Comment: How Long? (Score 1) 141
I didn't see in the article how long it actually took for the muscle tissue to regenerate. The leg is a big piece of body to (re) grow. I'd be curious to know the timeline.
Comment: Re:this was a fun game in junior high (Score 1) 470
What planet are you on that humans gestate for only 3 months?
Comment: Re:salesforce.com (Score 1) 186
Salesforce can connect with your Outlook and Excel applications to synch data. It supports CRM, contact management, and allows you to create custom data objects and reports for you to track your grants, interactions and donations.
Inside Factory China 135
Posted
by
kdawson
from the making-it dept.
from the making-it dept.
blackbearnh writes "While China is attempting to pull its industry up out of mere manufacturing mode, for now the country is the production workhorse of the consumer electronics industry. Almost anything you pick up at a Best Buy first breathed life across the Pacific Ocean. But what is it like to shepherd a product through the design and production process? Andrew 'bunnie' Huang has done just that with the Chumby, a new Internet appliance. In an interview with O'Reilly Radar, he talks about the logistical and moral issues involved with manufacturing in China, as well as his take on the consumer's right to hack the hardware they purchase."
Comment: Re:Theoretically (Score 1) 683
By their reasoning, all of my elementary school teachers are criminals. Then again, so are most of us. How many students were asked to "read aloud" parts of the story in class?
New Gadget Blocks 'Spam' Phone Calls 274
Posted
by
CmdrTaco
from the this-doesn't-sound-right dept.
from the this-doesn't-sound-right dept.
Smivs writes "The BBC report on a new gizmo that can block/filter spam phone calls. The system basically intercepts all calls. If it recognizes them as a friend or a member of the user's family — numbers on the so-called star list created by the user — it lets them through as normal.
If the caller's number is on a zap list — numbers of telemarketers or other nuisance callers — the device answers it, and all future calls from that number, with an automated message which means the phone does not ring at all.
If the system doesn't recognize the caller's number, or the caller withholds their number, it asks them who they are, puts them on hold and then rings the user's phone.
The user has the option of taking the call, having the system take a message, or they can reject the call and add the number to the 'zap' list.
Users can add callers to their 'star' list by pressing the star button on their phone at any point during a call." So wait, they can't spam me twice? If I press a button? And if they actually show their phone number on my caller ID? What about the auto insurance scammers that hit me 10x/week?
Comment: Hex in the Middle (Score 2, Interesting) 252
Repeating symbols in the middle, plus the complexity of the outer sections suggests (to me at least) that there is more than just a key here. Ignoring the symbols (which look a little like bastardized geometry notations) and breaking the hex into words:
F0 BE 58 F2 FD 63
6C 79 D2 E4 93 E6
... to decimal is...
240 190 88 242 253 99
108 121 210 228 147 230
...or binary...
111100001011111001011000111100101111110101100011
11011000111100111010010111001001001001111100110
Taking each symbol/value individually:
111100001011111001011000111100101111110101100011
011011000111100111010010111001001001001111100110
...the length of which is divisible by three, curiously...
111 100 001 011 111 001 011 000 111 100 101 111 110 101 100 011
011 011 000 111 100 111 010 010 111 001 001 001 001 111 100 110
...or in decimal...
7 4 1 3 7 1 3 0 7 4 5 7 6 5 4 3
3 3 0 7 4 7 2 2 7 1 1 1 1 7 4 6
The first section seemed to decode via base three. So converting the values produces:
f 0 b e 5 8 f 2 f d 6 3
6 c 7 9 d 2 e 4 9 3 e 6
122 000 102 121 012 022 122 002 122 111 020 010
020 110 021 100 111 020 121 011 100 010 121 020
Using the mapping in the first paragraph doesn't seem to make any sense:
RALQFI... or Q KPEH...
Who's to say I'm on the right track here, but if I am, I think a new mapping is required.
