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Comment Re:School is worthless... (Score 1) 309

by martin_b1sh0p (#41760825) Attached to: Ask Slashdot: Is Going To a Technical College Worth It?
"The main issue as I see it is that you can't even get an interview in some places without a degree of some kind."

^^^ Unfortunately this is very true. Where I work resumes w/ no degrees don't get passed on to the hiring managers. Which is sad really, because most of us in the R&D department (where I work) agree that there are probably plenty of bright, non-degree'd engineers out there. But stupid Human Resources has their rules. Usually for this reason alone, I recommend to younger friends that if they really do have a desire to work in the corporate world (not for everyone of course), they should at least seriously consider and look in to a 4 year degree program. I know that I would not be where I am in my career today without mine. Maybe I would have eventually gotten here, but it would have taken a lot longer (as I would have most likely started farther down the ladder).

Comment Re:Entitlement problems (Score 1) 198

If only I had mod points I'd mod you up. I work for a medical device company in Colorado and we have a tough time finding software devs. Why? Because we're looking for devs with RTOS and C++. Not a super common combination. RTOS and C is a lot more common. So yes, specializing can and does have its benefits. And I agree, there is a big difference (skills, salary, etc) between the various "IT" jobs.
Google

Submission + - Google's Nexus One is Actually a Steal at $49 (gadgetopolis.com) 2

Submitted by gjt
gjt writes: I initially posted a story ragging on the Nexus One. But then a commenter pointed out a problem with my initial logic. I investigated the commenter's thoughts. After doing some math, I concluded that the $529 unlocked/unsubsidized Google Nexus One gPhone is much cheaper than it appears to be. In fact it's only $49 when you do the math — and that's unlocked! Google likes to say that the Nexus One represents "Our new approach to buying a mobile phone". But it actually seems as though T-Mobile deserves most of the credit by providing a $20/month discount to customers who purchase an unsubsidized phone — which for some reason didn't seem to get much attention when T-Mobile created the new plan back in October 2009.

Comment Re:It's surprising how much power new TV's use. (Score 1) 619

by martin_b1sh0p (#30173066) Attached to: Response To California's Large-Screen TV Regulation
As others have already replied, LCDs use a lot less power. But if you want a flat screen for a decent price with an excellent picture, Plasma is still the way to go (as your research told you obviously). And Plasmas are getting better / more energy efficient (just not as good as LCDs).

I did the same thing you did...spent weeks doing my research and looking at TVs in stores, and walk away with a Plasma. Because picture quality was more important than my electric bill going up by $1 a month. Granted my Plasma is only 42" and is rated at 286W (with people online claiming they've measured an average of only 200W used).
Encryption

How Important Is Protecting Streaming Media? 182

Posted by Soulskill from the mo'-content-mo'-problems dept.
spaj writes "In the ongoing battle with the MPAA and RIAA, there seems to be an ongoing argument about who is to blame. If you leave a $20 bill on the sidewalk, can you report it stolen when someone takes it? Of course you can, but will you be taken seriously by the authorities? When my car was broken into, I was told by the responding police officer that I might have prevented it by keeping my seats and visible areas clear of junk that would entice criminals. So, who is at fault when it comes to users abusing their right to capture streaming media for personal use? According to Applian.com's Legal FAQ, the RIAA will not come after you if you make a recording for your own personal use. I have often been torn on this issue, and I am looking for input. Adobe recently released a new format of their widely used streaming protocol, RTMP, that includes 128-bit encryption (RTMPE). I can only interpret this as an attempt to prevent capturing of the streaming media content for personal use. However, Applian has already circumvented the RTMPE protection, and you can read about it on Adobe's forums, where some users seem quite dissatisfied that their content is not protected enough by Adobe's technology. I think the main question boils down to: Who is to blame? Can you blame Adobe for not making a better encryption? Or do you blame Applian for bypassing such security features? Or do you blame the authors of stolen content for leaving the security of their material in somebody else's hands?"
Media

Sirius, XM Merger Gets FCC Approval 187

Posted by Soulskill from the who-wants-a-choice-anyway dept.
Multiple readers, including koavf, have written to tell us the FCC has finally approved the Sirius-XM merger that has been in the works for quite a while now. CNN has picked up AP coverage as well. We discussed approval of the merger by the Justice Department a few months ago. From CNN: "The Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 to approve the buyout, with the tiebreaker coming Friday night from Republican commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate. Tate had insisted that the companies settle charges that they violated FCC rules before she would approve the deal. The companies agreed this week to pay $19.7 million to the U.S. Treasury for violations related to radio receivers and ground-based signal repeaters. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin confirmed the final vote Friday night. 'I think it's going to be, in the end, a good thing for consumers and be in the public interest,' he told The Associated Press."
Google

Google Health Opens To the Public 199

Posted by kdawson from the take-two-aspirin-and-don't-call-me-ever dept.
Several readers noted that the limited pilot test of Google Health has ended, and Google is now offering the service to the public at large. Google Health allows patients to enter health information, such as conditions and prescriptions, find related medical information, and share information with their health care providers (at the patient's request). Information may be entered manually or imported from partnered health care providers. The service is offered free of charge, and Google won't be including advertising. The WSJ and the NYTimes provide details about Google's numerous health partners.
Power

The Texas Petawatt Laser 174

Posted by kdawson from the you-can-pet-a-dog-or-you-can-pet-a-cat dept.
Roland Piquepaille notes the hype surrounding what the University of Texas at Austin is calling the world's most powerful laser. During a tenth of a femtosecond this laser is 2,000 times more powerful than all the power plants in the US, and is brighter than sunlight on the surface of the Sun. On his own blog Roland points out that UT's is not the first petawatt laser; that distinction belongs to a system installed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in 1996.
The Military

Ask the Air Force Cyber Command General About War in Cyberspace 315

Posted by Roblimo from the play-the-ultimate-MMORPG dept.
We ran an article about the new Air Force Cyber Command and its recruiting efforts on February 13, 2008. Now Major General William Lord, who is in charge of this effort, has agreed to answer Slashdot users' questions. If you're thinking about joining up -- or just curious -- this is a golden opportunity to learn how our military is changing its command structure and recruiting efforts to deal with "cyberspace as a warfighting domain." Usual Slashdot interview rules apply.
Education

12 Florida Schools Pass Anti-Evolution Resolutions 871

Posted by ScuttleMonkey from the and-the-kids-still-lose dept.
Several sources are reporting that twelve school districts in Florida have passed resolutions against the teaching of evolution. Out of all the arguments, however, one administrator seems to have gotten it right: "Then, the final speaker, Lisa Dizengoff, director of science curriculum at Pembroke Pines Charter School's east campus, angrily reminded the crowd that after all the carping over evolution, no one had gotten around to addressing the state's lackadaisical, last-century approach to science education. 'All I heard was this argument about evolution,' she said, disgusted that so many other problems had been preempted by a single controversy. 'The kids lost out again.''"

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