Using the eqn for depth of penetration, it can be shown that cellphone EM radiation doesn't even penetrate a person's skull (in significant amounts).
BTW, future cellphone technologies use an even higher frequency, and thus penetrate even less.
So... please explain to me how cell-phone radiation causes brain tumors. It really would interest me to know. (Don't bother to reply if you are not educated in the ways of EM)
This is another case of the wrong conclusion being drawn from statistics.
I'll give another example:
People living near HV power lines have a higher chance of getting cancer.
Incorrect conclusion:
HV power lines cause cancer.
The failure is not looking at the whole situation. Further investigation reveals that most people living near HV power lines also live alongside superhighways, and the cause of their higher risk of cancer is exhaust fumes.
In the case of sleep: most people who sleep more than 8 hours a day are unhealthy "slobs" who also eat badly and don't get any exercise.
People who sleep less than 8 hrs a day are usually succesful people who also happen to enjoy sport and a good diet.
This situation is obviuosly fake. The author is just trying to stir up a debate about which is the best programming language.
Why would you boss ask you to find a language that supports multiple inheritance? If he knows what advantages multiple inheritance brings to the project, then surely he can quickly choose a programming language himself.
Anyway, how many managers have got a clue about the pros and cons of multiple inheritance?
It is hard to believe that all this is going on with what is meant to be a stable kernel version, ie 2.4.x
So far the VM has been replaced twice, and now the rmap patch is apparently going to be added despite the fact that "something is seriously messed up in the reverse-map implementation".
Have they saved any experimental code for the 2.5.x kernels, or will that now be stable?
How can they mention robots taking over in the same sentence as biological threats?
I'm no AI expert, but then neither are most of the people sprouting such paranoia.
Let me turn to something I do know about: Automation (read robotics) is only applied in industry when the job is either:
1. unsafe for humans
2. too monotonous for humans
With this in mind, how are robots ever going to be developed with the mobility, self-sufficiency e tc to take over the world?
I just don't see the sequence of events that would lead to this happening.
"So he ran a fiber optic cable between the plants, allowing them to compensate by sharing power when one was hit by a shortage."
This is one of many strange statements in the article. I'm not the 1st one to point this out, but transmitting POWER over OPTICAL fibre is not really possible (at least outside NZ).
If it is just a kernel, then Microsoft should be sued for including:
the Windows desktop
the Windows start menu
cd player
calculator
etc
I think it is ridiculous to argue that a complete OS-in-a-can like MS Windows should not include a web browser. MS have demonstrated that a browser can be used to manage local files as well as surf the web, and is a fundamental part of their integrated package.
Just because they were slow in including a web browser does not mean that they don't have the right to do it in the future.
People are writing off broadband too soon. Such a major change in infrastructure takes time.
Mass deployment of DSL will happen world-wide only when major telcos are ready. There are a few factors holding them back now:
Multimedia services such as voice calls and video (with QoS) need to be offered by telcos in a accountable way before broadband will have mass appeal.
Core networks must be up to the challenge of carrying much larger amounts of traffic. SDH deployment is not widespread in the world yet.
Once the telcos are ready, DSL will completely replace ALL our existing telephone lines, and we will be offered a large bouquet of services of which web browsing will be only a small part.
Having to read a book containing the rantings of both Vinge and RMS must be torture.
Although the presence of alternate voices in the world must be seen as an advantage, Vinge in particular is truly paranoid.
When my computer starts manufacturing robots with which to take over the world, I'll simply turn it off.
Slashdot Mirror
While I agree that there are problems with the PHY layer of 802.11 (interference from microwave ovens etc) I find the statement:
"Similarly, very few people use cell phones exclusively"
rather strange.
I'm not sure what the situation in the USA is, but in Europe many, many, many people use cell phones exclusively. GSM and GPRS both work rather well.
Using the eqn for depth of penetration, it can be shown that cellphone EM radiation doesn't even penetrate a person's skull (in significant amounts).
... please explain to me how cell-phone radiation causes brain tumors. It really would interest me to know. (Don't bother to reply if you are not educated in the ways of EM)
BTW, future cellphone technologies use an even higher frequency, and thus penetrate even less.
So
I used the mimio system last year at university.
It's all very impressive, especially the eraser, which gets onlookers pretty amazed.
Very useful for seminars/lectures where some people are participating remotely. Also, its ability to save a whiteboarding session as an mpeg is cool.
The pens are really expensive. I suppose this is to be expected for a system that works this well.
Also, the calibration process is a bit of a drag, as we had to do it everytime we started it up.
This is another case of the wrong conclusion being drawn from statistics.
I'll give another example:
People living near HV power lines have a higher chance of getting cancer.
