Re:I'm racist against Pirates
on
Halo 3 Review
·
· Score: 1
Yep, and although it remains deabatable, I fall on the side of Gypsies being a band (hehe, pun intended) of culturally similar east europeans...in otherwords, they can be categorized by ethnicity, not race. Although I generally like Wikipedia, could you cite something (even wikipedia if you must) that actually refers to Gypsies as a recognized race?
Man, this is soooo off topic. You killed my joke. Argghhhhh, matey.
I'd like to see you do the double-blind test with the iPod headphones and tell me the results,
It's already been done and there are at least two links here just in slashdot. I believe the most comprehensive one was at computerworld.com, but I have to go to work now. Look it up for yourself.
And since I have over $10,000 in home audio gear, I think I'm a decent candidate for judging the quality of music coming from an iPod or other source. What I DO agree with is that nearly EVERY pirated song available on bit torrent clients sound horrible, even when advertised as higher sampling rates. Not all rippers are equal in their ability to create nice audio files. iTunes does a very good job, however.
Yes, while not everyone uses an iPod, nearly everyone who buys songs on iTunes does. Since we were talking about burning and reripping to remove Apple's DRM, then I would say that people who don't use iPods would never do this.
"serious" loss of quality? Hardly. Without debate, MOST people can't tell the difference and slashdot has been littered with stories proving this simple fact. With the white ear buds that come with the iPod in a normal listening environment, there is virtually no perceivable sound quality difference between a downloaded 128kbs that has been ripped to mp3 and the original cd file. Even if you don't believe this, the proof is in the pudding. Seems like a billion downloads speaks volumes about how much people don't care (i.e., can't tell) about the supposed quality issues related to buying iTunes drm songs.
But why do I have to agree to a new EULA to use the new iTunes?
You don't. Nobody is forcing you to install the upgrades. And yes, as a "faboi" I have to say that the two iTunes upgrades in the past quarter have been one for the iPhone and one for the iPod. If you have neither of these devices, just don't run theh software updater, or choose NOT to install 7.4.2. Plus, it gives you a VERY detailed explanation of what's in the upgrade, so you have no excuse really:
With iTunes 7.4, sync your favorite music and more with the new iPod nano (third generation), iPod classic, and iPod touch, plus create custom ringtones exclusively for iPhone with many of your favorite songs purchased from the iTunes Store. You can now also play purchased videos with closed captioning (when available), easily rate your favorite albums from one to five stars, and watch videos at a larger size inside the iTunes window. iTunes 7.4.2 addresses an issue with creating ringtones using iTunes Plus song purchases and includes bug fixes to improve stability and performance.
What happens when a newer/better/cheaper mp3 player/store comes out? Well, they are five years too late, and people with thousands of cds worth of content will continue using iPods and iTunes. That's just one benefit of being a pioneer. If I keep waiting around for the next iTunes/iPod killer to materialize, I'll never have any new music.
Well, I've been an Apple customer for 19 years, so I don't see why I should worry about the next 20, especially considering the last 5 have kicked ass.
Reauthorize my iTunes songs? What in the world are you talking about? You don't authorize iTunes songs, you authorize up to 5 computers to play them. The songs play on any number of iPods, however, and they burn to disc for forever if you like. I'm not sure what alternate reality you live in, but the iTunes store isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
So there, that's how Apple is any better?
Re:I'm racist against Pirates
on
Halo 3 Review
·
· Score: 1
Oh, you mean the ETHNIC GROUP that your own link talks about? Sorry, I knew where I was going with my own joke, and it still stands. Gypsy is an ethnicity, not a race.
Re:I'm racist against Pirates
on
Halo 3 Review
·
· Score: 1
Sweet. So when is "National Talk Like a Gypsy Day"?
I'm not paranoid one bit. I could care less about this whole product, because I'll never use it. I'm just pointing out things I see that will interfere with the "success" of such a horrible idea is all.
