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User: NineNine

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Comments · 4,658

  1. Already pervasive across all credit cards on Privacy Watchdog Asks FTC To Look Into Google's Offline Shopping Tracker (arstechnica.com) · · Score: 5, Informative

    Multiple credit card companies are already doing this. Our merchant services company offered us this same data. Of course Google is tracking everything you do. But they can only do it with the willing help of Visa/Mastercard.

  2. Too late for VW on After Emissions Scandal, Volkswagen Pledges Charging Stations Across The US (siliconvalley.com) · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It's too late for everybody who isn't named "Tesla". Tesla's got over 100,000 charging stations installed already. Tesla's chargers are going to be the de facto standard at this point.

  3. Hardware is cheap. Internet access is unreliable. on Should Your Company Switch To Microservices? (cio.com) · · Score: 2

    Unless you buy brand new hardware, hardware is absurdly cheap. Our hardware costs are somewhere around 1/20 of our software costs. It might even be less. I don't see any costs savings on hardware.

    What I do see with "microservices" is crossing your fingers that whoever you're buying from knows what they're doing (ie: backups, non-faulty hardware, non-faulty sysadmins, etc.)

    The other thing is that you have to rely on Internet access, which, in most of the US, is spotty at best. We're in a major metropolitan, high-tech area, and neither of the ISP's can provide us with reliable service. Hence, all of our software is built to run off-line during our very regular Internet outages. With "microservices", we'd just be stopped from doing any business at all every time the Internet dropped out.

  4. Re:Fighting nebulous "hate speech" will kill them on EU Threatens Twitter And Facebook With Possible 'Hate Speech' Laws (gizmodo.com) · · Score: 2

    If these companies even tried to end "hate speech" or whatever nebulous crime where a specific group of pigs are more equal than another group of pigs, we will see the end of these platforms and companies full sail.

    Banning trolls will hurt their business, how? As an employer, I'm MORE likely to advertise on a platform that wasn't full of screaming, stupid Trump people. Those are not people that I want to advertise to, anyway.

  5. Trouble turning a profit? on Uber Drivers Demand Higher Pay in Nationwide Protest (cnet.com) · · Score: 5, Insightful

    How can Uber have trouble turning a profit? What expenses do they have? Are they literally wiping their asses with money, or something? I can't imagine how maintaining a few little apps would cost billions of dollars a year.

  6. Re:What could I possibly use it for? on Amazon Said to Plan Premium Alexa Speaker With Large Screen (bloomberg.com) · · Score: 1

    Wow. That's neat. In return for those cute little gimmicks, Amazon has a complete recording of everything that happens in your house. And, then they sell that to other companies. You're OK with that? Really?

  7. Too bad for kids on Great Barrier Reef Has Worst Coral Die-Off Ever, Report Finds (usatoday.com) · · Score: 0

    I feel bad for kids these days. The world is going to be a nastier place to live in than it is today in many ways, environmentally, notwithstanding. Go, Trump!

  8. Fuck Slashdot Beta on Build an Open-Source Electric Car In About One Hour · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I will quit reading Slashdot if that stupid Beta shit is implemented. It's horrible. It fixes nothing. It is not an improvement in any way.

  9. Apple on Automakers Struggle With Pairing Smartphones To Car Infotainment Systems · · Score: 1, Interesting

    It's only a problem with Apple devices. Both Android and Windows devices are generic bluetooth. My Windows Phone (HTX 8X) works wonderfully with my VW, which connects via bluetooth for the phone part, and bluetooth audio for the music part. Works seamlessly. iPhones... not so much. As long as people use devices that conform to generic bluetooth standards, it's not a problem.

  10. Re:So where are all the facebook System Programmer on Facebook Isn't Accepting New Posts, Likes, Comments... · · Score: 1

    Do the best and the brightest know the difference between "lose" and "loose"?

  11. $$ for software on Mark Shuttleworth Complains About the 'Open Source Tea Party' · · Score: -1

    I'm SO happy that I pay for software. I don't have to deal with all of this open source drama bullshit, and have to worry about when somebody's temper tantrum decides to end or radically change some software that I rely on for my business. My eyes glazed over halfway through the story summary, and I really don't care.

  12. Too much credit on Shuttleworth: Apple Will Merge Mac and iPhone · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Hilarious article. Shuttleworth is giving himself entire too much credit. Is Apple is doing this, they won't be following his failure. They'll be following Microsoft's still-in-process move of trying to combine the two.

  13. Re:Obvious Solution on NC School District Recalls Its Amplify Tablets After 10% Break In Under a Month · · Score: 1

    Requiring people to use upper body strength is probably considered assault by most Slashdotters. Nowhere have I seen more people complaining about not being able to pick up Gadget X or Gadget Y because the few pounds it weighs is overwhelming to their frail bodies.

