Many of the fundamental proofs in this area aren't so difficult to understand. Certainly in computing theory classes, proofs were generally a page or two and didn't involve (much) advanced math.
Maybe it's just me, but it "feels" like there should be a simpler way to go about showing that P != NP.
It's just you.
See, the problem is that it's possible that P = NP. For example, say N=1, then trivially:
P = P
P = 1 x P
P = NP This also works for P=0.
The problem is, we can't get the mathematicians to agree whether N=1 or P=0.
You make a very compelling argument against the existence of Free Software, and yet here I am writing this on a FOSS operating system running a FOSS desktop and a FOSS browser that connects to the Internet via a chain of FOSS routers.
No. He makes a compelling argument against the proliferation of Free Software. He's not saying nobody will do this for free, just that people are more likely to do it for money.
It's also a false analogy in that many people can write a single piece of software, so the total labour invested by each "author" can be significantly reduced. There are no really popular models to allow many people to write a book.
You'll also notice that the really "not fun" parts of software development are where FOSS really falls down (documentation, marketing, packaging). This is ok in as the vast majority of FOSS is aimed at technical people. The similar parts of book publishing (editing, typesetting & layout, marketing) are essential to producing a palatable book.
You may think so, but apparently even Dalai Lama isn't too fond of atheists and thinks they are no better than religious extremists.
Hmmm...here's the only paragraph from that link where the Dalai Lama mentions atheism:
Though intolerance may be as old as religion itself, we still see vigorous signs of its virulence. In Europe, there are intense debates about newcomers wearing veils or wanting to erect minarets and episodes of violence against Muslim immigrants. Radical atheists issue blanket condemnations of those who hold to religious beliefs. In the Middle East, the flames of war are fanned by hatred of those who adhere to a different faith.
Having a bit of trouble with reading comprehension? He specifically mentions "Radical atheists", not atheism in general...
The link appears to be slashdotted, but my guess is that the emphasis from the parent is on "default". Microsoft offers more than just a standard vanilla OS install and applications.
Yes, but the original claim was:
There are no reports of any Microsoft or default Windows applications containing the bug
This claim is obviously false as there are Microsoft applications containing the bug. What we can say is that issue is not the fault of the Microsoft OS developers.
If a game company exploits skinners box to psychologically addict someone, then they should be held liable.
Oh please, by that definition, my employer should be held liable.
They exploit a "skinner's box". I provide a conditioned response (work), in exchange for a positive reinforcement (money). Money is highly addicting. I can even buy (gasp) game time on Lineage II with it.
So can I sue my employer for the same reason?
We live in a world where advertiser are using neuroscience to create ads to keep peoples attention even though they really don't want to watch the ads.
IT is absolutely possible to create an addictive video game. In fact, you can make a game thats not even very entertaining and still get people to play when they don't really want to.
Ok, I googled "Psychology of advertising", "manipulate people into watching ads", "watching disliked ads". I can't find any articles / research / anything that indicates "advertisers are using neuroscience to create ads to keep peoples attention even though they really don't want to watch the ads".
Care to provide any references, or is this something you just made up?
I couldn't find what you were talking about. I did searches for "Trademark law use of TM symbol", read the "Trademark" page on Wikipedia, and "Trademark law".
Here's what I found: On www.inta.org: The symbol (TM) is used by companies to notify the public to a claim of rights in a trademark. A (TM) is usually used in connection with an unregistered trademark and does not have any legal status.
On uspto.gov: Are there federal regulations governing the use of the designations "TM" or "SM" with trademarks? No. Use of the symbols "TM" or "SM" (for trademark and service mark, respectively) may, however, be governed by local, state, or foreign laws and the laws of the pertinent jurisdiction must be consulted. These designations usually indicate that a party claims rights in the mark and are often used before a federal registration is issued.
from trademarklawlitigation.com: A trademark can be a word, name, symbol, device or any combination thereof which is used to identify and distinguish the goods or services of one company from goods or services of another. In order to qualify as a trademark, the mark must be used in federally regulated commerce, and the mark must be distinctive. In a nutshell, the distinctiveness requirement means that a mark cannot describe the underlying product, or if it does describe the product, the mark must have been used extensively enough in commerce to acquire a certain level of market recognition (i.e. secondary meaning). Moreover, some marks will not be protected as trademarks, even if they are well recognized by consumers as trademarks (forbidden marks).
