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User: smoothnorman

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  1. Re:Swing and a miss on Cringely Predicts: Professional Drivers With Drone Landing Platforms (cringely.com) · · Score: 1

    There are multiple definitions. You simply chose an inappropriate one. Try this one from the OED: "(n) a feeling aroused by something strange and surprising". As in having drones visit a car which then completes the drone's delivery [shrug]

  2. Re:Swing and a miss on Cringely Predicts: Professional Drivers With Drone Landing Platforms (cringely.com) · · Score: 1

    My wonderment exactly, (i think "Cringley Predicts" has slipped a gear). Makes only slightly more sense to have the homeowner's drone meet the pizzeria's drone and pass the pizza like an aerial lateral pass, (Then an intercept! Then pass interference! uzw...)

  3. Re:Non-differentiable functions are hard to optimi on Uber has Cracked Two Classic '80s Video Games by Giving an AI Algorithm a New Type of Memory (technologyreview.com) · · Score: 1

    How do you know I didn't read it prior to commenting? That's amazing! ...and yet I did read it before I commented. It was me saying it's hard. I didn't say they said it. At least you're not lacking for assumptions in your gratuitous reply.

  4. Non-differentiable functions are hard to optimize on Uber has Cracked Two Classic '80s Video Games by Giving an AI Algorithm a New Type of Memory (technologyreview.com) · · Score: 2
    Once again, this seems to be a case of "AI" research re-discovering some basic math: if the function has discontinuities or is otherwise non-differentiable ("behaviors that are necessary to advance within the game do not help increase the score until much later.") then its optimization is hard or dependent on fortunate starting conditions.

    As an aside, have we even developed an accepted definition for what properly qualifies as "AI"? Recently I was being flogged some software who's selling point was an "AI engine" which turned out to be little more than a previous version with little bit of Bayesian statistics bolted on.

  5. branch prediction vulnerability? on Intel Launches New Core i9-9980XE 18-Core CPU With 4.5GHz Boost Clock (hothardware.com) · · Score: 1

    Does i9 cure, or even address, Spectre or Meltdown?

  6. set the standard to a single subatomic particle on The Future of the Kilo: a Weighty Matter (theguardian.com) · · Score: 1

    With a laser functioning as "optical tweezers" one can isolate single subatomic particles (electron, proton, well-characterized ions ref: https://journals.aps.org/rmp/a... ) set the standard kilogram to the appropriate number of one of those and bid all your metal alloys under bell-jars bye-bye. That is, define the kilogram to be something like 1e30 electron masses or 6e26 proton masses. whichever is more convenient.

  7. U.Washington radar page just changed from G.Maps on Google Maps API Becomes 'More Difficult and Expensive' (govtech.com) · · Score: 5, Informative

    After years of faithful map overlay on the local public University's weather map had to be replaced because of this shift by Google. https://atmos.washington.edu/w...

  8. Microsoft Windows only on All-Radio 4.27 Portable Can't Be Removed? Then Your PC Is Severely Infected (bleepingcomputer.com) · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Would it be so difficult to place somewhere in an "Operating System" tagged posting which operating system was affected? Slashdot folks really might have more than one OS in their areas and it would be nice to know which is at risk right at the top.

  9. Jason's Roboburger III: The next generation on Burger Robot Startup Opens First Restaurant (techcrunch.com) · · Score: 2
    "Meanwhile, the robot grinds hormone-free, pasture-raised brisket and chuck steak to order. But rather than mash them all up, the strands of meat hang vertically and are lightly pressed together...."

    So you're saying that it's a boring obvious excuse for a gory murder mystery?

  10. start with freeway point to points on Self-Driving Cars' Shortcomings Revealed in DMV Reports (mercurynews.com) · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Seldom (if ever) is there the rather obvious suggestion to limit autonomous vehicles to simple point to point 'highway' trips; but that's exactly where and how it should be done for the foreseeable future, if it happens at all. That is, the (literally) lethal mistake is to introduce autonomous vehicles into the complex and chaotic world of city driving. The next time you drive in the city consider how many of your decisions are predicated on understanding subtleties (some might occasion "stupidities") of human nature: "Is that guy looking at the person as they're talking on the corner? If so, they aren't as likely to start across the street" "Is that a child's toy which just bumped a bit into the road (to be chased by a child) or just a blown leaf?" "OK ...four way stop: it's that guys turn, but, he's got a cell phone in his hand he's consulting" ...etc. So, start out with truck loads from freeway exit 113 to 114, then if that works, exit 117...

  11. aww, Republic of South Africa had some great... on RSA: Ban On Booth Babes Has Been No Big Deal (networkworld.com) · · Score: 1

    ...babes! (the Russian Space Agency, not quite so much)

  12. we need of list of cities by "unfair edges" given on Charter: City Giving Google Fiber Unfair Edge (courier-journal.com) · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Just in terms of fiber i'll add: Seattle :: Comcast. They were given assurances that they wouldn't have to compete against any municipal fiber in return for maintaining a paltry "City Channel" (typically channel 21).

  13. Re:Honest callow stupid question... on Scientists' Biggest Search For Dark Matter To Date Just Turned Up Nothing (sciencealert.com) · · Score: 1

    Thank you. If it's got to be distributed throughout the galaxy then that answers that nicely.

