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Comment Re:Yes, but.... (Score 1) 75

by drbinofski (#30199984) Attached to: Modded UX490 UMPC Shows Off Years of Community Development

...does it run 3 versions of windows for no reason?

But seriously for a second. Why run 3 versions of Windows?! So yes you *can* - the ostensible reason for doing anything 'adventurous' like climbing a mountain - ''cos it's there like'; but running three versions of windows is hardly adventurous is it? Answers on a post-card puhleeze. Apologies for the hideous punctuation in that last uber-sentence :/
Science

Submission + - Startup Publishes Mathematics of Brain Circuits 2

Submitted by braingal
braingal writes: The brain’s core algorithm for intelligent thought and action is closer to being cracked, thanks to a new mathematical model of cortical function. The model, developed by the Silicon Valley startup company Numenta, is described in a paper entitled “Towards a Mathematical Theory of Cortical Micro-circuits” in the October issue of PLoS Computational Biology . The model provides detailed, testable predictions about many enigmatic features of cortical circuitry. It also makes predictions about the systematic errors and illusions that living brains exhibit and has implications for understanding mental disorders. There are technological ramifications as well: an accurate model of the cortical algorithm may accelerate the creation of intelligent machines ( Singularity...here we come!!) by revealing which details of the neural circuitry are functionally relevant.
Security

Submission + - Laptop theft gives 850,000 doctors the blues (networkworld.com)

Submitted by netbuzz
netbuzz writes: This time its 850,000 doctors swallowing the bitter pill of knowing that their sensitive professional and personal information may have fallen into the hands of identity thieves. The real culprit here, though, is the BlueCross BlueShield Association employee who thumbed his nose at IT security policy.

Comment Re:I'll believe it when I see it... (Score 1) 219

by drbinofski (#29669887) Attached to: Microsoft, EU Reach Antitrust Accord

If this actually happens, it will be a Very Good Thing for the world in general, as Microsoft will no longer be legally able to keep changing their protocols to break access by non-Microsoft software.

Given their track record, though, I don't believe for a minute that Microsoft will actually make all the information available in a clear and usable format. More likely they'll release some information that looks nice, to show what good boys they're being, then release some more information terribly scrambled, and keep most of the information to themselves, because by that point the EU will be paying less attention to them and they'll have to take them back to court to get them to do anything more.

Same old story.

And yes, I am a terminal cynic. Why do you ask? ;-)

Dan Aris

They can't seem to produce their software in "a clear and usable format" so I fail to see why information about their software should do anything but follow suit :)

Comment Re:Alan Turing (Score 1) 117

by drbinofski (#29668789) Attached to: Interview With Brian Kernighan of AWK/AMPL Fame

Bring me a new interview with Alan Turing and maybe that would peak my interest

Now that could be quite the challenge. I hear he's not granting many interviews lately.

Certainly would. Establishing an after-life being one and formulating a means of communication with those in the after-life being the next. Expectations of what would 'peak my interest' being pretty modest after all! ;)

Submission + - How well can you read rotated text?

Submitted by zetazentra
zetazentra writes: This is a poll idea related to http://science.slashdot.org/story/09/10/06/189205/New-Graphical-Representation-of-the-Periodic-Table, the article for which claims "Unfortunately, Abubakr's arrangement means that the table can only be read by rotating it. That's tricky with a textbook and impossible with most computer screens." I can read text at wrong angles, and I'd like to know how well other slashdotters can read rotated text.
Some answers could be the following, though you can of course make up your own:
- I can only read right-side-up text
- I can read right-side-up and upside-down text
- I can read right-side-up, upside-down, and sideways text
- I can read text at any angle, with some slowdown
- I can read text at any angle, with no slowdown

Be careful with the wording, or you risk wiseguys saying things like "I can read text while I'M upside-down, yes!"

Thanks
Idle

Submission + - Avatars to have business dress codes by 2013 (itpro.co.uk)

Submitted by nk497
nk497 writes: With businesses increasingly using digital tech like virtual worlds and Twitter, their staff will have to be given guidelines on how they "dress" their avatars, according to analysts.

"As the use of virtual environments for business purposes grows, enterprises need to understand how employees are using avatars in ways that might affect the enterprise or the enterpriseâ(TM)s reputation," said James Lundy, managing vice president at Gartner, in a statement. "We advise establishing codes of behavior that apply in any circumstance when an employee is acting as a company representative, whether in a real or virtual environment."
Science

Submission + - Brain-to-brain communication over the Internet (gizmag.com)

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: In the past year alone Gizmag has looked at a system to allow people to control a robotic arm and another that enables users to control an ASIMO robot with nothing but the power of thought. Such systems rely on the use of an electroencephalograph (EEG) to capture brain waves and translate them into commands to control a machine. Now researchers at the University of Southampton have used a similar technique to show it is possible to transmit thoughts from one person to another.

Submission + - Largest ever study of heroin/crack cocaine

Submitted by drbinofski
drbinofski writes: Two thirds heroin and crack cocaine addicts stop or significantly reduce use within six months of treatment

The largest ever study of heroin and crack cocaine treatment programmes in England, led by Dr John Marsden, Institute of Psychiatry, Kingâ(TM)s College London and researchers from the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse and colleagues, is published in the Lancet today. The research shows that in the first six months of treatment two thirds of both heroin addicts and crack addicts stop or significantly reduce use, however users of both drugs were less successful.

For every 1,000 people aged 15â"64 years in England, around eight are heroin users and five crack cocaine users. Drug therapy with oral methadone (or buprenorphine) and supervised withdrawal, is the front-line community intervention for heroin addiction. Some heroin addicts also receive psychosocial therapy. As there are currently no substitute drug treatments for crack cocaine that have been proved effective, psychosocial treatment is the recommended treatment for crack cocaine.

More information can be found at: http://www.iop.kcl.ac.uk/news/default.aspx?id=339&

A full copy of the paper can be viewed online at The Lancet

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(09)61420-3/fulltext
Space

Submission + - Universe Has An Order of Magnitude More Entropy (sciencenews.org)

Submitted by
eldavojohn
eldavojohn writes: "Previous estimates are now thought to skimp on the entropy of the observable universe. Modeling supermassive black holes, researchers claim that they are the largest contributor of entropy. Since they contribute at least an order of magnitude more than previously thought, the total of all the observable universe is correspondingly higher. The paper (in gruesome detail) highlights new issues that arise with these new calculations — like estimating us a little bit closer to heat death (moving entropy totals from 10^102 to 10^104 out of a maximum of 10^122)."

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