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AI

Steve Wozniak Now Afraid of AI Too, Just Like Elon Musk 294

quax writes Steve Wozniak maintained for a long time that true AI is relegated to the realm of science fiction. But recent advances in quantum computing have him reconsidering his stance. Just like Elon Musk, he is now worried about what this development will mean for humanity. Will this kind of fear actually engender the dangers that these titans of industry fear? Will Steve Wozniak draw the same conclusion and invest in quantum comuting to keep an eye on the development? One of the bloggers in the field thinks that would be a logical step to take. If you can't beat'em, and the quantum AI is coming, you should at least try to steer the outcome. Woz actually seems more ambivalent than afraid, though: in the interview linked, he says "I hope [AI-enabling quantum computing] does come, and we should pursue it because it is about scientific exploring." "But in the end we just may have created the species that is above us."

Comment Re:Define "Threatened" and "Unwelcome" (Score 1) 765

Doesn't BBT say that men working in STEM are actually just dumb kids but women working in STEM are intelligent, rich, well respected and never put a foot wrong? Bernadette and Amy never seem to make goofs or mope around like little kids but the men are so brainless they can't even fix themselves a meal or plan a vacation, it seems. Indeed the most brilliant can't just be an amazing scientist but has to be mentally deficient. Even the supposed "dumb blonde", Penny, merely has to look at the men and she has the idiots eating out of her hand.

Now that stereotype of men in STEM maybe has a lot going for it, but holding up BBT as supporting men as cherished scientific role models seems pretty far off the mark.

That was not the point. The point was how it makes fun of people in those fields in general. Women are more sensitive to fashion subjects than men, and will be quicker to avoid those that are being made fun off.

GNU is Not Unix

RMS Talks Net Neutrality, Patents, and More 165

alphadogg writes "According to Richard Stallman, godfather of the free software movement, Facebook is a "monstrous surveillance engine," tech companies working for patent reform aren't going nearly far enough, and parents must lobby their children's schools to keep data private and provide free software alternatives. The free software guru touched on a host of topics in his keynote Saturday at the LibrePlanet conference, a Free Software Foundation gathering at the Scala Center at MIT.

Comment Re:Is the smartwatch fad stillborn? (Score 3, Interesting) 60

I would love to care about it, but technologywise most of the smartwatches have sidetracked by using smartphone operating systems and hardware which gets them unacceptable battery life, and all they get in return is phone-apps you wouldn't run on your watch anyway. Smart watches should have focused on notifications and remote control of the smartphone, both with much simpler operating systems, and e-ink displays. Pebble is doing it right, but doesn't have the weight to make mainstream. Android watches are getting there, and slowly figuring ít out, but are still overkill for the form-factor.

Comment Re:Define "Threatened" and "Unwelcome" (Score 1) 765

Oh wait, no she didn't. Your argument relies entirely on ignoring the fact that from birth until college, women are explicitly and forcefully discouraged from
going into STEM fields.

No, they are not. And most sciences have a majority of girls now. Especially biologi. It is just the technology, math and physics that is left as culturally considered ungirly., and that is rarely or never discouraged explicitely and certainly not forcefully, but subtly through cultural stereotypes. For instance through the nerd black-face show Big Bang Theory.

Comment Re:Hasn't been involved with Greenpeace since 1985 (Score 1) 573

I use links quite frequently, but I include them according to my priorities, moods, and convenience, not yours.

Your priorities as an insane lunatic, or deliberate troll doesn't mean anything to the rest of us. Site your sources or continue to be correctly and verifiably identified as a insane lunatic troll.

Comment Re:so (Score 1) 136

His statement is still true, though. Even the most right-wing liberal European parties are nowhere even close to fascism (which doesn't believe in liberties for businesses at all).

Fascist economics is an economy run by the largest corporation with the backing of the state. It is cronyism taken to its extreme. Economywise all of the west let by the US are descending towards fascism.

Comment Re:so (Score 1) 136

so any liberal who calls conservatives fascists (or calls other liberals fascists just because they aren't radical enough for their tastes), is merely self-identifying as a political moron and socially underdeveloped

The liberals he is talking about is, like liberal most places outside the US, right wing. Typically to the right of the local conservatives. They believe in liberties for businesses.

Android

Apple May Start Accepting Android Phones As Trade-Ins 148

HughPickens.com writes Bloomberg reports that according to a person with knowledge of the matter, Apple plans to start accepting non-Apple devices as trade-ins as the company seeks to extend market-share gains against Android smartphones. Apple is seeking to fuel even more iPhone 6 and 6 Plus sales after selling 74.5 million units in the last three months of 2014. Thanks to record sales, shipments of iPhones surpassed Android in the US with 47.7 percent of the market compared with Android's 47.6 percent. According to Apple CEO Tim Cook Apple "experienced the highest Android switcher rate in any of the last three launches in the three previous years." While Android phones don't hold their value as well as iPhones, it still makes sense for Apple Stores to accept them, says Israel Ganot, former CEO of Gazelle Inc., an online mobile device trade-in company. "Apple can afford to pay more than the market value to get you to switch over," says Ganot, "on the idea that you're going to fall in love with the iOS ecosystem and stay for a long time."

Comment Re:Thinkpad T440s (Score 1) 385

The Mac will cost $700 extra, and come with a higher-resolution display, a quad-core processor, and more RAM. That may be a better deal for her if she plans to do a whole lot of work directly on the laptop, rather than using the laptop to access remote computers.

Or you know, you could configure the ThinkPad you are buying to have a quadcore and a 3K screen. Note that with the same CPU the ThinkPad will be faster than a MBP by being thicker and having much better cooling. Mac's CPU are really only good in short sprints, for intensive load you need something like a ThinkPad.

RAM can be upgraded by the user. So you can also save money in taking a smaller option (just choose a 1 DIMM one), and then add more ram yourself. This is installable through a hatch on the botton, doesn't even require opening the body.

If you need even more GPU and CPU power, get the ThinkPad W line.

Comment Re:EA got too greedy (as usual) (Score 2) 256

At one point DLC represented total new chapters with truly expanded game play. Now a days it means your toon can have a different colored shirt.

DLC literally started out as cosmetic-only. It has become MORE substantial over the years, not less.

They also started out entirely free. Stuff you payed for was called expansions.

DLC only started having a cost after they became available on consoles, from there the DLC for money spread to PC through consolitis.

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