Comment SpringPad Is Better (Score 1) 205
IMO Springpad is better than all of them combined. Then again, it also seems like it tries to be like PT in a way.
Submission + - DARPA wants unique automated tools to rapidly make computers smarter (networkworld.com)
coondoggie writes: "Researchers at DARPA want to take the science of machine learning — teaching computers to automatically understand data, manage results and surmise insights — up a couple notches. Machine learning, DARPA says, is already a the heart of many cutting edge technologies today, like email spam filters, smartphone personal assistants and self-driving cars. "Unfortunately, even as the demand for these capabilities is accelerating, every new application requires a Herculean effort. Even a team of specially-trained machine learning experts makes only painfully slow progress due to the lack of tools to build these systems," DARPA says."
Comment Titan blamed it on the dog (Score 1) 104
I mean, who doesn't?
Comment Like asking fire not to burn you... (Score 1) 160
We can ask till we are blue in the face. Unless we get something on them that is without refute, nothing will change. Even then, if we did have something like that it would be handled in a very hush-hush manner as to not hurt someones feelings in the international community; it will be back-door. We need to upgrade our security, or just outright ban foreign IPs from certain companies.
This is one of those problems where there really isn't a good solution.
Comment DRM Advertised? (Score 1) 469
Most of the time the closest that these publishers come to advertising their DRM is the statement, "Online connection required". To most of us, this isn't such a big deal when you are buying a game that is supposed to played online and with a bunch of other people.
But yes, we do need a GBOR, and badly as this crap with EA once again shows us. If you buy a product and you can't use it due to the error of the company that sold you the product in the first place, you should be able to get your money back at the very least within 30 days - standard. Like they say, money talks, I just don;t think that the majority of buyers are educated enough on a particular issue,game, etc to make that decision at the time of checkout.
Comment I was wondering... (Score 1) 121
I was just wondering about this the other day. I was thinking, why isn't the internet more like a utility? I mean, it's large enough and it's got to the point where most people almost have to have internet access. No one should have a say of what I do with that access / bandwidth.
Comment Re:Eheh... but photos are older then all those you (Score 1) 65
So according to the TFA, does this mean that I can't have my work processed in a LAB for printing only, but rather I need to print all copies using my won equipment?
Comment Re:Every new medium is always snubbed by the snobs (Score 1) 65
It's a bit reductionist to say that it's just because they're 'snobs'....the way it was explained to me by my art teacher is thus:
There are artists, and there are artisans...artists create art, artisans create craft...the yardstick used [in the art world] to differentiate the two is the ability to reproduce the work given the same skills, equipment and environment.
Take for example, two metal workers...both with the same training, equipment, environment and requirements...likely it will be difficult to spot too much of a great difference in the resulting product. Same goes for photography...same camera, settings, direction, time of day, physical location etc...you end up with the same shot (as this article eludes to)....very difficult to tell the difference between two works of craft produced in the same way.
However....you take two draughtsman (sketch artist, not architectural)...with the same years of experience, give them the same pencil, same paper, same light, same subject.....you get vastly different results. Same for painting.
Interestingly, before Rodin, sculpture was considered a "craft"....he showed that it wasn't.
IMHO, the jury is still out on photography...with film it had an small element of art because of the nature of the development process...with digital, it's really hard to argue that it's not a craft.
The most telling point I think is that, if you talk to a artist (classically trained painter, sculptor or draughtsman) who is also a great photographer...he/she will usually not classify his photography as art, usually as craft....in fact, even the greats like Ansel Adams used to get angry when people called his work 'art'....he saw himself as an artisan and historian more than anything.
Classically trained artists sound like snobs sometimes because of the wholesale trivialization of their hard won skills....Donald Trump calls contract negotiation an 'art', I've heard some programmers call coding an 'art'...everyone calls what they do an 'art'....go spend 10 years trying to master classical portraiture and you'll see why those classifications are just laughable on all fronts.
But that's just the view of this programmer, classically trained portrait artist, sculptor and photographer
Pretty much wrong on so many levels. I can see the logic behind this, but all you need to do to figure this is false is spend a good deal of time actually trying to produce good photography. For another example, go on a photowalk with a bunch of people and go into a confined area. Out of the hundreds of photos taken, I would be my life savings no two are exactly the same even if the camera settings are the same. In the end, it's WHO is making the image, digital or not, not HOW it is made that matters.
Comment Can I See? (Score 1) 150
If it is going to hit, I want to see what happens. Also, do you think it would be a good time to try and send another prob down to the impact spot to study what happens right AFTER an impact?
Comment Interesting (Score 1) 168
Very interesting. I actually learnt something today.
Submission + - Explaining Iran's true nuclear ambitions, and where to go from here (thebulletin.org)
Lasrick writes: Kaveh Afrasiabi has an important piece about Iran's true nuclear ambitions, which are more like Japan and Brazil's than like North Korea's. Afrasiabi is a former political science professor at Tehran University, a former adviser to Iran's nuclear negotiation team (2004 to 2006), and an author of many books and articles on Iranian foreign policy. His explanation of what Iran is actually doing with their nuclear program needs to be read and understood by policy makers and the public.
Comment Come on now... (Score 1) 393
Ugh, when will this ever end. People, really? Trust me, it's not going to happen. End of discussion!
Comment Why? (Score 1) 393
Why is this still coming up. NEVER going to happen. Trust me. Better yet don't. What I'm saying is if you think this through and put a little logic behind it, M$ would never shoot themselves in the foot this bad. To me this seems like one very good troll.
Comment Still a choice (Score 1) 198
At the end of the day though, it's up to the doctor to make the decision to accept or reject the outcome. I don't think you can program human intuition.
Comment Read... (Score 2) 813
Read the book The Seashell on The Mountain Top. It's about Nicholaus Steno - which is pretty much the father of modern Geology. He grappled with many of these issues and early on came to the conclusion that the study of science was a way to get closer to God. They are not mutually exclusive of each other. IDK why it's so hard for people to grasp that.
