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Comment Re:Good. (Score 2) 761

The problem is not even the parents.
The problem is affixing the magnet in a piece that can break or be sucked by the toddler.
Just like there are regulations about using lead paint on glasswares and plates, there should have been rules about using strong earth magnets ON toys.
Banning the sale of magnets AS toys is stupid.

Canada

Student Expelled From Montreal College For Finding "Sloppy Coding" 633

innocent_white_lamb writes "In what appears to be a more-and-more common occurrence, Ahmed Al-Khabez has been expelled from Dawson College in Montreal after he discovered a flaw in the software that the college (and apparently all other colleges across Quebec) uses to track student information. His original intention was to write a mobile app to allow students to access their college account more easily, but during the development of his app he discovered 'sloppy coding' that would allow anyone to access all of the information that the system contains about any student. He was initially ordered to sign a non-disclosure agreement stating that he would never talk about the flaw that he discovered, and he was expelled from the college shortly afterward."
Math

Pi Day Is Coming — But Tau Day Is Better 241

PerlJedi writes "A few months ago, a Tweet from Randal Schwartz pointed me to a YouTube video about 'Triangle Parties' made by Vi Hart. My nerdiness and my love of math made it my new favorite thing on YouTube. Now, with Pi Day coming up later this week, I thought it would be an appropriate time to point people to another of her YouTube videos: Pi is Wrong. The website she mentions at the end, Tauday, has a full explanation of the benefits of using Tau rather than Pi. Quoting: 'The Tau Manifesto is dedicated to one of the most important numbers in mathematics, perhaps the most important: the circle constant relating the circumference of a circle to its linear dimension. For millennia, the circle has been considered the most perfect of shapes, and the circle constant captures the geometry of the circle in a single number. Of course, the traditional choice for the circle constant is pi — but, as mathematician Bob Palais notes in his delightful article "Pi Is Wrong!", pi is wrong. It's time to set things right.'"

Comment someone's going to try it for cybernetics.. (Score 1) 314

Someone's going to try it and end up at the hospital.

"Waterproofing and Bioproofing are different. (your body rusts things that water don't"
Best material? Glue from a glue gun, according to Lepht Anonym.
And PCBs are a no-no, but that might change too with the appropriate coating.

Full talk at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_JpPMIriAI

I think Lepht is still in "repairing Lepht" mode, so she probably won't be trying this new nanocoating. But it could definitely help hedge cybermancers who practice in their kitchen.

Comment Re:Not following the Google Chef reference (Score 4, Informative) 554

One of the first financial press conferences before (after?) the google IPO was by their CFO.. Chielf Food Officer, back in February 2005.
Google was proud of announcing the number of eggs they were cooking each day for their employees. Wall Street was pissed by their lack of respect.

They had a formal presentation by their chef but not their chief financial officer,” said Mark S. Mahaney, an analyst with American Technology Research. “I have never been to an investor day where the C.F.O. didn’t speak.”
Indeed, Google’s top chef, Charlie Ayers, spoke to the assembled analysts and investors about the lunch he had prepared, featuring entrees like grilled pork tenderloin. The chief financial officer, George Reyes, moderated the presentation and answered a few questions, but did not give a formal talk.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/10/technology/10google.html?ex=1266123600&en=60d19019bb842d20&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt

Biotech

Electrical Power From Humans 220

Coisiche writes "The BBC covers a team of scientists who are working on a new way to power medical implants: an internal biofuel cell. From the article: 'Their gadget, called a biofuel cell, uses glucose and oxygen at concentrations found in the body to generate electricity. They are the first group in the world to demonstrate their device working while implanted in a living animal. If all goes to plan, within a decade or two, biofuel cells may be used to power a range of medical implants, from sensors and drug delivery devices to entire artificial organs. All you'll need to do to power them up is eat a candy bar, or drink a coke. ... In 2010, they tested their fuel cell in a rat for 40 days and reported that it worked flawlessly, producing a steady electrical current throughout, with no noticeable side effects on the rat's behavior or physiology.' Of course, there's never been a sci-fi movie using such technology as a plot device..."
Medicine

What Happens When the Average Lifespan is 150 Years? 904

First time accepted submitter Macgrrl writes "It was reported today in The Age newspaper that scientists believe they will have a drug within the next 5-10 years that will extend the average human lifespan to 150 years. Given the retirement age is 65, that would give you an extra 85 years, meaning you would probably have to extend the average working life to 100 or 120 years to prevent the economy becoming totally unbalanced and pensions running out. That assumes that the life extension is all 'good years', and not a prolonged period of dementia and physical decline. Would you want to live to 150? What do you see as being the most likely issues and what do you think you would do with all the extra years?"

Comment 900,000 subscribers affected.. (Score 1) 282

Also note that Shaw Direct (Formerly Starchoice) uses Annik K2 for half of its channels.

As of 2010, Shaw Direct had over 900,000 subscribers.[1] It broadcasts on Ku band from two communications satellites, Anik F1R at 107.3W and Anik F2 at 111.1W

People really hope they have a solution before the first game of the season, which is tonight. They will lose many subscribers due to this, no doubt about it.

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