Despite the slight change in the curvature of the main mirror, Hubble's images were pretty amazing. It was the press and the politicians that called it a disaster. Fortunately, that didn't prevent NASA from sending a crew to install corrective optics and a better camera.
Years ago, I picked up a $90, swing-arm monitor stand with keyboard tray. That holds my center monitor. When I'm doing routine documentation or coding, I can raise the monitor and keyboard and work while standing. My other 3 monitors can still be quickly consulted even while standing. Granted, I still have to sit for the intense multi-monitor design, debug or unit test sessions, but I generally need a break every hour while doing that. Most of the time, I'm switching between standing and sitting twice per hour.
Touch makes sense for phones and tablets. It does not for laptops.
For laptops (and even desktops) whether touch makes sense depends on the application. I've seen, for example, medical apps that work well on laptops and desktops with touch screen monitors. I've also seen DJ apps that, while designed for mouse control, are easier to use with a touch screen. And where I work, the "Prototype Manufacturing" lab has switched all their monitors to touch screen monitors (keyboards and mice are still available, but a lot of the time, the techs use just the touch screens).
When C syntax was developed, the designers tried to limit the use of glyphs to those represented in 7-bit ANSI character code, which does not have a codepoint for "circle-plus" nor for a lot of other glyphs used in formal logic and in math.
I've grown to like the Start Screen and now prefer it to the craped and often poorly organized Start Menu.
I find it it easier to keep the Start Menu (and it's equivalent in LXDE/FluxBox/other in Linux) organised than anything like the Start Screen. Also easier to find less used programs. (I keep my most used programs in the "start menu" with less used programs in the cascades.)
Even so, PBS is under attack because of taxpayer funding through various means.
PBS and public TV stations in general (also public radio stations) have been under fire for many years, now. Government funding for public broadcasting has been declining for a long time. Public stations have been increasingly relying on viewer/listener support and other private funding sources. The 2 public TV and 3 public radio stations near where I live get over 90% of their funding through donations from viewers, listeners and other private entities. According to friends of mine in other areas, their public stations are similarly funded.
I suspect most public stations have been preparing for complete loss of government founding for a long time, now.
That is the first listed in the amendment: to be secure in their persons. That is how late 18th century English speaking people referred to personal privacy. Again, a matter of language, which keeps lawyers on all sides of court cases arguing over the meaning.
Your comment does highlight the concerns of the various people who wrote the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights. On the one hand, some were afraid that not including rights would leave too much to interpretation. And others who were afraid that listing any rights would implicitly disparage/deny other rights that happened to not be listed. The compromise was to list some and state, via the 9th amendment, that the list was incomplete.
In the English language of the late 18th century, the 4th amendment to the US Constitution is an explicit right to privacy:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
In the era, "effects" meant "possessions". Indeed, that meaning is sometimes still used, for example "personal effects".
Also, in that era, "papers" was the common term for documents, because documents were "stored" on paper, which, in turn, was often stored in filing boxes or cabinets. The fact that documents are now more often stored and sent electronically should not diminish or block them from 4th amendment protections.
As for bulk data collection, back then, they had a very limited - compared to now - concept of that. They did not (nor could they reasonably have) foreseen anything remotely like the what is possible now. But the 4th amendment is still applicable even though the wording is outdated.
(I will also mention the 9th amendment: The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.)
Human nature being what it is, people, including law enforcement, will, when it suits the purpose at hand, choose to narrow or widen their interpretation of the constitution (and other laws). Thus, lawyers will continue to endlessly argue over the meaning of each word, letter, punctuation mark, etc, of the constitution (and other laws).
Your friend is most likely lying. The phones in the switch (specifically for QC) would only hear one side of the conversation. If you hear both sides, there was an echo issue (and the conversation wouldn't continue between the two parties).
If the speaker was connected to a local loop, then it would hear both sides. (While I agree it should not have been connected to a local loop, I would not be surprised if (occassionally) it was.)
