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User: ewok85

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Comments · 91

  1. Re:Here's a better idea. on US Nuclear Industry Plans "Rescue Wagon" To Avert Meltdowns · · Score: 1

    Tokyoite here - needs to be at least a 7 before it wakes me up. Wife didn't even bother getting out of bed for 9.1, but she is a local.

  2. Re:Which of your design tricks are you proudest of on Ask Steve Wozniak Anything · · Score: 1

    Interesting last paragraph. It's often mentioned that big companies like Apple, Google or Microsoft have trouble keeping replant no matter how much money or stock they offer, people in our industry are looking for something different.

  3. I'm 27 and considering going back to university to finish my degree (25% credits before leaving) and maybe a little more. I've done fairly well for myself with my own study and experience, but I want to really push it to the next level and feel I could do better with something more exciting with a better education behind me.

  4. Re:One word on Can a Regular Person Repair a Damaged Hard Drive? · · Score: 1

    Now this is a repair. Swapping boards may fix the problem if that is really what is wrong, and the drive supports it. I'd argue that a "repair" involves being able to understand the problem, isolate it, and make an effective change which makes the device workable again.

    "Computers" are fairly easy to "repair" - almost anyone with a little instruction can replace components with little more than a single screw driver.

    Individual components such as hard drives, motherboards, video cards and everything else are practically impossible to fix for someone without more intimate knowledge of electronics. And no, using various tricks does not count as a "repair" - it's just luck.

  5. Re:Just switch to USB on Reports Say Apple Is Shrinking Its Docking Connector With iPhone 5 · · Score: 1

    The rumor was that they would make a physically and electrically compatible micro-usb socket, and make a new "special" plug which still enabled all the extra options if you wanted.

  6. Re:This is why we need more unions and more worker on Subcontractor Tells Fukushima Workers To Hide Radiation Exposure · · Score: 1

    Working in a large company, us desk jockeys had the same OHS schedule as the field techs - which meant as hard as our OHS rep tried, there really wasn't anything he could do with the company mandated OHS time.

    It worked much better when I was working at a car factory (the time was much better spent identifying problems and improving safety), and also in datacenters (for example we improved labeling and documentation to prevent accidents).

    Don't get me wrong - I prefer the Australian method - I've seen some stuff in Japan that makes even the stuff I've seen in China look shoddy, but sometimes people take it a little too far.

  7. Re:one good result: on Subcontractor Tells Fukushima Workers To Hide Radiation Exposure · · Score: 1

    I've seen some very interesting papers which suggest the high life expectancy numbers are a result of the long food shortages before the war, coupled with modern healthcare and continued low calorie diets of the pre-war generations.

    You'll see a big drop in life expectancy as the baby boomers get closer to that magic number - the generation gap is incredible!

  8. Re:one good result: on Subcontractor Tells Fukushima Workers To Hide Radiation Exposure · · Score: 1

    In Japan you would pay afterwards, and even then you would never even pay more than 5k

  9. Re:one good result: on Subcontractor Tells Fukushima Workers To Hide Radiation Exposure · · Score: 1

    GDP per capita is the stat you want

  10. Re:This is why we need more unions and more worker on Subcontractor Tells Fukushima Workers To Hide Radiation Exposure · · Score: 1

    Same in Australia - we would have weekly meetings to discuss the paper cut Jill had on Tuesday, and to stay safe and ensure we didn't accidentally staple ourselves, wrap it all up with a 15min video on how to lift a box and some cake.

    3 years working for Japanese companies and not a peep about any sort of safety even once. You can even raid the office first aid kit and not log what you took and why - something that would make my old OHS rep have a heart attack.

  11. Re:Japan: on Japan: Police Arrest Journalists For Selling DVD-Backup Tools · · Score: 1

    No one has been prosecuted or fined in Japan for downloading illegally.

    Wrong - a small number of individuals have been made examples. I'll find the exact names in the morning :)

  12. Re:Japan: on Japan: Police Arrest Journalists For Selling DVD-Backup Tools · · Score: 1

    Fukushima was the result of the government bowing to pressure from industry (who wanted vast amounts of cheap power) and the utilities (who lied and cut corners to maximize profit, all while demanding ludicrously low safety standards and high handouts)

  13. News Flash! on Apple Hacker Charlie Miller To Demo Dangers of Near-Field Communications · · Score: 1

    Badly implemented NFC solutions have security holes? Say it ain't so!

    Funny how Japan has been using NFC (in the form of contact-less RFID smart cards since 2001 and payment using NFC in mobile phones since 2004, with no significant security breaches - I can't even find any examples so it may simply be zero security exploits.

