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Comment Re:Investment (Score 1) 31

Not as servantss. Like the image recapthca, this is probably part of Google's effort to collect massive data on variations in human speech so that their speech recognition software can work better. Maybe one day, Google can sell this tech so that governments can ID someone just by voice alone. Google is now a bigger threat than Microsoft ever was.

Comment Re:Don't like the science? Wait a few years (Score 1) 216

The 'breakfast is the most important meal" was a marketing propaganda by breakfast cereal companies. Stuffing yourself in the morning with high carb cereals leads to obesity especially kids who eat sweetened cereals. Eat when you are hungry and in moderation. There is no need to religiously eat at certain times of day. This is an artifact of the Industrial Revolution where you only had time to eat before work and during the official lunchtime. Cut out the high carb foods and sugary drinks and you'll find it is easier to control your diet. Eat more protein and fats so that you'll feel satiated longer.
Japan

Tokyo To Build 350m Tower Made of Wood (theguardian.com) 108

A skyscraper set to be built in Tokyo will become the world's tallest to be made of wood. From a report: The Japanese wood products company Sumitomo Forestry Co is proposing to build a 350 metre (1,148ft), 70-floor tower to commemorate its 350th anniversary in 2041. Japan's government has long advertised the advantages of wooden buildings, and in 2010 passed a law requiring it be used for all public buildings of three stories or fewer. Sumitomo Forestry said the new building, known as the W350 Project, was an example of "urban development that is kind for humans," with more high-rise architecture made of wood and covered with greenery "making over cities as forests." The new building will be predominantly wooden, with just 10% steel. Its internal framework of columns, beams and braces -- made of a hybrid of the two materials -- will take account of Japan's high rate of seismic activity. The Tokyo-based architecture firm Nikken Sekkei contributed to the design.

Comment This isn't a victory for Behring-Breivik. (Score 3, Insightful) 491

Someone once pointed out that hoping a rapist gets raped in prison isn't a victory for his victim(s), because it somehow gives him what he had coming to him, but it's actually a victory for rape and violence. I wish I could remember who said that, because they are right. The score doesn't go Rapist: 1 World: 1. It goes Rape: 2.

What this man did is unspeakable, and he absolutely deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison. If he needs to be kept away from other prisoners as a safety issue, there are ways to do that without keeping him in solitary confinement, which has been shown conclusively to be profoundly cruel and harmful.

Putting him in solitary confinement, as a punitive measure, is not a victory for the good people in the world. It's a victory for inhumane treatment of human beings. This ruling is, in my opinion, very good and very strong for human rights, *precisely* because it was brought by such a despicable and horrible person. It affirms that all of us have basic human rights, even the absolute worst of us on this planet.

Technology

New Smartphone Camera Could Tell You What Things Are Made of 78

Zothecula writes How would you like to be able to know the chemical composition of something, just by taking a snapshot or video of it with your smartphone? You may eventually be able to, thanks to a compact hyperspectral imaging camera being developed at Tel Aviv University. "Hyperspectral imaging involves scanning light spectra not visible to the human eye, in order to identify the unique electromagnetic 'fingerprints' of various substances and processes. While this can already be done with larger cameras, a team led by Tel Aviv's Prof. David Mendlovic is developing a much smaller optical component that could conceivably be built into a smartphone. It utilizes MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) technology, and is reportedly 'suitable for mass production and compatible with standard smartphone camera designs.'"

Comment It's called "Risk Management" (Score 2) 515

We put cameras in places where risk is high -- banks, retail stores, convenience stores, ATMs, etc., etc., are all being recorded and we don't complain about them, because the risk of corruption and crime is very high.

Police officers are at high risk for corruption, and they always have been. Their personal opinion of someone can be used to punish that person physically, emotionally, and financially. It's not too much to ask that their actions as employees be more closely monitored.

User Journal

Journal Journal: According to my records...

It has been well over a year since I looked at Slashdot.

I see that some of my friends are still writing journal entries. Want them to know I'm still alive. :-)

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