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User: MrEkted

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Comments · 36

  1. Re:For a First Step on US Government Introduces Pollinator Action Plan To Save Honey Bees · · Score: 1

    http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/... The EPA is not currently banning or severely restricting the use of the neonicotinoid pesticides. The neonicotinoid pesticides are currently being re-evaluated through registration review, the EPA's periodic re-evaluation of registered pesticides to ensure they meet current health and safety standards. The EPA bases its pesticide regulatory decisions on the entire body of scientific literature, including studies submitted by the registrant, journal articles and other sources of peer-reviewed data.

  2. Re:Google Voice on Google WebRTC: Can It Replace Skype? · · Score: 1

    Google Voice used to be called "Grand Central," which was just a call-forwarding service.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Voice
    At the time they acquired Grand Central, they also had Google Talk, which was computer-to-computer VOIP. Google Voice then integrated (lightly) with Google Talk on some clients. Then, they introduced Google Call, which was a VOIP to landline capability (free until the end of 2011 for US calls, so far). They have a huge bag of software & names. Seems like they need a re-branding and completely integrated solution.
    I think it's fair to say that "Google Voice" is not VOIP, just a call-fowarding service. Google Talk & Google Call are VOIP.

  3. iBooks can't be transferred? on E-Book Lending Stands Up To Corporate Mongering · · Score: 2

    In the case of iBooks, you can't even transfer your books to another device, let alone another user, but then at least the prices are somewhat controlled.
    Where did this notion come from?
    I was under the impression that:
    Books downloaded from the iBookstore can be placed on up to five computers you own that you’ve authorized with your iTunes Store account. You can sync your books to all iPads, iPhones, and iPod touches you own.1 Audiobooks, PDF files, and ePub files you've added to iTunes will appear in Books under Library. To sync Books to your device, connect it to your computer using the cable it came with. In iTunes, select your device then click the Books tab. Choose the books you would like to read on your device then press Sync. Books will sync to iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch even if iBooks is not installed; to read synced books, download iBooks from the App Store. Note: Samples downloaded from the iBookstore will not sync to your computer. They remain on your device and can be removed using iBooks.
    From here.

  4. Laptop Steering Wheel Desk is more innovative on iPad Steering Wheel Mount · · Score: 1

    Why does Apple get all the press when the Laptop Steering Wheel Desk has been around for ages?
    (check the user-posted photos)

  5. Re:Sorry kids on "Install Other OS" Feature Removed From the PS3 · · Score: 1

    FYI - I tried running MythTV frontend through the "OtherOS" option and it was too slow to be useful. On the bright side, their implementation of the UPnP client has improved tremendously over the past couple of years, and it will see your Myth backend without any trouble at all. That works really well to play your Myth content, although it doesn't allow for scheduling or watching live TV.

    So, on the downside, you've lost a full MythFrontend that was too underpowered to playback HD. On the plus side, you've still got a superior playback device, but you'll be required to use a browser or other client to schedule & delete recordings...

  6. Re:What about multitasking? on With New SDK, VoIP Over 3G Apps Now Working On iPhone · · Score: 1

    Good call -- no, I did not. (I thought I wasn't allowed to RTFL before posting on Slashdot)

  7. Re:What about multitasking? on With New SDK, VoIP Over 3G Apps Now Working On iPhone · · Score: 3, Informative

    Fring / Skype / etc. can pop up a dialog when you get a call or SMS as long as you enable Push notifications.
    As of last July for Fring
    and September for Skype.

  8. Re:stupid on Novelists On the E-Book Experience · · Score: 1

    He meant this:
    “John Updike, who was so enamored of Janson and insisted that all his books be set in that font, would have been appalled to see all of his books set in Caelicia, the same font used in, say, Nora Roberts.”

    He meant font, not weight, slope, and width (which is what you're talking about).

