Feed Astronaut completes marathon in space (pheedo.com)
A fellow crew member dangled an orange in front of Suni Williams as she ran the Boston Marathon on a treadmill on the International Space Station
Submission + - 22 Dead In Virginia Tech Shooting
Submission + - Shooting Massacre at Virginia Tech
ConcernedStudent writes: "A violent gunman has apparently unleashed a deadly massacre on the famed science and tech campus, Virginia Polytechnic University (better known as Virginia Tech). The first reports of gunshots were received by police around 7:15 A.M. but shooting continued across the campus for hours longer. Over 25 people are now confirmed dead with many more injured. The shooter appears to have either killed himself or to have been killed by responding police officers. The New York Times has posted front page coverage, and the local Roanoke Times has been providing blog-style coverage, updated regularly.
NYT Link — http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/16/us/16cnd-shootin g.html?hp
Roanoke Times Link — http://www.roanoke.com/news/nrv/breaking/wb/113294 "
Submission + - Shotting at Virginia Tech
Zgonjko writes: BBC reports, among other news channels, about a shotting this morning at Virginia Tech University, in Blacksburg. It appears that a lone gunman oppened fire first at a dormitory, then at an Engineering building a couple of hours later. He is presumed to be one of the dead, which authorities say number at least 20, with at least another 20 injured. A horrible tragedy like this one is sure to stir up the debate on gun rights, one year before the US election.
Submission + - At Least 22 Dead At Virginia Tech
wiredog writes: At least 22 people have been killed and 21 more injured by a gunman (who is one of those killed) at Virginia Tech. This is a more people than were killed in the shootings at Columbine High School in 1999.
A statement from the University President here. Coverage from the BBC, and The Washington Post.
Submission + - At Least 20 Dead in Virginia Tech Shooting
StarvingSE writes: Virginia Tech police state that at least 20 are dead in a campus shooting school officials are describing as a "monumental tragedy." From the article:
"Today the university was struck with a tragedy that we consider of monumental proportions," said university President Charles Steger. "The university is shocked and indeed horrified."
The attacks mark the worst school shooting incident since 1999 when Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris killed 12 students and a teacher before killing themselves at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado
This story is a little off-topic on a technology-related site, but I'm sure quite a few readers attend or are alumni of Virginia Tech.
"Today the university was struck with a tragedy that we consider of monumental proportions," said university President Charles Steger. "The university is shocked and indeed horrified."
The attacks mark the worst school shooting incident since 1999 when Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris killed 12 students and a teacher before killing themselves at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado
This story is a little off-topic on a technology-related site, but I'm sure quite a few readers attend or are alumni of Virginia Tech.
Submission + - Kurt Vonnegut is dead, at least he's in heaven now
An anonymous reader writes: From CNN.com: "Kurt Vonnegut, the satirical novelist who captured the absurdity of war and questioned the advances of science in darkly humorous works such as "Slaughterhouse-Five" and "Cat's Cradle," died Wednesday. He was 84. The author of at least 19 novels, many of them best-sellers, as well as dozens of short stories, essays and plays, Vonnegut relished the role of a social critic." We may be able to get an interview with the help of Dr. Jack...
Submission + - Where does Google's Hardware go to die ?
Anonymous Coward writes: "I was talking with a co-worker today about how Google is so big, and how they make such great use of commodity hardware to do their business, and one of the topics that came up is where does Google's old hardware go ?
Google has been around for many years now, and they have more machines than any sane person would own, and they are continually expanding. At some stage they must have to push out old equipment, either when it starts entering into its MTBF limits or it's been depreciated down. Searching (using Google of course) wasn't particularly fruitful.
Has anyone seen where Google's hardware goes when it dies ?"
