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Slashback: GSM, Buffy, Wobble

Slashback tonight brings you updates on the future of Iraq's cellular infrastructure, the real reason Buffy is departing, Intuit and Macrovision, and more. Read on below for the details.

Macrovision, everyone's favorite killjoy. byteCoder writes "Apparently Macrovision marketing is trying to put a good spin on Intuit's plan to eliminate the use of Macrovision's DRM software for pre-paid copies of TurboTax (as discussed last week here). This reminds me of the classic Monty Python line: "I'm not dead yet!""

That's got to be some spin -- An anonymous reader points to Eric Hellweg's Tech Investor on CNN, which suggests that the backlash which triggered Intuit's copy-protection reversal may have cost the company $100 million.

Can I use my Go Phone there? An anonymous reader writes ""In a follow-up to the Slashdot article 'CDMA vs GSM in Post-war Iraq,' The Reg has a story about how MCI has won the contract to rebuild the mobile phone system with GSM. This is a good thing for the people of Iraq that GSM is being used, GSM is the world standard and several U.S. companies (AT&T for one) are switching to GSM."

Adding Money to Insult. Neophytus writes "Remember the 'Star Wars Kid' that waxy.org found a couple of weeks ago? Well after over a million downloads the guy has been found. His name is Ghyslain, a 15-year-old tenth grader living in Quebec. Jish contacted him and got a brief, but interesting, interview."

No unlimited copy privileges in jail. the-dude-man writes "As reported here A 19-year-old pleaded guilty to costing DirectTV for leaking information about the secrets of DirectTV's most advanced anti-piracy technology to hacker websites. As part of the plea deal, Serebryany admitted to copying and distributing 800 megabytes of scanned documents from DirecTV, costing the company $68,000 in investigatory costs. Both sides stipulated to sentencing factors that carry six months to a year in prison under federal guidelines -- assuming no prior convictions. The sentencing court can depart from the guidelines only if the judge finds that the proposed sentence doesn't adequately reflect the facts of the case. According to court records affidavit, Serebryany's adventures began when he found himself with access to some of DirecTV's most coveted technological secrets while working for his uncle at a document imaging company at the office of a Los Angeles law firm, Jones, Day, Reavis and Pogue. The firm was representing the satellite TV company in a lawsuit against NDS, the makers of the smart cards DirecTV uses to control access to its signal."

For every 11 discontented customers, there's one of these happy oddballs! RedWingsSuck writes "A few weeks ago, I asked /. users what they thought about the wobble my 12" Power Book has developed. Last week Apple Care told me that I could send my laptop off for repairs. I decided to drive to the local Apple Store, about 15 minutes away, and drop it off. They had my laptop for less than 3 days. When I went in to pick it up, they told me that it was sent in and the BC (bottom cover) was repaired. It doesn't wobble anymore, so I am happy. I was really surprised with how fast it was fixed. I didn't mean to sound like I regretted my AiBook purchase in the last post, and now I even happier."

Relax, it's a television show. HardcoreGamer writes "Buffy creator Joss Whedon responds to questions from New York Times readers on Buffy the Vampire Slayer as it comes to the end of its 7 season run. He also discusses the now-canceled Firefly and concludes with one of the key reasons why the show is ending: 'I'm simply too tired.'"

37 of 323 comments (clear)

  1. I'm sure the fact by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    That Sarah Michelle Gellar wants out, that the ratings are declining, and that no one wants Dawn the Vampire Slayer all contributed to Buffy leaving the air, too.

    1. Re:I'm sure the fact by Chasing+Amy · · Score: 4, Interesting

      As for the ratings, I have to say that I'm in the happy minority who *LOVED* Season 6. I think it was great for Joss and co. to put Buffy through that very dark and disillusioning period that many early twentysomethings fall into for a while after school is over and real life sets in. I think so many long-time fans were just too dedicated to the more lighthearted highschoolish years to really approve of the direction of Season 6, so the show's ratings dipped too far for comfort.

