Hacker News Reader

easilyBoredon Bill Gates questions worth of space exploration for improving humanity (2013)

Everybody’s got their own priorities. In terms of improving the state of humanity, I don’t see the direct connection. I guess it’s fun, because you shoot rockets up in the air. But it’s not an area that I’ll be putting money into

That' the beauty of it, a lot of rich people with their own ideas and priorities. The world problems existed even before the rich started spending on space exploration, and likely we'll have problems for millions of years.

This quote from Interstellar is thought provoking: "we're not meant to save to earth, we're meant to leave it"

easilyBoredon China's $1T Plan to Shake Up the Economic Order

None of that matters. China is spending hundreds of billions to "support" several countries. In reality to own those countries and to bring business back to China. In corrupt countries about 10-20% of the total is going to the elite (cost of doing business) and they'll never forget that China made it possible. If they do, China will undoubtedly remind them.

Also, whatever the cost, China is not spending that much anyway: the engineers are Chinese, probably the workers are Chinese, the tech and materials where possible are Chinese so a nice chunk of that money if flowing back to China. Brilliant, especially since China has a lot of $$ reserves.

easilyBoredon Noncompete Clauses: Signing Away the Right to Get a New Job

Non competes should be: Upon leaving you cannot work for a competitor BUT, only if we offer to pay you the salary you had when you left. And only for a max of 1-3 years. Otherwise they should be illegal.

easilyBoredon Europe is living under Microsoft’s digital killswitch

IMHO, major wars will only happen somewhere in Asia...between China, Russia, India and Pakistan (all nuclear powers). They all have border issues are relatively large countries and China and India have potential to be local superpowers. China will need Lebensraum and move into Siberia and that might start it all. USA will probably seek to sell arms to both sides and stay out of it:).

easilyBoredon Europe is living under Microsoft’s digital killswitch

Maybe, but I doubt the next major war will involve tens of millions of soldiers occupying and then rebuilding a country, ala WWII.

easilyBoredon Microsoft Issues WanaCrypt Patch for Windows 8, XP

They'd be no incentive to upgrade otherwise.

XP is 16 years old! Microsoft is in a tough spot, this was a worldwide problem so they had no choice.

They should make the support contracts for old version quadruple in price for every year and offer incentives to upgrades. Better for them, more revenue and less bad press for MSFT.

easilyBoredon Europe is living under Microsoft’s digital killswitch

the victims could still use pirated Windows to run their native Windows applications. I doubt there would be any legal repercussions.

When...a month after ? Too late. Damage's done. War's over.

easilyBoredon Hospitals across England hit by large-scale cyber-attack

NHS in England hit by 'cyber-attack' with ransomware demanding $300 in Bitcoin

Excuse us but we just found out that you're NHS. Please make it $300,000 or else.

Asking for just a little is a pretty good tactic, used by these guys, patent trolls and the mafia for protection money.

easilyBoredon Waymo’s lawsuit against Uber is going to trial, judge rules

Jail for hundreds of millions of dollars..if I got to keep it? I'd do it. Nope, never been to jail and I know it's dangerous, but then no doubt it's navigable, with that type of crime and money.

Not if I already had $120 mil like he had, of course.

easilyBoredon Waymo’s lawsuit against Uber is going to trial, judge rules

- Hi Janice (teller at bank,) I would like to withdraw $25 million.

-- Um, OK let me see...( Hello, FBI /Secret Service /FINCERN)

I have a feeling he's being watched, unless he planned it years ago. FBI can probably charge him within hours and freeze everything. Also non-extradition isn't it for citizens of that country? Never underestimate the pressure USA can put on countries, especially for run-of-the-mill-crimes.

easilyBoredon Waymo’s lawsuit against Uber is going to trial, judge rules

Nope, even $3 mil would be FU money for me. No private jet but it's not like I have one now.

easilyBoredon Waymo’s lawsuit against Uber is going to trial, judge rules

That's Part A. Part B is going after his money. I'd go to jail for hundreds of millions, which he has /had.

easilyBoredon Waymo’s lawsuit against Uber is going to trial, judge rules

Looks like Uber isn't hurting for lawyers. After a few tens of millions, spending 10x more doesn't get 10x more chances in court or better arguments.

Uber might even be able to pay them with stock...

easilyBoredon Waymo’s lawsuit against Uber is going to trial, judge rules

I have a feeling that as soon as the case against Uber is done, Google is going to go after Lewandowski...try to teach him a lesson and send a message to other Googlers thinking about doing the same.

For strategic reasons they might have chosen to go after Uber first

easilyBoredon We’re Bad at Death

I wish people could sell their organs after their death. Putting grandkids through college or paying for the mortgage etc. could make it easier for people to talk about death.

