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  1. Re:Live by the walled garden... on Why AppGratis Was Pulled From the App Store · · Score: 1

    sure walled gardens have their pros and cons.. but the Play store would also SUCK if they let developers pay for placement

    http://allthingsd.com/20130408/confirmed-apple-kicks-appgratis-out-of-the-store-for-being-too-pushy/
    "In other words, app-discovery platforms built on paid recommendations aren’t going to fly with Apple."

    "app discovery" is different than "app PR" how exactly?
    some PR firms are into sketchy shit: http://apple.slashdot.org/story/09/08/25/1946230/gaming-the-app-store

  2. wait a second on Is the DEA Lying About iMessage Security? · · Score: 1

    FTA "An internal Drug Enforcement Administration document seen by CNET discusses a February 2013 criminal investigation and warns that because of the use of encryption, "it is impossible to intercept iMessages between two Apple devices" even with a court order approved by a federal judge. ...the key word is INTERCEPT.

    I'm not a security or network expert, but isn't "intercept" different than "decrypt messages stored on a server"?

    couldn't it be difficult to intercept (whereas reading messages stored somewhere is trivial - with a warrant)

    i can send an imessage using the phone number or one (or more) email addresses. w/o knowing how imessage actually works, it looks like phone to Apple to phone - presumably, only Apple knows the relationship between email addresses and phone number so that traffic is sent on the internet (not a cell network) - don't forget, imessage works on non-cellular devices. how does LE track a message end to end with Apple in the middle?.. remember, the keyword is INTERCEPT which implies realtime, so intercepting a message may not be impossible, but impractical - certainly not as easy as SMS. in theory, I could have an imessage conversation and never use the same email address twice - which means cloning an iphone isn't a solution either.

  3. Re:More person, more cost. Fine. on Samoa Air Rolling Out "Pay As You Weigh" Fares · · Score: 4, Informative

    "Passenger weight is fairly insignificant compared to the weight of the plane itself. There might be standard 50 tons of people/luggage on a jumbo (250 lbs combined * 400 ppl)."

    no.

    RTFA.... NINE seats on the BIG planes.

    Samoa Air’s fleet of Britten Norman (BN2A) Islanders that carry nine passengers, and a four-seater Cessna 172 are likely to be particularly sensitive to the extra burden of such passengers.

    empty weight is about the same as a full size sedan

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britten-Norman_Trislander
    Empty weight: 5,843 lb (2,650 kg)

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cessna_172
    Empty weight: 1,691 lb (767 kg)

    compare to 2013 Volkswagen Jetta: curb weight - about 3100 lbs
    http://autos.aol.com/cars-Volkswagen-Jetta-2013/specs/

  4. i don't get it. on How To Communicate Faster-Than-Light · · Score: 3, Funny

    we all know you arrive in the states before you leave Japan... and we've had subspace communication since the 60's (I saw it on TV). don't skip drones pretty much make this moot anyway?

    what's the problem?

  5. easy on Ask Slashdot: How Do I Explain That Humans Didn't Ride Dinosaurs? · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "The odd thing is that she's not religious, it's just what her archaeologist grandfather taught her." ...so it sounds like she's just repeating what she was told as a child.. not the church or religion. I don't see a problem correcting someone who was misinformed.

    "crushing her childhood dreams" ...just tell her she mis-remembered (she was a kid afterall). It wasn't dinosaurs.. it was another (now-extinct) animal that actually did exist the at the same time as ancient humans (we hunted them, so of course there were footprints)

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolly_mammoth

    The woolly mammoth coexisted with early humans, who used its bones and tusks for making art, tools, and dwellings. It is thought much of this material was scavenged, but the species was also hunted for food. It disappeared from its mainland range at the end of the Pleistocene 10,000 years ago, most likely through a combination of climate change, consequent disappearance of its habitat, and hunting by humans, though the significance of these factors is disputed.

    or just point her at this: http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/paluxy.html (beware: it does mention creationism... you don't want to accuse her of being that)... basically it says the "mantracks" are actually those of a 3-toed dino, but the toe part eroded leaving what looks like feet.

    whatever you, make sure you block this at your proxy http://creationmuseum.org/

  6. Re:Remote would be better on James Cameron Gives Sub To Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution · · Score: 1

    But a larger question remains: Is public support for human space flight strong enough to spur government officials to pay the price in the decades ahead? On the steps of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum last week, visitors hoped so.

    "There's a lot to be learned," says Tim Johns, 46, of Kaneohe, Hawaii, "and probably it's good for the human spirit to push the envelope."

