Posts by Fred 4
72 posts • joined Friday 12th June 2009 14:50 GMT
Re: Us2them
probably for the best.....
Re: Gravity Propagation Question
c
if our Sun exploded the moment you read this. It will take ~8 minutes for the gravitational change to reach us.
Re: Relativity --the non existent theory.
manfrommars??
unless...
you can't go back in time past the first existence of the time machine.
TM created in June 5th 2050.
on June 6th 2050 you can go back to June 5th, but no further.
Re: Stupid question
see this video - at about 50 secs. (sorry I haven't figured out how to link to a specific time)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsytnJ_pSf8
the effect on your 100 million mile long rod would about the same, except it would take a bit longer to propigate.
Missing the forest for the trees
all of this talk about Office 365, Google Docs, and other cloud services -
is missing a very important issue -
THERE IS NO EXPECTATION OF PRIVACY
with any cloud based service. If you (collective you) are a Gov't, or business putting your daily correspondence and business documents in a cloud service is ASKING for trouble. Gov't (inter agency as well) spying*, competitor spying*, police spying*.
This is not to mention the issue of directed adverts, looking at you Google
* spying - in this instance, reading copying documents/information that the originator did not intend to for the 'spy' to see/read/have.
Posted in Any storm in a port
Re: Also, Ethernet sockets & USB ports...
>USB, despite its poor design in terms of plug orientation and power, is though pretty damn good and the closest thing we've ever had in terms of one-port-to-rule-them-all.
at the risk of starting an Flame war -
USB has not ever been the 'one-port-to-rule-them-all' -- actually Firewire was/is.
with 5w of power, you can run 3.5" hard drives - without external power - you can daisy chain devices, I forget the length but I think it was 16 devices.
it is faster at data transfer then USB 1 or 2 (for sustained transfer).
oh yes... I almost forgot, a plug/port which only fits in, in one direction -- even though it still often takes 3 tries :)
Upon opening the link to this story...
the first article & picture in the (right) sidebar is the 'US Condom rules' article and the associated scrunched up face - which is perfectly fitting for THIS article :)
Re: Falling into a black hole.
>Do the math
That is fairly difficult math, as most calculations involving black holes resolve to various infinities...
>you would enter into the dimension of time and all eternity would have to pass by before even one atom of your existence could penetrate the event horizon.
This is not entirely true.
Black holes evaporate. Hawking radiation.
Depending on the size of the black hole, the time to complete evaporation might be a week or two, or 10^1000 years, this time scales according to the cubed mass of the black hole. :)
But, the black hole can evaporate. When/as it does 'you' would not exit, but particles which might have been you could. However, as far as we can tell there is no way to know for sure as the information seems to be lost.
For reference <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawking_radiation>
and for the math adverse, I apologize, have an ale or 3.
encrypted?
according to article, as I read it, the DL site was encrypted. How did the bot even 'see' the content??
This whole 'Clovis first' thing has been hogwash for years:
excerpt from a 2004 article:
"Topper is the oldest radiocarbon dated site in North America," Goodyear says. "However, other early sites in Brazil and Chile, as well as a site in Oklahoma also suggest that humans were in the Western Hemisphere as early as 30,000 years ago to perhaps 60,000."
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/11/041118104010.htm>
excerpt from another article, talking about cave/rock art:
"It shows that about 11,000 years ago, there was already a very diverse manifestation of rock art in South America, so probably man arrived in the Americas much earlier than normally is accepted," Neves said.
<http://www.livescience.com/18602-horny-man-rock-carving-giant-phallus.html>
again 1 more excerpt:
What are the artifacts and ecofacts from Monte Verde?...[snip]...
An even bigger problem was the radiocarbon dates placing the site at over 13,500 years oldø older than nearly all the North American evidence and a millennium before Clovis. A much earlier layer that even Dillehay was unwilling to consider a cultural zone, but could have been, was dated to between about 33,000-34,000 years ago.
warning - very long -
<http://www.indiana.edu/~arch/saa/matrix/saa/saa_mod02.html>
So... we have multiple sites across the America's showing human habitation Long before Clovis. So why was Clovis still considered to be "First"???
Re: Next week in the register: Apple to support colour monitors!
as has been said already - the update manager already does all of this -
What I **hope** is meant is that the computer admin can authorize the update engine to INSTALL the update(s) without requiring an admin to actually touch the machine each time. Again, as already suggested, ala Windows update.
