Comment Re:Masses reaction (Score 4, Insightful) 202
Of course, Faust's deal with the devil was signed too.
Comment I Have A Soar Provider (Score 1) 334
Everything in my house is "solar" powered in the sense that I have elected a solar provider as my power supplier. (Through de-regulation, supply and delivery are de-coupled in NY and can be purchased separately).
Submission + - Eolas to sue Apple, Google and 23 more (arstechnica.com)
vinodis writes: Company that won $585M from Microsoft sues Apple, Google
The company that won a patent case against Microsoft in 2003 is now using the same patent to go after 23 other companies, including Apple and Google. The USPTO has upheld the patent several times now, so the case may not be as cut and dry as some other patent complaints.
The company that won a patent case against Microsoft in 2003 is now using the same patent to go after 23 other companies, including Apple and Google. The USPTO has upheld the patent several times now, so the case may not be as cut and dry as some other patent complaints.
Comment What Possessed You ... (Score 1) 505
What possessed you to give your SSN to DirectTV?
What possible reason could they have to require that information in the first place, and why would you deal with a business that required it?
Comment Re:Give spam some love! (Score 1) 284
HP sauce
Was that known as Compaq sauce before the merger?
Submission + - UPS Using Software To Eliminate Left Turns (apathy.net)
cybermage writes: The NY Times (reg. req.) has a story about UPS using software to dramatically reduce the number of left turns their drivers take. With a fleet of vehicles their size, the time and money saved by pre-planning routes that try to eliminate left turns means big savings.
Journal SPAM: SoCal Burned for Iraq 3
U.S. needs to keep fire tanker funding
Oakland Tribune, Nov 27, 2005
WHILE trying to slash billions of dollars from the federal budget to help cover the costs of the Iraq war and Hurricane Katrina, the Bush administration wants to cut funding, a move that would ground much of the federal fire-fighting tanker fleet.
This would be a bad idea.
Submission + - at&t's Class Arbitra. Waiver Ruled Unconsciona (consumerist.com)
Tech.Luver writes: "Consumerist reports,
" Like many many companies, Cingular has a little thing in their
contracts saying that if you use their service, you void your right to a class action lawsuit and instead have to go through "mandatory
binding arbitration," which is basically an extra-judicial corporate court exempt from many of the basic rules and laws and procedures and rights of real court. Well, today, that clause was ruled "unconscionable" by the 9th Circuit Court Of Appeals. Therefore, lawsuits can proceed against Cingular and go to real court, not monkey court. Hooray! ""
Submission + - New Theory Explains Periodic Mass Extinctions
i_like_spam writes: The theory that the dinosaurs were wiped out by an asteroid impact, the K-T extinction, is well known and supported by fossil and geological evidence. Asteroid impact theory does not apply to the other fluctuations in biodiversity, however, which follow an approximate 62 million-year cycle. As reported in Science news, a new theory seems to explain periodic mass extinctions. The new theory found that oscillations in the Sun relative to the plane of the Milky Way correlate with changes in biodiversity on Earth. The researchers suggest that an increase in the exposure of Earth to extragalatic cosmic rays causes mass extinctions. Here is the original paper describing the finding.
Submission + - Monkeys and humans learn the same way (sciencedaily.com)
Lucas123 writes: "A new study from UCLA showed that monkeys, like humans, learn faster by being actively involved in the learning process rather than just having information placed before them, according to a story in ScienceDaily. In the study, two rhesus macaque monkeys learned to put up to 18 photos on an ATM-like touch screen in a row. 'The monkeys did much better on the first three days when they had the help than when they didn't, but on the test day, it completely reversed.'"
Submission + - New York! My kinda' place... I got a permit! (nytimes.com)
G4Cube writes: From the NY Times,
New York City May Seek Permit and Insurance for Many Kinds of Public Photography...
"Some tourists, amateur photographers, even would-be filmmakers hoping to make it big on YouTube could soon be forced to obtain a city permit and $1 million in liability insurance before taking pictures or filming on city property, including sidewalks".
If ever a law was made for cops to "thump and trump" anyone, this is one. "Hey buddy. "You got a permit? Yeah, I'm talkin' to you.
iPhone Doesn't Surf Fast Enough for Jobs 436
ElvaWSJ writes with a link to a Wall Street Journal interview with Steve Jobs and AT&T's CEO Randall Stephenson. As you can imagine, they're pretty enthusiastic. Just the same, they address the possibility that the iPhone will slow internet access on Ma Bell's cell network. "Mr. Jobs acknowledged that the company's new iPhone won't surf the Internet as fast as he would like on the network, called "Edge," but added that the device's ability to connect to Wi-Fi hotspots would give consumers a speedier alternative for Web browsing. For his part, Mr. Stephenson said the iPhone represents a broader push by AT&T into Wi-Fi services, including, potentially, mobile Internet calling. The two men also discussed the iPod's "halo effect" and reflected on the origins of their corporate partnership."
Submission + - New Zealand banks demand a peek at PCs (computerworld.com)
Montgomery Burns III writes: "Banks in New Zealand are seeking access to customer PCs used for online banking transactions to verify whether they have enough security protection. Under the terms of a new banking Code of Practice, banks may request access in the event of a disputed transaction to see if security protection in is place and up to date. Liability for any loss resulting from unauthorized Internet banking transactions rests with the customer if they have "used a computer or device that does not have appropriate protective software and operating system installed and uptodate, [or] failed to take reasonable steps to ensure that the protective systems, such as virus scanning, firewall, antispyware, operating system and antispam software on [the] computer, are uptodate.""
Submission + - Microsoft to simplify downgrades from Vista to XP
castrox writes: It seems Microsoft have taken a notice that users may want to run XP instead of Vista. The new deal is to simplify downgrading for the OEMs. Currently, all OEMs must call Microsoft whenever a downgrade is done. After this "simplification" OEMs may submit batches of keys to Microsoft which will save time.
According to the Microsoft blog on ZDNet, the "downgrade software" will still need to be supplied by the end user. The deal is rather perplexing — it does not seem like you can convert the license since the only eligible versions for downgrading is Ultimate and Business.
Effectively, it seems nothing has changed. More on the downgrade "rights" (warning: PDF) here.
According to the Microsoft blog on ZDNet, the "downgrade software" will still need to be supplied by the end user. The deal is rather perplexing — it does not seem like you can convert the license since the only eligible versions for downgrading is Ultimate and Business.
Effectively, it seems nothing has changed. More on the downgrade "rights" (warning: PDF) here.
Submission + - Music Industry Attacks Free Prince CD (guardian.co.uk) 1
Mike writes: "You might not like Prince but he's planning on giving away a free CD in a national Sunday newspaper, but music industry executives are practically going insane over the idea and threatening to retaliate. "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince should know that with behaviour like this he will soon be the Artist Formerly Available in Record Stores. And I say that to all the other artists who may be tempted to dally with the Mail on Sunday," said Entertainment Retailers Association spokesman Paul Quirk, who also said it would be "an insult" to record stores. But wait a minute- can't Prince give away his own music if he wants to without fear of industry retaliation?"
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