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Stories and comments across the archive that link to amazon.co.uk.

Comments · 1,741

  1. Re:Batteries Included by RMH101 · · Score: 1 · on Dell, Lenovo Adding Solar Option for PCs

    Who cares about the batteries? It's the power connector on the device that matters, and at least these are converging to mini USB.
    Try something like the Freeloader solar charger (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Solar-Technology-SC8088-Freeloader-Charger/dp/B000ODRNDA/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/026-3112636-4063641?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1190024096&sr=8-1 - portable solar battery pack. Has its own internal rechargeables to charge up via solar, or via a USB connector on a PC. Comes with charging tips for most common portable hardware and phones for around £30UKP.

  2. Re:String Theory hypnotism by Wanderer2 · · Score: 1 · on Can String Theory Accommodate Inflation?

    The book sounds like Lee Smolin's The Trouble With Physics which I read a couple of months ago.

    Then again, it also sounds like Peter Woit's Not Even Wrong which I've not read.

    There is a growing trend of slagging off string theory and string theorists :)

  3. Re:String Theory hypnotism by Wanderer2 · · Score: 1 · on Can String Theory Accommodate Inflation?

    The book sounds like Lee Smolin's The Trouble With Physics which I read a couple of months ago.

    Then again, it also sounds like Peter Woit's Not Even Wrong which I've not read.

    There is a growing trend of slagging off string theory and string theorists :)

  4. uncle albert by mountain_penguin · · Score: 1 · on Bringing Science and Math Into Writing?

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_/203-53128 67-0561522?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Daps& field-keywords=uncle+albert&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go the uncle albert series is good from the age of about 7. for the older ones: surely your joking mr feynman. Masters of deception for the computer geeks http://www.amazon.co.uk/Masters-Deception-Gang-Rul ed-Cyberspace/dp/0060926945/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/202-33 57981-3699820?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189332455&sr=8- 2. And although its not brilliantly written the great mambo chicken and the the trans human condition is a fantastic insight into the minds of scientists http://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Mambo-Chicken-Transh uman-Condition/dp/0140149651/ref=sr_1_1/202-335798 1-3699820?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189332537&sr=1-1

  5. uncle albert by mountain_penguin · · Score: 1 · on Bringing Science and Math Into Writing?

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_/203-53128 67-0561522?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Daps& field-keywords=uncle+albert&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go the uncle albert series is good from the age of about 7. for the older ones: surely your joking mr feynman. Masters of deception for the computer geeks http://www.amazon.co.uk/Masters-Deception-Gang-Rul ed-Cyberspace/dp/0060926945/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/202-33 57981-3699820?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189332455&sr=8- 2. And although its not brilliantly written the great mambo chicken and the the trans human condition is a fantastic insight into the minds of scientists http://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Mambo-Chicken-Transh uman-Condition/dp/0140149651/ref=sr_1_1/202-335798 1-3699820?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189332537&sr=1-1

  6. uncle albert by mountain_penguin · · Score: 1 · on Bringing Science and Math Into Writing?

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h_/203-53128 67-0561522?initialSearch=1&url=search-alias%3Daps& field-keywords=uncle+albert&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go the uncle albert series is good from the age of about 7. for the older ones: surely your joking mr feynman. Masters of deception for the computer geeks http://www.amazon.co.uk/Masters-Deception-Gang-Rul ed-Cyberspace/dp/0060926945/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/202-33 57981-3699820?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189332455&sr=8- 2. And although its not brilliantly written the great mambo chicken and the the trans human condition is a fantastic insight into the minds of scientists http://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Mambo-Chicken-Transh uman-Condition/dp/0140149651/ref=sr_1_1/202-335798 1-3699820?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189332537&sr=1-1

  7. Re:To Elaborate on the Submission by StressedEd · · Score: 1 · on Numerically Approximating the Wave Equation?
    I understand your frustration at there not being a "standard" package to solve EM (or scalar wave) problems -- I have ranted about this quietly on my own for a while. One would think that with the equations of Maxwell nearly 150 years old there should be some pretty standard solver techniques out there that would have been packaged up by now covering practically everything. The problem is - while it's easy to write down the equations and (naieve) methods of solving them the nitty-gritty of it all is both important and far more tricky than meets the eye! Each problem domain has its own issues and idiosyncrasy's. Likewise if you are interested in some quantaties more than others (e.g. far field / near field) that can drastically change your approach. Ultimately to have any chance of success you must approximate and the art of the approximation you choose is what matters. As the saying goes "If you want to go there, I wouldn't start from here".

