jonbritton - Slashdot User

Submission + - Why ruby needs to be faster

Submitted by blonde rser on Monday April 16, 2007 @08:28PM

blonde rser writes: Avi Bryant, the creator of seaside and dabbledb, has come out with an interesting article on the consequences of ruby not being "fast enough." He makes some interesting points, with examples, on how the speed of the current batch of ruby interpreters can actually affect a developers; and how this even leads to some unexpected behavior.

This is coming off of a so called row with David Heinemeier Hansson (Ruby on Rails developer) on rails vs seaside.

Submission + - Virtual Vines, Online Tastings Growing

Submitted by MoldMe on Monday April 16, 2007 @07:55PM

MoldMe writes: David Dain Smith lives in Missouri, but his California winery is just a click away, waiting to spring to life in the dim glow of his computer screen. Smith is making wine through Crushpad, a winery where the grapes are real but the experience is as virtual as members want it to be with e-mail updates, live chat and Web cams.

Journal SPAM: Gay Porn 4

Journal by Captain Splendid on Wednesday March 07, 2007 @12:51AM

Fascinating.

Submission + - Schools across Japan may switch to Linux

Submitted by

Chris Salzberg

on Wednesday March 07, 2007 @12:27AM

Chris Salzberg writes: "Japan's public broadcaster NHK reported late last week that the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry plans to introduce the open-source operating system Linux for use within classrooms across the country in the near future. According to an investigation conducted in the spring of last year, there are currently over 400,000 computers at schools in Japan running on either Windows 98 or Windows Me, systems no longer supported by the software manufacturer Microsoft. The prohibitive cost of replacing these machines with newer models, as well as the rising price of proprietary software, prompted school teachers and administrators to propose the possibility of switching to open-source software as an affordable alternative. A conference held in Tokyo on March 2-3, attended by around 2000 government officials, teachers and education board members from across the country, considered the idea of reclaiming these older computers by switching from unsupported and out-of-date versions of Windows to the operating-system Linux, which can be freely downloaded from the Internet. A teacher from a high-school in Fukuoka Prefecture explained: "Having to always install the latest software is costly, and it makes things very difficult for us. From now on, I want to actively move toward the use of free open-source software." (continue reading at gyaku.jp)"

Submission + - Decline In Pet Ownership Because Of Videogames

Submitted by

Gerard Fuller

on Wednesday March 07, 2007 @12:16AM

Gerard Fuller writes: "A new study by the Australian Veterinary Association claims that children are increasingly choosing computer games over pets, and that this is a major factor in the decline of pet ownership.

But can't pet simulators offer all the good lessons of owning a pet (caring for an animal, discipline) without the drawbacks (poo on the sofa, barking and howling at 3am)?

Fortunately the study also identifies the trend toward medium-density living as a major factor in the findings. See, games aren't all bad."

Submission + - Scientists Seek Coca's Medical Benefits

Submitted by Funne~ on Tuesday March 06, 2007 @11:46PM

Funne~ writes: Cuban scientists are studying the possible medicinal benefits of the coca leaf, a Bolivian official said Tuesday, signaling a possible expansion of President Evo Morales' plans to develop more legal products from a plant that is the chief ingredient of cocaine"

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