Come join us in Columbus Ohio for the Ohio LinuxFest - 40 Years of UNIX
celebration. There on September 26, Dr Doug McIlroy, the genius behind C
and UNIX, will keynote. From netbooks to telephones, from high performance
clusters to the very webserver that thinkgeek.com uses: Linux is everywhere.
Be part of history. Free registration is on our website.
http://p.sf.net/sfu/ohiolinux
======================================================================
Slashdot Daily Newsletter
In this issue:
* Future of NASA's Manned Spaceflight Looks Bleak
* Asus Plans Dual-Display E-Reader
* Microsoft Letting Patents Move To Linux Firms
* Exoskeletons For Rent In Japan
* In the UK, T-Mobile and Orange To Merge
* China Considering Cuts In Rare-Earth Metal Exports
* Why Motivation Is Key For Artificial Intelligence
* Tolkien Trust Okays <em>Hobbit</em> Movie
* The Coming Problems For Rolling Out 3D TV
* How Wired's Hiding Writer Was Found
* Sega Dreamcast Turns 10
* Terrorists Convicted With Help of NSA E-mail Intercepts
* Microsoft Aims To Cure Server-Hugging Engineers
* Apple Announces iTunes 9, "LPs," Video Camera For the iPod Nano
* Swine Flu Outbreak At PAX
* Cryptographic Tools To Keep You Hidden On Facebook
* Comparing Microsoft and Apple Websites' Usability
* Hubble Releases First Post-Upgrade Images
* TomTom Announces an Open Source GPS Technology
* The Real-World State of Windows Use
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Future of NASA's Manned Spaceflight Looks Bleak |
| from the send-out-the-machines dept. |
| posted by kdawson on Tuesday September 08, @20:06 (Space) |
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/09/09/08/1955242/Future-of-NASAs-Manned-Spaceflight-Look|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
[0]coondoggie writes "[1]Things don't look good for NASA when the report
outlining its future begins: 'The US human spaceflight program appears to
be on an unsustainable trajectory. [NASA] is perpetuating the perilous
practice of pursuing goals that do not match allocated resources. Space
operations are among the most complex and unforgiving pursuits ever
undertaken by humans. It really is rocket science. Space operations
become all the more difficult when means do not match aspirations.' Today
the Augustine Commission handed to the White House the Review of US Human
Space Flight Plans Committee summary report, after months of expert
review and testimony. Many observers expected a bleak report, but
ultimately the future of US manned space flight will hinge on how the
report's conclusions are interpreted. Keep in mind too that NASA has
spent almost $8 billion of a planned $40 billion to develop systems for a
return to the Moon."
Discuss this story at:
http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/08/1955242
Links:
0. mailto:mcooney@nww.com
1. http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/45039
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Asus Plans Dual-Display E-Reader |
| from the blurring-the-lines dept. |
| posted by kdawson on Tuesday September 08, @21:52 (Books) |
| https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/09/09/08/1941215/Asus-Plans-Dual-Display-E-Reader |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
adeelarshad82 writes "Yet more confirmation has emerged that [0]Asus
plans its own e-book reader. An Asus representative in the UK appears to
have confirmed this, with the additional details that there may be a
value-priced as well as a premium version. The article guesses at the
price point for the low-end model ��� around ��100 ($192). Unlike current
e-book readers, which take the form of a single flat screen, the Asus
device has a hinged spine, like a printed book. This, in theory, enables
its owner to read an e-book much like a normal book, using the
touchscreen to 'turn' the pages from one screen to the next. Asus showed
off a prototype of the device at the CeBIT trade show in March." Reader
NeverBotedBush adds, "Asus's e-reader will likely have color touch
screens, a speaker, a webcam, and a microphone, along with the capability
to make inexpensive Skype calls." The color screen rules out using E Ink
technology, so long battery life seems to be unlikely.
