andrewducker: (Default)
andrewducker ([personal profile] andrewducker) wrote2018-04-12 12:00 pm
jack: (Default)

FTC: Warranty-voiding language like Nintendo’s and Sony’s is illegal

[personal profile] jack 2018-04-12 01:16 pm (UTC)(link)
This is the sort of thing that makes me realise how *complicated* an economic system is, and how "which choice has more freedom" isn't always obvious. Like, in principle, they could do this with anything. "Buy our car! But you can only buy X brand of coffee for the next five years." That's ridiculous, but it's not immediately obvious that it's wrong. But it is, because companies *can* always leverage one position into advantages in other positions. And if it's a small enough part of buying a car, ALL car sellers will do that, because being the "ethical car seller" isn't profitable enough and people will just put up with it. And "use our parts to maintain a warranty" sounds superficially plausible, but our instinct that it's a bit of a scam are right.
jack: (Default)

Japan team maps ridiculously massive trove of rare earth elements

[personal profile] jack 2018-04-12 01:17 pm (UTC)(link)
I wonder what was translated as "semi-infinite"? I know what they mean, but I'm used to that meaning something else :)
danieldwilliam: (Default)

Re: Japan team maps ridiculously massive trove of rare earth elements

[personal profile] danieldwilliam 2018-04-12 01:48 pm (UTC)(link)
I wonder if the Japanese need any underwater robots to help them mine their semi-infite motherlode of rare earths.
danieldwilliam: (Default)

Re: Japan team maps ridiculously massive trove of rare earth elements

[personal profile] danieldwilliam 2018-04-12 02:48 pm (UTC)(link)
With big mouths.
jack: (Default)

Re: Japan team maps ridiculously massive trove of rare earth elements

[personal profile] jack 2018-04-13 01:31 pm (UTC)(link)
I feel like I'm missing a joke?
jack: (Default)

Re: Japan team maps ridiculously massive trove of rare earth elements

[personal profile] jack 2018-04-13 01:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah, cool! I was trying to figure out what it had to do with infinity :)
danieldwilliam: (Default)

Re: Japan team maps ridiculously massive trove of rare earth elements

[personal profile] danieldwilliam 2018-04-13 01:43 pm (UTC)(link)
The company I work for does software engineering for maritime and subsea robotic control systems and autonomy.

We'd be keen to talk to the subsea mining operation about selling them some software.
jack: (Default)

Re: Japan team maps ridiculously massive trove of rare earth elements

[personal profile] jack 2018-04-13 01:32 pm (UTC)(link)
No, that would be "almost infinite" (which I'd understand as "the time this will last" and "forever" are about equally long from our perspective). It's clearly a 1:2 mapping.
skington: (fail)

[personal profile] skington 2018-04-12 03:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Why would you take a twitter thread and turn it into a series of blurry images‽

Here's the cautionary tale about letting teenagers too smart for their own good write theology without oversight.
elf: Computer chip with location dot (You Are Here)

[personal profile] elf 2018-04-12 11:20 pm (UTC)(link)
I wonder if the EU copyright law people think they're going to get Google to pay a link tax on every search result, instead of getting Google to shut down access in all of Europe - or demand a monthly subscription fee, with the explanation that it's to pay the link taxes.

Or, of course, Google could just remove all European results from their search engine. I'm sure that'd go over well.