thegameiam - Slashdot User

Submission + - Microsoft plans attacks on small customers

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 29, 2007 @12:39PM

An anonymous reader writes: PC Advisor reports http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/index.cfm?newsid=8 235 that Microsoft is going to start getting tough with its UK customers. It is going to examine its small customer licence database — any discrepancies and it will call you for an audit. If you refuse it will send in the BSA and the legal heavies. Forced with a full licence cost, many small businesses may go to the wall. Is this another gift for the small business Linux community? And how can we make small companies aware before it's too late?

Submission + - DOPA returns from the dead

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 29, 2007 @12:39PM

An anonymous reader writes: Perhaps it was a little premature to write an obituary for the Delete Online Predators Act (DOPA), as senator Ted "the Internet's a bunch of tubes" Stevens has proposed the new Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act which has a rather DOPA-esque ring to it, and would essentially ban the use of social software — such as blogs, wikis, and social networks — in schools and libraries which receive federal funding.

Submission + - Spyware Coming to a Mac Near You

Submitted by Clarke on Monday January 29, 2007 @12:21PM

Clarke writes: Is spyware really coming to Macs? With programs like MacScan offering anti-spyware solutions and free updated definitions is this a sign Macs getting more attention? I've seen many more keyloggers and even proof of concepts for privledge escalation. With the month of apple bugs there is proof security is a concern but how much should we care?

On Electricity (Generation) 330

Posted by Hemos on Monday January 29, 2007 @11:54AM from the looking-at-tomorrow dept.

Engineer-Poet wrote a piece a few months back that focuses on electricity production; or rather how or what we will need to do to keep pace with people's demands while balancing that with environmental and economic impact. Lengthy but well-reasoned and good reading.

Submission + - SCO Admitting the End My Be Near?

Submitted by

inetsee

on Monday January 29, 2007 @11:46AM

inetsee writes: "According to Groklaw, SCO has admitted in a 10K filing that if the court grants any or all of IBM's six motions for summary judgement, 'We can not guarantee whether our claims against IBM or Novell will be heard by a jury.'"

Submission + - Greatest Battle Cry

Submitted by Slightly Askew on Monday January 29, 2007 @11:07AM

Slightly Askew writes: Wolverines!
They may take our lives...
Tora Tora Tora!
Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!
Spoooon!
Leeroy Jenkins!
Neeeeeeeeeal!!!

Submission + - Online BS degrees

Submitted by on Monday January 29, 2007 @10:30AM

An anonymous reader writes: I'm currently attending DeVry University. I'm taking all of my classes online. DeVry is pretty expensive. I'm wondering how valuable my CIS degree from DeVry will be. Do any of you have a degree from DeVry? Is it a rip-off? I currently have a 4.0 GPA, and I feel that I'm learning a lot. I just want to know how seriously people will take the degree I'm spending $58K on.

Submission + - Verizon Rejected iPhone Deal

Submitted by

SnowDog74

on Monday January 29, 2007 @09:33AM

SnowDog74 writes: "According to an article in USA Today, Verizon Wireless apparently rejected an Apple deal. The article suggests that Verizon wasn't particularly happy with the strict terms Apple wanted. What's perhaps most interesting, however, about this story is the implication from sources that say Cingular's exclusive deal is within the United States only. If this is true, it undermines some of the criticism Apple's been receiving for their business strategy surrounding the iPhone, given the size of the cell phone market outside the United States."

Submission + - Share antiviral drugs to contain flu pandemic

Submitted by on Tuesday January 23, 2007 @04:02PM

An anonymous reader writes: A piece in the Indianapolis Star reports on a study that shows that the sharing of antiviral drugs among coutries is the most effective containment strategy for a global flu pandemic. The study, based on massive computer simulations of epidemic spreading models coupled with airline travel data, suggests that rich coutries would serve their own best interests by sharing their stockpiles with third-world countries.

Submission + - Over One Fifth of Windows Installs Non-Genuine?

