20022422
submission
westlake writes:
The WSJ paints a disturbing porttait of disaster planning for the Fukushima nuclear complex, in which the fax machine was the primary means of enertgency communication, and the worst-case scenarios never to be seriously considered.
Japanese Plant Had Barebones Risk Plan
17265652
submission
westlake writes:
Microsoft posts a record first quarter and Slashdot studiously ignores it. No matter that news like this rates some comment on OS News, Ars Technica, and so on. Microsoft thanks Windows 7, Office 2010, Xbox for record first quarter But the bigger story here, I think, is the "death of Linux" as a consumer brand name — to borrow a theme from an earlier post — and perhaps something even more disturbing. Wherever the future of Android and Chrome may lie, they belong to Google and AdSense. The sale of the user, rather than the sale or service of a product. In no country or region of the world and in no market segment do the stats for the traditional "community oriented" Linux distribution look at all healthy. StatCounter Global Stats
16054386
submission
westlake writes:
Nothing quite like this has ever been tried before. But Reuter's, The L.A. Times and many others are reporting that Ron Howard will produce Stephen King's The Dark Tower, for Universal as a theatrical trilogy with the in-between stories told through two seasons of an NBC television series. No news as yet on casting — suggestions anyone?
15095682
submission
westlake writes:
A survey by the American Red Cross reveals that 3 out of 4 social media users expect help to arrive within one hour of their tweet or post to Facebook. More than 1 in 4 expect help to arrive in less than fifteen minutes.
Which is alarmingly naive.
In flat contraction to this, about half are unconvinced that the first responders are listening in at all.74% of Social Media Users Expect Cries for Help to Be Answered Within an Hour
9095204
submission
westlake writes:
The success of Windows 7 can be seen in the second-quarter numbers. Profits up 60% from December 08. Operating profitability in the Windows and Windows Live Division 78% in the quarter. Operating profitability for the whole company: 44%. It's been a big story in the trade and financial press, but studiously ignored on Slashdot. The Hotness of Windows 7
5360067
submission
westlake writes:
Three million XO laptops, each costing Rupees 11000, will be distributed to rural Indian children entering schools by the end of 2009. "Each XO PC comes with Microsoft Windows and Microsoft Office pre-loaded, besides many other features." The project funded by organizations including AMD, Bright star Corporation, eBay, Google, Marvell, News Corporation, Microsoft, SES, Nortel Networks, and Red Hat. Each company has donated two million dollars. Microsoft is contributing through its features that are fitted into the XOs. In one stroke, this triples OLPC's installed base — and the story passes by Linux and Sugar with nary a glance. It's an astonishing vindication of the decision to support Windows and Office on the XO platform.US-based outfit to distribute three million laptops to poor Indian rural kids
4041329
submission
westlake writes:
According to the The New York Times, IBM is walking away from a bid from Sun. For now,anyway. IBM's last offer was $9.40 a share for a stock currently trading at $8.49. IBM isn't happy about executive compensation. Sun wants iron clad guarantees the deal won't fall through at the last minute.
2080707
submission
westlake writes:
The Lundberg survey is reporting that the price of gas has fallen 22 cents in the last two weeks. The average price of regular gasoline Friday was $1.75 a gallon. The price of mid-grade was $1.90 a gallon and the price of premium was $2.02 a gallon. The all-time high was on July 11, 2008, when the price peaked at $4.11 a gallon. Of cities surveyed, the nation's lowest price was $1.46 in Cheyenne, Wyo. The highest was $2.54 in Anchorage, Alaska, and the highest in the continental United States was $2.10 on New York's Long Island. Price of gas hits lowest point in nearly 5 years The story sums up s fundamental problem in a market-driven approach to developing alternative energy sources or alternative means of transportation. You are aiming at a moving target, but your lead time is measured in years. Your all-electric car, now in full production, isn't selling, and your credit is maxed put.
1741237
submission
westlake writes:
The BBC and many others are reporting Jerry Yang's decision to quit Yahoo. Expect the usual BS from the Chairman about planning for a smooth transition and taking the corporation to the next level. Yang's e-mail to employees ended with the words: "All of you know that I have always and will always bleed purple" — in reference to the predominant color on the company's logo.
1716003
submission
westlake writes:
Reuters has an early report of an accident aboard an Akula-class nuclear sub, the Nerpa, operating in the Pacific, with more than 20 dead and 21 injured, out of the 208 on board. It appears that something went terribly wrong during a test of the Nerpa's fire extinguishing system during her sea trials. In a depressingly familiar story of the post-Soviet era Russian Navy, the Nerpa has been under construction and redesigned — in fits and starts — since 1991. At least 20 die in accident on Russian nuclear sub
786507
submission
westlake writes:
Microsoft is abandoning the idea of a Gold Level membership for Games for Windows Live. "The baseline expectation is that multiplayer is a service that is just free on Windows." This from Microsoft's Senior Director for Global Gaming. Nothing of substance yet on what be sale in the Windows Live Marketplace. A footnote, DX 11 with GPU programming support is in the works for Vista and Windows 7. Microsoft speaks on Games for Windows Live changes
663748
submission
westlake writes:
The "Pirate of the Caribbean," Gore Verbinski, will direct Universal's "Bioshock" feature. John Logan, "Gladiator" and "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street," will likely do the script. Recruiting talent at this level for the game-to-movie adaptation is very good news. The Bioshock deal is gaining attention in Hollywood as GTA 4 wraps up $500 million in sales in its first week. "Pirates" maker to turn "BioShock" game into film
635798
submission
westlake writes:
Walter Bender, the former executive director of MIT's Media Lab, and, in many ways, the tireless workhorse and public face of OLPC, has resigned from OLPC after being reorganized and sidetracked into insignificance. The rumor mill would have it that "constructionism as children learning learning" is being replaced by a much less romantic view of the XO's place in the classroom and XO's tech in the marketplace. Top OLPC Executive Resigns After Restructuring, Walter Bender Resigned from One Laptop Per Child!!
609758
submission
westlake writes:
In February, managers of the USAID funded POPLINE reproductive health database blocked the use of the word "abortion" in searches after complaints about "abortion advocacy" in two of the 360,000 or so articles and reports available online — suggesting alternatives like "fertility control, postconception" or "pregnancy, unwanted." The Dean of the John Hopkins School of Public Health, which administers the service, ordered the term restored Friday, when the story was beginning to make headlines. Health Database Was Set Up to Ignore 'Abortion'
