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Open Source

Linux 2.6.37 Released 135

Posted by samzenpus from the new-and-improved dept.
diegocg writes "Version 2.6.37 of the Linux kernel has been released. This version includes SMP scalability improvements for Ext4 and XFS, the removal of the Big Kernel Lock, support for per-cgroup IO throttling, a networking block device based on top of the Ceph clustered filesystem, several Btrfs improvements, more efficient static probes, perf support to probe modules, LZO compression in the hibernation image, PPP over IPv4 support, several networking microoptimizations and many other small changes, improvements and new drivers for devices like the Brocade BNA 10GB ethernet, Topcliff PCH gigabit, Atheros CARL9170, Atheros AR6003 and RealTek RTL8712U. The fanotify API has also been enabled. See the full changelog for more details."
Real Time Strategy (Games)

StarCraft II Closed Beta Begins 268

Posted by Soulskill from the rush-starts-now dept.
Blizzard announced today that the multiplayer beta test for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty is now underway. The client downloader is available through Battle.net for people who have received invites, and the system requirements have been posted as well. A list of known issues is up on the official forums. StarCraft II and the revamped Battle.net are planned for release "in the first half of 2010."

Comment Re:Glasses breaks the deal for me (Score 3, Insightful) 143

by tgzuke (#29394297) Attached to: Panasonic 3D TV Does Not Disappoint

I dunno, I wear sunglasses when driving, safety glasses at work, goggles when swimming, and plenty of people wear glasses when reading, if not all the time. I don't see how wearing glasses when watching TV is really any less convenient than all the other things I wear them for, if it means I get a 3D TV sooner, rather than later.

Plus, I already wear a silly headset when playing Xbox. You could pretty much put my head in a fishbowl if that made anything cooler, I'm not trying to impress anyone in my living room. -Taylor

Yeah, but I'm not usually trying to multitask while wearing swimming goggles, and eyeglasses don't get in the way of doing other things. Like most people, if I'm watching TV, I'm also doing other activities: cooking, browsing the Internet on my laptop, etc. So long as these 3D glasses interfere with my normal vision, they won't be a part of my entertainment system.
Businesses

Where Have You Gone, Bell Labs? 552

Posted by Soulskill from the i'm-guessing-china dept.
theodp writes "Name an industry that can produce 1 million new, high-paying jobs over the next three years, challenges BusinessWeek. You can't, because there isn't one. And that's the problem. So what's the answer? Basic research can repair the broken US business model, argues BW, saying it's the key to new, high-quality job creation. Scientific research legends like Bell Labs, Sarnoff Corp, and Xerox PARC are essentially gone, or shadows of their former selves. And while IBM, Microsoft, and HP collectively spend $17B a year on R&D, only 3%-5% of that is for basic science. In a post-9/11 world, DARPA's mission has shifted from science to tactical projects with short-term military applications. Cutting back on investment in basic science research may make great sense in the short term, but as corporations and government make the same decision to free-ride off the investments of others, society suffers the 'tragedy of the commons,' wherein multiple actors operating in their self-interest do harm to the overall public good. We've reached that point, says BW, and we're just beginning to see the consequences. The cycle needs to be reversed, and it needs to be done quickly."
Robotics

High-Speed Robot Hand Shows Dexterity and Speed 133

Posted by kdawson from the think-fast dept.
An anonymous reader tips a blog posting that begins "A few blogs are passing around videos of the Ishikawa Komuro Lab's high-speed robot hand performing impressive acts of dexterity and skillful manipulation. However, the video being passed around is slight on details. Meanwhile, their video presentation at ICRA 2009 (which took place in May in Kobe, Japan) has an informative narration and demonstrates additional capabilities. ... [It] shows the manipulator dribbling a ping-pong ball, spinning a pen, throwing a ball, tying knots, grasping a grain of rice with tweezers, and tossing / re-grasping a cellphone!"
Patents

