In app purchases in general should be well regulated. 1. They are often Pay to Cheat, especially for online games where people who pay more get a leg up on the stuff. 2. Kids are greedy little suckers. I know I use to be one. If my friend was playing a game and had that fancy skin that their parents shelled out $10.00 for and my parents said no. I would still really want it, or something of equal or greater cost. I didn't care about building character, they had it, and I wanted them the feel just as envious of me that I feel towards them. 3. Kids are class oriented. You have X and they have Y one has to be objectively better then the other. if you have the one that isn't better you are often feel like you have been put down. Sometimes they actually are, and other times they just feel that way. Emotionally it is the same. 4. Kids don't understand the value of money. You see Mom buying $250 worth of groceries, surely $10 or even $100 isn't that big of a deal. Not realizing such payments can add up quickly, and the money after bigger expenses is much lower.
Even with Good parenting you kid can fall under pressure to buy this type of stuff. If not to reap the reward of the purchase but avoid the shame of not having it.
There are also a lot of adults too have these problems, but they they legally can take the brunt of their mistakes, vs kids who share the consequences.
Back in the 1990's people wanted to be the Next Microsoft. Microsoft is falling into the IBM type of company. Old, Traditional, Predicable. May not be the best, but isn't that bad either.
For most stock trades you are correct. However market cap is a good indication on the health of the company and its size compared to others. Stock Traders may not care, but if you are going to do business with a company and you see they have a large market cap, you can probably expect you can deal with a long term business plan with them.
Now comparing MS with Apple, Google, and Amazon is more just grandstanding.
I don't think Microsoft is the good guy. They are a For Profit company, they will do what will make them money. However they found out they lost their monopoly hand. Not every device runs Windows, and the device that Runs Windows may not be users may not be using IE/Edge, and they will could be switching to other devices depending on what they are doing.
Microsoft is playing the Good Guy Card, because their old game plan isn't viable.
Microsoft latest line of success seems to be offering services outside of what Apples normal scope. Sure Apple may have a competing product, but it is often second or third fiddle to the company.
Nearly everyone who I met who had a Windows Phone, actually liked it. However I think its biggest problem wasn't technical, but the fact we suffered too much from the Microsoft Monopoly, and being Microsoft main grab was the fact that all your programs worked in Windows. And Windows Phone didn't run windows desktop apps, it just made it a compelling reason to not get the phone.
However Microsoft is slowly leaving the consumer market (with perhaps the XBox as an exception) and more focused on B2B type of services. You can still use your Mac, Linux system or your Google Phone, but the service goes via Microsoft Servers then they are doing just as well as having physical copies of the OS on every PC
There was the tactile aspect to it. They can say they have the thinnest laptop, but you may not realize it until you really see it. measurements don't always help, screen only views rarely put things in the correct context. Also half the fun is having these vendors go off script to see what really is happening. I remember back in 2001/2 I was at an expo and Microsoft was showing off web services in.NET all was fine and good until I asked them to transfer over a Dictionary Data type. where the code promptly failed and they had to write code to convert it. Now I knew the limitations was on primitive variables, and when business wen't to.NET because they would do so anyways back then. I knew the limitations and was better at using it, also letting the buyers know beforehand that it isn't as magical as they said it was.
There is a bit of a difference between Sci-Fi writers and Futurists. The biggest problem Science Fiction is the Fiction part. For every technology that came into use, there is a dozen that never made it, even if it is considered possible nowadays.
For TV and Movies one of the biggest things they love to show is the holographic or transparent display. This makes for good visuals, because you can see people working on the technology without the technology blocking their faces. But in real life, your text will be hard to read and often distracting with everything happening behind it. Think of setting you Term settings in Linux/OS X to be 100% transparent (I normally keep it below 10%). It may look interesting for a while but shortly it is more of a problem then it helps, with windows with text behind it. or with a color that matches your text color....
Futurists on the other hand are not interested in the story, but thinking of the natural progression of such products and just giving the possibilities on what may be expected. Low Energy Aircraft, means cheaper operations, which means more leg room, because you don't need to cram people in the plane to make a flight profitable. Or shoes that fit better on different types of feet, that are easier to put on and off while maintaining the perfect fit.
