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Submission + - How LucasArts Fell Apart (kotaku.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: "Over the last five months, I’ve talked to a dozen people connected to LucasArts, including ex-employees at the company’s highest levels, in an attempt to figure out just how the studio collapsed. Some spoke off the record; others spoke under condition of anonymity. They told me about the failed deals, the drastic shifts in direction, the cancelled projects with codenames like Smuggler and Outpost. They told me the stories behind the fantastic-looking Star Wars 1313 and the multi-tiered plans for a new Battlefront starting with the multiplayer game known as Star Wars: First Assault.

All of these people helped paint a single picture: Even before Disney purchased LucasFilm, the parent company of LucasArts, in November of 2012, the studio faced serious issues. LucasArts was a company paralyzed by dysfunction, apathy, and indecision from executives at the highest levels."

Submission + - Nokia's Elop to Get $25 Million if Microsoft Deal Done

Submitted by jones_supa
jones_supa writes: Stephen Elop, the former Nokia Oyj chief executive officer who is rejoining Microsoft, is set to get more than $25 million if the Finnish company completes the sale of its handset business to the software maker. Microsoft will pay 70 percent of the projected total amount of about 18.8 million euros ($25.5 million), and Nokia the remainder, according to a proxy filing by Nokia today. The value of Elop’s reward is estimated using Nokia’s Sept. 6 closing share price and may still change. Nokia shares have dropped by more than a third since Elop was hired on Sept. 10, 2010, even with the stock’s gain since the sale to Microsoft was announced. Nokia shareholders are set to vote on the transaction Nov. 19. Elop will move back to Microsoft as part of the $7.2 billion takeover. He is also a candidate to succeed Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

Submission + - Did Apple Make a Mistake by Releasing Two New iPhones? (slashdot.org)

Submitted by Nerval's Lobster
Nerval's Lobster writes: As noted by CNET, Apple hasn’t released data on the number of iPhone 5C units it presold in the device’s first 24 hours of availability—a first for the iPhone since 2009. Why is that? Reporter Josh Lowensohn speculates that iPhone 5C sales “may not be as impressive when stacked up against tallies from previous years,” with one outside analyst suggesting that Apple racked up 1 million iPhone 5C preorders last Friday, or roughly half the 2 million presales scored by the iPhone 5 on its first day of ordering availability last year. However well the iPhone 5C ends up performing on the open market, Apple’s decision to launch two iPhones this year—rather than a single “hero” device—could result in self-cannibalism, as users who would’ve bought the iPhone 5S instead gravitate toward the cheaper option. Cannibalism is a topic that Apple knows well, as it’s been dealing with the iPhone cannibalizing the iPod for the past several years; but a new iPhone eating away at another new iPhone is fresh territory for the company. During earnings calls, Apple CEO Tim Cook likes to argue that cannibalization—whether iPhones feeding off the iPod, or the iPad taking the place of MacBooks—is a good thing, so long as it’s Apple products eating other Apple products. But it’s far more questionable whether he would welcome the iPhone 5C—almost certainly a low-margin device, despite its current-generation components and plastic body—taking a bite out of the more expensive, and presumably higher-margin iPhone 5S. Margin erosion remains a prime concern of investors and Apple watchers; anything that contributes to that erosion is bound to be viewed unfavorably.

Submission + - Molecule in Corked Wine Plugs Up Your Nose (sciencemag.org)

Submitted by sciencehabit
sciencehabit writes: Ever send a bottle of wine back at a restaurant? If you weren't just being a pretentious snob, then it was probably because the wine seemed “corked”—had a musty odor and didn’t taste quite right. Most likely, the wine was contaminated with a molecule called 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA), the main cause of cork taint. But a new study by Japanese researchers concludes that you do not smell TCA directly; rather, TCA blocks up your sense of smell and distorts your ability to detect odors. The findings could help the food and beverage industry improve its products and lead to less embarrassment for both you and your waiter.

Submission + - Artificial Muscles Could Allow Robots to Lift 80 Times Their Own Weight (gizmag.com)

Submitted by Zothecula
Zothecula writes: It's a classic science fiction scene: an android is injured and its human-like exterior is laid bare to reveal the metallic gears and cables of its true mechanical nature. The future is, unsurprisingly, not likely to match this scenario as our ability to mimic biology with innovations like artificial muscles improves. The latest breakthrough in this field comes from the National University of Singapore’s Faculty of Engineering where researchers have developed a “robotic” muscle that extends like real muscle tissue to five times its original length, has the potential to lift 80 times its own weight and holds out the promise of smaller, stronger robots capable of more refined movements.

Submission + - Smaller Testicles correlated with Better Parenting Behavior (nature.com)

Submitted by Guppy
Guppy writes: A recent paper appearing in PNAS (Paywalled) measured Testicular volume and Testosterone levels in fathers of children aged 1-2 years. This information was compared against parenting surveys reported by the children's mothers, as well as MRI imaging of brain activity in the men's Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA), taken while the men were viewing photographs of their children.

The results appeared consistent with past studies hinting of correlation — both Smaller Testicles and lower testosterone levels were found to correlated with both greater reported Nuturing-type behavior, as well as greater stimulated VTA activity. The authors commented that further research was required, given the limited scope of past investigations into the subject, saying "Testicular imaging is sort of a unique niche right now."

Free Summary appearing in Nature here.

Submission + - Apple's New TouchID - Breakthrough or Disaster? 2

Submitted by necro81
necro81 writes: Apple isn't the first company to integrate a fingerprint reader into a cellphone. But with the introduction of TouchID into the home button of the new iPhone 5S, Apple has thrust the technology front and center, and made a big gamble in the process. Will users accept it? Will other companies follow? What happens if the false positive/false negative rates are too high? Without an open and inspectable protocol, we have to take Apple at its word that the fingerprint data exist only in the sensor and the (local) processor; no APIs for third-party access have been announced. Is this an acceptable security model? If it's an awful model, is it at least better than the alternative (passcodes, or nothing at all)?