  7. Re:What the hell on Will Donglegate Affect Your Decision To Attend PyCon? · · Score: 4, Funny

    "sexually inexperienced and frustrated people who say stupid and immature things"

    finger adria.richards

  8. Re:Why does 3d printing matter on Digging Into the Legal Status of 3-D Printed Guns · · Score: 1

    actually, I think there are laws that regulate barrels. Mine have SN's printed on them.. and I assume that's tied somehow to ballistics. the SN on the barrel is the same as the one on the receiver... I don't think I could get an original manufacturers barrel w/o the paperwork to tie the (now different) serial numbers together.

    I'm not saying they know the fingerprints of my barrels before sale, but if my guns were ever taken by the police as evidence, I'm sure their ballistic fingerprint would be tied to the serial numbers in some database somewhere.

    i'm pretty sure threaded barrels (for use with silencer) are also illegal for the public to own.

  9. Re:How about bricking them? on Apple Now Working With the NYPD To Curb iPhone Thefts · · Score: 1

    the problem is remote bricking is software based. software can be defeated via jailbreak/rooting

    even something like this has limited effect because phones are still usable (just not for voice communication)
    http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/us-stolen-phone-database-goes-live/

    besides, it takes time for the buyer to figure out the phone won't work as a phone, but the thief still got their money (therefore will keep stealing)

    tracking and going after the perp is the best way to curb thefts. If I was a thief, and knew there was a reasonable chance I could be found, i might think twice. a better approach is password to turn off.. or remote ENABLE (can't find a phone if it's not on the network, and in order to be on the network it has to be on). report phone stolen.. then, any time it's on, it starts chirping away "i'm here, i'm here" - don't forget people could get hurt during a mugging - that's what you really need to stop.

    two busts, on one day for one phone:
    http://digitallife.today.com/_news/2013/01/28/16739259-double-trouble-iphone-thief-busted-when-his-stolen-iphone-is-stolen-again?lite

  10. more people get sick/die on Are Plastic Bag Bans Making People Sick? · · Score: 1

    because they don't wash their fucking hands.
    (you should use the produce bags for meat and fish anyway)

    granted, washing your bags out is not the first thing people think of when it comes to hygiene, but when I come home from the store, if there's liquid in the bag, it gets tossed (or reserved for trash)

    additionally, they're talking about a plastic bag ban, but grocery stores were (and still are) using paper bags - I don't see the correlation between a plastic bag BAN.. I could see a correlation if the uptick in illness was caused by "no free bag policy" because the thrift conscious don't want to pay (today, you have to buy them; they cost a dime.)

    if there's a further increase in illness since the no free bag policy, you may have a case for causality.. but the ban has nothing to do with it (the dime per bag law went into effect last year so it's probably too soon for make a case)

  11. oh the irony on Facebook Employees' Laptops Compromised; User Data Believed Safe · · Score: 1

    http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/02/at-facebook-zero-day-exploits-backdoor-code-bring-war-games-drill-to-life/

    "The FBI e-mail, zero-day exploit, and backdoor code, it turns out, were part of an elaborate drill Facebook executives devised to test the company's defenses and incident responders. The goal: to create a realistic security disaster to see how well employees fared at unraveling and repelling it. While the attack was simulated, it contained as many real elements as possible."

  12. Re:It's called the key on Driver Trapped In Speeding Car At 125 Mph · · Score: 1

    so the driver, who has presumably driven the car before, all of a sudden doesn't know how to use the brakes, the accelerator and turn the car off.. things you need to successfully accomplish in order to get out after going somewhere?

  13. Re:It's called the key on Driver Trapped In Speeding Car At 125 Mph · · Score: 1

    who knows what kind of modifications were done?

    "Lecerf has filed a legal complaint after his Renault Laguna, which is adapted for disabled drivers, jammed at 200km/h (125mph) and the brakes failed,"

    furthermore -
    "A Renault technician had been on the phone with police throughout the chase trying to help but couldn't come up with a solution." ...I doubt the driver it at fault here.

  14. Re:about the same as my android on Woz Says iPhone Features Are 'Behind' · · Score: 1

    i have both platforms. a buck so I don't have to see the ads is worth the cost of admission.

  15. they also have a UAV program on Embry-Riddle To Offer Degree In Space Operations · · Score: 1

    http://daytonabeach.erau.edu/coa/aeronautical-science/news-events/embry-riddle-is-training-unmanned-aircraft-pilots.html

    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is stepping up to fill that need with a new minor in Unmanned Aircraft Systems that begins on the university’s Daytona Beach, Fla., campus in the fall semester of 2010

  16. Re:Why? on DNA Confirms Parking Lot Remains Belong To King Richard III · · Score: 1

    my other comment was a cut/paste failure

    basically, they had a pretty good idea the location they were digging was the church where he was buried

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-21063882

    "In August 2012, an excavation began in a city council car park - the only open space remaining in the likely area - which quickly identified buildings connected to the church."