  14. Re:Wages as share of GDP dropping since 1972 on Digital Revolution Will Kill Jobs, Inflame Social Unrest, Says Gartner · · Score: 1

    . FACT: higher corporate taxes leads to reinvestment in the company, which leads to an expanding economy.

    I can personally vouch for that. Absolutely.

  15. Re:Death and taxes on Sick of Your Local Police Force? Crowdfund Your Own · · Score: 1

    Looking at the financial state of our Federal government, state governments, and local municipalities, it is entirely unfair to leave off the Republicans and Democrats from your list.

    Republicans and Democrats generally don't use "refusal to pay taxes" as a plank in their platform/philosophy.

  16. Re:Isn't there already something like this-Taxes on Sick of Your Local Police Force? Crowdfund Your Own · · Score: 0

    Only when it's voluntary will we be civilized.

    Just curious, what does your Ayn Rand shrine look like, kiddo?

  17. Re:So why don't the sellers do this? on How to Heartlessly Arbitrage Used Books With a PDA · · Score: 1

    Oh sure. I'm sure that plenty of thrift stores and libraries have volunteers who know what an "API" is...

  18. Re:Nothing shameless on How to Heartlessly Arbitrage Used Books With a PDA · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "Why aren't libraries using these scanners and pricing their books appropriately?"

    Because their mission is to help people in their communities get better access to books, not make a profit.

  19. Re:There is nothing wrong with doing this on How to Heartlessly Arbitrage Used Books With a PDA · · Score: 1

    "But then, ALL retail outlets will eventually go away except for boutiques and big box stores. There's really no need for anything in-between and such a business will always be less efficient than one which has no physical presence."

    You may be right in terms of efficiency, but it makes for a shitty life if your town (like many already in the US) doesn't have retail stores.

    "The only thing that depends on physical presence is impulse buying, where you get someone in your store and sell them crap they don't need."

    Those of us who aren't sociopaths actually enjoy going to retail stores, and speaking with human beings in our community. It's a richer life than spending your life in front of a glowing screen.

  20. Flat screens! on Gaze-Tracking Software Protects Computer Privacy · · Score: 2, Funny

    I thought we already had this technology, and it was called "flat screen" technology. I swear I'm not a crotchety old man, but I can't stand flat screen monitors/TV's/laptops. All of them have this same effect, when compared to the bright, clear, viewable-from-any-direction CRT's. I don't care much for saving a few inches in depth, so I try to use CRT's whenever I can, because unless you're sitting directly in front and center of a flat screen anything, it's very difficult to read.

  21. Re:only 30% more efficient? on Incandescent Bulbs Return To the Cutting Edge · · Score: 1

    You know, fluorescent lights come in all kinds of color spectrums. I buy the warm ones, and nobody can tell the difference between them and incandescents!

  22. Re:Tax 'em! on Rhode Island Affiliates Banned From Amazon.com Sales · · Score: 1

    ? If no would you bother with your online store if having it required you to?

    Of course! It's just a piece of software. I'm prepared to do what I do every day: buy a piece of software and pay a subscription to a service to handle it. I already have to do it for payroll, so it wouldn't be any big deal.

  23. Re:If they don't use local resources why should th on Rhode Island Affiliates Banned From Amazon.com Sales · · Score: 1

    The only retailers that online sellers are putting out of business are smaller electronics and computers stores.

    I gotta disagree with you there. I live in a very very progressive college town, and as of the last 5 years we no longer have any:

    - book stores

    - music stores

    - video rental places

    I think that a lot of people just don't care, but it definitely has a negative impact on my quality of life.

  24. Re:If they don't use local resources why should th on Rhode Island Affiliates Banned From Amazon.com Sales · · Score: 1

    Why is that a problem, let alone one that the government should address?

    You want to live in a city with no retail, and nothing but warehouses and UPS trucks? Really? You should try to leave your basement every now and then.

  25. Re:Catalogs on Rhode Island Affiliates Banned From Amazon.com Sales · · Score: 2, Insightful

    "Lower prices due to not having to maintain a brick and mortar store are the only things that allow online stores to compete against local stores."

    The word "only" isn't used correctly in this situation. There's no "only" about it. The overhead of having a brick and mortar store is MASSIVE. Employees, rent, power, upfit, etc. It's MASSIVE. All they need is some crappy warehouse somewhere cheap. There's a huge difference, which enables them to be able to eat the shipping on most items. There's no comparison between a warehouse and a few computers and a real store.