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User: ColdWetDog

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Comments · 14,132

  1. Re:Is obvious, yes? on What's the Business Model For Commercializing Cyborgs? · · Score: 1

    Nah, TL;DR.

    It's going to be about sex.

  2. Re:What about the poo ? on ISS Crew Stuck In Orbit While Russia Assesses Rocket · · Score: 3, Funny

    Space is big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the drug store, but that's just peanuts to space.

    Douglas Adams

  3. Re:Get SpaceX crew-rated soon. on ISS Crew Stuck In Orbit While Russia Assesses Rocket · · Score: 3, Informative

    Yes, they can get back on man rated Soyez. No booster required. But then the can't bring another crew up until the rescue capsule is replaced by - wait for it - another Russian booster.

  4. Re:Difficult? on The Best Way To Protect Real Passwords: Create Fake Ones · · Score: 1

    Yo nerd! I heard you like passwords on your passwords.

  5. Re:Uh... on Swift Vs. Objective-C: Why the Future Favors Swift · · Score: 5, Funny

    The NSA.

  6. Re:How about asking tech companies? on World Health Organization Has New Rules For Avoiding Offensive Names · · Score: 1

    Give the task over to Microsoft's marketing group. They're pretty good at obscure and arcane, not to mention downright weird.

    Bob
    Zune
    Vista
    Plays for sure
    Clippy
    Me
    CE
    RT

    etc.

  7. Re:Not for animals or locations on World Health Organization Has New Rules For Avoiding Offensive Names · · Score: 1

    We should name the diseases after politicians. Preferably members of the US Congress. They want the recognition.

    Kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.

  8. Re:It not very hard on How Spotify Can Become Profitable · · Score: 0

    Charge people $5 every 4 months (yes, the math is a bit different). Lots of things are paid by the quarter.

    You do have a good point though, micro transactions have just never taken off and this would be a good use for it.

  9. Re: $30 on Examining Costs and Prices For California's High-Speed Rail Project · · Score: 1

    No, there will be flying cars. They are coming. I saw a photo...

    No, you saw a hologram. Which will show up about the same time as flying cars.

  10. Re:I smell money grab on Texas Regulators Crack Down on App-Driven Hauling Service · · Score: 1

    Because there are more risks than simply damage to the customer's furniture. If you are hauling stuff on a commercial basis without declaring it to the company insuring your vehicle you will likely find yourself totally naked in the event you have an accident (remember that clause in your policy that says no commercial activities?). So the nice little old lady that you ran over won't be able to get her medical bills covered by you unless she takes the time and effort to bring you to court. Unles you just happen to have that extra $100K to give to her.

    So the state has a general interest in ensuring that you are safe, competent and insured. It's not just about you.

  11. Re:alternatives on Critics Say It's Time To Close La Guardia Airport · · Score: 1

    OK, here's a new idea for a start up...

    A telepresence physical abuse robot.

    Works with all major video conference systems. Able to get right in the face of the appointed victim and the user gets to chose from several different forms of intimidation - having the robot inflate to a larger volume, a soft plastic club, a metal bar or perhaps a tazer. The possibilities are endless.

    Besides, development would be fun.

  12. Re: A conspiracy of academics? on Top Advisor To Australian Gov't Says Climate Change is a UN Conspiracy · · Score: 0

    The 'small ecosystem' is likely to be his refrigerator.

  13. When in trouble,
    Or in doubt,
    Run in circles,
    Scream and shout.

    -- Heinlein

  14. Re:Rolling updates, no thank you on Future Holds Large Updates Instead of Stand-Alone Windows Releases · · Score: 1

    While your complaint about the subscription model is valid (although lots of people would disagree with you), at least Adobe does allow you to use an unlimited number of previous versions. When you think about it, this is critically important to Adobe's preferred clientele - large professional companies with numerous licenses - since you don't dare change a major version in the middle of a project and a professional graphics company are always doing multiple projects.

    You can end up with a hard drive full of various versions of everything if you're not careful.

  15. Re:Marketing Failure on Future Holds Large Updates Instead of Stand-Alone Windows Releases · · Score: 1

    Unfortunately, it is really more along these lines:

    1) Apple releases a beta of the new OS
    2) The people who write 3rd party software test against the OS, and if needed release a minor version upgrade
    3) End user upgrades the minor version of their software automatically
    4) When the OS is released all the tested* software is compatible.

    * tested software includes a couple of the built in programs, usually excepting Mail and Finder, Adobe products not included.

