Comment You knew this was coming... (Score 4, Insightful) 275
This is why we can't have nice things.
Comment Paid call (Score 2, Informative) 735
My wife is an OR (operating room) nurse who is paid to be on call, which I would consider to be roughly analogous to this topic. However, there are a couple of major differences:
1. She has to go to a specific location (the hospital) when called in. It's not like she can do her job from home.
2. She's paid hourly.
3. Usually if she gets called in, someone is dying. I would rarely, if ever, classify an IT emergency anywhere near as important as that.
Comment Much less glorious (Score 1) 623
IT is more akin to a boring ubiquitous commodity than a gee-whiz technological marvel.
These days we're more like car mechanics and plumbers than 'gurus'.
EA Looking Into Reviving Classic Games? 142
Gamasutra reports that Electronic Arts has filed for trademarks on several popular old franchises: Populous, Wing Commander, Theme Park, and Road Rash. This, along with comments from Harvey Elliot of EA's Bright Light Studio, have led many to suspect that we may see new titles for those IPs in the near future. Elliot said, "If you remember all the old classics you played, if you go back and play them now, they're not the same. They were right for their time, and the trick with those games is coming up with what's right for the time now. I'm going to look at them at some point; I think there's an opportunity to bring those back in the future, but only if it's right for the time and not just a 'remake' or something. We'd need to do it in a way that's true to the original values, but would still make a great game today."
Huge Unidentified Organic Blob Floating Around Alaska 424
Z80xxc! writes "The Anchorage Daily News reports that a 15 mile-long blob of unknown, 'gooey,' probably organic material is floating past communities on Alaska's North Slope. The US Coast Guard sent pollution experts to investigate, who determined that it was not an oil spill or other type of pollution, but were unable to determine what it is. A sample is currently being analyzed by experts in Anchorage, while the blob is following the current northwards."
ZeniMax, Parent Company of Bethesda, Buys id Software 147
CelticLo writes "ZeniMax Media Inc., parent company of noted game publisher Bethesda Softworks, today announced it has completed the acquisition of legendary game studio id Software, creators of world-renowned games such as Doom, Quake, Wolfenstein, and its upcoming title, Rage. In an interview with Kotaku, John Carmack said, 'We're really getting kind of tired competing with our own publishers in terms of how our titles will be featured. And we've really gotten more IPs than we've been able to take advantage of. And working with other companies hasn't been working out as spectacularly as it could. So the idea of actually becoming a publisher and merging Bethesda and ZeniMax on there [is ideal.] It would be hard to imagine a more complementary relationship. They are triple A, top-of-the-line in what they do in the RPGs. And they have no overlap with all the things we do in the FPSes.' The press release confirmed that id's projects will remain under Carmack's control."
Valve Explains Quick Left 4 Dead Sequel 130
Valve's announcement that Left 4 Dead 2 would be released only a year after the first game has generated a great deal of controversy among fans of the game. There are concerns that Left 4 Dead will not get any additional content, the community will be divided, and that the quick development cycle won't do justice to the sequel. Now, Valve devs and execs are going out of their way to address those concerns. Left 4 Dead project lead Chet Faliszek said, "It just became very clear that this was a cohesive, singular statement we wanted to make, not a more slow update thing... too much stuff was tied together with too many other things." Developer Tom Leonard was quick to point out that work wouldn't cease for the first game: "We are doing updates across the summer, adding new matchmaking features, and new features to facilitate user maps after the SDK is out. ... Additionally, those maps can be transported into Left 4 Dead 2." Doug Lombardi said simply, "Trust us a little bit," explaining that Gabe Newell is "always talking about providing entertainment as a service — it's not about making a game any more."
Comment What a collection (Score 1) 320
I think I have one of each of these in a desk drawer in my house. Everytime I stick my hand in there I get cut.
Comment No (Score 5, Funny) 177
Terrible idea. Just steal your neighbor's wifi.
Comment Re:How much is your time worth (Score 1) 837
So this is how you get the low-UID people to post. Congratulations. Also to OP.
zzzz....snrrrkk.... eh? what?
Comment This is how the world ends... (Score 2, Insightful) 695
not with a bang, but with a whimper.
Comment I feel like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day (Score 1) 98
... except every day is April Fools Day. Seriously.
Computer-Controlled Cargo Sailing Vessels Go Slow, Frugal 210
An anonymous reader writes "Big container ships are taking it very slow these days, cruising at 10 knots instead of their usual 26 knots, to save fuel. This is actually slower than sailing freighters traveled a hundred years ago. The 1902 German Preussen, the largest sailing ship ever built, traveled between Hamburg (Germany) and Iquique (Chile): the best average speed over a one way trip was 13.7 knots. Sailing boats need a large and costly crew, but they can also be controlled by computers. Automated sail handling was introduced already one century ago. In 2006 it was taken to the extreme by the Maltese Falcon, which can be operated by one man at the touch of a button. We have computer-controlled windmills, why not computer-controlled sailing cargo vessels?"
Comment Believable AI (Score 1) 378
I think the key isn't reducing the number of calculations, but changing the final decision process.
For example a chess playing AI will make lots of calculations in order to deduce the best possible move. Along the way it has already found the 2nd best, 3rd best, etc. etc.
Just add an algorithm to the final pre-move analysis and, every once in a while, have it choose the non-optimal move. Tweaking the parameters (e.g. which non-optimal move and how often to not pick the best move) would result in a weaker or stronger opponent without making it obvious it's AI.
Comment Once again... (Score 4, Insightful) 172
An answer to a question nobody was asking.
