mano_k - Slashdot User

Journal: Le Clippy Est Mort, Vive Le Clippy! 179

Journal by anaesthetica on Saturday February 10 2007, @02:16AM

AppScout interviews Office's Group Program Manager, Jensen Harris on the subject of Office 2007. Harris reveals that Clippy, the bane of all semi-sentient Office users everywhere, is officially dead. The decision apparently revolved not around the passionate hatred for the unfortunate sprite, but simply out of a desire for UI coherency.

MIT scientists reach fiber-optic breakthrough

Submitted by kcurtis on Saturday February 10 2007, @01:37AM

kcurtis writes "The AP (via boston.com) has a story about how MIT scientists have detailed a breakthrough in optics that could lead to cheaper, more efficient optic communications. From the story: "Like polarizing sunglasses that block light waves oriented in different directions, the MIT researchers created a clever device that splits the light beams as they pass through a circuit. The device then rotates one of the polarized beams, before both beams are rejoined on their way out of the circuit, retaining the signals' strength. But it's not just that device that the researchers are touting. They're also trumpeting the innovative method they devised to integrate the optical circuitry with electronic circuitry on the same silicon chip.""

China Creates Massive Online ID Database

Submitted by schwaang on Saturday February 10 2007, @01:30AM

schwaang writes "While the US continues to hash out concerns over the Real ID Act, which aims to create a national ID by standardizing state driver's licenses, China Digital Times points out a story from Xinhua Daily News describing China's massive online ID database, which they sell will help prevent fraud. From the article:

Anyone can now send a text message or visit the country's population information center's website, to check if the name and the ID number of a person's identity card match. If they do match the ID cardholder's picture also appears, said the Ministry, adding that no other information is available to ensure a citizen's privacy is protected.

Completed at the end of 2006, China's population information database, the world's largest, contains personal information on 1.3 billion citizens.

Giving public accessing to the database is also designed to correct mistakes if an individual discovers that their name, number and picture don't match.

"

Quantum Computing

Submitted by

jcyprich

on Friday February 09 2007, @11:51PM

jcyprich writes "Moore 's Law states that the number of transistors on a microprocessor will double every 24 months. That is, until the 2020's when the physics of size may put an end to this theory. The next major breakthrough in computers will be the use of quantum technology. Then computers will run billions of times faster.

Read the full article at http://www.cyprich.com/2007/02/09/quantum-computin g/."