      However, Season 6 contains some of the best writing and dialogue, and while not everyone likes the plot arcs used (too dark for so many tastes) they actually touched on some really interesting stuff that's true to life. You could really see Joss and Marti's early-20's angst just pouring onto the screen, darker and more disturbing than *Buffy* had been before. The lighthearted edge that fans loved through the highschool and early college show really *couldn't* be there as much when Buffy herself was to disillusioned and depressed. The writing and dialogue was as good as ever, but with the harder edge and lack of as much softening lighthearted stuff too many longtime fans were put off.

      But think of all the great things that happened in Season 6. The finale episodes, with the death of Tara and Willow's evilification, were some of the most riveting of the series--even if Tara's death *was* hard for a lot of fans, particularly in the lesbian community. The musical episode, obviously, stands on its own and is so highly acclaimed by critics and most fans that it's high on the list of Best Episodes Ever. Even if the Doublemeat Palace episode was mindnumbing on many levels, it accurately captured the awful experience of being an underling at the menial jobs so many people work. Buffy and Spike had one of the most intense and incredible love scenes in the whole series, and we got to watch their relationship decline into the degradation that really does happen in abusive or unhealthy relationships. There was so much great stuff there--great, but often too dark for most *Buffy* fans.

      As for "Dawn the Vampire Slayer"--God, I was so hoping that the big "show you the world" speech Buffy gave Dawn at the end of Season 6's finale would turn into more screentime with the maturing Dawn, but it really didn't go very far. The Potentials ended up with the instruction that Dawn was seemingly going to get, based on Buffy's remarks at the end of the past season. Mmmm, little Dawnie really butters my toast! Hey, Michelle Trachtenberg *does* turn 18 and legal this year. ;-) Yummy. I was tempted to go to BuffyAuction.com and bid on the outfit she wore when she was seducing that jock in Season 7, but that would just be too creepy--plus my girlfriend wouldn't quite fit into it anyway. :-o

      --

      Chasing Amy
      (We all chase Amy...)
      "The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws"-Tacitus
    2. Re:I'm sure the fact by cquark · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I don't think that season 6 was much darker than its predecessors, though it did hurt that they tried to carry off the humor element of the season with the season antagonist, the Trio, who could have worked well as a monster of the week but who were grating rather than amusing when their antics were repeated week after week.

      Continuity with prior seasons was abandoned, both in terms of character and in setting. The most egregrious example was magic becoming addictive. Wouldn't Tara or Giles have ever mentioned that magic is the equivalent of crack to Willow, especially since there are "dealers" and magic crack houses? The magic addiction arc is especially frustrating as it not only hijacked the promising power corrupts arc for Willow, but it was completely useless as part of the dark Willow arc since it was Tara's death, not magic crack, that made Willow the nemesis in the final episodes.

      The writing has many other flaws such as Buffy coming to an epiphany every week about her depression then ignoring it the following week and Spike going to get his chip out (which not only the dialog implies but the actor was told was to happen) but ends up with a soul. Let's take a quick look at the dialog. Some of the worst dialog ever on the show again comes from the addiction arc, especially in the final episodes when Willow's saying things like "I'm so juiced," and at the very end, Xander saving the world with his yellow crayon speech was just embarrassing.

      There were many ideas with great potential in season six like the dark Willow arc we almost saw, but the execution was so poor that it's almost impossible to enjoy them. It's not the issues they brought up, such as depression, bad boyfriends, or even addiction that were the problem, but how they handled them compared to earlier seasons.

      Look at how they handled the deaths of Joyce or Miss Calendar compared to Tara. Both of the prior deaths carried so much more meaning and emotion for the characters. The ending also lacks originality. We just saw Willow go off for revenge after Tara was hurt at the end of last season, and we saw Giles do the same when Miss Calendar died before that. The "dead lesbian/evil lesbian (saved by the good man)" ending has been done dozens of time in other books and movies, with Alyson Hannigan not only playing that ending in Buffy that year, but she also played that in the movie Rip It Off just before that. And of course, Willow has to destroy the world; we're not quite sure how that comes out of her character, but Buffy villains do that so she has to do that too. Why couldn't they have done something remotely original?

