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Linux

Ask Slashdot: Linux-Friendly Motherboard Manufacturers? 352

Posted by Soulskill from the soldering-iron-and-a-chunk-of-silicon dept.
dotancohen writes "I am tasked with building a few Linux machines for a small office. However, many the currently available motherboards seem to be Linux-hostile. For instance, in addition to the whole UEFI issue, my last install was a three-day affair due to the motherboard reporting a Linux-supported ethernet device (the common RTL8168) while it was actually using a GbE Ethernet device that does not work with the legacy drivers and didn't even work with a test Windows 7 install until the driver disk was installed. There are no current hardware compatibility lists for Debian or Ubuntu and I've received from Asus and Gigabyte the expected reply: No official Linux support, install Windows for best experience. I even turned to the two large local computer vendors, asking if they could provide Linux-compatible machines ready to go, but neither of them would be of any help. What globally-available motherboards or motherboard manufacturers can you recommend today?"
Android

Ask Slashdot: Where Do You Draw the Line On GPL V2 Derived Works and Fees? 371

Posted by samzenpus from the what-do-you-think? dept.
First time accepted submitter Shifuimam writes "I downloaded a DOSBox port for Android recently to get back into all the games of my childhood. Turns out that the only free distribution available hasn't been updated in nearly two years, so I looked for alternatives. There are two on Google Play — DOSBox Turbo and "DOSBot". Both charge a fee — DOSBox Turbo is $3.99; DOSBot is $0.99. The developer of DOSBot says on his Google Play entry that he will not release the source code of his application because it's not GPL, even though it's derived from source released under GPL v2 — this is definitely a violation of the license. The developer of DOSBox Turbo is refusing to release the source for his application unless you pay the $3.99 to "buy" a license of it. The same developer explicitly states that the "small" fee (although one might argue that $3.99 is pretty expensive for an OSS Android app) is to cover the cost of development. Unless I'm misreading the text of GPL v2, a fee can only be charged to cover the cost of the distribution of a program or derived work, not the cost of development. And, of course, it doesn't cost the developer anything for someone to log in to Google Play and download their app. In fact, from what I can tell, there's a one-time $25 fee to register for Google Checkout, after which releasing apps is free. Where do you draw the line on this? What do you do in this kind of situation?"

Comment Re:Author obviously knows nothing about the Navy (Score 1) 718

by cuncator (#41381499) Attached to: Why Aircraft Carriers Still Rule the Oceans
Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce the Mk 38 25mm chain gun system with an effective range of 2000 yards. Plus the Nimitz class' formidible torpedo defenses (SSTDS and AN/SLQ-25 Nixie,) aforementioned carrier strike group, aircraft on board and the odd SEAL sniper. So, yeah, think I'll be taking my chances on the carrier.
Patents

Misunderstanding of Prior Art May Have Led to Apple-Samsung Verdict 503

Posted by Soulskill from the surprise-surprise dept.
One of the interesting tidbits that came out of last week's billion-dollar verdict in Apple v. Samsung was that the jury's foreman, a patent holder himself, was instrumental in leading the other members through the various complicated infringement claims. Now, Groklaw analyzes an interview the man gave with Bloomberg News (video), in which his statements reveal a basic misunderstanding of what qualifies as prior art. Quoting Groklaw: "In discussing the first patent on the list, he says they got into a discussion about the prior art that was presented at trial. Here's why they discounted it: 'The software on the Apple side could not be placed into the processor on the prior art and vice versa. That means they are not interchangeable. That changed everything right there.' That isn't disqualifying for prior art. It doesn't have to run on the same processor. It doesn't have to run at all. It can be words on a piece of paper. (If you don't believe little old me, here's a lawyer noticing the video too now.) ... The foreman, in answering criticisms, says that the jury paid close attention to the jury instructions. But looking at this one, did they? I'm sure they meant to, and I'm also sure they did their best according to what they understood. But this was an error, and it's one I don't think the judge can ignore, if anyone brings it to her attention."
Games

Are You Gaming For the Right Reasons? 220

Posted by Soulskill from the gotta-make-that-int-bigger dept.
An editorial at IGN discusses healthy (and unhealthy) ways to play video games. The author says that while gaming is a perfectly legitimate hobby, it needs to be approached with moderation and an understanding of what you get out of playing. Without understanding your motivations and compulsions, it's quite possible to play video games in a way that's detrimental. From the article: "Games, especially modern ones, revolve around the principle that if you put the time in, you will be rewarded. Many gamers claim to not understand how anyone could put up with grinding in a video game. But grinding is comforting. Grinding tells us that, no matter what, if you keep playing you'll become more powerful. ... The real world does not operate this way. You can 'grind' at a job for 10 years and still be laid off. You can 'grind' at your physical health your whole life but if you switch to an unhealthy lifestyle you will immediately begin losing this progress. ... It's important for gamers to have mastery of their own mind. Are you grinding out a level in World of Warcraft because you're truly enjoying the experience, or are you doing it to replace missing feelings of self-worth that you don't want to confront? Do you revel in your virtual successes to avoid the uncomfortable internal dialogue regarding of your abandoned gym routine? Are you playing games because you're having fun, or because you have an unconfronted fear of failure?
Operating Systems

