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1,262,304,000,000,000 times the speed of light | 101 comments | Create New Account
Comments belong to whoever posts them. Please notify us of inappropriate comments.
Man Arrested Near Reigate,
Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, August 10 2012 @ 07:58 PM EDT
in possession of a rubber knife. - Script by Milligan and Sellers.
I s'pose the plods were walking on those Tour de France carpet tacks.

Guardian

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

"Computer implemented inventions": Déjà moo
Authored by: ailuromancy on Friday, August 10 2012 @ 10:43 PM EDT

Newspick link: I hate linking to tripe.

According to the worst patent lawyers in Europe, you cannot patent software per se. Their excuse for that diversion is that you can only buy an invalid software patent in Europe if you call it a "computer implemented invention". These are the exact words used in Europe to justify granting software patents despite the law being abundantly clear that software is not patentable.

I agree that the debate should not be about whether software should be patentable (Every programmer has already said no, go away). There are a couple of excellent areas for debate:

  • Why have we not already obliterated the entire patent system as it no longer serves any constructive purpose at all?
  • Why have patent trolls not been sent to prison for racketeering?

If American pantent lawyers follow the example of Europe, you can expect and emergency directive legalising software patents to be put before the department of fish and voted on without discussion. I mean it - that is exactly what happened here. The article says that it is a forgon conclusion that software patents per se softwareware patent per computer implemented invention would be legalised. With hindsight we know that programmers all over Europe wrote complaints to their MEPs. So many alterations were proposed and voted on that most MEPs could not tell if the revised directive was for or against software patents. The directive was not passed, and a new directive on software patents computer implemented inventions is being discussed in secret in the hope that an agreement can be reached and signed off without the voters hearing about it.

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

1,262,304,000,000,000 times the speed of light
Authored by: Anonymous on Saturday, August 11 2012 @ 04:41 AM EDT
Fly through the Largest-Ever 3D Map of the Universe at 1,262,304,000,000,000
times the speed of light.

The top comment on YouTube gives a "VERY rough" estimation of the
relative speed of the camera's point of view.

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

Open Source for the Space Age
Authored by: JamesK on Saturday, August 11 2012 @ 02:39 PM EDT
Several years ago, while browsing through the CD-ROM section of a book store, I
came across a CD full of software from NASA, right on the same shelf as Linux
distros etc. So, this is nothing new, other than an easier method to access
it.



---
The following program contains immature subject matter. Viewer discretion is
advised.

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

VP of Global Good
Authored by: artp on Saturday, August 11 2012 @ 05:51 PM EDT

From the article on Nathan Myhrvold and Intellectual Ventures:

My gripe with this kind of so-called philanthropy is that the choice of what to put our effort into concentrates in the hands of the few. If those with all that money had started out with a more basic "Global Good" of treating their fellow man fairly, then they would not have needed to amass that kind of wealth, and we wouldn't be talking about this.

Spreading philanthropy out would even out the choices of what gets spent and what gets funded. Overall, there would be a slight drop in giving percentage from multi- billionaires to middle-class. But that might be offset by the fact that the middle class would have more money to give, also.

Billion dollar philanthropy requires first that a robber baron strip wealth from the common man.

---
Userfriendly on WGA server outage:
When you're chained to an oar you don't think you should go down when the galley sinks ?

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

News Pick Apple sought $30 per smartphone, $40 per tablet in royalties from Samsung
Authored by: dio gratia on Saturday, August 11 2012 @ 08:44 PM EDT

If you were to read Apple sought $30 per smartphone, $40 per tablet in royalties from Samsung, follow the link to the original AllThingsD story ( Apple Offered to License its Patents to Samsung for $30 Per Smartphone, $40 Per Tablet), read the evidence item available on Sc ribd you'd find something interesting missing from the presentation. Specificity, as in a list of patents comprising the patent portfolio being offered for license.

Two things come to mind. The first that Apple hasn't placed Samsung on notice of infringement, at least by this item of evidence. Second, the lack of specificity is so reminiscent of Microsoft it's eerie.

Also notice on Page 4, the slide entitled "...but Advanced Mobile Computing Devices are different" where in the first bullet point:

  • Software creates the largest share of product value
and fourth bullet point:
  • Software has always been at the heart of Apple's business and intellectual property portfolio
And contrast this with the meme 'software per se isn't patent eligible' being parroted on both sides of the Atlantic currently.

I'm so reminded of a quote from a movie inspired by an L. Frank Baum novel, " Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain".

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

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