A sci-fi writer will take these ideas and just have a comfortable flight in an electric aircraft, or able to bolt on comfortable shoes. While their plot is more interested in something else.
I think the problem is technology now is so Phone Based today, that there is really anything interesting to show. Look my Glass rectangle is superior to your Glass rectangle because it has more dots that you cannot see then the other guys.
Then the rest are just Apps.
Sure you can cover cloud stuff, but that isn't really that interesting, as you probably need to show it off on an App on your glass rectangle.
I am not following you. Brexit was democratically voted in, and also the EU accepted that democratic election result. Democracy doesn't always get the best idea, but just generally influences the people will.
At some age, a teen is allowed to legally leave their parent/guardians home. Most of the time when they do it at the age limit, it is really a bad idea, and the child will often suffer as they face the realities of the real world. Other people who know him, and realize that he isn't spending all night partying, because he needs to make enough money to keep fed, and shelter (even with social services there are a lot of responsibilities required).
Now just because it was a bad idea, this law shouldn't necessarily be changed. Because they are circumstances (such as the child living with an abusive family) where the harsh realities of living on your own is less then living with the family.
Other countries may not want to deal with leaving the EU once they realize how much the UK has lost vs how little it had gained.
This can be elevated with proper trade negotiations. Also for the most part if your chip designs are that sensitive for national security you better have your own Fab. Now the part that can be fixed with trade negotiations is to be sure that the company doesn't go ahead and make a spinoff product based off your IP.
Intel Designs and makes their own chips. TSMC just takes your designs and makes the chips. Which is a perfectly fine business model, but comparing Intel to them isn't really the same. As Intel puts a lot more R&D in designing the chips then making them.
Fake news is spreading information to deceive people. Rival news is spreading information to give a different view point and share additional information.
The problem is for the average citizen it is hard to find the difference. As Fake news is compelling as it is often telling you what you want to hear. (often the Other is the cause of your problems) "People from other countries are taking your job!". vs Rival news which often gives more information which is difficult to process and may mean you are wrong. (Your life choices had put you in this predicament) "Jobs are now requiring a higher level of education to be successful at" and "other countries have better education systems"
Well seeing how much of a pain Brexit is, with UK having been only mostly in the EU (kept its own currency) I expect most other nations after seeing the trouble it is, probably will not want to bother to leave the EU.
The primary thing is price/processing power. Power Consumption is part of the price. its over all performance is also a big deal, also the size the data center fills up, and ability to have staff to be able to code for the data center.
Intel and AMD server design was to boost processing power to make the radio low. However now we are moving to more parallel software designs, where we find the big power chips are not fully utilized. While we can take more cheaper slower low power chips and get more processing power for the total cost.
The Intel and AMD chips are Semi-trucks of processors while what is needed are delivery vans.
Personal opinion aside on the quality of popular music. They are a lot of amateur artists and musicians who really just suck. It isn't that we don't get their art, it is that they are just bad at it. The record industry is still the massive firewall to weed out the untalented performers who think they are all that, and help talented performers tune their craft. Then there is the push to sell and market them as a brand.
Even for digital music, most of the popular stuff is from record labels. The freelance stuff rarely ever makes it past a local following. Or just Mom and Dad.
Unfortunately it is the sign of the times. With the options available, we now try to choose the ones that hurt people the most.
I had a friend get a DMCA take down on a video he posted (about his pet rats) just because he had some music playing in the background. The video wasn't about the music, the quality of the song wasn't great, and it wasn't the full song.
A just justice system needs to take in account that there can be a lot of laws, and while ignorance of the law isn't an excuse, the context on how and why such law was broken should be factored in. We don't need a binary legal system. With just harsher and harsher sentences for violators, thinking that it will stop a person from committing such a crime if the punishment is bad enough.
Those who are not lazy probably realize there is no real value in it. It will not raise the value of your home, will need to be updated regularly. You would be better off getting nice floors and a fire stove.
