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User: smbarbour

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Comments · 513

  1. Re:Emergency item: power generator on Emergency Gadgets Reviewed · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...or you could just buy an inverter for about $50.

    If you have a Pontiac Vibe or Toyota Matrix (same car, different shell) you have a 110V outlet on the dash already (100W Max).

  2. Limited Usefulness Lifespan on Emergency Gadgets Reviewed · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The $50 radio that picks up TV audio will be useless when the mandatory switch to digital OTA broadcasts occurs. (Unless something interesting will be broadcast on those frequencies after that point.)

  3. Re:What? on Running out of Hurricane Names · · Score: 1

    If I recall correctly, tropical depressions are numbered until they reach tropical storm status. If it diminishes after having a name it will retain the name, but it doesn't get one until that time.

  4. Re:More fraud? on MasterCard To Distribute RFID Credit Cards · · Score: 1

    FWIW, I work for a credit card processor
     
    The signature on the back of the card only authorizes the card for use (for Visa and MasterCard). As long as the card is signed, it is valid no matter who presents it. The signatures do not have to match (The name signed on the slip doesn't have to match either). As long as the card is signed, the merchant CAN NOT request to see your ID unless the terminal instructs them to.
     
    As a cardholder, you have the right to dispute any transactions that were made on your account.

  5. Odd people quoted in Links on Talking 'Bout A Revolution · · Score: 5, Interesting

    In the second link, what they thought about Nintendo's new Revolution Controller , scroll down the page and find the comment from Chris Melissinos, who apparently is the Chief Gaming Officer for Sun Microsystems.

    Since when did Sun have a games division?

  6. Re: Is the Firefox Honemoon Over? on Is The Firefox Honeymoon Over? · · Score: 2, Funny
    Disclaimer: This post is meant to be funny.

    I'm sorry, but that example does not count. The parent asked for an example of a flaw that has been unpatched for 6-8 months. This flaw has been unpatched for over 24 months. This is clearly outside the query specifications.

    We do commend you for your efforts in identifying flaws in the software.

  7. Re:hrm? on A Simple Tool for Tracking Switch Ports? · · Score: 1

    I agree. Visio is an excellent program for that type of thing. I've used a version before Microsoft bought them as well as Visio 2000. Both are excellent (I think the codebase was largely unchanged).
     
    I've also used CADKey 97 to create that type of thing as well.

  8. Re:how... who... what? on First UMD Movie/Game Combo · · Score: 1

    Actually, it probably went something like this:

    The UMD team and the producers of Stealth are sitting in an office. There is a stone on the desk.

    Everyone: Why won't this damn stone bleed already!?

  9. Re:I doubt that was their intention on New Legal Threat To GMail · · Score: 1

    I actually did read TFA, but I didn't see why the research firm called their product G-Mail. It was an email service for people to share financial information.
     
    Not only does such a service have a narrow-focus and was redundant (since bankers would presumably have email through their own banks, especially in 2002), but it didn't seem to have any reason for the "G". If it was B-Mail (B as in Bank) or M-Mail (M as in Money), then it would make at least a little sense.

  10. Re:Why not just make electricity? on Making Ice Without Electricity · · Score: 1

    I'm not a physicist, but if the cold end is very cold, then the hot end would be very hot, right? If so, then the heat could be used to heat a kiln to make the vessels that will carry the ice or to run a turbine that will provide electricity for other things.
     
    But the question is still "Where is the compressed air coming from?"

  11. Re:Not Surprising on Canada's Do-Not-Hesitate-To-Call List · · Score: 1, Interesting

    As a business, you are not covered by the National Do Not Call Registry. It is only for B2C (Business to Consumer) telemarketing prevention. B2B calls are allowed until you tell each telemarketer to remove your company from their list. If they fail to do so, then you can take them to court.

  12. Re:Grog contains one or more of the following: on First Cocktail 5,000 Years Old · · Score: 0

    SCUMM: Script Creation Utility for Maniac Mansion.

