Comment Re:US vs UK... (Score 2, Funny) 1174
Sockets don't kill people, electricity does!
Comment Works for me (Score 2, Interesting) 1231
Hi,
upgraded, works for me.
The best news is: PulseAudio no longer sucks. The audio system has been vastly improved.
bye,
Till
Some Early Adopters Stung By Ubuntu's Karmic Koala 1231
Norsefire writes to mention a Register piece reporting that early adopters are having a tough time with Karmic Koala, Ubuntu's latest release. "Ubuntu 9.10 is causing outrage and frustration, with early adopters wishing they'd stuck with previous versions of the Linux distro. Blank and flickering screens, failure to recognize hard drives, defaulting to the old 2.6.28 Linux kernel, and failure to get encryption running are taking their toll, as early adopters turn to the web for answers and log fresh bug reports in Ubuntu forums." What has been your experience if you've moved to Karmic?
How To Enter Equations Quickly In Class? 823
AdmiralXyz writes "I'm a university student, and I like to take notes on my (non-tablet) computer whenever possible, so it's easier to sort, categorize, and search through them later. Trouble is, I'm going into higher and higher math classes, and typing "f_X(x) = integral(-infinity, infinity, f(x,y) dy)" just isn't cutting it anymore: I need a way to get real-looking equations into my notes. I'm not particular about the details, the only requirement is that I need to keep up with the lecture, so it has to be fast, fast, fast. Straight LaTeX is way too slow, and Microsoft's Equation Editor isn't even worth mentioning. The platform is not a concern (I'm on a MacBook Pro and can run either Windows or Ubuntu in a virtual box if need be), but the less of a hit to battery life, the better. I've looked at several dedicated equation editing programs, but none of them, or their reviews, make any mention of speed. I've even thought about investing in a low-end Wacom tablet (does anyone know if there are ultra-cheap graphics tablets designed for non-artists?), but I figured I'd see if anyone at Slashdot has a better solution."
Up To 90 Percent of US Money Has Traces of Cocaine 441
mmmscience writes "Scientists have found that up to 90% of US paper money has some cocaine contamination, up from the 67% mark measured two years ago. Looking at bills from 17 cities, it's no surprise that the city with the highest level was Washington DC, where up to 95% of bills gathered there tested positive. From a global standpoint, both Canada and Brazil tested rather high (85% and 80%, respectively), but China and Japan were well behind the curve at 20% and 12%. The researchers hope that studies such as these will be of help to law enforcement agencies that are attempting to understand the growth and flow of drug use in communities."
Gardeners Told to Give Exhausted Bees an Energy Drink
200
In an effort to help Britain's declining bee population, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is urging gardeners to leave out a homemade energy drink for tired bees. The RSPB says that a mix of two tablespoons of sugar with a tablespoon of water makes a perfect bee-boosting drink. Val Osborne, head of wildlife inquiries at the RSPB, said, "Many people keep seeing bees on the ground and assume they are dead, but chances are they are having a rest. Much like us, a sugary drink could boost their energy levels and a simple sugar and water combination will be a welcome treat."
Comment Re:but gps-on-phone guis SUCK (Score 1) 422
Hi,
check out Garmin Mobile XT; it has all of the mentioned features except for "Velocity Made Good".
bye,
Till
Comment Re:Already there (Score 1) 422
Hi,
it's true that both Garmin and TomTom offer mobile versions, which are not as good as the standalone units. However there's an excellent alternative, Route66. Works great on recent symbian phones. The small display of the phone might be somewhat annoying sometimes, but it's no big deal.
Actually, it has happened to me this year that while driving a new BMW I was so annoyed by the user interface of the (expensive) onboard GPS that I switched it off and used my smartphone instead.
bye,
Tillmann
Comment Re:I guess I should prepare for extinction then (Score 2, Interesting) 422
Hi,
on the motorcycle I usually put the smartphone in the tank bag, which is waterproof. Even through this bag the display can be read alright in direct sunlight. I'm not saying it's the perfect solution, but it does the job - I've ridden hundreds of kilometers through Europe that way, and it works fine (Nokia N82 with Route66 mobile).
