The One and Only - Slashdot User

Submission + - What does your dead man's switch do?

Submitted by

LqdEngineer

on Monday January 08, 2007 @11:06PM

LqdEngineer writes: "How many of the Slashdot crowd use or have used a Dead Man's Switch designed to perform some action if you don't check in for a certain amount of time? Recently, I decided to put one together using MySQL and some Cron jobs, but I wanted to see what others have their Switches set up to do in the event you fail to check in. E-mails to loved ones? Send encryption keys to friends/family? Hate mail to your boss? Has anyone ever been on the receiving end of a Dead Man's e-mail? I can't even imagine how creepy that would feel."

Submission + - Microsoft and AMD to Give Away Trip to Space

Submitted by Mr. Neutron on Monday January 08, 2007 @11:02PM

Mr. Neutron writes: AMD and Microsoft are giving away a free trip on the Rocketplane sub-orbital space tourism vehicle. The contest ties in to the Vanishing Point online puzzle game.

Submission + - college math classes forcing windows on students?

Submitted by

OiToTheWorld

on Monday January 08, 2007 @10:52PM

OiToTheWorld writes: "I recently started classes again after winter break. On arriving in my math class, we were told that we had to use the MYMATHLAB software to turn in homework online. The catch is that this software/membership that I paid for along with my textbook will ONLY work on Internet Explorer and apparently shows no indication of changing this. Having asked the teacher if I could turn in the assignments on paper because my linux computer could not run internet explorer, I was told no and that I essentially needed to buy a new operating system in order to pass the class.

My questions are these: Is there a workaround method i can use to do my assignments? why would the company that sells the software do this? Has anyone else encountered similar problems with other software?"

Submission + - Sex lowers stress levels

Submitted by Ice Wewe on Monday January 08, 2007 @08:28PM

Ice Wewe writes: BBCNews has an article on how having penetrative intercourse can help with public speaking.

"New Scientist magazine reports that Stuart Brody, a psychologist at the University of Paisley, found having sex can help keep stress at bay. However, only penetrative intercourse did the trick — other forms of sex had no impact on stress levels at all.

... Volunteers who had had penetrative intercourse were found to be the least stressed, and their blood pressure returned to normal faster than those who had engaged in other forms of sexual activity such as masturbation. "

Submission + - Grab your Testicles, and Read this...

Submitted by Susan on Monday January 08, 2007 @07:20PM

Susan writes: A humorous look at a serious subject. If you have testicles, or know anyone who does, you need to read this. Get Your Testicles Out, and keep them handy while you read this article!

Share this link with everyone whose testicles you care about!

Submission + - NASA Will Go Metric on the Moon

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 08, 2007 @07:17PM

An anonymous reader writes: Space.com is reporting that NASA has decided to use the metric system for its new lunar missions. NASA hopes that metrication will allow easier international participation and safer missions. The loss of the Mars Climate Orbiter was blamed on an error converting between English units and metric units. 'When we made the announcement at the meeting, the reps for the other space agencies all gave a little cheer,' said a NASA official.

Submission + - Wired's 1997 "101 ways to save apple"

Submitted by

Waxyreader

on Monday January 08, 2007 @05:38PM

Waxyreader writes: "Almost ten years after its publication, Wired's 101 Ways to Save Apple cover story from 1997 is still a great read for its advice, good, bad, and just plain weird. FTA: "14. Do something creative with the design of the box and separate yourselves from the pack. The original Macs stood out because of their innovative look." "18. Stop being buttoned-down corporate and appeal to the fanatic feeling that still exists for the Mac" "24. Pay cartoonist Scott Adams $10 million to have Dilbert fall in love with a Performa repairwoman.""

Submission + - Cautious, my precious!

Submitted by

Maikel_NAI

on Monday January 08, 2007 @05:30PM

Maikel_NAI writes: "A team of Spanish scientists have discovered in several caves along Castellon and Tarragona provinces (both on the Mediterranean seaside) a new kind of cave dweller invertebrate which is the first in his genus and specie. Scientists have named this small insect 'Gollumjapyx smeagol', to honour the character of J.R.R. Tolkien, because, like the villaine in "The Lord of the Rings," this animal had an epigean origin (from outside), and later on adapted itself to the subterranean environment until it eventually evolved into a new specie. Their finding has been published in the American scientific journal Zootaxa."

Submission + - Games on Vista Will Connect to Xbox Live

Submitted by nmb3000 on Monday January 08, 2007 @05:02PM

nmb3000 writes: There has always been a separation between PC games and their cousins on game consoles, and one of these defining barriers has been the inability to play networked games that mix PC and console clients together into a seamless cross-platform experience. It seems, however, that this may be about to change with a new lineup of games coming of Windows Vista in 2007. Microsoft recently announced at CES that games for Vista utilizing DirectX 10 will be able to connect and participate fully in Xbox Live's services. This includes online game play and all related features such as voice communication. This means popular online games such as Halo 2's multiplayer will no longer be limited to console owners; from the article: "In addition, "Halo® 2" for Windows Vista (Microsoft Game Studios/Bungie Studios) will also support Live, including enabling Windows gamers to communicate with Xbox Live gamers and earn Achievements in the famed "Halo 2" campaign — a first for any "Halo" title on any platform."

Submission + - Has Digg Raised the Quality of Slashdotters?

Submitted by

jav1231

on Monday January 08, 2007 @04:20PM

jav1231 writes: "Given the idea that there is a competition between Digg and Slashdot, does it seem that the average response on Slashdot has gotten better? I'm seeing far less flamebait-like responses. Furthermore, even controversial posts that have some point and reason to them are given opportunities that before would have been vehemently (and dare I say childishly) buried and modded down. Has Digg served Slashdot well by funneling off the less mature among us?"

Journal Journal: How Bell Labs blew the microchip

Journal by Frisky070802 on Monday January 08, 2007 @02:21PM

The December 2006 issue of IEEE Spectrum carries an article about the life and tragic death of Jack A. Morton, of Bell Labs: How Bell Labs Missed the Microchip. It includes "On integrated circuits in particular, Morton exhibited serious blind spots that cost the parent phone company, AT&T, dearly--and may have contributed to its eventual dismemberment."

Submission + - Stephen Hawking Planning Space Flight

Submitted by

MidVicious

on Monday January 08, 2007 @10:28AM

MidVicious writes: "Astrophysicist Stephen Hawking says he wants to undertake a zero-gravity flight aboard an airplane this year as a precursor to a journey into space, a newspaper reported Monday. Hawking, 65, has said he hopes to travel on British businessman Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic service, which is scheduled to launch in 2009. The service will charge space tourists about $200,000 (about £100,000) for a two-hour suborbital trip some 87 miles (140 kilometers) above the Earth. "Richard is very determined that if we can possibly make this happen, then it should," Virgin Galactic spokesman Stephen Attenborough said."

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