You can't expect a hardcore regime like communist China to change over night. They are making leaps and bounds towards capitalism (which WILL eventually lead to democracy) without the coup or collapses the USSR faced. So, I don't automatically chalk Google up to being "evil" simply because they are bending the laws of censorship. Yes, they are no doubt thinking of their bottom line, but Google is one of the last moral(?) mega-companies in the world today. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that they are doing things right for now. They are fully aware that they need to take small steps with China, or China might shut them out altogether. Then where would the potential for democracy be?
By censoring the internet, China is censoring innovation. The only reason the West has exploded with innovation in the last decade or so is solely because of the absolute freedom to exchange ideas on the internet: both on a cultural level and a technical level.
Communist China will find out the hard way that stifling communication will only stifle their economic growth. They've bended over the past few decades to nascent capitalism because they couldn't deny its effectiveness. They will soon find out that they need to open up the internet too in order to let their society grow.
China is moving forward, even though it seems like a snail's pace to the West. However, they're getting it, just very slowly.
This is an ingenious and utterly simple concept that may actually work:
Scientists at Lehigh University have tested a next-generation "self-centering" system that uses gigantic steel bands to hold building columns and beams in place during an earthquake.
In allowing the beams and columns to separate, rock and twist independently of one another, the rope-like steel bands -- encased in plastic -- are meant to prevent a building frame from buckling during an earthquake. The system also uses friction plates that help dissipate the quake's energy. After the tremors subside, the steel bands pull the beams and columns back to their original positions.source
The most interesting thing about all of this, imho, is the fact that we are still trying to figure out how the pyramids were made. Here we are in the 21st century, and our top scientist/engineers can't figure out how a bunch of stone age people created one of the world's most sophisticated engineering feats ever. Why is that? This new spiral theory may indeed be correct, but they instantly dismiss one of the most compelling facts: the pyramid of Khufu was NOT built by the pharaoh Khufu. Khufu's name appears nowhere in or on the pyramid (except for one scribble of graffiti). Egyptians were obsessed with covering their works with words, names, and decorations: the Great pyramid is virtually devoid of any decoration of any kind. Why is this important? It's important because it suggests that the pyramid already existed long before the stone age building timeframe. Graham Hancock is the main proponent of this ancient theory and his book Fingerprints of the Gods is a fascinating theory about how the pyramids are much older than we expect. The inner-ramp theory people dismiss this theory off hand in their 3d video, but it's a theory that's worth exploring if you consider yourself a true Egyptologist.
Many reptiles hibernate and even burrow in shallow mud: true. But they always have to come out sometime to feed and heat their bodies (cold-blooded). A burrowing dinosaur would have to do the same. And if there was a rapid change in temperature due to asteroid impact debris, then burrowing wouldn't really help that much. The temperature would still be "off" outside the burrow and the reptiles wouldn't be able to survive indefinitely inside a burrow. So, I don't see "burrowing" as a valid claim to reptile survival after the impact. There must be something else at work here. How do we explain the survival of modern reptiles? I don't know, but burrowing doesn't really add up for me.
"Called the Zephyr, it's an aircraft that can fly continuously using nothing but solar power and "low drag aerodynamics". The combination of solar panels on the upper wing surface and rechargeable batteries allows Zephyr to be flown for many weeks and even months. The first flight trial of the Zephyr were conducted recently by QinetiQ in White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.
Two aircraft were flown for four and a half and six hours respectively, the maximum flight times permitted under range restrictions. The maximum altitude attained was 27,000 feet above sea level. The ultra-light aircraft is designed to fly at altitudes as high as 132,000 feet (25 miles/40km), above normal commercial air-lanes and most weather.
QinetiQ believes that stratospheric platforms will rapidly become commercially viable and revolutionize future communications. High altitude platforms of this sort could provide a cheaper alternative to satellites in remote areas and developing countries. They can also enable observation of natural disasters and humanitarian crises."
