Petronius - Slashdot User

The State of Ruby VMs — Ruby Renaissance 89

Posted by Soulskill on Sunday November 22, 2009 @11:59AM from the take-your-pick dept.

igrigorik writes "In the short span of just a couple of years, the Ruby VM space has evolved to more than just a handful of choices: MRI, JRuby, IronRuby, MacRuby, Rubinius, MagLev, REE and BlueRuby. Four of these VMs will hit 1.0 status in the upcoming year and will open up entirely new possibilities for the language — Mac apps via MacRuby, Ruby in the browser via Silverlight, object persistence via Smalltalk VM, and so forth. This article takes a detailed look at the past year, the progress of each project, and where the community is heading. It's an exciting time to be a Rubyist."

Comment Re:Apples to Oranges (Score 1) 674

by Petronius on Tuesday May 19, 2009 @02:01PM (#28014617) Attached to: MS Word 2010 Takes On TeX

"Word and TeX are two very useful tools for two very different needs." Microsoft's whole business model relies on blurring the lines between products/platforms.

Bill Gates' Plan To Destroy Music, Note By Note 659

Posted by timothy on Sunday January 25, 2009 @08:09PM from the too-insane-to-ignore-forever dept.

theodp writes "Remember Mr. Microphone? If you thought music couldn't get worse, think again. Perhaps with the help of R&D tax credits, Microsoft Research has spawned Songsmith, software that automatically creates a tinny, childish background track for your singing. And as bad as the pseudo-infomercial was, the use of the product in the wild is likely to be even scarier, as evidenced by these Songsmith'ed remakes of music by The Beatles, The Police, and The Notorious B.I.G.."

Submission + - U.S. Senate experiments continue?

Submitted by

David H. Marshall

on Saturday January 13, 2007 @04:40PM

David H. Marshall writes: "The U.S. Senate's "experiments that were designed to harm" continue? 1/13/07. Continued in 2007 is the advancement of a proven Department Of Defense (DOD) Project 112 biological experiment?[2] This is the SHAD Research & Development (R&D) lessons learned applied under the civilian "NATIONAL SECURITY MISSIONS" of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA).[5] BARDA lacks the Project 112, Shipboard Hazard and Defense (SHAD) experiment's oversight and accountability for its also biological contamination. It too as most conducted by the DOD on "hundreds of thousands" [4] will be under the cover of our nation's wars! Documented by the 13 years ago 1994 U.S. Senate Report is the conducted on "hundreds of thousands" 50 years of DOD "experiments that were designed to harm"![4] Its NOTES (No.'s 72, 167 & 169) cite, "The Nazi Doctors and the Nuremberg Code, Human Rights in Human Experimentation". Not addressed is their own Report's proven dereliction of duty, i.e., by the many conducted in direct disobedience of the DOD Secretary's 1953 order in pages 343-345 of the "The Nazi Doctors".[1] The 12 July 1973 National Personnel Records Center fire destroyed "designed to harm" military service records. Congress's 1974 Privacy Act censored the names of all witnesses from surviving and future records. In 2007 is the H. R. 4259 "To establish the Veterans' Right to Know Commission."[6] A proposal to now study the DOD's SHAD lack of oversight and "Right to Know" accountability? CRUCIAL TO THE "RIGHT TO KNOW" IS: The U.S. Senate's DOD military experiments demonstrate R&D protocol by all.[4] First, all prior R&D is reviewed, e.g., the USAF 1952 Project 7210 established unprotected jet-engine noise levels and 1949 British in-use jet noise protection based on their own and German R&D. The resulting Scope of Work defines what each military and civilian research program is to accomplish. The where, how, when and who is involved is determined. Each conducted "to harm" research project's cause and effects are very closely followed and recorded. The subjects are observed during the experiments and the end results are the basis for subsequent actions. Then the needed from "to harm" protections are developed with applicable treatment for experienced injuries. This CRUCIAL experiment revealing evidence is not part of a subject's medical history. Therefore, unavailable for a past, present and future victim's diagnosis and treatment by Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) Physicians', the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Physicians' or for use during any VA and Judicial Branch processes! THEREBY, TO-DATE THE VICTIM NEVER THE WISER BECOMES! WITH THE VERY REAL DANGER OF AN AFTER MILITARY SERVICE AND CIVILIAN "NATIONAL SECURITY MISSIONS" MISSED MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS. CREATED ARE INCREASED SERIOUS AND CHRONIC INJURIES! The 1987 U.S. SUPREME COURT in the 1953 disobedience STANLEY Case makes very clear that UNLESS CONGRESS CHANGES IT, BY REASON OF MILITARY SERVICE AFTERWARDS VETERAN'S LOST ARE PRIOR TO CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS.[3] The Senate Report documents many more"experiments that were designed to harm".[4] Most were also in direct disobedience of the DOD Secretary's 1953 order. Noted was that rights be restored. This still has not been done!! All for the greater good, end justifies the means! The excuse for an in 2007 from 1944 ongoing 63 years of "hundreds of thousands" [4] JUSTICE AND TREATMENT DENIED! By BARDA "national security missions" to-date continued?[5] REFERENCES: [1] DOD Secretary's 26 February 1953 NO non-consensual, human experiments Memo pages 343-345. George J. Annas and Michael A. Grodin, The Nazi Doctors and the Nuremberg Code; Human Rights in Human Experimentation (New York: Oxford University Press, 1992). In REFERENCE [4] as NOTES 72, 167 & 169. [2] Starting in 1962 chemical and biological experiments. "Project 112 (Including Project SHAD) Home"; www1.va.gov/shad/ [3] U.S. SUPREME COURT, JUNE 25, 1987, U.S. V. STANLEY, 107 S. CT. 3054 (VOLUME 483 U.S., SECTION 669, PAGES 699 TO 710). In REFERENCE [4] cited in NOTE 169. [4] December 8, 1994 REPORT 103-97 "Is Military Research Hazardous to Veterans' Health? Lessons Spanning Half a Century." Hearings Before the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, 103rd Congress 2nd Session. With NOTES: 1 to 170. [5] Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Bill S. 3678 2006. [6] H. R. 4259 "To establish the Veterans' Right to Know Commission.""

