Comment Re:I bought my 2nd netbook just a week ago (Score 1) 911
Well stock up on netbooks. I have a feeling they will be a passing memory in a few years.
Comment Teach them a lesson (Score 2, Funny) 325
Adobe should just teach them all a lesson and take their apps off Microsoft and Apple's platforms! That will teach em.
Wait...
Comment Re:No biggie (Score 1, Insightful) 610
And you know all this how? Yeah, I thought so.
You have no idea how booting off an Atom machine was broken.
Hyperdrive Propulsion Could Be Tested At the LHC 322
KentuckyFC writes "In 1924, the influential German mathematician David Hilbert calculated that a stationary mass should repel a particle moving towards or away from it at more than half the speed of light (as seen by a distant inertial observer). Now an American physicist has pointed out that the equal and opposite effect should also hold true: that a relativistic particle should repel a stationary mass. This, he says, could form the basis of a 'hypervelocity propulsion drive' for accelerating spacecraft to a good fraction of the speed of light. The idea is that the repulsion allows the relativistic particle to deliver a specific impulse that is greater than its specific momentum, an effect that is analogous to the elastic collision of a heavy mass with a much lighter, stationary mass, from which the lighter mass rebounds with about twice the speed of the heavy mass. Unlike other exotic hyperdrive proposals, this one can be tested using the world's largest particle accelerator, the LHC, which will generate beams of particles with the required energy (abstract). Placing a test mass next to the beam line and measuring the forces on it as the particles pass by should confirm the theory — or scupper it entirely."
Maingear Touts New Rig As "Planet's Greenest Gaming PC" 136
Maingear has just unveiled what they are calling the "planet's greenest gaming PC." Built using a small form factor and coming with Intel's new Ion graphics as the default option, this little powerhouse is built with a definite eye toward energy consumption. "Said configuration is available with Intel Core 2 Duo CPUs and an 80+ certified 300-watt power supply; those who care more about frame rates than Ma Earth can opt for a GeForce 9800 GT ECO, which — despite being a discrete, power-hungry GPU — still swallows some 40 percent less power than a standard 9800 GT. You'll also find WiFi support, room for an optional Blu-ray drive and TV tuner, upwards of 8GB of RAM and room for a single 2.5-inch HDD or SSD. The whole box checks in at just 7.6- x 8.3- x 11.4-inches, and it's available for order right now starting at $799."
Comment Re:Not the chief of the *German* police union (Score 1) 518
Crappy journalistic research.
It's "just" the chief of the Hessian section of the DPolG, not the Chief on the federal level.
And there's several police unions as well, with the DPolG only being second largest (about half as big as the GdP with a few micro unions not worth mentioning).
Don't blame the journalists, blame me. I'm the one who translated the article for Game Politics, and due to my relatively poor German skills (I've been learning German as a second language), I made a mistake. I actually caught it and emailed a correction -- I wasn't initially sure how best to translate the guy's job title -- but I don't think Dennis saw my email, and the internet merely amplified the error. Hopefully there weren't any other major mistakes... I like to think I do a better job than Google Translator, but I would never compare myself to a native speaker.
Microsoft Asks For a Refund From Laid-Off Workers [updated] 424
An anonymous reader writes "The large print giveth, the small print taketh away. Microsoft, which recently laid off 1400 employees, is now claiming that some of those lucky schmoes were inadvertently overpaid on their severance package. A letter from the company, which was subsequently circulated on the internet, states: 'We ask that you repay the overpayment and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience to you.' Microsoft has confirmed the authenticity of the letter, but it's not known what the amounts in question are, or how many of the 1400 were affected." Update: 02/24 14:00 GMT by T : VinylRecords writes "Well, now Microsoft has recanted, saying that the situation has resulted in unfortunate amounts of bad press and public relations. 'This was a mistake on our part,' said a Microsoft spokesman in an e-mailed statement. 'We should have handled this situation in a more thoughtful manner.'"
