traviscartwright - Slashdot User

Comment Why a built-in GPS? (Score 1) 169

by traviscartwright on Thursday November 05, 2015 @06:05PM (#50873509) Attached to: Ask Slashdot: Smart Electronics For a Marathoner?

I just ran my 13th marathon last month, and I have never understood the need for all these fancy bells and whistles. Then again, I'm 46 years old, and why don't you get off my lawn?

I run with just a Timex watch (with chronograph) and an iPod Shuffle (with Yurbuds Ironman). Every marathon (and half-marathon) that I have ever run has had mile markers, often with synchronized chronographs. This should be sufficient to recognize if you are falling ahead or behind on your splits.

Most of the time you are going to be training on a familiar path, with known mile markers that can allow you the some convenience. I train either on the running path of my local park, or around the blocks of my neighborhood, and I have these locations well memorized. Laying out a path on Google Earth can help with this.

As far as longevity, the watch will usually last me a good 10-15 years. I did have problem with my iPods dying from sweat exposure, until I also figured out the zip-lock bag method an earlier poster mentioned. I have wanted to try one of the waterproof Shuffles from UnderwaterAudio.com but haven't had the need since using the zip-locks.

Just something to consider. Happy running!

Submission + - Are Mosquitos Becoming More Intelligent? (bbc.co.uk) 1

Submitted by Copper Nikus on Thursday February 21, 2013 @11:04AM

Copper Nikus writes: An article at the BBC makes a shocking claim about mosquitoes. It appears some individual insects in the wild have developed the ability to ignore the very popular DEET repelent after a first exposure. Imagine what misery this will bring to the human race if this trait spreads to the general mosquito population through the process of evolution through natural selection (or through divine intervention if you happen to be a creationist).

FFmpeg Announces High-Performance VP8 Decoder 80

Posted by Soulskill on Saturday July 24, 2010 @09:16AM from the harder-better-faster-stronger dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Three FFmpeg developers — Ronald Bultje, David Conrad, and x264 developer Jason Garrett-Glaser — have written the first independent, free implementation of a VP8 video decoder. Benchmarks show that it's as much as 65% faster than Google's official libvpx. The announcement also gives a taste of what went into the development process, as well as the optimization techniques used. Currently it's only fully optimized on x86, but ARM and PowerPC optimizations are next in line for development."

New Speed Cameras Catch You From Space 351

Posted by samzenpus on Wednesday April 21, 2010 @10:11AM from the no-place-to-run-or-speed dept.

A new kind of speed camera that uses satellites to measure average speed over long distances is being tested in Britain. The "Speedspike" system combines plate reading technology with a global positioning satellite receiver to calculate average speed between any two points in the area being monitored. From the article: "Details of the trials are contained in a House of Commons report. The company said in its evidence that the cameras enabled 'number plate capture in all weather conditions, 24 hours a day.' It also referred to the system's 'low cost' and ease of installation." I can't wait to see the episode of MythBusters where they try to avoid getting a speeding ticket from a satellite.

Disputed Island Disappears Into Sea 460

Posted by samzenpus on Friday March 26, 2010 @10:28AM from the say-hi-to-atlantis dept.

RawJoe writes "India and Bangladesh have argued for almost 30 years over control of a tiny island in the Bay of Bengal. Now rising sea levels have ended the argument for them: the island's gone. From the article: 'New Moore Island, in the Sunderbans, has been completely submerged, said oceanographer Sugata Hazra, a professor at Jadavpur University in Calcutta. Its disappearance has been confirmed by satellite imagery and sea patrols, he said. "What these two countries could not achieve from years of talking, has been resolved by global warming," said Hazra.'"

Scientists Say a Dirty Child Is a Healthy Child 331

Posted by samzenpus on Tuesday November 24, 2009 @07:07PM from the snack-is-going-to-be-on-the-floor-today dept.

Researchers from the School of Medicine at the University of California have shown that the more germs a child is exposed to, the better their immune system in later life. Their study found that keeping a child's skin too clean impaired the skin's ability to heal itself. From the article: "'These germs are actually good for us,' said Professor Richard Gallo, who led the research. Common bacterial species, known as staphylococci, which can cause inflammation when under the skin, are 'good bacteria' when on the surface, where they can reduce inflammation."

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