The library is upgrading their computer systems, WINA reports and the new features should be wicked cool. They recently upgraded their terminals to Linux running X Windows and Netscape, and their website has allowed on-line catalog searches and book renewals for about a year now. I’m told that the new system will have a bunch of interesting new features, though the only one that WINA cites in their story is that they’ll be able to e-mail notices instead of snail-mailing you to let you know when a book is in or you’ve got one overdue. Nice.
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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It burns me that more of our gov’t entities haven’t made the move away from Windows in more places. This reinforces my notion of C’ville as by far most rational and progressive progressive area in Virginia.
I personally think that it is futher evidence of Charlottesville’s high GQ,geek quota. By the way how is linux as a game playing platform?
By the way how is linux as a game playing platform?
It’s getting there. Conceptually, it’s excellent, but there is a dearth of games. Quake and such have always been great on Linux, and only recently have such games as The Sims, SimCity 3000, Civilization, Heavy Gear, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Decent, Myth II, Railroad Tycoon, etc. become available for Linux. There are no shortage of games available only for Linux, but you’re likely not familiar with them, bein’ as how they’re only available for Linux. :) But they are a lot of fun. There are plenty of excellent little logic and card games, a few new impressive arcade games like Tux Racer, and some fancy ones (I think these are Linux-only) like Postal, Soldier of Fortune, Heretic II, Heroes III, Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns, Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri, and more.
The best place to start would be Mandrake Linux’s new gaming edition. It’s wonderfully easy to use, and comes with The Sims, and is configured to support a large number of Windows games like Half-Life, StarCraft, etc., thanks to the TransGaming portability layer.
Now what was that you were saying about geeks? :)