Saying thank you to blog commenters just got a lot easier
If you’re like me you get annoyed with yourself when you know what you should be doing but you see yourself slipping. It’s been like that for me with commenters on my blog. See, if you’ve commented on my blog, I want you to know I really appreciate the effort you’ve gone to, to be [...] (Read on Source)
Intel vs. OLPC: A Battle of Good Wills
Laptop Magazine: "For Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the president of Brazil, deciding what computer to give his country's youth requires more than a trip to the nearest CompUSA..."
Some girl on Big Brother with basketball-sized fake breasts has a nip slip, if you're into that kind
Some girl on Big Brother with basketball-sized fake breasts has a nip slip, if you're into that kind of thing (Read on Source)
PDF Metamorphosis .Net 2.0.4: New Program Means Converting to PDF is Not a Problem Now
SautinSoft has announced update of the server-component PDF Metamorphosis .Net 2.0.4. This is a .Net component for C# and VB.Net developers to convert between formats: RTF to PDF, TXT to PDF, DOC to HTML, DOCX to HTML, DOC to RTF, HTML to PDF, XLS to HTML, XLS to TXT, RTF to HMTL, RTF to DOC, XLS to CSV. June 12, 2007. (PRWeb Jun 13, 2007) Post Comment:Trackback URL: http://www.prweb.com/pingpr.php/U3VtbS1FbXB0LVN1bW0tU2luZy1UaGlyLVplcm8=
An Open Source SOA Strategy for Enterprise Service Buses
WSO2 has entered the open source SOA field with a slate of veterans from Web services specifications, application server design and lightweight framework development. The company's latest offering to the market came June 11 with the arrival of WSO2 ESB 1.0, based on Apache Synapse.
Friday Fleet Notes: 7.13.07
This week the staff takes on three very different vehicles: the Honda CR-V, Infiniti M35 and BMW 650oi convertible.
2007 Honda CR-V EX
My wife was a little stunned when she got into the CR-V; she was expecting a smaller cockpit area, especially given how small the CR-V seems from the outside. ?I like the look if it,? the wife said. ?It?s sharper-looking than the previous one, not as boxy-looking.?
We took our boys (the daughter is out of town, visiting her cousins) to Costco and loaded up the back, where there was plenty of space. There?s a shelf to hide your cargo, although I wonder if it would fray easily over time. The boys found plenty of legroom in the backseat.
For once, picking a radio station and resetting a button for my favorite station didn?t require a PhD in engineering (hear me, BMW?). I really liked the gas mileage, outside-temp readout and other information shown between the speedometer and tachometer. It was high-tech in its look, and packed a lot of info into a small space.
The engine was OK, but wasn?t peppy. Starting from a dead stop was a leisurely task, whether or not I wanted it to be. At freeway speeds, the CR-V kept up pretty easily and passed well. Just don?t bring it to your neighborhood drag strip.
Patrick Olsen, managing editor
The new CR-V was a little hit-and-miss with me; I liked the way it drove on the freeway, where I felt confident passing and enjoyed the smooth, sure ride. It lost me a little, though, once I was in stop-and-go traffic on city streets. There, the four-cylinder engine seemed too weak for the CR-V?s rather minimal bulk; I half expected to see someone with a rope over his shoulder, staggering to get me going, when I looked out the front window. Honda would have been wise to add a V-6 when it redesigned this car for 2007.
If that doesn?t bother you, though, the CR-V does most other things right. It?s handling was surprisingly good, and the interior is up to the Honda quality we?ve come to expect. A couple other small nitpicks, though: The cupholders in the nifty fold-down center console were too far down for my liking, and the backseat folding mechanism is more complex than it ought to be. Why aren?t all of these systems of the one-handed, one-step variety already?
Beth Palmer, copy editor
Of course I get to drive the CR-V home the week we pick up our new Subaru Outback. This was one of our top three choices, and I felt guilty ? like I was cheating on the Subie. Unlike my wife, Patrick and Beth, I didn?t mind the engine and thought the smooth transmission more than made up for the lack of off-the-line acceleration. Plus, on the highway it had plenty of passing power.
I was a bit disappointed in the center tray that folded down and the fact that the driver?s seat was a manual affair. My other big beef is the annoying cargo area setup, where you need to fold the seats twice then lock them in place with a strap.
David Thomas, KickingTires editor
2007 Infiniti M35
From an engine-performance standpoint, the M35 lacks the low-end power that comes from the M45's 325-hp V-8. The M35's 275-hp V-6 is no slouch, though, and the car moves swiftly when called upon. The automatic also has one of the better clutchless-manual modes on the market today; there's little delay between a driver-initiated gear change and the resulting shift.
