Ryan R's Slashdot Redesign

Linux: Easing Compatibility Between OpenOffice, MS Office

Posted by Zonk on Wednesday May 03, @03:43AM
from the can't-we-all-just-get-along dept.

Jane Walker writes "An office suite expert describes how to format documents in OpenOffice and Microsoft office using program features that will make ease compatibility headaches." From the article: "No two office suites are alike, and the more manual, highly controlled items you have in your document, the more likely the formatting will get messy when you go from one office suite to another. But if you use the formatting capabilities to indent and add spacing--well, that's more like just labeling a box Kitchen and putting the box somewhere that makes sense. The formatting tips in this article will also give you more professional-looking documents that are easier to update when the content or formatting rules change."

Dot-com Boom's Biggest Duds, From Flooz to iSmell

Posted by Zonk on Wednesday May 03, @01:43AM
from the what-is-a-flooz dept.

Carl Bialik from WSJ writes "WSJ.com looks back on some of the boom's biggest busts, and catches up with once-optimistic inventors. A creator of the unfortunately named iSmell, a USB device meant to 'print' smells transmitted by websites or videogames, says, 'It was a heartbreaking experience, because we had put so much into it.' The digital currency known as Flooz crashed and burned when a ring of thieves defrauded the company out of $300,000 using stolen credit cards. Microsoft flushed iLoo down the crapper. CueCat, meanwhile, got a second life as a bar-code reader that doesn't pick up personal information. 'The cat got butchered, but it has spawned a cottage industry,' says the device's inventor."

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65 of 75 comments

Developers: Summer of Code Now Taking Student Applications

Posted by Zonk on Tuesday May 02, @11:22PM
from the fame-and-fortune dept.

chrisd writes "Just wanted to let you know that we've opened up the student application process for the Summer of Code. We've signed up ~100 mentoring organizations this year, including Apache, Postgres, Xiph, The Shmoo Group, Drupal, Gallery and many others. We're accepting applications through May 8th this year."

Napster Going Back to Free Downloads

Posted by Zonk on Tuesday May 02, @09:25PM
from the download-like-its-1999 dept.

conq writes "BusinessWeek reports on Napster's latest move to allow the download of free music. This time the service will be supported by online ads." From the article: "With Napster's new free service, 'we'll be able to help millions of people get out of the world of 30-second clips and of having to buy individual songs,' Gorog says. 'I don't think there's anything better we could do to turn people onto the pleasures of unlimited, legal access to music.'"

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146 of 187 comments

Games: One Year Of Carnival of Gamers 4 of 5 comments

Games: Prognosticating E3 26 of 37 comments

Will Yahoo! Go Be the Next Media Bridge?

Posted by Zonk on Tuesday May 02, @07:38PM
from the not-one-i-would-use dept.

wh0pper writes "Digital Trend has an interesting take on Yahoo! Go. With Yahoo's acquisition of Meedio, Yahoo! Go will be in the position to be everyones media bridge. With Yahoo!'s intended arrival in the TV environment, it aspires to become the user's guide to all media." From the article: "This would appear to be the worst of nightmares for traditional PayTV operators. Suddenly, they become part of a Yahoo!-defined walled garden of sorts, hidden behind the Yahoo!-branded user interface and reduced to a simple pipe that delivers broadcast television. Without their own proprietary IPG being used, how can they sell pay-per-view and VOD movies?"

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40 of 52 comments

Your Rights Online: Activision Sued For Unpaid Overtime 46 of 56 comments

Linux: Homeland Security Uncovers Critical Flaw in X11

Posted by Zonk on Tuesday May 02, @06:44PM
from the nice-catch dept.

Amy's Robot writes "An open-source security audit program funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has flagged a critical vulnerability in the X Window System (X11) which is used in Unix and Linux systems. A missing parentheses in a bit of code is to blame. The error can grant a user root access, and was discovered using an automated code-scanning tool." While serious, the flaw has already been corrected. I know we've all been there when we've forgotton a semi-collon or something, but I mean this is ridiculous.

Microsoft May Delay Windows Vista Again

Posted by Zonk on Tuesday May 02, @06:03PM
from the redux-redux dept.