Submission + - Apple LTD not happy about iPhone Skins
ghostcorps writes: "Australian Newspaper 'The Age' reports that developers of iPhone skins, that is; skins for smartphones that resemble the iPhone, have been legally attacked by Apple LTD.
http://www.theage.com.au/news/mobiles — handhelds/a pple-crunches-websites-over-iphone-skins/2007/01/1 5/1168709656280.html
Kudos, to 'The Age' for posting the URL in the same paragraph that describes Apple's reaction to such reporting
One would presume that a device that looks like an iPhone, but behaves like a smartphone is souring Apples latest offering."
http://www.theage.com.au/news/mobiles — handhelds/
Apple's lawyers also sent letters to journalists who simply reported on the fact that the skins were available.
"It has come to our attention that you have posted a screenshot of Apple's new iPhone and links that facilitate the installation of that screenshot on a PocketPC device," law firm O'Melveny & Myers LLP wrote to Paul O'Brien, who runs the MoDaCo website.
"While we appreciate your interest in the iPhone, the icons and screenshot displayed on your website are copyrighted by Apple.
"Apple therefore demands that you remove this screenshot from your website and refrain from facilitating the further dissemination of Apple's copyrighted material by removing the link to http://forum.xda-developers.com/ where said icons and screenshot are being distributed."
Kudos, to 'The Age' for posting the URL in the same paragraph that describes Apple's reaction to such reporting
One would presume that a device that looks like an iPhone, but behaves like a smartphone is souring Apples latest offering."
Feed H.P. to Report an Advance in Adaptable Circuitry (nytimes.com)
Flexible electronic circuits could make it routine to modify the circuitry in consumer products even after they have been sold.
Feed At Some Airports, Cellphones Can Check In Passengers (nytimes.com)
Airlines in Japan and Europe are experimenting with systems that let passengers check in by identifying themselves with a cellphone.
Submission + - Global Warming Exposes New Islands in the Arctic
circletimessquare writes: "The New York Times has a sobering article about the rapidly accelerating pace of glacial melting across the arctic, focusing on the discovery of new islands and the fact that this is occuring far faster than climate scientist's models predict. What were called Nunataks or "lonely mountains" in Inuit, trapped in the ice, only a few years ago, are now in the open ocean by kilometers. Off of Greenland, what was known previously as penninsulas have been revealed to be islands as the ice retreats. Dennis Schmitt, a modern day explorer and discoverer of one of these new islands and fluent in Inuit, has named it Uunartoq Qeqertoq: the warming island."
Submission + - Hard drive data eradication
Creighton Bildstein writes: "I'd like to know how businesses are dealing with their sensitive data-containing hard drives at the end of the technology lifecycle in their PCs, laptops and servers. Do they:
A) Format the drives and sell or donate the machines
B) Wipe the drives with Dept. of Defense software and then sell or donate the machines
C) Completely destroy the drives via a shredder or something similar and dispose of the PC, laptop or server in an environmentally- friendly manner"
MPAA Caught Uploading Fake Torrents 579
An anonymous reader writes "The MPAA and other anti-piracy watchdogs have been caught trapping people into downloading fake torrents, so they can collect IP addresses, and send copyright infringement letters to ISPs. The battle between P2P networks and copyright holders seems to be a never ending battle. It will be interesting to see how much the anti-piracy groups practices change once they begin begin selling movies and TV shows legally on bittorrent.com."
Submission + - A formula for procrastination
Kelson writes: "A University of Calgary professor has spent the last decade studying procrastination, and has come up with mathematical formula — what he calls Temporal Motivational Theory — to explain why people put things off 'til tomorrow.
While some of his conclusions should come as no surprise (most people don't follow through on their New Year's resolutions, for instance), some go against conventional wisdom, like the conclusion that procrastination and perfectionism are inversely related."
It factors the person's expectancy for succeeding at a given task (E) or self-confidence; the value of completing the task (V); it's immediacy or availability (Gamma); and the person's sensitivity to delay (D) to come up with the desirability of the task (Utility).
The equation reads: Utility = E x V / (Gamma) x D.
While some of his conclusions should come as no surprise (most people don't follow through on their New Year's resolutions, for instance), some go against conventional wisdom, like the conclusion that procrastination and perfectionism are inversely related."
