Comment Re:Oh.. you mean the Quick Start Bar? (Score 2, Informative) 580
Bullshit - the dock on Mac didn't show up until 7.5, and it was stolen from a free (non-Apple) system extension then anyway (like almost every "upgrade" after System 7).
Repair Computer, Repurchase OS? 453
An anonymous reader asks: "Recently, I have been bit by a computer repair on an e-Machines computer that involved a system board replacement. Though this was strictly a repair, not an upgrade, neither MS or e-Machines will provide for activation of the system. Why should a user have to purchase another copy of XP after repairing a computer? The system board is listed on the e-Machines website, but costs 4x what an off-the-shelf board with the same chip-set/capabilities costs, and furthermore is not actually available. The e-Machines rep even said repurchasing XP was my only option. This seems to me patently unfair and of questionable legality. Is it possible that there are enough disgruntled consumers bit by this problem to generate a class-action lawsuit?"
Submission + - Fudgeripple Composite May Replace Depleted Uranium
JuStMe writes: Armor-piercing projectiles made of depleted uranium have caused concern among soldiers storing and using them. Federal scientists now say they have developed an environmentally safe composite with an internal structure resembling fudge-ripple ice cream that actually does the job even better.
Submission + - California may ban lightbulbs
Igmuth writes: According to an article in Yahoo News,
The 'How Many Legislators Does it Take to Change a Lightbulb Act' would ban incandescent lightbulbs by 2012 in favor of energy-saving compact fluorescent lightbulbs. 'Incandescent lightbulbs were first developed almost 125 years ago, and since that time they have undergone no major modifications,' California Assemblyman Lloyd Levine said on Tuesday. 'Meanwhile, they remain incredibly inefficient, converting only about 5 percent of the energy they receive into light.'
Submission + - Install Windows Vista Upgrade version without XP
Johannes K. writes: It has previously been claimed that to install Windows Vista from an upgrade dvd requires having Windows XP installed on your computer. Not so claims DailyTech: No previous version of Windows is required at all.
Submission + - Netherlands loses comms satellite on launch pad
Ynsats writes: "The Register is reporting that SES New Skies of the Netherlands lost a Boeing NSS-8 satellite on the launch pad when it's Zenit launch vehicle exploded on the launch pad. The launch pad is a converted oil rig and is operated by Sea Launch. The resulting blast engulfed the rig in flames but fortunatly, there were no injuries due to the remote operation of the rig keeping the crew at a safe distance. The launch vehicle was carrying a communications satellite "equipped with nearly 100 transponders for high-speed internet, broadcasting and other services". The Zenit rocket is a multi-stage, kerosene and liquid oxygen-fuelled rocket that Sea Launch has had 23 successes with with one failure in 2000 due to a valve problem in the second stage of the rocket."
Linux 2.6.20-rc6 Kernel Performance 226
Michael writes "The Linux 2.6.20 kernel will feature KVM support, Playstation 3 support, and a variety of other improvements. With the Linux 2.6.20-rc6 kernel out the door, Phoronix has written a performance comparison of the Linux 2.6.20-rc6 kernel against the 2.6.19 and 2.6.19.2 kernels in a variety of benchmarks."
Submission + - Sony Settles Rootkit Class Action Lawsuit
eldavojohn writes: "Sony BMG has agreed to reimburse consumers with $150 million dollars for damages done to computers in the US from selling compact discs with anti-piracy software hidden on them. Make your claim as soon as possible. From the article, "In 2005, the company shipped more than 12 million CDs, each loaded with one of two anti-piracy programs.
About seven million of the CDs were sold and the Digital Rights Management software installed itself on consumers' computers without their knowledge or consent.
CDs by artists such as The Coral, Alicia Keys, Dido, the Foo Fighters and the Backstreet Boys were among the affected discs. ""
Submission + - An Open Letter to Sony
An anonymous reader writes: Glide Underground have put up an open letter to Sony, admonishing them for past mistakes and for making the PSP a lot less than it could be.
With the PSP, you did something even worse. You actively, and for quite a long time, worked to make the console less than it was. Time after time, "system updates" were forced on the end user that were unnecessary to play the games they were included with. Time after time, the idea that people other than Sony might want to write programs on it went right past you in your arrogance and paranoia. People were going to find a way to pirate your games. People find ways to pirate games for every single console on the planet; there were pirated game copies even in the days of the Atari 2600, the NES, and the Sega Master System when cartridges were the medium of storage. Your paranoia ensured not that more PSP owners were buying your games, but that less people bought the PSP and that those who did own a PSP actively avoided your games for fear of wrecking other functions on the console they purchased.
With the PSP, you did something even worse. You actively, and for quite a long time, worked to make the console less than it was. Time after time, "system updates" were forced on the end user that were unnecessary to play the games they were included with. Time after time, the idea that people other than Sony might want to write programs on it went right past you in your arrogance and paranoia. People were going to find a way to pirate your games. People find ways to pirate games for every single console on the planet; there were pirated game copies even in the days of the Atari 2600, the NES, and the Sega Master System when cartridges were the medium of storage. Your paranoia ensured not that more PSP owners were buying your games, but that less people bought the PSP and that those who did own a PSP actively avoided your games for fear of wrecking other functions on the console they purchased.
Submission + - BBC told Windows DRM is not enough
Richard Fairhurst writes: "The trustees who govern the British broadcaster have demanded that its new video-on-demand service mustn't be Windows-only. The BBC Trust says the new iPlayer must be "platform-agnostic within a reasonable timeframe", explaining: "This requires the BBC to develop an alternative DRM framework to enable users of other technology, for example, Apple and Linux, to access the on-demand services.""
Submission + - Windows Vista FAQ
VL writes: "Viperlair has a short write-up covering the different Windows Vista versions and what they offer from a high level perspective. "As much information as there is about Vista, there is also as much misinformation currently floating around, so lets see if we can sort through it all and help you make an informed decision on what to get. Should you get Vista if you already have XP? That's a bit out of the scope of this article and worthy of an Editorial all of it's own. This article is a quick and dirty look at the different versions of Vista and will assume you have decided you have an interest in purchasing Vista." http://www.viperlair.com/articles/editorials/vista /primer/"
Microsoft Tops Corporate-Reputation Survey 452
Carl Bialik from WSJ writes "Microsoft beat out Johnson & Johnson for the top spot in the annual Wall Street Journal survey of the reputations of U.S. companies. Bill Gates's personal philanthropy boosted the public's opinion of Microsoft, helping to end J&J's seven-year run at No. 1. From the article: 'Mr. Gates demonstrates how much the reputation of a corporate leader can rub off on his company. Formerly chief executive officer and now chairman of Microsoft, he contributed to a marked improvement in the company's emotional appeal. Jeanie Cummins, a survey respondent and homemaker in Olive Hill, Ky., says Mr. Gates's philanthropy made her a much bigger fan of Microsoft. "He showed he cared more for people than all the money he made building Microsoft from the ground up," she says. "I wish all the other big shots could do something like this." To be sure, some respondents still complain that Microsoft bullies its competitors and unfairly monopolizes the software business. But such criticism is less biting and less pervasive than it was just a few years ago.'"
Submission + - What is your favorite athletic sport?
tpetchy writes: With the Super Bowl coming up it would be interesting to know:
What is your favorite athletic sport?
Football
Baseball
Basketball
Hockey
Golf
Tennis
Auto Racing
Bowling
Cowboy Neal's Rodeo
What is your favorite athletic sport?
Football
Baseball
Basketball
Hockey
Golf
Tennis
Auto Racing
Bowling
Cowboy Neal's Rodeo