Google Router Rumors 267
An anonymous reader writes "There's a new rumor that Google is developing its own router. The company won't comment on the story, but it's been in the hardware business for a while and expanded its presence with Android. If Larry Ellison can go halvsies with HP on a server, then Eric Schmidt should certainly be able to make Cisco nervous."
Comment Re:Minority Mandates (Score 1) 318
I've seen more English in Quebec than French out here in BC.
Anything related to the Federal Government is bilingual, of course, but for all intents and purposes, Alberta/Saskatchewan/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Newfoundland/most of Ontario are English-only, BC is officially English but a lot of election propaganda is sent out in Chinese too, New Brunswick and the city of Ottawa are bilingual, and I think the territories are English/Inuktitut or something. Canada is a diverse country and our official languages, on a federal and provincial level, reflect that.
I don't understand why people whine about French anyway. I never managed to become fluent and forgot most of what I learned in school, but I'm still glad I made an effort. Learning even a little bit of another language is a great way to learn more about your own language and culture by looking at someone else's.
Anything related to the Federal Government is bilingual, of course, but for all intents and purposes, Alberta/Saskatchewan/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Newfoundland/most of Ontario are English-only, BC is officially English but a lot of election propaganda is sent out in Chinese too, New Brunswick and the city of Ottawa are bilingual, and I think the territories are English/Inuktitut or something. Canada is a diverse country and our official languages, on a federal and provincial level, reflect that.
I don't understand why people whine about French anyway. I never managed to become fluent and forgot most of what I learned in school, but I'm still glad I made an effort. Learning even a little bit of another language is a great way to learn more about your own language and culture by looking at someone else's.
Court Rules That Palin Must Save Yahoo Emails 412
quarterbuck writes "An Anchorage judge has ruled that Governor Sarah Palin must save her emails, as they were apparently used for state business. Last week a Tennessee man was arrested over hacking one of her Yahoo email accounts. The Washington Post also reports that Sarah Palin, her husband, and officials had set up email accounts known only to each other."
Comment Re:Conversly, where are the space critics? (Score 0, Troll) 327
Do you want to go back to steam engines and abacus too?
Best Field Trip Ever 2
A lucky group of 20 teenagers will be taking a 3 day tour of Amsterdam with stops in the red light district and a cannabis college. I'm sure this happens all the time. What makes this trip different is that it has been organized by the Essex County Council's youth service to help children discover how the Dutch tackle drugs, alcohol and sexual health issues. That's right, it's a field trip. I know the candy factory I toured in 5th grade would have been much better if we went to the cannabis college first.
Apple Is Now the #1 US Music Retailer 251
Quantrell writes "A leaked e-mail shows that Apple hit the #1 spot for music sales in January. The article speculates that consumers cashing in their holiday gift cards may have played a role; but of course Wal-Mart and the other retailers sold gift cards too. The news is a mixed bag for the record labels. 'For the music industry, there is a dark side to Apple's ascension to the top of the charts. Buying patterns for digital downloads are different, as customers are far more likely to cherry pick a favorite track or two from an album than purchase the whole thing. In contrast, brick-and-mortar sales are predominantly high-margin CDs.'" We recently discussed Wal-Mart's role in the music business, back when they were selling nearly 20% of US music. For January Apple was at 19% and Wal-Mart at 15%.
Daily Caffeine Protects Your Brain 325
Chroniton writes "The BBC has a story that many Slashdot geeks will be happy to hear: the caffeine from a cup of coffee a day can help prevent Dementia, by blocking the damage of cholesterol. (At least in rabbits) This is in addition to the already-known protection against Alzheimer's Disease. More research is needed to test the effect on humans."
Microsoft Told to Pay Tax on License Fee 282
MissingRainbow writes "To avoid paying taxes in India, Microsoft wanted a court to believe that it is selling its product and that there are no royalty payments involved. Their own EULA worked against them in this particular case however as it states, "the product is licensed, not sold". The court ruled against them."