We're not ready to accept that money means life or death. Two people on waiting list for transplants: one has the money, the other doesn't.

Of course the person with the money still can go to another state /country and try to get in a smaller waiting list

easilyBoredon U.S. To Ban Laptops in All Cabins of Flights from Europe

In x years we will all get undressed and proceed to board wrapped in the airline issued sheets.

If this is what it takes to defeat terrorists, I'm all for it...and more :)

easilyBoredon Researcher sues Harvard for drug royalties

So Harvard paid the 35% share but didn't allocate it properly--if the lawsuit is telling the truth.

Looks like there are a lot of ways to screw people, or ways where people feel like they're getting screwed. Joining patents is one of them because you have to value the contribution of each patent to the mix https://cen.acs.org/articles/94/i11/Royalties-suit-against-H...

easilyBoredon “Google Is as Close to a Natural Monopoly as the Bell System Was in 1956″

"Or you can not base your business on the fickleness of Google's search algorithms."

Or you can not base your business on the fickleness of your phone company's /ISP algorithms. Google is a much as 90% of referrals for many websites.

Answer this: Are you sure that Google updates their search algorithm independent of revenue impact? I remember reading from FTC's investigation that Google kept changing their "independent" SE rater's criteria until it eventually met Google's own goals. You think Singhal didn't know what changes hurt Google's revenue (ad clicks plus sites forced to advertise)?

easilyBoredon Turning Plastic to Oil, U.K. Startup Sees Money in Saving Oceans

If there was a way to really do it, I would not mind a x% tax on items that use plastic. Plastics make our life easier, much easier, so we can afford to pa x% more to safely recycle it.

The money would be going to getting rid of it...not pork projects or paying for $400,000 pensions for civil servants.

easilyBoredon Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs Eyes Toronto for Its Digital City

I don't have a "concern," I merely stated what most people think of anything Google. I don't know enough about this project (the article didn't either) and I don't have a dog in this race. However, I do remember my grandma saying to never put any eggs in Google's baskets. She always said that she heard that from her grandma.

Google will look after it's own interests, all the time. That's every quarter.

easilyBoredon Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs Eyes Toronto for Its Digital City

They can't just flip a switch and make it happen. If I were Toronto I'd make them put a decent amount of money in an escrow account so the project is finished no matter what.

But then this is Google's tech, so if they leave not sure how it works.

easilyBoredon Alphabet’s Sidewalk Labs Eyes Toronto for Its Digital City

"Sidewalk Labs has discussed creating an entire micro-city or district that could showcase the company’s ideas for urban planning...."

all great, until Google decides to stop funding /working on the project.

easilyBoredon One Day, a Machine Will Smell Whether You’re Sick

Half joking.

No, jeans don't need to be washed after every time. Nor do sweaters or jackets. Underwear, t-shirts and socks are different. This is my rule anyway

easilyBoredon Wikimedia Foundation spending

Nah, just companies that profit from Wikipedia (hello Google!) and non-profits should pony up. Why shouldn't a person doing great work to make sure Wikipedia runs smoothly get paid when there's so much money going around?

Google should "adopt" 150 of their employees, MSFT 50, Facebook 50 and so on. It's tax deductible too...

easilyBoredon Warren Buffett says he dumped a third of his IBM stock

Is IBM losing money to need a bond infusion? They are paying nearly 4% in dividends.

easilyBoredon One Day, a Machine Will Smell Whether You’re Sick

That would be great and totally possible. Disease changes your body and your kidneys, among other organs, will know it.

easilyBoredon One Day, a Machine Will Smell Whether You’re Sick

How expensive would it be to make a machine that can smell if you or your clothes stink?

Wash them at least twice a year :) . Bad breath I can understand, you can't tell at times but clothes? Just wash them...

easilyBoredon French election: Macron defeats Le Pen

The idea is not just her election...it's the wave. If people like her ideas, they might give her the parliament that mirrors her ideas.

easilyBoredon French election: Macron defeats Le Pen

Don't even mention the Balkans...in some countries they still angrily talk about 1054 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East%E2%80%93West_Schism and 1204 (Sack of Constantinople https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Constantinople_(1204))

Hopefully the new generations will care more about their iPhone 68 than ancient history.

easilyBoredon French election: Macron defeats Le Pen

In Europe you have huge economical and cultural differences between certain states, bad blood for historical reasons between some nations and so on.

The bad blood I can understand...they did this to us in WWI WWII and as soon as they get the chance it will happen again. It's legitimate.

The language IMO is less of an issue as who travels or works outside their country manages just fine. The new generation is doing to show their English skills in FB and Instagram.

Economical and cultural differences do exist in USA, sometimes you think you are in a different country, and quite a bit of laws are local.