The place is packed all the time. Yes, with teenagers and little kids and soccer moms and homeless people too. Yes, there's a coffee shop (local, not starbucks) in the lobby. Yes, there are lots of public access computers. No, they don't charge late fines (but will eventually bill you if you've had the material long enough). Yes, they have all sorts of public programs - free movies, kids activities, job training, business seminars, writing workshops, self-improvement workshops, study groups, etc. Our public library is a vibrant, thriving hub of activity.
Many people don't realize that, if the library doesn't have something you want (book, DVD, CD, game, etc.), you can request it! The librarians want to get books people are interested in - so it helps tremendously to tell them. Then, when what you requested comes in, it's automatically on hold for you. Ever heard of inter-library loans? Almost any public library can get almost any material that any other public library has. It just takes a few days. And, they have access to almost all the $ubscription-based information sources that you can't access from a Google search.
Librarians are, generally, very eager and capable public servants. They want to help you. They want to get that material for you. They want the teenagers to come in and use the computers. There's just an incredible commitment to public service. At least that's the way it is where I live.
Do whatever the hell you want with electronic voting machines. Then make them print out your f'ing ballot, in whatever language you prefer. This gives the voter the ability to cross-check selections ("second chance?!?") before turning in the ballot, and leaves a scanable paper trail for recounts and other verification. You only get to turn in one ballot, and once you've turned one in, you're done - no whining or crying that you didn't do it right.
This has lots of applications in construction and assessment. I'd like to see all the 3D building structure data loaded into a system and piped to heads-up displays for construction workers, where they and/or structural components are pinpointed by the location sensors. It would give real-time "this thing goes... right... HERE" feedback. The other application I'd love to see is for existing structure assessment: a 'wand' with ultrasound and possibly magnetoresonance to sense pipes, wiring, and structure elements, etc. It wouldn't take long to develop a 3D map of an existing structure, and everything hidden inside the walls.
As for being able to map me dancing? Uh, no thanks.
Autonomous control of ultra-light, miniature craft like this is great. This may not be AI, but I think it's the path towards AI - overcoming one, then a few, then many challenges like this. But... for those that think this has relevance to craft that can carry real payloads, like people or bombs, slow down a bit. There are scaling problems that need to be overcome too.
Of course I was a nerdy geek and spent the time to learn how to use real microscopes. I examined a lot of things (including semen) and learned a lot of things (except, of course, the social skills needed to get the semen inside, or anywhere near, a female).
...especially in Japan, where there is literally a sea of coolant all around. At least leave the computing equipment at the surface and do heat exchange with the cave climate.
I still do almost all my purchasing with cash. I get it from ATMs, but then nobody really knows where I spend that money. That means my wife can't track where I've been, except the the nearest ATM.
...and they are on the verge of teenage years. I've always refused to let them be fingerprinted, photo ID'd, whatever, in those programs that claim they only give the information to you (the parent) in case your child goes missing. It's far too easy to run afoul of laws, even when the activity itself is relatively benign. I'm going to give them every chance NOT to be tracked if they want to disappear.
Having said that, I make a lot of effort to know where my children are, in more ways than one. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. The physical stuff is really important when they are young. The mental and emotional stuff is really important as they get older. All the technology in the world won't replace good parenting.
Really, he should have done it this way the first time, no? I think he should be forced to give away his new solution, because his first one is apparently failing.
...not to mention human jawbones and teeth, are all undergoing measurable change in our lifetimes. Hell, the germs are changing measurably in just a few years. Hybrid plants plants used to be developed by the intelligent guidance of natural selection. Things change. What's so hard to understand about that?
