passthecrackpipe - Slashdot User

Submission + - What can't you do at the command-line?

Submitted by writermike on Saturday December 23, 2006 @04:33PM

writermike writes: I haven't worked exclusively at a command-line since DOS-days. ('tis sad, I know) Earlier today while listening to a podcast that explained in good detail how to install Slackware Linux and how it only comes up to the command-line by default, it got me to wondering: What can't you do at the command-line today? Some things are obvious, like You Tube, but what about other things? If you were sent into an O/S with a command-line, what would you be unable to do?

Submission + - Revised Dell 3007WFP-HC 30" LCD, 92% Color Gam

Submitted by

MojoKid

on Saturday December 23, 2006 @03:34PM

MojoKid writes: "Dell's UltraSharp 3007WFP has historically earned high marks as a high-end 30" panel but recently Dell has made some upgrades to the big, beautiful beast. If you're in the market for something huge, this article at HotHardware that shows Dell's new UltraSharp 3007WFP-HC might be of interest. Not only does this monitor feature a gigantic 30" panel with a native resolution of 2560x1600, but it also features ultra high 92% color gamut capability based on new backlighting technology that is currently one of the industry's best. Most other desktop LCD monitors feature a 72% to 76% color gamut. The UltraSharp 3007WFP-HC is going to be somewhat expensive, and at first will only be available with the purchase of an XPS system. Word is general availability will come in February."

Submission + - Sourceforge is displaying ads for patent attacks

Submitted by RobinPeterson1968 on Saturday December 23, 2006 @03:23PM

RobinPeterson1968 writes: I just visited SourceForge, and they are displaying ads for www.Patent-Infringement.org, which is apparently a law firm that specializes in prosecuting patent infringements on contingency; i.e., they are a variety of patent troll. The add is coming up above the fold on about 25% of page loads on sourceforge.

So here's my question: why is Sourceforge permitting a patent troll firm to advertise on their website? Isn't this a direct attack on the open source projects using SF.net? 'Cause that has to be the reasoning behind placing the ads...the firm is presuming that someone who has a patent is looking at open source packages that might be infringing. The contingency approach will make it particularly nasty to get rid of these folks.

Just my 2 cents.

Submission + - Hard-wearing headphones

Submitted by

AAWood

on Saturday November 25, 2006 @06:40AM

AAWood writes: "Like many of you, I carry a portable MP3 player with me wherever I go. And, probably like many of you, I don't exactly take fantastic care of my in-ear headphones... When I'm done listening, they get shoved into my pocket until I'm ready to listen again. Inevitably, within 2 to 3 months, I go to listen one morning and I'm only getting sound in one ear, the wire having broken near where it plugs into the player. I've tried numerous brands of headphones, tried cheap things up to £40 brand-name ones, spent hundreds of pounds each year on replacements, and nothing seems to last.

Are there any manufacturers out there who make headphones more hard-wearing, especially the cables? Would I have more luck buying sports headphones? Do any of you know of any easy hacks to make my headphones last longer without breaking (short of actually taking care of them properly)?"

Submission + - Google kills open source earth api.

Submitted by

lixao

on Saturday November 25, 2006 @04:34AM

lixao writes: "It looks like Google is only the nice company when we don't touch any of their software. They've just succeded in closing an open source project that aimed to provide a richer and open API to Google Earth. Nice guys? I think not, just another big corporation abusing of their power...

From the article:
25 November 2006, we've got the letter from Michael Jones, the Chief Technologist of Google Earth, Google Maps, and Google Local search, requesting us to cease reverse engineering..."

Submission + - MPs criticise government roadblocks to Open Source

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Saturday November 25, 2006 @04:18AM

An anonymous reader writes: UK Members of Parliament have identified Department of Education and Skills (DfES) and Becta policies as favouring proprietary software vendors thereby blocking the adoption of Open Source software by schools and colleges.

An Early Day Motion tabled by Liberal Democrat MP John Pugh, has called for a fair approach to ICT procurement in the education sector. The UK Government's own studies have shown savings of up to 60% can be made by schools and colleges using Open Source software.

Despite this clear advantage, some MPs believe the software procurement frameworks from Becta and official advice from DfES effectively locks out the use of free, Open Source software. MPs support for the Early Day Motion is the result of sustained lobbying by Open Source industry groups the Open Source Consortium (OSC) and Open Schools Alliance.

John Pugh MP, said: "Becta and the Department for Education and Skills, through the use of outdated purchasing frameworks, are effectively denying schools the option of benefiting from both free and open source and the value and experience small and medium ICT companies could bring to the schools market."

Iain Roberts, OSC Chief Executive said, "The DfES and Becta tell us they are treating Open Source software fairly but the procurement frameworks favour their established relationships with proprietary software brands." Mark Taylor, OSC President added: "Schools and colleges must keep pace with the adoption of Open Source software in industry or limit the employability of their graduates."

The Open Source Consortium is a trade body representing over fifty companies across the UK offering services around Free and Open Source Software. The Open Schools Alliance is an umbrella organisation bringing together companies, organisations and individuals concerned about ICT in UK education. These include SchoolForge-UK (representing educationalists), FFII UK (central to the recent campaign against software patents) and UKUUG (representing over a thousand IT experts across the country). The Open Schools Alliance exists to promote the greater use of Free and Open Source Software and open standards in UK education.

http://www.openschoolsalliance.org/

Submission + - Nanoknives to cut cells

Submitted by

Roland Piquepaille

on Saturday November 25, 2006 @04:07AM

Roland Piquepaille writes: "American researchers have built a carbon nanotube knife. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), this nanoknife will be used to cut and study cells. With this new tool, scientists and biologists will be able to make 3D images of cells and tissues for electron tomography, which requires samples less than 300 nanometers thick. And as cells are usually stored in wax for dissection, the researchers plan to test their nanoknives on a block of wax later this year. But read more for additional references and a picture of this nanoknife."

Submission + - Shuttleworth issues invitation to openSUSE devels

Submitted by

towsonu2003

on Saturday November 25, 2006 @02:04AM

towsonu2003 writes: "According to linux.com, Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth's invitation to openSUSE developers "concerned about the long term consequences" has kicked the tension up a notch.

Shuttleworth sent an email to the openSUSE developer's list, reading in part:
Novell’s decision to go to great lengths to circumvent the patent framework clearly articulated in the GPL has sent shockwaves through the community. If you are an OpenSUSE developer who is concerned about the long term consequences of this pact, you may be interested in some of the events happening next week as part of the Ubuntu Open Week:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuOpenWeek
...I know that posting this message to an OpenSUSE list will be controversial. I'm greatly respectful of the long tradition of excellence in the SuSE product and community and have no desire to undermine that with this post. That said, I think the position taken by Novell leadership in their contract with Microsoft is hugely disrespectful of the contributions of thousands of GPL programmers and contributors to SuSE, and I know that many are looking for a new place to get involved that is not subject to the same arbitrary executive intervention. Ubuntu is one option, as are Gentoo, Debian and other communities. Please accept this mail in that spirit.

The invitation comes days before Ubuntu Open Week, a week of events for anyone interested in being part of the Ubuntu community. The invitation also coincides with the pending release of openSUSE 10.2, which just received its first release candidate."

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