Phones designed for use with traditional land lines have echo-suppression circuits. As do the equipment at the switching office. This was done to avoid the cost of a third wire and because using either earth or electrical ground was too noisy.
Also, very early telephone designs did not have echo suppression. I have one that one of my grandmothers bought at an auction (a certificate of legal sale was included with the phone). In theory, it is compatible with the current land line system, though I have never tried it. It is very similar to this: http://oldphoneman.com/images/...
TFA claims US$20000. It also stated that http://www.50dollarsat.info/ was launched on a Russian Dnepr-1. Presumably as one of several secondary payloads
Nothing like saying "You have a tape player, that is what you have, that is what you get, you can't upgrade"
Actually, I got that when I bought my current car, new, from the dealer. I got the version with the 4 cyl engine and the "comfort option package". When I asked to upgrade the CD-only radio to one with both CD and tape, I was told that that was only available for versions with the 6 cyl engine. I then said "Well, you have replacement units for service, why not just "service" my radio by replacing it with the better unit?" They said the OEM does not allow them to do that.
Admittedly, it would have cost more than buying an FM adapter (which I did) to use with a portable tape player, but would have been a lot less hassle.
Note, that employers can deduct hours from your vacation pool for less than either 8 hours a day worked, or 40 hours a week, can't remember which, but they can't dock your pay if you are exempt
Many of the people I know who work for other companies are exempt from overtime pay, but do get docked pay for less than 40 hours per week (or 80 hours per 2 weeks). Vacation time is only used for pre-arranged (and approved) time off. Sick hours are only used when they call in sick - before their normal start time.
For me, the time short goes against my "sick hours" before it goes against my vacation hours.
My employer's office has far too few conference rooms for face-to-face meetings. Instead, the company has an internal VOIP/XMPP server. (Though for a meeting with 4 or less people, we often just use our cubicles.) We have VOIP phones on our desks, though easier to use PC VOIP app.
The PCs my employer issues to its workers have "smart card" readers built in, but they (a) they require cards with contacts (which our standard badges don't have and (b) (according to the security dept) cards that are compatible with both the PCs and the door lock system are very expensive. As such, the company only issue those cards to the finance and HR depts (and the execs and their assistants).
Of course, to prevent anyone in possession of one of these cards from being able to log in, passwords would still be needed. (Not that our security dept seems to care that anyone with a badge can get in the office (granted, a worker who looses their card will report the loss, but it might be hours (or days) before the loss is noticed))
You will also condemn them to a professional life of being under perpetual pressure to overwork, perpetual blame for failing to do the impossible, and perpetual threat of being outsourced.... Do you kids a favor and send them to get an MBA or license to practice law instead.
Every MBA and lawyer I know is very overworked and expected to do the impossible daily. While the lawyers might be a lesser risk of being outsourced, most of the MBAs tell me they are quite afraid of being outsourced.
Otherwise, they will just sit around eating junk food and watching a screen all day, and yes I know this is slashdot.
My daughter did quite well at keeping a balance on her own. My girlfriend and I certainly had a lot of input to our daughter's schedule, but she was the one driving it, not us. She actively pursued out door and social activities, as well as solo activities. Though she tried various junk foods, her preferred snacks were/are "finger friendly" fruits and vegetables (and, sometimes, premium chocolate). She watched very little TV, though did use a computer a lot (mostly for homework, some programming and a little gaming).
I think the kids who watch a screen all day are the ones whose parents are too afraid to let them do anything else.
I think the only thing my kids ever did at that age for 75 minutes without a break is sleep.
Do you mean like sit (mostly) still for 75+ minutes doing problems in "work books"? The public elementary school my nephew attended required that most days for its first through fifth grade students (ages 6 through 10/11). (The school day was typically lecture/demo/group discussions from 8 am to 11:30 am, with a restroom break around 9:45. Then lunch, Then a review from 12:30 pm to 1:20 pm, followed by a restroom break. Finally, quiet study from 1:30 pm to 3 pm.)
(Additional restroom breaks were allowed, but strongly discouraged.)