1. Breastfeed. Not just for 6 weeks either. Worldwide average weaning age is 3-4yrs. U.S. is about the worst at this. 2. Let your kids eat dirt. No, don't encourage it. Just don't freak when it happens. 3. Be very conservative with immunizations. How many middle class US children are really going to get exposed to Hep? And since thermerisol has finally been removed from vaccination products, the autism rate has finally stopped exploding (despite the fact that studies show no link between the two). 4. LOTS of physical contact! Breastfed babies get this. It stimulates brain development. 5. Love the little knuckleheads despite everything. 6. Learn basic biology and medicine yourself. Your offspring, your responsibility. Knowledge and common sense go a long way towards health.
We're still learning about biology and medicine. Oh shit, you mean bacteria can evolve to become resistant to antibiotics, and that blanketing the population with antibiotics (antibaterical handsoap, anyone?) causes bigger problems than it solves? I've never heard of a staph infection from a home birth. When women give birth at home around all the same germs they are exposed to anyway, postpartum infections are almost nonexistent.
OTOH, I will take exception to the idea that there were no allergies and less sickness among rural populations 2 generations ago. There were. The difference is that those kids were just labeled "sickly" and often died back then. Is it a bad thing that those kids have a chance now?
...already exist. You don't need to break DRM. Top-end equipment that captures the signal in really-damned-close to original quality costs under $2K. Any serious video shop (DVD duplication, etc.) already has this stuff, and there's plenty of less-than-scrupulous workers that will be happy to drop in on a weekend and rip a few for their buddies. "Take 10 years to crack" DRM? Sounds more like a way to create lots of frustrated consumers to me.
It would still be hard to do in 1Kg or less, but a kinetic electricity generator could supply a nearly continuous electric current/charge, thus making it possible to trim down the battery capacity needs.
...that those "intelligences" alive 100 billion years from now won't be any more intelligent that we are, and won't have any better technology to separate out the information from the noise. Who cares anyway? It won't matter to me.
The healthcare industry has it. The uninsured don't. I'd be surprised if Google isn't working feverishly on health-related web apps: Track your health online here, more b-b type stuff like helping doctors offices and hospitals track data, then of course selling that data to the insurance industries so they know who to drop.
Yes, I still get answers, even if I'm a selfish, flaming prick! The answer people have their own motivation regardless of my contribution - the point of the article, no? If that basic social psychology collapses, I'm left out in the cold. In the meantime...
Karma is tangible within the confines of slashdot, but I see very little evidence that it exists in the real world.
Message boards, email discussion lists, etc. are used by an awful lot of companies as a cheap substitute for providing real support for their products. Go to some company's Support web page: you have 3-4 basic options:
1. Buy a $upport contract or pay-per-incidence 2. Free email support! It only takes 3-5 business days to get an unhelpful reply. 3. Visit our support forums. There are plenty of suckers out there who have already bought our product and figured it out, no thanks to us. Get your answer from them because, hey, they supply the knowledge for free and it only costs us a few $ to maintain the support forum!
Of course if you really do have some sticky problem, or a valid complaint, well, the support forums are not an officially recognized means of communication to the company. Having said that, we'll still delete posts/threads and bar any whiners that make us look bad. So, back to #1 if you really do need technical support.
I used to be an "answer" guy on a couple of mail lists. Not anymore. Why? because I've moved beyond the products I used to know a lot about. Now I ask the questions for new products I'm learning. That, and the fact that I've realized how much I've "given away" and not gotten anything back from. If I'm going to waste my time, it might as well be on slashdot.
He may well be giving it away because it contains political songs that would get kill-9'd by the recording executives anyway. It might just contain a song that clearly says "Fuck you RIAA". I've never really paid that much attention to Prince before, but... now I'm curious, and I want hear the music.
Slashdot Mirror
The place is packed all the time. Yes, with teenagers and little kids and soccer moms and homeless people too. Yes, there's a coffee shop (local, not starbucks) in the lobby. Yes, there are lots of public access computers. No, they don't charge late fines (but will eventually bill you if you've had the material long enough). Yes, they have all sorts of public programs - free movies, kids activities, job training, business seminars, writing workshops, self-improvement workshops, study groups, etc. Our public library is a vibrant, thriving hub of activity.
