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User: edjs

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Comments · 146

  1. Re:Where were you when you got the news? on Previously-Unseen Photos of Challenger Disaster Appear Online · · Score: 2

    Well, he did mention a mention a newspaper - sort of like a blog, but with horrible latency.

  2. Re:Still Disturbing on Previously-Unseen Photos of Challenger Disaster Appear Online · · Score: 1

    Given that there was a civilian teacher going up for the publicity, a lot of schoolrooms were watching it live.

  3. Re:Current PCs are good enough. on PC Shipments In 2013 See the Worst Yearly Decline In History · · Score: 1

    Macs were the anomaly in all this - their "PC" sales went up 26% over the same time period.

    Ultimate source is Gartner, but found the info here: linky

    Just to be contrary, IDC released their own report, which has 4th quarter US shipments down only 1.5% overall, and Apple's down 5.7%. They have Lenovo growing 10% for the same period (vs Gartner's +3.5%), and have them as the only one with positive growth worldwide year on year.

    IDC PC shipments press release

  4. Re:South Korean Visa Waiver on StarCraft II Gamer Receives US Pro-Athlete Visa · · Score: 1

    The visa waiver may not apply if one is participating in a tournament that gives out prizes or otherwise remunerates the participants.

  5. Re:Upper limit on planets? Lower limit on stars on Massive Exoplanet Discovered, Challenges Established Planet Formation Theories · · Score: 2

    Bad summary. The point of the article is that:

    - the distance the planet is orbiting its primary is much farther out than current planet formation theories support.
    - the planet is not massive enough compared to the primary to fit the theories on binary star formation.

  6. I expect astronomers would normally specify mass or radius/diameter rather than use size ambiguously. And the article doesn't use the word size, so can't fault the journalist. Summary writers, however ...

    (11 x mass BTW)

  7. Re:Visa Waiver on Disabled Woman Denied Entrance To US Due To Private Medical Records · · Score: 1

    I'm not sure about Canada but to get a Visa Wavier from Australia for the US you get asked about you mental health when filling it out.

    Canadian citizens do not generally require a visa or visa waiver to get in. Normally all we have to fill out is the standard customs declaration form everyone has to on arrival (who are you, where are you coming from, where are you staying, what restricted stuff are you bringing in).

  8. Re:The Fine was $12 M, but, on Knight Capital Fined $12M For a Software Bug That Cost $460M · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The purpose of a corporation is to shield the shareholders from liability beyond the value of their shares. Directors can be held liable if they are particularly negligent or criminal.

  9. Re:News just in on Largest US Power Storing Solar Array Goes Live · · Score: 1

    I didn't explain myself, but I was trying to illustrate that the capital cost of the solar plant was in line with the costs of other modern power plants, and not the ludicrously expensive boondoggle some others were suggesting.

    Source of my figures:

    http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Economic-Aspects/Economics-of-Nuclear-Power/

    By way of contrast, China has stated that it expects its costs for plants under construction to come in at less than $2000/kW and that subsequent units should be in the range of $1600/kW. This estimate is for the AP1000 design, the same as used by EIA for the USA. This would mean that an AP1000 in the USA would cost about three times as much as the same plant built in China. Different labour rates in the two countries are only part of the explanation. Standardised design, numerous units being built, and increased localisation are all significant factors in China.

  10. Re:pricing on Largest US Power Storing Solar Array Goes Live · · Score: 1

    No, that's just the capital cost to go out and build it tomorrow. Scrubbed coal and natural gas plants cost a third to a half that, but over the lifetimes of the plants their cost approaches nuclear plants' lifetime costs. Assuming the solar plant's infrastructure lasts as long as the others, I'd expect its lifetime cost to be lower.

  11. Re:pricing on Largest US Power Storing Solar Array Goes Live · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This plant cost $7100/kW. For comparison, the US Energy Information Administration estimates a new nuke plant would cost about $5300/kW (and in China, where they actually building many nukes, they're $2000/kW).

    Presumably if more of these solar plants were built the cost would come down.

  12. Re:Kid crashes toy hellicopter, news at 11:00 on Ask Slashdot: Time To Regulate Domestic Drones? · · Score: 1

    It won't be long before one of these DO hurt or kill someone.

    And by "won't be long" you mean last month:

    http://tech.slashdot.org/story/13/09/06/1517200/man-killed-by-his-own-radio-controlled-helicopter-in-brooklyn

    Self-inflected rather than taking out a bystander, and in an area designated for RC flying, so not quite the same.

  13. Re:Although I must add... on First Few Doctor Who Episodes May Fall To Public Domain Next Year · · Score: 1

    This depends on how the the rule of the shorter term is applied. It looks like you are SOL in the US.

  14. Re:What mystery? on Mystery of Missing Martian Methane Deepens · · Score: 5, Informative

    Some plumes of methane were detected by Mars orbiters and terrestrial telescopes 10 years ago, thus the expectation of the rover detecting the methane.

    http://www.space.com/6319-mars-methane-geology-biology.html

  15. Re:What? on NASA Scientists Jubilant After Successful Helicopter Crash · · Score: 1

    Maybe you put the people in the airbags, and they just bounce to safety?

  16. Low tech solution on Schneier Has Something Good To Say About Airport Security · · Score: 2

    Issue the TSA some dice?

  17. Re:This is more sensationalism than any real threa on Collision Between Water and Energy Is Underway, and Worsening · · Score: 5, Informative

    The study is more about the risks that power plants may not have enough water available, not that they are using it up. The plants are competing for the water with those that do consume it, such as agriculture and residential, exacerbated by long term drought cycles in some areas, and climate change.
     

  18. Re:hmm... on Collision Between Water and Energy Is Underway, and Worsening · · Score: 1

    Studying and pointing out the risks increases the chances it will be fixed before it becomes an issue.

  19. Re:Comcast Router? I think not on Comcast To Expand Public WiFi Using Home Internet Connections · · Score: 1

    Typically the modem/router combo devices can be configured to act as a bridge only, though you may have to ask the cableco to enable it.

  20. Re:That sounds like a neutral and unbiased summary on Google Glass and Surveillance Culture · · Score: 1

    In other words, it stinks of FUD and we all know who is the master of that little game.

    Congress?

  21. The B41 and B53 were developed at the same time, and both are now retired. The largest US warheads now in use are 1.2 Mt.

    As the accuracy of delivery methods has improved, the yield has gone down. Except for special cases, it is more efficient toeither drop a smaller nuke closer to the desired target, or drop a number of smaller nukes spread out over an area than single huge ones.

  22. Re:Oh good on Hockey Sticks Among Carry-On Items TSA Has Cleared For Planes · · Score: 1

    I suppose that way when they lose your checked golf bag, you'll still have almost enough clubs for pitch & put.

  23. Re:Trade mark or copyright? on The Copyright Battle Over Custom-Built Batmobiles · · Score: 1

    Both. DC's filing claims both trade mark and copyright infringement, and Towle's response asks that both be dismissed. All we're missing is a design patent.

  24. Re:Civilian control on Who Should Manage the Nuclear Weapons Complex, Civilians Or Military? · · Score: 1

    The summary could use some work. The article is talking about the the agency (National Nuclear Security Administration) that controls the design, development and maintenance of nukes and related facilities, said agency being created in 1999 and placed under the Energy Department (civilian) control. What's up for discussion is are plans to move it out from under the Energy Department.

  25. Re:How can this be? on North Korea's Satellite Is Out of Control · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The article is quoting "US officials" when describing it as tumbling. If the satellite is spinning around more than one axis, then tumbling is the appropriate description, and is strong evidence that it is not under control.