Comment Artists' right to choose (Score 1) 148
Please, someone think about the artists' right to choose the rights associated with the rights associated with their work.
Comment Re:Hack (Score 5, Interesting) 170
Mod parent up. A company I used to work for used Earthlink as their provider for everything (web, email, ISP). I pretty much had to take on the IT admin role there. They had lost all of their passwords and logins. I could not believe how easy it was for me to take control of everything in ONE DAY without even getting my boss on the phone with the support guy at Earthlink. Security at Earthlink is a joke. The support people there seem to choose one piece of your information at random to verify that you are the account holder. They will often ask you to tell them your password over the phone and other similar nonsense.
Comment Re:WTF (Score 1) 709
I'm not. There's no reason why there shouldn't be toplessness on American TV as seen on European TV. I routinely what Euro TV and I'm amazed how much is blurred by the FCC censors. Instead we get to see Jack Bauer slitting people's throats which is far more harmful than a naked chest.
I really don't mean to nitpick, but the FCC does not actually censor anything. The process works like this; a broadcaster in the us is not allowed to broadcast pornographic material, or they will face harsh fines, which are levied by the FCC, assuming someone actually bothers to report the questionable material. Once reported the five FCC commissioners (all political appointees) then decide if the material was fit to be viewed by the public in the context that it was broadcast. If they decide it was unfit, they issue a fine. Broadcasters are forced to censor their own material, at cost.
If a tv station thought that they would be fined for a Jack Bauer throat slit scene, they could play it safe and blur it.
The End Of Gravity As a Fundamental Force 650
An anonymous reader writes "At a symposium at the Dutch Spinoza-instituut on 8 December, 2009, string theorist Erik Verlinde introduced a theory that derives Newton's classical mechanics. In his theory, gravity exists because of a difference in concentration of information in the empty space between two masses and its surroundings. He does not consider gravity as fundamental, but as an emergent phenomenon that arises from a deeper microscopic reality. A relativistic extension of his argument leads directly to Einstein's equations." Here are two blog entries discussing Verlinde's proposal in somewhat more accessible terms.
Update: 01/12 04:48 GMT by KD : Dr. Verlinde has put up a blog post explaining in simpler terms the logic of the gravity from entropy paper. He introduces it with: "Because the logic of the paper is being misrepresented in some reports, I add here some clarifications."
Update: 01/12 04:48 GMT by KD : Dr. Verlinde has put up a blog post explaining in simpler terms the logic of the gravity from entropy paper. He introduces it with: "Because the logic of the paper is being misrepresented in some reports, I add here some clarifications."
What Do You Do When Printers Cost Less Than Ink? 970
An anonymous reader writes "A family member recently asked me to pick up more ink for her Epson Photo RX 595. Unfortunately, replacing the black and color ink cartridges costs $81.92 + tax at the local store! That's so bad that I got a replacement printer that's just as good, and spare ink, for less. But now I have a useless piece of e-waste that I can't even give away. What can you do with a printer like that? I hate to just throw it away."
Comment AMX and Crestron (Score 1) 409
I've been built many systems based on AMX and Crestron platforms. They are pretty much state of the art as far as I know. They are expensive, but if you know what to look for you can find some cheap second hand controllers on the online auction sites.
One drawback is that both of these systems require knowledge of their proprietary languages and protocols. There is another company called Aurora that makes the WACI series of controllers that are more standards compliant, but I have never built a system using their controllers.
One drawback is that both of these systems require knowledge of their proprietary languages and protocols. There is another company called Aurora that makes the WACI series of controllers that are more standards compliant, but I have never built a system using their controllers.
What is the Current State of Home Automation? 409
StonyCreekBare writes "What do people have to say about the current state of Home Automation software? Preferably Linux based, but mainly the field in general, and principally the DIY flavors as opposed to the upscale turnkey systems. I am familiar with Misterhouse, HomeSeer and Automated Living's HAL2000, all of which have serious flaws and weaknesses, but which sometimes succeed well in specific areas. But in all cases, the state of the art seems to have moved little in the last decade. Is any interesting work being done in this space? Or should I just grab one of the three and try to mold it to fit my vision of what it should be? Misterhouse at least is open source so I can add new features, but it has not had an update in a long long time and seems to be missing some modern stuff. The other two are expensive and closed source, and from all I can see, quite flawed, not the least by their dependence on intimate ties to Microsoft. Yet they seem to offer a lot more than Misterhouse despite their weaknesses. Is the Home Automation field as bleak as it appears? Or have I missed the forest for the trees?" What home automation projects have people tackled? Any examples of wild success or failure?
Comment Re:Old Style Meters (Score 1) 863
Hmm...anyone got $84 in quarters?
Comment Re:Race Condition? (Score 2, Informative) 863
They write you a ticket. You send in your ticket with your a copy of your parking reciept. This system is used in many parking lots on the Metro North here.
Mixed Conclusions About Powerline Networking vs. Ham Radio 343
Barence writes "Since writing about the success he's had with powerline networking, a number of readers emailed PC Pro's Paul Ockendon to castigate him for recommending these products, such as HomePlug. They were all amateur radio enthusiasts, claiming the products affect their hobby in much the same way that urban lighting affects amateur astronomers, but rather than causing light pollution they claim powerline networking causes radio pollution in the HF band (otherwise known as shortwave). Paul's follow-up feature, 'Does powerline networking nuke radio hams?' documents his investigation into these claims, which found evidence to support both sides of an intriguing debate."
Comment Just started using DirSyncPro... (Score 1) 421
DirSyncPro is FOSS, I just started using it a few months ago, and I love it. My company now uses it to keep our two programmers synced(sp?) to the server. Works great, I hope they package it better for MS soon, there is no installer yet, just an executable.
Comment Re:useful energy is not free (Score 1) 404
Homer: [scoffs] I know. And this perpetual motion machine she made today is a joke! It just keeps going faster and faster...Lisa! Get in here.
[Lisa walks in, chuckling nervously]
In this house, we obey the laws of thermodynamics!
Comment Who is in control? (Score 1) 252
Maybe I'm nuts, but I worry about the possibility of the wrong person gaining control of a military network containing killer robots. It's not a new problem or anything, but if lots of these things are deployed, then you just know security will be less stringent in some situations than others.
Comment Re:The dirty way (Score 1) 695
There's a dirty, and illegal way to do it.
First, if you follow these instructions, remember this KEY STEP TURN OFF THE MAIN SWITCH. Also, NEVER turn that main switch on if the generator is running. Finally, the main switch MUST be double throw.
Forget to follow these instructions, and you can very easily kill a lineman or blow up your generator.
Anyways, you just need a three pronged dryer plug, 2 of them, and sufficient length of heavy gauge wire. You create an illegal male - male 3 pronged plug, and connect your generator socket into the 3 pronged plug in your house used for the clothes dryer.
The reason it is illegal is because this form of installation does not prevent you from connecting your generator to the wiring outside your house. If you left the main switch on, you can energize the dead lines outside with 12,000 volts and kill a lineman.
The advantage? As long as the main switch is double throw, and you don't turn it on when the generator is connected, it is pretty safe. And cheap : a double throw switch and circuit box is $200-$500, while this method can be done for $10.
I'm pretty sure the lineman would be killed with 120vac, no?
Comment Re:Frame rate (Score 1) 603
Most HDTVs will scan double the standard def signal. It makes standard def channels look better on a HDTV when you compare it to an older tv.
