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

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror
×
Patents

Submission + - Google Patents Shipping-Container Data Centers 1

Submitted by
theodp
theodp writes: "Two years ago, Robert X. Cringely wrote that Google was experimenting with portable data centers built in standard shipping containers. The idea, Cringely explained, wasn't new and wasn't even Google's, backing up his claim with a link to an Internet-Archive-in-a-Shipping-Container presentation (PDF, dated 11-8-2003) that was reportedly pitched to Larry Page. Google filed for a patent on essentially the same concept on 12-30-2003. And on Tuesday, the USPTO issued the search giant a patent for Modular Data Centers housed in shipping containers, which Google curiously notes facilitate 'rapid and easy relocation to another site depending on changing economic factors,' a statement that may make those tax-abating NC officials a tad uneasy."
Google

Submission + - Google to show Videos on other Websites (nytimes.com)

Submitted by
sufijazz
sufijazz writes: "In the last 3 hours, there have been a series of articles announcing Google's plan to monetize YouTube clips. The gist:

The ads accompanying the outbound YouTube clips won't be in a video format. Instead, they will appear as a graphic straddling the video or as a link along the bottom.
Google won't be pulling clips from YouTube's entire library, which includes a multitude of wacky segments contributed by amateur videographers. The material sent to other Web sites will be confined to video from providers who sign consent forms.
With the new twist, Web sites participating in AdSense now can sign up to specify the kinds of YouTube videos they want shown on their pages.
"
Google

Submission + - Google Joins the Open Invention Network (openinventionnetwork.com)

Submitted by
apokryphos
apokryphos writes: "The Open Invention Network (OIN), the intellectual property company founded by IBM, Novell, Red Hat etc. to promote the Linux system, have released a press release announcing that Google have become its first end-user licensee. "Linux plays a vital role at Google, and we're strongly committed to supporting the Linux developer community," said Chris DiBona, Google open source programs manager.

"Patents owned by Open Invention Network are available royalty-free to any company, institution or individual that agrees not to assert its patents against the Linux System. This enables companies to continue to make significant corporate and capital expenditure investments in Linux — helping to fuel economic growth.""
Sun Microsystems

Submission + - OpenSolaris devs grill Murdock at NY users meeting

Submitted by OSS_ilation
OSS_ilation writes: Apparently, Sun Microsystem's Ian Murdock did not receive the warm welcome he may have hoped for last night at a meeting of New York City's Unix and OpenSolaris user groups. The room held approximately 50 people and a good number of those were OpenSolaris users there to hear about Project Indiana. One observer said, "What I saw at the OpenSolaris user group meeting was a shock to me. Ian was on the defensive for most of the entire meeting. And it was their own user base that was fighting back!" Why the angst? OpenSolaris users and Linux users alike were confused about Sun's strategy to make OpenSolaris more "Linux-like," and decided to let their voices be heard when Murdock showed up to talk about Project Indiana. Another unidentified attendee reportedly blurted out "all this does is help Sun, what does this do for someone using Linux?"
Patents

Submission + - Silence of the Linux (hoodyhoo.com)

Submitted by
Kumeelyun
Kumeelyun writes: "In light of the deals Microsoft is making with Linux distros and the fact that the killer's name in 'Silence of the Lambs' was Bill, this cartoon seems highly appropriate."
Software

Submission + - Microsoft, Sony clash over Vista Turbo Memory

Submitted by Anonymous
Anonymous writes: Sony is claiming that the current release of Vista does not support Intel's Turbo Memory technology, but Microsoft has dismissed the allegation. If Microsoft is telling the truth then all is well. But if Sony is right, Microsoft has opened itself to being sued for deceptive marketing practices.
Google

