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User: f00zbll

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  1. Why? Isn't there HHVM already! on PHP Next Generation · · Score: 1

    I fail to see the point. Facebook already made HHVM and it's open source. http://hhvm.com/
    What do the gain out of it. Why not contribute to HHVM instead?

  2. Why is anyone surprised? on Leak: Almost a Third of Samsung Galaxy Gear Smartwatches Are Being Returned · · Score: 1

    The last time I wore a watch was in high school before I started playing volleyball. After I started, there was no point to a watch. There's basically no point of wearing a watch today. It's only useful for people that want to show how expensive their Rolex is.

  3. Re:What a complete load of bullshit nonsense. on Is Choice a Problem For Android? · · Score: 1
    Due to poor coverage by Verizon, and Sprint in my area, I chose ATT when I switched around 10 years back. Huge parts of western MA and tons of dead spots in south boston are still an issue for Verizon. I know this first hand, since I had them for over 5 years.

    To say "no one chooses phones based on carriers" is just wrong. Some of the points you make are valid, but making blanket statements weakens your argument.

    I used to work in the mobile industry in 2000 when smarts phones first appeared. In fact one of the first smart phones was from Neopoint. Many of the GPS features people use every day existed as far back as 1999. I am glad for the competition between android and iOS. There's enough space for everyone to make money. It's not a "zero sum" game, so people should stop pretending it is.

  4. Re:Feeble minds. on Apple Sells Nine Million iPhones Over Weekend · · Score: 1

    A recent article on Yahoo News suggests that Google is changing it's mind on NFC, so the adoption was premature! Plus, I'm not convinced of the value of NFC. At starbucks I use their app to pay and it's easy. No need for NFC.

  5. Sweet Jesus on What the Government Pays To Snoop On You · · Score: 1

    I'll sell my phone records to the NSA any day as long as I get the same fee. That would pay for my cell phone bill with extra to go to my kids college fund.

  6. Re:Parenting on Dad Hacks "Donkey Kong" - Now Pauline Rescues Mario · · Score: 1

    Until you produce a 3 yr old of any gender that can hack a ROM to do the same thing, the comment is troll bait. Even then, the chances of the most brilliant 3 yr olds hacking a ROM is pretty remote. Parenting is complicated and there's no manual. The best that one can do is love their child and try to instill good habits, respect for others and critical thinking.

  7. File that under "duh, what did you expect?" on China Says It Is the Target of US Hack Attacks · · Score: 1

    Anyone that has a vague understanding of breaking into systems knows it's happening all over the world. It's not a question of "is government A attacking other governments?" The real question is "what data has been stolen and who is tightening their security to keep sensitive data safe?" You'd have to be a moron to think it's not happening.

  8. Congrats to Samsung on Samsung's Galaxy S III Steals Smartphone Crown From iPhone · · Score: 2

    Samsung has worked hard and they deserve a congrats. I do own an iPhone, but unlike some people I don't see Samsung's success a threat. I like competition, so this should make everyone push harder. Though I doubt RIM or Nokia will last much longer. HTC and Google/Motorola will hopefully push harder to beat Samsung. I hope this encourages Apple to push harder too. Though honestly, I doubt HTC, Motorola, Apple, Nokia, and Rim need us to tell them to push harder.

  9. Re:Blame the system on Barack Obama Retains US Presidency · · Score: 1

    I would think a "geek" would know to wait until all the votes to come in and then look at the math. Did you go to Mitt Romney's school for the rich, where 1+1=5? On this planet, 1+1=2 and there's even a proof for it. Not that anyone other than a hardcore math major should/would read it. Obama was a so-so first term president. hopefully he'll do a better job. No, I didn't vote for him, but now that he is there "we" the people need to keep him accountable.

  10. Smart phones are nice, but! on Google Doubts Apple Will Approve Its New Maps Application · · Score: 2

    It's a freakin phone people. Pull your collective heads out of your butt. What a bunch of spoiled people. It's not the end of the world. People wonder why America is falling behind Asia and Europe. It's because we (americans) are so wrapped up in pointless stupid crap. I like my smart phone, but that is not in my list of top 100 priorities. Sure it's fun, but it's a phone!

