The Breach Stops Here!
Learn how Fixed Disk Encryption can help secure data at rest
and reduce the chances of data reaching the wrong eyes. Examine
the first data center disk encryption solution based on the TCG
industry security protocol.
http://p.sf.net/sfu/desktopithub
======================================================================
Slashdot Daily Newsletter
In this issue:
* Attractive Women Make Men Temporarily Stupid
* Open Source Camera For Computational Photography
* AMC Releasing a New "The Prisoner" In November
* The Design Failures That Led To <em>Rock Band</em>
* Hosting Data-Transfer Quotas Are Fading Out
* Musicians Oppose Anti-Piracy Measures In the UK
* Intel's Braidwood Could Crush SSD Market
* MPAA Pushes Once Again To Close the Analog Hole
* "Overwhelming" Evidence For Magnetic Monopoles
* Google To Host International SVG Conference
* Doctorow On What Cloud Computing Is Really For
* How a Team of Geeks Cracked the Spy Trade
* Schooling, Homeschooling, and Now, "Unschooling"
* Steve Ballmer Directing "House Party 7"
* New Zealander Invents Segway Alternative
* Symantec Wants To Use Victims To Hunt Computer Criminals
* Mixing Coal and Solar To Produce Cheaper Energy
* New England Prep School Library Goes Entirely Digital
* Appropriate Interviewing For a Worldwide Search?
* How 136 People Became 7 Million Illegal File-Sharers
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Attractive Women Make Men Temporarily Stupid |
| from the irreproducible-results dept. |
| posted by kdawson on Thursday September 03, @20:05 (Biotech) |
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/09/09/03/2330224/Attractive-Women-Make-Men-Temporarily-S|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
[0]Ponca City, We love you writes "The Telegraph reports that men who
spend even a few minutes in the company of an attractive woman [1]perform
less well in tests designed to measure brain function than those who chat
to someone they do not find attractive. This leads to speculation that
men use up so much of their brain function or 'cognitive resources'
trying to impress beautiful women, they have little left for other tasks.
Psychologists at Radboud University in The Netherlands carried out the
study after one of them was so struck on impressing an attractive woman
he had never met before, that he could not remember his address when she
asked him where he lived. Researchers recruited 40 male heterosexual
students and had each one perform a standard memory test. The volunteers
then spent seven minutes chatting to male or female members of the
research team before repeating the test. The results showed that men were
slower and less accurate after trying to impress the women. The more they
fancied them, the worse their score."
Discuss this story at:
http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/03/2330224
Links:
0. http://poncacityweloveyou.com/
1. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6132718/Men-lose-their-minds-speaking-to-pretty-women.html
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Open Source Camera For Computational Photography |
| from the let-i-range-from-1-to-100-while-saying-cheese dept. |
| posted by kdawson on Thursday September 03, @22:03 (Graphics) |
| https://news.slashdot.org/story/09/09/04/0022228/Open-Source-Camera-For-Computational-Photo|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
[0]David Orenstein writes "Stanford Computer Science researchers are
developing Frankencamera, an [1]open source, fully programmable and
finely tunable camera that will allow computational photography
researchers and enthusiasts to develop and test new ideas and
applications ��� no longer limited by the features a camera manufacturer
sees fit to supply. Disclosure: The submitter is a science writer for
Stanford and wrote the linked article."
Discuss this story at:
http://news.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/04/0022228
Links:
0. mailto:davidjo@stanford.edu
1. http://news.stanford.edu/news/2009/august31/levoy-opensource-camera-090109.html
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| AMC Releasing a New "The Prisoner" In November |
| from the that's-number-six-to-you dept. |
| posted by kdawson on Friday September 04, @00:03 (Sci-Fi) |
| https://entertainment.slashdot.org/story/09/09/04/0054218/AMC-Releasing-a-New-The-Prisoner-|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
[0]DynaSoar writes "[1]The Prisoner is one of the most influential and
enduring TV shows to have appeared during the 1960s. This single-season
(1967-68), 17-episode series, starring its co-writing, co-directing
executive producer [2]Patrick McGoohan, maintains a steady fan base and
gains more with each syndication re-release. For over 40 years there have
been announced intentions and projects to resurrect this surreal
psychodrama combining science fiction, allegory, and spy thriller in a
new series or movie (but always without McGoohan, who adamantly refused,
saying 'he'd done it'). Finally, since December 2008 a remake has been
[3]in the can. In November 2009, AMC will begin airing [4]an original
six-part mini-series of The Prisoner starring James Caviezal as the spy
who resigns only to find himself abducted and transported to 'The
Village,' where he is renamed (or rather renumbered) Number Six, and
where the minds behind his incarceration attempt to pry and/or trick
secrets from his brain. Chief among those minds is the visible face of
the administration, Number Two, played by Ian McKellen. Unlike the
original, with a new Number Two in each episode, McKellen appears
throughout. To promote the upcoming release, AMC is presenting (along
with a ton of 'additional material') the entire original 17 episodes,
free for the streaming."
