Details of Next Gen Zune Surface 308

Posted by CmdrTaco from the better-luck-next-time dept.
KMG writes "Zune Scene has got a scoop about the next generation Microsoft Zune. There will be two new models; a flash memory based and a hard drive based. Zune with HDD will be thinner and have larger storage capacity while the flash based will feature Wi-fi, video playback. So will we see another try from Microsoft to beat Apple's iPod or it will be another vain attempt from the Redmond guys."

Radical Transparency at NASA Via Second Life 123

Posted by Zonk from the gaaames-in-spaaace dept.
An anonymous reader writes "Aaron Rowe over at Wired has an article about a couple of young scientists at NASA's Ames Research Center working to open source the space program through software development and other ways to allow the public to participate in real NASA programs. According to Robert Schingler, the NASA CoLab project manager, 'CoLab is building an infrastructure to encourage and facilitate direct participation from the talented and interested public...' Apparently, the group holds weekly meetings on their island in the popular online virtual world Second Life."

Celebrating the HP-35 Calculator With a New Model 203

Posted by CowboyNeal from the high-tech-slide-rules dept.
An anonymous reader writes "Hewlett-Packard last week announced a contest whereby HP-35 fans create and submit videos of their favorite calculator memories. HP will choose the best videos and you can win a 50-inch, high-def plasma TV. But everyone wins, because HP this summer will debut a special new calculator model. The details aren't announced, however, it's likely to be a 35th anniversary edition of some sort."
Google

Google Website Optimizer 59

Posted by samzenpus from the google-google-google dept.
compuglot writes "Google has released the third leg of the stool in its quest to dominate online marketing. Google Website Optimizer is a multivariate testing application that allows users to test elements and combinations of elements in a website or landing page. The goal is increased conversions, and of course AdWords market share."

Two Worm "Families" Make Up Most Botnets 176

Posted by CmdrTaco from the why-can't-they-fight-eachother-instead-of-us dept.
JMoon writes "HNS has an article about the Sdbot and Gaobot families which are responsible for most botnets worldwide. These two families were responsible for 80 percent of detections related to bots during the first quarter of 2007. Other culprits, although on a much lesser scale, included Oscarbot, IRCbot or RXbot."
Games

You Played Violent Games - Why Can't Your Kids? 501

Posted by Zonk from the time-to-sit-your-kid-down-to-have-the-frags-and-camping-talk dept.
An anonymous reader writes: "On the Wired site, Clive Thompson has up an article that points out a sobering truth: gamers are getting older. Folks who grew up playing videogames like Doom and Quake are now facing parental decisions with their own kids regarding appropriate content. Thompson cites well known gamer dads like Kotaku's Brian Crecente, discussing some of the approaches folks educated in gaming take with their own offspring: '"Everybody knows, as an adult, that the world is not always a nice place," Crecente told me. "But I don't want him to know that yet. I want him to have a childhood." So he disallows games with "realistic" combat, like World War II titles, or Resistance: Fall of Man, but permits highly cartoony shooting, like Starfox on the Nintendo DS -- since he regards it as essentially as abstract as playing cops and robbers with your fingers as guns.' Where do you think gamer parents should draw the line? If you have kids, what approach are you taking to introducing them to gaming? How old is 'old enough' to start fragging?"
Operating Systems

GPL Code Found In OpenBSD Wireless Driver 671

Posted by kdawson from the cross-licensing dept.
A user writes "The mailing lists were buzzing recently when Michael Buesch, one of the maintainers for the GPL'd bc43xx Broadcom wireless chip driver project, called the OpenBSD folks to task for apparently including code without permission from his project in the OpenBSD bcw project, which aims to provide functionality with Broadcom wireless chips under that OS. It seems that the problem has been resolved for now with the BSD driver author totally giving up on the project and Theo De Raadt taking the position that Buesch's posts on the subject were 'inhuman.'" More commentary from the BSD community is over at undeadly.org.
The Internet

What's Your Site Rotation? 109

Posted by Cliff from the your-internet-progression dept.
joeljkp asks: "Nearly everyone has a news rotation — that list of sites you visit each day to catch up on the latest in whatever you're into, be it foreign affairs or knitting. I usually do the rounds at BBC News, The New York Times, and a couple local papers. What have you found that keeps you informed and entertained every day?"
Patents

Successful Startups and Patents? 35

Posted by Cliff from the minefields-for-businesses dept.
An anonymous reader asks: "Is there a strategy for software startups wanting to make it big with a product in this world of software patents? Particularly, how can a software startup, wishing to take its product to the international market, hope to compete with the large software companies and their armada of patents?"
Displays

Using Two Monitors Makes You More Productive? 602

Posted by Cliff from the it's-all-about-the-screen-real-estate dept.
Double Vision asks: "In my job, I work with several software applications at once. I find that constantly switching back and forth wastes a tremendous amount of time and causes me to lose focus. My video card supports two monitors, so I found a discarded monitor in my office and hooked it up. This has made it much easier to do my job. However, we are getting ready to go through an equipment audit, which means I will likely lose my additional monitor unless I can justify keeping it. How can I make this case? Is anyone aware of studies that support my claim that two monitors makes me more productive?"

An Easter (Egg) Holiday? 104

Posted by Cliff from the hippity-hoppity dept.
updog asks: "With Easter just around the corner, what better way for folks to celebrate than finding their own Easter Egg? While many people have seen the classic Excel Flight Simulator, there are over 10,000 other Easter Eggs found in DVD's, books, and music — for example, there are over 8 eggs on the Futurama DVD; and some hidden emoticons in Skype. What are some of your favorite Easter Eggs?"
Software

Discipline in Open Source Projects? 85

Posted by Cliff from the handling-disruptive-elements dept.
An anonymous reader asks: "I've recently been elected (with another project member) to lead an open source project that we helped start several years ago. One of our goals as project leads is to implement some way to discipline project members who are disruptive to the project. In the past, the project has been slowed by flames, trolls, and even filibustering. Everyone says they want to work together, but some refuse to accept majority opinion. This passive-aggressiveness, coupled with growing despair on the part of other members, would have caused the project to dissolve if a vote had not taken place to elect new leadership (which the project has been lacking for some time). As co-leads we want the project to continue and grow, and we welcome all opinions, but how can disruptive members be told 'enough is enough'? We've read Ubuntu's Code of Conduct, but how can it or something similar be enforced?"
Operating Systems

How Long Does it Take You to Tweak a New Box? 463

Posted by Cliff from the a-never-ending-process dept.
An anonymous reader asks: "When you get a new computer, how long does it take to make it 'home'? On a Windows system, there seem to be a huge number of preferences I have to choose before it is really comfortable (doing things like: installing software; changing the wallpaper and color schemes; start menu layout; and so forth). How long do you have to fiddle with computer until you have it set up the way you like? Do you use any shortcuts to speed up the process?"
Networking

Decent Co-Location or Virtual Server Hosting? 145

Posted by Cliff from the assure-your-place-on-the-internet dept.
gclef writes "Speakeasy announced recently that they're being bought by Best Buy. Despite all the promises to the contrary, I suspect my ability to host servers in my home is going away soon. Does anyone have hints as to where I can get a reasonable co-lo space or virtual hosting? I don't want to outsource the management of my domains entirely, nor will 'webhosting' be good enough, since I like having control of my own stuff (and like running my own DNS, IMAPS, and other assorted network services). Is there some place that will give me a blank box with an unfiltered connection to the net?"

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