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Patents

Software Patents Are Crumbling, Thanks To the Supreme Court 118

Posted by Soulskill from the system-and-method-for-smacking-trolls dept.
walterbyrd writes: In June, when the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated a software patent, many in the tech industry hoped it would be the beginning of sweeping changes to how the patent system handles software. Just a few months later, lower courts are making it happen. Quoting Vox: "By my count there have been 10 court rulings on the patentability of software since the Supreme Court's decision — including six that were decided this month. Every single one of them has led to the patent being invalidated. This doesn't necessarily mean that all software patents are in danger — these are mostly patents that are particularly vulnerable to challenge under the new Alice precedent. But it does mean that the pendulum of patent law is now clearly swinging in an anti-patent direction. Every time a patent gets invalidated, it strengthens the bargaining position of every defendant facing a lawsuit from a patent troll." Meanwhile, the Washington Post reports on alleged corruption in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Power

If Tesla Can Run Its Gigafactory On 100% Renewables, Why Can't Others? 444

Posted by timothy from the situations-vary dept.
Lucas123 writes Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said his company's Gigafactory battery plant, the world's largest, will be "self contained" and run on solar, wind and geothermal energy. The obvious problem with renewable sources is that they're intermittent at any given location, but on a larger scale they're quite predictable and reliable, according to Tom Lombardo, a professor of engineering and technology. Lombardo points out that Tesla isn't necessarily going off-grid, but using a strategy of "net metering" where the factory will produce more renewable energy than it needs, and receive credits in return from its utility when renewables aren't available. So why can't other manufacturing facilities do the same? Is what Tesla is doing not necessarily transferable to other industries? Sam Jaffe, principal research analyst with Navigant Research, believes Tesla's choice of locations — Reno — and its product is optimal for using renewable and not something that can be reproduced by every industry.

Comment Re:Can someone explain to me (Score 1) 123

by CaptSlaq (#47880931) Attached to: SpaceX and Boeing Battle For US Manned Spaceflight Contracts

OK, I'll state my position on the species, since you asked, albeit not very politely.

Currently, we know of exactly one place that houses sentient life. That's the dirtball we're all on right now. While the odds are there's another dirtball similar to this one that has some sort of sentient life, we haven't found it yet (weather we want to or not is a question that is outside this context). It's not like we haven't been trying either.

With this in mind, I would consider it a travesty if we got wiped out by a handful of idiots with a gene sequencer, a handful of idiots with a centrifuge, or a cosmic event like a gigantic rock smacking our beloved dirtball. We're smarter than that. I don't know that we're the end-all be-all of knowledge with certainty, but we're the only ones we know of for now. Even though we are evolving and won't the be same thing in $BIGNUM years (perhaps not even recognizable to a member of the species today), I still think that we, as a species, have risen to the point to where we can ensure that something more than a fossil record is left, if we do the work. I believe we have the intelligence, we just need to keep grinding away until we get the full body (or at least a large enough body) of knowledge to get it done. Some people state that we already have this, we just need an investment.

As for my 'concern about the species': Being a member of it, I have a vested interest in it. I would think this would be a universal truth, but I could be wrong. The divisions we create among ourselves are merely theater when considered in the larger context, despite the fact that they often drive us to do horrific things to each other.

Space nutter indeed... There's no need to sink to insults. Of course, this is the internet...

Comment Re:wrong problem... (Score 1) 116

by CaptSlaq (#47818639) Attached to: MetaFilter Founder Says Vacation Firm Forged Court Docs To Scotch Review

The real problem is that, for some reason, a court DID order that entity A "who was no longer allowed to speak negatively about the company online".

How exactly we've created a judicial system with arbitrary power like that is the problem.

Now the uberpower judicial system will (rightfully) attack Sundance Vacations, and we can all rejoice. Rejoice in the power we've given dudes in robes to declare "i am the law!".

Paging Judge Dredd...
Crime

Feds: Red Light Camera Firm Paid For Chicago Official's Car, Condo 115

Posted by samzenpus from the red-light-red-light dept.
An anonymous reader writes "The former CEO of Redflex, a major red light camera vendor, and John Bills, former Managing Deputy Commissioner at the Department of Transportation, have been indicted on federal corruption charges stemming from a contract with the City of Chicago. According to the indictment, a friend of Bills was hired as a contractor and paid $2 million. Much of that money was then kicked back to Bills, who also got a Mercedes and a condominium via Redflex employees. The defendants are facing 23 counts including: mail fraud, wire fraud, and bribery. Each fraud count carries a maximum sentence of 20 years."

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