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User: ebrandsberg

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  1. I saw a demo the other day that leveraged many of the new features of java 11, in an updated framework, etc. So much was hidden that it was very non-intuitive on what was happening in the code. The engineer demoing this saw this as a good thing, as very few lines of code were needed to implement some impressive functionality, but any attempt to understand it would have been difficult at the surface. That is where I see things going sideways with Java.

  2. Nuclear power at Yucca mountain on Scientists Turn CO2 'Back Into Coal' In Breakthrough Experiment (independent.co.uk) · · Score: 2

    Put a number of nuclear plants in the Nevada desert, right by Yucca mountain, where waste in theory can be stored for a long time. Manufacturer coal, and ship it where needed, while extracting CO2 from the air. Unlike most nuclear plants, where you want near the end user to reduce transmission delay, this would resolve several issues surrounding nuclear power, including the NIMBY problem.

  3. TikTok's child friendly app used by predators to target children.

  4. Re: How about.... on Google Plans Cheaper Smartphone To Draw Users Into Internet Empire (nikkei.com) · · Score: 1

    One word: LineageOS.

  5. Re: How about.... on Google Plans Cheaper Smartphone To Draw Users Into Internet Empire (nikkei.com) · · Score: 1

    Check the Android One Moto x4. $149 (32GB) or $199 (64GB). https://www.amazon.com/Motorola-Android-Factory-Unlocked-Phone/dp/B074VFRKZG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550075604&sr=8-1&keywords=moto%2Bx4%2Bandroid%2Bone&th=1

    Bought through Google FI, the $199 version gives $50 in service credit as well. Both myself and my wife have the X4 and it works great. Now includes Android PI as well (despite the page saying Oreo). As a full Google FI phone, it supports all major US carriers, so you can use whatever carrier you want, Verizon, TMobile, Sprint, or ATT (or others).

  6. Re:Percentage errors on Engineers Say They've Created Way To Detect Weapons Using Wi-Fi (gizmodo.com) · · Score: 4, Informative

    You apparently don't understand the failure rate of traditional TSA detection methods: https://abcnews.go.com/US/tsa-fails-tests-latest-undercover-operation-us-airports/story?id=51022188, and that is for airports.

  7. Re:R.I.P. Tesla on Saudi Fund in Talks to Invest in Tesla Buyout Deal, Report Says (bloomberg.com) · · Score: 4, Interesting

    There is a famous quote by Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum "My grandfather rode a camel, my father rode a camel, I drive a Mercedes, my son drives a Land Rover, his son will drive a Land Rover, but his son will ride a camel."

    Maybe the SA leadership wants to end up driving Teslas instead of camels.

  8. Re:Why he tweeted becomes clear on Saudi Fund in Talks to Invest in Tesla Buyout Deal, Report Says (bloomberg.com) · · Score: 3, Interesting

    We don't know this part--if/when the SEC investigates this, he will have to document this for them, but for the rest of us, it may never be clear. Names I've heard thrown around are Softbank and the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund.

  9. Why he tweeted becomes clear on Saudi Fund in Talks to Invest in Tesla Buyout Deal, Report Says (bloomberg.com) · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It was actually a way to convey information to a potential investor that protects him from SEC action. He had lined up terms with one player, but he doesn't 100% like the terms. He wants to have another player provide better terms, but if he revealed to the other player he had a particular price already matched, that would be enough for them to buy in and profit. By tweeting the price and that enough funding was lined up, it is made in a public way, so he can continue negotiating with the 2nd player ASAP. He didn't bother filing with the SEC before tweeting, because he didn't want to slow things down. He could have actually been negotiating with the 2nd player right as he tweeted, and use it as a public way to reveal information without even stopping the meeting.

  10. Re:Congratulations! on Fukushima's Nuclear Signature Found In California Wine (technologyreview.com) · · Score: 2

    The fact is that this is interesting, but not in the way that Slashdot presented it. This is effectively a negative result, and knowing this IS important. You have to check to make sure, but now that you have checked, the result appears less than overwhelming. Great. Move on, and know it isn't an issue. What we don't have to do is make it known in the popular press, only in agricultural circles would this be an important (but negative) result.

  11. Re:Owning a luxury car (or jet/yatch) is even bett on Owning an iPhone is the Number-One Way To Guess if You're Rich or Not, Research Finds (businessinsider.com) · · Score: 1

    Honestly, from what I've gathered, owning a Senator is cheaper than a Ferrari.

  12. Coundown until Steam is blocked starting at 3... 2 on US Gaming Giant Steam Has Managed To Skirt China's Strict Regulations on Content (theinformation.com) · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Seriously, by pointing out it can be used to get around the censors, it will be censored probably within a week until the games allowed are filtered based on what is allowed in China.

  13. A fan of a different layout, the "Thinkpad" design on 'Why I Use the IBM Model M Keyboard That's Older Than I Am' (yeokhengmeng.com) · · Score: 1

    I like the compact size of the Thinkpad keyboard, and the overall feel of it. I have ended up using standalone thinkpad keyboards for years now, and am currently using https://www3.lenovo.com/us/en/accessories-and-monitors/keyboards-and-mice/keyboards/KEYBOARD-US-English/p/0B47190. It doesn't have that "click" feel, but works very well, and is portable enough to bring with me wherever I go.