F0 BE 58 F2 FD 63
6C 79 D2 E4 93 E6
240 190 88 242 253 99
108 121 210 228 147 230
111100001011111001011000111100101111110101100011
11011000111100111010010111001001001001111100110
Taking each symbol/value individually:
111100001011111001011000111100101111110101100011
011011000111100111010010111001001001001111100110
111 100 001 011 111 001 011 000 111 100 101 111 110 101 100 011
011 011 000 111 100 111 010 010 111 001 001 001 001 111 100 110
7 4 1 3 7 1 3 0 7 4 5 7 6 5 4 3
3 3 0 7 4 7 2 2 7 1 1 1 1 7 4 6
The first section seemed to decode via base three. So converting the values produces:
f 0 b e 5 8 f 2 f d 6 3
6 c 7 9 d 2 e 4 9 3 e 6
122 000 102 121 012 022 122 002 122 111 020 010
020 110 021 100 111 020 121 011 100 010 121 020
Using the mapping in the first paragraph doesn't seem to make any sense:
RALQFI... or Q KPEH...
Who's to say I'm on the right track here, but if I am, I think a new mapping is required.
+ - Comcast Promising Ultra-Fast Internet-> 2
Submitted
by
Espectr0
Espectr0 writes "CNN has a story where Comcast's Chief Executive Brian Roberts told The Associated Press in a preview of his speech at the Consumer Electronics show on Tuesday, that they are expected to demonstrate a technology that delivers up to 160 megabits of data per second: It will allow him to download a high-definition copy of "Batman Begins" in four minutes. The technology, DOCSIS 3.0, will start rolling out this year."
Link to Original Source
Link to Original Source
SPAM: New drinking game
Journal
by
Thelasko
My new drinking game involves watching a political debate and whenever a candidate makes an informal fallacy take a shot.
+ - Recent Valve Region Locking?
Submitted
by
dalboz
dalboz writes "I just received this email from Dungeon Crawl, an Australian online games retailer. Is it true that Valve have introduced new region locking as recently as last week?
Dear customer,
In the last few days we have received multiple emails about the versions
of Half Life Orange Box and Counter Strike Source we have been selling.
The following error has occurred when customers have attempted to install
their game:
"This product code is only valid for Russia and nearby territories. Since
you are not currently in that region, this product code cannot be activated."
We can assure customers that the products are not Russian, this is Valve
lying to the end-user. We have supplied you with Asia region official products
that were fully Australian compatible up until a few days ago. Up until last
week, we had sold hundreds of each product to 100% satisfied Australians,
this reflected in our perfect feedback for these items.
Just this week, Valve decided to put in place previously non-existent region
restrictions on these products that will restrict new accounts. Now, every
single version of Half Life Orange Box, CS Source and related steam titles
cannot be activated unless the product code being used matches the exact
territory it is being activated in.
This is not a case of Valve blocking cheap Russian copies, they are region
locking every single official version so that they can force each territory
to pay a different price. This kind of region locking with PC games is previously
unheard of. It represents a new low for the game industry and a new high
point for publisher greed, with Valve now forcing Australians to pay RRP
$99.95
Unfortunately, this all means that we must undertake to accept returns of
these products from all customers who have bought from us and are experiencing
the above problem with their product key.
Please return your product in its original condition (including full packaging)
& the new cd-key to:
Dungeon Crawl Pty Ltd
PO Box 904
Sunshine Post Shop, Victoria 3020
Bear in mind that before a refund is issued all cd-keys will be tested for
the above error. The product key must be new and not be attached to an existing
steam account.
We apologise greatly for the inconvenience and disappointment this has caused.
The publisher has demonstrated complete contempt for us (the reseller) and
you (the end-user) by region locking a product without warning and months
after release.
We may never again stock Valve products and encourage customers to reconsider
supporting a publisher which repeatedly attempts to manipulate the market
at the expense of the average gamer.
Thankyou for your patience,
Dungeon Crawl"
Dear customer,
In the last few days we have received multiple emails about the versions
of Half Life Orange Box and Counter Strike Source we have been selling.
The following error has occurred when customers have attempted to install
their game:
"This product code is only valid for Russia and nearby territories. Since
you are not currently in that region, this product code cannot be activated."
We can assure customers that the products are not Russian, this is Valve
lying to the end-user. We have supplied you with Asia region official products
that were fully Australian compatible up until a few days ago. Up until last
week, we had sold hundreds of each product to 100% satisfied Australians,
this reflected in our perfect feedback for these items.
Just this week, Valve decided to put in place previously non-existent region
restrictions on these products that will restrict new accounts. Now, every
single version of Half Life Orange Box, CS Source and related steam titles
cannot be activated unless the product code being used matches the exact
territory it is being activated in.
