mkop - Slashdot User

Submission + - Global Warming Oppression Goes Both Ways (washingtontimes.com) 1

Submitted by

Reverend Darkness

on Friday July 27, 2007 @02:12PM

Reverend Darkness writes: "With all of the stories about climate change scientists being silenced by the Bush Administration comes an EPA investigation into a letter from the president of ACORE that threatens the career of a scientist who dares question the cause of climate change. From the article (in the Washington Times):

"It is my intention to destroy your career as a liar," Mr. Eckhart wrote. "If you produce one more editorial against climate change, I will launch a campaign against your professional integrity. I will call you a liar and charlatan to the Harvard community of which you and I are members. I will call you out as a man who has been bought by Corporate America. Go ahead, guy. Take me on."

... and it's not the first time he's made such threats."

Submission + - Wikia acquires Grub, releases it under open source (grub.org)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 27, 2007 @01:49PM

An anonymous reader writes: This morning, during a keynote address at the O'Reilly Open Source Conference (OSCON), Jimmy Wales announced that Wikia has acquired Grub, the original visionary distributed search project, from LookSmart and released it under an open source license for the first time in four years. Grub operates under a model of users donating their personal computing resources towards a common goal, and is available today for download and testing at: http://www.grub.org/ .

Submission + - Panel says Astronauts Flew While Intoxicated (hughpickens.com)

Submitted by

Pcol

on Friday July 27, 2007 @01:27PM

Pcol writes: "Aviation Week reports that astronauts were allowed to fly on at least two occasions after flight surgeons and other astronauts warned they were so intoxicated that they posed a flight-safety risk. A review panel, convened in the wake of the Lisa Nowak arrest to review astronaut medical and psychological screening, also reported "heavy use of alcohol" by astronauts before launch, within the standard 12-hour "bottle to throttle" rule applied to NASA flight crew members. The panel does not deal directly with Nowak or mention any other astronaut by name. Meanwhile at Frenchie's Italian Restaurant, a popular astronaut hangout in Houston, owner Frankie Camera disputed the reports. "The Mercury astronauts may have been a little more wild (than later ones) but I did banquets for them and never really saw any of them drink so much they were out of control or drunk.""

Happy System Administrator Appreciation Day 256

Posted by Zonk on Friday July 27, 2007 @01:01PM from the thanks-for-the-hard-work dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Today is the 8th annual System Administrator Appreciation Day. It is always the last Friday in July and is the one day that SysAdmins are supposed to get the respect they deserve to be getting the other 364 days of the year. Today is the day that we wish everyone would considering the daunting tasks, small budgets, and ridiculous timelines that many SysAdmins face all year. Please thank them for everything they do for you and for your business. If you think you have a great SysAdmin today would be the day to nominate them for SysAdmin of the Year. 'The idea for System Administrator Day was inspired by a print ad for a Hewlett-Packard laser jet printer. The ad showed lines of employees bringing gifts for the IT guy who made the purchase. System Administrator Appreciation Day has, over the years, garnered support from many organizations."

Hungary Officials Raid Microsoft Office 170

Posted by Zonk on Friday July 27, 2007 @12:23PM from the can't-keep-its-nose-clean-anywhere dept.

Steve writes "Hungarian government officers raided the offices of a Microsoft subsidiary this week, as part of a probe into the company's relationship with large software distributors. From the article: 'According to the statement, Microsoft used sales conditions and offered software distributors incentives - described as loyalty discounts - so they wouldn't offer clients anything but Microsoft Office products. Such behavior could lead to the exclusion of competitive products from the market and violate European Union rules, according to the authority known as the GVH.'"

Submission + - Putting chips inside our brains

Submitted by

Roland Piquepaille

on Friday July 27, 2007 @12:21PM

Roland Piquepaille writes: "Researchers at the University of Florida (UF) have developed chips which someday might be inserted in the brains of people affected by epilepsy or who have lost a limb. These neuroprosthetic chips 'can interpret signals in the brain and stimulate neurons to perform correctly.' The University claims this is the future of medicine. This is maybe a little bit extreme. However, the researchers are currently studying these chips with rats and hope to have a prototype ready within 4 years that could be tested on humans. But read more for additional references and a picture of the electrodes to be used in neuroprosthetic chips."

Submission + - SGI and NASA ready most powerful Linux computer

Submitted by HydraSwitch on Friday July 27, 2007 @12:14PM

HydraSwitch writes: Holy SMP Batman!
According to linux-watch,

The new system will be the first supercomputer to operate 2,048 processor cores and 4TB of memory under control of one Linux kernel, creating the world's largest single-kernel Linux system, NASA and SGI announced this week.

