Comment Re:Linux Boot + PRINTER (Score 1) 572
Might be a MMS, they're getting fairly common as a delivery option and smartphones are all but the norm anymore.
Comment Other factors to consider (Score 5, Interesting) 365
How does the lack of pollution from the process compare against that generated from the acquisition of the coal?
Is it possible/practical to convert an existing coal power plant?
Is there an appreciable energy/pollution cost to produce the fine powder coal used in the process?
How much energy is consumed or how much pollution is produced in transporting the coal to the reactor?
Is the process itself efficient in regards to the energy output when compared against the total energy costs?
I'm sure there's a lot of other things that don't spring to mind instantly, but I'm certainly not an expert on any of this. Doubts notwithstanding, this is pretty cool.
Comment Re:Is there a significant secretarial presence her (Score 1) 240
Similar situation here for me, except I am the lone graphics person for a small printing company. I type faster and more accurately than anyone else in the company, but that's not saying much as they all come from an old-school printing background.
One of my favorite things to do now is to look away from the screen and make eye contact as I continue typing out a sentence or paragraph when someone comes up to ask a question. For some reason my coworkers find this unnerving.
Comment Re:Why support proprietary systems? (Score 1) 81
Then the point still stands that you're making a comparison that's not equivalent. I could say that the Nexus 10 has a far superior screen at 300 DPI and higher resolution to the 264 DPI of the Fire 8.9, but this is an irrelevant match-up.
I'll take your posts seriously when you can offer a reasonable match-up, cite data to support it and use adult language to argue your points.
Comment Re:Why support proprietary systems? (Score 1) 81
Yes, but the HD Fire 8.9 is not the Kindle Fire HD - you're comparing apples and oranges. The price points also have a $100 difference, so I'd expect a higher quality screen in the model that costs a third more than the baseline we were using for comparison. Furthermore, despite the increased cost the innards still manage to be inferior to those of the Nexus 7 when it comes to power and there is no GPS.
TL;DR: Your argument "sucks balls" and logically "rapes" itself with faulty comparisons. Good day to you, sir.
Comment Re:Why support proprietary systems? (Score 3, Informative) 81
I've already read through two books on my Nexus 7, so I can tell you from experience it functions just fine as an eReader. I'm not sure what you're getting at in terms of screen differences, because they have identical resolutions (and PPI).. Even the Color Gamut is identical, though the red range is superior on the Nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire HD does better with greens and yellows.
The only real noticable difference between the two screens is factory calibration and range of brightness, and it's minor. You may subconsciously perceive the Fire HD's screen as superior because it as touted as a "media device", but try a head-to-head comparison. You've been bamboozled if you think the Kindle Fire HD is far superior as a display.
Comment Re:Why support proprietary systems? (Score 1) 81
I compared devices thoroughly before purchasing my Nexus 7 and I have to say that I find the screen size just about perfect. It's sharp, responsive and sized at a very convenient format. Plus, as you mentioned the processor is definitely superior.
I could understand wanting to convert an existing device if you already own a Kindle Fire, but if you're buying a new one I think the Nexus 7 is the way to go hands down. The Kindle is essentially a waste of money if you compare what you get between the two devices.
Comment Re:Refreshing (Score 1) 758
Exactly, I've been faced with opposing viewpoints on many occasions that have resulted in changing my own (for the better, in my opinion). The feeling of being wrong is grating, but it's certainly better than staying in denial and looking like an idiot.
Comment Refreshing (Score 5, Insightful) 758
I find this refreshing. If only everyone would take the time to reevaluate their beliefs from time to time we might be so much better off.
New Documents Detail FBI, Bank Crack Down On Occupy Wall Street 584
jvillain writes "The Guardian has up a story detailing the crack down on Occupy Wall Street (OWS). It goes on to show how the FBI, DHS, Terrorist Fusion Centers and the banks all worked together to stifle dissent. From the article: 'This production [of documents], which we believe is just the tip of the iceberg, is a window into the nationwide scope of the FBI's surveillance, monitoring, and reporting on peaceful protesters organizing with the Occupy movement These documents also show these federal agencies functioning as a de facto intelligence arm of Wall Street and Corporate America.' The next question is how many Americans are now listed as part of a 'terrorist group' by the government for their support of OWS?"
How Do YOU Establish a Secure Computing Environment? 314
sneakyimp writes "We've seen increasingly creative ways for bad guys to compromise your system like infected pen drives, computers preloaded with malware, mobile phone apps with malware, and a $300 app that can sniff out your encryption keys. On top of these obvious risks, there are lingering questions about the integrity of common operating systems and cloud computing services. Do Windows, OSX, and Linux have security holes? Does Windows supply a backdoor for the U.S. or other governments? Should you really trust your Linux multiverse repository? Do Google and Apple data mine your private mobile phone data for private information? Does Ubuntu's sharing of my data with Amazon compromise my privacy? Can the U.S. Government seize your cloud data without a warrant? Can McAfee or Kaspersky really be trusted?
