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User: xalorous

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Comments · 193

  1. Re:Lawyers trying to make a buck on Workplace BlackBerry Use May Spur Lawsuits · · Score: 1

    If we join forces we can rule the courtrooms of the galaxy...

  2. Re:no way on Workplace BlackBerry Use May Spur Lawsuits · · Score: 1

    If they fire me I will tell the boss, "I was looking for a job when I found this one".

    Then you have experience at it.

    I've heard of 8-5'ers but that's hardcore. Good thing you must be just a ticket monkey at the helpdesk. 'Cause I guarantee that when they try to call you and you tell them "there's nothing that can't wait until tomorrow", they WILL replace you. I might physically asault you if you were on my team and gave me that crap.

  3. Re:Turned it down on Workplace BlackBerry Use May Spur Lawsuits · · Score: 1

    Emails can be checked at convenience but can be ignored while phone calls give immediate results and you know immediately if contact failed. Monitoring and notification procedures should be set up with those tenets in mind.

  4. renewable for the win on Pickens Plans On Wind Power · · Score: 1

    Wind, solar, geothermal. Done carefully, with an eye towards minimizing ecological impact, these energy sources are clean and they just won't run out.

  5. Re:What about??? on Pickens Plans On Wind Power · · Score: 2, Informative

    Wind power is in use in many places. Up and running, providing electric power every day. Your metaphor fails.

  6. another pedant on semantics on Pickens Plans On Wind Power · · Score: 1

    Semantically speaking, most of the energy of the sun reflects off the atmosphere. Some light makes it through to the surface. Most of that is reflected back into space as well. The bit that gets through is absorbed by the ground, which in turn heats the air near the surface. (Note that the sun never heats the atmosphere in this process). In addition, there is a temperature differential created. I thought the differentiation was important.

  7. Re:Free on Best Buy Is Selling Ubuntu · · Score: 1

    Downloading the files from the net isn't free. Figure a total of one hour labor to locate and start the download then return to burn the disks. Is your time worth $20/hour?

  8. Re:Blu Ray on Pioneer Promises 400GB Optical Discs · · Score: 1

    I agree. I'm done being an early adopter of new formats. I have too much invested to convert to Blue Ray. I despise DRM as well.

  9. Re:Blu Ray on Pioneer Promises 400GB Optical Discs · · Score: 1

    Ishtar - went there, bought a ticket, went shopping, showed back up to go to the movie, had lost the ticket. Bought a new ticket. Left before the end. No redeeming qualities.

    Watched it on cable just to see if I missed something the first time. Nope. Filed a complaint with the cable company for showing such contentless drivel.

  10. another reference on "New" Words From the Geek Culture · · Score: 2, Informative
  11. Old news on "New" Words From the Geek Culture · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I think it's too late. Already common use and even listed in some dictionaries.

    http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/google

    http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/google (lists 5 references to google)

  12. I knew camera geeks were geeks... on Kodak Unveils 50MP CCD Image Sensor · · Score: 1

    but I didn't know how bad it was.

  13. my memories on Sci-Fi Books For Pre-Teens? · · Score: 1

    I guess I started with a book by Ben Bova about a generation ship where all the adults died and the kids continued on. Kind of like Lord of the Flies in space. Can't remember the name of the book.

    That summer at the library definitely changed my life. After Bova I read Heinlein's _The Moon is a Harsh Mistress_. And then everything I could find by Heinlein.

    Read Dune at about age 11, after devouring all the Heinlein and the other SF books in my mom's library. Paul is about that age, and the depictions of violence are very mild by comparison to modern adult SF.

    Then I read the Foundation trilogy.

    Then Tolkein.

    Personally, I think you should let them read anything they want. If it is something you haven't read, read it first, just in case. If the book has adult themes, insist they discuss these themes with you. (Excellent excuse for a non-confrontational parenting session.)

  14. Re:Local admin rights on Windows on TrueCrypt 6.0 Released · · Score: 1

    An hidden share (ending in $) is hidden from other pc's browsing to your system, e.g. through \\computername. However, an admin using the compmgmt.msc or command line tools and/or scripts can view a list of all the shares on a machine very easily.

  15. Re:Browser-based OS on The Next Browser Scripting Language Is — C? · · Score: 1

    Oh, puhlease. Like there's a University out there with 100% of all computers on one OS.

    I'll go out on a limb and say that any organization with 50k computers will have at least 3 OS's present. 2 guaranteed, since even the most devoted Windows shop will have 2003 server and XP Pro. Plus there will likely be those legacy Win2k servers hanging around. Oh, and the VIP's will have the latest gadgetry with Vista. And one of the guys down in the IT shop will be running linux on *something*.

