Comment Not being PHP (Score 1, Funny) 298
Not being PHP would have to be in my top two list for what makes good code. Not being Visual Basic would be #1.
Comment Re:Does this mean Groklaw will come back? (Score 2) 170
Oh, how I wish that would happen.
Comment of course it was (Score 3, Informative) 386
nice story on this topic
Comment Also Time Travelers Strictly Cash (Score 1) 104
One of many excellent sci-fi books by Spider Robinson.
Comment Re:They do what they're paid to do... (Score 3, Interesting) 550
Actually, after my follow-up email pointint out the idiocy of the reply I got, a staffer sent me a *real* email asking if I'd like to call and talk to him about it. Not that it means that they're really listening, but at least they have enough sense to not just ignore it completely. Meh.
Comment Re:They do what they're paid to do... (Score 1) 550
Thanks, Representative Latta. I didn't realize that I was being an idiot. Obviously I'm just dumb.
Comment Re:They do what they're paid to do... (Score 4, Interesting) 550
Worse...I requested a response, which I just got. It begins:
Thank you for contacting me to voice your opposition to the recently released regulations by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Having recently been elected to my second term in Congress, Iâ(TM)m honored to be able to represent the people of Ohioâ(TM)s 14th Congressional District...
Comment Re:They do what they're paid to do... (Score 4, Insightful) 550
...which is why I emailed Rep. Latta (co-sponsor) and Rep Joyce (my rep from Ohio) and let them know that I vote, I elected one of them, and I don't support any action to reverse the FCC's recent reclassification.
I know I don't represent big bags of money, but I do directly represent a ballot. I let both of them know that I am a US Army veteran, a long-time IT professional, and a proponent of net neutrality and classifying internet service under Title II.
Feds Admit Stingray Can Disrupt Bystanders' Communications 194
linuxwrangler writes The government has fought hard to keep details about use and effects of the controversial Stingray device secret. But this Wired article points to recently released documents in which the government admits that the device can cause collateral damage to other network users. The controversy has heated to the point that Florida senator Bill Nelson has made statements that such devices will inevitably force lawmakers to come up with new ways to protect privacy — a comment that is remarkable considering that the Stingray is produced by Harris Corporation which is headquartered in Nelson's home state.
Xeroxed Gene May Have Paved the Way For Large Human Brain 93
sciencehabit writes Last week, researchers expanded the size of the mouse brain by giving rodents a piece of human DNA. Now another team has topped that feat, pinpointing a human gene that not only grows the mouse brain but also gives it the distinctive folds found in primate brains. The work suggests that scientists are finally beginning to unravel some of the evolutionary steps that boosted the cognitive powers of our species. "This study represents a major milestone in our understanding of the developmental emergence of human uniqueness," says Victor Borrell Franco, a neurobiologist at the Institute of Neurosciences in Alicante, Spain, who was not involved with the work.
Comment Re:Look Out in the Tent! (Score 1) 599
I don't know whether they are or aren't, but that's a tangential issue. What is it that you're concerned the government will be able to do that they don't or can't do currently if internet service is classified under Title II?
Comment Re:Look Out in the Tent! (Score 1) 599
...because thinking that Title II should apply to data and not just POTS means you're short-sighted?
Patent Troll Wins $15.7M From Samsung By Claiming To Own Bluetooth 126
An anonymous reader writes: A jury has upheld patent claims against Samsung and awarded the patent-holder $15.7 million. "The patents relate to compatibility between different types of modems, and connect to a string of applications going back to 1997. The first version of Bluetooth was invented by Swedish cell phone company Ericsson in 1994." Lawyers for the plaintiff argue that the patents cover all devices that use Bluetooth 2.0 or later, so further cases could extend far beyond Samsung. Of course, the company that won the lawsuit wasn't the one who made the invention, or the one who patented it. The company is Rembrandt IP, "one of the oldest and most successful" patent trolls.
Algorithmic Patenting 85
An anonymous reader writes: Venturebeat reports on companies using software to "create" patents. They say a company called Cloem will use the software to "linguistically manipulate a seed set of a client's patent claims by, for example, substituting in synonyms or reordering steps in a process, thereby generating tens of thousands of potentially patentable inventions." The article says, "There is reason to believe that at least some of its computer-conceived inventions could be patentable and, indeed, patents have already been granted on inventions designed wholly or in part by software."
Samsung Smart TVs Injected Ads Into Streamed Video 370
mpicpp sends this news from CNET:
Reports are emerging that Samsung smart TVs have begun inserting short advertisements directly into video streaming apps, with no influence from the third-party app providers. The news comes just days after Samsung made headlines for another incursion into users' lounge rooms, when it was revealed that its TV voice recognition software is capable of capturing personal information and transmitting it to third parties. ... The issue has been reported on the Plex streaming service — a brand of media player that allows users to stream their own video from a personal library or hard drive and push it to a smart TV.
Samsung says this was not intentional, and that they've fixed it so the ads should no longer show up.
