Comment Re:Really Blizzard? REALLY? (Score 0) 147
When a game publisher promises something and does not deliver, that is a deficency. You don't like PvP? Don't participate.
Submission + - Water-Activated Seat-Belt Release Could Prevent Drowning Deaths (wired.com)
kc67 writes: Unfortunately, around 400 U.S. motorists die each year from drowning when their vehicle plunges into water. To help eliminate the chances of being restrained in a submerged car, a new seat belt mechanism has been designed to make sure that occupants can extract themselves quickly and safely when underwater.
The Escape Belt looks like the traditional female latch that plugs into a car’s buckle. When water hits the interior, a salt pill inside the latch dissolves, causing a hammer to release the male section of the belt to free the occupant. It’s the same technology used by airlines in self-inflating life jackets, and while you’ll still need to open the door, popping the seat belt won’t be an issue.
Fijen TMLS, the Dutch manufacturer that created the product, says that the cartridge needs replacement every few years, but that the system is robust enough that it won’t activate from a spilled Fresca. The mechanism costs a little under $40 for each unit and the company is pursuing automotive supplier partnerships to bring it to market.
The Escape Belt looks like the traditional female latch that plugs into a car’s buckle. When water hits the interior, a salt pill inside the latch dissolves, causing a hammer to release the male section of the belt to free the occupant. It’s the same technology used by airlines in self-inflating life jackets, and while you’ll still need to open the door, popping the seat belt won’t be an issue.
Fijen TMLS, the Dutch manufacturer that created the product, says that the cartridge needs replacement every few years, but that the system is robust enough that it won’t activate from a spilled Fresca. The mechanism costs a little under $40 for each unit and the company is pursuing automotive supplier partnerships to bring it to market.
Comment Yea... (Score 1) 123
"...speculates the spaceplane is carrying sensors designed for spying and likely is serving as a testbed for future satellites."
That is what we need. More speculation. I speculate it is full of bacon and will be headed for the moon. Everyone needs bacon, even those going to the moon.
Comment Re:Really Blizzard? REALLY? (Score 0) 147
Porting to console costs money too. Adding core functionality costs money but would also generate revenue if the features they added are the features players quit the game over. (PvP, end-game, etc)
I do see where you are coming from. Opening the RMAH to the console market is going to generate a lot of $$$$
Comment Really Blizzard? REALLY? (Score 4, Insightful) 147
The game is lacking core functionality that it was suppose to have at launch, or shortly thereafter, such as PvP. They are working on porting this to consoles instead of adding features they promised players? I guess they are trying to milk this cow dry before it dies. It is really a shame, Diablo II was one of my favorite games of all time. Diablo 3 is embarrassing.
Comment Let's all be honest... (Score 0, Flamebait) 130
Pharmaceutical companies make too much money from cancer for there to be a cure for cancer on the market.
Submission + - Texas Secession Petition Ignored by White House (go.com)
kc67 writes: Texas is waiting for President Obama’s reaction to a petition demanding it be allowed to secede from the United States. They may have to keep waiting. Sunday marked the last day for Texas’ petition to secede from the union to gather 25,000 digital signatures, the number needed to warrant a response from the White House.
The virtual petition achieved that goal four weeks ago. Now it’s up to 119,209, but still no word from the Oval Office. Even if the White House steps up to the plate this week, it’s possible they will dodge the question, opting to excuse themselves by claiming it does not fall within their jurisdiction.
The virtual petition achieved that goal four weeks ago. Now it’s up to 119,209, but still no word from the Oval Office. Even if the White House steps up to the plate this week, it’s possible they will dodge the question, opting to excuse themselves by claiming it does not fall within their jurisdiction.
Comment TL;DR (Score 1) 112
Poorly written and organized. Somehow recommended for newbies dispite the scathing review.
Submission + - The Hobbit Is Insanely Gorgeous at 48 Frames per Second (wired.com)
kc67 writes: Anybody who saw Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King knows director Peter Jackson likes a long ending. He also digs long beginnings. It’s a good 15 minutes before the opening line of J.R.R.’s novel The Hobbit kicks in, but by the time we get to “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit,” one thing is already crystal clear: The movie looks like nothing you’ve seen before.
In the 48-frames-per-second version of Hobbit, Middle-earth in 3D looks so crisp it’s like stepping into the foreground of an insanely gorgeous diorama. The film will also be released at the standard 24 fps, but Jackson sees the high-speed format as the “premium version” of his vision because it essentially doubles the amount of visual data projected onto the screen. At 48 fps, images appear more precise and 3-D action becomes smoother, without the blur that can occur when the camera pans too quickly or objects move rapidly across the frame.
In the 48-frames-per-second version of Hobbit, Middle-earth in 3D looks so crisp it’s like stepping into the foreground of an insanely gorgeous diorama. The film will also be released at the standard 24 fps, but Jackson sees the high-speed format as the “premium version” of his vision because it essentially doubles the amount of visual data projected onto the screen. At 48 fps, images appear more precise and 3-D action becomes smoother, without the blur that can occur when the camera pans too quickly or objects move rapidly across the frame.
Comment Re:How did this subject ended on /. frontpage ??? (Score 1, Offtopic) 303
Steamlined from Dice...
Slashdot is going downhill :(
Comment Re:Oh fuck (Score 1, Insightful) 303
I would ask the same thing... it went from submitted, to blue, to front page...
Submission + - Gmail, Chrome and Other Google Services Go Down (go.com)
kc67 writes: See that message? "The server encountered a temporary error and could not complete your request." That's what many people are seeing as they try to use a number of Google services today, including Gmail, Google Drive and others. At around 12:00 p.m. ET many began reporting that they could not access Gmail, Google's email service, as well as Google Calendar and Documents. Hundreds of people on Twitter said they could not access Gmail, and many reported Chrome browser crashes. ABC News itself had repeated Google Chrome browser crashes when signed in with Google accounts.
At 12:30 p.m. ET Google updated its Service Details page with the following message: "We're investigating reports of an issue with Google Mail. We will provide more information shortly." A few minutes later it sent a statement to ABC News confirming it was "experiencing an issue with some Google services. For everyone who is affected, we apologize for any inconvenience you may be experiencing," it said. "We will be posting updates to the Apps Status Dashboard."
At 12:30 p.m. ET Google updated its Service Details page with the following message: "We're investigating reports of an issue with Google Mail. We will provide more information shortly." A few minutes later it sent a statement to ABC News confirming it was "experiencing an issue with some Google services. For everyone who is affected, we apologize for any inconvenience you may be experiencing," it said. "We will be posting updates to the Apps Status Dashboard."
Comment Re:I need glasses... (Score -1, Troll) 59
What you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
Comment Re:I need glasses... (Score 1) 59
The ability to detect tiny traces of explosive vapor should not be disappointing. It has the potential to save a lot of lives.
Submission + - Obamacare: the coming privacy nightmare (greenbaypressgazette.com)
Presto Vivace writes: "Obamacare will be privacy nightmare
By mid-December, the federal government is planning to quietly enact what could be the largest consolidation of personal data in the history of the republic. If you think identity theft is a problem now, wait until Uncle Sam serves up critical information on 300 million American citizens on a platter.
There is a better way to provide healthcare."
