filter

Carrying the tag line "Because the internet needs prophylactics for memetically transmitted diseases," StupidFilter just launched to rid the world of inane comment spam, wasted messages on mailing lists, etc. I'm wondering if it will simply filter out my entire blog.... :-)

Here's the project's aim:

The solution we're creating is simple: an open-source filter software that can detect rampant stupidity in written English. This will be accomplished with weighted Bayesian or similar analysis and some rules-based processing, similar to spam detection engines. The primary challenge inherent in our task is that stupidity is not a binary distinction, but rather a matter of degree. To this end, we're collecting a ranked corpus of stupid text, gleaned from user comments on public websites and ranked on a five-point scale.… Read more

Cars without Diesel Particullate Filters (DPF) will be banned from entering German cities starting January 1, 2008.

It will be part of a system in which people will be required to have an inspection sticker on their windshield that signifies they have a DPF filter if it's an old diesel car, AutoBlog Green has reported. Those cars found in city centers without the sticker will be fined 40 euros and one point on their driver's license.

The local German authorities are offering a retrofit option for older cars, but it'll cost owners about 320 euros. Ford is … Read more

While a class action lawsuit is definitely one way to get Comcast to behave, another perhaps more productive way to do so is to have politicians step in and regulate.

On Tuesday, I discussed the issue of Comcast's anti-BitTorrent "network management" with Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Va., who is a strong supporter of consumer rights and has led the battle to undo the damage caused by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, or DMCA.

He was named Politician of the Year for 2006 by Library Journal, largely due to his efforts to protect the fair-use doctrine and expand Internet … Read more

Is there anything more annoying than walking into the kitchen to refill your water glass, only to find that your roommate/child/spouse/co-habitation partner has left the pitcher completely empty? Well, actually that car alarm beeping outside is pretty annoying. And so are all those Colorado Rockies insta-fans. But you get the picture. Whenever you innocently stumble upon an empty water pitcher, before you can get that cool, refreshing goodness you have to fill up the pitcher and wait f-o-r-e-v-e-r while you watch it drip... drip... drip...… Read more

The blogosphere is abuzz over an Associated Press investigative article this past Friday on the subject of Comcast's BitTorrent filtering. Briefly, there were a number of articles in early September which alleged that Comcast was using some fairly sneaky techniques to throttle BitTorrent traffic on its network. Comcast, of course, denied any such behavior. It took a month and a half, but both a mainstream media news organization as well as the Electronic Frontier Foundation have tested and confirmed the previously reported claims. It turns out that Comcast is not only throttling BitTorrent, but Gnutella and, strangely, Lotus Notes … Read more

Recently, Power Downloader received an e-mail from a contact in Spain who worked as a well-liked bellhop for a large hotel in the coastal city of Valencia. What the hotel management didn't know was that their trusted bellhop was secretly highly skilled in wiretapping and the use of parabolic microphones, which is why Power Downloader kept him in his list of contacts. Immediately interested, Power turned off his MP3 player and read further.… Read more

I love my Archos Gmini 220. It doesn't play movies, make phone calls, or take snapshots, but it provides me 20GB of digital music and files that I can take anywhere and transfer to any computer. It also only cost me $150 two years ago and is still going strong (with the help of one critical rubber band). It's also very solid as a lo-fi recording device for live shows.

While I don't need a portable music player that massages my back or sorts my laundry, I do need one that can shuffle my tracks randomly. Unfortunately, … Read more

As if we weren't paranoid enough already, what are the odds of encountering two alien air filters in as many days? First there was the "Antibac2K," and now we're subjected to yet another spherical filter from outer space.

The "Fresh Air Globe" supposedly filters domestic air, cleansing it of everything from pet odor to cigarette smoke, according to Shiny Shiny. It tries to appear even more innocent, looking more like one of those snowflake toys than anything else. But we know the truth.