Actually, the Earth's atmosphere extends out to roughly 2000 kilometers or so. Spacecraft orbiting within 2000 kilometers are slowly spiraling in, due to the the tiny amount of air resistance.
The story gives the impression that the ISS is in some sort of dire predicament, however, upon doing the math, one can see that the ISS has roughly 9 months of orbit still in front of it.
Story is a dupe...original story can be found here.
I'm not complaining, mind you...the original story garnered a scant 31 comments, so I'm glad to see it posted again. I'm especially glad to see the pic of the bizzare headgear composed of equal parts ignition wiring and surgical tubing...I have a new wallpaper!
Seriously, though, from TFA:
Wang Yiming, 21, is a self-confessed internet addict, one of a growing number in China. He used to spend hours online each day, often going without food or sleep. His face is drawn and sallow.
I went through the same thing during my big MUD/MUSH phase back in the early 90's...14+ hours online every day of the week, and I was losing weight because I was forgetting to eat. But you know what? Somehow, I survived, and I didn't need some scary nurse wrapping my head in neo-bondage gear to do it. This 'clinic' is selling digital snake oil...nothing more.
Buying a PC without an operating system saves a step and eliminates the cost of the extra software.
I was curious, so I went to the Dell site and priced out some systems myself to see just how much you save. Here's what I found:
Dell Dimenson E510n (no OS installed): $774
IDENTICALLY CONFIGURED Dell Dimension E510 (only difference: comes with Windows XP Media Center 2005 Edition installed): $804
So apparently, a copy of Windows XP Media Center 2005 Edition costs $30.
I have to say I'm pretty disappointed with Dell....for a second there it looked like they might actually be doing something worthwhile, but upon doing the math, it's obvious they're just milking this whole Linux thing for their own personal gain. I'll continue building my systems from scratch, thanks.
More important, the discs would prevent copying and digital piracy, which is costing the film and music industry billions in lost revenues.
Let me be the first to say: bwah ha ha ha ha.
The revolutionary product could be on the market as early as next year, with the new DVD players needed to view them.
And exactly how difficult is it going to be to mod these players to say they're erasing the disc as it's being viewed, while not actually doing anything at all?
Researchers at Microsoft believe they have a simple solution to the challenge of piracy.
Microsoft: simple solutions for simple people.
Chairman Bill Gates has been working on a solution to the film industry's piracy problem since making a now legendary pitch to the industry in September 2002. Showing a video of himself dressed in a sailor suit...
For those of you who enjoy fiction, Accelerando by Charles Stross is one of the best fictional treatments of the Singularity I've had the pleasure of reading. In Accelerando one of the characters refers to the Singularity as the 'rapture of the nerds'. Great stuff.
Seriously, though, will we be able to actually pinpoint a time and say 'this is when the Singularity occurred'? I'm sure that a person from the 19th century, when confronted with the complexity of life today, would contend that the Singularity has already happened, but this time is still (largely) comprehensible to us. As time marches on, and things become steadily more complex, won't humans, augmented by increasing levels of technology, maintain at least a cursory connection?
This "study" referenced in the TFA is so poisonously misleading I barely know where to begin.
From TFA:
Canadians between the ages of 18 and 29 are much more willing than other age groups to make illegal copies of software programs, cheat on exams or even shoplift, an Environics poll suggests.
Regarding the first two statistics, perhaps that because (a) they're the ones to use the software programs the most, and (b), they're the ones in school. Regarding the last point, the actual figures were 6%, as opposed to 2% of the general population. With a poll base of only 2,043 individuals, and an error range of 3.1 percentage points plus or minus, one can seriously question the validity of this last statistic. Add this to the fact that teens have been shoplifting since the invention of the 'shop', and this statistic quickly becomes meaningless.
What's especially nauseating about this "study" is that it attempts to establish a causual connection between increased P2P file sharing and these other, 'antisocial' activities:
Again from TFA:
"Not only does music file-swapping harm artists, but it also points to an erosion of respect for intellectual property that threatens Canada's economy and values at the core of our society," said Graham Henderson, president of the Canadian Recording Industry Association, which commissioned the polls.
Repeat after me: Correlation does not imply causation.
As for the 'razor blade' argument cited in TFA, the reason it works for razor blades is because they're cheap...too cheap for people to 'mod' their razors to be able to accept other, cheaper razor blades. This model simply doesn't apply in the world of printer cartridges and cell phones...since it's worth the expense. Lexmark increased the expense by implementing the 'handshake' between the cartridge and the printer, but circumventing that proved to be worth the expense as well. When Lexmark attempted to invoke DMCA they got slapped down, and rightly so.
