Submission + - Database design tools for Linux
FredDC writes: I am looking for a database design tool for Linux, but so far I haven't been able to find anything good. I was wondering what other people are using?
Submission + - Angband GPL dream almost real
konijn writes: Angband is together with Nethack and ADOM one of the 5 big roguelikes. Ever since january 20, 1997 the maintainers have been dual licensing their code and now we are looking to find the last of the missing contributors to get it 100% GPL. We need your help to find these last people and get them to support our GPL initiative! You can find more information here : http://entai.co.uk/projects/angband/opensource/ , the list of missing people is here : http://entai.co.uk/projects/angband/opensource/lis t.html
Submission + - High altitude wind farms?
An anonymous reader writes: Why plant a rotor on the ground to generate electricity in fickle, turbulent surface winds? Here is a possible green-friendly solution that is far above any other in reality as well as in concept:
From the site: "Here we are with very high gasoline prices, now starting to pay real attention to global warming, and seriously considering nuclear fission, with all its dangers from both accident and terrorist attack, as the best potential solution. And yet the energy we need is only a few miles above us in tremendous quantity, it is clean, non global warming energy, potentially more economical than nuclear, and we are ignoring it."
A flying wind farm might just be the way to go to lower our reliance such energy producing staples as fossil fuels and their immediate pollution, the admittedly intermittent production from solar or ground-level winds, and the long-term storage concerns of nuclear waste.
From the site: "Here we are with very high gasoline prices, now starting to pay real attention to global warming, and seriously considering nuclear fission, with all its dangers from both accident and terrorist attack, as the best potential solution. And yet the energy we need is only a few miles above us in tremendous quantity, it is clean, non global warming energy, potentially more economical than nuclear, and we are ignoring it."
A flying wind farm might just be the way to go to lower our reliance such energy producing staples as fossil fuels and their immediate pollution, the admittedly intermittent production from solar or ground-level winds, and the long-term storage concerns of nuclear waste.
Submission + - NFL cheerleader is also NASA engineer
A Smitten Rocket Scientist writes: As reported in Sports Illustrated, Summer Williams is a full time aerospace engineer who works on the International Space Station. But she's got a side gig as a cheerleader for the Houston Texans! The fantasy woman of Slashdot readers everywhere actually exists....
Submission + - Instant Ramen Inventor Dies from Heart Attack
An anonymous reader writes: The Yomiuri Newspaper of Japan reports that "Momofuku Ando, inventor of instant ramen and founder and chairman of Nissin Food Products Co. in Osaka, died of a heart attack Friday. He was 96." . (Brief Wikipedia bio here.) Those of us who live off his invention morn his passing.
Submission + - Re-shipping scams skyrocketting
sorry-scammed-loser writes: A new online threat, reshipping fraud, is emerging in the form of a massive organized crime ring that is recruiting people in the US and Europe as "shipment handlers", and having them re-ship items to Russia. The criminals are using stolen Visa card details to pay for shipments from many large retail and auction sites (including ebay.com and amazon.com), and having the items shipped to their recruits who re-ship them to addresses they have been provided with. I personally lost a laptop this way that I had auctioned on ebay — I shipped the laptop after verifying that the funds had been deposited into my PayPal account, and two days later was contacted by PayPal who said that the account holder had not authorized the transaction. Now I have no money and no laptop. In my case, the scammers had recruited my re-shipper through an online job posting site, which pointed her to a legit-looking website called expertdelivery.biz that claims to operate offices in Minnesota and the UK (but is hosted in Belize). This reads like an episode of "24"... Please get the word out about this scam, at this point consumer education is the best protection against perpetuation of these scams.
Sophos Reveals Latest Spam-Relaying Countries 181
An anonymous reader writes "For the first time in more than two years, the United States has failed to make inroads into its spam-relaying problem. The U.S. remains stuck at the top of the chart and is the source of 23.2 percent of the world's spam. Its closest rivals are China and South Korea, although both of these nations have managed to reduce their statistics since Q1 2006. The vast majority of this spam is relayed by 'zombies,' also known as botnet computers."
