Slashdot Mirror


User: phrantic

phrantic's activity in the archive.

Stories
0
Comments
63
First seen
Last seen
Profile
(view on slashdot.org)

Comments · 63

  1. Re:Leak...Leak on Leaked Memo Says Microsoft Raised $86 million for SCO · · Score: 1

    should that not read memory and not memos?

  2. Re:Preying on Emotions on USA To Return To Moon By 2015, Then Mars · · Score: 1

    Does anyone know what "the other guy" thinks? have they commented?

  3. Re:No offense to the chineese but on Three Gorges Dam Begins Storing Water · · Score: 1

    On the issue of silt I know that the yellow river silts up so much that the level of the river is higher than the surrounding country side and is only kept in place through the re-enforcing and building up of the banks.

    Does anyone know whether this is an issue with the 3 gorge project?

  4. "....but what is good for ..." on Just In Case 3G Isn't Speedy Enough · · Score: 1, Insightful

    I can only talk from my point of view, but enough all ready with

    -You can play your MP3s on it
    -You can watch video on it
    -You can teach it to knit
    It's supposed to be a phone....
    The only free time i have is when I cycle to work on a bicycle in the rain I don't even listen to that much music in the first place.

    I'll put my hand in my pocket and buy a phone when it stops me getting wet when i cycle to work or when it makes my work easier.

    I was blown away when in early 1996 i saw a hand held, web enabled, colour touch screen, digital camera Sharp Zauras in Japan for 40,000 JPY (400 USD/Euro), actually i think the black and white one was that much, but it blew me away at the time and everything else since has been a bit dull.

  5. I speak Canadian too on Korea Fighting Pseudonyms on the 'Net · · Score: 1

    Should this not be

    Well, what can we do? eh Raise taxes? eh Okay. eh Add the GST? eh Okay. eh What can we do? eh

  6. Web hit counter on Who Needs XFree86? · · Score: 1

    Go to the twin web site and just watch that web counter go....

    I hope that it automatically goes to a 5th digit...

  7. Re:WOOHOO! on Database Clusters for the Masses · · Score: 1

    no it's a cluster of clusters...

  8. attack of the clones on Ballmer on Windows Server 2003, Linux · · Score: 1

    Irrespective of whether the statement he made about Linux being a clone or not,
    Linux unlike windows exposes itself on a daily basis to the entire "distributed environment that the open-source/Linux world works in" that at the very least ensure that the product will be as robust and as secure as possible.
    The only innovation that Microsoft have invested in since windows NT came out 10 years (?)ago is to knock the corners of their dialog boxes, and go all funky with the colours,giving use the "Fischer Price: Windows Version.

    Speaking of funky and "innovation" don't get me started on Microsofts inovative apporach to licensing...

  9. Re:Its not a "bug", its a "feature" on Corporations Suffer Microsoft Activation Bug · · Score: -1

    do you mean Windows PFO
    Please
    F@#$%#
    Off

  10. Lifetime agreement:- Dictionary Definition on SonicBlue (Replay/Rio) Bought By D&M · · Score: 1

    Lifetime agreement: A fanciful mechanism whereby companies can charge the prices they really want to charge for a service but realize that no one will go for it as it is too high. For further explanation, see also Straight hooks and tartan paint

  11. These guys want some on NASA Wires Chips With Nanotubes · · Score: 1

    These guys are looking for 180,000 KM of the stuff, I wonder can the get it here.

    Oh and the need a big rock to tie it to as well....

  12. The NYT Back door link on Internet via the Power Grid, Again · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Simply remove the www of the original url and replace it with archive, works for all NYT articles as far as i know.

  13. Re:hardware not license on Man Jailed for Selling Modchips · · Score: 1

    I was also reminded of the car analogy, but as far as i know the car industry without actually encouraging this kind of thing does not chase after people who chip their cars. It voids your warranty on the car sure, but it is your car so whatever you do is fine.

  14. Re:Translation? on New Sony PVR/DVR and DVD Recorder · · Score: 1

    not even altavista can help you, if you run the url through you get amoung other things

    The knitting machine is the digital recorder which loads the connected function to broadband network the HDD and the DVD of the 80GB - the RW

    For what it is worth I can read most of this, but not to a level that I could post here, but it does seem like a cool piece of Equipment.

    As to things like copyright, the Japanese are quite lax about it, or were when i was working there. It is the only place in the world where MD (Mini-Disks) really took off. If you throw in the fact that you can rent yes rent CD's in the same way as you rent Videos most other places means that it is almost expected that you copy things.

  15. Re:private satellites as military targets? on Satellite Access in Time of War · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Two things,

    1) I would guess (having not read the article) that any information that is encrypted tighter than a whale's bum under water, is either comms stuff, or information that is non-critical, things like before and after shots of Saddam's royal palaces, the before shot might be useful but the smoking crater that is the after shot will be very little use, and almost indistinguishable from all the other smoking holes in the ground

    2) As to the civilian satellites being targets, despite what the spin doctoring and hawks would have you believe Saddam would have trouble getting ordinance to hit a barn door at 50 metres, never mind picking satellites off.

