techfun89 - Slashdot User

Submission + - The Microsoft Office 2013 UI: A visual nightmare (tech-stew.com)

Submitted by techfun89 on Wednesday December 12, 2012 @12:46AM

techfun89 writes: There are major shortcomings with Office 2013 UI redesign. Some have stated that the white background and its overall lack of contrast and brightness has “caused their eyes to bleed.” There are some users who claim they have had eye problems after several weeks of using Outlook and Word for several hours per day. The new color scheme is quite bad overall and you have limited options in trying to change it. Outlook by default a low contrast white scheme which can be hard on the eyes and hard to tell what is what. That is, there is no clear distinction between functional areas like user controls and system controls. Not only this but white space optimization throughout the UI, particularly in Outlook and Lync is horrendous.

The preview area in Outlook becomes almost useless due to the huge consumption of space by elements in the header such as the photo, subject and title.

Typing in Outlook and even more so in Excel, often leaves your cursor in a lagged or streaky appearance, akin to that of typing on terminals of the 1990s.

Submission + - Astronomers discover a potentially habitable Super-Earth HD 40307g (tech-stew.com)

Submitted by

techfun89

on Thursday November 08, 2012 @03:32PM

techfun89 writes: "Scientists say they have found a new exoplanet that may have the right conditions to support life. The new planet called HD 40307g is part of a six-planet system. The discovery was made by a team of astronomers led by Mikko Tuomi at the University of Hertfordshire and Guillem Anglada-Escude of the University of Goettingen.

The dwarf star is considered "quiet and old" perfectly capable of having planets that could harbor life. This star is dimmer, cooler and smaller than that of the one in our solar system.

There is a 50 percent chance that HD 40307g would be a rocky planet like Earth, but there is insufficient data to know whether its a large Earth or a warm gaseous planet like Neptune. HD 40307g is the sixth planet from its star and orbits in 197.8 days. It is thought to be seven times larger than Earth and rotates on its own axis creating day and night effects. HD 40307 g is 42-light years from Earth, which means that its close enough that one day direct imaging telescopes may collect more data and images. It may have an average temperature ranging of around 9C or 48F if you scale up a terrestrial atmosphere."

Submission + - Mysterious spheres baffle scientists on Mars (tech-stew.com) 2

Submitted by

techfun89

on Saturday September 15, 2012 @09:20PM

techfun89 writes: "A new Mars photo shows a close-up of a rock outcrop called Kirkwood covered in what appears to be blister-like bumps which scientists have yet to explain. At first glance these formations are similar to the Martian "blueberries" which were first seen by Opportunity in 2004 but the new formations are different in several ways. According to rover mission principal investigator Steve Squyres of Cornell University in Ithica, NY:

This is one of the most extraordinary pictures from the whole mission. Kirkwood is chock full of a dense accumulation of these small spherical objects. Of course, we immediately thought of the blueberries, but this is something different. We never have seen such a dense accumulation of spherules in a rock outcrop on Mars. Kirkwood is chock full of a dense accumulation of these small spherical objects. Of course, we immediately thought of the blueberries, but this is something different. We never have seen such a dense accumulation of spherules in a rock outcrop on Mars.

They seem to be crunchy on the outside, and softer in the middle. They are different in concentration. They are different in structure. They are different in composition. They are different in distribution. So, we have a wonderful geological puzzle in front of us."

Submission + - NASA to use 3D Printing for Self-Building Spacecraft aka Replicators (tech-stew.com)

Submitted by

techfun89

on Friday September 14, 2012 @11:19AM

techfun89 writes: "A new spin on 3D printing technology could have spacecraft building themselves by taking materials from space junk or asteroids. The "SpiderFab" project has received $100,000 from NASA's innovative Advanced Concepts program to determine the feasibility of such a self-construction design. With some planning and more funding they hope to launch a 3D-printing test mission within several years.

"The system could then morph in orbit into a very large system a dozen or hundreds of meters in size," Hoyt told InnovationNewsDaily. "It would be like launching a CubeSat that creates a 50 meter-length boom."

The possibilities with this self-building technology would allow for space telescopes the size of ARICEBO in Puerto Rico. Or even more intriguing, such technology can be sent to distant star systems and then build arrays and communications transmitters to send signals back to Earth."

Submission + - Facebook updates iOS app to be faster, "rebuilt from the ground up" (tech-stew.com)

Submitted by

techfun89

on Thursday August 23, 2012 @02:12PM

techfun89 writes: "According to Facebook, the app was "rebuilt from the ground up," and is supposed to be twice as fast as the past version. Overall the app features smoother and faster scrolling and photos load "instantly" thanks to changes from switching from HTML5 to iOS native programming. Aesthetically speaking there aren't any major changes with the 5.0 update, mostly under the hood and functionality additions."

