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User: awtbfb

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Comments · 285

  1. Re:Ph.D. - piled higher, deeper on Steve Jobs and the State of Legal Music Downloads · · Score: 1


    I think it's far more interesting that here's yet another group that thinks just because a Ph.D. said something it's gotta be true. Holy crap, when are they going to learn that a Ph.D. doesn't give people complete insight into all things.

    You are wrong.

    awtbfb, PhD

  2. Important wrinkle on Apple Responds to Exploit · · Score: 2, Informative


    What is not fully documented is that if you have multiple network locations, you have to deselect this checkbox for each location. Fortunately, this is straightforward since there is a network location pull down menu right above the checkbox.

    Note that this means you can leave it checked for trusted networks but uncheck it for untrusted networks.

  3. Re:Nice name... on E-Bombs: Technology Update · · Score: 1

    Well "Slashdot" was taken...

  4. You forgot: on Comparing Man and Machine? · · Score: 1


    Slashdot: Moderate the following thread at -1.

  5. Re:I, For One, on Apple Claims Ownership of Shareware · · Score: 1


    Now, what's the article about again?

    Article passed through Apple's Summary Service:

    According to the section of the labor code he referenced, if a company has an employment agreement with provisions saying employees must assign the rights of their inventions to their employer, those sections do not apply if the employee developed it on his or her own time, without using the employer's equipment, supplies, facilities, or trade secret information. The exception to this law is an invention that relates to the employer's R&D or practice, or that results from work an employee did at the company. If Netflix Fanatic's developer showed that he developed the application independently from his work and resources at Apple, and that the application does not relate to Apple's R&D efforts, he may have a case under that section of the California Labor Code.

  6. Easy way to check on Apple Acknowledges 15" PowerBook Spots · · Score: 5, Informative
    1. Close/hide all open windows.
    2. Control-click (or right click) on the desktop and select Change Desktop Background.
    3. Change desktop to "Solid White" in the Solid Colors collection. It's the nearly invisible one to the far right.
    4. Minimize System Preferences window and look for spots. Mine are along the vertical and horizontal centerlines of the screen.
    And yes, my screen will be swapped out shortly under warranty.
  7. Re:Impossible Question on Non-Technological Ways to Combat Cheating? · · Score: 1

    I had a colleague who took off a 1/2 point from every lab report for something, reasonable, yet utterly arcane. For example, not reporting that subjects in a typing study had all ten fingers. When the next semester rolled around it was pretty clear who had help from previous students.

    This sort of pre-loading flags is good for classes with a history of frat files.

  8. Re:They were almost there. on Geek Eye for the Average Guy · · Score: 1

    I too almost choked when I saw the mixed system.

    Get a nice 17" iMac with SuperDrive as the media hub

    Swap the Powerbook for an iBook since it's more durable

    Set them up with IMAP e-mail so they can read it from either machine and stay synchronized (use Mail.app since it's idiot simple and integrated with iPhoto)

    Give them an external media reader for the camera (simpler than plugging in a USB cable) and a scanner for film pictures

    Buy a second keyboard and a trackball for the kids, keep the primary ones out of range

    Turn on Tivo Desktop so you can watch slideshows and home movies from the sofa

    Spend an hour walking them through iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, and iDVD; show them how to open Help and where the various companion tutorials are

    Buy them AppleCare so you don't have to visit them when the iBook is accidentaly left within range of the kids and give them directions to the nearest Apple Store

    Buy them a game console and mount bass shakers in the sofa

    Thank the team at Apple for actually doing research on how and why the average Joe uses computers

  9. Re:PHP Script that generated reports on Fulfilling the Promise of XML-based Office Suites? · · Score: 2, Funny


    It would be nice to not be constantly pestered about TPS Reports. Now where's my red stapler...

  10. Re:One of my professors turned down military work. on American Science: Addicted to Pentagon Cash? · · Score: 1


    He was given offers to work for the DOD and for military contractors, butturned them down, not because he didn't agree with them, but because if he took the job, his work would be classifed and he wouldn't be able to publish.

    Ironically, I've personally seen this reason almost kill more than one "done deals" between university research labs and potential corporate sponsors.

    Furthermore, there are some DoD sources that use publication record as a grant performance metric.

  11. Re:And for the deaf? Misleading headline on Computer Game Improves Children's Hearing · · Score: 1


    A friend just mentioned that her 80yrs+ father got an implant.

    There is a difference between becoming deaf postlingually (e.g., old age, Rush Limbaugh) and at a young age. If you make it out of childhood speaking/listening you have already established the language centers in the brain that benefit from a cochlear implant.

    This is why kids under 5 should be implanted as early as possible and immersed in therapy. If they decide they want to join the signing community when they are old enough to make their own decisions, it is still possible. The reverse is not.

