When I was in the army in Hungary (mandatory military service) sometimes we were ordered to go out to the soccer field and cut the grass with scissors.
Actually, you are wrong about the buzz in. It gives the humans an advantage. The reason is that Watson has a mechanical buzzer that it presses. So the only advantage would come from reacting faster. However, the rules state that you can buzz in only after the host has finished reading the clue. If you buzz in earlier then you are penalized by.25sec. Jeopardy is prepared for hearing disabled people, so they have a signal indicating that the host has finished reading. I presume this is what Watson uses. However, I'm certain that humans process intonation as well and can anticipate when the host will finish. So they have a better chance to buzz in first if they decide to buzz in.
> If it's not illegal, then they'll probably have to adapt their process to take care of the problem.
That is exactly what Wikipedia might be doing: block Verizon customers from editing Wikipedia. They take care of the problem... At that point it will become Verizon's problem as perhaps a number of their customers will complain loudly. And a solution is that Verizon updates their TOS and then kicks out the vandals. Even if something is not illegal, it may be against the TOS, so Verizon can terminate the connection. Of course, so many things are against the TOS, that they can terminate almost anybody's connection:-(.
> Isn't the definition of insanity repeating the same action and expecting different results?
Why would it be insanity? They are aware of the fact, do not expect different results, saddened by it, but that does not alter the fact that they, the authors have a say how their work can be distributed.
> If you want to end DRM, you need to support Apple since they are the only large company who has worked to end DRM and had some success. You need to keep things like VLC alive in the app store, so that users will be more tempted to use non-DRM downloads and consume them on modern computing devices. > But instead, the FSF is playing into the hands of the media companies by keeping things like VLC player out of the mainstream and attacking the only company with the same goals of ending DRM.
I beg to disagree. Apple has worked to end DRM when it is not *their* DRM and when it harms their business. They protect their own DRM as much as they can. In fact, in this very case the app store's distribution/license rules are the restriction and not what the app may play. Also, I don't see the logic in why would VLC in the app store tempt users to use non-DRM downloads. Non-DRM downloads play on anything (provided the codec is supported).
> Nice work FSF,
Indeed. I like it when they force companies to abide by the license terms.
> this is seriously making me re-think my yearly donation...
> They very conveniently lost the original order (where I disclosed exactly what I required, down to what networks I will announce)
You are in luck then! Take them to court. If you have your copy (you *do*, right?) and they can't produce a copy, then I can't imagine how you could lose. And you can demand lots of compensation. Afterall, this may drive you out of business, so 10 years worth of salary+benefits for all your employees + penalty + lawyer's fees is the minimum.
I have yet to see a serious, insightful post about this story. A little googling turned up pics and data although I confess that I don't know what 16 kwh / 100 KM works out to in MPG.
If 1 kWh costs $0.2 then it costs you $3.20 to drive roughly 60 miles. A moderately efficient combustion engine car woud use 2 gallons of gas which costs $3.3 at current average prices. However, you can use cheaper electricity since you'd recharge during the night. A lot depends on how much maintenance this car will need.
Just ask him how do charities exist. People donate money/clothes/etc. and their time as volunteers. If he accepts charities then why does he not believe that people are willing to donate their time and skills to write code available to others for free?
--Laci
I know it's not fashionable to read the article (whoa, a full 25 short lines!), but try to do so. Especially this line: "The police have reportedly replaced the seized equipment, at a cost of £1,000."
In other words the police did what they had to, that is, get the computer to make sure that no sensitive images or documents are left on the machine (e.g., in temporary files). And in the meantime they gave the guy a replacement computer. Granted, his personal files are on the original computer, but given the police's behavior so far I'd hazard a guess that he will get back the original hard drive in the not too distant future.
--Laci
> If the parallel system increases the speed factor better than 'm', such as by k^m, the solution is viable. However, there aren't many problems that have such a dramtic improvement.
Provided that your original serial code is the fastest possible, there aren't *any* problems that can have such dramatic improvement. After all, you can emulate the m processors with time slicing on a single processor thus if the speedup could be k^m then executing the code (in a serial environment) in m*n/k^m time, proving that your original serial code was not the best serial code possible.
Err... Have they *ever* read the license agreement of Skype? Skype is free for *personal* use. For business use you got to pay. Using Skype may still save a bundle, but it is NOT free.
Not at all. Even now you have to trust only one site: your credit card company's. Most CC companies now offer one time number you generate on the fly when you make an online purchase.
