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Comment Re:How is it for insturments? (Score 1) 99

... if it were, they'd be making top plates out of titanium or something

There are pianos, violins and guitars made today with carbon fibre tops and soundboards. They are more efficient resonators, so these instruments are usually more responsive and effectively louder than those employing spruce (or pine, cedar etc). But musicians playing traditional instruments are a conservative lot (understandably so, habit being at the core of instrumental skill), and most seem to favour the 'warm' character of a plank of wood over the high-tech appearance of woven carbon.

Comment Re:Mental illness is nothing to be joking about (Score 1) 165

"If the physical universe ceased to exist, would the rules of chess remain the same?"

The answer is "yes". Because the rules are metaphysical, not physical.

The answer is "no". Because there is nothing left, there is no record of any rules left, therefore there are no rules.

Your "solution" to the question postulates that something is there which will keep a record of the rules. A mistake common with people who have yet to come to fully accept their own mortality.

Windows

Happy 30th Birthday, Windows! 249

v3rgEz writes: And what a ride it's been. Today marks the 30th anniversary since the debut of Windows 1.01, the first commercial release of Windows. At the time, it was derided as being slow, buggy, and clunky, but since then ... Well, it looks a lot better. .The Verge has a pictorial history of Windows through the years. What's your fondest memory of Bill Gates Blue Screen-of-death that could?
Privacy

Edward Snowden Promotes Global Treaty To Curtail Surveillance 110

An anonymous reader writes: In a video appearance, Edward Snowden said domestic digital spying on ordinary citizens is an international threat that will only be slowed with measures like a proposed international treaty declaring privacy a basic human right. "This is not a problem exclusive to the United States.... This is a global problem that affects all of us. What's happening here happens in France, it happens in the U.K., it happens in every country, every place, to every person," he said.
Twitter

FBI: Retweeting a Terrorist's Tweet Could Land You In Trouble 112

An anonymous reader writes: Twitter has become a valuable tool for U.S. law enforcement agencies in their fight against terrorism. It's been used as evidence in trials, it's provided useful intelligence, and it has helped them figure out who is involved with these groups. But ACLU lawyer Lee Rowland is trying to make sure they don't take it too far. In April, a 30-year-old man was charged with providing "material support" to the Islamic State. The FBI's probably cause? He retweeted some of the group's tweets. FBI director James Comey says a person's intent is the heart of the issue: "Knowing it was wrong, you provided material support for a terrorist organization or some other offense. That is the bulwark against prosecuting someone for having an idea or having an interest. You have to manifest a criminal intent to further the aims prohibited by the statute." Rowland points out the obvious First Amendment concerns. He adds, "... there's also the question of intent there: repeating speech is not automatically an endorsement. ... So a RT alone is certainly not an endorsement and in many situations may be a criticism of the original speaker, and that's particularly true with terrorism, because I believe many people may believe terrorism is self-evidently immoral."
Google

Google+ Photos To Shut Down August 1 153

An anonymous reader writes: Now that Google Photos exists separately from Google+, the company is shutting down the Google+ version of Photos starting on August 1. The Android version will be the first to go, followed shortly thereafter by the iOS and web versions. Fortune calls the old Photos app "a relic of the times when the search giant thought its social network Google Plus could become a huge hit."
Microsoft

New Leaked Build Is Evidence That Windows 10 Will Be Ready By July 29 302

Ammalgam writes: A new pre-released build of Microsoft's latest Operating System Windows 10 leaked to the internet today. The build (10151) shows a more refined and significantly faster user interface than previous versions of the product. Microsoft seem to be focused on last minute refinements of the UI at this point and the product looks almost ready for prime time. A picture gallery of Windows 10 build 10151 can be found here.

Comment Re:It's not an interest for Microsoft either (Score 1) 143

Has there ever been a backdoor in Windows or other Microsoft products? No.

Yes, there have indeed been numerous opportunities to get complete access to Windows systems from outside. It appears that you simply prefer not to call them backdoors -- perhaps "vulnerabilites" is the first word to come to your mind. The difference is intent, and that is impossible to judge.

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