I never found home automation all that appealing myself and not worth the effort. There is a few things I would like automating most of which you stated. I would like to double check to make sure the locks on my door are in place, turn on or off some key lights, and perhaps preheat the oven at a temperature. However a lot of the stuff I see such as washing machines which you can start automatically is kinda stupid. Because it cannot load itself and unload itself. Thus needing manual intervention anyways.
A lot of this you can do yourself with a raspberry pi, an appropriate relay, and wiring up for 2+ way lighting.
Carbon reduction is hard, there are often a lot of steps which are counter intuitive For example it takes less carbon to ship Apple from China to California then it does from New York to California. Mainly because cargo ships use less fuel per ton of goods then shipping via semi-truck. Then we have the Automobile guilt. While your home (in most climates) is polluting more then your car. To fix this solution we need real leadership who is willing to realize the problem is more then just solar panels, wind turbines and electric cars. It is taking a look at all our energy usage finding wastes and inefficiencies. Making sure businesses are playing by the same sets of rules globally just so we don't offset our emissions to an other country, because they will undercut our price.
Such issues is too complex for average Joe Sixpack to deal with, or even an Latte drinking hipster. It will require a global change with everyone playing by the same rules, and firm penalties for anyone who wants to cheat the system.
Well the normal problem is the longer your plan out the more variations you need to figure in. Short term success often leads us to a point where we can face the long term problem, vs failing before you get to that point. The idea of the perfect AI algorithm has been available for generations. Just simulate all possible next solutions and pick the path to best success. But the problem is these steps take massive amount of computational time, that grow exponentially the further you go out. A good AI design is about programming the shortcuts in the logic, to allow the computer to make the decision faster in an actionable time. More computing power will only go too far. Moors law is doubling every few years, while each step further can be multiples of hundreds. Sure my PC is 1000 times faster then it was 20 years ago. But that would mean that AI Algorithm from taking a year to figure out the next step to 8 hours, which would be enough to figure out the next step.
What really gets me, was around 2004-2006 Ford, Chrysler and GM cut development in their smaller car lines, and went into Trucks and SUV's. Then Gas Prices Skyrocketed and a Recession hit. So companies like Toyota and Honda were doing much better because they had small fuel efficient cars ready in their pipeline. It took years for the big 3 to get a good car lineup. However once again Americans want the big ones again. So they are not making small cars.
But the subject of this message tree is explaining your argument. These companies were on a downward spiral, but it wasn't necessarily an unrecoverable problem. GM, Sears, and Toys R Us have a lot of brand recognition they may had been able to last such a spiral before these Trade Wars just cut off a customer base, made their products more expensive, disrupted the full supply chain.
A company restructure is hard and in the short term they take a hit and puts them in risk, if the government decides to change things around while they are in this process it will often be enough to push them over the edge.
Science and engineering innovation is a good thing, Even it is on the backs of Political one-up.
The Space Race in the the 1960's and 1970's really helped bring science into a new age. Helping urge the computer revolution and the Internet too. ICBM was a risk to the communication infrastructure so a new network designed to reroute was made in case a particular point was destroyed.
I am guessing a lot of these people signing it, are fresh out of college with no experience at any other work place environment. No matter where I work, I have came across people who quit their job because their employer is doing something that seems unethical. This could be as simple as not bending over backwards to apply a rush fix to an easy to avoid bug, that causes a little disturbance. Sitting in sales meetings where the sales guys seems to oversell the product. But the thing is it isn't a perfect world, and the business needs to make money, if they don't you can't keep your job.
Now I have left a company for ethical reasons, but that was basically because I was being placed in a middle of two executives power play, where if I were go to either side I could be liable for some ethics violations (as both sides were in the wrong).
As for Google, I call this a tough ethical call and it isn't so black and white. China is going to censor no matter what. If Google can give citizens a better product to at least help them get the non-censored information better then Google is helping to reduce the strain on these people trying to get information, however it is also validating the governments wish to censor the information, and knowing it could just buy its power from American Companies to do the work.
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In app purchases in general should be well regulated.
