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User: wpiman

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Comments · 411

  1. Of course... on Study Questions H-1B Policies · · Score: 5, Insightful

    employers want to bring more people in. If we didn't, people in the STEM fields could demand more money. We should have H1B Visas for lawyers and politicians. It would be amazing how quickly the program would be shut down then.

  2. Stem shortage... on New Study Suggests No Shortage of American STEM Graduates · · Score: 5, Insightful

    of course it is a myth. It is just a ploy by large businesses to boost the H1B Visa program to increase the supply in order to push wages down.

  3. Re:We are the 30% on Microsoft To Apple: Don't Take Your Normal 30% Cut of Office For iOS · · Score: 1

    Microsoft has an ulterior motive to cell their OS powered phones now. I haven't used on but apparently they are quite good. This might be a teaser to companies-- "hey, you can't use Blackberry anymore. Iphones are nice-- but you can't do work on them. Look at our new Windows phones!"

  4. I like my Google TV because... on Google Giving Google TV Another Shot · · Score: 1

    it integrates so well with my TV. It controls my cable box, Blue ray player, stereo, etc.... Until all content is streamed-- this is the perfect box to have. The Boxee, Apple TV, and Roku are all stand alone. This is Google's real advantage-- you can migrate over.

  5. Re:Mafia on Zynga To Employees: Surrender Pre-IPO Shares Or You're Fired · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Typically they just issue new shares and dilute current shares; while giving management and investors a number to keep their percentages the same. This is a far more insidious way to screw over the little guy that the old way.

  6. Re:Homeseer.... on Comcast Offering Home Security Bundle · · Score: 1

    It is Zwave compatible....

  7. Perhaps... on Friday's Big Swings, Mostly Down, Illustrate Bitcoin Value Volatility · · Score: 1

    Perhaps the value of the Bitcoins stayed the same just the US dollar swung wildly around it.

  8. I am surprised... on AMD Launches Fastest Phenom Yet, Phenom II X4 980 · · Score: 1

    They released their fastest processor? Wow-- unusual for chip makers to make improvements to speed and design.

  9. huh? on FCC Commissioner Blasts Verizon On Net Neutrality · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Private islands on the internet? Isn't that what we have now? I pay for a subscription to the WSJ and there is content and comments in there reserved for subscribers. I fail to see how this is a bad thing. If my traffic was being shaped so I cannot access the islands I want-- different story. I would switch ISPs in a heartbeat if they did this. I don't really trust the big ISPs, but I trust the government even less. You can bet your boots that any net neutrality bill would have loads of other provisions in there that we don't want.

  10. I hope.... on Facebook Says It Owns 'Book' · · Score: 1

    I hope they throw the book at them......

  11. Re:More Info & Dashboard on Global Warming 'Undeniable,' Report Says · · Score: 1
    Yes-- but being a lay person we can look at past predictions made by scientists in various fields and point out their mistakes. Climate scientists have made predictions in the IPCC report for 1990-2010. 1990-2000; they were very accurate. Their predictions for 2000-2010 were horribly inaccurate.

    I follow the same philosophy with astrology. I know nothing about star and planet alignment, but I am qualified to call them bunk.

  12. What? on Federal Judge Says Corps of Engineers Liable For Katrina Damage · · Score: 2, Insightful
    The people who knowingly decided to live below sea level bear no responsibility?

    Seriously; this look to government to protect one's self has gone too far.

  13. Re:I don't care about the average life expectancy on Landmark Health Insurance Bill Passes House · · Score: 1
    Amen. It is selfish but we are supposed to take care of ourselves- it is our primary responsibility.

    This bill will increase demand but does NOTHING to address the supply side issue.

    If you really want health care costs to plummet; allow 100 medical schools to open up. In 8 years we will have doctors clamoring for business and dropping prices with each other to compete; and we can then abolish Medicare/Medicaid because prices will be cheap.

    Unfortunately, AMA has congress by the balls so this sort of true reform will never happen.

  14. Re:Doing it wrong on What is the Current State of Home Automation? · · Score: 1
    The product I use is called Homeseer (in OP) and it does much of what you say. It uses a 900 Mhz wireless protocol mesh network called Zwave which communicates to various devices. It is supported by multiple manufacturers. I have light switches, thermostats, motion sensor, light sensors, temp sensors, appliance modules, door locks, and door sensors that all run Zwave. Big names like Trane and Schlage support it. In addition there are other sensors (water sensors, humidity sensors) you can get. Zigbee sort of hasn't caught much traction. You can buy zwave products at lowes.

    It runs on Windows; which some say is a minus-- but doesn't bother me.

    There is a slick iphone interface cause HSTouch which allows you to create your own screens for control (works on Windows/Linux/CE and Mac too I believe).

    When I get home- I pull out my iPhone and unlock my doors; turn on the light and the heat.

    Zwave is still growing; and I imagine integration into these products is forthcoming. The beauty of zwave over wifi is that it comes little power; so battery operated devices are plausible. Throughput it 9600 -> 40 kbps.

    To add devices; I just bring my zwave usb stick to a device; click a button on each; and it adds. The network self optimizes.

    Again; long way to go but the community is pretty strong.

  15. Good idea... on EPA To Reuse Toxic Sites For Renewable Energy · · Score: 1

    Good idea. We should give him an environmental award just for coming up with it.

  16. Sorry... on Artificial Heart Recipient Has No Pulse · · Score: 1

    the public option won't pay for this...

  17. Re:Department of Orwellian Reasoning on G20 Protesters Blasted By "Sound Cannon" · · Score: 1

    I don't know what footage you have seen; but the videos I have seen have kids sitting around on the street not really doing much. I think we will find out that the cops probably went a little overboard here; but that is speculation and I will wait for the official inquiry.

  18. Re:It's green... on Teenager Invents Cheap Solar Panel From Human Hair · · Score: 1

    Damn spellchecker. Even doesn't know spell checker is one word.

  19. You mean on Radar Map of Buried Mars Layers Confirms Climate Cycles · · Score: -1, Troll
    There is climate change on mars? I didn't realize they had Hummers there.

    Learn something new every day.

  20. Re:It's green... on Teenager Invents Cheap Solar Panel From Human Hair · · Score: 1

    All you have to do it rub a bunch of balloons against this thing and viola; free electricity.

  21. Superimprose on The Music Industry's Crisis Writ Large · · Score: 1

    I would love to see this graphic superimposed on one for video games. I imagine kids today are spending far more for their media on their Wiis, Xboxes, PS3s, PCes, PSP, DSes, and other gaming systems than they did on Nintendo DS cartridges and Quake in 1999. They are probably also running up their cell phone bills. The dollars probably just migrated.

  22. That is great..... on Comcast To Bring IPv6 To Residential US In 2010 · · Score: 1

    but when are they going to bring a stable version of their IPV4 offering. My connection goes down quite often. And their TV boxes are even worse.

  23. Re:Advertisement? on DIY Microprocessor Sound Level Meter Demoed At MIT · · Score: 1

    I haven't seen one of these since I threw out my dual audio cassette player from 1987. I think they are going for a nostalgia thing.

  24. Re:why ban Paintballing on German Gov To Ban Paintballing After Shooting · · Score: 1

    That would create more defenseless victims. 10 out of 10 criminals prefer a victim without a gun. You think murders/rapists/home invaders care about gun laws?

  25. Re:I can think of a few on Time To Cut the Ethernet Cable? · · Score: 4, Informative

    If you can get access to a wired network; then you can plug in a WAP with your own encryption. Most companies don't question who is roaming around.