Want to read Slashdot from your mobile device? Point it at m.slashdot.org and keep reading!

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror

Comment Re:No. (Score 1) 322

by Richy_T (#31794142) Attached to: All the Best Games May Be NP-Hard

To claim that the human mind is not governed by the laws of physics, that is, the laws which underlie nature, is to claim for the mind a supernatural property. That veers into superstition and mysticism.

Which is not to say that determinism is the way to go. But if the laws of physics as we understand them do not apply, that is a failure in our understanding of physics, not because the human mind is in someway outside of them.

Comment Re:Firefox lite. (Score 5, Insightful) 464

by RanCossack (#31793724) Attached to: Why Mozilla Needs To Go Into Survival Mode

I know. You'd be surprised how many people would love an internet browser that does nothing but display a web page as fast as possible.

Better way of phrasing that starts with 'You'd be surprised how few people..."

Let's face it -- Aurora, Midori, and other browsers that do that have been around for years. People don't use them because they want more their browser to do more.
Earth

Yellowstone Supervolcano Larger Than First Thought 451

Posted by timothy from the even-superer dept.
drewtheman writes "New studies of the plumbing that feeds the Yellowstone supervolcano in Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park shows the plume and the magma chamber under the volcano are larger than first thought and contradicts claims that only shallow hot rock exists. University of Utah research professor of geophysics Robert Smith led four separate studies that verify a plume of hot and molten rock at least 410 miles deep that rises at an angle from the northwest."

Comment Re:pager? (Score 1) 236

by wronzki (#28961087) Attached to: Twitter Faces Patent Infringement Lawsuit
Probably around the same time you realize the abstract is irrelevant and only the claims in the patent matter. The abstract will always be general and sound like something that exists. The specific implementation claimed in the patent may or may not actually be novel, and Twitter may or may not actually be infringing on it. Those are the questions that will be decided in court. It may be that no interpretation of the claims is both expansive enough to include what Twitter does and narrow enough to exclude prior art, but you can't tell that from the abstract.

Comment Incredibly stupid headline (Score 2, Interesting) 229

by wronzki (#22527124) Attached to: Toshiba Paid Off To Drop HD-DVD?
Sony supposedly paid off Toshiba by making Toshiba pay $835 million for production facilities that Sony would still be able to use (as part of the joint venture)? I sure hope Sony never tries to pay me off for anything. Oh, and the deal was made in October (just the price was made public now). And TFA (yes, I read it) never even suggested there was a tie between this and the death of HD-DVD. It mentioned it to provide some context for the companies' current positions but never implied that there was a link.
Input Devices

Submission + - Are keyboards dishwasher safe?

Submitted by i_like_spam
i_like_spam writes: Computer keyboards are a breeding ground for bacteria. Studies have shown that keyboards often contain more bacteria than toilet seats. Common cleaning methods, such as pressurized-air canisters and damp rags, help remove some of the dirt, but they also leave behind plenty of grime. National Public Radio describes a recent experiment by a reporter who used a dishwasher to clean her keyboard. Following the advice on Plastic Bugs, she placed her keyboard in the top rack, didn't use the heated dry cycle, and air dried the keyboard for a week afterwards. Her keyboard is now squeaky clean and functions perfectly. Has anyone else tried this or any other alternate keyboards cleaning methods? For those not willing to air dry for a week, dishwasher-safe keyboards are now available.
Space

Submission + - First ever scramjet reaches Mach 10

Submitted by stjobe
stjobe writes: Sydney Morning Herald reports:

Australian and US scientists successfully launched a supersonic scramjet engine at an Outback test range Friday, as they work on a device that could revolutionise air travel.
The researchers said a rocket carrying the scramjet reached speeds of mach 10 — ten times the speed of sound — after blasting off at the Woomera range in South Australia Friday.
They said it reached an altitude of 530 kilometres (330 miles) before the scramjet was successfully deployed following re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere.
Australia's Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) said it was believed to be the first time a scramjet had been ignited within the Earth's atmosphere.

Google news has many other sources as well.
Television

Submission + - The End of Broadcast TV as We Know It? (popularmechanics.com)

Submitted by mattnyc99
mattnyc99 writes: The DVR revolution is nothing that new—and neither is the Neilsen ratings company's adaptation to it. But Glenn Derene at Popular Mechanics argues that users have officially pushed us into a new era of television, wherein viewers now shape the way that networks make money, which means we'll start to see users control the way the networks choose programming. From the article: "The systemic use of ad ratings as one of the standard metrics for assessing viewership is a sea change, and it's perhaps the sign that as an industry, broadcasters and advertisers are sailing into uncharted waters."
Portables (Apple)

Submission + - Apple Unable to Find iPhone Partner in Europe? (vnunet.com)

Submitted by
pete314
pete314 writes: "A Vnunet.com article claims that European mobile operators are unwilling to concede to Apple iPhone partnership demands. Several operators went as far as to say they "will never offer the iPhone." In the US Verizon has reportedly passed on the device, and AT&T is rumored to have engaged in a revenue sharing deal that includes monthly payments to Cupertino."
Media

YouTube to Host Presidential Debate 180

Posted by Zonk from the bringing-dancing-cats-to-the-world-of-politics dept.
skotte writes "Wired is reporting that July 23 at the Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina, Anderson Cooper will host presidential debates in which debaters are asked 20-30 questions culled from a specially designated section of YouTube, where the voting populace can post questions directly. You and I (assuming you're American, probably) can ask questions ourselves, not just a reporter in a crowd. Candidates won't know which questions they are being asked, and the video selection process will remain a complete secret. Interesting, but also the slightest bit scary."
Microsoft

Submission + - Why Microsoft Won't List Patent Violations

Submitted by
BlueOni0n
BlueOni0n writes: "Earlier today, Microsoft announced it will begin actively seeking reparations for patent infringement by Linux and the Open Source Community in general. One opinion on this issues is that it's fear of having these IP-infringement claims debunked or challenged that's keeping Microsoft from publishing these 235 alleged infringements to the public — and instead waiting until the OS community comes to the bargaining table. But a more optimistic thought is that Microsoft is afraid to list these violations not because it's afraid they're false but because it knows they can be worked-around by the open-source community — leaving Microsoft high & dry without any leverage at all."
Communications

Submission + - Better communication with non-technical people?

Submitted by tinpan
tinpan writes: I've got a communication problem. When non-technical managers ask me to explain technical choices, they often make choices I recommend against and they later regret. I can tell that they do not understand their choice because of how they are explaining things to each other, but they usually refuse further explanation.

So it's time for some education. I want to get better at communicating technical subjects to non-technical people. More accurately, I want to get better at helping non-technical people make better technical decisions and I'm willing to accept it may include some understanding of "selling your idea."

What books, online courses and/or seminars do you recommend and why?
United States

Submission + - Landlines a new symbol of advancing years?

Submitted by
netbuzz
netbuzz writes: "More than a quarter of the under-30 crowd has decided you only need one telephone ... and it sure as heck does not plug into a wall. The trend toward an all-mobile lifestyle is accelerating, too, according to a new survey. And while businesses may be a bit slower on the cell-only uptake, there appears to be little doubt at this point that the traditional landline will be joining rotary dials and party lines as relics of the telecommunications industry.

http://www.networkworld.com/community/?q=node/1512 7"

Slashdot Top Deals

The opossum is a very sophisticated animal. It doesn't even get up until 5 or 6 PM.

Close