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Submission + - ask slashdot: Do You Test Your New Hard Drives?

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Any /. thread about drive failure is loaded with good advice about EOL, but what about the beginning? Do you normally test your new purchases as thoroughly as you test old, suspect drives? Has your testing followed the proverbial "bathtub" curve of a lot of early failures, but with those that survive the first month, surviving for years? And have you had any Return problems with new failed drives, because you re-partitioned it, or "ran Linux", or used stress-test apps?
Science

Submission + - New Form of Quantum Computation Promises Showdown With Ordinary Computers (sciencemag.org)

Submitted by sciencehabit
sciencehabit writes: You've heard the hype a hundred times: Physicists hope to someday build a whiz-bang quantum computer that can solve problems that would overwhelm an ordinary computer. Now, four separate teams have taken a step toward achieving such "quantum speed-up" by demonstrating a simpler, more limited form of quantum computing that, if it can be improved, might soon give classical computers a run for their money.

Submission + - I don't Read Code Anymore - Linus Torvalds

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: There is a excellent interview over at the H with Linus Torvalds. Glyn Moody's second interview with Linus since 1998 is both informative and revealing. Linus response to his role as the kernel maintainer has this interesting tidbit: "Well, the big thing is I don't read code any more... when it comes to the major subsystem maintainers, I trust them because I've been working with them for 5, 10, 15 years, so I don't even look at the code." The interview goes on to talk about Amazon, Google, phones tablets and the cloud. Further on the topic of coding, the interview ends with Linus stating: "When I was twenty I liked doing device drivers. If I never have to do a single device driver in my life again, I will be happy. Some kind of headaches I can do without." Like all of us, Linus is getting older and taking a less hands on approach to the development of the kernel. Of course this is understandable. Even the great Git himself is a slave to the passage of time, but thankfully for us, his creation is not.
Games

Submission + - THQ Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy (thq.com)

Submitted by seepho
seepho writes: Just weeks after releasing their Humble Bundle, THQ has filed for bankruptcy. According to the company's press release, there are currently no plans to close any studios or disband any development teams. Clearlake Capital Group has placed a $60M bid for THQ's assets and hopes to complete the acquisition in 30 days, assuming no further bids are placed.
Earth

Submission + - Coral Reefs Could Be Decimated by 2100 (sciencemag.org)

Submitted by sciencehabit
sciencehabit writes: Nearly every coral reef could be dying by 2100 if current carbon dioxide emission trends continue, according to a new review of major climate models from around the world. The only way to maintain the current chemical environment in which reefs now live, the study suggests, would be to deeply cut emissions as soon as possible. It may even become necessary to actively remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, say with massive tree-planting efforts or machines.
United Kingdom

Submission + - UK Government to relax laws on digital copying (bbc.co.uk)

Submitted by
ChristianCooper
ChristianCooper writes: "BBC News reports today that making digital copies of "music, films and other copyrighted material for personal use" will be permitted under new legislation to be proposed by the UK Government. It would still not be permitted to pass these personal copies to friends or family, etc.

Since the Copyright, Designs and Patents act of 1988, the restriction on copying literary, musical, dramatic or artistic works was extended to "storing the work in any medium by electronic means" — this had the side effect of including activities such as ripping CDs onto portable music players, or transferring files between e-readers."
AT&T

Submission + - AT&T Extols Telecom Monopoly In Groovy 1970 Video (itworld.com)

Submitted by
jfruh
jfruh writes: "For many Slashdotters, the day in 1984 when the AT&T telecommunications monopoly was broken by court order is at best a hazy childhood memory, and they can't remember a time when the telephones in your house weren't your property. A Ma Bell propoganda video from 1970 was an early salvo in the fight to end that monopoly. With groovy, Sgt. Pepper-style graphics, AT&T explained why owning your own phone could damange phone service for everybody; why early experiments in competition were unfair (they were skimming off cheaper customers and leaving AT&T with the legal responsibility of connecting less profitable rural users); and why subsidizing high-quality phone service for everyone ought to be seen as a public good."
Google

Submission + - Google Blames Nexus 4 Shortage on LG (maximumpc.com)

Submitted by
hugheseyau
hugheseyau writes: "Google's Nexus 4 debut is an prime example of how not to launch a product. There's nothing wrong with the hardware, mind you, it's the lack of availability that's driving potential buyers batty. How could Google have so ineptly predicted the strong demand than an unlocked and affordable smartphone running the latest version of Android would elicit? That's a great question, and Google is content to partially pass the buck.

