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User: TomGreenhaw

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  1. Program the golden rule into them on Machine Intelligence and Religion · · Score: 1

    Maybe a belief in a specific God is debateable, but programming the golden rule would be very wise.

  2. Re:someone explain for the ignorant on Credit Card Fraud Could Peak In 2015 As the US Moves To EMV · · Score: 1

    It would be great if all consumers demanded chip & pin. I like your idea - I'm going to call and tell them I need cards that do chip & pin for the same reason you did.

  3. Re:someone explain for the ignorant on Credit Card Fraud Could Peak In 2015 As the US Moves To EMV · · Score: 1

    >>>Presently mastercard/visa/amex assume most of the liability (and they very well better for the transaction fees they charge.)

    I have no idea why everybody thinks this.

    I've been in the card processing business for over 15 years. I have never seen a card brand take the hit on a fraudulent charge. Its always the merchant who pays with a chargeback, unless they can absolutely prove the real cardholder made the charge. Each merchant has an acquiring bank for their card processing merchant account, and the only risk these financial institutions take is the case of card fraud with a chargeback to a merchant who has disappeared with the money.

    Also, most of the fees go to the card issuer Chase or Citibank for example. They are taking the risk that a card holder will not pay. The merchant pays these fees that are generally passed on in the form of higher prices.

    The reality of the liability shift is more complicated than anybody really appreciates. Whoever the weakest link in the chain is will assume the liability. If a merchant sticks with the old mag strip reader and the consumer has an EMV card, the merchant will always assume the responsibility. If a merchant accepts chip & signature when the consumer is capable of chip & pin, again the merchant will take responsibility. The banks and processors will never be the weak link in the chain because they all support the strongest forms of the new protocols.

    Certain card issuers already have a large number of chip & signature cards in the field - Citibank for example. The other issuers realized that if they all issued chip & pin, grandma would just start using her old chip & signature card because she wouldn't bother to get a pin number and use it. By the new rules, merchants who can take chip & pin, but issuers only offer chip & signature are not the weak link in the chain - the card issuer will be. I am sure there will be law suits making sure the card issuers are held liable for their making the decision to being the weak link in the chain.

    This is where the law of unintended consequences will rear its ugly head. With EMV, counterfeit cards go away. This means that card fraud will require a real card. Ladies & gentleman - watch your wallets and purses - those cards will be like cash to a thief. You can bet that the rules for reporting lost & stolen cards will greatly tighten, and the consumer will totally be held liable for charges made on lost & stolen cards.

  4. Re:Italian Court Rules MMR Vaccine Caused Autism on Low Vaccination Rates At Silicon Valley Daycare Facilities · · Score: 1

    So I should trust the Italian court system more for health advice on this matter than the CDC, American Medical Association and the Autism Speaks organization? That's a lot of dumbed down Americans to ignore...

  5. Sell why they can on Verizon Sells Off Wireline Operations, Blames Net Neutrality Plans · · Score: 1

    10.5 Billion is a lot of money.

    Maybe they suspect that Google and Space-X will launch new satellite technology that will make these wired lines obsolete.

  6. Re:better than rushing steaming piles of shit. on George R. R. Martin's "The Winds of Winter" Wiill Not Be Published In 2015 · · Score: 1

    He has a bit too much pride IMHO. He could accomplish much more if he developed a team of writers to make larger better stories. What would Linux be if Linus Torvalds was the only author allowed to develop its code?

  7. Sophos on Ask Slashdot: Best Anti-Virus Software In 2015? Free Or Paid? · · Score: 1

    We have excellent results with Sophos. It has not been a drain on resources and has blocked everything so far for a couple of years on over 250 windows systems and servers. Symantec became ineffective and ruined performance. Microsoft Security Essentials is much better than it used to be and if you only surf safe sites and run commercial software, it will likely be fine; it comes loaded on Windows 8 and is free for Windows 7.