  17. Re:Why? on DNA Confirms Parking Lot Remains Belong To King Richard III · · Score: 2

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-21063882

    However, a team of enthusiasts and historians managed to trace the likely area - and, crucially, after painstaking genealogical research, they found a 17th-generation descendant of Richard's sister with whose DNA they could compare any remains.

    Joy Ibsen, from Canada, died several years ago but her son, Michael, who now works in London, provided a sample.

  18. Re:Sounds like a movie plot on How the Super Bowl Will Reach US Submarines · · Score: 4, Informative

    periscope depth?

    "The game will be received by a small antenna on masts, transferred to a receiver and then relayed to flat panel screens throughout the ship or submarine."

  19. Re:Almost nothing... on Cooking Up the Connected Kitchen · · Score: 1

    "You don't because it's a huge pain in the butt." ..and carrots don't have barcodes.

  20. Re:Nope on "Bill Shocker" Malware Controls 620,000 Android Phones In China · · Score: 2

    ...or google could just section off the store - devs can submit, or submit for review and approval. wild west over here.. anything goes. these have been reviewed. they're safe.

    i don't see a downside. the relative lack of app dollars going to google (vs. Apple) has to be at least partially because some people don't feel "safe"

    if you get too many warnings from this.. http://www.androidpolice.com/2012/10/11/apk-teardown-the-play-store-is-getting-a-built-in-malware-scanner-theres-more-wish-list-progress-and-more/ - some people will stop using the store. makes no sense.. scan apps on the way IN.. not on the way out.

    Installation has been blocked

    why would you ever show that to the user. reject the app until those messages aren't even triggered.

  21. Re:No specs? on Excessive Modularity Hindered Development of the 787 · · Score: 1

    how can you apply software development philosophies to an aircraft?

    iterating and deploying versions of software costs nothing compared to engineering, building, assembling and testing (for hundreds of hours) a flying MACHINE. if a single component has a "fatal error" - you need more engines, airframe, avionics.. etc. something like this MUST be designed and tested using computer modeling at least initially, because full "end to end" testing for every iteration is cost prohibitive... not just in time/money, but the lives of the test crew as well.

    the "gold master" version of the 787 was undoubtedly tested, in the air, for thousands of hours before it was put in production, yet none of these problems (presumably) popped up duing flight tests.

    if the problems with the 787 were software based, they would be fixed already.

  22. so this is a good one? on Bad Grammar Make Bestest Password, Research Say · · Score: 1

    @11yourbA5es@r3Be10ngtoUS

  23. Re:And yet.... on How Apple Killed an iTunes Competitor · · Score: 1

    last I checked April comes before August.. and where did you get August?

    http://techcrunch.com/2007/04/02/emi-apple-are-announcing-sale-of-non-drm-music/
    April 2, 2007: The day DRM died.

    Amazon was the first to bag the 4 majors.. in 2008
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_MP3

    Launched in public beta on September 25, 2007,[1] in January 2008 it became the first music store to sell music without digital rights management (DRM) from the four major music labels (EMI, Universal, Warner Music, and Sony BMG), as well as many independents.[1][2][3][4] All tracks were originally sold in 256 kilobits-per-second variable bitrate MP3 format without per-customer watermarking or DRM; however, some tracks are now watermarked.[5]

  24. Re:And yet.... on How Apple Killed an iTunes Competitor · · Score: 2, Informative

    amazon DRM free first? impossible. they didn't even have a music store yet.

    http://arstechnica.com/uncategorized/2007/06/emi-says-drm-free-music-is-selling-well/
    Although the iTunes Store was the first online store through which EMI sold its DRM-free tracks, Amazon recently said that it will also be selling DRM-free EMI songs through its newly-announced music store later this year

    "apple had the nerve to charge"
    no. "price increases by the record labels, which were made possible by Apple's capitulation."
    http://news.cnet.com/amazon-follows-apple-to-$1.29/ ...so apple made DRM go away in exchange for higher prices. you think amazon raised prices because apple did? or you think amazon raised prices because the lables told them to? makes no sense to RAISE your prices to match the competition unless the IP owners set the terms (for DRM free). makse more sense to me to keep the price LOWER (you know, to attract more customers) - than to raise them

  25. Re:This is awesome on NASA Achieves Laser Communication With Lunar Satellite · · Score: 1

    "transmitted a small amount of information with each (non)pulse?" ...non pulse? so the absence of light is data too?
    doesn't that mean the image would have to be transmitted in momchrome (vs greyscale)

      "Every pixel was converted into a shade of gray, represented by a number between zero and 4,095" ..whatever. this whole thing is kind of over my head /woosh