Comment R and Python (Rpy2) (Score 3, Interesting) 146
I have grown accustomed to doing statistical analysis using Python and R using http://rpy.sourceforge.net/rpy2
Comment Re:Given the process used, the title is misleading (Score 1) 312
I totally agree. I thought it unbelievable that SINGLE monkey (or virtual instance) created the entire work. When I saw "9 characters at a time", I was thinking "Time to click the next Slashdot article"
Comment Re:MB stacks (Score 1) 264
Good idea, we could recommend an Apple Crate II which previously appeared on /.
Comment Re:Recognized or not... (Score 1) 394
No, I am saying that Apple didn't do due diligence. if you think that all is needed is a search at USPTO you are sadly mistaken. Apple was not serious when it registered iCloud. They of course looked at who was registered, but clearly dismissed the ones that were not. I think that you assume that when registering a trademark that it is a simple go an search the USPTO and that is it. I believe Apple probably knew all about iCloud Communications but decided that it was easier to ignore it and plead ignorance. There is precedence for companies with unregistered trademarks being victorious if they can prove prior usage of the name for the purpose of conducting business and of course being in the same general business.
As well, a serious company doesn't need to file a patent for every invention. It makes it a hell of a lot easier to battle it in court though! Again prior art from an unregistered entity can invalidate patents that are registered.
Companies that may not patent everything or register every trademark does not mean they are not serious - but they definitely make it harder on themselves when they do have to fight.
Comment Re:Recognized or not... (Score 1) 394
USPTO is only good for registered or pending trademarks. It in no way covers those who are unregistered. You don't need a registered trademark at the USPTO to make a claim to a name - it just makes fighting it in court a lot easier. USPTO is only ONE tool that any serious company would use to find similar names in the same business.
Comment Re:Recognized or not... (Score 1) 394
This would never have happened if Apple had their own search engine. An Apple search engine would have told them about the existing iCloud Communications name. Now they can blame inferior products like Google and Bing for their troubles. ;-)
Comment I need to copyright a new UPS slogan fast (Score 1) 225
UPS will need to change to "What can brown pull for you?"
Comment What would I do with 100x more? (Score 1) 180
Well clearly what would happen is that I'd run up my usage charges beyond my unlimited data plan (with a 20G limit) and then pay the ISP through the nose much faster than I could ever conceive of before!
Submission + - Contact lenses project Images Straight to your Eye (revolt-tech.com)
An anonymous reader writes: A new contact technology has been developed which is embedded with LED arrays over the portion covering your retina. The semi-transparent LED’s are currently possible in Green and Blue. For anybody who has not graduated from third grade art, we are one color short of the full spectrum (Green).
Comment There be whales here (Score 1) 90
Hopefully the micro solar sail will give us enough power until Kirk returns with some humpbacks.
Comment Harper doesnt think Earth is older than 6000 yrs (Score 1) 352
Of course Mr. Harper needs to do this. We all know his party has to tow the line when it comes to the age of the planet. Floods 13,000 years ago could not have happened because God hadn't created the Earth.
Submission + - Charges against Julian Assage have been dropped (sverigesradio.se)
mpetch writes: "It appears that as quickly as these charges appeared, they have now been dropped."
Submission + - P != NP (hp.com)
An anonymous reader writes: A paper has been presented by Vinay Deolalikar that puts forward that he has successfully verified that P is not equal to NP. According to Vinay Deolalikar P is smaller than NP. Vinay Deolalikar will obtain a big cash prize for solving the major predicament of the century if he proves to be correct in his claim.
Submission + - Discovery Threatens Fan Site That It Also Promotes (techdirt.com)
An anonymous reader writes: It seems that the lawyers and the marketing people at The Discovery Channel don't talk to each other much. The marketing people behind the show "The Deadliest Catch" have been supporting a fan community called DeadliestCatchTV.com for a while now. They've regularly sent the site info, free clips, previews and information about the show. On top of that, they link to it from the official site, including it in a list of "fan sites" as a part of the "Discovery Network," and even will frame the site with the show's own dashboard for those who click through. Discovery's lawyers, on the other hand have threatened to sue the site out of existence and have demanded that the owner hand over the domain name — which he is going to do, because he doesn't have the money to fight this. While there may be a trademark issue (which could be easily resolved with a free license), the lawyers are also making the ridiculous argument that posting the videos Discovery sent him to post are copyright infringement. They're also claiming that embedding the official Discovery Channel YouTube videos (which have embedding turned on) is copyright infringement. This is exactly how you turns lots of fans into people who hate your entire channel.
Comment Wht they will tell us (Score 2, Interesting) 324
If Apple stays true to form they will say Consumer Reports is wrong, that their conclusions are false, and that the iPhone 4 is the best smart phone they have ever developed.. After that Apple will maintain the status quo.
