Comment Great (Score 1) 386
That's great. This combined with existing anti-retroviral therapies might actually extinguish HIV from the face of the earth in only a few decades, if used widely.
Comment Re:Reconsider your pack (Score 1) 282
Spare the irony. For traveling, the outlined equipment is quite adequate, I know from my own experience (i.e. less than 2kg of equipment, which can be easily carried around even for hiking trips without tiring the back). If the OP was a professional fotographer, he would probably just resort to a hardened roller case with ample space for both the computer and the camera(s) with lens(es) and a tripod to boot.
As for the financial aspect: If both the DSLR and the MBP are fairly up to date, their resale value is probably higher than the new price for the "light kit". Since the OP was asking for a solution and not for a bargain, the reasoning is sound.
Comment Reconsider your pack (Score 0) 282
A 17" MBP and a big DSLR just happen to be a bad choice for travelling. Go for a 11" MBA and a Panasonic or Olympus MFT camera instead. Almost the same capability at a fraction of the weight and bulk, and less expensive to boot. You can easily half your pack's weight this way.
Comment Re:Interesting Story! (Score 1) 514
the answer is right there in the OP: "I enjoy mowing..."
Why do people eat too much and become fat? They enjoy it.
Why do people drink to much an become drunk? They enjoy it.
Why do people spend too much? They enjoy it.
Mankind is not rational and there is no need to be. If the guy enjoys mowing his huge lawn, let him do it.
Comment Re:obligatory? (Score 0) 514
and in Soviet Russia, the law(n) mows you!
Comment Hindenburg (Score 1) 204
The HindenbErg, eh? I'd like that with my Cheeseberger in Pittsberg, before I lose all my money to a bergler, thx.
Comment Choice (Score 1) 434
If your only choice is between XP (SP3, I assume) and OS X 10.6.x and your goal is to keep the total cost of ownership as low as possible, then I think the decision is a rather obvious one: OS X.
If however it's an option to upgrade the entire network to Windows 7 and thus have a uniform environment, then you might want to research into this a little further.
As for software, I can't really comment, but with the right tools, Macs are still more versatile than pure Windows machines, even if it means having a dual boot system with OS X, Windows.
Journal Journal: Old fart
Still reading this website regularly, there must be something about it...
Comment Men in Black (Score 1) 408
We all knew there were Universes in Universes every since Men In Black came into theatres, didn't we?
Old news, really.
Mystery Malware Affecting Linux/Apache Web Servers 437
lisah writes "Reports are beginning to surface that some Web servers running Linux and Apache are unwittingly infecting thousands of computers, exploiting vulnerabilities in QuickTime, Yahoo! Messenger, and Windows. One way to tell if your machine is infected is if you're unable to create a directory name beginning with a numeral. Since details are still sketchy, the best advice right now is to take proactive steps to secure your servers. 'We asked the Apache Software Foundation if it had any advice on how to detect the rootkit or cleanse a server when it's found. According to Mark Cox of the Apache security team, "Whilst details are thin as to how the attackers gained root access to the compromised servers, we currently have no evidence that this is due to an unfixed vulnerability in the Apache HTTP Server." We sent a similar query to Red Hat, the largest vendor of Linux, but all its security team could tell us was that "At this point in time we have not had access to any affected machines and therefore cannot give guidance on which tools would reliably detect the rootkit."'"
Child Bankrupts Make-A-Wish Foundation
samzenpus writes "Children can be greedy, especially when they don't have much time left."
Journal Journal: Bad Karma
Still haven't figured out why I've had bad Karma for the past couple of weeks, but I guess it doesn't matter much anyway. Nobody reads comments past the first 50 anyway.
Submission + - More than 2 Billion PCs by 2015 ? (itvoir.com)
rollymittal writes: "The number of PCs in use worldwide will reach almost 1.3 billion by the end of the decade with only about 150 million new PCs coming from mature PC markets and the rest coming from emerging marke..."
Submission + - Stem Cells Harvested Without Damaging Embryo (sciam.com)
teklob writes: Scientists have now successfully derived viable stem cell lines by harvesting a single cell from a developing embryo without causing any damage. Previous stem cell lines generally resulted in the destruction of the embryo. It is still not known whether this can sidestep the ban on federal funding for new stem cell lines.
Submission + - $5 Answer to the OLPC, Meet the ODPA (myspace.com)
Darrin Taylor writes: "With all the press the OLPC is getting I started thinking about what the third world really needs, I call it ONE DESKTOP PER ADULT (ODPA) . Basically the third world needs a cheap $5 computer that can surf the web and watch TV.
My approach is to use a spinning plastic disk with a strip of LEDs attached that is rotated in a circle at ~10-30HZ making a circular viewing surface, the LEDS are turned on and off varying on the angle allowing single color ~640 by 640 circular resolution from only 320 LEDs or color with 960 LEDs. A series proximity sensors are also spun around on this disk in the same manner so that the display is effectively a touch screen. This removes the need for an additional keyboard or mouse. It would need a iPhone like interface OS. In all the Computer would be a simple 12" dia. plastic disk, 0.5" by 6" of flexible PCB with LEDs, proximity sensor switches and a single ASIC possibly with a very small number of additional RF components, capacitor, crystal oscillator etc and a small motor to generate power and long metal axel to mount to a locally produced base with locally produced foot pedal or other propulsion aid.
The Computer would be completely powered from a small motor that harnesses the rotation to create enough energy to run the LEDS and single chip ASIC. A foot pedal system could be made locally in the third world country so that the needed kinetic energy to spin the ODPA can be more easily generated. Someone would have to work the foot pedal to keep the computer rotating at all times.
For the CPU I tend to favor an ASIC something like XCeive's XC2028 or some other Silicon TV tuner so that TV can be displayed onto the screen or the tuner can be used as a modem to receive Internet via FM or other wireless. There is need for some custom ASIC design as the Silicon TV tuner chips don't have the ability to transmit which the computer would need for a true wireless grid network. I suspect there are large areas where the locals would sacrifice a TV or radio station in order to have a wireless internet grid that the locals could use with their ODPAs.
I am interested in this idea being developed so I am willing to open this design up to open source. Please contact me if you have any information that could advance this design or any contacts who would develop a computer like the one I have described."
