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User: keith_nt4

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  1. Explain California droughts then on Airplanes Cause Accidental Cloud Seeding · · Score: 1

    The question i always have, and never get the answer to, when I see articles about these "studies" is: explain droughts in California over the past 30 years. California has a whole lot of air traffic all over the state and yet it goes multiple years on end with very little rain. If this happens so consistently to conclude there's a correlation why does California have droughts...like ever...?

  2. "Dvorak hints" on Could Amazon Reviews Be Corrupt? · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I can't believe I read that entire summary only to be lead into a link to a Dvorak column. It's like the slashdot version of being rick rolled. And I fell for it. Bravo samzenpus, bravo.

  3. Re:Oh the irony on Capcom Announces Unreplayable Game · · Score: 1

    So if it sells well then "DRM is a success!" but if the game doesn't sell well it's not because the game is bad or because it's crippled like this it's "because of rampant piracy". ...

    CAPCOM is a genius!

  4. Re:Crack Down - Seriously It isn't Funny on San Francisco Considers Ban On All Pet Sales · · Score: 1

    Jail time? Really? For violating some *pet* rules??

    You realize California is having to *LET OUT* dangerous prisoners because of over-crowding as it is. And you want to fill them up with people who failed to register the births of some puppies?!

    God, I hope you're kidding. If not, get some therapy.

  5. Re:The Road Ubuntu is on... on Synaptic Dropped From Ubuntu 11.10 · · Score: 1

    Yes, I know ISOs can be burned to DVDs. That was not my point. My point is third world countries perhaps do not yet have DVD burners and blank DVDs. Just because it's super cheap where you and I are doesn't mean it's super cheap in choose-a-place Africa, India, or South America. I'm talking poor countries here. That was my point. Our old stuff becomes their new stuff. Probably 10 year old stuff. How common were DVD burners in 2000?

  6. Re:The Road Ubuntu is on... on Synaptic Dropped From Ubuntu 11.10 · · Score: 1

    The CD release, I was under the impression (I've listened to the Ubuntu guy on the FLOSS podcast several times) that the 650 MB ISO thing was for the benefit of the "developing world". Third world countries in other words like India or up-and-comers like Brazil who perhaps don't have DVD burners and/or the bandwidth speed for several gigs worth of ISO. The 650 part is I think for CD-RWs. Weren't they limited to 650 at one point? Been a couple years since i tried to use a CD-RW...

  7. Re:How? on Defiance Combines TV Show and MMO · · Score: 1

    I assume the production methods will resemble something like Sanctuary which Syfy already has going. Actually there have been other shows (and still are) that seem to have found some CG/chromekey techniques. Remember that South Park/WoW cross-over? There's some kid's shows now that seem to be doing some wierd stuff as well combining CG with green screens and live actors. Actually Adult Swim has bunch of that stuff as well.

    Well that's one way they could do it...

    The issue is creating a successful MMO is a challenge and creating a successful TV show is a challenge and with this they're creating both at once and probably neither will work unless their BOTH successful. Either that or the show will cost about $2 and be the quality of your average "Tim and Eric" type show on Adult Swim...

    I just hope it's better than that Stan Lee reality show...

  8. Re:Oh come on! on Nintendo Announces New Console: Wii U · · Score: 1

    There's an Austin Powers reference in here some where. You know, from the really, really bad one... fook u..fook mee..

    Insert your own joke here.

  9. Re:Hard to say on Nintendo Announces New Console: Wii U · · Score: 1

    I got that version of the NES as a kid (the one that came with ROB). I don't remember how well he worked nor do I know whatever happened to him. I do know he was supposed to play a game called Gyromite with you which you could also play with two game pads. My dad and I played that co-operatively for many, many hours.

