2018

MS-DOS 6

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Microsoft has announced the release of the sources of versions 1.25 and 2.0 of its MS-DOS operating system, which were made available on the GitHub website, under the MIT free / open source license. In 2014 the same sources were released to the Computer History Museum but with a restrictive license, for historical reasons. The released versions are very old and Microsoft will not accept pull requests to modify them sent through the GitHub system but anyone can freely not only read the assembly code but also experiment with it, perhaps on a virtual machine.

Martha in the Mirror by Justin Richards

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The novel “Martha in the Mirror” by Justin Richards was published for the first time in 2008.

After centuries of war, Anthium and Zerugma are on the eve of a peace treaty. The place chosen to sign it is very symbolic, Castle Extremis, a strategic place whose control allows to maintain a stronghold in the area. The end of such a long war is a great achievement but there are many interests that don’t necessarily aim to it.

When the Tenth Doctor and Martha Jones arrive at Castle Extremis, they find a very tense but also strange situation due to the presence of an out-of-the-ordinary mirror, a book with glass pages and a strange little girl who lost her twin sister. The dangers can come from the most unexpected places in a place full of ghosts and reflections.

Anytime Fitness is one of the many gym franchise opportunities (Photo courtesy Anytime Fitness. All rights reserved)

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“Have you been to the gym this week?”. More than at any other time, the answer to this question is likely to be “yes”. The 2018 State of the UK Fitness Industry Report confirms that the UK health and fitness industry is going from strength to strength.

There are more gyms in the UK than ever before; more than 7,000 in total. And with membership numbers approaching 10 million it means that one in every seven people in the country is a member of a gym. These impressive stats reflect the UK’s growing interest in the importance of health and well-being.

Artist's concept of Mesosaurus in its environment (Image courtesy Roman Yevseyev and Graciela Piñeiro. All rights reserved)

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An article published in the journal “Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution” describes a research on mesosaurs, the most ancient reptiles whose adaptation to aquatic life is known. A team of researchers carried out an accurate analysis of a number of fossils concluding that the bones of adults have similarities with those of land-dwelling animals and this suggests that they were semi-aquatic while their juveniles were aquatic. It’s a result obtained by examining fossils of specimens of various ages, a type of study that can reveal changes that occur with the growth of an individual of a species.

Chanur's Homecoming by C.J. Cherryh (Italian edition)

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The novel “Chanur’s Homecoming” by C.J. Cherryh was published for the first time in 1986. It’s the fourth novel of the Chanur series and follows “The Kif Strike Back”.

Pyanfar Chanur must juggle a number of more or less serious threats that come from various sources. The whole Compact has been shaken by clashes between various species and between factions within some of them, and the Meetpoint Station is at the center of some of the toughes conflicts. Among the hani there are also contrasts with the Ehrran clan opposing the Chanur clan.

More than ever, understanding who are the allies and who are the enemies makes the difference but there are many unknowns, beginning with the news about the humans’ actions as their role is still far from clear even if Pyanfar Chanur has their representative Tully aboard her spaceship. The right choices will make the difference for her, for her planet and for the whole Compact.