Obviously the things being patented are defined. The quote means they can't define what a "business method patent" is. It's kind of like that old quote about porn - "I can't define it, but I know it when I see it".
Now you're just being rude. What you're saying is that future mathematicians should start out with number theory rather than addition. Let him learn his programming 101 in high school, and after he can successfully edit, compile, link and run "hello world" from memory, then we'll start in about DFAs and Lambda Calculus.
I actually watched the show (Nova). Between the time that Francis Gary Powers got shot down and the advent of DIGITAL technology, there was a time window where all kinds of crazy stuff was tried, like satellites shooting film and parachuting the canisters back to earth, to be snatched from the sky by military planes. But without a preview available, lots of very very expensive pictures of cloud tops got taken instead. The MOL and Almaz were both efforts to put intelligent eyes behind the shutter button. But by the time they got built, technology had marched on. Almaz actually was radioing video images of the on-board developed film back to earth within hours of the pictures being taken. But by then, MOL had been canceled in favor of the NRO's satellite program.
Seeing the picture of the prototype being dropped from a 50 year-old B-52. And the design is 60 years old! They just don't build 'em like that anymore.
I read the complaint, and went through the patent. I didn't see any circuit diagrams, just some flowcharts and a lot of descriptions of them. It seems to me there's a vast difference between patenting a flowchart and building a circuit in silicon - but that's just me. I'm gonna chalk this up as a patent troll on an idea - not an invention.
The TSA is yet another bloated and overbearing government organization that will never go away. The employees are unionized which furthers the impossibility of removing this mess.
Indeed. I loved this howler from the liquids blog:
Whatever you think about our policies -- please recognize our Security Officers who train and test every day and will do whatever it takes to make you and your families safe when you fly. They are the best in the world and are on your side; please give them a little recognition when you see them.
Puhleeeese. Anybody who's ever flown in the US knows that the TSA is an inner-city jobs program. The notion that you're going to achieve security by having drones check things by rote is laughable. Had all this mechanism been in place on 9/11, the terrorists would only have had to be slightly more careful than they were, and they still would have succeeded.
You can (essentially) only go supersonic over the oceans, so you need routes where you can actually use all that power, say New York to Europe or LA to the Pacific rim. Next, a ticket on this beast will cost slightly less than an average working stiff's annual mortgage payments. So we need to find 300 self-important assholes who are 1) richer than they are smart 2) in too big of a hurry to spend twice as much time crossing the ocean at 1/10th the price. And of course this model only works if there's regular service, never mind the fact that you only sold 4 tickets for Wednesday's LA to Shanghai run. There were how many planes in the Concorde fleet?? There is ZERO economic chance that this will ever happen.
I applaud these guys for having the balls to say "I'm going to take what I've learned from the mistakes I made in versions 1 and 2, and start over with something better". I love Java, but I sure wish some of the 1.1 and 1.2 cruft would go away.
Slashdot Mirror
Obviously the things being patented are defined. The quote means they can't define what a "business method patent" is. It's kind of like that old quote about porn - "I can't define it, but I know it when I see it".
Now you're just being rude. What you're saying is that future mathematicians should start out with number theory rather than addition. Let him learn his programming 101 in high school, and after he can successfully edit, compile, link and run "hello world" from memory, then we'll start in about DFAs and Lambda Calculus.
Everybody says "Pi R squared", but pi are round. Cake are square.
You would think that he would have learned that 90% of people aren't.
Sorry, that's a "first rule of Usenet" violation.
Beta-testing is for sissies.
I will, in return, refrain from making any "back-door vulnerability" jokes.
You're just jealous because they only talk to me.
I actually watched the show (Nova). Between the time that Francis Gary Powers got shot down and the advent of DIGITAL technology, there was a time window where all kinds of crazy stuff was tried, like satellites shooting film and parachuting the canisters back to earth, to be snatched from the sky by military planes. But without a preview available, lots of very very expensive pictures of cloud tops got taken instead. The MOL and Almaz were both efforts to put intelligent eyes behind the shutter button. But by the time they got built, technology had marched on. Almaz actually was radioing video images of the on-board developed film back to earth within hours of the pictures being taken. But by then, MOL had been canceled in favor of the NRO's satellite program.
Seeing the picture of the prototype being dropped from a 50 year-old B-52. And the design is 60 years old! They just don't build 'em like that anymore.
There, fixed that for you.
I read the complaint, and went through the patent. I didn't see any circuit diagrams, just some flowcharts and a lot of descriptions of them. It seems to me there's a vast difference between patenting a flowchart and building a circuit in silicon - but that's just me. I'm gonna chalk this up as a patent troll on an idea - not an invention.
Wait... You mean they are???
You can (essentially) only go supersonic over the oceans, so you need routes where you can actually use all that power, say New York to Europe or LA to the Pacific rim. Next, a ticket on this beast will cost slightly less than an average working stiff's annual mortgage payments. So we need to find 300 self-important assholes who are 1) richer than they are smart 2) in too big of a hurry to spend twice as much time crossing the ocean at 1/10th the price. And of course this model only works if there's regular service, never mind the fact that you only sold 4 tickets for Wednesday's LA to Shanghai run. There were how many planes in the Concorde fleet?? There is ZERO economic chance that this will ever happen.
You want consistency? From a politician?!?
Welcome to Earth. Enjoy your stay.
Brilliant! Genius!!
Ranks right up there with:
And the user exclaimed with a snarl and a taunt, "It's just what I asked for, but not what I want!".
I'll definitely be passing this along.
"If builders built buildings the way programmers write programs, the first woodpecker would destroy civilization".
I applaud these guys for having the balls to say "I'm going to take what I've learned from the mistakes I made in versions 1 and 2, and start over with something better". I love Java, but I sure wish some of the 1.1 and 1.2 cruft would go away.