Discuss this story at:
http://entertainment.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/04/0054218
Links:
0. mailto:drmcclainphd@gmail.com
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prisoner
2. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001526/
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prisoner_(2009_TV_miniseries)
4. http://www.amctv.com/originals/the-prisoner/
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| The Design Failures That Led To <em>Rock Band</em> |
| from the still-waiting-on-bagpipe-hero dept. |
| posted by Soulskill on Friday September 04, @01:20 (Music) |
| https://games.slashdot.org/story/09/09/04/0329241/The-Design-Failures-That-Led-To-Rock-Band|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
CNN is running an interview with Eran Egozy and Alex Rigopulos, founders
of Harmonix, about the long road that eventually [0]led them to the
creation of Guitar Hero and Rock Band . It wasn't an quick or easy
process, and the two worked on a number of unsuccessful concepts before
arriving at the games that redefined a genre. Quoting: "I was watching
people interact with our product, and the realization came crashing down
on me ��� we had spent 18 months on a music system that was fundamentally
flawed. Karaoke isn't about personal expression. It's about people
reproducing the songs they know as accurately as they can. The whole
notion of adding improvisation elements just wasn't connecting. So I
retreated to my hotel room and was depressed for the next two days. The
company was on the rocks. We had zero revenue. We had been trying for
four years to make something work. We were out of ideas. Those first four
years had been a graveyard of mis-starts and product concepts that never
made it anywhere. Worse, there was adequate information about two years
into those four years to realize that our big concept was fatally
flawed."
Discuss this story at:
http://games.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/04/0329241
Links:
0. http://money.cnn.com/2009/09/03/smallbusiness/harmonix_rock_band_startup_story/index.htm?
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Hosting Data-Transfer Quotas Are Fading Out |
| from the unmetered-is-not-unlimited dept. |
| posted by kdawson on Friday September 04, @02:47 (Businesses) |
| https://tech.slashdot.org/story/09/09/04/0116259/Hosting-Data-Transfer-Quotas-Are-Fading-Ou|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
[0]miller60 writes "One of the largest Web hosts has [1]scrapped data
transfer quotas on all its shared hosting plans, retiring one of the
oldest metrics in the hosting industry. With its latest move, 1&1
Internet has gone all-in on 'unlimited' hosting, a controversial practice
viewed by many as a gimmick that promises more than it can deliver. Yahoo
and Go Daddy have also experimented with unlimited plans, as the shared
hosting sector responds to a tough economy, tough competition, and
predictions that it will be [2]made obsolete by cloud computing."
Discuss this story at:
http://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/04/0116259
Links:
0. http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/
1. http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2009/09/03/11-goes-unlimited-with-hosting-bandwidth/
2. http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2009/08/17/rackspace-shared-hosting-on-borrowed-time/
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Musicians Oppose Anti-Piracy Measures In the UK |
| from the let-it-be dept. |
| posted by kdawson on Friday September 04, @05:33 (Music) |
| https://yro.slashdot.org/story/09/09/04/0127241/Musicians-Oppose-Anti-Piracy-Measures-In-th|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
[0]BluePeppers writes "The Guardian has a story, primarily about a deal
that allows YouTube to broadcast music videos again, but also covering a
[1]coalition of artist unions that are opposing new legislation in the UK
that would punish file sharers more severely. From the article: 'A
coalition of bodies representing a range of stars including Sir Paul
McCartney, Sir Elton John, and Damon Albarn attacks the proposals as
expensive, illogical and "extraordinarily negative." The Featured Artists
Coalition, the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, and
the Music Producers Guild have joined forces to oppose the proposals to
reintroduce the threat of disconnection for persistent file sharers,
which was ruled out in the government's Digital Britain report in June.""
