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User: ahecht

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Comments · 254

  1. Re:Been that way for YEARS on AT&T Wireless Network Is Open Too · · Score: 1

    Up until last year, Cingular would let you sign up for service with only a 1-month contract, but you had to really fight with them to get them to do it (I went through 4 customer services reps before I found the magic word COAM, which stands for Customer Owned and Maintained Equipment). However, as of January of this year, CIngular requires a minimum 11 month contract. Therefore, if you have an existing phone, you're better off getting the free phone with your 1 year contract and selling it on eBay (resellers such as inPhonics often offer free-after-rebate phones with a 1 year contract).

  2. Pronunciation on Asus Corrects Eee PC Source Code Issue · · Score: 1

    According to this video, the ASUS Eee PC is pronounced "ah-seuss ee pee cee"

  3. Re:You can disable it in Privacy. on Facebook Users Complain of New Ad-Based Tracking · · Score: 1

    No, it's only on a case-by-case basis after the fact. I put a movie in my queue on blockbuster, it asked if I wanted to add it to facebook, and while I was reading the message, it disappeared. The next day I had people making fun of my for renting a chick flick (it was for my girlfriend), and the only option I had was to block Blockbuster in the future, but not disable the feature.

  4. Re:Disney's Prior Art on IBM Files DVD Spam Patent Application · · Score: 1

    Actually, Disney hasn't been doing this for years. Only the first generation of DisneyDVDs had unskippable ads.

  5. Does it not work for anyone else? on Google Crowdsources Map Editing · · Score: 1

    My work is located about 150 meters from where google says it is, and I can move the marker, and it says "Changes Saved", but the marker immediately snaps back to its old location. And no, my company isn't registered with google.

  6. Re:Took them long enough on MLB Fans Who Bought DRM Videos Get Hosed · · Score: 4, Informative

    The switched to the new system in 2006, but the old system kept working until April. In April, MLB said they would have a fix available shortly. Now they have changed to saying that they will not fix it.

  7. Re:Keynote on Can Google Kill PowerPoint? · · Score: 1

    PowerPoint has had the same Presenter's Display since at least Office 2000 (and maybe before). In Pre 2007 versions of PowerPoint, just hold SHIFT when you click on the "Present Slideshow" button (or hit SHIFT+F5), and if you have multiple monitors connected, it will give you the option for such a dual-monitor mode. In PowerPoint 2007, they made it much easier to find, with it's own button next to the display slideshow button.

  8. Invisible to DRADIS, not necessarily RADAR on Boeing Dreamliner Safety Concerns Are Specious · · Score: 1

    They're not the same necessarily

  9. If it's been released, where's the link on Google Earth Gets Star-Gazing Add On · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The article doesn't have a download link, and a Google search turns up nothing. Where's the link?

  10. Re:Oblig. on Futurama Movie Set For November 27 · · Score: 1

    Actually, considering that people with Downs Syndrome have fundementally different DNA, you're right, they're not a race -- they're a species!

  11. We will know. on The Dusty Concern for the Mission to Mars · · Score: 1

    Actually, there is an instrument specifically designed to study Martian dust aboard the Pheonix Mars lander that is launching next month and will arrive on mars next June.

    The MECA (Microscopy, Electrochemistry, and Conductivity Analyzer) instrument actually began life as the Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment. It was initially sponsored by NASA's Human Exploration and Development of Space initiative, and was designed to determine what risks Martian dust would pose to astronauts. It will look at the size, shape, and composition of the dust using both optical an atomic force microscopes, study the reactivity of the dust using a series of wet chemistry cells, measure the thermal and electrical conductivity of the dust, and look at how the dust sticks to a wide range of materials.

    It may not be sample return, but it's a pretty in-depth study of the Martian dust. Given that it is launching in less than a month, I'm surprised it was omitted from the article.

  12. Re:How more limited can you get? on Apple Plans Cheaper Nano-Based iPhone · · Score: 1

    T-Mobile paid me $50 (after rebate and 1-yr contract) to take my current Motorola phone, and it has MMS w/ multiple attachments, video recording, custom MP3 or MIDI ringtones, Mass Storage via USB, Fully functioning bluetooth with OBEX, A2DP, and DUN, voice dialing, AIM and Y!IM, and the ability to send SMS or MMS messages to multiple recipients. It also has a microSD expansion slot and the ability to run 3rd party Java or CORElet apps.

  13. Re:FREE PR0N! on Have Spammers Overcome the CAPTCHA? · · Score: 2, Informative

    There are many jobs on mturk.com where the page for the job consists of isntructions and a file upload box. For example, one job I did had me find the lat/long coordinates of a bunch of landmarks, put them into an excel file, and upload them. A spammer's job could be "sign up for 200 hotmail accounts, put the logins/passwords into a CSV file, and upload".

  14. Re:I saw the video earlier today on New Jersey Sues YouTube Over Crash Video · · Score: 1

    One of the articles posted above said that the cop was waiting nearby to pull over trucks that were spewing too much exhaust.

  15. Re:unadulterated video on New Jersey Sues YouTube Over Crash Video · · Score: 1

    If you RTFA (well, the one posted above, not the one in the story), it says that the cop was at the tollbooth looking for trucks to give tickets to for spewing too much exhaust.

  16. Re:unadulterated video on New Jersey Sues YouTube Over Crash Video · · Score: 1

    If you RFTA, yes he was killed. However, the thing that got thrown from the car was the front left tire. There are better quality versions of the video floating around that show this clearly.