  9. Re:WTF?? on 125 Years of Longitude 0 0' 00" At Greenwich · · Score: 1

    Yeah, sorry, that wasn't a very complete description. I think he basically proposed the system we have today, but the summary doesn't exactly make that clear. This one is more clear:

    The Canadian rail system completed, Fleming took the train from Halifax to Montreal. Comparing the clocks on arrival with his watch, he found no comparison. “Between Halifax and Toronto,” commented Hugh Maclean in his 1969 book, Man of Steel, “he finds the railways employing no less than five different standards of time.” Confusion did not end in Canada. The systems around the world were not in lines and in the United States, time-keeping was even more chaotic, making train schedules almost impossible. Sanford Fleming decided to do something about it. Standard Time Zones proposal devised

    Using Greenwich, England as the starting point, he divided the globe into zones, assigning times at one-hour intervals. The governments of the world were not ready and he couldn’t even get his ideas heard. With assistance from the Marquis of Lorne, Canada’s Governor General of the time and the Canadian Institute, an organization for the advancement of science that he helped to establish in 1849, Fleming’s proposal was printed and sent to nations around the world. His plan was met with approval.

    The International Prime Meridian Conference was held in Washington, DC in October, 1884. After discussions and votes, Standard Time was set to begin on January 1, 1885 across the globe. Though there were some countries jealous over England being classed as the Prime Meridian, eventually all countries followed. There were some variances for local standards, as there are even yet. Ahead of the crowd, Canada had already instituted the program in 1883, a year before the conference.
    complete article

  10. Re:WTF?? on 125 Years of Longitude 0 0' 00" At Greenwich · · Score: 1

    FTW:
    Inventor of standard time
    After missing a train in 1876 in Ireland because its printed schedule listed p.m. instead of a.m., he proposed a single 24-hour clock for the entire world, located at the centre of the Earth and not linked to any surface meridian. At a meeting of the Royal Canadian Institute on February 8, 1879 he linked it to the anti-meridian of Greenwich (now 180). He suggested that standard time zones could be used locally, but they were subordinate to his single world time. He continued to promote his system at major international conferences, including the International Meridian Conference of 1884. That conference accepted a different version of Universal Time, but refused to accept his zones, stating that they were a local issue outside its purview. Nevertheless, by 1929 all of the major countries of the world had accepted time zones.

  11. Re:Obligatory quote on Ant Mega-Colony Covers the World · · Score: 5, Informative

    I disagree. Here's my citation:
    "Is it Duct or Duck? We donâ(TM)t want you to be confused, so we will explain. The first name for Duct Tape was DUCK. During World War II the U.S. Military needed a waterproof tape to keep the moisture out of ammunition cases. So, they enlisted the Johnson and Johnson Permacel Division to manufacture the tape. Because it was waterproof, everyone referred to it as âoeduckâ tape (like water off a duckâ(TM)s back). Military personnel discovered that the tape was good for lots more than keeping out water. They used it for Jeep repair, fixing stuff on their guns, strapping equipment to their clothing... the list is endless.

    After the War, the housing industry was booming and someone discovered that the tape was great for joining the heating and air conditioning duct work. So, the color was changed from army green to the silvery color we are familiar with today and people started to refer to it as âoeduct tape*.â Therefore, either name is appropriate."

    Full page

    Another Source
    "The original use was to keep moisture out of the ammunition cases. Because it was waterproof, people referred to the tape as "Duck Tape." Also, the tape was made using cotton duck - similar to what was used in their cloth medical tapes. Military personnel quickly discovered that the tape was very versatile and used it to fix their guns, jeeps, aircraft, etc. After the war, the tape was used in the booming housing industry to connect heating and air conditioning duct work together.

    Soon, the color was changed from Army green to silver to match the ductwork and people started to refer to duck tape as "Duct Tape." Things changed during the 1970s, when the partners at Manco, Inc. placed rolls of duct tape in shrink wrap, making it easier for retailers to stack the sticky rolls. Different grades and colors of duct tape werenÂt far behind. Soon, duct tape became the most versatile tool in the household. "

  12. Re:They did... how much?? on Stanford's Quantum Hologram Sets Storage Record · · Score: 1

    So, at 35 bits per electron, how many electrons did it take them to store these two letters?

    Unicode is getting a little out of hand...

  13. Should go great with the Interstates on Hawaii Planning State-Wide Electric Car Network · · Score: 1

    My favorite thing about visiting Hawaiâi?

    The interstate highways!

  14. Re:Why do people still deal with Apple? on Apple DMCAs iPodHash Project · · Score: 1

    I do exactly the same thing, but then I rip the CD to my iTunes. I've configured iTunes to rip to mp3, so I store all the files DRM-free. What's the big deal?