Submission + - Windows RT Tablets may be as much as $300 less than Windows 8 Slates (tech-stew.com)

Submitted by

techfun89

on Monday August 20, 2012 @11:35AM

techfun89 writes: "Lenovo is revealing some clues to what it plans to offer for pricing on Windows RT tablets.

David Schmook, head of Lenovo's North America operations revealed a few details regarding pricing. Schmoock stated that those purchasing ARM-based Windows RT tablets can expect to pay between $200 and $300 less than if they were buying a Wintel machine running Windows 8 (an Intel based x86/x64 version). It would seem that Schmoock wasn't speaking about Lenovo specifically, though.

"RT will play in consumer and retail at very aggressive price points. It will do well but it's going to be more of a consumer price point play to begin with."

Schmoock also elaborated and said that Windows 8 tablets will cost $600 to $700 (and likely the Surface Pro models)."

Submission + - OnLive officially announces acquisition, name will remain OnLive (tech-stew.com)

Submitted by

techfun89

on Monday August 20, 2012 @12:46AM

techfun89 writes: "The restructured OnLive has issued an press release and FAQ to attempt to clear up any rumors and misinformation on the companies recent changes.

Onlive is emphasizing that the streaming game service will go on uninterrupted and the "Newly formed company" will continue to use the OnLive name. The press release also outlines the Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors (ABC) process OnLive used to settle debts and that an affiliate of Lauder Partners, a technology investment firm, was the new OnLive's first investor. The firm talked about the necessity of laying off its staff, stating that "neither OnLive, Inc. shares nor OnLive staff could transfer under this type of transaction," and confirming that nearly have of the previous staff had been offered positions at the new company.

The new firm mentions that this acquisition holds hope for the future "of transforming the OnLive vision into reality."

This effectively means that OnLive was essentially bought out by OnLive, or rather, more specifically, one of their original investors in the company who backed the startup back in 2009."

Submission + - Rumor: Windows faster release cycles coming, next one codename "Blue" (tech-stew.com)

Submitted by

techfun89

on Thursday August 16, 2012 @12:12PM

techfun89 writes: "Rumors are that Microsoft is working on updates to Windows 8. The next set of updates is code-named "Blue" due out possibly next summer.

It is believed this update could be more than just patches, possibly including new features, making Windows release updates more like how Apple has done things for 10 years.

According to Mary Jo Foley:
"The word seems to be, whichever it is, that Microsoft is moving away from the big-bang Windows release schedule to which it typically has adhered, and is now attempting to move toward something more like what Apple does, with point releases. I'll be curious if Blue eventually gets a version number, like Windows 8.1 or 8.5 or something.""

Submission + - How to get sneaky with Windows 8 RTM and boot straight to the desktop (tech-stew.com)

Submitted by

techfun89

on Wednesday August 08, 2012 @05:44PM

techfun89 writes: "Microsoft has made it known that attempts to bypass the Metro (or whatever new name they choose to give it) interface, will not work in Windows 8 RTM. But there is a way to get around this behavior and have Windows 8 boot straight to the desktop if you really want to do so.

Three possible ways are outlined in this example, one is using a scheduled task to auto launch explorer.exe after having your user account automatically log into windows.

The other is using a small script file, launched from a task with or without logging in first, while the third way involves just moving the desktop tile to being the first tile and holding enter as you type your password.

Other methods will be found and created over time, but these should help the die hard users that simply can't stand seeing the Start Screen tiles first or don't want to hit the Windows Key to toggle to the desktop."

Submission + - Curiosity lands with implications far beyond a single mission (tech-stew.com)

Submitted by

techfun89

on Monday August 06, 2012 @11:26AM

techfun89 writes: "Eight years in planning and eight months in travel, NASA's Mars Science Laboratory landed safely on Mars, resulting in cheers from the NASA team and showing once again the true grit of American ingenuity and determination.

NASA chief Charles Bolden calls this successful landing a significant step towards the Obama administration's vision of sending astronauts to Mars by the 2030s. Bolden stated: "The wheels of Curiosity have begun to blaze the trail for human footprints on Mars."

The Curiosity landing has shown that we are capable of achieving missions that are seemingly difficult if not impossible, giving the critics of space exploration a shining example of what we can accomplish if given the chance. This mission is only the tip of the iceberg, as there will be much science to come from this mission, science that will unlock some of Mars' past (warmer and wetter) secrets but potentially shifting our understanding of our place in the cosmos on this pale blue dot that we call home. Work done here will pave the way for humans to Mars and beyond."