Discuss this story at:
http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/04/0127241
Links:
0. mailto:bluepeppers@archlinux.us
1. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/sep/03/youtube-prs-deal-file-sharing
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Intel's Braidwood Could Crush SSD Market |
| from the if-only-they-could-make-it-rotate dept. |
| posted by kdawson on Friday September 04, @08:16 (Data Storage) |
| https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/09/04/0146224/Intels-Braidwood-Could-Crush-SSD-Marke|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
[0]Lucas123 writes "Intel is planning to launch its native flash memory
module, code named Braidwood, in the first or second quarter of 2010. The
inexpensive NAND flash will reside directly on a computer's motherboard
as cache for all I/O and it will offer performance increases and other
benefits similar to that of adding a solid-state disk drive to the
system. A new report states that by achieving SSD performance without the
high cost, [1]Braidwood will essentially erode the SSD market, which,
ironically, includes Intel's two popular SSD models. 'Intel has got a
very good [SSD] product. But, they view additional layers of NAND
technology in PCs as inevitable. They don't think SSDs are likely to take
over 100% of the PC market, but they do think Braidwood could find itself
in 100% of PCs,' the report's author said."
Discuss this story at:
http://hardware.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/04/0146224
Links:
0. http://www.computerworld.com/
1. http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9137489/Report_Intel_s_Braidwood_flash_memory_module_could_kill_SSD_market
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| MPAA Pushes Once Again To Close the Analog Hole |
| from the encrypted-pipe-to-your-eardrum dept. |
| posted by kdawson on Friday September 04, @09:05 (Television) |
| https://yro.slashdot.org/story/09/09/04/1156247/MPAA-Pushes-Once-Again-To-Close-the-Analog-|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Tyler Too writes "The MPAA is once again trying to [0]badger the FCC into
approving Selectable Output Control, which would plug the 'analog hole'
during broadcasts of some prerelease HD movies. MPAA bigshots met with
seven staffers from the FCC Media Bureau last week, calling the petition
a 'pro-consumer' (!) move designed to 'enable movie studios to offer
millions of Americans in-home access to high-value, high definition video
content.' At least the studios are now acknowledging that SOC would break
the functionality of some HDTVs, an admission they were previously
unwilling to make: 'What's interesting about the group's latest filing,
however, is that it effectively concedes that the output changes it wants
could, in fact, hobble some home video systems. "The vast majority of
consumers would not have to purchase new devices to receive the new,
high-value content contemplated by MPAA's" request, the group assures the
FCC.'"
Discuss this story at:
http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/04/1156247
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| "Overwhelming" Evidence For Magnetic Monopoles |
| from the go-north-young-man-and-keep-on-going dept. |
| posted by kdawson on Friday September 04, @09:55 (Science) |
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/09/09/04/1226227/Overwhelming-Evidence-For-Magnetic-Mono|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Thorfinn.au sends along big physics news: [0]magnetic monopoles have been
detected at low temperatures in "Dirac strings" within a single crystal
of Dysprosium Titanate. Two papers are being published today in the
journal Science and two more on arXiv.org, as yet unpublished, provide
[1]further [2]evidence. "Theoretical work had shown that monopoles
probably exist, and they have been measured indirectly. But the Science
papers are the first direct experiments to record the monopole's effects
on the spin-ice material. The papers use neutrons to detect atoms in the
crystal aligned into long daisy chains. These daisy chains tie each north
and south monopole together. Known as 'Dirac strings,' the chains, as
well as the existence of monopoles, were predicted in the 1930s by the
British theoretical physicist Paul Dirac. Heat measurements in one paper
also support the monopole argument. The two, as yet unpublished, papers
on arXiv add to the evidence. The first provides additional observations,
and the second uses a new technique to determine the magnetic charge of
each monopole to be 4.6x10-13 joules per tesla metre. All together, the
evidence for magnetic monopoles 'is now overwhelming,' says Steve
Bramwell, a materials scientist at University College London and author
on one of the Science papers and one of the arXiv papers."
Discuss this story at:
http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/04/1226227
Links:
0. http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090903/full/news.2009.881.html
1. http://arxiv.org/abs/0908.3568v2
2. http://arxiv.org/abs/0907.0956
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Google To Host International SVG Conference |
| from the open-standards-rule dept. |
| posted by kdawson on Friday September 04, @10:46 (Google) |
| https://developers.slashdot.org/story/09/09/04/1355216/Google-To-Host-International-SVG-Con|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
[0]stelt writes "On Oct.2���4 Google will host the international conference
on Scalable Vector Graphics at its campus in Mountain View, California.