    At a large University, you'll have Windows on the computer room computers, Linux, UNIX and windows on the servers, and UNIX on workstations (read graphics and modelling machines).

    Pushing out one application to any number of copies of equally patched single OS is easy. You won't find that situation in the real world.

  16. Re:Browser-based OS on The Next Browser Scripting Language Is — C? · · Score: 1

    Umm, yeah. The guy what's doin the development sorta works for Adobe. So, umm, yeah, he's sorta out of choices.

  17. OP is unclear on Best Way To Put a Monitor On a Robot? · · Score: 1

    Specifically he asks "how can I" when he means "what can I use".

  18. Re:Cooling the Roof. on Solar Power From Home Curtains · · Score: 5, Informative

    Study some heat transfer principles. Depending on their reflectivity, these curtains may cause the roof to absorb MORE heat than the roofing does.

    Ideally, solar installations for home use will not transfer heat directly into the house. A curtain laying directly on the roofing surface will absorb some light and create some electricity. However, light and heat that is not reflected will absorb and the greater part will transfer through to the house a large amount of heat. A smaller portion will radiate from the house.

    Solar panels are typicaly elevated above the house. The air gap allows the panels to be cooled by airflow.

    The actual news here is that they can create solar fabric. I'm sure they can design a roofing system that will use the material to generate electricity while the system maintains an air and water seal and reflectivity of the largest part of the sun's energy.

  19. Sensationalist crap on Supplies of Rare Earth Elements Exhausted By 2017 · · Score: 1

    It's about like running out of oil. It will never happen. However, supplies of easily accessible _______ estimated to run out in 2___. Fill in the blanks.

    Market forces will force exploitation of near earth asteroids or recycling/landfill mining or exploring for new deposits.

  20. Re:Geek Squad on Non-Programming Jobs For a Computer Science Major? · · Score: 1

    1. OP doesn't want to program.
    2. Designing IT systems that work is very challenging job. Easily on par with programming.
    3. Administering those systems is also challenging, especially when you attempt to maximize availability of systems while minimizing costs and remaining flexible for growth.

    If you're going to laugh at what is a subset of what... As another response went, each profession depends on the tools created by others. If you follow it all the way, you're going to end up in the arts with math and philosophy.

  21. Re:Geek Squad on Non-Programming Jobs For a Computer Science Major? · · Score: 1

    You're going to end up with math/philosophy when you go down that road.

  22. Re:Slaughterhouse Cases on PC Repair In Texas Now Requires a PI License · · Score: 2, Informative

    Also, in English, "he" is the correct pronoun to use to refer to a singular person of unknown gender.

    Not any more.

  23. TFA has a link... on PC Repair In Texas Now Requires a PI License · · Score: 1

    http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/80R/billtext/html/HB02833F.htm

    Sec. 1702.104. INVESTIGATIONS COMPANY. (a) A person acts
          as an investigations company for the purposes of this chapter if the
          person:
                                    (1) engages in the business of obtaining or
          furnishing, or accepts employment to obtain or furnish, information
          related to:
                                                (A) crime or wrongs done or threatened against a
          state or the United States;
                                                (B) the identity, habits, business, occupation,
          knowledge, efficiency, loyalty, movement, location, affiliations,
          associations, transactions, acts, reputation, or character of a
          person;
                                                (C) the location, disposition, or recovery of
          lost or stolen property; or
                                                (D) the cause or responsibility for a fire,
          libel, loss, accident, damage, or injury to a person or to property;
                                    (2) engages in the business of securing, or accepts
          employment to secure, evidence for use before a court, board,
          officer, or investigating committee;
                                    (3) engages in the business of securing, or accepts
          employment to secure, the electronic tracking of the location of an
          individual or motor vehicle other than for criminal justice
          purposes by or on behalf of a governmental entity; or
                                    (4) engages in the business of protecting, or accepts
          employment to protect, an individual from bodily harm through the
          use of a personal protection officer.
                        (b) For purposes of Subsection (a)(1), obtaining or
          furnishing information includes information obtained or furnished
          through the review and analysis of, and the investigation into the
          content of, computer-based data not available to the public.

    ***
    So, if you READ it, you'll see that it will require a PI license if your company engages in computer forensic activities. By extension, if you a computer tech attempts to turn in a customer for having incriminating data on their computer, the customer could probably sue and the tech could probably face whatever penalties for investigating without a license.

  24. Re:whither now, 2nd amendment? on FBI Illegally Tapped Phone Phreaks In 1969 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Withered now it is.

  25. Re:So what's the point of having ratings? on Minnesota Pays Video Game Industry $65K In Fees · · Score: 1

    Ratings are there so that sales clerks and parents can stop children from buying inappropriate items.