Comment Re:Fallout 3 (Score 1) 109
I was amazed at how awful the animation was, particually facial. You'd think after HL2 came out 4 years ago, most developers would be able to achieve similar results?
Comment Re:I already pay my tv licence (Score 1) 172
It seems that the BBC is suggesting that ISPs could offer a package that includes high-quality streams from iPlayer.
This isn't the ISPs threatening to restrict iPlayer access unless users buy a more expensive package, it's the BBC offering ISPs an item to throw into their best packages. It's no different to paying for Sky HD or whatever.
I suspect that few to no-one will take it, and this is just a stopgap measure to make the ISPs happier while the network catches up to demand.
Comment Re:Kudos to NSA (Score 5, Funny) 140
That "M+" button on your calculator that no-one knows how to use. That's what it does.
Print News Fading, Still Source of Much News 140
CNet's Dan Farber took a look, not only at the popular news of how print media is dying a slow death, but also what contribution to the news print journalists are still making. According to research quoted, while the physical publications are quickly becoming a thing of the past much of the news that makes its way into circulation via blogs and other means still originates from the hard work of those print journalists. (We discussed a similar perspective on the news a week back.) "While the Internet is growing as the place where people go for news, the revenue simply isn't catching up fast enough. The less obvious part of the Internet overtaking newspapers as the main source for national and international news is that much of the seed content--the original reporting that breaks national and international news and is subsequently refactored by legions of bloggers--comes from the reporters and editors working at the financially strapped newspapers and national and local television outlets. [...] As the financial pressures mount--the outlook for 2009 is dismal--and the cost cutting continues, we can only hope that the original news reporting by top-flight journalists is not a major casualty."
High School Robotics Competition Kicks Off 64
DeviceGuru writes "Some 35,000 high school students from over 1500 high schools in eight countries today began competing in the annual US FIRST student robotics contest. This year's competition, dubbed FIRST Overdrive, challenges the student teams to build semi-autonomous robots that will move 40-inch diameter inflatable balls around a playing field and score the most points. In this year's game, two alliances of three teams each work collaboratively to win each round. An animated simulation of the game (in several video formats) is available online."
Firefox 3 Reviewed - A Disappointment
oopensource writes "According to OSWeekly.com's latest review of Firefox 3, it's not quite up to standards. Author Matt Hartley opines: 'What pains me the most is that Firefox has not even achieved the full market share that a version 1 mindset might have allowed for. Back then, it was fast, and there was a genuine feeling like the users were being heard with the functionality that future releases would offer. Today, this seems to be a thing of the past.'"
Vista SP1 Guides for IT Professionals Released 270
wilkinism writes "Microsoft released several detailed documents explaining just about everything you ever wanted to know about Vista SP1. Highlights include a Deployment Guide, list of included hotfixes, and a 17-page list of 'Notable Changes'. In reviewing the Notable Changes document, it seems the company focused on improving reliability & performance in really specific scenarios, so it's no wonder that most reviewers are reporting no noticeable gains."
Submission + - Carnegie Mellon wins DARPA Urban Challenge
angio writes: "Carnegie Mellon University's Tartan Racing team won the DARPA Grand Challenge, narrowly beating out competitors Stanford and Virginia Tech in a closely-watched race. Eleven finalists started the race on Saturday, with six finishing. The top three winners received $2 million, $1 million, and $500 thousand, respectively. Blow-by blow blogging of the event was covered by the register, Wired, and Popular Mechanics."
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 + - Google Losing Its Favourite Game?
An anonymous reader writes: Data sources are not reliable at all but early results from Alexa and Compete show that Google is significantly impacted by Microsoft's new Vista — Live initiative. Vista pushing Live, the question is will the average user Joe come back to his old good Google or will he sacrifice a little search quality difference for uninterrupted and frictionless experience?
Submission + - Old islamic tile patterns show modern math insight
arbitraryaardvark writes: "Reuters reports Medieval Muslims made mega math marvel.
Tile patterns on middle eastern mosques display a kind of quasicrystalline effect that was unknown in the west until rediscovered by Penrose in the 1970s.
"Quasicrystalline patterns comprise a set of interlocking units whose pattern never repeats, even when extended infinitely in all directions, and possess a special form of symmetry."
It isn't known if the mosque designers understood the math behind the patterns.
page 2 of story."
Tile patterns on middle eastern mosques display a kind of quasicrystalline effect that was unknown in the west until rediscovered by Penrose in the 1970s.
"Quasicrystalline patterns comprise a set of interlocking units whose pattern never repeats, even when extended infinitely in all directions, and possess a special form of symmetry."
It isn't known if the mosque designers understood the math behind the patterns.
page 2 of story."
Submission + - The Ten Most Frequently-Guessed Passwords
darkreadingman writes: "IT people often create their own security problems by choosing administrative passwords that are easily hacked. Here's a list of hackers' ten most frequently-guessed passwords, along with some suggestions on better ways to create and maintain strong passwords.
http://www.darkreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=117 988&WT.svl=news1_1"
