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User: ATestR

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  1. Microsoft on the other hand... on Leaked Microsoft Video Parodies Chrome Ad · · Score: 1

    hasn't quite figure how to implement these features into their software. Otherwise, you can be certain that they would be just as intrusive as they say Chrome is... or worse.

  2. Re:Good news - now Novartis will make generics :-) on Indian Supreme Court Denies Novartis Cancer Drug Patent · · Score: 1

    On the other hand, pharma R&D will make its money solely from creating new drugs and licensing fees.

    A new drug costs $$$ to bring to market, between all the testing required. For every drug successfully marketed, there are 10 or 100 that never make it. The successful drugs have to bear the cost of the unsuccessful ones, to the tune of Billion$ of dollars per drug. Those costs have to be recaptured somewhere. Currently by selling at a high price. If it is strictly by licensing fees, that those fees will be very high, and the marketing/production companies will have to pay them, and thus have to recapture their costs. Nothing changes.

    Is there waste and abuse in the pharma industry? Undoubtedly. Better ask what percentage it is before you throw the baby out with the bathwater.

  3. Solar will work, if you put it in orbit. on Will Renewable Energy Ever Meet All Our Energy Needs? · · Score: 1

    There's been plenty of research done regarding collection of solar via orbiting power stations, and relaying it back to Earth via microwaves. Yes, there probably are some downsides regarding the energy balance of the planet (if you do enough of it), and after a while you'll cover the Earth in receivers or push the power of the microwaves to a level to cook us all, but by that point we'll all be dead anyway from other causes.

    With the recent burse of companies pushing into space, this is no longer a fantasy.

  4. Value of Materials Is In Orbit on Asteroid Resources Could Make Science Fiction Dreams and Nightmares a Reality · · Score: 1

    I don't even need to RTFA. I've been following this concept for 30 years before these companies finally decided to talk about it. The Trillions of dollars of materials are not worth Trillions of dollars on Earth... this is their value in orbit based on present day LEO launch values, which run upwards of $1K/lb.

    While it is possible that there may someday be a market on the Earth from some space produced material... I'll lay odds that it will be in the form of some manufactured good/material produced in Zero G, and impossible to make on Earth. It will not be raw materials.

  5. Sounds reasonable, but... on BEST Study Finds Temperature Changes Explained by GHG Emissions and Volcanoes · · Score: 1

    I still wonder about those graphs that show CO2 lagging temperature by 800 years during past global warming events. Not saying that there isn't a relationship, but I still think that there is something that isn't really understood.

  6. Economy of scale? on Replicating Hardest Known Biomaterial Could Improve Solar Cells and Batteries · · Score: 1

    That's an awful lot of sea snails needed to even construct a compact car...

  7. How about... on Hacktivism: Civil Disobedience Or Cyber Crime? · · Score: 1

    How about publication of information publicly available on computer servers... say a list of registered hand gun owners in a certain region? Or do the laws only work when its convenient for the people with power?

  8. How do we compare to the other 3rd World Countries on US Near Bottom In Life Expectancy In Developed World · · Score: 1

    How do we compare to the other 3rd World Countries?

  9. Re:What's more likely? on 3D Printable Ammo Clip Skirts New Proposed Gun Laws · · Score: 1

    "This is insidious! Alongside a high-capacity magazine ban, we should also ban 3D printing! Clearly it's a technology that will only be used by TERRORISTS!"

    Not likely. 3D printing is at about the same stage as personal computers were back in the early 80's. Already used in a lot of businesses that do customized work, and the price point for entry level 3D printers is low enough that anyone could buy one. Of course, as some of the earlier posts mentioned, the quality of these low end systems is still not quite there. Give them time.

  10. Send Politicians on Trip To Mars Could Damage Astronauts' Brains · · Score: 2

    The way I see it, it couldn't damage their brains. It would also have the advantage of getting them off Earth.

  11. If it's for National Security on NCTC Gets Vast Powers To Spy On U.S. Citizens · · Score: 1

    OK, let's presuppose the argument that this is necessary to national security is valid. Great. I stipulate that nothing discovered in such a search should be admissible for any crime that does not fall under National Security purview.

    Of course, I don't find this is a valid argument, since you could then argue anything was a National Security matter. Still, I don't suppose it is realistic to expect politicians to see it that way.

    What I'd really like to see are some Draconian punishments for agency personnel who abuse this access.