This is not a case of Valve blocking cheap Russian copies, they are region
locking every single official version so that they can force each territory
to pay a different price. This kind of region locking with PC games is previously
unheard of. It represents a new low for the game industry and a new high
point for publisher greed, with Valve now forcing Australians to pay RRP
$99.95
Unfortunately, this all means that we must undertake to accept returns of
these products from all customers who have bought from us and are experiencing
the above problem with their product key.
Please return your product in its original condition (including full packaging)
& the new cd-key to:
Dungeon Crawl Pty Ltd
PO Box 904
Sunshine Post Shop, Victoria 3020
Bear in mind that before a refund is issued all cd-keys will be tested for
the above error. The product key must be new and not be attached to an existing
steam account.
We apologise greatly for the inconvenience and disappointment this has caused.
The publisher has demonstrated complete contempt for us (the reseller) and
you (the end-user) by region locking a product without warning and months
after release.
We may never again stock Valve products and encourage customers to reconsider
supporting a publisher which repeatedly attempts to manipulate the market
at the expense of the average gamer.
Thankyou for your patience,
Dungeon Crawl"
+ - Filming nanotubes inside living animals
Submitted
by
Roland Piquepaille
Roland Piquepaille writes "A team of researchers at Rice University has filmed carbon nanotubes inside living animals. They've used a custom-built microscope and a technique called near-infrared fluorescent imaging to detect DNA-sized nanotubes inside living fruit flies. But more importantly, they've compared a group of fruit fly larvae fed with a yeast paste that contained carbon nanotubes with a control group fed normally. And they found no significant differences between the two groups. Does this mean that nanoparticles are innocuous, especially for humans? Only time will tell. In the mean time, read more for additional references and a picture showing the fluorescent glow of carbon nanotubes in live fruit fly."
+ - State of Minnesota seeking input on file formats->
Submitted
by
Bc
Bc writes "The Minnesota State Legislature has
mandated
"that the Chief Information Officer, Gopal
Khanna, undertake a study about the use and preservation of electronic documents." The
study involves a survey
for stakeholders, including Minnesota citizens. Some questions are of particular interest. Could they be well answered by ODF?
"What mechanisms and processes can the State of Minnesota establish for accessing and reading electronic records to encourage public access, interoperability and data sharing?"
"Are there mechanisms and processes the State of Minnesota can establish that are specific to the management of electronic records in its various life cycle stages (creation, maintenance, exchange, preservation and disposal)?""
Link to Original Source
"What mechanisms and processes can the State of Minnesota establish for accessing and reading electronic records to encourage public access, interoperability and data sharing?"
"Are there mechanisms and processes the State of Minnesota can establish that are specific to the management of electronic records in its various life cycle stages (creation, maintenance, exchange, preservation and disposal)?""
Link to Original Source
+ - Diary of a World of Warcrack addict: Part four
Submitted
by
An anonymous reader writes "It looks like Nick Hide from CNET isn't a Warcrack addict after all. "I'm a complete fraud. I've been trying to convince you in parts one, two and three that I'm hopelessly addicted to World of Warcraft and my real life is going to pot because I have to spend every spare moment levelling up my Night Elf Druid. It turns out some people have many more spare moments than I do...Having a full-time job (even one where I can play WoW in my lunch hour) with a commute, and friends to see in real-world drinking establishments, and a girlfriend means I just don't have the time to be a true Warcrack addict. I play it more than any other game I've ever been addicted to, and I think about it whenever I'm walking around, or going to sleep, and yes, when I was ill a week ago I had bad dreams where everything in real life was a quest, but I do have a real life. Honest. So how much experience do I get for writing this?""
+ - Mandriva Linux 2007 for Home Users
Submitted
by
squidsuk
squidsuk writes "Released January 1st, now finalised
Mandriva Linux 2007 for Home Users
by Wim Coulier
FREE Download
Colour edition: http://www.lulu.com/content/603439
Black and white edition: http://www.lulu.com/content/605126
What might a Linux distribution such as Mandriva Linux 2007 be to a Windows user?
Is it a valuable alternative, or do you have to be a real computer nerd to risk the move? Why would an average PC user make the effort to change over to Linux? Admittedly, not necessarily everyone will benefit from such a move — but it could be a lot more interesting than you may suspect. Many discussions around this topic lead to considerable debate, and in this article we do not pretend to own the truth or to be complete. This article just sums up our own experiences after several years of use of both Microsoft Windows and Mandriva Linux.