Submission + - Google Search Slowed Down by Vista

Submitted by Vengance Daemon
Vengance Daemon writes: The United States Justice Department has rejected an antitrust claim made by Google. A New York Times Article states that "...Google has accused Microsoft of designing its latest operating system, Vista, to discourage the use of Google's desktop search program." It then adds that a Justice Department "memo dismissing Google's claims, sent to state attorneys general around the nation, alarmed many of them...Some state officials said they believed that Google's complaint had merit...[and] the memo appears to have backfired. Prosecutors from several states said they intended to pursue the Google accusations with or without the federal government. In response, federal prosecutors are now discussing with the states whether the Justice Department will join them in pursuing the Google complaint." What an odd place to work the Justice Department must be these days.
Microsoft

Submission + - Microsoft calls an IIS 5.0 vulnerability a feature (microsoft.com)

Submitted by rumith
rumith writes: The Inquirer tells us that Microsoft has posted details on a vulnerability (or rather, a feature) in IIS 5.0 that allows an anonymous user to bypass authentication and access documents he shouldn't be able to. The good part: they've already taken down the specifics of the exploit. The bad part: they claim that this behavior is by design, and the only way to fix it is to upgrade to IIS 6.0, which is shipped only with Windows Server 2003, the cheapest edition of which costs only $399. Isn't this called "money extortion"?
Desktops (Apple)

Submission + - 30th Anniversary of Apple II going on sale (wikipedia.org)

Submitted by WhatAboutTheAltair
WhatAboutTheAltair writes: June 5th 1977 (exactly 30 years ago today) was an important date in the history of computing: the Apple II, the world's first practical personal computer went on sale. $1,298 (equivalent to about $4,000 in 2007 terms) got you a MOS Technology 6502 microprocessor blitzing away at 1MHz, 4KB of RAM, Interger BASIC on ROM, an audio cassette interface for storing programs & data, and a 24x40 caps-only video output which you could connect to your TV with an RF modulator. For $2,638 you could get your hands on the top-end machine equipped with a massive 48KB of RAM — and you thought the price of RAM upgrades at the Apple Store was expensive today!
It's funny. Laugh.

Submission + - Dell thinks Ubuntu makes computers more fragile? (dellideastorm.com)

Submitted by
WolfWings
WolfWings writes: "Apparently Dell has decided that Ubuntu-based computers are ineligible for their famed CompleteCare service, or any form of hardware warranty what-so-ever. The news has only recently hit Dell's own IdeaStorm website, but after so recently decided to support Linux on their machines, including limited technical support, Dell seems to be squandering any possible good-will with this decision to leave purchasers of these machines high and dry for hardware warranty coverage."
The Courts

Submission + - RIAA Accused of Extortion & Conspiracy

Submitted by
NewYorkCountryLawyer
NewYorkCountryLawyer writes: "The defendant in a Tampa, Florida, case, UMG v. Del Cid, has filed counterclaims accusing the RIAA record labels of conspiracy and extortion. The counterclaims (pdf) are for Trespass, Computer Fraud and Abuse (18 USC 1030), Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices (Fla. Stat. 501.201), Civil Extortion (CA Penal Code 519 & 523), and Civil Conspiracy involving (a) use of private investigators without license in violation of Fla. Stat. Chapter 493; (b) unauthorized access to a protected computer system, in interstate commerce, for the purpose of obtaining information in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1030 (a)(2)(C); (c) extortion in violation of Ca. Penal Code 519 and 523; and (d) knowingly collecting an unlawful consumer debt, and using abus[ive] means to do so, in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. 1692a et seq. and Fla. Stat. 559.72 et seq."
Windows

Submission + - Valve Releases Recent Hardware Survey Results

Submitted by Freastro
Freastro writes: Last week, Valve reset their on-going Hardware Survey in order to "keep on top of what kind of hardware everyone out there is running." Little has changed statistically since their first 200,000 responses, and it gives some interesting insight into what hardware and versions of Windows people are actually running. Their news article gives the following statistics and the full results can be found on their Valve Survey Summary page:
  • Just over 1% of respondents can run a DX10 path for graphics.
  • About 78% of you have microphones plugged in for voice communication. This will help you out a lot in TF2.
  • A little under 5% of you have upgraded to Vista.
  • Around 20% of your PCs are running multiple CPU cores.

Slashdot Top Deals

Today is a good day for information-gathering. Read someone else's mail file.

Close