Television

Affordable Video Over IP as Standalone Devices? 22

Posted by Cliff from the reinventing-broadcast-TV dept.
dantbh asks: "I am working for a music club / bar that has several large rooms in its building. We want to distribute a video signal from a camera in one of the rooms to multiple television sets in other rooms. Because of the changing layout of the rooms, as well as the construction style of the building, it has been determined that using a wireless solution to transmit the video signal makes the most sense. I am curious as to whether any Slashdot users have ever worked with standalone hardware devices that will take an IP connection(in this case from the wireless network) and output it over standard composite or coax connections. I have found several devices, such as the one at Eagle CCTV, but these devices are somewhat expensive. Are there any cheaper solutions out there?"
Input Devices

What Will The Future Desktop Interface Look Like? 339

Posted by Zonk from the minority-report-reporting-in-sir dept.
b O b 1 9 19 A writes "The TechZone has an interesting article wondering where computer interfaces are going. They discuss some alternatives to the traditional desktop, and propose a framework in which future interface designs may be evaluated. From the article: 'The next 10 years will be a transitional phase for interface design. 3D rendering technologies already have a stable home in the entertainment, video game, simulation, and design sectors. Although 2D interfaces have dominated everything else, I expect we will start seeing more 3D incursions. Operating systems and applications are beginning to capitalize on what 3D has to offer. The precise nature of how and where 3D can best be incorporated is an open question, and a framework to evaluate these questions seems appropriate.'" Big-time ad alert. Set your ad and flashblockers to stun.
Networking

Network Monitoring Options? 42

Posted by Cliff from the tracking-down-network-hiccups dept.
Nom du Keyboard asks: "We have a LAN network of 7 servers and about 400 PCs. Every so often I'll notice immense slowdowns, from minutes to occasional delays of a couple hours, while getting data from various servers, and it happens from more than just my PC. So far we haven't had any way of determining if a server has suddenly gotten tied up, or if there is some failure in the communications backbone. Without a lot of money to spend on this (I think it's more important than others right now), what cheap or free monitoring options are there available that can map and isolate problems in a network of this size?"
Programming

Where Do All of the Old Programmers Go? 799

Posted by Cliff from the wherever-it-is-I-hope-it's-FAR-from-a-cube-farm dept.
full-of-beans asks: "I work as a software developer for a large UK based international organization. Most of my colleagues that program are under 40 years old. Those that are over 40 tend to be in either Management or IT Support! I was wondering were do all the old programmers go? They can't all end up in management. I know we don't get paid enough to take early retirement. Is there some other career that tends to attract 40+ year old programmers, if so I'd like to know, because I'm not that far of 40 myself!"
Software

A Justification for Server CALs? 74

Posted by Cliff from the buy-software-with-licensing-you-can-cope-with dept.
bourne.again asks: "I'm a bit confused about server client access licenses (CALs). I've looked at it from every angle I can think of, but I'm still stumped. I can't think of any justification for CALs other than greed. If you think about it, requiring CALs means that it is possible to buy a copy of a Windows server OS that can run on a server, but can't actually server anything because it has no CALs. That's a bit ridiculous. The same goes for per-cpu licenses. Shouldn't it just be per machine? An extra CPU doesn't allow you the full capabilities of a second machine. It's still just one server/workstation. Can somebody enlighten me on this, please? Why should we pay for server software, and pay per client too?"
GUI

Conducting a Unix Desktop Usability Study? 313

Posted by Cliff from the not-something-you'd-generally-find-in-the-HOWTO-db dept.
cyclop asks: "I am a close friend of a Ph.D. student on human interface usability. She's now working to tailor a KDE-vs-Gnome usability study (a pretty hot topic these days), and I have been called to help, as a long time GNU/Linux desktop user. What kind of advice -- both technical and theoretical -- would you give us on conducting a deep and objective study on the Unix desktop, that can be useful for the developers and the OSS community?"
Operating Systems

Limiting Kids' Computer Time? 100

Posted by Cliff from the technology-now-bedtime-aware dept.
Bibu asks: "As a parent of three, I have to spend a lot of effort to keep my kids away from the computer. Until now, we had a Linux box in which a little cron script would just shutdown the machine after half an hour, when the kids were using it. Does someone on Slashdot have a fancier solution? One that keeps track, controls the total time per user per day, and would warn the user of the upcoming deadline (e.g. in five minutes their time is up)? Since we just moved to Mac OS X, solutions for that platform are preferred."
Programming