  17. Re:Digital vs. analog controls on What's the Worst Technical Feature You've Used? · · Score: 1

    You must be from somwhere where the temperature doesn't drop below freezing. While the compressor is essential for defog mode, it is detremental to DEFROST mode (you know, as in removing FROZEN water from the window)

  18. Re:Similar - beeping on What's the Worst Technical Feature You've Used? · · Score: 1

    I had the same problem (beeps in my dreams). I fixed it by editing the Gain Table to mute all external speaker system tones. This disables the annoying low battery beep, the ring style change beep, and the redial beep. It also unfortunately disables the Continental/Siren/Attention/Classic ringtones, but that's a small price to pay. You're gonna want to set offset 25 of gain_table.bin to 00. For more info, see http://xlr8.us/hofo/map.txt

  19. Re:Because... on Why Are CC Numbers Still So Easy To Find? · · Score: 1

    Well, a quick search of the first 8 of my Chase credit card turned up an excel file containing names, addresses, phone numbers, card #'s, exp dates, CVVs. What more could you need?

  20. Re:Kind of a concern on Landline Holders Increasingly Older, More Affluent · · Score: 1

    cell phone - crappy phones where the battery dies a year before the contract expires (so buy a new phone and get a new 2 year contract or suffer) and service that keeps getting worse
    Replacement batteries are available on eBay for ~$10 and work great. There is no reason to get a new phone because your battery is dead. Unless you have an older Treo or PPC Phone, the battery is very easily replaceable. Plus, all the major providers allow you to get a 1yr contract by paying ~$50 more upfront for the phone (Which means that when I got my phone, T-Mobile only payed me $80 instead of $130).
  21. Re:Turbotax Issues on Turbo Tax Melts Down on Tax Day · · Score: 1

    TurboTax does let you directly edit and view your forms. It's in one of the menus at the top (there are actually two options: "View Forms" which shows you all available forms, and "View my Return" which shows you just the forms in your return). You can even edit the forms and it will update the calculations in real time.

  22. TellMe now has Yellowpages Search on What are the Best Cell Phone Services in the US? · · Score: 1

    Tellme now has what they call "Business Search" which is basically directory assistance for local businesses (not just 800 numbers). They even have a feature where you can listen to reviews of the business from other users or leave your own review.

    However, I find the most usefull feature is their driving directions. It's gotten me out of a jam many times. Only downside is that if you're lost, you need to find out what city you're in (which can be a bit hard on a country road in the middle of nowhere) and you need either an intersection or address (again, which can be hard in the middle of nowhere).

    You can also send directory searches through SMS to TELLM (83556) in the same way you would to GOOGL (46645). However, TELLM also sends you a map of the location, so if your provider charges the same for SMS and MMS it has a big advantage. More info at http://beta.tellme.com/TELLM/

  23. Re:I would understand 21, but 30? on 'Over 30' Section For Games Stores? · · Score: 4, Informative
    I have read the two bills. The first, the supposed "under 30" bill, is located at:
    http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A00547&sh=t

    This bill reads:
    3. Sale or rental of any video game that contains any contents listed in subdivision one of this section, shall be made only to an individual who demonstrates, through (a) a valid driver's license or non-driver`s identification and issued by the commissioner of motor vehicles, the federal government, any united states territory, commonwealth or possession, the District of Columbia, a state government within the United States or a provincial government of the dominion of Canada; or (b) a valid passport issued by the united states government or any other country; or (c) an identification card issued by the united states,indicating that the individual is at least eighteen years of age. Such identification need not be required of any individual who reasonably appears to be at least thirty years of age, provided, however, that such appearance shall not constitute a defense in any proceeding involving sale or rental of any video game, to an individual under eighteen years of age.


    The second bill is located at: http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A02024&sh=t This bill, surprisingly, also reads:
    3. Sale or rental of any video game that contains any contents listed in subdivision one of this section, shall be made only to an individual who demonstrates, through (a) a valid driver's license or non-driver`s identification and issued by the commissioner of motor vehicles, the federal government, any united states territory, commonwealth or possession, the District of Columbia, a state government within the United States or a provincial government of the dominion of Canada; or (b) a valid passport issued by the united states government or any other country; or (c) an identification card issued by the united states,indicating that the individual is at least eighteen years of age. Such identification need not be required of any individual who reasonably appears to be at least thirty years of age, provided, however, that such appearance shall not constitute a defense in any proceeding involving sale or rental of any video game, to an individual under eighteen years of age.


    In fact, there aren't two separate bills putting video games under "concentrated fire", it's the same bill, but one was the prefiling of the bill on the 3rd, and the second is the actual filing on the 11th.

    This is just sloppy reporting.
  24. Re:correlation != causation on Super-Vaccine For Flu In Development · · Score: 1

    "Diseases do burn themselves out, you know. Once a strand has killed all the vulnerable people, the survivors have immunity. I wonder if there's even an unexplained mechanism whereby baby's immune system can learn from the mother's." There is a mechanism, and it's well explained. Antibodies are tranferred from mother to child though the umbilical cord in the late stages of pregnancy, and are further tranferred through breastmilk when the child nurses.

  25. Re:Real or Virtual on PayPal Launches Virtual Debit Card · · Score: 1

    Umm, you've been able to order a real plastic Mastercard debit card that deducts from your paypal account for some time now. You even get 1% cash back on all purchases. https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=xpt/c ps/general/PayPalDebitCardLP&channel=1&promo=761