Comment Re:Purpose is not stated (Score 1) 362
and the outlay was 29 pence
Sorry, that didn't count. UK chart company say that you have to pay at least 40p for them to count it.
Comment Re:DRM will fail. (Score 1) 356
The harder DRM advocates push, the more the consumer becomes less ignorant of their questionable ownership philosophy.
The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.
Comment I believe the review. (Score 1) 275
On a tangent, refusing advance reviews and litigious behaviour towards the press attempting to produce prerelease reviews can mean only one thing. The game stinks on ice and Atari know it.
What really surprises me is that Atari have done anything whatsoever to draw attention to these reviews....perhaps one of the marketing team has misunderstood the phrase "no publicity is bad publicity" (i.e. don't be forgotten) to mean all publicity is good...
Air Force Seeking Geeks For 'Cyber Command' 524
An anonymous reader writes "Wired reports that the two-star general in charge of the US Air Force's new Cyber Command is looking for hacker-types to beef up its cadre of cyber warriors — no heavy lifting required. 'We have to change the way we think about warriors of the future,' General William Lord says. 'So if they can't run three miles with a pack on their backs but they can shut down SCADA system, we need to have a culture where they fit in.' The Cyber Command is the Air Force's first new Major Command since the early 1990s. Its purpose is to be able to win an electronic war with China and other potential adversaries."
Firefox 3 Beta 3 Officially Released 337
firefoxy writes "Mozilla has officially released Firefox 3 beta 3. This release includes new features, user interface enhancements, and theme improvements. Ars Technica has a review with screenshots. 'Firefox 3 is rapidly approaching completion and much of the work that remains to be done is primarily in the category of fit and finish. There will likely only be one more beta release after this one before Mozilla begins issuing final release candidates.'"
3D Crystal Grown On a DNA Lattice 61
An anonymous reader suggests an article over at ScienceDaily about the achievement of the holy grail of nanoscience: "[R]esearchers at the US Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have for the first time used DNA to guide the creation of three-dimensional, ordered, crystalline structures of nanoparticles. The ability to engineer such 3-D structures is essential to producing functional materials that take advantage of the unique properties that may exist at the nanoscale — for example, enhanced magnetism, improved catalytic activity, or new optical properties."
Linux To Be Installed In Every Russian School 293
J_Omega writes "According to an article from last week at the Russian IT site CNews, Linux is slated to be installed in every Russian school by 2009. The article makes it appear that it will be going by the (unimaginative) name 'Russian OS.' As stated in the article: 'The main aim of the given work is to reduce dependence on foreign commercial software and provide education institutions with the possibility to choose whether to pay for commercial items or to use the software, provided by the government.' Initial testing installations are supposed to begin next year in select districts. Is 2008/09 the year of Linux on the (Russian) desktop?"
Future Looks Bright for Large Scale Solar Farms 325
Hugh Pickens writes "The economist reports that Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) systems that capture and focus the sun's rays to heat a working fluid and drive a turbine, are making a comeback. Although the world's largest solar farm was built over twenty years ago, until recently no new plants have been built. Now with the combination of federal energy credits, the enactment of renewable energy standards in many states, and public antipathy to coal fired power plant, the first such plant to be built in decades started providing 64 megawatts of electricity to Las Vegas this summer. Electricity from the Nevada plant costs an estimated 17 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh), but projections suggest that CSP power could fall to below ten cents per kWh as the technology improves. Coal power costs just 2-3 cents per kWh but that will likely rise if regulation eventually factors in the environmental costs of the carbon coal produces."
Scientists Decry Political Interference 248
RamblingMan writes "According to the BBC, the American Union of Concerned Scientists has put out a statement about the misrepresentation of date and a list of such interference by the U.S. government in scientific research. Besides the usual slew of Nobel Laureate signatories, they provide a number of examples besides the well-known example of the EPA's Global Warming Report." From the BBC article: "'It's very difficult to make good public policy without good science, and it's even harder to make good public policy with bad science,' said Dr Peter Gleick, president of the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment and Security. 'In the last several years, we've seen an increase in both the misuse of science and I would say an increase of bad science in a number of very important issues; for example, in global climate change, international peace and security, and water resources.'"
ChatterBlocker — Block Distracting Speech at Work 204
An anonymous reader writes "ChatterBlocker is a PC program that uses digital audio technology to neutralize the sound of speech and other distractions so you can stay focused at work or elsewhere." Personally I just crank the tunes. Anyone know if this actually works or if it's a scam? Or is it just a white noise generator?
Sneak Peak at the Sling Player for Mac OSX 75
kjh1 writes to tell us the folks over at SlingCommunity are running an interview with Brian Jaquet of Sling Media. They get the scoop on the upcoming SlingPlayer for Mac OSX. There is a text transcript as well as a video version of the interview."
Transgaming Technologies and Mac Developers 141
ZerocarboN writes "With such current Mac publishers as Aspyr and MacSoft typically spending months to bring games to the Mac, Mr. State said: "We imagine that they are re-evaluating their business models. Our technology does revolutionize how games are brought to the Mac, which we believe will result in a paradigm shift in the Mac game publishing landscape." He added that TransGaming has no plans to license Cider to other companies, but "we are always open to discussion.""
Microsoft Loses Appeal in Guatemalan Patent Claim 174
Spy der Mann writes "A year ago, Guatemalan inventor Carlos Armando Amado sued Microsoft for stealing an Office idea he had tried to sell them in '92. They were found to be infringing on his patent and had to pay him $9 million in damages, but they refused and appealed the decision. Today, just a year after they appealed, the Court confirmed the verdict: Microsoft loses. If that wasn't enough, the amount was raised to $65 million for continuing infringement."
Comment Re:News oppt'y for cheating? (Score 1) 485
In the keynote he said they've taken all the punkbuster stuff out, so it can't connect to a punkbuster protected server (not entirely sure how punkbuster works but I can guess).
He also said he doesn't know if there will be unforeseen circumstances this way, but they are ready and willing to deal with it if this does cause an influx of cheating.
Journal Journal: My bass guitar has died...
I have had a "Fender" style Precision Bass Copy for nearly twenty years now. although, I hadn't touched the damn thing in five years. recently, my parents moved abroad and shipped what few items I wished to keep by courier service.
It seems they have used the bass guitar as some sort of bat, as the neck has shattered it transit.
Damn.
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