    If you are trying to carry out some sort of electrically large scattering problem through inhomogeneous anisotropic materials - you are in for a tough ride. Unless you can approximate things away furiously you will soon find the problem computationally intractable.

    It sounds to me as though you really need to get a feel for the basics before embarking on anything too heavy. Time spent in reconnaissance is rarely wasted. Once you have an intuitive idea of how things work you will probably better understand the problem - hence be able to pick an appropriate solver.

    A good general starting point in my opinion (particularly in the scalar case) is the use of pseudospectral methods. These will allow you to describe the field propagating through materials in a reasonably tractable manner - they are not too much effort to understand, reasonably quick thanks to the magic of FFTW and surprisingly robust.

    I suspect your problem breaks down into three distinct domains:

    1. Getting the excitation field to the interaction region
    2. Modelling the (potentially complicated) interaction of the field with the surface
    3. Getting the field back from the interaction region to the detector.

    Since the excitation is presumably beam-like, a pseudospectral technique (particularly one with coordinate scaling) will probably help with 1) and 3). With finite difference techniques you must model the field step-by-step through space. With FFT methods you can jump from one plane to the other - this can be orders of magnitude faster than finite difference.

    How you manage 2 is the tricky part! The detail of this will depend strongly on what the material interaction is (e.g. will a scalar approximation suffice). I highly recommend you read Weng Cho Chew, Waves and Fields in Inhomogeneous Media for some pointers. Other things to look into:

    1. Green's function techniques (see, e.g. Martin et. al. for an accessible start point).
    2. Transfer matrix methods (see, e.g. Barns and Pendry)
    3. Discrete dipole scattering (see, e.g. Bruce Draine's DDSCAT)
    4. Multiple multipole methods (see, e.g. C. Hafner
    5. Finite Difference Time Domain (e.g. see the excellent MEEP from MIT) (see my warning below)
    6. Basis expansions and stratified media (similar to transfer matrix) see. Chew for details)

    A

  8. Re:Yeah right by arivanov · · Score: 1 · on Russia Plans Its Own Moon Base

    Yep. I suggest going to the library and renting "The Negotiator" by F. Forsyth http://www.amazon.co.uk/Negotiator-Frederick-Forsy th/dp/0552134759/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4/203-8884289-89535 21?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188637076&sr=8-4. The book itself is nothing much compared to many of his other writings like "Dogs of War", "The Veteran" or "The Day of the Jackal". It is the basic plotline of the book that is really scary (it was written in 1988-1990 when the wall crumbled):

    The cold war is in its prime and the military complex and the army on both sides yield tremendous influence. Simultaneously, a number of planning groups on both sides of the iron curtain come to the same conclusion "The Oil is about to run out". And they start to develop plans:

    The Russians look at their oil utilisation situation and notice that "their cars are at least 30% heavier and less fuel efficient than the rest of the world. They have to redesign all of their vehicles for fuel efficiency and retool all of their manufacturing industry for better efficiency. This requires a lot of money which can be best found in dropping the cold war confrontation altogether and redirecting money from the military to fuel efficiency and renewable energy projects. They look at it and decide to prepare to invade a country in the Gulf instead to secure their oil supply for the close future.

    Does this ring any bells? Written in 1990 by the way. Pre-SUV era novel.