    Most of the NFC systems I've seen that don't use FeliCa have been absolutely atrocious in terms of security. It isn't super difficult to make a very secure system, but I get it's easy and cheap to make a half-arsed, half-secure system.

    Don't blame NFC, blame bad implementations.

  14. Re:Porn is a red herring... on What Should We Do About Wikipedia's Porn Problem? · · Score: 1

    My position is not that porn should be in wikipedia. But images that are relevant to an article should be maintained if there is an agreement that they add value to it. Porn is but a red herring used to get the foot in the door.

    This should be the only position. A picture of a penis or a video of ejaculation on the appropriate page is completely justified, and should not be removed.

    I'd probably support something like a page 'tag' - some way of marking a page as having material which may be found offensive so wikipedia can easily be filtered by those who so desire it.

  15. Re:They aren't just ripping of Australia. on Australian IT Price Hike Inquiry Kicks Off: Submissions Wanted · · Score: 1

    My steam prices in Japan have always been exactly the same as in the US, with the exception that many games are not available in Japan (VPN fixes that!)

  16. Re:Cringely: Next Japan Nuke Accident Will Be Wors on Japan Readies Robot For Work At Crippled Nuclear Reactor · · Score: 2

    Best estimates put any earthquake centered around Tokyo at magnitude-7 - the effect felt at Fukushima would be negligible.

  17. Re:Cringely: Next Japan Nuke Accident Will Be Wors on Japan Readies Robot For Work At Crippled Nuclear Reactor · · Score: 1

    "global environmental catastrophe"

    them's fightin' words.

    gonna need a rundown of the effects this will have.

    Simply the existence of radioactive material in the environment would be enough - it would mean large areas of land, water tables and ocean would be off limits and would put severe limits on local industries - especially farming and fishing.

    The actual risk to human life or destruction of nature would probably be minimal if managed properly. Still be a massive pain in the butt.

  18. Re:Really? on Higher Hard Drive Prices Are the New Normal · · Score: 1

    You need to read more - the more recent quarter results had a margin of 16% and 37% for WD and Seagate respectively - a massive increase.

    IMHO I don't think there is anything dodgy going on here - most of the price hikes have been in the middle; distributors and retailers are taking the lions share of the increases, and Seagate has achieved amazing results due to its unique position of being able to fulfil contracts and having large customers (I'm assuming Dell, HP, etc) throw money at them to guarantee that they are able to continue doing business without interruption.

  19. Re:Really? on Higher Hard Drive Prices Are the New Normal · · Score: 1

    The hard drive makers have all invested a lot in SSD manufacturing capabilities over the past few years.

    There are now a grand total of 3 hard disk manufacturers globally - Western Digital, Seagate, and some Indian company I can't remember off the top of my head.

    As far as I know, neither of those make NAND Flash - Hynix, Micron, Intel and Numonyx hold most of the market share.

  20. Re:What's the useful limit? on 60TB Disk Drives Could Be a Reality In 2016 · · Score: 1

    Technically I think its the other way around (use ZFS and have the drives mirrored in your pool - fairly standard practice already with 1~3TB drives)

  21. Re:more Agenda 21 global "governance" NGO bureaucr on USPS To Ban International Shipping On Lithium Ion Powered Gadgetry · · Score: 1

    Finally! I was looking for this comment.

    Every time I fly I get asked if I have lithium batteries, and every time I reply "yes" and then go through all my electronic devices which use Lithium batteries (in one form or another).

  22. Re:they got them with mark up and car like add one on West Virginia Buys $22K Routers With Stimulus, Puts Them In Small Schools · · Score: 1

    People tend to forget that an ASA is about 10% hardware, 90% licensing fees when you look at the price. I have a 5505 and love it, but I don't delude myself as to what it is and isn't.

  23. Re:Or somebody's getting a kickback on West Virginia Buys $22K Routers With Stimulus, Puts Them In Small Schools · · Score: 1

    It is called "amakudari" (descending from heaven - much like "golden parachute") and destroying Japan too.

  24. Re:A Score of 3? For what, Technical illiteracy? on West Virginia Buys $22K Routers With Stimulus, Puts Them In Small Schools · · Score: 1

    It is physically impossible for you to have a 6mbit Dsl connection and be 6km from the DSLAM. If there was one almost directly between you and your exchange that sync speed would make sense.

  25. Re:How the money could better have been spent on West Virginia Buys $22K Routers With Stimulus, Puts Them In Small Schools · · Score: 1

    Google Telstra CMUX - the Australaian incumbent has been installing mini-Dslams in street side enclosures with fiber back haul for over a decade now. It's not rocket science.