Discuss this story at:
http://mobile.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/08/1941215
Links:
0. http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article6822723.ece
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Microsoft Letting Patents Move To Linux Firms |
| from the didn't-need-'em-anyway dept. |
| posted by kdawson on Tuesday September 08, @23:40 (Microsoft) |
| https://linux.slashdot.org/story/09/09/08/213217/Microsoft-Letting-Patents-Move-To-Linux-Fi|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
[0]mnmlst notes a Wall Street Journal story (picked up at Total Telecom)
on the [1]move of some patents originally held by Microsoft to the Open
Invention Network, where they will join a portfolio whose purpose is to
inoculate open source companies against patent trolls. OIN is near a deal
to buy 22 patents from another patent-protective group, Allied Security
Trust, whose members include Verizon, Cisco, and HP. AST won the patents
in a private auction Microsoft put on earlier. An AST executive says that
"Microsoft presented the patents to potential bidders in its auction as
relating to Linux." While OIN's acquisition of the patents will act to
protect the Linux community, AST, by contrast, exists to protect only its
corporate members, not the community as a whole. But by selling the
patents to OIN, they are cooperating in the protection of Linux. And by
allowing the patents to go to AST in the first place, Microsoft may (the
article implies) be signaling at least their lack of active intent to
disrupt the Linux marketplace.
Discuss this story at:
http://linux.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/08/213217
Links:
0. mailto:amerigo88@yahoo.com
1. http://www.totaltele.com/printablearticle.aspx?ID=448690
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Exoskeletons For Rent In Japan |
| from the place-holder dept. |
| posted by kdawson on Wednesday September 09, @02:29 (Robotics) |
| https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/09/08/2227228/Exoskeletons-For-Rent-In-Japan |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
[0]destinyland writes "Cyberdyne has started [1]renting their exoskeleton
body suits in Japan. The mind-controlled wearable machine increases
strength and endurance, and rents for $2,300 a month. (Sensors on the
skin detect traces of nerve signals from the brain, synchronizing the
power suit's movements with the user's own limbs.) New video shows the
suits in use on the streets of Tokyo, and the concept may be catching on.
DARPA now has a program called Exoskeletons for Human Performance
Augmentation 'to develop devices and machines that will increase the
speed, strength and endurance of soldiers in combat environments.'"
Discuss this story at:
http://hardware.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/08/2227228
Links:
0. http://www.destinyland.org/
1. http://hplusmagazine.com/articles/robotics/cyborg-exoskeletons-may-soon-become-common-bicycles
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| In the UK, T-Mobile and Orange To Merge |
| from the what-is-this-competition-of-which-you-speak dept. |
| posted by kdawson on Wednesday September 09, @05:21 (Cellphones) |
| https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/09/09/08/2011223/In-the-UK-T-Mobile-and-Orange-To-Merge |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
EthanV2 sends in BBC coverage of the [0]merger plans of Orange and
T-Mobile in the UK. "T-Mobile and Orange plan to merge their UK
businesses, creating a mobile phone giant with 28.4 million customers. If
completed, a deal between Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile and Orange owner
France Telecom would see a firm with sales of ���9.4 B (��7.0 B, $13.4 B).
It would be the UK's largest provider, overtaking Telefonica's O2, with
about 37% of the mobile market. ... However, it is likely that
competition authorities in the UK and EU will probe the deal."
Discuss this story at:
http://mobile.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/08/2011223
Links:
0. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8243226.stm
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| China Considering Cuts In Rare-Earth Metal Exports |
| from the thulium-and-thalium dept. |
| posted by kdawson on Wednesday September 09, @08:17 (Government) |
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/09/09/08/2119201/China-Considering-Cuts-In-Rare-Earth-Me|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
SillySnake sends in a report from the Telegraph on draft plans in China
to [0]restrict exports of rare earths. "Beijing is drawing up plans to
prohibit or restrict exports of rare earth metals that are produced only
in China and play a vital role in cutting edge technology, from hybrid
cars and catalytic converters, to superconductors, and precision-guided
weapons. A draft report by China's Ministry of Industry and Information
Technology has called for a total ban on foreign shipments of terbium,
dysprosium, yttrium, thulium, and lutetium. Other metals such as
neodymium, europium, cerium, and lanthanum will be restricted to a
combined export quota of 35,000 tonnes a year, far below global needs."
Discuss this story at:
http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/08/2119201
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Why Motivation Is Key For Artificial Intelligence |
| from the i-have-no-mouth-and-i-must-scream dept. |
| posted by Soulskill on Wednesday September 09, @09:03 (Technology) |
| https://tech.slashdot.org/story/09/09/09/1154200/Why-Motivation-Is-Key-For-Artificial-Intel|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
[0]Al writes "MIT neuroscientist Ed Boyden has a column discussing the
potential dangers of [1]building super-intelligent machines without
building in some sort of motivation or drive. Boyden warns that a very
clever AI without a sense of purpose might very well 'realize the
impermanence of everything, calculate that the sun will burn out in a few
billion years, and decide to play video games for the remainder of its
existence.' He also notes that the complexity and uncertainty of the
universe could easily overwhelm the decision-making process of this
intelligence ��� a problem that many humans also struggle with. Boyden will
give a talk on the subject at the forthcoming [2]Singularity Summit."
