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User: IllogicalStudent

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Comments · 104

  1. Re:Ancient Rome on Ask Slashdot: Best Country To Avoid Government Surveillance? · · Score: 1

    f*society... our encryption is the real world.

  2. Gaming on Ask Slashdot: What Hardware Is In Your Primary Computer? · · Score: 1

    OS: Windows 8.1/10IP (and yes, I do actually like windows 8.1)
    CPU: i5 3570K OC'ed @ 4.0GHz (using an H80 to cool it)
    RAM: 16GB DDR3
    Video: 2xAMD 7870 2GB
    Mobo: Asrock z77
    Drives: OS 120GB SSD, Games 500GB SSD, Storage/Docs 4TB, no optical
    LAN: 802.11ac (however, currently in the middle of running cat6 throughout the house)

  3. Re:"stealing just like stealing anything else" on Bell Media President Says Canadians Are 'Stealing' US Netflix Content · · Score: 1

    And this is the problem with industry thinking. It is NOT stealing

    No, the problem in this case is not only is it NOT stealing, it is not actually illegal.

    Accessing US Netflix outside of the US may break terms of use (which Netflix would have a VERY hard time winning a lawsuit over), but does not currently break any Canadian laws. No more than using a VPN to access any other website.

    Shhh... don't give Harper any more ideas for gifts to his media friends. I can definitely see an attempt to make VPN use for such purposes illegal in the near future; hell they already want to ban/criminalize encryption!

  4. Re:"stealing just like stealing anything else" on Bell Media President Says Canadians Are 'Stealing' US Netflix Content · · Score: 1

    And this is the problem with industry thinking. It is NOT stealing

    No, the problem in this case is not only is it NOT stealing, it is not actually illegal.

    Accessing US Netflix outside of the US may break terms of use (which Netflix would have a VERY hard time winning a lawsuit over), but does not currently break any Canadian laws. No more than using a VPN to access any other website.

    Shhh... don't give Harper any more ideas for gifts to his media friends. I can definitely see an attempt to make VPN use for such purposes illegal in the near future; hell they already want to ban/criminalize encryption!

  5. Re:Humble Bundle on Whoah, Small Spender! Steam Sets Limits For Users Who Spend Less Than $5 · · Score: 1

    Flawed analogy. In the coffee shop example, I could take my textbooks / tablet elsewhere to study or stare at the Reddit button (I'm assuming that's what you're up to, sitting in a coffee shop for hours without buying anything -- as an aside to the button, stay in the shade). If Steam kicks me out, I lose access to the games that I DID PURCHASE, just not through Valve. Granted, they're NOT kicking me out, per se, they're disabling certain community features. However, I use said features, and paid for said features, again, just not to them (which was NOT part of the deal when I purchased the software). I can see them disabling things if you're running all freemium stuff in your account, but if the title's been bought, at all, whether via Steam itself or a third party (including B&M Retail), you should have full access to everything. That is what Valve promised the publisher/developer as the end-user experience. Why should I as the end-user be punished by choosing to purchase the game without using Valve as a middle-man?

  6. Humble Bundle on Whoah, Small Spender! Steam Sets Limits For Users Who Spend Less Than $5 · · Score: 1

    I own a LOT of Steam games through key redemptions from Humble Bundle and the like. I've never, however, purchased from Valve. I feel this move unfairly targets those like me.

  7. Re:BASIC on Ask Slashdot: How To Introduce a 7-Year-Old To Programming? · · Score: 1

    ... And don't get me started if you want to get your little game onto a device so you can show your friends! ...

    If your son/daughter is reasonably familiar with Phython (e.g., someone above mentioned rudimentary hangman-esque games), provided you don't mind helping (a little), Kivy is a fairly straightforward Phython library that can get a game from console to device (Android) with a decent UI. You can run your creations on Android in either the Kivy launcher, or compile to APK. The wiki is good.