  9. People Skills by cyberianpan · · Score: 1 · on Transitioning From Developer To Management?

    Well number 1 is "people skills" - now I'm assuming that you have them already but you need to identify + reflect on your strengths & weaknesses in this area. I strongly recommend Emotional Intelligence + Working with Emotional Intelligence - this is 2 books in 1 - the 2nd having case studies & examples. Remember you can't be what you are not but you need to gain a little more insight into yourself in order to be on top of others.

    On the intellectual side ? Move away from "perfect" solutions- begin to live with having to make optimal, even sub optimal decisions to keep things moving. Remember often having 80% of something today is more important than having 100% next week. Learn to live with being "wrong".

    Oh yeah, also when your developers give you a work estimate: multiply it by 2.5 ;-)

  10. Re:We already have this in the UK by Serious+Callers+Only · · Score: 4, Interesting · on Manhattan 1984

    The system works reasonably well, but it doesn't really stop people driving in the "congestion" zones


    Traffic has been reduced by 26% at the last count, so it has in fact stopped some people driving in the congestion zones, as intended. 'Reductions in congestion inside the charging zone over the whole period since the introduction of the scheme now average 26 percent. ' - from the 2007 report of Tfl.

    Now - the mayor is proposing to charge different rates based on what type of car you have - small effecient compacts would pay nothing or next to nothing, while massive SUVs or anything with a 3+ liter engine would pay upto £25 GBP per day ($50 USD). The most likely outcome of this? Poorer people will use public transport, while for the richer bigger fines will just affirm their social status, or make them consider getting smaller cars.


    I believe this is the intended effect, I doubt very much people would use fines as status symbols (proof of this?), and if they do, their stupidity would fund further public transport. No one who is poor in London can afford a car anyway (if you can afford a car in London, you have to pay parking, road tax, and fuel, not to mention upkeep), so they'll be happier with improved public transport.

    As for the surveillance aspect - I'd be more concerned about their efforts to extend the length of time the police can hold people without trial (currently being misused to hold protesters against airport expansion), and routine use of torture (though thank goodness its use in court has been banned, much to the UK government's chagrin). Potential tracking of road use is the least of our worries.
  11. Perhaps the real reason ... by krou · · Score: 2, Interesting · on US Spy Agencies See Bloggers as Journalists

    ... for this is something along the lines of: "Hey, if we recognise them as journalists, and give them equal access, maybe they'll regurgitate the same junk we feed the mass media."

    Please excuse my cynicism of an organisation (i.e. the CIA) that relies on disinformation, propaganda, and psychological warfare, and uses the mass media and journalists to spread it.

  12. Re:Have they ever managed to sell works? by westlake · · Score: 1 · on Microsoft To Try Works As Adware
    Have they ever managed to sell works?

    Of course they have.

    It is #70 in software sales at Amazon.uk. Microsoft Works 8 #122 in the U.S. For comparison: Sun Star Office 8 is #614 in the U.K., #655 in the states - despite costing only $15 more.

  13. Re:could someone enlighten me? by Dogtanian · · Score: 1 · on Microsoft's HD Photo to Become JPEG Standard?

    Your digital camera puts out 500kb native resolution files? Yeah, he does all his photography with one of these.

    352 pixels x 288 pixels x 3 bytes/pixel = 304,128 bytes uncompressed!
  14. Neither - track *point* by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0 · on Mouse or Trackball?

    You can get a full size IBM keyboard which has both a trackpad and trackpoint (stick, nipple). Fantastic for minimising mouse-related injury because your hands never have to leave the keyboard when pointing.

    For detailed work (e.g. CAD), consider a digitiser tablet. The pen is a much better interface for precision work, and the combination of integral support from the pad and the orientation of the pen mean it is much easier on the wrist, shoulders and hands than a ball or mouse.

    See here for the keyboard (it is quite hard to find)
    http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0002AG0MK/202- 7915324-4463844?v=glance&n=560798

  15. Re:I just dont get it by NoodleSlayer · · Score: 1 · on 60GB PS3 Price Cut Not Just a 'Fire Sale'

    If you're going to make a complete idiot of yourself why don't you at least get the country right?

