Slashdot is powered by your submissions, so send in your scoop

 


Forgot your password?
Close
typodupeerror
Space

Submission + - Mystery illness from meteor crash is solved. (nationalgeographic.com)

Submitted by Technician
Technician writes: The meteor that crashed in Peru caused a mystery illnesses. The cause of the illness has been found. The meteor was not toxic. The ground water it contacted contains arsenic. The resulting steam cloud is what caused the mystery illness. "The meteorite created the gases when the object's hot surface met an underground water supply tainted with arsenic, the scientists said." http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/09/070921-meteor-peru.html There is a very good photo of the impact crater in the article. The rim of the crater is lined with people for a size comparison.
The Almighty Buck

Journal Journal: New dollar coin error scam: edge print can't be upside down 7

Journal by nizo

There are several different errors circulating with the new dollar coins, however the claims that on some of the coins the text on the edge was accidentally printed upside-down are bogus:

Due to the minting process used on the circulating and "uncirculated" quality coins, the edge-incused inscription positions will vary with each coin.
Operating Systems

Submission + - Ubuntu Feisty Fawn: Desktop Linux Matured

Submitted by Provataki
Provataki writes: It seems that Linux on the desktop is getting there, with Ubuntu. The (often bitchy about usability) Eugenia of OSNews fame wrote a glorifying preview about Ubuntu's next version, dubbed Feisty Fawn. The review touches down on the new features like the restricted drivers/codecs management, even easier package management, admirably good laptop support and to keep it balanced, it also lists some of its flaws in the current beta. A good read for those who are curious about what's next for Linux on the desktop.
Censorship

Submission + - EFF forces DMCA abuser to apologize

Submitted by
destinyland
destinyland writes: "The EFF just announced victory over a serial abuser of DMCA copyright notices. To set an example, their settlement required Michael Crook to record a video apology to the entire internet for interfering with free speech. He's also required to withdraw every bogus DMCA notice, and refrain from future bogus notices, never contest the original image again, and take a remedial class on copyright law. He'd attempted to use flaws in the DMCA to censor an embarrassing picture of himself that he just didn't want appearing online — but instead the whole thing backfired."
Novell

Submission + - Novell drives nail into Microsoft Office coffin

Submitted by Tookis
Tookis writes: The news that Novell has released an Office Open XML (OOXML) translator for OpenOffice.org is yet another nail in the coffin of the office productivity franchise known as Microsoft Office. However, if the open source crowd is really serious about denting Microsoft's dominance in this space, what is needed is a little Evolution. http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/10185/1023/
Space

Submission + - Astronaut Has 'Wasabi Spill' in Space

Submitted by Sda~
Sda~ writes: Astronauts are always are on guard against toxic spills that could contaminate the international space station But there is nothing in their training manuals about how to clean up flying wasabi. The spicy greenish condiment was squirted out of a tube while astronaut Sunita Williams was trying to make a pretend sushi meal with bag-packaged salmon. The three space station crew members are given a certain number of bonus packs of their favorite foods to help endure their months in space where most meals are the equivalent of military MREs.
The Media

Submission + - Why the gaming-violence connection is comforting

Submitted by Warm Coffee
Warm Coffee writes: It's is well-established that the science supporting a connection between video game violence and real-world violence is tenuous. A new article examines why society finds a gaming-violence connection so comforting. 'Sternheimer suggests that gaming is simply the latest in a long series of media influences to take the blame. "Over the past century, politicians have complained that cars, radio, movies, rock music, and even comic books caused youth immorality and crime, calling for control and sometimes censorship." She terms the targets of such efforts "folk devils," items branded dangerous and immoral that serve to focus blame and fear.'
XBox (Games)

Casual Play on 360 Live Arcade 48

Posted by Zonk from the uno-and-fish-and-geometry-oh-my dept.
twoallbeefpatties writes "Columnist Chris Suellentrop writes an article for Slate describing how his desire for casual gaming is fulfilled more by the 360 than the Wii due to the presence of simpler games available over Live Arcade. The availability of oldschool Nintendo games on the Wii network fulfills his nostalgic hardcore gaming side, but when he really wants to just relax, he'd rather be trying to top his Live high score on Root Beer Tapper. Says Suellentrop: 'The Nintendo Wii will transform the way we play games at home. But the Xbox 360, through its Xbox Live service, is building something equally compelling: a celestial arcade, where casual and hard-core gamers alike can connect over the Internet and find like-minded souls. For an old-timer like me, the celestial arcade also lets me feel like I still have some of my old gaming mojo.'"
Software

Submission + - How FairPlay Works: Apple's iTunes DRM Dilemma

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: Understanding how Apple's FairPlay DRM works helps to answer a lot of questions: why it hasn't been replaced with an open, interoperable DRM that anyone can use, why Apple isn't broadly licensing FairPlay, and why the company hasn't jumped to add DRM-free content from indie artists to iTunes.
Announcements

Submission + - Europe Seeks to Tighten Some Online Laws

Submitted by kog777
kog777 writes: Some European countries are proposing outlawing the use of fake information to open e-mail accounts or set up Web sites, a move intended to help terror investigations but which could face resistance on a privacy-conscious continent. The German and Dutch governments have taken the lead on the proposals, crafting legislation that would make it illegal to provide false information to Internet service providers and require phone companies to save detailed records on customer usage.
Windows

Submission + - Benefits of Windows User Access Control

Submitted by
Abtin Forouzandeh
Abtin Forouzandeh writes: "Having used Vista for a few months, something keeps nagging me about windows user account control. For UAC to be useful, the user needs to have a fair amount of knowledge about a) what UAC is, b) what application its blocking, c) the consequences of blocking the action, and d) an alternate approach if the blocked action did something useful. Anyone who has ever worked with end-users can tell you that they are generally disinterested in learning anything about computer usage beyond how to use word and make a spreadsheet. Frankly, even as a highly technical user, I nearly always approve the UAC dialog even if I don't know the consequences. Since users lack knowledge, and Vista keeps asking esoteric/ambiguous questions, then users will always approve UAC dialogs.

So my question is, since UAC so clearly fails in its goal of making computing more secure, and substantially increases complexity, why is it common wisdom that turning off UAC is "not recommended"? For 99% of users, is there any true downside? Or has the community come up with ways to make UAC useful?"
Communications

Submission + - TMobile bans OperaMini and GoogleMaps on cells

Submitted by
cshamis
cshamis writes: "TMobile has recently changed their policies which now make it impossible for customers WITH appropriate data plans AND Java-Micro-App-capable phones from running third-party network applications. You can, of course, still use the incredibly clunky and crippled built-in WAP browsers, but GoogleMaps and OperaMini are left high and dry. Would anyone care to speculate if this move is likely to RETAIN or REPEL customers when the iPhone and Cingular's accompanying liberal network policies come out this summer? http://www.gearlog.com/2007/01/tmobile_disses_oper a_says_get.php"

Slashdot Top Deals

The greatest productive force is human selfishness. -- Robert Heinlein

Close