Slashdot is powered by your submissions, so send in your scoop

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror
×
Wireless Networking

Submission + - Improving on Cell-ID localization?

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: I am a happy user of the Open CellID database for localization on my none GPS enabled phone. I'm getting around a 600 meters to 1 km accuracy on high density areas, which is pretty good everything considered. I recently stumbled upon an article that describes a method of improving GSM localization without "No additional hardware" or dependence on the mobile carrier. Other methods of improvements described elsewhere are "Enhanced Cell Identification", "TDOA", "TOA", and "E-OTD". My question is this: What method would be the most practical for improving GSM localization?
Education

Best Introduction To Programming For Bright 11-14-Year-Olds? 962

Posted by timothy from the don't-forget-cty-and-other-nerd-camps dept.
firthisaword writes "I will be teaching an enrichment programming course to 11-14 year old gifted children in the Spring. It is meant as an introduction to very basic programming paradigms (conditions, variables, loops, etc.), but the kids will invariably have a mix of experience in dealing with computers and programming. The question: Which programming language would be best for starting these kids off on? I am tempted by QBasic which I remember from my early days — it is straightforward and fast, if antiquated and barely supported under XP. Others have suggested Pascal which was conceived as an instructional pseudocode language. Does anyone have experience in that age range? Anything you would recommend? And as a P.S: Out of the innumerable little puzzles/programs/tasks that novice programmers get introduced to such as Fibonacci numbers, primes or binary calculators, which was the most fun and which one taught you the most?" A few years ago, a reader asked a similar but more general question, and several questions have focused on how to introduce kids to programming. Would you do anything different in teaching kids identified as academically advanced?
The Internet

Submission + - Open Source Economics Driving Web 2.0 Innovation (readwriteweb.com)

Submitted by
ReadWriteWeb
ReadWriteWeb writes: "Jitendra Gupta looks how the open source model is interacting with our market driven economic system. He writes that the open source movement has become a powerful value creator; that it has created an interesting and somewhat egalitarian wealth distribution mechanism, where on one hand it has made it hard for one stakeholder to extract inordinate rents, and on the other hand it has created the right incentives for a lot of people to participate in, and have a stake in, its success. Indeed, were it not for the LAMP stack, startup costs would have been a lot higher then they are today — and we would not be seeing the amount of innovation we are seeing from web 2.0 startups."
Biotech

Submission + - No daddy needed

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: A team of American and Irish researchers have discovered that some female sharks can reproduce without having sex, the first time that scientists have found the unusual capacity in such an ancient vertebrate species. Analysis of the baby shark's DNA found no trace of any contribution from a male partner. Shark experts said this was the first confirmed case in a shark of parthenogenesis, which derived from the Greek means "virgin birth". Get the scoop here.
It's funny. Laugh.

Submission + - The life of a forst poster

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: First posters are annoying to most of us... but i have come to respect the art of first posting know that i have met my master in this youtube video. From the video: "I think you need me more than you think... the fact is, without me, there wouldn't be a second post... think about it! ... do i feel ashamed of myself? definitely. I am doing satan's work? yes..."
Operating Systems

Submission + - Japanese Government to Move to OSS

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: linuxworld has an article on Japanese government's plan to reduce its reliance on a single IT vendor by moving to open source softwares.

Oracle, NEC, IBM, HP, Hitachi and Dell are among 10 IT equipment and software vendors that are forming a consortium to develop and sell Linux-based servers and computers for the Japanese market. The move by the vendors to collaborate on Linux in Japan comes from a edict from the country's government to make Linux and open source a priority for all IT procurements, starting this July.
Specifically, it looks to reduce Windows as the server OS.

The government has said explicitly it wants to decrease its reliance on Microsoft as a server operating system platform.
Music

Submission + - Yahoo Music, chiefs urge labels to 'ditch DRM'

Submitted by
waired
waired writes: "It seem that a trend has begun in the musics industry after Steve Jobs essay. Now a senior Yahoo chief has spoken out in favor of Apple CEO Steve Jobs' call for major labels to abandon digital rights technology (DRM). It points out that consumers are getting confused and that the Microsoft DRM "doesn't work half the time". http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/index.cfm?RSS&newsI D=17184"
Education

Using Technology to Improve Kindergarten? 132

Posted by Cliff from the improving-the-K-experience dept.
andres32a asks: "I currently run a private preschool located in Latin America. I have been always interested in finding new ways of giving kids a legitimate educational advantage through fresh applications of technology. What technology would you like to have seen applied in your kindergarten?"
Education

Submission + - Using technology to improve kindergarten?

Submitted by
andres32a
andres32a writes: "I currently run a private preschool located in Latin America. I have been always interested in finding new ways of giving kids a legitimate educational advantage through fresh applications of technology. What technology would you like to have seen applied in your kindergarten?"
Security

Submission + - Secure a PC For Your Mom?

Submitted by
BoneThugND
BoneThugND writes: "ITSecurity.com has published a 20 minute guide to securing a PC. While many of the tips are solid, I am thinking I should go a bit further to protect my mom's new Windows machine. Assuming she is not a very savvy user, what should I be doing to make sure her box isn't slowed down by dozens of malware programs after three weeks of surfing?"
Television

Submission + - A Ghost Car?

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: I thought the crowd at slashdot may have some better explanations for this one than the guys over at google video. So, does the car go around the fence, under the fence, or through it? And why? http://video.google.com/url?vidurl=http%3A%2F%2Fww w.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DCO9Ve03s41w&docid=6438 27259813978972&ev=v&esrc=sr2&usg=AL29H20b72Qddyhwc Fy6DVRNEu21OZw0YA
Microsoft

Submission + - Microsoft refuses to assist police w/hot xbox 360

Submitted by
Karzz1
Karzz1 writes: "Microsoft refused New Zealand police demands for information regarding a stolen Xbox360. Apparently the hot Xbox was registered with Microsoft with details the police sought to apprehend the thief. According to Microsoft, "The privacy and safety of customer information was a "huge issue" for the company and the details could not be handed out.". Is Microsoft being truly altruistic or is there possibly something else at play here?"
It's funny. Laugh.

Submission + - Proposed Slashdot Poll: Best Archrivalry

Submitted by
lagomorph
lagomorph writes: "Pirates vs. Ninjas
Superman vs. Lex Luthor
Emacs vs. vi
Gates vs. Jobs
Coyote vs. Roadrunner
Evolution vs. Creationism, cough, Intelligent Design
CowboyNeal vs. IndianNeal"

Slashdot Top Deals

"A car is just a big purse on wheels." -- Johanna Reynolds

Close