  2. Slain by Scoria · · Score: 5, Funny

    'I'm simply too tired.'

    Yes, seasons six and seven are certainly evidence that somebody was "asleep at the wheel." In fact, they were quite reminiscient of an enormous vehicular accident...

    --
    Do you like German cars?
  3. the real reason Buffy is departing..... by PS-SCUD · · Score: 5, Funny

    She wants to devote full time to being a pr0n star? *looks hopefull*

    --


    "Much work is lost, for the lack of a little more." -Edward H. Harriman
    1. Re:the real reason Buffy is departing..... by dghcasp · · Score: 4, Funny
      Buffy the Vampire Layer?

      It's not like it'd be so far off where the show is now...

      Buffy: I'm going out to hunt vampires. I need a big stake.

      Dawn: Don't let Spike rape you again!

      Willow: Oh, and while you're gone, I'm going to have a lesbian tryst!

      Faith: Ever notice how slaying makes you hungry and horny?

      Anya: Everyone's having sex but me! I need to get laid!

      Wait a minute... Did I just think that, or did I post it to slashdot? D'oh!

  4. Dawn the Vampire Slayer by Scoria · · Score: 5, Funny

    Dawn the Vampire Slayer

    Witness vampires and miscellaneous other creatures of the night defeated as Dawn petulantly screams. For instance: "Get out, get out, get out!"

    --
    Do you like German cars?
  5. Firefly by Ignorant+Aardvark · · Score: 4, Informative

    Perhaps Buffy was getting tired, but Firefly was just starting to shine! I hope Joss Whedon doesn't mean that he was tired in general, just tired in regards to BTVS. I'm still hopeful that Firefly will make a comeback someday. In any event, two of its actors have played villains on Joss Whedon's other shows, Angel and BTVS. I thought that was nice of him, helping the actors of his cancelled show by giving them parts on his still-running shows.

    1. Re:Firefly by satanami69 · · Score: 3, Informative

      "two of its actors have played villains on Joss Whedon's other shows"

      I also saw that Gina Torress, from Firefly, was in the Matrix Reloaded. It creeped me out because she's in every one of my favorite shows that gets canceled. I felt a bad vibe about the Matrix, but was delighted to see her.

      --
      I really hate Dan Patrick.
  6. Father O'day -- Give us a break by Squidgee · · Score: 5, Funny
    Since this article contains an Apple refrence (Which, btw, I've had good luck with Apple's repair services, even though my iBook had to go out of the country), inevitably we'll have to see the Father O'day troll. So, in order to route this, and give the mods the power to mod down based upon "redundant" (Muhahaha), here we go:

    I'm gay. Blah blah blah.
    --Some Priest

    Good for you!
    --Mister Apple-Impersonator.

    And there ya have it! Go back under the bridge trolls.

  7. This should silence Iraqi reconstruction critics by George+Walker+Bush · · Score: 4, Funny

    Guess what -- our beloved USA-homegrown CDMA didn't win out in Iraq after all. So you all can take your allegations of US self-bias and shove it.

    --
    George W. Bush
    President, United States of America
  8. The real reason they quit by Qinopio · · Score: 5, Funny

    They tried to use illusions on Trogdor, but he burninated [spoilers] them all!

    ANDREW: Illusions? Against a burninator? (chuckles)

    --
    __________
    [Big Brick Wall]
  9. GSM is NOT the future... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    ...so why is it such a great thing that MCI is building it in Iraq?

    Eventually all carriers will have to move from whatever they're using to either WCDMA or cdma2000. The transition to WCDMA is not simple, and there are doubts that WCDMA will deliver on its promised performance. On the other hand, cdma2000 is much simpler to adopt, and has been proven to work (in Korea, for example.)

    GSM is dead. R.I.P.

