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User: Intron

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Comments · 2,179

  1. Re:Huh. Better get to work! on New Theory Explains Periodic Mass Extinctions · · Score: 3, Funny

    A. Create separate colony around some other star
    B. Wait about 3 generations
    C. Get invaded by descendents of original colonists looking for better place to live.

  2. Several breakthroughs on New Record For Solar Cell Power Efficiency · · Score: 1

    "This achievement is the direct result of the new architecture we developed under the DARPA program," Barnett and Honsberg said. "By integrating the optical design with the solar cell design, we have entered previously unoccupied design space leading to a new paradigm about how to make solar cells, how to use them, and what they can do."

    Coincidentally, this gaseous exhalation also achieves a buzzword density of over 42%. We have "new architecture", "integrating", "unoccupied design space" and "new paradigm". I have no clue what point they are trying to make. For extra credit, try to explain the difference between "how to use them" and "what they can do".

  3. Re:What's next? on Firm Sues Sony Over Cell Processor · · Score: 1

    Thanks for the link, it has a lot of good stuff in there. I remember seeing a miniDAP at ICL Kidsgrove around 1984. Neat machine with 1024 processors intended for a single-user workstation.

    As I read the Cell architecture it doesn't violate the other two claims, since it doesn't have a switch. It uses two rings to communicate between processors with none of the performance benefits that are claimed in the patent. Can't imagine why these folks think they have a case.

  4. Re:What's next? on Firm Sues Sony Over Cell Processor · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Back in the 70s C.mmp used a crossbar switch to connect multiple shared memory to multiple processors with local memory. It covers claims 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 and 8 but claims 4 and 5 appear to allow a processor to simultaneously write data to multiple memories (local and shared). I can't think of a parallel architecture that did this.

  5. Re:DNSBL for comment spammers? on Choosing a Good DNSBL · · Score: 1

    Many blog sites would be interested in a solution to comment spam. You might try letting them know that you're working on it. In fact, you should post a note on a few thousand blog sites letting them know about your website!

  6. Re:The people power the city huh? on "Crowd Farm" to Collect Energy? · · Score: 2, Funny

    I think you are on to a better idea. Put the generators in the lines at Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks. It will not only give you something to do while the person in front of you spends 10 minutes ordering a freaking cup of coffee, but also make you feel less guilty about your own double-mocha grande frappaccino.

  7. Re:The end of our rights? on ACLU Protests Police Scanning License Plates · · Score: 1

    If being totally open is such a good thing, then why do the police get upset if you take a video of them making arrests? Do they have something to hide?

  8. Re:RT -- Use RoundUp instead.. on Ticket Tracking and Customer Management? · · Score: 1

    We used RoundUp for a while and had no problems with it.

  9. Re:why ethernet? on New Ethernet Standard — Both 40 and 100 Gbps · · Score: 1

    If you only have two connections, you can do point-to-point, there is no need to run the arbitrated loop protocol.

  10. Re:why ethernet? on New Ethernet Standard — Both 40 and 100 Gbps · · Score: 1

    fibre channel arbitrated loop was pretty much like token ring, and has been largely abandoned for the same reasons. Switched fabrics support multiple connections, and single misbehaving machines can't create havoc for everyone else on the loop.

  11. Re:Different ways of thinking about it on Public Discussion Opened on Space Solar Power · · Score: 1

    Given that all space projects in the US are run by and for DOD, the added benefit of "beaming" is the ability to focus the beam of energy on undesireable features on the surface of the Earth. Think long and hard about who gets the joystick that aims this thing.

  12. Re:Oh lord the confusion on Tool Detects "In-Flight" Webpage Alterations · · Score: 1

    I think the grounds for a suit, if you are a content provider, are that the ISP is creating an unauthorized derivative work from your copyright material. They can add a disclaimer to their customers, but they don't have any protection from the website owners.

  13. Why do they use a random number generator? on Punchscan Wins Open Source Voting Competition · · Score: 3, Funny

    Does this explain the last two presidential elections?