Relocating an Entire Software Engineering Team? 44

Posted by Cliff from the mgmt-may-be-temporary-but-coders-are-forever dept.
An anonymous reader asks: "I was recently laid off, along with the entire Vancouver Development Centre, from a large network security company. The software engineering team at our office has performed well and is highly cohesive. I was wondering if anyone at Slashdot has been in a similar situation and the probability/prospects of being able to start a new venture with the existing team. I'm sure most understand the importance of a good team, and the time it takes to grow one. Is it worthwhile for the core team to pursue a new venture or should we all just disband and go our separate ways? Where might we find someone with the entrepreneurial mindset to take advantage of this great resource?"
Software

Accurate Project Time Tracking? 64

Posted by Cliff from the timeclock-on-your-desktop dept.
Uhh-I-think-I'll-stay-anonymous-this-once asks: "I'm really rubbish at tracking the time I spend on things. That's bad for me, because I bill clients by the hour and almost always have to under-bill. I've tried a few bits of software for tracking, but none of them have suited me. What do you use? And why do you like it? If you've got suggestions, I'd love to hear them. I can't give a spec of what I want, but I can describe my habits and hardware. I use several computers, sometimes I don't use my own. I've got a short attention span when I'm not programming, and hop from task to task like an insane jack-rabbit. I'm not always on my network. I've got a couple of servers that could be used to run a web-based system. Mining my e-mail is often a good way of finding out what I've been working on. I'm rubbish at adhering to routines. I like OSS, but it's not an absolute-must-have. I'm comfortable with both Linux and Windows, but spend most my client life in Windows."
Privacy

It's "1984" in Europe, What About Your Country? 1208

Posted by Cliff from the orwell-was-only-slightly-late dept.
An anonymous reader asks: "A few hours ago, the European parliament accepted a proposal '...on the retention of data processed in connection with the provision of public electronic communication services...'. Summarized: any data (internet connections, traffic, email, file sharing, SMS, phone calls) of 450 million people of Europe has to be collected by telcos, to be used by governments in their fight against 'crime and terrorism' ... oh, and child porn, of course. In Germany, over-the-sea reports are limited and usually do not include the latest developments in law and order, but since Slashdot has readers all over the world, I would like to ask: how is the status of YOUR country in terms of anti-terrorism-laws, observations and such? Any recommendations where one can still live free and unobserved in a non-nanny state?"
Data Storage

What is the Scope of Computer Forensics? 45

Posted by Cliff from the forget-everything-you've-seen-on-TV dept.
Jety asks: "I do general-purpose tech support for a variety of individuals and small businesses. Today, one of my clients presented me with an interesting situation, which made me recommend that he get his own attorneys and computer forensics experts on the job. Above and beyond that, to satisfy my own curiosity and to have some insight to offer him in the meantime - I have some question about the scope of what computer forensics can accomplish, for this I turn to the experts of Slashdot, which can be boiled down to one issue: What exactly can a good computer forensics guy pull off of a hard drive - particularly once it's gone on to be used for a full week after the incident in question?"
Power

Fixing Windows Boxes that Crash After Blackouts? 110

Posted by Cliff from the smells-like-a-hardware-issue dept.
UnseenTomorrow asks: "Everytime there's a power outage in my house, my Gateway computer crashes. It's only 2.5 yrs old. After the crash the computer just will not allow Windows to boot (yes, this includes "Safe Mode" and every other boot option in that menu). Should I explicitly say that I'm tired of rebuilding or restoring the image everytime? Does anyone have any idea of what could be the problem. I've other computers running fine after the power outage with the same OS but different hardware manufacturer. Any clues or suggestions would be greatly appreciated."
Businesses

Tips for Motivating IT Workers? 68

Posted by Cliff from the if-speeches-don't-work-try-burning-bushes dept.
RexCelestis asks: "I work for a small (35 employees) tech company that provides consulting and software to law firms of all sizes. Last year, our company moved from rewards based on the fulfillment of personal goals to a more general reward, based almost strictly on sales. Outside of the sales staff, very few of us have felt motivated by this plan. As we near the annual meeting, I'd like to offer a few alternative methods to help motivate employees outside of sales. Can anyone offer any suggestions to help drive a development team, support staff, and/or consulting group towards greater success?"
Hardware Hacking