    Oh and there were in fact some kind of tops or something that spun in place that ROB used. Or something. I think I remember that. (it's only been 25 years, my memory may not be accurate)

  10. Re:More time for ME2 on Mass Effect 3, Battlefield 3 Launch Dates Announced · · Score: 1

    Okay one of two scenarios: the inevitable delay until the "first half" of 2012...or they release on time and release a several gigabyte patch with out a couple months of release... Or I'm just cynical... :-)

  11. More time for ME2 on Mass Effect 3, Battlefield 3 Launch Dates Announced · · Score: 1

    Some how i never quite finished ME2. I was really, really close but had an unfortunate incident involving Ghost. Fortunately I had my saves copied over to drop box. But still haven't taken the time to go back and finish it. Now I apparently have more time then November to finish ME2.

    Now I just have to wait for the inevitible similar announcement about Skyrim. I know it's coming, you know it's coming...

  12. Re:Oooooooo! I can't wait! on Mass Effect 3, Battlefield 3 Launch Dates Announced · · Score: 1

    I noticed the ads as well. I didn't think there was any dip in reputation or whatever so I thought it odd. Guess it isn't just me. Sorry about the off-topic.

  13. Re:Which FPS to get? on Mass Effect 3, Battlefield 3 Launch Dates Announced · · Score: 2

    I can only assume you meant CoD: MW3, since CoD3 came out six or so years ago for original XBox...

    Also until I really read that some place I'm going to have a hard time believing any developer would cripple their flagship franchise like that.

  14. Re:Technical solution? on Sprint Pushes FPS NOVA With Firmware — and Users Can't Remove It · · Score: 1

    No one has yet asked i think...is NOVA at least a good FPS?

  15. Re:Economies of scale on Why Thunderbolt Is Dead In the Water · · Score: 1

    USB isn't about to go away any time soon. It's too cheap and too ubiquitous.

    I heard the same said about 3.5" floppy drives years ago. I also remember all the "Apple screwed the pooch dropping 3.5" floppy drives from their computers" commentators back then. Sometimes a person simply doesn't recognize *real* advances in technology as they're happening.

    I believe the top selling accessory for Macs for many, many years after that decision was the USB floppy drive. It was way too soon to drop the floppy drive as thumb drives and reliable CD burners were not yet cheap/available at the time. Maybe it helped push us away from floppy drives in the long run but it was way too soon (late 90s with the first iMacs if I remember right).

  16. Re:Verizon customers say "So long" to Verizon. on Verizon Customers: Say So Long To Unlimited Data · · Score: 1

    What competitors?

  17. Grand fathered? on Verizon Customers: Say So Long To Unlimited Data · · Score: 1
    I had a sneaking suspicion this would happen which is why I bought my Android on Verizon last summer (July 2010). I was hoping when it inevitably happened I could keep my unlimited data plan. Be "grand fathered in" in other words maximizing my flexibility (switch limited data or keep my "unlimited" plan). The article didn't really mention this one way or another. I don't really use my than 2 gigs anyway but it's nice to have the option.

    So does anybody know if current unlimited data plans are grandfathered? Or has this not been announced yet?

  18. Re:This is why communications should be socialized on Verizon Customers: Say So Long To Unlimited Data · · Score: 1

    I don't know if I like that idea. I mean in California it's private companies that do the phone, power and rail and supposed to government for roads. And our roads are shit. Maybe your idea with an independent audit on a lowest bid. But that's Cali. It's pretty F'd up.

  19. Re:Best explanation: SN 287 on Mint It Yourself With a Browser-Based Bitcoin Miner · · Score: 1

    I actually meant *NOT* trying to sell you on it. Apparently I don't utilize the preview feature very well.

  20. Re:Best explanation: SN 287 on Mint It Yourself With a Browser-Based Bitcoin Miner · · Score: 1
    Apparently you have no idea what SpinRite is or is supposed to accomplish. It does not nor does it claim to recover a recently formatted disk. In fact it doesn't look at the disk at that level (it would work on an encrypted zfs, or unformatted or any experimental FS etc.). If the BIOS can acknowledge the drive's existence spinrite can be run on it. Steve is really into assembly and uses the SMART system and various interfaces into the disk to do various check, the most obvious of which is the check for bad sectors. It has an emergency recovery mode as well as a maintenance mode.

