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User: Last_Available_Usern

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  1. Executive summary... on How Satellite Company Inmarsat Tracked Down MH370 · · Score: 5, Informative

    We still have no idea exactly where the aircraft is, how it went down, or what to do now.

  2. Re:Is no one else concerned? on World's First Magma-Based Geothermal Energy System · · Score: 4, Informative

    If gigantic seams that span the entire planet across the tectonic plates isn't enough to cause the planet to implode I doubt a few small holes will either.

  3. First cryo, now this.... on Startup Out of MIT Promises Digital Afterlife — Just Hand Over Your Data · · Score: 1

    This is kind of terrible. Capitalizing on people's loss by selling them a pie in the sky dream. I admire the ambition, but I would think we would need to create an AI that can sufficiently pass the Turing test before we create one that represents a person's personality well enough to fool the person's closest family/friends.

  4. Re:Everything about this mission is a miracle on Rosetta Probe Awakens, Prepares To Chase Comet · · Score: 3, Funny

    Pffft, not impressed. I ran this same mission in Kerbal Space Program and it was a piece of cake.

  5. Re: FCC Shouldn't Ban It, But Airlines Should on Americans To FCC Chair: No Cell Calls On Planes, Please · · Score: 1

    This is the best thing I've read all week. Thank you.

  6. In a twist of irony... on Creationism In Texas Public Schools · · Score: 3, Funny

    Tornado touches down and vaporizes the Responsive Ed corporate headquaters. No hands were lost, but several people were struck by flying Stop signs.

  7. I can just imagine the response from the intern who was asked to do this. "You want me to do what? ... Wait, how many?"

  8. Best guesses... on Google Removes "Search Nearby" Function From Updated Google Maps · · Score: 1

    Google wouldn't intentionally cause discomfort for its userbase without a good reason. My list includes the following possiblities:

    1) The feature is being improved/expanded and is still in testing phase.
    2) Patent infringement (or the claim of) has caused the feature to be removed, at least temporarily.
    3) The feature will reappear in a non-free version of the same service.
    4) The feature is being exclusively licensed (along with the map data) by another party.

  9. Wow... on Computer Scientists Invents Game-Developing Computer AI · · Score: 1

    This causes amazing ideas to race through my head. Imagine a much more mature version of this - one that could take input and even pull from other resources. For example, try to imagine a system that understands surfaces and textures, and even has access to the internet (or a built-in library) to derive work from. You tell the program to create a 3D castle similar to one in Scotland. It pulls information (either provided or on it's own) and from that it can create procedural textures, 3D surfaces to map those textures to, and then boom...a castle. Eventually it would understand night and day, sounds that are associated with certain environments, lighting, varied architecture, natural terrain...the possiblities are endless. And instead of having a slew of developers and artists trying to create a cohesive image over weeks or months, you have a singular entity creating this content on the fly, limited only by the amount of CPU cycles at your disposal. What an amazing science fiction story that could play itself out in reality if this idea was matured.

  10. More like... on Google Launches Android Automotive Consortium · · Score: 1

    Creating a standard interface that only easily (and fully supports) the connection of Android-based devices. Frankly, I'm shocked Apple didn't already make this move. If this happens (and spreads), the only devices you'll want to hook up to your car will be Android-based since those will probably be the only ones you can interact with using steering wheel controls, etc.

  11. Not only invasive, but pointless. on Member of President Obama's NSA Panel Recommends Increased Data Collection · · Score: 1

    Any "terrorist" with half a brain assumes the NSA is looking at all standard comms now. To keep tapping these mediums is beyond pointless.

  12. Not uncommon... on Retail Radeon R9 290X Graphics Cards Slower Than AMD's Press Samples · · Score: 1

    This probably happens more often than we think. Frankly, it makes sense to validate that a card is going to run solid for someone before you send it to them if they're going to be blabbering all over the interwebs about it. It's just in this case they got burned (and justifiably) due to the fact that the software/driver adjusts the frequency independently instead of being a static clock speed (something they should have disclaimed to the reviewers).

  13. How did they know? on Most Cave Paintings Were Painted By Women, Says Penn State Researcher · · Score: 1, Funny

    Were the drawings found next to the surface where they made the sandwiches?

  14. Not to be a jerk... on Syrian Rebels Claim Hundreds Killed By Poison-Gas Attack · · Score: 2, Insightful

    But why is this on Slashdot? This isn't a discussion on the engineering of the gas or the dispursement methods used, just a news article.

  15. Re:Could we achieve 1G of thust. on NASA's NEXT Ion Thruster Runs Five and a Half Years Nonstop To Set New Record · · Score: 1

    If that were true it would only take one day to reach a speed of 1.9 million miles/hour. Pretty sure that's not happening.

  16. Can't wait... on New World Record For Electric Car Speed: 204.2 MPH · · Score: 1

    Can't wait to see the pit stop times for this thing. Do those stopwaches measure in hours?

  17. Re:I'll say the same thing I've been saying on Paul Thurrot Predicts November Debut, $500 Tag For Xbox 720 · · Score: 1

    Either I'm really good at tuning out the ads or you're just really bad at it. While my preferred gaming platform is PC, I still use my PS3 and 360 and don't feel they're overburdened with ads any more than Steam or the likes. If anything it seems worse on PC.

  18. Re:I dunno... on Ask Slashdot: Are Timed Coding Tests Valuable? · · Score: 1

    Hah! Nice troll. Got quite a few takers.

  19. The bigger surprise... on Java Zero-Day Vulnerability Rolled Into Exploit Packs · · Score: 1

    The Java exploit is much less surprising to me than how casually we include the fact that this guy (and others) are selling exploit kits online. I remember when stuff like this used to be so underground you had to "know someone who knew someone" to find it. Perhaps what he's selling isn't technically illegal, but it's still surprising to read.

  20. Post submitter... on How To Use a Linux Virtual Private Server · · Score: 1

    Is he related to the singer?

  21. Impressive... on Chinese Man Builds His Own Prosthetic Hands · · Score: 1

    Just think of the hands he can make now that he actually has hands.

  22. Bigger hinderance are other what-ifs... on Will Speed Limits Inhibit Autonomous Car Adoption? · · Score: 1

    The real question is, how will the autonomous vehicles deal with vehicle malfunction or scenarios that immediately affect road safety? What happens when the vehicle has a blow-out or hits a patch of ice? How will they account for all of these eventualities? I don't think it's even possible to program reactionary responses to all of those situations. Also, will the vehicles have to communicate with one another so they can accomodate a quick-braking situation from a vehicle in front or will it rely on reactionary detection like radar to gauge distance and braking? If it does it will drastically affect the density of cars that can travel safely due to the distance between them that will be required. Anyway, what I'm saying is I think the issue of how fast the vehicles can travel is by no means the "long pole in the tent" when it comes to making this happen.

  23. Re:Don't encrypt on Ask Slashdot: Managing Encrypted Android Devices In State and Local Gov't? · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What about personally identifiable information? Should SSN's be flying around unencrypted? Just because encryption is used to conceal wrongdoing doesn't mean it's always used for that purpose.

  24. Where does this money go? on EU Court Upholds Microsoft Antitrust Fines · · Score: 2

    This is not a trivial sum. Who gets it?

  25. Re:I stopped reading at on Engineers Working On Swarm Of Laser Wielding Satellites To Deflect Asteroids · · Score: 1

    I stopped reading at, "I stopped reading at..."