    If you didn't happen to notice he was referring to the UK pricing regime for the PS3... And if you look at the Amazon UK site:

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/bestsellers/videogames/

    You'll notice the PS3 is currently coming in at #27, behind a number of Xbox 360 and Wii games, not to mention the DS handheld.

  16. Re:Article Text by Corporate+Troll · · Score: 1 · on On the Widespread Misuse of the Mouse

    Oh, come on... Be fair, I compared Wacom to the likes of Logitech and Microsoft. Trust isn't even in the same league... What about a 13.25£ tablet. That's about 4.5 times more expensive. We're now talking about products that are crap by definition....

  17. Re:Article Text by FurryFeet · · Score: 1 · on On the Widespread Misuse of the Mouse

    So, the cheapest tablet you found was 40 Euro?

    Here is a 2.9 Pound mouse (brand new). That's about 4.2 Euro. So, yes, an order of magnitude.

    I guess it's not the author of the article who doesn't know how to do his research.

  18. Re:What matters is enforceability by TheThiefMaster · · Score: 2, Interesting · on Groklaw Explains Microsoft and the GPLv3

    Actually, that's the UK price, and includes 17.5% tax and import / export tax and "screw the British" tax (we always pay more for anything electronic or software/games).

    The French price is 339 ($461.04)
    Including 19.6% tax, or 283.45 ($385.49) without
    Amazon.co.uk page on european tax rates

  19. Re:What matters is enforceability by VGPowerlord · · Score: 4, Informative · on Groklaw Explains Microsoft and the GPLv3

    Items sold by Amazon.com LLC, or its subsidiaries, and shipped to destinations in the states of Kansas, Kentucky, North Dakota, or Washington are subject to tax.
    -- Amazon.com

    The above line is there to note that, due to how taxes work in the US, the US Amazon site does not have tax as part of its item prices.

    The "Our Price" amounts displayed for goods sold by Amazon.co.uk are inclusive of UK VAT. ...
    For non-book items that are shipped to addresses within the UK (such as giftwrap, audio books, CDs, vinyl records, minidiscs, videos, DVDs, electrical and photographic items, toys, software and PC and video games) the UK VAT rate is 17.5%.
    -- Amazon.co.uk

    Whereas the UK site includes the UK VAT of 17.5% for software.

    So... £184.98 = 1.175 x price... divide both sides by 1.175... the price is actually £157.43 ($317.32)

    So, while the gap is still large (around $100), it's not nearly as large as you originally made it out to be (around $155).
  20. Re:What matters is enforceability by ozphx · · Score: 5, Insightful · on Groklaw Explains Microsoft and the GPLv3

    US: $214.99

    Europe: £184.98 ($371.92)

    Yup. The EU sure showed them!

    Want to take a bet that MS is expecting to sell more than 3 million (1/2 billion / $150 delta) copies of Vista in Europe?

    Heh. I'll take double or nothing on "this is inline with MS's estimates when they got involved in the legal process". ;)

  21. Re:A Normal Workday Triggers an Unbalanced Mind by jabuzz · · Score: 1 · on UK Proposal To Restrict Internet Pornography Sparks Row

    It's a Terry Prattchet Discworld novel. One of the more recent ones.

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Postal-Discworld-Ter ry-Pratchett/dp/0552149438/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/026-381 5619-2012456?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1183673539&sr=8-1

  22. Plenty of choice out there by Snospar · · Score: 5, Informative · on Best Non-Subscription DVR?

    I use a MythTV box which was fairly hard to get working but is simple to use. It can change channels on my Sky Digibox so I can record shows automatically using the built in TV guide. I can archive recordings to DVD or play back DVD's on the same box. It cost around £400 (GBP) to build 2 years ago, with a lot of the money going on a Hauppauge PVR-350 card and a small form factor case.

    I've also bought a Pioneer DVR for my father in law, the DVR-540HX-S with 160GB hard drive, this was much the same price and does almost as much as the MythTV box including controlling a Sky box. It's also quieter and lacks the initial setup complexity of the Myth box (meaning less support for me!).

