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Comment Love for tech, and of course the challenge. (Score 1) 153

I have been fiddling with computers since I was a kid. Always pushing the envelope one step further. My first 'hack' was networking DOS over a serial cable in '93. I was so excited to pipe files through and not to have to use them floppies anymore. Years down the road, I was probing ports on 'major servers'. Lead a hacking group and I can say we had a good run before we moved on from the "sport". Some returned, and some are wanting to drag me back into it. Well no need to talk of methods, these days all you need is a VM and a few guides to get you started. What's really surprising is that security, on the defense hasn't really caught up given how accessible hacking knowledge is now days... and how easy it actually is to test and develop through VMs. Breaking out of VMs is also another fun thing to do, maybe I should get into that when... (wheeen?) there is more free time. In any case, hacking is a time-intensive sport ;)

Comment Opera was great... till v12 (Score 5, Insightful) 181

Been an Opera user since '98. Not die hard, but I always had Opera running in conjunction with other browsers. For a time solo, and now back to using FF, and Chrome (which is what the new Opera really is, minus the extensions - so what's the point?). It was a great browser because it was like an swiss army knife - one that is highly configurable WITHOUT the need for any extensions. Couldn't agree more with the ex-Opera dev. Sadly, they've decided to kill it. I'll keep an eye on Otter browser and keep using v 12 as my research / search and rescue - browser.

Comment Old news in South Korea, 2006, 2011 (Score 1) 514

Samsung has another model as well http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_SGR-A1 some silly video likely of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oa08Gbn6iqs Static terminators, so far! Another manufacturer Video: http://www.reuters.com/video/2011/02/14/south-korean-super-gun-packs-hi-tech-kil?videoId=187406842 Transcript: " It's called the Super Aegis 2 and its one of the most advanced weapons systems ever built. Billed by its manufacturers DoDaam of South Korea as a "Total Security Solution", the Super Aegis is an automated turret system that supports a variety of weapons, from a standard machine-gun to a surface-to-air missile. It is designed to repel an attacker from up to 3 kilometres away, using sophisticated thermal imaging software and camera systems to lock onto a human-sized target even in the dead of night. The system requires no human presence. It's all operated robotically from a distant control room. DoDaam Systems Vice-President Park Sung-ho says the high-tech weapon could become an integral component in South Korea's ongoing military face-off with North Korea across the heavily armed Demilitarised Zone. SOUNDBITE: DODAAM SYSTEMS VICE PRESIDENT PARK SUNG-HO SAYING (Korean): "We have certain circumstance where North and South Korea are confronting each other and currently soldiers are operating a lot of military equipment. If the job can be replaced by non-human guarding and monitoring robots, it could reduce the number of labour forces and military forces. And it could also reduce human losses under real combat situations." Super aEgis 2 detects objects with two cameras: a low-light camera and a thermal imaging camera which senses body temperature. A laser range finder and gyroscopic stabiliser keep the weapon steady in high winds. SOUNDBITE: DODAAM SYSTEMS VICE PRESIDENT PARK SUNG-HO SAYING (Korean): "Super aEgis 2 is a guarding, monitoring combat robot composed of a video part and a shooting part. The video part consists of a day and night colour camera, thermal camera, and Laser range finder which measures the distance. The shooting part consists of a section that uses the incoming image from the video part to detect the object and to destroy it." It's not yet clear though, whether the Super aEgis 2 will be deployed along the border. The 60 year old Armistice Agreement between North and South Korea specifies limits for the weapons each side can point at one another. The super gun's presence may never be known, unless or until it starts firing. Tara Cleary, Reuters."

Comment Training up your shooting skill. (Score 1) 551

Some make the case that they prefer natural shooting, and I would too. But this is a good way to train a shooter. Considering wind speed, direction and a lot of variables. You can easily mod this to be used as "training wheels" for shooters. The army and police trainers could really benefit from this. I had to use the paper and bare sights training route... Wouldn't mind getting a better understanding of trajectories through this. Someone make a hacked firmware already... ;)

Comment Why not join with PPAU? (Score 2) 52

In terms of principles and values Wikileaks has a lot in common with the Pirate Party and the Australian chapter ( http://pirateparty.org.au/ ). I see no reason in making yet another party. Unless they just want to capitalize on name recognition. I guess that's probably the sole reason - ro re-invent that wheel (pirate wheel: http://falkvinge.net/pirate-wheel/ ).

Comment Thanks CmdrTaco (Score 1) 1521

For the site and resources/time you devoted into the community. It has been and is a good way to keep up with news and to get a BS-filter discussion going most of the time. I'm sure you'll still be involved somehow. Let's head-hunt for the next 'care-taker' of /.

Comment Alright, I know how to be now. (Score 1) 473

I would never suggest to anyone to change who they are just to find a date. That would be losing all integrity, and that's not someone I would choose to date. Unless you just want to play the game. Of course there can be a middle ground, but I'd rather find that than abuse this info.

Comment The Witcher 2, after 1 - again leaving a legacy. (Score 1) 166

For such a small game studio (how they started) in Poland - they really managed to impress me with The Witcher 1 (enhanced edition). The quality of the content, storyline and also game play were worthy of a great book. But one you can swing a sword in, flirt with the ladies and form what felt like well emulated human relationships through your character's choices. This move shows that they're getting it right. If anything piracy may increase their reputation and "fanbois" like me -- and I rarely make a stand about a game. I also enjoyed Assassin's Creed 2 etc - but the DRM annoyed the **** out of me. A paying customer. After owning a few ubi titles - I still heavily dislike the firm. Although I am hooked on AC and will be buying the new one as well. I haven't had a chance to touch any time-intensive games due to finishing uni - but this one is on my list. And with one fell swoop CDPROJEKT won even more of my respect.
Medicine

Placebos Work -- Even Without Deception 430

An anonymous reader writes "For most of us, the 'placebo effect' is synonymous with the power of positive thinking; it works because you believe you're taking a real drug. But a new study rattles this assumption. Researchers at Harvard Medical School's Osher Research Center and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center have found that placebos work even when administered without the seemingly requisite deception. The study was published on December 22 in PLoS ONE."

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