  12. Re:Preparing for a Lecture? on Movie Landmarks for CGI Effects? · · Score: 1


    Teaching should be the overflow of something you know very well, not something unknown and thrown together by asking a web site... Research papers are for learning---teaching/lecturing is when you already know and want to teach others what you have learned.

    This is an obvious Troll, but I'll bite.

    One of the reasons top tier schools are in the top tier is that the instructors continuously seek to improve not only the content, but their skill sets. This keeps education fresh and timely for both students and the teachers.

    Additionally, some of the best educational experiences are those where the teacher and student are both learning. The teacher provides structure, focus, motivation, and experience. This is pretty common in project-based courses where the student will develop in-depth expertise on a specific topic beyond their teacher's level.

    You are also ignoring the process side of the teaching question. A teacher may pick a new application in which to teach a particular theory in order to improve the delivery of that theory. For example, physics and chemistry teachers are constantly developing new demonstrations to help students understand and remember basic concepts.

    Regardless, a good academic will routinely research the field - even if they are an expert - to ensure they provide thorough, up-to-date coverage.

  13. Police chatter in the classroom on Wireless Growth & Wireless Interference · · Score: 5, Interesting


    This problem has been around for some time in the hearing impaired community.

  14. Re:Does anyone use this stuff? on Verizon Rolling Out Nextel-Like PTT Service · · Score: 2, Interesting

    We did during demos and field tests. The catch was the Nextell walkie-talkie signal was interfering with one of our sensors so we had to be careful when we used it. Didn't seem to be a problem during normal calls though.

  15. High speed wireless = 40 to 60 kbps on Verizon Rolling Out Nextel-Like PTT Service · · Score: 3, Informative


    From their site:

    Express Network is capable of data speeds bursting up to 144 kbps, delivering average speeds up to 40 to 60 kbps. You may experience slower data speeds.

  16. Re:Funny how the US develops technology... on US Military Develops P2P Wireless Network Sniffer · · Score: 1


    ...that seems to be mainly aimed at countering themselfs ... If you're attacking however, you need to carry your own coms.

    This would be effective if you were the second invader (aka liberator). The US has a past history of such actions.

  17. Re:Nothing to do with deregulation on Deregulation and Niagara Mohawk - Is There a Story? · · Score: 1


    I am typing this on my laptop with no power here in Detroit, MI.

    Addict.

    On a related note, you win the "Nerd of the Day" prize.

  18. Re:Question about the shirts on Slashdot T-Shirt Contest Winners! · · Score: 1

    Will they have big advertisements on them? Specifically, Microsoft advertisements?

    No, but Taco's lust for Apple TiBooks is evident in the aquafied Scott Lewallen option.

  19. Re:This is an interesting article? on How's Your Cell Service? · · Score: 1


    the scoring on the survey ranks in the range of 0-104

    I'm glad someone pointed that out. I also thought it was funny that 100 represents an average score. Was this work done at Walden College?

  20. Re:HUD on In-Dash DIN-form-factor Car PC · · Score: 1


    You really need to be careful...

    Research on HUDs in cars have revealed all sorts of subtle problems. Nothing like the Blue Screen of Death, but still potentially deadly. HUDs can be very useful but they need to be designed very carefully. Common problems with HUDs are (1) misperception of distance for real objects, (2) lower performance when responding to unusual events, and (3) cognitive capture. The last is when you ignore the real world in favor of the HUD imagery. For example, if the HUD says you need to make a left but the road requires you to take a right hand exit and turn left under a bridge. For some reason, people are more susceptible to this when the info is on a HUD.

    Pilots are able to use HUDs because they are thoroughly trained and usually have more than a few seconds before they hit something.

  21. Re:The Biggest Point on Browser Wars II: The Saga Continues · · Score: 1


    There is no browser.

    I thought it was "There is no spoon."

  22. C++0x? on Latest Proposals for C++0x · · Score: 0, Redundant


    How about upping the name to D?

  23. Re:hype. on Repel Bugs With Your Cell Phone · · Score: 1
  24. Is it just me ... on Hubble Catches Some Cosmic Fireworks · · Score: -1, Offtopic


    ... or does it look like /. spun 180 degrees?

  25. Re:My Panther Notes on Panther Analysis Getting Underway · · Score: 1

    Dock
    2. Grouping would really help the power user. I currently have 80 items in the dock and can never find anything...


    In Jaguar, I have a few category folders in my dock below the bar (e.g., a folder of aliases to frequently used apps, important document folders, etc.). Whenever I want an item in one of these folders, I control-click (or right click, or click & hold) on the folder and select what I want from the pop-up menu. I've found that having fewer contents produces much faster response times. You can even use custom folder icons to make it easier to identify the category folder you want.