    5) Version X.0 delivered to great fanfare
    6) Numerous issues discovered in X.0 within 48 hours, typically in Mail and Finder. Apple support servers spool up to include most of Amazon and Microsoft's cloud.
    7) Three weeks later X.1 released
    8) Within 48 hours, about half of the original complaints have been fixed, another crop of issues discovered, usually in Mail, Finder and Adobe products
    9) Apple support servers again spooled up to utilize a significant fraction of California's electrical supply.
    10) Three weeks later X.2 is released
    11) Within 48 hours, about half of the original complaints have been fixed, another crop of issues discovered, usually in Mail, Finder and Adobe products
    12) Apple support servers spool again, NASA determines that California has the hottest month on record.
    13) Three weeks later X.3 is released
    14) Most issues solved, Apple support servers go back to just requiring more power than most European countries.
    15) X.3 - X.6 released to no fanfare
    16) Some idiot at Apple has some weird, non standard way of doing something simple (Hello Airdrop), breaking compatibility with everything other than the very last round of hardware
    17) The remaining tale is left as an exercise to the student.

  16. Re:Enterprise Turnover? on Future Holds Large Updates Instead of Stand-Alone Windows Releases · · Score: 1

    Not to worry. We'll just stay on XP.

    Signed, your CIO.

  17. Re:Haven't quite got my attention yet on Tesla To Unveil Its $35,000 Model 3 In March 2016 · · Score: 1

    They asked the British for technical advice.

  18. Re:Intent matters. on Defense Distributed Sues State Department Over 3-D Gun Censorship · · Score: 1

    Right. A rich AC on Slashdot.

    That's rich.

  19. Re:Older = more experience on NFL Releases Deflategate Report · · Score: 1

    Rule 1: Blame the user, not the computer.

  20. Re:PCA, Patient Controlled Analgesics on Researcher: Drug Infusion Pump Is the "Least Secure IP Device" He's Ever Seen · · Score: 2

    The problem is that somebody else can get to the supply. The system goes through a lot of trouble to make sure somebody doesn't siphon off the drug. Getting into the guts of the machine, bypassing the log functions and bog knows what else might be very tempting to the right person. All the more so since the pumps are used all of the time - you could have a good supply of your favorite narcotic.

    I give it a couple of weeks before a simple exploit gets published somewhere.

  21. Re:I don't understand the big deal on Researcher: Drug Infusion Pump Is the "Least Secure IP Device" He's Ever Seen · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You can also exploit the thing by opening it up and cutting wires.

    Look, this is a medical device. People carry it around with them. Sometimes, a technician may need to make changes to it. They do that by plugging into an ethernet port on the device. Otherwise, it is never plugged in.

    Do I need a security passcode on everything that somebody could walk up to? Give me a break. My microwave doesn't have one either.

    Once your opponent has physical access to the sensitive medical devices that keep you alive, you're fucked. He could just as well put bleach in the insulin bag.

    Except that it has an Ethernet port. With an open Telenet. On a PCA pump (Patient Controlled Analgesia - a morphine drip). Which can kill the patient with the wrong dose.

    Oops.

    I think that, in 2015, one can reasonably expect the rudiments of security with a machine designed to deliver accurate quantities of a potentially fatal drug. Sure, it doesn't need to be hardened against every potential exploit but an open telenet port? That's pretty weak sauce. Aside from potentially killing a patient, an addicted nurse / tech (I was going to say doctor but they typically wouldn't know a telenet port if it went up and bit them in the nose) could potentially use this to siphon off the drug for their own use. The things have various locks and passwords to prevent that exact thing from happening.

  22. Re:I'm sure no one will misconstrue this at all... on Apple's Plans For Your DNA · · Score: 4, Insightful

    They aren't taking the DNA sample FROM the iPhone. You are mailing a sample of DNA to some lab which will link your SNP profile with your iTunes ID number.

    Now, think of this for a minute. The ability to associate SNPs with buying proclivities. An "Apple gene", if you will.

    Now folks, this is a marketing executives wet dream complete with hookers and blow.

  23. Re:What's that ahead? on Self-Driving Big Rigs Become a Reality · · Score: 1

    I was driving in Nevada one dark, moonless night, when out of nowhere came a cow in the middle of the road... I'd like to see how an autonomous vehicle would deal with that.

    Hamburger.

  24. Re:UPC or Item/part number codes? on The Medical Bill Mystery · · Score: 1

    would it be easier to treat medical treatment like any other industry? Everything has an upc or a item/part number and a description. Stick a barcode on everything then just scan it if the patient need the thing used on them. Stick bar codes on room doors, needles, pills. Dr/Nurse/staff badges. This way your interaction would be recorded and billed correctly.

    Oh this is exactly what happens. In fact, in medicine, we have gone farther than any other industry - we have lots of (different) barcodes and numbers for everything.

    And just to keep everyone on their toes, we change them at random intervals.

  25. Re:The /. groupthink is strongly against manned mi on Opportunity Rover Reaches Martian Day 4,000 of Its 90-Day Mission · · Score: 1

    Other than the fact that doing so would likely violate several intra-galactic treaties, that would be an excellent idea.