Comment Re:What were? (Score 1) 408
"What were"? Is this like one of those user-contributed quizzes on Facebook where someone couldn't think of enough answers to the question and put random confused strings of words in the extra slots?
No, it's a
Comment Re:It's different (Score 3, Interesting) 249
Driving a car in a videogame and driving a car in real life are very different, but the actual *racing* part is pretty similar. Controlling the car is important, but it's not what wins races. Racing is all about knowing the lines and racing techniques, and a video game can definitely teach you that.
I think, at least to an extent, it helps with actual driving too. I've sunk at least a hundred hours into every GT game since GT1 (before I even had a learner's permit). On three occasions I've had to make emergency reactions while driving in real life where - I don't know quite how to put it into words - everything just felt smooth and practiced.
Two things especially, scaling reaction to speed of travel and turning into a fishtail, are things that I think feel natural from all the time in GT. I just fortunately haven't had many "practice" opportunities in real life, so I figure I must have learned from the games.
I use a wheel & pedals instead of a controller, too, which maybe helps the simulation value.
Comment Re:Comments (Score 5, Interesting) 383
Except by every means, The Daily Show covers more news than the typical mouth-breathing news casters, and does so in a funny way. They don't lie, make shit up, or spend thirty minutes covering Madonna's booger incident via twitter: they show news footage, give a quick 60 second real news blurb, then make a joke.
Totally agree. The Daily Show makes news entertaining. Fox makes entertaining news.
Comment Re:It works really well (Score 1) 539
That's my biggest problem with this... what's the false positive rate (hardware failure as well as unintentional triggers e.g. humidity vs. submersion) on the sensors?
Comment Re:And? (Score 1) 242
I don't know why this guy got modded Troll. Wanting to know what's different about a title is a perfectly valid question.
I'm gonna hazard a guess that the Troll mod was related more to the part after the ellipsis rather than the part before.
Comment Re:Have NAS, will save (Score 1) 299
Why is it the companies responsibility to keep your records for you?
A financial institution has the know-how and resources to maintain secure records in multiple copies at different geographical locations. A majority of that institution's customers do not. Although you clearly have it far more together than most, it sounds like if your house goes up in flames you still might be calling up banks for records.
If nothing else, it's good customer service.
Comment Re:So once again the legit customer is screwed ove (Score 1) 244
actually you are wrong. If a game you bought is defective and you have the receipt (and it's within I think 30 days) the store must replace the game for the same game. It's the law.
Which of course is just boatloads of help when your CD drive isn't compatible with SecuROM, or the game doesn't start up at all due to some odd incompatibility or bug that the publisher may or may not deem worth fixing.
I'll stick with consoles until they fix that, or at least specifically state that returns will be accepted for defective software rather than just defective media (Stardock, and I believe Gas Powered Games, seem to be taking steps in that direction)
To Curb Truancy, Dallas Tries Electronic Monitoring 462
The New York Times is reporting that a school district in Texas is trying a new angle in combating truancy. Instead of punishing students with detention they are tagging them with electronic monitoring devices. "But the future of the Dallas program is uncertain. Mr. Pottinger's company, the Center for Criminal Justice Solutions, is seeking $365,000 from the county to expand the program beyond Bryan Adams. But the effort has met with political opposition after a state senator complained that ankle cuffs used in an earlier version were reminiscent of slave chains. Dave Leis, a spokesman for NovaTracker, which makes the system used in Dallas, said electronic monitoring did not have to be punitive. 'You can paint this thing as either Big Brother, or this is a device that connects you to a buddy who wants to keep you safe and help you graduate.'"
Israelis Sue Government For Laser Cannons 736
An anonymous reader writes "Residents of a southern Israeli town want a real-life laser cannon to protect them against Palestinian rocket attacks. And they're suing the national government, for failing to provide the ray gun defense.
The U.S.-Israeli Tactical High Energy Laser project was widely considered to be the most successful energy weapon ever built. But the toxic chemicals needed to generate THEL's megawatts of power made the thing a logistical nightmare. It was scrapped. Now, the residents of Sderot want it back. And they're taking Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to court to make it happen."
Best Presidential Candidate, Democrats 947
This story is to discuss the remaining democratic candidates for president. Please keep discussions limited to talk about Hillary and Obama. Keep discussions of the other party in the other story.
Sperm Could Power Nanobots 259
Lucas123 writes "According to MSNBC, scientists are experimenting with using a sperm's flagellum to overcome the problem of supplying energy to nanobots that could be implanted in the body as smart probes that would release disease-fighting drugs, monitor enzymes and perform other medical roles within a patient's body. Powered by a compound called adenosine triphosphate or ATP, a sperm's flagellum can propel it at about 7 inches an hour. Energy from ATP could also power the pumps charged with dispensing the medication at a certain rate from the nanobots."