  13. Re:Obviously on Infrastructure for One Million Email Accounts? · · Score: 0

    Sure you can. Just to prove the point:

    The server that used to run Microsoft Exchange, now has liquid coolant running smoothly out of the reservoir.

    See "Microsoft" and "running smoothly" in the same sentence.

  14. Re:Mr. President, Dr. Evil is on the line... on Oregon Is Growing A Mystery Bulge · · Score: 0

    Maybe the correct course of action would be to make TMM an actual Slashdot Editor. The only thing that is a wildcard on his qualifications is "will he submit dupes"

  15. Re:I'm no lawyer but... on Kazaa Appeal Likely In 2006 · · Score: 0

    I'm not a lawyer either, but this old saying seems to apply: "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink"

    Sharman Networks was not forcing people to download illegal music (they may have made it more accessible, but they didn't force it).

    The internet makes accessing illegal content more accessible, but they aren't trying to shut down the whole internet.

  16. Re:The case on Blizzard/Vivendi 2, bnetd 0 · · Score: 0

    But this isn't specifically about WoW. It is about Blizzard's Battle.Net service (where one would play Diablo and Starcraft online). The Battle.Net service is free, but is not available everywhere in the world. Also, some people would prefer to play with a specific group of people online rather than amongst the general gaming populous. There should be no issue here. Bnetd just provides the service of Battle.Net to those who don't have access to Battle.Net, or only want to play with a certain group of people. They are not trying to establish a competing service.

  17. Re:great, another point of failure on Mazda Switches To USB Keys · · Score: 0

    Simple solution (maybe not so good for the equipment though), fill all the USB ports with silicone caulk.

    It works well enough to keep people from adding water to the coffee machine that connected to the building water supply.

  18. In other news... on Scientist Says Most Scientific Papers Are Wrong · · Score: 0

    83.72% of statistics are made up.

  19. Re:Isn't Rise of the Triads prior art? on Nintendo Patents Insanity · · Score: 0

    I still have the MID file for the "Fish Polka" :)

  20. Re:Ho hum... on HOWTO: The Anti-Printer · · Score: 0

    ...or, you could just buy a Shrinter!

    (Yes, this was meant to be funny)

  21. Re:Haven't we beaten this horse enough? on Devs Weigh In On Playing The Bad Guy · · Score: 0

    I'm sure there are plenty of people who would prefer to read a good book than play a game, but I'm not one of them. I prefer to have at least a sense of control over my entertainment. This is why I prefer games over other, non-interactive, entertainment.

    (And no, "Choose Your Own Adventure" books don't count.)

  22. Re:OT: Any free MMORPGs? on Asheron's Call 2 Goes Sunset · · Score: 0

    Maple Story is free (client and gameplay). However, they are going to have a real-money item shop. This will be for special items. Most regular items can be found or purchased in the regular shops.

    There are various sites/servers depending on where you live. For everywhere outside of Asia, the site is http://www.mapleglobal.com
    It is unique in the fact that its a 2D side-scolling MMORPG.

  23. Re:Not a bad list... on 10 Next-Generation Franchise Comebacks · · Score: 0

    Actually, there is supposedly going to be a FPS Shadowrun on XBox 360. If you look up Shadowrun in Wikipedia, it says it was announced in July.

    It's actually kinda funny. FASA sold the Shadowrun properties in the early 90's and Microsoft bought FASA after that. (That's why all the recent Battletech games are on the XBox or for Windows)

  24. Re:Minor correction on Expert Network Time Protocol · · Score: 0

    I'm sorry, but the TCP/IP suite is layers 3 and 4.
    NTP is layer 7.

    But, yes UDP is layer 4.

  25. Re:Perl. on Best Language for Beginner Programmers? · · Score: 0

    If scaring them away is the goal, why not teach brainf*ck?