I know how much you all hate space exploration, and me, by proxy, for liking it, and that you all think that using bundles bank notes as fuel for stoking fires is a better usage of it than space, and that you all hate space in general, and are committed to preventing any exploration of any kind by anyone into space...

...but here's an article on solar sails anyway.




http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/wor...00618.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikaros

http://gizmodo.com/5584640/create-your-o...e=true&s=i

Some time ago I was thinking about how to make a powerful "map editor" type software much more user friendly (I was thinking this since Warcraft 3, and again when Smash Bros. Brawl's map editor managed to disappoint me). I thought that if a company like Nintendo is ever going to give it's users a lot more power over their maps, they'd need something Nintendo-friendly, so I imagined pre-built blocks of code that appeared to the user as literal building blocks that they snapped together. They'd be color coded depending on which objects one "snapped" into the input and output of them. One could literally pick up a block and "drag" it over various objects on a map to "link" them. If they wanted a timer map trigger, they'd literally just drag in a stop watch item and drop it onto the block over "trigger", that sort of thing. It'd be soft cuddly and powerful.

Google beat me to it... They're awesome.

http://appinventor.googlelabs.com/about/

Just check this out. It's frightening just how closely this matches what I had in mind. Of course it won't be as powerful as a typical programming language, but if users can, after learning a few things, design their own "code blocks" it has potential to BECOME that powerful.

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MEW

Everytime I'm playing a strategy game, and I hit pause to plan an attack or defense, this FUCKING ANNOYING WINDOWS WINDOW OPENS AND IT MINIMIZES MY GAME. TELL ME WHAT IT IS AND HOW I CAN FUCKING OBLITERATE IT.

My new ionizer converts my farts in to fresh clean smelling air. Instantly, it's true I tried it..

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yo. I posted this as an announcement, but it occurred to me that nobody may even see it. So, here we go:

In an effort to preserve server storage space, I've decided to clear out all attachments. Of the roughly 500MB used by the forum, close to half of this is attachments. Many of them are years old.

If you are an admin, please log into the Control Panel. From there, go to the Attachments sidebar, click Search, and then enter your username in the field. Set the number of results high to see them all (default is only 10). This will allow you to view every attachment you've ever uploaded, and give you the opportunity to save anything you wish to preserve. On July 16th, I will delete whatever is left. As such, you guys do not have to delete them yourselves, but feel free to do so if you want.

If you are not an admin, you're probably a mod. ;D

If enough of you guys are interested in viewing and saving attachments, contact me via PM. I will grant temporary (24 hour) admin privileges individually. You can follow the instructions above.

A lot of attachments are in the Comics forum. I won't delete those, so don't worry.

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/...ir-use.ars

This really is an interesting model the US should adopt. Protecting copyright is important, yes, but just as important is protecting consumers from the excesses of DRM schemes, which this goes a long way towards. It also would nullify the worse parts of the DMC act. (For the record, the DMC isn't all bad. The safe-harbor provisions allowing content providers online to not be held accountable for individual user's violations so long as they take reasonable action in removing the content when it is reported. However, even that has the flaw that anyone can report anything, whether they own it or not, and the provider is forced to take all of it equally seriously. Numerous groups are already using it to silence criticism on Youtube, for example.)

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Shrek 4 was very mediocre, but Pixar shows every year that they're still great, and this one was no exception... Toy Story 3 is a very good movie by any standards. It really blew away my expectations... it's got both great action and a real, deep plot. Brilliantly done. I was sad at the end... :(