Why is it that there are no other possibilities being explored? Perhaps there was a virus of some kind that spread rapidly through the larger dinosaur population. Or perhaps there was a food shortage (perhaps caused by a diseased food source). There are several "biological" probabilities that are hard to determine from the fossil record. This smoking gun approach (a single asteroid/volcano) is far less likely, imho. Animal populations go extinct all the time due to simple factors such as displacement by other animal species, disease, and food shortage. Perhaps the paleontologist should look closer at these possibilities instead of something more dramatic like a mega-ton asteroid or climate change.
Here's a great article on the pros and cons of "pharming" (deriving medicinal properties from animals):
pharming article
"Spiderman II: Spidergoat?
It sounds like a sequel to "Spiderman: The Movie" - Spidergoat! OK, maybe not, but it is a very interesting application of transgenics. The dragline form of spider silk is regarded as the strongest material known; it's 5 times stronger than steel and twice as strong as Kevlar. People have actually tried starting "spider farms" to harvest silk, but the spiders are too aggressive and territorial to live close together. They also like to eat each other.
Though the genes for dragline silk were isolated several years ago, attempts to produce it in bacterial and mammalian cell culture have failed. When the genes were put into a goat and expressed in the mammary glands, however, the animal produced silk proteins in its milk that could be spun into a fine thread with all the properties of spider-made silk. This can be used to make lighter, stronger bulletproof vests, thinner thread for surgery and stitches or indestructible clothes."
Some interesting twists on gaming in the military in Iraq...
Psychologists who treat combat stress recommend video games for Marines to unwind and boost morale.
"I always talk to people about all kinds of positive, pleasant events that they can use," said Lt. Erin Simmons, a psychologist with Bravo Surgical Company. "I've heard some people say they like to play the video games with the aggressive military content. I've also heard people say they don't want to play those types of games, they don't need to be reminded of it. But as far as a pleasant event, it can take their mind of things, help them relax. We encourage it."
And then there is recruiting...
The military awoke to the power of video games years ago. It developed "America's Army" as a recruitment tool, giving civilians a taste of the soldier life with scenarios that let players cooperate online in raids on guerrilla camps and bridges, among several other scenarios.
But a game is still a game, not reality...
But Marines scoff at the idea that games could somehow prepare them for combat in any significant way. In video games, they say, players are generally willing to risk their lives; that wasn't always the case in Fallujah.[source]
The common argument for video games is that they do no harm in the long term; that "sex and violence" are nothing new, and looking back, they haven'' really warped our minds. Perhaps, but is there a line that goes too far? For instance, in the article, Gerard Jones brings up the analogy of porn, claiming that it is a safe release of tension. But then people get squirmy when bondage is introduced. Can the same be said of video games? If sex and gore are "harmless," then in theory, game developers could develop games detailing the most horrific and disturbing acts ever conjured by the mind, and in turn, gamers would be 100% "unaffected" by the most extreme violent one could conjure up. Would gamers still defend this extreme violence as "innocent" or is there truly a line which should not be crossed?
I tend to agree that most games out there are for the most part harmless and don't create psychopaths, but I don't think that's the real concern of anti-gamers. I think the real concern is the shaping of the mind on an imperceptible level that intern will affect society negatively. I don't think that anti-gamers are worried about creating a society of blood-thirsty killers, I just think that they are concerned about creating a society that is more and more prone to accept "normal" violence in reality if they can accept "extreme" violence in their games? If fantasy violence is tolerated and accepted, would street violence, domestic violence, or war violence be more accepted because it's accepted in games?
So, my question to gamers is, is there a line that goes too far? Can games be TOO violent? If so, where is that line, and would you defend government action to protect society/kids/us from such extremes?
A few good points that were overlooked in the original article:
"...First, Google and Ames will focus on cataloguing NASA's "most useful" information and making it available on the Internet. This includes real-time weather visualization and forecasting, high-resolution 3-D maps of the moon and Mars, and real-time tracking of the International Space Station and the space shuttle.