  16. Re:patent... on TRON + Linux = "T-Linux" · · Score: 1

    From what i can see (although the link to the link on the license in the aritcle is broken), it would appear that irrespective of whether the patent is valid or not, as long as you stick to the GPL you do not incur a license fee.

    I am not sure what license approach monta-vista use but i guess it is some flavour of the GPL.

    Getting back to the question of the validity of the patent itself, I have written individual tasks from real time RISC based applications (but I'm better now). What I would like to know is when does a "task" become complicated enough to be classed as a complete OS? Or what does a collection of code need to have to be classed as an (in)complete OS? I was charged with writing the communication task that talked to external devices, and spat the information to the "display" task. If you lump the comm and display task together is that an OS? Having not read the entire patent, I am not sure if there is a definition of what an OS is.

  17. Re:Is there a point? on How Google Grows...and Grows...and Grows · · Score: 2, Funny

    "...If there were 10 sheep in a field and farmer Bob owned 5 of them what would farmer Bobs "semantic mindshare" of sheep be?

    Bonus Question:
    1) What is the proper Unit for "semantic mindshare".
    2) Express this in Hogheads/furlong
    Yeah i agree with hafree this is around as usual as an ashtray on a motorbike.

  18. Re:Really? on XML Co-Creator says XML Is Too Hard For Programmers · · Score: 2, Insightful

    If programming was easy everyone could/would do it.

    Yeah i am sure that someone can make a compiler than allows you to feed in pseudo code in clear English, written with crayons on the back of a ceral packet, but you are robbing Peter to pay Paul, you will have to take the hit somewhere....

  19. from the article (side bar 3) on CIOs Looking At OSS · · Score: 4, Funny

    Who Are Those Guys?

    The mysterious people designing open-source software are the same people who are working for you right now

    Worried about trusting your infrastructure to a bunch of shaggy college kids who might bolt at any moment for a yearlong backpacking trip to Switzerland? Don't worry. Even if every one of them left for the Alps tomorrow, 90 percent of the open-source community would still be checking in to one of the community's Internet hangouts (SourceForge.net and Freshmeat.net are the most popular) to see what's new.

    Yeah right, like I have time to ski, or that I have any hair left, shaggy or otherwise....well except for the palms of my hand but I don't count that...

  20. war on terror = the new communism on MPAA, Microsoft Testify Piracy Funds Terrorism · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This is the political version of FUD.

    Pick something that people hate and use the hatred of as a vechicle to drive all kinds of crap under the nose of joe public

    "Uh huh, we'd like clean air too buddy, but you know it's them damn terrorists"
    "Drilling for oil in the rain forest, before we sell it to the corporate burger guys to raise cattle in inhumane conditions, we'd love to stop it too but you know it's them damn terrorists"
    "we'd love to stop bugging your phone but you know ...."
    repeat until the next election, kiss baby, smile, wave at camera.

    I am taking suggestions, on what will take over from Terrorism, open source anyone?

  21. is that by data volume or by quantity? on Forty Percent of All Email is Spam · · Score: 2, Interesting

    If it is by quantity (the number of mails received it is probably close to correct) but if it is by data volume (if you open the html ones at least I would say that the figure is a bit low...

  22. Fieldbus technology on Web Server Packed into RJ45 Connector · · Score: 2, Informative

    Factory automation has been involved with web enabling control processes for several years, albeit with less focus on web based goodies and more on the actual control of distributed peripherals.
    In the good old days control of an Auto plant, chemical plant, anything at all that required PLC (programmable logic controllers), all of the i/o was driven by units that attached directly to the PLC-CPU unit. This was all very well but from there you then had to run power cables the tens of metres to whatever valves or motor you wanted to control, the routing of power cables is more strictly regulated that data cables.
    Some bright spark came up with the idea that if you distributed the i/o placing it right beside the motor or whatever and ran a high speed communication link over data lines this would be eaiser to manage. Things got more interesting when you add the web to the equation, and some of the big guns toyed with the idea of serving java applets allowing centrally located controllers to download the applets that visualised and controlled the remote (anything from metres to 1000's of Kilometres) equipment and to control it from there.

    The draw back to this is that if it is on the web then there is subject to attacked, by iraqi's or script kiddies.

  23. my guess on Germany Mulls A Copyright Levy + VAT For PCs · · Score: 1

    ....Peter Suber, a prominent advocate of free online scholarship, analyzed the various post-levy scenarios in his FOS blog:
    "What I can't tell is whether the copyright levy on hardware will come with universal permission to copy....


    My Guess is that if this does become law (what colour is the sky in their world though??) , that the proceeds will be used to chase down anyone who is actually caught copying material. I would be very surprised if the paying of this tax and/or levy infers any rights to copy.


  24. they can have my list of internet usage for free on Peer Pressure Porn Filter · · Score: 2, Funny

    it's here

  25. we have all seen "falling down" on McDonalds to go Wireless? · · Score: 1

    he was just pissed about the food...
    Can you imagine what happens when he doesn't get good download speed....

    joking apart though who will support this?

    99.9% of slashdot can chomp on a burger, and sort out their ip settings (the other 0.1% will need to put the burger down), but what about those who can't do it, even if the put the burger down....