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Slashback: Authors, Innards, Boson

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the moving-out-is-hard-to-do dept.

Slashback brings you tonight updates and amplifications on the Treo portable drive, recent Higgs Boson findings, finding LDP documentation authors, and more. Author! Author! (Uhh ... author?) Providing a timely update to the Debian / LDP licensing snafu unmadindu writes: "The LDP requests people (even if they are not LDP authors)who are reading this message to forward it to their respective LUG mailing lists. Maybe some of the 'unreachable authors' are still in those LUG lists."

Yup. Sure looks prime to me, yessir. Cesaro writes: "BBC is reporting that the largest prime number yet found has been verified. This number is 4,053,946 digits and took them almost 2 years to find on the GIMPS distributed system. More information can be had here"

This punishment may have to be let out for certain crimes. A semi-anonymous reader wrote to point out that implications of the recent Windows virus Goner may have broader implications than were previously clear. "With word that the new 'Goner' email virus was quickly spreading across the globe, 41 U.S. states and six European countries today announced that anyone caught creating or purposefully distributing a computer virus will be prosecuted under hate crime statutes for intentionally targeting 'people of stupidity.'

The trouble with sounding too good to be true ... Greg Titus writes "As a followup to yesterday's story about the Treo MP3 player (touted as iPod competition) ... Check out the Treo web site this morning (http://www.treoplayer.com/): 'Due to issues beyond Hy-Tek Manufacturing and e.Digital Corporation's control, Hy-Tek has discontinued production of the current Treo design.'"

Getting at the guts of a Linn. thegadgetman, in a fit of "blatant bit of self-promotion" with some more information about the technology that runs the recently-featured (and incredible looking) Linn KiVOR.

"The Linn KiVOR is the first of an ever increasing number of companies adopting our XiVA software for powering the next-generation of media appliances. Built from the start to run on Linux (now running 2.4 series kernel) XiVA blends hard disk technology, advanced software design and embedded Internet technology to provide amazing features.

As well as OEMing our technology, we have our own range of hard-disk audio products - our SoundServers. The M1000 is a range that goes up to 16 outputs and 3 hard-disk, and our S1000 range includes intuitive TV interface and a range up to 3 outputs. All the current products feature professional quality audio cards from Midiman. All these feature the XiVA-Link protocol which has been adopted by many of the major Home Automation controllers (AMX, Crestron etc), and is used by our XiVA-Producer PC application for meta-data editing and MP3 transfer. We also have software for automatic generation of Pronto CCF files, and an application that turns a Visor (with IR booster) into a graphical remote control that contains a listing of all the albums on the server.

Our recently launched XiVA-Net portal is the exciting new Internet based entertainment service from Imerge! It is dedicated to delivering entertainment to the new wave of internet-connected AV products. It will enable you to find out more about the music and artists you love as well as thousands you have not yet had the chance to listen to. XiVA-Net will allow you to buy music, book concert tickets and get the latest music news and gossip from the comfort of your living room. see our web-sites (http://www.imerge.co.uk http://xiva-net.com and http://www.xiva.com) for full details"

Are there no sections? Can they not delve? Since many people have submitted this story, please note that an interesting story on the Higgs Boson, or, perhaps better said, on the lack of Higgs Boson ran in the science section, and is worth checking out.

23 of 116 comments (clear)

  1. No, not 'no Higgs boson' by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Just 'not found at 115GeV'. Besides, the article was in New Scientist, not exactly the epitome of scientific journals.

    1. Re:No, not 'no Higgs boson' by BitterOak · · Score: 3, Informative
      Right. A good number of physicists never expected to see the Higgs until the LHC comes online. In fact, it is the prime motivation for such an expensive project.

      There's still a good chance that the Higgs will be found, and if it isn't, even at LHC energies, that in itself will be an interesting result.

