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Comment The Startup Hero (Score 2) 735

by IheatMyAptWithCPUs (#34457150) Attached to: 'I Just Need a Programmer'
I went to an event called StartupWeekend back on '08. I had a great time working with like-minded people building something over the course of a weekend. I've been back to two additional events since then and left after the opening night both times. The shift at these events has been away from the hacker culture and towards the entrepreneur; hours of pitches by people who "have retail experience and know the space, but just need a programmer". It's disheartening. The idea is some of the work, and most times (but not necessarily) comes first. Sometimes, you work on something cool and it turns out other people want it. That's great too. But never has the world clamored or shouted for joy for some guy's concept of a real estate site. People love redfin and zillow, but until you can touch it, it's nothing. It's not even worth talking about. Learn to build a prototype. It should be a requirement for filing a patent.

Comment BaseWars (Score 1) 1120

by IheatMyAptWithCPUs (#28854109) Attached to: Which Game Series Would You Reboot?
One of the classic games of my childhood, teams of robotic baseball players face off against eachother. When there's a close call at the bases, they battle to the death! Throughout the season, you earn cash based on your wins and losses, and can upgrade the weapons/defenses of your team. As awesome as it was back in the 90's, it was basically baseball + 2D fighter. We've come a long way in both, and I'd love to see a reboot! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base_Wars

Comment Re:Not Comcast (Score 1) 281

by IheatMyAptWithCPUs (#22254784) Attached to: How Pervasive is ISP Outbound Email Filtering?
I have AT&T DSL, (which sucks for more reasons than there are tiles on the floor of a wal mart) and they definitely filter outbound port 25. What was really interesting is that they had a form on their web site that allowed you to opt out, should you so choose. It took me a while to find, but from the moment I realized that I was being filtered to the moment I was sending viagra ads was only a timespan of about 2 hours. And it took me 1:56 to find that stupid page.....
Mandriva

Submission + - What's coming in Mandriva Linux 2008 (mandriva.com)

Submitted by
AdamWill
AdamWill writes: "After the technical specifications were mostly finalized recently, a new page has been created on the Mandriva Wiki which gives a guide to the most interesting user-facing features that will be included in Mandriva Linux 2008, including the latest GNOME, KDE and kernel releases, Compiz Fusion, a new network management tool and more. Also available are the more in-depth technical specifications, and the development schedule providing the targeted dates for the various development releases and the final release."
Unix

Submission + - Linux Gains Completely Fair Scheduler (kerneltrap.org)

Submitted by SchedFred
SchedFred writes: KernelTrap is reporting that Ingo Molnar's Completely Fair Scheduler, or CFS, was just merged into the Linux Kernel. The new CPU scheduler includes a pluggable framework that completely replaces Molnar's earlier O(1) scheduler, and is described to "model an 'ideal, precise multi-tasking CPU' on real hardware. CFS tries to run the task with the 'gravest need' for more CPU time. So CFS always tries to split up CPU time between runnable tasks as close to 'ideal multitasking hardware' as possible." The new CPU scheduler should improve the desktop Linux experience, and will be part of the upcoming 2.6.23 kernel.
Microsoft

Submission + - Newsweek Blog Blasts MS Execs on X360 Flaws (newsweek.com)

Submitted by HalcyonJedi
HalcyonJedi writes: N'Gai Croal's videogame blog "Level Up" in Newsweek today blasted Microsoft executives for failing to provide a solid explanation and confirmation of what specifically is causing the 3 red LEDs on the Ring of Light; also known as the dreaded "Red Ring of Death". In the article he implores Microsoft executives to be more forthcoming in detailing the extent of the possible design flaws rather than adopting a "We will take care of you" mantra followed by silence. From the article: "But Microsoft can't have it both ways: embracing its loyal customers on one hand, running a cost-benefit analysis on the other, while declining to give those loyal and potential future customers the facts they need to make a truly informed decision about the purchase that they've already made or might make in the future. Its execs can't remain silent about what the problem is and the scope of the problem, while still touting the same "what matters is that we're going to take care of you" line they were reciting before they would even admit that there was a major problem."

          I for one, applaud you Mr. Croal. Being one of the "amateur forensic engineers" described in the blog, my 360 and a friend's have been afflicted by the Red Ring of Death and I have successfully brought them both back from the grave using techniques discovered by minds more inquisitive and inventive than my own. Using amateur techniques I found on the Internet, (and I say "amateur" only because they are not Microsoft-endorsed remedies — these "amateurs" are brilliant in my eyes) I successfully modified the heat sinks and removed the x-clamps on the 360 GPU and CPU, cleaned the GPU and CPU of the original thermal paste, applied new thermal paste, heat-gunned the mobo, re-assembled and voila! Perfectly working 360s.
          Though the techniques I speak of have been around for quite sometime, this is the first time I have seen a mainstream media source (CNN, FOX, Time, etc) acknowledge them in the public eye. And that brings me to the key statement in Mr. Croal's blog: "No matter how much Microsoft tries to avoid this information getting out, it will anyway. Given the hive mind nature of the Internet, motivated gamers are going to figure this out for themselves. They'll keep popping open Xbox 360s to look at their motherboard designs — heck, it's thanks to their warranty-busting fortitude that we have as much lay expertise about the Red Ring of Death flaw as we do now. They'll start compiling lists of batch numbers and model numbers. And they'll start to tell each other which models to avoid and which ones to seek. The thing is, they shouldn't have to. Nor should Joe Blow, who doesn't spend all his time reading message boards, walk into a store to buy an Xbox 360 to play Halo 3, only to find out instead he's bought his way into a game of Russian Roulette."

          In summary — we shouldn't have to be doing this just to get use out of a product we spent hard-earned cash on. Even though I took a great deal of pride in fixing 2 360's myself without relying on Microsoft, the point is that I shouldn't have had to do that. Instead of acknowledging this before or immediately after the 360 broke through the gates onto store shelves, Microsoft has tried to sweep this under the rug for the past 2 years and we see the PR fiasco we have now. Don't get me wrong, I love my 360 and the games I've played thus far; but the wary eye I've always had on Microsoft and their customer service will now be even more attuned to their next move.
Space

Submission + - Man flies 193 miles in lawn chair (cnn.com)

Submitted by
bradgoodman
bradgoodman writes: "BEND, Oregon (AP) — Last weekend, Kent Couch settled down in his lawn chair with some snacks — and a parachute. Attached to his lawn chair were 105 large helium balloons.

Balloons suspend Kent Couch in a lawn chair as he floats in the skies near Bend, Oregon, on Saturday.

With instruments to measure his altitude and speed, a global positioning system device in his pocket, and about four plastic bags holding five gallons of water each to act as ballast — he could turn a spigot, release water and rise — Couch headed into the Oregon sky."
Technology (Apple)

Submission + - iPhone/net neutrality hearing challenges AT&T (blorge.com)

Submitted by destinyland
destinyland writes: Tomorrow the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications will consider the future of cellphone and wireless data, including the "unbundling" of cellphones from their carriers. Activists are also pushing for a new, net neutral wireless data network, and they're supported by the (Republican) FCC chairman. (In 2008 a new chunk of the airwaves open up when TV stations migrate to a new spectrum for digital signals.) The momentum is being fueled by AT&T's exclusive carrier deal with Apple. "The consumer should be king," says Committee Chairman Ed Markey. "We need to unbundle phones... the more portable these devices are, the more innovation we'll see."

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