Can you please provide a reference of some kind? There seems to be no specific laws regarding the TM symbol. i.e. there is no law that states "you have to throw a TM next to the name every time you use it".
Now, that being said, you probably would have a much better chance of winning a lawsuit if you consistently use the TM symbol, but that is not what the GP post claimed.
I hadn't played the game for about two years & had rebuilt my PC since I'd last played it but decided to dig it out again recently. When I installed the game & connected to Stardock via their Impulse application (think of it as a simpler version of Steam), I remembered the old key didn't work, had the lost the new key & realised that the registered email address Stardock had for me was an ISP-based one from an ISP I no longer use or have access to.
That totally reminds me of this one time that I wanted to drive my car, but then I realized that I had left my keys in a pair of pants I'd thrown out. I had also lost my car registration and my drivers license.
So, yes, this is one specific reason why too much reliance on the game creator servers can be a problem for legitimate purchasers.
No, this gives one specific reason for why you should keep backups of important data.
The dropped call data from ATT shows that the iPhone 4 has performed less than 1 *more* dropped call per 100 calls than the 3GS
This alone is alarming. I rarely have "dropped" calls on my phone (an LG), typically only in elevators / tunnels. A much much more likely scenario is that I can't hear the other party, or they can't hear me. In these cases, I hang up and dial back.
Seriously, if the other smartphones have just as bad problems, why hasn't anybody noticed? Yes, there is a certain amount of media frenzy against Apple, but I can't believe there has been a conspiracy by all media sources to cover up an issue which Jobs claims happens to all other smartphones.
That's one of the things I hate about real mice; or rather, how software is written. If I'm in a word processor or text editor or (sometimes) spreadsheet, I don't want to use the damned mouse at all! I wind up with "mouse elbow". Mice good for selecting a single item out of many, and a few other uses, but if I have a keyboard equivalent I avoid the mouse.
I also put my real mouse away when I'm using a text editor...otherwise he craps all over the keyboard.
You must have a smarter mouse though, mine is really bad at selecting any items other than cheese.
A personal IM, email or phone call IMO is way better to communicate with friends/family than posting some crap on Facebook your friends can see, it's more personal, private and puts emphasis on that person to tell this person: you are important to me. Facebook removes this facet of personal communication.
No offense, but 10 years ago, everything you wrote was being said about instant messaging, and before that, about email
And you know what, 10 years ago they were right.
A phone call is more personal, more private, and put's more emphasis on the person than an email or an IM. It also provides more immediate feedback, which allow conversations to more more quickly to topics of mutual interest.
Perhaps that's the reason so much communication on Facebook/Twitter/etc. seems to devolve to "I'm taking a shower now. Oh look, I'm out of shampoo. Must remember to go to store and pick some up."
Alternately, maybe I just have really boring friends...
Re:I like holding the mouse over fake holding one!
on
The Mouse Vanishes
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· Score: 1
Here here! Tactile feedback is actually important when it comes to being effective with your input device. The best use I can see for this technology is an interface in which the direction in which the mouse moves is the only thing that matters -- anything else will just be too confusing to our brains, and efficiency will be lost. I could be wrong, but that is what I make of all this.
What about touchpads? They provide no tactile feedback, but I actually play Starcraft better with the trackpad than with a mouse (though that could be cause I suck at that game).
The other use I could see for this technology is it can provide a wireless mouse that doesn't require batteries. My wife's and kid's computers both have wired mice as I find having a battery in a device that is always within 3 feet of the PC just plain inefficient. This technology would allow wireless mice without batteries.
Heck, use a lego brick, a balled up sock, or a small rodent as a mouse if you need the tactile feedback.
So if I use two guns when commiting a felony, do I get around any laws about using a gun in the commission of a felony?.
No, but if you patented the process of using a single gun to commit a felony, then using two guns would not be in violation of this patent.
Kinda like how Amazon was able to patent a "one click" process for selling stuff on the web, when there were already multiple "N click" processes in existence.
"The planned sequel to The Hobbit is to be an *original story not written by Tolkien*, covering the 60 years between The Hobbit, and the Lord of the Rings."
