Follow Slashdot blog updates by subscribing to our blog RSS feed

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror
×
Programming

Can You Do the Regular Expression Crossword? 115

Posted by samzenpus from the game-time dept.
mikejuk writes "Programmers often say that regular expressions are fun ... but now they can be a whole lot of fun in a completely new way. Want to try your hand at a regular expression crossword? The idea is simple enough — create a crossword style puzzle with regular expressions are the 'clues.' In case you don't know what a regular expression is — it is a way of specifying what characters are allowed using wild-card characters and more. For example a dot matches any single character, an * any number of characters and so on. The regular expression crossword is more a sort of Sudoku puzzle than crossword however because the clues determine the pattern that the entries in a row have to satisfy. It also has to use a hexagonal grid to provide three regular expressions to control each entry. This particular regular expression crossword(pdf) was part of this year's MIT Mystery Hunt. This annual event is crammed with a collection of very difficult problems and the regular expression crossword, created by Dan Gulotta from an idea by Palmer Mebane, was just a small part of the whole — and yes there is a solution."

Comment Gov't Response (Score 4, Funny) 56

1) Interoperable
2) Scalable
2a) Cost-effective
2b) Advanced
2c) Does not impeded critical energy functions
2d) Innovative
2e) I.) Easily commercialized
2e) II.) Or, made available through open source
2d) No cost.

Per your request ID (#42865935), we have met your requirements and expect work to implement the product to commence immediately.

Cordially ruling in your best interest,
- The Government

(at least now we know what "step 2) ????" is)
Privacy

DHS Can Seize Your Electronics Within 100 Mi.of US Border, Says DHS 597

Posted by timothy from the dhs-confirms-it-must-be-true dept.
dreamstateseven writes "In a not-so-unexpected move, the Department of Homeland Security has concluded that travelers along the nation's borders may have their electronics seized and the contents of those devices examined for any reason whatsoever — all in the name of national security. According to legal precedent, the Fourth Amendment — the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures — does not apply along the border. The memo highlights the friction between today's reality that electronic devices have become virtual extensions of ourselves housing everything from e-mail to instant-message chats to photos and our papers and effects — juxtaposed against the government's stated quest for national security. By the way, the government contends the Fourth-Amendment-Free Zone stretches 100 miles inland from the nation's actual border."

Comment Re:Single point of failure (Score 1) 179

by alostpacket (#42834077) Attached to: Facebook Breaks Major Websites With Redirection Bug

Unfortunately it sounds like this bug would have hit users such as yourself also. I think when leaving FB to visit another site it is best to log out.

Multi-instance/multi-profile browsers would also be something nice. Especially those that limit what they report about the machine they are on (less fingerprint via installed fonts/cookies/html5 dbs/flash objects/etc)
Google

MS Targets Google With Another Smear Campaign 513

Posted by Soulskill from the you-can-trust-us dept.
walterbyrd writes with news that Microsoft's PR department has started a campaign to convince Gmail users that Google reads your personal emails, referring to Google's automated method of scanning emails for keywords to generate supposedly relevant advertising. "The gist of the scare campaign is that Google is a scary, scary company that reads your private emails in order to send you targeted ads. 'Even if you don't use Gmail, if you send email to someone who does, Google goes through those emails to generate advertising revenue too,' Microsoft warns in material sent to reporters. Oh, and Microsoft points out that six class-action lawsuits have been filed against Google over this issue, and asks people to sign a petition 'to tell Google to stop going through your personal email messages.'"
Operating Systems

Ask Slashdot: Buying a Laptop That Doesn't Have Windows 8 570

Posted by timothy from the craigslist-if-available dept.
First time accepted submitter Sagan's Pie writes "I'm starting to look for a laptop for college, and the only thing I seem to find are laptops or tablets that have Windows 8. I have used Windows 7 for a long time now, and would not have a problem giving it up, but not for Windows 8. After visiting many major online retail sites, I've found that finding either a Windows 7 laptop, or even a laptop without an operating system is nearly impossible. So where should I go if looking for laptops sans os, or at the very least sans Windows 8?"

Making Sure Interviews Don't Turn Into Free Consulting 232

Posted by Soulskill from the anything-worth-doing-is-worth-doing-for-money dept.
We've talked in the past about what kind of questions should be asked of potential developer hires, and how being honest in exit interviews probably isn't worth the potential damage to your career. We're also familiar with the tricky questions some interviewers like to throw at people to test their thinking skills, and the questionable merits of gauging somebody's skillset through a pointlessly obtuse math problem. But there are also shady employers who conduct interviews to try to mine your knowledge and experience to find free solutions to their current problems. An actual job may or may not be on the table, but if they can get what they need from you before hiring, then at the very least your bargaining position will have gotten worse. Have you dealt with situations like this in the past? Since you can't know for sure the interviewer's intentions, it's tough to provide an answer demonstrating your abilities without solving their problem. "Before asking about the fixes they’ve tried, start by acknowledging the depth of the problem and find out whether the manager has the resources to solve it. Then, just like a consultant, use their answers to highlight your experience and explain the approach you’d take." You could also try explaining how you've solved similar problems, which won't necessarily help them, but will demonstrate your value. Of course, one of the biggest challenges is determining when somebody is getting a little too specific with their interview questions. What red flags should people keep an eye out for?
Sony

Sony To Make Its Last MiniDisc System Next Month 263

Posted by samzenpus from the way-of-the-eight-track dept.
An anonymous reader writes "The BBC reports that Sony, the creators of the MiniDisc audio format, are to deliver their last MiniDisc stereo system in March. Launched over 20 years ago in late 1992 as a would-be successor to the original audio cassette, MiniDisc outlasted Philips' rival Digital Compact Cassette format, but never enjoyed major success outside Japan. Other manufacturers will continue making MiniDisc players, but this is a sign that — over ten years after the first iPod — the MiniDisc now belongs to a bygone era."

Comment Re:Android already does this...Not quite... (Score 1) 103

Android may need finer grained controls but I am not sure how an email app is supposed to function without connecting to the internet and reading your contacts.

I do like the idea of turning off permissions at will/runtime though. Though, even that concept is not without problems. It would increase user confusion and support requests, cause some increase to development time, potentially break a lot of apps and decrease to the value generated to app devs/publishers. Still, I think it's a good idea overall -- these problems are not really that big (IMHO).

Slashdot Top Deals

Saliva causes cancer, but only if swallowed in small amounts over a long period of time. -- George Carlin

Close