Comment Re:Select all the squares with a mailbox. (Score 1) 23
Other than the fact that they're different words referring to different things, of course not.
Comment Re:Five bucks (Score 0) 16
"Why is is ILLEGAL to give voters water?"
The same reason it's illegal to give them milk. Supplying milk or water is terrorism.
Comment Because Firefox is Google's Agent Provocateur (Score 3, Insightful) 126
It's their paid way to appear competitive but actually face plant to make the Chrome engine look good.
Comment Re:Pump and dump (Score 1) 32
That's only because you choose to take their market cap as worth, rather than their balance sheet.
No law can stop you from choosing an ill-considered metric to base your own perceptions on.
Comment Re:Down with Captcha! (Score 1) 23
Use your own domain name. Use the business@yourdomain.com as your email. If you have a catch-all address, this works quite well for knowing who sold your information to whom.
Why People's Expensive NFTs Keep Vanishing (vice.com) 189
An anonymous reader shares a report from Motherboard, written by Ben Munster: When you buy an NFT for potentially as much as an actual house, in most cases you're not purchasing an artwork or even an image file. Instead, you are buying a little bit of code that references a piece of media located somewhere else on the internet. This is where the problems begin. Ed Clements is a community manager for OpenSea who fields these kinds of problems daily. In an interview, he explained that digital artworks themselves are not immutably registered "on the blockchain" when a purchase is made. When you buy an artwork, rather, you're "minting" a new cryptographic signature that, when decoded, points to an image hosted elsewhere. This could be a regular website, or it might be the InterPlanetary File System, a large peer-to-peer file storage system.
Clements distinguished between the NFT artwork (the image) and the NFT, which is the little cryptographic signature that actually gets logged. "I use the analogy of OpenSea and similar platforms acting like windows into a gallery where your NFT is hanging," he said. "The platform can close the window whenever they want, but the NFT still exists and it is up to each platform to decide whether or not they want to close their window." [...] "Closing the window" on an NFT isn't difficult. NFTs are rendered visually only on the front-end of a given marketplace, where you see all the images on offer. All the front-end code does is sift through the alphanumeric soup on the blockchain to produce a URL that links to where the image is hosted, or less commonly metadata which describes the image. According to Clement: "the code that finds the information on the blockchain and displays the images and information is simply told, 'don't display this one.'"
An important point to reiterate is that while NFT artworks can be taken down, the NFTs themselves live inside Ethereum. This means that the NFT marketplaces can only interact with and interpret that data, but cannot edit or remove it. As long as the linked image hasn't been removed from its source, an NFT bought on OpenSea could still be viewed on Rarible, SuperRare, or whatever -- they are all just interfaces to the ledger. The kind of suppression detailed by Clements is likely the explanation for many cases of "missing" NFTs, such as one case documented on Reddit when user "elm099" complained that an NFT called "Big Boy Pants" had disappeared from his wallet. In this case, the user could see the NFT transaction logged on the blockchain, but couldn't find the image itself. In the case that an NFT artwork was actually removed at the source, rather than suppressed by a marketplace, then it would not display no matter which website you used. If you saved the image to your phone before it was removed, you could gaze at it while absorbing the aura of a cryptographic signature displayed on a second screen, but that could lessen the already-tenuous connection between NFT and artwork. If you're unable to find a record of the token itself on the Ethereum blockchain, it "has to do with even more arcane Ethereum minutiae," writes Ben Munster via Motherboard. He explains: "NFTs are generally represented by a form of token called the ERC-721. It's just as simple to locate this token's whereabouts as ether (Ethereum's in-house currency) and other tokens such as ERC-20s. The NFT marketplace SuperRare, for instance, sends tokens directly to buyers' wallets, where their movements can be tracked rather easily. The token can then generally be found under the ERC-721 tab. OpenSea, however, has been experimenting with a new new token variant: the ERC-1155, a 'multitoken' that designates collections of NFTs.
This token standard, novel as it is, isn't yet compatible with Etherscan. That means ERC-1155s saved on Ethereum don't show up, even if we know they are on the blockchain because the payments record is there, and the 'smart contracts' which process the sale are designed to fail instantly if the exchange can't be made. [...]"
In closing, Munster writes: "This is all illustrative of a common problem with Ethereum and cryptocurrencies generally, which despite being immutable and unhackable and abstractly perfect can only be taken advantage of via unreliable third-party applications."
