Comment ...but this was a contest for children! (Score 1) 34
Yeah! And Homer beat their brains out!
Comment Re:Actual video please? (Score 4, Informative) 86
Ah, here it is... linked from within the spaceweather.com link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/19299984@N08/7976507568
Comment Actual video please? (Score 3, Informative) 86
The linked video is to a very cheesy still image montage about comet/asteroid impacts, and only shows this recent Jupiter impact as a still screenshot of the video playing on someone's computer.
Anybody have a better link? At least to a real still of the event?
Comment Re:Recourse (Score 1) 443
In a class action, doesn't the lead plaintiff usually get a real payout if successful? It's just all the other rabble in the class that get coupons.
And yes of course... the lawyers always win.
Comment Re:van Helsing, not Van Helsing (Score 2) 336
And I have no idea of how many times I've seen a web form that will reject last names with a space in it, or if accepting it, puts the first parts of the last name as a middle name.
Here's a link I've had bookmarked for a few years about all the wrong assumptions programmers make about peoples names. (I.e., what not to do if you are building an application where users enter their names.)
Comment Re:They need to quit the lying (Score 1) 149
Mod +10 - Thread Winner. Well said.
Comment Re:Sounds like you need a tech solution (Score 1) 379
How about a computer vision approach? Outfit a few airplanes with a camera system that can pinpoint where the laser is coming from... With a good camera in the system, you might even be able to capture a nice photo of the doofus holding the laser. Then the airline/FAA can notify the police with an address and photo of the culprit.
Comment Crunchy Frog (Score 1) 190
Mr. Hilton: ...and garnished with lark's vomit.
Inspector: LARK'S VOMIT?!
Mr. Hilton: Correct.
Inspector: It doesn't say anything here about Lark's vomit!
Mr. Hilton: Uh, it does at the bottom of the label, after monosodium glutamate.
Inspector: I hardly think that's good enough! I think it would be more appropriate if the box wore a big red label "WARNING: LARK'S VOMIT"!
Inspector: LARK'S VOMIT?!
Mr. Hilton: Correct.
Inspector: It doesn't say anything here about Lark's vomit!
Mr. Hilton: Uh, it does at the bottom of the label, after monosodium glutamate.
Inspector: I hardly think that's good enough! I think it would be more appropriate if the box wore a big red label "WARNING: LARK'S VOMIT"!
Stanford CS101 Adopts JavaScript 255
mikejuk writes "In case further proof were needed that JavaScript shall indeed inherit the earth, we have the news that Stanford has adopted JavaScript to teach CS101 — Introduction to Computing Principles: 'The essential ideas of computing via little phrases of JavaScript code.' You can even try it out for yourself at Stanford's course page."
Top Student Charged With Fixing Grades For Cash 135
alphadogg writes "A Nevada student who gave the opening address at his high school graduation last year has been charged with breaking into his school district's computer system and bumping up his classmates' grades for a fee. Police say Tyler Coyner, 19, was the ringleader in a group of 13 students who have been charged with conspiracy, theft and computer intrusion in connection with the case. Last year, Coyner somehow obtained a password to the Pahrump Valley High School's grade system and, over the course of two semesters, offered to change grades in return for cash payments, police say."
Quadruped CHEETAH Robot To Outrun Any Human 177
cylonlover writes "Robots are faster than humans at a lot of things, but up until now running hasn't been one of them. That is set to change with robotics company Boston Dynamics recently awarded a contract by DARPA to design and build a quadraped CHEETAH robot that is faster than any human. The contract also includes the creation of an agile, bipedal humanoid robot. It's hard to say which one might ultimately be creepier."
Common Traits of the Veteran Unix Admin 592
snydeq writes "Deep End's Paul Venezia offers a field guide to understanding your resident Unix veteran, laying out the nine traits common to this grizzled, hardcore set. From not using sudo, to wielding regular expressions like weapons, to generally assuming the problem resides with whomever is asking the question, each trait is key to 'spotting these rare, beautiful creatures in the wild,' Venezia writes. 'If some of these traits seem anti-social or difficult to understand from a lay perspective, that's because they are. Where others may see intractable, overly difficult methods, we see enlightenment, borne from years of learning, experience, and overall, logic.'"
NASA Releases First 3D Images of the Sun 80
mvar writes "On Feb. 6th, NASA's twin STEREO probes moved into position on opposite sides of the sun, and they are now beaming back uninterrupted images of the entire star—front and back. 'For the first time ever, we can watch solar activity in its full 3-dimensional glory,' says Angelos Vourlidas, a member of the STEREO science team at the Naval Research Lab in Washington, DC. NASA released a 'first light' 3D movie on, naturally, Super Bowl Sunday."
Comment The original video: (Score 5, Informative) 641
Comment Re:User maps... (Score 1) 312
Disclaimer: I work for Google in Geo.
Can you escalate this:
Starting a couple weeks ago, Google maps won't route on a chunk of a major highway in the Chicago suburbs:
I-290 between the Elgin/O'Hare Expressway and I-90 is unroutable.
I reported the problem on the map and got the "You're right, we'll fix it soon" email. But it's still broken.
