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Comment What's the problem? (Score 2, Insightful) 41

I don't get it: the code is apparently Open Source. Someone forked it and compiled it into another app with a different name without referring to the source, which is bad but also not what the commotion is about. Come on, "potentially misleading users about what they're actually downloading in the process"?? You mean, like selling "Microsoft Lync" as "Microsoft Skype for Business"? Evil... (not).

Comment Bad translation quality (Score 2) 169

by Knacklappen (#47118917) Attached to: Microsoft Demos Real-Time Translation Over Skype
I am disappointed by the bad quality of the translation to German, both in therms of grammar and words that have dual meaning. This is somewhat usable but not really something I would enjoy using. Also, the German lady spoke very slowly and overly accurate in pronunciation, probably because otherwise the software would fail. Move on, not much to see here...
Moon

Why NASA's New Video Game Misses the Point 205

Posted by Soulskill from the if-only-astronauts-could-rocket-jump dept.
longacre writes "Erik Sofge trudges through NASA's latest free video game, which he finds tedious, uninspiring and misguided. Quoting: 'Moonbase Alpha is a demo, of sorts, for NASA's more ambitious upcoming game, Astronaut: Moon, Mars & Beyond, which will feature more destinations, and hopefully less welding. The European Space Agency is developing a similar game, set on the Jovian Moon, Europa. But Moonbase Alpha proves that as a recruiting campaign, or even as an educational tool, the astronaut simulation game is a lost cause. Unless NASA plans to veer into science fiction and populate its virtual moons, asteroids and planets with hostile species, it's hard to imagine why anyone would want to suffer through another minute of pretending to weld power cables back into place, while thousands of miles away, the most advanced explorers ever built are hurtling toward asteroids and dwarf planets and into the heart of the sun. Even if it was possible to build an astronaut game that's both exciting and realistic, why bother? It will be more than a decade before humans even attempt another trip outside of Earth's orbit. If NASA wants to inspire the next generation of astronauts and engineers, its games should focus on the real winners of the space race — the robots.'"

Comment Re:Piling on (Score 1) 172

by Knacklappen (#31883748) Attached to: Is the Tide Turning On Patents?
Ehhh... some cliff hanger there.

What it should say is that I have come to the conclusion that I for myself will never apply for patents on my own, but as an employee of a major company I need to play by their rules... and that means that I need to apply for patents for their sake.

Comment Re:Just bite the bullet and use ProE or Solidworks (Score 1) 413

by Knacklappen (#30978020) Attached to: FOSS CAD and 3D Modeling Software?
The same question about "fully featured and easy to use" CAD programs were asked when the OScar project started: http://www.theoscarproject.org/

I answered as you did above. People did not want to hear it. I suspect, they never figured out the difference between CAD, CAM, CFD, FEM versus 3D animation modelling packages (Blender, Maya), 2D vector drawing programs (Inkscape) and MS Paint (to be a bit drastic).

The type of high-visibility OS hardware projects seem to attract only day-dreaming non-engineers, which is what repells real engineers even further (because you have to deal with such people at work already, why having them around during your spare time, too?)...

Comment Re:Use the best tools, regardless of license (Score 1) 413

by Knacklappen (#30977970) Attached to: FOSS CAD and 3D Modeling Software?
Exactly!

Otherwise, the OpenLuna project will attract the same kind of day-dreaming non-engineers as the OSCar-project did: http://www.theoscarproject.org/

And it will produce the same results: none.


PS: Actually, I read more or less EXACTLY the same question in the OSCar forum, and the answers were scaring. People were recommending Blender, Inkscape, and the like. They uttered phrases like "using CAD instead of CFD". Jeezus...

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