  11. Re:Not the only respectable ones on Nokia Keeps Quietly Mapping The World · · Score: 1

    Yes, apple has gone on record they use Yelp POI, but that can't be the only POI data they use. They have to use multiple POI sources. Since you have worked for "one of the biggest" you should know that often the POI data is wrong or off. There's a reason why many companies like Google and Verizon provide a way for users to correct lat/long. For example, Verizon's customers can fix the location of their business. Google's map editing tool lets users fix it. I've used mapquest, mapinfo, yahoo, google, mappoint and a few other minor ones. As a developer I've done quality control by comparing the results of multiple systems to validate the error percent. Sometimes one system is correct and all the others are off. Clearly apple's search implementation is partly to blame, but the problem is far from simple. Given you have experience, your flame towards apple is hyperbole. I've seen errors in every single map software I've used. When I looked at OSS GIS source code to get a better understanding of the internals, it was very clear to me the problem is very complex. It's going to take a lot of time for apple to fix all the issues given how tough the problem is. In terms of POI, I know some yellow/white page systems use stock navteq/teleatlas POI as a base and add to it. For thinks airports, train stations, monuments and other big landmarks they tend to be ok from first hand experience. Smaller thinks like museums, movie theaters and other stuff it's quite bad. For example, a movieplex at a big mall.

  12. Re:Not the only respectable ones on Nokia Keeps Quietly Mapping The World · · Score: 1

    I've worked with many GIS frameworks and usually the POI data is part of the GIS database. You can always add to it, but it comes with a base set of POI. The problem isn't as simple as "it's apple's fault." It's actually a combination of missing/bad data and poorly implemented search. Take for example searching for a street number on a specific street. Often times, the actual location is several hundred feet away from what the GIS database has. The only way to fix that is to correct the data. Searching GIS database using GPS lat/long isn't that straight forward. On your smart phone look at how the accuracy fluctuates while you're stationary. Therefore searching based on location isn't that simple. If you're on a one way street, but you want to be on the next street over how is the systems suppose to give you directions? Clearly, once you get into the nitty gritty of GIS search, the problem is far from trivial. It's easy to say a bunch of non-sense when you don't actually understand the domain and the finer detailers.

  13. Re:Face recognition on Google Puts Souped-Up Neural Networks To Work · · Score: 2

    You're joking right. Google and Apple both already have face recognition software for years. The government has been using face recognition software for years also. Using face recognition to give targeted adds will happen one day, but the infrastructure to do that at your local mall isn't there yet. NN can help improve face recognition software, though it's not really necessary. Plus it's rather easy to fool face recognition software with something called makeup.

  14. Re:Of course it does on Teardown Finds iPhone 5 Costs Apple About the Same As Did 4S · · Score: 1

    Talk about a troll piece. So what you're saying is that aluminium is cheaper than plastic. Therefore apple cut corners by using aluminium. Several members of my family have had the back glass crach on their iphone4, so I'm glad the back is not glass. The statement "apple is it's own worst enemy" is true of every large company. I don't understand why people on both sides are so passionate. It's a damn phone. I used to work in the mobile phone industry. Every company is trying to lower the cost as much as possible and maximize the profit margins. I've owned nokia and motorola phones over the last 15 years and you know what. They are all cheap pieces of plastic. You drop it the wrong way, and bam the thing is dead. Let's not kid anyone. Samsung is just as evil as the next multi-national corporation.

  15. Re:New people needed? on Apple Reportedly Luring Ex-Google Mappers With Jobs · · Score: 1

    To my knowledge, google doesn't sell their GIS. I've looked in the past. Google doesn't have a page about selling their GIS data. Given that google licenses data from several sources, they probably don't have permission to resell the data they get from navteq, and tele atlas. For US maps, all of them use USGS tiger data and then add to it.

  16. My experience with ancestry.com on Best Open Source Genealogy Software? · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I don't work for ancestry.com, and they don't pay me. I recently signed up ancestry.com to research our family geneology. My biggest complaint is the search functionality often returns way too much data. Their search/matching algorithm is quite eager. The service isn't cheap, but then again how much would it cost to manually do the research yourself? How much time would you have to spent going through dusty census records? How much time do you have to spent tracking down the geneology going back up the tree? It took me a few days to understand how their search works, but once I got a hang of it, it was easier to find records for people in our family tree. It's not perfect, but it does quite a bit. If I had to search census records going back to 1910, it sure as heck would cost more than a monthly subscription.