Clements distinguished between the NFT artwork (the image) and the NFT, which is the little cryptographic signature that actually gets logged. "I use the analogy of OpenSea and similar platforms acting like windows into a gallery where your NFT is hanging," he said. "The platform can close the window whenever they want, but the NFT still exists and it is up to each platform to decide whether or not they want to close their window." [...] "Closing the window" on an NFT isn't difficult. NFTs are rendered visually only on the front-end of a given marketplace, where you see all the images on offer. All the front-end code does is sift through the alphanumeric soup on the blockchain to produce a URL that links to where the image is hosted, or less commonly metadata which describes the image. According to Clement: "the code that finds the information on the blockchain and displays the images and information is simply told, 'don't display this one.'"
An important point to reiterate is that while NFT artworks can be taken down, the NFTs themselves live inside Ethereum. This means that the NFT marketplaces can only interact with and interpret that data, but cannot edit or remove it. As long as the linked image hasn't been removed from its source, an NFT bought on OpenSea could still be viewed on Rarible, SuperRare, or whatever -- they are all just interfaces to the ledger. The kind of suppression detailed by Clements is likely the explanation for many cases of "missing" NFTs, such as one case documented on Reddit when user "elm099" complained that an NFT called "Big Boy Pants" had disappeared from his wallet. In this case, the user could see the NFT transaction logged on the blockchain, but couldn't find the image itself. In the case that an NFT artwork was actually removed at the source, rather than suppressed by a marketplace, then it would not display no matter which website you used. If you saved the image to your phone before it was removed, you could gaze at it while absorbing the aura of a cryptographic signature displayed on a second screen, but that could lessen the already-tenuous connection between NFT and artwork. If you're unable to find a record of the token itself on the Ethereum blockchain, it "has to do with even more arcane Ethereum minutiae," writes Ben Munster via Motherboard. He explains: "NFTs are generally represented by a form of token called the ERC-721. It's just as simple to locate this token's whereabouts as ether (Ethereum's in-house currency) and other tokens such as ERC-20s. The NFT marketplace SuperRare, for instance, sends tokens directly to buyers' wallets, where their movements can be tracked rather easily. The token can then generally be found under the ERC-721 tab. OpenSea, however, has been experimenting with a new new token variant: the ERC-1155, a 'multitoken' that designates collections of NFTs.
This token standard, novel as it is, isn't yet compatible with Etherscan. That means ERC-1155s saved on Ethereum don't show up, even if we know they are on the blockchain because the payments record is there, and the 'smart contracts' which process the sale are designed to fail instantly if the exchange can't be made. [...]"
In closing, Munster writes: "This is all illustrative of a common problem with Ethereum and cryptocurrencies generally, which despite being immutable and unhackable and abstractly perfect can only be taken advantage of via unreliable third-party applications."
Comment Re:ASS U MEd (Score 1) 89
Yeah, that was an incredible non-justification.
Haven't they ever been told to measure?
Comment Source of energy? (Score 1) 195
The agency's outlook report says keeping a lid on rising temperatures will require electricity to surpass fossil fuels as the dominant source of energy
That... could've been worded better.
Comment Re:Fork in 3...2...1... (Score 1) 114
I did say the GGP might be right. As for not being a majority, I'll have to go see if my personal zip code has been rescinded yet.
Comment Re:Fork in 3...2...1... (Score 1) 114
One thing that has been shown time and time again is that silent majority who prefer the old UIs doesn't actually exist.
You may be right. I'm very vocal. I probably exist.
Comment Re:Fork in 3...2...1... (Score 2) 114
Flat UI, when done right, is always an improvement.
Assertion made! Please prove it.
There's really no need for this flat UI. I can either go true fullscreen, without the controls showing, or I can leave them on the screen, and my visual cortex will strongly prefer the central region of my vision. The controls will be invisible to my brain, because they're in an ignored area of peripheral vision.
Flat is stupid. Saying it needs to be "done right" is the same line we hear about True Communism. Also, now that you've said it has to be "done right", you've paved your way to make No True Scotsman fallacies. "Aaaah, well, that one sucked, so it wasn't done right!"
Can you show me an example of a UI with 3D relief that's "done right" and the corresponding improved flat UI that is also "done right".
Comment Re:"modern design" (Score 1) 114
As for flat UI, there's very much a reason for it - it's heavily documented as to why it is the right path for user interfaces on screens.
Citation please.
it is flat in order to immediately convey purpose
I do not understand your English. Please rephrase. "convey purpose" is very wishy-washy and ill-defined.
Submission + - NASA to use commercial launch vehicle for Europa Clipper (spacenews.com)
schwit1 writes: NASA is no longer considering launching the Europa Clipper mission on the Space Launch System, deciding instead to launch the spacecraft on a commercial rocket it will procure in the next year.
