Comment Unix Years (Score 1) 96
Let's just call 1970 year 0 and be done with it. Previous years are negative, following years are positive.
Comment Re:simulating zero gravity (Score 1) 136
and he will cook in a similar way to how he would on re-entry without a heat shield.
Comment Target Quality Factor (Score 1) 139
Our algorithm works by adding a high-frequency pattern to the image with an amplitude carefully selected to cause maximum quantization error on recompression at a chosen target JPEG quality factor.
The key here is JPEG quality factor. This only works on a specific quality factor. Just pick a different one. I just tried it using their example image. At some quality factors you can see somthing funny going on (spots on image). But, at any factor you would use to actually compress a photo (above 90) the image looks fine.
This could work for the bandwith-saving proxy mentioned in the article since they will have low quality factors. But what would be the point then? Mangling images when viewed on a cellphone?
Comment Re:Why approximate numbers? (Score 2, Insightful) 309
I believe the article said their solution algorithm did not search for optimal solutions, only for those that are 20 moves or less. (It has already been proven that there exist positions that can not be solved in less than 20 moves)
So, they can probably give an upper bound on the number of positions solvable in 20 moves, but not an exact number.
So, they can probably give an upper bound on the number of positions solvable in 20 moves, but not an exact number.
Comment RBS, Linus, Guido Python, Larry Perl (Score 5, Informative) 116
with characters such as RBS, Linus, Guido Python, Larry Perl, etc.
Um..... RMS, Linus Torvalds, Guido van Rossum, Larry Wall
Comment Re:Patterns? (Score 2, Insightful) 374
Good point. My guess is that is how this tool actually works. It relies on the assumption that any statistically psuedorandom files (or maybe even partitions) must be encrypted, since every other file will contain some sort of pattern.
Comment Font-Snob (Score 3, Funny) 503
New phrase: "font-snob"
Copyright thehickcoder 2009
Copyright thehickcoder 2009
Journal Journal: Notepad bug still exists in Vista
The Notepad Bug still exists in vista.
Here's how to do it:
Open up Notepad, of course. Turn on 'word wrap'. Start typing. Enter some huge lines of text, ones that wrap several times. Save the document. Did you notice that the cursor position changed? Start typing again. Things get even more weird from there. Lines will no longer wrap properly. The text may get scrambled. Problems may occur. Your document may even get corrupted.
Submission + - Your Own Voting Machine Key, Courtesy of Diebold
pazu13 writes: While last year Ed Felten published a paper on the insecurity of Diebold voting machines, today on his blog he discusses how a reader used a photograph on Diebold's own website to make his own fully-functional key to unlock the door blocking access to a voting machine's memory compartment.
Submission + - 16-year-old girl convicted for child porn
Skiing writes: "From Internet Cases: A state appellate court in Florida has affirmed the decision of a trial court that adjudicated a 16-year-old girl a delinquent based on her violation of the state's anti-child pornography statute. The case complicates the analysis as to what kind of privacy rights minors have, and it also raises a fundamental question as to how laws should be enforced to effectuate their purposes. If anti-child pornography statutes are intended to protect minors from exploitation, doesn't it seem at least a bit anomalous to prosecute the very persons who are being exploited?"
Submission + - As of today, Canadian require passport to enter US
boxlight writes: As of today, Canadians require a passport to enter the US. We only required a photo id before this. Meanwhile, Canadians — who have waited until the last minute — are going nuts, lining up in droves at passport offices.
Submission + - Neural "extention chord" developed
moon_monkey writes: Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a 'neural extention chord' by growing neurons attached to a microchip. The chord is made by gradually moving two batches of neurons apart, as they naturally grow towards one another. This biological 'data cable' could then naturally interface with the brain once implanted, the researchers say.
Submission + - Bionic Borg Cat Eye Implant Cures Blindness
docinthemachine writes: "A series of blindness reversing operations has just been completed in cats. Apparently, some felines get a version of retinitis pigmentosa and go blind just like their human counterparts. Several have been fortunate (?) enough to play guinea pig and receive a kitty version of an experimental human retinal implant. The 2-millimeter-wide chips are surgically implanted in the back of eye. Each chip's surface is covered with 5,000 microphotodiodes that react to light, sending electric signals along the eye's optic nerve to the brain. The post finishes up with a discussion of what should we do when the artifical limbs and retinas outperform the OEM body versions we were born with.
read the full article at : http://docinthemachine.com/2007/01/22/cateye/"
Submission + - Google lost german toplevel domain google.de
Korkman writes: It seems Google has just lost one of it's major toplevel domains, google.de, to some german webhoster which was obviously well prepared for the traffic hit. See "http://www.google.de/", and, if already recovered, "http://www.goneo.de/" for the webhoster. Google.com stopped immediately redirecting german visitors to google.de. Anyone here to guess how much economic damage this will deal?
Submission + - Microsoft holds refugee children to ransom
An anonymous reader writes: Microsoft has launched a fundraising campaign for ninemillion.org (a UN Refugee Agency led campaign to raise awareness and funds for education and sport programs for refugee youth) based on searches performed at
click4thecause.live.com between January 17 and March 31. According to PressEsc.com "Microsoft is only donating US$0.01 per search performed by a unique user on their site and while the maximum donation payable by Microsoft will be US$250,000, the company...is expected to rake in millions of dollars through advertising," and perhaps more sinister, "The website will try to automatically install a downloadable "gadget" on each visitor's computer."
