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  1. Re:I don't get it. on Windows Phone 8 Users Hit Some Snags · · Score: 1

    That's a shame. I've had an HTC Radar for about a year, running Win Phone 7 Mango, and I can't recall a single spontaneous reboot. Compared to the other phones on the market, I find the UI to be more usable. I'm able to go three days on a single charge with light use, or a day and a half with normal to heavy use. I gave up my Android-based phone, which was running Cyanogen Mod, for this and I haven't looked back. My only gripe? Lack of apps, but it's getting better and everything I *need* is there.

    Yeah, my techie friends ripped on me for going to Windows. Whatever. I wanted something that just worked, didn't have a lot of app crashes, and gave me great battery life. I found it.

  2. AOL, duh on The Web Is Not the Internet · · Score: 1

    Of course the web is not the internet. AOL is the internet!

  3. waste of money on New York State Releases Sex Offender Facebook App · · Score: 1

    I am a New York state resident, and I think it's ridiculous that taxpayer money (be it state or federal) was spent on this. If you're that concerned, check a state website before your kids go trick or treating - why do we need Facebook or an app for this? Now excuse me while I figure out exactly who paid for this and write a letter to the (ir)responsible party.

  4. Re:water is toxic too on Is Sugar Toxic? · · Score: 1

    One doesn't drown from excess consumption of water; instead, their electrolytes (sodium, potassium, etc.) are diluted to the point where nerves no longer function properly. It's a condition known as hyponatremia. It is not the same thing as drowning.

  5. Re:Its not the speed that is the problem. on Obama Calling For $53B For High Speed Rail · · Score: 2

    I used Amtrak twice this past weekend in Upstate NY and had a great experience. I was able to work on the train (3G tether to laptop), and the trip was just _slightly_ longer than driving.

    You were waiting for the right of way because Amtrak doesn't run on dedicated passenger tracks (with a few exceptions, like Albany to NYC.) It's likely that if high speed rail is to become reality in the US, a right of way dedicated to high speed passenger rail will be constructed. It will also be electrified, and the only diesel locomotives you'll see on the line will be maintenance of way or for rescue (e.g., electricity goes out).

    High speed right of way is EXPENSIVE. High speed trains cannot cross roads at grade; flyovers must be constructed. The tracks must be kept clear of animals (deer, etc.). Electrification will be required.

    I suspect the Northeast Corridor (Boston -> NY -> Philly -> DC) will be the first place to get high speed rail in the US. It's one place where it might succeed, due to the high population density cities being close to one another.

  6. Re:Package Penetration on Which Shipping Company Is Kindest To Your Packages? · · Score: 1

    All of my Amazon Prime shipments still continue to arrive via UPS.

  7. use the mex api on MATLAB Can't Manipulate 64-Bit Integers · · Score: 1

    Using the MEX API it is possible to implement operators for 64 bit integers in MATLAB. They aren't provided by default but implementing your own is quite trivial.

  8. A lot of power on High-Temp Superconductors To Connect Power Grids · · Score: 5, Informative

    Each leg of the triangle can carry 5GW of electricity.

    5GW is a lot of power; to put that into perspective, the entire state of New York uses about 30GW at peak load on a hot summer day; the great power of Niagara Falls gives us about 5GW (Canadian + US generators).

  9. Donate to EFF! on EFF Lawyer Calls YouTube ContentID Worse Than DMCA · · Score: 4, Informative

    ...he suggests that users boycott YouTube...

    Good idea. I also suggest making a donation to EFF.

  10. Re:Citation, please on The Formula That Killed Wall Street · · Score: 1

    mod parent up! The original chart uses a linear scale which is very unfair. The log chart shows that this crash is a tiny blip on the radar in the grand scheme of things.

  11. Re:I find it stimulating on How the City Hurts Your Brain · · Score: 2, Informative

    Time to get yourself some good music and noise canceling headphones!

  12. Re:Scorpion? Why? on Man Sized Sea Scorpion Fossil Found · · Score: 1

    Eurypterids have been studied since 1825. We know a lot about them. There are many many many complete specimens and they've been studied at length. I have an entire collection that I've found myself in private quarries. There is no doubt in the community that they were predators and that they did indeed have a poisonous stinger.

    We can't see it stinging another creature today just as we cannot see the T-Rex eating another dinosaur today. That doesn't mean it didn't happen.

  13. Re:Wait a Minute on Man Sized Sea Scorpion Fossil Found · · Score: 1

    No way of knowing what? Eurypterid fossils are not uncommon. It's the New York State fossil. We know exactly what a Eurypterid looks like from head to telson (tail). I am not sure why this is such a big deal. Complete Eurypterid specimens have been found that are this big before. This is only one claw.

  14. Re:Dubious extrapolation on Man Sized Sea Scorpion Fossil Found · · Score: 5, Informative

    While only a claw was found this time, I'd like to point out that this is not the first very large Eurypterid to be found. A complete Eurypterid was found, that is a few meters in length, at Lang's Quarry near Herkimer, NY. (Eurypterid fossils are commonly found there, and in many locations across Upstate NY and Ontario, Canada). A cast is on display at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Ontario Canada for the public to see. I don't recall the exact length, but it's taller than I am (at 5'11"). Most Eurypterids are pretty small. I have a collection of complete Eurypterid specimens but none of mine are more than 12" in length.