    I'm actually trying to sell anyone on it just attempting to clarify what it actually does...

  21. Re:Best explanation: SN 287 on Mint It Yourself With a Browser-Based Bitcoin Miner · · Score: 1

    Ya I know, I just thought a large number of readers who perhaps weren't familiar with Steve by name or SpinRite had perhaps run across Shields UP at some point. So I guess I meant "most famously known". I love spinrite btw. Ran it for 1,000 hours straight once. Drive worked again after that. Though I probably shouldn't use it...

  22. Re:Getting you at the exit nodes on Mint It Yourself With a Browser-Based Bitcoin Miner · · Score: 1

    At some point or another, you have to interface with the Real World (TM), do you not?

    Or will you pay your rent/mortgage/food in Bitcoin, too?

    That's where they'll get you. Or Visa/Mastercard will stop processing for wherever bitcoin.org is hosted after a friendly call from a Senator.

    I already my bills without anything physical. Actually my pay checks are deposited in my bank account and verizon/netflix/etc. all take money out every month. I don't think there's a bitcoin voucher I can print out and stuff under my mattress if that's what you mean but the "IRL" has already been removed, at least in my case. If this "near field communication" ever gets off the ground and I can tie my bitcoin balance to my phone I could even use vending machines with bitcoin. Guess I'll have to wait a while for that.

  23. Best explanation: SN 287 on Mint It Yourself With a Browser-Based Bitcoin Miner · · Score: 5, Informative
    When this came up a couple of days ago I didn't see anyone link to this for some reason (or I missed it).

    The podcast called Security Now featuring Leo Laporte and Steve Gibson (famouse for that the "Shields Up!" web page) dedicated episode 287 entirely to bit coin.

    I thought steve gave an incredibly well thought out, clear, concise explanation of what bit coin is why it is apparently impossible to "game" the system in anyway. The following episode (288) was the "listener feedback" episode with many listeners expressing doubt and even more excellent explanations from Steve.

    Here are the convenient transcripts of these episodes, linked here in the hopes perhaps it will be useful to the slashdot community.

    http://www.grc.com/sn/sn-287.htm - main episode

    http://www.grc.com/sn/sn-288.htm - Q-and-A episode

    In my mind if Steve says it's trustworthy and not a scam, that's good enough for me. But then I've listened to all 300+ episodes and am a big fan so I may be biased.

    In fact there was a spike in use after the SN bitcoin episode. It may be wholly or partially due to Steve's apparent endorsement (he says he's going to make his software purchasable via bitcoin).

  24. We need jsDOS on Ask Slashdot: DOSBox, or DOS Box? · · Score: 1
    I think it was featured on slashdot: a pc emulator/linux OS written entirely in javascript, jsLinux.

    If some one makes an equivalent for DOS (or perhaps HTML5) that can run old games I suppose that would solve all these issues.

  25. Here are my ideas... on Ask Slashdot: How Should Sony Compensate PSN Users? · · Score: 1

    Not that this would ever happen but... How about lifetime PSN Premium for all long time users of the platform. Reduced price to purchase lifetime PSN Premium for those who purchased more recently before the breach. So really great combo packages for incredibly cheap to lure in new people. Steam seems to have their act together. Maybe all purchases through PS3/Steam instead of through sony. Maybe that would help encourage some people to put their credit card in. Of course I'm saying this all as a non-PS3 owning person. If they sold the PS3 with at least two controllers for $100 I might actually be tempted to pick one up. Not sure I'd buy any PSN games or new $60 games so I wouldn't be a very good customer for them but at least they could give some numbers to their third parties and partners and say "see, it's not collapsing". As I said I doubt any of this would happen. Semi-related story: several years ago I purchases a used 360 during a post-Christmas sale at Fry's. I got it home and it still had some else's game tag and possibly their credit card number intact. How Fry's is still a thing I have no idea.