    1. Re:GSM is NOT the future... by Zebbers · · Score: 3, Insightful

      yea, sure. gsm is dead. yup. go build your own wcdma or cdma2000 network. go ahead. gsm is the standard, like it or not. there will be little consumer pressure for cmda as opposed to gsm. everyone wants gsm because its been the standard in europe/world and will now be the standard in the us as well.

      being technically superior does not automagically grant you standard status. christ, by youre logic one should never deploy anything because there is always something almost ready thats almost better.

  10. GSM/GPRS by yet+another+coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    How much sooner than the United States will Iraq get a GSM/GPRS network? AT&T, T-Mobile and Cingular are taking their time. Maybe the Iraqi people will get affordable data plans, too.

  11. The sad thing about the geek kid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Is that so many other geeks find him pitiful. If his self-esteem wasn't low already...

    1. Re:The sad thing about the geek kid by cjackson0 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I consider myself somewhat an average geek and don't find him pitiful. Who hasn't grabbed a stick and pretended they were Darth Maul or any other Jedi badass? I laugh when I saw this because I was laughing at myself. I could have done the exact same thing and looked just as stupid. If it weren't for some kid at school who found the tape and posted it online this would be just another idiotic teenage fantasy that we've all lived in some form or another. I think the kid should be proud that he is now world renown and maybe gave a little chuckle to a bunch of nerds JUST LIKE HIM.

  12. A good thing for GSM? by z4ce · · Score: 4, Interesting

    No,
    It's not a good thing for Iraq for GSM to be implemented. GSM is really aging. The only way to get even moderately high-speeds is using the piggy-back GPRS. Reconstructing GSM to be 3G is very difficult transition path. If it weren't for Quallcom's patents on CDMA, nobody would be using GSM which is based on TDMA.

    I really like some of the stuff GSM has done with respect to the phones themselves, such as the use SIMM card for storing the phones information. But CDMA is by far the technically superior solution, however patent incumbered. Building an infrastructure from the ground up on TDMA technology is just brain-dead politics.

    1. Re:A good thing for GSM? by GlassHeart · · Score: 4, Insightful
      If it weren't for Quallcom's patents on CDMA, nobody would be using GSM which is based on TDMA.

      This is not wholly accurate. TDMA is old, obvious, and proven technology, requiring nothing more complicated than a uniform source of timing, and is possibly less demanding on the handset hardware than CDMA. Telecommunications carriers tend to be conservative, because the upfront investments are astronomical.

      Secondly, according to Qualcomm's own information, CDMA by 1995 offered only 10x improvement (over analog cellular) of the bandwidth utilization. By contrast, TDMA offers somewhere from 3x to 8x, so the case for ripping out all your expensive network hardware is not as compelling back then.

      Today in Iraq, starting from scratch, the equation is obviously different. When GSM's time comes, however, it should be remembered as a reliable workhorse, not something that was always inferior to CDMA except for patents. GSM was the first mobile phone system that offered global roaming, a feature taken for granted today, but causing so many problems back then that several horribly expensive satellite based solutions were built.

      SIMM card

      Only one "M". It stands for "Subscriber Identity Module".

  13. GSM vs CDMA by jbf · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Yes, GSM is more widely supported than CDMA, but note that the GSM folks are having a heck of a time providing 3G support, whereas the two big CDMA providers in the states (Verizon and Sprint) have both rolled out huge 3G networks. The reason for this is that 1xRTT is a better standard for data. By contrast, DoCoMo is losing money hand over fist deploying WCDMA.

    GSM is everywhere largely because of European licensing agencies requiring GSM, and those same restrictions are built into the licenses for 3G spectrum (with UMTS). NOT because GSM is a better technology. CDMA gets better efficiency (more users per channel per cell) than GSM, especially in lightly loaded areas.

    I don't see why GSM-everywhere is so desirable. The conveinences everyone claims that GSM has (eg SIM cards) are already being standardized in cdma2000, and will be here soon. GSM is a beast from the past, pushed only by government regulations. For those who say AT&T's switch shows that GSM is the future, remember that AT&T is switching from a TDMA network that's technologically equivalent to GSM (and hence inferior to CDMA), and that AT&T is having all sorts of network problems as a result, since they have to hard-block their frequencies, effectively creating a huge fragmentation problem.