Many people don't realize that, if the library doesn't have something you want (book, DVD, CD, game, etc.), you can request it! The librarians want to get books people are interested in - so it helps tremendously to tell them. Then, when what you requested comes in, it's automatically on hold for you. Ever heard of inter-library loans? Almost any public library can get almost any material that any other public library has. It just takes a few days. And, they have access to almost all the $ubscription-based information sources that you can't access from a Google search.
Librarians are, generally, very eager and capable public servants. They want to help you. They want to get that material for you. They want the teenagers to come in and use the computers. There's just an incredible commitment to public service. At least that's the way it is where I live.
Do whatever the hell you want with electronic voting machines. Then make them print out your f'ing ballot, in whatever language you prefer. This gives the voter the ability to cross-check selections ("second chance?!?") before turning in the ballot, and leaves a scanable paper trail for recounts and other verification. You only get to turn in one ballot, and once you've turned one in, you're done - no whining or crying that you didn't do it right.
Dogs can identify other dogs as dogs?!? OMG! What a mind-blowing revelation! OTOH, if you could get CATS to do that, I'd be impressed.
This has lots of applications in construction and assessment. I'd like to see all the 3D building structure data loaded into a system and piped to heads-up displays for construction workers, where they and/or structural components are pinpointed by the location sensors. It would give real-time "this thing goes... right... HERE" feedback. The other application I'd love to see is for existing structure assessment: a 'wand' with ultrasound and possibly magnetoresonance to sense pipes, wiring, and structure elements, etc. It wouldn't take long to develop a 3D map of an existing structure, and everything hidden inside the walls.
As for being able to map me dancing? Uh, no thanks.
Autonomous control of ultra-light, miniature craft like this is great. This may not be AI, but I think it's the path towards AI - overcoming one, then a few, then many challenges like this. But... for those that think this has relevance to craft that can carry real payloads, like people or bombs, slow down a bit. There are scaling problems that need to be overcome too.
Beef production is horribly wasteful, and produces lots of methane. Cutting way back on beef consumption would be a Good Thing (tm).
Of course I was a nerdy geek and spent the time to learn how to use real microscopes. I examined a lot of things (including semen) and learned a lot of things (except, of course, the social skills needed to get the semen inside, or anywhere near, a female).
...especially in Japan, where there is literally a sea of coolant all around. At least leave the computing equipment at the surface and do heat exchange with the cave climate.
You're sucking the life out of our economy with what you're doing now.
Security through obscurity! The saddest part is, way too much (i.e. more than zero) of the stuff I do and deal with use that security model too.
I still do almost all my purchasing with cash. I get it from ATMs, but then nobody really knows where I spend that money. That means my wife can't track where I've been, except the the nearest ATM.
That explains it all.
...and they are on the verge of teenage years. I've always refused to let them be fingerprinted, photo ID'd, whatever, in those programs that claim they only give the information to you (the parent) in case your child goes missing. It's far too easy to run afoul of laws, even when the activity itself is relatively benign. I'm going to give them every chance NOT to be tracked if they want to disappear.
Having said that, I make a lot of effort to know where my children are, in more ways than one. Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. The physical stuff is really important when they are young. The mental and emotional stuff is really important as they get older. All the technology in the world won't replace good parenting.
Really, he should have done it this way the first time, no? I think he should be forced to give away his new solution, because his first one is apparently failing.
...not to mention human jawbones and teeth, are all undergoing measurable change in our lifetimes. Hell, the germs are changing measurably in just a few years. Hybrid plants plants used to be developed by the intelligent guidance of natural selection. Things change. What's so hard to understand about that?
Want to give your offspring the best chance?