Incorrect conclusion:
HV power lines cause cancer.
The failure is not looking at the whole situation. Further investigation reveals that most people living near HV power lines also live alongside superhighways, and the cause of their higher risk of cancer is exhaust fumes.
In the case of sleep: most people who sleep more than 8 hours a day are unhealthy "slobs" who also eat badly and don't get any exercise.
People who sleep less than 8 hrs a day are usually succesful people who also happen to enjoy sport and a good diet.
This situation is obviuosly fake. The author is just trying to stir up a debate about which is the best programming language.
Why would you boss ask you to find a language that supports multiple inheritance? If he knows what advantages multiple inheritance brings to the project, then surely he can quickly choose a programming language himself.
Anyway, how many managers have got a clue about the pros and cons of multiple inheritance?
Blocks adware? It IS adware.
That is unless you pay for it, which makes it the only browser you actually have to pay for.
Mozilla is free (source+beer). That is why people like it.
oops!
It is hard to believe that all this is going on with what is meant to be a stable kernel version, ie 2.4.x
So far the VM has been replaced twice, and now the rmap patch is apparently going to be added despite the fact that "something is seriously messed up in the reverse-map implementation".
Have they saved any experimental code for the 2.5.x kernels, or will that now be stable?
How can they mention robots taking over in the same sentence as biological threats?
I'm no AI expert, but then neither are most of the people sprouting such paranoia.
Let me turn to something I do know about: Automation (read robotics) is only applied in industry when the job is either:
1. unsafe for humans
2. too monotonous for humans
With this in mind, how are robots ever going to be developed with the mobility, self-sufficiency e tc to take over the world?
I just don't see the sequence of events that would lead to this happening.
This sounds good. Here is a todo list for them:
remove windows registry
put in proper file permissions
remove auto-update
remove word/excel macros
remove outlook express html support etc
If they complete this list I might trust them!
DSL is intended to run over our normal (existing) copper telephone lines (when the telcos roll it out in a big way).
Optical fibre to the home is overkill. Copper can provide enough bandwidth for services like VoD and voice calls running simultaneously.
So these people have cable tv and telephone service from 1 copper line? At least someone is using available tech to its maximum potential.
"So he ran a fiber optic cable between the plants, allowing them to compensate by sharing power when one was hit by a shortage."
This is one of many strange statements in the article. I'm not the 1st one to point this out, but transmitting POWER over OPTICAL fibre is not really possible (at least outside NZ).
I didn't say light wasn't EM.
I just mean the em doesn't travel at c through all media.
What they are measuring here is not the speed of light (c), but the speed of em waves in the cat 5 medium.
Most of the replies so far make the incorrect assumption that these 2 speeds are the same.
If the filesystem plugins are required for the OS to function we are going to need some pretty serious hardware to run it.
This should make intel/amd happy.
This story happened over 1 year ago.
Wake up please!
How is an OS defined?
If it is just a kernel, then Microsoft should be sued for including:
the Windows desktop
the Windows start menu
cd player
calculator
etc
I think it is ridiculous to argue that a complete OS-in-a-can like MS Windows should not include a web browser. MS have demonstrated that a browser can be used to manage local files as well as surf the web, and is a fundamental part of their integrated package.
Just because they were slow in including a web browser does not mean that they don't have the right to do it in the future.
I see this as a good opportunity to put some i-Macs to good use. They take up so little space; perfect for a bus or whatever.
Also, OS X is perfect for little kids that haven't yet gotten into the bad habit of using MS Windows.
Is the MS windows kernel preemptible? Does anyone know or is it top-secret?
If a kernel is preemptible, can it be used for real time process control?
How about gcc?
Don't need it huh?
People are writing off broadband too soon. Such a major change in infrastructure takes time.
Mass deployment of DSL will happen world-wide only when major telcos are ready. There are a few factors holding them back now:
Multimedia services such as voice calls and video (with QoS) need to be offered by telcos in a accountable way before broadband will have mass appeal.
Core networks must be up to the challenge of carrying much larger amounts of traffic. SDH deployment is not widespread in the world yet.
Once the telcos are ready, DSL will completely replace ALL our existing telephone lines, and we will be offered a large bouquet of services of which web browsing will be only a small part.
Why would anyone want an LCD for a desktop computer? CRTs are cheaper and produce a better image.
What is the point of saving space when your PC has a massive, ugly case anyway? If desktop size and beauty are important to you then pick up an iMac.
Having to read a book containing the rantings of both Vinge and RMS must be torture. Although the presence of alternate voices in the world must be seen as an advantage, Vinge in particular is truly paranoid. When my computer starts manufacturing robots with which to take over the world, I'll simply turn it off.