Comment Re:Hive? herd? (Score 1) 34
UT / Longhorns....
Comment Re:Anything that states it has to be free? (Score 1) 351
If you had not posted as AC I may have given this response more effort.
No reveling here, just a responsible attitude. How much does Google make off of 1
Are you saying to take into account the costs is not a valid thought process?
Comment Re:Well... (Score 2) 351
Downside to that is the law applies to all German companies, not just business who publish under
Additionally it is about Consumers, so one could say you register in the US, but the company has a presence and users in
Comment Anything that states it has to be free? (Score 1) 351
Simple solution for Google, claim it as a business loss or start charging for it.
Want a personal reply? Open a Google wallet, €1.75 per email and you get your personal response.
Can't charge for it? Any costs associated with complying, go ahead and bill it against the corporation formed in Germany. Once it starts having net losses then close it down and forward the
Comment Why spread the data around? (Score 5, Insightful) 93
Ok, Google has it...
They said they will destroy it, either they do or they don't, it doesn't matter because they will do what they choose. But why go handing a copy over to every state who asks for it?
Really, if you're concerned about privacy, you want this information in the LEAST number of hands possible.
Inventor Demonstrates Infinitely Variable Transmission 609
ElectricSteve writes with this excerpt from Gizmag:
"Ready for a bit of a mental mechanical challenge? Try your hand at understanding how the D-Drive works. Steve Durnin's ingenious new gearbox design is infinitely variable — that is, with your motor running at a constant speed, the D-Drive transmission can smoothly transition from top gear all the way through neutral and into reverse. It doesn't need a clutch, it doesn't use any friction drive components, and the power is always transmitted through strong, reliable gear teeth. In fact, it's a potential revolution in transmission technology."
Comment What a choice in names (Score 2, Funny) 103
Obviously anyone with half a brain cell would have named it
Lawrence Livermore Array for Microbial Assessment (LLAMA)
Comment Re:Did they try to work it out or just FILE FILE F (Score 2, Interesting) 183
From the original complaint, the USPS apparently does treat them differently as far as machine handling... it would be interesting to see what happens.
The issue here is why does GameFly have to jump through hoops and spend alot more on packaging to survive automation even when the class of service they used allows for non-machine sorts, while the other companies get separated for special treatment.
Comment Did they try to work it out or just FILE FILE FILE (Score 3, Insightful) 183
Alot of the questions go to what effort did GameFly invest into research, planning and execution, of the shipping and return process.
Things from the material the mailer is produced from to simply how the dvd is secured inside the envelope to prevent shifting through the sorting process.
And the really big question, are you sure they really were "stolen" and not just kept.
I think pretty much all of the questions are valid and while written in legaleze, quite understandable given the severity of the complaint. If GameFly worked with the USPS in planning the mailing portion of their service and co-operated in tracking down these "thefts" before filing this case, then they should have no problems answering every one of them honestly and fully.
One Year Later, USPS Looks Into Gamefly Complaint 183
Last April, we discussed news that video game rental service GameFly had complained to the USPS that a large quantity of their game discs were broken in transit, accusing the postal service of giving preferential treatment to more traditional DVD rental companies like Netflix. Now, just over a year later, an anonymous reader sends word that the USPS has responded with a detailed inquiry into GameFly's situation (PDF). The inquiry's 46 questions (many of which are multi-part) cover just about everything you could imagine concerning GameFly's distribution methods. Most of them are simple, yet painstaking, in a way only government agencies can manage. Here are a few of them:
"What threshold does GameFly consider to be an acceptable loss/theft rate? Please provide the research that determined this rate. ... What is the transportation cost incurred by GameFly to transport its mail from each GameFly distribution center to the postal facility used by that distribution center? ... Please describe the total cost that GameFly would incur if it expanded its distribution network to sixty or one hundred twenty locations. In your answer, please itemize costs separately. ... Does the age of a gaming DVD or the number of times played have more effect on the average life cycle of a gaming DVD?"
Comment Talk about a burning desire (Score 1) 7
to profit from death!
Comment Those responsible have been sacked... (Score 2, Funny) 437
How could such an audience miss this opportunity to quote Python (Monty)!
Why Microsoft Can't Afford To Let Novell Die 215
geek4 sends in an analysis indicating that Microsoft may have the most to lose if hedge-fund operator Elliot buys Novell. (The eWeekEurope piece is based on a longer and geekier writeup by Andy Updegrove on how the mechanics of unsolicited tender offers can play out in the tech world.) To avoid meltdown or asset-stripping, Novell can try and find a preferred bidder — a company with some interest in running Novell as a business, and preferrably a tech company. Or another company may make a move independently. But who might that be? A couple of analysts have suggested IBM, Oracle, or SAP. These all have problems... Microsoft is in a similar category, with one added problem. ... Microsoft has staked any open source credibility that it has on Novell's SUSE distribution. If Novell falls to bits, then Microsoft's efforts to gain open source cred pretty much disappear with it. It's something that would have been impossible to imagine a few years back, but if we're looking for someone to prop Novell up, Microsoft would now be a prime candidate."
Comment What is this? A new proprietary screen type MATT? (Score 1) 4
Ummm it's Matte, maybe if you had proper spelling, you could Google for a solution.
They are called Matte Screen Protectors or Anti-Glare Screen Protectors. They make them from small as the screen on a digital camera to as big as your laptop screen.
Officials Sue Couple Who Removed Their Lawn 819
Hugh Pickens writes "The LA Times reports that Orange County officials are locked in a legal battle with a couple accused of violating city ordinances for replacing the grass on their lawn with wood chips and drought-tolerant plants, reducing their water usage from 299,221 gallons in 2007 to 58,348 gallons in 2009. The dispute began two years ago, when Quan and Angelina Ha tore out the grass in their front yard. In drought-plagued Southern California, the couple said, the lush grass had been soaking up tens of thousands of gallons of water — and hundreds of dollars — each year. 'We've got a newborn, so we want to start worrying about her future,' said Quan Ha, an information technology manager for Kelley Blue Book. But city officials told the Has they were violating several city laws that require that 40% of residential yards to be landscaped predominantly with live plants. Last summer, the couple tried to appease the city by building a fence around the yard and planting drought-tolerant greenery — lavender, rosemary, horsetail, and pittosporum, among others. But according to the city, their landscaping still did not comply with city standards. At the end of January, the Has received a letter saying they had been charged with a misdemeanor violation and must appear in court. The couple could face a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine for their grass-free, eco-friendly landscaping scheme. 'It's just funny that we pay our taxes to the city and the city is now prosecuting us with our own money,' says Quan Ha."