Why should the providers shoulder this burden? They're not marketing, charging for, or making the content available. It's ridiculous. And invasive.
Actually, the major providers also own some of the content producers. Comcast owns NBC/Universal, Time-Warner owns Warner Brothers, etc. As such, the providers want to prioritize their subsidiaries' content.
The only reason he airline industry is not a natural monopoly is because of the massive public infrastructure provided by the US Government FAA in public use airports and related flight control infrastructure. In every meaningful sense, an airport solves the "last mile problem" for airplanes. Why wouldn't we expect a similar investment in the "last mile problem" for Internet Service?
There have been attempts to do exactly that. But, the big providers devised ways to quash or undermine those efforts. Examples:
A town (in Minnesota, I think) had begged the various providers to provide broad band, but the providers declined. So, the town embarked on a project to build a hub with a fiber cable to each home and business. The town's residents voted to approve a millage to raise the funds needed. Then one of the big providers, in an effort to block the project, sued the town. (The provider also built its own last mile network in the town - despite having previously refused - rendering the project moot.)
The residents of another town, elsewhere, formed a co-op to build a similar hub with a fiber-cable to each member of the co-op - paid for by the members of the co-op, so each member owned his/her cable and a share of the hub. When the co-op invited providers to start signing up customers, the providers demanded that each subscriber sign over ownership of his/her cable to the provider (in exchange for a small monthly credit, for several years, to the original property owner - if the property was sold, the new owner did not receive the remaining credit).
Slashdot Mirror
I want my fake engine noise to sound like a Jetson's flying car.
Despite the slight change in the curvature of the main mirror, Hubble's images were pretty amazing. It was the press and the politicians that called it a disaster. Fortunately, that didn't prevent NASA from sending a crew to install corrective optics and a better camera.
Years ago, I picked up a $90, swing-arm monitor stand with keyboard tray. That holds my center monitor. When I'm doing routine documentation or coding, I can raise the monitor and keyboard and work while standing. My other 3 monitors can still be quickly consulted even while standing. Granted, I still have to sit for the intense multi-monitor design, debug or unit test sessions, but I generally need a break every hour while doing that. Most of the time, I'm switching between standing and sitting twice per hour.
Touch makes sense for phones and tablets. It does not for laptops.
For laptops (and even desktops) whether touch makes sense depends on the application. I've seen, for example, medical apps that work well on laptops and desktops with touch screen monitors. I've also seen DJ apps that, while designed for mouse control, are easier to use with a touch screen. And where I work, the "Prototype Manufacturing" lab has switched all their monitors to touch screen monitors (keyboards and mice are still available, but a lot of the time, the techs use just the touch screens).
When C syntax was developed, the designers tried to limit the use of glyphs to those represented in 7-bit ANSI character code, which does not have a codepoint for "circle-plus" nor for a lot of other glyphs used in formal logic and in math.
But, really, it should be: !w || !x so that read-only, no-execute access is also valid.
Truth Table for this expression:
X | F | T
_W__|___|___
_F__|_T_|_T_
_T__|_T_|_F_
Kids often know how to use something, but not how those things actually work.
In these days of "teach to the test", seems that too many schools don't care about the "how", so don't bother teaching it.
I was a very curious kid. So was my daughter. And so are my young nieces and nephews. Curiosity isn't dead, but does seem to be highly discouraged.
I've grown to like the Start Screen and now prefer it to the craped and often poorly organized Start Menu.
I find it it easier to keep the Start Menu (and it's equivalent in LXDE/FluxBox/other in Linux) organised than anything like the Start Screen. Also easier to find less used programs. (I keep my most used programs in the "start menu" with less used programs in the cascades.)
Even so, PBS is under attack because of taxpayer funding through various means.
PBS and public TV stations in general (also public radio stations) have been under fire for many years, now. Government funding for public broadcasting has been declining for a long time. Public stations have been increasingly relying on viewer/listener support and other private funding sources. The 2 public TV and 3 public radio stations near where I live get over 90% of their funding through donations from viewers, listeners and other private entities. According to friends of mine in other areas, their public stations are similarly funded.