1. Breastfeed. Not just for 6 weeks either. Worldwide average weaning age is 3-4yrs. U.S. is about the worst at this.
2. Let your kids eat dirt. No, don't encourage it. Just don't freak when it happens.
3. Be very conservative with immunizations. How many middle class US children are really going to get exposed to Hep? And since thermerisol has finally been removed from vaccination products, the autism rate has finally stopped exploding (despite the fact that studies show no link between the two).
4. LOTS of physical contact! Breastfed babies get this. It stimulates brain development.
5. Love the little knuckleheads despite everything.
6. Learn basic biology and medicine yourself. Your offspring, your responsibility. Knowledge and common sense go a long way towards health.
We're still learning about biology and medicine. Oh shit, you mean bacteria can evolve to become resistant to antibiotics, and that blanketing the population with antibiotics (antibaterical handsoap, anyone?) causes bigger problems than it solves? I've never heard of a staph infection from a home birth. When women give birth at home around all the same germs they are exposed to anyway, postpartum infections are almost nonexistent.
OTOH, I will take exception to the idea that there were no allergies and less sickness among rural populations 2 generations ago. There were. The difference is that those kids were just labeled "sickly" and often died back then. Is it a bad thing that those kids have a chance now?
...already exist. You don't need to break DRM. Top-end equipment that captures the signal in really-damned-close to original quality costs under $2K. Any serious video shop (DVD duplication, etc.) already has this stuff, and there's plenty of less-than-scrupulous workers that will be happy to drop in on a weekend and rip a few for their buddies. "Take 10 years to crack" DRM? Sounds more like a way to create lots of frustrated consumers to me.
It would still be hard to do in 1Kg or less, but a kinetic electricity generator could supply a nearly continuous electric current/charge, thus making it possible to trim down the battery capacity needs.
Great fodder for the campaign trail... Goes to show you Bush cares more about his buddies than he does his political party as a whole.
...that those "intelligences" alive 100 billion years from now won't be any more intelligent that we are, and won't have any better technology to separate out the information from the noise. Who cares anyway? It won't matter to me.
The healthcare industry has it. The uninsured don't. I'd be surprised if Google isn't working feverishly on health-related web apps: Track your health online here, more b-b type stuff like helping doctors offices and hospitals track data, then of course selling that data to the insurance industries so they know who to drop.
Yes, I still get answers, even if I'm a selfish, flaming prick! The answer people have their own motivation regardless of my contribution - the point of the article, no? If that basic social psychology collapses, I'm left out in the cold. In the meantime...
Karma is tangible within the confines of slashdot, but I see very little evidence that it exists in the real world.
Message boards, email discussion lists, etc. are used by an awful lot of companies as a cheap substitute for providing real support for their products. Go to some company's Support web page: you have 3-4 basic options:
1. Buy a $upport contract or pay-per-incidence
2. Free email support! It only takes 3-5 business days to get an unhelpful reply.
3. Visit our support forums. There are plenty of suckers out there who have already bought our product and figured it out, no thanks to us. Get your answer from them because, hey, they supply the knowledge for free and it only costs us a few $ to maintain the support forum!
Of course if you really do have some sticky problem, or a valid complaint, well, the support forums are not an officially recognized means of communication to the company. Having said that, we'll still delete posts/threads and bar any whiners that make us look bad. So, back to #1 if you really do need technical support.
I used to be an "answer" guy on a couple of mail lists. Not anymore. Why? because I've moved beyond the products I used to know a lot about. Now I ask the questions for new products I'm learning. That, and the fact that I've realized how much I've "given away" and not gotten anything back from. If I'm going to waste my time, it might as well be on slashdot.
"So the equation comes down to how many Apple fanboys are there with buckets of cash who will buy something purely because Apple tells them to. :)"
Apple did their market research, I'm sure. There are plenty of people out there with more dollars than sense.
He may well be giving it away because it contains political songs that would get kill-9'd by the recording executives anyway. It might just contain a song that clearly says "Fuck you RIAA". I've never really paid that much attention to Prince before, but... now I'm curious, and I want hear the music.