We wrote with our Mandriva experiences in mind; however most modern Linux distributions offer similar benefits.
Complete with 30 illustration figures!
Publisher: John Barron
© 2007 Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/"
Mandriva Linux 2007 for Home Users
by Wim Coulier
FREE Download
Colour edition: http://www.lulu.com/content/603439
Black and white edition: http://www.lulu.com/content/605126
What might a Linux distribution such as Mandriva Linux 2007 be to a Windows user?
Is it a valuable alternative, or do you have to be a real computer nerd to risk the move? Why would an average PC user make the effort to change over to Linux? Admittedly, not necessarily everyone will benefit from such a move — but it could be a lot more interesting than you may suspect. Many discussions around this topic lead to considerable debate, and in this article we do not pretend to own the truth or to be complete. This article just sums up our own experiences after several years of use of both Microsoft Windows and Mandriva Linux.
We wrote with our Mandriva experiences in mind; however most modern Linux distributions offer similar benefits.
Complete with 30 illustration figures!
Publisher: John Barron
© 2007 Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.5
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/"
+ - String theory put to the test
Submitted
by
secretsather
secretsather writes "http://tech.blorge.com/Structure:%20/2007/01/24/th eory-of-everything-put-to-the-test/
String theory is arguably the most popular theory in theoretical physics; that is, it cannot be proven. The idea, is everything you see around you is made up of tiny strands of energy that vibrate at different frequencies. Until now, experimental verification has not been possible; but researchers at the University of California, Carnegie Mellon University, and The University of Texas are planning a definitive test with the future launch of the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland that could disprove the current theory.
Similar to the well known U.S. particle collider at Fermi Lab, the Large Hadron Collider, scheduled for November 2007, is expected to be the largest, and highest energy particle accelerator in existence; it will use liquid helium cooled superconducting magnets to produce electric fields that will propel particles to near light speeds in a 16.7 mile circular tunnel. They then introduce a new particle into the accelerator, which collides with the existing ones, scattering many other mysterious subatomic particles about.
It is with this accelerator, that will allow researchers to begin observing the scattering of W bosons, an elementary particle that is one of the four fundamental interactions of nature and required in the proposed testing of the current string theory. I use "current" because string theory is just that, a theory; and it is constantly changing as more information becomes available.
"Our work shows that, in principle, string theory can be tested in a non-trivial way," said Ira Rothstein, co-author of the paper and professor of physics at Carnegie Mellon.
"The beauty of our test is the simplicity of its assumptions," said Benjamin Grinstein, a professor of physics at the University of California "The canonical forms of string theory include three mathematical assumptions — Lorentz invariance, analyticity and unitarity. Our test sets bounds on these assumptions."
Grinstein also noted that if their test does not substantiate what the theory predicts, one of the key mathematical assumptions about the current string theory would be incorrect."
String theory is arguably the most popular theory in theoretical physics; that is, it cannot be proven. The idea, is everything you see around you is made up of tiny strands of energy that vibrate at different frequencies. Until now, experimental verification has not been possible; but researchers at the University of California, Carnegie Mellon University, and The University of Texas are planning a definitive test with the future launch of the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland that could disprove the current theory.
Similar to the well known U.S. particle collider at Fermi Lab, the Large Hadron Collider, scheduled for November 2007, is expected to be the largest, and highest energy particle accelerator in existence; it will use liquid helium cooled superconducting magnets to produce electric fields that will propel particles to near light speeds in a 16.7 mile circular tunnel. They then introduce a new particle into the accelerator, which collides with the existing ones, scattering many other mysterious subatomic particles about.
It is with this accelerator, that will allow researchers to begin observing the scattering of W bosons, an elementary particle that is one of the four fundamental interactions of nature and required in the proposed testing of the current string theory. I use "current" because string theory is just that, a theory; and it is constantly changing as more information becomes available.
"Our work shows that, in principle, string theory can be tested in a non-trivial way," said Ira Rothstein, co-author of the paper and professor of physics at Carnegie Mellon.
"The beauty of our test is the simplicity of its assumptions," said Benjamin Grinstein, a professor of physics at the University of California "The canonical forms of string theory include three mathematical assumptions — Lorentz invariance, analyticity and unitarity. Our test sets bounds on these assumptions."
Grinstein also noted that if their test does not substantiate what the theory predicts, one of the key mathematical assumptions about the current string theory would be incorrect."