BigPoppaT - Slashdot User

Submission + - Microsoft's internal advice about patents

Submitted by

BigPoppaT

on Thursday November 06, 2008 @02:35PM

BigPoppaT writes: "Eric Brechner writes a best practices blog called Hard Code for Microsoft under the name I.M. Wright. His most recent post sounds like an endorsement of open source developement (and does end with a call for Microsoft developers to participate in the shared source community). But even better is his advice regarding patents:
When using existing libraries, services, tools, and methods from outside Microsoft, we must be respectful of licenses, copyrights, and patents. Generally, you want to carefully research licenses and copyrights (your contact in Legal and Corporate Affairs can help), and never search, view, or speculate about patents. I was confused by this guidance till I wrote and reviewed one of my own patents. The legal claims section--the only section that counts--was indecipherable by anyone but a patent attorney. Ignorance is bliss and strongly recommended when it comes to patents.

Interesting advice from inside Microsoft. I wonder if Ballmer would agree that ignorance should be "strongly recommended when it comes to patents"?"

Submission + - Top 7 Wireless Apps for Linux (madpenguin.org)

Submitted by

techie

on Monday May 12, 2008 @10:11PM

techie writes: "According to MadPenguin.org, there are a must-have Linux applications that everyone must have and they have reviewed them in quick bites. The author writes, "Assuming you have managed to find a wireless card that is working well with your Linux distribution, or perhaps you just settled for a hack-n'-hope solution with NDISWrapper, you need to settle on an application that you can use to connect to your wireless network."

Submission + - Gates: Windows 7 will "take less memory" (arstechnica.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 12, 2008 @09:00PM

An anonymous reader writes: At the Windows Digital Lifestyle Consortium in Japan, Bill Gates said Windows 7 will "be lower power, take less memory, be more efficient." One Microsoft Way speculates whether Windows 7 will focus on performance, similarly to how Windows Vista focused on security.

Submission + - HP to Acquire EDS

Submitted by

XeviouS

on Monday May 12, 2008 @08:54PM

XeviouS writes: ""According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Hewlett-Packard (HP) is close to finalizing a deal to purchase Electronic Data Systems (EDS). If the acquisition takes place it could mean tougher competition for IBM." More info here, here and here."

Submission + - Apple settles iPod battery suit

Submitted by Stony Stevenson on Monday May 12, 2008 @05:43PM

Stony Stevenson writes: Apple has settled a lawsuit in Canada over the battery life of its iPod music player by issuing $45 store vouchers. The class-action suit was filed in June 2005 by Ines Lenzi and Bradley Waddell, who claimed that Apple had misled consumers as to the lifespan of the iPod's rechargeable battery. The judgment covers first-, second- and third-generation iPods bought before July 2004.

Submission + - Ubuntu-Powered Device Helps The Elderly

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 12, 2008 @04:52PM

An anonymous reader writes: The guys at LinuxDevices.com have up a story on a Linux-based touch-panel device targeting elderly homecare. This product — that is named Blue Heron Network Reside@HOME — consists of a touch-based computer that at its heart runs Ubuntu Linux. This Ubuntu Linux device is controlled by the family and other caregivers where they can upload messages, pictures, and notes to guide the care receiver through their day-to-day tasks. The caregivers are able to interface with this Ubuntu box through a web-based control panel. From the article, "The goal of Reside@Home is to provide long-term independence and care for those with diminished cognitive ability, while also meeting the needs of busy unpaid care providers, says Michael Larabel, Director of Software Development at Blue Heron Network. "The system is very beneficial in keeping those with early stages of Alzheimer's and other neuro-degenerative conditions independent for as long as possible, while maintaining their traditional lifestyle and enhancing the quality of their lives," said Larabel in an email."

Comment Re:So... (Score 5, Insightful) 489

by rkcallaghan on Wednesday May 07, 2008 @11:28PM (#23333302) Attached to: DOE Pumps $126.6 Million Into Carbon Sequestration

R2.0 wrote:

Where on earth are you getting this data? Please provide at least some reference to any accumulation of people that is self sufficient on solar and wind.

How about from Slashdot, still on the main page as of my writing this post?

~Rebecca

Submission + - Canadian Politicos Urged to Take Copyright Pledge

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 15, 2008 @09:38AM

An anonymous reader writes: The delay in introducing a Canadian DMCA appears to be shortlived, with a new Canadian copyright law expected at the end of the month. In anticipation, law professor Michael Geist has published a "copyright pledge" that calls on all politicians to commit to preserve fair dealing (Canada's fair use).