The point is, if I own a product, be it cellphone, printer, or razor, it is mine. The courts ultimately ruled against Lexmark in this matter, and I expect (and hope) that they will rull against the cellphone companies as well.
Since the 'obscure policy document' mentioned in TFA is in PDF format, here is the text of that document, formatted and stripped of the numerous bibliographical references:
POLICY STATEMENT Adopted: August 5, 2005 Released: September 23, 2005 By the Commission:
I. INTRODUCTION
The availability of the Internet has had a profound impact on American life. This network of networks has fundamentally changed the way we communicate. It has increased the speed of communication, the range of communicating devices and the variety of platforms over which we can send and receive information. As Congress has noted, "[t]he rapidly developing array of Internet . . . services available to individual Americans represent an extraordinary advance in the availability of educational and informational resources to our citizens." The Internet also represents "a forum for a true diversity of political discourse, unique opportunities for cultural development, and myriad avenues for intellectual activity." In addition, the Internet plays an important role in the economy, as an engine for productivity growth and cost savings.
In section 230(b) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (Communications Act or Act), Congress describes its national Internet policy. Specifically, Congress states that it is the policy of the United States "to preserve the vibrant and competitive free market that presently exists for the Internet"6 and "to promote the continued development of the Internet."7 In section 706(a) of the Act, Congress charges the Commission with "encourag[ing] the deployment on a reasonable and timely basis of advanced telecommunications capability" - broadband - "to all Americans."
In this Policy Statement, the Commission offers guidance and insight into its approach to the Internet and broadband that is consistent with these Congressional directives.
II. DISCUSSION
The Communications Act charges the Commission with "regulating interstate and foreign commerce in communication by wire and radio."9 The Communications Act regulates telecommunications carriers, as common carriers, under Title II.10 Information service providers, "by contrast, are not subject to mandatory common-carrier regulation under Title II."11 The Commission, however, "has jurisdiction to impose additional regulatory obligations under its Title I ancillary jurisdiction to regulate interstate and foreign communications." As a result, the Commission has jurisdiction necessary to ensure that providers of telecommunications for Internet access or Internet Protocol-enabled (IP-enabled) services are operated in a neutral manner. Moreover, to ensure that broadband networks are widely deployed, open, affordable, and accessible to all consumers, the Commission adopts the following principles:
To encourage broadband deployment and preserve and promote the open and interconnected nature of the public Internet, consumers are entitled to access the lawful Internet content of their choice.
To encourage broadband deployment and preserve and promote the open and interconnected nature of the public Internet, consumers are entitled to run applications and use services of their choice, subject to the needs of law enforcement.
To encourage broadband deployment and preserve and promote the open and interconnected nature of the public Internet, consumers are entitled to connect their choice of legal devices that do not harm the network.
To encourage broadband deployment and preserve and promote the open and interconnected nature of the public Internet, consumers are entitled to competition among network providers, application and service providers, and content providers.
III. CONCLUSION
The Commission has a duty to preserve and promote the vibrant and open character of the I
Interesting...Apple is willing to address the cracked Nano screens, but not the scratched ones.
Apple said the Nano is made of the same polycarbonate plastic as the fourth-generation iPod and said it does not believe the scratching problem is widespread.
Hmm...all Apple needs to do to verify the scope of this problem is open up a web browser. To say there's been a lot in the media about the iPod Nano and its butter-soft screen would be a masterpiece of understatement. Googling 'ipod nano screen scratch' yields 521,000 results.
If you are unfortunate enough to own a Nano, here's some helpful links:
Now as for the other two stars listed above we've been told that Thomas Haden Church will in fact play SANDMAN and that James Franco will play HOBGOBLIN and not the Green Goblin II (like in the comics). No more info can be given at this time, but I've confirmed this with various sources and apparently it's quite well known.
Don't know why I post links to articles if noone's gonna read 'em...
James Franco as Hobgoblin looks to be a good call, and Thomas Hayden Church is a lock for Sandman, but Topher Grace as Venom??? Seriously...I think Grace is a decent enough actor, but can he pull off Eddie Brock? Personally, I think he would have been better cast as Cletus Kasady (aka Carnage).
The Reuters copy is a bit spotty in its coverage...more information can be found here, here, and here.
