Comment Re:Kudos for unbiased reporting (Score 1) 273
"Who says this is a left-leaning website?"
This is a left-leaning website.
There. I said it.
If Left mean smart, inquisitive, geeky, etc, then yes. The real question is why is that.
Comment Re:Space Invaders (Score 1) 238
True Combat, Quake 3 mod, had the ability to shoot through object for some time. Too bad enough players for critical mass was not included.
An Early Look At Next-Gen Shooter Bodycount 238
If you ask fans of first-person shooters what feature they'd like to see in a new game, their answers — now and for the past 15 years — probably involve destructible environments. Game developers have tried to satisfy this demand with scripted events, breakable objects, and more crates than you can shake a rocket launcher at. However, Bodycount, an upcoming game from Codemasters Guildford, is aiming to deliver what gamers have wanted for so long: the ability to blast apart whatever you please. Quoting the Guardian's games blog from their hands-on with the game:
"... it's not just about effect, it's about access. In Bodycount, you can blow chunks out of thinner interior walls, allowing you to burst through and catch enemies by surprise. You can also brilliantly modify cover objects – if you're hiding behind a crate and want to take out enemies without popping up from behind it, shoot a hole in it. Bingo, you've got a comparatively safe firing vantage. The difference between this and say, Red Faction or Bad Company, is that the destruction isn't limited to pre-set building sections. It's everywhere. This should, of course, grind the processor to a halt, but the team has come up with a simple compromise to facilitate its vision. 'The trick is that we're not running full physics on everything,' explains lead coder, Jon Creighton. ... This is tied in with one of the best cover systems I've ever seen. While in a crouching position (gained by holding the left trigger down), you can use the left analogue stick to subtly look and aim around your cover object, ducking and peeking to gain that perfect view of the war zone. It's natural, it's comfortable and it's adaptive, and it will surely consign the whole 'locking on' mechanic to the graveyard of cover system history."
Google Wins European Trademark Victory 39
adeelarshad82 writes "A European court has ruled in Google's favor, saying that allowing advertising customers to use the names of other companies as search keywords does not represent a trademark violation. The court also went on to say that Google's AdWords program is protected by a European law governing Internet hosting services. Google's main line of defense was claiming that companies that want to extend trademark law to keywords are really interested in 'controlling and restricting the amount of information that users may see in response to their searches.' The decision is the first in a series of decisions from the court about how trademark rights can be used to restrict information available to users. Google is currently battling several trademark keyword cases in the US, including a case against Rosetta Stone, Inc."
Comment Paper trumps electronic (Score 2, Interesting) 538
e-readers have their place. I'd say it would be for viewing more dynamic docs or quick reference over a networked feed for tech docs. Paper books, for me, are not replaceable. You don't have to worry so much about a paperback. I can smack my son (allegedly) with it when he acts like a kook. I can throw it off a twenty story building and it still works. I can treat my book like the $6.00 price it cost.
I know this is an old argument. I am an old dude, (allegedly), but I see what my son reads. And how he reads, and he decidedly did not want an e-reader for his reading needs.
I just wish I could buy books printed on hemp like God intended.!
Comment Re:Missing option: (Score 1) 452
Best time sink ever!!!
thank you Blizzard.... or should my failed career and I curse you?
Comment Re:Perforce (Score 1) 268
With all due respect to the many excellent coders who have contributed to this thread, IMHO the tools and methods discussed seem to be a rather free lance version of coding.
I have worked in areas of the computing worlds where coding is tightly controlled by humans and not software. Review boards, meetings, team efforts....
IMHO, relying of software to enforce proper coding practices is lazy. Communication is the key... Communication among coders who CAN communicate should be without question. Revision control software is not and should not be a mind reader.
And finally gvim >> emacs...
Comment Re:Hogwash (Score 1) 817
damn that was great!!!! cleaning monitor right after post....