Submission + - SPAM: 3G Home Femtocells Will Deliver Better Value

Submitted by

NeonDrum

on Wednesday June 20, 2007 @07:09AM

NeonDrum writes: "The use of low power "femtocells" in the home is set to drive the use of 3G voice and high-speed data services by mobile phone users and deliver increased fixed-mobile substitution (FMS) for operators, according to a new whitepaper published by ip.access, developer of femtocells. [spam URL stripped]"
Link to Original Source

Submission + - Space pioneers wanted for 520-day Mars experiment (yahoo.com)

Submitted by

FromTheHorizon

on Wednesday June 20, 2007 @06:35AM

FromTheHorizon writes: "

"The European Space Agency (ESA) on Tuesday called for applications for one of the most demanding human experiments in space history: a simulated trip to Mars in which six "astronauts" will spend 17 months in an isolation tank on Earth."

"Communications with the simulated mission control and loved-ones will take up to 40 minutes, the time that a radio signal takes to cross the void between Earth and a spaceship on Mars. Food will comprise mainly the packaged stuff of the kind eaten aboard the International Space Station (ISS). "

"Men and women who think they have the right stuff can download the application form on (http://www.spaceflight.esa.int/CallforCandidates) ."

Unfortunately you must be European and under 185cm, which rules me out on both accounts."

Submission + - DHS acknowledges own computer break-ins (yahoo.com)

Submitted by WrongSizeGlass on Wednesday June 20, 2007 @06:30AM

WrongSizeGlass writes: Yahoo is reporting about the computer security nightmare going on at the Department of Homeland Security. Senior DHS officials admitted to Congress that over a two year period there were 800 hacker break-ins, virus outbreaks and in one instance, hacker tools for stealing passwords and other files were found on two internal Homeland Security computer systems. I guess it's true what they say ... a mechanic's car is always the last to get fixed.

Submission + - Microsoft agrees to change Vista desktop search

Submitted by Cragien Boro on Wednesday June 20, 2007 @05:39AM

Cragien Boro writes: Microsoft agreed to make changes to the desktop search feature in Windows Vista in an effort to assuage Google and head off a further antitrust battle with U.S. regulators. In a filing made jointly with the Justice Department, Microsoft said it would change the search feature as part of the first service pack to Windows Vista. In the filing, Microsoft talked for the first time about when that service pack would arrive, saying a beta version will come by the end of the year. Under the agreement, Microsoft will create a mechanism whereby both computer makers and individuals will be able to choose a default desktop search program, much as they can choose a rival browser or media player, even though those technologies are built into Windows.

Submission + - Microsoft settles to alter Vista for Google (bloomberg.com)

Submitted by

atbarboz

on Wednesday June 20, 2007 @05:07AM

atbarboz writes: "Microsoft Corp. agreed to modify its Vista operating system to resolve Google Inc.'s complaints the program's design hurts competing search software in violation of a 2001 antitrust settlement."

Submission + - Dell refuses to sell Ubuntu to business (ubuntuforums.org)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 20, 2007 @05:05AM

An anonymous reader writes: I had a surreal experience with Dell today. My boss asked me to order a new computer for our small, non-profit business. Wanting to support Dell in their decision to sell computers with Ubuntu installed, I decided to order one. First, I talked to a small business representative, who informed me that I could not order one of the Ubuntu-based computers through the small business department. I had to go through the "home and home office" department. I called the Home office department. I asked the representative if I could buy one of the ubuntu computers for my company. She said (and I quote), "these Dell computers are designed for personal use only, as long as you use it for personal use, you can purchase one." So I lied and said I would.... Next, I tried to buy it on our business credit card. They would have none of that. She told me that I had to buy it through a personal card. Now, as a non-proft, our business does not pay sales tax (10% in Tennessee). Had I bought it with my own card, I would have had to pay tax (~$90), which my company would not have reimbursed me for. So.....no Dell today. I really wanted to support Dell and I am just blown away that they would REFUSE MY MONEY because I was buying it to use for a business. What company goes around telling its customers how they can use their products? What business model does that fall under? More importantly, are they really supporting Ubuntu and Linux? They didn't seem too supportive to me.

Submission + - Ethical Search Engine Optimization | Search Engine (seomaestro.com)

Submitted by

seomaestro

on Wednesday June 20, 2007 @04:43AM

seomaestro writes: "Economical Search Engine Optimization Services. SEO Maestro — an Ethical Search Engine Optimization Company based in Raleigh. It delivers website promotion services, Effective Search Engine Optimization and web-based applications to market and promote your products and services."

Submission + - Will Vista kill tech support?

Submitted by Celsius10 on Wednesday June 20, 2007 @04:19AM

Celsius10 writes: I make my living through freelance computer support, 99% of new calls are "My computer is running slow". After I clean their computer they almost always ask if I can do something else for them, and this tends to lead to more business and hopefully a longterm client. Obviously I am ecstatic that Microsoft is finally waking up and tightening the security belt with Vista, but I am very concerned that my business will eventually go the way of the buggy whip manufacturer once Vista becomes mainstream and the new calls stop coming in for virus and spyware related problems. I know my business will need to adapt or die but without that first contact of an infected computer,how will I attract new customers for services that they don't know they might need?

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