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User: tquinlan

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  1. For Those Who Don't Know What Second Life Is: on Second Life Virtual World to Get Firefox · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://secondlife.com/whatis/

    "Second Life is a virtual world - a 3D online persistent space totally created and evolved by its users. Within this vast and rapidly expanding place, you can do, create or become just about anything you can imagine. Built-in content creation tools let you make almost anything you can imagine, in real time and in collaboration with others. An incredibly detailed digital body ('Avatar') allows a rich and customizable identity. A powerful physics simulation running on a backbone of hundreds of connected computers and growing with the population allows you to be immersed in a visceral, interactive world that as of April 2005 covers more than 12,000 acres and 20,000 owned plots of land. The ability to design and resell 3D content, combined with the ability to own and develop land and a microcurrency, which can be exchanged to real money means that you can build a real business entirely within Second Life."

  2. Given Their Abilities With Cars... on Service Robots in Service by 2010 · · Score: 2, Informative

    ...and the fact that they're technologically way ahead of just about everyone else in that department (see their Prius and the Lexus Rx400h) I wouldn't put it past them. They have the right combination of good management, solid financials, and technical know how that this shouldn't seem far fetched to anyone. (They also have a fair amount of experience working with Denso, as that's the company that they work with on the hybrids.)

  3. The ? community on Researching Open Source · · Score: 5, Funny

    Feedback from the international ./ community would be great."

    The dotslash community? Are we a bunch of shell scripts now? ;)

  4. Re:Why is this news for nerds? on Extinct Wildflower Found In California · · Score: 0

    Also:

    "At some point, if we have the mature seeds and can get them started in cultivation so there is a backup, then we can relax a little more," Ertter said. "At this point, it is really tenuous. Here, it's still hanging on by its fingernails, and the publicity alone could be enough to wipe it out again."

    Now we're "backing up" plants...

  5. Background For Those Unfamiliar With Cell on Toshiba Demonstrates Cell Microprocessor · · Score: 5, Informative
  6. Do you want to send this information to Microsoft? on Microsoft To Add A Black Box To Windows · · Score: 0, Troll

    Too bad! This time you have no choice. ;)

  7. Re:Isn't this lots and lots of miles? on Opera CEO Prepares to Swim across the Atlantic · · Score: 0

    Says the man with "smegma" in his sig.

  8. Isn't this lots and lots of miles? on Opera CEO Prepares to Swim across the Atlantic · · Score: 0

    Isn't this quite a long swim? Even if he goes from whereever he is to Iceland to Newfoundland? I seem to recall people having trouble swimming the English channel (23 miles, iirc). I think it's commonplace now, but it seems to me this is a signficantly longer trip.

  9. Space Elevator Application? on World's Largest Nanotube Model · · Score: 2, Funny

    If they can just build more of these things, and stack them on top of each other, they'll have made a space elevator, one that will be that much strong than one made of real nano-parcticles!

  10. Vacation for Linus...? on Lack of Testing Threatening the Stability of Linux · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...does it seem like Linus might need a vacation?

    TFA states that he's starting to take as much pride in rejecting patches as he does accepting them, and with this whole BitKeeper thing, it seems to me like he might need a small break.

    Of course, I'm not one to really talk, as I don't do nearly as much as he does with Linux...

    Also, with regards to testing, those of us who use it daily are testing all the time. I know it's not structured QA, but still, it's a lot of testing.

    Also, maybe slowing down the kernel releases a bit might help. I know that I do an emerge world on my Gentoo boxes about once a week, and it seems like there's a new kernel release every week. If there's a need for more testing, perhaps a little less time releasing and more time testing is in order.

  11. I think it will want... on The Bender PC Case · · Score: 0

    ...alcohol in its mouth, not CDs. ;)

  12. Not being trollish, but... on Opera 8 Released · · Score: 1, Insightful

    ...how relevant is Opera really? The big news, of course, is Firefox. The last time I tried Opera (version 5), I was seriously disappointed, and it had all those annoying ads at the top. Why would anyone use this when they can get free browsers that are as good as, or better, without the adware? Plus, any features that Opera would have that might distinguish it (mouse gestures, I believe) very few people use.