  15. Slightly over the top there... on Hands-On With Windows 7's New Features · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Computers are getting faster MUCH MUCH more quickly than operating systems are getting slower.

    Just one second on that rant - I've got an 8-year-old Dell XPS T600 that I still use to play Unreal Tournament. I use it because it boots faster, starts the game faster, and has just as good a frame-rate as my current, Dell/Vista machine.

    If your assertion was true, then I would happily turn off my Windows 98 forever. Starting applications and using the OS has been getting steadily slower in the post-XP versions of windows, even with new hardware.

    In my experience, of course.

  16. Re:The Story of the Semantic Web--Slashdot Style! on Untangling Web Information · · Score: 1

    Here's something:
    There are some queries you can Google today, and it will give you a very thoughtful answer. For instance How tall was Babe Ruth?

    It's not a canned response, but an attempt to pull information on the height of that man from sites which purport to know (in a generic way).
    Interestingly, if you look at the source of that page, they actually list his height as 6' 2", but Google parses it incorrectly and calls it 6'.

    I think that's how the Semantic web will evolve - from incrementally developing algorithms that seek to parse knowledge from non-authoritative sites.

  17. Re:Pointless and too expensive on First Mars-Goers Should Prepare For a One-Way Trip · · Score: 3, Informative

    Some really smart people disagree with the "pointless" part.

    "The human race must move to a star outside our solar system to protect the future of the species," physicist Professor Stephen Hawking has warned.

  18. Re:irrational... on Apple Censors App Store Rejection Notices · · Score: 3, Informative

    Strangely, your personal opinion doesn't matter as much to me as my own. I drive Toyotas because I find them to be infinitely more reliable than German cars (read - VW's). I use Apple products because I hate unnecessary reboots, bad user interfaces, and bloated software - all of which I find in MS products.
    From Consumer Reports (this is not a slam dunk, but you get my point, I'm sure).

    "European makes account for 17 models on the Least reliable list. This includes six each from Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen/Audi."

    "Reliability remains a forte for most Japanese brands. Twenty-three of the 33 models in our âoemost reliableâ list are from Japanese automakers. Moreover, weâ(TM)ve predicted average reliability or better for all Honda and Subaru models based on our most recent survey. This yearâ(TM)s forecast shows that domestic models, led by Ford, continue to improve and that there are small improvements in European makes as well."

  19. They did make a "Fug-less" Prius a few years ago on Redesigned, Bulkier Honda Insight to Challenge Prius · · Score: 1

    What's funny is that the first few years of the Prius looked pretty good.
    But, sales caught on only after it started being eye-catchingly dildo-ish.

  20. Re:Carefull now ... on iPhone App Enables GSM To WiFi/VoIP Switching · · Score: 1

    I'm not sure why you think this is a hack - even the summary tells you it's not:
    "This software requires no hacks and will be completely official. Here is a little quote from the developer: 'We are part of the Apple iPhone developer program. This is not an application for you naughty jail breakers ;-)'"

  21. No more optical mice - ever! on Hands-On With SteelSeries Ikari Mouse and New 7G Gaming Keyboard · · Score: 1

    Keep your optical mouse away from my FPS. With your wrist planted on the desktop (or pad), a swipe/lift/sweep action will often cause back-tracking if you don't lift the mouse high enough.
    I've tried to go optical several times, but I run back to ball-mice because lifting the mouse off the pad enough to disengage tires out my wrist.
    And, before you ask, yes, I'm just one good cry away from being the complete woman.

  22. This is not shocking on Laptops Can Be Searched At the Border · · Score: 1

    On an International flight they can search anything!. Your Fourth Amendment does not apply.
    Simple.

  23. Re:Cool on Unreleased Atari 2600 Game Found At Flea Market · · Score: 2, Interesting

    2 words: Warlords

  24. Re:Wrong Question on What Programming Languages Should You Learn Next? · · Score: 5, Interesting

    If you've never checked out Erlang, I recommend it. I've programmed seriously in at least a dozen languages, but this one really made me think. It has sophistication in concurrent programming that I've not seen before. Plus, there's a great movie!

  25. Re:we've always heard the legalization lobby on Cocaine Vaccine In the Works · · Score: 1

    You forgot alcohol.