Discuss this story at:
http://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/09/1154200
Links:
0. http://www.technologyreview.com/
1. http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/23354/page1/
2. http://www.singularitysummit.com/program
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Tolkien Trust Okays <em>Hobbit</em> Movie |
| from the if-i-say-he-is-a-burgla-a-burglar-he-is dept. |
| posted by Soulskill on Wednesday September 09, @09:50 (Lord of the Rings) |
| https://entertainment.slashdot.org/story/09/09/09/1316220/Tolkien-Trust-Okays-Hobbit-Movie |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
saudadelinux writes "Last year, the Tolkien Trust, which administers
JRR's estate, bellowed stentoriously, 'Youuuu shall not make The Hobbit!'
and [0]sued New Line Cinema for 'a reported $220m (��133m) in
compensation, based on breach of contract and fraud.' New Line,
chastened, has [1]settled for an undisclosed sum of money. The Trust has
given its blessing to New Line for Guillermo del Toro to film The Hobbit
and for New Line to make other films based on Tolkien's work. Much
rejoicing!"
Discuss this story at:
http://entertainment.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/09/1316220
Links:
0. http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/02/12/0317238&tid=513
1. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8245300.stm
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| The Coming Problems For Rolling Out 3D TV |
| from the just-wait-for-our-3d-firehose dept. |
| posted by Soulskill on Wednesday September 09, @10:35 (Television) |
| https://entertainment.slashdot.org/story/09/09/09/1342210/The-Coming-Problems-For-Rolling-O|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
[0]holy_calamity writes "Now that Sony has announced it will [1]sell
3D-capable televisions in 2010, people are thinking more seriously about
the rocky road leading to mainstream 3D TV adoption. New Scientist says
that not only do program makers [2]lack the technology to make shows in
3D, but that little is known about the creative problems posed by
shooting shows that make use of a whole new dimension, and what works for
audiences. Engadget's own pundit focuses on the more predictable problems
of [3]format wars between competing 3D display technologies. Suddenly
2010 seems a little too soon."
Discuss this story at:
http://entertainment.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/09/1342210
Links:
0. http://www.newscientist.com/
1. http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=09/09/03/1426257&tid=449
2. http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17751-innovation-the-scramble-to-give-tv-a-third-dimension.html
3. http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/08/entelligence-3d-may-fall-flat/
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| How Wired's Hiding Writer Was Found |
| from the sorta-off-the-grid dept. |
| posted by Soulskill on Wednesday September 09, @11:19 (Communications) |
| https://yro.slashdot.org/story/09/09/09/1422223/How-Wireds-Hiding-Writer-Was-Found |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
[0]newscloud writes "A twitter-savvy, gluten-free pizza shop [1]nabbed
missing Wired magazine writer Evan Ratliff in New Orleans early on
Tuesday to win the [2]$5,000 Vanish contest. Ratliff was ensnared in part
by [3]repeated non-TOR visits to our Facebook application, launched to
support the contest's tracker community, and his [4]secret travel journal
on Twitter. 'The Vanish Team application became part of the game ���
essentially a trap for Evan ��� one he stumbled into each day knowingly and
willingly. This is something that we would never do with our Facebook
technology if Evan hadn't asked us to pursue him - but it's a useful
reminder of "relative" anonymity on the Web.'"
