CG_Man - Slashdot User

Submission + - Space Shuttle Has New Year Rollover Bug

Submitted by CG_Man on Thursday November 30, 2006 @10:28AM

CG_Man writes: NASA is apparently worried about a possible software glitch in the Space Shuttle that could surface if the space craft remains in flight over the new year. From the AP article describing the launch preparations:

"If the launch does not happen on Dec. 7, NASA can keep trying through Dec. 17. After that, the agency will re-evaluate its options and may call it quits until January. NASA wants Discovery back from its 12-day mission by New Year's Eve because shuttle computers are not designed to make the change from the 365th day of the old year to the first day of the new year while in flight. The space agency has figured out a solution for the New Year's Day problem, but managers are reluctant to try it since it has not been thoroughly tested.

Submission + - VB use on the decline?

Submitted by stoolpigeon on Thursday November 30, 2006 @10:27AM

stoolpigeon writes: I just got a link to this article in my inbox. I thought it might be of some interest to those I've heard asking questions about what languages to pursue. Here's a couple choice snippets.

A recent Evans Data survey shows that the use of Microsoft's Visual Basic among developers is down significantly, but Microsoft says otherwise.

Moreover, Evans said, "As expected, developers are finally leaving VB6 and earlier versions; they're also leaving VB.NET; which is down by 26 percent. This means Java now holds the market penetration lead at 45 percent, followed by C/C++ at 40 percent, and C# at 32 percent."

Now I don't know a thing about Evans Data or this study. Evan may be some kid in his parent's basement who did the 'survey' by asking his pet hamster. So take it as you will.

Submission + - Why the US Loses Small Wars

Submitted by

Larry Kahaner

on Thursday November 30, 2006 @09:59AM

Larry Kahaner writes: "If history is any gauge, the US will lose the current conflict in Iraq. Since the end of World War II, major US use of force against substantially weaker enemies — Vietnam, Lebanon, Somalia, for example — have ended poorly. The last remaining superpower is not alone in this phenomenon of strong armies losing to lesser foes: the American colonists beat the British, the Vietnamese forced France to leave Indochina and Afghanistan's Mujahadeen drove the Soviets from their country... see the full story: http://hnn.us/articles/31296.html"

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