The summary is wrong, from TFA:
"According to studio New Line, the first film will be an adaptation of The Hobbit, the novel Tolkien published before his Lord of the Rings cycle. The second will be an original story focusing on the 60 years between the book and the beginning of the Rings trilogy. "
So we're getting a hobbit movie AND a new story.
So you're saying, we're getting "The Hobbit" movie, and a planned sequel to "The Hobbit" which is to be an *original story not written by Tolkien*, covering the 60 years between The Hobbit, and the Lord of the Rings."?
Cameron got it pretty close to right in Avatar, because he picked what we were supposed to be focusing on, and made everything else slightly out of focus. Coraline made everything, no matter how far away, in focus, and so the eye couldn't figure out what to do. It knew stuff was 3d because it was layered over other things, but it couldn't judge distance accurately because everything had the same focus.
Bingo. And that's exactly why I think this current fad of 3D movies is just that...a fad.
We're given two choices, neither of them optimal: 1) Put everything in focus and have it look weird as things at different depths are equally sharp.
2) Put the primary subject in focus, but then it looks weird as we are unable to focus on things farther away.
The annoyance I had with Avatar was that I found myself naturally trying to focus on things in the background (what does that panel behind him say?). I quickly realized this was futile and just watched what Cameron wanted me to, but I still found it annoying.
On another note, isn't this going to be a big issue for 3D gaming? I can understand a movie staying focused on a primary subject for each scene, but in an FPS, the player needs to be able bring various depths into focus....
The Mexicans who do enter illegally aren't exactly "stealing" great jobs from American citizens. They're picking crops, cleaning houses, flipping burgers, etc.
Wow. This makes me wish Canada also bordered on Mexico...then someone could do those jobs for us!
Right now our houses are all filthy, our crops are rotting in the fields, and our burgers are all burning on one side....there's nobody to flip them!
They may not be great jobs, but they are a heck of lot better than no job at all.
When you get into a corporate environment, "cheating" is actually preferred. No reason to re-invent the wheel when there is existing code that gets the job done.
Need a report that's "like this one except for..."? Take the code for that report and add some mods and there ya go. Your manager would consider you an idiot if you started each project from scratch, re-writing all the functions and methods that already exist in other applications and have perhaps already gone through rigorous QA.
What a great idea! Too bad there isn't some way in most languages to re-use most of the functionality of a...what should I call it?...widget? component?... oh I know, an object, but "override" those pieces that you need customized. That way when the base component changes, you wouldn't need to re-implement that change for every developer who borrowed some code and tweaked it.
That would be so useful! And it would prevent the hundreds of duplicated "almost the same" pieces of code out there that all need to be rewritten when the company decides to (for example) upgrade their reporting engine. And when a bug was found in the core component, everyone would get the fix rather than each developer hacking their own fix into their "slightly tweaked" version.
Wow, this is such a great idea, I should patent it!
I wonder why none of the major languages out there ever implemented it. [/sarcasm]
Seriously, my boss would consider me an idiot if I copied/pasted code across every development project like an drunken half-mad clippy. It's a huge pain trying to cleanup an environment where copy/paste is considered the height of re-usability.
. The modern game controller is the product of thirty years of continuous research, development and feedback.
So am I to understand after 30 years we should stop development on anything new in a particular field? The Wii alone proves that there at least is a market for motion-sensitive games. Similarly, do you believe the popularity of the Rock Band/Guitar Hero franchises has nothing to do with their controllers?
Don't get me wrong, based on what I've seen of Natal, I don't plan on owning / using it. But I definitely see there is a potential market for it. Microsoft would be stupid not to attempt to get a piece of that market.
If you make the device simple, then only simple actions can be performed. We need the complexity of the modern controller to play modern games.
A mouse and keyboard are simple. Of course there are no complex games on the PC.
Slashdot Mirror
Haven't read the book, but the website looks like the work of a crank...
The "About the Author" section mentions the author was born during a full moon. Exactly why is this relevant?
During which lunar cycle were Einstein, Newton, Kepler, Copernicus born?
Inquiring minds want to know!
It's just you.
See, the problem is that it's possible that P = NP. For example, say N=1, then trivially:
P = P
P = 1 x P
P = NP
This also works for P=0.
