Slashdot Mirror
Stardust Probe Enters Comet's Tail Tomorrow
Tortured Potato writes "NASA's Stardust probe is about to pass through the tail of Comet Wild 2 at 11:40am PST, January 2nd. If all goes well, the probe will return the material to earth for research in 2006-- the first extraterrestrial material captured from outside the moon's orbit."
body massage.
first post
...could be used in the probing of Uranus.
and its phoning home!?! EGADS!
I wouldn't mind entering her mature tail and probing it deeply with my manprobe...
...reached the limits of what anal probing could teach us.
This is a rip of this post by herrvinny (UID: 698679) right here.
Disgruntled Apple users get vocal as Macworld looms
December 31, 2003, 3:25 PM PST
By Reuters
Can a few bad apples--like product-quality complaints and potential lawsuits--spoil the bunch for loyal fans of Apple Computer ahead of their biggest party of the year?
As enthusiasts devoted to Apple prepare to descend on San Francisco next week for the annual Macworld conference, at least two online petitions have collected hundreds of signatures from potential plaintiffs seeking to file lawsuits over claims of defects in the iBook laptop.
Another growing source of complaints surrounds Apple's wildly popular iPod line of digital music players, which many enthusiasts believe will get an upgrade at Macworld with the introduction of smaller, less-expensive models and a range of case colors.
In California, a lawsuit seeking class-action status is expected to be filed in January against the company over the claim that Apple's warranty does not run long enough to cover problems with the player's battery.
Apple has won raves over the years for its sleekly designed computers. The company, with a market share of around 2 percent, is able to command higher prices, due in part to Apple machines being perceived as more secure and reliable than PCs running Microsoft's Windows operating system.
Taken together, both consumer campaigns against a company that prides itself on high standards for design and engineering threaten to cast a shadow over Macworld, historically a forum for Apple and its charismatic leader, Steve Jobs, to showcase new products and innovations.
An Apple representative declined to comment on questions concerning pending litigation and claims of defective computers.
Users of Apple's iBook have been reporting problems with their iBooks in increasing numbers in the last few weeks, according to Ric Ford, president of MacIntouch, which runs the MacIntouch.com Web site, an independent site for Mac users.
But Ford attributed the increased chatter more to the fact that some users have narrowed in on the cause of the long-standing problems rather than the impending start of the Macworld show.
"I don't think it's really related to Macworld," Ford said. "I think the problems have been there, but people are starting to understand the source of the problems."
The difficulties stem from the iBook's logic board, or motherboard, users say in discussion forums and on message boards--including boards on Apple's own Web site. Many users report that replacement units have the same problems with display and video output.
Most of the complaints pertain to a particular iBook model with dual USB ports, and many users say the problems started to show up just after the computer came out of warranty.
One of the petition sites, BlackCider.com, which uses as its logo an apple with a screw run through it, has 408 signatures from potential lawsuit participants.
Site owner Michael Johnson also offers T-shirts with the site logo on front and "Ask me about my logic board" on back.
The other Web site, created by Brendan Carolan at PetitionOnline.com, has collected 850 signatures and calls on Apple to either extend the iBook warranties or offer a replacement.
Neither Johnson nor Carolan were immediately available for comment.
The claims of problems have also extended to the company's higher-end PowerBook line. Macworld magazine, in its December issue, said that because of defects, it had to return three of six 15-inch aluminum PowerBook G4s it had ordered for testing purposes.
Meanwhile, a video making the rounds of the Internet shows a man spray-painting the message "IPod's unreplaceable battery lasts only 18 months" on iPod posters.
The filmmaker, Casey Neistat, said in a note on his Web site, ipodsdirtysecret.com, that he decided to make the film after his unit essentially died in September and he was told the battery could not be replaced. Subsequently, Apple has begun offering a $99 battery replacement service.
troll alerts are OFFTOPIC and should be modded down as such
This public informational message was brought to you by James A. C. Joyce. Mod me up if you think CmdrTaco's bringing this site down or if you think the GNAA should just fucking die!
John Walker Lindh attacked in prison
SAN FRANCISCO - John Walker Lindh, the American imprisoned for taking up arms for the Taliban in Afghanistan (news - web sites), was attacked by a fellow inmate and slightly bruised, his lawyer said Thursday.
Law enforcement authorities confirmed the 21-year-old Lindh was attacked but would not disclose a possible motive.
The incident happened Monday night at the medium-security federal prison in Victorville as Lindh was preparing to pray, said his lawyer Tony West.
"Our understanding is that the inmate tackled John and began hitting him while screaming obscenities before running off," West said in a statement. Lindh suffered a bruise on his forehead, the lawyer said.
"John is fine," West said. "He's in very good spirits."
A law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: "It was a minor incident, a prison fight. He got a little scraped up, but he's fine. One guy was picking on him."
The official had no information on Lindh's attacker. The FBI said Thursday it was investigating.
The investigation started after the San Bernardino County Sun received an anonymous tip early Tuesday.
"Yes, I'd like to inform your newspaper that John Lindh Walker, who is incarcerated in Victorville, was assaulted this night by a white supremacist organization that is imprisoned there. Thank you," the male caller said in a voice message.
Lindh was sentenced in October to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to supplying services to Afghanistan's Taliban government and carrying explosives in commission of a felony.
He has been at the prison northeast of Los Angeles since January. Before arriving there, Lindh had been held at a federal lockup in Virginia. He was moved to be closer to his parents, who live in Northern California.
Lindh was placed in the general prison population last month at his attorneys' request and was working as an orderly, cleaning indoors where guards could watch him, the Sun reported, citing an unidentified prison source. The source said that since Monday, Lindh had been in special housing, similar to solitary confinement, for his protection.
Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesman Dan Dunne said Lindh "is housed in a unit which is consistent with his individual safety and security needs."
The prison has more than 1,650 inmates.