Submission + - Coffee delays brain maturation in adolescent rats (plosone.org)

Submitted by golden age villain
golden age villain writes: Slashdot readers are probably well aware of the stimulating effects of our favourite psychoactive beverage. Now, scientists at the Children's Hospital in Zurich show in rodents that consumption of coffee during the period corresponding to adolescence has profound effects on the maturation of the developing brain. From the paper: "Adolescence is a critical period for brain maturation during which a massive reorganization of cortical connectivity takes place. In humans, slow wave activity (less than 4.5 Hz) during NREM sleep was proposed to reflect cortical maturation which relies on use-dependent processes. [...] Caffeine treatment exerted short-term stimulating effects and altered the trajectory of slow wave activity. Moreover, caffeine affected behavioral and structural markers of maturation, delaying all three assessed markers of brain maturation. Thus, caffeine consumption during a critical developmental period shows long lasting effects on sleep and brain maturation."

Submission + - The real problem blocking Linux support for apps and games (networkworld.com)

Submitted by colinneagle
colinneagle writes: GOG.com recently announced that it will not add Linux support for the games it offers, citing profitability issues with keeping their games up-to-date. The company has, however, remained open to suggestions from the Linux community.

And what do they receive? Negativity, criticism, and cussed at in forums and comment sections. Companies can't figure out how to effectively and profitably support Linux. They turn to the community to discuss that issue. The community shoots them in the face for talking about the issue, thus making other companies afraid to even try.

GOG is not the problem here. Neither is Valve, Desura, Canonical or any other company that would seek to sell digital goods to those of us running Linux. The problem is us. Our reaction. Our ability to recognize that our operating system, desktop environments and software ecosystems of choice may not (brace yourselves) be 100% perfect in every way.

Submission + - How Companies Are Preparing For The IT Workforce Exodus (itworld.com)

Submitted by itwbennett
itwbennett writes: If you think there's a glut of contract IT workers now, just wait. 10,000 U.S. baby boomers will turn 65 every day from now until 2030, and at least some of them will want to ease into retirement. This may sound like music to the ears of IT organizations who already would rather hire temporary staff with specialized expertise — especially for working on legacy technologies. 'The contractor ratio, already high in tech, will continue to increase as companies allow retiring staff to work part-time hours or hire them for short-term projects,' says Matthew Ripaldi, senior vice president at IT staffing firm Modis.

Submission + - Fukushima actually "much worse" than so far disclosed

Submitted by PuceBaboon
PuceBaboon writes: The BBC is reporting that experts are casting doubt on the veracity of statements from both the Tokyo Electric Power Company and the Japanese government regarding the seriousness of the problems at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Not only are the constant leaks releasing radioactivity into the ocean (and thus into the food chain), but now there are also worries that the spent fuel rod storage pools may be even more unstable than first thought.
An external consultant warns, "The Japanese have a problem asking for help. It is a big mistake; they badly need it."

Submission + - A New Spate of Deaths in the Wireless Industry (wsj.com)

Submitted by onehitwonder
onehitwonder writes: The race to build out advanced cellphone networks in the U.S. has contributed to a spike in deaths among tower workers, making this one of the industry’s deadliest years and drawing fresh scrutiny from federal regulators, according to The Wall Street Journal. At least 10 workers have died in falls from communication towers so far this year, and three more were seriously injured. The accidents, nine of which were related to cellphone network work, come during one of the biggest building booms in years, as Sprint Corp. and T-Mobile US Inc. ramp up major network upgrades in an attempt to catch up with Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc.

Submission + - Bradley Manning Sentenced To 35 Years (wsj.com)

Submitted by schwit1
schwit1 writes: Pfc. Bradley Manning was sentenced to 35 years in prison Wednesday, the culmination of a trial that posed tough questions about the balance between government secrecy and national security.

Pfc. Manning was facing a maximum 90-year sentence. The prosecution had asked for 60 years and the defense no more than 25.

After an eight-week court-martial, Pfc. Manning was convicted in July of espionage for downloading volumes of classified military and diplomatic information that he handed to the antisecrecy group WikiLeaks for public release. The presiding judge, Col. Denise Lind, rejected the U.S. government's most serious charge—aiding the enemy—which could have led to a much harsher sentence.

Pfc. Manning, 25 years old, won international notice after his May 2010 arrest at a U.S. military base in Iraq. Supporters, including WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, hailed Pfc. Manning as a heroic whistleblower who risked his own freedom in an attempt to rouse opposition to American foreign policy and its "war on terror."

The prosecution cast Pfc. Manning as a low-level military analyst who recklessly released classified information that could be used against American troops and their allies around the world.

During the court-martial, Pfc. Manning defended his decision to release the information as an effort to spark a broad debate about American foreign policy. Last week, in a final appeal for leniency, he issued a public apology and cast himself as a misguided young soldier who didn't realize that his actions would hurt the U.S.

"I look back on my decisions and wonder how on earth could I, a junior analyst, possibly believe I could change the world for the better," he told the judge

Submission + - Bradley Manning Sentenced to 35 Years (firedoglake.com) 1

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: After a long and protracted trial, Judge Denise Lind has handed down a sentence in the Bradley Manning case: 35 years and a dishonorable discharge. Manning initially faced a maximum sentence of 135 years, which was reduced to 90 years when Manning was found not guilty of Espionage Act offenses and certain other charged were merged. He has already served over 1000 days in prison, and his sentence will be reduced by 1,274 days.

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