The problem is, we can't get the mathematicians to agree whether N=1 or P=0.
No. He makes a compelling argument against the proliferation of Free Software. He's not saying nobody will do this for free, just that people are more likely to do it for money.
It's also a false analogy in that many people can write a single piece of software, so the total labour invested by each "author" can be significantly reduced. There are no really popular models to allow many people to write a book.
You'll also notice that the really "not fun" parts of software development are where FOSS really falls down (documentation, marketing, packaging). This is ok in as the vast majority of FOSS is aimed at technical people. The similar parts of book publishing (editing, typesetting & layout, marketing) are essential to producing a palatable book.
Damnit....I warned them that this would disrupt the space time continuum.
Those fools had to go ahead and do it anyways.
And now look what's happened...we're caught in a loop!
There can be only one! No, wait...that's something else...
Sure. Can Apples and Oranges co-exist?
2 people got hit by lightning this week!
I guess mother nature is corrupt to the point of endangering everyone.
Hmmm...here's the only paragraph from that link where the Dalai Lama mentions atheism:
Having a bit of trouble with reading comprehension? He specifically mentions "Radical atheists", not atheism in general...
Yes, but the original claim was:
This claim is obviously false as there are Microsoft applications containing the bug. What we can say is that issue is not the fault of the Microsoft OS developers.
Oh please, by that definition, my employer should be held liable.
They exploit a "skinner's box". I provide a conditioned response (work), in exchange for a positive reinforcement (money). Money is highly addicting. I can even buy (gasp) game time on Lineage II with it.
So can I sue my employer for the same reason?
Ok, I googled "Psychology of advertising", "manipulate people into watching ads", "watching disliked ads". I can't find any articles / research / anything that indicates "advertisers are using neuroscience to create ads to keep peoples attention even though they really don't want to watch the ads".
Care to provide any references, or is this something you just made up?
I couldn't find what you were talking about. I did searches for "Trademark law use of TM symbol", read the "Trademark" page on Wikipedia, and "Trademark law".
Here's what I found:
On www.inta.org:
The symbol (TM) is used by companies to notify the public to a claim of rights in a trademark. A (TM) is usually used in connection with an unregistered trademark and does not have any legal status.
On uspto.gov:
Are there federal regulations governing the use of the designations "TM" or "SM" with trademarks?
No. Use of the symbols "TM" or "SM" (for trademark and service mark, respectively) may, however, be governed by local, state, or foreign laws and the laws of the pertinent jurisdiction must be consulted. These designations usually indicate that a party claims rights in the mark and are often used before a federal registration is issued.
from trademarklawlitigation.com:
A trademark can be a word, name, symbol, device or any combination thereof which is used to identify and distinguish the goods or services of one company from goods or services of another. In order to qualify as a trademark, the mark must be used in federally regulated commerce, and the mark must be distinctive. In a nutshell, the distinctiveness requirement means that a mark cannot describe the underlying product, or if it does describe the product, the mark must have been used extensively enough in commerce to acquire a certain level of market recognition (i.e. secondary meaning). Moreover, some marks will not be protected as trademarks, even if they are well recognized by consumers as trademarks (forbidden marks).
Can you please provide a reference of some kind? There seems to be no specific laws regarding the TM symbol. i.e. there is no law that states "you have to throw a TM next to the name every time you use it".
Now, that being said, you probably would have a much better chance of winning a lawsuit if you consistently use the TM symbol, but that is not what the GP post claimed.
Or to make a much shorter post:
Citation needed.
That totally reminds me of this one time that I wanted to drive my car, but then I realized that I had left my keys in a pair of pants I'd thrown out. I had also lost my car registration and my drivers license.
No, this gives one specific reason for why you should keep backups of important data.
This alone is alarming. I rarely have "dropped" calls on my phone (an LG), typically only in elevators / tunnels. A much much more likely scenario is that I can't hear the other party, or they can't hear me. In these cases, I hang up and dial back.
Seriously, if the other smartphones have just as bad problems, why hasn't anybody noticed? Yes, there is a certain amount of media frenzy against Apple, but I can't believe there has been a conspiracy by all media sources to cover up an issue which Jobs claims happens to all other smartphones.
I also put my real mouse away when I'm using a text editor...otherwise he craps all over the keyboard.