1. They are often Pay to Cheat, especially for online games where people who pay more get a leg up on the stuff.
2. Kids are greedy little suckers. I know I use to be one. If my friend was playing a game and had that fancy skin that their parents shelled out $10.00 for and my parents said no. I would still really want it, or something of equal or greater cost. I didn't care about building character, they had it, and I wanted them the feel just as envious of me that I feel towards them.
3. Kids are class oriented. You have X and they have Y one has to be objectively better then the other. if you have the one that isn't better you are often feel like you have been put down. Sometimes they actually are, and other times they just feel that way. Emotionally it is the same.
4. Kids don't understand the value of money. You see Mom buying $250 worth of groceries, surely $10 or even $100 isn't that big of a deal. Not realizing such payments can add up quickly, and the money after bigger expenses is much lower.
Even with Good parenting you kid can fall under pressure to buy this type of stuff. If not to reap the reward of the purchase but avoid the shame of not having it.
There are also a lot of adults too have these problems, but they they legally can take the brunt of their mistakes, vs kids who share the consequences.
Back in the 1990's people wanted to be the Next Microsoft.
Microsoft is falling into the IBM type of company. Old, Traditional, Predicable. May not be the best, but isn't that bad either.
For most stock trades you are correct. However market cap is a good indication on the health of the company and its size compared to others.
Stock Traders may not care, but if you are going to do business with a company and you see they have a large market cap, you can probably expect you can deal with a long term business plan with them.
Now comparing MS with Apple, Google, and Amazon is more just grandstanding.
I don't think Microsoft is the good guy. They are a For Profit company, they will do what will make them money.
However they found out they lost their monopoly hand. Not every device runs Windows, and the device that Runs Windows may not be users may not be using IE/Edge, and they will could be switching to other devices depending on what they are doing.
Microsoft is playing the Good Guy Card, because their old game plan isn't viable.
Microsoft latest line of success seems to be offering services outside of what Apples normal scope. Sure Apple may have a competing product, but it is often second or third fiddle to the company.
Nearly everyone who I met who had a Windows Phone, actually liked it. However I think its biggest problem wasn't technical, but the fact we suffered too much from the Microsoft Monopoly, and being Microsoft main grab was the fact that all your programs worked in Windows. And Windows Phone didn't run windows desktop apps, it just made it a compelling reason to not get the phone.
However Microsoft is slowly leaving the consumer market (with perhaps the XBox as an exception) and more focused on B2B type of services. You can still use your Mac, Linux system or your Google Phone, but the service goes via Microsoft Servers then they are doing just as well as having physical copies of the OS on every PC
There was the tactile aspect to it. They can say they have the thinnest laptop, but you may not realize it until you really see it. measurements don't always help, screen only views rarely put things in the correct context. Also half the fun is having these vendors go off script to see what really is happening. I remember back in 2001/2 I was at an expo and Microsoft was showing off web services in .NET all was fine and good until I asked them to transfer over a Dictionary Data type. where the code promptly failed and they had to write code to convert it. Now I knew the limitations was on primitive variables, and when business wen't to .NET because they would do so anyways back then. I knew the limitations and was better at using it, also letting the buyers know beforehand that it isn't as magical as they said it was.
There is a bit of a difference between Sci-Fi writers and Futurists.
The biggest problem Science Fiction is the Fiction part. For every technology that came into use, there is a dozen that never made it, even if it is considered possible nowadays.
For TV and Movies one of the biggest things they love to show is the holographic or transparent display. This makes for good visuals, because you can see people working on the technology without the technology blocking their faces. But in real life, your text will be hard to read and often distracting with everything happening behind it. Think of setting you Term settings in Linux/OS X to be 100% transparent (I normally keep it below 10%). It may look interesting for a while but shortly it is more of a problem then it helps, with windows with text behind it. or with a color that matches your text color....
Futurists on the other hand are not interested in the story, but thinking of the natural progression of such products and just giving the possibilities on what may be expected. Low Energy Aircraft, means cheaper operations, which means more leg room, because you don't need to cram people in the plane to make a flight profitable. Or shoes that fit better on different types of feet, that are easier to put on and off while maintaining the perfect fit.