Twitter Faces Patent Infringement Lawsuit 236

Posted by Soulskill from the stupid-but-predictable dept.
Digital Dan writes "Twitter is being sued for patent infringement. Surprised? OK, probably not, but you'd think the plaintiff would at least wait for Twitter to actually make money before striking. According to TechCrunch: 'Twitter is being sued ... by TechRadium, a Texas-based technology company which makes mass notification systems for public safety organizations, the military, and utilities.' The abstract to patent #7130389 describes it: 'A digital notification and response system utilizes an administrator interface to transmit a message from an administrator to a user contact device. The system comprises a dynamic information database that includes user contact data, priority information, and response data. The administrator initiates distribution of the message based upon grouping information, priority information, and the priority order.' Two other patents are involved as well."

Comment Old Knowledge (Score 2, Interesting) 288

by tgzuke (#28463845) Attached to: Need a Favor? Talk To My Right Ear
Right-ear advantage has been well-studied before (see Wikipedia's page on dichotic listening tests for details). I remember it being presented as fact in my intro linguistics course 10 years ago. I recall that class also noting, however, that people who learn tonal languages such as Mandarin as a first language have a left-ear advantage instead [citation needed].

Comment Re:Legalize it? (Score 1) 572

by tgzuke (#28436199) Attached to: US Open Government Initiative Enters Phase Three
Calling it an herbal supplement seems disingenuous. Just because it grows in nature doesn't make it safe, nor smart to leave unregulated. Coca leaves, opium poppies, tobacco, a psilocybin mushrooms are not, by common usage, herbal remedies, and by extension, neither is marijuana. Herbal supplements face less stringent requirements because they are not drugs, nor are they (in general) precursors to drugs. I'm all for legalization, but I am also for measures of control and regulation, the same as tobacco and alcohol consumption. THC is a drug, one that significantly impairs judgment, and it deserves more respect than comparing it with placebos like Ginkgo biloba and echinacea.

Comment Re:159357 popular with lefties? (Score 2, Interesting) 299

by tgzuke (#26766031) Attached to: Passwords From PHPBB Attack Analyzed
I disagree. I'm left-handed, and my mouse is on the left side. My work (like most others, I'm guessing) has ambidextrous mice, and I use a Razer mouse at home. I just suffer when I find an ergonomic one in the wild, but that's no different than encountering any right-handed device, like can openers or power tools.
The Military

Scientists Closer To Invisibility Cloak 308

Posted by timothy from the excellent-for-parties dept.
Aviran was one of many readers to submit news of a just-announced development in the ongoing quest to develop a working invisibility cloak, writing: "Scientists say they are a step closer to developing materials that could render people and objects invisible. Researchers have demonstrated for the first time they were able to cloak three-dimensional objects using artificially engineered materials that redirect light around the objects. Previously, they only have been able to cloak very thin two-dimensional objects" Reader bensafrickingenius adds a link to coverage at the Times Online, and notes that "the world's two leading scientific journals, Science and Nature, are expected to report the results this week." Tjeerd adds a link to a Reuters' story carried by Scientific American.
Robotics

Giving Avatars Real Bodies 88

Posted by Zonk from the not-sponsored-by-ubisoft dept.
trogador writes "Researchers are working to associate online avatars with physical bodies, connecting virtual reality robots with steel and software counterparts. The unification of software and mobility like this results in the so-called 'Ubibot' (ubiquitous robot), which the researchers predict is the future of interactive robotics. In the future, avatars on your pc/cell/pda screen may be able to bring you your tea or scratch your back. 'Two key components of the interface involve the sensor mapper and behavior mapper. The sensor mapper helps Rity get physical (ultrasound) sensor information from Mybot, enabling the virtual avatar to use physical information. The behavior mapper helps Rity actually perform physical behaviors using Mybot in a real environment, enabling the avatar to interact physically with human beings in real environments.'"

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