Naturally, the question arises of how to establish and maintain an ironclad workstation or laptop for the purpose of handling sensitive information or doing security research. DARPA has approached the problem by awarding a $21.4M contract to Invincea to create a secure version of Android. What should we do if we don't have $21.4M USD? Is it safe to buy a PC from any manufacturer? Is it even safe to buy individual computer components and assemble one's own machine? Or might the motherboard firmware be compromised? What steps can one take to ensure a truly secure computing environment? Is this even possible? Can anyone recommend a through checklist or suggest best practices?"
Comment Re:Interesting (Score 0) 135
ok, I assume that the cost of heating that air at bottom is already calculated in.
No.
Not helpful, AC. You may be correct but you should still cite your source, provide otherwise constructive material for your comment or GTFO.
Using Technology To Make Guns Safer 1013
Hugh Pickens writes writes "Farhad Manjoo writes that there are a number of technologies that gunmakers could add to their products that might prevent hundreds or thousands of deaths per year. One area of active research is known as the 'smart gun' — a trigger-identification system that prevents a gun from being fired by anyone other than its authorized user. Researchers at New Jersey Institute of Technology created a working prototype of a gun that determines whether or not to fire based on a user's 'grip pattern.' Gunmakers have been slow to add other safety technologies as well, including indicators that show whether a gun is loaded, and 'magazine safeties' that prevent weapons from being fired when their ammunition magazine is removed (PDF). That could save 400 lives a year. So why aren't gunmakers making safer guns? Because guns are exempt from most of the consumer safety laws that have improved the rest of American life. The Consumer Product Safety Commission, charged with looking over thousands of different kinds of products, is explicitly prohibited from regulating firearms. In 2005, Congress passed and President George W. Bush signed the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which immunizes gun makers against lawsuits resulting from 'misuse' of the products. If they can't be sued and can't be regulated, gunmakers have no incentive to make smarter guns." Note that gun safety features (not universally loved) like loaded-chamber indicators, grip safeties, and magazine disconnects are constantly evolving and have been available in some form and in various combinations for many decades, so gun makers seem to have some incentive to produce and improve them, and that the PLCAA does not prevent consumer safety lawsuits, but does shield gun makers from suits based on criminal conduct by gun buyers (though imperfectly).
Comment Re:Headers (Score 1) 562
Regardless of whether the beef was minced or not, it could be recovered. The beef could even be smashed into a pulp and still scraped from the bag, the bag itself could be wrung for the juices or inverted and hung to drip if it was watertight. In the analogy, there are options for recovery and definite measurement of quantity to ensure value is achieved.
The problem is that there is no way to verify the accuracy of provided figures from the merchant to ensure that they are measured in a fair and standards-compliant fashion so we know that we're getting what we paid for.
Let's take the beef in adolf's example, but now that beef is invisible (yes, I know this is getting strange - just bear with me). Now, your butcher takes this theoretical beef (bagged, minced, mashed, whole or otherwise) to the back room to measure the weight on an industrial scale kept under lock and key and he expects you to take him on his word that is actually 1,000 pounds of beef. Again, as with adolf's analogy, he has only given you 750 pounds. Many people would not protest, or even notice the difference; it is rather a lot of beef after all. Others might painstakingly take it to a home scale and measure it chunk by chunk, but how many people keep scales for such occasions? How can they be sure that they have all of the beef or that they measured correctly? It is hard to measure invisible beef. Perhaps a meat-enthusiast might dabble in the equipment necessary and have a scale sufficient to measure it in whole, but the butcher does not expect this to be an issue.
In the end, we're left frustrated about a suspected lack of product but an inability to concretely prove it. In short: "Where's the beef?!"
Airlines Face Acute Pilot Shortage 421
Hugh Pickens writes "The WSJ reports that U.S. airlines are facing their most serious pilot shortage since the 1960s. Federal mandates are taking effect that will require all newly hired pilots to have at least 1,500 hours of prior flight experience — six times the current minimum. This raises the cost and time to train new fliers in an era when pay cuts and more-demanding schedules already have made the profession less attractive. Meanwhile, thousands of senior pilots at major airlines soon will start hitting the mandatory retirement age of 65. 'We are about four years from a solution, but we are only about six months away from a problem,' says Bob Reding, recently retired executive vice president of operations at AMR Corp. A study by the University of North Dakota's aviation department indicates major airlines will need to hire 60,000 pilots by 2025 to replace departures and cover expansion over the next eight years. Meanwhile, only 36,000 pilots have passed the Air Transport Pilot exam in the past eight years, which all pilots would have to pass under the Congressionally imposed rules, and there are limits to the ability of airlines, especially the regional carriers, to attract more pilots by raising wages. While the industry's health has improved in recent years, many carriers still operate on thin profit margins, with the airlines sandwiched between rising costs for fuel and unsteady demand from price-sensitive consumers. 'It certainly will result in challenges to maintain quality,' says John Marshall, an independent aviation-safety consultant who spent 26 years in the Air Force before overseeing Delta's safety. 'Regional carriers will be creative and have to take shortcuts' to fill their cockpits."
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