  8. Be careful what you wish for on European Countries Seek Sweeping New Powers To Curb Terrorism · · Score: 1

    When you're angry, the media is spreading fear, and citizens are demanding action from their government, its all to easy to swing wildly too far in giving up freedom and privacy. We've had more than a decade of that in the US and it isn't pretty.

    We get mad when we hear about the Snowden revelations. We get mad when the government doesn't monitor "known" threats. We get mad when our government doesn't treat captured terrorist killers kindly. You cannot have it both ways.

    The best answer is for each citizen to keep their eyes open and report suspicious people to authorities who are properly funded and equipped to handle these things in a responsible way. Come on, can't a gun shop owner selling two assault rifles and 800 rounds of ammo figure out that something other than deer hunting is planned? Why can't communities be prepared to help mentally ill people who have not yet committed felonies?

    Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.

  9. The concrete industry creates twice that on Aircraft Responsible For 2.5% of Global Carbon Dioxide Emissions · · Score: 4, Informative

    There are a lot of industrial processes that generate *a lot* of CO2. A quick check on Wikipedia indicates that 5% of man made CO2 is from the manufacture and use of concrete. Steel production is another big one.

    Industrial processes are something we can improve without unbearable cost increases in the foreseeable future.

    In the transportation sector, marine shipping accounts for 14% of man made CO2 and mostly through the combustion of the dirtiest bunker fuel. Nuclear powered ships are an obvious solution.

    Its hard to imagine any technology that we can realistically apply in the next decade to reduce CO2 from aircraft in any meaningful amounts. Why bother with aircraft when there is so much other obvious low hanging fruit?

  10. Re:Every item is critical. on Ask Slashdot: Are Progressive Glasses a Mistake For Computer Users? · · Score: 1

    Also on the AR coating - If you buy Google glass (or something like it in the future) and need correction, be sure to get AR coating. The small screen will have annoying reflections with out anti-reflective coating. I didn't get AR coating and now wish I had.

    Since my correction is basic, plain readers work fine for single vision use.

  11. It took a week for me to get used to mine on Ask Slashdot: Are Progressive Glasses a Mistake For Computer Users? · · Score: 1

    I hated my progressives at first, but after a week I grew to like them a lot. They don't replace readers or sunglasses unfortunately though.

    My progressives are useless for a computer screen. I have to tilt my head back to see through the part of the lenses with the right correction and they are literally a pain in the neck.

    I was also disappointed at first because I got transition lenses thinking that I could do away with my sunglasses. Transitions need UV light to darken and when I'm driving (the time I most need sunglasses) they do not darken.

    That said, I like them now that I've gotten accustomed to them. They are good for using with a smartphone and tablet. They are especially good for me at night when driving, because I can more easily read the dashboard indicators. They are also great for all the times I'm not using a large computer screen or outdoors.

  12. Re:The tablet future is Surface-like on Is the Tablet Market In Outright Collapse? Data Suggests Yes · · Score: 1

    I totally agree. My laptop died and I decided to try the Surface Pro 3 a month ago. Its the best laptop I've had so far. Good performance and very long battery life.

    I bought the first and second iPad the day they came out and I carry an iPhone. I have not used my iPad since the day I got the Surface and I use it as a tablet every day. Even Apple accessories I have for my MacBook air and iPad work fine with the surface - e.g. video adapter for projector/second monitor/tv and the hard wired Ethernet adapter, etc. The tablet apps on the Microsoft side of the fence are often horrid, but for the basic ones I really use - e.g. Kindle - it works fine.

    If my desktop died, I would try a Surface docking station with a 4K monitor.

