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Comment: Patent system is broken! (Score 5, Insightful) 325

by Cadallin (#36795304) Attached to: Company Claims Ownership of Digital Messaging
Here's the problem, even ignoring issues like software patents, and the morass they cause. The USPTO has stated that they're overwhelmed, so they're just checking the paperwork, and if its all in order, they rubber stamp it and grant the patent, the courts can sort out what patents are valid, they say. Meanwhile, the Courts are continuing to defer to the expertise of the patent office, and are EXTREMELY "reluctant" to void patents. So we get any invention, no matter how obvious, no matter how old, being patentable. And as long as you're smart about who you sue as a patent troll, (pick targets who can't afford to defend themselves, and file in known friendly courts), you're golden. The system is totally borked.

Comment: Re:Fermenting in space? (Score 1) 113

by Cadallin (#33741932) Attached to: Researchers Test Space Beer
Um, because beer is water, and water is HEAVY? Therefore its enormously easier if you can recycle water you already HAVE rather than shipping the stuff from sea level. Which also is another major problem for beer in space. Beer is unquestionably affected by water quality. And you're going to be producing the equivalent of beer made with distilled water. Which would probably be quite disappointing. To put it another way, Does anyone really think beer produced with last weeks urine that's been run through reverse osmosis or other adequate purification is going to be remotely drinkable? It might be up to bud light standards, but I'd rather do without. Something like vodka is a MUCH better target. Or another distilled spirit that could be (approximately) made from a grain extract. Or just give up and make grain alcohol to mix with your Tang.

Comment: Re:Zombies don't need to be dead (Score 1) 320

by Cadallin (#33311794) Attached to: 7 Scientific Reasons a Zombie Outbreak Would Fail
Rabies causes vaguely similar symptoms, but it has a very long incubation time. A rapidly progressing rabies variant (incubation time of hours, rather than weeks to months) with the same psychological symptoms might be somewhat similar to a zombie outbreak. However, Rabies-Zombie hoards wouldn't be self-sustaining. Death follows onset of psychological symptoms (not coincidentally) in about the time it takes to die of dehydration. Zombie-Hoards are quite difficult to manage without the trick of raising the dead.

Comment: RAW (Score 3, Informative) 347

by Cadallin (#31978178) Attached to: How To Get 39 Megapixels From a 53-Year-Old Camera
It is called raw, but the other reply is otherwise incorrect. Some older DSLRs (early 2000s) used to have a TIFF option, but that isn't the same thing, just a lossless version of the processed image. RAW output is the data read off the sensor, and is pre-bayer, and other processing (usually with some lossless compression applied). Meta-data is also included, like focal length, and exposure settings.

Comment: Re:japanese will eat anything i swear. (Score 3, Insightful) 204

by Cadallin (#31797380) Attached to: Completely Farm-Bred Unagi, a World First
Which has what to do with eel? Eel is fucking delicious. Its not even "weird." Its just a long thin fish fillet.

For what its worth, Eel consumption is also rather common in any area of Europe where Eel happens to be found, its not at all some "crazy" unique Japanese thing.

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