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

 



Forgot your password?
typodupeerror
×

Submission + - 20-Somethings Think It's OK to Text and Answer Calls in Business Meetings (neoacademic.com)

RichDiesal writes: In an upcoming article in Business Communication Quarterly, researchers found that more than half of 20-somethings believe it appropriate to read texts during formal business meetings, whereas only 16% of workers 40+ believe the same thing. 34% of 20-somethings believe it appropriate to answer the phone in the middle of a meeting (i.e., not excusing yourself to answer the phone — answering and talking mid-meeting!). It is unclear if this is happening because more younger workers grew up with mobile technology, or if it's because older workers have the experience to know that answering a call in the middle of a meeting is a terrible idea. So if you’re a younger worker, consider leaving your phone alone in meetings to avoid annoying your coworkers. And if you’re an older worker annoyed at what you believe to be rude behavior, just remember, it’s not you – it’s them!

Submission + - Cornell team says it's unified the structure of scientific theories (scienceblog.com)

An anonymous reader writes: Cornell physicists say they've figured out why science works, or more specifically why scientific theories work – a meta theory. Publishing online in the journal Science Nov. 1the team has developed a unified computational framework they say exposes the hidden hierarchy of scientific theories by quantifying the degree to which predictions – like how a particular cellular mechanism might work under certain conditions, or how sound travels through space – depend on the detailed variables of a model.

Comment Fall in line (Score 2) 215

This just joins the long list of who cares copyright infringement notices that all major companies seem to think is necessary. I sure hope some CEOs and/or legal departments grow up soon, because I've had enough of everyone suing everyone over such insignificant crap. Especially when the reasoning is nill.

Submission + - Mobile First? Not So Fast! You're Designing Wrong. (oreilly.com)

occidental writes: Laura Klein asks: "Are we done with the Mobile First meme, yet? Can we be? Please?

The problem is that “mobile first” often equates “mobile” with “small screen” or “responsive layout” or “native vs. mobile web.” Now, those are all incredibly important decisions. But if you’re thinking about the size of your screen or the technology you’re going to use first, you are designing wrong."

Comment Efficiency for a price? (Score 1) 162

The premise of this is absurd. You can't stop people from viewing the material so blame the the providers of the connection... right... That's like blaming your ears for hearing nails on a chalkboard instead of remedying the sound in the first place. So basically if search engines sucked and material was hard to find there would be no issue? Libraries sort their books so that material (both copyrighted and not) is easy to find, I suppose they should be forced to pay too? High speed Internet offers high speed to everything online, not just the illegal content.

Submission + - Do record low spring temperatures in the US signify global cooling?

PensacolaSlick writes: According to NOAA's global historical climatology network data, the only colder start to spring in the USA in recorded history came in 1975. The particular data set used to support this claim comes from a NASA interpretation of the numbers, and there is some discussion as to the validity of their adjustments. But Russian scientists at the Pulkovo Observatory in St. Petersburg have developed a claim of their own, based on solar observation: we are embarking on an extended period of low solar activity, and we "could be in for a cooling period that lasts 200-250 years. What's remarkable about the temperature graph above, from NASA's own public data, is both the lack of any noticeable trend in the last 100 years and the amazing temperature leap in the last two years.

Submission + - Protein Origami Turns Proteins into Pyramids, Other Shapes (sciencemag.org)

sciencehabit writes: Nanotechnologists with a creative streak have turned proteins into origami, folding the biomolecules into relatively complex 3D objects such as a triangular pyramid or tetrahedron. The advance could offer researchers a new way to craft useful nanoscale objects for a variety of functions, such as delivering drugs and making novel catalysts capable of carrying out specific chemical reactions in sequence, much the way organisms do to create the myriad compounds that they rely on.

Comment Re:Good news, we're all safe (Score 1) 41

I love my Z10, if I wasn't already on the BlackBerry band wagon, I am now. It's worth noting that issues like this are usually found after they have been exploited to do severe damage, while as far as I've seen this is a pre-emptive warning by BlackBerry that they found an issue and fixed it. Instead of hiding it away and hoping no one notices.

Comment Re:Can't Go Backwards (Score 1) 736

and when Windows has gotten it wrong by so much that the progress bar is 5 times the width of my monitor, what then? There might as well not be a progress bar if it is possible you won't see the end and it has been stated many times that going backwards is an even less desirable option. Perhaps (as most applications already do this) displaying a progress bar as progress of actions AND a timer to expected completion is ideal as it informs the user of both the action completion state and the time frame associated with the remaining actions. Of course the same question could be asked 'Why is it so hard to make an accurate timer?'.

Comment Re:Can't Go Backwards (Score 1) 736

I think you are confusing time measurement with progress measurement. The progress is still 25% complete whether it will take 5 minutes or 5 days to complete the other 75%. For example: when sending an e-mail, there are approx 4 steps. Write content, attach files, address e-mail recipient and send. While these steps will taking varying amounts of time (0 being a possible amount of time) for every e-mail, they still constitute 25% of your 'progress' in sending said e-mail.

Comment Re:3D printer (Score 1) 266

You're taking the context of printing even further. I was attempting to point out the reasonably intended scope outlined by the poll. which was meant to include physical printing. By your broadening of the word printing beyond reasonable interpretation, internal/external hard drives, forms of flash memory, monitors, scanners, etc. (why include a computer at all you can print without one using a pen and paper or even etch-a-sketch) would all appear as poll options to be selected; but none of these hold any bearing on the statistic attempted to be measured here. The last 2 options about mixed or not performing printing encompass the good faith meaning behind something like "exporting" to PDF where no contrast (ink, toner or what-have-you) is applied to paper or paper-like substance.

Slashdot Top Deals

Marriage is the triumph of imagination over intelligence. Second marriage is the triumph of hope over experience.

Working...