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User: stiggle

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  1. Re:huh? on West Nile Virus Outbreak Puts Dallas In State of Emergency · · Score: 1, Insightful

    But West Nile can stop the hordes of rednecks :-)

  2. Re:Unfortunately, UK has become Uncle Sam's lapdog on UK Authorities Threaten To Storm Ecuadorian Embassy To Arrest Julian Assange · · Score: 1

    The British Empire was being dismantled from the early 1900's
    Australia in 1901
    Ireland in 1922 (apart from the 6 counties in the north)
    Canada in 1930 - it had increasing local powers from the late 1800s
    South Africa 1909

    Some parts of Empire weren't given full independence until quite recently - eg. Belize 1981, Bahamas 1973

  3. Re:Unfortunately, UK has become Uncle Sam's lapdog on UK Authorities Threaten To Storm Ecuadorian Embassy To Arrest Julian Assange · · Score: 1

    Technically they've threatened to withdraw diplomatic status of the land & building housing the embassy and then enter the building once it no longer has diplomatic status. An embassy is only an embassy as long as the host country recognises it as such, once they remove the recognition then its just a building housing diplomats.

  4. Hitting the GSM Alliance on Why Apple Is Suing Every Android Manufacturer In Sight · · Score: 1

    Apple are trying to hit the GSM Alliance members so they have some platform to bargain from when they counter due to Apple's complete abuse of the GSM patents. They were offered them under FRAND terms but Apple decided they weren't reasonable enough for them and so refused.

    Nokia sued and won $650million and a cost per unit about 18 months ago.
    Samsung are currently suing them over the GSM patents Samsung owns which Apple are abusing - so Apple fought back with their design patent infringments.

  5. Re:Hawii on Tokelau Becomes First Country To Go 100% Solar · · Score: 1

    Why would Hawaii bother with solar & wind when they're sitting on a geothermal hot spot?
    Heating & electricity in Hawaii should be almost free with the amount of available energy they have.

  6. Re:I deeply dislike the end-run aroudn the courts on Valve Removes Right For Class Action Claims From EULA · · Score: 1

    Joe then publishes his information for any user user of $large_company to claim the same.
    A little publicity on the case in the local media about Joe beating $large_company, then national media and $large_company is soon getting hit multiple times in multiple places.

  7. Re:Really? on Guild Wars 2 Release Date Announced · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Thats one of the things I liked about the original GuildWars - I could fill my party up with NPC and not have to deal with other people if I wanted to be anti-social. At other times I could get all my friends along too (before they left for LOTRO)

  8. Re:Bunk on The World's First Supercavitating Boat? · · Score: 1

    With a passenger capacity of 18 it looks like he's not wanting it to replace the capital ships, but the small ribcraft used by marines & special forces.
    So the capital ships deploying these can stay out further and the ops can get into shore/target area quicker.

    The Navy has LPD (Landing Platform Dock) ships which allow smaller vessels & amphibious vehicles to dock within the ship.

  9. Re:It's all military grade, or better on Chuck Schumer Tells Apple and Google To "Curb Your Spy Planes" · · Score: 1

    You have rights to the air above your land as far up as you can occupy or use - depending upon local zoning regulations.
    You can also sue anyone who tresspasses in your airspace, so you could probably sue Google with their low flying drone at 200', but not American Airlines at 40,000'

    http://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/airspace-right-lawyers.html

    http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19460601&id=eBoaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NCUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2585,35429

  10. Re:Prediction on Shenzhou 9 Sparks Renewed Debate On Space Race With China · · Score: 1

    Elon Musk still has control of SpaceX, so it does what he wants it to do. He wants to go to Mars.
    SpaceX was created to get him to Mars.
    Tesla Motors was created to get him about on Mars once he's there. Why else would he develop an electric powered car?

    Martian rock - most major universities and science research institutes would buy some. Rich people would buy some just because they could.

  11. Its an EU directive on UK "No Tracking Law" Now In Effect · · Score: 5, Informative

    While the British government might have implemented, the law comes from the EU.
    It actually came in last year and websites were given a year grace to enable the features required.
    Its that grace period which has expired, not that the law has now suddenly been introduced.

  12. Re:I recall an experiment to do just that on Calculating Total Network Capacity · · Score: 2

    Morris only experimented over TCPIP on unix systems running finger. He bypassed/ignored X.25 and other non TCPIP networks.

  13. Re:Hate to put a damper on the celebration on Diablo III Released · · Score: 1

    You can reach the end of the main quest sequence down the mine which I suppose could be classed as "finished" but there are still other quests and the random dungeons you can work through.

  14. Re:h.264 on Motorola Scores Patent Wins Over Microsoft, Apple · · Score: 2

    They didn't move development to Europe because the USA would still find them infringing.
    Just because you're not in the USA doesn't mean that the USA won't sue you.