No, there was no mention of space-based contextual advertising...
...This agreement between NASA and Google will soon allow every American to experience a virtual flight over the surface of the moon or through the canyons of Mars," said NASA Administrator Michael Griffin at Headquarters in Washington..." [source]
Ok, so India Daily is not the best source, but the point is that multi-dimensional theory (re: String or M-theory) are considered "real" science by most physicists at this time. India Daily may be looking for the spiritual dimension to the universe, but this particular article is at least grounded in the general knowledge of real String-theory.
Or, you could just look at this article as wacky. Either way, it's still "informative" even if it's just informing you about other perspectives.
"A lot of research is focusing on creating an opening into the higher dimensional Hyperspace that contain innumerable universes. If it can be done, our whole world will change. We will leap forward in the advancement of science and technologies by millions of years.
Every black hole has a central singularity. These are points where mathematical modeling fails. That is because we assume every thing is 3-D. But the fact of the matter is these centers of black holes are singularities in 3-D but are actually simply transition points in higher dimensions..." [source]
This is the same magazine that awarded YouTube "Time's Invention of the Year for 2006" (source)
Forget any medical inventions that actually save lives, Time would rather lavish praise on Asian boy-band lip-syncers and blows-to-the-crotch videos. So, should we really take it serious when Time calls Torvalds a "hero?" Again, has Torvalds really saved any lives or made the planet any better by giving out a free OS? Yeah, I know, down with Bill Gates and all of that, blah, blah, blah. But Torvalds a "hero?" Come on. Let's get our priorities straight.
...'But spyware researcher Ben Edelman doubts that the company has reformed its ways. "I commend the FTC's efforts here, but serious diligence will be required to assure that [the company] actually complies with its many obligations under the settlement," Edelman said in an e-mail on Friday. "At this instant, I am confident that [the company] is not in compliance."...
..."[The company] continues plenty of bad practices, including some unlabeled ads and installation attempts predicated on security exploits," said Edelman. "I have the proof, and I expect to post this on my Web site in the coming weeks, subject only to my busy travel schedule." Zango's adware has been installed over 70 million times, according to the FTC. Its adware includes programs such as Zango Search Assistant, 180Search Assistant, Seekmo, and n-CASE. Often installed by third-party affiliates, the software monitors Internet use to display pop-up advertising. To date, the adware has displayed some 6.9 billion pop-up ads."'...
"A new Microsoft Corp. initiative aims to educate parents about ratings and technological restrictions for video games -- a move that may elevate the company's profile in the national debate over children's access to violent and explicit games.
Microsoft plans to start the multimillion-dollar campaign, including advertising and a 20-city bus tour, today in New York.
It reflects the company's position that existing protections and greater awareness are preferable to government regulation or laws imposing penalties for selling inappropriate titles to minors. Courts have overturned such laws on First Amendment grounds in Washington and other states.
"We should be spending more time on education and less time in the courts," said Robbie Bach, the president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, which includes its Xbox and PC video-game groups..."
An interesting point is at the very end of the article:
"...A Microsoft representative said the educational campaign isn't slated to include demonstrations of "mature"-rated games."
Wouldn't that be the whole point of the education? Aren't "mature"-rated games the whole issue? While I commend Microsoft for putting their money where their mouth is, it seems like they want to avoid debate over violent/sexual games that are played on their system. It's kind-of like they're giving the illusion that they are confronting the subject head-on, when in fact this may only be a pre-emptive move to divert attention away from their more violent games (which I assume have higher sales than others).
Wow, I can't believe nobody is excited about this. This is the birth of the next evolution of computers: bio-computers. Think about it. The first computers could only place simple games as well, but now look at us. Bio-computers are closer to recreating human technology: life.
