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Comment Re:Tech in education is a scam by textbook publish (Score 1) 305

Well, it can happen that way. OTOH, there is a lot of information out there that is compelling and free. Should you want to teach a section in my field (structural biology) there are thousands of structures to download and free programs for looking at them and evaluating how the proteins/enzymes work. I'd have killed for that access in college/medical school (1970's) much less high school. All you need today is a PC/Mac, an Internet connection and some curiosity.

Comment Re:Terrible Idea (Score 1) 409

From the fine article - I believe the new weapons would be of limited number, and only launched from Vanderburg (as compared to North Dakota). And the Russians (and Chinese?) would have inspection rights at Vandenburg to assure that the warheads were only non-nukes. Indeed, the v of the 1/2 mv ^2 equation would be so enormous for the impact that I don't imagine they need explosives at all. Let the physics to the heavy lifting. As to fighter plane range - there is also planning for the strike with AAA suppression and fighter cover. Call it 24 to 48 hours. With this thing, if you see a rocket on the NK launch pad at breakfast, it is gone by lunchtime.

Comment Simulations (Score 1) 400

Back in the day when computer games were complex simulations, extensive manuals were essential for gameplay - and often brought the flavor of the period to the game. One of the best I can think of was 'Red Baron'. That manual was a fine treatise on the evolution of air warfare in WWI. And then there was SSN688 and the waterfall sonar display. Really interesting to get to understand that thing - and context help wasn't going to cut it. And of course the grand daddy of all manuals was Falcon 4.0. An amazing sim in the midst of a real-time evolving war. Awesome games. Great manuals. Now we get point and shoot.
Linux Business

Can Ubuntu Save Online Banking? 462

CWmike writes with a pointer to this ComputerWorld mention of an interesting application of Live CDs, courtesy of Florida-based regional bank CNL: "Recognizing that most consumers don't want to buy a separate computer for online banking, CNL is seriously considering making available free Ubuntu bootable 'live CD' discs in its branches and by mail. The discs would boot up Linux, run Firefox and be configured to go directly to CNL's Web site. 'Everything you need to do will be sandboxed within that CD,' [CNL CIO Jay McLaughlin] says. That should protect customers from increasingly common drive-by downloads and other vectors for malicious code that may infect and lurk on PCs, waiting to steal the user account names, passwords and challenge questions normally required to access online banking." (But what if someone slips in a stack of doctored disks?)

Comment Re:please, have mercy! (Score 1) 231

actually many of us, beyond a certain age, grew up with the DOS or Apple CLI. Windows, after 3.1, was rather a nice change. But now it and MacOS have grown rather monster like, and want to hide things so as not to spook GrandMa or the CEO. Fortunately LINUX came along about that time to offer an alternative. duke -writing on his xo laptop- out

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... though his invention worked superbly -- his theory was a crock of sewage from beginning to end. -- Vernor Vinge, "The Peace War"

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