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AI

Talking To Computers? 395

merlock18 writes "Is it un-natural to talk to a computer? After discussing the outcome of the Jeopardy game with some colleagues, they seem to think it is mildly 'scary' to talk to a computer and have it competently talk back. Is this what everyone thinks? I was thinking to myself how much I would like to be able to even tell my computer to open programs by telling it vocally. A simple idea that I am fairly surprised is not common. Am I a minority in this one? Do people just not like the idea of talking (without cursing) to a computer, let alone have it act or reply? Would anyone else be interested in building their own mini-Watson, or is this just scary?"
Government

House Fails To Extend Patriot Act Spy Powers 284

schwit1 writes "The House failed to extend three key expiring provisions of the Patriot Act on Tuesday, elements granting the government broad and nearly unchecked surveillance power on its own public. The failure of the bill, sponsored by Rep. James F. Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis), for the time being is likely to give airtime to competing measures in the Senate that would place limited checks on the act's broad surveillance powers. The White House, meanwhile, said it wanted the expiring measures extended through 2013."
Image

"Farming" Amoebas Discovered Screenshot-sm 49

Researchers from Rice University have found a type of amoeba that practices a sort of "primitive farming behavior." When their bacteria food become scarce, the Dictyostelium discoideum will group together and form a "fruiting body" that will disperse bacteria spores to a new area. From the article: "The behavior falls short of the kind of 'farming' that more advanced animals do; ants, for example, nurture a single fungus species that no longer exists in the wild. But the idea that an amoeba that spends much of its life as a single-celled organism could hold short of consuming a food supply before decamping is an astonishing one. More than just a snack for the journey of dispersal, the idea is that the bacteria that travel with the spores can 'seed' a new bacterial colony, and thus a food source in case the new locale should be lacking in bacteria." It's good to know that even a single celled creature is not immune to the pull of Farmville.

Comment Re:twofer (Score 1) 312

The way I see it, Political Corruption functions as either an enabler or a catalyst to bad behaviour in Military, Corporate, and Banking related issues. Releasing leaks on all of those topics would do far greater good than harm. I would argue further, that in cases where harm is attributed to the leak, the bad actors to whom the leak refers remain at fault for having created the potential for harm by their ill intent and bad actions.
Security

Submission + - Hacker attacks disable cars (bbc.co.uk) 1

katarn writes: In what probably isn't a great shock to us, main stream media realizes modern automobiles can be hacked in many ways. More of interest though, they were even able to disable the brakes (assumedly this was on a car with anti-lock breaks). Refreshingly, the article isn't fear mongering, and states "Cars benefit from the fact that they are (hopefully) not connected to the internet (yet) and currently are not able to be remotely accessed". One can only hope (perhaps in vain) that as cars become more connected they would be designed so that the electronics could not override the brakes. Of course once you have physical there are many ways an auto can be damaged or disabled even without being an electronics cracker. In my mind this type of attack could be much subtler and harder to detect; instead of physically cutting a brake line, the brakes could be programmed to only fail when needed the most, such as when anti-lock would normally be activated.
detect; instead of physically cutting a brake line, the brakes could be programmed to only fail when needed the most, such as when anti-lock would normally be activated.

Comment Re:How isn't this a form of terrorism? (Score 2, Interesting) 235

I'm glad you pointed out the definition of 'terrorism'. Those particular words were well thought out, I believe.

How much real fear in instilled in you, the Australian people, the Australian government, or the target site's admins as a result of this event? Any fear at all? Is this fear a reasonable response to this event? It's just computer systems and public websites, after all. Do you equate 'inconvenience' with 'danger'?

We're being conditioned to experience fear when we're told, on demand. We're told that an attack against a server is an attack on the people and therefore the expected response is fear, nee 'Terror'. As an individual, I ask you if you choose what you are afraid of? Do you hold in yourself the determination behind your actions, your beliefs, and your responses to external events? Do events out of your control cause you to fear them and their instigators because you believe that you are truly in danger, or because you have been conditioned to respond as if it were so by people who have a specific interest and benefit by your fearful response?