Submitted by

snib

on Tuesday January 23, 2007 @03:24PM

snib writes: "Microsoft disclosed Monday that, according to reports collected by the notorious Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) tool on millions of users' PCs, 22% of all Windows installs do not pass its validation tests and have therefore been deemed non-genuine. From the article: 'Since WGA launched in July 2005, over 512 million users have attempted to validate their copy of Windows, Microsoft said. Of those, the non-genuine rate was 22.3 percent. 56,000 reports have been made by customers of counterfeit software, which grants that user a free replacement copy of Windows.'"

Submission + - Is Online Choice Not Only Good But Profitable Too?

Submitted by jg21 on Tuesday January 23, 2007 @03:18PM

jg21 writes: In what he calls "the old TV world", blogging venture capitalist Sim Simeonov notes that 'consumer choice == less money' since you'd make the most money if you could just turn all the TVs on in every household, tie people to their couches and prop their eyelids open. But in the age of Web 2.0 and user-generated content, the game has changed. Simeonov instances the upcoming site Flip, aimed at teenage girls, in which the girls themselves can apparently decide which brands' ads will appear during the setup phase. Seems like the long-awaited (dreaded?) future of online ads that target at the level of the individual consumer has finally arrived. In other words, nowadays 'consumer choice == more money'! [From the article: "To online businesses — both the majors and those serving niche content — choice is good and the Net's ability to support infinitely many discoverable 'channels' is the key enabler for segmenting the audience into ever smaller, better targeted, more engaged, higher margin groups."]

Submission + - Americans spend more time with PC than spouse

Submitted by

TheCybernator

on Tuesday January 23, 2007 @02:15PM

TheCybernator writes: "While one may argue that a computer doesn't talk back, disagree, or rub one the wrong way as we're sure just about everyone's spouse / SO definitely can, you must have somehow avoided the BSOD, kernel error, 404, clicking HDD, invalid drivers, and the host of other "cyber stresses" that can elicit all sorts of rage and frustration. A recent survey conducted by Kelton Research discovered that a majority of Americans (52-percent) said their "most recent experience with a computer problem provoked emotions such as anger, sadness or alienation," yet a whopping 65-percent of these same folks spend more time with their beloved computer than their own spouse. Adding even more fuel to the computer addict fire, 84-percent of responders stated that they were "more dependent on their home computer now than they were just three years ago." Interestingly enough, rather than founding some sort of rehab facility to coax folks away from the keyboard and back into reality, SupportSoft is looking to provide loving, caring advice to help folks suffering from "cyber stress" solve their PC troubles without tearing down the house. Essentially, the service actually encourages folks glued to their computer to stay that way, as the new startup looks to provide answers to the issues that could eventually run even the most loyal computer user back to their oft forgotten spouse, but the company does insinuate that by solving PC quandaries, folks will have more time to spend when the ones they love. Nevertheless, we can't say these figures are entirely shocking, especially when you consider that folks would take an iPod over booze and nearly anything trendy for an SO.

http://ideo.engadget.com/2007/01/23/shocker-americ ans-spend-more-time-with-pc-than-spouse/"

Submission + - 802.11n Closer To Approval

Submitted by

trogdor8667

on Tuesday January 23, 2007 @02:12PM

trogdor8667 writes: "Infoworld reports that the draft N version of 802.11 has come a step closer to approval. The working group has approved the current specs as version 1.10, and is expected to release version 2 before March. As of now, all pre-N devices will still work once the draft is finalized, which is expected to be in October of 2008."

Submission + - Harvard Study: Nicotine Is Increasing

Submitted by freshmoon7 on Tuesday January 23, 2007 @01:12PM

freshmoon7 writes: Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health say they have confirmed a study by the state that found nicotine levels in cigarettes increased from 1997 until 2005 The analysis, based on data submitted to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health by cigarette manufacturers, found that increases in smoke nicotine yield per cigarette averaged 1.6 percent each year, for a total of about 11 percent over a seven-year period

Feed Hacking the Human Life Span (wired.com)

From feed by wiredfeed on Tuesday January 23, 2007 @01:12PM

Resveratrol, a compound found in grape skin and red wine, is the latest tool in the kit for many highly educated professionals who believe they can increase longevity by changing their body chemistry. By Brandon Keim.

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