Spain Adds 'Copyright Tax' to Blank Media 348
Poker Forums writes "Just read on Zeropaid that Spain has recently voted in compulsory copyright licensing, levying a tax on all blank media. This includes cd-r, dvd-r, flash media, printers, scanners, cell phones, everything. The tax will be collected by the government and 'given to the copyright holder.'"
Army Sent to Fight Millions of Invading Toxic Toads 273
Reporter writes "The Australian state government called for the army to be deployed against the invasion of toxic toads! Battalions of imported cane toads are marching relentlessly across northern Australia and the West Australian government wants soldiers to intercept the environmental barbarians. From the article: "The toads, Bufo Marinus, were introduced from South America into northeast Queensland state in the 1930s to control another pest: Beetles that were ravaging the sugar cane fields of the tropical northern coasts. But the toads now number in the millions and are spreading westward through the Northern Territory, upsetting the country's ecosystem in their wake. Cane toads have poisonous sacs on the back of their heads full of a venom so powerful it can kill crocodiles, snakes or other predators in minutes." More information about cane toads at Wikipedia."
Jack Thompson's Violent Game Bill Signed Into Law 368
simoniker writes "Louisiana Democratic Representative Roy Burrell's HB1381 bill, covering violent videogames, has been signed into law by Governor Kathleen Blanco. The law takes effect immediately, the latest in a very long line of video game-related bills specific to one U.S. State. The measure proposed by HB 1381, which was drafted with the help of controversial Florida attorney and anti-game activist Jack Thompson, allows a judge to rule on whether or not a videogame meets established criteria for being inappropriate for minors and be subsequently pulled from store shelves. A person found guilty of selling such a game to a minor would face fines ranging from $100 to $2,000, plus a prison term of up to one year. Needless to say, the ESA will likely be mounting a legal challenge to this bill in the very near future."
Viral Music Videos A Problem For RIAA 182
prostoalex writes "A few years ago music videos were considered promotional, a tease to get the viewer to buy the whole album. However, now that a commercial market for music videos is springing up, the music industry is not quite happy with YouTube, iFilm, Google Video and other video sharing sites distributing the music videos of famous artists. Billboard magazine says: 'The RIAA estimates that sales of music videos topped $3.7 million in three months, after being introduced in October. Meanwhile, the major labels also are sharing in the profits of ad-supported video-on-demand offerings from AOL, Yahoo, Music Choice and others. That is revenue the music industry is keenly interested in protecting. Hopes are that YouTube and others will ink similar deals with the industry in the long run.'"
Using Laptops to Steal Cars 455
Ant writes "Thieves are using laptops/notebooks to steal the most expensive luxury cars. Many of these cars have completely keyless ignitions and door locks, meaning it can all be done wirelessly. Thieves often follow a car until it gets left in a quiet area, and they can steal it in about 20 minutes..."
US Intensifies Fight Against Child Pornography 663
TechnoGuyRob writes "BBC News is reporting that the Bush administration has recently stepped up its measures against child pornography. From the article 'Sadly, the internet age has created a vicious cycle in which child pornography continually becomes more widespread, more graphic, more sadistic, using younger and younger children. [...] Mr. Gonzales also said that he is investigating ways to ensure that ISPs retain records of a user's web activities to track down offenders.'"
Golf's Digital Divide 228
theodp writes "Are $50,000 simulators and $4,500 sensor vests driving a wedge between golf's haves and have-nots? That's the question posed by the WSJ, who reports that a new generation of expensive high-tech tools is stoking a costly arms race among golfers looking for an edge in a sport that already has an elitist reputation."
Yahoo! Allegedly Helps Beijing Arrest a Third Reporter 219
reporter writes "According to a damning press release from Reporters without Borders, Yahoo has
helped Beijing to locate, arrest, and imprison a 3rd reporter.
This latest incident occurs about 2 months after Yahoo testified,
under oath in front of Congress, that the company regrets being
'forced' to help Beijing." From the article: "'We hope this Internet giant will not, as it has each time it has been challenged previously, hide behind its local partner, Alibaba, to justify its behaviour. Whatever contract it has with this partner, the email service is marketed as Yahoo !' the organisation said. According to the verdict, Yahoo! Holdings (Hong Kong) confirmed that the email account ZYMZd2002 had been used jointly by Jiang Lijun and another pro-democracy activist, Li Yibing."