Google Granted Cloud OS Patent 143

Posted by Soulskill from the i-invented-the-raindrop dept.
An anonymous reader writes "This week, Google was given approval of a network OS patent that it applied for back in 2009. The design of the OS is built for 'providing an operating system over a network to a local device' to provision new versions of operating systems onto hardware devices. Filed in March 2009, the idea for Chrome OS was protected by Google early in the development process of the OS, but it was hardly new and unique, given the general description of its features in the patent itself. It is the best sign yet that Google is working toward seamless hardware and software experiences."

Comment Re:duh (Score 1) 589

by cuncator (#40850395) Attached to: Existing Solar Tech Could Power Entire US, Says NREL
While you make some valid points, your post seems to follow the general, saddening trend of finding reasons why something can't be accomplished. I mean, this site is primarily populated by technologically oriented people. Isn't one of the main satisfactions of programming, engineering or any mentally challenging work finding a solution, especially elegant, to a particularly difficult task? Some random thoughts in response:

The water needed to keep the panels and mirrors clean and operating efficiently would consume our entire water supply

Who says water is needed? Maybe the surface could be coated with a polymer to shed dust easily or have a mechanical means of clearing it.

Millions of tech school education level electricians will be needed to run around installing and repairing these things

Great! Job creation is one of the central themes of this year's presidential election.

*Maintaining the equipment

We've seen that this is a problem with current energy sources. Remember the gas line explosions in California? How about all the leaking gas station storage tanks needing to be replaced?

Anyway, just my $0.02 left over from a long day at work.

Comment Re:We will get solar when there's a profit. (Score 2) 589

by cuncator (#40850143) Attached to: Existing Solar Tech Could Power Entire US, Says NREL

The fact that something needs to be subsidized shows that it makes no economic sense. You can steal your way to a profit, but that doesn't mean you're a good businessman.

You mean like the oil corporations' tax breaks and subsidies (not to mention taxpayer subsidized cleanup of pollution)?

Comment Re:O... (Score 1) 412

by cuncator (#40676319) Attached to: The Web Is Not the Internet
Just point them to this YouTube video which seems to a decent job of explaining the intricacies of what consists/consisted of The Crown, British Isles, Commonwealth, et al. And the bus stop people can even watch it on their smarmy^Wsmartypants phones.
Music

What Various Studies Really Reveal About File-Sharing 285

Posted by samzenpus from the have-some-media dept.
Dangerous_Minds writes "Drew Wilson of ZeroPaid has an interesting look at file-sharing. It all started with a review of a Phoenix study that was used to promote SOPA. Wilson says that the study was long on wild claims and short on fact. While most writers would simply criticize the study and move on, Wilson took it a step further and looked in to what file-sharing studies have really been saying throughout the years. What he found was an impressive 19 of 20 studies not getting any coverage. He launched a large series detailing what these studies have to say on file-sharing. The first study suggests that file-sharing litigation was a failure. The second study said that p2p has no effect on music sales. The third study found that the RIAA suppresses innovation. The fourth study says that the MPAA has simply been trying to preserve its oligopoly. The fifth study says that even when one uses the methodology of one download means one lost sale, the losses amount to less than $2 per album. The studies, so far, are being posted on a daily basis and are certainly worth the read."
China

Apple Threatens Steve Jobs Doll Maker With Lawsuit 314

Posted by samzenpus from the no-doll-for-you dept.
redletterdave writes "Apple has allegedly threatened to sue Chinese company 'In Icons' over its eerily realistic 12-inch action figure of Steve Jobs, the company's late founder and CEO. The 1:6 scale model, which was said to be distributed by DiD Corp. in late February, comes with the clothes and accessories popularized by Jobs, such as the black faux turtleneck, blue jeans and sneakers. The figurine is packaged in a box that looks like Walter Isaacson's 'Steve Jobs' biography cover, and also comes with a 'One More Thing...' backdrop, as well as two red apples, including one with a bite in it. To make it extra creepy, the doll's realistic head sculpt features Jobs' famous unblinking stare. Apple reportedly wrote 'In Icons', telling the Chinese manufacturer that any toy that resembles Apple's logo or products, or Job's name or appearance, is a 'criminal offense.' Attorneys believe a Steve Jobs action figure released after his death violates the 'right of publicity,' which is a state law that protects one's image, voice, photograph, identity or signature from being used commercially without consent. Furthermore, California's Celebrity Rights Act in 1985 protects a celebrity's personality rights up to 70 years after their death."

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