Comment Questioning the constitutionality... (Score 5, Insightful) 247
I'd like to question the constitutionality of a lot more than just how it was signed.
Comment Re:Maybe a BIT sensationalistic... (Score 1) 250
0100010001010011 = DS?
I don't get it (DropShip?), but it doesn't seem like coincidence (multiple of 8 bits, both uppercase ASCII chars).
Comment Re:Wikipedia says 2012 - 2017 (Score 1) 453
If you're just implementing a MP3 decoder (which is all Firefox would need to do to play MP3 files) then you might not have patent issues even today: http://lwn.net/Articles/166346/
It's a shame the Slashdot article didn't link to any sources.
It's a shame the Slashdot article didn't link to any sources.
Comment Re:Steve Jobs on video codecs and patents (Score 1) 149
Variable-lifetime patents already exist to a certain extent (utility patents vs. design patents). But it would be interesting to extend the idea further.
As long as we can make arbitrary changes to patent law, I think the most valuable thing you could do is to mandate a periodic investigation into whether or not the current policies encourage innovation. Are algorithm patents slowing down innovation? Shorten their duration by a few years/be stricter about what you accept.
As long as we can make arbitrary changes to patent law, I think the most valuable thing you could do is to mandate a periodic investigation into whether or not the current policies encourage innovation. Are algorithm patents slowing down innovation? Shorten their duration by a few years/be stricter about what you accept.
- Frivolous lawsuits would be severely discouraged. And I mean severely.
- The patent process now involves wrestling with a live bear. Anyone who successfully survives the experience is awarded the patent.
I can only imagine the punishment you have in mind for a frivolous lawsuit.
Comment They *do* realize this, right? (Score 1) 386
They're only giving credibility to the tinfoil hat (underwear?)-wearing crowd.
Comment Re:Same time? (Score 1) 365
Off topic, but the aegidian.org link in your sig seems to be down. http://www.oolite.org/ appears to be the current webpage (fellow fan of oolite here).
Comment Re:Incorrect. (Score 1) 566
* speaking of plugins, they are not considered GPL-able software despite many of them existing with GPL licenses - I suggested adding it during v3 ratification, but they did not feel there was a need (there are several clauses that make them not applicable), so if you write GPL plugins, I suggest moving to another license because the one you're using is not valid.
Could you explain this further? I'm not sure if you're saying that licensing a plugin under the GPL is (1) a legal mess, (2) a potential legal mess, (3) an impossibility,or (4) something else entirely.
Pope Promotes Christian Netiquette 218
angry tapir writes "Pope Benedict XVI Monday gave his blessing to social networking, urging Catholic Internet users to adopt a respectful Christian netiquette when spreading the Gospel online. The pope said new technologies were creating unprecedented opportunities for establishing relationships and building fellowship but warned against creating false online profiles out of vanity or diluting the Christian message to achieve popularity."
Comment Re:So, h264 is (Score 1) 663
Have the patents been released? I was under the impression that the irrevocable thing was the license to use the patents specifically for VP8 implementations. Google still owns the patents and can still sue if you use them in non-VP8 applications.
I remember reading that Google might want patent defense, so that if someone goes after VP8, Google can fire a salvo right back at H.264 (i.e., Google supposedly knows of VP8 patents that cover H.264 and could sink them).
Comment Re:And BOOM (Score 4, Informative) 131
Coral Cache links for ya:
- Legend Of The Bouncing Beholder by @marijnjh
- Tiny chess by Oscar Toledo G.
- Tetris with sound by @sjoerd_visscher
- WOLF1K and the rainbow characters by @p01
- Binary clock (tweetable) by @alexeym
- Mother fucking lasers by @evilhackerdude
- Graphical layout engine by Lars Ronnback
- Crazy multiplayer 2-sided Pong by @feiss
- Morse code generator by @chrissmoak
- Pulsing 3d wires by @unconed
Rackspace Shuts Down Quran-Burning Church's Sites 1695
theodp writes "In response to a complaint, Rackspace has shut down the websites of the Dove World Outreach Center, a small 50-member church which has received national and international criticism for a planned book burning of the Quran on the anniversary of the 9-11 attacks. The center 'violated the hate-speech provision of our acceptable-use policy,' explained Rackspace spokesman Dan Goodgame. 'This is not a constitutional issue. This is a contract issue,' said Goodgame, who added he did not know how long it had hosted the church's sites. Not quite the same thing, but would Kurt Westergaard's cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad also violate Rackspace's AUP? How about Christopher Hitchens' Slate articles? Could articles from one-time Rackspace poster child The Onion pass muster?"
Mahara 1.2 EPortfolios 35
RichardSanders writes "This recent publication provides an accessible introduction to using Mahara within business and academic settings. It is great to see that the authors work for TDM, who provide Mahara & Moodle based solutions for a broad range of clients. This professional experience has contributed to a coherent and easy to follow text that provides essential information for new users. This comes as no surprise, as many individuals within the academic sector regularly benefit from Derrin's advice within mailing lists concerned with educational technologies." Keep reading for the rest of Richard's review.
Comment Re:well said - maybe time for freenet again? (Score 1) 1088
Your computer may already contain child porn and other illegal numbers, thanks to stegonography. There are ways to store arbitrary data in images, and you're currently running a program which can download and store images from arbitrary sources — unless, of course, you're browsing with images off.
Now, running a Freenet node will change the probability that your computer stores illegal numbers, and those numbers would be encrypted and stored in a standard format. But the only way to guarantee that your computer is clean involves wiping it (preferably using a degausser instead of a software program) and keeping it away from all untrusted data sources.
Full disclosure: I like Freenet.
Now, running a Freenet node will change the probability that your computer stores illegal numbers, and those numbers would be encrypted and stored in a standard format. But the only way to guarantee that your computer is clean involves wiping it (preferably using a degausser instead of a software program) and keeping it away from all untrusted data sources.
Full disclosure: I like Freenet.
Submission + - Ted Stevens and Sean O'Keefe in plane crash
necro81 writes: The NY Times is reporting that former Senator Ted Stevens was aboard a small plane with eight others that crashed in remote southwest Alaska Monday night. Reuters is reporting that he died, along with at least four others. Meanwhile, the North American CEOof aerospace firm EADS and former NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe was was also reported in the crash. Rescue crews from the Alaska Air National Guard reached the site about ten hours after the initial crash.
Comment Re:Test Your Bias! (Score 1) 548
Previously there haven't been such Windows tracking measures attempted by Microsoft.
I probably would react differently, because the above means that I would live in an alternate universe where Microsoft didn't pull all their DRM tricks yet and doesn't come up with names like Windows Genuine Advantage.
