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User: OrangeCatholic

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  1. Re:But how to do that? on EU Recommends Noise Limits On MP3 Players · · Score: 1

    >I got some earplugs and wore them, but it's far from an ideal solution - you lose some of the frequencies and you still have to shout to talk to people

    But that's the genius of earplugs: People *don't* have to shout to talk to you!

    I'm thrilled when I'm having a conversation at a club wearing earplugs and I know I'm going to catch every word they say even if they mumble it. Earplugs affect the frequencies in a rather positive way.

    It's definitely better than screaming WHAT'S YOUR NAME in a girl's ear so loudly that it hurts and you're still not sure you heard the response. Shout that in her ear two or three times and you'll be thinking, "Geez, what's the point of paying $20 to get in here and I can't even have a two sentence conversation with a hot girl?"

    It takes at least three or four sentences to hook up, at minimum, in most cases.

  2. Re:But how to do that? on EU Recommends Noise Limits On MP3 Players · · Score: 1

    >Customers who were abducted from the streets outside, dragged into the club, and chained down so that they couldn't escape.

    Right. Because one individual 16-year-old is supposed to stand up in a crowd of 20,000 and say, "Jesus Christ people, we should be wearing earplugs!"

    Asshole.

  3. Re:Google's quantum image analysis is people! on Google Demonstrates Quantum Computer Image Search · · Score: 1

    I'd love to know what protein folding does besides make money for drug companies. I know that protein folding is both extremely complex and important, but is the subject being researched or data-mined?

  4. Re:**Useful** quantum computing on Google Demonstrates Quantum Computer Image Search · · Score: 1

    >If you want better performance you should be looking at using optics

    Yeah whats up with that. It's like everybody just started ignoring the pretty girl. An optical computer would be phearsome.

  5. Re:Say good bye to RSA on Google Demonstrates Quantum Computer Image Search · · Score: 1

    It's been done, actually. Check out the fed computer system that never gets finished. Do you really think they would go 15 years without a proper update? Feds like their toys just as much as we do.

  6. Re:finally on Google Demonstrates Quantum Computer Image Search · · Score: 1

    Trivial extension? Google has taken everything on the desktop and re-written it for the web. It's not even an extension. They've undertaken a massive port.

  7. Re:I literally cannot tell if they are serious. on Google Demonstrates Quantum Computer Image Search · · Score: 1

    >I'm sorry, this looks like something that was thrown out of an early draft of Johnny Mnemonic: adiabatic quantum algorithm by magnetically coupling superconducting loops called rf-squid flux qubits.

    Isn't it nice not to have autism? The physics experts at the D-Wave convention wouldn't know. I like the guy who said "all those words have meanings." Yeah, but you have to try and make a sentence out of them.

    Autism: When you can't see the forest for the trees.

  8. Re:"Quantum Computing" the next "Cloud Computing"? on Google Demonstrates Quantum Computer Image Search · · Score: 1

    What about middleware? How's that one going?

    I'll be damned if I even remember what it was. I think I wrote some of it though.

  9. Re:Oh no, not D-Wave. on Google Demonstrates Quantum Computer Image Search · · Score: 1

    Beyond D-wave being an investment scam, I still need a proper explanation of how quantum effects are going to speed up computers.

    Just because a qubit can be in many places at once, can you actually measure it tho? Or will it decohere with the right answer? I'd love to have a calculator where I just press "equals" and it already knows the answer because it was programmed with the question. How do you do that?

    In TFA, Google says to do a linear search on 1 million cells, the average physical time is 500,000 searches but quantum can do it in 1,000. As they say on SNL, "Really. Your quantum computer searches 1000 locations simultaneously? Hmm."

  10. Re:Oh no, not D-Wave. on Google Demonstrates Quantum Computer Image Search · · Score: 1

    >the fact that it actually, you know, works, has to count for something.

    The Mechanical Turk worked really well for playing chess.

