Forgot your password?

+ - LHC, CERN has found the hugs boson-> 2

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes "In a ground-breaking announcement issued today, CERN, the European Organization of Nuclear Research (which hosts the enormous and magnificent Large Hardon Collider) has announced the discovery of the hugs boson, an unexpected gauge boson, which was not predicted by the Standard Model. Noteworthy, the discovery was made by a high-school student during his scolarship. Due to his age, it is not clear whether he can be awarded the Nobel Prize. However, his teacher has generously agreed to be awarded in his name, in case of any problems."
Link to Original Source

+ - New Google Gmail Motion Interpretation->

Submitted by
PB8 writes "You were wondering what teh Google would offer for a suitable First of April technological innovation? Gmail Motion will utilize your webcam, read your body language and gestures interpreting them as Gmail commands through Google's spatial software. American Sign Language (ASL) is but one dialect Motion will understand. Apparently even sports referee gestures will be handled. Be sure to check out the product manager's video introducing it. This innovation will also available for Google Docs. Microsoft's Bing and MSN are again caught flatfooted against the jaugernaut of Google."
Link to Original Source

+ - iPad-Wielding Watson Outsmarts Fry On Qi-> 1

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes "Geek god Stephen Fry beaten in a Turing-esque iPad-fuelled face-off with IBM’s new super-duper computer

Following its appeareance on US quiz show Jeopardy, IBM’s Watson computer has reportedly achieved the far harder task of being “quite interesting” in a forthcoming episode of Stephen Fry’s Qi series on BBC 2, according to rumours.

The IBM showpiece was an obvious contender for the “I” series of the cult show, due to shoot in May, and filming of its episode was brought forward to fit Watson’s schedule. During the show, the machine passed a version of the famous Turing test that measures not just artificial intelligence but also interestingness."

Link to Original Source

Comment: the real reason... platform holders. (Score 1) 389

by AndyboyH (#29228191) Attached to: Why Is It So Difficult To Allow Cross-Platform Play?

The implementation of cross platform wouldn't be out of the realms of possibility.

However, cross platform integration would definitely be a TRC/TCR/lotcheck breaker. Failing them means no platform holder approval, which means your game isn't coming out until you fix the non-compliance, and your development budget is pissed down the drain if you don't fix it.

Rare even managed it with a DS 360 implementation for Viva Pinata - however I think despite their 'late in the day' talk, that the real reason is it was shot down fairly quickly (I'd guess probably by Nintendo rather than MSFT...)


Comment: Re:What's up with England? (Score 4, Insightful) 287

by AndyboyH (#27132029) Attached to: UK Government Wants To Kill Net Neutrality In EU

We can't vote for the other team when the government won't call an election or referendum.

The opinion polls indicated (at least, last time I heard the stats) that the ruling party, Labour would be out in the next election, after some disastrous local elections (alas these local elections don't really have a great deal of influence on national politics) so they have nothing to win by calling for an election now - they'll just keep holding off as long as they can get away with it.

Promised referendums for EU membership and adoption of EU treaties regularly don't happen, simply because the government has it's own agenda, as you can see by the original topic.

Grassroots politics and small parties have no power in government to control, and even the typical sanity check of any new legislation having to go through the House of Lords has been neutered now that any law can be passed by the house of commons using the Parliament Act.

Another problem is that a lot of the UK populace really have no interest in politics - voter apathy is high, and polling booth turnout is low compared to a lot of places (iirc). This is pathetically the opposite of any major TV 'create a star/pop band/etc' phone vote, which receive millions of votes each week. They have no real understanding of the modern issues that are being raised in Parliament, and tend to vote based on how they were brought up (as far as I've witnessed) - so a person from working class background will vote Labour, and a middle-class background will vote Tory.

The general populace also doesn't understand the insidious nature of half the laws the government is passing, and whenever they're questioned by the vocal minority, the government uses the old 'think of the children' or 'be afraid of the terrorists' line and the law is passed anyway.

It really is making me totally sick of living in this country. The last time I posted my opinion on /. an ex-armed forces guy even agreed with me about leaving the country - and this was a person in the service of the UK who would have been expected to risk their life for their country!

Comment: Re:CCTV in schools (Score 1) 214

by AndyboyH (#27089875) Attached to: UK School Introduces Facial Recognition

At one of the schools my fiancee did supply work at, they had CCTV in the staff room. Not because they were worried about the staff's behavior - but because in the past few years several students had went into the staff room to assault the teachers.

The students didn't want to be there, and had very little intention of doing anything after leaving school except working the dole system for their own gain.

Comment: Re:unbelievable. uk is practically a rascist count (Score 1) 262

by AndyboyH (#27052153) Attached to: UK Government Wants To Bypass Data Protection Act

Does that reflect a diverse and meritocratic society?