  13. It seems a lot of companies do this, not just RAM on Firms Get Away with Selling Untested DRAM · · Score: 2, Informative

    ...as it seems products are rushed to market without significant testing. Take the Treo 650. They "tested" the device, but later found out (after release) that people who used it in the real world couldn't use the new file system because it didn't store things the same way.

  14. Since I'm too young... on 35th Anniversary of Apollo 13 Splashdown · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...and was born after the actual mission, that movie is "what I remember" about the Apollo 13 mission. Thankfully, it was well done, and reasonably accurate. It's good to see that we've got further background thanks to the Slashdot story.

  15. Re:Um, Treo? on Microsoft Proposes Thumb-Driven Interfaces · · Score: 1

    Mod parent up. He's totally correct. Also, the same can be said about the Treo 600, and many other Palm devices.

  16. CNet Reports Otherwise... on MP3 Market Approaching Critical Mass · · Score: 2, Informative

    ...in this story that suggests that Apple's music dominance is not viewed as favourable by record labels. In fact, it mentions the labels' efforts to start working with wireless phone carriers to charge more for music via ring tones, which is "more in line with their economics".

  17. Paper is archaic... on WSJ's Online Subscriptions Outperform Print · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...and I would much rather read things online. Hell, I'd even pay for a well formatted paper to read on my Treo. But it just seems so archaic to watch all the people on the train in the morning attempt to fold their papers and still read while not disturbing the people they're crammed up against.

  18. Re:Dammit, skip the moon, go to Mars... on Site for Moon Base Determined · · Score: 3, Informative

    Actually, read the book. It is actually *more* costly to go to the moon first, since you have to take off, land, then take off again. That there is 1/6th the gravity does not mean that there is no gravity; consequently, you have to expend fuel to take off again.

    Did you even read the book? I didn't think so.

  19. Dammit, skip the moon, go to Mars... on Site for Moon Base Determined · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ...we've had the technology for years as Robert Zubrin points out in his book. The moon is just a big rock, and we've been there before.

    (Seriously, read the book, and if you're not convinced, well, you should be. ;) )

  20. Re:Has anyone noticed... on Google Readies Platform for Video Distribution · · Score: 1

    Not only BoingBoing, but CNet and Yahoo! News as well...

  21. Be careful with biometrics! on Linux Biometrics Site Opens Doors · · Score: 4, Interesting

    All Linux biometrics should look for HEAT in addition to regular biometrics (ie, fingerprint), so that something like this doesn't happen:

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/43 96 831.stm

    A cold finger shouldn't be usable, and that will keep them all attached!

  22. After seeing the commercials... on Hitchhiker's Movie is Bad, says Adams Biographer · · Score: 1

    ...I am not even interested in seeing it. The guide looks like it was pulled right out of ST:TNG (complete with LCARS), and the acting looks bad. Combined with the fact that it looks like they spent too much on the "whiz bang" CGI scenery, it's looking like I'm just not going to see this one.

    It's a shame, really, to take such a good story and to make such a mess of it on the big screen. Of course, I suppose I should be used to that happening by now...

  23. Re:kg/lb on Space Elevator Update · · Score: 1

    I so wish I had mod points! I nearly fell out of my chair laughing. ;)

  24. As opposed to being bought out opinionistas? on Yankee Group Slams Linux 'Extremists' · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I'd rather people be excited about something they believe in (ie, Linux), rather than just another Microsoft-funded puppet.

  25. Gentoo on my Dell D600... on The State of Laptop Linux In 2005 · · Score: 4, Informative

    ...is working flawlessly. It sees all the hardware, it installed quickly, and everything I need is running beautifully. I've got VMware installed with the work image in it, so I can use it for everything I need. There wasn't anything special that I had to do outside the normal Gentoo installation - it worked like a charm!