Discuss this story at:
http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/09/1422223
Links:
0. http://blog.newscloud.com/
1. http://www.wired.com/vanish/2009/09/how-evan-ratliff-was-caught/
2. http://yro.slashdot.org/story/09/08/19/1626217/Wired-Writer-Disappears-Find-Him-and-Make-5k
3. http://blog.newscloud.com/2009/09/how-we-caught-evan-ratliff.html
4. http://twitter.com/jdgatz
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Sega Dreamcast Turns 10 |
| from the keeps-on-ticking dept. |
| posted by Soulskill on Wednesday September 09, @12:06 (Classic Games (Games)) |
| https://games.slashdot.org/story/09/09/09/1540259/Sega-Dreamcast-Turns-10 |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
traycerb writes "It's been 10 years since 9/9/1999, when [0]the Dreamcast
launched on American shores. The hardware was ahead of its time; online
capability, web browser, a visual memory unit, and a controller that
anticipated the much-loved Xbox 360 controller. The games were amazing:
[1] Jet Set Radio (the first popular 3d cell-shaded game on a console),
[2]Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (still the apotheosis of 2-d fighting; just try
finding a copy on ebay), [3] Soul Calibur (still looks good compared to
the recent Xbox/PS3 versions), [4]NFL 2K (came out of nowhere, and was so
good that it shook EA into spending tens of millions of dollars to seal
up exclusivity for NFL rights), and many others. No doubt some of the
reasons for the Dreamcast's demise lay with Sega, whose dubious hardware
decisions (ahem, 32x) finally caught up to them, in the form of
ambivalence from both developers and gamers, just as the console-making
world was shifting to the multinationals with big pockets who were
willing to spend it on pricey hardware design (or could absorb the cost
of [5]faulty hardware design). It was also [6]one of the first consoles
widely used for homebrew. In honor of the 10th anniversary, [7]a new game
is being released for the Dreamcast, called Rush Rush Rally Racing. The
Dreamcast is dead! Long live the Dreamcast!"
Discuss this story at:
http://games.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/09/1540259
Links:
0. http://www.cnet.com/8301-18603_1-10346173-73.html
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_Set_Radio
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mvc2
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_Calibur
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NFL_2K
5. http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/09/06/0010219&tid=219
6. http://dreamcast.dcemu.co.uk/the-sega-dreamcast-10-years-on-242618.html
7. http://bitmob.com/index.php/mobfeed/new-dreamcast-game-announced.html
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Terrorists Convicted With Help of NSA E-mail Intercepts |
| from the apparently-they-listen-to-the-bad-guys-too dept. |
| posted by Soulskill on Wednesday September 09, @12:50 (Communications) |
| https://yro.slashdot.org/story/09/09/09/1611251/Terrorists-Convicted-With-Help-of-NSA-E-mai|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
A [0]Schneier blog post notes that three would-be bombers were recently
convicted in the UK thanks in large part to [1]e-mail communication that
was intercepted by the US National Security Agency. This was the second
time the men had faced criminal charges; in the first trial, the
prosecution was unable to make part of their case because they didn't yet
have the e-mail evidence. "Although British prosecutors were eager to use
the e-mails in their second trial against the three plotters, British
courts prohibit the use of evidence obtained through interception. So
last January, a US court issued warrants directly to Yahoo to hand over
the same correspondence." The BBC [2]posted a number of e-mails used as
evidence in the trial. The communication is coded, and some of it looks
like what you might find in your spam folder, but the article also
provides the prosecution's explanation of what they mean.
Discuss this story at:
http://yro.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/09/1611251
Links:
0. http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2009/09/nsa_intercepts.html
1. http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/09/nsa-email/
2. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8193501.stm
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Microsoft Aims To Cure Server-Hugging Engineers |
| from the first-step-is-admitting-it dept. |
| posted by timothy on Wednesday September 09, @13:37 (Microsoft) |
| https://slashdot.org/story/09/09/09/1730213/Microsoft-Aims-To-Cure-Server-Hugging-Engineers|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
[0]1sockchuck writes "Microsoft wants the engineers in its labs to manage
their servers remotely, and is [1]moving development servers from a bevy
of computer rooms in labs to a new green data center about 8 miles from
its Redmond campus. "I see today as a real transition point in our
culture," said Rob Bernard, chief environmental strategist at Microsoft,
who acknowledged that the change will be an adjustment for veteran
developers but will save money and energy use. Microsoft expects its
customers will run their apps remotely in data centers, and clearly
expects the same of its employees."