A sci-fi writer will take these ideas and just have a comfortable flight in an electric aircraft, or able to bolt on comfortable shoes. While their plot is more interested in something else.
I think the problem is technology now is so Phone Based today, that there is really anything interesting to show.
Look my Glass rectangle is superior to your Glass rectangle because it has more dots that you cannot see then the other guys.
Then the rest are just Apps.
Sure you can cover cloud stuff, but that isn't really that interesting, as you probably need to show it off on an App on your glass rectangle.
I am not following you. Brexit was democratically voted in, and also the EU accepted that democratic election result.
Democracy doesn't always get the best idea, but just generally influences the people will.
At some age, a teen is allowed to legally leave their parent/guardians home. Most of the time when they do it at the age limit, it is really a bad idea, and the child will often suffer as they face the realities of the real world. Other people who know him, and realize that he isn't spending all night partying, because he needs to make enough money to keep fed, and shelter (even with social services there are a lot of responsibilities required).
Now just because it was a bad idea, this law shouldn't necessarily be changed. Because they are circumstances (such as the child living with an abusive family) where the harsh realities of living on your own is less then living with the family.
Other countries may not want to deal with leaving the EU once they realize how much the UK has lost vs how little it had gained.
This can be elevated with proper trade negotiations. Also for the most part if your chip designs are that sensitive for national security you better have your own Fab. Now the part that can be fixed with trade negotiations is to be sure that the company doesn't go ahead and make a spinoff product based off your IP.
Intel Designs and makes their own chips. TSMC just takes your designs and makes the chips. Which is a perfectly fine business model, but comparing Intel to them isn't really the same. As Intel puts a lot more R&D in designing the chips then making them.
Fake news is spreading information to deceive people.
Rival news is spreading information to give a different view point and share additional information.
The problem is for the average citizen it is hard to find the difference. As Fake news is compelling as it is often telling you what you want to hear. (often the Other is the cause of your problems) "People from other countries are taking your job!".
vs Rival news which often gives more information which is difficult to process and may mean you are wrong. (Your life choices had put you in this predicament) "Jobs are now requiring a higher level of education to be successful at" and "other countries have better education systems"
Well seeing how much of a pain Brexit is, with UK having been only mostly in the EU (kept its own currency) I expect most other nations after seeing the trouble it is, probably will not want to bother to leave the EU.
The primary thing is price/processing power.
Power Consumption is part of the price. its over all performance is also a big deal, also the size the data center fills up, and ability to have staff to be able to code for the data center.
Intel and AMD server design was to boost processing power to make the radio low. However now we are moving to more parallel software designs, where we find the big power chips are not fully utilized. While we can take more cheaper slower low power chips and get more processing power for the total cost.
The Intel and AMD chips are Semi-trucks of processors while what is needed are delivery vans.
Personal opinion aside on the quality of popular music.
They are a lot of amateur artists and musicians who really just suck. It isn't that we don't get their art, it is that they are just bad at it. The record industry is still the massive firewall to weed out the untalented performers who think they are all that, and help talented performers tune their craft. Then there is the push to sell and market them as a brand.
Even for digital music, most of the popular stuff is from record labels. The freelance stuff rarely ever makes it past a local following. Or just Mom and Dad.
Unfortunately it is the sign of the times. With the options available, we now try to choose the ones that hurt people the most.
I had a friend get a DMCA take down on a video he posted (about his pet rats) just because he had some music playing in the background. The video wasn't about the music, the quality of the song wasn't great, and it wasn't the full song.
A just justice system needs to take in account that there can be a lot of laws, and while ignorance of the law isn't an excuse, the context on how and why such law was broken should be factored in. We don't need a binary legal system. With just harsher and harsher sentences for violators, thinking that it will stop a person from committing such a crime if the punishment is bad enough.
Those who are not lazy probably realize there is no real value in it. It will not raise the value of your home, will need to be updated regularly. You would be better off getting nice floors and a fire stove.
I never found home automation all that appealing myself and not worth the effort.
