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User: Redwin

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  1. Re:Solution on British Airways Chief Slams US Security Requests · · Score: 1

    There is a novel called The Trigger by Arthur C Clarke and Michael Kube-McDowell about such a device. Pretty good read if you get the chance.

  2. Re:Your rights OFFLINE! on 9 MA Cyberbullies Indicted For Causing Suicide · · Score: 1

    Or people not under the influence of the Bystander Effect

  3. Re:People... Austism does not equal Retarded! on Company Trains the Autistic To Test Software · · Score: 1

    First off, you are absolutly spot on, wish I could mod you up further!

    My girlfried teaches RMPS (religious moral and philasophical studies) in Scotland and occasionally takes classes of entirely autisitc children (I say children, but all the autistic kids are male). Its very difficult to teach the concept of "belief" as the children tend to take things literally, so saying "something is like something else" is confusing for them. Naturally, to help teach this class she has some assistance from other support staff, and one of them recommended:

    Thinking Autisic: This is the title
    by Peter Vermeulen

    Which was a fasinating read to anyone looking to learn more about autisim.

    Cheers!

  4. Re:He's an idiot on Goldman Sachs Code Theft Not Quite So Cut and Dried · · Score: 1

    Doesn't matter if you are innocent, doesn't matter if you have an explanation, an alibi, whatever. Just don't do it, because you can and will say something that can be used against you in a court of law.

    First of all, I agree with the parent, however it says a lot about a society's laws that even if you are innocent you can still be found guilty of something. It implies there is no such thing as innocence, that everybody is guilty of something and that law could, if it wanted to, just pull a random person off the street and charge him with something. Everyone does something illegal from time to time such as driving over the speed limit. Any number of silly little things that people do without giving two thoughts about it.

    In the parent example you are innocent of the charge, however you still should have a lawyer to make sure you don't say something that can be used against you remember. If you need a lawyer to know if you broke the law or not then the it implies that people don't know that what they are doing is illegal. It leads to a society where anything could be illegal and you should consult a lawyer before everything you do, just in case. If you knew that what you did was allowed then anything that you say that could be used against you would surely be a mis-speaking or a mis-understanding. Unfortunetly it comes down to a "but he said.." type argument. In that scenario it is really down to who is the better debater the defence or the prosecution, not whether the person is innocent or not. Unfortunetly without irrefutable evidence we are left with a system of pushing a jury to the viewpoint of "beyond reasonable doubt" as to someones guilt based on the debating powers of an individual or group. Justice indeed.

  5. Re:Neat on Researchers Tout New Network Worm Weapon · · Score: 1

    I can't access the paper to check, but I think it is the same paper I read when it first came out in 2005 (search scholar.google.com for "Collaborative Internet worm containment"). They gave a possible fix for p2p traffic at least by examining the number of unique connections made over a long period of time (say 1 month). If 10,000 unique connections were made within the course of the one month time frame the threshold would be breached. If I remember correctly they found out that the average user who uses filesharing programs for most of the time still only makes about 4000 UNIQUE connections over a one month period. A worm on the other hand would reach that limit within seconds identifying itself even over a program that normally makes a lot of connections.

    I think they also note that this only works for fast worms and not stealth ones that take their time to propagate.

    Still, it is an interesting idea and one that I made a few references to in my research at the time!

  6. Re:Really... on To Curb Truancy, Dallas Tries Electronic Monitoring · · Score: 1

    How about Option 4:

    Direct him away from academia to a trade school to learn an apprenticeship in something.

  7. Re:IQeye on Is Cheap Video Surveillance Possible? · · Score: 1

    "I once did a self-defence course with a martial arts expert, one guy asked him what to do if a mugger pulled a gun on him.
    He said - give them your wallet.
    Guy - And if I had a gun?
    Martial arts expert - Don't carry a gun. Just give them your wallet.
    Real life isn't like the movies."

    So you took a self defense course where you were told NOT to defend yourself? Why did you bother? What was his advise if the mugger was unarmed? Fight back then? Where is your limit?


    I have also studied martial arts and I have had this same advice, although more along the lines of "If he pulls a knife and demands your wallet, give him the wallet. You can always get more money, vital organs are harder to come by". Unless you are of a high level (1st Kyu/Brown belt or above) it is highly unlikely you will have developed the mindset to use any training to good effect, more likely the initial thinking will be "Oh crap, he has a knife" instead of "his body positioning suggests that he will attack with a downward sweep from the left I can counter with moving my body forward and to my right etc".

