Posts by stucs201 1293 publicly visible posts • joined 20 Feb 2010
Given the detection method and how long we've been watching them I assume there is no velocity data. Can we say for sure they're on there own? Or could some be in very long, very eccentric eliptical orbits around their parent star. Such a body might fit well with the 'dark companion' nemesis theory of mass extinctions. Even without them being in orbit how often would we expect one to wander close enough for interesting effects?
Presumably ones that escaped a low mass star might eventually be captured by a higher mass star? A possible explanation for any planets found in a 'backwards' orbit?
True, they might have problems if that one goes wrong. I therefore suggest that they rename it Ranger 3, nickname the pilot 'Buck' and ensure any cockup cryogenically freezes the crew and sends the shuttle into an orbit which returns it to Earth (a little under *) 500 years later.
(* needs to return before the end of the 25th century)
> Except a telephone doesn't involve giving your personal details to, and helping to create content for, a man who views you a dumb fuck and a bitch.
You don't have to hand over much. An email address and a name. The email can be one you only use for facebook and the name doesn't even have to be real provided your friends know what to look for to find you. I'm fairly sure we've both handed over that level of information to The Register...
Everything else is optional, don't enter it, or make stuff up.
> A telephone is also a good business communication tool, and one that many places of work provide you with for internal or external use. The fact that some bosses assume you do the aforementioned unpaid content creation work in your spare time and want to tell them all about your life is a little different.
Business communication tool? I care more about the party/pub invites thanks.
I do agree work shouldn't care about your facebook account though.
> Oh, yes, also Facebook is not a communication medium it is but one use of a thing called the world wide web which, in turn, is a subset of the communication medium called the internet.
But its a bit that some people choose to use to communicate, I find it useful to be able to recieve those communications. I know people could email me even though they've done most of the party invite on facebook, but thats extra hassle for them and excludes me from the discussion which is likely happening on facebook.
Claiming facebook isn't a communication tool because it relies on the internet and the internet has other ways to communicate is like claiming SMS isn't a communication method because it is only one part of a phone which has other ways of contacting people.
That people expect you to have a telephone.
People look at you funnily in social situation when you tell them you haven't got a telephone and people at work think you "odd".
Fact is that people use facebook to communicate. I might prefer not to have to bother with it, but I'd rather have an account than miss out on things. I don't much like phones either, but have one because its useful, I don't expect people to visit or write a letter every time they want to talk to me.
>There will come a time (iPad 3 or 4 timeframe and 20?? for some of the mythical android ones) where the tablet/slate/??? will be able to replace the majority of Laptops
I'll agree with this part. I think for some a laptop is a compromise machine. Not as portable or convinient as a tablet, not such a powerhouse as a high end desktop.
I wonder if we'll see a (slight) shift back to desktops (for when needed), but coupled with a tablet (for when its enough).
Personally I've never bought a laptop, but might get a tablet eventually (but I want HDMI *input* on them first, so I can also use it as a second monitor without needing software)
So in order to develop an algorthym for tracking subs they've programmed a simulation of some subs which try and get away. They're then going to base the tracking method on how players follow these AI subs.
Surely the outcome of this is only going to be as good as the AI used for the sub's evasion tactics?
It'd work better if they'd either put humans in charge of both vehicles or spent the effort put into the sub AI as a first iteration of the tracking AI and then seen how human players tried to evade it.
...would you want a car that came without a steering wheel and pedals just because someone thought they were a bit old-fashioned?
(Beer icon? if you're going to crash your car at least have a cause other than someone moved the brake and you couldn't find it)
I'm not actually surprised. They already messed up the start menu to have an unclear representation cramed in the corner, instead of using the space available like the previous cascading menu did. Can't see why except to fit it on to the titchy screens of tablets. This looks to be more of the same.
The ribbon is a reasonable alternative to the toolbar, but its a lousy replacement for a menu. And it takes up too much space, even on a large display (especially annoying on a two monitor setup, old-school toolbars could be moved to the second display to provide maximum working area).
A Fischer price UI might well be needed for tablets, but some of us still have proper computers and need a proper UI.
...then they might produce something worthwhile. Sure it'd be made out of cheap, creaky (but nearly unbreakable) plastic. It'd also be likely to some with extras that cost very little but added functionality, perhaps TV tuner (with telescopic aerial), HDMI *in*, fold out stand. Maybe even twin SD slots for card-to-card copies :)
Amstrad on a bad day though - oh dear...
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