    1. Re:GSM vs CDMA by rasteri · · Score: 5, Interesting

      You're forgetting one thing (and it's possibly the most important)... implementing CDMA in Iraq would effectively kill roaming between it and nearby countries. I think that's a significant enough reason to warrant a GSM mobile network. Besides, the so called "advantages" of CDMA are useless to Iraqis (High data rates? Most people in Iraq don't even have a computer, let alone a portable one). GSM offers some unique features (such as SIM cards) which almost certainly would be useful. Just because a technology is technically better in the US doesn't neccesarily mean it's well suited for a completely different country.

  14. I think I'll release... by MoThugz · · Score: 5, Interesting

    a video of myself doing some Neo-esque bullet-dodging kunf-fu moves... maybe I'll get an iPod too.

    All joking aside, from the interview, Ghyslain (the starwars kid) acted quite mature for someone his age... aware that his not-meant-for-public-viewing is now world famous he chose not to be bitter or overly proud of this. He seems to just let it pass as a page in his life story.

    Anyway, he did make me laugh, and what a way to start what is anticipated to be a loooong busy day.

    Thanks Ghyslain!

    1. Re:I think I'll release... by tbmaddux · · Score: 5, Interesting
      He seems to just let it pass as a page in his life story.
      Exactly. He's got much more embarassing/humiliating things to go through when he gets shoved into a cubicle. For now, his reaction was much the same as Ellen Feiss: "Oh, whatever, I think it's kind of funny. These people don't have lives..." They're kids. The fact that they get this flash-in-the-pan fame says more about us than them.
      --
      Can't you see that everyone is buying station wagons?
  15. Completely detached.... by tcc · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Am I the only one who was completely detached of that last buffy episode? well actually from the last 2 seasons? She could have died and I don't think it would have cared less... I was almost worried that she would die and Faith replace her for another stagnating 5 seasons....

    I'm sure I am not the only one who was continuing to watch it because he "invested time into watching the 5 previous seasons that were really cool and I need to know how it will all end"... the ending of season 5 when she closes the portal by jumping into it was like...at least 10x better than yesterday's serie ending.... Its a good thing that this show finally ends eventho I was a big fan the 5 first seasons. When I see shows like family guy, B5 crusade and firefly being cancelled and see crap like this season's of buffy still on, it makes me wonder.

    Now I just hope the Angel show doesn't go the same way.

    One show that I really enjoyed this year was John Doe, is there a second season of this? this is probably one of the good findings this year, new actors good story, just enough "fiction" to keep it "real", I like the balance and the general concept.

    --
    --- Metamoderating abusive downgraders since my 300th post.
    1. Re:Completely detached.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Oh christ you can't be serious. John Doe??! That is the most god-awful bastardization of a science fiction show ever conceived by the likes of man. I'd rather watch CleoPatra 2525 with thumbscrews attached to my genetalia tightened every time a bare midriff is shown. John Doe. Even the thought of it makes me want to retch. I don't know where to start: bad acting, ridiculous plots, laughable science, dues ex machina, I could go on. I was absolutely astounded when FireFly got cancelled and the absolute mind-raping garbage that is John Doe stayed on the air.

  16. DirecTV security through obscurity? by Samir+Gupta · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If their encryption algorithm is really so secure and uncompromisable as they claim, they should have no qualms about letting the details out in public (where they could be presumably subject to peer review), just as is standard practice with other crypto algorithms and the crypto community.