Discuss this story at:
http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/09/1730213
Links:
0. mailto:editor@gamehostingguide.com
1. http://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2009/09/09/microsoft-data-center-battles-server-hugging/
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Apple Announces iTunes 9, "LPs," Video Camera For the iPod Nano |
| from the new-and-shiny dept. |
| posted by Soulskill on Wednesday September 09, @14:20 (Announcements) |
| https://apple.slashdot.org/story/09/09/09/1814256/Apple-Announces-iTunes-9-LPs-Video-Camera|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Apple just finished their latest press event, and they revealed a number
of new services and features for their products. They kicked things off
by saying that [0]iPhone OS 3.1 is now available. It will add the Genius
recommendation technology to the App store, giving users suggestions on
which apps they might find useful based on what others with similar needs
use. They're also adding 30,000 ringtones that users can purchase. Next,
[1]they announced iTunes 9, which will use Genius to make mixes by
analyzing songs in your library to see which go well together. iTunes is
also seeing UI improvements for things like app management, and syncing
utilities. You'll be able to easily transfer apps, music, and videos from
one of your local devices to another, and there is integrated support for
Twitter and Facebook if you want to send music as a gift. Another big new
feature: iTunes LPs. These LPs will be a digital album with cover art,
lyrics, videos, and other customized content created by the artists
themselves. Moving on, they showed off a few new games: an Assassin's
Creed sequel, an FPS called Nova that had impressive graphics and
multiplayer capability, Riddim Ribbon, a futuristic driving/music game
that lets you remix your songs by how you navigate the course, and Madden
NFL 2010. Next, Apple announced a price cut for the 8GB iPod Touch and a
doubling of available storage for the other models. It's also getting
OpenGL 2.0. The iPod Classic is getting a storage upgrade from 120GB to
160GB. In addition, there are headphones that have a controller for the
Shuffle. Finally, Jobs got down to his "one more thing": Apple will now
be [2]building a video camera into the back of every iPod Nano.
Apparently it will be a simple matter to sync videos to your computer or
put them up on YouTube, and they're building in an FM radio as well. A
[3]detailed liveblog of the event with a ton of screenshots is available
at Engadget.
Discuss this story at:
http://apple.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/09/1814256
Links:
0. http://www.macworld.com/article/142702/2009/09/iphone_31_update.html?lsrc=rss_main
1. http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/09/itunes-9-bringing-itunes-lp-functionality-mentioned-in-new-del/
2. http://gizmodo.com/5355169/the-new-8gb-ipod-nano-shoots-video
3. http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/09/live-from-apples-its-only-rock-and-roll-event/
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Swine Flu Outbreak At PAX |
| from the crowd-I-walked-through-too dept. |
| posted by timothy on Wednesday September 09, @15:09 (Medicine) |
| https://games.slashdot.org/story/09/09/09/1843218/Swine-Flu-Outbreak-At-PAX |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
[0]whisper_jeff writes "There's been a [1]confirmed outbreak of Swine Flu
at [2]PAX. Those who attended and are feeling under-the-weather after the
con should not write it off as a typical convention cold and go see a
doctor to make sure, just in case." The linked post also lists the
airplane flights of the cases known so far, so if you flew from Seattle
on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday for any reason, you might want to compare
your itinerary.
Discuss this story at:
http://games.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/09/1843218
Links:
0. mailto:whisper@whisper-jeff.com
1. http://www.penny-arcade.com/2009/9/7/feeling-sick/
2. http://www.paxsite.com/
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Cryptographic Tools To Keep You Hidden On Facebook |
| from the unless-they-don't dept. |
| posted by timothy on Wednesday September 09, @16:00 (Data Storage) |
| https://hardware.slashdot.org/story/09/09/09/1931211/Cryptographic-Tools-To-Keep-You-Hidden|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
[0]Al writes "Many people reveal way too much personal information on
social networking sites--something that can easily lead to identity theft
or unwanted attention from employers etc. Technology Review has a story
about [1]several cryptographic tools that can be used to hide your
activity on Facebook, from both untrusted users and from Facebook itself.
[2]Urs Hengartner, an assistant professor of computer science at the
University of Waterloo, developed a Firefox plugin that obfuscates
anything marked with '@@' on Facebook and only reveals the correct
information to trusted users who have the right keys. The sensitive data
itself is even stored on an outside server so that even Facebook cannot
access it. The piece mentions two other projects, NOYB and flybynight,
that also aim to make personal information more secure on Facebook."