"It's lovely work," says Peter Bentley, a computer scientist linked to University College London. But he notes that a system that cannot be extended much further than playing tic-tac-toe "is merely a novelty". Stojanovic and Stefanovic are aware of this and are now focusing on developing simple decision-making solutions that can operate in vivo. Molecules could, for example, assess faults in a living cell and then either kill or repair it.source
We have more to worry about than just hot weather. The Department of Defense did this "thought" exercise to determine the consequences of global warming in respect to national security. They took it seriously, and so should we (it's a few years old, but I think most people still haven't heard about it):
"There is substantial evidence to indicate that significant global warming will occur during the 21st century. Because changes have been gradual so far, and are projected to be similarly gradual in the future, the effects of global warming have the potential to be manageable for most nations...
...The report explores how such an abrupt climate change scenario could potentially de-stabilize the geo-political environment, leading to skirmishes, battles, and even war due to resource constraints such as:
1) Food shortages due to decreases in net global agricultural production
2) Decreased availability and quality of fresh water in key regions due to shifted precipitation patters, causing more frequent floods and droughts
3) Disrupted access to energy supplies due to extensive sea ice and storminess
As global and local carrying capacities are reduced, tensions could mount around the world, leading to two fundamental strategies: defensive and offensive. Nations with the resources to do so may build virtual fortresses around their countries, preserving resources for themselves. Less fortunate nations especially those with ancient
enmities with their neighbors, may initiate in struggles for access to food, clean water, or energy. Unlikely alliances could be formed as defense priorities shift and the goal is resources for survival rather than religion, ideology, or national honor.
This scenario poses new challenges for the United States, and suggests several steps to be taken:
Improve predictive climate models to allow investigation of a wider range of scenarios and to anticipate how and where changes could occur
Assemble comprehensive predictive models of the potential impacts of abrupt climate change to improve projections of how climate could influence food, water, and energy
Create vulnerability metrics to anticipate which countries are most vulnerable to climate change and therefore, could contribute materially to an increasingly disorderly and potentially violent world.
Identify no-regrets strategies such as enhancing capabilities for water management
Rehearse adaptive responses
Explore local implications
Explore geo-engineering options that control the climate."
I agree that this book will be quickly out of date, but either Google or a third party really needs to put together a web-based, comprehensive, step-by-step instruction guide. The "documentation" http://www.google.com/apis/maps/documentation/ that Google has up is very limited and doesn't address even some of the more basic things that a map-newbie like me needs to know (some of the simple things like placing a locator or geocoding wasn't obvious to me). I had to search the forums, etc to get the answers I needed, and even then it wasn't that easy. What would be nice is a comprehensive application that builds everything one would need to create a map (hint hint programmers). Some kind of GUI that's super easy that says: put locator here. Add satellite/map/hybrid options. Create clickable marker...etc. And viola, the code is generated and you cut and paste into your page.
Here's a few more details about this Impact Theory:
"The basic idea is this: about 4.45 billion years ago, a young planet Earth -- a mere 50 million years old at the time and not the solid object we know today-- experienced the largest impact event of its history. Another planetary body with roughly the mass of Mars had formed nearby with an orbit that placed it on a collision course with Earth. When young Earth and this rogue body collided, the energy involved was 100 million times larger than the much later event believed to have wiped out the dinosaurs. The early giant collision destroyed the rogue body, likely vaporized the upper layers of Earth's mantle, and ejected large amounts of debris into Earth orbit. Our Moon formed from this debris."
How about this -- treat the airplane just like a movie theater: no outside food/drinks allowed. We need to dispense with the high gadgets and just say you can't bring anything on board except the clothes on your back. All food, drinks and comfort will be provided by the airlines. That the only way to truly make things safe. Or if overhead luggage is allowed, it must be locked down for the entire flight: no access at all.
It's unfortunate that we have to come to this level, but I'd rather sacrifice my precious water bottle on a long flight than end up crashing into a building any day.
A lazy terrorist with a shoulder rocket launcher could take one of these out while on his lunch break. I don't see why DARPA is so excited about this. I'm sure it'll be as effective as those stealth hot-air balloons they used in the Revolutionary War.