Decryption Keys For HD-DVD Found, Confirmed 473

Posted by kdawson on Saturday January 13, 2007 @02:14PM from the house-of-cards dept.

kad77 writes "It appears that, despite skepticism, 'muslix64' was the real deal. Starting from a riddle posted on pastebin.com, members on the doom9 forum identified the Title key for the HD-DVD release 'Serenity.' Volume Unique Keys and Title keys for other discs followed within hours, confirming that software HD-DVD players, like any common program, store important run-time data in memory. Here's a link to decryption utility and sleuthing info in the original doom9 forum thread. The Fair Use crowd has won Round One; now how will the industry respond?"

Submission + - Call for Articles for Encyclopedia of AI

Submitted by

ergosum

on Friday January 12, 2007 @09:56PM

ergosum writes: "It seems that there is a current effort to edit the "Encyclopedia of Artificial Intelligence " that will "provide comprehensive coverage and definitions of the most important issues, concepts, trends and technologies in Artificial Intelligence." It will "be distributed worldwide among academic and professional institutions and will be instrumental in providing researchers, scholars, students and professionals with access to the latest knowledge related to Artificial Intelligence techniques." If you're interested "consider submitting a proposal on any of the proposed topics for this upcoming encyclopedia by submitting a brief (75-100 words) description of your proposed topic to us by no later than January 30, 2007 (Has been extended)." More info and list of topics: http://sabia.tic.udc.es/encyclopediaAI/Call_for_Ar ticles.htm"

Submission + - Gas Smell Pervades New York City

Submitted by Justin Michael on Monday January 08, 2007 @11:01AM

Justin Michael writes: Many locations in Manhattan are reporting the smell similar to the one that is often injected into Natural Gas. Some reports indicate that the smell is being reported across the Hudson river in New Jersey.

The smell is quite strong in my midtown office. The building management has shut off the outside air and requested that we don't smoke.

Submission + - MacWorld and CES: Apple Steals the Show

Submitted by

Kligmond

on Monday January 08, 2007 @10:45AM

Kligmond writes: "Picture a successful global corporation strategically separating themselves from their own industry. Imagine them foregoing participation in their industry's premier trade show — one of the largest and best attended in the world — and instead, creating an event of their own and hosting it the same week as the industry show.

Apple plans to do just that this morning, opening their annual MacWorld in San Francisco just as the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) opens in Las Vegas.

A Different Strategy

It's not just a geographic strategy. Apple continues to differentiate themselves from their competitors on a number of fronts.

First, creating and branding your own event alludes to a sense that the competition doesn't exist. As if to imply Apple and their products are a category unto themselves.

And whereas the term, "Consumer Electronics" sounds like a demographic statistical subhead, "MacWorld" evokes a verb-infused sense of interactivity, learning and adventure.

Plus, launching your new product line from a distant locale, staged just for you, buys increased media exposure. At your event, you're it. No competition. Not even from a casino.

And there's Apple's commitment to user experience over added feature sets, and austere and utilitarian form factors in lieu of over-embellished product design.

Innovative Isolation for Incentive

But innovative claims are one thing. Actually being a successful innovator is what makes Apple's isolationist theory work. You won't draw much media attention if you can't deliver the goods. Like Joe Namath's guaranteed win over the heavily favored Colts created additional incentive for the Jets to succeed, throwing an event like MacWorld pushes Apple to stay current, unique and in demand.

Standing Out

Whether Apple discloses information about the iTV, releases a Mac OS X Leopard announcement, unveils a next generation iPod, or the iPod cell phone, one thing is certain, Apple has set itself apart.

On the heels of an uber-successful 2006, Steve Jobs' keynote speech at MacWorld will be followed very closely over at CES. When you develop and launch products as innovative and profitable as Apple's, consumers, media and industry titans alike want to know what's next — or at least want to pretend they couldn't care less.

Differentiating Entails Differentiation

Although most businesses don't enjoy Apple's wherewithal and brand equity, it is important to remember the fundamentals that have propelled Apple's recent success. This year look for innovative ways to differentiate your brand(s) from that of your competition. Isolate a bit, differentiate a lot and steal the show in 2007."

Test, Test and Test Again 41

Posted by Hemos on Monday January 08, 2007 @08:34AM from the did-you-test-that? dept.

snikkersnak writes "Richard Collins has written a piece about developers and testers; the article is arguing that in closed development these two roles have to be chained together one-on-one in order to reproduce the 'release early and often' effect of open source development."

Submission + - Zune not even in top 10 list

Submitted by Andri Socros on Monday January 08, 2007 @06:05AM

Andri Socros writes: Although Microsoft's Zune captured a decent slice of the hard-drive-based audio player market at large US retail stores, it failed to crack into the top 10 list of models in overall sales, according to market researcher Current Analysis. The top 10 models included eight different iPods from Apple as well as two models from SanDisk, according to the company which tracks sales at Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA, RadioShack and Staples. The Zune, meanwhile, captured 12 per cent of the hard-drive-based player market for December, although Current Analysis' study does not include many retail sales outlets, including Wal-Mart Stores and Apple's own retail stores. An earlier study by the same company in the midst of the holiday season found roughly similar results.

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