Discuss this story at:
http://hardware.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/09/1931211
Links:
0. http://www.technologyreview.com/
1. http://www.technologyreview.com/web/23405/
2. http://www.cs.uwaterloo.ca/~uhengart/
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Comparing Microsoft and Apple Websites' Usability |
| from the you-cannot-serve-381-masters dept. |
| posted by timothy on Wednesday September 09, @16:46 (GUI) |
| https://tech.slashdot.org/story/09/09/09/2022255/Comparing-Microsoft-and-Apple-Websites-Usa|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
An anonymous reader writes 'In the article entitled Apple vs. Microsoft ���
A Website Usability Study, Dmitry Fadeyev, co-founder of Pixelshell,
[0]compares Apple's and Microsoft's web sites from a usability
perspective, and Apple is the winner. Scott Barnes, PM at Microsoft,
agrees with him and suggests the problem is because various site
sub-domains have different management.'
Discuss this story at:
http://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/09/2022255
Links:
0. http://www.infoq.com/news/2009/09/Apple-Microsoft-Site-Usability
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Hubble Releases First Post-Upgrade Images |
| from the new-prescription-much-nicer dept. |
| posted by timothy on Wednesday September 09, @17:39 (Space) |
| https://science.slashdot.org/story/09/09/09/2138243/Hubble-Releases-First-Post-Upgrade-Imag|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
[0]Hynee writes "[1]As tweeted, NASA has released 10 new images, all from
the new [2]WFC3 instrument and others, including the Cosmic Origins
Spectrograph. Images include NGC 6302, Carina Nebula, Stephan's Quintet,
Markarian 817, Abell 370, and a few others. Great looking stuff, the WFC3
has twice the resolution of the WF/PC2, on the CCD at least, if memory
serves correctly. Eta Carina is a fascinating object, and there are at
least two releases in this 'Early Release Observations' set." Here is
[3]a video about the new images at Hubblesite.org, and a full
[4]HubbleSite.org release page with 56 images.
Discuss this story at:
http://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/09/2138243
Links:
0. mailto:HyneeHoadley@Hotmail.com
1. http://tinyurl.com/nrsw8h
2. http://www.stsci.edu/hst/wfc3
3. http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/video_lightbox.php?year=2009&id=25&video_id=a
4. http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2009/25/image/
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| TomTom Announces an Open Source GPS Technology |
| from the free-directions dept. |
| posted by samzenpus on Wednesday September 09, @18:44 (Technology) |
| https://tech.slashdot.org/story/09/09/09/2216255/TomTom-Announces-an-Open-Source-GPS-Techno|
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
TuringTest writes "According to OStatic, European company TomTom (which
recently [0]settled a patent agreement with Microsoft) has announced a
new open source format [1]OpenLR for sharing routing data (relevant
points, traffic information...) in digital maps of different vendors, to
be used in GPS devices. The LR stands for Location Referencing. They aim
is to push it as an open standard to [2]build a cooperative information
base, presumably to operate in a similar fashion as its current TomTom
Map Share technology, in which end users provide map corrections on the
fly. The technology to support the format will be released as GPLv2. Does
that make OpenLR a GPL GPS?"
Discuss this story at:
http://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/09/2216255
Links:
0. http://yro.slashdot.org/story/09/03/30/1853219/TomTom-Settles-With-Microsoft
1. http://www.tomtom.com/page/openLR
2. http://ostatic.com/blog/tomtom-launches-open-source-navigation-project
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| The Real-World State of Windows Use |
| from the give-me-the-numbers dept. |
| posted by samzenpus on Wednesday September 09, @19:59 (Microsoft) |
| https://it.slashdot.org/story/09/09/09/2223230/The-Real-World-State-of-Windows-Use |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
[0]snydeq writes "Performance and metrics researcher Devil Mountain
Software has released an array of [1]real-world Windows use data as
compiled by its [2]exo.performance.network, a community-based monitoring
tool that receives real-time data from about 10,000 PCs throughout the
world. Tracking users' specific configurations, as well as the
applications they actually use, the tool provides insights into
real-world Windows use, including browser share, multicore adoption,
service pack adoption, and which anti-virus, productivity, and media
software are most prevalent among Windows users. Of note are the
following conclusions: two years after Vista's release, [3]not even 30
percent of PCs actually run it; OpenOffice.org is making inroads into the
Microsoft Office user base; and despite the rise of Firefox, Internet
Explorer remains the standard option for inside-the-firewall apps."
Discuss this story at:
http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=09/09/09/2223230
Links:
0. mailto:snydeq@gmail.com
1. http://infoworld.com/windows-pulse
2. http://www.infoworld.com/infoworld-windows-sentinel-534
3. http://infoworld.com/d/windows/truth-about-windows-users-826
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