I suspect most public stations have been preparing for complete loss of government founding for a long time, now.
That is the first listed in the amendment: to be secure in their persons . That is how late 18th century English speaking people referred to personal privacy. Again, a matter of language, which keeps lawyers on all sides of court cases arguing over the meaning.
Your comment does highlight the concerns of the various people who wrote the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights. On the one hand, some were afraid that not including rights would leave too much to interpretation. And others who were afraid that listing any rights would implicitly disparage/deny other rights that happened to not be listed. The compromise was to list some and state, via the 9th amendment, that the list was incomplete.
In the English language of the late 18th century, the 4th amendment to the US Constitution is an explicit right to privacy:
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
In the era, "effects" meant "possessions". Indeed, that meaning is sometimes still used, for example "personal effects".
Also, in that era, "papers" was the common term for documents, because documents were "stored" on paper, which, in turn, was often stored in filing boxes or cabinets. The fact that documents are now more often stored and sent electronically should not diminish or block them from 4th amendment protections.
As for bulk data collection, back then, they had a very limited - compared to now - concept of that. They did not (nor could they reasonably have) foreseen anything remotely like the what is possible now. But the 4th amendment is still applicable even though the wording is outdated.
(I will also mention the 9th amendment: The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.)
Human nature being what it is, people, including law enforcement, will, when it suits the purpose at hand, choose to narrow or widen their interpretation of the constitution (and other laws). Thus, lawyers will continue to endlessly argue over the meaning of each word, letter, punctuation mark, etc, of the constitution (and other laws).
Your friend is most likely lying. The phones in the switch (specifically for QC) would only hear one side of the conversation. If you hear both sides, there was an echo issue (and the conversation wouldn't continue between the two parties).
If the speaker was connected to a local loop, then it would hear both sides. (While I agree it should not have been connected to a local loop, I would not be surprised if (occassionally) it was.)
Phones designed for use with traditional land lines have echo-suppression circuits. As do the equipment at the switching office. This was done to avoid the cost of a third wire and because using either earth or electrical ground was too noisy.
An old design: http://www.epanorama.net/circu...
A somewhat modern design: http://www.epanorama.net/circu...
Also, very early telephone designs did not have echo suppression. I have one that one of my grandmothers bought at an auction (a certificate of legal sale was included with the phone). In theory, it is compatible with the current land line system, though I have never tried it. It is very similar to this: http://oldphoneman.com/images/...
TFA claims US$20000. It also stated that http://www.50dollarsat.info/ was launched on a Russian Dnepr-1. Presumably as one of several secondary payloads
Nothing like saying "You have a tape player, that is what you have, that is what you get, you can't upgrade"
Actually, I got that when I bought my current car, new, from the dealer. I got the version with the 4 cyl engine and the "comfort option package". When I asked to upgrade the CD-only radio to one with both CD and tape, I was told that that was only available for versions with the 6 cyl engine. I then said "Well, you have replacement units for service, why not just "service" my radio by replacing it with the better unit?" They said the OEM does not allow them to do that.
Admittedly, it would have cost more than buying an FM adapter (which I did) to use with a portable tape player, but would have been a lot less hassle.
Note, that employers can deduct hours from your vacation pool for less than either 8 hours a day worked, or 40 hours a week, can't remember which, but they can't dock your pay if you are exempt
Many of the people I know who work for other companies are exempt from overtime pay, but do get docked pay for less than 40 hours per week (or 80 hours per 2 weeks). Vacation time is only used for pre-arranged (and approved) time off. Sick hours are only used when they call in sick - before their normal start time.
For me, the time short goes against my "sick hours" before it goes against my vacation hours.
My employer's office has far too few conference rooms for face-to-face meetings. Instead, the company has an internal VOIP/XMPP server. (Though for a meeting with 4 or less people, we often just use our cubicles.) We have VOIP phones on our desks, though easier to use PC VOIP app.
