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Comment: Re:Nothing wrong with the Trades (Score 1) 359

by dakohli (#43762137) Attached to: Bloomberg To HS Grads: Be a Plumber

I look down on them because of their widespread bad business practices: the majority of the time you can expect price gouging and poor workmanship. They'd be better off working for Microsoft with that attitude.

OUCH!

I'm sorry that you have experienced the worst side of the human experience. It has certainly not been mine. Yes, I have encountered the occasional scammer, but by and large the tradesmen I have had direct contact with have been honest. I have heard people complain about the $50/hr plumber or mechanic, so they hire the $20/hr guy who comes in and does a crappy job, then they end up paying a competent worker the 50 bucks an hour anyways to make it right.

If you hire someone who takes you to the cleaners, you have a right to be upset, but if you failed to get references, and do your research, you have to accept some of the blame as well

Comment: Nothing wrong with the Trades (Score 3, Informative) 359

by dakohli (#43761599) Attached to: Bloomberg To HS Grads: Be a Plumber

There is nothing wrong with becoming a Tradesman. Plumber, Electrician, Welder or Mechanic, etc

Just as we need Engineers, Nurses and Lawyers (I can't believe I'm including Lawyers!), we need the folks that keep our machines running. Just as not everyone has the money, or the aptitude to become a Doctor, I know many people who do not have the abilities to become a carpenter or metal worker.

I don't much care for the way some look down on the tradesmen that keep things running. Where I live there is a shortage of plumbers and electricians. Out west there is a shortage of carpenters. As a resul the ones that do exist command high wages, and are busy with lots of work. All this without the debilitating school loans that many University Graduates have.

From my perspective, it sounds like good advice

Comment: Re:You are not limited by the OS (Score 2) 250

by dakohli (#43679329) Attached to: Real World Stats Show Chromebooks Are Struggling
I'm running XFCE on Ubuntu on mine. The only reason I left chromeOS running was to handle netflix. Otherwise I have to really agree with most folks that the chromebooks are just too limiting. Running Linux, with an 8 hr battery life is nice. I can sit back and get some work done.

As far as android/win8 or iOS, I do not even want to consider one of these without a touchscreen.

China

+ - NASA Tightens Security in Response to Insider Threat-> 1

Submitted by
CowboyRobot
CowboyRobot writes "NASA has closed down its technical reports database and imposed tighter restrictions on remote access to its computer systems following the arrest of a Chinese contractor on suspicion of intellectual property theft. NASA administrator Charles Bolden outlined those and other security measures in March 20 testimony before a congressional subcommittee. Bolden said he had ordered a review of the access that foreign nationals from designated countries — including China, Iran and North Korea — are given to NASA facilities and a moratorium on providing new access to citizens of those countries. The agency's actions follow the March 16 arrest of Bo Jiang, a Chinese citizen, at Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C., as he prepared to leave the United States. The FBI, in its application for an arrest warrant, said it was investigating violations of the Arms Export Control Act."
Link to Original Source
Patents

+ - Indian Supreme Court rejects Novatris patent on cancer drug 1

Submitted by damitr
damitr writes "In a landmark judgement, India’s Supreme Court today rejected a patent plea by Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG for cancer drug Glivec, boosting the case for cheaper drugs for life-threatening diseases. http://www.firstpost.com/business/sc-rejects-novartis-patent-plea-on-blockbuster-cancer-drug-glivec-680460.html A patent on the new form could have give Novartis a 20-year monopoly on the drug.During the hearing, the apex court had questioned the pharma company on the high price of the cancer drug. A month's dose is around $ 2200 much higher than $150 which is the price of the generic drug. The firm had tried to dispel the impression that its drug would be beyond the reach of poor cancer patients, which sounds like familiar Newspeak . "The purpose is not to make money from the poor. This is not the purpose, but am I not entitled for patent for our drug? We are fighting the case on principle," senior advocate for the company. www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/novartis-plea-for-cancer-drug-patent-sc-verdict-tomorrow_844565.html If remains to be seen what the implications of this judgement are, and meanwhile Novartis had threatened that a refusal by India’s Supreme Court to grant patent protection for the medicine would have repercussions for multinational drug companies’ activities in the country, meaning they will be no longer giving new medicines in India. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c377e20a-99eb-11e2-83ca-00144feabdc0.html"