    If you want total simplicity go for the prebuilt DVR - for total control it has to be MythTV

  23. Re:Developer Perspective by LionKimbro · · Score: 5, Informative · on What Kids Really Think About Kids' Games

    Have you ever checked out a Barbie movie?

    I'm a dad of a 6 year old girl, and I have to tell you- I'm surprised.

    These Barbie movies are intensely moral, and advocate for girls to develop an interest in science, delight in learning, sacrifice, strive, and struggle courageously for what is right and true. By my read, it's all straight out of Aristotle. Check out the Amazon reviews, especially this one, if you're a guy.

    I don't know what bizarre turn of fate made it such that great talent should go to work on Barbie movies, but I can't deny what I've clearly seen: They're good movies, with positive message, and I now have absolutely no qualms buying Barbie toys for my daughter.

    I recognize this is an odd bit of news to hear, but there it is; I can't deny what my own two eyes have seen.

  24. Re:Lift each other up by Dan+Hayes · · Score: 1 · on The Drive For Altruism Is Hardwired

    Never heard of "Numb3ers" in my life. The basics of PD and iterated PD are in most decent books on evolutionary genetics, there's a lot more interesting discussion of recent modelling in this book, which also goes into a whole bunch of other topics. Well worth a read.

  25. Move along, nothing new here by Simon+Brooke · · Score: 2, Informative · on The Drive For Altruism Is Hardwired

    Peter Kropotkin pointed this out over 100 years ago

  26. Re:So what? by Awel · · Score: 3, Interesting · on Bookstore Owner Burns Books

    A literary work first must have intrinsic artistic value. Then, it must have intellectual value. Then, it must be creative. Entertainment value doesn't enter the picture here, as far as I'm concerned (from what I've seen). Have you read C.S. Lewis' An Experiment in Criticism ? He argues (in his capacity as literary don rather than as Christian apologist) that there is such thing as a literary or unliterary book, but only literary or unliterary readers. The literary reader reads and re-reads for the joy of immersion in the world of the book, for the language of the descriptions and to meet again the characters, and mulls over the book afterwards. The unliterary reader reads simply to find out what happens next. Thus a good book is one which rewards the first sort of reading, which still has benefit on second and subsequent readings, while poor books, once their plot is discovered, hold nothing more out to the reader.

    'Intrinsic artistic value', inasmuch as it means anything at all, means that it is capable of moving people, changing them; and that people like the experience. And entertainment is, must be, part of this.
  27. Re:Hey, I've got one of those by montyzooooma · · Score: 1 · on Backyard Chefs Fired Up Over Infrared Grills
    A decent pizza stone won't get you the extra 100 or so degrees you need to cook a fresh pizza right. Usually a combination of heating the oven and pizza stone as hot as possible and then turning on the internal grill element for a while so it's hot too, then switch back to the oven only and cook the pizza in the top part of the oven.

    I've used one of these: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pizza-at-Home-Maker/dp/B00 0GH3QIU

    Actually I swear by it. Gets very hot very quickly but it never does the centre of the pizza as much as the outside. OTOH the crust is spot on, imo. Old way as described above would take maybe 30-40 minutes to heat up the pizza stone and grill elements. New way 5 minutes. Still not perfect though.

  28. Re:Good for them by speculatrix · · Score: 2, Informative · on Digital Waste Worth More Than Gold, Copper Ore

    take a look at The Undercover Economist where he discusses the sweat shops in the Philippines and other developing nations; for many people it truly is a decision between working in awful conditions vs starving (or taking even worse work, such as in the sex trade), and that usually western-run sweat shops are actually much better than local ones and drive up wages and improve working conditions by offering choice, and therefore as the competition for workers increases they get treated better.

  29. Crossing the chasm by simong_oz · · Score: 1 · on Better Communication with Non-Technical People?

    Probably the best book, particularly since it deals with mostly software technology is Geoffrey Moore, "Crossing the Chasm". Emminently readable as well.

