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Comment Re:"an act of social provocation"? (Score 2) 367

by Roblimo (#49201593) Attached to: Come and Take It, Texas Gun Enthusiasts (Video)

And I just came back from riding my recumbent trike around the neighborhood. During my ride 3 motorists cut me off. This is not an uncommon occurrence in Florida. A man walking was put into the hospital around the corner from us last week by a hit and run driver -- while in a crosswalk.

Since traffic laws don't stop these morons, does this mean we should not have traffic laws?

Comment Re:Gee, thanks Texas (Score 1) 367

by Roblimo (#49201225) Attached to: Come and Take It, Texas Gun Enthusiasts (Video)

Yes. I have dentures. Good dentist and virtually pain-free when he extracted all my teeth and dug remaining bits of root out of my gums, but the cost! Crazy. He needs to have one of these in in a back room instead of paying a lab and marking their charges up. Sadly, the major chain discount denture makers in my part of FL have terrible user ratings. Ah well. One day. I'm not complaining. I have high-end dentures that fit and look good, and the cost, while high to me, was lower than a lot of people pay. But one day....
Government

Video Come and Take It, Texas Gun Enthusiasts (Video) 367

Posted by timothy from the a-lower-receiver-can-be-an-entire-gun-under-the-law dept.
In Texas, guns are a common sight:gun-racks are visible in the back of many pick-ups, and pistols, cannons, and rifles are part of the state's iconography. Out-of-sight guns are common, too: The state has had legal (though highly regulated) concealed carry for handguns since 1995, though -- contrary to some people's guess, and with some exceptions -- open carry of handguns is not generally legal. One thing that's definitely not a common sight, though, is a group of people manufacturing guns just outside the south gates of the Texas capitol building. But that's just what you would have encountered a few weeks ago, when an organization called CATI (Come and Take It) Texas set up a tent that served as a tech demo as much as an act of social provocation. CATI had on hand one of the same Ghost Gunner CNC mills that FedEx now balks at shipping, and spent hours showing all comers how a "gun" (in the eyes of regulators, at least) can be quickly shaped from a piece of aluminum the ATF classifies as just a piece of aluminum. They came prepared to operate off-grid, and CATI Texas president Murdoch Pizgatti showed for my camera that the Ghost Gunner works just fine operating from a few big batteries -- no mains power required. (They ran the mill at a slower speed, though, to conserve juice.)
Robotics

Video Drones Underwater, Drones on Wheels (Video) 18

Posted by Roblimo from the drones-above-and-drones-below dept.
Rocky Mountain Unmanned Systems seems to be primarily in the business of selling aerial 'copter drones ranging in price from sub-$100 up into $1000s. But there they were at the 2015 CES (Consumer Electronics Show), showing off a submarine drone and a wheeled drone. These products don't seem to be on the company's website or even on their Facebook page quite yet. Jon McBride, the person manning their CES booth, told Timothy these products would be around soon, as in February. But it looks like a bit of extra patience is in order, although you can contact Jon through the company's Facebook page (his suggestion) if you have an urgent need for an underwater or wheeled drone for your business or government agency -- or even just for fun.
Music

Video A Versatile and Rugged MIDI Mini-Keyboard (Video) 56

Posted by Roblimo from the Willy-and-the-poor-boys-playing-that-MIDI-can't-be-beat dept.
The K-Board won a "Best in Show" award at CES 2015. Plus, as Timothy said, "I always like pour and stomp demos." And it's totally cross-platform. If your computer, tablet or smartphone has a USB port and (almost) any kind of music software, it works. In theory, you could hook a K-Board to your Android or iOS device and use it to accompany yourself while you sing for spare change on a downtown corner. Or noodle around to get a handle on a theme you'll use in your next major symphony. Or...?

Comment NO AUTOPLAY! (Score 2) 32

by Roblimo (#49150089) Attached to: Simple IT Security Tactics for Small Businesses (Video)

Be still my heart.... I was getting ready to quit over autoplay. Those of us who actually work on the site have been begging management to get rid of it since the moment it raised it's ugly head. Success at last! Now all we need is a volume control in the player and we'll be golden. Yay.

And yeah, beta. I think it's gone, too. Haven't seen it lately, anyway. Another Yay.
Security

Video Simple IT Security Tactics for Small Businesses (Video) 32

Posted by Roblimo from the worry-more-about-criminal-attacks-than-government-intrusions dept.
Adam Kujawa is the lead person on the Malwarebytes Malware Intelligence Team, but he's not here to sell software. In fact, he says that buying this or that software package is not a magic bullet that will stop all attacks on your systems. Instead, he stresses coworker education. Repeatedly. Adam says phishing and other social engineering schemes are now the main way attackers get access to your company's information goodies. Hacking your firewall? Far less likely than it used to be, not only because firewalls are more sophisticated than ever, but also because even the least computer-hip managers know they should have one.
Education

Video Using Microfinance to Develop Coding Talent (Video) 23

Posted by Roblimo from the by-their-bootstraps dept.
Here's a quote from the CodersTrust website: 'CodersTrust is the brainchild of Ferdinand Kjærulff. As a Captain of the Danish army he served as recovery officer in Iraq after the fall of Saddam. He pioneered a recovery project with the allied forces, bringing internet and e-learning to the citizens of the region in which he was stationed. The project was a massive success and inspired him to eventually create CodersTrust – supported by Danida – with a vision to democratize access to education via the internet on a global scale.' A lofty vision, indeed. But with help from the original microfinance company, Grameen Bank, and the Danish International Development Agency (Danida), it seems to be coming true. Note: If you click the "Read" button below this paragraph, the video interview will play automatically.

Comment I ride a recumbent trike (Score 1) 304

by Roblimo (#49119963) Attached to: I ride a bike ...

My balance is gone due to several illnesses, so a two-wheeler is no longer safe for me. Instead of a bike, I now ride a recumbent trike. I go for at least a short ride around the neighborhood most days when it's not raining. Since I live in Florida (near Tampa), I ride year round except on exceptionally cold days, i.e. below 60F (or so).

Comment Re: IMHO, I doubt it. (Score 2) 71

by Roblimo (#49085083) Attached to: Watch Videos in Synch with Fellow iOS Users (Video)

I have explained more than once to more than one Slashdotmedia management person that autoplay videos were the work of the devil. The leader of the autoplay cabal (obviously) disagrees.

Ever single person who works directly on Slashdot has an opinion about autoplay videos that is somewhere between dislike and raw hatred. One editor sent a 1665 word plea to kill autoplay videos up the chain of command, and yesterday I growled like an angry dog at the boss person who oversees Slashdot. The guy has always seemed pretty smart to me, but for some reason he is determined to inflict autoplay videos on us despite our ongoing, deepening displeasure.

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All your files have been destroyed (sorry). Paul.

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