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User: GeneralSecretary

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  1. We're closer on Has the Native Vs. HTML5 Mobile Debate Changed? · · Score: 1

    It depends. The hybrid frameworks have moved closer to native, and web itself has moved closer to native too. Google has now released push notifications for the web as well as Service Workers that add in offline support. A web site/web application can now do a lot of what apps were needed for previously. The hybrid platforms you mentioned are great (I love Ionic!), but the performance isn't 100% there yet. But, if you are not making a game, the performance is probably good enough. In general: If you need a device specific feature (TouchID, HealthKit, etc.) you have to go native. If you need really high performance, you need to go native. Otherwise, you can go with a hybrid solution. And soon, for many things, you'll be better off with pure web, if Service Workers and related tech takes off.

  2. GitHub Importer? on Google Code Disables New Project Creation, Will Shut Down On January 25, 2016 · · Score: 1

    Any bets on how long until GitHub makes a tool to import Google Code projects?

  3. Open Source Tax Preparation Software on Intuit Charges More For Previously Offered TurboTax Features, Users Livid · · Score: 1

    Has anyone ever tried to create an open source tax preparation software? It seems like a good candidate for open source software. The public could check it for accuracy and contribute better tax saving strategies to the greater public.

  4. Re:Verification on Interviews: Ask Lead Developer Ben Kamens About Khan Academy · · Score: 1

    I took a lot of CLEP tests. It could be a model for a solution, but there's room to grow. As you said, colleges often don't accept them or limit them, and there are a limited number of tests available.

  5. Verification on Interviews: Ask Lead Developer Ben Kamens About Khan Academy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It seems to me that the problem with online education is being able to prove what you have learned. I can learn Calculus online at Khan Academy or at my local community college. I'll probably learn Calculus better at Khan Academy and for less money. But, I cannot use that knowledge to get a degree nor would I have any other way of proving my knowledge to other schools or potential employers. Do you have a solution to this problem?

  6. Platform For Schools on Interviews: Ask Lead Developer Ben Kamens About Khan Academy · · Score: 2

    I've heard that KhanAcademy has a platform for schools. Students can learn using Khan Academy and teachers can monitor their progress and help students where they need it most. When I last heard about this the platform was a pilot program being launched at select schools. Are there plans to make this platform generally available? or even open source?

  7. They did this to me too on Time Warner Boosts Broadband Customer Speed — But Only Near Google Fiber · · Score: 1

    I live in LA and I also got a 50% speed boost for free. I think this is because they changed their pricing tiers. Probably to compete with at&t not Google Fiber.

  8. But, the situation is improving on The State of In-Flight Wi-Fi · · Score: 4, Interesting

    GoGo is in the process of upgrading their networks. They are also working on switching from air-to-ground networks to satellite which will allow them to provide coverage over oceans. Newer planes are being built with WiFi in mind. Things are looking up.

  9. A Gateway Degree on Degree Hack: Cobbling Together Credit Hours For Cheap · · Score: 2

    I have an Excelsior bachelors degree. It was inexpensive and the credits were cobbled together from all over the place. The main value I got from the degree was that I was able to use it to enter Graduate School. While I learnt a lot of stuff in the course of getting my BS in Liberal Studies, the knowledge I use for my job I got from my Grad School education. It seems to me that this country has a liberal arts based education. To get a bachelors degree you have to take a lot of courses in stuff like languages and social sciences that I was not interested in. I understand that the colleges want students to have a broad educational base, but I feel that that is a decision best left up to the students to decide what they want to learn. I think we should have a more a la carte education system with a vocational focus. We should give more power to the students to let them choose what they want to learn while still giving employers a good idea of the skills that come with a given degree. In essence I used my Excelsior degree to bypass the part of education I didn't like and to focus on the parts I did like. I am grateful to them.

  10. 2 Solutions on US Birthrate Plummets To Record Low · · Score: 1

    The country must maintain its population and ideally grow. There are many reasons. The economy relies on a growing consumer base and a growing labor pool. The influence the US has on the world is somewhat proportional to its population, so we need a large population to exert our influence on the world. Militarily we need a large population to use to defend ourselves. Also, a decreasing population is an aging population which becomes more and more difficult to care for when there are not enough young people. We are nowhere near overpopulation. Most of the country's land is empty. Food is relatively cheap and can be famed on less land than ever before. 1) Make it more affordable to have children: Increase tax deductions. Subsidize day care. Pay 100% for paternity/maternity leave immediately after birth (some states have a waiting period). 2) Increase immigration. Allow anyone from any country to immigrate to the US as long as they are healthy, not criminals or terrorists and are capable of working and supporting themselves until they have a job. There should be no quotas. Waiting periods should be minimized. A man should be able to walk into any US consulate in the world and be in the US 90 days later after we have verified he meets all those criteria.

