BostonRob - Slashdot User

Submission + - NASA plans to use duct tape on crazy astronuts

Submitted by

sykodoc

on Friday February 23, 2007 @05:54PM

sykodoc writes: "http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/space/02/23/astronaut .plan.ap/index.html Time to buy Home depot stock! the NASA specified personnel control duct tape should be seriously overpriced!"

Submission + - Indonesia to plug Volcano with Cement Balls

Submitted by

Anonymous from UCI

on Friday February 23, 2007 @12:01PM

Anonymous from UCI writes: "CNN.com — "A team of geologists and engineers hope the plan, believed to have never been tried before, will reduce the amount of mud flowing from the geyser at a gas exploration site on Java island by up to 70 percent. The mud is now surging out at a rate equivalent to about a million oil drums a day." "Engineers will release five of the chained cement balls, each weighing up to 250 kilograms (550 pounds), and monitor the effect before gradually releasing more balls into the hole,..." http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/02/23/indone sia.volcano.ap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories"

Submission + - Medieval Islamic tiling reveals mathematical savvy

Submitted by

MattSparkes

on Friday February 23, 2007 @07:17AM

MattSparkes writes: "It turns out that Medieval Islamic designers used elaborate geometrical tiling patterns at least 500 years before Western mathematicians developed the concept. They are not quite perfect though, because the patterns show a few defects where a single tile was placed incorrectly. The defects are probably mistakes by workers putting together the design as there are only 11 defects out of 3700 tiles, and each can be corrected by a simple rotation. You just can't get the staff..."

Submission + - Rocket creates 1000 new pieces of space junk

Submitted by

MattSparkes

on Friday February 23, 2007 @06:24AM

MattSparkes writes: "A Russian rocket exploded in orbit on monday, creating 1000 new pieces of space junk. It is one of the worst space debris events ever recorded, the amount created being roughly on par with China's recent test. Researchers are not yet certain what may have caused it to explode; It could have been hit by a micrometeoroid, or corrosion or mechanical failure of the rocket body could have caused the fuel and oxidiser to come into contact, leading to an explosion. 2006 was an especially bad year in terms of satellite break-ups, with eight objects breaking up in orbit."

Comment Netflix has throttled deliveries for years... (Score 1) 550

by BostonRob on Saturday February 11, 2006 @10:00AM (#14694003) Attached to: Netflix Throttling Heavy Renters

...and this went around as a discussion on /. several years ago.

A quick scan of google reveals a 2nd site for shipping times and estimated Netflix costs: http://netflix.frogcircus.org/ As a Netflix customer, I've experienced this first hand. After a the first honeymoon month with Netflix where all movies arrived in two days (one shipping back to Netflix, the 2nd returning to me), they slowed down my shipments. I understand the economics behind the decision; you cannot give more then $18 per month to the USPS in shipping costs or you will fail as a business model, but I struggle with their false advertising practices.

Will I cancel? No, because living 20 minutes from the nearest movie store (Blockbuster at that!) combined with the Netflix depth of movie selection, supporting my wife's interest in French films with my interest in series shows, makes them the best option by far. Being busy professionals, the service allows us to maximize our spare time.

I will happily switch services when one is presented which offers the same type of easy service and costs. Anyone?

Slashdot Top Deals