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User: FractusMan

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  1. Re:Mainframes allegedly already do this on Intel Patents On-Chip Cosmic Ray Detectors · · Score: 1

    I work for Sun Microsystems, and it's not that rare. Perhaps it's because I see the errors when they happen on all the systems we have across North America as people report them, but I get at least a few hits a day regarding single bit ecache errors. I would say they happen probably once, in a five year period, for each processor. Well, maybe less. Actually, the more I think about the amount of systems we have out there, and that there's a few a day... Hell, I guess it is pretty rare. But it happens!

  2. Seeing the surface on Catching Photons Coming from the Moon · · Score: 1, Insightful

    This is slightly off topic, but related to sending light and receiving it. From the Earth's surface, just how good of a resolution can we get of the lunar surface? I mean, can we put the 'We never landed on the Moon' theories to rest simply by pointing a good telescope up there and looking for footprints/lunar rover tracks?

  3. Real World Example on Budget LCD Monitor Round-up · · Score: 2, Insightful
    I read over their review, and that was indeed the best discussion on colour calibration I've seen in a review. I'm using the Samsung 127x myself, the one that ranked in at number five, I think. It is bright - too bright, most people find, on the default 'Internet' brightness level. However, it comes with software (Natural Color) that lets you calibrate it yourself without the need for a colorimeter. Naturally it's not going to give you the same accuracy as one, but it uses a clever trick to get you to set it to your own comfort level with colours.

    That said, I do not notice the blue tint they talk about, and I've used more than a few LCDs. This is the only one I've been able to use for gaming, and not just because it has absolutely no lag or shadowing or ghosting in even the fastest paced games (Like UT2004 or Serious Sam), but because the colours are vibrant and the contrast is very nice.

    But, that's just my own experience out in the real world.

  4. Whoa on Extremely Critical IE6/SP2 Exploit Found · · Score: 4, Informative

    I use Mozilla. I tried that test link, nothing at all happens. I have SP2 installed and all configured proper - except IE, which I didn't bother to touch at all since installation. I figured, hey, I've got an 'untouched' copy of IE here. I open it, I go to the test site, I click that link: WHOA. Holy crap. Help document pops up, and then (the scary part) a command prompt flicks open, does SOMETHING, and then a new window is up. Yikes. I guess some part of me always hoped these exploits were exaggerated in their swiftness and ability to bypass your input.

  5. That's nothing on Nintendo NES Overclocking Guide · · Score: 4, Funny

    I overclocked the NES to about 300MHz once. It was easy. First, I took the NES case itself and opened it up, revealing the delicate insides. Using a small screwdriver, I removed the mainboard and switches and power supply from the plastic case. Then I threw that shit away. I put in a small motherboard with a 266MHz Intel, hooked up a keyboard and mouse and monitor, and small HD. Downloaded an emulator. Used some fancy soldering to hook the NES controller up to the parallel port. Boom, there you go.

  6. This is not New on Google Local Launched In Canada · · Score: 1

    What the hell? I've been using Google.ca for at least a year and a half now to bring up Canadian websites, when American ones are not wanted (like when searching for a retailer). So what's this new change here?

  7. Waitaminute on Half-Life 2 Preloading from Steam · · Score: 1

    If it's preloading, I'm going to assume HalfLife is going to be... what? Two gigs? More or less? What about the people who don't buy it, but have other Steam products? Wouldn't this just waste a full 2 gigs of space on their HD?

  8. Love on The Ultimate Nintendo Console · · Score: 2

    That is quite possibly the sexiest piece of mahogany I have ever seen.

  9. Don't Forget on UK High Court Rules Modchips Illegal · · Score: 4, Insightful

    While yes, there are people who use modchips to play their own, homebrew games, and play imported games, let's not overlook the obvious. People put modchips in their consoles so they can play stolen (ie, burned) games. If people did NOT use modchips for that purpose, this law wouldn't be necessary. But the fact is that the UK high court is not 'ruining your rights' - it's the people who copy and sell games illegally that ruin the fun for everyone. The UK is merely taking steps to stop that. Whether the steps are too far, I don't know and won't argue. But don't think that this is a cut and dried case of trampling of rights. Go bitch at your friends who have a bunch of "Backup copies" of games.

  10. Well, I'm one example on Why Offshore When Canada's Next Door? · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I work for MSN - MSN which is not offered in Canada, but most of the tech support sites (or so it seems) are located here in Canada.

  11. MS - Altruistic? on MS Rails On Open Source, Appeals To Gov't Greed · · Score: 3, Insightful

    No. What is this? They are trying to save Governments from themselves, yet at the same time, collect a profit? I mean, really, what place does MS have, WHY would MS care what the Chinese government does, unless it's effecting Microsoft's business? MS is not some independant party. They aren't stupid. I can see the blank Chinese faces right now, just sort of staring at Sharp and waiting for him to leave.