Some of the M35's available technology features proved to be burdensome. The optional Intelligent Cruise Control doesn't work especially well on busy highways, because the closest following distance it allows isn't short enough for the realities of the interstate. Also, the dial used to enter addresses into the navigation system is maddeningly inefficient. While the optional Lane Departure Warning system was tripped up by shadows at one point during my test, it did a good job overall of identifying real lane markings.
By Mike Hanley, Cars.com
I still see Infiniti trying to be the poor man?s BMW, and while the G35 is now a solid competitor to the 3 Series, I?m not so sure about the M35. The engine is a bit better than the entry 2008 528i, but the steering wasn?t as solid.
The interior was really nice, but I wasn?t nearly as comfortable in the seat as I was in the 5 Series. And don?t get me started on that center stack of controls. It was much harder than the G35?s setup, and I had a hard time figuring out the A/C buttons when I first got in.
David Thomas, KickingTires editor
2007 BMW 650i convertible
It's not often that I test a convertible in a torrential downpour one day and under sunny skies the next, but those were the conditions during my time with BMW's 650i ragtop, and it performed rather well in both types of weather.
The 650i's cabin remained dry during the deluge, but I could feel the convertible?s soft-top lining touch the top of my head now and then from the heavy winds. The test car had optional heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, both of which would be nice to have if you're intent on driving your convertible year-round and live somewhere that has cold winters.
When the clouds parted, I was able to check out the car's top-down performance. The 650i convertible has a fully automatic soft-top that stows in a well behind the rear seats. It's completely covered by a steel body panel when lowered, which gives the car a sleek top-down look.
Wind buffeting at 60 mph is minimal, but the real top-down treat is being able to hear more of the 4.8-liter V-8's exhaust note ? at times, it sounds just like a Chevy small-block V-8. Who would have thought?
Mike Hanley, Cars.com
I came away with one thought from the 650i convertible: I?d rather have the coupe. The coupe was a surprise because I didn?t know BMW could build a muscular sports car so well. I loved driving the coupe. The convertible to me seemed like a lesser being, and I think that?s just because I?m not a convertible guy.
Top operation was easy, and I did some top-down driving, but when I want wind through my hair I prefer a roadster, not a big, bold, Bavarian bomber.
David Thomas, KickingTires editor
U.S. House of Representatives Roll Call Votes
Providing for consideration of H.R. 3221, Energy Policy Act and H.R. 2776, to provide tax incentives for the production of renewable energy and energy conservation (Read on Source)
'Wild Hogs' Interstitial Growls, We Growl Back
We were on Discovery News reading an article when we were interrupted by the presence of a really ugly "scoop n' poop" advergame for Wild Hogs that expanded, didn't contract and opened the website when we pushed the "close" button. (Read on Source)
How to Take Your Cardio Workout to a New Level Posted By : Machelle Lee
The goal of a cardio workout is to lose the unwanted inches and to develop the efficiency of your heart and lungs. But new studies are out that show our slow-go cardio sessions may not be as effective for burning off that holiday bulge as we thought.
Yahoo making big improvements in search
Yahoo adds suggestions to query box and structured data to search results pages
Microsoft's .NET Poison Pill?
Earlier today, Microsoft said that it will make available .NET Framework libraries under a "Reference" license. Anyone accepting the license agreement would be able to look at the code but not modify or redistribute it. The question: Would anyone really want to open this Pandora's Box? My colleague Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols sure doesn't think so. "Microsoft's so-called opening up of .NET Framework is setting a trap for open-source programmers," he asserts. "Open-source developers should avoid this code at all costs."
SJVN's conclusion: Anyone viewing the source code could later be accused of using code or concepts in other projects. This is one situation where the phrase, "What you don't know can't hurt you," really applies. For some developers, looking into this code could be the same as looking into the abyss. The risk is greatest for commercial and open-source developers and least for those doing in-house corporate applications. Microsoft isn't much in the business of suing its customers, but the company has already laid claim-assertion of 235 patent violations-against open-source software. Microsoft has the means and incentive to sue open-source developers, and .NET Framework code could make the assault that much easier. 
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News source: MS-Watch
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Bessemer sets aside $350 m for India
Source:economictimes.indiatimes.com US-Based Bessemer Venture Partners, which recently closed its seventh global fund at about $1 billion, has earmarked $350 million for Indian investments, especially in companies that cash in on the rise of consumer spending, infrastructure development and intellectual property-based opportunities, a senior official said. The investment house is also in advanced talks with one company each [...]
Beef Up Voip Security for 2007
Residential voip users appear to be vulnerable targets for tech-savvy hackers. As converged phishing attacks become more common, voip.com urges members to protect their voip systems and take steps to become more security aware.
Texas Holdem Wipe Out Poker Tactics
"This highly controversial material should probably be marked *CLASSIFIED*... and never released to the "public"... "How To "Shut Down" Your Opponents Brain In A Game Of Tex...