Slashdot Mirror
You can't expect a hardcore regime like communist China to change over night. They are making leaps and bounds towards capitalism (which WILL eventually lead to democracy) without the coup or collapses the USSR faced. So, I don't automatically chalk Google up to being "evil" simply because they are bending the laws of censorship. Yes, they are no doubt thinking of their bottom line, but Google is one of the last moral(?) mega-companies in the world today. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that they are doing things right for now. They are fully aware that they need to take small steps with China, or China might shut them out altogether. Then where would the potential for democracy be?
New Google ads for China:
Cheap Car Insurance
Remember our Communist Utopia
And save 100's!
20% off Nike Shoes
Buy direct from the factory
Uncle Mao is watching
Chinese Singles
See hundreds of photos
No capitalists dogs
By censoring the internet, China is censoring innovation. The only reason the West has exploded with innovation in the last decade or so is solely because of the absolute freedom to exchange ideas on the internet: both on a cultural level and a technical level.
Communist China will find out the hard way that stifling communication will only stifle their economic growth. They've bended over the past few decades to nascent capitalism because they couldn't deny its effectiveness. They will soon find out that they need to open up the internet too in order to let their society grow.
China is moving forward, even though it seems like a snail's pace to the West. However, they're getting it, just very slowly.
This is an ingenious and utterly simple concept that may actually work:
Scientists at Lehigh University have tested a next-generation "self-centering" system that uses gigantic steel bands to hold building columns and beams in place during an earthquake.
In allowing the beams and columns to separate, rock and twist independently of one another, the rope-like steel bands -- encased in plastic -- are meant to prevent a building frame from buckling during an earthquake. The system also uses friction plates that help dissipate the quake's energy. After the tremors subside, the steel bands pull the beams and columns back to their original positions. source
The most interesting thing about all of this, imho, is the fact that we are still trying to figure out how the pyramids were made. Here we are in the 21st century, and our top scientist/engineers can't figure out how a bunch of stone age people created one of the world's most sophisticated engineering feats ever. Why is that? This new spiral theory may indeed be correct, but they instantly dismiss one of the most compelling facts: the pyramid of Khufu was NOT built by the pharaoh Khufu. Khufu's name appears nowhere in or on the pyramid (except for one scribble of graffiti). Egyptians were obsessed with covering their works with words, names, and decorations: the Great pyramid is virtually devoid of any decoration of any kind. Why is this important? It's important because it suggests that the pyramid already existed long before the stone age building timeframe. Graham Hancock is the main proponent of this ancient theory and his book Fingerprints of the Gods is a fascinating theory about how the pyramids are much older than we expect. The inner-ramp theory people dismiss this theory off hand in their 3d video, but it's a theory that's worth exploring if you consider yourself a true Egyptologist.
Many reptiles hibernate and even burrow in shallow mud: true. But they always have to come out sometime to feed and heat their bodies (cold-blooded). A burrowing dinosaur would have to do the same. And if there was a rapid change in temperature due to asteroid impact debris, then burrowing wouldn't really help that much. The temperature would still be "off" outside the burrow and the reptiles wouldn't be able to survive indefinitely inside a burrow. So, I don't see "burrowing" as a valid claim to reptile survival after the impact. There must be something else at work here. How do we explain the survival of modern reptiles? I don't know, but burrowing doesn't really add up for me.
This is why solar powered flight is important:
e red_p_2.php
"Called the Zephyr, it's an aircraft that can fly continuously using nothing but solar power and "low drag aerodynamics". The combination of solar panels on the upper wing surface and rechargeable batteries allows Zephyr to be flown for many weeks and even months. The first flight trial of the Zephyr were conducted recently by QinetiQ in White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.
Two aircraft were flown for four and a half and six hours respectively, the maximum flight times permitted under range restrictions. The maximum altitude attained was 27,000 feet above sea level. The ultra-light aircraft is designed to fly at altitudes as high as 132,000 feet (25 miles/40km), above normal commercial air-lanes and most weather.