  13. This is what I think a wrist computer *should* do on Ask Slashdot: What Can I Really Do With a Smart Watch? · · Score: 1

    I'll probably get an Apple Watch and it will be obsolete within a year. This is the watch I hope somebody will make:

    Applications:
    Time ( analog and digital)
    Weather (current and 5 day)
    Music (streaming and offline/stored to bluetooth headset)
    Games
    Fitness
    Universal Remote (car, thermostat, door locks, tv, game controller, camera, etc)
    Payments/Passbook (nfc, QR-Code wallet)
    Voice Messaging/Notes
    Voice Search (e.g. Siri)
    To Do List
    Hands Free Call
    Facetime/Hangouts
    Calculator
    Calendar/Schedule
    Translate
    Alerts/Notifications integration
    Dashboard/Tracker
    Two factor Authentication
    Data storage/exchange

    Must Have features:
    Microphone
    BlueTooth
    Accelerometer
    Compass
    Vibrate
    iPhone compatibility
    Android compatibility
    iPhone notifications
    Android notifications

    Important features:
    Camera
    NFC
    GPS
    Touch Screen
    Bright LED (flashlight)
    I/R Led (remote control)
    Water Resistance

    Nice to have features:
    Integrated Phone
    Ambient temperature
    Body Temperature
    Blood Pressure
    Video diplay driver/irda
    Swappable Band
    Swappable Case
    Wireless and/or Movement Charging

    Key functionality:
    Shake gestures
    Voice Recognition
    Touch screen gestures
    Swipe keyboard
    Activity context
    Use a desktop web app or tablet app to set up
    Themes
    Reflective display
    Backlit Display

  14. Re:Banal and boring. on Prehistory's Brilliant Future · · Score: 0

    Agreed. Why not let scores go more that -1 and let us filter out the really unpopular stuff? If I wan't to read the really unpopular crap, I can change my filter.

  15. Re:Still a niche company on Tesla Delays Launch of Model X Until Q3 2015 · · Score: 1

    Fair question. I sold my Z06 Corvette earlier this year, but that's the only car I've ever owned in that price range. I don't really compare the Z06 Vette to a Model S P85, so you're right I may not have enough experience to say its better than other luxury sedans. I have friends with Mercedes, Audi, Lexus and Porche Panamera and I have to admit that they are really nice too.

    I felt I had to reply to the comment that electric cars are a liberal pipe dream. I don't consider myself a liberal and Teslas are not a pipe dream.

  16. Re:Still a niche company on Tesla Delays Launch of Model X Until Q3 2015 · · Score: 5, Informative

    We've had ours coming up on two years. By far the best car I've ever owned and driven. It does actually work very well and when maintenance costs and savings on gas are included, its not really more costly than any other comparable luxury sedan.

    Tesla may today be a niche company, but its certainly no liberal pipe dream.

  17. Re:When you are inside the box ... on Assange: Google Is Not What It Seems · · Score: 1

    From your perspective, what country fights for liberty?

  18. Re:Apple Pay on Apple Announces iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3, OS X Yosemite and More · · Score: 2

    Short answer - tokenization and eCommerce security.

    Chip and Pin uses physical contact of the card to the payment terminal. The chip is very hard to duplicate so it essentially eliminates card cloning. The PIN provides a second factor to authenticate a trusted customer at the point of sale.

    Apple Pay is a variant of NFC (near field communication) much like Google Wallet with PayPass. This is wireless (contactless).

    The specifications for hardware (Level 1) and software (Level 2) for both contact and contact-less payment systems are managed by EMVCo; see http://www.emvco.com/. Apple has chosen wisely to work with existing industry standards with a couple of big improvements. These guys are smart and they got it right.

    What is different about Apple Pay is that unlike PayPass and Chip&PIN which send the credit card account number through all links in the system (usually encrypted), a one time use token is created. If an Apple Pay transaction is exposed, only a useless one time token would be divulged. This is much like the DUKPT system used from other secure transactions. If you are curious about DUKPT see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derived_unique_key_per_transaction.

    Aside from the technical superiority of tokenization for security over Chip&Pin for card present transactions, how Apple Pay is better is a matter of taste because both systems mitigate card present fraud. It will always be hard to argue that either will be faster than a swipe.

