Comment In the front row... (Score 2) 20
Will Tom Servo and Crow get front row seats? That could backfire.
Comment Its your fault. (Score 5, Insightful) 91
I'm getting my MBA and many of my profs do everything digitally from accepting research papers, to sending out syllabi to arranging meetings via e-mail.
One thing that I have learned, especially when giving a presentation is that if anything goes wrong, its your fault.
Powerpoint doesn't work? Its your fault. Didn't embed that YouTube video correctly? Its your fault. Your laptop can't talk to the projector? Its your fault. The Projector doesn't work? Its your fault.
If you aren't professional enough to have your research paper backed up on a thumbdrive, a second laptop for your group presentation, or even /gasp!/ a paper copy, ITS YOUR OWN DAMN FAULT.
Welcome to being a professional in the 21st century, where using technology is necessary, but knowing what to do when it fails is smart.
One thing that I have learned, especially when giving a presentation is that if anything goes wrong, its your fault.
Powerpoint doesn't work? Its your fault. Didn't embed that YouTube video correctly? Its your fault. Your laptop can't talk to the projector? Its your fault. The Projector doesn't work? Its your fault.
If you aren't professional enough to have your research paper backed up on a thumbdrive, a second laptop for your group presentation, or even
Welcome to being a professional in the 21st century, where using technology is necessary, but knowing what to do when it fails is smart.
Comment Follow Tennessee? (Score 1) 495
I think they're one of the states that have a sign on the back that says, "Frequent stops, do not follow."
Comment Graphene's True Potential - Cat Hammocks (Score 5, Insightful) 345
"According to the Nobel prize committee, a hypothetical one-metre-square hammock of perfect graphene could support a four-kilogram cat - the hammock would weigh 0.77 milligrams, less than a cat's whisker, and would be virtually invisible." - Richard Van Noorden, Nature Magazine
I'm glad that someone is addressing the need for invisible cat hammocks. FINALLY!
I'm glad that someone is addressing the need for invisible cat hammocks. FINALLY!
Comment Its good to know an Atheist (Score 5, Funny) 673
I am a follower of "that Jesus guy" and while I am very skeptical of the prediction, I made sure to ask an atheist friend of mine to feed my cat after I ascend. I mean, it would be pretty dickish of me to leave my cat to starve, wouldn't it? After all, it will only be for 6 months until the complete end of the world.
Comment Hooray for IP laws! (Score 1) 146
I'm so glad that in America our media conglomerates have taken upon themselves the duty to define and police our beloved characters. I shudder to think what would happen in 300 years if Mickey Mouse was allowed to move into public domain. We'd probably have those damn, dirty Canadians trying to say that he lived in Ottawa or something.
Comment Re:ERP? (Score 1) 138
I was afraid ERP meant Erotic Role Playing.
Wish the article would have cleared this up better.
Wish the article would have cleared this up better.
ERP Vendors Get Into Medical Marijuana Business 138
jfruhlinger writes "As medical marijuana is legalized in more and more states, a new market is emerging for ERP applications that can handle this unique business. Many people running medical marijuana dispenseries aren't used to running legitimate businesses and need technical help doing so. In addition, the drug itself is tricky to keep track of; as one vendor puts it, 'there's no other product that is sold by weight that evaporates, dehydrates and [turns into] shake.'"
Facebook's Server Room, Penthouse Cooling Caught On Video 47
1sockchuck writes "We've seen specifications and photos of Facebook's new data center in Oregon. Data Center Knowledge now has video tours of Facebook's server room and cooling system. The tours, conducted by Facebook Director of Datacenter Engineering Jay Park, showcase the Open Compute Project designs for servers, UPS units and two-tier 'penthouse' cooling system design."
Which Comic Character Is the Greatest Engineer? 316
ptorrone writes "From Bruce Wayne to Lex Luthor to Tony Stark — the most popular comic heroes are more than just beefy guys in skin tight suits, they're also business persons, titans of industry and brilliant engineers. While there will always be a lot of debate on who is the strongest or fastest, MAKE has an overview of their 14 top comic book engineers, scientists and hackers."
Utah Repeals Anti-Transparency Law 80
oddjob1244 writes "After enduring two weeks of public fury, Utah lawmakers voted Friday to repeal a bill that would have restricted public access to government records. While Senate President Michael Waddoups accused the media of lobbying on the issue and others blamed the press for biased coverage that turned citizens against them, Sen. Steve Urquhart said bluntly: 'We messed up. It is nobody's fault but ours.'"
Airbus Faces Charges Over 2009 Rio-Paris Crash 187
mayberry42 writes "A French judge filed preliminary manslaughter charges Thursday against Airbus over the 2009 crash of an Air France jet — opening a rare criminal investigation against a corporate powerhouse. The order from Judge Sylvie Zimmerman targeting the European planemaker centers on the June 2009 crash into the Atlantic of an Airbus A330 bound for Paris from Rio de Janeiro, killing all 228 people on board."
Obama Calls For New Privacy Bill of Rights 217
CWmike writes "The Obama Administration is backing a new data privacy bill of rights aimed at protecting consumers against indiscriminate online tracking and data collection by advertisers. In recent times, high-profile examples of a need for improving privacy laws include Facebook's personal data collection practices and Google's problems over its Street View Wi-Fi snooping issue. In testimony prepared for the Senate Committee on Commerce Science and Transportation, the Commerce Department's assistant secretary, Lawrence Strickling, said that the White House wants Congress to enact legislation offering 'baseline consumer data privacy protections.' Strickling said the administration's call for new online privacy protections stems from recommendations made by the Commerce Department in a paper released in December. The administration's support for privacy protections is very significant, said Joel Reidenberg, a professor at Fordham Law School who specializes in privacy issues. 'This is the first time since 1974 that the U.S. government has supported mandatory general privacy rules,' Reidenberg said."
Japan Earthquake May Have Shifted Earth's Axis 253
Zothecula writes "Using a complex model to perform a theoretical calculation based on a US Geological Survey, Richard Gross of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has determined that by changing the distribution of the Earth's mass, the earthquake that devastated Japan last Friday should have sped up the Earth's rotation, resulting in a day that is about 1.8 microseconds (1.8 millionths of a second) shorter."
House Fails To Extend Patriot Act Spy Powers 284
schwit1 writes "The House failed to extend three key expiring provisions of the Patriot Act on Tuesday, elements granting the government broad and nearly unchecked surveillance power on its own public. The failure of the bill, sponsored by Rep. James F. Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis), for the time being is likely to give airtime to competing measures in the Senate that would place limited checks on the act's broad surveillance powers. The White House, meanwhile, said it wanted the expiring measures extended through 2013."