QinetiQ believes that stratospheric platforms will rapidly become commercially viable and revolutionize future communications. High altitude platforms of this sort could provide a cheaper alternative to satellites in remote areas and developing countries. They can also enable observation of natural disasters and humanitarian crises."
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/03/solar_pow
When are they going to make broccoli and Brussel sprouts taste better? I say take those seeds up to space and leave 'em.
Why is it that there are no other possibilities being explored? Perhaps there was a virus of some kind that spread rapidly through the larger dinosaur population. Or perhaps there was a food shortage (perhaps caused by a diseased food source). There are several "biological" probabilities that are hard to determine from the fossil record. This smoking gun approach (a single asteroid/volcano) is far less likely, imho. Animal populations go extinct all the time due to simple factors such as displacement by other animal species, disease, and food shortage. Perhaps the paleontologist should look closer at these possibilities instead of something more dramatic like a mega-ton asteroid or climate change.
Send Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck up there again. They're cheap and expendable. Plus they're not doing any good down here.
Here's a great article on the pros and cons of "pharming" (deriving medicinal properties from animals):
pharming article
"Spiderman II: Spidergoat? It sounds like a sequel to "Spiderman: The Movie" - Spidergoat! OK, maybe not, but it is a very interesting application of transgenics. The dragline form of spider silk is regarded as the strongest material known; it's 5 times stronger than steel and twice as strong as Kevlar. People have actually tried starting "spider farms" to harvest silk, but the spiders are too aggressive and territorial to live close together. They also like to eat each other.
Though the genes for dragline silk were isolated several years ago, attempts to produce it in bacterial and mammalian cell culture have failed. When the genes were put into a goat and expressed in the mammary glands, however, the animal produced silk proteins in its milk that could be spun into a fine thread with all the properties of spider-made silk. This can be used to make lighter, stronger bulletproof vests, thinner thread for surgery and stitches or indestructible clothes."
Some interesting twists on gaming in the military in Iraq...
Psychologists who treat combat stress recommend video games for Marines to unwind and boost morale. "I always talk to people about all kinds of positive, pleasant events that they can use," said Lt. Erin Simmons, a psychologist with Bravo Surgical Company. "I've heard some people say they like to play the video games with the aggressive military content. I've also heard people say they don't want to play those types of games, they don't need to be reminded of it. But as far as a pleasant event, it can take their mind of things, help them relax. We encourage it."
And then there is recruiting...
The military awoke to the power of video games years ago. It developed "America's Army" as a recruitment tool, giving civilians a taste of the soldier life with scenarios that let players cooperate online in raids on guerrilla camps and bridges, among several other scenarios.
But a game is still a game, not reality...
But Marines scoff at the idea that games could somehow prepare them for combat in any significant way. In video games, they say, players are generally willing to risk their lives; that wasn't always the case in Fallujah. [source]
The common argument for video games is that they do no harm in the long term; that "sex and violence" are nothing new, and looking back, they haven'' really warped our minds. Perhaps, but is there a line that goes too far? For instance, in the article, Gerard Jones brings up the analogy of porn, claiming that it is a safe release of tension. But then people get squirmy when bondage is introduced. Can the same be said of video games? If sex and gore are "harmless," then in theory, game developers could develop games detailing the most horrific and disturbing acts ever conjured by the mind, and in turn, gamers would be 100% "unaffected" by the most extreme violent one could conjure up. Would gamers still defend this extreme violence as "innocent" or is there truly a line which should not be crossed?
I tend to agree that most games out there are for the most part harmless and don't create psychopaths, but I don't think that's the real concern of anti-gamers. I think the real concern is the shaping of the mind on an imperceptible level that intern will affect society negatively. I don't think that anti-gamers are worried about creating a society of blood-thirsty killers, I just think that they are concerned about creating a society that is more and more prone to accept "normal" violence in reality if they can accept "extreme" violence in their games? If fantasy violence is tolerated and accepted, would street violence, domestic violence, or war violence be more accepted because it's accepted in games?
