Journal Journal: a return which is long overdue (plus achievements!) 17
I've lurked at
Comment Re:Wash your hands! (Score 1) 374
This is good advice, and gives me an opportunity to speak to the community at large: some of us who go to cons and are in a position to shake tons of hands politely decline. It's not because we're being dicks, it's because we know it's a good way to substantially decrease our chances of catching and spreading any germs.
Comment Oh, cruel irony (Score 2, Interesting) 374
I played the PAX Pandemic game, where the Enforcers handed out stickers to attendees that read [Carrier] [Infected] or [Immune] (There was also a [Patient Zero].
I got the [Immune] sticker, and by the time I got home on Monday, it was clear that I had the flu. I've had a fever between 100 and 104 all week that finally broke last night, but I'm going to the doctor today because I think whatever I had settled into my lungs. I'll tell him about the H1N1 outbreak and get tested if he wants to run the test, but at this point I think it's safe to assume that I was [Immune] to the Pig Plague, but definitely [Infected] with the damn PAX pox.
Even though it's been a week of misery, it was entirely worth it, and I don't regret going to PAX for a single second.
Comment don't be a dick, in other words (Score 2, Insightful) 158
This is why my motto (and fundamental rule for life) is Don't be a dick: it's simple to understand, and reasonable people can agree on what it means.
Comment Re:Cameras at every toll booth (Score 1) 354
To play the Devil's Advocate - Sounds like a pretty easy case of being able to prove it wasn't you. And before you say 'It is their job to prove it was you, not the other way around', sending the picture of the vehicle doing it is their way of proving guilt.
On the surface, I might agree. Except if a human had processed the information it wouldn't have ever gotten to me.
But the machine found me guilty. The appeals process, as explained in the automated ticket, involves paying the fine first, and appealing second. If you win your appeal you will get the $50 back...
-Jason
Comment John Scalzi on why it won't work (Score 1) 370
John Scalzi wrote a hilarious exchange on his blog the sums up perfectly why this idea is made of fail:
There's much more, but I didn't want to jack his entire post.Sony BMG spokesperson: We're pleased to announce we are the final major music corporation to release electronic tracks without that pesky DRM! All you have to do is leave your house, go to a selected retail outlet, buy a special card there, go back to your house, scratch off the back of the card to find a code, go to our special MusicPass Web site, enter said code, and download one the 37 titles we have available, from Celine Dion to the Backstreet Boys!
Kid #1: Or, in the time it takes me to jump through all those hoops, I could just download all 37 of those albums off of Pirate Bay.
Kid #2: Or, I could just scratch off the back at the store, record the pin number, go home and download the album through a Tor connection, so you can't trace my IP number.
Kid #1: Also, what's with this first slate of artists? Celine Dion? Backstreet Boys? Kenny Chesney? Barry Manilow? Are you high?
Journal Journal: Announcing the release of my new book 22
This feels like a mega-spam entry, and I'm very self conscious about posting it, but I'm excited about this and I wanted to share . .
Submission + - The Google Phone is a Reality.
MrCrassic writes: "It appears that Google is initiating talks with well-known PDA/smartphone manufacturer HTC to make the Google phone a reality. With impressive tech specs and an already impressive concept underway , could Google be the next company to make a mark in the wireless device industry?
From the main article:
However, a recent report by CrunchGear states that its own sources at mobile handset provider HTC have tipped the site off to multiple gPhone handsets being prepped for launch in the first quarter of 2008 and that the handsets will be coming out of Taiwan. There will supposedly be over 20 different handsets to choose from — some with GPS — and they will carry special versions of Google Maps, Google Calendar, Gmail, and VoIP-enabled Google Talk.
Speaking of software, Google is rumored to be developing its own operating system for the gPhone. According to reports by Engadget, the OS has been in development since 2005 after Google's acquisition of a mobile software company called Android. The Android team has since developed a Linux-based mobile OS while at Google — a detail that is corroborated by the CrunchGear report — which of course comes with tight Google integration. Both sites appear to agree that their sources indicate Google isn't currently looking to develop the hardware... for now.
"
Simon Pegg to Play Scotty 233
In response to yesterday's casting news about Chris Pine possibly taking the captain's chair for the new Star Trek movie, apparently Simon Pegg will be playing the role of Scotty. Simon Pegg is known for his role as Shaun in Shaun of the Dead and more recently for his leading role in Hot Fuzz. "Pegg joins Zoe Saldana as Uhura, Anton Yelchin as Chekov, John Cho as Sulu and Zachary Quinto as Spock in the film which reportedly, and logically, 'chronicles the early days of the Enterprise crew.' Leonard Nimoy will also put in an appearance, while Eric Bana signed up this week as the movie's villain, Nero."
Journal Journal: Confronting pseudoscience in advertising
The Scientist reports that UK group Sense About Science is confronting advertisers about pseudoscientific claims in health products such as "Aerobic Oxygen," "Salt Lamps," and "Activ8." They called the advertisers' customer service numbers and grilled the unfortunates on the other end of the phone about their misuse of scientific language to sell products. The project,
Feed Wired: Sexy Safety Shoes for Well-Heeled Hookers Pack Alarm, GPS (feedburner.com)
Submission + - The aerogel revolution is almost upon us (timesonline.co.uk)
GnarlyDoug writes: Aerogels, nicknamed liquid smoke, are basically nanofoam. Imagine a material with such a low density that it is transparent yet extremely tough, and such a good insulator that even asbestos cannot compare. It also has a massive surface area, making it perfect as a filter and purifier. Aerogels have been around since the 1930s but they have mainly been laboratory curiosities because they were so brittle and so expensive to make. It seems that has finally changed and that aerogels are about to become mainstream.
Submission + - Petition to free MainActor source code 1
Anonymous Coward writes: "MainConcept decided earlier this year to discontinue maintenance and distribution of MainActor Video Editing Software. MainActor was one of the most complete and affordable video editing software available for Linux and Windows.
Some individuals already sent emails to MainConcept requesting them to free MainActor source code but without success. I hope that we, the whole Open Source Community, will have more success by puting all our efforts together.
So, by signing this petition, we, Open Source enthusiasts and non-linear editors, ask that MainConcept release most source code (if not all) of MainActor as Open Source so that the community can continue to support and improve it.
A topic has been opened in the unofficial MainActor forum to Free MainActor source code"
Submission + - The web Common Alerting Protocol can save lives
An anonymous reader writes: The Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) is a simple, standardized XML data format used by the United States Department of Homeland Security, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Government of Canada, and many other organizations to exchange information about a broad range of warnings and emergencies. This article shows you how to use CAP and distribute critical information about life-threatening events of any kind.
Journal Journal: Oil Industry-sponsored FUD at Slashdot? 12
I am absolutely stunned that Slashdot's editors would give credibility to a completely false story, pushed by a paid industry PR professional. As Rugrat said,
