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Comment Re:American cars.... (Score 1) 378

My car has RFID keys, with doors that can be unlocked via proximity. (There's a button on the door handles, and on the trunk, that unlock things if the key is in range.)

The range is actually pretty short. Maybe 3-4 feet. Also, it's directional. If you're behind the car, you can pop the trunk, but you need to be beside the door to unlock the doors.

If you're inside the car, then the outside sensors don't work, because the key isn't in the right spot. It's inside the car. As such, you can lock the car, and the outside buttons won't function, since the key is not in the correct position, outside the door.

It's a reasonably well thought-out system.

Comment Re:Sarcastic or not? (Score 1) 353

The thing with audio is that you quickly reach a point of greatly diminishing returns. The gap between $50 and $500 headphones is enormous, but at levels above that, I struggle to hear a difference outside of contrived tests.

I have Senn HD650s and Shure SE530s, and would recommend either without hesitancy.

Comment Re:Octave (Score 1) 776

HP 12c for financial calculations

HP 50g for math/science/physics

R for complex statistical or financial calculations

Octave for complex math/science/physics calculations

And fuck all the TI calculators. I wish I'd never owned a single one of them. It's hard to realize what trash they are until you get used to the HPs.

Media

Submission + - U2 Calls For End of Safe Harbour and Poverty.

mosch writes: U2 has always taken strong political stances against injustices not only in Ireland, but across the world. Bono has become an icon in these matters. Recently, their long-time manager Paul McGuiness released his own political missive calling for an end of safe habour provisions, mandatory ISP content filtering and the termination of any internet connection used to download "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" without first giving some more money to the band.
Communications

Submission + - Copy that floppy? Lose that 'puter. 1

Kevin Way writes: A new copyright bill would create a new government agency in charge of copyright enforcement, increase fines, and grant it sweeping new powers. In particular, the bill grants this new agency the right to seize any computer or network hardware used to "facilitate" a copyright crime and auction it off. You would not need to be found guilty at trial to face this penalty. You may want to read a justication of it, and criticism presented by Declan McCullagh, The EFF, and Public Knowledge.
Hardware Hacking

Chinese Pirates Copy iPhone, Make Improvements 716

An anonymous reader writes "Popular Science notes that manufacturers in China duplicate many well-know products. This includes the Apple iPhone, imitations of which are rolling off the assembly line already. That might actually be a good thing for some users, who might enjoy the user experience of China's own miniOne. 'It ran popular mobile software that the iPhone wouldn't. It worked with nearly every worldwide cellphone carrier, not just AT&T, and not only in the U.S. It promised to cost half as much as the iPhone and be available to 10 times as many consumers.' The cloned iPhone uses a Linux-based system. 'The cloners hire a team of between 20 and 40 engineers to begin decoding the circuit boards. At the same time, coders start to develop an operating system for the phone with a similar feature set. (The typical cloner either uses off-the-shelf code, writes something entirely new, or modifies a publicly available Linux-based system.)' Using the iPhone as an example, the PopSci site walks through the process of making imitation technology."
Slashback

FBI, IRS Raid Home of Sen. Ted Stevens 539

A while back we discussed the corruption investigation aimed at Alaska Sen. Ted "series of tubes" Stevens. A number of readers sent us word that the home of Sen. Stevens was raided earlier today by agents of the FBI and the IRS. The focus of the raid was a remodeling project at Stevens's home and the involvement of VECO, an oil company.
United States

Executive Order Overturns US Fifth Amendment 853

RalphTWaP writes "Tuesday, there wasn't even a fuss. Wednesday, the world was a little different. By executive order, the Secretary of the Treasury may now seize the property of any person who undermines efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq. The Secretary may make his determination in secret and after the fact." There hasn't been much media notice of this; the UK's Guardian has an article explaining how the new authority will only be used to go after terrorists.

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