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Comment Wow. (Score 2) 186

The insight could help physicists reconcile quantum mechanics and Einstein's general theory of relativity

What? QM is COMPLETELY in line with relativity. If you had FTL communication, it wouldn't, but that doesn't exist- quantum teleportation requires a classical channel to relay information (namely, which state Bob's particle collapsed into). I admit I haven't read the linked articles yet, but I doubt the authors made any such claim (and that was input by the submitter/editor)

Source: I am a PhD student in Quantum Computer Science.

Comment Re:quantum computing (Score 5, Informative) 96

The research into quantum computing is using done with the goal of a universal quantum Turing machine, which would, by proof, run classical algorithms in addition to quantum ones.

Not the D-Wave. There's two branches in current quantum computation: General quantum computation, which is still stuck at the implementation stage (of which languages like QCL derive) and D-Wave's computation (which, admittedly, is geared toward quantum annealing and no other quantum procedures, and is therefore not a general quantum computer).

If I were to think a few years down the road, the path D-Wave is taking would culminate in chips that do specific things, such as perform quantum communication protocols, but only those things that were hardwired into the chip. It's hard to think of how a quantum operating system or a quantum programming language would operate under such a model. The general quantum computing path, for which four major quantum programming languages have been written already (QCL, LANQ, CQPL, and QML), if possible, would allow for Turing-Complete machines.

Comment Re:Why would I want a "Nanny" app? (Score 2) 173

Bad driving isn't simply "speeding over 70mph" (aren't some highways over that speed limit anyway?), it's an amalgamation of not paying attention, not planning ahead, and not conforming to how everyone else is driving (to an extent). The problem you pose isn't solved in any way by this technology, and it gives more "bad driver" false positives than correct predictions.

Comment Re:Netflix is one of the places where DRM makes se (Score 1) 394

It's a shame that some people get caught up so much in "being right" that they stop considering another's position, but don't leave because of it- there are several people willing to discuss and change opinions still here. That said, I think we'd agree that certain DRM is simply unacceptable, even if on things we rent. I feel like the renting/owning distinction isn't relevant in terms of DRM, though- IANAL, and so obviously my interpretation of law or what it should be is incorrect, but when I rent something, I feel like I have any capabilities that I would when owning it except I have to return it in its original condition at the end of the contract term. I wouldn't want my landlord checking in on me every minute to make sure I haven't done anything bad with my apartment, certainly. That said, there's plenty of other middle grounds to escape to. If I want to pay a local artist based on how often I listen to his music, I could write a simple script that calculated how much I owe him every month and display that info to me- and if I went over some limit that I personally chose, would halt reading the file and tell me so. That, IMO, constitutes DRM, but is a bit different in that I have absolute power in how much I'm paying and to who, I'm free to disable it if I wish, it's incredibly noninvasive, and it has zero legal enforcement. If we're willing to agree that this is DRM (which we may not!), then obviously the optimal amount of DRM- something that could, in theory, balance the wants of both the consumer and the producer of the content- lies somewhere within this spectrum.

Comment And? (Score 5, Insightful) 140

Until we see punishment for such business practices, they'll continue to be profitable. As long as they're profitable, companies will continue to use such business practices. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that judges are also seeing the idiocy that certain policies seem to lead to, but given how these companies sometimes even blatantly disregard the courts... They'll just find a different patent and sue in a different court system until they get their money back.

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