MrKaos - Slashdot User

Submission + - 2008, 10th Warmest year on record.

Submitted by MrKaos on Wednesday December 17, 2008 @07:22AM

MrKaos writes: Whilst cooler than recent years the World Meteorological Organization has listed 2008 the 10th Warmest year on record since records began and a UK Met Office press release titled Global temperature 2008: Another top-ten year. Just in case this horse hasn't been flogged enough looking back just one year the NOAA listed 2007 a Top Ten Warm Year for U.S. and Globe and Science daily citing (in 2007) Top 11 Warmest Years On Record Have All Been In Last 13 Years. Time to sell the beach side house yet?

Submission + - Mining a wealth of your data

Submitted by MrKaos on Wednesday December 03, 2008 @10:49PM

MrKaos writes: An interesting new scientist article about reviews a book 'The Numerati' about the extent and state of data mining and provides some interesting insights. From the article
Data is big business for the numerati. US firm Acxiom keeps shopping and lifestyle data on some 200 million Americans. They know how much we paid for our house, what magazines we subscribe to, which books we buy and what vacations we take. The company purchases just about every bit of data about us that can be bought, and then sells selections of it to anyone out to target us in, say, political campaigns.

How do you know who knows and if they need to know what they know? Now where is my tinfoil hat!

Submission + - Lehman Brothers files for bankruptcy

Submitted by MrKaos on Monday September 15, 2008 @10:15AM

MrKaos writes: 150 year old American investment banking giant Lehman Brothers has filed for bankruptcy. The bank is so large that it's loss is causing gold prices to go up and several agencies are reporting on it's demise and the effect on financial markets around the world. Meanwhile Alan Greenspan describes the current banking crisis as 'possibly the worst in a century — including the 1929 Wall Street Crash.'

Not exactly news for nerds but pretty hard to ignore.

Submission + - Western Digital working on 20,000 rpm drive

Submitted by MrKaos on Saturday August 16, 2008 @12:12PM

MrKaos writes: Western digital seems to be preparing itself for the onslaught of SSD drives affecting it's market by developing a 20,000 rpm hard drive. Similar to the Velociraptor line of drives, the new drives seem to be offering lower capacity as a trade off for higher seek and write times. Looks like the battle lines are drawn for a new series of development in the mass storage front.

Submission + - Open Source losing ground with charities (zdnet.com.au)

Submitted by MrKaos on Monday August 04, 2008 @11:45PM

MrKaos writes: Following recent discussions about Creative Capitalism, Open Source and Charities I found that Open source could do a lot better addressing the needs of charities who do not have the budget to afford the skills of I.T Professionals capable of implementing and maintaining the Open Source solutions that they really need. Is this a job for the various Linux User Groups out there, or is there a better way?

So come on slashdotters, they want our help, they need our help, how can we help?

Submission + - DOJ to oversee Windows 7 Development (microsoft-watch.com)

Submitted by MrKaos on Sunday June 22, 2008 @10:34PM

MrKaos writes: Windows 7 already is being reviewed by U.S. government technical appointees, under the terms of Microsoft's November 2001 Justice Department settlement and final court judgment issued about a year later, a government-sanctioned "Technical Committee" has overseen Windows development. The TC is responsible for ensuring that Microsoft complies with the terms of the final judgment, investigating complaints about Microsoft abuses and regularly reporting on the company's compliance.

Submission + - Australia's Music mafIAA finds new targets.

Submitted by MrKaos on Monday July 23, 2007 @10:18AM

MrKaos writes: Australia's version of the RIAA, the Phonographic Performance Company of Australia's (PPCA) has found a new target for revenue raising, Clubs and Pubs (Public bars) by increasing royalty rates by %1500. Zeropaid http://www.zeropaid.com/news/8904/Music+Royalties+ for+Aussie+Night+Clubs+and+Dance+Parties+Increases +by+1500%25! reports that new royalty models will be based on capacity and not actual attendance, effectively charging clubs for the people who aren't listening to the music. Could be a good thing if the clubs decide to enlist more live bands.

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