Viewing profile — wattsbaat

fyi, you can also use !v to search youtube via ddg ('v' for video)

I remember reading a similar article about Linus Torvalds (saying no to the inclusion of much code in the Linux kernel codebase). The gist of the article was that he spends much mo…

Many amputees can still move the muscles/surface at end of their limb. So they put a sensor and then try to make an intuitive map of those skin/muscle movements to the bionic arm m…

Except instead of two computer programs, it will be one computer program and one human.

> Also, can you simulate a brain without a body or is say hormones/blood sugar/nervous system not easily separable? Even if those systems are integral to brain function, I'd assume…

IANA astronomer, but I believe that the typical method of planet detection relies on the assumption that planets revolve around stars. They can detect planets by measuring the tiny…

And if the structure is going to be permanent, then using sea water due to a temporary shortage of potable water is going to result in a permanently weak building. I understand tha…

vertr probably saw it when it was at the bottom, but it's been upvoted since. (just a guess.) But he's right. This sort of thoughtful breakdown (bromley's comment) is why I usually…

I understand your skepticism regarding spending extra money, but I do believe that "expensive" can often be "cheap". But it very much depends on your level of usage for the product…

I believe Apple actually filed a patent for a screen with an embedded camera. I don't know how technologically/economically feasible it would be to actually make and integrate into…

Thanks for highlighting that distinction. I guess we can chalk up the lack of prosecution for actual fraud to the incredible power the investment banks have over the political proc…

I agree. Though a bit choppy for me, that was a genuinely beautiful experience, from both a technological and artistic perspective. (running Chrome, but not Canary)

The article makes a good point. There have been no trials (let alone convictions) of bank executives because they probably did not violate any actual laws. Reckless financial risk-…

Doesn't Microsoft pay hardware manufacturers to ship computers with Windows? I thought I heard of this happening with Dell. That seems like a major impediment to Ubuntu's shipping …

On the rare occasion that I scrape a site for a project I'm usually less worried about the legal issues than I am worried that the site will recognize my script hitting them repeat…

Now if only the rulings of the District Court in the Central District of Illinois applied to US federal law. (I'm not a lawyer, and I have no idea how things like that work.) Regar…

This why the recent iPhone location data "scare" doesn't make sense to me. The wireless carriers must have MUCH more extensive location data on a much larger user base. I understan…

> Then the progression stops, and the advice runs out. All your life the entire raison d'etre for you has been The Next Step, but now there is none. You've done it, you've hit the …

At first I was surprised by the extent to which the commenters dissect the issue "Why are beds soft?", but then I read up on the author. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Aaronson…

There's plenty of desert in California.

As a side note, this type of documentation of the physical world should get interesting when paired with projects like Microsoft Photosynth. (I'm sure there are other similar proje…

For the stated example of an adulterous husband on a business trip, you're right. The odds are low of Mrs. James finding it. But since pictures are grouped by physical location ins…