Comment The Rock (Score 1) 858
Have we shipped off Dr. Stanley Goodspeed to 'The Rock' to takeover the rogue commandos and stop them from launching that darn VX gas yet?
Massachusetts Bids To Restrict Internet Indecency 214
Remember the Communications Decency Act? Enacted 1996, found unconstitutional 1997. Or its successor attempt to reduce discourse on the Internet to what is suitable for 8-year-olds, the Child Online Protection Act? Invalidated 2003. Seven state laws attempting to restrict Internet content on grounds of decency have been struck down. Despite all this, Massachusetts has now added a couple of paragraphs to its (traditionally bricks-and-mortar) indecency law that applies a "harmful to minors" test to Internet content. The ACLU of Massachusetts and others have brought suit to block the law, which went into effect on July 11. Coincidentally, today a US appeals court tossed out the FCC's indecency policy.
Antidepressants In the Water Are Making Shrimp Suicidal 182
Antidepressants may help a lot of people get up in the morning but new research shows they are making shrimp swim into that big bowl of cocktail sauce in the sky. Alex Ford, a marine biologist at the University of Portsmouth, found that shrimp exposed to the antidepressant fluoxetine are 5 times more likely to swim towards light instead of away from it. Shrimp usually swim away from light as it is associated with birds or fishermen.
RIAA Accounting — How Labels Avoid Paying Musicians 495
An anonymous reader writes "Last week, we discussed Techdirt's tale of 'Hollywood Accounting,' which showed how movies like Harry Potter still officially 'lose' money with some simple accounting tricks. This week Techdirt is taking on RIAA accounting and demonstrating why most musicians — even multi-platinum recording stars — may never see a dime from their album sales. 'They make you a "loan" and then take the first 63% of any dollar you make, get to automatically increase the size of the "loan" by simply adding in all sorts of crazy expenses (did the exec bring in pizza at the recording session? that gets added on), and then tries to get the loan repaid out of what meager pittance they've left for you. Oh, and after all of that, the record label still owns the copyrights.' The average musician on a major record deal 'gets' about $23 per $1,000 made... and that $23 still never gets paid because it has to go to 'recouping' the loan... even though the label is taking $630 out of that $1,000, and not counting it towards the advance. Remember all this the next time a record label says they're trying to protect musicians' revenue."
Comment less cords? (Score 1) 292
there's more cords... and more equipment, without any substantial added benefit.
The Mouse Vanishes 292
countertrolling sends in a clip from Wired that begins "...researchers at MIT have found a method to let users click and scroll exactly the same way they would with a computer mouse, without the device actually being there. Cup your palm, move it around on a table and a cursor on the screen hovers. Tap on the table like you would click a real mouse, and the computer responds. It's one step beyond cordless. It's an invisible mouse. The project, called 'Mouseless,' uses an infrared laser beam and camera to track the movements of the palm and fingers and translate them into computer commands... A working prototype of the Mouseless system costs approximately $20 to build, says Pranav Mistry, who is leading the project."
Comment the gap (Score 1) 511
What I find alarming is that tasks are becoming much more automated and the gap between technical people and common people growing. This is great for efficiency and workflow, but soon we'll end up with a population of 99.9% people who "know how to push a button" and .1% of which "know how" that "button" works.
For example, it's very easy to create a webpage: find a template, type some info into a CMS and upload a picture or two. Nevermind learning xHtml or CSS.
Have you seen the movie Idiocracy?
Comment its about money. (Score 1) 61
NASA will pay for a 90 day mission. 1 day of operating expenses costs x dollars. NASA probably would not pay the operating cost of a 6+ year mission. So you they built these things for longevity, knowing very well the mission would be more than 90 days. Once your on Mars making headlines, who's going to agree to pull the plug...? No one.
Comment people (Score 4, Interesting) 100
As every black hat knows: you will not need to compromise the software. You just have to compromise one of the people working for the government in question.
Comment I know how to pay for it all (Score 1) 2044
I know how to pay for healthcare and more quite simply:
end the failed, horribly antiquated 'war on drugs' (+$19 billion)
save on jail and federal prison sentencing and jailing (+10 billion)
legalize pot & tax the bejeesus out of it (+ 3 billion)
monitor, legislate and control other narcotics (+1 billion)
That wouldn't be a bad start. You would end alot of violence, broken families and the unemployment rates would go down since future 'convicts' will be able to land jobs. Being that they're not a 'criminal' anymore.
Comment Cost effective (Score 1) 428
Every municipality in South Louisiana will pay gorgeous sums to equip every telephone pole. This has to be much more cost effective--not to mention healthier (greener)--than the trucks driving around spraying chemicals in the air and ditches. The annual contracts for mosquito control services are usually well in the millions, even for smaller parishes.
Comment Re:Minor correction (Score 1) 303
not if it's upside down.
Comment surprised (Score 1) 303
...and you're surprised why? Afterall, he can be considered a brilliant ruthless pioneering cut-throat rober baron of the 21st century.
Comment work (Score 2, Interesting) 360
I'm a graphic designer, it is REQUIRED that I sit on the internet 8+ hours a day gathering pdf's, emails, stock photography, free vector files, keeping up with social trends, web design, email design and taking short breaks browsing to 'switch' my mind to the next job. When I get home--by habit gained at the workplace--I check the news... cnn.com, salon.com, washington post and also prone to check facebook.
So it is my job requiring me to be online which will eventually make me depressed. Seems that could be a legit argument against your workplace insurance in covering medical bills and could have even further repercussion?
Comment Online Ordering (Score 5, Funny) 201
Thank you for your online order;
Online Pizza Delivery status:
"6-12 months, Pending Space Shuttle availability; NEW click here for 2 day super saver shipping"