  15. Re:Advantages? on The Last DC Power Grid Shut Down in NYC · · Score: 1

    In an AC power system, the entire system must be in phase. That's not an easy thing to maintain. While the vast majority of the US power system is AC, some interconnects are DC. These DC interconnects contribute to the stability to the overall power system, because they allow the AC systems to which they connect to be out of phase.

    A company here in Upstate NY is attempting to procure permission to build a HVDC line from Upstate to New York City.

  16. Re:f me thats a lot of money on Google Plans to Bid 4.6 Billion on 700MHz Band · · Score: 4, Informative

    At the close of their most recent quarter Google has more than $13B in cash in the bank. They also have no debt to speak of.

    With a market capitalization of nearly $200B, no debt, and a 22% return on equity, Google should have absolutely no problem raising cash if necessary. I suspect they will tap into their cash reserves rather than debt financing or raising capital by diluting existing shareholder equity.

    The numbers are here:
    http://finance.yahoo.com/q/ks?s=GOOG

  17. Re:Just a reminder... on AT&T Gears Up for the iPhone · · Score: 1

    Ouch. Another good reason to support Ron Paul.

  18. Re:Wouldn't that be when it's needed most? on Microsoft Cancels Major Developers' Conference · · Score: 2

    As a developer I agree with you, but lets not forget that Vista was delayed, the Zune has been sucking ... MS shareholders don't care about "critical issues", they care about revenue for the current quarter and fiscal year. A developers conference, in the eyes of a shareholder, is a distraction and misalignment of priorities.

  19. great timing, I needed this article today... on The Secrets of Firefox about:config · · Score: 1

    This morning at work (don't ask why I was surfing the web at work!) I launched FF and opened six tabs, each with a fairly common site: NOAA, TD Ameritrade, Yahoo Finance, etc. Later in the day, perhaps 6 hours later, I noticed my machine (IBM T42) was swapping and noticeably. The Windows XP Task manager, with tasks ordered by memory usage, showed that FF was using 270MB of RAM, far more than any other application. During the day I had closed and opened a few tabs, and reloaded a few pages, but my god -- 270MB of RAM? I am using FF 2. Tomorrow morning I'll try changing browser.sessionhistory.max_total_viewers to 0, and hopefully that will resolve my issue. I'll report back.

  20. Re:OF COURSE he does! on 'Gates for President' Group Gives Up · · Score: 1

    Bill may oppose the inheritance tax but he is a proponent of the estate tax, one that surely costs him dearly. The estate tax is paid by only the wealthiest 2% of Americans.

  21. yawn on Microsoft to Pay $1.52 Billion in Patent Suit Damages · · Score: 1

    Wall Street laughed at this news when it was released. If the street doesn't believe it, you can bet it's a non-event.

    Even if MSFT does pay, which wouldn't be for quite some time, they have 26 Billion dollars in cash on hand, and revenues of 46 Billion per dollars year.

    In other words this is not the end of MSFT as some alarmists are claiming.

  22. Re:two guys still face charges on Aqua Teen Stunt Costs Turner and Agency $2M · · Score: 1

    I am certain they will be aquited

    Acquitted for "terrorism" or "intent to cause panic", yes. However, what they did is akin to placing graffiti around the city and they *should* be charged and held accountable for such.

  23. Re:Who's the @**hole now! on Aqua Teen Hunger Force Brings Boston to a Halt · · Score: 1, Redundant

    This amounted to more than "bridge and street" closures. Interstate 93, one of the main arteries for traffic to enter and exit Boston, was shut-down. A section of the T (subway) was also shut down and passengers were bussed between stations. The Charles River was even closed; boats were prohibited to pass.

    This was more than a commuters worst nightmare for many. A lot of Boston residents are mighty pissed off, including myself.

  24. Re:After seeing the photographs I think I'd be pis on Aqua Teen Hunger Force Brings Boston to a Halt · · Score: 1

    Boston area radio station WBZ was reporting this evening that the Mayor of Boston has promised to "throw the book" at whomever is responsible, and quoted the possibility of two to five year prison sentences per "incident". Not only is someone getting a pink slip, but prison sentences for some employees of Cartoon Network sound likely if these politicians continue on their warpath.

  25. Re:Or is it the other way around? on Professors To Ban Students From Citing Wikipedia · · Score: 1

    I agree with you. I am not a teacher, but if I were, I would *not* allow a student to cite Wikipedia. I might mention to my students that Wikipedia is an excellent way to get an overview of the subject matter, and may lead to some credible sources that *can* be cited. In that regard, Wikipedia should be treated like any other random page on the web; it cannot be relied upon when accurate and factual information is needed, but it's a great collection of knowledge. I don't think an all-out ban on Wikipedia is necessary, but students should be advised that Wikipedia must be treated like any other random web site and is not suitable for citing in a research paper.

    After my students finished their research papersm, I'd encourage them to participate by returning to Wikipedia to fill in missing details on the topic they researched, or correct any misinformation.