  11. Immigration Is Good on Cringley: H-1B Visa Abuse Limits Wages and Steals US Jobs · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If they weren't working in the US they would be doing the same work for US companies overseas. Visas allow the workers to work here where they also contribute more to the US economy as well as US society. They might also start companies and create jobs. True, wages may fall in the short-term, but having a larger educated and working population will help us in the long run.

  12. Re:Ads? on Microsoft Unveils Outlook.com, Hotmail's Successor · · Score: 1

    Has to do with the "Free" part

  13. Network Vision on Sprint Finally Joins 4G LTE Wireless Race · · Score: 2

    This is part of Sprint's interesting Network Vision project, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zp_jpIdr_uw This allows them to have each tower support all their various networks and should be extendable for future technologies.

  14. Re:False advertising on Sprint Finally Joins 4G LTE Wireless Race · · Score: 2

    Sprint has WiMax which they call 4G, so this is not their first 4G network.

  15. Tech Perspective on Healthcare on Supreme Court: Affordable Care Act Is Constitutional · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I don't think the ACA is a bad bill, but it misses many opportunities for better healthcare reform. The biggest for the Tech community in my opinion is that it keeps up the relationship between health insurance and employers. In the Tech industry we need the ability to change employers fast and to start up new companies inexpensively. It makes it harder to start a new tech statup if I have to offer employees healthcare. As an employee I'm less likely to work for a new start-up as I fear it failing and losing my health insurance. Also, in technology we have a lot of people working for themselves, these people have always had trouble getting insurance. We need to eliminate the relationship between employment and health insurance. It should be illegal for employers to give you health insurance. Everyone should buy on the open market, there should be no more "groups". In short we should buy health insurance like we buy car insurance.

  16. Reminds me about LA's nuclear reactor on Kodak Basement Lab Housed Small Nuclear Reactor · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Los Angeles used to have a little experimental reactor in UCLA. It was quite controversial once residents found out about it. http://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2011/04/ucla-history-nuclear-reactor.html

  17. secure:// on New .secure Internet Domain On Tap · · Score: 1

    When I first saw this I though, "Oh good, no more explaining to Grandma that you need to check for HTTPS://", but it is a bit to type. Why not replace "https://" with "shttp://" or "secure://"?

  18. Rain Fall on Should the FDA Assess Medical Device Defenses Against Hackers? · · Score: 1

    Because assassination via pacemaker, like in the book Rain Fall (http://goo.gl/IwVPC), can happen to anyone.

  19. The system must be changed on Harvard: Journals Too Expensive, Switch To Open Access · · Score: 5, Insightful

    At a minimum publicly funded research should be available to the public for free. Ideally journals themselves would be replaced with a decentralized Web based system where anyone can publish and peers can freely review all the articles. Academic journals should be replaced with something akin to blogs much as newspapers have.

  20. New Email System on Company Accidentally Fires Entire Staff Via Email · · Score: 2

    Their new email system will now redirect termination emails sent to all employees back to the sender.

  21. New safety message on Snoozing Pilot Mistakes Venus For Aircraft; Panic, Injuries Ensue · · Score: 5, Funny

    Mesdames et Messieurs, dans le cas d'une collision interplanétaire s'il vous plaît attachez vos ceintures ... Ladies and Gentlemen, in the event of an interplanetary collision please fasten your seatbelts...

  22. Python or JavaScript on Ask Slashdot: Best Book For 11-Year-Old Who Wants To Teach Himself To Program? · · Score: 2

    I'd first look at KhanAcademy. They have courses on Python. See http://www.khanacademy.org/#computer-science-container Python in general is a good first language. I first learnt it with http://www.greenteapress.com/thinkpython/ But, I would highly recommend Head First books to start learning any language. I think they'd be great for an 11 year old. Head First Python http://goo.gl/tKRMu Another option that has been discussed recently as a good first language is JavaScript. It has the advantage of running in every browser and allows the ability to see nice visual feedback right away. When I was in high school I learnt a bit of Java using , which I also enjoyed because Swing gave me the ability to create GUIs right away.

  23. "Your hand or your life" on Japanese ATMs To Use Palm Readers In Place of Cash Cards · · Score: 1

    How do you say that in Japanese?

  24. HP turning into IBM on HP Begins Laying Off WebOS Developers, Potentially Firing CEO · · Score: 1

    I expect them to start hiring consultants tomorrow. I think HP figures that they can't compete against Android and iOS, even if WebOS is better technology there's no way they can build up the developer interest to make a competitive ecosystem of tools and apps. Essentially WebOS is OS/2. It's sad to see so many good people be forced out. WebOS was a great accomplishment.

  25. Tomorrow's news on Mozilla Contemplating Five Week Release Cycle · · Score: 1

    Mozilla commits to change its release cycle and versioning system every 5 weeks.