  17. Re:So tell me again how Verizon is better? on Verizon To Pay $25M For Years of 'Mystery Fees' · · Score: 1

    the reality is, there is no real competition. the best we can hope for is better customer service and slightly less dishonest billing.

  18. Re:Flat Tax on Ballmer, Bezos Fund Effort To Undermine Bill Gates · · Score: 1

    I would vote for that on one condition. Slash the government by 75%. The problem it creates though is who do you cut? Fire fighters, police, teachers, civil servants or the military? What if they cut the teachers by half and now your child isn't getting the education you desire for him/her? All those people who are out of jobs, what should they do now? This problem has existed for centuries, we're not the first society to struggle with it.

  19. Is that a police car behind google? on Google Street View Shoots the Same Woman 43 Times · · Score: 1

    I don't know what police cars look like in UK, but the car behind google "might" be a cop car. If that's the case, maybe he was going slow to avoid getting pulled over?

  20. Re:Let it be on Hacker Uncovers Chinese Olympic Fraud · · Score: 1

    That is non-sense for a few reasons. If you did a survey of 10,000 kids ages 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18, only a certain percent will have the flexibility of a gymnast. If you compare a 14 year old to a 30 year old, then being younger does mean more flexibility. To a certain extend, flexibility is a genetic trait. Everyone can get more flexible with practice, but some people are born more flexible than others. There's no such thing as "better center of gravity". There's better technique or better execution. Some people have better bodies for gymnastics, and some don't. When we're talking about elite athletes at that level, it's more about genetics, practice and maturity. Normal standards for flexibility, body proportions and weight don't apply. yes, chinese government cheated. that doesn't mean the girl didn't deserve the medal.

  21. Re:Let it be on Hacker Uncovers Chinese Olympic Fraud · · Score: 1

    That's total non-sense. Being younger isn't inherently better. It depends on the individual. Some girls start puberty at 14 and some later. Mary Lou Retton won at 16 in 1984 Olympics. What matters more than anything else is "not choking". The person who doesn't choke at the olympics is the one that deserves the medal. In past and current Olympics, there are women over 20 winning medals (http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080817/sp_wl_afp/oly2008gymnasticsger). Did china bend the rules, hell yeah. Did the girl deserve the medal? hell yeah. Is it fair? hell no. The constructive thing to do is get the IOC to change the minimum age to 14.

  22. Tiered internet already exists on FCC Backs a Tiered Internet · · Score: 1
    Clearly the FCC is an idiot, because tiered internet already exists.

    ISP already have different access plans for those who want more bandwidth. From a consumer perspective, it is already tiered and the consumer decides how much they want to pay.

    on the hosting side, it is also tiered. Providers generally fit into 3 tiers

    tier 1 - backbone providers who have their own fiber
    tier 2 - access to tier 1 providers. some have their own OC1OC3 for redundancy
    tier 3 - access to tier 2 and 3 providers. tier 3 generally don't own their own fiber and lease bandwidth from others

    Clearly, the telco's are already charging twice for bandwidth. Once from the consumer to access the internet and once from the business for hosting and bandwidth. To allow telco's to extort more fees is flat out wrong. The FCC A$$hat needs to be fired

  23. million dollar question on Would You Take A Paycut for More Interesting Work? · · Score: 1
    Devil walks up to a man says, "would you like to make lots of money?" Man replies, "Sure, sounds great, but what's the catch?" Devil replies, "No catch, you'll have smart people to work with, a nice boss and flex hours, but the work will be mundane. Who needs creativity and spiritual growth, when you have a truck load of money. All I ask for is your soul when you die." Man replies, "And how much longer do I have to live?" Devil replies, "No one knows, but in the meantime, you can buy lots of nice toys."

    Does that answer your question?

  24. Re:Software development on Lego Mindstorms NXT Robotics Announced · · Score: 1

    There is LeJos for those who want to use Java.

  25. A good start on Pandora Radio from Music Genome Project · · Score: 1

    I've been using it for the last few months and I like it. The only minor compliant I have is the library is a bit small at the moment. So far pandora seems pretty responsive to feedback. I sent several suggestions and got a response from pandora. I hope their library continues to grow.