If you voice recognition software works so well, please sell it to the myriad of business that I am endlessly on hold with because their voice recognition software is a hot, steamy, p.o.s. When I worked in the field, there was a calling that had been going on for over 20 years to perfect the whole "voice recognition" pipe dream. If any agency in the world has the ability, manpower, and pure, unadulterated, brute geek-power, it would be the NSA, and they can't even develop a system that can identify the difference between individual languages, let alone English in any usable format. In otherwords, there is a reason there are thousands of linguists sitting rack 24-hours a day, 365 days a year--software can't do it alone.
As for a link to a pertinent US signal law, try searching USSID 18 or Exec. Order 12333. And a small correction to your claim: the ones doing the monitoring are the ones that would do the reporting, not being reported to. I'm not sure how that qualifies as paranoia though.
I'm racist against Pirates
on
Halo 3 Review
·
· Score: 1
When did gypsies get their own race? Does that mean I can start being racist against Pirates now too?
If there are so many games on the Xbox you'd like to play, then why don't you get an Xbox? Of course Microsoft wants to sell more Xboxes, so they withheld the PC version, in the exact same way they just bought Bungie out straight up to make Halo the "killer app" for the Xbox (as opposed to being a Mac/PC hybrid). It's called business. Unless it makes the game a steamy p.o.s, what's the harm?
I consider geek shows to be the ones that appeal to us: "Doctor Who," "Battlestar Galactica" and "Heroes."
But these are show that, most importantly, are good. They appeal to people OUTSIDE of nerd circles in spite of the nerd stigma that is (incorrectly) associated with them. Well, not so much Dr. Who, but you get my drift?
They want to rely on voice recognition software? Well then I guess it will be a good deal, since that stuff doesn't work worth a damn. More interestingly, what does voice recognition software do when it identifies a threat to US persons, which, under US signals laws, would require reporting? What happens if their voice recognition software doesn't catch a specific threat? I think (hope) liability alone will put this model under.
Wow, thanks for the info, but I was just joking. I didn't think I would actually need to tag something as sheeple to make it known that people who's behavior is controlled by advertising qualifies them as sheeple;-)
Oh man, nice response! I never thought I'd see the day where a fellow slashdotter actually knew anything about cars! At the time (1999) there were no GSR's. I was told by the dealer that they skipped 1999, but that may not be true in hindsight. That was my first choice. Yes, I still would have bought the SVT in the face of the WRX, Protege and SE-R, but barely (mostly on a stylistic appeal). But I wouldn't have been unhappy with the Protege, for sure. The WRX is a bit too youthful for my tastes, even back then. Now, however, I have too many choices! It doesn't hurt that I'm 8 years on and make career wages now (as opposed to my Army salary back in the day). I think I'm set on the Lexus IS 350!
I can see it now....5,234 sweaty nerds are simultaneously modding me down for "off-topic"
Apple products have a nice design. I'd hardly call them pretty, as that has a female-centric bias to it (in my mind). I think people who enjoy design elements also enjoy Apple products (moreso than, say, Dell). People who have no interest in design, not suprisingly, don't understand the hoopla for Apple products, and instead flood/. with articles about how their Palm-this, and Nomad-that are so much better than the current Apple lineup. Yeah, we get it, but it is our money, and we value different things. Get over it already.
Your pretty boy analogy is pretty good, except I'd argue that Apple products actually have substance to go with the looks.
Apple will NEVER appeal to the bang-for-the-buck crowd. It isn't in their corporate culture to cut corners to pump up stats. Apple is not making Dodge Chargers with huge Hemis, cranking out big horsepower... No, Apple is making sleek v-6s that get just as much horsepower with half the displacement, and can actually go around corners too. (Yes, another car analogy!)
I hear the claims of status-symbol this, and smug that thrown around Apple, but the truth is that normal, hard-working people, regardless of income level, use Macs, iPods and iPhones. The Nokia N95 costs several hundred dollars more than the iPhone, so if people wanted to impress, they'd buy that instead, no? Perhaps you aren't giving people enough credit here. People like myself (37-ish years old, $60,000/yr, Graduate degree, 2 kids, mortgage), seem to not mind paying a small premium as long as we are getting a good product in return. It seems to be that $7/hr, lives-in-the-basement-with-parents guy that can't handle the fact that some of us are productive members of society and have a little cash to burn on things we like (not things we want YOU to like).
