Forbes Magazine had an article this month describing Americans dependance on foreign oil and how we could break our habit of needing it. Solar Panel cars are a great step in the right direction to getting away from having to use oil. Not only is it much better for our environment, but we also get rid of the dependence on foreign imports. Maybe we wouldn't have had all the Iraq hooplah if we didn't need all their oil. Although gas companies would be crippled, the employees could get jobs somewhere else.
I don't see solar powered cars becoming the norm since night time would basically put them out of commission, but I could see some type of hybrid. It would be nice to see a solar/electric/gas powered hybrid at some point.
In other news, the University of Michigan has a superb solar car team that competes in international competitions every year. They have won the national championship three years and finished 3rd in the world twice. Hopefully the trajedy that happened at UToronto doesn't happen again.
One of my friends is one of the leads on the project for Cornell University. He was the one who designed the site and a bunch of other things on the plane.
Yes, they were given grant money from Microsoft, but that wasn't the only influence in their decisions. They've put long hard hours into the plane. XP Embedded does allow them to add functionality to the plane. A lot of companies have given then grants and sponsorships that have allowed them to build the plane. Don't forget this is Cornell here and they're not going to just rely on Microsoft to make the plane run. They also weren't attempting to make a "real" plane - this is still an UAV which isn't meant to have the power of a full aeronautical vehicle.
Unfortionatly one of their planes was destroyed in a fire at a hotel in Maryland while they went down to show off the plane. Luckily, their backup plane that is still being built was not destroyed.
The problem with security does in fact lie within Internet Explorer or many of the Office products. Most of the worms these days either take advantage of 1) Internet Explorer or 2) Outlook or Outlook Express. It should be Microsoft's duty to patch these holes as soon as their brought to our attention. It is nice to finally see Microsoft take a strong stance and release an out-of-turn patch.
This should not surprise you though. As seen by the eventual release of Window XP SP2 you will see a new version of Windows that represents Microsofts new focus on security. Their goal is to make people aware that there are security risks and they must make an active effort to keep their computers up to date and patched. Windows Update will take a more active role and SP2 will include a Virus Program "checker" to make sure you are running some sort of virus protection.
While many of you say that 90% of the Internet Explorer users aren't aware of the security problems, it is microsofts goal to make this aware. I wouldn't be surprised to see the number of unaware users quickly diminish. With all the news about the viruses and exploits, people can't be that dumb to just ignore them. While people may not do something now, when SP2 comes out I have reason to believe that people will begin to realize that they need to keep their computers patched.
Upgrading to Firefox is also a start. While it blocks most of the ActiveX scripts which get exploited, it also provides many additional features, including popup blocking and more.
It would also be nice to see Antivirus or firewall companies taking a more active role in advertising. Firewall programs like Kerio Personal
Firewall monitor existing applications and notify the user when an application is trying to be replaced (for example during an upgrade). These firwalls prevent ad-ware and other programs from being installed without the user knowing (for example my roommate had "My Horroscope" somehow installed on her computer without her knowing, meanwhile Kerio blocked it from being installed on my computer).
We're starting to see an age where more people are aware and more companies are making people aware of the security risks of not keeping an up-to-date computer.
It seems that whatever apple does, people will complain. Yes, the 20gig version no longer comes with the case, dock and remote, but does it really matter?
If you're looking into the 20gig version, here are some thoughts:
1) Spend $40 to get the remote (if you don't have it already).
2) The dock is only an added feature, it's not really needed. I bought the case and remote on my own when I got the 10gig version and have never seen a need for the dock.
3) Get a better case than the $40 Apple one that requires you to take it out of the case to use it. There are some nice cheap clear ones out there.
Also keep in mind, if you wanted the 40gig version in the past, it's now $100 cheaper! I was planning on getting the 20gig because I filled up my 10gigs. Now for the same price I can get another 20gigs. While the new 20gig version does leave out some things, the 40gig is much better deal now!
If you're like me and bought the remote and case seperately, then upgrading to the 20gig version still lets you have the remote/case. No big deal. The way I see it, I'm still saving $100 no matter what I do.
Look on the bright side, there's now longer battery life, a cleaned up interface and a new wheel.
Yes, I know it's hard to get a job as Professor, but somehow I have trouble seeing that a person with a doctorate would have a problem getting a job. Maybe it's just that I'm biased being an Electrical Engineer and, thanks to Bush, the defense industry is hiring tons of engineers. It just seems that, around the area I am in, they are hiring, and hiring Ph.D's at that too.
On another note, Intel has decided to only hire Ph.D's. What are slashdoter's opinions on that?
