Comment Re:Any systems depend on a pulse (Score 1) 465
While we're at it, our body systems could continually provide updates via Twitter and Facebook.
Score.
Overclocked Memory Breaks Core i7 CPUs 267
arcticstoat writes "Overclockers looking to bolster their new Nehalem CPUs with overclocked memory may be disappointed. Intel is telling motherboard manufacturers not to encourage people to push the voltage of their DIMMs beyond 1.65V, as anything higher could damage the CPU. This will come as a blow to owners of enthusiast memory, such as Corsair's 2.133MHz DDR3 Dominator RAM, which needs 2V to run at its full speed with 9-9-9-24 timings."
Apple Censors App Store Rejection Notices 477
isBandGeek() writes "After a few reasonable App Store bans, such as the ones on I Am Rich and NetShare, developers started complaining about excessive restrictions on applications like Podcaster and MailWrangler, supposedly because they provided 'duplicate functionality.' In response, Apple rubbed salt in their wounds by slapping non-disclosure agreements on application rejection notices. Now developers are not even allowed to tell their fanbase that Apple decided to withhold approval for an application. Is Apple confident that Google's open platform Android won't be much of a threat?"
Comcast's Throttling Plan Has 'Disconnect User' Option 299
newtley writes "Comcast's new people, not protocols scheme may mean high speed for some, but by no means all. It's also created a draconian 'disconnect' option for use against anyone who fails to toe the Comcast line. But, says Robb Topolski, the Net protocol expert who originally uncovered Comcast's blatant efforts to control its customers, the plan does offer key take-aways, telling P2P users on Comcast how to do what they do without the risk of corporate interference."
Speculation On Large-Scale Phone Location Snooping 234
An anonymous reader recommends a speculative blog entry by Chris Soghoian up on CNet. Soghoian makes a convincing case that the NSA could be using loopholes in the law to gather real-time location information on the mobile phones of millions of people. There is no hard evidence that this is happening, but the blog post sheds light on the dense undergrowth of companies populating the wireless space that could be easy pickings for a National Security Letter with a gag order attached. "While these household names of the telecom industry [AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint] almost certainly helped the government to illegally snoop on their customers, statements by a number of legal experts suggest that collaboration with the NSA may run far deeper into the wireless phone industry. With over 3,000 wireless companies operating in the United States, the majority of industry-aided snooping likely occurs under the radar, with the dirty work being handled by companies that most consumers have never heard of."
Hacking Esquire's E-ink Cover 205
ptorrone writes "I picked up the Esquire E-inked cover today and took a bunch of high res photos, for the makers out there. It has a programming header, 5-pin ISP, a Microchip PIC 12f629 which is flash programmable, 8 pin, 6 lithium coin cell CR2016s, 3 volts each. Two E-ink screens with flex connections — looks like it was made to be reprogrammed and different screens. The top screen has 11 segments, the bottom has 3. It was designed 2008-06-04. The PCB was made by Forewin, half thickness, 2 layer board (FR4). I think someone out there will likely reflash the PIC and make the segments go on / off at different times and perhaps put other displays on it, there's a little bit of hacking to be had but not that much really."
Blu-ray Gone In Five Years, Samsung Claims 554
schliz writes "Samsung expects Sony's Blu-ray technology to be superseded within five years, despite winning the high-definition format war in February." Maybe that means five years from now will be the perfect time to stock up on cheap Blu-ray disks and equipment.
Unsolicited Offer For My Personal Domain Name? 542
Batzerto writes "Last Friday I received an unsolicited email offer for my domain — click the link below for the message. Their company name matches my domain, but with a country-specific top level domain (.NL in this case). They do seem to be legitimately using the domain in their country. As for my usage, the domain is my last name(.COM) and I'm only really using it for email. I'm not really that attached to it other than the hassle of changing email addresses. There are other flavors of the domain available (.US for example) that would suit my purposes just fine. So, Slashdot veterans, I ask you, what should I do? I'm leery of making an offer and falling into someone's legal trap. I wouldn't mind getting a chunk of cash out of the deal though."
Comment Re:Bloody Brilliant Idea (Score 1) 390
I recall from some reading on this case a few more details as well.
McDonald's coffee was known to be hotter than normal. It's actually pretty good coffee, and it's far easier to let your coffee cool for a moment than to warm it more if you like it really hot. At any rate, there had been many (hundreds) of suits filed against McDonald's in the USA for coffee spills. Every one was quietly settled.
Then, this elderly woman receives her cup of coffee, and spills it between her legs in her car. Yes, it is supremely stupid to put a hot coffee between your legs as you drive away. At any rate, she suffered very bad burns to her thighs. Being elderly, she was in the pool of hot coffee longer than a younger person who could have moved away faster. She also required a lot more medical care than someone younger.
She filed suit with McDonald's. McDonald's decided to pursue this lawsuit instead of settling, which was a surprised given the history of settlements for these cases. Perhaps it had a unique property that made it more appealing for pursuit.
The actual awards arising from this case went both ways. From memory, the old woman who spilled the coffee was actually liable for negligence on the order of a couple hundred thousand dollars. However, McDonald's was also held liable for negligence, though I believe for a greater percentage. What swayed the case so heavily in the old woman's favor were the punitive damages. The court awarded her a large sum of punitive damages, as I recall in response to the sudden aggressive pursuit of this case by McDonald's. Of course, multi-million dollar damages awarded made headlines. McDonald's appealed the ruling, but the case didn't receive more significant media coverage. It's entirely possible that the woman settled during the appeal for a smaller amount, realizing that the case could be drawn out long enough for her funeral.
Sorry - no real citations, but nothing is embellished here. It's a tough matter to discuss without all the facts. When you realize the source of the large award (punitive damages, not negligence), and that the woman was in fact held partially liable for the negligence, it's not so black and white.
Metallica May Follow In Footsteps of Radiohead, NIN 673
fireheadca writes "Metallica, once strongly opposed to file-sharing, has hinted at going 'free' in the style of NIN and Radiohead. Having heard success stories about releasing music online, Metallica has decided it wants a piece of the action. Radiohead, as a pioneer of online 'pay what you want' music, has shown the world it is possible to profit by releasing music online, but would not post those profits. NIN, on the other hand, has reported at least $1.6 million in revenue. In hindsight, many people remember Metallica as the band that helped shutdown Napster. I purchased the NIN album, after many years of free downloads of the NIN collection, to help support the band. Would you buy a Metallica online album despite their former views?"
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