Comment Re:Kind of like democracy today? (Score 1) 277
The same inherent weakness in the "99%er" movement would seem to apply to the hivemind concept: hippies.
Submission + - Ultra-efficient 4,000 mph vacuum-tube trains – why aren't they being built (gizmag.com) 1
cylonlover writes: In the 1800s, when pneumatic tubes shot telegrams and small items all around buildings and sometimes small cities, the future of mass transit seemed clear: we'd be firing people around through these sealed tubes at high speeds. And it turns out we've got the technology to do that today – mag-lev rail lines remove all rolling friction from the energy equation for a train, and accelerating them through a vacuum tunnel can eliminate wind resistance to the point where it's theoretically possible to reach blistering speeds over 4,000 mph (6,437 km/h) using a fraction of the energy an airliner uses – and recapturing a lot of that energy upon deceleration. Ultra-fast, high efficiency ground transport is technologically within reach – so why isn't anybody building it? Gizmag's Loz Blain looks at some of the problems.
Submission + - World's largest kinetic art sculpture = computer controlled copper raindrops (stylesight.com)
drkim writes: "Kinetic Rain" the world's largest kinetic art sculpture is an array of 1216 copper coated aluminum 'droplets' which are individually motorized on wires, and their animation controlled by computer.
It can be seen at the Singapore airport and is the length of four checkout counters.
You can see a "making of" and demo here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhP9n6WvVfQ ...and the entire 15 minute animation cycle here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmETioVtRG0
(which is lovely, but warning: sappy elevator music!)
It was designed by Art+Com of Berlin.
It can be seen at the Singapore airport and is the length of four checkout counters.
You can see a "making of" and demo here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhP9n6WvVfQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmETioVtRG0
(which is lovely, but warning: sappy elevator music!)
It was designed by Art+Com of Berlin.
Comment Re:Because Lederman nicknamed it "the god particle (Score 1) 291
Corollary: Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt.
Submission + - Surviving Your Company's Steve Jobs Wannabe (infoworld.com)
snydeq writes: "Bob Lewis offers advice for IT departments dealing with one of the worst business diseases: a top-down contagion of Steve Jobs wannabes. These 'Great Dictators' have 'all of Steve Jobs' worst characteristics (except, perhaps, his poor hygiene) without any of his saving graces: the supreme certainty that they're right, without actually being right often enough to justify their high opinions of themselves. Because business culture flows downhill, arrogant autocracy is the company's standard leadership model,' and with everyone thinking they're an 'internal customer,' IT will be on the receiving end of orders from every petty dictator in the company.' The key, of course, is to avoid falling prey to the cowering toadyism that these petty dictators come to expect as the preferred way for folks in IT to 'manage up.'"
Comment Re:Same ethic as high frequency traders... (Score 1) 130
Patent holders produce income for themselves by producing widget. Patent trolls hijack patent system for profit only.
Shareholder produce income for themselves by investing their money in patent holder's company that is producing widget and needs capital. High speed traders hijack system for profit only.
I think you're making my point.
Comment Re:Same ethic as high frequency traders... (Score 1) 130
Wait - you mean people who seek patents aren't "greedy people"? C'mon - that's the very bedrock principle of the patent system -
1. I invent something.
2. I win patent.
3. I hold exclusive rights to the use of the product for several years.
4. ????
5. Profit!
So I gotta disagree with you -
The patent trolls and the high frequency traders both exploit a system in a way that it was not designed for, i.e., hacking. They each are hurting people who are trying to use that system within the rules. Even if you do not like the system and the players, surely you can see that.
Comment Re:Same ethic as high frequency traders... (Score 2) 130
So by that logic, you have no problem with patent trolls either. They are all there for the exact same reason, protecting their patent rights.
Comment Same ethic as high frequency traders... (Score 4, Interesting) 130
How do I link this story to another headline? http://news.slashdot.org/story/12/06/27/028249/high-frequency-traders-are-the-ultimate-hackers-says-mark-cuban
Essentially, it's the same ethic at work - making money by gaming the system. For high frequency traders, it is exploiting technological loopholes. For patent trolls, it is exploiting legal loopholes.
Talk about a shadow economy - what happens to the U.S. economy if and when these nefarious practices are ended?
Comment Re:Bad CEO replaced by bad CEO replaced by bad CEO (Score 2) 291
Never should have merged with Compaq.
Comment Tracking orbits within orbits? (Score 2, Interesting) 99
Whenever these stories get posted, there is always a calming disclaimer that none of the asteroids threatens Earth. But does anyone know whether NASA (or anyone else) is modeling asteroid orbits with each other? I realize it's not like a set of billiard balls, but is anyone checking to see if any current non-threatening asteroids could be diverting into Earth's path from colliding with another object?
Comment What's Hotmail? (Score 0) 88
Was overrun by spam years ago - have not used an account there since the rise of the G-mail.
Submission + - Hacker Posts Details of 3 Million Bank Accounts in Iran (zdnet.com)
Jeremiah Cornelius writes: Khosrow Zarefarid warned of the security flaw in Iran’s banking system providing affected institutions of the details, including 1,000 captured bank accounts. When the affected banks, including the largest state institutions didn’t respond, Khosrow then hacked 3 million accounts across at least 22 banks. He then dropped these details — including card numbers and PINs — on his blog: ircard.blogspot.ca. Three Iranian banks Saderat, Eghtesad Novin, and Saman have already warned customers to change their debit card PINs. "Zarefarid is reportedly no longer in Iran, though it is unclear when he left."
Submission + - India tests nuclear-capable missile that can reach China (reuters.com)
fishmike writes: India successfully test-fired on Thursday a nuclear-capable missile that can reach Beijing and Eastern Europe, thrusting the emerging Asian power into a small club of nations that can deploy nuclear weapons at such a great distance.
Footage showed the rocket with a range of more than 5,000 km (3,100 miles) blasting through clouds from an island off India's east coast. It was not immediately clear how far the rocket flew before reaching its target in the Indian Ocean.
Footage showed the rocket with a range of more than 5,000 km (3,100 miles) blasting through clouds from an island off India's east coast. It was not immediately clear how far the rocket flew before reaching its target in the Indian Ocean.
Comment Why is this on Slashdot? (Score 1, Insightful) 707
The story makes me absolutely sick and reinforces my easy evaluation system for world religions: How they treat their women is in direct proportion to the value the religion brings to all societies of the world.
That said, I fail to see how this relates to technology.