  14. Re:Maybe I'm cynical... on Sony Blunders By Uploading Full Movie To YouTube Instead of Trailer (torrentfreak.com) · · Score: 1

    Whoever uploaded it probably uploaded, then simply went to work on another window. I've uploaded many things to Youtube, and it takes more time to "process" then to upload itself, so you don't wait around. Heck, they may have gone and gotten coffee and not realized how long it actually took.

  15. Want business class? Buy a business account on Google Allows Outside App Developers To Read People's Gmails, Says Report (thisisinsider.com) · · Score: 1

    This only applies for the non-business service. Just like the post yesterday about the Google cloud account that was shut down for "suspicious activity" when they didn't pay for business level service either, and had no SLA in place. If you want real privacy, make sure your Google apps account is under a BAA and claim you will handle HIPAA data. They would be crazy to allow a third part to view your mail then.

  16. Re:Science: Is it replicable? on Was the Stanford Prison Experiment a Sham? (nypost.com) · · Score: 4, Informative

    Any study that actually removed the barriers between the guards and the inmates would be inherently immoral. No study that is done "properly" would be allowed. by any respectable institution.

  17. Honestly a bad time to reveal this on Was the Stanford Prison Experiment a Sham? (nypost.com) · · Score: 2, Insightful

    There is a difference between saying it is a sham vs. saying the results weren't true. We can look at Nazi Germany and say with a fair amount of confidence that it was saying something that was true but using results that were falsified to get the result expected. What people will interpret this as saying is that the results themselves were false. Unfortunately (or fortunately) any actual study that could provide a realistic set of evidence on this topic would be considered immoral at this point, so there will be no further data to show that the results could actually be true. Given today's worldwide political climate, I think we need all the reinforcement we can get that good people will do bad things in the right situations and given the right reinforcement. Having this exposed as a fraud now will not help this.

  18. All things considered, it would be more expensive simply due to the base infrastructure costs. I'm going to say how MUCH more it should be--it could be that the base costs, fully amortized across users could account for a $.10USD difference a month. Or it could be subsidized and you should be paying $100/month more. That would require numbers that I don't think anybody but the ISP has.

  19. Switzerland has a 90% penetration rate of internet users, while South Africa has a 50% rate. Next, South Africa is connected to the rest of the world by relatively expensive internet connections on a per-user basis due to the position in the globe and usage. This results in a higher cost per user when actual expenses are accounted for as compared with a location like NYC or Zurich. This is simple economics.

  20. Queue retraining employees in... on Microsoft To Give Office 365, Office.com Apps a Makeover (zdnet.com) · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Seriously, the ribbon was supposed to allow a more generic interface, where an action is associated with the icon. If the icons change, then you have effectively forced retraining of people that use this. The menu style interface uses a bit more space, but has the advantage of providing "discoverable" functions for users. IMHO, this makes it a much better interface, in particular for people that only infrequently use a tool. It is much easier to click through the menus looking for a function than to figure out what all the icons mean.

  21. Verizon Fios doesn't support IPv6 on Vint Cert Warns IPv4 Users: 'Time To Get With the Program' (zdnet.com) · · Score: 2

    it is 2018, and as of today, Verizon FIOS still doesn't support it. Why? Who knows.

  22. Re:Now can we audit the states use of the database on Unresolved Login Issue Prevented Florida 'Concealed Weapon' Background Checks For Over a Year (tampabay.com) · · Score: 1

    True, although the logic applies--how many concealed carry permits are issued, vs. how many queries are made. This can be audited and if they don't match, an investigation launched.

  23. Now can we audit the states use of the database? on Unresolved Login Issue Prevented Florida 'Concealed Weapon' Background Checks For Over a Year (tampabay.com) · · Score: 3, Informative

    Since each state should be having their sales verified through this database, the FBI should be able to audit how many queries are made per state, to validate that they match the number of sales being made. If there is a significant discrepancy, then the state should be investigated for failure to follow procedure. This should be EASY to catch, and will help find the points where failures are occurring, like this.

  24. Re:Why would they want to ship new product? on Nvidia Says New GPUs Won't Be Available For a 'Long Time' (pcgamer.com) · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Just because you haven't rolled out Generation 3, doesn't mean you can't start the work on generation 4. It just means you can take more time to make sure they are GOOD, or you complete the design for gen 4, and start on gen 5. If you CAN be several generations ahead of your competition, and are ready for surprises, you should be. An example of where this did NOT happen was with Intel vs. the most recent generation of AMD chips. AMD came out stronger than anybody expected, and Intel didn't have a set of designs to put to the fab yet that would compete.

  25. Re:Oracle already has a 5.0 GHz chip on the market on Intel Hits 50 Years and Its CPUs Hit 5.0 GHz (venturebeat.com) · · Score: 4, Informative

    There isn't a direct quote on this point, so it may be the writer that said this wording, not the person being quoted. Meanwhile, the title is accurate, with "its CPUs hit 5.0 GHz", not it is the first to hit 5.0Ghz. As mentioned, the Sparc has had 5.0ghz, but AMD also has: https://www.anandtech.com/show/8316/amds-5-ghz-turbo-cpu-in-retail-the-fx9590-and-asrock-990fx-extreme9-review.