If only there was some way we could create some sort of "Cross Pacific Collaboration"; a coordinated block of pacific countries with free trade agreements and aligned tariff rules. That would be an amazing way to counter China. Too bad nothing like that was ever negotiated...
Of course he will say that, his job depends on there being patents to work and litigate with.
Yes, let's just ignore his decades of experience in patent law and years of studying patent history that comes with the territory because he has a vested interest. On the other hand, he makes some fairly good points. If we all but abolish the patent system for technology companies they would easily be overtaken by whomever has the largest manufacturing capacity. Ever wonder why Foxcon didn't just grab android and make an iPhone clone? Why be subject to Apple if there are no IP restrictions at all? People bemoan the quandary of the small innovator, and this is a legitimate concern, but it must also be weighed against the benefit patents (software and hardware) confer to large companies who must decide how much to spend on R&D.
Stallman is an activist against tightly controlled intellectual property, copyright and otherwise. That isn't a something to hold against him, it's just a fact that one must consider when listening to his opinions and analysis. Please try to keep that in mind when reading analysis from the other side.
38k MVA deaths in 2009. 200 deaths caused by backup accidents is 0.6% of the national total. 12400 deaths caused by alcohol impaired drivers is about 38% of the national total.
Also, to the best of my knowledge, a target protein would not need to be crystallized in order for an aptamer to be developed. I'm pretty sure they just screen the proteins against a large aptamer library and then sequence the bound aptamers to see what worked. I'm a little fuzzy on this, so somebody correct me if I got that last part wrong.
The article and slashdot story claim that the chip can sequence proteins. The video I linked to below shows that their chip 'analyzes' proteins by reading specialized aptamers for recognition (aptamers are a bit like a small nucleotide based antibody; they can bind to target molecules with high specificity).
While this is potentially very useful in many fields, not the least of which is medical, it is not the claimed disruptive sequencing technology. The method proposed by ON requires a great deal of forethought and design; it would only work on well characterized proteins that have been isolated with enough purity for aptamers to be developed.
I don't think the geostationary distance is responsible for the latency. It probably has a lot more to do with the task of transmitting and receiving broadband data from a satelite. The phased array would increase their investment in launches, as well as ground based hubs. In addition, most customers would be priced out of the service since the hardware would need to track the satellite; not an easy or cheap task for something you mount on your roof and never service again.
In summary, geostationary is the only viable option for this sort of service.
Actually, spilt gasoline is a big deal. Aside from it's detrimental effects on the environment, it's also has mildly toxic fumes and it is highly flammable. Every year many people are burned while pumping gas, we just don't hear about it much because, like car accidents, it is one of those risks that we just accept.
As for 'grandma' using a 300 amp plug. I think a clever engineer could come up with a relatively safe plug that doesn't sacrifice as much efficiency as inductive charging does.
I suppose when you only need a few watts of energy for a cellphone or something, I can understand the use of inductive charging. But if you lower your efficiency by a significant amount in a single step while charging a car (a few dozen kWh), and this is multiplied across a population of EV owning people, this is potentially adding a lot of unnecessary strain to the electric grid.
Is it so hard just to plug the dang thing in? We don't have tubeless fuel transfer do we?
Neither of those metals are cheap, even in minuscule proportions. Indium is about 80 times the price of copper at current rates, and gallium is not much cheaper.
I suppose in some mission critical applications this would work, but I don't see this coming to consumer electronics, I'll bet it would just be cheaper to replace most devices than it would be to add this technology.
I just learned how to encrypt email for the first time in response to this posting;
my method (it's long): install Mozilla Thunderbird install GnuPG for windows install Enigmail extention for thunderbird (a GnuPG plugin) Make yourself a key using GnuPG Use that key to sign outbound messages. Distribute it to everybody you know who also uses PGP standard encryption (all zero of them) so you can have two-way signed and/or encrypted messages.
Best of luck finding other people who know how to use it, now I realize how pointless it really all is. If it were more user friendly it would have a chance. That's not happening soon.
