Journal Journal: Another entry
I wonder if this triggered anything.
Journal Journal: Achievements
Are there any more achievements available by posting in my journal?
Submission + - How to Turn Your Pile of Code into an Open Source Project
Esther Schindler writes: You’ve written some code, you think it would be useful to the world, and you’d like to give back to the open source world. But how do you do it? Andy Lester provides a checksheet for developers for how to release an open source project and get it noticed. For instance: Before you release the project to the wild, write some documentation, create a mailing list, create an issue tracker, and so on. You think he's missing anything?
Moore's Law and the Origin of Life 272
DoctorBit writes "MIT Technology Review is running a story about an arXiv paper in which geneticists Alexei A. Sharov and Richard Gordon propose that life as we know it originated 9.7 billion years ago. The researchers estimated the genetic complexity of phyla in the paleontological record by counting the number of non-redundant functional nucleotides in typical genomes of modern day descendants of each phylum. When plotting genetic complexity against time, the researchers found that genetic complexity increases exponentially, just as with Moore's law, but with a doubling rate of about once every 376 million years. Extrapolating backwards, the researchers estimate that life began about 4 billion years after the universe formed and evolved the first bacteria just before the Earth was formed. One might image that the supernova debris that formed the early solar system could have included bacteria-bearing chunks of rock from doomed planets circling supernova progenitor stars. If true, this retro-prediction has some interesting consequences in partly resolving the Fermi Paradox. Another interesting consequence for those attempting to recreate life's origins in a lab: bacteria may have evolved under conditions very different from those on earth."
How a Programmer Gets By On $16K/Yr: He Moves to Malaysia 523
An anonymous reader writes "If you can make $10 and hour doing remote work, you can afford to live in Malysia. Make it $15 or $20, you can work 30 hours a week. Real money? Make it ten. This article talks about how John Hunter did it." Malaysia's not the only destination for self-motivated ex-pat programmers, of course. If you've considered doing this kind of sabbatical, or actually have, please explain in the comments the from-where-to-where details and reasons.
Comment Re:the latest wrinkle on an old scam (Score 1) 64
It's not "might be", it's in the brief:
The best submission will be awarded $25,000* plus a
$25,000 contract to develop the idea into a market-ready
application. Runner(s) up will be offered $10,000* for their
ideas, which could be developed by Campbell in the future.
*Paid by Campbell for ownership of ideas, concepts, code and intellectual property. All winners must sign all documentation required by Campbell.
I wonder what else is contained within "all documentation" that they might require.
Comment Re:50 m/s = 180 km/h = 111.85 mph (Score 1) 338
* the sexual revolution
Arguably started by the contraceptive pill, invented in Mexico.
* most worldwide cultural trends in style
Not from what I have seen throughout my life. A lot may have started in America in more recent times but that has not always been the case.
* international outsourcing
I can't find anything to suggest that this was started in America. I wouldn't be surprised if some form of outsourcing was occuring throughout the world since the earliest civilisations.
* international democracy dispersion
I think you'll find that democracy was first started (and dispersed) by the Greeks.
* guilt politics
* white guilt
Well done America. Not sure I'd be proud of those. America's record over racism is not good even in recent times, and you want praise because you now feel guilty about it?
* the technology revolution
All of it? That's too broad a statement to claim ownership.
If I had to narrow it down to one country, I would be more inclined to believe it was started by the Japanese.
* pretty much everything successful you use on a daily basis
Computer: Invented in England.
Car: Invented by a Frenchman.
Road: Invented by the Romans? Tar surfacing was invented in Babylon, and then "re-invented" (as Tarmacadam) by a Scotsman.
Phone: Invented by a Scotsman.
As America, in its current state, has only been around for just over 200 years. Most of the things I use on a daily basis (Furniture, money, clothes, etc.) were first used/invented before America even existed.
Submission + - C Beats Java As Number One Language (i-programmer.info)
mikejuk writes: Every January it is traditional to compare the state of the languages as indicated by the TIOBE index. So what's up and what's down this year? There have been headlines that C# is the language of the year, but this is based on a new language index. What the TIOBE index shows is that Java is no longer number one as it has been beaten by C — yes C not C++ or even Objective C. TIOBE name Objective C as the language of the year but because it has grown most in popularity but this is mainly because of the growth of iOS — it is hardly used for anything else. No without a doubt the language of the year should be C for deposing Java.
