Comment Re:That sucks (Score 1) 773
Finally, nature's own population regulation mechanism kicks in.
Comment Re:Headline speed isn't that important (Score 1) 279
You're probably syncing at a significantly higher rate than 2Mbps. Demon Business 2000 (no longer available) was based on the ADSL MAX platform which is an up-to-8Mbps service, and throttled to 2Mbps at Demon's end. Perhaps Wharf T&T either haven't applied the throttle or when they have bandwidth to spare they lift the restriction.
Comment Re:I've tried wrangling with BT over this (Score 1) 279
Not necessarily true. I use a netgear DG834GT router with slightly modified firmware. When I used the 1.02.04 (or earlier) release, an SNR of 5dB was shaky and if it reached 4dB the packet loss would go through the roof and the line would fall over. With the new ADSL driver in the 1.02.09 release it's stable at just 2dB, and again I use a modded firmware (UberGT) that allows me to override (to some extent) the exchange-set target SNR figures, which also allows me to get a 1.5Mbps connection on my up-to-8Mbps service.
Comment Re:Alpha and Beta Particles (Score 2, Informative) 125
Alpha particles are pretty large entities, being helium nuclei (two protons and two neutrons), as a result can only travel a few centimetres through air so any machine's case will stop them completely.
Beta particles are electrons or positrons) and can reach about 9 metres through air but less than 5mm through aluminium.
Comment Re:sssss (Score 2, Informative) 125
A bit out of date but found from a quick google for "Siemens Staines Middlesex".
Comment Re:sssss (Score 5, Funny) 125
There were reasons they moved their UK operations from Staines (Middlesex).
Comment Re:Well... (Score 2, Funny) 440
MULTICS.
Of course.
Comment Re:MP3 != 100% compatible (Score 1) 263
Out of curiosity, which player is this?
Submission + - AMD R6xx Image Quality Analyzed (beyond3d.com)
Steve Kerrison writes: "The most recent graphics chips to come off of AMD and Nvidia's production lines have added performance boosts and support for DirectX 10. But what about image quality? Beyond3D looks at the image quality features of the R6xx family of GPUs, where AMD has been adding a few tricks:
"What follows is our look at AMD R6-series image quality as it stands, and it's one that focuses on the AA down-filter more than anything else. It's where AMD have changed the game the most, introducing forward-looking custom filters...
Submission + - Google Geek's Famous Photos (nytimes.com)
kiracatgirl writes: Here's a fun story about a relatively unknown Google employee and his hobby — taking photographs of himself with famous visitors to Google's headquarters. His gallery is posted on the walls at Google HQ, but is also available for our viewing pleasure at his online photo album.
Submission + - Pitt, Bell Lab Researchers Create New Matter Type
An anonymous reader writes: Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and Bell Labs created a new type of matter which has the properties of lasers and high-grade electrical conductors. This new matter type, called a polariton superfluid, allows the creators to move energy much more efficiently in a super-conductor type setting. However, this has the possibility of being used at room temperature, while previous superconductor designs have needed to be cooled to -280 to -400 degrees Fahrenheit.
SCO Chairman Fights to Ban Open Wireless Networks 343
cachedout writes "SCO's Ralph Yarro had the floor yesterday at the Utah Technology Commission meeting in front of Utah lawmakers. Yarro proposed that free wireless sites and subscribers should be held responsible should any porn be delivered to minors because hotspots are apparently where kids go to watch porn all day long. Yarro told lawmakers that open wireless access points should be made a crime because we have an Internet out of control."