    The vast majority of techniques you learn in most martial arts (I can only vouch for what I have trained in, YMMV) the early stages are along the lines of Attacker A moves in with this attack, to counter do X. That is they initiate an attack and you counter.

    As you train you become familiar with common patterns that new beginners start with (even if they are allowed to free spar, they often resort to a two punch one kick combination or a varient of that), and your counters to them become more instinctive. This helps both yourself and whomever you are training with as you learn what works and what doesn't (this is an enforcement to other training at the dojo obviously). The training you learn at the instinctive level is often what saves you from an attack eg drunk guy at the pub swinging at you with a beer bottle, someone grabing you etc.

    A direct confrontation with an armed attacker does not use an instinctive defence and thus, unless you have the mindset of a highly controlled individual (read, high level kyu or dan level) you are more likely to freeze than do something useful. Those who have trained a little may mistake this perfectly normal reaction to one where they need to act, and dive into to an attack usually resulting to injury to themselves. Thus the sensi's recommendation, "If you can avoid the conflict (ie they are not actively attacking at this moment and you have to instinctively block and counter), try to do it, your overal survival will be better for it".

  8. Re:Multiple languages on Toddlers May Learn Language By Data Mining · · Score: 1

    I'm a parent in a bilingual family. (Finnish & Swedish, two fundamentally different languages.)

    And presumably English as well, unless it is not spoken in the house at all :-) Years ago I had a discussion with a Finnish friend on my college course and he was saying (in English) that he wasn't very good at languages, and could only speak Finnish and a bit of German. I pointed out that he was telling me this in English to which he replied that "English doesn't count, as everyone speaks it".

    Its interesting how some nations make such a good effort at learning other languages whereas in places where English (in particular) is the first language it isn't nearly so common (This is my view from the education system in Scotland where I'm from so YMMV).

  9. Re:heh on RIAA Wants $1.5 Million Per CD Copied · · Score: 1

    While I know it is slightly off topic, does anyone know if there is a UK equivilant of opensecrets.org?

    Cheers!

  10. Re:Life+70 is just obscene on ISP Filters & Copyright Extension Defeated In EU · · Score: 1

    While I can't view the site to check for red alert 2 as I'm at work at the moment, www.megagames.com has game fixes that crack the games which have some DRM problems as well as other fixes. I've used those a few times when I've run into problems playing games in windows that seem to crash just after starting up. It might be worth a try?

  11. Re:Not normally one to quote the Bible but on Proposed CA Bill Would Create Domestic Offender Database · · Score: 1

    Do you have the address for the online db? It would be interesting to have a look at :-)

    Cheers!

  12. Re:300 What? on High Efficiency Hybrid Car Planned For 2009 · · Score: 1

    From the main website:


    With the Plug-in Electric Hybrid version of the Aptera(typ-1h) the mileage of the vehicle is difficult to describe with one number. For example, the Typ-1h can drive 40 to 60 miles on electric power alone. Perhaps for such a trip, the engine may only be duty-cycled for a few seconds or minutes. This would produce a fantastic number, an incredible number that, though factually true, would have no useful context, i.e. it's just a point on a graph.

    An asymptotic decaying exponential is an accurate way to describe the fuel mileage of the Typ-1h. For example driving say, 50 miles, one might calculate a MPG number that's 2 or 3 times higher, say, 1000 MPG. As battery energy is depleted, the frequency of the engine duty cycle is increased. More fuel is used. at 75 miles, the MPG might be closer to 400 MPG. Again, we're using battery energy mostly, but turning the engine on more and more. Just over 100 miles we're just over 300 MPG, and just beyond 120 miles, we're around 300 MPG.



    Also, there appears to be a hybrid version as well:

    Diesel or Gasoline? Our first prototype, the Mk-0, was a parallel hybrid Diesel and achieved an average of 230 MPG at a steady state of 55 MPH. This was pure Diesel/mechanical drive with no electric assist. Diesel is attractive for its Carnot efficiency and the increased enthalpy of Diesel fuel vs gasoline. However, diesel contains lots of unburned hydrocarbons and NOX compounds, and it's impossible to get a small Diesel engine certified for emissions in California. Therefore, the typ-h uses a small, water-cooled EFI Gasoline engine with closed loop oxygen feedback and catalytic converter. This engine is coupled to a lightweight 12KW starter/generator.