    --
    -- Samir Gupta, Ph. D. Head, New Technology Research Group, Nintendo Co. Ltd., Kyoto, Japan.
    1. Re:DirecTV security through obscurity? by shird · · Score: 4, Informative

      In theory. However, similar to DVDs, the decoder needs to be able to decode the signal. This means there must be a 'key' (be it an RSA key, secret algorithm, or whatever) in the device somewhere. Basically they are trying to achieve client-side security, which is just a myth. The only way to partially achieve this is to hide the key in silicon and hope the attackers don't find it, and when/if they do, change it. So as far as security is concerned, DirecTV is relying on secrecy - which is the only security possible in their situation. So it is fair enough they wouldnt want the details out in public.

      --
      I.O.U One Sig.
  17. Relevency of Buffy by SamMichaels · · Score: 3, Funny

    Since the last posting about Buffy, I've had to look no further than my own computer area to figure out how it's relevent to Slashdot.

    Doesn't every nerd have a huge poster of Sarah Michelle Gellar next to their Matrix poster? :)

  18. Will Joss Slay Again? by fm6 · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I'm forced to agree. Except that Whedon's basic problem isn't fatigue -- that's just a symptom. It's that he keeps overreaching himself.

    Consider the "First Evil" arc. They started that one over four years ago!!! Yeah, I know we you like the way he plants clues and goes for a slow buildup. So do I. But that buildup looks like the workers were drunk and AWOL half the time!

    The whole series is full of stuff like that. My favorite villain in all of genre fiction is Glorificus, The Fashion Queen from Another Dimension. But I was only able to enjoy her arc by nodding at the plot inconsistencies you could drive a truck through. A willing fan can do that for a while (hence Star Trek), but Buffy fans have less patience.

    I think if Joss Whedon is going to remain a major player (and I do hope he manages to revive Firefly) he's gonna have to rethink his working style. TV and movies are collaborative media, yet he insists that all the big insights be his and his alone. That prevents people from hijacking his vehicles (as happened with the Buffy movie) but also prevents people from telling him when his clothes are no invisible, but missing. No wonder Buffy got so far off track.

    1. Re:Will Joss Slay Again? by spoco2 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      yet he insists that all the big insights be his and his alone

      Yet in the Article, he states:

      "It would have been impossible for me to predict where Buffy's character would go by the end of the series because the character is informed by so many things. You have to find out what people respond to, you have to find out what works on the show, what aspects make sense, what your meaning is. "

      So, that would seem to suggest that there's a fairly substantial feedback loop going on there between himself, the viewers and others...

      I don't think he goes it entirely alone... And for the most part the real issues with the last couple of seasons have been with the actual dialogue or more specfic things with episodes, which come about from the actual writer of the script, and Joss doesn't seem to have written many of the later episodes at all.

      Having said that the final season (I don't know what episode you're up to in the states, but we're only part way through in Aus) has been by and large painful to watch... It's really being that bad. I've been watching the last season of Angel, as I had stopped watching that, and I'm finding it FAR more enjoyable than the current Buffy.

  19. Interview by The+Bungi · · Score: 3, Funny

    Perhaps Slashdot should do an interview with the Star Wars kid. To further the emotional scarring =)

  20. Cowboyneal? by moosesocks · · Score: 3, Funny

    Bah. We all know that Lucas is going to surprise us in the next SW film with a 15-minute lightsaber sequence featuring Cowboyneal.

    --
    -- If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done? - Uli's moose
  21. Anyone notice reference to Trogdor in Buffy? by Rheingold · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Did anyone notice the reference to Trogdor the Burninator in Buffy? It was rad!

    --
    Wil
    wiki
  22. BTVS Finale: Reader's Digest Version by dghcasp · · Score: 5, Funny
    Angel to Buffy: Here's a magic amulet. The writers didn't bother to come up with a backstory for it. And now that I've spoken, union rules say I have to be paid for the whole episode. (Angel Leaves.)

    Buffy to Spike: Here's a magic amulet. Let's shag.

    Buffy to Willow: I need a spell.
    Willow: I'm scared.
    Buffy: Don't worry. The writers didn't bother to look up the latin. All you have to do is sit and look constipated.
    Willow: I can do that; I had bran today!

    Wood to Faith: I'm better looking than you, skank.

