's stock was affected.

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