Comment So was TFA (Score 1) 2
...which asked: "Now it remains to be seen how long this idea survives until somebody comes up with the brilliant plan to mess it up by uploading a virus" thereby mooting its own question.
Comment Opt out (Score 1) 2
Just add xmpp. Don't feed the networks that want to "own" users.
Comment Re:its a tough subject (Score 1) 673
In most jurisdictions wilfully spreading HIV leads to jail time. The principle is already established, we're just discussing what diseases apply.
Journal Journal: Well, crap... 8
Patty emailed me and solved the "why isn't anybody buying the Amazon ebook" question -- according to her, it's nearly impossible. She says they won't take a credit or debit card, you have to either have an Amazon gift card or that Amazon Prime crap.
So I don't know what to do. I'd just pull it and put it on the site for free like the other two books, but that would hardly be fair to the two people who jumped through Amazon's hoops.
Suggestions are very welcome.
Comment Re:Please develop for my dying platform! (Score 1) 307
This is kind of like whining that Fords isn't making spare parts for Chevy, and that somehow you're disadvantaged by that because you live closer to a Ford dealership.
Nah, it's more like whining that Chryslers should be able to burn the same 87 octane gas as Fords without having to buy overpriced filler necks on license from GM. Or that GE lightbulbs should be allowed to work on ConEd electricity. Standards exist for a reason. Letting monopolists enforce their own whims without accomodating the competition is bad for everyone in the long run. Ask JP Morgan what happened to Standard Oil in the courts.
Submission + - The Tech Industry's Legacy: Creating Disposable Employees (venturebeat.com)
An anonymous reader writes: VentureBeat is running an indictment of the tech industry's penchant for laying off huge numbers of people, which they say is responsible for creating a culture of "disposable employees." According to recent reports, layoffs in the tech sector reached over 100,000 last year, the highest total since 2009. Of course, there are always reasons for layoffs: "Companies buy other companies and need to rationalize headcount. And there’s all that disruption. Big companies, in particular, are seeing their business models challenged by startups, so they need to shed employees with skills they no longer need, and hire people with the right skills."
But the article argues that this is often just a smokescreen. "The notion here is that somehow these companies are backed into a corner, with no other option than to fire people. And that’s just not true. These companies are making a choice. They’re deciding that it’s faster and cheaper to chuck people overboard and find new ones than it is to retrain them. The economics of cutting rather than training may seem simple, but it’s a more complex calculation than most people believe. ... Many of these companies are churning through employees, laying off hundreds on one hand, while trying to hire hundreds more."
But the article argues that this is often just a smokescreen. "The notion here is that somehow these companies are backed into a corner, with no other option than to fire people. And that’s just not true. These companies are making a choice. They’re deciding that it’s faster and cheaper to chuck people overboard and find new ones than it is to retrain them. The economics of cutting rather than training may seem simple, but it’s a more complex calculation than most people believe.
Submission + - Is the time over the code websites from scratch?
thomawack writes: As a designer I always do webdesign from scratch and put them into CMSMS. Frameworks are too complicated to work into, their code usually too bloated and adaptable online solutions are/were limited in options. Also despite I know my way around html/css, I am not a programmer. My problem is, always starting from scratch create menus, forms and now everything responsive too, it has become too expensive for most customers. I see more and more online adaptive solutions that seem to be more flexible nowadays, but I am a bit overwhelmed in checking everything out because there are so many solutions around. Is there someting your readers can recommend? Be it an online adaptive website or a CMS that works similar, which are very flexible but bring a good basis / templates?
Submission + - What Will Google Glass 2.0 Need to Actually Succeed? (dice.com)
Nerval's Lobster writes: As previously rumored, Google has discontinued selling Google Glass, its augmented-reality headset... but it could be coming out with something new and (supposedly) improved. The company has placed a relentlessly positive spin on its decision: “Glass was in its infancy, and you took those very first steps and taught us how to walk,” reads a posting on the Google+ page for Glass. “Well, we still have some work to do, but now we’re ready to put on our big kid shoes and learn how to run.” Formerly a project of the Google X research lab, Glass will now be overseen by Tony Fadell, the CEO of Google subsidiary (and Internet of Things darling) Nest; more than a few Glass users are unhappy with Google's decision. If Google’s move indeed represents a quiet period before a relaunch, rather than an outright killing of the product, what can it do to ensure that Glass’s second iteration proves more of a success? Besides costing less (the original Glass retailed for $1,500 from Google's online storefront), Google might want to focus on the GoPro audience, or simply explain to consumers why they actually need a pair of glasses with an embedded screen. What else could they do to make Glass 2.0 (whatever it looks like) succeed?