    Andrew: I'm a geek. Wheeeee!

    (Inside the Hellmouth)

    Kennedy: Look at all the vampires.
    Buffy: Don't worry. Willow's spell made you all slayers.
    Kennedy: Why didn't we do this in episode 3 this season? Then we could have had time for some good episodes.
    Buffy: Shut up ho, and kill uber-vamps.

    Kennedy: Hey, how come one of these uber-vamps kicked Buffy's arse six ways to sunday for two episodes, yet now we're killing thousands of them.
    Faith. Shut up and kill uber-vamps.

    The First: Neener neener neener
    Buffy: Beat it, bitch.

    Spike: Woo hoo, me necklace is killing all the uber-vamps.
    Kennedy: Shame angel couldn't have brought it in episode 3, then we could have...
    Spike: stuff it, wanker.

    Anya: Hey, how come I have to be the only one to die?

    (Above ground)

    Dawn: Hey look, the whole town's gone, fallen into a pit.
    Cordelia: I always said Sunnydale was a pit.
    Xander: Beat it, slut, you're not in this show anymore.
    Cordelia: oops.

    Willow: So, what do we do now?
    Buffy: fuckifiknow.

    (Fade to black)

  23. Firefly! Firefly! Firefly! by fm6 · · Score: 3, Interesting
    From what I've heard, Whedon is trying very, very hard to revive Firefly in some form. Most people in his position would have given up by now. I think this particular show is very important to him.

    Possibly he thinks he could have saved the series if he hadn't been so overcommitted (three active series, and development work on two more). Probably not true: I think a lot of Fox people either didn't understand Firefly or just didn't think such a high-budget series could be profitable. (Reality shows are so much cheaper to produce!) Still, it would have had a better chance if Whedon had been able to fight the network's creative meddling and idiotic scheduling.

    I once read an interview with him, where's he's standing on the bridge of Serenity (the set is a complete mockup of the ship) and proclaiming that he's in "Geek Heaven". Ever since Fox pulled the series, I've been watching the news for reports that the set has been broken up. Unless I missed that report, he's keeping that set around, which must be costing him a mint. If he gives up and gets rid of the set, then we'll know that Firefly is dead, no mouth-to-mouth, no resurrection spell!

  24. Can't agree by Dusabre · · Score: 4, Insightful

    GSM is cheap because its old. Cheap GSM stations and cheap GSM phones. I might be able to pay $1000 for a PDA CDMA phone but an Iraqi might only have $50 for his basic GSM (I'm sure he'd love to have the phone I threw away 4 years ago because it was getting tacky)

    GSM is implemented throughout the Middle East - allowing roaming and phone exports/transfers over the border.

    GSM is well known to technicians.

    GSM works well in environments like Iraq. You might live in some isolated part of the huge US of A where GSM sucks but Iraq is an urban and concentrated country. Most people live near the cities or the river valleys.

    GSM does not suck. It allows clear voice transmissions and gives an acceptable data transfer rate (not for internet browsing but for email okay).

    Iraq does not need an expensive data network with bells on it. It needs one that works. And GSM works excellently - as Europe can testify.

    GSM is not the future. But its the working present.

  25. Oh BS MAN! by SerpentMage · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Do you actually read the news?

    The US taxpayer is not footing the bill!

    1) Iraq has a mountain of debt to pay because as a result of the end of the war everyone is coming in with their bills. INCLUDING the US.

    2) The money laid out now by the US is coming back from oil revenue.

    3) The GSM standard is not just a French standard, but a worldwide standard. CDMA could have been a worldwide standard, but Qualcomm has its head stuck up its butt.

    Do you want to know what the main concern now is? That Iraq will be crushed under their debt. They did some stats and found out that when Iraq is pumping oil at its peak, that will only account for 20 billion dollars. That is not even close to being enough money to pay back everybody. And the concern is that it could turn into a world war 1 fiasco.

    --

    "You can't make a race horse of a pig"
    "No," said Samuel, "but you can make very fast pig"