  8. Re:An overregulated province anyway... on Ontario Government Wants To Regulate the Internet · · Score: 1

    ." So you get things like mandatory Grade 13 for students going into Ontario universities (but those from outside the province don't need to take it), mandatory business closure on boxing day (even though the reason for this is lost in the mists of time for most),

    Outdated info. The Ontario Academic Credit (OAC/"Grade 13") year was removed by Mike Harris (PC-ONT) back in `01-`02 (a sibling was a member of the double-cohort year [Grade 12s and OACs graduating and applying to university at the same time -- basically a royal clusterf***]). Also, I worked retail through my teens (`90s), always worked the 26th of December. And no, I was not in a designated "tourist attraction" mall (and yes, that loophole IS stupid -- either it's illegal to be open on x day or it isn't), nor were fines levied against my employer at any time. Closed on Christmas Day, yes; Boxing Day, no.

  9. Re:What? on Google Acquires Curated Music Service Songza · · Score: 1

    From the article, it's apparently an online radio service, similar to Pandora or Spotify, except for the fact that it works in Canada.

    There, FIFW. Google had better not break the one service we can reliably use up here without jumping through proxy hoops, or a bunch of us'll be pissed. I'm preparing the maple syrup cannons, just in case, eh?

  10. Kids don't bother learning on Teachers Union: Computers Can Negatively Impact Children's Ability To Learn · · Score: 1

    Many (not all) kids these days don't WANT to learn from a teacher because they've decided that 'if and when I need to know something, my phone/tablet/device will just tell me the answer'. This leads to them effectively having 0 memorized facts or baseline knowledge. Facts that are a foundation to do more complex things. Imagine not knowing your basic multiplication tables. I've personally tutored several (non Learning Disabled) Grade 8s that can't do basic addition in their heads; oh, but they can sure use a calculator app on their iPod like a boss. And then they promptly forget said thing they looked up. To them, if the fact can't be looked up quickly, it's not worth knowing about. If the fact can be looked up quickly, it's not worth remembering. End result, kids know nothing and can't do complex problems where several concepts need to be used at once.

  11. Re:Any comments on the latency? on Valve In-Home Game Streaming Supports Windows, OS X & Linux · · Score: 1

    WiFi at N600 speeds or better should be fine for something like civ. Latency gets annoying over WiFi anything (even AC) if you're playing a twitch shooter, but yeah, it's doable.

  12. Re:No controller support yet on Valve In-Home Game Streaming Supports Windows, OS X & Linux · · Score: 1

    The streaming part works perfectly fine, even over slower Wifi. Gamepads aren't recognized on the remote side, though - tried Sonic Generations and my gamepad didn't show up in the config.

    Sooo, Valve... could we have controller support for streaming, too? Pretty please? :-)

    FWIW - Haven't had an ounce of grief using either a wired or wireless (with dongle) 360 pad on the client machine since back in Feb. with the beta (Win7 serv. --> Win8 client). Mind you, I do have the controller drivers installed on both machines (and in the case of the wireless pad, have a dongle attached to each -- they're $8 on amazon) -- maybe that's the trick?

  13. Re:Faster than the nVidia GTX TITAN for $400 less on AMD's Radeon R9 290X Launched, Faster Than GeForce GTX 780 For Roughly $100 Less · · Score: 2

    I'm gonna see how my 6850 handles Batman: Arkham Oranges.

    I'm confused. I thought Slashdot was against GMO... or is WayneTech growing their oranges organically?

    Either way, mmmm, oranges!

  14. Re:Where have I heard this before? on Blizzard's Unannounced 'Titan' MMO Rebooted, Development Team Reduced · · Score: 4, Insightful

    StarCraft 2 took 12 years and was great.

    Diablo 3 also took 12 years to release, and it most certainly wasn't great.

  15. Re:And for faster performance on 3D DRAM Spec Published · · Score: 1

    the CPU vendors need to start stacking them onto their die.

    In 5 years your systems will be sold with fixed memory sizes, and the only way to upgrade is to upgrade CPUs.

    Stacked vias could also be used for other peripheral devices as well. (GPU?)

    Problem with this, of course, is that Intel wants to stop having slotted motherboards. Chips will be affixed to boards. Makes RAM upgrades a costly proposition, no?

  16. TMo Should Buy Wind in Canada on T-Mobile Ends Contracts and Subsidies · · Score: 1

    Seeing as how Wind Mobile is being sold, T-Mo should get into the Canadian market. It's logical, as Wind's towers use the same AWS spectrum as TMo (and largely, the same phone models). We need someone other than Robellus to buy Wind, to keep the market sane(ish).