  30. Re:What's the point? by Captain0Flash · · Score: 0 · on The Rise of "Hybrid" Vinyl-MP3s

    If I buy a cd with a cool album cover I'll often end up buying a poster or other parafanalia along the same lines. This often means buying the vinyl version just for the nostalgia. If I can get both (and don't mind taking 5 min to download and 5 min to burn a cd) then why not? It's what I did with The Shins most recent album http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wincing-Night-Away-VINYL-S hins/dp/B000MMMUL8

  31. Re:Whats the point? by Seraphim_72 · · Score: 1 · on MIT Media Lab Making Programming Fun For Kids
    Um...Yes, and er um Yes, and erm Yes any other questions?

    Sera

  32. Re:NOT COOL. by Incadenza · · Score: 1 · on IPv6 Flaw Could Greatly Amplify DDoS Attacks

    My reaction is all the more stupid considering that I feel, quite strongly, that the US and Europe should be strong allies, and definitely not rivals. We have lots of common goals, and there are lots of areas where we agree.

    That is one of the central theme's in Timothy Garten Ash's Free World. Definitely worth a read for anyone that wants a refreshing and positive look on the worlds affairs.

  33. Re:hmmm... by coaxial · · Score: 1 · on Two US States Restrict Used CD Sales

    It is for Fela Kuti.

  34. "The Temp"? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0 · on Steve Jobs Personally Resolves Customer Complaint

    Excuse my ignorance, but is this dialogue from 'The Temp'? ( http://www.amazon.co.uk/Temp-Serena-Mackesy/dp/009 9409879 )

  35. Population control, NOW! by Knutsi · · Score: 4, Insightful · on Longevity Gene Found

    It's not the drugs that are the problem, it's our never-ending population growth! The more land we turn into farmland, the more kids we have, that again will need to turn new land into farmland, or squeeze even more out of what is allready there to stay alive, and have more kids that needs more farmland... and so on, so forth...

    Seriously, we know that we will crack the secrets to long life at one point or another. We know that we want to maintain a high standards of living, and achieve self-realiszation. We want there to be wild nature left. We want there to be more species that rats, cockroaches, dogs and cats living alongside us.

    It doesn't take a genious to see that a major pieces in the puzzle that is our long-term survival is population control, and we need to enact it now. Global warming is a small piece in comparison.

    To those who wish to endulge, I'd stornly reccomend Daniel Quinn's excellend books 'Ishmael', and 'The Story of B'.

  36. Re:Unfair comparisons... by Ash-Fox · · Score: 1 · on OS Combat - Ubuntu Linux Versus Vista

    no one bought it because *gasp* there are things they expect to be delivered with an OS in order for it to be usable.
    I wouldn't buy it because it's A LOT more expensive (£174.99) than normal copy (£64.99)

    IE is similar in that the Help system (as well as other systems) are tied into the browser. *Some* form of browser must be delivered or else all that has to be reworked (again).
    It has been reworked in Vista, Microsoft themselves have claimed they have separated IE from the shell. They're still shipping IE with Vista.

    You completely missed the point. It doesn't matter if Microsoft is the one who makes a package, it's if they choose one to deliver with the OS. If they choose *any* reasonable package, someone will cry about it.
    I can assure you there are people who will cry about anything no matter what. This is irrelevant.

    As far as those other packages you mentioned, various competing vendors DID get upset that Microsoft bundled them.
    And nothing happened from what I saw. Windows Movie Maker, Windows media player was still shipped just fine.

