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PIEBALDconsult wrote: That brings to mind that if you build cars that don't have collisions
The article didn't say that, it said people wouldn't die or have injuries. We've substantially changed the car design to significantly reduce both, while only slightly reducing the wrecks. They also seem to be designing to reduce fender-benders instead of significant wreck reduction.
It's interesting how times change. Looking at old movies, I cringe at the cigs being pulled out left and right and jumping into the car's boxed cabin with no seatbelts.
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fglenn wrote: I just read that Microsoft is shutting down R&D in a number of departments
The Robotics group got cut...shame really, that is an area that is just taking off....
Ken
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Link or it didn't happen.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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Ah. I've got a couple of Insiders to catch up on, so I hadn't seen it.
I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!
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Where can anyone point to the fantastic results of Microsoft's R&D? Where are the wonderful new technologies, solutions, and products that have come from Microsoft that last several years?
.......
Why the new XYZ language that Microsoft R&D spearheaded is just fantastic! It puts all other programming languages to shame! And it's taking the programming world by storm! And their new operating system, Windows That Work, is a whole new generation and wonderful paradigm that sets the standard for the new generation of operating systems! And their new tablet! It's wonderful! It redefines computer use for the 21st century! They just can't make enough of them! And the BrowserX project! It replaced old fashioned HTML and CSS with their new XYZ language blows away the old web browsers and replaces it with a stunning and intuitive new application experience that is seamless across their new OS and the Internet! What a tour de force!
.......
Oops! Wrong part of the multiverse! Here Microsoft failed and was quickly forgotten. The discontinuance of R&D was just one of the milestones on its way to its inglorious end.
- Grant
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A few months ago, our horse learned not to eat on her own. My wife spent months at the vet helping her to relearn and in the mean time tubing her so she wouldn't starve to death. Not a pleasant situation. Sorry, I can't appreciate the comparison at this time, but I do understand it and would normally appreciate the irony of making self-destructive choices.
In case you are wondering, the ear and mouth paralysis are pretty much gone. She injured herself by fooling around with a feed-door, getting it open, when she pulled back, the door went with her, she tried harder to get away and put a 3 inch deep hole in her head right behind the ear, causing nerve damage.
The good news is that my wife could bring her back to the same place she was injured at and placed third. (We prefer first, and get more than our fair share of those, but considering the situation we're glad she was healthy enough to compete.) Wish I could have been there.
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I just got the latest email regarding price changes.
Are they really now just taking the p... £16.99 a month.
Don't know how this compares to other countries, but there has been a steady rise in the line rental price and struggle to see the justification. More like they keep ramping this element up as a revenue stream to make up for the 'broadband' loss of business to other companies (as they still have to fork out a line rental fee back to bt in the majority of cases).
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Depends what you get for your 16.99. Does that include phone line / just naked broadband or just to have a bit of copper connected to your house and no services?
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That is the base line rental, i.e. the two copper wires back to the cabinet......no services.
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A bit hard to compare. but in NZ we can get
- Naked Unlimited copper Broadband (no Phone) for $NZ79 Month
- Fibre unlimited broadband with phone $NZ89 Month.
There are cheaper plans based on capped data and fibre is not everywhere (being rolled out now in cities and larger towns) and for the likes of me out in the country air, just copper singing birds and the sweet smell of cow pads  .
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Doesn't seem that bad then.
76/19mb unlimited broadband including weekend calls including line rental = 87NZD
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The trend in NZ is slowly moving to naked broadband and no phone. Everyone just texting skyping etc etc. Only people who phone us is parents and marketing twats.
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RossMW wrote: marketing twats.
I don't get them anymore due to the wonder of TrueCall[^] can't think the last time I actually got a marketing or market research call.
I just checked the stats for the service and for the last 12 months:
Description # %
-------------------------------------------------------------
Hung up during screening 657 69.8
Connected 172 18.3
Hung up - no message 35 3.7
Left a message 33 3.5
Hung up during ringing 28 3.0
Picked up at extension 6 0.6
Screened to voicemail - didn't leave message 2 0.2
Screened to voicemail - left a message 2 0.2
Zapped during screening 1 0.1
Rejected - incorrect code 1 0.1
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I only have a mobile phone nowadays as I didn't see the point in having a second phone and phone number. And as my mobile number isn't listed anywhere in the phone book I receive very few spam calls. I created a contact where I configured that this contact doesn't have a ringtone. So if a spammer (lets not differentiate them from the internet plague) call me he just goes to the "Unwanted" contact. Usually after they tried it 2-3 more times (without me noticing the call or disturbing me) they give up.
Only thing that doesn't work are suppressed numbers which I can't block. But if someone calls me more than once with that I cite the law that forbids their call and threaten them with legal action if they don't stop. (At least there actually is a law that prohibits such calls )
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Not defending the telcos - that's about the same as what it costs in Oz
But - seventeen quid a month to maintain the millions of miles of cable on which your two copper wires depend is expensive - and they need that money whether you buy your broadband from them or their competitors.
PooperPig - Coming Soon
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I haven't heard anything about baseline fees going up in the US (which include both the line itself and unlimited local calling); but between cord cutters and people who still have landlines moving more of their long distance talking to cell phones, I know the phone companies are being squeezed by falling revenue, while the dominant cost of service is from maintaining the lines themselves which is mostly fixed regardless of usage.
Here they're talking about shutting down the copper network in a decade or so. The FCC's doing preliminary planning while ATT/VZ are pushing hard for them to speed it up while hoping their copper doesn't completely fall apart before they're allowed to do so. Raising baseline costs significantly to reflect only serving half of all houses instead of almost all of them and that they're no longer able to heavily subsidize wire maintenance from long distance service would be the alternative to an early exit. It's also the option I'd prefer. I suspect the end result would be the same; but steadily rising prices as usage shares plummet would apply gradual pressure to users of legacy systems to migrate which would lead to less raging than a mass booting would.
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, waging all things in the balance of reason?
Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful?
--Zachris Topelius
Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies.
-- Sarah Hoyt
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Ever wonder what Mount Rushmore looks like from the Canadian side? Clickity[^]
Now you know.
New version: WinHeist Version 2.1.0 Beta
Have you ever just looked at someone and knew the wheel was turning but the hamster was dead?
Trying to understand the behavior of some people is like trying to smell the color 9.
I'm not crazy, my reality is just different than yours!
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I always thought they were standing.
BDF
The internet makes dumb people dumber and clever people cleverer.
-- PaulowniaK
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That is funny!!!
I'd rather be phishing!
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Oldie but goodie! 
/ravi
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The picture, or Mike?
Will Rogers never met me.
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/ravi
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Both
Life is like a s**t sandwich; the more bread you have, the less s**t you eat.
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