viyh - Slashdot User

Submission + - Wikipedia to add video (technologyreview.com) 1

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viyh

on Friday June 19, 2009 @02:08PM

viyh writes: "Wikipedia will soon be adding a video option, within two or three months, according to the MIT Technology Review.

"Within two to three months, a person editing a Wikipedia article will find a new button labeled "Add Media." Clicking it will bring up an interface allowing her to search for video--initially from three repositories containing copyright-free material--and drag chosen portions into the article, without having to install any video-editing software or do any conversions herself. The results will appear as a clickable video clip embedded within the article."

They will be requiring all video to use open-source formats. This is in hopes of getting content providers to open up their material to gain wider exposure on the Wikipedia website. There is also an in-browser editor that removes a lot of the headache often associated with any kind of video editing.

"Presently, the work flow is pretty atrocious" for people trying to download, convert, and edit video, says Dale, citing the notoriously confusing array of incompatible video formats now in use. With the new Wikipedia system, "people will be able to easily inject media into pages, in a way that wasn't possible before," says Michael Dale, a software engineer from Kaltura, the company assisting with development of the tools."

Submission + - Rockstar to tell 'Ballad of Gay Tony' in 'GTA IV' (usatoday.com)

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viyh

on Wednesday May 27, 2009 @02:33AM

viyh writes: "Players will assume the role of an assistant to legendary nightclub owner "Gay Tony" in the upcoming downloadable episode for Grand Theft Auto IV this fall.

Like previous episode The Lost and Damned, released earlier this year, The Ballad of Gay Tony will arrive exclusively for the Xbox 360, says a statement from publisher Rockstar Games.

Players control Luis Lopez, a "part-time hoodlum" and assistant to Tony Prince, known by the nickname "Gay Tony."

"The team at Rockstar North have yet again surpassed themselves, and made something that is both epic and very innovative," says Rockstar founder Sam Houser in a statement. "This episode's focus on high-end night life contrasts with the biker gangs portrayed in The Lost and Damned, whilst giving us a lot of new gameplay possibilities.""

Submission + - Cocaine test prompts Red Bull removal in Germany (google.com) 2

Submitted by

viyh

on Monday May 25, 2009 @03:43PM

viyh writes: "Six German states have told retailers to stop selling Red Bull Cola energy drinks after a test found a trace amount of cocaine.

The bans started Friday after a sample test conducted by authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia state found 0.4 micrograms per liter in the drink.

Five other states also banned it from shops amid concerns over possible narcotics law violations.

Red Bull Cola company has come out and protested against the action of taking their product off the shelves saying that the flavouring is used worldwide in foods."

Submission + - North Korea conducts nuclear test (reuters.com) 5

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viyh

on Sunday May 24, 2009 @10:54PM

viyh writes: "North Korea conducted a nuclear test on Monday, South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted a ruling party official as saying.

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake was recorded by the USGS in North Korea.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has called an emergency meeting of cabinet ministers over the test, Yonhap said."

Submission + - 100M year old microbes found in termite guts (msn.com)

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viyh

on Sunday May 24, 2009 @09:09AM

viyh writes: "One hundred million years ago a termite was wounded and its abdomen split open. The resin of a pine tree slowly enveloped its body and the contents of its gut.

In what is now the Hukawng Valley in Myanmar, the resin fossilized and was buried until it was chipped out of an amber mine. The resin had seeped into the termite's wound and preserved even the microscopic organisms in its gut. These microbes are the forebears of the microbes that live in the guts of today's termites and help them digest wood.

The fossil is the earliest example of a relationship between an animal and the microbes in its gut, a new study shows.

"The chances of finding a termite with its body open like this are rare," said George Poinar, an amber expert at Oregon State University who led the research, published in the latest edition of the journal Parasites and Vectors. The amber preserved the microbes with exquisite detail, including internal features like the nuclei.

"In some of these [microbes] you can actually see wood particles," Poinar told LiveScience."

Submission + - Judge shields Craigslist from prosecution in SC (cnn.com) 1

Submitted by

viyh

on Sunday May 24, 2009 @01:55AM

viyh writes: "A South Carolina judge has ordered the state attorney general's office to stop pursuing criminal charges against Craigslist.com while a lawsuit related to prostitution ads on the popular classifieds site makes its way through the courts."

Submission + - Obama will tap Charles Bolden to lead NASA (latimes.com)

Submitted by

viyh

on Saturday May 23, 2009 @05:48AM

viyh writes: "President Obama will name former astronaut Charles F. Bolden Jr. as NASA administrator, according to three congressional sources. If confirmed by the Senate, the retired Marine Corps general would be the first African American to head the agency.

The timing, the sources said, is keyed to the landing of the shuttle Atlantis, which remained in orbit Friday because of bad weather but will return today or Sunday. The sources were called Friday and briefed by the White House, which would not comment for this article.

The president will also announce that his campaign space advisor, Lori Garver, will be Bolden's deputy, the sources said."

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