    This was, to a fair degree, an appeasement to those other vendors.
    I don't think you even remember the real reason why Microsoft was seen as anti-competitive, they were FORCING OEMs to not bundle things like Netscape with their OS and additionally conviently including IE in their OS -- That is anti-competitive.
  37. Re:Unfair comparisons... by Ash-Fox · · Score: 1 · on OS Combat - Ubuntu Linux Versus Vista

    no one bought it because *gasp* there are things they expect to be delivered with an OS in order for it to be usable.
    I wouldn't buy it because it's A LOT more expensive (£174.99) than normal copy (£64.99)

    IE is similar in that the Help system (as well as other systems) are tied into the browser. *Some* form of browser must be delivered or else all that has to be reworked (again).
    It has been reworked in Vista, Microsoft themselves have claimed they have separated IE from the shell. They're still shipping IE with Vista.

    You completely missed the point. It doesn't matter if Microsoft is the one who makes a package, it's if they choose one to deliver with the OS. If they choose *any* reasonable package, someone will cry about it.
    I can assure you there are people who will cry about anything no matter what. This is irrelevant.

    As far as those other packages you mentioned, various competing vendors DID get upset that Microsoft bundled them.
    And nothing happened from what I saw. Windows Movie Maker, Windows media player was still shipped just fine.

    This was, to a fair degree, an appeasement to those other vendors.
    I don't think you even remember the real reason why Microsoft was seen as anti-competitive, they were FORCING OEMs to not bundle things like Netscape with their OS and additionally conviently including IE in their OS -- That is anti-competitive.
  38. Re:Still fighting old battles by deadfolk · · Score: 1 · on When the Earth Was Purple

    This is pretty much the definition of life advanced by Steve Grand in Creation: Life and How to Make It It's a fascinating read. I can't comment on its validity as science, but it's very enjoyable.

  39. Re:Except by Mike1024 · · Score: 0, Offtopic · on Behavioral Search & Advertising On Its Way?

    What about people that do searches for their relatives? Or their pets?

    My amazon recommendations have never been the same since I ordered "Freya the Friday Fairy" and "Hello Kitty Roller Rescue" for PA's "Child's play" charity...

  40. Re:Except by Mike1024 · · Score: 0, Offtopic · on Behavioral Search & Advertising On Its Way?

    What about people that do searches for their relatives? Or their pets?

    My amazon recommendations have never been the same since I ordered "Freya the Friday Fairy" and "Hello Kitty Roller Rescue" for PA's "Child's play" charity...

  41. Re:I got mine today by moranar · · Score: 1 · on Wii Shortages Could Last For Months

    You could always get this, you know.

  42. Re:An excellent principle, but... by bmcage · · Score: 1 · on EU Launches Antitrust Probe Into iTunes

    Can't you? You can pay with your card and have it delivered to a UK address. You can then arrange the shipping yourself. From their website: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/help/customer/display.h tml?nodeId=14044781 They only restrict the delivery address. Anyway, this is about physical objects, with specific regulations. Electronics must be certified before they can be sold. UK machines are separate machine numbers, often only tested for the UK.

  43. Re:Do like they do with everything else... by TheRaven64 · · Score: 4, Informative · on How Microsoft Can Make Zune a Success

    Word? Based on WordPerfect. Excel? Lotus. The question was produce an example of a product that Microsoft didn't buy and re-brand, but instead developed in-house. Word took a lot of ideas from WordPerfect (although not some of the best ones, sadly), but was definitely developed in house based largely on Bravo from PARC. The same of Excel, which sadly copied Lotus 1-2-3 (which, itself, copied VisiCalc, the first spreadsheet I used), rather than the far superior Lotus Improv.

    Powerpoint I'll give you. Which is such a shame, because PowerPoint actually is one of the few things on the list that was bought by Mircosoft (and was a Mac-only application at the time) and re-branded.

    The NT Kernel couldn't have existed without UNIX having done all the work ahead of time. Hahahaha! Do you know even the slightest thing about kernel design (even at the broad-overview undergrad level)? NT and UNIX have almost nothing in common. If you'd said VMS, you might have had some credibility, since a lot of NT is 'inspired by' VMS (and no, it wasn't a copy, it was simply the same person, Dave Cutler, did a lot of the design for both). And no, VMS didn't copy UNIX either, they both date from the same era.

