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Comment Genebra Convention sends regards (Score 1) 179

This is all totally FUD. Do you honestly think the left-wing nutjobs at the UN will let this through?

As much as I support inflicting the most pain and suffering to the enemy (it's a fucking war, not a daycare center), I recognize this won't fly, since all bioweapons are banned already anyway.

Comment About time (Score 3, Interesting) 222

by rodrigoandrade (#56146738) Attached to: We've Reached Peak Smartphone
I hate upgrading shit just for the sake of upgrading. I can't justify getting rid of something in perfect working order just because something new is released. I just wait until something breaks, then go out and buy the best replacement I can at the moment, which will last me another several years.

I was glad when AV gear reached the good enough point (1080p and DD 5.1 surround for me), then PCs (after I quit hardcore gaming, I doubt I'll ever need more than an i5 and 8GB of RAM and 1TB HDD for the foreseeable future), now smartphones.

All my devices have all the features I want, and more.

Having said all that, I'm glad we got to the good enough point with smartphones. Hopefully, the prices of high end devices can start coming down now.

Submission + - The current state of smart watches

Submitted by rodrigoandrade
rodrigoandrade writes: I've been doing some research into smartwatches and (more precisely) fitness trackers, and I'd like to share my findings and ask for people's opinions.

Smartwatches have come a long way since the last time I dismissed them as a "fad." Here's a summary of what I learnt.

Smartwatches can be divided into 2 categories: smartwatches and fitness trackers. The latter is a subset of the former, but it's a cheaper and dedicated device. Think of a smartwatch as a PC and a fitness band as a video game console.

Manufacturers have learnt from Moto 360 that people want round smartwatches that actually look like traditional watches, with a couple of glaring exceptions being Apple and Fitbit.

Android Wear 2.0 is a thing, not vaporware. It's still pretty raw (think of early Android phones) but it works well. The LG Sport Watch is the highest end device that supports it.

LTE-enabled smartwatches finally allow you to ditch your smartphone, if you wish. Just pop you nano SIM in it and party on. The availability is still limited to a few SKUs in some countries, and they're ludicrously expensive, but it's getting there.

As far as choices go, here's what I saw. I focused on the high end stuff because I won't buy anyone anyway (I'm more interested in a cheaper fitness tracking device), but it's nice to know what's available as far as tech goes. No fanboyism here on my part.

1. The Samsung Galaxy Gear S3 is the one to beat right now. It's the coolest one, features all sensors you find in a smartphone, an LTE version, fitness apps, works with Android and iOS, etc. Only cons are the price and the Tizen OS.

2. The Apple Watch works with iOS only and almost useless without being paired with an iPhone. It's big, square, and nerdy-looking.

3. LG Smart Watch Sport is the flagship Android Wear 2.0 device. It works as an extension of your smartphone, with notifications, the array of Google services, even including a rather neat touchscreen keyboard with handwriting recognition (yes, it works pretty well).

4. The Fitbit Ionic was actually the result of Fitbit's acquisition of Pebble (yes, the Kickstarted company), and it's a fitness tracker first and smartwatch second, but it's a damn fine device. It looks even more nerdy than the Apple Watch, like some Star Trek device, and it's crazy expensive, but its fitness functionality is second to none. If you need the best fitness tracker money can buy and don't care about looking like an 80s nerd, then this is it.

In a day and age where tech companies offer too little in exchange of too much money (hello, Google Pixelbook, the $1000 notebook that only runs a web browser), we need to weight our options carefully. With the exception of Apple Watch, all brands, not only the ones I listed, offer cheaper options with fewer features to accomodate every budget. The purchase decision, as with everything tech, depends on the features you want at the price you're willing to pay.

And what is your opinion of the current state of smartwatches?

Submission + - "As much death as you want": UC Berkeley's Stuart Russell on "Slaughterbots"

Submitted by Lasrick
Lasrick writes: At 7 minutes and 47 seconds, “Slaughterbots” is fast-moving, hyper-realistic, anxiety-laden, and deeply creepy. If you’ve never heard of swarming drones before, this is just the short film to turn you against them forever. If you never dreamed that those toy-like drones from off the shelf at the big-box store could be converted—with a bit of artificial intelligence and a touch of shaped explosive—into face-recognizing assassins with a mission to terminate you—well, dream it. Read this interview with Stuart Russell, a professor of computer science at the University of California, Berkeley, and a prime mover behind the video.

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