If you look at the video, you can notice special markings on the robot's side of the table: there are 2 rows of 4 dots parallel to the center line, which I guess are here to help the robots to estimate the position / trajectory of the ball. But this also make the table not conform to regulations (see specifications of tables for table tennis).
The smart phone prototype [..] has the gadget world buzzing with ideas about future products, and how exactly this product would enter the market. It is hard to imagine a phone that requires both your hands’ focus to control
Sure, because one can operate an iphone with just one hand. Since the smartphone, it seems to me that phones that can be operated single-handedly are things of the past.
Americans have not demanded higher MPG ratings for their car, but they have not been offered any either. The motorization of cars sold in America is different from what other parts of the world I have lived in (Japan, Europe) get.
Two examples (that I have driven): - Subaru impreza (not WRX/STI model): Europe/Japan motorization: 1.6 or 2.0l - America motorization: 2.5l (Note that I wouldn't drive the 1.6l impreza, especially on German motorways, but the 2.0l is nice, I just wished it had a 6th gear) - Volvo C30: Europe/Japan motorization: from 1.6, 1.8, 2.0 or 2.5l - American motorization: 2.5l (same comment as for the Imp' applies).
Some are really awful, but some are actually quite good. When I bought a new notebook last summer, my first concern has been typing comfort, and the only one I found really satisfying was the Thinkpad's x100e. The keys are slightly curved and comfortable under the fingers, and the press does not have the rubbery feel that is shared by much laptops (yes, Sony, I am looking at you). True, the battery life is the x100e is, at best, shitty, but that was a trade-off I was willing to make. Add the trackpoint at the center of the keyboard which is IMO far superior than the touch pad as a pointing device for casual use, be cause you don't have to bend your wrist to reach it. I actually prefer this keyboard to the one Dell ships with their desktops, and that I had to use at work (company policy...)
Because you think that American or European top gymnasts achieve their feats with no sacrifice? And what happens to those who don't make it to the olympic team? Professional sport is probably the most competitive activity one can imagine, and vae victis.
I doubt google will remove the caps lock key on MacBookPros. You're safe! But I agree with you for the smaller spacebar. It took me a while to get used to it.
I am not japanese, but have been living in Japan for 8 years, and I type japanese on a regular basis. Caps Lock is the only one of the 5 keys (+5 function keys) that my NETBOOK has for characters switching that I don't use. From my experience, it acts exactly the same as the key.
Charge your phone at night, play one hour in the train on your way to work, maybe charge your phone at work, play one hour on your way home. Rinse and repeat. In this case I see the point of having two device in one.
Of course, if you *drive* on your way to work, then that's a different story...
The photonics technology [will] help IBM to achieve its goal of building an exascale computer by 2020
So I guess IBM is in line with the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors.
There has been a lot of research done by the major players in the industry, individual components have been developped (light sources, couplers, phodetectors, optical waveguides, etc...) and IBM just showed they can produce them on-die with standard semiconductor production methods. That's not the kind of breakthrough the article claims, it is usual incremental progress. And I am quite happy with that.
The first application I see for this is a decent touch screen keyboard, if this shape-memory effect can be triggered fast enough. I'd feel much more comfortable typing on an tablet if there was some feedback to the typing.
The list of authors is longer than the paper itself. And it's in alphabetical order. At least, there surely is no fight as to know who will be first author. ^^
We can't racially profile in the US because that's racism, and that's not allowed
That's funny, because in every population statistics (state, town or prison populations) of the US, there is a detailed description of the "ethnic origin" of the population. That look like racial profiling to me. But that is not really racism.
Grandma Mable gets scanned because the TSA isn't racist
You imply here that some people are more likely to be terrorists because of their origins. Now, that sounds like racism to me!
Slashdot Mirror
If you look at the video, you can notice special markings on the robot's side of the table: there are 2 rows of 4 dots parallel to the center line, which I guess are here to help the robots to estimate the position / trajectory of the ball. But this also make the table not conform to regulations (see specifications of tables for table tennis).
FTA:
The smart phone prototype [..] has the gadget world buzzing with ideas about future products, and how exactly this product would enter the market. It is hard to imagine a phone that requires both your hands’ focus to control
Sure, because one can operate an iphone with just one hand. Since the smartphone, it seems to me that phones that can be operated single-handedly are things of the past.
you can still hold your calculator upside down.
Japan has fingerprint scanners at the passport checking counters... for foreigners only.
Americans have not demanded higher MPG ratings for their car, but they have not been offered any either. The motorization of cars sold in America is different from what other parts of the world I have lived in (Japan, Europe) get.