Submission + - Rogue Mac Application (pcpro.co.uk)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 15, 2008 @09:18AM

An anonymous reader writes: F-Secure is warning Mac users of the presence of the first "rogue application" for OS X, MacSweeper. The application purports to scan a Mac system for files that can or need to be removed, but as F-Secure notes, "it will always find something to fix/clean but the only way to do so is to buy the program". Once the software is installed, it will periodically display a popup dialog stating that the computer has been compromised and that the user needs to buy MacSweeper to remove the non-existent files.

Feed Engadget: Exclusive shots of Goschy's prototype "Wiimote" controllers (engadget.com)

From feed by engfeed on Tuesday January 15, 2008 @12:52AM

Filed under: Features, Gaming, Peripherals

So, we got some more information from Patrick Goschy so he could set his story straight, and were surprised to learn he still had the original prototype controller! According to Goschy, he really has no plans -- or venue -- to sue Nintendo, since Midway owned all of his patents, and as far as he can tell, Nintendo bought the patents from Midway, since Nintendo references one of the patents in its application for the Wiimote. Apparently he just wants the recognition: "I just wanted to people to know. Wanted the truth to come out. Did this 8 years ago, and the Wii has been such a huge deal, I wanted the truth to get out there. It wasn't these two or three Japanese guys that came up with this thing." His guess is that Nintendo saw the video demo he did -- which was seen by hundreds of employees of Midway -- and probably payed a pittance for the technology, thanks to Midway's mismanagement. Right now Goschy is doing engineering consulting work to pay the bills, and when asked if he could take a few shots of his controller alongside Nintendo's, told us that he "can't afford a Wii." He's going to do a redo of the original video -- hopefully with pants this time -- if he can scrounge himself up a working Dreamcast.

Gallery: Exclusive shots of Goschy's prototype "Wiimote" controllers

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Journal Journal: Modifying stem cell's surface steers cells where needed

Journal by stemceller on Tuesday January 15, 2008 @12:39AM

Now it appears that even stem cells can come with GPS. In a groundbreaking study, Robert Sackstein, MD, PhD, and colleagues in the Department of Dermatology at the Biomedical Research Institute at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) harmlessly modified the surface of human mesenchymal stem cells (a type of adult stem cell that is the precursor of bone forming cells called osteoblasts), which directed the cel

Submission + - Techie Mistakenly Arrested on Basis of IP Address (indiatimes.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 14, 2008 @11:43PM

An anonymous reader writes: A Bangalore-based software engineer, Lakshmana Kailash K, was wrongly jailed for 50 days last year by the Pune police cyber cell. Lakshmana had been falsely accused of an internet crime — posting unseemly pictures on the web — and was arrested based on the internet protocol address. As it turned out, the IP address was not his. But by the time the police confirmed this and acted on it, he had already spent 50 harrowing days at the Yerwada Jail with hardened criminals, had tasted lathi beatings and was made to use one bowl to both eat and for the toilet.

Feed Science Daily: Minor Leg Injuries Associated With Risk Of Blood Clots (sciencedaily.com)

From feed by sdfeed on Monday January 14, 2008 @07:53PM

Muscle ruptures, ankle sprains and other common minor leg injuries appear to be associated with a higher risk for blood clots in the legs or lungs, according to a new article. Previous studies have shown that major injuries increase the risk for venous thrombosis.

Feed Science Daily: Life's Ingredients Detected In Far Off Galaxy (sciencedaily.com)

From feed by sdfeed on Monday January 14, 2008 @07:53PM

Astronomers have detected for the first time the molecules methanimine and hydrogen cyanide -- two ingredients that build life-forming amino acids -- in a galaxy some 250 million light years away. When combined with water, the molecules form glycene, the simplest amino acid and a building block of life on Earth.

Submission + - Pulling Petrol Out of Thin Air (greengoldrush.org)

Submitted by

Dannah

on Monday January 14, 2008 @02:03PM

Dannah writes: "Pulling something out of thin air may sound like magic, but a team of scientists at New Mexico's Sandia National Laboratory are closer to atomic surgeons. They are developing a prototype which uses solar energy to recycle carbon dioxide and produce liquid solar fuel."

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