  12. Re:What's next? on Text Message Spammer Wants FCC To Declare Spam Filters Illegal · · Score: 4, Funny

    Ok right so now we have both Free Speech and The Right to Bear Arms in this thread! Awaits prohibition :)

    I'll drink to that!

  13. Re:generators on How Data Center Operator IPR Survived Sandy · · Score: 2

    I'd say that locating outside of the hurricane's path was the better choice

    If it isn't a hurricane, it's an Earthquake. If not that, then a nasty Blizzard. Or a Tornado. You can't avoid them all, and its best to prepare as best you can for the events possible at the location that you choose. No one can prevent all disasters, but you can mitigate the risk.

  14. Re:Ham Radio Baby!!! on Battery-Powered Transmitter Could Crash A City's 4G Network · · Score: 3, Informative

    More than two! Latest estimates that I've heard are that there are 600,000+ Hams in the US.

  15. NW Overdue on 7.7 Magnitude Quake Hits British Columbia · · Score: 1

    The northwest is overdue for a big earthquake... 8.5 or greater.

  16. Re:Leave Google Alone! on Congressman Warns FTC: Leave Google Alone · · Score: 1

    If corporations were not people, then when a corporation broke the law/got sued for a bigillion dollars, the stockholders would be held liable... this includes YOU with money invested indirectly via your 401K. Wanna loose your house/savings?

  17. Pure idiocy on DRM Could Come To 3D Printers · · Score: 1

    Who would want to use a 3D printer to print something like a car? Material costs for the printer would be 4 - 5 x the cost of a new car off the dealer lot!

  18. Re:Interesting questions on Virgin Galactic's Quiet News: Virgin Now Owns The SpaceShip Company · · Score: 1

    Virgin Galactic is doing this because there is a market for it. As far as general business & science, I refer you to exhibit B, SpaceX, that is not catering to rich tourists, but instead investing on equipment that will eventually allow them to do the things you mention by developing new extraterrestrial resources.

    As far as letting people starve and die without medicine... you want to take away more of the rich people's money so they won't spend it on space vacations? That would put all those spaceship builders out of work (and their suppliers, etc.).

  19. My first reaction on Amazon Debuts Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Fire HD In 2 Sizes · · Score: 1, Funny

    I first read this as "Kindle Paperweight". The Kindle isn't THAT bad...

  20. Re:If we exterminated them... on If Extinct Species Can Be Brought Back... Should We? · · Score: 1

    We've brought the smallpox virus to the brink of extinction. Say that all lab samples were destroyed... would it be our moral duty to resurrect smallpox?

  21. NOT Pollution Free on Tata Intends To Sell Air-Powered Car In India · · Score: 1

    The power to run those air compressors has to come from some place.

  22. So Much Wrong Here... on No Bomb Powerful Enough To Destroy an On-Rushing Asteroid, Sorry Bruce Willis · · Score: 1

    The student's analysis is based on the asteroid as described in the movie... estimated at 1000km diameter. This is a ridiculous plot device that the movie makers threw in, since if there was anything that big out there, we would know about it a LOT sooner than predicted by the movie (this is as big as Ceres, which we've known about for hundreds of years!).

    A more useful analysis would be to think about something of a size that we might actually see at a late stage... say 1 - 2 km diameter. This would still be a global killer, and might very well not be seen until it was only a week or three out. Could an nuke effectively be used to nudge one this size out of an Earth impacting trajectory?

    If the kids want to play with calculations like this, fine... but do something realistic, rather than goof off with Hollywood fantasy.

    NOW get off my lawn!

  23. Where's the Waterworld Option on NASA's Interactive Flood Maps · · Score: 3, Funny

    This darn thing only allows for a 60M rise. I want to try out 1000M and set sail in a Trimaran.

  24. Re:Sigh on Experts Warn Of Possible North Korean Nuclear Test · · Score: 4, Informative

    forced to reduce the size of their army and actually feed their own people

    Don't think that it would have this effect... NK has been generally starving the people for decades in favor of military might.

  25. Learn to make presentations on Ask Slashdot: How To Give IT Presentations That Aren't Boring? · · Score: 1

    The part about IT is not the problem. The issue is that you need to learn to make presentations. Take up public speaking. There are several ways to acquire this kind of skill. I suggest Toastmasters as an inexpensive route. Not instantaneous, but in a year or two you can do well.