  13. Re:I hope they enforce their patent.. on IBM Files DVD Spam Patent Application · · Score: 1

    *wishfully thinking* Maybe they are creating this as a blocking patent to stop content distributors from going down this route.

  14. Re:Full support on Cell Phone Jamming on the Rise · · Score: 1

    Scenario 2:

    You'll be fine, skippy.

    While you were lying on the floor breathless, you life slipping away from you as the crowd stands around you, while one or two go for help.. They find a landline phone outside the theatre room and places a call to the emergancy services, safe in the knowledge that the brickwork, surrounding buildings and other common forms of interference won't screw up the call that is trying to get through. The landline also informs the emergancy services of where everything is taking place, incase in the panic of 40 people all trying to ring the emergancy number some get the address wrong and mis information is given.

  15. Re:The law doesn't protect you on Inside Comcast's Surveillance Policies · · Score: 1

    Also don't forget that if you have a weak password (eg using your username for the password or something) then anyone serious about breaking your encryption will have a much easier time. Dictionary attacks and trying lists of common passwords (p455w0rd for example) can make a successful match quite quickly.

  16. Re:Being British... on British Scientists Reverse Casimir Effect · · Score: 1

    Contrary to popular belief, the world does in fact not revolve around money.

    Sure it does, you just have to put a value on the Sun thats all. Now, who wants to open the bidding? :-)

  17. Re:loss - MOD CHIPS ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! on Take Two Shelves Manhunt 2 · · Score: 1

    Where does it say on the outside of the PS3 box -- This unit only runs software licensed by Sony. Any other use of this equipment violates the Sony Playstation 3 License Agreement.

    System Software Licence agreement for Playstation 3:

    Restrictions section (v):

    exploit the System Software in any manner other than to use it in your PS3(TM) system in accordance with the accompanying documentation and with authorized software or hardware, including use of the System Software to design, develop, update, or distribute unauthorized software or hardware for use in connection with the PS3(TM) system for any reason

    Information taken from here

  18. Politics on Wired's Very Short Stories · · Score: 1

    "In politics, stupidity isn't a handicap" - Napoleon

  19. Re:I can see the settlement now... on AOL Subscribers Sue Over Release Of Search Data · · Score: 1

    You've misarranged the order of the words, that should read:

    1000 hours free of AOL!

  20. Re:Much ado about nothing? on Continued Opposition To Laptops in Schools · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Nothing written on the Internet is true.

    Now of course comes the question: Is the above sentence true or false? :-P

  21. Re:In other news... on Vista Startup Sound to be Mandatory? · · Score: 1

    ...sources close to those in charge of Vista's user interface development say the startup sound will be that of '...[M]illions of computer users crying out, and suddenly silenced...'

    No no no.. it will be:

    '...[M]illions of computer users crying out, and suddenly being unable to be silenced...'

  22. Re:High Alert on Do Not Flush Your iPod · · Score: 1

    It's hard to imagine why they should pick on planes in particular apart from the challenge of beating the security anyway.

    Shock value. Drop an aircraft or two in the ocean, and you screw up air traffic worldwide. Plus, some people are just naturally scared of flying anyway. This plays on those fears.
    And then we have the talking heads on TV, who cream their shorts every time there is a crash. Like this morning.

    Would getting 10 people around a city to detonate a bomb in their car while sitting in morning rush hour traffic on bridges and tunnels not work just as well? "Shit, I could die every time I drive to work!!" Why are planes special? Take the madrid and london bombings they were pretty effective for publicity.

  23. Re:So what problem are we fixing? on The 'Truth in Videogame Rating' Act · · Score: 2, Insightful

    After all, video gamers themselves are predominantly young, which means either they can't or won't vote, so we're free to alienate them for political gain

    Apparently the average gamer is in his (don't know if stats for female gamers are different) early 30's, well able to have a vote?

  24. Re:More info on this virus on Symantec Labels Vicars' Software as Spyware · · Score: 1

    You forgot the most sinister part: Multiple instances of the virus work together to trick the users into executing the payload for it.

  25. Re:I liked DS9. on Matt Damon as Kirk in Star Trek XI? · · Score: 1

    How about looking at something like the Culture from Iain M Banks novels. Glanding, planet sized ships and giant threats orchestrated by highly developed AI's. I've always thought that series of books would make amazing films/TV series. :-)