      --
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    2. Re:No, not 'no Higgs boson' by hughk · · Score: 3, Informative
      Btw, the full article noted that other possible levels up to 115Gev were tried. It was originally predicted at 80GeV, but nothing was seen there. If the Higgs doesn't exist, or looks somewhat different (i.e., much higher mass) than the prediction then a lot of people have some serious rethinking to do.

      New Scientist isn't Nature, it is just a scientific newspaper rather than a journal. It is also cheaper and has a much wider circulation. You may want to wait for the full paper in Nature, but as a non-particle physicist, I'm quite happy with New Scientist's summary for the moment.

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      See my journal, I write things there
    3. Re:No, not 'no Higgs boson' by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      New Scientist is gossipy and frequently wrong. In principle Higgs can have any mass, but for it to be useful to the SUSY (supersymmetry) theories it absolutely must be in the range about 100 - 200 GeV.

      Excluding up to 115 GeV (if you can rely on this result) does rule out many supersymmetric models. The long life of the proton (which is stable as far as we can tell) also ruled out many SUSY models. All SUSY models must have a Higgs with mass below 200 GeV, so this is the most efficient way to attack SUSY.

      If CDF does not find Higgs by the time LHC comes online, SUSY will look much more doubtful than it does now. If LHC does not find the Higgs, that will probably wrap it up for SUSY.

      (I am not for or against SUSY, I am just interested in efficiently learning about the universe we live in.)

    4. Re:No, not 'no Higgs boson' by Zeinfeld · · Score: 2
      Right. A good number of physicists never expected to see the Higgs until the LHC comes online. In fact, it is the prime motivation for such an expensive project.

      Yes and no. Until recently nobody had any idea what the Higgs mass was beyond 'more than LEP, HERA, Tevatron can deliver'.

      The LHC has been in design for over 15 years. When the project started the Higgs theory was not even the leading contender.

      Contrary to many people's belief, experimentalists don't build the experiments to test the theories of the theoreticians. Its more like have tunnel, will use it, what is there that is kewl to look at in that energy range? The design of the LHC is intended to give the greatest probability of finding the Higgs without boring a new tunnel. But it is not a one trick pony and if Peter Higg's theory was demolished tommorow there would be plenty of other stuff to do with it. After all if the Higgs is not there then the Standard model is still broken, still fails to explain gravity and still is 100% in compliance with all experimental observations on the sub-atomic scale. So there is something else to find.

      One of the main issues that is missed by the reporters is that there is no 'Higgs Particle', there is a Higgs field type thingie wich if it exisits is manifested in at least one particle. Chances are that there will be multiple generations of Higgs particles, just as there are six quarks etc. Well thats the story I got from Cashmore and Rubia,

      --
      Looking for an Information Security student project suggestion?
      Try http://dotcrimeManifesto.com/
  2. Treo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Let's see. A good 80% of the posters (not counting the iPod astroturfers) on that topic were unimpressed with the Treo. It has half the capacity, 1/10th the download speed, and a terrible UI.

    Is it any wonder that they discontinued it? Perhaps submitting the article to /. was their way of gauging customer response. The poor man's market research. :-)

    1. Re:Treo by spudnic · · Score: 2, Informative

      Possible, but what I read said it had twice the hard drive capacity as the iPod, not half.

      .

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      load "linux",8,1
    2. Re:Treo by jonnythan · · Score: 5, Informative

      TWICE the capacity, HALF the price.

  3. Sums it all up... by powerlinekid · · Score: 5, Funny

    "My virus wasn't targeting stupid computer users specifically, just anyone using Microsoft's Outlook Express or AOL," he said. "Oh... damn."
    Haha... that all most made my coffee come out my nose.

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    can't sleep slashdot will eat me
  4. Treo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    That Treo announcement was for their old Treo product. This new product (the Treo 10) has been announced long after that message was put up. I have recieved confirmation of this by eDigital on the Treoplayer mailing list at Yahoo groups. It should still be coming out.