The [1]SVG Open conference schedule shows developers and designers of
various backgrounds. Major brands, open source projects, universities,
and individuals are presenting on a variety of subjects like interactive
scientific visualizations, mobile web animation art, internationalization
and localization in print, geo-systems, etc. A couple of weeks back we
discussed [2]Google's adding SVG support to IE, and details of this
project will be presented during the keynote 'SVG in Internet Explorer
and at Google.'" Early-bird registration has already ended for this
conference, but the [3]pricing is not steep.
Discuss this story at:
http://developers.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/04/1355216
Links:
0. mailto:svg@steltenpower.com
1. https://www.svgopen.org/2009/registration.php?section=conference_schedule
2. http://tech.slashdot.org/story/09/08/22/1246248
3. https://www.svgopen.org/2009/pricing.shtml
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Doctorow On What Cloud Computing Is Really For |
| from the no-silver-lining-for-you dept. |
| posted by kdawson on Friday September 04, @11:37 (The Internet) |
| https://news.slashdot.org/story/09/09/04/1425257/Doctorow-On-What-Cloud-Computing-Is-Really|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Diabolus Advocatus alerts us to an article Cory Doctorow has up on
guardian.co.uk, addressing [0]what cloud computing really means for the
average consumer: "The tech press is full of people who want to tell you
how completely awesome life is going to be when everything moves to 'the
cloud' ��� that is, when all your important storage, processing and other
needs are handled by vast, professionally managed data-centers. Here's
something you won't see mentioned, though: the main attraction of the
cloud to investors and entrepreneurs is the idea of making money from
you, on a recurring, perpetual basis, for something you currently get for
a flat rate or for free without having to give up the money or privacy
that cloud companies hope to leverage into fortunes."
Discuss this story at:
http://news.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/04/1425257
Links:
0. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/sep/02/cory-doctorow-cloud-computing
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| How a Team of Geeks Cracked the Spy Trade |
| from the connecting-the-dots dept. |
| posted by kdawson on Friday September 04, @12:25 (Databases) |
| https://news.slashdot.org/story/09/09/04/1443248/How-a-Team-of-Geeks-Cracked-the-Spy-Trade |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
drunken_boxer777 sends us to The Wall Street Journal for a lengthy
article on a small tech company, Palantir Technologies, that is [0]making
the CIA, Pentagon, and FBI take notice. The submitter adds, "And yes,
their company name is a reference to what you think it is." "One of the
latest entrants into the government spy-services marketplace, Palantir
Technologies has designed what many intelligence analysts say is the most
effective tool to date to investigate terrorist networks. The software's
main advance is a user-friendly search tool that can scan multiple data
sources at once, something previous search tools couldn't do. That means
an analyst who is following a tip about a planned terror attack, for
example, can more quickly and easily unearth connections among suspects,
money transfers, phone calls and previous attacks around the globe. ...
With Palantir's software 'you can actually point to examples where it was
pretty clear that lives were saved.'"
Discuss this story at:
http://news.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/04/1443248
Links:
0. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125200842406984303.html
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Schooling, Homeschooling, and Now, "Unschooling" |
| from the everything-i-need-to-know-i-learned-from-quake dept. |
| posted by ScuttleMonkey on Friday September 04, @13:17 (Education) |
| https://news.slashdot.org/story/09/09/04/1511238/Schooling-Homeschooling-and-Now-Unschoolin|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
ciaohound writes "The Baltimore Sun has a story about '[0]unschooling,'
which is like homeschooling except, well, without the schooling.
'...unschooling incorporates every facet of a child's life into the
education process, allowing a child to follow his passions and learn at
his own pace, year-round. And it assumes that an outing at the park ��� or
even hours spent playing a video game ��� can be just as valuable a
teaching resource as Hooked on Phonics.' If you have ever been forced to
sit in a classroom where no learning was taking place, you may understand
the appeal. A driving force behind the movement is parents'
dissatisfaction with regular schools, and presumably with homeschooling
as well. Yet few researchers are even aware of unschooling and little
research exists on its effectiveness. Any Slashdotters who have
experience with 'unschooling?'"
