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Comment Re:Does it "stay the same" ? (Score 1) 62

by tancque (#40293373) Attached to: DNA Modifications Change As We Age

I concur with your understanding of the text.

In reference thereof: I know that methylation is part of the regulation of gene expression. I just keep wondering if the increased methylation is normal for changed expression-patterns of genes as we switch from growing to maturity. If so, methylation should not be coupled to aging, but to maturing.

Sorry if my english is not up to scratch.

Comment Re:No, the government shouldn't pay. (Score 2, Informative) 222

by tancque (#32070960) Attached to: Should the Gov't Pay For Injured Man's Wii?
I don't agree. The balance board gives you feedback about the exercise. It shows you if you use to much force or warns you if your balance is not correct. If you handle a person a pamphlet, you run the risk of him screwing up the exercise so much he can injure himself. It is not only motivation. An earlier post mentioned that the Wii fit equipment should be paid for by the government, but not the wii itself. That seems to be a good compromise.
PC Games (Games)

Future Ubisoft Games To Require Constant Internet Access 497

Posted by Soulskill from the this-will-go-over-well dept.
Following up on our discussion yesterday of annoying game distribution platforms, Ubisoft has announced the details of their Online Services Platform, which they will use to distribute and administer future PC game releases. The platform will require internet access in order to play installed games, saved games will be stored remotely, and the game you're playing will even pause and try to reconnect if your connection is lost during play. Quoting Rock, Paper, Shotgun: "This seems like such a bizarre, bewildering backward step. Of course we haven't experienced it yet, but based on Ubi’s own description of the system so many concerns arise. Yes, certainly, most people have the internet all the time on their PCs. But not all people. So already a percentage of the audience is lost. Then comes those who own gaming laptops, who now will not be able to play games on trains, buses, in the park, or anywhere they may not be able to find a WiFi connection (something that’s rarely free in the UK, of course – fancy paying the £10/hour in the airport to play your Ubisoft game?). Then there's the day your internet is down, and the engineers can’t come out to fix it until tomorrow. No game for you. Or any of the dozens of other situations when the internet is not available to a player. But further, there are people who do not wish to let a publisher know their private gaming habits. People who do not wish to report in to a company they’ve no affiliation with, nor accountability to, whenever they play a game they’ve legally bought. People who don’t want their save data stored remotely. This new system renders all customers beholden to Ubisoft in perpetuity whenever they buy their games."
Star Wars Prequels

BioWare Targeting Spring 2011 For Star Wars: The Old Republic Launch 82

Posted by Soulskill from the may-the-force-eventually-be-with-you dept.
MTV's Multiplayer blog reports on comments from BioWare employee Sean Dahlberg, which indicate that they are aiming to release the game in spring 2011. He said, "While we have not announced a specific date, we can confirm that we are targeting a spring 2011 release for Star Wars: The Old Republic. We've got a lot of exciting updates and reveals planned throughout 2010, including the first-ever hands-on testing for the game. ... We can't wait to share more about the game with you as we progress through the year, so make sure you stay tuned to the official website for details." Recent posts to the game's developer blog provide details on the Imperial Agent and the Jedi Knight. They also released a video which gives insight into their design process for the Dark Side.

Submission + - Vegetative patients 'still learn' (scienceblog.com)

Submitted by
enigma48
enigma48 writes: "Scientists have found that some individuals in the vegetative and minimally conscious states, despite lacking the means of reporting awareness themselves, can learn and thereby demonstrate at least a partial consciousness. Their findings are reported in today's (20 September) online edition of Nature Neuroscience.

It is the first time that scientists have tested whether patients in vegetative and minimally conscious states can learn. By establishing that they can, it is believed that this simple test will enable practitioners to assess the patient's consciousness without the need of imaging.

The abstract is available in the advance issue of nature here: http://www.nature.com/neuro/journal/vaop/ncurrent/abs/nn.2391.html"

Submission + - MIT's hybrid microchip to overcome silicon size ba (itnews.com.au)

Submitted by
schliz
schliz writes: "MIT researchers have successfully embedded a gallium nitride layer onto silicon to create a hybrid microchip. The method could be further developed to combine other technologies such as spintronics and optoelectronics on a silicon chip. It is expected to be commercialised in a couple of years, and allow manufacturers to keep up with Moore's Law despite today's shrinking devices."

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