During a Feb. 10 presentation at a meeting of NASA’s Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG), leaders of the Europa Clipper project said the agency recently decided to consider only commercial launch vehicles for the mission, and no longer support a launch of the spacecraft on the SLS.
“We now have clarity on the launch vehicle path and launch date,” Robert Pappalardo, project scientist for Europa Clipper at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said. That clarity came in the form of a Jan. 25 memo from NASA’s Planetary Missions Program Office to “immediately cease efforts to maintain SLS compatibility” and move forward with a commercial launch vehicle, or CLV, he said.
Congress had directed NASA for several years to launch Europa Clipper on SLS, including provisions to that effect in annual spending bills. NASA, though, requested the flexibility to procure an alternative launch vehicle, arguing it needed the SLS to support its Artemis human lunar exploration program and claiming that a commercial vehicle could save NASA as much as $1.5 billion.
During a Feb. 10 presentation at a meeting of NASA’s Outer Planets Assessment Group (OPAG), leaders of the Europa Clipper project said the agency recently decided to consider only commercial launch vehicles for the mission, and no longer support a launch of the spacecraft on the SLS.
“We now have clarity on the launch vehicle path and launch date,” Robert Pappalardo, project scientist for Europa Clipper at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said. That clarity came in the form of a Jan. 25 memo from NASA’s Planetary Missions Program Office to “immediately cease efforts to maintain SLS compatibility” and move forward with a commercial launch vehicle, or CLV, he said.
Congress had directed NASA for several years to launch Europa Clipper on SLS, including provisions to that effect in annual spending bills. NASA, though, requested the flexibility to procure an alternative launch vehicle, arguing it needed the SLS to support its Artemis human lunar exploration program and claiming that a commercial vehicle could save NASA as much as $1.5 billion.
Submission + - Minneapolis Bans Its Police Department From Using Facial Recognition Software (techcrunch.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Minneapolis voted Friday to ban the use of facial recognition software for its police department, growing the list of major cities that have implemented local restrictions on the controversial technology. After an ordinance on the ban was approved earlier this week, 13 members of the city council voted in favor of the ban, with no opposition. The new ban will block the Minneapolis Police Department from using any facial recognition technology, including software by Clearview AI. That company sells access to a large database of facial images, many scraped from major social networks, to federal law enforcement agencies, private companies and a number of U.S. police departments. The Minneapolis Police Department is known to have a relationship with Clearview AI, as is the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, which will not be restricted by the new ban.
Submission + - Frontier Raises Sneaky 'Internet Infrastructure Surcharge' From $4 To $7 (arstechnica.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Frontier Communications is raising its sneaky "Internet Infrastructure Surcharge" from $4 to $7 later this month, widening the gap between its advertised broadband prices and the actual prices customers pay. Telecom providers love to advertise low rates and then sock customers with bigger bills by charging separate fees for things that are part of the core service. In cable TV, that means customers see one advertised rate for a bundle of channels and then pay way more after the addition of "Broadcast TV" and "Regional Sports Network" fees that supposedly cover the costs of certain channels that are part of the bundle. With Frontier Internet service, customers pay the advertised rate for Internet service and then get hit with fees including the Internet Infrastructure Surcharge.
While some fees cover costs that providers must pay to the government, the Internet Infrastructure Surcharge is decidedly not one of them. In its list of fees, Frontier describes the surcharge as follows: "Internet Infrastructure Surcharge — This is a Frontier-assessed surcharge, not a government surcharge. It supports maintenance and other costs associated with our network infrastructure and your continued access to high speed Internet service. As a result of increased Internet traffic and usage, including bandwidth, demand for services, and other requirements that impact our Internet network infrastructure we impose this charge on our internet customers." In other words, the fee covers the cost of providing the Internet service that customers are already paying for in the advertised rates. If Netflix priced its video service this way, the company would advertise one price and then charge an extra fee for "streaming infrastructure" or something similar.
While some fees cover costs that providers must pay to the government, the Internet Infrastructure Surcharge is decidedly not one of them. In its list of fees, Frontier describes the surcharge as follows: "Internet Infrastructure Surcharge — This is a Frontier-assessed surcharge, not a government surcharge. It supports maintenance and other costs associated with our network infrastructure and your continued access to high speed Internet service. As a result of increased Internet traffic and usage, including bandwidth, demand for services, and other requirements that impact our Internet network infrastructure we impose this charge on our internet customers." In other words, the fee covers the cost of providing the Internet service that customers are already paying for in the advertised rates. If Netflix priced its video service this way, the company would advertise one price and then charge an extra fee for "streaming infrastructure" or something similar.
