Comment Re:Goodness, Who To Believe... (Score 1) 410
Given prop craft are less affected, perhaps it is time to bring back Zeppelins!
Comment Re:Don't worry... (Score 1) 135
Someone has been reading "Wang's Carpets" by Greg Egan
EU Conducts Test Flights To Assess Impact of Volcanic Ash On Aircraft 410
chrb writes "As we discussed on Friday, the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland has led to flights being canceled across the EU. With travel chaos ensuing and the airlines losing an estimated $200 million per day, EU authorities are coming under increasing pressure to re-open the airways. Test flights conducted on Saturday were apparently successful, with no problems encountered during flight. Following the test flights, Peter Hartman, CEO of KLM, said, 'We hope to receive permission as soon as possible after that to start up our operation and to transport our passengers to their destinations.' Evidence possibly opposing this move comes from the Finnish Defense Forces, which released photos and a statement after F-18 Hornets flew through the ash cloud, saying, 'Based on the pictures, it was discovered that even short flights in ash dust may cause significant damage to an airplane's engine.' Is it safe to resume flights so soon, or should planes remain grounded until the ash cloud has dissipated?"
Submission + - Nearly Free Computing
AussieNeil writes: If IBM had adopted Unix for their Personal Computer and supported Open Source so *nix desktops were the now the norm, how hard would it be to convince the population to switch to Microsoft Windows? In Unbuntu on a Dime — The Path to Low-Cost Computing, James Kelly shows how easy it is to build a computer and install a complete software suite for US$200 excluding monitor, keyboard and mouse. You can't even buy the Operating System and Anti-malware protection for Microsoft Windows for that, let alone have any money left over for hardware and productivity software! Then when you install the software, you have the paradigm of having to restart the computer to complete software installation and you have to learn how to practice safe computing while budgeting for annual anti-malware software license renewals!
Alternate histories aside, Ubuntu on a Dime is a tribute both to the skills of the author and to the decades of effort by those that have developed user friendly software and hardware, so that this 280 page book gives anyone with a reasonable level of self confidence the recipe to build their own computer, install all the software needed for common activities and quickly become productive.
James Kelly, spends just thirty pages in the first chapter explaining how to purchase the required computer parts and assemble a Ubuntu- PC or "U-PC" computer and does it in a relaxed, easy to follow style. Mind, the task is simplified by chosing a motherboard with integrated sound and video, but that is exactly what you'll find in the standard corporate office PC. (Personally, I would have recommend purchasing a SATA hard drive to avoid the not touched on Master/Slave complications of using a shared IDE cable for the hard drive and CD/DVD drive.) The book is illustrated throughout with frequent, excellent screen shots as the author steps you through hardware assembly, then operating system and application installation, configuration and use.
In chapter 2, the author explains how to install the Ubuntu Operating System and keep it updated. Wisely, he has chosen the Long Term Supported 8.04 version, but has omitted mention of the different Ubuntu support periods. He has also missed an opportunity here to expand on the growing list of Ubuntu variants, in particular Kubuntu, which I would see as an easier migration choice for those familiar with Microsoft Windows.
Chapter 3 is dedicated to a definition of what the author means by "free software" and covers the costs (including the relevant security risk costs) associated with the four software categories; Pay-to-Use, Open Source, Cloud Computing and Freeware. The remaining 9 chapters look at how to use free software — software either included in the default Ubuntu installation, or available via cloud computing, to complete common computing tasks.
In chapter 4, email using Evolution is covered and word processing, spreadsheets and presentations using the Open Office suite is covered in chapters 5 to 7. The Cloud Computing Google Docs Office Suite alternative, with the advantages of everywhere access to your documents and collaborative working is covered in chapter 11. Web browsing using Firefox is covered in chapter 9, with most of the chapter dedicated to finding and installing useful add-ons. Google gets another couple of chapters when photo management with Picasa is covered in chapter 8 and Google Email and Calendar configuration and use are explained in chapter 10. The last chapter looks at a few other useful applications found in Ubuntu; Calculator, Text Editor, Notes, Disk Burning, Movie Playing and Music Playing. The three appendices cover the computer parts list, three ways to obtain an installation disk for Ubuntu and finally a bibliography of web sites, books and must have apps so you can extend the use of your new Ubuntu PC. The 9 page index is fairly comprehensive, considering the wealth of illustrations throughout the book.
I liked this book because it covered tasks seen daunting by many (PC building, Operating System and software installation, configuration and upgrading) in an light, easy to follow manner, supported with excellent illustrations. Further, the author covers a lot of ground without overwhelming the reader, taking you to a level where you can start using your computer productively and showing you how to use help files and on-line resources to extend your use of your excellent hand-built investment. While extolling the benefits of Open Source software, he hasn't labored the point. Vendor lock-in costs associated with proprietary office suites aren't mentioned, nor are the lower security risks associated with Open Source usage.