If you want to call these events 'Acts of Terrorism', if you want to be afraid, please do so on your own terms and not those handed to you along with the blindfold and handcuffs. You are a powerful individual, my friend, and you are capable of deciding for yourself what is right if you will only objectively view the events and effects that you experience. Keep that power to yourself, instead of simply handing it off to those who would manipulate you for their gain.

Image

Living In Tokyo's Capsule Hotels Screenshot-sm 269

afabbro writes "Capsule Hotel Shinjuku 510 once offered a night’s refuge to salarymen who had missed the last train home. Now with Japan enduring its worst recession since World War II, it is becoming an affordable option for people with nowhere else to go. The Hotel 510’s capsules are only 6 1/2 feet long by 5 feet wide. Guests must keep possessions, like shirts and shaving cream, in lockers outside of the capsules. Atsushi Nakanishi, jobless since Christmas says, 'It’s just a place to crawl into and sleep. You get used to it.'”

Comment Re:Well I guess its bad... (Score 1) 572

All of which she is capable?

That's just the problem. To you those women on stage are already dead. They've made money for displaying themselves and like a bitter used whore, are just a shell person filled only with the pain of their abuse?

What if they look at the wage slaves whose laps they sit in with the same pity we look at a fast-food worker, or MCSE? They get to dance for a bit and go home. The non-sex workers have to stay for hours and pretend to care about the topic.

The geeks whose careers are settling around them with the finality of cement versus the dancers whose lives are just beginning.

You'd have a point if these women were vat-grown clones who'd be terminated if they didn't perform. The truth though is that they're free to choose and the ones who would be crushed by being there aren't the ones rushing to fill the job.

Comment Re:Things don't work the way you think (Score 1) 212

What I have is mostly legal theory. Appropriation of an unpublished manuscript would be prosecuted under the Uniform Trade Secrets Act in most states. You can look that up. Publication and lawful sale provide you an implicit license to no longer consider that material as a secret. If you divulge the ending of Harry Potter 8 before it's published, expect to be sued, even though you bought the book and a copyright applies to it, and you never signed an NDA.

Comment Re:Sigh (Score 1) 572

Funny, seems the women who attended the event thought it was pretty funny to watch the awkward guys on stage not knowing what to do with the women in their face.

Did you get that part? No? Didn't read anything more than the summary eh?

There were female developers there ... having a good time ... The thing is that the just weren't American women, which are so sexually repressed and frustrated with themselves that they can't appreciate any situation which involves a women using her assets to their advantage if it involves physical attributes.

Whats fucked up is that American women are their own worst enemy.

Do you see guys bitching about male strippers? No, well okay, but only out of jealously.

Men are 'objectified' in the same way constantly. We appreciate it, enjoy the praise, and are more than happy that someone else appreciates what we have. Women in most of the rest of the world feel THE SAME WAY.

Its only in America where women get pissed off because another woman is using her abilities. In America, you are only accepted by other women if you shoehorn yourself into doing something you aren't really that good at.

Okay, so thats false, most women in America don't give a damn about this either. Its just the few loud mouths that get attention and the media promoting it that are a problem. I personally don't think I've ever met a woman who truly had a problem with strippers. I honestly don't think I've met a woman who hasn't considered BEING a stripper, including women who are now doctors, lawyers, and a VP of a rather large marketing firm in the US.

Its okay that you don't understand it, if you had some women as friends it would help you out a lot.

Comment Re:Meh. (Score 1) 993

Dear Roger(k@ndpta.com), we're feeling sorry for you that you gave up your credibility and any chance of adding value to the technology-interested community in exchange for money from Microsoft. We (technology professionals) know from much personal experience that the reason behind Mac system purchases is rarely based on "cool" in the business world. Instead, the reason is simply greater value through a much more stable operating system, hardware that is designed more robustly (longer MTBF), and considerably greater ease of technical support due to fewer OS related problems. Don't forget about Linux either. With the capability of running on a larger range of hardware than Microsoft products and the clear security advantages due to available source code you can evaluate yourself, Linux is beginning to threaten Microsoft as it's deployment in the workplace gains greater popularity. Even now, worldwide many governments, schools, and workplaces are realizing the benefits of a stable and open platform. My condolences go to you.

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