Discuss this story at:
http://news.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/04/1511238
Links:
0. http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/parenting/bal-md.pa.unschooling03sep03,0,7747410.story
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Steve Ballmer Directing "House Party 7" |
| from the microsoft-sponsored-debauchery dept. |
| posted by ScuttleMonkey on Friday September 04, @14:09 (Microsoft) |
| https://tech.slashdot.org/story/09/09/04/1516223/Steve-Ballmer-Directing-House-Party-7 |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
[0]theodp writes "What are you doing on Oct. 22? Microsoft is [1]putting
a Tupperware-style twist on the upcoming Windows 7 rollout, launching a
new initiative to encourage thousands of employees, partners and
technology enthusiasts to [2]throw parties in their homes and communities
to demonstrate and help spread the word about its new OS. People accepted
as official launch party hosts will get their own copy of Windows 7
Ultimate Edition, and a chance to win a computer. Host spaces are very
limited, so [3]apply now, kids. Hey, [4]what could possibly go wrong?"
Discuss this story at:
http://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/04/1516223
Links:
0. mailto:theodp@aol.com
1. http://techflash.com/seattle/2009/09/microsoft_plans_thousands_of_neighborhood_parties_for_windows_7.html
2. http://www.houseparty.com/splash/windows7usa
3. http://www.houseparty.com/Screener/apply/windows7usa
4. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-448842/MySpace-invaders-trash-second-home-tune-30-000.html
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| New Zealander Invents Segway Alternative |
| from the looks-like-potential-bruises-to-me dept. |
| posted by ScuttleMonkey on Friday September 04, @15:00 (Transportation) |
| https://tech.slashdot.org/story/09/09/04/1532252/New-Zealander-Invents-Segway-Alternative |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
RainbowBrite writes "The [0]YikeBike is the invention of a New Zealander
aiming to alleviate city congestion. 'It might look like a collision
between a praying mantis and a child's scooter, but it's the result of
five years of work to reinvent the wheel, with one important addition: an
electric motor. It's a bicycle, but not as we have come to know it. For a
start, you sit upright and steer with your hands at your side.'" The
YikeBike weighs in at a measly 22 lbs but has a hefty price tag of almost
$5,000 US (��3,000). The expected lifespan is only 1,000 charges but has a
projected range of around six miles.
Discuss this story at:
http://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/04/1532252
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Symantec Wants To Use Victims To Hunt Computer Criminals |
| from the cyber-vigilante-network dept. |
| posted by ScuttleMonkey on Friday September 04, @15:48 (Security) |
| https://tech.slashdot.org/story/09/09/04/1648254/Symantec-Wants-To-Use-Victims-To-Hunt-Comp|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
[0]Hugh Pickens writes "Business Week reports that security experts plan
to [1]recruit victims and other computer users to help them go on the
offensive and hunt down hackers. '"It's time to stop building burglar
alarms to keep people out and go after the bad guys," says Rowan
Trollope, senior vice-president for consumer products at Symantec, the
largest maker of antivirus software. Symantec will ask customers to opt
in to a program that will collect data about attempted computer
intrusions and then forward the information to authorities. Symantec will
also begin posting the FBI's top 10 hackers and their schemes on its Web
site, where customers go for software updates and next year the company
will begin offering cash bounties for information leading to an arrest.
The strategy has its risks as hackers who find novices on their trail may
trash their computers or steal their identities as punishment. Citizen
hunters could also become cybervigilantes and harm bystanders as they
pursue criminals but Symantec is betting customers won't mind being
disrupted if they can help snare the bad guys. "I'm convinced we can
clean up the Internet in 10 years if we can peel away the dirt and show
people the threats they're facing," says Trollope.'"
Discuss this story at:
http://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/04/1648254
Links:
0. http://hughpickens.com/
1. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_37/b4146030006587.htm
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Mixing Coal and Solar To Produce Cheaper Energy |
| from the baby-steps dept. |
| posted by ScuttleMonkey on Friday September 04, @16:40 (Earth) |
| https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/09/04/1846216/Mixing-Coal-and-Solar-To-Produce-Cheap|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
[0]Al writes "It might not please many environmentalists, but a major
energy company is [1]adding solar-thermal power to a coal plant and says
this could be the cost-effective way to produce energy while lowering CO2
emissions. Abengoa Solar and Xcel Energy, Colorado's largest electrical
utility, have begun modifying the coal plant, which is based near Grand
Junction, Colorado. Under the design, parabolic troughs will be used to
preheat water that will be fed into the coal plant's boilers, where coal
is burned to turn the water into steam. Cost savings comes from using
existing turbines and generators and from operating at higher
efficiencies, since the turbines and generators in solar-thermal plants
are normally optimized to run at the lower temperatures generated by
parabolic mirrors."
