AnalogFile - Slashdot User

ZFS Set To Eventually Play Larger Role in OSX 196

Posted by Zonk on Friday October 05, 2007 @10:44AM from the all-growed-up dept.

BlueMerle writes with the news that Sun's ZFS filesystem is going to see 'rudimentary support' under OSX Leopard. That's a stepping stone to bigger and better things, as the filesystem will eventually play a much larger role in Apple OS versions. AppleInsider reports: "The developer release, those people familiar with the matter say, is a telltale sign that Apple plans further adoption of ZFS under Mac OS X as the operating system matures. It's further believed that ZFS is a candidate to eventually succeed HFS+ as the default operating system for Mac OS X -- an unfulfilled claim already made in regard to Leopard by Sun's chief executive Jonathan Schwartz back in June. Unlike Apple's progression from HFS to HFS+, ZFS is not an incremental improvement to existing technology, but rather a fundamentally new approach to data management. It aims to provide simple administration, transactional semantics, end-to-end data integrity, and immense scalability."

Journal Journal: Mathematicians Map E8

Journal by tacticalware on Tuesday March 20, 2007 @11:35PM

Mathematicians have mapped the inner workings of one of the most complicated structures ever studied: the object known as the exceptional Lie group E8. This achievement is significant both as an advance in basic knowledge and because of the many connections between E8 and other areas, including string theory and geometry. The magnitude of the calculation is staggering: the answer, if written out in tiny print, would cover an area the size of Manhattan. Mathematicians are known for their solitar

Comment Re:I am not too concerned (Score 1) 233

by AnalogFile on Sunday March 04, 2007 @08:28AM (#18225576) Attached to: Blizzard Exposes Detailed WoW Character Data

Aberrant means abnormal, atipical, anomalous. Being emotional for a fictious character is neither. Loosing sigh of reality is aberrant. Being emotional for something that is not real does not imply loosing sight of reality. A lot of people feel emotional for something that is fictional (crying for a movie is a non game related example). This is both normal and tipical.

Actually, not being able to feel emotional for something for the sole reason that it is not real may indicate fear of loosing control of ones emotions.

The RP case is more complex. RP is very much like acting. Good actors learn their character inside out and try as hard as they can to actually think and feel like it during the performace. They struggle to feel the emotions the character is feeling. Sometimes it does happen that they behave like the character for a minute or two after the performance is over. And the same happens to hard core role players. This does not mean they loose sight of reality.

In fact the opposite is true. Since you do not loose contact with reality, you risk reality to "overflow" into the role playing. Succesfully role playing a character that is either similar to you or similar to how you would like to be is extremelly difficult because reality tend to flood in the playing. That's a typical error of many new to RP. That's why the tipical advice is to start off with a character that is deeply different from both you (as you perceive you are) or your fantasized self (as you would like to be). Pick something totally extraneous and that you do not totally like, for your first RP character.

Submission + - VMware attacks Microsoft?

Submitted by on Sunday February 25, 2007 @06:52PM

An anonymous reader writes: On Monday VMWare will release a white paper detailing its concerns with license changes on Microsoft software that may limit the ability to move virtual-machine software around data centers to automate the management of computing work. This was reported by Steve Lohr of the New York Times in an article published on February 24, 2007. Two choice quotes: "Microsoft is looking for any way it can to gain the upper hand," said Diane Greene, the president of VMware. ... "This seems to be a far more subtle, informed and polished form of competitive aggression than we've seen from Microsoft in the past," said Andrew I. Gavil, a law professor at Howard University. "And Microsoft has no obligation to facilitate a competitor."

Journal Journal: The Thank You (Un)license 1

Journal by Daniel Dvorkin on Saturday February 17, 2007 @05:49PM

I've decided that I'm going to release all the software I write on my own under the following:

The Thank You Unlicense
Author: Daniel Dvorkin (2007)

This program (i.e., all program code, libraries, and executables, as well as any accompanying documentation or data) is released under the Thank You Unlicense. This is not, in fact, a software license, because no such licence is needed, as explained below. It may be considered part of the program documentation.

Journal Journal: Saudis to Ban the Letter X? 6

Journal by bettiwettiwoo on Friday February 16, 2007 @11:53PM

According to the New York Sun, the

... letter "X" soon may be banned in Saudi Arabia because it resembles the mother of all banned religious symbols in the oil kingdom: the cross.

Protein Wisdom asks the important questions that immediately arise at the thought of such a move:

Submission + - Macrovision responds to Steve Jobs on DRM

Submitted by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 16, 2007 @09:13PM

An anonymous reader writes: Macrovision Corporation, best known for its long history of DRM implementations, (everything from VCRs to software copy protection), has responded to Steve Jobs open letter regarding DRM. With ample experience and despite the obvious vested interests, it's great to hear their point of view.