Submission + - Argentina's Leading Prosecutor on Terror Case Found Dead (lanacion.com.ar)
An anonymous reader writes: This monday federal prosecutor Natalio Alberto Nisman was found dead in his apartment, a few hours before a congressional hearing in which he was about to present evidence regarding an alleged involvement of current government officials regarding the 1994 terrorist AMIA Bombing regarding a 2013 treaty signed with Iran, currently regarded as the perpetrator of the attack. Investigators so far sustain an 'induced suicide' theory, implying that the prosecutor did not commit suicide out of his own free will. Although the parties responsible for the 'induced suicide' are not yet know, they may be related to domestic intelligence services. US congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen (R) has denounced the "misterious circumstances" of Nissman's dismissal and has requested an "exhaustive investigation" be made by an "independent, transparent and neutral" party.
Submission + - Slackbot - when Roomba, Arduino and a Tornado Siren meet in the office
An anonymous reader writes: Matt Reed at redpepperland has created a video showing his Slackbot — an office robot with a ... Tornado Siren, among other things..
Says Matt:
Slackbot is equipped with a Raspberry Pi which handles the bulk of the logic and guidance. The Pi uses Node.js and Festival Text-to-Speech processor hooked up to an amplified tornado siren for the :loudspeaker: commands.
The Roomba is roughly driven to beacon(s) using BLE triangulation. The Spark Core (arduino w/ wifi) listens for :highfive: commands.
We mapped our office with 7 beacon locations which he uses to guide himself around. Our hacked Roomba orients himself towards specific beacons dependent on the incoming web hook commands. Aka, “:loudspeaker: it’s taco tuesday” passes “it’s taco tuesday” to the Raspberry Pi text-to-speech script processor and he attempts to navigate from beacon to beacon sequentially which covers the entire office.
Says Matt:
Slackbot is equipped with a Raspberry Pi which handles the bulk of the logic and guidance. The Pi uses Node.js and Festival Text-to-Speech processor hooked up to an amplified tornado siren for the
The Roomba is roughly driven to beacon(s) using BLE triangulation. The Spark Core (arduino w/ wifi) listens for
We mapped our office with 7 beacon locations which he uses to guide himself around. Our hacked Roomba orients himself towards specific beacons dependent on the incoming web hook commands. Aka, “:loudspeaker: it’s taco tuesday” passes “it’s taco tuesday” to the Raspberry Pi text-to-speech script processor and he attempts to navigate from beacon to beacon sequentially which covers the entire office.
Submission + - House and Senate Science Committees in Creationists Hands. (dallasnews.com) 3
willy everlearn writes: Does anyone else find it scary that we have put creationists on both the House and Senate's science committies? The very core of a creationist's argument is"No matter what evidence you show me my belief will continue." Extend this to Climate Change, Vaccinations or any other of myriad topices these right wing hold as sacred. What can we do about it?
Comment Re:Mmmm.. (Score 1) 49
Deep fried durian, anyone? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
Comment Re:Same old same old? (Score 1) 34
We need another distributed system for counting words like we need another javascript framework for writing a Todo list app.
We need another bafflegab project description like a school of fish needs a robotic assembly line for bicycles. From the site:
Flink Overview
Apache Flink (incubating) is a platform for efficient, distributed, general-purpose data processing. It features powerful programming abstractions in Java and Scala, a high-performance runtime, and automatic program optimization. It has native support for iterations, incremental iterations, and programs consisting of large DAGs of operations.
If you quickly want to try out the system, please look at one of the available quickstarts. For a thorough introduction of the Flink API please refer to the Programming Guide.
So, what's that say it's for?
Comment Dumb voters (Score 1) 1
It's the same problem as ever... when you elect lawyers to write the laws, they happily create work for lawyers. The only way out is to refuse to elect them.
Comment Re:Please, kill 'em and bury 'em with pigs (Score 1) 490
Nah, let 'em have the 72 virgins. I suggest grade-school-teaching Dominican nuns.