You must have a smarter mouse though, mine is really bad at selecting any items other than cheese.
And you know what, 10 years ago they were right.
A phone call is more personal, more private, and put's more emphasis on the person than an email or an IM. It also provides more immediate feedback, which allow conversations to more more quickly to topics of mutual interest.
Perhaps that's the reason so much communication on Facebook/Twitter/etc. seems to devolve to "I'm taking a shower now. Oh look, I'm out of shampoo. Must remember to go to store and pick some up."
Alternately, maybe I just have really boring friends...
What about touchpads? They provide no tactile feedback, but I actually play Starcraft better with the trackpad than with a mouse (though that could be cause I suck at that game).
The other use I could see for this technology is it can provide a wireless mouse that doesn't require batteries. My wife's and kid's computers both have wired mice as I find having a battery in a device that is always within 3 feet of the PC just plain inefficient. This technology would allow wireless mice without batteries.
Heck, use a lego brick, a balled up sock, or a small rodent as a mouse if you need the tactile feedback.
In other news, researchers found that providing students with high-quality pencils had no effect on their education.
I didn't RTFA, but I'd want to know what kind of guidance / instruction was provided to these students after they received their fancy new PC's.
Television can also be educational, but giving a TV to students from low-income homes probably isn't going to have the desired effect...
No, but if you patented the process of using a single gun to commit a felony, then using two guns would not be in violation of this patent.
Kinda like how Amazon was able to patent a "one click" process for selling stuff on the web, when there were already multiple "N click" processes in existence.
So you're saying, we're getting "The Hobbit" movie, and a planned sequel to "The Hobbit" which is to be an *original story not written by Tolkien*, covering the 60 years between The Hobbit, and the Lord of the Rings."?
Thanks for clearing that up.
Anyone who uses Adobe Reader cares
Bingo. And that's exactly why I think this current fad of 3D movies is just that...a fad.
We're given two choices, neither of them optimal:
1) Put everything in focus and have it look weird as things at different depths are equally sharp.
2) Put the primary subject in focus, but then it looks weird as we are unable to focus on things farther away.
The annoyance I had with Avatar was that I found myself naturally trying to focus on things in the background (what does that panel behind him say?). I quickly realized this was futile and just watched what Cameron wanted me to, but I still found it annoying.
On another note, isn't this going to be a big issue for 3D gaming? I can understand a movie staying focused on a primary subject for each scene, but in an FPS, the player needs to be able bring various depths into focus....
http://lmgtfy.com?q=circular polarization
Wow. This makes me wish Canada also bordered on Mexico...then someone could do those jobs for us!
Right now our houses are all filthy, our crops are rotting in the fields, and our burgers are all burning on one side....there's nobody to flip them!
They may not be great jobs, but they are a heck of lot better than no job at all.
bar. It's just annoying.
It's called a title bar, not a first sentence bar.
What a great idea! Too bad there isn't some way in most languages to re-use most of the functionality of a...what should I call it?...widget? component?... oh I know, an object, but "override" those pieces that you need customized. That way when the base component changes, you wouldn't need to re-implement that change for every developer who borrowed some code and tweaked it.
That would be so useful! And it would prevent the hundreds of duplicated "almost the same" pieces of code out there that all need to be rewritten when the company decides to (for example) upgrade their reporting engine. And when a bug was found in the core component, everyone would get the fix rather than each developer hacking their own fix into their "slightly tweaked" version.
Wow, this is such a great idea, I should patent it!
I wonder why none of the major languages out there ever implemented it.
[/sarcasm]
Seriously, my boss would consider me an idiot if I copied/pasted code across every development project like an drunken half-mad clippy. It's a huge pain trying to cleanup an environment where copy/paste is considered the height of re-usability.
So am I to understand after 30 years we should stop development on anything new in a particular field? The Wii alone proves that there at least is a market for motion-sensitive games. Similarly, do you believe the popularity of the Rock Band/Guitar Hero franchises has nothing to do with their controllers?
Don't get me wrong, based on what I've seen of Natal, I don't plan on owning / using it. But I definitely see there is a potential market for it. Microsoft would be stupid not to attempt to get a piece of that market.
A mouse and keyboard are simple. Of course there are no complex games on the PC.