No. In the day and age that the Magna Carta was created, did they have a diverse and Meritocratic society? No.

In modern day America, they still teach the constitution, despite the fact when it was freshly penned, black people were seen as nothing more than slaves. Does that make it any less relevant to teach? No.

Children should be educated about their freedoms. If that means teaching them modern law rather than the Magna Carta, so be it. Either way, they should be able to know enough to see what the rest of us do: the government is taking away their rights, slowly, steadily, and via the back door.

Comment: Re:unbelievable. uk is practically a fascist count (Score 1) 262

by AndyboyH (#27052027) Attached to: UK Government Wants To Bypass Data Protection Act

As I recall, the final vestiges of the original Magna Carta was also formally repealed in the 19th Century, as laws had obviously, evolved in time, to keep up with the evolution of the populace and the country's standing.

The original creators probably never envisaged that that document would last to such an extent and be enshrined in so many government's law, and judging the contents of a document that is (iirc) over 500 years old against the present day situation is bound to present such quandries.

My point remains though: regardless of the initial intent of the Magna Carta - the general populace of the UK is more interested in what's going on on TV than learning and understanding about their rights and freedoms.


by AndyboyH (#27048933) Attached to: UK Government Wants To Bypass Data Protection Act

I think this may come as a shock to US /. readers.

Unlike your schooling system, which (as I understand it) teaches the constitution, the amendments and so on - and engrains the whole spirit of 'the government should fear their people', the UK has none of this.

The Magna Carta is not taught as part of UK National Curriculum. (It may be taught in private schools, but as another poster observed - the upper class that can afford private schools are the ones enlightened enough to fight this... The ignorant masses can't afford those schools and so aren't.)

The youth of the UK have no education about the document that arguably started the concept of human rights and personal freedoms, the same document the government is wiping it's feet on on a practically daily basis.

I'm trying not to sound like some old bastard (I'm only 25) but their only interest is celebrity scandal and gossip. Their parents are much the same.

It's why I keep getting the feeling that I should leave the country and move elsewhere. What I want for me and my family (i.e. freedom, interest in the country and the community) is not what the general populace of the UK consider important (i.e. the next big brother/pop idol/dancing on ice winner).

Comment: Re:Ubuntu (Score 1) 466

by AndyboyH (#26979919) Attached to: Which Distro For an Eee PC?

I like the netbook remix, but I'm on a 701, so I guess it's better for those with smaller screen sizes?

Either way, I'd also recommend easy peasy - it's really an excellent distro, and far better than the default install.

I just hope they start rolling in some of the changes from intel's moblin work so the eee can boot quicker. That's my only annoyance with ubuntu so far...

Comment: Re:Early? (Score 4, Informative) 140

by AndyboyH (#26900293) Attached to: Early <em>Killzone 2</em> Reviews Looking Good

EDGE (a magazine which has been going rapidly downhill for the past few years)

Personally, I wouldn't agree with that. Edge provides solid reviews, and they actually use the full review spectrum (i.e. if a game's crap, it gets a 1 or 2, not a negative write up and a 6)

While Edge is sorely missing someone of the calibre of Mr Biffo in their columns section, and their gaming comic, Crashlander is trash, they're the only review that I (as a dev in the industry) actually want to read (although Eurogamer's reviews are starting to become equally as credible, although sometimes they're still a little too easily distracted)

Having read the review in question, I can also understand exactly why it is lower than the average. The game seems to be competant and pretty, but not anything 'great' in terms of gameplay or pushing the FPS genre forward. Which sounds like 7/10 to me.

Comment: Re:The Plan (Score 1) 317

by AndyboyH (#26872955) Attached to: Drug Giant Pledges Cheap Medicine For World's Poor

How about:
Step 1. Go to so-called "poor country."
Step 2. Buy 10,000 units of drug X at 25% of its cost in the US/Canada/Europe.
Step 3. Give away 5,000 units of drug X to the people that need them, for free.
Step 4. Sell 5,000 units of drug X in US/Canada/Europe at 50% of its normal Drug X cost (i.e. at twice the price you paid)
Step 5. ???
Step 6. No profit, just karma!

Comment: Re:They're already out in some places. (Score 1) 151

by AndyboyH (#26825385) Attached to: UK Cinemas Get 3D Projection Rollout

I suspect like most attendees, I was watching more for novelty than for content. A film about a gas mask wearing murderous miner doesn't exactly scream quality and production values.

But when the initial 'early adopter' phase passes - the falling attendances (and reduction on RoI) should mean that they'll need to either up the quality and produce movies that are both as sound in writing and acting as they are in visual trickery, or adopt a new trick.
