Want to read Slashdot from your mobile device? Point it at m.slashdot.org and keep reading!

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror
×
Programming

Submission + - What Todays' Coders Don't Know And Why It Matters (itworld.com) 1

Submitted by
jfruhlinger
jfruhlinger writes: "Today's programmers have much more advanced languages and more forgiving hardware to play with — but it seems that many have forgotten some of the lessons that their predecessors picked up in a more resource-constrained era. Newer programmers are less adept at identifying hardware constraints and errors, thorough specifications developed before coding, and low-level skills like programming in assembly language. You never know when a seemingly obsolete skill will come in handy: for instance, Web developers who cut their teeth in the days of 14.4 Kbps modems have a leg up in writing apps for laggy wireless networks."
Android

Submission + - Is Giving Android Away Anti-Competitive? (winsupersite.com)

Submitted by bonch
bonch writes: Google's accusation of patent abuse toward its competitors has generated many responses, some of which has asked whether Android's free price is anti-competitive. Drawing comparisons to Microsoft's antitrust trial, in which they were accused of giving away Internet Explorer to drive competitors out of the browser market, Thurrott argues that Google's rivals are 'leveling the playing field' through patent fees by removing an artificial price advantage funded by monopoly search revenues. 'One could argue that Google is using its dominance in search advertising to unfairly gain entry into another market by giving that new product, Android, away for free. Does this remind you of any famous antitrust case?'
It's funny. Laugh.

Submission + - Favorite tag? 3

Submitted by twigles
twigles writes: Favorite tag?
suddenoutbreakofcommonsense
whatcouldpossiblygowrong
haha
officerbarbrady
wontsomeonepleasethinkofthechildren
andnothingofvaluewaslost
slashvertising
Windows

Submission + - Vista SP1 due Monday

Submitted by
headkase
headkase writes: "Tech ARP brings word that the long awaited Service Pack 1 Final for Windows Vista is due to be released on Monday, February 4th, 2008. Initially it will only be available in English, French, Spanish, German and Japanese. Another version will be release one to two weeks later that supports all 36 basic languages."
Privacy

Submission + - Breathalyzed? Ask for the source code! (arstechnica.com)

Submitted by
stevedcc
stevedcc writes: "Anandtech are running an article about a Minnesota man who is asking for the breathlyzer source code as part of his defence against a drunk driving charge. From the article:

One of the common criticisms (which is also made of voting machines) of breath devices is that the "state-certified" models are updated even after they are certified. The companies that manufacture the machines make tweaks, bug fixes, and even add new features, but the machines are not generally recertified after every single source code change. This means that any given machine could potentially be running non-certified code, code which may or may not have errors.....As a bonus, if a company proves unwilling to turn over the code, the case often gets thrown out without any need to prove that the source code is in fact flawed.
"
Patents

Submission + - Monster Cable trademarks more dictionary words (uspto.gov)

Submitted by
mbelisle
mbelisle writes: "As I was reading about Monster Cable's ongoing campaign to sue anyone who uses the word monster, I came across two recent trademark filings by the company: "High Speed" and "Advanced" as they pertain to "Electrical and electromagnetic signal transmitting, amplifying, receiving, and converting devices, namely, cables, wires, and connectors for use with electrical, electronic, and computer devices." It may not in the same league as the patent on the internet, but should we be concerned? I don't want get a VeRO notice for selling high-speed cables on eBay."
Google

Submission + - Google plans youtube Antipiracy tool

Submitted by
nevillethedevil
nevillethedevil writes: "PCWorld is reporting that Google have announced a new antipiracy tool for Youtube to be launched by September. This announcement comes as part of the lawsuit battle with Viacom. From the article. "The technology will be as sophisticated as fingerprint technology used by the FBI and Google plans to roll it out in the fall, "hopefully in September," attorney Philip S. Beck of Barlit Beck Herman Palenchar & Scott LLP told U.S. District Judge Louis L. Stanton, according to the AP. Fall runs from late September to late December.""
Space

Submission + - Astronauts flew missions drunk, panel finds (cnn.com)

Submitted by strawbo
strawbo writes: CNN is reporting an investigation of whether or not astronauts have flown shuttle missions while inebriated. "Interviews with both flight surgeons and astronauts identified some episodes of heavy use of alcohol by astronauts in the immediate preflight period," the panel said. NASA said it cannot determine the veracity of the claims until further investigation. I can't imagine that flying a space ship while drunk is a good idea...
Space

Submission + - Panel says Astronauts Flew While Intoxicated (hughpickens.com)

Submitted by
Pcol
Pcol writes: "Aviation Week reports that astronauts were allowed to fly on at least two occasions after flight surgeons and other astronauts warned they were so intoxicated that they posed a flight-safety risk. A review panel, convened in the wake of the Lisa Nowak arrest to review astronaut medical and psychological screening, also reported "heavy use of alcohol" by astronauts before launch, within the standard 12-hour "bottle to throttle" rule applied to NASA flight crew members. The panel does not deal directly with Nowak or mention any other astronaut by name. Meanwhile at Frenchie's Italian Restaurant, a popular astronaut hangout in Houston, owner Frankie Camera disputed the reports. "The Mercury astronauts may have been a little more wild (than later ones) but I did banquets for them and never really saw any of them drink so much they were out of control or drunk.""

Slashdot Top Deals

The key elements in human thinking are not numbers but labels of fuzzy sets. -- L. Zadeh

Close