Comment Re:Looks like a legit patent. (Score 1) 211
Thank you for that description. I will have to remember it when I build my own 3D stereolithography printer.
Submission + - Taxing the value of copyright? (skolelinux.org)
An anonymous reader writes: "Why isn't the value of copyright taxed?" is the question raised by Norwegian blogger Petter Reinholdtsen. He suggest to make the tax office provide incentives to get more copyrighted works to enter the public domain, and to make it easier to figure out who to contact to be allowed to use copyrighted works, by taxing the value of copyright.
Comment Re:Good luck negotiating public performance licens (Score 1) 547
So, show the movie not from the big six, develope a nitch.
Comment Re:Well... (Score 1) 547
I think the developing a niche (offering something besides the most recent main stream movies) and maybe offer coffee and a place to sit and watch a movie.
Comment Re:Liability (Score 1) 625
A plane crash can turn a pretty large number of passengers into non human like substance. If it could be done reasonably safely. Maybe they could start out sending mail (freight).
Comment Kickstarter (Score 1) 302
So, I have been thinking about this and the problem, in part seems to be money in politics. People and groups with money hold sway with politicians because they can pay (in terms of campaign donations and lobbying).
Maybe, if some group wants some sort of change (voting reform for example) they should just raise the money and pay the politicians to make the changes. It could be something like Kickstarter could be a vehicle for raising the money. If it is a popular idea lots of people donate and pay for the changes.
Some one can post there great idea for some legislation. A bunch of people donate. The person with the idea can for a Super PAC of hirer lobbyists and try to get the changes made. At the very least they would have some influence in the direction legislation goes.
It would not be that different than what is going on now.
Comment Re:Baloney (Score 1) 467
But even for those few of us who claim to be complete skeptics, belief quietly sneaks in.
Nope. Not a bit of it. In my experience, only believers believe that everyone else must secretly be a believer. The rest of us live a fact-based life.
I think you are being funny and doing a good job of it.
Submission + - NASA giving out $1.5 Million for a robot to pick u (wpi.edu)
tocs writes: Worcester Polytechnic Institute has been selected to run NASA's Sample Return Robot Challenge with a prize purse of $1.5 million. The challenge involves building and running a robot to retrieve some "geologic samples". WPI has not announced specific rules yet but it might be a good time for teams to start getting there act's together.
So, is any one out there planning on putting a team together? Does any one need help with there team? I would love to see more coverage by the media about these challenges before the events are over. Heck, it might be fun to compete in one.
So, is any one out there planning on putting a team together? Does any one need help with there team? I would love to see more coverage by the media about these challenges before the events are over. Heck, it might be fun to compete in one.
Submission + - HP-12C is 30 Years Old (frontwave.eu)
HSeldon2012 writes: What happens when companies push too far with product development that favors the new over the old? The results aren’t always positive, I am afraid. They violate one of those universal laws of marketing by creating products that their customers don’t want.
That did not happen to "The Calculator that Never Dies". HP created an icon 30 years ago that still sells in the original form, with the same design and for about 20% of the original price.
That did not happen to "The Calculator that Never Dies". HP created an icon 30 years ago that still sells in the original form, with the same design and for about 20% of the original price.
Comment Re:How much do you want to bet... (Score 1) 754
So who are the major players in this. Which companies are going to be OEM suppliers. I would like to make some investments before anything gets passed.
Comment Help reading (Score 3, Funny) 120
Now I just need to find a robot to read all these sports blogs to free up time for things I want to do.
Submission + - Helping describe Earths life. (popsci.com)
tocs writes: An articule on PopSci.com says:
"Taxonomists plan to catalogue all of the world’s species in the next 50 years. This NASA-style initiative, set at the Sustain What? Conference held in New York City this week, will require the identification and classification of approximately 10 million new species. To put that in perspective, only 2 million have been catalogued since binomial nomenclature was first invented in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus."
and "Citizen Scientests" can help with projects like the Mushroom Observer and the Encyclopedia of Life can help find and describe new species.
"Taxonomists plan to catalogue all of the world’s species in the next 50 years. This NASA-style initiative, set at the Sustain What? Conference held in New York City this week, will require the identification and classification of approximately 10 million new species. To put that in perspective, only 2 million have been catalogued since binomial nomenclature was first invented in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus."
and "Citizen Scientests" can help with projects like the Mushroom Observer and the Encyclopedia of Life can help find and describe new species.
Submission + - Silks Bright Future (seedmagazine.com)
tocs writes: Silks Bright Future
Silk has a long and interesting history from Chinese silk production 1000s of years ago to silk producing sheep in 2002. If some scientist and engineers, like Dr. Fiorenzo Omenetto and Dr. David Kaplan of Tufts University, have their way it has important rolls to play in the future as well. This tough material, stronger than steel, might find uses in areas such as medicine, optics, and a replacement for petroleum based plastics.
Silk has a long and interesting history from Chinese silk production 1000s of years ago to silk producing sheep in 2002. If some scientist and engineers, like Dr. Fiorenzo Omenetto and Dr. David Kaplan of Tufts University, have their way it has important rolls to play in the future as well. This tough material, stronger than steel, might find uses in areas such as medicine, optics, and a replacement for petroleum based plastics.
Publishing Company Puts Warning Label on Constitution 676
Wilder Publication is under fire for putting warning labels on copies of historical US documents, including the Constitution. The label warns "This book is a product of its time and does not reflect the same values as it would if it were written today." From the article: "The disclaimer goes on to tell parents that they 'might wish to discuss with their children how views on race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and interpersonal relations have changed since this book was written before allowing them to read this classic work.'"
Geomagnetic Storm In Progress 110
shogun writes "The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports a strong geomagnetic storm is in progress. The shuttle, ISS and GPS systems may be affected."
They think this storm was caused by a weak solar flare on April 3rd. As you may expect, this has caused some unusually impressive northern lights since it started. What you may not expect is a photograph from Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi aboard the International Space Station showing the aurora from orbit. He apparently tweets a lot of pictures from space. He and his crewmates have taken over 100,000 pictures since coming aboard the ISS.