The root cause of the shortage falls on LG's shoulders. Dan Cobley, Google's managing director for the company's U.K. and Ireland divisions, fielded a bunch of questions and complaints on Google+ with an explanation of what's going on, followed by an apology."

Submission + - Swedish Pirate Party Presses Charges Against Banks For WikiLeaks Blockade (falkvinge.net)

Submitted by
davecb
davecb writes: "Rick Falkvinge reports today that the Swedish Pirate Party has laid charges against at least Visa, MasterCard, and PayPal before the Finansinspektionen , for refusing to pass on money owed to Wikileaks. The overseer of bank licenses notes (in translation) that "The law states, that if there aren’t legal grounds to deny a payment service, then it must be processed.”"
Microsoft

Submission + - Dell Executive Claims He Warned Microsoft About Windows RT (slashdot.org) 1

Submitted by
Nerval's Lobster
Nerval's Lobster writes: "As quoted in The Australian Financial Review, Dell vice-chairman Jeffrey Clarke told an audience at last week’s Dell World conference in Austin, Texas that he had warned Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer about the Windows RT name. The “Windows” brand name, Clarke apparently told the CEO, was should be limited to operating systems capable of running Windows legacy software. As Windows RT does not, he felt it should be given a different moniker. While it’s unusual for executives from a Microsoft hardware partner to so candidly speak their mind about Windows, it’s not the first time it’s happened in the context of Windows 8. In the months heading up to the operating system’s release, an Acer spokesperson told Bloomberg: “We think that Microsoft’s launch of its own-brand products is a negative for the whole PC industry.” Intel also had to push back against rumors that CEO Paul Otellini had criticized Windows 8 in a private meeting with employees."

Submission + - Occupy Long Beach Strikes at Walmart on Black Friday, November 23, 2012 (blogspot.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: On Friday, November 23, Occupy Long Beach protests in front of the Walmart store located in Down Town Long Beach in support of Walmart employees. The activists demand higher wages, health care benefits, better hours for Walmart employees. The demonstration began with peaceful meditation and sign making. None of the Walmart employees joined the strike and couple workers reported that they were threatened to be fired on the spot if they joined the strike or engaged in a conversation with any members of the Occupy group. The demonstration was peaceful until the police saw nineteen year old Honor O'Kane drawing on the ground. O'Kane was taking aside while the members of Occupy group were trying to persuade the police that drawing on the ground with a chalk was not illegal and can not be confused with a graffiti created by spray paint. As a result, Vivian Price, a professor of labor studies at CSUDH was arrested and charged with resisting arrest and obstruction of justice. Price was handcuffed and taken to the Long Beach Police Department.
Apple

Submission + - Apple spaceship: Underground plans revealed (bizjournals.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Apple released an updated look at the plans for its new headquarters last week. While most tech blogs are reporting that there was no significant change, it turns out that there WAS a big change: underground. Apple has significantly cut down on the amount of subterranean parking in its plan, and that could cut its construction costs significantly. Rumor has it the original plan was WAY over budget, so now they're trying to rejigger it to be cheaper.
Robotics

Submission + - Schools get humanoid robots to promote STEM subjects (techworld.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: Humanoid robots that can see, hear, speak and communicate with humans are being deployed throughout schools in Warwickshire to increase student engagement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects. The so-called NAO robot, made by Aldebaran Robotics, is a fully programmable, 58cm-tall humanoid robot with a sensor network that includes cameras, microphones and pressure sensors, as well as a voice synthesiser and two high-fidelity speakers. Users can create and edit the robot's movements and interactive behaviour using Aldebaran's Choregraphe programming software, which the company claims is easy to use even with no prior knowledge of writing code.

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