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Submission + - 'Virtual human' at TED conference on Xbox 1

Submitted by unixcrab
unixcrab writes: This may be the first reason I have seen to actually buy an Xbox. From the BBC:

Microsoft has shown off its "virtual human" that reacts to a person's emotions, body movements and voice.
Milo, as he is known, is designed for use with the firm's hands-free Xbox 360 motion controller called Kinect.
The technology is the brainchild of veteran UK games designer Peter Molyneux.
"I want to introduce a new revolution in storytelling," he told the TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) Global conference in Oxford.
"Films, TV, even hallowed books, are just rubbish because they don't involve me," he said. "It's a sea of blandness."
Mr Molyneux said that he wanted to create a character "that seemed alive, that would look me in the eyes, and feel real".

Comment Re:Android isn't one platform (Score 1) 668

by unixcrab (#32166254) Attached to: Android Sales Surpass iPhone Sales
You say you're not even sure about compatibility and then say there are too many compatibility issues? Sounds like you don't even own an Android device. I have encountered no such issues and apps are not restricted to Android versions. I have written a couple of apps on a 1st gen Android 1.5 phone and they all worked flawlessly on my new HTC Desire (2.1) when I loaded them from the market place. No rebuild necessary, they all work on 1.5, 1.6, 2.0 and 2.1

Submission + - Piece Newton's apple tree into space (bbc.co.uk)

Submitted by unixcrab
unixcrab writes: A piece of Sir Isaac Newton's apple tree is set to defy gravity, the theory it inspired, by being carried into space on the next Nasa shuttle mission.
The wood sample is from the original tree from which an apple fell, leading Newton to devise his theory of gravity.
The sample, which is normally held in the Royal Society's archives, was lent to British-born astronaut Dr Piers Sellers, who will take it into orbit.
The Atlantis shuttle will lift off for on 14 May carrying six crew members.
The 12-day mission is expected to be the Nasa shuttle's last.

Submission + - Israel Blocks iPad Imports (macobserver.com)

Submitted by unixcrab
unixcrab writes: Apple’s iPad is proving to be popular everywhere — except Israel. The country’s Communication Ministry is refusing to let people bring the multimedia tablet into the country because it hasn’t tested and approved the Wi-Fi technology used in the device, according to Haaretz.

Ministry officials commented, “The iPad device sold exclusively today in the United States operates at broadcast power levels [over its WiFi modem] compatible with American standards. As the Israeli regulations in the area of WiFi are similar to European standards, which are different from American standards, which permit broadcasting at lower power, therefore the broadcast levels of the device prevent approving its use in Israel.”

The government seems serious about its iPad import ban. Customs officials have already confiscated ten iPads and told their owners to ship them overseas.

Submission + - IBM Admits That It Can't Control Linux (cioupdate.com)

Submitted by darthcamaro
darthcamaro writes: After 10 years of contribution and over $1 Billion invested, IBM — Big Blue itself has admitted that it can't control Linux. That was the message from IBM's top Linux exec speaking at the Linux Foundation's Collaboration Summit yesterday.

"There is nothing that we can do to control individuals or communities, and if you try, you make thing worse," Fry told the audience. "What you need is influence. It goes back to the most important lesson, which is to give back to the community and develop expertise. You'll find that if your developers are working with a community, that over time they'll develop influence and that influence will allow you to get things done."

Submission + - IE not faring well in the EU ballot (engadget.com)

Submitted by unixcrab
unixcrab writes: Most PC users hit the web using Internet Explorer by default, simply because that's what came along with Windows. Now, after antitrust investigations, European users get a choice of browser to install via ballot screen, and initial reports are not good for 'ol IE. According to Statcounter, IE use in France has dropped 2.5 percent since last month's implementation of the ballot, 1.3 percent in Italy, and 1 percent in Britain. It's still early days, and it'll take more than this to chip away from IE's 62 percent lead in the browser war, but it's certainly not a good trend for Microsoft. With that in mind, we're going to have to ask you to place your bets now.

Comment Re:Champion? (Score 2, Insightful) 259

by unixcrab (#31154528) Attached to: Tour de France Champion Accused of Hacking
Is wikipedia also part of some conspiracy to discredit poor innocent Americans? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floyd_Landis#Doping_case "Under UCI rules, the determination of whether or not a cyclist violated any rules must be made by the cyclist's national federation, in this case USA Cycling, which transferred the case to the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA)." The evidence was good enough for the USADA but it's not good enough for the experts on slashdot?
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Scientists Say a Dirty Child Is a Healthy Child 331

Posted by samzenpus from the snack-is-going-to-be-on-the-floor-today dept.
Researchers from the School of Medicine at the University of California have shown that the more germs a child is exposed to, the better their immune system in later life. Their study found that keeping a child's skin too clean impaired the skin's ability to heal itself. From the article: "'These germs are actually good for us,' said Professor Richard Gallo, who led the research. Common bacterial species, known as staphylococci, which can cause inflammation when under the skin, are 'good bacteria' when on the surface, where they can reduce inflammation."

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