Want to read Slashdot from your mobile device? Point it at m.slashdot.org and keep reading!

 



Forgot your password?
typodupeerror
×

Comment First decide on your screen size (Score 1) 356

I used a number of devices with different sizes. The 2.3" mini Android phone up to a 10.1" tablet. My current favorite form factor is 7". It fits into a cargo pocket or a (inner) pocket of a jacket (even a suit, but I guess that's not your concern). I currently use a Huawei MediaPad. Solid unibody, great screen resolution. Runs Android 3.2 (unfortunately they haven't announced when they will upgrade to 4.0). Huawei leaves the UI in its original state, so you get pure Android bliss. Biggest let-down: you have a separate charger, it won't charge through USB, so you need to carry an adapter. It is slimmer than the Samsung 7"

Comment Get a Blackberry (Score 1) 149

Get yourself a Blackberry and an unlimited international data plan. When I travel there the BB (albeit connected to a BES) can access any website, Facebook works, Twitter works since all traffic is routed through the BES. You need to check with your phone provider if that is true for BIS too. Beats fiddling with VPN and stuff by length. If access to all this doesn't matter: a cheap China Mobile prepaid SIM and a Xiaomi Android --- or a Huawei Ideos (a bit slow, so that's if calls is your main app).
The Internet

Submission + - Affordable Mind-Controlled Robotic Telepresence (deviceguru.com)

__aajbyc7391 writes: Software developer Robert Oschler has launched a Kickstarter project aimed at creating a low-cost, mind-controlled, robotic telepresence system, based on integrating support for WowWee's Rovio robot, Emotiv's EPOC neuroheadset, and Skype communications into a new version of Oschler's Robodance software. The headset's ability to detect head movement and facial gestures will enable those with limited mobility to explore their home or any place else in the world where there's a Rovio they can connect to, at a fraction of the cost of other alternatives, says Oschler. As a reward for supporting the Kickstarter project, contributors at certain levels will have the opportunity to experience 10- or 20-minute 'telepresence tours' if the project achieves its funding goal.
Compaq

Napkins and the History of Ethernet, Compaq, Facebook 67

alphadogg writes "Napkins don't really stack up well against hard drives or even floppy disks for preserving data over time. But some of the technology and business world's most enduring ideas are said to have at least gotten their starts as sketches on dinner or cocktail napkins (which in fact were inspiration for the 5 ¼ floppy disk's size). Robert Metcalfe's early Ethernet diagrams from his days at Xerox PARC back in the early 1970s might be the most famous napkin sketches in the technology industry, but there are napkin stories involving Compaq, Facebook, @home and more."

Comment Wipe out XP first (Score 1) 742

use a Netbook Linux version. There's plenty in e.g. Edubuntu and the Game repository that points towards early math and early reading. Sugar as UI might be worth a try. And yes - be certain on the websites you allow. Less so about seeing people like god made them, but more about things people do to each other not covered by the 10 commandments (there's nothing in there prohibiting looking at a paradise suit, but a lot against violence).
Linux

Submission + - FOSS introduction for a primary school audience? 1

NotesSensei writes: "I had a chat with the IT teacher of my kids primary school and he was open to the idea to introduce FOSS and GNU/Linux to his students. The first start would be a 4h parent/student event (there is a regular program for such events for all sorts of topics) on a Saturday. Now I'm tasked to propose an agenda/set of activities to market the event and conduct it successfully. I'm planning to find a sponsor (most likely my current employer) to give away memory sticks (or if short of funding: DVDs) with a bootable Linux version (Edubuntu being the most likely choice) as door gift. In the beginning of the session I probably would give a short introduction what FOSS is about including the introduction of Stallmann's fredoms 0-3 as well as "what can a school kid do with FOSS". I can have access to school computers, so some hands-on activities for participants would be nice. This is where I need ideas from the /. readers. What would you do? Besides creating a general interest in FOSS an ideal outcome would be students and parents asking for more... as in a co-curriculum course.

Ideas ladies and gentlemen?"

Submission + - Get rid of all that paper - good scan archive?

NotesSensei writes: "Over the years I've collected tons of materials from seminar hand-outs to invoices or warranty cards. I want to get rid of the paper and keep the stuff in scanned format. I got a feed scanner and have settled on PDF-A as open standard format. Now I'm looking for a good way to be able to add meta data (preferable addable from OCR) and search. What system would one use if it needs to be accessible from Mac and Linux or Windows"
The Internet

Submission + - Scientist Fears Fiber Optic Cable Capacity Limits (ispreview.co.uk)

An anonymous reader writes: Not long ago many people probably thought that the idea of sending light signals down a piece of cable (fiber optic) would be future proof, only limited by the technology used to prepare the signal itself. However David J. Richardson, a scientist working at the UK based University of Southampton's Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC), has warned that current fiber optic cable technology is fast approaching its ultimate capacity limits. Richardson claims that solving the problem will require a radical innovation in the physical network infrastructure, such as in the properties of transmission fibers and the optical amplifiers. Failing to do this could result in a "capacity crunch", or world governments being forced to actually spend money on new infrastructure. Perish the thought.
Politics

Submission + - Colossus elected in D.C.

wjousts writes: Time magazine has an article on how Colossus was elected in a test of an online voting system for overseas voters in Washington, D.C. after the system was easily hacked by University of Michigan researchers.

Washington's newly elected U.S. Representative went by the name of Colossus. A villainous computer from science-fiction lore captured the city-council chairmanship. And 15 seconds after voters cast their ballots, they were serenaded by the University of Michigan fight song. The system had been hacked.

Submission + - Home Network with Parential Control

NotesSensei writes: "We have a zoo of devices in our little home network... from OLPC to Win7, Mac to Linux, Wii to PSP. Now SWMBO has demanded to curb the total online time for specific areas of the internet (game sites, uTube). I'm not looking at blocking sides (I can buy that from my ISP if I want that), but to have flexible accounts. Time spend on e.g Khanacademy or OpenTextbook would never be curbed (but eventually logged), while the game sites have a counter. Since the kids can use any device that monitoring needs to happen on the network level. Ideally using their credentials from the OS level to authenticate. How would one setup this?"
NASA

Submission + - Controversial Air Force Space Drone lost and found (suasnews.com)

garymortimer writes: It was lost earlier in the week and now its found, satellite watcher Greg Roberts sighted the secret mini-shuttle flying over Cape Town, South Africa, on Oct 12th. An analysis of the sighting by satellite expert Ted Molczan suggests that the X-37B has maneuvered into an orbit 54 km lower than before. This is at very least the second time the orbit has changed.

Slashdot Top Deals

He has not acquired a fortune; the fortune has acquired him. -- Bion

Working...