The PCs my employer issues to its workers have "smart card" readers built in, but they (a) they require cards with contacts (which our standard badges don't have and (b) (according to the security dept) cards that are compatible with both the PCs and the door lock system are very expensive. As such, the company only issue those cards to the finance and HR depts (and the execs and their assistants).
Of course, to prevent anyone in possession of one of these cards from being able to log in, passwords would still be needed. (Not that our security dept seems to care that anyone with a badge can get in the office (granted, a worker who looses their card will report the loss, but it might be hours (or days) before the loss is noticed))
The preamble outlines the purposes for which the constitution was established.
Seems to me that, in recent history, the government has been failing to meet those purposes.
It's easier to get mad and shake your fist than write a check.
For any given value of "it", "it" is not important until the lack of "it" because a problem. Therefore, the money won't be allocated proactively.
You will also condemn them to a professional life of being under perpetual pressure to overwork, perpetual blame for failing to do the impossible, and perpetual threat of being outsourced. ... Do you kids a favor and send them to get an MBA or license to practice law instead.
Every MBA and lawyer I know is very overworked and expected to do the impossible daily. While the lawyers might be a lesser risk of being outsourced, most of the MBAs tell me they are quite afraid of being outsourced.
Otherwise, they will just sit around eating junk food and watching a screen all day, and yes I know this is slashdot.
My daughter did quite well at keeping a balance on her own. My girlfriend and I certainly had a lot of input to our daughter's schedule, but she was the one driving it, not us. She actively pursued out door and social activities, as well as solo activities. Though she tried various junk foods, her preferred snacks were/are "finger friendly" fruits and vegetables (and, sometimes, premium chocolate). She watched very little TV, though did use a computer a lot (mostly for homework, some programming and a little gaming).
I think the kids who watch a screen all day are the ones whose parents are too afraid to let them do anything else.
I think the only thing my kids ever did at that age for 75 minutes without a break is sleep.
Do you mean like sit (mostly) still for 75+ minutes doing problems in "work books"? The public elementary school my nephew attended required that most days for its first through fifth grade students (ages 6 through 10/11). (The school day was typically lecture/demo/group discussions from 8 am to 11:30 am, with a restroom break around 9:45. Then lunch, Then a review from 12:30 pm to 1:20 pm, followed by a restroom break. Finally, quiet study from 1:30 pm to 3 pm.)
(Additional restroom breaks were allowed, but strongly discouraged.)
You are usually required to have cleared security about 30 minutes before the flight on domestic flights.
In the US, the TSA is working to bring this to train and bus stations.
Why should the providers shoulder this burden? They're not marketing, charging for, or making the content available. It's ridiculous. And invasive.
Actually, the major providers also own some of the content producers. Comcast owns NBC/Universal, Time-Warner owns Warner Brothers, etc. As such, the providers want to prioritize their subsidiaries' content.
The only reason he airline industry is not a natural monopoly is because of the massive public infrastructure provided by the US Government FAA in public use airports and related flight control infrastructure. In every meaningful sense, an airport solves the "last mile problem" for airplanes. Why wouldn't we expect a similar investment in the "last mile problem" for Internet Service?
There have been attempts to do exactly that. But, the big providers devised ways to quash or undermine those efforts. Examples:
A town (in Minnesota, I think) had begged the various providers to provide broad band, but the providers declined. So, the town embarked on a project to build a hub with a fiber cable to each home and business. The town's residents voted to approve a millage to raise the funds needed. Then one of the big providers, in an effort to block the project, sued the town. (The provider also built its own last mile network in the town - despite having previously refused - rendering the project moot.)
The residents of another town, elsewhere, formed a co-op to build a similar hub with a fiber-cable to each member of the co-op - paid for by the members of the co-op, so each member owned his/her cable and a share of the hub. When the co-op invited providers to start signing up customers, the providers demanded that each subscriber sign over ownership of his/her cable to the provider (in exchange for a small monthly credit, for several years, to the original property owner - if the property was sold, the new owner did not receive the remaining credit).