As for Server push... this is nice feature IF :
- you have extra $ for extra equipment (a server computer and OS)
- you have a server (and the requisit hardware) for EACH version of the OS you want to push. I.E. OS X 10.6 server wont push OS x 10.7, and vise versa.
where I am working currently, I have the following versions of Macintosh OSes running:
- OS 9 - software to operate equipment, cant upgrade, vendor has not provided updated sotware
- 10.3 - software to operate equipment, cant upgrade, vendor has not provided updated software
- 10.4 - software to operate equipment, cant upgrade, vendor has not provided updated software
- 10.6 - current machines
- 10.7 - newest machines, have problems with software that wont run, see above re:vendors
Re: KeePass is your friend
and so can google, and anyone else
I dont see anyone mentionng
that Apple did not design the game. Some 3rd party iOS developer designed the game, built the game, setup the in app purchase process etc etc etc.
All Apple - probably - did was make sure that the application did NOT do things like get out of its sandbox, collect/send personal data where it shouldn't, and of course make sure that Apple got it's piece of any in game sales.
Nowhere in the article or in these comments do I see anyone pointing at the developer and saying - shame on you - here is *your* class action suit. In the comments there are some vague references to the developer but not specifically, just generically.
Par-runt is just trying to get $ for free (aka lottery winnings)
Flames because Im sure I get a few....
Posted in WTF is... UltraViolet
All of this handwringing is missing another point
that of who is watching *What* you watch??
So... Big Brother wants to see who is a likely threat, real or imagined... scans UV content list looking for (for example) those who own/watch 'V for Vendetta'. Or any version of '1984', or 'Brazil', or 'Animal Farm'..........
Those are obvious, what about "soft porn" - 'Videodrome'
The list and reasons go on and on and on...
This doesn't mention the data that will be sold to various advertisers...
This whole UV concept is a Fail.
If you think I should be wearing a Tinfoil hat then fine - come aback and re-read this comment 3 or 4 years after UV goes live.
BTW - totally of topic - why is it 'Tin foil' hat, when tin is not used for foil any more??
Paris - because she is the only person I can think of who would be fool enough to fall for this.
@Hunched back assistant
or at least to make sure that they get the right brain! Abby.... Abby something..... :)
I can think of one OTHER use for this tech
there is a design for an interplanetary/interstellar drive called a Daedelus drive - see :
Lucifer's Hammer, Niven & Pournelle also see : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_pulse_propulsion
But in both of these instances, the propulsion was fission - however, hydrogen is plentiful in the universe in general, and a pulsed FUSION drive might be a workable concept, at our current level of technology. Sort of a mix between a Bussard Ramjet (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bussard_ramjet) and Daedelus drive.
btw - just to complete the sci-fi references :)
Tau Zero, Pol Anderson - is an interesting story about the use of a Bussard ramjet
icon for obvious reasons :)
Re: I deleted all my previous post
far simpler -
JUST DONT US THE SHYTE!
and NO - I dont have a facebook, linkedin, myspace or any other social media account.
Posted in Asteroid could SMASH INTO EARTH in 2040
This ones a small practice target
140 meters - it is big enough to warrant intervention, but small enough that we can try various things - including a nuke - to deflect/destroy it.
A nuke, or other destruction type attempt wont be such a bad thing - at 140 meters - it will break up into smaller pieces all having the same (sum total) kinetic energy of the whole, but even the biggest piece would likely burn up, or only cause minor damage.
of course if we manage to deflect it that would be best from a 'lets see if we can do this, for when a bigger one comes along' point of view.
And since it seems that US has taken it upon themselves to impose their laws world wide, then by al means it should the US that does this.
now - back to reality programming....
the UN will take this matter up, and by around the year 2050 have come up with a solution that will make everyone (and no one) happy, with an expected implementation time of about 10 years. In the mean time, the rock will have hit, set off a good sized tsunami, and wiped 200-300 million people from the world.
Closeness... too close for comfort??
a supernova releases a LOT of high energy photons... 7400 light years is not that far, galatically speaking.
What is the chance that the radiation is of sufficient quantity to damage our living quarters (Earth)?
> path out of the galaxy,
ummm think you mean
.... out of the solar system...
the galaxy is bit larger, and will take a bit more time for either of the voyagers to leave.
