67842449
submission
walterbyrd writes:
The time capsule is thought to contain coins dated between 1652 and 1855 and an engraved silver plate, among other things. The box will be X-rayed Sunday, and then officials will determine when to open it.
66495547
submission
walterbyrd writes:
We often hear of patent trolls in the tech industry, but rarely see this from major pharma companies. However, the term applies perfectly to AbbVie's strategy to either prevent Gilead from selling Harvoni or compelling royalties. . .
AbbVie cannot commercialize Harvoni since they do not own any patents to the individual drugs that make up the combination, sofosbuvir and ledipasvir. However, it is perfectly legal to apply for and obtain "method of use" and "utility" patents for products that a company does not own and this is what ABBV has accomplished with its five patents.
66192201
submission
walterbyrd writes:
Verizon and AT&T have been quietly tracking the Internet activity of more than 100 million cellular customers with what critics have dubbed “supercookies” — markers so powerful that it’s difficult for even savvy users to escape them.
The technology has allowed the companies to monitor which sites their customers visit, cataloging their tastes and interests. Consumers cannot erase these supercookies or evade them by using browser settings, such as the “private” or “incognito” modes that are popular among users wary of corporate or government surveillance.
66009469
submission
walterbyrd writes:
SpaceShipTwo, a rocket plane that was meant to carry well-heeled tourists on short if expensive rides to space, crashed in the Mojave Desert on Friday during a test flight, killing one of the two pilots.
65839985
submission
walterbyrd writes:
In discussions around the Web in the past few months, I've seen an overwhelming level of support of systemd from Linux users who run Linux on their laptops and maybe a VPS or home server. I've also seen a large backlash against systemd from Linux system administrators who are responsible for dozens, hundreds, or thousands of Linux servers, physical and virtual.
65243975
submission
walterbyrd writes:
Hewlett-Packard’s (HPQ) plan to lay off 55,000 workers—part of its historic move to split into two different companies—may represent a curious turning point for the economy: The last of the 5-digit layoffs.
65233585
submission
walterbyrd writes:
I don't usually talk about this too much, and hence I figure that people are really not aware of this, but yes, the Open Source community is full of assholes, and I probably more than most others am one of their most favourite targets. I get hate mail for hacking on Open Source. People have started multiple "petitions" on petition web sites, asking me to stop working (google for it).
65176483
submission
walterbyrd writes:
The rulemaking process does not function like a popular democracy. In other words, you can't expect that the comment you submit opposing a particular regulation will function like a vote. Rulemaking is more akin to a court proceeding. Changes require systematic, reliable evidence, not emotional expressions . . .
In the wake of more than 3 million comments in the present open Internet proceeding-which at first blush appear overwhelmingly in favor of network neutrality-the current Commission is poised to make history in two ways: its decision on net neutrality, and its acknowledgment of public perspectives. It can continue to shrink the comments of ordinary Americans to a summary count and thank-you for their participation. Or, it can opt for a different path.
64939681
submission
walterbyrd writes:
A brand-new social networking startup — Ello — has gone viral. At one point on Thursday, the site was acquiring 31,000 new users an hour — many of whom flocked to there because of a disagreement with Facebook over its policy requiring real names, which some say is unfair to LGBTQ and transgender users.
Ello's founder, Paul Budnitz: "My partners and I had lost interest and were fed up with other social networks — exhausted by ads, clutter, and feeling manipulated and deceived by companies that clearly don't have our interests at heart"
64873945
submission
walterbyrd writes:
Youtube video has over 24 million hits so far. Unbox Therapy bends a new iPhone 6 with just hand pressure. Apple stock is down about 3.5% so far.
64668307
submission
walterbyrd writes:
A study conducted by the University of California system determined that 14 million white-collar jobs are threatened by the off-shoring trend, including office personnel, information technology, accounting, architects, engineering and design, data analysis, customer service and even legal services. You might even be working at one of these offshore companies or others like them.
64608085
submission
walterbyrd writes:
Microsoft Corp will close its Silicon Valley research-and-development operation as part of 2,100 layoffs announced on Thursday, as it moves toward its new CEO's goal of cutting 18,000 staff, or about 14 percent of its workforce.
64524329
submission
walterbyrd writes:
To many computer programmers, software patents look a lot like movie or music patents. A computer program is a sequence of abstract mathematical operations. The Supreme Court has long said that by themselves such mental steps are not patentable. And just as musical innovations didn't become patentable once musicians started recording music electronically, so software patent opponents don't think sequences of mathematical steps shouldn't become patentable just because a computer happens to be doing the calculations.
Of course, others disagree with this way of looking at it. Patent attorneys have had a lot of luck re-casting software patents as patents on machines that happen to run a particular type of computer program.
64502549
submission
walterbyrd writes:
MIT's big-cat-inspired robot has gotten some serious upgrades as researchers continue to improve its skills. It's come a long way since its first treadmill test, during which it was tethered up. It can now run free, and a new algorithm allows it to bound in a peppy manner while navigating the terrain of a grass lawn.
64416867
submission
walterbyrd writes:
So rich high-tech companies are using the H-1B visa program to keep wages down and to hire less expensive workers from abroad. Indeed, the same companies demanding more guest workers are laying off American workers in droves.
