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Comment Re:buh? (Score 1) 408

Less fanboyish but also along the same lines.

I'm running a MacbBook2,1 the gig of RAM was starting to annoy me until I switched from OS X to Ubuntu and now it feels faster than it did when new plus all the hardware that matters is in good shape. The only problem I have with it is the badly designed top section that holds the k/b and trackpad broke where the separators for the screen hit it, although this is a well used laptop regularly hitting over a month uptime and surviving over eight months on yachts. Theres not much chance of me upgrading hardware anytime soon but when I do it will most likely be another MacBook.
Science

Programmable Quantum Computer Created 132

An anonymous reader writes "A team at NIST (the National Institute of Standards and Technology) used berylium ions, lasers and electrodes to develop a quantum system that performed 160 randomly chosen routines. Other quantum systems to date have only been able to perform single, prescribed tasks. Other researchers say the system could be scaled up. 'The researchers ran each program 900 times. On average, the quantum computer operated accurately 79 percent of the time, the team reported in their paper.'"

Comment Re:Salaries and firing in Uruguay (Score 1) 357

Well... I'm 28, not from the US (South America, maybe that's relevant, is job-hopping as usual in Europe?)

I'm 23 and live in the Uk, I have held six jobs since I was 16 so for me it's pretty common but I have to admit six jobs in seven years is abit much.

I worked in McDonalds for a few years till I was 18, took a techie job at a local highschool, moved to another techie job at a council. For a few years Ive helped another school whenever they had a big job on which although probably not "conventional" has paid me a fair amount and kept me working whilst I got my yachtmaster qualis. I then got bored of the industry and decided to teach sailing so worked for a holiday company in Turkey for 8 months till I got deported.

Then came back to the Uk and took the first job I could find... another highschool techie job. I'm just hoping it's not going to be a vicious cycle.

Comment Already Happening (Score 3, Interesting) 359

I do not really like the idea of mandatory Id cards but on this particular story I have a differing opinion.

Although this is not with ID cards you already need a CRB check to work with children, this uses a photocopy of your passport to check who you are. If Id cards are a safer identifier of a person biometrics and all and if they can be used to instantly give a CRB check (only to appropriate bodys local councils, schools ect)then I have to say it's a great idea.

A person can wait up to six months to get a CRB check at the moment which in most cases means the person cannot start their job if working directly with children or have to be supervised if they work indirectly.

Sources - Personal experiance

Comment Spelling (Score 1) 926

From the site copy and pasted not re-typed. "the absence of similar antifeatures form some of the easiest victories for free software." I am being lazy and hoping someone with edit on that site reads this. It would be nice if the site at least looked professional rather than a hobbyists project.

Comment Re:The times, they are a-changin'... (Score 1) 237

Before I started working in IT I would use a computer for most of my recreational time (see wow). After that I started working in IT and kept up the same usage recreationally which really burnt me out (burnt out 20yo ^^) and ended up jacking the job in to go teach sailing. Whilst doing that I would use a computer for approximately an hour a week and that was mainly to skype my gf. Having had my respite I moved back to the Uk and got another job in IT which means that I spend all day fixing other peoples boxes and when I get home I tend to read a book watch a film or go out with the gf something that takes me away from a screen. Admittedly I do use a computer for about one hour a day at home even now but it's nothing compared to the old eight hour working day then home by six and playing wow till 12.

Comment Re:Database hits gnutella in 3 ... 2.... 1 (Score 3, Informative) 296

Having worked for a local council as an IT Engineer I can state that I had the ability to re-set everyone's log on passwords including people who worked with child services, If Someone left the machine locked but with the db open I could have easily accessed it. The real problem with that was none of the Local council IT staff was required to have a crb check because they weren't working directly with children.

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