Lax Security At Russian Rocket Plant 116
theshowmecanuck writes "Reuters reports that there is little or no security at one of the main factories in Russia responsible for military and Soyuz rocket manufacture. Blogger Lana Sator was able to walk right into the empty (off hours) facility through huge gaps in the fences that no-one bothered to repair, and there was no security to stop them aside from some dogs that didn't bother them either. In fact Lana even has one picture of herself posing next to an apparently non-functional security camera, another of her sitting on what looks like to be possibly a partially assembled rocket motor (someone who knows better can fill us in), and has about 100 photos of the escapade all told on her blog about this (it's in Russian... which I don't speak... any translators out there?). Russian officials are said to be deeply concerned. I wonder if this has any bearing on why Russian rockets haven't been making it into space successfully, or whether it and the launch failures are all part of some general industrial malaise that is taking place."
SCADA Vulnerabilities In Prisons Could Open Cell Doors 134
Orome1 writes "Many prisons and jails use SCADA systems with PLCs to open and close doors. Using original and publicly available exploits along with evaluating vulnerabilities in electronic and physical security designs, researchers discovered significant vulnerabilities in PLCs used in correctional facilities by being able to remotely flip the switches to 'open' or 'locked closed' on cell doors and gates."
Comment Re:I don't care who just died (Score 2) 158
I don't know what it's offering that the iPhone isn't.
It's not an Apple product.
Submission + - China paper warns Google may pay price for hacking (reuters.com)
suraj.sun writes: Google has become a "political tool" vilifying the Chinese government, an official Beijing newspaper said on Monday, warning that the U.S. Internet giant's statements about hacking attacks traced to China could hurt its business. The tough warning appeared in the overseas edition of the People's Daily, the leading newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party, indicating that political tensions between the United States and China over Internet security could linger.
Last week, Google said it had broken up an effort to steal the passwords of hundreds of Google email account holders, including U.S. government officials, Chinese human rights advocates and journalists. It said the attacks appeared to come from China.
Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/06/us-google-china-idUSTRE7550CV20110606
Last week, Google said it had broken up an effort to steal the passwords of hundreds of Google email account holders, including U.S. government officials, Chinese human rights advocates and journalists. It said the attacks appeared to come from China.
Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/06/us-google-china-idUSTRE7550CV20110606
Submission + - US Army goes with CryEngine3 for Military Sim (operationreality.org)
Samfer writes: The United Sates Army has decided to spend $57 million USD to enlist the help of Intelligent Decisions Inc. and Real Time Immersive Inc. utilizing the CryEngine 3 with the goal of developing the most realistic military simulator to date. The vast majority of the $57 million price tag for this technology will be going towards the actual equipment, which will feature the most advanced motion-tracking technology available today. You can view some of the technology preview videos of the game at the bottom of this post.
Submission + - Alaska Airlines Jettisons Paper Manuals (engadget.com)
fullymodo writes: "Alaska Airlines has become the first major US airline to hop on board the paperless bandwagon. While it's not quite ready to ditch paper navigation charts just yet (though that is under consideration), the airline has announced that it will be replacing its traditional flight manuals with iPads, which will be loaded up with the GoodReader app and PDFs of 41 different manuals and other materials."
So explain why I have to shut off my non-wi-fi-capable ebook reader during take-off and landing?
So explain why I have to shut off my non-wi-fi-capable ebook reader during take-off and landing?
Submission + - Sprint Pushes Uninstallable FPS NOVA With Firmware 1
theodp writes: 'If you could change the way wireless companies did things, what would you do?' asked Sprint CEO Dan Hesse. How about stopping the use of Sprint's firmware updates to download apps that aren't wanted and can't be removed, Dan? Sprint confirmed to CNET's Elinor Mills that those strange apps she was shocked to find on her Android phone — sci-fi shooter N.O.V.A. and Blockbuster — with a long list of permissions that couldn't be uninstalled had been sneakily downloaded onto her phone during a firmware update. 'Sprint does offer a variety of partner applications that are optimized for use on our wireless phones,' a Sprint representative explained in an e-mail. 'From time to time, we will provide new apps to our customers in conjunction with a software maintenance release. Also, Sprint, in conjunction with Google, is taking steps to develop a technical solution that would allow customers to remove any unwanted applications that have been preloaded or pushed in an over-the-air software update.' Other Sprint customers have voiced displeasure with the practice. 'Unbeknownst to me, my 5-year-old found N.O.V.A. on my phone and was shooting the guns and weaponry and killing enemies in the N.O.V.A. game,' an unhappy camper wrote on an HTC customer forum thread. 'Thanks a lot HTC and Sprint for forcing violence on my 5-year-old! I am protective of my kids and would never install a game like this on my phone, but now you forced this app onto my phone and I can't uninstall it! I'm very frustrated and VERY ANGRY!'