+ - India dismisses plea of Novartis for patent of cancer drug-> 4

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes "The Indian Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the plea of Swiss pharma giant Novartis AG for getting its blood cancer drug Glivec patented in India.The court rejected the claims of Swiss pharma giant and said the patents would be granted only for genuine inventions. This paves the way for Indian companies to manufacture generic drugs for cancer and make it available for rest of the developing world as well."
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Comment: Re:Nonsense. (Score 1) 191

by dakohli (#43320243) Attached to: New Catalyst Allows Cheaper Hydrogen Production

I hear you.

I see it as an evolutionary process, the hydrogen powered ICE (Internal Combustable Engine) while not that efficient, may well prove to be better than a gasoline powered unit. If we can keep costs down, and then when the next generation of technology is ready to do it cheaply, then slide it in. You will always have early adopters ready to spend big money right away in order to be more green, or perhaps burn less gas. But like the chevy volt, who can affort to pay the full cost of new technology?

If we are using excess energy to produce Hydrogen gas, why not burn it initially in an ICE even if it is not the most efficient use possible? Compared to what we have now, it's found power. We can start using it right away, and then get extra capacity later on by increasing efficiency, either by better production techniques or more efficient engine systems, or both. If we start producing Hydrogen with our spare power, I think there would be room to try several things to see what we can come up with.

Google

+ - First Google Glass Ban arrives->

Submitted by dakohli
dakohli writes "

A Seattle bar has issued a preemptive ban of Google Glass to preserve the privacy of its tipplers. The 5 Point Cafe in Seattle announced plans to suppress the futuristic devices on its Facebook page this week, and didn't mince words. "The 5 Point is the first Seattle business to ban in advance Google Glasses," the bar wrote. "And ass kickings will be encouraged for violators."

Apparently, It is a self described Dive Bar and they already do ban recording and pictures. I'm pretty sure this will come as no surprise, even Steve Mann has had issues with acceptance by the general public.

Do you think this technology will become so mainstream that people will give up trying to protect their privacy?"
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Canada

+ - Canadian Newspaper charging $150 license fee to publish excerpts->

Submitted by dakohli
dakohli writes "Michael Geist, Canada's tireless Digital Rights Crusader has pointed out an interesting development at a major Canadian Newspaper Website:

If you try to highlight the text to cut and paste it, you are presented with a pop-up request to purchase a licence if you plan to post the article to a website, intranet or a blog. The fee would be $150.

He points out that even if you are highlighting a 3rd party quote inside an article a pop-up asking if you want a license will appear. I have tried highlighting Associated Press, or Canadian Press articles and this does not appear. But try it on any of the Post's articles or commentary it will. Even if it happens to be a 3rd party quote.

The Copyright service provider is iCopyright. This appears to be a US company, and as Mr Geist points out it might be contrary to Canadian Copyright Law's fair use provisions.

Many Canadian Newspaper sites are moving to pay to view models, The Globe and Mail and Sun Papers included. Since it is harder to make money publishing the news, is this the way of the future? I hope not."
Link to Original Source

+ - Russians find "new bacteria" in Lake Vostok->

Submitted by tverbeek
tverbeek writes "Russian scientists believe they have found a wholly new type of bacteria in the mysterious subglacial Lake Vostok in Antarctica, the RIA Novosti news agency reported. "After putting aside all possible elements of contamination, DNA was found that did not coincide with any of the well-known types in the global database," he said. "We are calling this life form unclassified and unidentified.""
Link to Original Source
Security

+ - Twitter OAuth API Keys Leaked->

Submitted by Trailrunner7
Trailrunner7 writes "The OAuth keys and secrets that official Twitter applications use to access users’ Twitter accounts have been leaked in a post to Github this morning.

The consumer keys and secrets, which function similarly to a username and password, were posted for Twitter for iPhone, Android, iPad, Mac, Windows Phone and TweetDeck. Unapproved third-party applications can now use these secrets to impersonate legitimate third-party apps and circumvent any access control measures Twitter has in place for unofficial apps."
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Etiquette is for those with no breeding; fashion for those with no taste.

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