Tuesday Tech News - Shuttle Launch

Quote

Meanwhile, those who fail the validation test will be presented with two options. People who send in their CDs, show proof they bought Windows and fill out a piracy report will be eligible to get a legitimate copy of Windows at no charge. Those who don't have CDs or a proof of purchase but fill out a piracy report will have to pay for a licensed copy--$99 for Windows XP Home and $149 for Windows XP Professional. Those prices are higher than the upgrade cost for Windows XP, but lower than the price one would have to pay for an entirely new copy of the OS.

Quote

Companies in the recording industry depend heavily on airplay for their artists. It boosts sales by encouraging listeners to buy their music and helps them climb the charts, which are based on airplay. Spitzer said Sony BMG's efforts to win more airplay took many forms, including outright bribes of cash and electronics to radio stations and paying for contest giveaways for listeners. In other cases, he said, Sony BMG used middlemen known as independent promoters to funnel cash to radio stations.

Quote

NASA will conduct two more of these tests before launch – one at 0645 EDT (1048 GMT) and the final test at 0945 EDT (1348 GMT). But officials said on Monday that they could override the requirement for all sensors to work perfectly, if the same problem is seen in the same hydrogen sensor as before. Only two functioning sensors are required to trigger engine cut-off once the fuel is consumed.

Quote

The CPU is made by BLX IC Design Corp and the company plans on using these chips for China's booming domestic consumer electronics market. If and when they are used in exported goods, the company may face legal challenges from MIPS Technologies for infringing on its intellectual property. The Godson-2 is pretty much a copy of the MIPS R10000 which makes it on par with 1995 technology.