Want to read Slashdot from your mobile device? Point it at m.slashdot.org and keep reading!

 



Forgot your password?
typodupeerror
×

Comment Re:What the...? (Score 1) 94

500,000,000 downloads... 300,000,000 minutes... 0.6 minutes played per download? These numbers must include trials and people re-downloading on new phones. I'd be more interested in the number who have PURCHASED Angry Birds.

300,000,000 PER DAY.....not everyone who downloaded it will play it everyday!?

Idle

Submission + - Trojan T-shirts (bbc.co.uk)

zebadee writes: "Music fans who took souvenir T-shirts from a rock festival in Gera, eastern Germany, have discovered they hold a secret message.

The so-called Trojan T-shirts bore a design of a skull and right-wing flags and the words "hardcore rebels".

But, once washed, the design dissolves to reveal a message telling people to break with extremism.

Nice to see that not all Trojans are malicious"

Submission + - Skype crippled by "supernode" failure (zdnet.co.uk) 1

zebadee writes: Skype's communications network is suffering downtime due to failures in its "supernodes", which sometimes help Skype applications find and establish lines of communication with other computers and phones, Skype said in a blog post this evening.

Skype's communications networks relies on "millions of individual connections between computers and phones to keep things up and running", but when a Skype application has trouble connecting to another computer or phone it will turn to a supernode to find the addressing details of the desired connection.

"Unfortunately, today many of [the supernodes] were taken offline by a problem affecting some versions of Skype. As Skype relies on being able to maintain contact with supernodes, it may appear offline for some of you," Skype wrote in the blog post.

Skype is working to fix the problem by creating what it terms "mega-supernodes" to help bring the communications network back online, Skype wrote.

No mention on which versions are effected or whether it is country specific but my version 5.0.0.152 here in New Zealand is down.

Comment Re:Oh... (Score 5, Informative) 101

As another Otago researcher I attended a presentation by the lead researcher a couple of weeks ago. Although the science was cool his presentation style really sold the show and it’s a shame you can’t see him in action. What made me laugh was that he seemed most proud that he had proved his elementary school teacher was wrong. A fact that is also repeated in the article linked above.

Comment Best buy response (the site is getting slow) (Score 5, Informative) 248

Best Buy Responds To “3D Glasses Syncing Service”

(March 23, 2010) We asked Best Buy’s media relations department last week why Best Buy’s Geek Squad offers a fictional 3D glasses syncing service? (link to our original story). Below is the corporate response.

“I wanted to address any lingering confusion about the characterization of services support in the Best Buy Samsung 3DTV offer that was advertised in yesterday’s (March 21) insert. We by no means intended to confuse our customers or offer fraudulent services. The offer is new to our stores, and our own employees were trained on it just this past week.

Let me clarify the services that are included with this offer. Geek Squad will:

1. Set up and connect your TV + up to 5 components (Blu Ray, Cable Box, Satellite Box, etc )

2. Add your internet enabled Blu ray/Gaming Console or internet enabled TV to your existing wireless network so you can access online content such as Netflix and Pandora.

3. Make sure your 3D glasses work – some solutions we sell need TV settings adjusted so that 3D glasses are enabled – there are both 3D and non 3D settings for viewing

4. Review and teach you how to use all of your new gear.

We have some customers who aren’t quite sure how the 3D glasses work, or that the glasses automatically sync with their new 3D TVs. So we wanted to convey that they can depend on Geek Squad to answer their questions during installation and set-up. There is no additional charge for this – and the Geek Squad 3D installation and networking services are included in the total price of this offer.

You know we’re as enthusiastic about 3D as you are, and equally committed to help educate consumers about how to get the most from this home entertainment experience.”

Comment Re:Troubleshooting skills. (Score 1) 829

I liked the show... but they they still need some thinking writers. Why not use a "Keno" to close the hatch?!

They mentioned in the show there was a "safety mechanism" which they suggested required a person to be in the ship/room to close the door.

Security

Submission + - Hackers 'destroy' flight sim site (bbc.co.uk)

zebadee writes: "The BBC reports that the flight simulator site Avsim has been "destroyed" by malicious hackers. The site, which launched in 1996, covered all aspects of flight simulation, although its main focus was on Microsoft's Flight Simulator. The attack took down the site's two servers and the owners had not established an external backup system. The site's founder, Tom Allensworth, said that the site would be down for the foreseeable future and was unsure if would ever go back up. "Some have asked whether or not we had back ups. Yes, we dutifully backed up our servers every day. Unfortunately, we backed up the servers between our two servers. "The hacker took out both servers, destroying our ability to use one or the other back up to remedy the situation."

I wonder why such a site would be targeted, are we already at the stage where any site is fair game for destruction if the owners aren't security conscious enough? "

Slashdot Top Deals

2.4 statute miles of surgical tubing at Yale U. = 1 I.V.League

Working...