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Comment Re:OK, too far. (Score 1) 235

by waitwonder (#32918070) Attached to: Tokyo Rail Billboards Scan Viewer's Age, Gender

They may not have name or other personal information but they can store person's face, clothes, accessories and people they hang out with (faces again). They can use face recognition to identify the person and their traveling habits, places they shop etc. etc. By associating different pieces of information a personal sketch can be created for each unique face. As much as I would like all these technologies to come into play, I do see things may go on a slippery slope if this data is shared with parties who have persons image and identity information.
Education

Too Many College Graduates? 1138

Posted by kdawson from the expectation-inflation dept.
The AP reports on a growing sense among policy wonks that too many Americans are going to four-year colleges, to the detriment of society as a whole: "The more money states spend on higher education, the less the economy grows." "The notion that a four-year degree is essential for real success is being challenged by a growing number of economists, policy analysts, and academics. They say more Americans should consider other options, such as technical training or two-year schools, which have been embraced in Europe for decades. As evidence, experts cite rising student debt, stagnant graduation rates, and a struggling job market flooded with overqualified degree-holders. ... The average student debt load in 2008 was $23,200 — a nearly $5,000 increase over five years. Two-thirds of students graduating from four-year schools owe money on student loans. ... [A university economist said,] 'If people want to go out and get a master's degree in history and then cut down trees for a living, that's fine. But I don't think the public should be subsidizing it.'"

Comment Re:Wi-Fi problems (Score 1) 374

by waitwonder (#31754650) Attached to: iPad Progress Report

Just as Wozniak commented:

Interviewer: What's your favorite phone?

Wozniak: The iPhone, because of the apps. By the way, I solved the problem of battery life and [the lack of] multitasking on the iPhone.

Interviewer: Really?

Wozniak: Yeah. I just have two iPhones, so if the battery runs down on the first one, I can use the other. And if I'm talking on one, I can use the other one to look something up. You would not believe how much use I get out of that.
Idle

Directed Energy Weapon Downs Mosquitos 428

Posted by samzenpus from the two-pound-hammer-and-ten-penny-nail dept.
wisebabo writes "Nathan Myhrvol demonstrated at TED a laser, built from parts scrounged from eBay, capable of shooting down not one but 50 to 100 mosquitos a second. The system is 'so precise that it can specify the species, and even the gender, of the mosquito being targeted.' Currently, for the sake of efficiency, it leaves the males alone because only females are bloodsuckers. Best of all the system could cost as little as $50. Maybe that's too expensive for use in preventing malaria in Africa but I'd buy one in a second!" We ran a story about this last year. It looks like the company has added a bit more polish, and burning mosquito footage to their marketing.

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Physician: One upon whom we set our hopes when ill and our dogs when well. -- Ambrose Bierce

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