Attitudes like yours are the reason it took so long for us to get around to curing this disease in the first place. As many of you know, for a long time AIDS was known as as GRID (gay-related immune deficiency). Who would want to cure GRID? Who would want to cure any disease if we can justify that those suffering the disease somehow 'deserved' to get it through karma or some sort of cosmic justice?
I know what you said was a joke, but it highlights a real issue. I hope it's modded up; if only to show people that this mindset still exists even down in the region of our brains where we mask our prejudices with humor.
Essentially apple patented a method where an 'analyzer program' checks text for patterns (such as phone numbers and email addresses) and makes them actionable with a click.
The patent goes on to discuss that arbitrary patterns can be searched for using a plugin and that the analyzer software allows for users to select the program that handles the type of link. It seems that Android does indeed violate this patent in every way possible. I wonder if automatic hyperlinking of email addresses count as prior art; although this does not include the user interface element asking which program to use.
Either way; I think this is a sucky patent to have to contend with. It reminds me why I don't like software patents to begin with.
Tests can be a good measurement of quality when the test is material that can be studied for. In school you have a test at the end of a class. For certifications, tests are meant to measure knowledge gained during training. In graduate school, qualifying exams are done to second year students who have time to prepare and hone their skills.
Testing somebody from a cold start, on subjects they have no practical way to prepare for seems like a good way to hire a trivia expert, but the productivity of an employee should be evaluated by his resume and portfolio.
This product is no more suitable for microcontroller applications than an eee-pc.
Arduino's appeal is that of low level electronic access. It can take voltage readings or output PWM and digital voltage signals. More advanced projects use serial or I2C communication with peripherals but it is all really low level access. As they say, Arduino is for physical computing.
Raspberry Pi is meant to be an inexpensive computer.... an application platform where the primary input and output are a keyboard and a monitor.
They may both be small, green, and electronic, but they are no more competitors than donuts are to potato (starchy brown food?).
I agree that the report is primarly an informative piece with a few suggested policies. I disagree with your conclusion; you seem to think the inclusion of moderate language and statements somehow offsets the damage that these policies, and this mindset, would do to our freedoms. Policy is often a one way street and it is hard to regain freedoms once lost.
Yes, cyber-bullying is an issue. No, this guys extreme view on the 'privilege' of free speech isn't going to help prevent kids from being bullies.
WE ARE AWARE OF THE EXISTENCE OF A CONSTITUTION THAT PROTECTS PEOPLE'S RIGHTS, BUT WE WILL CIRCUMVENT THESE PROTECTIONS IN THE FOLLOWING WAY:
It also has a plenty of nuance, read the next page if you like
IN SUMMARY, ALTHOUGH SPEECH IS GENERALLY PROTECTED, OUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THIS FACT SHOULD MAKE YOU LESS SCARED THAT WE ARE ABOUT TO ERODE YOUR RIGHTS. IN
Their product reviews are community moderated and highly accurate. Amazon generally doesn't tamper with the product reviews either. It's _open_ for you to read right now.
The answer; a lot of coal would be needed to run this program The uncomfortable truth; relatively little coal would be needed to run this program.
The world consumed 4.74*10^20 joules of energy in 2008, it is safe to say that at least half that was carbon based. the simple equation m*g*h say that operating at 100% efficiency, the pumps would need 1.96*10^15 joules per year to pump 10 million tonnes of material 20 km high.
Now say the pumps were only 10% efficient, and assume my 50% carbon based energy claim is true, then a tax of 0.01 % (yes; one hundredth of one percent) on all carbon based energies would fully fund the program's energy needs with a little surplus. Assume the infrastructure/administration also costs something then a tax of 0.02% would probably take care of the whole dang thing.
Compare a 0.02% tax with the exponentially higher taxes guaranteed in a cap and trade scenario.
Slashdot Mirror
If only there was some way we could create some sort of "Cross Pacific Collaboration"; a coordinated block of pacific countries with free trade agreements and aligned tariff rules. That would be an amazing way to counter China. Too bad nothing like that was ever negotiated...
Based on my experience, I'm pretty sure yours will be a highly rated comment :)
Of course he will say that, his job depends on there being patents to work and litigate with.