Not taking sides here - but -
>“As the invention seems, at least at first, to offend against the generally accepted laws of physics and established theories, the disclosure should be detailed enough to prove to a skilled person conversant with mainstream science and technology that the invention is indeed feasible..."
so-- a person with a 2nd grade education, through what ever means, invents a device that does something. S/he has no idea how the device works, from a physics or any other 'learned profession'. Yet the device does work, and it does do what the inventor says. Does this mean he cant patent it? as he cant explain how it works??
for a simple example:
meat goes in here -> I turn this handle -> sausage comes out there ->
it is possible, has happened in the past, will probably happen in the future, person wants to do something, doesnt know "Its Not Possible", through trial & error, and blind luck, they actually *do* the 'impossible'. After which the theorists come in look at said device and figure out how it happened.
This will get lost.... but....
F- it all
ALL phones have GPS (or similar) in them - you may not be able to get access to it, but it is there.
If the phone/fondleslab is move more then - I chose 10mph/16kph, pick a slow speed number - the device no longer communicates - EXCEPT FOR EMERGENCY calls.
There - done.
For those that complain - what about......
what the F did they do before cell phones - do the same thing now... wait!!!
icon - for the firestorm that is sure to follow - if this is read..
consumers will be able to give a one-time consent -
at the time of service signup - in the terms and conditions on page 435 paragraph 97.
Netflix : Hi, thank you for calling netflix support. My name is <fill in your favorite Indian name>. How can I help you?
You : I want to turn off the 'share video history' option.
Netflix : Oh you didnt want to share your netflix movie history with everyone in the bleedin world?!?!?! I am sorry, you can not opt out, once you have opted in you cannot opt out.
You : Please cancel my account.
Netflix : You want to cancel your account??
no problem, you no longer have to pay us a monthly service charge, and you will have to return "Douglas does The Cowbooys" before the account closure will take effect. However this will not stop your history from being shared to every 'friend' we skimmed from your facebook account. Nor will this stop our access to your facebook account. Nor will this action stop your video history (and all other personal data we have) from being sold and sold and sold yet again.
Have nice day.
<sounds of phone call - or email or chat>
Facebook : Hi thanks for contacting Facebook support. My Name is <same person from above>, how can I help you.
You : Hi there, I would like to delete my facebook account.
Facebook : You cant do that. Thank you for your inquiry <click>.
Seems appropriate...
No Working Head, just as the carrier's name sake, and progeny.
Let me be the first to say...
.. at least for this article...
They Don't Make them Like They Used too....
Mines the one with the Clovis point in the pocket :)
HOw I deal with a lot of this - prevention
how do you do prevention?
simple -
Lock the bloody directories into which the various pieces mentioned in the article are written.
(mac, safari)
for example: the directory to which Flash writes its various files is locked. The browser CAN NOT write to it. The site works, as all the information is kept in the browser. Upon exiting the bowser - there is nothing left.
Posted in BT gets 14 days to block Newzbin2
Im not sure...
from reading the article -
Is this decision from a High court? (in the US it would be the Supreme Court), or is this some local constabulary court making this decision??
in other words, is there an appeal possible by BT?
158kg - a very large person...
Well, in this season's First Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens Football (U.S. football).
The Ravens fielded an Offensive Tackle - <something> McKinnie who the announcers claimed showed up at training camp at 400lbs or about 181.4 kg or 42.95 jubs, and took the field at 372lbs or 168.7 kg or 39.94 jubs -- at 6 feet 8 inches, 2 meters, or 14.5 linguine.
He is indeed a VERY large person, and out weighs the falling debris by a bit. :)
Posted in Shuttered SETI reboots ET pursuit
@Invasion
c is a speed limit.
That doesnt mean that there are not ways to effectively move about trans-luminally.
I am not saying these methods exist, or even if they do that a living creature can survive but...
- Star Trek's concept of 'warping' space - the ships dont travel faster than light, they shorten the distance to be traveled.
- inter/trans dimensional transport - 'hyperspace', it might be possible given String Theory is correct, to 'open' one of the extra dimensions and traverse it, then return to some (to us 3D'ers) very far location, having traveled 'faster then light'.
Posted in Videogames caused riots says plod
The root cause?
the same one that is going to fuel similar activity in the US -
MASSIVE disparity in income and wealth ownership, coupled with the existing and future economic failure.