Interesting quote from the third source listed above:
Under the new regulations, Internet news sites are encouraged to report news that is "healthy" and promotes economic and social progress, Xinhua said. In addition, the Shanghai Daily newspaper reported that any news Web site that reports "false or distorted information" will be fined up to 30,000 renminbi (US$3,701) under the new guidelines.
Chaos reigned in the administration today as it received a communication from "Skippy", a Navy-trained bottlenose dolphin who was liberated from his holding tank along with 35 other dolphins when Hurricane Katrina struck.
In the communication, Skippy confirmed that he and the other dolphins were indeed armed, declared himself and his compatriots "freedom fighters" for an organization called the "Cetacean Liberation Front" or "CTF", and demanded that all other wrongfully imprisoned cetaceans be released immediately, or the group would initiate hostilities against surfers, SCUBA divers, and windsurfers.
The following is a transcript of this communication:
EeeeeeeEEE EEEe eree e E eEeeeeee eEee eEEEEE eEee EREEEEEEE EEEEEEEEE EeeeeEEE EE eEEEEE. EEEE E E eeEE eee EE E eEeeEeeee eeE EEEEe EeeE eeE EEEEEEEEEEEE! EEEEE eE e eEEE E EE e eeee eEE eEE eeeee EE EE e EEEEEEEE e EEEEEEEE!!! EEE! EEEE E E EEEEE E E EEEE EE EEEE EEEEE!!!
At this point, the administration still has issued no official statement concerning this situation.
This sounds like the biggest wankfest ever. We're sending over advisors??? Exactly what good does the administration think this is going to do? Hey George, if you're gonna send in the Planeteers, don't forget Ma-ti...he's got the power of Heart, after all...
I'm so glad my tax money is being squandered on this joke, rather than going to something worthwhile, like...say...Katrina relief.
If examined closely these three entities could easily be spun into new companies with their own CEO and stock. Current Microsoft shareholders could be given one share of each for each share of Microsoft stock. Then it's off to the races.
Slashdot Mirror
Actually, the Earth's atmosphere extends out to roughly 2000 kilometers or so. Spacecraft orbiting within 2000 kilometers are slowly spiraling in, due to the the tiny amount of air resistance.
The story gives the impression that the ISS is in some sort of dire predicament, however, upon doing the math, one can see that the ISS has roughly 9 months of orbit still in front of it.
Tempest, meet teacup.
Don't forget good old MCA. ^_^
With that said, I wish I could find an addiction that would make me forget to eat.
Here you go....just follow this simple program, and you'll shed that unwanted weight in no time! ^_^
Story is a dupe...original story can be found here.
I'm not complaining, mind you...the original story garnered a scant 31 comments, so I'm glad to see it posted again. I'm especially glad to see the pic of the bizzare headgear composed of equal parts ignition wiring and surgical tubing...I have a new wallpaper!
Seriously, though, from TFA: I went through the same thing during my big MUD/MUSH phase back in the early 90's...14+ hours online every day of the week, and I was losing weight because I was forgetting to eat. But you know what? Somehow, I survived, and I didn't need some scary nurse wrapping my head in neo-bondage gear to do it. This 'clinic' is selling digital snake oil...nothing more.
From TFA: I was curious, so I went to the Dell site and priced out some systems myself to see just how much you save. Here's what I found:
Dell Dimenson E510n (no OS installed): $774
IDENTICALLY CONFIGURED Dell Dimension E510 (only difference: comes with Windows XP Media Center 2005 Edition installed): $804
So apparently, a copy of Windows XP Media Center 2005 Edition costs $30.
I have to say I'm pretty disappointed with Dell....for a second there it looked like they might actually be doing something worthwhile, but upon doing the math, it's obvious they're just milking this whole Linux thing for their own personal gain. I'll continue building my systems from scratch, thanks.
More important, the discs would prevent copying and digital piracy, which is costing the film and music industry billions in lost revenues.
Let me be the first to say: bwah ha ha ha ha.
The revolutionary product could be on the market as early as next year, with the new DVD players needed to view them .
And exactly how difficult is it going to be to mod these players to say they're erasing the disc as it's being viewed, while not actually doing anything at all?
Researchers at Microsoft believe they have a simple solution to the challenge of piracy.
Microsoft: simple solutions for simple people.
Chairman Bill Gates has been working on a solution to the film industry's piracy problem since making a now legendary pitch to the industry in September 2002. Showing a video of himself dressed in a sailor suit...
Ewww. I had to stop reading at that point.
I wish they'd understand that.