There is a few things I would like automating most of which you stated.
I would like to double check to make sure the locks on my door are in place, turn on or off some key lights, and perhaps preheat the oven at a temperature.
However a lot of the stuff I see such as washing machines which you can start automatically is kinda stupid. Because it cannot load itself and unload itself. Thus needing manual intervention anyways.
A lot of this you can do yourself with a raspberry pi, an appropriate relay, and wiring up for 2+ way lighting.
Carbon reduction is hard, there are often a lot of steps which are counter intuitive
For example it takes less carbon to ship Apple from China to California then it does from New York to California. Mainly because cargo ships use less fuel per ton of goods then shipping via semi-truck.
Then we have the Automobile guilt. While your home (in most climates) is polluting more then your car.
To fix this solution we need real leadership who is willing to realize the problem is more then just solar panels, wind turbines and electric cars. It is taking a look at all our energy usage finding wastes and inefficiencies. Making sure businesses are playing by the same sets of rules globally just so we don't offset our emissions to an other country, because they will undercut our price.
Such issues is too complex for average Joe Sixpack to deal with, or even an Latte drinking hipster. It will require a global change with everyone playing by the same rules, and firm penalties for anyone who wants to cheat the system.
Well the normal problem is the longer your plan out the more variations you need to figure in. Short term success often leads us to a point where we can face the long term problem, vs failing before you get to that point.
The idea of the perfect AI algorithm has been available for generations. Just simulate all possible next solutions and pick the path to best success. But the problem is these steps take massive amount of computational time, that grow exponentially the further you go out. A good AI design is about programming the shortcuts in the logic, to allow the computer to make the decision faster in an actionable time. More computing power will only go too far. Moors law is doubling every few years, while each step further can be multiples of hundreds. Sure my PC is 1000 times faster then it was 20 years ago. But that would mean that AI Algorithm from taking a year to figure out the next step to 8 hours, which would be enough to figure out the next step.
What really gets me, was around 2004-2006 Ford, Chrysler and GM cut development in their smaller car lines, and went into Trucks and SUV's. Then Gas Prices Skyrocketed and a Recession hit. So companies like Toyota and Honda were doing much better because they had small fuel efficient cars ready in their pipeline. It took years for the big 3 to get a good car lineup. However once again Americans want the big ones again. So they are not making small cars.
But the subject of this message tree is explaining your argument.
These companies were on a downward spiral, but it wasn't necessarily an unrecoverable problem. GM, Sears, and Toys R Us have a lot of brand recognition they may had been able to last such a spiral before these Trade Wars just cut off a customer base, made their products more expensive, disrupted the full supply chain.
A company restructure is hard and in the short term they take a hit and puts them in risk, if the government decides to change things around while they are in this process it will often be enough to push them over the edge.
Lower cost of living. If you were to visit china with a hundred US dollars, you can get a lot more purchasing power from that.
Science and engineering innovation is a good thing, Even it is on the backs of Political one-up.
The Space Race in the the 1960's and 1970's really helped bring science into a new age. Helping urge the computer revolution and the Internet too. ICBM was a risk to the communication infrastructure so a new network designed to reroute was made in case a particular point was destroyed.
I am guessing a lot of these people signing it, are fresh out of college with no experience at any other work place environment. No matter where I work, I have came across people who quit their job because their employer is doing something that seems unethical.
This could be as simple as not bending over backwards to apply a rush fix to an easy to avoid bug, that causes a little disturbance. Sitting in sales meetings where the sales guys seems to oversell the product.
But the thing is it isn't a perfect world, and the business needs to make money, if they don't you can't keep your job.
Now I have left a company for ethical reasons, but that was basically because I was being placed in a middle of two executives power play, where if I were go to either side I could be liable for some ethics violations (as both sides were in the wrong).
As for Google, I call this a tough ethical call and it isn't so black and white. China is going to censor no matter what. If Google can give citizens a better product to at least help them get the non-censored information better then Google is helping to reduce the strain on these people trying to get information, however it is also validating the governments wish to censor the information, and knowing it could just buy its power from American Companies to do the work.