The prols revolting against the corp-tocracy
What about radio
Jupiter , outside of Sol, is the largest radio emitter in our solar system. Why not have a power system that turns the radio emissions into power? either as a main or secondary power source.
Also Jupiter has a quite large magnetic field (partially responsible for the radio noise) you have a metallic object circling through it - cant you generate a few watts that way too?
now where is that lightening bolt icon.....
Not necessarily so
some ideas, on time travel speculate that time travel into the past, before the time travel device was created, is not possible.
So, if on 1/1/2012 a time travel device is created, no one could come back to today and see, first hand, what is happening.
As to the article, As may have been mentioned elsewhere, while the speed limit for an object with mass is c , when the object "reaches" c the mass of the object has increased to a point where it is infinite, and hence needs infinite power to accelerate. Which is why c is the limit.
That said, there are no restrictions on APPARENT FTL travel.
For example the concept used in Star Trek's various Warp drives - they do not allow the ships to travel faster then c, they warp space bringing 2 distant points closer together, then the ship travels the now shorter distance normally.
Other hypothetical options would be:
- "hyperspace" - basically moving through a different dimension allowing the effect of FTL. This would be similar to a being able to move in 3 dimensions, to a citizen of a 2 dimensional world. Start here, disappear, reappear there.
- worm holes - similar to warp drives, a shortcut across a vast distance - ignoring getting crushed by gravity.
@Col and others
im in the US, but doesnt the UK have "Quite cars", where you are not supposed to talk on the cell phone or have your music device blasting?
if that is the case, then there is ALREADY a demand for this - no cell phone use on public transit.
Additionally, it seems to me that we (as race) managed just fine when there were NO cell phones, and even on occasion managed to !! OMG !! talk one another - in person -
on a personal note - if your in my car - as a passenger, you'd better have the politeness to talk to me and not your phone, else youll be doing a LOT of walking. I know when im a passenger in a private vehicle, I talk to the other person (people) and not to my cell phone.
Maybe you find it quite OK to have your passenger(s) blabbing away to the misses, or mistress or dominatrix...
Proof of my concept
I have been saying (although no one wants to listen) that all phones (at least in the US) and smart phones, regardless of country of use, can use location information to determine how fast they are moving.
From this information - movement rate - they can, should IMHO, stop ALL out going and incoming calls and texts, excepting emergency numbers, when they are moving above some predetermined speed - I usually suggest 10 mph/16 kph.
You do this - and there is no longer an issue with driving while talking or worse driving while texting.
This application, is proof that my concept is completely implementable.
of course it wont happen, as dead people make better news stories then, "no one crashed or was killed today because some Fukwit was texting while driving"
Flames for the followups this is sure to get......
For $2.2 billion...
according to Wikianswers :
<http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_did_the_launch_of_the_Hubble_Space_Telescope_cost>
$2.2 Bilion, even with the cost of maintenance etc only $4.4 Billion (US billion - 10^9) is nothing for the returns.
The first day of the Lybian invasion, alone, cost nearly $250 million (112 tomahawks @ $2mil each). One year of the Iraq (or Afghanistani) wars would provide 100 of these, with full support for 21 years...
what a waste...
probably too late to be seen...
I have a Mac 512k (that is the model stuffed between the original 128k (and those numbers refer to RAM in the computer) and the Mac Plus. THe case still had the signatures of the deisgn team embedded on the interior of the case.
This oldie has an external, SERIAL port connected, hard drive which was called "HD-20".
A 20 megabyte hard drive that connected via the serial port (and had a pass through so you could put an external 400k floppy drive on the Mac too). Access times were in the 1500 millisecond range.
All of this still works :)
Doesnt work as promised
Problem: no insulin producing cells (beta cells)
Question: why?
Answers:
1 - type 1 diabetes
2 - pancreatic cancer
3 - severe pancreatitis
re - #1 - Type 1 diabetes is an auto-immune system failure. The person's own immune system is/has attacked the insulin producing cells - killing them. Producing more cells from testes or else where from the same person results in - guess what - more auto immune system based destruction of Beta cells. ergo - sooner ( more likely) or later no more beta cells -- again.
re #2 - well.... the only time in which the teste based replacement therapy might be useful would be when the pancreas was removed, other wise the cancer is likely to spread to the 'new' pancreas.
re#3 - this is one place where it will be useful. The lab I work in is doing an experimental therapy, for patient's who's pancreas is being removed. We take the removed pancreas, remove and isolate the beta cells, then re-inject them into the patient into the liver. Where they function normally. However, this is a stop gap measure, as eventually they will all die off; as there are no more pancreatatic stem cells (no pancreas) there is no renewal of the beta cells. So... when they die they are gone.