How about delaying the delivery of suspicious attachents by half an hour? If you get 10 emails (not necessarily the same addressee) with the same attachment within half an hour then declare it a virus/worm and do not deliver it. If no other copy arrives within half an hour then it is likely to be safe to deliver.
So just replace the attachment with a message stating that the attachment will be delivered in half an hour. If you get a call from the CEO then you'll know that the attachment was legit and you can forward it right when he calls:-).
The msnbc one is definitely touched. Everything has a shadow on the picture except for the kid. I wonder what could be the reason for an American media company to touch a picture to indicate opposition to American forces...
I got called to pay my "voting tax" next week (Jury Duty), and I would dread being on a case like this. While common sense would have me acquit on the basis that a broad "patent" like this is a mockery of the Office, and that even if eBay were abusing it with intent, I'd still not have much sympathy for this guy -- it's still the law, and I'd still have to vote according to what the law says, not what it means (since laws are no longer by the people -- if you need a lawyer to explain a law, there's something WRONG!).
This is not true! If you manage to convince the rest of the jury that the law is wrong and goes against common sense, economics, constitution, etc. then the jury can declare one side a winner while acknowleding that the law favors the other side. I think this sort of invalidates the law itself, too, though I'm not sure to what extent.
The odds are actually fairly high... Just as linux supporters post their letters and encourage others to make verbatim copies to be sent out, Microsoft supporters can do the same, and apparently they have done it. Just go to www.aoctp.org if you want to see a few form letters. That's where I found "economically-draing witch-hunt" with google. Microsoft has tried to cheat several times on polls, but until it's proven that they have done it again, they are supposed to be innocent.
I'm glad the parent article made it to level 2 (so that I could read it:-), despite some moderator labeling it "Troll". The article's author clearly described his/her opinion, it was logical (not that I necessarily agree with everything, but (s)he had good points). Labeling it troll is ridiculous. I can only hope that by meta-moderatoration that guy will never moderate again.
Slashdot Mirror
On the other hand Google gets into hot waters for recording the signals sent from a voluntarily bought and voluntarily used wifi router...
When I was in the army in Hungary (mandatory military service) sometimes we were ordered to go out to the soccer field and cut the grass with scissors.
Actually, you are wrong about the buzz in. It gives the humans an advantage. The reason is that Watson has a mechanical buzzer that it presses. So the only advantage would come from reacting faster. However, the rules state that you can buzz in only after the host has finished reading the clue. If you buzz in earlier then you are penalized by .25sec. Jeopardy is prepared for hearing disabled people, so they have a signal indicating that the host has finished reading. I presume this is what Watson uses. However, I'm certain that humans process intonation as well and can anticipate when the host will finish. So they have a better chance to buzz in first if they decide to buzz in.
Who has modded parent informative? The story clearly (whether correctly or not I do not know) says Stemgraph.
> If it's not illegal, then they'll probably have to adapt their process to take care of the problem.
That is exactly what Wikipedia might be doing: block Verizon customers from editing Wikipedia. They take care of the problem... At that point it will become Verizon's problem as perhaps a number of their customers will complain loudly. And a solution is that Verizon updates their TOS and then kicks out the vandals. Even if something is not illegal, it may be against the TOS, so Verizon can terminate the connection. Of course, so many things are against the TOS, that they can terminate almost anybody's connection :-(.
> Isn't the definition of insanity repeating the same action and expecting different results?
Why would it be insanity? They are aware of the fact, do not expect different results, saddened by it, but that does not alter the fact that they, the authors have a say how their work can be distributed.
> If you want to end DRM, you need to support Apple since they are the only large company who has worked to end DRM and had some success. You need to keep things like VLC alive in the app store, so that users will be more tempted to use non-DRM downloads and consume them on modern computing devices.
> But instead, the FSF is playing into the hands of the media companies by keeping things like VLC player out of the mainstream and attacking the only company with the same goals of ending DRM.
I beg to disagree. Apple has worked to end DRM when it is not *their* DRM and when it harms their business. They protect their own DRM as much as they can. In fact, in this very case the app store's distribution/license rules are the restriction and not what the app may play. Also, I don't see the logic in why would VLC in the app store tempt users to use non-DRM downloads. Non-DRM downloads play on anything (provided the codec is supported).
> Nice work FSF,
Indeed. I like it when they force companies to abide by the license terms.
> this is seriously making me re-think my yearly donation...
That is your decision.
Even if you decline storage of your passwords some still make it into the "Web Data" file!
--Laci
8 pages; only 11 (eleven) lines on the first page; not navigable without javascript enabled; no printable page option.
Remind me never to go to cnet's page...