  17. Most dangerous object in the office on FDA To Review Inhalable Caffeine · · Score: 1

    Saw this on Wired a few weeks ago. Looks dangerous indeed. I prefer my caffeine in liquid or solid, not gaseous, form, TYVM.

    (Yes, I'm aware that an inhalant powder is technically solid; don't get pendantic).

  18. Re:Math begins with counting, right? on Sesame Street Begins Teaching Math and Science · · Score: 1

    What about that cool pinball animation from the 1970s? 1 2 3 4 5, 6 7 8 9 10, 11 12!

    The whole reason they went to 12 in that song (which they NEVER should have retired) is that, after 12, everything is pretty much repeated ad-infinium (with slight variations given to THIR-teen and FIF-teen as opposed to THREE-teen and FIVE-teen); kids just needed to learn the roots (TWENTY, THIRTY, etc...). Both ideas (essentially, pattern recognition -- a key to mathematics) were taught on the show (to 50 I believe).

    Sesame Street Math is not new, thankfully.

  19. Re:Some(?) are on YouTube already. on Sesame Street Begins Teaching Math and Science · · Score: 1

    Check the latest uploads in https://www.youtube.com/user/SesameStreet ...

    Sadly, in that clip, they are teaching the imperial measurement system (that is, feet and inches) instead of the standard used in all but barely-a-handful of countries in the world, Metric. Granted, one of those countries is the United States (still? really?!?), where Sesame Street originates; but honestly, seize the opportunity to teach METRIC to young kids with this show. It makes so much more sense. Have The Count count to 10 along with the new math-teaching muppet (who SHOULD be The Count, IMHO -- The Count rules!); boom, there's metric. 10mm in a cm, 10cm in a dm, 10dm (or 100cm) in a m.

  20. Lawyers do their clients' bidding. on Obama Taps a 5th Lawyer From the RIAA · · Score: 2, Insightful

    My karma's going to burn for this thought, but lawyers generally do what's in the best interest of whomever their client is... if the *AAs said, "make a rock-solid contract that essentially screws the artists while ensuring we rake in the dough," then that's what the lawyers will (and do) do. Who's to say those lawyers will maintain their practices when not in the employ of the labels anymore....... never mind, who am I kidding?

  21. Re:That's ok on IOC Trademarks Part of Canadian National Anthem · · Score: 1

    Oh Canada - True North Brave and Free!

    True North Strong and Free.

    Sheesh!

  22. Re:That's ok on IOC Trademarks Part of Canadian National Anthem · · Score: 0

    Canada has a national anthem? I thought they were still applying for statehood in the U.S.

    Oh Shut Up!

    That statement of yours isn't funny and is why a lot of Canadians hold somewhat of a resentment towards Americans. I DO believe that the resentment is misplaced, as it's merely "jokers" like you who give the rest of your countrymen (and countrywomen) a bad rap, not the general populace.

    The 'joke' you attempted to make is a stupid one, an annoying one, and one that I, along with many others, am sick of putting up with. Canada IS NOT the `States; we don't want to be the `States (some particular political parties' actions notwithstanding); and given, along with the other general reasons why we're quite happy with our sovereignty, how utterly screwed your economy is currently, do you blame us? Hell, we're annoyed with the fact that your lovely Wall St. bankers are dragging us and the world down with you.

    /rant

    (So much for my karma).

  23. Is there a Netflix in Canada yet? on Netflix Woes Mean a Gap In Shipments · · Score: 1

    Kinda off topic, but ***** I hate Blockbuster. Anyone know if there are any GOOD (as in price and service) Netflix-like services in Canada yet?

  24. Major ISPs in bed with both = Monopoly? on Yahoo Bid shows Microsoft on the Ropes · · Score: 1

    Here in Canada, our two largest ISPs, Rogers (Rogers/Yahoo! Cable Internet Service) and Bell (Sympatico/MSN DSL Internet Service) are aligned with Yahoo! and MSN, respectively. If Microsoft's bid goes through, does this not create an unhealthy lack of competition (sure, there are other ISPs, but they are very significantly dwarfed by these two) bordering on Monopoly?

  25. Re:Vote with your wallet. on Canadian DMCA Won't Include Consumer Rights · · Score: 1

    I propose someone start the Canadian chapter of the EFF. It can be called the "EFF in Eh!"