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User: john83

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  1. We have to remember that ... on Is SETI a Security Risk? · · Score: 0

    ... the probability of this happening is very high. According to Colvard's Logical Premise, it's 50%. The people need to be warned!

    Really, how can some smart enough to be in this guy's position really think that? I'm not going to pick his idea apart - it's already been done dozens of times above, but at what point do you just get a big stick and say, "Down mad scientist, down," in your sternest voice?

  2. Re:Back to the basics on Lego Mindstorms: What Went Wrong? · · Score: 0

    An alternative I've used for robotics courses is the MIT Handyboard (http://handyboard.com/) - far more scope for creativity if you're mostly interested in the electronics aspect of it all. The smaller versions (Cricket?) might suit better if not.

    They're programmed in what's effectively C with a special library. I found it trivial to pick up.

  3. Re:Summary is a wee bit off.... on RetroCoder Threatens Security Vendors · · Score: 0

    Actually, you aren't allowed photocopy more than a small fraction of a book

    "You can photocopy up to 5% of artistic works from an original of a book, journal or periodical." - source.

    The source seems to suggest that that's a European thing. I don't know what's the US equivalent, but I imagine it's similar.

  4. Why is nobody... on Japanese 'Minerva' Robot Lost in Space · · Score: 0

    Thinking of the poor little robot's feelings? It's just been flung into deep space by its mother. Most of us would resent being kicked out of the basement. Now it's definately going to come back and bite us on the ass.

  5. Re:On Paper? on Quantum Computing Regulation Already? · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Quantum breast implants?

    Those could cause problems. I mean, if a woman's bra size changed any time someone observed her chest...

  6. Wasn't there another story recently... on Quantum Computing Regulation Already? · · Score: 0

    ... about the US considering restricting exports of some technology? Can anyone remember the article I mean?

  7. In Soviet Russia... on Data Centers And DC Power · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    ... server powers DC.

  8. Re:Toe in the water on Mac OS X x86 Put To The Test · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Of course, you have to consider one question here: why are they trying this?

    The whole reason non-geeks buy Macs is because either they're a journalist, or they think Apple is cool. Talk to someone who knows very little about computers - most don't even know that Apple makes computers.

    If Apple could support x86 hardware and were sold by Dell in direct competition with Microsoft, they'd have a higher profile. I wouldn't like to make any broader predictions about their success in that situation. It looks to me like they're thinking about that road though.

  9. Re:Here's my plan: on Five Linux Companies Buy Software Patents · · Score: 1

    So, it goes thusly:

    1. Burn all patents/lawyers.
    2. ???
    3. Profit!

    I can see how some vested interests might want to throw money at defeating this.

  10. Surely the best way to protect those files is... on How Long to Crack an 'Encrypted' HD? · · Score: 1

    just rename them $sys$something.txt? Sony will do the rest. ;)

  11. Re:Computer power on How Long to Crack an 'Encrypted' HD? · · Score: 1

    You forgot "password".

  12. Re:Why would you pay someone.... on Patents Chilling Effect on Science · · Score: 1

    You're confusing copyright and patent. You couldn't just invent your own version of variable speed wipers - he has the patent on the idea, not just copyright on the exact design.

  13. Re:Better pop-up extentions? on MozCorp Announces Firefox 1.5 Extension Competition · · Score: 2, Informative

    I went to both sites too. No pop-ups, no flying flash ads. I'm using Firefox 1.07 with Adblock (personalised filters).

  14. Re:Reminds me of John D. Rockefeller on Bill Gates Donates $258 Million to Fight Malaria · · Score: 1

    Whatever Melinda's positive influences on him have been, I still can't forgive her for coming up with that sodding paperclip.

  15. Re:I miss... on Grand Theft Auto Retrospective · · Score: 1

    Cheers for that. It actually looks legit?! Anyway, much fun is aniticipated. :)

  16. Re:Hot air on Microsoft Takes Aim At Google · · Score: 1

    won't make it so. I intend to stop with the stupid tpyos.

  17. Hot air on Microsoft Takes Aim At Google · · Score: 1

    Marketing it so won't make so.

  18. Bloat? How about this for bloat? on OpenOffice Bloated? · · Score: 1

    For a little comparison, I opened an *.rtf file from my documents at random. It's 14kB as rtf. It opened pretty much instantly with OO and Word both (I've used both since logging on). Saved as *.odt and *.doc, my file is now 30kB with Word. And OO, you ask? Still 14kB.

    Research is the application of your own bias to something.

  19. Re:Not suprising, just do the math... on Lights On But No One Home At Sun Grid · · Score: 1

    It does sound like a lot to me. I imagine the kind of people they're aiming at are researchers with a grant to perform some research, but who wouldn't need (and couldn't afford) as large a cluster as they need. The article from El Reg says that they are getting some private jobs from companies. "The reason you haven't heard about any Sun utility customers is because most of them have avoided the company's publicity requirement by avoiding the original product. A number of companies in the financial services and oil and gas sectors have purchased large quantities of Opteron CPUs from Sun, MacRunnels said. These customers negotiate their own price for the processors, tend to use the chips all the time instead of popping on and off the grid and refuse to reveal their names to the public. Sun has started to call these "commercial" utility computing customers. The company assures us that some of these commercial customers do pay for these utility computing services. They use huge blocks of processors to crank through models such as Monte Carlo simulations. Sun won't name any of the customers or say how many it has other than to declare "the figure is in the tens" of customers."