brshock - Slashdot User

Comment I must be from a world in an alternate dimension (Score 1) 135

by brshock on Wednesday October 17, 2012 @05:40PM (#41686639) Attached to: Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos Calls For Governments To End Patent Wars

"We're starting to be in a world where they might start to stifle innovation?"

On my planet -- which coincidentally we also call "Earth" -- patents have long since been stifling innovation, at least in software development. A small company opens its doors, finds a modicum of success, and suddenly a Non-Practicing Entity (what I believe you people call a "patent troll") shows up to claim infringement on an intentionally vague, clearly obvious patent that it managed to purchase. The small company may find it cheaper to pay off the NPE, or may simply go out of business. For giant corporations, this kind of thing is okay and perhaps even a beneficial means of eliminating disruptive upstart competition. But for the small guys (what the economists on your world call "the real job creators"), it's deadly.

Or more to the point: http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20121011/09581320679/dark-patent-troll-rises-now-40-all-patent-litigation.shtml

Comment You seem to have already made up your mind (Score 1) 1223

by brshock on Thursday September 27, 2012 @05:08PM (#41482501) Attached to: Torvalds Uses Profanity To Lambaste Romney Remarks

You ask, effectively, "Is Linus just one isolated foul-mouthed curmudgeon, or are most Linux developers foul-mouthed curmudgeons?" When things go to hell, the person who keeps his head and holds his tongue... is clearly someone who doesn't care or who doesn't understand the import of what's happened. Mitt "The Twit" Romney is one of the most egregious excretions that U.S. politics has ever produced. His policies would be an abomination, if he actually held to them more than two hours at a time. Linus -- and perhaps the Linux community in general -- values facts, at least insofar as they walk up and kick you in the cojones. If it's irresponsible to express serious disappointment over current events gone obviously, horribly wrong, then we need far fewer responsible citizens. And by the way, is that stick as uncomfortable as it looks?

Girls Bugged Teachers' Staff Room 227

Posted by samzenpus on Tuesday August 24, 2010 @12:48PM from the making-the-grade dept.

A pair of enterprising Swedish schoolgirls ended up in court after they were caught bugging their teachers break room. The duo hoped they would hear discussions about upcoming tests and school work, allowing them to get better grades. It worked until one of them decided to brag about it on Facebook, and the authorities were called in. The girls were charged with trespassing and fined 2,000 kronor ($270) each in Stockholm District Court.

Geek Squad Sends Cease-and-Desist Letter To God Squad 357

Posted by samzenpus on Monday August 16, 2010 @10:16AM from the who-would-jesus-sue dept.

An anonymous reader writes "A Wisconsin priest has God on his car but Best Buy's lawyers on his back. Father Luke Strand at the Holy Family Parish in Fond Du Lac says he has received a cease-and-desist letter from the electronics retailer. From the article: 'At issue is Strand's black Volkswagen Beetle with door stickers bearing the name "God Squad" in a logo similar to that of Best Buy's Geek Squad, a group of electronics troubleshooters. Strand told the Fond du Lac Reporter that the car is a creative way to spur discussion and bring his faith to others. Best Buy Co. tells the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that it appreciates what Strand is trying to do, but it's bad precedent to let groups violate its trademarks.'"

Sound As the New Illegal Narcotic? 561

Posted by samzenpus on Thursday July 15, 2010 @12:46PM from the you-ever-see-the-back-of-a-$20-bill-on-sound? dept.

ehrichweiss writes "The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics is warning parents and teachers of a new threat to our children: sounds. Apparently kids are now discovering binaural beats and using them to get 'physiological effects.' The report goes on with everyone suggesting that such aural experiences will act as a gateway to drug usage and even has one student claiming there are 'demons' involved. Anyone who has used one of those light/sound machines knows all about the effects that these sounds will give and to state that they will lead kids to do drugs is nonsense at best. It seems the trend in scaring the citizens with a made-up problem has gone to the next level."

New Evidence Presented For Ancient Fossils In Mars Rocks 91

Posted by Soulskill on Friday May 07, 2010 @05:47PM from the hope-the-protectors-leave-them-alone dept.

azoblue passes along a story in the Washington Post, which begins: "NASA's Mars Meteorite Research Team reopened a 14-year-old controversy on extraterrestrial life last week, reaffirming and offering support for its widely challenged assertion that a 4-billion-year-old meteorite that landed thousands of years ago on Antarctica shows evidence of microscopic life on Mars. In addition to presenting research that they said disproved some of their critics, the scientists reported that additional Martian meteorites appear to house distinct and identifiable microbial fossils that point even more strongly to the existence of life. 'We feel more confident than ever that Mars probably once was, and maybe still is, home to life,' team leader David McKay said at a NASA-sponsored conference on astrobiology."

Japanese Researchers Make Plastic Out of Water 117

Posted by timothy on Friday April 30, 2010 @07:22PM from the what's-kanji-for-boffin? dept.

greenrainbow writes with this excerpt from Inhabit: "The material shown in the picture above is just ice, right? Look again. Elastic water, a new substance invented by researchers at Tokyo University, is a jelly-like substance made up of 95% water along with two grams of clay and a small amount of organic materials. As is, the all-natural substance is perfect for medical procedures, because it's made of water, poses no harm to people, and is perfect for mending tissue. And, if the research team can increase the density of this exciting new substance, it could be used in place of our current oil-based plastics for a host of other things."

Man Put On "No-Fly List" While In Air To NYC 300

Posted by samzenpus on Friday April 23, 2010 @03:24PM from the beware-the-list-refresh dept.

An unnamed man flying from Nigeria to New York City found out he was added to a no-fly list somewhere above the Atlantic Ocean, when the plane stopped to refuel in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Officials won't say what he did or why he was added to the list after he had already boarded a flight. He was not immediately charged with a crime and Customs and Border Protection will only say that he is a "potential person of interest." From the article: "The man, a citizen of Gambia, was not on the no-fly list when he boarded the aircraft in Dakar, Senegal, said a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the issue publicly."

Scientists Turn T-Shirts Into Body Armor 213

Posted by timothy on Saturday April 10, 2010 @08:59PM from the will-stick-with-the-regular-kind-for-now dept.

separsons writes "Scientists at the University of South Carolina recently transformed ordinary T-shirts into bulletproof armor. By splicing cotton with boron, the third hardest material on the planet, scientists created a shirt that was super elastic but also strong enough to deflect bullets. Xiaodong Li, lead researcher on the project, says the same tech may eventually be used to create lightweight, fuel-efficient cars and aircrafts."

How To Find Bad Programmers 359

Posted by samzenpus on Friday April 09, 2010 @12:16PM from the how-little-work-can-you-do-in-a-day dept.

AmberShah writes "The job post is your potential programmer's first impression of your company, so make it count with these offputting features. There are plenty of articles about recruiting great developers, but what if you are only interested in the crappy ones?" I think much of the industry is already following these guidelines.

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