Two examples (that I have driven):
- Subaru impreza (not WRX/STI model): Europe/Japan motorization: 1.6 or 2.0l - America motorization: 2.5l (Note that I wouldn't drive the 1.6l impreza, especially on German motorways, but the 2.0l is nice, I just wished it had a 6th gear)
- Volvo C30: Europe/Japan motorization: from 1.6, 1.8, 2.0 or 2.5l - American motorization: 2.5l (same comment as for the Imp' applies).
Yes, and the first thing I do when I see a study about something as controversial as global warming is to check on the author:
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Roy_Spencer
Strangely enough, all those scientists who doubts the global warming seem to have some connections with oil companies...
I think that you are mistaking China for Japan...
tl;dr
Some are really awful, but some are actually quite good.
When I bought a new notebook last summer, my first concern has been typing comfort, and the only one I found really satisfying was the Thinkpad's x100e. The keys are slightly curved and comfortable under the fingers, and the press does not have the rubbery feel that is shared by much laptops (yes, Sony, I am looking at you). True, the battery life is the x100e is, at best, shitty, but that was a trade-off I was willing to make. Add the trackpoint at the center of the keyboard which is IMO far superior than the touch pad as a pointing device for casual use, be cause you don't have to bend your wrist to reach it.
I actually prefer this keyboard to the one Dell ships with their desktops, and that I had to use at work (company policy...)
Disclaimer: typed on an x100e
French: "ou un systeme d'exploitation propre"
Correct translation: "or an OS of their own" - understand: an OS that has been made specifically for the device.
I guess google translate is not subtle enough yet to discriminate the different meanings of "propre" in french.
Because you think that American or European top gymnasts achieve their feats with no sacrifice? And what happens to those who don't make it to the olympic team? Professional sport is probably the most competitive activity one can imagine, and vae victis.
The US gas production is more and more dependent on shale gas production, due to the progress of the hydraulic fracturing technique . Although the American Petroleum Institute claims that there this technique pose little or no threat to underground drinking water, environmentalists say otherwise and their voice has been gaining strength thanks to the recently released Gasland documentary film.
What is clear to me is that there is no reason to explain why Dick Cheney exempted the gas drilling industry from the Safe Drinking Water Act, but to protect the gas industry profitability...
To be fair with Democrats, I also have to say that Obama strongly supports shale gas extraction. Good luck, America!
In Future Boy Conan.
I doubt google will remove the caps lock key on MacBookPros. You're safe!
But I agree with you for the smaller spacebar. It took me a while to get used to it.
I am not japanese, but have been living in Japan for 8 years, and I type japanese on a regular basis. Caps Lock is the only one of the 5 keys (+5 function keys) that my NETBOOK has for characters switching that I don't use. From my experience, it acts exactly the same as the key.
Whether you choose Apple or Motorola, you will have to pay a lawyer tax.
Charge your phone at night, play one hour in the train on your way to work, maybe charge your phone at work, play one hour on your way home. Rinse and repeat.
In this case I see the point of having two device in one.
Of course, if you *drive* on your way to work, then that's a different story...
And, as I look at my government, I have to disagree. Unfortunately.
FTA:
The photonics technology [will] help IBM to achieve its goal of building an exascale computer by 2020
So I guess IBM is in line with the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors.
There has been a lot of research done by the major players in the industry, individual components have been developped (light sources, couplers, phodetectors, optical waveguides, etc...) and IBM just showed they can produce them on-die with standard semiconductor production methods.
That's not the kind of breakthrough the article claims, it is usual incremental progress. And I am quite happy with that.
The first application I see for this is a decent touch screen keyboard, if this shape-memory effect can be triggered fast enough. I'd feel much more comfortable typing on an tablet if there was some feedback to the typing.
Top gear is about pictures: they usually have fantastic pictures of cars.
Alas, for this story text matters.
The list of authors is longer than the paper itself. And it's in alphabetical order. At least, there surely is no fight as to know who will be first author. ^^
And a few days ago, there was a link on /. to the article of a Slovenian economist proposing to get rid of cash.
No cash + computer glitch = ??
We can't racially profile in the US because that's racism, and that's not allowed
That's funny, because in every population statistics (state, town or prison populations) of the US, there is a detailed description of the "ethnic origin" of the population. That look like racial profiling to me. But that is not really racism.
Grandma Mable gets scanned because the TSA isn't racist
You imply here that some people are more likely to be terrorists because of their origins. Now, that sounds like racism to me!
Arsenic is already commonly used in the silicon processes for doping purposes, so I don't think those new chips would be banned for containing it.