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Submission + - How DRM can be a good thing

Underholdning writes: So, DRM is coming to HTML5, and various activists are on the fence about it. But — it's not a bad thing. Ars has an article claiming that DRM in HTML5 is a victory for the open web, not a defeat. . Reason being, that if HTML5 does not support DRM, then content providers will move their content away from the web and into native apps — abandoning the web.

Comment We will also have a shortage of gasoline (Score 3, Insightful) 589

"When you see that we're literally just letting it float into the air, and then out into space inside those helium balloons, it's just hugely frustrating". Well, it's a good thing we're not burning fossil fuel by letting cars run around in a circular track, round and round, just for the heck of it.
Piracy

Submission + - How The Pirate Bay can be an asset to game developers (arstechnica.com)

Underholdning writes: "It's been 5 years since Radiohead brought the pay what you want model to the public with their successful sale of their "In Rainbows" album. Now here's a fresh example of how a game developer is making The Pirate Bay work for him by offering his game for free and letting people pay what they want. Currently TPB has more than 5000 applicants wanting to do the same."

Submission + - Openleaks launched

Underholdning writes: Ars technica leaks the story of OpenLeaks launching. OpenLeaks is an alternative to WikiLeaks, with a few differences. "OpenLeaks will not accept or publish documents on its own platform, but rather create many 'digital dropboxes' for its community members, each adapted to the specific needs of our members so that they can provide a safe and trusted leaking option for whistleblowers". Time will show if this will live next to WikiLeaks, or they will compete. For more information, check out the OpenLeaks website

Submission + - Court rules bypassing dongles not a DMCA violation (courthousenews.com) 2

tcrown007 writes: MGE UPS makes UPS systems and software that are protected by hardware dongles. After the dongles expired, GE bypassed the dongles and continued to use the software. MGE sued, won, and now lost on GE's appeal. Directly from the court's ruling, "Merely bypassing a technological protection that restricts a user from viewing or using a work is insufficient to trigger the DMCA’s anti-circumvention provision...The owner’s technological measure must protect the copyrighted material against an infringement of a right that the Copyright Act protects, not from mere use or viewing." Say what? I think I just saw a flying pig go by.

Submission + - Scientists Create Equation for a Perfect Handshake

Hugh Pickens writes: "Discover Magazine reports that despite the average person shaking hands nearly 15,000 times in a lifetime, one in five (19 per cent) admit they hate the act of the handshake and are unsure how to do it properly, regularly making a handshake faux pas such as having sweaty palms, squeezing too hard or holding on too long while over half the population (56 per cent) say they have been on the receiving end of an unpleasant handshake experience in the past month alone. But help is at hand as scientists have developed a mathematical equation for the perfect handshake taking into account the twelve primary measures needed to convey respect and trust to the recipient. “The human handshake is one of the most crucial elements of impression formation and is used as a source of information for making a judgement about another person," says Professor Geoffrey Beattie, Head of Psychological Sciences at the University of Manchester, who devised the formula. "A handshake reveals aspects of the personality of the person giving it – for example, a soft handshake can indicate insecurity, whilst a quick-to-let-go handshake can suggest arrogance – so it is surprising that up until now there has not been a guide showing people how they should shake hands." The research was performed at the behest of Chevrolet as part of a handshake training guide for its staff and is meant to offer peace of mind and reassurance to its customers. A full guide to the perfect handshake is available on Flickr."
HP

Submission + - Oracle to sell Sun's hardware biz to HP? 2

Underholdning writes: "With the DOJ approving Oracle's SUN buyour the question arises what Oracle want to do with SUN's hardware business. It's no secret that what Oracle wanted was the software part. Now The Inquired is running a story claiming that Oracle will sell the hardware business of SUN to HP. This will give Oracle a juicy check while HP can increase it's services. However, Larry Ellison denies that it will take place. A source CNN claims otherwise."

Comment Re:Correct approach? (Score 1) 294

First, why are you assuming he can't hire home grown consultants?

I don't assume anything - I just reflect on his statement: " Geography is not a problem as we are used to working in a distributed manner." . He doesn't say which country his company is in, but if it's in the US or Europe, then coders from India is definitely cheaper.

Second, you can usually get the same consultants back for maintenance work. And if you can't because they are busy, there are other consultants, often with the same firm.

Agree, but that's not what he's asking for.

Hiring lots of permanent employees is not the only way to go.

I agree. But again - he explicitely asks for a self contained agile team and not a group of consultants from a large company. IF he want to go for consultants, I'd advice him to use a company and not assemble one on the fly. Alternatively, hire his own group of programmers. My point is, that assembling a team on your own is very risky. Use a firm or hire.

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