Yes, let's just ignore his decades of experience in patent law and years of studying patent history that comes with the territory because he has a vested interest. On the other hand, he makes some fairly good points. If we all but abolish the patent system for technology companies they would easily be overtaken by whomever has the largest manufacturing capacity. Ever wonder why Foxcon didn't just grab android and make an iPhone clone? Why be subject to Apple if there are no IP restrictions at all? People bemoan the quandary of the small innovator, and this is a legitimate concern, but it must also be weighed against the benefit patents (software and hardware) confer to large companies who must decide how much to spend on R&D.
Stallman is an activist against tightly controlled intellectual property, copyright and otherwise. That isn't a something to hold against him, it's just a fact that one must consider when listening to his opinions and analysis. Please try to keep that in mind when reading analysis from the other side.
38k MVA deaths in 2009.
200 deaths caused by backup accidents is 0.6% of the national total.
12400 deaths caused by alcohol impaired drivers is about 38% of the national total.
Rear view cameras = $800
Breathalyzer key lock = ~$1500
For less than twice the price, you can get 62 times the life saving potential. Just food for thought.
Perhaps you didn't read my post.
Also, to the best of my knowledge, a target protein would not need to be crystallized in order for an aptamer to be developed. I'm pretty sure they just screen the proteins against a large aptamer library and then sequence the bound aptamers to see what worked. I'm a little fuzzy on this, so somebody correct me if I got that last part wrong.
The article and slashdot story claim that the chip can sequence proteins. The video I linked to below shows that their chip 'analyzes' proteins by reading specialized aptamers for recognition (aptamers are a bit like a small nucleotide based antibody; they can bind to target molecules with high specificity).
While this is potentially very useful in many fields, not the least of which is medical, it is not the claimed disruptive sequencing technology. The method proposed by ON requires a great deal of forethought and design; it would only work on well characterized proteins that have been isolated with enough purity for aptamers to be developed.
http://vimeo.com/36909115
From TFA:
"This avoids the compliance issue completely, and points to a future where you have fully automated drug regimens."
I say this jokingly now, but first they will start using it on psychotic people who will not self administer. Then.... who knows.
yep
I don't think the geostationary distance is responsible for the latency. It probably has a lot more to do with the task of transmitting and receiving broadband data from a satelite. The phased array would increase their investment in launches, as well as ground based hubs. In addition, most customers would be priced out of the service since the hardware would need to track the satellite; not an easy or cheap task for something you mount on your roof and never service again.
In summary, geostationary is the only viable option for this sort of service.
Actually, spilt gasoline is a big deal. Aside from it's detrimental effects on the environment, it's also has mildly toxic fumes and it is highly flammable. Every year many people are burned while pumping gas, we just don't hear about it much because, like car accidents, it is one of those risks that we just accept.
As for 'grandma' using a 300 amp plug. I think a clever engineer could come up with a relatively safe plug that doesn't sacrifice as much efficiency as inductive charging does.
I suppose when you only need a few watts of energy for a cellphone or something, I can understand the use of inductive charging. But if you lower your efficiency by a significant amount in a single step while charging a car (a few dozen kWh), and this is multiplied across a population of EV owning people, this is potentially adding a lot of unnecessary strain to the electric grid.
Is it so hard just to plug the dang thing in? We don't have tubeless fuel transfer do we?
Neither of those metals are cheap, even in minuscule proportions. Indium is about 80 times the price of copper at current rates, and gallium is not much cheaper.
I suppose in some mission critical applications this would work, but I don't see this coming to consumer electronics, I'll bet it would just be cheaper to replace most devices than it would be to add this technology.
I just learned how to encrypt email for the first time in response to this posting;
my method (it's long):
install Mozilla Thunderbird
install GnuPG for windows
install Enigmail extention for thunderbird (a GnuPG plugin)
Make yourself a key using GnuPG
Use that key to sign outbound messages. Distribute it to everybody you know who also uses PGP standard encryption (all zero of them) so you can have two-way signed and/or encrypted messages.
Best of luck finding other people who know how to use it, now I realize how pointless it really all is. If it were more user friendly it would have a chance. That's not happening soon.
