56895547
submission
SirLurksAlot writes:
News is beginning to circulate on Twitter and various sites that Jim Weirich, the creator of Rake, has passed away at the age of 58. He was an active developer (his last commit in the last 24 hours) and has made many contributions to the Ruby community over the years, as well as being a prolific speaker and teacher. He had a great sense of humor and was beloved by many. He will be greatly missed.
761095
submission
SirLurksAlot writes:
It appears that Best Buy is now selling Ubuntu, both through its website as well as in its brick and mortar locations. Going by the release on the product page Ubuntu has actually been available for the low low price of $19.99 since May 6th of this year, and is being packaged as the "Complete Edition." While they don't specify what version they carry on their website, a quick call to a local store revealed it to be Hardy Heron, the latest Long Term Support version. One has to wonder how this development flew under the radar for almost two months without it being picked up by anyone.
755997
submission
SirLurksAlot writes:
Many supporters of the SETI@home project have recently received a message informing them of impending budget cuts for the Arecibo Observatory and asks them to show their support for the project by writing to Congress. The letter also informs supporters that there are currently two bills (Senate bill 2862 sponsored by Senator Hillary Clinton, and a similar House bill, H.R. 3737), which are intended to secure funding for the project. According to The Planetary Society the current plan for the Arecibo Observatory involves cutting funding by more than 60% from $10.4 million to just $4 million by 2011.
717041
submission
SirLurksAlot writes:
Ars Technica reports that Microsoft has recently applied for a patent for a technology which would attempt to enforce manners in the use of cell phones, digital cameras, DVRs and other digital devices. According to the article the technology could be used to bring common social conventions such as "No flash photography" and "No talking out loud" to these devices by disabling features or disabling the device entirely. The article also points out that the technology could be implemented in situations involving sensitive equipment, such as in airplanes or hospitals. The patent application itself is also an interesting read, as it describes a number of possible uses for the technology, including "in particular zones to limit the speed and/or acceleration of vehicles, to require the use of lights, to verify an indication of insurance coverage and/or current registration, or the like." While this technology could certainly be of interest to any number of organizations one has to wonder how the individuals who own devices which obey so-called "Digital Manners Policies" would feel about it.
467578
submission
SirLurksAlot writes:
A recent article on Ars Technica states that telecommuting may have adverse effects on those who stay in the office. According to the article researcher Timothy Golden "found that in-office employees took less satisfaction in their jobs and felt less of a relationship and obligation to their company as the number of telecommuting coworkers grew. In-office employees in his study became disappointed at having fewer and weaker relationships. They also got frustrated at a perceived increase in workload and difficulties that telecommuting can present to finishing projects and building strong working relationships."
458946
submission
SirLurksAlot writes:
According to an article on Ars Technica it appears that Congress is planning to question the FCC on the way regarding how the commission is run. From the article: "The FCC — and Chairman Kevin Martin in particular — are in hot water with Congress over the way that the Commission is run. While Martin was at CES, telling all who would listen that the FCC will investigate Comcast's traffic-shaping practices, the House Energy and Commerce Committee announced a formal investigation of the FCC. The news couldn't be more welcome to the industries that the FCC regulates."
441318
submission
SirLurksAlot writes:
According to an article on Ars Technica, Warner Music, Universal, and EMI (leaving Sony BMG as the last major holdout) will now be offering their entire music catalogs on Amazon completely DRM-free This move positions Amazon to be a major competitor for iTunes, and could spell the beginning of the end for DRM altogether.
