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Comment Re:What about Prepared fruit and vegetables? (Score 1) 96

^ This.

There are some studies on this (my googlefu is failing me) where they examine the CO2 output of wrapped and non-wrapped veggies. The wrapped veggies degrade slower, meaning there is less food going to the dump. All biological matter eventually degrades and while it does so, it emits gasses. The plastic wrapping, for cucumbers as an example, means they stay on the shelves longer, leading to less need to transport new food to replace it and also lasting longer for consumption.

So, this is a very complicated subject and one cannot apply a generalized statement like "don't wrap our vegetables in plastic" to everything. Potatoes, Apples, etc, are most likely better kept unwrapped. While Cucumbers and very watery veggies are probably best kept wrapped.

Submission + - AskSlashdot: Is it finally time for Linux on the desktop?

chrish writes: Microsoft (starting with Windows 8, but continuing: https://tech.slashdot.org/stor...) and Apple https://www.osnews.com/story/1... are both designing UIs for touch devices now, making both mainstream OSes more hostile https://it.slashdot.org/story/... to power users by reducing information density and hiding all the dials and knobs, not to mention wasting screen space so we can poke away with our fingers rather than a precise pointing device.

So, is it finally time for Linux on more people's desktops? My keyboard and mouse work just fine, thanks.

What specifically is holding you back from using Linux on your desktop? I think we should name names, and I'll start (opinions are mine, obviously):

* Backblaze: best encrypted online backup system, no proper Linux client (but you can use their cloud storage)
* Sync.com: best encrypted cloud storage, no Linux client (but you can use your browser)
* OneNote: best freeform note-taking app, no Linux client (and the web version is iffy)
* Todo: best to-do item app, no Linux client (and the web version is iffy, but much better than OneNote's)
* Kobo: my favourite e-reader, no Linux client (but their app is Qt-based, presumably it'd be "easy" enough)

Literally everything else I depend on or use regularly already has a supported Linux version.
Handhelds

Submission + - RIM forced to change name of new platform (theglobeandmail.com)

Mastadex writes: RIM's brand new BlackBerry mobile OS, due in early 2012, was expected to be called "BBX." But due to a recently court ruling against it, RIM has dropped BBX and opted simply for "BlackBerry 10." Software company Basis International said a US federal court in Albuquerque has granted a temporary restraining order against RIM, barring it from using Basis' BBX trademark. The court decision bars RIM from using the trademark at its Asian DevCon conference on Wednesday and Thursday in Singapore.

Comment Re:Hope so... (Score 1) 306

I bought a netbook for my wife. Loaded it up the first time and Vista took up over a gig of RAM on a machine with a 2GB limit. I wiped the OS and installed XP. it took up a nice 60Mb or RAM after tweaking. Your 260-270Mb of ram usage is insulting to me.

XP does everything windows 7 can on her laptop.

Comment Re:Search them all (Score 1) 266

Even if you asked all members of the household to swear an oath and testify that it was not them, the question then becomes: did one of them lie and was there an outside party involved.

I recall a recent event where a neighbour hacked into a wireless router and used it to download child porn. It was only by sheer luck that he was found out.

Security

Submission + - How the West is arming the anti-censorship movemen (theglobeandmail.com)

Mastadex writes: In the high-stakes cyber struggle to outwit repressive regimes – such as China’s – that spend billions thwarting the free flow of information, a Canada-U.S. computer research group believes it can tip the balance toward freedom. Ian Goldberg, an assistant professor at the University of Waterloo’s Cheriton School of Computer Science, is part of team that has come up with an anti-censorship system called Telex. Until a few days ago, when the joint University of Waterloo and University of Michigan team announced their Telex test running inside a computer lab in Ann Arbor, China’s cyber police may not have known there was a chink in their cyber wall.

Comment Europa Universalis III (For 8yr olds) (Score 1) 742

I had an idea while reading this. There is a (mostly) historically accurate game called Europa Universalis III. Though it is too complex for a 4yr old to handle, it is suitable for 8+ year olds. I also pointed them to wikipedia if he had questions. I was astounded to find that the kid played the game for an extended period of time but also followed up on the history of Europe on wikipedia. The last time I talked with him, he told me all about the Polish-Lithuenian common wealth, and how vassalization works. Albeit his knowledge was skewed towards the strategies of the game, it was still accurate. It definitely made his Polish grandfather happy.

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