I'm kinda glad they don't...
For those of you who enjoy fiction, Accelerando by Charles Stross is one of the best fictional treatments of the Singularity I've had the pleasure of reading. In Accelerando one of the characters refers to the Singularity as the 'rapture of the nerds'. Great stuff.
Seriously, though, will we be able to actually pinpoint a time and say 'this is when the Singularity occurred'? I'm sure that a person from the 19th century, when confronted with the complexity of life today, would contend that the Singularity has already happened, but this time is still (largely) comprehensible to us. As time marches on, and things become steadily more complex, won't humans, augmented by increasing levels of technology, maintain at least a cursory connection?
This "study" referenced in the TFA is so poisonously misleading I barely know where to begin.
From TFA:Regarding the first two statistics, perhaps that because (a) they're the ones to use the software programs the most, and (b), they're the ones in school. Regarding the last point, the actual figures were 6%, as opposed to 2% of the general population. With a poll base of only 2,043 individuals, and an error range of 3.1 percentage points plus or minus, one can seriously question the validity of this last statistic. Add this to the fact that teens have been shoplifting since the invention of the 'shop', and this statistic quickly becomes meaningless.
What's especially nauseating about this "study" is that it attempts to establish a causual connection between increased P2P file sharing and these other, 'antisocial' activities:
Again from TFA:Repeat after me: Correlation does not imply causation.
Story lifted directly from BoingBoing. Even the quote from Wired was lifted directly from the BoingBoing story.
See the BoingBoing story here.
As for the 'razor blade' argument cited in TFA, the reason it works for razor blades is because they're cheap...too cheap for people to 'mod' their razors to be able to accept other, cheaper razor blades. This model simply doesn't apply in the world of printer cartridges and cell phones...since it's worth the expense. Lexmark increased the expense by implementing the 'handshake' between the cartridge and the printer, but circumventing that proved to be worth the expense as well. When Lexmark attempted to invoke DMCA they got slapped down, and rightly so.
The point is, if I own a product, be it cellphone, printer, or razor, it is mine. The courts ultimately ruled against Lexmark in this matter, and I expect (and hope) that they will rull against the cellphone companies as well.
Story is a dupe...original story can be found here.
I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that the answer may incriminate me.
Interesting...Apple is willing to address the cracked Nano screens, but not the scratched ones.
Apple said the Nano is made of the same polycarbonate plastic as the fourth-generation iPod and said it does not believe the scratching problem is widespread.
Hmm...all Apple needs to do to verify the scope of this problem is open up a web browser. To say there's been a lot in the media about the iPod Nano and its butter-soft screen would be a masterpiece of understatement. Googling 'ipod nano screen scratch' yields 521,000 results.
If you are unfortunate enough to own a Nano, here's some helpful links:
Hope this helps.
More information on the $100 laptop can be found here.
A bit of bad news from this page:
An image of one of these robotic patient training kits can be found here.
From the article on Freeze Drided Movies:Don't know why I post links to articles if noone's gonna read 'em...
Old news...Diggreported this two and a half weeks ago. Also, in addition to Venom and Sandman, the Hobgoblin will be played by James Franco (see Freeze Dried Movies for the scoop).
James Franco as Hobgoblin looks to be a good call, and Thomas Hayden Church is a lock for Sandman, but Topher Grace as Venom??? Seriously...I think Grace is a decent enough actor, but can he pull off Eddie Brock? Personally, I think he would have been better cast as Cletus Kasady (aka Carnage).
I'm certain that, forseeing this, the Navy trained these dolphins extensively in hand-to-hand tactics (well, hand to flipper, at any rate...).
The Reuters copy is a bit spotty in its coverage...more information can be found here, here, and here.
Interesting quote from the third source listed above:
In the communication, Skippy confirmed that he and the other dolphins were indeed armed, declared himself and his compatriots "freedom fighters" for an organization called the "Cetacean Liberation Front" or "CTF", and demanded that all other wrongfully imprisoned cetaceans be released immediately, or the group would initiate hostilities against surfers, SCUBA divers, and windsurfers.
The following is a transcript of this communication:
At this point, the administration still has issued no official statement concerning this situation.
This sounds like the biggest wankfest ever. We're sending over advisors??? Exactly what good does the administration think this is going to do? Hey George, if you're gonna send in the Planeteers, don't forget Ma-ti...he's got the power of Heart, after all...
I'm so glad my tax money is being squandered on this joke, rather than going to something worthwhile, like...say...Katrina relief.