    I'm sick of sitting on my fat wallet and if I could get rid of my cards that would be great. Unfortunately I'll still need my cards because most places wont take anything but mag stripe for years (its taken Canada 7 years to get to 90% Chip&PIN at the merchants). If I lose my wallet I have to call a bunch of companies, whereas if I lose my phone nobody is going to get my card numbers. Apps will proliferate that allow loyalty programs and discounts to be offered to me through mobile integration (e.g. Amex has already announced buying McDonalds food with points). Geofencing in conjunction with NFC will further promote targeted marketing and I like the idea of saving money in exchange for loyalty. NFC will also likely be used to do things like open doors, start cars so it will be very convenient.

    Apple Pay also supports tokenization for eCommerce. This is huge because card not present is the area where credit card fraud is most persistent. Apple Pay and the variations that are sure to follow will knock the online card fraud guys out of the game.

  19. Re:Wonder How Much? on Michigan About To Ban Tesla Sales · · Score: 1

    Their voting is probably not motivated primarily by bribes - its Michigan jobs they are worried about.

    Ironically, the Tesla is more American made (roughly 55% domestic and a lot more when the batteries are made by the Gigafactory) than its Ford, GM, Nissan competitors (roughly 35% domestic)

  20. This is getting ugly on Michigan About To Ban Tesla Sales · · Score: 1

    The rationale for enforcing a car dealership model is obsolete. Now these laws only protect special interests who support politicians and are at odds with the interest of the vast majority of the American public.

    I'm all for state's rights, but I think its time for the federal government to step in and eliminate this unconstitutional restraint of interstate commerce.

  21. Re:Yes on Is an Octopus Too Smart For Us To Eat? · · Score: 1

    For the most part, I think its a matter of personal opinion, and I'll share mine.

    Humans are social animals. For society to function we have certain rules. For example its not OK to kill and eat people. Society would break down. Hopefully everyone agrees the golden rule is a good idea.

    Humans evolved to be survivors, and in order to thrive as omnivores we couldn't be picky about what was on the menu and survive. At this point in our evolution however, we can be picky about what's on the menu and still thrive. Coincidentally we are also learning that many of our fellow creatures on this planet are a lot more like us that we could have known before. We are smarter than these animals and if lack of communication is anybody's fault fault, its ours.

    So the question is, should we increase the scope of the golden rule to apply to animals. I'm not a strict vegetarian. I eat well treated animals whose existence depended upon support of our food supply. Like you, I don't eat a lot of industrial produced proteins because I don't trust them. I do however extend the scope of my application of the golden rule to intelligent wild animals because I don't need to eat them. Most people have at least some amount of doubt about the morality of eating intelligent animals, and most uf us have the luxury of extending them the benefit of that doubt.

    They are more pleasing to me alive in their natural habitat than on my plate.

  22. Re:Yes on Is an Octopus Too Smart For Us To Eat? · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I totally agree - crows blow my mind. They have complex language, tool use and family units similar to ours.

    My opinion about whales was based upon an experience I had several years ago in Maui. A baby whale and then mother slowly came out of the water 6 feet away from our boat and I looked those whales in the eye. There was obvious curiosity and intelligence there.

    Its hard to imagine eating something like that. It for me borders on cannibalism.

  23. Yes on Is an Octopus Too Smart For Us To Eat? · · Score: 1, Insightful

    I'm not an expert, but assuming octopi are that intelligent based upon brain size might be a false assumption. Their brains may be large to support their chameleon skin systems. Octopi are smart, but they don't have long life spans, advanced language or tool use as far as I know.

    I do think everyone should take whales off the menu.

  24. Windows Classic on Lost Opportunity? Windows 10 Has the Same Minimum PC Requirements As Vista · · Score: 1

    Why not have just good old Windows Classic based upon Windows 7. Charge people for annual support if they want access to updates.

    Then they could also offer Windows Du Jour that supports contemporary technology.

    Everybody's a winner...

  25. Re:Distribution and Generation are split on Energy Utilities Trying To Stifle Growth of Solar Power · · Score: 1

    That's interesting. Is most of the power in NYC underground? I'll bet that's expensive to maintain. I've read that hydroelectric power in the Pacific Northwest is super cheap. In Illinois, we get a really good deal 6.8 cents per Kw/Hr for 100% renewable. I suspect its because we have so much nuclear.