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Comment Works for me (Score 1) 288

About 6 months ago I switched one of my phones over to the "StraightTalk" plan from Good Old Wal*Mart. Yes, it's a repackaging of the TracFone service, and runs on the AT&T network. I get 30 days of 'unlimited' voice-text-data for $45 (or less), and the service has been predictably the same as the AT&T I moved from.

I now pay 40% less for the same service I had before on this phone, given that there is no iPhone Tax this way. You can get the SIM card at you local WallyWorld, or online.

I plan to switch my other phones over, after I see if this year's crop of new "smartphone deals" makes it worth sticking to the Old Way for a while.

Comment DEFENSE subpoena? (Score 1) 191

OK, I can see how the prosecution might want to use this kind of information in a criminal case. Makes sense, and all that. But the Defense?

"Oh, your honor, my client was playing Angry Birds at the time, and could not possibly have been at the scene of the crime. Yes, it was on a cell phone, but you can see he had already UnFriended the co-defendant at the time of the robbery..."

Comment More options? (Score 1) 238

OK, so this is surely an obvious fix.

How about giving the searcher two more controls in 'Preferences'. First, a "radius" control, to set the discrimination for a tighter or looser match the the search criteria. That is, if I loosen the controls, I'll get more matches, but less accuracy. Conversely, I could eliminate anything that doesn't match, exactly, all terms.

Then, for some real fun, the Second control sets the "start page" to show results on, from 1 to 50, for example, or 'Random'. You may find yourself seeing some much less travelled sites, that still meet your criteria. Most important, it meets the "user option" test. Don't like it? don't use it!

Hey Google! This one's on me. You could probably have it all coded up by morning, right?

Novell

Attachmate To Acquire Novell For $2.2B Cash 221

wiredmikey and a few others wrote in to let us know that Novell has agreed to be acquired by Attachmate Corporation for $6.10 per share in cash, in a transaction valued at approximately $2.2 billion. The Boston Globe reports that the deal also includes the sale of some intellectual assets to a consortium organized by Microsoft. Attachmate plans to operate Novell and SUSE as separate business units. Here is the press release.
Transportation

Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty Black Ops Edition 102

gadgetking writes "When I first saw this I thought it was a joke — the Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty: Black Ops Edition. Seriously? I mean I like my COD first person shooter game as much as the next nerd but this really shows how mainstream video games have become. From the article: 'The Jeep brand today announced it has been named exclusive automotive partner by Activision for Call of Duty: Black Ops, and that they're making a COD Jeep. Hitting show floors next month, this limited-edition Jeep Wrangler will be available for a MSRP of $30,625 for the two-door model and $33,500 for the four-door. The 2011 Jeep Wrangler Call of Duty: Black Ops Edition comes standard with "aggressive 32-inch tires, unique military style and Call of Duty graphics."'"
The Military

Submission + - Would 1,000 space lasers deter a missile attack? (networkworld.com)

coondoggie writes: Here's an idea: The government puts 1,000 lasers in space over the US to shoot down any missiles fired at us, oh, and the system will cost $20 billion. It might be an interesting start for a movie, but not so much in real life...well maybe. John Raese, West Virginia's Republican nominee for Senate actually wants to deploy such a system.

Submission + - Will Social Media Enable Humanity's Next Evolution (socialmedia.net)

Dublino writes: The topic of evolution has sparked controversy since Charles Darwin proposed it in 1858. Even in the twenty-first century, some education boards are seeking to replace textbooks describing evolution with those positing Intelligent Design. But regardless of whether you believe in evolution by natural selection or not, most people believe that human beings exist in their final form, and that we are not subject to evolving or changing in a significant way. However, a number of thought leaders are challenging that idea, and social media may have a role in taking humanity to the next level.

Submission + - DNA Mis-use case settled: Researchers 'Banished' 3

bbsguru writes: A court settlement has ended a controversial case of medical privacy abuse. From the NYTimes: "SUPAI, Ariz. — Seven years ago, the Havasupai Indians, who live in the deepest part of the Grand Canyon, issued a "banishment order" to keep Arizona State University employees from setting foot on their reservation, an ancient punishment for what they regarded as a genetic-era betrayal.

Members of the tiny tribe had given DNA samples to university researchers starting in 1990, hoping they might provide genetic clues to the tribe's high rate of diabetes.

But members learned their blood samples also had been used to study many other things, including mental illness and theories of the tribe's geographical origins that contradict their traditional stories.
Bug

Saboteur Launch Plagued By Problems With ATI Cards 230

An anonymous reader writes "So far, there are over 35 pages of people posting about why EA released Pandemic Studios' final game, Saboteur, to first the EU on December 4th and then, after knowing full well it did not work properly, to the Americas on December 8th. They have been promising to work on a patch that is apparently now in the QA stage of testing. It is not a small bug; rather, if you have an ATI video card and either Windows 7 or Windows Vista, the majority (90%) of users have the game crash after the title screen. Since the marketshare for ATI is nearly equal to that of Nvidia, and the ATI logo is adorning the front page of the Saboteur website, it seems like quite a large mistake to release the game in its current state."
Earth

NASA Attempts To Assuage 2012 Fears 881

eldavojohn writes "The apocalyptic film 2012 has dominated the box office, taking in $65 million on opening weekend. But with all those uninformed eyeballs watching the film, NASA has found itself answering so many common questions that their Ask an Astrobiologist blog offers calming, professional reassurance that there is no planet Nibiru, nor will it collide with Earth (although I do recall a massive solar storm forecast). NASA's main site even offers a FAQ answering similar questions. NPR has more on NASA scientist David Morrison and his efforts to calm the ensuing public hysteria, but survivalists are already planning for the big one. Pretty funny, right? Not according to Morrison: 'I've had three from young people saying they were contemplating committing suicide. I've had two from women contemplating killing their children and themselves. I had one last week from a person who said, "I'm so scared, my only friend is my little dog. When should I put it to sleep so it won't suffer?" And I don't know how to answer those questions.'"

The Mathletes and the Miley Photoshop 555

Frequent Slashdot contributor Bennett Haselton's essay this week is about "A Tennessee man is arrested for possessing a picture of Miley Cyrus's face superimposed on a nude woman's body. In a survey that I posted on the Web, a majority of respondents said the man violated the law -- except for respondents who say they were good at math in school, who as a group answered the survey differently from everyone else." Continue on to see how.
It's funny.  Laugh.

Submission + - Bikers Lawyer-Up: with a twist (domainnamewire.com)

bbsguru writes: "Art imitates life, but sometimes the opposite is true. Back in the day, Motorcycle gangs were populated with outside-the-law thugs who dealt harshly with interlopers. Well, that was the story, anyway. Then, as shown in a scene from the classic 1991 Hulk Hogan movie (Suburban Commando), the Bikers decided Lawyers might be better than brass knuckles. The technology tie-in? Yesterday in our courts, the Hell's Angels filed suit against an alleged cybersquatter for registering such things as "www.ha-mc.com" and selling them on e-bay. The lawsuit has made international news, and is sure to cement the reputation of these rough-tough road warriors as Not To Be (cyber)Trifled With!"
Microsoft

Microsoft To Open Retail Stores 535

chaz373 writes "CNET reports that Microsoft is going retail. In the 'Beyond Binary' blog Ina Fried reports, 'After years of brushing off the notion, Microsoft said on Thursday that it will open up its own line of retail stores. Without detailing the plans, Microsoft said it has hired David Porter, a 25-year Wal-Mart veteran, to lead the effort. Sources say that Porter's mission will be to develop the company's retail plans and that the effort is likely to start small with just a few locations.'"

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