Attitudes like yours are the reason it took so long for us to get around to curing this disease in the first place. As many of you know, for a long time AIDS was known as as GRID (gay-related immune deficiency). Who would want to cure GRID? Who would want to cure any disease if we can justify that those suffering the disease somehow 'deserved' to get it through karma or some sort of cosmic justice?
I know what you said was a joke, but it highlights a real issue. I hope it's modded up; if only to show people that this mindset still exists even down in the region of our brains where we mask our prejudices with humor.
Essentially apple patented a method where an 'analyzer program' checks text for patterns (such as phone numbers and email addresses) and makes them actionable with a click.
The patent goes on to discuss that arbitrary patterns can be searched for using a plugin and that the analyzer software allows for users to select the program that handles the type of link. It seems that Android does indeed violate this patent in every way possible. I wonder if automatic hyperlinking of email addresses count as prior art; although this does not include the user interface element asking which program to use.
Either way; I think this is a sucky patent to have to contend with. It reminds me why I don't like software patents to begin with.
Slashdot has become an RSS feed for the Raspberry Pi blog
http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/supplies/e769/?srp=1
Even if Thinkgeek wasn't already selling a similar product, how is this news?
Tests can be a good measurement of quality when the test is material that can be studied for. In school you have a test at the end of a class. For certifications, tests are meant to measure knowledge gained during training. In graduate school, qualifying exams are done to second year students who have time to prepare and hone their skills.
Testing somebody from a cold start, on subjects they have no practical way to prepare for seems like a good way to hire a trivia expert, but the productivity of an employee should be evaluated by his resume and portfolio.
This product is no more suitable for microcontroller applications than an eee-pc.
Arduino's appeal is that of low level electronic access. It can take voltage readings or output PWM and digital voltage signals. More advanced projects use serial or I2C communication with peripherals but it is all really low level access. As they say, Arduino is for physical computing.
Raspberry Pi is meant to be an inexpensive computer.... an application platform where the primary input and output are a keyboard and a monitor.
They may both be small, green, and electronic, but they are no more competitors than donuts are to potato (starchy brown food?).
I agree that the report is primarly an informative piece with a few suggested policies. I disagree with your conclusion; you seem to think the inclusion of moderate language and statements somehow offsets the damage that these policies, and this mindset, would do to our freedoms. Policy is often a one way street and it is hard to regain freedoms once lost.
Yes, cyber-bullying is an issue. No, this guys extreme view on the 'privilege' of free speech isn't going to help prevent kids from being bullies.
In essence;
WE ARE AWARE OF THE EXISTENCE OF A CONSTITUTION THAT PROTECTS PEOPLE'S RIGHTS, BUT WE WILL CIRCUMVENT THESE PROTECTIONS IN THE FOLLOWING WAY:
It also has a plenty of nuance, read the next page if you like
IN SUMMARY, ALTHOUGH SPEECH IS GENERALLY PROTECTED, OUR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THIS FACT SHOULD MAKE YOU LESS SCARED THAT WE ARE ABOUT TO ERODE YOUR RIGHTS. IN
Holy crikey, the OP might have made some sense.
Amazon.com
Their product reviews are community moderated and highly accurate. Amazon generally doesn't tamper with the product reviews either. It's _open_ for you to read right now.
PS: mod parent up.
I may disagree with him, but the guy has a good point (if only he had some karma)
The answer; a lot of coal would be needed to run this program
The uncomfortable truth; relatively little coal would be needed to run this program.
The world consumed 4.74*10^20 joules of energy in 2008, it is safe to say that at least half that was carbon based.
the simple equation m*g*h say that operating at 100% efficiency, the pumps would need 1.96*10^15 joules per year to pump 10 million tonnes of material 20 km high.
Now say the pumps were only 10% efficient, and assume my 50% carbon based energy claim is true, then a tax of 0.01 % (yes; one hundredth of one percent) on all carbon based energies would fully fund the program's energy needs with a little surplus. Assume the infrastructure/administration also costs something then a tax of 0.02% would probably take care of the whole dang thing.
Compare a 0.02% tax with the exponentially higher taxes guaranteed in a cap and trade scenario.
http://xkcd.com/538/
The alt-text is the important part of this comic; "Actual actual reality: nobody would care about his secrets"