  11. Re:Already Skynet protects itself on Google Demonstrates Quantum Computer Image Search · · Score: 1

    Remember when Google went public and you wondered if they were going to be able to make money? I mean, yeah, it's a smart company, but they were just a search engine and so many other tech IPOs were based in fantasy.

    I'm so proud of them. We actually got a research company out of the internet boom. Having Google around easily replaces the loss of creative shops like Sun. I guess Google is on the level of Microsoft and IBM now.

    Yeah it's fun to call them SkyNet or whatever, but as long as you're doing 99.9% of your web work unencrypted, phone calls unencrypted, cell phone blasting out your location, Google is pretty far down on the list of threats compared to your jealous and cock-eating next door neighbor.

  12. Andy Rooney on Widenius Warns Against MySQL Falling Into Oracle's Hands · · Score: 1

    On 60 Minutes tonight, Andy Rooney did the richest 7 Americans. On number 3 he goes, "I have no idea who Lawrence Ellison is."

    Here's a tip, Andy. Larry Ellison has no idea who YOU are.

    Also, Steve Kroft looks like an alcoholic. Nice try quizzing Obama on his agenda when you have a fifth of Jack hiding under the chair. Douchebag.

    But anway, in the top 7 richest Americans, two were software (Microsoft and Oracle), one investor (Buffett), and I guess the other four were Walmart-related. Kind of sad that Buffet couldn't beat out Gates but I suppose neither one is clubbing and wearing the latest fashions anyway.

  13. Re:Mod -1 wrong on Widenius Warns Against MySQL Falling Into Oracle's Hands · · Score: 1

    Yep. People who say S-Q-L are living in their own private hell. It shocks me whenever I hear that. And here they are, dozens of them, defending themselves as being "old school." I think Sequel is too clever. It throws people off, apparently.

  14. Re:So fork the damn thing already! on Widenius Warns Against MySQL Falling Into Oracle's Hands · · Score: 1

    What's this about X Windows now? How do you screw that up? It's X and then Windows.

    If you think there's more than one way to say X Windows try going over to MIT and hanging out there for a while. I think you'll get universal agreement on this one.

  15. Re:So fork the damn thing already! on Widenius Warns Against MySQL Falling Into Oracle's Hands · · Score: 1

    I would hope so. It's kind of strange to say that the people who know the slang are the newbies. I worked in a database heavy software shop and I don't think the letters "S-Q-L" were uttered once all year.

  16. Re:technology editor sucks at technology? on Are Sat-Nav Systems Becoming Information Overload? · · Score: 1

    Are you kidding? It's all they talk about nowadays is making texting illegal. Like it was some fucking brilliant flash of insight.

    Why don't they just teach kids how to drive? I remember driver's ed. It was like, hey, you can make it down the road to mcdonalds and back. Time to go for your license. And I PAID for that. The average student is all on their own.

    My friend's dad randomly taught us how to corner one day and after that, the rest of my education was Gran Turismo for PS1.

  17. Re:technology editor sucks at technology? on Are Sat-Nav Systems Becoming Information Overload? · · Score: 1

    >was concerned about the potentially distracting visual clutter that is appearing on newer GPSs: 3D buildings, landmarks, terrain etc.

    What about games? Can they put some nice strategy games on there? Since you spend a lot of time in the car, maybe peasants could be mining gold while you roll down the highway. When you get there, you'll have enough for an army. Or how about getting in a couple of frags at the stoplight?

    Maybe they could put a flight sim on there and you could race yourself to your destination. Or how about some Bubble Blaster for the ladies?

    Think about how much Garmin you can sell if it came with God of War and a Playstation controller.

  18. Re:Situational awareness on Are Sat-Nav Systems Becoming Information Overload? · · Score: 1

    Some McD's can be pretty bad. I remember going to one where I set down my food and hot coffee, and when I got up to get ketchup or whatever, the kid comes over and starts clearing it away. I was like dude, you need to wake up from your zombie trance. I just bought that a minute ago. Oh, and the coffee is way too hot like they say it is.

