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User: chemicaldave

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Comments · 649

  1. Re:Another peaceful message on Another Afghan School Poisoned — 160 Girls Hospitalized · · Score: 2

    Maybe the problem is people who take religious texts literally and not the tenants of the religion itself.

  2. Re:Another peaceful message on Another Afghan School Poisoned — 160 Girls Hospitalized · · Score: 2, Insightful

    a fine of example of "blame the tool and not the wielder"

  3. Patents that cover concepts? on Supreme Court Orders Do-Over On Key Software Patents · · Score: 3, Interesting

    How is that even possible? What if someone had patented the concept of "auctions" or "transportation of persons other than by foot"?

  4. Re:The Supremely Stupid Court on SCOTUS Refuses To Hear Tenenbaum Appeal · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What constitutes unconstitutional is relatively narrowly defined. Tenenbaum violated laws that have been on the books, in one shape or form, for centuries and are expressly blessed by the constitution. He did so knowingly, willingly, and unnecessarily

    He's not upset because he thinks the law is unconstitutional. He's upset that the penalty was $600k+ for downloading 30 songs for personal use. Common sense would tell you that is unreasonable and might go against the 8th amendment against "excessive fines."

  5. Re:Just follow the physics diet. on The Mathematics of Obesity · · Score: 1

    The physics diet mentions cutting out 600 calories per day of food intake. If you're at work, consider a standing desk which will significantly increase calories used up during the work day compared to sitting on your arse, even more if you're heavier.

  6. Re:The Name on Gimp 2.8 Finally Released · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's still not marketable. There's a reason Amazon sells the Kindle and not The Amazon Reading Device.

  7. Re:Texas gov gives huge corp tax breaks on Amazon To Pay Texas Sales Tax · · Score: 1

    Lets be honest. You're already saving a lot of money when you purchase online as opposed to brick and mortar.

  8. Re:honestly... on University of Pittsburgh Deluged With Internet Bomb Threats · · Score: 1

    It wouldn't surprise me to find out that many of the threats are copycats.

  9. Re:A bit hypocritical isn't it? on Boeing Preparing an Ultra-Secure Smartphone · · Score: 2

    So the people who feel entitled to intercept everybody else's emails, text messages, instant messaging, social media usage, phonecalls, internet browsing, credit card usage, GPS driving data and much more, preferably without any legal warrants of any sort being required, feel entitled to having "highly secure means of communicating" when it comes to themselves?

    I don't think it's going to be available to blackhat and defcon attendees.

  10. Re:exponential on Portugal Is Considering a "Terabyte Tax" · · Score: 1

    HDD storage has grown at an exponential rate.

  11. Re:Newsflash: they have drug dogs at Mexico-US bor on George "geohot" Hotz Arrested In Texas For Posession of Marijuana · · Score: 2

    The reasoning is probably that large shipments are being smuggled in nearby, avoiding the actual border checkpoint, and then shipped on the interstate. By checking for shipments further along the highway they're probably more likely to catch stuff. As a side effect, they'll find lots of misdemeanors because of the dogs.
    Just my two cents.

  12. "managed to guess the login details" on Voting System Test Hack Elects Futurama's Bender To School Board · · Score: 5, Informative

    If you read the article, they didn't even have to guess really. The default root password for the HTTP admin interface was left intact. They then downloaded the etc/passwd file and cracked it in only 3.5 hours because, surprise surprise, the secondary administrator password was piss poor "cisco123"

    Seriously. Who hired these clowns?

  13. Re:How would they know you have a virus on FCC Chair Calls On ISPs To Adopt New Security Measures · · Score: 4, Insightful

    They don't have to see the infection itself, just the symptoms. Frankly, ISPs could probably give a damn about viruses. It's botnets that are the problem. If they see traffic from your IP directed towards a known botnet command node then they can probably assume your machine was compromised.
    Unfortunately the issue of inspecting traffic is a tricky one, etc, etc.

  14. Re:ddos on Ask Slashdot: How Best To Deal With a GPLv2 License Infringement? · · Score: 1

    When the owner of the code doesn't completely understand the meaning of the license, is really a stretch to think the guy selling this software doesn't either? Legalese is legalese.

  15. Retain a lawyer. on Ask Slashdot: To Hack Or Not To Hack? · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You should probably hire a lawyer. It doesn't matter how good you're trying to be. Anything you did to come to your conclusions that was illegal is going to be frowned upon... severely. And if you do go public, you'll likely be hit with a C&D letter.

  16. Re:Missing the point. on How To Get Into an Elite Comp-Sci Program · · Score: 1

    At the top schools I can say that this isn't totally true. I was talented enough to get into grad school at CMU but not undergrad. Aside from the obviously more rigorous and higher quality of courses taught here, students get an enormous advantage by having CMU tied to their resume. Even at the job fairs here, employers are practically begging students to visit their booths. Yes, you must be talented to be successful, but being at a big-name CS school will help you immensely.

  17. Re:According to polls on White House Responds to ET/UFO Petitions · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It says two things. 1) People are willing to lie in surveys to feel special, and 2) The rest of America doesn't disapprove of Congress as a whole, just the other party.

  18. cheeses on The RMS Tour Rider · · Score: 1

    you need to know what I dislike ...many strong cheeses, especially those with green fungus

    He must have very weak toe cheese.

  19. Well...yeah. on Who Killed Videogames? · · Score: 3, Interesting

    They're not trying to entertain you — they're trying to get you hooked.

    From my perspective as a consumer, what's the difference? It's all the same to me as long as I'm satisfied.

  20. Re:NASA on NASA Announces Space Apps Challenge · · Score: 0

    NASA cannot send people in space when there are major issues on Earth.

  21. 20 right-wing organizations? on Former Wikileaks Spokesman Destroyed Documents · · Score: 2
    Maybe, maybe not.

    Assange said the material would also have insider information from 20 right-wing organizations. Domscheit-Berg would not confirm that.

  22. Re:Are the NSA really that stupid? on NSA Hiring At Black Hat · · Score: 2

    You don't get to work at the NSA (or any infosec govt. job) with access to classified information and power without a very thorough full-scope background check including polygraph. You're quite mistaken if you think otherwise.

  23. Re:Yes, because we need government in everything on FDA To Scrutinize Mobile Medical Apps · · Score: 2
    Did you read the article? This FDA oversight makes perfect sense.

    [Draft guidelines] specifies the following two categories of mobile medical apps:
    a: those used as an accessory to medical device already regulated by the FDA. (For example, an application that allows a health care professional to make a specific diagnosis by viewing a medical image from a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) on a smartphone or a mobile tablet)
    b: transform a mobile communications device into a regulated medical device by using attachments, sensors or other devices. (For example, an application that turns a smartphone into an ECG machine to detect abnormal heart rhythms or determine if a patient is experiencing a heart attack).

    I'd rather my doctor not use apps with his approved devices that are unregulated. Although, I'm sure the free-market would sort it all out.

  24. Re:G, A, T, C on Personal DNA Sequencing Machine One Step Closer · · Score: 4, Informative
  25. Re:Headline is completely wrong on Court Allows Webcam Spying On Rental Laptops · · Score: 1

    Because that would go against the entire concept of justice. Preliminary injunctions are serious business and not to be taken lightly. How can you not see why lack of evidence is not enough to grant a preliminary injunction?