American Airlines to lay off 200 pilots
FORT WORTH, Texas, July 16 (UPI) -- U.S. carrier American Airlines said it would cut 200 pilot positions from its roster of 8,500 pilots by first offering job buyouts to senior captains.
Flexible USBee Drive Could Be Next Prototype to Hit the Streets
It’s probably fair to say most of use have damaged a USB drive while stuck inside a computer by bumping it, jamming it or stuffing it in via the wrong direction. To reduce the possibility of damage and increase the life of your USB stick, designer Damjan Stankovic has come up with a flexible USB [...]
Betaína
A Betaína é essa molécula pequena e simples: Tem seu uso em medicina no tratamento de níveis elevados de homocisteína - uma molécula que merece seu próprio texto. Também pode agir como denaturante - coisas como a uréia, formamida, e guanidina são úteis para isso em biologia. Betaína, na concentração certa, pode ajudar ... (Read on Source)
Home Based Business 1.0
Home based business, work from home, data entry toolbar for internet explorer browser. Download with install and uninstall feature. [New | License: Freeware $0.00 | Requires: Win 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP/Vista | Size: 1151 KB]
Microsoft examines threats posed by Google, Apple
Formalizing some of the issues Microsoft touched on during its analyst meeting earlier this month, the report also reveals how much it spent to acquire Sidekick maker Danger.
Zogby, and President Dukakis
There's a new poll showing McCain beating Obama by 5 points. Sharp reversal from a month ago. We should ask President Dukakis what he thinks about it.
I spotted him recently in Maine: He was strolling through the fishing village, his wife at his side. He looked relaxed, healthy, happy. I had my camera at the ready, but why bother a guy who is enjoying a sunny vacation morning?
Though I was tempted to say, "Governor, just think, exactly 20 years ago you were up 18 points!"
I don't think polls are meaningless by any means. One of the best things journalists can do is ask voters what they think. A poll is an aggregation of person-on-the-street interviews. But August polls don't have Constitutional standing. The only poll that counts is Nov. 4 and there's a lot of time and a lot of events (conventions, debates) between now and then.
One thing I wonder about is to what extent the undecided voters are truly undecided. It may be that there aren't actually many genuine "swing" voters anymore -- and even people who say they're still making up their minds are just deluding themselves. This election will likely be very close in the polls right up to Nov. 4, and the winner will be the candidate who turns likely voters into actual voters.
Punditry is a dangerous business: Lots of the chatterers thought Obama's foreign trip was a smashing success, but it may simply have teed him up for McCain to take a big whack at him as a celebrity more than a leader. The last few days, meanwhile, we've heard that McCain did much better than Obama at the Saddleback Church forum, but who knows, maybe even a performance viewed as weak by the pundit class nevertheless will advance Obama's goal of becoming a more familiar presence to voters.
But who knows? It's all guesswork until they count the ballots, and we can say, conclusively, that we need a recount and protracted legal battle going all the way to the Supreme Court.
[Resolved: 1988 was the first 21st Century campaign, dominated by wedge issues, attack ads, media manipulation. Discuss.]
[Random Maine picture.]
Getting more from Moore's Law
A look at some of the technologies that could allow the silicon industry to deliver faster, cheaper chips.
AMD readying low-power Radeon HD 4550
AMD is designing a new graphics chipset that will not only occupy one of its least expensive price rungs but require very little heat and noise, a leaked presentation obtained by Expreview shows. The Radeon HD 4550 would sit below the new 4600 series in performance by cutting the number of visual shader processors down from 320 to 80 on a 64-bit memory bus but would also drop in size and conseque...
FDA Seizes $71,000 In Dietary Supplements It Says Were Misbranded
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Food and Drug Administration on Oct. 9 ordered that U.S. marshals seize $71,000 in dietary supplements that the agency said were being improperly promoted as treatments for serious diseases. Full story on lexis.com
Death Rate 70 Percent Lower At Top-rated Hospitals: HealthGrades Annual Hospital Quality Study
Patients have on average a 70 percent lower chance of dying at the nation's top-rated hospitals compared with the lowest-rated hospitals across 17 procedures and conditions analyzed in the eleventh annual HealthGrades Hospital Quality in America Study, issued today by HealthGrades, the leading independent healthcare ratings organization. Based on ... (Read on Source)
PHP includes - For Rapid Web Design
Keep the comment relevant, constructive and be polite. A valid email address or URL to your site must be provided, or the comment might get ...
Linux Subscriptions Paying Off for Red Hat
There is a way to make money from Linux even in a down economy -- it's called subscription revenues. Linux vendor Red Hat yesterday reported growth in income and revenues on the back of renewal rates for its Linux support subscriptions. Revenues for the company's third fiscal quarter for 2009, which ended Nov. 30, hit $165.3 million, an increase of 22 percent over its third-quarter fiscal 2008 performance a year ago.
name: MAGPIE