White Box, Or Big Names for Lower-End Servers? 107

Posted by Cliff from the costs-and-reliability dept.
LazloToth asks: "Those of us who manage small- to medium-size networks face the decision all the time: for the run-of-the-mill web, print, or storage server running on i386 architecture, should we buy HP or Dell, for example, or build it ourselves from commodity hardware and save some bucks up front? In my operation of fewer than 50 servers, one will see a mix of the two. For servers that take more abuse, I tend to buy the proprietary stuff. But not always. I wonder what experiences other admins and managers have had with do-it-yourself servers in a production environment, and whether they feel that white-box servers perform as well - - and last as long - - as anything else? What is the mix in your network of big-names to no-names?"
Networking

ISDN Switch Simulator on the Cheap? 26

Posted by Cliff from the instant-test-networks dept.
smartmux wonders: "I've starting working on earning a CCNA certification, and part of the requirement for this cert and the 'professional' level cert is to know and understand how to install ISDN BRI circuits. Getting the Cisco router equipment to configure is easy and relatively cheap, but real ISDN lines or an off-the-shelf ISDN simulator is way too expensive. I'm not a *nix guy, so I thought I'd ask here -- is it possible to take an old PC, a couple of ISDN network cards, and an open-source PBX (like Asterick maybe) and make a simple ISDN switch to let my two routers talk?"
Hardware Hacking

After-hours Fun with Capacitors at Work? 82

Posted by Cliff from the mad-scientists-in-training dept.
Chiggy_Von_Richtoffe asks "Hey, Folks! I start a new job at a small manufacturing plant (capacitors and small run custom circuit boards) in a few days, which itself is kind of cool. What is even more cool is that their facilities include an electron microscope, programmable high temperature ovens (think kilns), rapid cooling chambers (liquid CO2) to test component robustness, a lapping machine, all the kinds of ceramics i can think off, as well as equipment for die cutting, electroplating, and a few other industry related tasks. This of course fills my mind with wicked designs for homebrew projects, but i am always looking for new ideas to try. Given this kind of workshop what sort of (non-destructive, and fully legal) DIY projects could you come up with?"
Television

Do Detailed HDTV Listings Exist? 31

Posted by Cliff from the tv-guide-needs-an-update dept.
nick_davison asks: "Having finally made the move to HDTV, I've been getting up to speed on the usual debates about HDTV (is 720 rows/frame better than 1080 served every other frame, 540 at a time? Is 1080i meaningless if all your signals are 720, and thus 1080 is just having to resample your image? Is 1080i and 720p meaningless if the digital signals bitrate is so low it's garbage anyway? etc). Trying to form my own opinions, I went looking for TV listings that would at least show the resolution of the signal (1080i or 720p) and, ideally, though I guess less likely, the bit rate. What I ended up with was, if I was lucky, TV listings that differentiated HD and non HD shows on HD channels but nothing more. Do such listings exist? Is this something the TV companies deliberately hide? Is there any way to even piece together this information?"
United States

The New Air Force Mission? 444

Posted by Cliff from the flying-too-high? dept.
mvnicosia asks: "The US Air Force has released its new mission statement, which reads 'The mission of the United States Air Force is to deliver sovereign options for the defense of the United States of America and its global interests -- to fly and fight in Air, Space, and Cyberspace.' With the recent rows over US Internet governance, what do you think is the impact of a US government overtly practicing cyberspace warfare? And what are the US's legal limitations?"
Security

How Long is Too Long to Update? 415

Posted by Cliff from the tick-tock-tick-tick dept.
StWaldo asks: "I'm sure everyone knows the story about the life expectancy of an fresh, un-updated PC, once it's connected to the internet. What about a PC which just hasn't been updated in a while? I've been deployed in Iraq for the last 9 months, and haven't been able to hook up my laptop to the internet to get updates (I do HAVE access, just can't hook up a personal laptop, gov't only). Before I deployed, I would update my software (system, anti-virus, firewall, anti-spyware, etc) regularly, but as I get closer to coming back to the States and my broadband connection, I'm beginning to wonder what the life expectancy of my PC will be. What's the lifecycle of a security exploit, hack, virus, etc - between discovery/release, propagation, and extinction (or a state approaching extinction)?"
Data Storage

Is the Save Button Obsolete? 188

Posted by Cliff from the do-you-do-regular-system-backups-too dept.
Luther Blissett asks: "I've wondered this for awhile now: why do we still have a Save button? Why isn't it always automatic? Why isn't 'Save As' called 'Name and File'? I understand that in ancient history, when Save was a hit on system resources (e.g. when saving to your 5.25 inch floppy disk), we might give control to the user. Also, the average user then was probably more technically adept (out of necessity) and knew the difference between RAM and storage. But now? Why?"

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