Comment CORRECTION (Score 5, Interesting) 371
This was not Qwest. Please +up this post. I cannot get Slashdot to retract.
Comment Re:Qwest (Score 4, Informative) 371
Steve - I replied about half an hour ago. I am unable to retract this from Slashdot.
Comment NOT QWEST AFTER ALL (Score 5, Informative) 371
Turns out this was not Qwest after all, but another ISP in our area. My apologies to Qwest for the error.
Canadian Firm Plans 78-Satellite Net Service 143
matty619 writes "A CNET article is reporting on another try at low earth orbit satellites for internet access, reminiscent of Teledesic, an ill fated $9 billion Bill Gates/Paul Allen et al venture originally consisting of 840 low earth orbit satellites (LEO-SAT). From the article: 'MSCI, which stands for Microsat Systems Canada Inc., is trying to be a bit of a maverick with its project, called CommStellation. The company said today that its approach of using small, inexpensive satellites in low orbit — about 620 miles above the Earth — means better coverage of the world's population, quicker launch, and better network capacity.' Each MSCI satellite has a data-transfer capacity of 12 gigabits per second. The expected lifespan of each is 10 years, and they can be sent back into the atmosphere at the end of their lives to avoid more orbital clutter."
Submission + - Qwest DSL Installation Fail (google.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Here's an example of fine Qwest workmanship. In our business park, they just installed a DSL connection for our neighbors, for which we share an exterior utility space. Setting aside for a moment that they knocked out our fax line, examine the photo gallery (http://picasaweb.google.com/bablakely/QwestFail). To summarize: a DSL modem stuffed in a cardboard box, wrapped in a Wal-Mart bag, sitting outside in what will be below-zero (F) temps, on top of a bank of ten natural gas meters in some of the driest air of the year, plugged into an exposed exterior power outlet above a snowbank, with network cables running around the building, through snowbanks, coupled and protected by ziplock baggies, and into our neighbors office. Not to mention the hack-job of patching the phone cable directly into the demarcation box. Ah, the Spirit of Service. [And if you're wondering — I was told upon calling them that this is not their problem, and I need to contact my primary phone service provider]
Comment Tell them their skills are needed elsewhere (Score 1) 240
Seriously - we have a huge shortage of qualified engineers and scientists, and you want to encourage your students to pursue a career in video game programming? As a graduate of a computer engineering program myself, I've seen scores of students enter into CS and CE programs thinking "I like video games so I'm going to love CS/CE!". This is the same as thinking "I like airplanes, so I'm going to love AerE". It gives them unreasonable expectations. If they really want to be video game programmers, tell them to get a certification from one of the many avenues which provide them. Don't waste their time or the time of professors telling them to go into programs they won't apply themselves to or succeed at.
On the other hand, as country we desperately need more qualified IT, R&D, and academic personnel in the fields of CS and CE. If your students have the potential to succeed at these things, don't waste their time by encouraging the thought that they're going to be the next Blizzard. Show them all of the things they can do if they achieve a degree in CS or CE.
Bookmark 10 really cool university networking labs - Network World (networkworld.com)
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