Comment Re:All nurture. 100%. (Score 1) 490
nitpick - the Victorian pink really was just pale red, rather than the crazy hot pink we have nowadays (hooray for synthetics!).
Your point stands.
Comment Re:Wow, just wow... (Score 1) 490
I basically agree, but have a nitpick: the old boy's color was more red than pink - since the advent of synthetic colors we have a lot more variety. Blue was definitely a girly color in the past.
NIST Workshop Explores Automated Tattoo Identification 71
chicksdaddy writes: Security Ledger reports on a recent NIST workshop dedicated to improving the art of automated tattoo identification. It used to be that the only place you'd commonly see tattoos was at your local VA hospital. No more. In the last 30 years, body art has gone mainstream. One in five adults in the U.S. has one. For law enforcement and forensics experts, this is a good thing; tattoos are a great way to identify both perpetrators and their victims. Given the number and variety of tattoos, though, how to describe and catalog them? Clearly this is an area where technology can help, but it's also one of those "fuzzy" problems that challenges the limits of artificial intelligence.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Tattoo Recognition Technology Challenge Workshop challenged industry and academia to work towards developing an automated image-based tattoo matching technology. Participating organizations in the challenge used a FBI -supplied dataset of thousands of images of tattoos from government databases. They were challenged to develop methods for identifying a tattoo in an image, identifying visually similar or related tattoos from different subjects; identifying the same tattoo image from the same subject over time; identifying a small region of interest that is contained in a larger image; and identifying a tattoo from a visually similar image like a sketch or scanned print.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Tattoo Recognition Technology Challenge Workshop challenged industry and academia to work towards developing an automated image-based tattoo matching technology. Participating organizations in the challenge used a FBI -supplied dataset of thousands of images of tattoos from government databases. They were challenged to develop methods for identifying a tattoo in an image, identifying visually similar or related tattoos from different subjects; identifying the same tattoo image from the same subject over time; identifying a small region of interest that is contained in a larger image; and identifying a tattoo from a visually similar image like a sketch or scanned print.
3D Printing Might Save the Rhinoceros 163
GordonShure.com writes: San Francisco based biotech startup Pembient have released details of their 3D printing led method to derail the market for Rhinoceros horns. Presently the bulk of demand originates from China, where said horns — gathered in the wild by poachers who usually kill the rhinos — are revered for supposed medicinal qualities. The new firm intends to mix keratin with Rhino DNA, then machine the combination with a 3D printer in a way that their counterfeit horns are difficult to detect by customers and traffickers alike.
The company already mulls expanding its production principle to other, lucrative wild animal trades such as the claws of tigers and lions. Pembient is however a young company — for all their ingenuity, will their ambitions to take on such a colossal black market be realized?
The company already mulls expanding its production principle to other, lucrative wild animal trades such as the claws of tigers and lions. Pembient is however a young company — for all their ingenuity, will their ambitions to take on such a colossal black market be realized?
Comment defining "computer security" for your clients (Score 1) 53
Mr. Krebs, thank you for the time.
My question is about defining "computer security" in relation to public perceptions vs technical facts.
It was reported in 2006 that the NSA was keeping massive databases of American's phone calls and metadata: http://yahoo.usatoday.com/news...
Obviously, Snowden's revelations were much more heavily reported, and contained more info, but the public was shocked at information that was already public.
When it comes to cyber security customers, how do you explain and contextualize what service you are providing given the vast differences in perception of "security"?
Comment Re:They are hiding the truth... (Score 1) 81
Heck, we aren't talking about some banana republic here. Or are we?
I see you're not up to date with current german politics. We are.
Merkel doesn't give a flying fuck because she really doesn't give a fuck about anything. She was trained very well how to get into and stay in power, and that's the only thing she's doing. Every move of her makes sense if you analyze it from that perspective. This is no different - big trouble with the USA is not a career-improving path, but the people of Germany are too forgiving and will let her and her party get away with all this shit.
Comment Re:How much crap before Slashdot becomes useless? (Score 1) 263
How much Slashdot do we need to know in order to be called a geek?
Natalie Portman and grits.
Jon Katz.
You insensitive clod.
In soviet Russia,
The eponymous effect.
Libraries of Congress (per second).
Wesley Crusher.
Microsoft Research Paper Considers Serving Web-ads From Localhost 231
An anonymous reader writes: A paper from Microsoft researchers (PDF) posits the possibility of 'pushing' web ads to a user's own computer and serving them into pre-arranged containers on web pages, with the EFF or ACLU serving as privacy mediators between the user and the advertisers who want to engage them. However the framework — dubbed 'Privad' — would need to get installed on the user's system by the same familiar means which the likes of Superfish use. The report admits that Privad would probably need to be disseminated "through adware-style software bundling, shopping discounts, toolbars or other incentives."
Submission + - The GOP Is Trying to Nuke Net Neutrality With a Budget Bill Sneak Attack
JerkyBoy writes: An interesting development for Net Neutrality: "The $20.2 billion budget bill, which was unveiled Wednesday and funds several major government agencies, would prohibit the FCC from implementing the new rules until several industry court challenges have been decided. That could take years and give net neutrality opponents enough time to dismantle the rules permanently under a new administration."
Ask Toolbar Now Considered Malware By Microsoft 212
AmiMoJo writes: Last month Microsoft changed its policy on protecting search settings to include any software that attempts to hijack searches as malware. As a result, this month the Ask Toolbar, which most people will probably recognize as being unwanted crapware bundled with Java, was marked as malware and will now be removed by Microsoft's security software built in to Windows 7 and above.
Comment Re:and... (Score 1) 88
Ironically, I large stay away from complex CSS. But "mobile-ready" largely is complex CSS and Javascript and three other things, for breakpoints and responsiveness.
I don't care if my site ranks last when you Google on your smartphone. If I didn't design it to be mobile-friendly, your mobile device is welcome to stay away.
But this sounds much like it would be punished in general, even when the visitory is searching using his desktop computer. And that's just wrong.
Comment Re:non-human (Score 1) 235
You cut down the interesting part. That it's not just about rounding. It's a about domain knowledge that tells you what to round in which context and how (i.e. how many significant digits does a good answer have?).
That's not a very easy task, and it's not solved by simply rounding everything somehow.
Comment Re:Saw them do this twice, and unsubscribed (Score 1) 172
Remembered my login details so that I could say my last goodbye.
Comment Tech is a tool to teach (Score 1) 150
Children who are behind need high-quality adult guidance more than anything else.
Yes.
The solution is well paid, professionally trained teachers in well-funded classrooms.
We know this. Now we have another study telling us so in quantifiable terms.
Comment Re:and... (Score 1) 88
Because the mobile device was the nearest available thing capable of browsing the web at the time I wanted to look at the content.
I understand that.
But I'm one guy running a website, not a company with budget for a web-designer. My content is now being punished not for its content, but for its presentation.