  15. Re:COOL! on Motorola Scores Patent Wins Over Microsoft, Apple · · Score: 2

    The terms Apple wanted were better than the FRAND terms offered.
    Apple wanted the same terms as the members of the GSM Alliance get - these are patent holders of GSM (and other mobile technology) patents who have pooled their patents and cross-license them. Obviously, if you are offering something then you get something back. If you're not putting patents into the pool then your licensing costs are going to be higher as you're not contributing.

    See http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-14/nokia-apple-payments-to-nokia-settle-all-litigation.html for the similar Nokia - Apple case where Apple were found to be infringing on Nokia's patents where Apple demanded better than FRAND terms.

  16. Re:More Patents on Using Non-Newtonian Fluids To Fill Potholes · · Score: 1

    You don't need the police to patch the potholes, you just need all the municipal trucks and emergency services to carry a couple of bags in the back and patch them as they come across them, then phone in the repair so that they can be booked in for a permanent repair at a later date when the bag and cover mat gets re-used.

    This isn't to be a permanent replacement to fixing potholes - its to make them less of a hazard until they are properly repaired.

  17. Re:Eh? on US Judge Rules Against German Microsoft Injunction · · Score: 1, Interesting

    It's not a case of protecting a US company. It's the judge protecting his court, as a similar case is due in front of him there next month.
    So the US judge would rather not have a German court decide on the issue before he gets his chance to as preserving US court power is more important than abiding by international law.

    But to add a twist - Motorola is now under investigation by the EU over 'standards-based patents' following complaints by Apple & Microsoft.
    http://www.gfmag.com/latestnews/latest-news-old.html?newsid=1.3276332E7

  18. Re:Paying Microsoft and Apple for Android ? on Google, Motorola Ordered To Provide Android Info To Apple · · Score: 1

    SpaceX aren't patenting any of their developments.
    Why? Because to patent them they have to publish their designs and they don't want to give the competition (like China, Iran, etc) the designs to copy. If they don't patent then they keep the competitive edge.

  19. I'd say First, but its the Last :-) on Geohashing Conquers the South Pole · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    First post, last tag!

  20. Re:3,000? on After US v. Jones, FBI Turns Off 3,000 GPS Tracking Devices · · Score: 1

    Yes they'd need a warrant.
    It would be the same as tracking them as the GPS-carrying vehicle could be in an unusual location, like the disused fish packing plant down by the docks, and that resulted in a drug bust and arrest. If they got the GPS location without a warrant then they could have the case thrown out on the lack of the warrant for the GPS.

    So, in order to cover their ass, they get a temp warrant to enable the GPS to report its location so they can locate the vehicle and remote the tracker.

  21. Re:Trucker disrupts air control tower on Secret UK Network Hunts GPS Jammers · · Score: 2

    This is why other spacefaring powers are creating their own versions of GPS - eg. Europeans with Galileo. So if the US DoD does turn off/encrypt the NavStar constellation they can still access their own systems, and others are enhancing LORAN-C

  22. If you can't pay the fine don't do the crime on Tech Billionaire-Backed Charter School Under Fire In Chicago · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If paying these fines is a problem, then make sure you don't get hit with them.
    If you don't want your kid to be educated with a strict set of rules in the school, then choose a different school.

  23. Re:It's a good thing the military is still funded. on White House Wants Devastating Cuts To NASA's Mars Exploration · · Score: 1

    He also worked out that the heavy nuclei is made up of particles and identified the proton as the nuclei of hydrogen - which is why he named it 'proton' after 'protos' - the first. He also identified alpha particles as helium nuclei. Taking protons from the nuclei is a little different than stripping electrons in chemistry in a test tube.

    http://www.manhattanrarebooks-science.com/rutherford1919.htm
    "We must conclude that the nitrogen atom is disintegrated under the intense forces developed in a close collision with a swift alpha particle, and that the hydrogen atom which is liberated formed a constituent part of the nitrogen nucleus." -Ernest Rutherford

    FIRST EDITION of Ernest Rutherford's announcement of the splitting of the atom and the discovery of the proton.

    Cockcroft & Walton used high voltage accelerators to shoot protons to split lithium which is the first deliberate "splitting" to continue the work started by Rutherford.

  24. Re:It's a good thing the military is still funded. on White House Wants Devastating Cuts To NASA's Mars Exploration · · Score: 1

    Which was based on US technology researched by Goddard outside of military science.

    Goddard's first liquid fueled, gyroscopically controlled rocket was launched in 1926. So while the US space launch capability was kicked into overdrive by the captured V-2 specialists - their work was based on stolen/borrowed/inspired tech from the USA. So while the V-2 is a military development, the core technologies were developed outside of military science.

  25. Re:It's a good thing the military is still funded. on White House Wants Devastating Cuts To NASA's Mars Exploration · · Score: 1

    I'd have thought splitting the atom has rather crucial to fission based nuclear power. Rutherford proved it could be done and then others developed his work to create it in a stable sustainable environment.

    Just as Faraday demonstrated the link between magnetism and electricity. It took others (Tesla, Westinghouse, Edison) to actual make it functional and usable.