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Comment Work + donate (Score 1) 252

by axlrosen (#26519133) Attached to: Tech-Related Volunteer Gigs

I hope this doesn't come across as cynical, because it's not meant to be. But one very reasonable strategy is to work hard at your regular job, and donate money to charitable causes.

I've often thought about how to put my software engineering skills to good use, and that's the best I've been able to come up with. If you can't find a great outlet to directly put your skills to use at a charitable organization, this is a pretty reasonable proxy. It lets you do what you do best, for the people that find it most helpful (i.e. a company that's willing to pay you for it), rather than having to shoehorn your skills where there may not be a great match.

If there's an volunteer opportunity that's actually a good fit, that's obviously a good mechanism (and probably more psychically rewarding). But if not, I think this is an efficient alternative.
Idle

7 Deadly Sins Aren't Enough 4

Posted by samzenpus
As proof that things are only getting worse the list of deadly sins, written in the 6th century, has just had an update. The Vatican has added pollution, mind-damaging drugs, genetic experiments, and monetary social injustice. New Line Cinema has already retained Morgan Freeman and is working on a script for 'Ten'.
Google

Submission + - What Are We Searching For? (slate.com)

Submitted by
axlrosen
axlrosen writes: "A great analysis from Slate, using Google Suggest to tap into what people are searching for. The results can be kinda weird:

Want to know what questions are flummoxing mankind? Type in "is it true that." The fourth suggestion: "is it true that if you don't use it you lose it." The fifth: "is it true that ciara is a man." Enter "how bad is" to figure out everything the English-speaking world thinks might not be OK: smoking, followed by global warming, soda, marijuana, and McDonald's."
Security

Submission + - Death Knell for DoS Extortion?

Submitted by
Ron
Ron writes: "An Infoworld article reports that Yazan Gable, a security researcher, has put forward an explanation as to why the numbers of denial of service attacks have been declining. His theory is that DoS attacks are no longer profitable to attackers. While spam and phishing attacks directly generate profit, he argues that extortion techniques often used with DoS attacks are far more risky and often make an attacker no profit at all. He writes:

So what happens if the target of the attack refuses to pay? The DoS extortionist is obligated to carry out a prolonged DoS attack against them to follow through on their threats. For a DoS extortionist, this is the worst scenario because they have to risk their bot network for nothing at all. Since the target has refused to pay, it is likely that they will never pay. As a consequence, the attacker has to spend time and resources on a lost cause.
"
Media (Apple)

Submission + - iPhone shortage of PS3 proportions?

Submitted by mattatwork
mattatwork writes: According to DigiTimes, Apple has put in a request to Samsung (and other NAND manufacturers) for upwards of 400-500 million 4 Gb NAND flash chips. The various parties involved in providing the memory have balked at the amount required and the risk involved in the case that the phone succeeds or tanks when it goes on sale. Is the concern surrounding the buzz about the iPhone credible or is this just leftover paranoia from the PS3 shortage?
Software

Submission + - Ext3cow Versioning File System released for 2.6

Submitted by
Zachary Peterson
Zachary Peterson writes: "Ext3cow, an open-source versioning file system based on ext3, has been released for 2.6 kernel. Ext3cow allows users to view their file system as it appeared at any point in time through a natural, time-shifiting interface. This is can be very useful for preventing data loss, revision control, intrusion detection, and meeting the requirments of data retention legislation. Kernel patches and details can be found at: http://www.ext3cow.com./"
Microsoft

Submission + - Microsoft announces CLR will be cross-platform

Submitted by
axlrosen
axlrosen writes: "The biggest Mix '07 announcement made on opening day of this week's show was one that Microsoft didn't call out in any of its own press releases: Microsoft is making a version of its Common Language Runtime (CLR) available cross-platform. The CLR is the heart of Microsoft's .Net Framework programming model. So, by association, the .Net Framework isn't just for Windows any more.

More here."

Feed Is It Time To Call It Quits On The PC? (techdirt.com)

From feed by techdirtfeed
With Vista having failed to ignite a boom in the computer industry, some analysts are starting to turn dour on the future of the PC. David Daoud, an analyst at IDC, thinks it's time for computer makers to rethink the traditional PC, and to work on developing more innovative products. He notes that the basic PC (with its big monitor and QWERTY keyboard) has basically been the same since its inception, and that things like ultra mobile PCs, tablets and other forms that have yet to be invented will come to play an important part role in the industry. Of course, people have been talking about all of these things before, and despite grandiose ambitions, nothing has made a dent in the market. The latest, the ultra mobile PC (UMPC) has pretty much been a dud, despite plenty of backing and hype. This isn't to say that manufacturers shouldn't be exploring alternatives, but as Apple has shown with its resurgent computer business, there's plenty of room for innovation and growth within the traditional confines of the PC.
Google

Submission + - iGoogle To Debut

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: It's time to bid adieu to the Google Personalized Home Page. In just a few hours, Google will release its replacement called iGoogle. iGoogle will have a new Gadget Maker feature that will let people create their own gadgets with their own content without having to know any code or HTML. One of the templates — GoogleGram, an unfolding "greeting card" gadget that shows different messages and images over seven days.
Microsoft

Submission + - Microsoft Vista sales good after all

Submitted by Strudelkugel
Strudelkugel writes: TheStreet.com is reporting Microsoft sales of Vista and Office 2007 are going well: "Client software, which accounted for 37% of revenue in the quarter, surged 67% in the quarter, thanks to Vista sales. Business software, about one-third of total revenue, gained 34%. "There were some questions about how well Vista and Office 2007 would be received, and they've been very well received," said Tracy. "The client business was approximately $400 million higher than our guidance, and the business division was about $200 million higher." The Redmond, Wash., software giant also exceeded the Street's net profit estimates to a significant degree, reporting that net income grew $4.93 billion, or 50 cents a share, from $2.98 billion, or 29 cents a share, a year earlier." That's a nice chunk of change.
The Almighty Buck

Submission + - Kodak Challenges HP Printer Sales Model

Submitted by Radon360
Radon360 writes: Kodak has decided to attempt to buck the trend set by HP by offering low cost printers and exorbitantly priced ink cartridges. According to this WSJ review, three of their new printers start at $149, with ink cartridges costing $9.99 for a black cartridge and $14.99 for a five color cartridge. To counter, HP has announced a release of lower-priced cartridges, though with less ink and they are still more expensive than Kodak's. It will be a matter of time to see whether Kodak can upset the practice of ink cartridge extortion.

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