This new therapy could be very useful here. Although, I suspect that root cause of the original pancreatitis will return and damage the new organ.
Tethering?
in the States, dont have a clue about the writer's side of the Pond, you can get USB 3G and 4G(?) "dongles" which give you an internet connection via cell service. I dont know what sort of speeds these provide, but they should be stable.
The adverts ive seen put the cost at (depending on company) 50-60 USD/month
Posted in US may disable all in-car mobile phones
As Ive said before
to stop cell phone usage while driving :
(in the US ALL call phones have GPS or similar - required for emergency call location)
Since this is ALREADY THERE - take advantage of it.
If the phone is moving at move then 10 mph (16kph) it shuts itself downNo incoming no out going calls/text etc. With the exception of emergency calls.
NO new tech, no jammer, just a firmware/software update. - Done
look ones moving....
Famous last words??
complete buggery!
if this had been done by an individual they would be getting years to life.
58,000 child images, from web cameras in laptops - this were most likely in the users bedroom.
There is surely at least 1 (if not many more) "inappropriate" images.
As the trouser snakes that perpetrate idiot rules and regs say : "... think of the children..."
prosecute them ALL -
Minimally fire them ALL
my view summarized by others
1 - "A corrupt society has many laws."
- Tacitus, Roman Senator
2 - We are both atheists. When you recognize why you have rejected the multitude of other possible gods, you will understand why I have rejected yours.
- unknown
how much of the air space do I have rights too??
over my land of course....
Its Duck Season!
Its Wabbit Season@!
Its Duck Season!
.
.
.
Shoot 'em now, Doc. Shoot 'em now!
<Bang>
Oops! Thought it was duck 8 )
Penguin - closest thing to a duck available... Where is our Warner Bros Icon :)
Posted in Council's school-snoop-op ruled illegal
laws...
@ Dr Ellen and Timemaster :
"A corrupt society has many laws."
- Tacitus, Roman Senator
if it works as well...
as their carpet cleaner then there are going to be some badly injured "warfighters" out there.
iRobot roomba - didnt make 3 months, replacement made < 2 months. I gave up - it still drive around -just doesnt do anything - kinda like I expect this thing will do.
Posted in MS Office for Mac 2011 out in October
Alternatives
iWork - $39 (usd) when purchased with a computer at education store, $79 straight retail
open office - free
either one is as good as or better than MS's ribbon encrusted piece of shyte
and what about...
the situation where a plugin becomes 'old' (what is that 3 weeks?)
and there is no replacement?
What about the image laws
isnt it illegal to take and distribute images of unclothed minors??
Why isnt Google being prosecuted?
Wouldnt you be prosecuted if *you* took that image and posted on the internet?
where to now?
from here - there is no place to go -
Mars is too small - even if Solar warming got it to a reasonable temperature, it cant hold a decent atmosphere.
Jupiter... too big, too much gravity. Too much stuff (atmosphere) as well.
One of the moons? maybe - but they are all small too, same problem as Mars, cant hold an atmosphere.
Titan? - it would be the next & last step, in this solar system. However, it is so far out, that Solar warming, and Saturian reflection would not be enough heat. At least not until Sol becomes a red giant - something like 1.5 billion years. I fear it will be a little too late by then.
The only other option would be vary hard. Build a planet. There is the rubble in the astroid belt. Mars, Luna, Phobos, and Deimos. Combined, there might be enough mass to hold decent atmosphere.
But my first observation on this idea is : We cant even plug a leak in an oil well......
So... save this one, or give up.
as National Lampoon so nicely put it :
With all its hopes, Dreams, promises, and urban renewal,
The World continues to deteriorate.
Give up !
You are a Fluke of the universe...
You have no right to be here...
Whether you can hear it or not,
the universe is laughing behind your back...
Deteriorata (http://www.leoslyrics.com/listlyrics.php?hid=Povn1cnfgfw%3D)
Pirates because - if we move, we'll have to watch out for Space Pirates :)