So, my question to gamers is, is there a line that goes too far? Can games be TOO violent? If so, where is that line, and would you defend government action to protect society/kids/us from such extremes?
A few good points that were overlooked in the original article:
...This agreement between NASA and Google will soon allow every American to experience a virtual flight over the surface of the moon or through the canyons of Mars," said NASA Administrator Michael Griffin at Headquarters in Washington..." [source]
"...First, Google and Ames will focus on cataloguing NASA's "most useful" information and making it available on the Internet. This includes real-time weather visualization and forecasting, high-resolution 3-D maps of the moon and Mars, and real-time tracking of the International Space Station and the space shuttle.
No, there was no mention of space-based contextual advertising...
Ok, so India Daily is not the best source, but the point is that multi-dimensional theory (re: String or M-theory) are considered "real" science by most physicists at this time. India Daily may be looking for the spiritual dimension to the universe, but this particular article is at least grounded in the general knowledge of real String-theory.
:)
Or, you could just look at this article as wacky. Either way, it's still "informative" even if it's just informing you about other perspectives.
"Look before you leap"
"A lot of research is focusing on creating an opening into the higher dimensional Hyperspace that contain innumerable universes. If it can be done, our whole world will change. We will leap forward in the advancement of science and technologies by millions of years.
Every black hole has a central singularity. These are points where mathematical modeling fails. That is because we assume every thing is 3-D. But the fact of the matter is these centers of black holes are singularities in 3-D but are actually simply transition points in higher dimensions..." [source]
Whoa
This is the same magazine that awarded YouTube "Time's Invention of the Year for 2006" (source)
Forget any medical inventions that actually save lives, Time would rather lavish praise on Asian boy-band lip-syncers and blows-to-the-crotch videos. So, should we really take it serious when Time calls Torvalds a "hero?" Again, has Torvalds really saved any lives or made the planet any better by giving out a free OS? Yeah, I know, down with Bill Gates and all of that, blah, blah, blah. But Torvalds a "hero?" Come on. Let's get our priorities straight.
...'But spyware researcher Ben Edelman doubts that the company has reformed its ways. "I commend the FTC's efforts here, but serious diligence will be required to assure that [the company] actually complies with its many obligations under the settlement," Edelman said in an e-mail on Friday. "At this instant, I am confident that [the company] is not in compliance."...
..."[The company] continues plenty of bad practices, including some unlabeled ads and installation attempts predicated on security exploits," said Edelman. "I have the proof, and I expect to post this on my Web site in the coming weeks, subject only to my busy travel schedule." Zango's adware has been installed over 70 million times, according to the FTC. Its adware includes programs such as Zango Search Assistant, 180Search Assistant, Seekmo, and n-CASE. Often installed by third-party affiliates, the software monitors Internet use to display pop-up advertising. To date, the adware has displayed some 6.9 billion pop-up ads."'...
source
Microsoft to push parental control New ads promote use of video-game ratings tool
t parents12.html
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/288401_msf
"A new Microsoft Corp. initiative aims to educate parents about ratings and technological restrictions for video games -- a move that may elevate the company's profile in the national debate over children's access to violent and explicit games.
Microsoft plans to start the multimillion-dollar campaign, including advertising and a 20-city bus tour, today in New York.
It reflects the company's position that existing protections and greater awareness are preferable to government regulation or laws imposing penalties for selling inappropriate titles to minors. Courts have overturned such laws on First Amendment grounds in Washington and other states.
"We should be spending more time on education and less time in the courts," said Robbie Bach, the president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, which includes its Xbox and PC video-game groups..."
An interesting point is at the very end of the article:
"...A Microsoft representative said the educational campaign isn't slated to include demonstrations of "mature"-rated games."