UltimaGuy writes to mention a Reuters report, stating that Vista may be delayed again, this time by up to three months. From the article: " The research note, released to clients [by the Gartner Group] on Monday, said the new Windows Vista operating system is too complex to be able to meet Microsoft's targeted November release for volume license customers and January launch for retail consumers. A Microsoft spokeswoman said the company disagreed with the Gartner report and it was still on track to meet its launch dates."

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303 of 373 comments

Games: E3 On Xbox Live Leads With Lost Planet 13 of 15 comments

Bill Would Outlaw Digital Receiver Recorders

Posted by CmdrTaco on Tuesday May 02, @05:12PM
from the but-i-like-mine-so-much dept.

mjdroner writes "ZD-Net has the latest on a sweeping telecom bill in the Senate. The bill provides no support for net neutrality. The bill does, however, include a provision to authorize the FCC to outlaw digital receivers that record broadcasts. The article states that those receivers would be replaced with devices that treat anything with an audio broadcast flag as copy-protected."

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350 of 401 comments

Games: Sony's Expected E3 Titles 18 of 24 comments

IT: Spam Gets Personal

Posted by CmdrTaco on Tuesday May 02, @04:27PM
from the only-a-matter-of-time dept.

Vitaly Friedman writes "Two researchers demonstrate how much more effective spam could become if its authors used basic data-mining to personalize their messages. From the article: "North America, though no longer the world leader in spam production, still has serious potted meat problems. A recent research paper out of the University of Calgary suggests that those problems could soon be a lot worse if spam creators adopt a few simple data-mining procedures.""

Games: EA's Army of Two 26 of 34 comments

IT: Can You Spoof IP Packets?

Posted by CmdrTaco on Tuesday May 02, @03:38PM
from the something-to-think-about dept.

nweaver writes "Spoofed IP packets are still believed to be a significant problem for the Internet. But are they? The Spoofer Project is attempting to measure the problem. Apparently, 80% of the IP addresses measured no longer support spoofing! Their methodology is simple: have users download a client which attempts to spoof packets to the monitor. Using these packets, they can determine the filter rules. So everyone, download the client and help!" However, due to spoofing networks are now being upgraded with newer and nicer hardware/software to keep things running smoothely.

Your Rights Online: Ubisoft Injuncts Tremblay For Joining Vivendi 31 of 36 comments

Real Life Cash Card Launched To Access Your Virtual Money

Posted by CmdrTaco on Tuesday May 02, @03:00PM
from the kinda-wish-this-was-fake dept.

Izeickl writes "The BBC is reporting that "A real world cash card that allows gamers to spend money earned in a virtual universe has been launched. Gamers can use the card at cash machines around the world to convert virtual dollars into real currency. The card is offered by the developers of Project Entropia, an online role-playing game that has a real world cash economy."" But then after the economy had its say we were shocked, utterly shocked. However, not much long we were finally able to acces our virtual memory.

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136 of 168 comments

Games: Blizzard's Rob Pardo Selected for Time 100 List 21 of 23 comments

Unique Visitors = 1/10th of Unique IPs?

Posted by CmdrTaco on Tuesday May 02, @02:13PM
from the that-might-be-pushing-it dept.

Max Fomitchev submitted a little blog entry where he proposes that the ratio of unique IPs to actual unique users is 10:1. This flies in the face of the numbers you usually see attached to these sorts of things. I'm not sure about the logic he uses to come up with these numbers either. It just seems a bit wierd where he's coming from. But hey who am i to speak. With all do respect the pure longtitude of it all is gasping.This flies in the face of the numbers you usually see attached to these sorts of things. And then I wnet snowboarding on the weekend.

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191 of 237 comments

Games: Developers React To 'Wii'

Posted by Zonk on Tuesday May 02, @01:34PM
from the gnashing-of-teeth dept.

Gamasutra has reactions from game developers to the announcement of the Revolution's new commercial name, 'Wii'. From the article: "It doesn't change my personal opinions of the console in the slightest. It changes my opinion of the Nintendo marketing department considerably. Did they even bother to research this? Why do they do these things? What was wrong with 'Revolution'? It's bad enough that the Japanese have a drink called "Sweat," but at least they don't try to export it to the English-speaking world with that name. Am I supposed to be happy about having to go down to the game store to purchase the 'Nintendo Wee'? Update: Ryan is cool. I can't believe he would have let this get by. - Ernest Adams"

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Linux: Easing Compatibility Between OpenOffice, MS Office

Dot-com Boom's Biggest Duds, From Flooz to iSmell