Submission + - New discovery reveals Antarctica had a rainforest 52 million years ago (tech-stew.com) 1

Submitted by

techfun89

on Thursday August 02, 2012 @05:28PM

techfun89 writes: "Scientists drilling into the seabed off Antarctica revealed that a rainforest grew in the icy continent 52 million years ago. Scientists warn that Antarctica could be ice-free again within decades. This new discovery is published in the journal Nature.

Kevin Welsh, an Australian scientist who was with the 2010 expedition, said that analysis of sediment cores containing fossil pollen showed it was "very warm" 52 million years ago, at 20 degrees Celsius (68 F). "There were forests existing on the land, there wouldn't have been any ice, it would have been very warm."

Higher levels of carbon dioxide are thought to be the major reason for ice-free conditions during the period. The CO2 estimates were between 990 to a couple of thousand parts per million.

The current CO2 level is 395 ppm and the most extreme predictions made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) see Antarctica being ice free by the end of the century."

Submission + - Microsoft to include tutorial on how to use Windows 8, Metro UI (tech-stew.com)

Submitted by

techfun89

on Thursday August 02, 2012 @12:48PM

techfun89 writes: "One blogger has gotten his hands on the bits before the August 15th date and has documented a tutorial that will be included in Windows 8.

In the final version that will ship to OEMs, Microsoft has made the smart move and added a guide during setup that highlights a "new way to use Windows."

The guide starts by demonstrating ways to swipe from an edge of the screen to reveal the charms bar. The hot corners are explained and displayed during the tutorial. This tutorial will be the default for every copy of Windows 8."

Submission + - Windows 8 has officially hit RTM (tech-stew.com)

Submitted by

techfun89

on Wednesday August 01, 2012 @12:37PM

techfun89 writes: "Microsoft has officially confirmed that Windows 8 has been released to manufacturing (RTM) with the final build of 9200. The company outlined when the OS will be available to various channels, the biggest being MSDN on August 15th.

August 15th: Developers will be able to download the final version of Windows 8 via your MSDN subscriptions.

August 15th: IT professionals testing Windows 8 in organizations will be able to access the final version of Windows 8 through your TechNet subscriptions.

August 16th: Customers with existing Microsoft Software Assurance for Windows will be able to download Windows 8 Enterprise edition through the Volume License Service Center (VLSC), allowing you to test, pilot and begin adopting Windows 8 Enterprise within your organization.

August 16th: Microsoft Partner Network members will have access to Windows 8.

August 20th: Microsoft Action Pack Providers (MAPS) receive access to Windows 8.

September 1st: Volume License customers without Software Assurance will be able to purchase Windows 8 through Microsoft Volume License Resellers."

Submission + - 50-mile long landslides discovered on Saturns icy moon Iapetus (tech-stew.com)

Submitted by

techfun89

on Monday July 30, 2012 @02:43PM

techfun89 writes: "Scientists are hoping that long landslides visible on Saturn's moon Iapetus may provide clues to understand similar movements here on Earth, in particular how earthquake fault lines often slip farther than expected. Scientists have concluded that flash heating could cause the falling ice to move 10 to 15 times farther than expected.

Lead scientist of Washington University, Kelsi Singer stated, "We think there's more likely a common mechanism for all of this, and we want to be able to explain all of the observations."

These landslides stretch as far as 50 miles or 80 kilometers on the surface of Iapetus. Singer's team used images from NASA's Cassini spacecraft to identify 30 different displacements.

Iapetus is made almost entirely of frozen water, which makes it unique, but the ice is hard due to extreme -300F temperatures and the properties are similar to that of rock. This allows scientists to make the connection between Earth and Mars rocky materials and that of the ice on Iapetus."

Submission + - Prototype Legend of Zelda can be yours for only $150k (tech-stew.com)

Submitted by

techfun89

on Monday July 30, 2012 @10:54AM

techfun89 writes: "Previously there was the super expensive relic Stadium Events from the Nintendo Entertainment system. Well move over and make room for a US prototype of The Legend of Zelda for $150,000. eBay seller tjcurtin1 has a Nintendo of America prototype that is dated "2-23-87" along with a retail release copy that is still sealed.

The seller states that "This is a complete version to my knowledge and as far as I know does not differ from the released version." What this means is that it does not have differences that are found in the Famicom Disk System prototype that was released in 2010 online."

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