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Comment Re:funny how everyone 'wants' your phone # (Score 1) 185

Phone number is how SuperCuts (the hair cutting chain in my part of the woods) identifies people. They ask for my number and first name (I guess to differentiate me from my son). With that, they know my preference in cut and stuff like that.

Not a particularly bad idea, since you need some sort of semi-unique identification if you want to have persistent records.

Comment Militia? (Score 2) 1591

Quick question about the Second Amendment:

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Has the U.S. ever assembled a militia? How would a militia be different from a national draft? Would gun ownership in the U.S. trump any ethical or religious objection to joining a militia?

From Wikipedia:

a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service.

It seems that a militia is more of an emergency task force. Perhaps something like this would fall under FEMA rather than the military?

Comment Re:And what does it solve exactly? (Score 3) 1591

At least this is action that is in the right direction.

Why do we have to respond to acts already occurred in the state? Should we wait for a mass shooting with an assault rifle in New York before a ban on them?

I can understand going into the problems of the bill, and ways to fix the problems. But saying we shouldn't ban assault weapons because they haven't caused any deaths in the state as of yet isn't a good reason.

After all, no Sarin gas deaths in New York (to the best of my knowledge). Should that be legal for private citizens' use?

Comment Re:Books (Score 1) 465

You have to buy them used without DRM

Big difference.

Even though you can buy kindle books without DRM, the fact that some of them have DRM poisons the well.

Now, if you want to lend someone an e-book, you have to think about whether it has DRM or not. If it was a physical book that doesn't enter into the equation.

Comment Re:How is this gasping news (Score 1) 443

Absolutely.

20 years ago I took my dad's car out for a joy ride. Brakes gave out and I almost smashed the car. Learned my lesson and have been a responsible driver ever since.

Do I still go over the speed limit. Absolutely. But not recklessly so.

Now I'm an upstanding, tax paying member of society rather than an x-convict for a reckless driving incident.

Comment What I'm doing: (Score 1) 307

I have a 6 year old son and a 9 year old daughter.

My NAS device exposes 4 folders: TV, Movies, Children's TV, Children's Movies.

In the only room the kids are allowed to watch unsupervised, the XBMC only has the children's 2 folders installed. In the family room and master bedroom everything's available (and the kids are always supervised in these rooms).

None of the computers hooked up to the TVs have keyboards or mice attached. The kids are allowed to control their XBMC using the iPad or old iPhone that runs the free XBMC remote application. (To keep costs down, their XBMC runs raspbmc on a Raspberry PI.) In our bedroom and family room we use a universal remote.

I suppose when the kids are old enough to mess with the configurations of the XBMC, I may need to be more careful. Though at that point, messing with the system would be considered a punishable offence.

Comment Re:Nothing to celebrate if it's true (Score 1) 476

It may be that Google crunched the numbers and figured it really wasn't worth it to create a YouTube app.

Perhaps they figure that:
1 - There's always the mobile version of the website.
2 - WP8 people are already "lost" to them. (Once you go over to the dark side, there's no coming back...)
3 - If they're obligated to create a Windows Phone 8 version, they may feel that they're obligated to create versions for any old phone OS that comes along (ie: Blackberry).
4 - Payback really is a bitch
5 - It's a bit of leverage. Don't give something away that you can use to negotiate later on.
6 - App development costs money. If they feel no one's going to buy WP8, why bother?
7 - No one complained that there wasn't a WP7 version of the app. Why would WP8 be any different?

Comment A cheaper Mindstorm (Score 1) 425

As others have said, Lego's had kits for decades. I was jealous of my cousin's off-road buggy kit from the mid 70s.

What I would like are less expensive computer-programmable and remote-activated pieces so that I can make those same buggies from the 70s but be able to control them via remote (or even via my phone with wifi!). Maybe to do a demolition derby sort of setup with my kids.

Comment Re:Time (Score 3, Insightful) 211

How about a project the two of you can do together. Maybe wire a room for inbuilt speakers, add a video projector that hangs off the ceiling and a screen on a remote control and you've got a home theater. Throw in an XBMC system and a way to automatically rip DVDs and serve it off the network, with a universal remote control. Then add a TV tuner card, movie chairs, etc. Lots of things that can be done piece-meal but with a goal in sight.

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