  5. Guess the replacement will be called: Ip�d by bstadil · · Score: 2, Funny

    Since these guys used the Handspring Treo name with different letter accented maybe the replacement will be called Ipód

    --
    Help fight continental drift.
  6. Re:OTOH by RogrWilco · · Score: 2, Funny

    Be nice to him, otherwise you run the risk of prosecution...

  7. Cheaper Portable Music Player by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny


    This is not a troll, off topic, or flamebait.

    If anyone is looking for a cheaper portable music player, check out the iPod LC.

  8. Catch-22 by GearheadX · · Score: 2, Funny

    Should we be relieved or terrified that 'stupid people' are being given specific protection under the law now?

  9. Something Fishy Treo? by CritterNYC · · Score: 4, Informative

    The treoplayer.com website is registered to an individual and he is the only contact. Its some dude with an earthlink email address. Check it out. There is no mention of the discontinuation at the manufacturer or distributors websites. Plus, the layout of the treoplayer.com site is amateurish at best. Me thinks Slashdot has been had.

    --
    Portable versions of Firefox, GIMP, LibreOffice, etc
  10. Re:Are /.'ers stupid? by xlurker · · Score: 2, Informative


    here's the article ...

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    sigamajig...
  11. Grr. It's a joke. by EllF · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Really. Go look at that "hate crime against stupid people" link. It's from SatireWire - come on, guys. Read the disclaimer: "All stories are fictional and satirical and should not in any way be construed as fact."

    Oops.

    --
    We who were living are now dying
    With a little patience
  12. Read before you react by Comrade+Pikachu · · Score: 3, Informative

    That virus hate crime thing is satire, as in: "It's funny. Laugh".

  13. Some detective work... by corky6921 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ...on TreoPlayer.com reveals some interesting facts:

    Check out the source code. Lovely ol' Frontpage inserted an author meta tag with the name "Jerzy Bilyk".

    Here is where it gets interesting. Run a Google search on "Jerzy Bilyk", and you come up with this page (Google cache used because the original doesn't exist anymore). It lists a "Bilyk, Jerzy" as having a supended license (among other crimes.) The police department is in Plano, IL.

    Now here's the really interesting part: a WHOIS on treoplayer.com shows a John Bastion as owning the domain. His address? Sugar Grove, IL: about 12 miles from Plano. (Mapquest proves it).

    I think, from this, we can safely declare one golden rule: if you're going to do a hoax and submit it to Slashdot, don't freakin' use Frontpage! :D

    P.S. I'm available as a consultant if anyone from Slashdot would like to hire an editor/story checker. ;)

    1. Re:Some detective work... by Speare · · Score: 4, Funny

      The Plano, Il., police page you listed was very informative. I love reading log sheets like this for small town police units. The infractions seem so petty compared to the big stuff you see on the mainstream news.

      The township name of Sandwich Il. seems somewhat unfortunate with the title "Female Juvenile Sandwich" halfway down the page, though. I'm sure a few people had to double-take to read that properly.

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      [ .sig file not found ]
    2. Re:Some detective work... by Fnkmaster · · Score: 2

      See http://www.edig.com for the company e.Digital's website. By way of confirmation of your post, there is nothing at all there to indicate that they are discontinuing anything. So your hoax conclusion seems fully justified.

    3. Re:Some detective work... by tomknight · · Score: 2
      What does it prove? He has a suspended license therefore he is responsible for the hoax? I don't get your warped logic. (To quote the AC parent).


      Just what I was thinking. Yes, you're very clever and all that, and we're all in awe of your investigative skills (oh yes, really), but what you're saying, in itslef means nothing.


      Tom.

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      Oh arse
  14. Only one problem with that theory... by artemis67 · · Score: 2

    If this was an intent to defraud people by floating a bogus MP3 player that one-upped the iPod, why would he be selling a 6 GB drive with a USB connection? The speed of the FireWire connection on the iPod is one of its main selling features, and is the one feature it has that no other MP3 player on the market has. And the Treo has a USB 1.1 connection at that.

    Granted, most PC's don't have a FireWire port, but I think I would have at least said it had a combo USB/FireWire port.