Coming from one of the higher ranked engineering schools in the country, I find that Ph.D and masters enrollment seems to be quite up. I know most of the people I am around are not settling for just their bachelors - everyone wants to go to graduate school. I also am spending my summer in DC working for Boeing. Almost everyone here either has a Ph.D or plans on going back to get their masters or Ph.D. Engineering docotorates do not fall in to the $35,000 range and they actually get paid quite a lot. Now I am not so sure about "science" but it seems to me that getting a Ph.D doesn't leave you anywhere near shy on money. On top of that, if you're any good at what you do, you can always get a job as a Professor at a university. At Uof Michigan the Professors get paid very well and do a lot of research. I find it hard to believe that in an age so motivated and focused on technology, that a scientist or an engineer would have trouble finding work.
Slashdot Mirror
I don't see solar powered cars becoming the norm since night time would basically put them out of commission, but I could see some type of hybrid. It would be nice to see a solar/electric/gas powered hybrid at some point. In other news, the University of Michigan has a superb solar car team that competes in international competitions every year. They have won the national championship three years and finished 3rd in the world twice. Hopefully the trajedy that happened at UToronto doesn't happen again.
Yes, they were given grant money from Microsoft, but that wasn't the only influence in their decisions. They've put long hard hours into the plane. XP Embedded does allow them to add functionality to the plane. A lot of companies have given then grants and sponsorships that have allowed them to build the plane. Don't forget this is Cornell here and they're not going to just rely on Microsoft to make the plane run. They also weren't attempting to make a "real" plane - this is still an UAV which isn't meant to have the power of a full aeronautical vehicle.
Unfortionatly one of their planes was destroyed in a fire at a hotel in Maryland while they went down to show off the plane. Luckily, their backup plane that is still being built was not destroyed.
This should not surprise you though. As seen by the eventual release of Window XP SP2 you will see a new version of Windows that represents Microsofts new focus on security. Their goal is to make people aware that there are security risks and they must make an active effort to keep their computers up to date and patched. Windows Update will take a more active role and SP2 will include a Virus Program "checker" to make sure you are running some sort of virus protection.
While many of you say that 90% of the Internet Explorer users aren't aware of the security problems, it is microsofts goal to make this aware. I wouldn't be surprised to see the number of unaware users quickly diminish. With all the news about the viruses and exploits, people can't be that dumb to just ignore them. While people may not do something now, when SP2 comes out I have reason to believe that people will begin to realize that they need to keep their computers patched.
Upgrading to Firefox is also a start. While it blocks most of the ActiveX scripts which get exploited, it also provides many additional features, including popup blocking and more.
It would also be nice to see Antivirus or firewall companies taking a more active role in advertising. Firewall programs like Kerio Personal Firewall monitor existing applications and notify the user when an application is trying to be replaced (for example during an upgrade). These firwalls prevent ad-ware and other programs from being installed without the user knowing (for example my roommate had "My Horroscope" somehow installed on her computer without her knowing, meanwhile Kerio blocked it from being installed on my computer).
We're starting to see an age where more people are aware and more companies are making people aware of the security risks of not keeping an up-to-date computer.
If you're looking into the 20gig version, here are some thoughts:
1) Spend $40 to get the remote (if you don't have it already).
2) The dock is only an added feature, it's not really needed. I bought the case and remote on my own when I got the 10gig version and have never seen a need for the dock.
3) Get a better case than the $40 Apple one that requires you to take it out of the case to use it. There are some nice cheap clear ones out there.
Also keep in mind, if you wanted the 40gig version in the past, it's now $100 cheaper! I was planning on getting the 20gig because I filled up my 10gigs. Now for the same price I can get another 20gigs. While the new 20gig version does leave out some things, the 40gig is much better deal now!
If you're like me and bought the remote and case seperately, then upgrading to the 20gig version still lets you have the remote/case. No big deal. The way I see it, I'm still saving $100 no matter what I do.
Look on the bright side, there's now longer battery life, a cleaned up interface and a new wheel.
Yes, I know it's hard to get a job as Professor, but somehow I have trouble seeing that a person with a doctorate would have a problem getting a job. Maybe it's just that I'm biased being an Electrical Engineer and, thanks to Bush, the defense industry is hiring tons of engineers. It just seems that, around the area I am in, they are hiring, and hiring Ph.D's at that too. On another note, Intel has decided to only hire Ph.D's. What are slashdoter's opinions on that?
Coming from one of the higher ranked engineering schools in the country, I find that Ph.D and masters enrollment seems to be quite up. I know most of the people I am around are not settling for just their bachelors - everyone wants to go to graduate school. I also am spending my summer in DC working for Boeing. Almost everyone here either has a Ph.D or plans on going back to get their masters or Ph.D. Engineering docotorates do not fall in to the $35,000 range and they actually get paid quite a lot. Now I am not so sure about "science" but it seems to me that getting a Ph.D doesn't leave you anywhere near shy on money. On top of that, if you're any good at what you do, you can always get a job as a Professor at a university. At Uof Michigan the Professors get paid very well and do a lot of research. I find it hard to believe that in an age so motivated and focused on technology, that a scientist or an engineer would have trouble finding work.