If you are looking for a way to reduce your computing costs, or know someone that would appreciate a gift that can help them achieve this, then Ubuntu on a Dime is well worth considering — particularly for anyone that gets satisfaction from learning via do-it-yourself.
Alternate histories aside, Ubuntu on a Dime is a tribute both to the skills of the author and to the decades of effort by those that have developed user friendly software and hardware, so that this 280 page book gives anyone with a reasonable level of self confidence the recipe to build their own computer, install all the software needed for common activities and quickly become productive.
James Kelly, spends just thirty pages in the first chapter explaining how to purchase the required computer parts and assemble a Ubuntu- PC or "U-PC" computer and does it in a relaxed, easy to follow style. Mind, the task is simplified by chosing a motherboard with integrated sound and video, but that is exactly what you'll find in the standard corporate office PC. (Personally, I would have recommend purchasing a SATA hard drive to avoid the not touched on Master/Slave complications of using a shared IDE cable for the hard drive and CD/DVD drive.) The book is illustrated throughout with frequent, excellent screen shots as the author steps you through hardware assembly, then operating system and application installation, configuration and use.
In chapter 2, the author explains how to install the Ubuntu Operating System and keep it updated. Wisely, he has chosen the Long Term Supported 8.04 version, but has omitted mention of the different Ubuntu support periods. He has also missed an opportunity here to expand on the growing list of Ubuntu variants, in particular Kubuntu, which I would see as an easier migration choice for those familiar with Microsoft Windows.
Chapter 3 is dedicated to a definition of what the author means by "free software" and covers the costs (including the relevant security risk costs) associated with the four software categories; Pay-to-Use, Open Source, Cloud Computing and Freeware. The remaining 9 chapters look at how to use free software — software either included in the default Ubuntu installation, or available via cloud computing, to complete common computing tasks.
In chapter 4, email using Evolution is covered and word processing, spreadsheets and presentations using the Open Office suite is covered in chapters 5 to 7. The Cloud Computing Google Docs Office Suite alternative, with the advantages of everywhere access to your documents and collaborative working is covered in chapter 11. Web browsing using Firefox is covered in chapter 9, with most of the chapter dedicated to finding and installing useful add-ons. Google gets another couple of chapters when photo management with Picasa is covered in chapter 8 and Google Email and Calendar configuration and use are explained in chapter 10. The last chapter looks at a few other useful applications found in Ubuntu; Calculator, Text Editor, Notes, Disk Burning, Movie Playing and Music Playing. The three appendices cover the computer parts list, three ways to obtain an installation disk for Ubuntu and finally a bibliography of web sites, books and must have apps so you can extend the use of your new Ubuntu PC. The 9 page index is fairly comprehensive, considering the wealth of illustrations throughout the book.
I liked this book because it covered tasks seen daunting by many (PC building, Operating System and software installation, configuration and upgrading) in an light, easy to follow manner, supported with excellent illustrations. Further, the author covers a lot of ground without overwhelming the reader, taking you to a level where you can start using your computer productively and showing you how to use help files and on-line resources to extend your use of your excellent hand-built investment. While extolling the benefits of Open Source software, he hasn't labored the point. Vendor lock-in costs associated with proprietary office suites aren't mentioned, nor are the lower security risks associated with Open Source usage.
If you are looking for a way to reduce your computing costs, or know someone that would appreciate a gift that can help them achieve this, then Ubuntu on a Dime is well worth considering — particularly for anyone that gets satisfaction from learning via do-it-yourself.
Comment Re:Why they tell you to turn off your phone... (Score 2, Interesting) 437
This was indeed a real problem in the late 70's, particularly for DRAM chips and only ceased to be a problem when manufacturers tightened up on the allowable level of impurities in materials near the memory chips, such as the encapsulating plastics and the chip coatings used within ceramic ICs. Many elements have naturally occurring isotopes that are radioactive and DRAM errors are dependent on the concentration of these within materials surrounding the memory chip and the radioactive decay method. Back then of course we had atmospheric atomic testing and straw packing material was a good way to capture atmospheric fallout (and a good way to get fogged photographic film too). When you consider the effect of Moore's Law on the size of the capacitor used within the DRAM over the last 30 years (the bit flip is caused by the radioactive decay particle discharging this capacitor) and the fact we can't make perfectly pure materials at an economic cost, it is surprising that this problem is not more obvious now. I suspect software bugs are more likely to be the cause however.