  12. Rediculous on Cartoon Guide to Federal Spectrum Policy · · Score: 2, Insightful
    A Comic format to emphasize the point of the very important issue of radio regulation? No. If it took making the article into a cartoon format to get through to someone, that particular person most likely did not care enough about the issue in the first place, and if they do now, they've already shown themselves to be less than active in the area. Chances are they'll remain so.

    No, a properly written article on the benefits and draw backs of liscencing the airwaves would have been better - using frank and somewhat comical analogies is fine, but keep it real. This whole comic is just a bunch of "OMG THE GOVERMENT OWNS OUR AIR" crap, very light on facts and counter-arguments.

  13. Mmmmmmmm on E3 - Nintendo Shows DS Details, Realistic Zelda · · Score: 2, Insightful

    So, mmmmmmm. Delicious. All these systems! Games! Have your stupid "X will pwn Y" arguments, no one cares. The fact is that there's some good hardware coming out and you are free to buy whatever you like. Remember: Only YOU decide which one pwns the other. Both will be successful regardless.

  14. Re:Blaster-style? Uh-oh. on New Windows Worm on the Loose · · Score: 4, Interesting

    From the call volume here at work (an ISP), I'd say a LOT. We went from 0 to a couple hundred in queue in an hour. That was last night. Today, it's still as strong.

  15. Re:My favorite arguement against is... on Demonstration Against Software Patents in Europe · · Score: 0, Troll
    Uh, yeah. That IS what it's like. But you're looking at it wrong. Imagine if "sift 2 cups of with 13 cups of water, a pinch of parsley, and use " was the recipe. Then further imagine that a company is using this awesome recipe to make money. Then - and I know this is taxing your head - imagine further still a bigger company with more resources goes, "oh! That's how they do it!" and then start doing it themselves in massive quantities for lower selling price.

    Smaller, inventing business goes OUT of business. Which is why they have /patents/ on the software they create.

    ... Nimrod.

  16. My Workplace on Computerized Time Clocks Susceptible to 'Manager Attack' · · Score: 1
    My Workplace does the same thing. We have to 'punch in' on our own PCs. The thing is, if we sign in Five Minutes early, we don't get paid for those five minutes. However, if we sign in five minutes late, we get docked five minutes. Same when signing out. If we sign out early, we get docked the minutes. If we sign out a little late, we don't get paid for that.

    I did some calculations, assuming a 3 minute sign-in lateness and 3-minute sign out early, multiplied by the number of employees, wages, hours worked, etc... The numbers were dishearteningly high.

  17. Really Cool, This on Signor Marconi's Magic Box · · Score: 5, Informative

    Wanna know what's really awesome? He received the first signal in Newfoundland, but, if memory serves, he SENT the first signal the other way from Cape Breton. The exact site of this location is about... Oh... One hundred feet from my chair. The Marconi Monument at Table Head is small, but cool. We get tourists from all over the world here.

  18. Fallacies on Why You Should Choose MS Office Over OO.org · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Fascinating use of "facts" and "logic" going on here. Let me start with this one: "...Basic feature functionality that enables content authoring is only one small aspect of what a small business needs. Businesses need to:..."

    Well, that's a great argument. No, it isn't. The opening line was, "Open Office is good enough. I only need basic functionality." And Microsoft's response is, "No, you don't! You need more than that!" Well, thanks. I'm glad you know what we need more than we do.

    Another argument they make is "User support such as training (OpenOffice UI, although similar in many ways to Office, is not the same and users may require 'retraining')."

    Well, that's also swell! I'm glad Microsoft has assumed that we'd need retraining, because obviously everyone was originally trained using MS Office. I'm glad they assume that. That makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. So what about everyone who hasn't had training in either?

    I'll leave the rest of the fallacies to more experienced users than myself.

  19. Re:Ugly photos on 2004's Science Talent Search Winners Are In · · Score: 1

    No - They're actually very ugly.

  20. Inukshuk's Logo? on Fido Launches New Broadband Wireless Access · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Now The People Will Know We Were Here."

  21. Insightful on Eminem Sues Apple for Sampling his Samples · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I LIKE POOPY.

  22. Re:The problem I have with FreeNET is... on Freenet Project More Stable, In Need · · Score: 1

    You miss a few points. 1) No one is forcing anyone in the West or in Communist China to use Freenet. 2) Saying that it should be stopped because of the severe punishments some people would be receiving is like destroying ever Printing Press because they can be used to easily spread propoganda as well as state-approved information.

    There.

  23. Are there any? on Good Online FPS Games/Servers For Beginners? · · Score: 0, Troll

    No.

  24. Who cares? on Is Your Silver-based Thermal Paste Really Silver? · · Score: 4, Funny

    When someone buys 'Silver' thermal paste, are they paying for silver, or for performance? I don't buy the platinum edition of a game and feel jipped because the CD held little to no platinum.

  25. Gary Larson Reference on Colorization of Mars Images? · · Score: 3, Funny

    Roses are Red Violets are Blue That's what they tell me Because I'm blind.