    If you actually want to learn something, instead of just spouting uninformed anti-Microsoft rhetoric, I suggest you read Andy Tanenbaum's excellent Modern Operating Systems, which covers UNIX/Linux and NT in some detail, highlighting their similarities and differences in both philosophy and implementation.

  44. Gradisil by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0 · on Spacecraft May Surf Magnetic Fields

    This was covered in fiction by Gradisil written by Adam Roberts a book I enjoyed http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gradisil-Gollancz-SF-Adam- Roberts/dp/0575078170/ref=pd_ka_1/203-9719250-2991 164?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1173987235&sr=8-1

  45. Take one by Simon+Brooke · · Score: 1 · on Gadgets You Backpack Around the World With?

    Especially if you are travelling light, take just one device. A possibility would be the HP IPAQ 6515, which incorporates GSM/GPRS phone; general purpose computer with word-processor, spreadsheet, web browsing, email, etc; camera of reasonable quality; MP3 player (obviously); and (useful when travelling) a GPS receiver. If you're travelling you may want to keep it in an Otterbox.

    I first started using these for a project for fisheries inspectors working in very tough environments; I now use one as my own single device. I confess I haven't tried to get Linux running on it, but it works OK with Microsoft.

  46. Re:Science.... fiction by ozbon · · Score: 1 · on Scientifically Accurate Sci-Fi for High-Schoolers?

    "The Third Pandemic" by Pierre Ouellette ( Amazon link ) actually covered this, with a blend of psittacosis and chlamydia.

    From a biologist's viewpoint it's probably still bollocks, but IMOSHO it's a good read that seems fairly well-based.

  47. That's all well and good by DrSkwid · · Score: 1 · on HDMI-Enabled Graphics Cards Debut


    I'm not sure the next crop of VTRs will have DVI.

    Our new studio is having these :

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-KDL40V2000-Widescreen -Bravia-Freeview/dp/B000F5QUNG
    DVI Interface: No
    HDMI Interface: Yes

    http://www.libraprobroadcast.co.uk/proddetail.asp? prod=sony-hvrm25e

    Which makes it a fait a compli really.

  48. Re:Another case of academia vs. thereal wrld - YES by cerberusss · · Score: 1 · on Is Daylight Saving Shift Really Worth It?

    The days of going to work in the dark and leaving in the dark weigh heavy on the soul/psyche
    Sounds like you should get one of those 10.000 lumen lamps, like this one. Put it on your desk, be scorned by coworkers for a week and then enjoy a better mood.
  49. Re:surprised??? never... by stupid_is · · Score: 1 · on New Royalty Rates Could Kill Internet Radio

    Ok, name one single instance in which the current UK government has attempted to have "evil" music genres banned, or one single instance in which the current UK government has attempted to have music critical of it banned
    Hmm - a big of Googling comes up with this link about anti-gay music in Brighton, this link of BBC-banned music, here's an interesting book about it, another BBC-banned list from the past, it's not just the UK too. Lots of stuff here
    While a lot of the above describe actions by individual radio stations or "content providers" like the BBC, governments always want to meddle too, and there's enough talk of ppl trying to get legislation to do just that...

  50. Dogs get electro-shock; politicans get...? by Kadin2048 · · Score: 1 · on The Pentagon Wants a 'TiVo' to Watch You

    I have a better idea. Just rig up a RSS feed of the latest Gallup poll, a choke chain, a small free-running servomotor, and a pulse oximeter. Set up a feedback loop so that the politician's blood-oxygen level is kept, via the servo and choke-chain, at the same level as their job-approval rating. (Okay, I suppose we could plant a chip in their head, if that's easier. But I really think that the choke chain would make more compelling TV. And please, they're politicians -- it's not like they have souls, or feelings. I don't think they even feel pain; they're really more like plants.)

    To be fair, I'd give them the option of retiring from office anytime they felt like it.

    I certainly doubt that many of our illustrious leaders would have the same commitment to their ideals, were they the ones dying as a result of it.

    Plus, aren't governments supposed to be afraid of their people?