In the letter they acknowledge the "difficult challenges" of implementing DRM that is truly "interoperable and open"; but they also feel that DRM "will increase electronic distribution", if implemented properly, because "DRM increases not decreases consumer value", such as by enabling people to "rent" content at a lower price than ownership, and lowering risks for content producers.

While I'm impressed they responded, I can't say I'm impressed by lofty goals that might not be reached for years. The reality is, current DRM implementations often leave users with the bad end of the deal. What do you think? Should people give DRM manufacturers more time to overcome the challenges and get it right?

Submission + - Vista Express Upgrade moving at snail's pace

Submitted by Chester Freeze on Friday February 16, 2007 @01:56PM

Chester Freeze writes: During the holiday season, many shoppers bought PCs with the promise of quick, free Vista upgrades. The reality has been something else entirely: many Dell and HP customers are being told that they won't receive their copies of Vista before April. 'One source at a major OEM who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the real issue is that OEMs are still not sure which PCs are really ready to support Vista, and which PCs aren't... Customers who qualify for an Express Upgrade also qualify for OEM support for Windows Vista, even if their machines came with Windows XP. The last thing a Dell, Gateway, or HP wants to do is start sending out upgrades to customers who might have video cards that do not have particularly stable drivers yet (or sound cards, or RAID controllers, etc.). This could be a support disaster.'

Submission + - War of words over Wikipedia ads continues

Submitted by Willis W. on Friday February 16, 2007 @01:51PM

Willis W. writes: Wikipedia founder Jimbo Wales reiterates his opposition to advertising in response to reports that Wikipedia needs a major cash infusion. Responding to Jason Calacanis' charges that he 'has a fringe, anti-corporate bent to him' that is 'holding Wikipedia back,' Wales says that running ads on Wikipedia is not his decision to make. 'Though he personally dislikes the idea of advertising on Wikipedia, any decision to utilize ads would have to come from the community. At the moment, he won't rule anything out. "I can't say if I would ever support something like that," he tells Ars, "but I can say that I currently maintain the same position I always have: I am opposed to it."'

Submission + - AOL Supports OpenID

Submitted by Nurgled on Thursday February 15, 2007 @08:08AM

Nurgled writes: On Sunday John Panzer announced that AOL now has experimental OpenID server support. This means that every AOL user now has an OpenID identifier. OpenID is a decentralized cross-site authentication system which has been growing in popularity over the last few months. AOL is the first large provider to offer OpenID services, and though they do not currently accept logins to their services with OpenID identifiers from elsewhere, they are apparently working on it. The next big challenge for OpenID proponents is teaching AOL's userbase how to make use of this new technology.

Feed Feb. 15, 1995: Mitnick Arrested (wired.com)

From feed by wiredfeed on Thursday February 15, 2007 @07:12AM

Kevin Mitnick's name is synonymous with hacking. And for good reason. Compiled by Tony Long.

Submission + - Toshiba puts fingerprint readers on cell phones

Submitted by on Wednesday February 14, 2007 @09:18PM

An anonymous reader writes: As if it wasn't enough to have fingerprint scanners on laptops, Toshiba has gone and put them on two of its latest smart phones. The Toshiba G500 and G900 feature fingerprint scanners on the back of the handsets, allowing users to access their phone by simply sliding their finger over the scanner. This is supposed to provide a better level of security than using a code of some sort. Of course it also means that someone is more likely to chop your hand off if they desperately want your data.

Submission + - P2P Virtual Currency Exchange Launches

Submitted by

miller60

on Wednesday February 14, 2007 @09:07PM

miller60 writes: "In the wake of eBay's decision to halt auctions of virtual property, new companies are entering the market to fill the void, including one allowing gamers to trade game currency directly with one another rather than buying from IGE or other exchanges. The company, Sparter, says this eBay-like "peer-to-peer" approach will result in lower prices as sellers compete. It incorporates a reputation system and escrow for gold delivery. Sparter received venture funding from Bessemer Capital, signaling that VCs still see opportunity in the virtual economy, even if eBay doesn't."

Submission + - Charter implements SiteFinder-like DNS

Submitted by paulbiz on Wednesday February 14, 2007 @06:24PM

paulbiz writes: It appears Charter Cable's DNS servers have just started resolving all invalid hostnames and pointing them to their own error page. The about page states "This service automatically eliminates many of the error pages you may encounter as you surf the web. No software was installed on your computer for this service to work." It has an "opt-out" page, but when you "opt-out" it simply sets a cookie that makes their page redirect errors to Microsoft Live Search instead!

Journal Journal: [news] Disturbing verdict 7

Journal by GeckoFood on Wednesday February 14, 2007 @05:48PM

Read this first.

Here's the question: How in the world do you stab someone 24 TIMES in self-defense? And how do you convince a jury of that?

Once I could see. Twice, maybe. 24 times says to me this went well beyond self-defense and right on into murder.

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