Submission + - Dell begins their largest layoff ever. 3
cyphercell writes: Dell has begun their largest series of layoffs ever. This morning at about 10:00am more than two hundred employees at Dell's Roseburg Oregon Call center found out that they no longer had jobs. Sparking what appears to be the beginning of year long run of layoffs for the company.
http://www.newsreview.info/article/20070802/NEWS/7 0802014
Refuting local suspicions of malice Dell spokesman David Frink states:
7 0213020
and later says
Their plans to reduce employment can be found here:
http://www.statesman.com/business/content/business /stories/technology/06/01/1dell.html
Here are some highlights:
Refuting local suspicions of malice Dell spokesman David Frink states:
... the closure has nothing to do with a lawsuit filed by employees of the Roseburg center in February, claiming Dell violated federal and state wage and hour laws.
http://www.newsreview.info/article/20070213/NEWS/and later says
...plans to reduce employment worldwide by 10 percent at the end of May.
Their plans to reduce employment can be found here:
http://www.statesman.com/business/content/busines
Here are some highlights:
Dell set to shed 8,800 workers...
Dell has 82,200 permanent workers, including 18,000 in Central Texas, and 5,300 temporary workers worldwide. The layoffs are expected to affect both groups...
In its last large-scale layoffs, Dell cut more than 5,000 jobs in Austin after the high-tech bust in 2001.
...many of the layoffs could come in Central Texas, where Dell is headquartered. In a March 29 report to clients, Goldman Sachs analysts said Dell might reduce the work force at its test and assembly facilities in the U.S. and Malaysia.
Dell has 82,200 permanent workers, including 18,000 in Central Texas, and 5,300 temporary workers worldwide. The layoffs are expected to affect both groups...
In its last large-scale layoffs, Dell cut more than 5,000 jobs in Austin after the high-tech bust in 2001.
...many of the layoffs could come in Central Texas, where Dell is headquartered. In a March 29 report to clients, Goldman Sachs analysts said Dell might reduce the work force at its test and assembly facilities in the U.S. and Malaysia.
Submission + - Morality and Domain Ownership (holyjuan.com) 3
HolyJuan writes: "I got laid off a few weeks ago. A year ago, when I still had a job, I mentioned to my boss that our company should buy its "actual" domain name. His current domain name was shortened version of the company name. He thought that was a great idea and would think about it. I sent him reminder e-mails. I talked to him again in person. Nothing came of it.
So I bought it myself and politely forwarded the traffic to the company's webpage.
Now they have laid me off and I'm wondering what I should do with the domain. http://www.holyjuan.com/2007/07/i-own-my-ex-compan ys-domain-name-what.html"
Submission + - Java Technology: Asserting architectural soundness (ibm.com)
BlueVoodoo writes: "Paul Duvall returns from his hiatus in this installment of Automation for the People to demonstrate how you can discover architectural deviations by writing tests using JUnit, JDepend, and Ant to discover problems proactively instead of long after the fact."
Submission + - Texts Rasterization Exposures
An anonymous reader writes: Maxim Shemanarev (author of AGG) has written an interesting article about the different techniques used by different platforms/libraries for rendering fonts using different kind of hinting. He also has an idea on what should be the best way for rendering fonts and I have to say it looks really nice.
Submission + - Simpson's Premier Town Announced
Nigel Stepp writes: It has recently been announced that the winner of the Simpson's Springfield Contest is Springfield, VT.
I don't necessary think this means Springfield, VT is the "official" Springfield. What it does mean, however, is that the movie will premier there on July 27th.
The Illinois Springfield suggested that the competition "Eat my shorts", however, it looks like other shorts will be eaten instead.
I don't necessary think this means Springfield, VT is the "official" Springfield. What it does mean, however, is that the movie will premier there on July 27th.
The Illinois Springfield suggested that the competition "Eat my shorts", however, it looks like other shorts will be eaten instead.
Submission + - Will Google challenge Blockbuster? (networkworld.com)
jbrodkin writes: "Google's already gotten into video and voice messaging, is developing products for television, and this week announced it will purchase another security vendor. It all raises the question: is there any business Google won't get into? IDC Analyst Karsten Weide predicts Google might start renting out videos, Blockbuster-style, because copyright issues surrounding YouTube could scare advertisers. What else might be in Google's future? How about a Google radio or GPS device?
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/071007-googl e-limits.html"
Submission + - Carbonite says iPods are write-only!
KD4DCY writes: "Online backup service Carbonite, in recent dramatization-style advertisements on XM Satellite Radio, now claims that iPods are not viable for music backup because it's impossible to copy music from iPod to PC. In fact, they go so far as to state that if the computer crashes, you can "never get that music back!" Who knew? Not me, since I've done that very thing dozens of times using readily available software tools..."
Submission + - Bigelow Plans Second Inflatable Craft
vparkash writes: "After the big success of Bigelow aerospace's Genesis-1 inflatable spacecraft that was sent into orbit last year, it now plans to put a second version called "Genesis-2". Bigelow claims that Genesis-2 would be an improved version viz. its communications technologies, spacecraft stablization, and safety features
More information on their website
http://www.bigelowaerospace.com/out_there/genesis_ II_difference.php"
Submission + - RIAA Adds More Colleges to Hit List
NewYorkCountryLawyer writes: "The RIAA has sent 405 more blackmail letters, adding to its hitlist an additional 23 universities, including Boston University (50 pre-litigation settlement letters), Columbia University (20), Dartmouth College (11), DePaul University (18), Drexel University (20), Ferris State University (17), Ithaca College(20), Purdue University (38), University of California — Berkeley (19), University of California — Los Angeles (21), University of California — Santa Cruz (17), University of Maine system (27), University of Nebraska — Lincoln (25), University of Wisconsin system (66, including the following individual campuses: Eau Claire, Madison, Milwaukee, Parkside, Platteville, Stevens Point, Stout, and Whitewater), Vanderbilt University (20), and Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (16). This follows on the heels of the offensive it launched last month targeting 400 students at 13 institutions."
Submission + - Organism Survives 100 Million Years Without Sex
zyl0x writes: The Times has an interesting article online on the discovery of a 100-million-year-old micro-organism which as survived its entire lifespan without sex. From the article:
I'm not too sure about these bdelloid's, but I doubt any human being could last the first 100 years.A tiny creature that has not had sex for 100 million years has overturned the theory that animals need to mate to create variety. Analysis of the jaw shapes of bdelloid rotifers, combined with genetic data, revealed that the animals have diversified under pressure of natural selection. Researchers say that their study "refutes the idea that sex is necessary for diversification into evolutionary species".
Submission + - Spy satellites real time trackable
n2yo writes: "An interesting article has been posted on some Chinese web sites. Basically, the Japanese media reported that the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) are broadcasting some sensitive satellite tracking data including 2 Japanaese optical spy satellites. The article translated in English via Google can be seen here:
http://translate.google.com/translate?sourceid=nav client&hl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Frd.trafic.ro%2F%3Fu%3D war.163.com%252F07%252F0320%252F08%252F3A116HMM000 11232.html
On other hand this AJAX based real time satellite tracking web site is very interesting too."