Certainly a dedicated motorcycle unit like the TomTom Rider or similar unit might be somewhat better, but for me it's really not worth the extra cost.
All the best,
Tillmann
Comment Re:Main blocker (Score 1) 427
Hi,
the problem is related compiz, in combination with nvidia drivers. Uninstalling compiz and (for example) metacity instead will solve the problem.
I'm pretty annoyed myself that the problem apparently STILL hasn't been solved after so many months. compiz sure isn't necessary, but it's nice to have.
All the best,
Till
Has MySQL Forked Beyond Repair? 334
snydeq writes "Fatal Exception's Neil McAllister questions the effect recent developments in the MySQL community will have on MySQL's future in the wake of Oracle's acquisition of Sun. Even before Oracle announced its buyout, there were signs of strain within the MySQL community, with key MySQL employees exiting and forks of the MySQL codebase arising, including Widenius' MariaDB. Now Widenius' Oracle-less Open Database Alliance adds further doubt as to which branch of MySQL will be considered 'official' going forward. 'Forks are a fact of life in the open source community, and arguably an entirely healthy one,' McAllister writes. 'Oracle just better hope it doesn't end up on the wrong side of the fork.' To do so, he suggests Oracle will have to regain the the trust and support of the MySQL community — in other words, 'stop acting like Oracle.'"
Comment Re:Anything "high end" is generally a rip off (Score 1) 366
Hi,
Do you really think there are $90,000 worth of parts and labor in an S-Class Mercedes
No, but several billion $ of development and testing...
bye,
Till
Linked In Or Out? 474
Mr_Whoopass writes "I am the IT Administrator for a regional restaurant chain, and as of late I am noticing more and more people sending me invitations to sites like LinkedIn, FaceBook, etc. Mother always taught me to be a skeptic, and, knowing more than the average Joe about how information can be used in this digital era, I am reticent to say the least about posting such personal details as my full name and where I work on the net for all to see. I have thus far managed to stay completely below the radar, and a search on Google has nothing on my real persona. However, now times are tough, and I see sales dropping in the industry I work in as it is a discretionary spending market to be sure. I wonder if I should loosen up on the paranoia a bit and start networking with some of these folks in case of the all too common layoff scenario that seems to be happening lately. What do other folks here think about this? I am specifically interested in what people who work in IT think (since I know that just about every moron who has 'Vice President' or sits on the 'Executive Team' is already on LinkedIn and has no clue about why they should be trying to protect their identity)."
South Carolina Seeking To Outlaw Profanity
849
MBGMorden writes "It looks like in an act that defies common sense, a bill has been introduced in the South Carolina State Senate that seeks to outlaw the use of profanity. According to the bill it would become a felony (punishable by a fine up to $5000 or up to 5 years in prison) to 'publish orally or in writing, exhibit, or otherwise make available material containing words, language, or actions of a profane, vulgar, lewd, lascivious, or indecent nature.' I'm not sure if 'in writing' could be applied to the internet, but in any event this is scary stuff."
Here Comes iPhone Nano, But Not In the US 177
jehovajerieh writes to us in the time-honored tradition of rampant Apple speculation, pointing to an article over on IBTimes suggesting that while the iPhone Nano may be on the way, the US might not be the first to experience this gadget bliss. "Despite limited information in the supplier channels and typical secrecy with new Apple products, insiders have confirmed that the iPhone nano is not yet in the testing labs at AT&T, Marshal says, leading him to believe that the launch will most likely be with a non-US carrier. 'Obviously, the best-case scenario here would be a China launch (~600mil+ wireless subscribers total in the country), but we have no definitive knowledge of this and are working on identifying the [locale] of launch and other pertinent details,' he said."