  14. Honest callow stupid question... on Scientists' Biggest Search For Dark Matter To Date Just Turned Up Nothing (sciencealert.com) · · Score: 1

    Dark matter is proposed because galaxies hold together despite having greater rotational speed than 'normal' matter would keep together, yes? There's is presumed to be a black hole at the center of all galaxies, yes? How is the (equivalent?) mass of a black hole estimated? For instance, if matter is dynamically spiraling into this black-hole (not in a stable orbit), might orbital assessments of the black hole's mass be wrong?

  15. Re:Games on Linux will always run poorly on 'Linux vs Windows' Challenge: Phoronix Tests Popular Games (phoronix.com) · · Score: 1

    Can you, Anonymous Coward, do us all a service and point out the parts of the article which belies the replied_to Anonymous Coward's assertion? Because many of us tend to think their statements are more correct than incorrect and that the linked article supports that view.

  16. So it's accelerating its acceleration toward... on Universe Is Expanding Faster Than We Thought (gizmodo.com) · · Score: 1

    ...the next singularity which is in the direction of maximum outward toward a single point. (think N-dimensional torus with a zero diameter doughnut hole)

  17. Missing parameters on Are We Alone In the Universe? Not Likely, According To Math (cnet.com) · · Score: 1

    Just suppose there has to be temperature oscillations on the order of a year in order to nudge amino acid chains into lipid vesicles, so seasons are required for life. In order to have seasons you have to have your planetary axis significantly different from your orbital axis, so you have to be hit at just the right time post accretion by a body of just the right size at just the right distance from your host star. This is just one silly example of one of a vast number of life "requirements" we're currently ignorant of yet to be factored into "the math". Once the most significant factors are established then probabilities can be estimated; but there's no reason to assume we aren't just cranking out random results at this point. Step one: what are the essential conditions for abiotic goop to become self replicating.

  18. Re:make nobeta the default on Ask Slashdot: How Can We Improve Slashdot? · · Score: 1

    of course you and i are "doing it right". but clear your cookies and leave the "nobeta=1" off your url and you'll see the TMZ/USAToday version of slashdot

  19. make nobeta the default on Ask Slashdot: How Can We Improve Slashdot? · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's lamentably inconsistent with the business sense of "moving forward", but it should be stated that the old "no_beta" slashdot was superior in nearly every way. That is, the less you manage to do, the more the loyal old farts (myself among them) will sing your praises. Make glitzy choices which head opposite to a clean text interface and you will lose four geeks to only one newbie gained.

  20. divisions and unscripted? on The BBC Announces Robot Wars' Return To TV (bbc.co.uk) · · Score: 1

    If there aren't carefully designed divisions, for example: autonomous versus wired puppet, this is doomed. If we can't somehow be assured events are unscripted, (the winner being assigned beforehand), then this is doomed just like the previous scripted (saucy?) puppet show. Final blather: if a 'win' is "smoking lump" then my solid block of titanium on a roller-skate will never lose, so a referee must be an actual agent of decision, or else, (yep) it's doomed.

  21. Can you elaborate on how chatbots make you feel? on On the Coming Chatbot Revolution (computerworld.com) · · Score: 2
    And what makes you believe that the coming chatbot revolution is a source of concern?

    Can you explain what makes you say that?

    Perhaps we can start again, why is it that you think that concern is something that you feel about chatbots?

  22. if it's a 'V' you see (turban) it's a Sikh on 12-Year-Old Sikh Boy Arrested In Texas After Bringing a Power Bag To School (salon.com) · · Score: 4, Informative

    Dangit folks, learn your turban: Sikh's tie their turban's so that there's an inverted V at the forehead. and if one had to belong to a religious sect then being Sikh is in the top three (they're much nicer to females than your average Baptist). I'd sooner share a lunch with a Sikh than nearly any 'follower of Abraham' (for the curry, if naught else)

  23. add a @#!! USB port to iPads n/t on Ask Slashdot: What Single Change Would You Make To a Tech Product? · · Score: 1

    ..

  24. Private operators and traffic cameras on Chicago Sends More Than 100,000 "Bogus" Camera-Based Speeding Tickets · · Score: 2

    I don't know the case for Chicago, but Seattle's traffic ticketing cameras are run by a private contractor. It works like this: the city doesn't have to pay to install or monitor or maintain the equipment and doesn't even own it, but is assured of its accuracy and, of course, a substantial cut of the revenue. Reports roll in of notably increased 'safety' at the monitored intersection, (yet it's not clear who prepares this data). Does a private interest which understandably wants to maximize its profits being able to assess violation fines from the public concern you? it sure as hell does me.

  25. Re:Clearly a "flaw" they wanted to protect on Facebook Intern Gets Preemptive Ax For Exposing Security Flaw · · Score: 1
    (something tells me lacking all manner of references and affidavits this will be a fool's errand, but...)

    Fluke and Tektronix for two. and I know one Boeing engineer who got a raise when he pointed out a major "flaw" in one of their QC servers. "controlled circumstance" in that it's an in-house discovery with no screaming clients demanding a fix yesterday (cf "zero-day")