Comment Re:If it's legal? (Score 1) 785
It is texting while holding the [hone under the desk that is the problem. I know, I have had calls from my son's teacher...
Comment Re:back in my day (Score 1) 785
You don't have a 16 year old in high school then... Sure, if the teacher is exceptional, texting will be down. But not stopped. Hormones my man... hormones...
Comment Re:i liked the biological overtones (Score 1) 336
+1 insightful...
Nice post.
not to mention probably hardwired into our psychology as a threat, again, from millions of years of exposure
How true... Nothing freaks me out more than then egg laying critters that use animals as hosts.
Also if you choose to and AvP to the discussion, I liked how the Aliens killed one of their own to free the queen. That shows evolved hive instincts.
Submission + - Austria to pull out of CERN (google.com)
andre.david writes: From AFP: "Austria is pulling out of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN), Science Minister Johannes Hahn announced Thursday, citing budget concerns.
The 20-million-euro (26.9-million-dollar) yearly membership in CERN [...] makes up 70 percent of the money available in Austria for participation in international institutes and could be better used to fund other European projects, he said.
Hahn said he hoped Austria could find "a new kind of cooperation" with CERN and described Vienna's withdrawal from the project as a "pause", noting that some 30 states were already working together with the Geneva-based centre without being members.
The newly-available funds will now allow Austria to take part in new European projects, boost its participation in old ones as well as help the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), the country's main organisation funding research."
Austrian particle physicists are not happy with this. From HEPHY, the Austrian Institute for High Energy Physics: "All of a surprise Johannes Hahn [...] announced that he wants to terminate the Austrian membership at CERN [...]. This [would] affect spin-off projects like the planned cancer treatment center MedAustron [...] which is dependent on collaborating with CERN [...]. Strangely enough this intention just arrives at a time where scientists are about to harvest the fruits of LHC [...]."
Will other countries follow suit?
The 20-million-euro (26.9-million-dollar) yearly membership in CERN [...] makes up 70 percent of the money available in Austria for participation in international institutes and could be better used to fund other European projects, he said.
Hahn said he hoped Austria could find "a new kind of cooperation" with CERN and described Vienna's withdrawal from the project as a "pause", noting that some 30 states were already working together with the Geneva-based centre without being members.
The newly-available funds will now allow Austria to take part in new European projects, boost its participation in old ones as well as help the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), the country's main organisation funding research."
Austrian particle physicists are not happy with this. From HEPHY, the Austrian Institute for High Energy Physics: "All of a surprise Johannes Hahn [...] announced that he wants to terminate the Austrian membership at CERN [...]. This [would] affect spin-off projects like the planned cancer treatment center MedAustron [...] which is dependent on collaborating with CERN [...]. Strangely enough this intention just arrives at a time where scientists are about to harvest the fruits of LHC [...]."
Will other countries follow suit?
Submission + - Calif. v. Mass: The battle over non-compete clause (computerworld.com)
Lucas123 writes: "A case filed with superior courts in California and Massachusetts involving a former EMC top executive who is trying work for HP is pitting the two states against each other over whether non-compete agreements can keep an employee from working for the competition. California says non-competes hamper a person's ability to freely traverse the marketplace for work, while Massachusetts says the agreements actually afford freedom to develop technology without the fear of IP theft."
Comment Re:It's pretty standard these days (Score 1) 329
Then maybe the definition of a good drummer is imprecise. And who should be voting? Fans or other drummers?
Comment Re:How to stop internet crime (Score 1) 242
Thats right! Direct democracy can never work. Which is what made Switzerland such a hellhole
Switzerland Pop. 7,591,500
U.S.A. Pop. 305,690,000
California Pop.36,553,215
So you see, direct Democracy sort of works in California. But as you see, the majority just put a minority into a second class status. I cannot image the horrors of letting over 300 million people vote on issues of Rights. Switzerland doesn't even have the population of Los Angeles county, 9,878,554. So your example is not very valid when talking about USA.