  14. Re:She's a Federalist, that's not enough? on USPTO Sued Over "Unqualified Appointment" · · Score: 2, Funny

    I think she is very, er, qualified

  15. Re:Why are we still dealing with this? on New Hack Exploits Common Programming Error · · Score: 1

    strncpy is a frequent cause of code bugs and inefficiency:

    1) It does NOT guarantee that it creates a NULL-terminated string.

    2) It always writes every byte of the destination. Copy 10 characters into a 1000-byte buffer and it writes 1000 bytes, mostly zeros.

  16. Re:Sod the spammer, how about the sources of his i on Former Spammer Reveals Secrets in New Book · · Score: 2, Insightful

    How many people work at credit card and insurance companies doing low-paid data entry? How much more could they make if they were using some of their time to make lists of names and addresses of people with specific ailments or problems and selling them on the black market?

  17. Re:Of course on Senate Committee Passes FCC Indecency Bill · · Score: 1

    Based on the wording in the bill, if Dick Cheney goes on Fox and says "Fuck you" Fox gets fined, not Dick.

    The broadcasters have made bleeping a fine art by not cutting off the beginning or ending of words, so you can still understand Jon Stewart when he says "mo********er". I am expecting the FCC to close this loophole next.

  18. My web stats for June on IE Dropping, Now Near 70% In Europe · · Score: 2, Informative

    No. Hits 304's KBytes sent Browser
    1 19280 42.65% 1051 13.35% 322071 Mozilla/5.*
    2 15609 34.53% 4831 61.37% 172549 MSIE 6.*
    3 6316 13.97% 1734 22.03% 61428 MSIE 7.*
    4 930 2.06% 0 0.00% 47572 msnbot/1.*
    5 431 0.95% 117 1.49% 1689 Mozilla/4.*
    6 402 0.89% 0 0.00% 143 Baiduspider
    7 326 0.72% 0 0.00% 2159 libwww-perl/5.*
    8 313 0.69% 70 0.89% 1635 Opera/9.*
    9 226 0.50% 22 0.28% 1581 MSIE 5.*
    10 134 0.30% 0 0.00% 1842 Speedy Spider
    This is bad news. Once MSIE drops below 50%, all of the malware will be targeting Firefox.
  19. Re:can't activate old phones anymore on Where In the US Can You Get Just a Cell Phone? · · Score: 1

    How else will NSA know where you are when you call your terrorist buddies? You don't think they required e911 for your benefit, did you?

  20. Re:Bzzt! Wrong. on MIT Finds Cure For Fear · · Score: 2, Insightful

    You have evolved to fear bombs and guns over millions of years? Wow. I had no idea that they had existed for that long.

    On the other hand, a 1-week-old baby that I held last weekend was perfectly comfortable. Yet I know that one two months older would have cried because I'm not its mother.

  21. Re:Original AusCERT on Dangerous Java Flaw Threatens 'Virtually Everything' · · Score: 1

    "A buffer overflow"

    Nope. According to the doc, it claims the security flaw is due to "integer overflow". Some computation goes out of bounds when handed a malicious image file.

  22. Fledgling? on U.S. Court Denies Webcasters' Stay Petition · · Score: 1

    How can an internet service started in 1993 be described as fledgling?

  23. Re:Not mathematics, but economics on Optimum Copyright Period Decided by Math · · Score: 1

    I think the parent's point is that saying that the results of an Economics paper is "Decided by Math" is like saying that the Miss America winner is "Decided by Talent". The result that the author wanted is supported by mathematics, but the conclusions were not reached through a step-by-step mathematical process. There are many subjective arguments made in Economics papers.

  24. Re:The GAO Application on Bogus Company Obtains Nuclear License · · Score: 2, Funny

    "caesium is the spelling used by the IUPAC, although since 1993 it has recognized cesium as a variant as well" -- Wikipedia

    You have fulfilled the rule that every arrogant correction contains a glaring misteeke.

  25. Re:Free download but a form to fill prior download on Scanner Spots Open Source Installations · · Score: 1
    The version for Linux turns out to be a three-line script

    ls /usr/bin
    ls /usr/sbin
    ls /usr/local/bin