  19. Re:technology editor sucks at technology? on Are Sat-Nav Systems Becoming Information Overload? · · Score: 1

    There's nothing worse than a rich bitch high up in her Escalade yakking on her phone. It's like, princess wants her cart rolled to the grocery store. I'm surprised they don't make a 6-peoplepower engine, you know, a car that comes with 6 servants to push it along. I'm sure the middle-class wannabes would love it.

    The thing that's frightening about SUV's is that they're just not good cars. Expensive, wasteful, terrible handling, high depreciation, and a gigantic engine that's overkill for a few bags of groceries and a 7-year-old soccer player. Also blocks the view of the driver behind you, good at rolling over, and ruthlessly lethal in a collision.

    Rims on an Escalade. That serves no purpose because you can't race a truck.

    Then you have the guys buying pickups because they fancy themselves contractors. Some are, but you can tell sometimes they just wish.

    SUV's really could not be stupider than they are. I'd say the ownership is about 50% here. And 99% of them have never been on a beach. People still drive slow in the snow. Duh! What did you buy it for?

  20. Re:.no on Are Sat-Nav Systems Becoming Information Overload? · · Score: 1

    >GPS is nice because it knows where you are. Maps, you have to figure that out.

    I'll confess to wanting a compass in the car. It's very intimidating to get lost and just pick a direction.

    But I've noticed that people can hang on GPS' every word. I'm sitting there thinking, "Just drive to the end of the expressway dammit!" and the driver is hunched over GPS waiting for an exit-by-exit update. I've had to put up with this behavior for weeks on end from certain people.

    As for cellphones, when I make plans, I assume those plans hold until further notice. Instead, the cellphone generation assumes the sky is always falling. "We just went past a Wendys. Where's your house again? Are we still hanging out?" YES.

  21. Re:2/129? on NASA Campaigns For Safer Launch Requirements · · Score: 1

    Blah. The shuttle was (and still is, I understand) the first rocket to have re-usable engines. It's ridiculously large, with a twin-door payload bay and robotic arm. It glides into a runway instead of being dropped into an ocean.

    Sure, it was supposed to be a lot cheaper, but...doesn't it work?

  22. Re:We really need to get Commercial space going on NASA Campaigns For Safer Launch Requirements · · Score: 1

    I'm not familiar with the program, but putting 3 or more untested technologies into the same platform is what an earlier poster described as "Big Bang"-style engineering. As I understand the Big Bang style, you glob together all your most wild ideas and watch them explode spectacularly at once. You learn a lot. But it's not expected to work the first time.

    In this case (as per Wiki), NASA spent $900m, Lockheed spent $350m, and they got composite fuel tanks out of it. Eh. Not much yield.

  23. Re:Maybe greater than 2/129 failure rate currently on NASA Campaigns For Safer Launch Requirements · · Score: 1

    There haven't been 2 failures of the launch system. There have been 2 instances of arrogant management pushing the system beyond its design specs. For all intents and purposes, STS launches have been flawless.

  24. Re:Wow... on NASA Campaigns For Safer Launch Requirements · · Score: 1

    It makes the failure rate zero, because both accidents were avoidable.

    Of course, they did have a recurring problem with the foam falling off, but I don't understand why that happens now and not 20 years ago. I think they went to a biodegradeable foam? For environmental reasons? If they stuck to the original foam, they could have avoided the damage, or at least done an in-flight inspection and rescue.

    The first accident is well-understood to have been a temperature issue from launching in cold February weather.

  25. Re:I program games. on Computer Games and Traditional CS Courses · · Score: 1

    True its easy to learn, but practical knowledge can be very powerful. The most extensive programming I did as an undergraduate was a chess program I wrote in a couple of days, in an obscure academic language.

    Fast forward to learning SQL, and it's like, wow, I have real skills that are marketable. When I got a job and onto a team with a weeks-long development cycle, I eventually realized I was good at it. Hard to tell as an undergrad with no code to write.

    CS was a great education, but it provided zero confidence in my abilities. And God will cry if you ever meet someone who knows what a CS education actually is (management of complex systems). Worthless degree if nobody knows what it stands for.