Wouldn't that be the whole point of the education? Aren't "mature"-rated games the whole issue? While I commend Microsoft for putting their money where their mouth is, it seems like they want to avoid debate over violent/sexual games that are played on their system. It's kind-of like they're giving the illusion that they are confronting the subject head-on, when in fact this may only be a pre-emptive move to divert attention away from their more violent games (which I assume have higher sales than others).
Wow, I can't believe nobody is excited about this. This is the birth of the next evolution of computers: bio-computers. Think about it. The first computers could only place simple games as well, but now look at us. Bio-computers are closer to recreating human technology: life.
"It's lovely work," says Peter Bentley, a computer scientist linked to University College London. But he notes that a system that cannot be extended much further than playing tic-tac-toe "is merely a novelty". Stojanovic and Stefanovic are aware of this and are now focusing on developing simple decision-making solutions that can operate in vivo. Molecules could, for example, assess faults in a living cell and then either kill or repair it. source
http://www.grist.org/pdf/AbruptClimateChange2003.
"There is substantial evidence to indicate that significant global warming will occur during the 21st century. Because changes have been gradual so far, and are projected to be similarly gradual in the future, the effects of global warming have the potential to be manageable for most nations...
1) Food shortages due to decreases in net global agricultural production
2) Decreased availability and quality of fresh water in key regions due to shifted precipitation patters, causing more frequent floods and droughts
3) Disrupted access to energy supplies due to extensive sea ice and storminess
As global and local carrying capacities are reduced, tensions could mount around the world, leading to two fundamental strategies: defensive and offensive. Nations with the resources to do so may build virtual fortresses around their countries, preserving resources for themselves. Less fortunate nations especially those with ancient enmities with their neighbors, may initiate in struggles for access to food, clean water, or energy. Unlikely alliances could be formed as defense priorities shift and the goal is resources for survival rather than religion, ideology, or national honor.
This scenario poses new challenges for the United States, and suggests several steps to be taken:
I agree that this book will be quickly out of date, but either Google or a third party really needs to put together a web-based, comprehensive, step-by-step instruction guide. The "documentation" http://www.google.com/apis/maps/documentation/ that Google has up is very limited and doesn't address even some of the more basic things that a map-newbie like me needs to know (some of the simple things like placing a locator or geocoding wasn't obvious to me). I had to search the forums, etc to get the answers I needed, and even then it wasn't that easy. What would be nice is a comprehensive application that builds everything one would need to create a map (hint hint programmers). Some kind of GUI that's super easy that says: put locator here. Add satellite/map/hybrid options. Create clickable marker...etc. And viola, the code is generated and you cut and paste into your page.
Here's a few more details about this Impact Theory:
s tions/question38.html
"The basic idea is this: about 4.45 billion years ago, a young planet Earth -- a mere 50 million years old at the time and not the solid object we know today-- experienced the largest impact event of its history. Another planetary body with roughly the mass of Mars had formed nearby with an orbit that placed it on a collision course with Earth. When young Earth and this rogue body collided, the energy involved was 100 million times larger than the much later event believed to have wiped out the dinosaurs. The early giant collision destroyed the rogue body, likely vaporized the upper layers of Earth's mantle, and ejected large amounts of debris into Earth orbit. Our Moon formed from this debris."
Plus, this page has a really cool rendering of the Impact:
http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/que
How about this -- treat the airplane just like a movie theater: no outside food/drinks allowed. We need to dispense with the high gadgets and just say you can't bring anything on board except the clothes on your back. All food, drinks and comfort will be provided by the airlines. That the only way to truly make things safe. Or if overhead luggage is allowed, it must be locked down for the entire flight: no access at all.
It's unfortunate that we have to come to this level, but I'd rather sacrifice my precious water bottle on a long flight than end up crashing into a building any day.
A lazy terrorist with a shoulder rocket launcher could take one of these out while on his lunch break. I don't see why DARPA is so excited about this. I'm sure it'll be as effective as those stealth hot-air balloons they used in the Revolutionary War.