Discuss this story at:
http://hardware.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/04/1846216
Links:
0. http://www.technologyreview.com/
1. http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/23349/
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| New England Prep School Library Goes Entirely Digital |
| from the hope-they-have-kindles-for-checkout dept. |
| posted by ScuttleMonkey on Friday September 04, @17:21 (Books) |
| https://news.slashdot.org/story/09/09/04/194253/New-England-Prep-School-Library-Goes-Entire|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
An anonymous reader writes to mention that Cushing Academy has decided to
leap into the future by [0]getting rid of all the books in their library
and going completely digital. Instead of dusty stacks, the library is
spending close to half a million dollars to install all the hallmarks of
a digital learning center. Flat screen TVs, "laptop friendly carrells,"
and a coffee shop are just the first step in building an area that allows
students access to millions of books as opposed to several thousand. Of
course, not everyone is completely sold on this move: "[Keith Michael
Fiels, executive director of the American Library Association] said the
move raises at least two concerns: Many of the books on electronic
readers and the Internet aren't free and it may become more difficult for
students to happen on books with the serendipity made possible by
physical browsing. There's also the question of the durability of
electronic readers. 'Unless every student has a Kindle and an unlimited
budget, I don't see how that need is going to be met,' Fiels said. 'Books
are not a waste of space, and they won't be until a digital book can
tolerate as much sand, survive a coffee spill, and have unlimited power.
When that happens, there will be next to no difference between that and a
book.'"
Discuss this story at:
http://news.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/04/194253
Links:
0. http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/09/04/a_library_without_the_books/
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Appropriate Interviewing For a Worldwide Search? |
| from the can't-please-everyone-so-i-choose-to-please-no-one dept. |
| posted by ScuttleMonkey on Friday September 04, @18:17 (Businesses) |
| https://ask.slashdot.org/story/09/09/04/2015205/Appropriate-Interviewing-For-a-Worldwide-Se|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
jellomizer writes 'I am a manager of a small Software Development
department, looking to hire some more developers. By edict of the CEO,
the search must be made globally, so we are dealing with different
cultures and different ideas of truth and embellishment, etc. To try to
counteract this, we give the potential employees tests where I watch what
they do, to see if they actually know what they say they know. However,
it seems a lot of applicants drop out when I mention that this test is
mandatory. Is this a sign that we caught them in a lie, or are we weeding
out good people where we shouldn't be? Would you be willing to take a
test as part of an interview? If so, is there any type of heads up you
would like to know beforehand to make the decision of whether to take the
test easier?' What other difficulties have people seen while trying to
hire from many different cultures?
Discuss this story at:
http://ask.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/04/2015205
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| How 136 People Became 7 Million Illegal File-Sharers |
| from the lots-of-fertility-drugs dept. |
| posted by Soulskill on Friday September 04, @19:10 (Music) |
| https://tech.slashdot.org/story/09/09/04/2148203/How-136-People-Became-7-Million-Illegal-Fi|
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[0]Barence writes "The British government's official figures on the level
of illegal file sharing in the UK come from [1]questionable research
commissioned by the music industry. The Radio 4 show named 'More or Less'
examined the government's claim that 7m people in Britain are engaged in
illegal file sharing. The 7m figure actually came from a report written
about music industry losses for Forrester subsidiary Jupiter Research.
The report was privately commissioned by none other than the UK's music
trade body, the BPI. The 7m figure had been rounded up from an actual
figure of 6.7m, gleaned from a 2008 survey of 1,176 net-connected
households, 11.6% of which admitted to having used file-sharing software
��� in other words, only 136 people. That 11.6% was adjusted upwards to
16.3% 'to reflect the assumption that fewer people admit to file sharing
than actually do it.' The 6.7m figure was then calculated based on an
estimated number of internet users that disagreed with the government's
own estimate. The wholly unsubstantiated 7m figure was then released as
an official statistic."
Discuss this story at:
http://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/04/2148203
Links:
0. http://www.pcpro.co.uk/
1. http://www.pcpro.co.uk/news/351331/how-uk-government-spun-136-people-into-7m-illegal-file-sharers
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