--Laci
> They very conveniently lost the original order (where I disclosed exactly what I required, down to what networks I will announce)
You are in luck then! Take them to court. If you have your copy (you *do*, right?) and they can't produce a copy, then I can't imagine how you could lose. And you can demand lots of compensation. Afterall, this may drive you out of business, so 10 years worth of salary+benefits for all your employees + penalty + lawyer's fees is the minimum.
Just to let you know: as of this spring even legal US residents (green card holders) get fingerprinted...
I have yet to see a serious, insightful post about this story. A little googling turned up pics and data although I confess that I don't know what 16 kwh / 100 KM works out to in MPG.
If 1 kWh costs $0.2 then it costs you $3.20 to drive roughly 60 miles. A moderately efficient combustion engine car woud use 2 gallons of gas which costs $3.3 at current average prices. However, you can use cheaper electricity since you'd recharge during the night. A lot depends on how much maintenance this car will need.
--Laci
Just ask him how do charities exist. People donate money/clothes/etc. and their time as volunteers. If he accepts charities then why does he not believe that people are willing to donate their time and skills to write code available to others for free? --Laci
Ah, but you can decide independently for each whether to double-knot or not... So it's 2^42.
I know it's not fashionable to read the article (whoa, a full 25 short lines!), but try to do so. Especially this line: "The police have reportedly replaced the seized equipment, at a cost of £1,000." In other words the police did what they had to, that is, get the computer to make sure that no sensitive images or documents are left on the machine (e.g., in temporary files). And in the meantime they gave the guy a replacement computer. Granted, his personal files are on the original computer, but given the police's behavior so far I'd hazard a guess that he will get back the original hard drive in the not too distant future. --Laci
> If the parallel system increases the speed factor better than 'm', such as by k^m, the solution is viable. However, there aren't many problems that have such a dramtic improvement.
Provided that your original serial code is the fastest possible, there aren't *any* problems that can have such dramatic improvement. After all, you can emulate the m processors with time slicing on a single processor thus if the speedup could be k^m then executing the code (in a serial environment) in m*n/k^m time, proving that your original serial code was not the best serial code possible.
--Laci
Come on... Bill Gates does not cover four square miles...
Err... Have they *ever* read the license agreement of Skype? Skype is free for *personal* use. For business use you got to pay. Using Skype may still save a bundle, but it is NOT free.
--Laci
Not at all. Even now you have to trust only one site: your credit card company's. Most CC companies now offer one time number you generate on the fly when you make an online purchase.
--Laci
How about delaying the delivery of suspicious attachents by half an hour? If you get 10 emails (not necessarily the same addressee) with the same attachment within half an hour then declare it a virus/worm and do not deliver it. If no other copy arrives within half an hour then it is likely to be safe to deliver.
:-).
So just replace the attachment with a message stating that the attachment will be delivered in half an hour. If you get a call from the CEO then you'll know that the attachment was legit and you can forward it right when he calls
--Laci
The msnbc one is definitely touched. Everything has a shadow on the picture except for the kid. I wonder what could be the reason for an American media company to touch a picture to indicate opposition to American forces...
--Laci
You say:
I got called to pay my "voting tax" next week (Jury Duty), and I would dread being on a case like this. While common sense would have me acquit on the basis that a broad "patent" like this is a mockery of the Office, and that even if eBay were abusing it with intent, I'd still not have much sympathy for this guy -- it's still the law, and I'd still have to vote according to what the law says, not what it means (since laws are no longer by the people -- if you need a lawyer to explain a law, there's something WRONG!).
This is not true! If you manage to convince the rest of the jury that the law is wrong and goes against common sense, economics, constitution, etc. then the jury can declare one side a winner while acknowleding that the law favors the other side. I think this sort of invalidates the law itself, too, though I'm not sure to what extent.
--Laci
The odds are actually fairly high... Just as linux supporters post their letters and encourage others to make verbatim copies to be sent out, Microsoft supporters can do the same, and apparently they have done it. Just go to www.aoctp.org if you want to see a few form letters. That's where I found "economically-draing witch-hunt" with google. Microsoft has tried to cheat several times on polls, but until it's proven that they have done it again, they are supposed to be innocent.
--Laci
I'm glad the parent article made it to level 2 (so that I could read it :-), despite some moderator labeling it "Troll". The article's author clearly described his/her opinion, it was logical (not that I necessarily agree with everything, but (s)he had good points). Labeling it troll is ridiculous. I can only hope that by meta-moderatoration that guy will never moderate again.
--Laci