World/Computer News by mikron15

[mikron15]

By now, anyone who has researched replacing Microsoft Office with OpenOffice.org knows that Writer is an acceptable, even superior substitute for Word. But word processing is only part of what the average user needs in an office program. What if you need to design a slide show in OOo Impress? Coming from PowerPoint, what can you expect?

For starters, expect to feel nearly at home. Like the rest of OpenOffice.org, Impress is designed for an easy transition from Microsoft Office. Most of the same tools are available as in PowerPoint, and in the same places. This similarity means that, for most people, learning Impress is quicker than learning, for example, KPresenter. You may notice a slight change in name, and one or two features may be in different places, but you can count on locating basic functions without major problems. Now and then you may need to hunt for a feature, but if you assume that it's around somewhere, you'll be right more often than not

READ MORE (http://www.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=04/12/02/1544200)

[mikron15]

Nanotech scientists are going to develop new TV display technology made from diamond dust (http://www.physorg.com/news2393.html). It opens up the possibility of cheaper and more power efficient flat panel displays, for use in wide screen digital TVs and many other applications. Toshiba recently announced plans (http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,118836,pg,1,RSS,RSS,00.asp) to launch a television based on a new flat-panel display technology called SED (Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display) in 2005. Sony and others have been working for several years on another technology called FED (Field Emission Display) (http://sharp-world.com/sc/library/lcd_e/s2_6_3e.htm) but that too has yet to reach commercialization

[mikron15]

"For a theoretically free operating system, Linux is -- and will continue to be -- a cash cow (http://informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=55800672), a research firm said Wednesday as it predicted the OS will bring in more than $35 billion in revenues by 2008. Framingham, Mass.-based IDC said that overall revenue for servers, desktops, and packaged software running on Linux will reach $35.7 billion in the next four years."

[mikron15]

Is it a bird?
...Is it a plane?
......NO...

ITS AN ASTEROID!!!!! :help:

Space.com is reporting that a 16-foot wide asteriod has passed the Earth (http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/asteroid_close_041222.html) in a phenomenally close call. The Asteroid, named 2004 YD5, passed just below the 22,300 mile range where geostationary satellites sit. What makes the incident most interesting is that the asteriod was not seen until after it passed the Earth, due to the well-known Cosmic Blind Spot (http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/asteroids_miss_020319.html) caused by the Sun.

[mikron15]

Something' has been cleaning the solar panels (http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6824) of the Mars rover Opportunity. "NASA's Mars rover Opportunity seems to have stumbled into something akin to a carwash that has left its solar panels much cleaner than those of its twin rover, Spirit. A Martian carwash would account for a series of unexpected boosts in the electrical power produced by Opportunity's solar panels.

[mikron15]

IBM has big plans for the 970 (http://news.com.com/Next+IBM-Apple+chip+getting+high-end+feature/2100-1006_3-5499954.html?tag=nefd.top), Apple's so-called "G5". The CPU will support partitioning, similar to IBM's mainframe systems, allowing multiple operating systems to run at the same time on a single CPU. A Mac built around this chip could theoretically run OS X, GNU/Linux, Mac OS 9, and the PowerPC version of Windows NT, all simultaneously and independently

[mikron15]

"An all IPv6 backbone was launched this weekend in China. 'CERNET2 is the biggest next-generation Internet network in operation in the world and connects 25 universities in 20 cities. The speed in the backbone network reaches 2.5 to 10 gigabits per second and connects the universities at a speed of 1 to 10 gigabits per second.' Here is a link to the story in the English version of China Daily (http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-12/27/content_403512.htm), the online news site in People's Republic of China."

[mikron15]

The latest update from NASA (http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/2004mn4.html) now gives 2004 MN4 a 1-in-37 chance (probability of 2.7%) of hitting Earth on April 13, 2029. That's a bump up from the 1-in-46 (2.2%) odds given this weekend and almost a 10x increase in probability from the original 1-in-300 odds announced late last week. Interesting times, indeed."

[mikron15]

"Here's a story raising a holiday ruckus. Texas has started providing free Wi-Fi service at state parks (http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1227/p03s01-ussc.html), causing friction with the 'get away from it all' crew. Looks like a nice place to vacation to me."

^^ lol, i get free internet from my neighbour's router :p

[psyxakias]

mikron15, please keep the world/computer news posts on this thread only as it was quite confusing to open multiple threads for any news you might have seen on other websites :S

:thankyou:

[mikron15]

Alrite..np ;)