The same thing goes for cars (slashdot can never use enough car analogies). I love the BMW 3 series, because it is an engineering marvel, at any cost, and would never buy it as a status-symbol. I would buy it because it is a GREAT car and I could care less what the rest of you think. Sure, in the States, where BMWs aren't the ubiquitous average commuter car like in Europe, some idiots buy them for that, but that doesn't make it any worse of a vehicle.
A ROLEX is a status symbol. It doesn't do anything better than my $15 Casio, yet costs thousands of dollars. A BENTLEY is a status symbol. It is a piece of shit car that costs about $200,000 more than it is actually worth, and gets pwned by a Volkswagen. An iPod (yes, I've frequently heard this referred to as a status symbol) is a sub $200 electronic gadget. I would be sad if I lived in an country who's economy considered $200 gadgets to be luxury.
Slashdot Mirror
Man, this is soooo off topic. You killed my joke. Argghhhhh, matey.
And since I have over $10,000 in home audio gear, I think I'm a decent candidate for judging the quality of music coming from an iPod or other source. What I DO agree with is that nearly EVERY pirated song available on bit torrent clients sound horrible, even when advertised as higher sampling rates. Not all rippers are equal in their ability to create nice audio files. iTunes does a very good job, however.
Yes, while not everyone uses an iPod, nearly everyone who buys songs on iTunes does. Since we were talking about burning and reripping to remove Apple's DRM, then I would say that people who don't use iPods would never do this.
"serious" loss of quality? Hardly. Without debate, MOST people can't tell the difference and slashdot has been littered with stories proving this simple fact. With the white ear buds that come with the iPod in a normal listening environment, there is virtually no perceivable sound quality difference between a downloaded 128kbs that has been ripped to mp3 and the original cd file. Even if you don't believe this, the proof is in the pudding. Seems like a billion downloads speaks volumes about how much people don't care (i.e., can't tell) about the supposed quality issues related to buying iTunes drm songs.
What happens when a newer/better/cheaper mp3 player/store comes out? Well, they are five years too late, and people with thousands of cds worth of content will continue using iPods and iTunes. That's just one benefit of being a pioneer. If I keep waiting around for the next iTunes/iPod killer to materialize, I'll never have any new music.
Well, I've been an Apple customer for 19 years, so I don't see why I should worry about the next 20, especially considering the last 5 have kicked ass.
So there, that's how Apple is any better?
Oh, you mean the ETHNIC GROUP that your own link talks about? Sorry, I knew where I was going with my own joke, and it still stands. Gypsy is an ethnicity, not a race.
Sweet. So when is "National Talk Like a Gypsy Day"?
If you voice recognition software works so well, please sell it to the myriad of business that I am endlessly on hold with because their voice recognition software is a hot, steamy, p.o.s. When I worked in the field, there was a calling that had been going on for over 20 years to perfect the whole "voice recognition" pipe dream. If any agency in the world has the ability, manpower, and pure, unadulterated, brute geek-power, it would be the NSA, and they can't even develop a system that can identify the difference between individual languages, let alone English in any usable format. In otherwords, there is a reason there are thousands of linguists sitting rack 24-hours a day, 365 days a year--software can't do it alone.
As for a link to a pertinent US signal law, try searching USSID 18 or Exec. Order 12333. And a small correction to your claim: the ones doing the monitoring are the ones that would do the reporting, not being reported to. I'm not sure how that qualifies as paranoia though.
When did gypsies get their own race? Does that mean I can start being racist against Pirates now too?
If there are so many games on the Xbox you'd like to play, then why don't you get an Xbox? Of course Microsoft wants to sell more Xboxes, so they withheld the PC version, in the exact same way they just bought Bungie out straight up to make Halo the "killer app" for the Xbox (as opposed to being a Mac/PC hybrid). It's called business. Unless it makes the game a steamy p.o.s, what's the harm?
What makes you think he paid anywhere near the full retail price in the first place (unless it says so in TFA, but of course I didn't read it).
I nominate this as the best response of the week
Jurassic Park had very blatant PowePC Macintosh product placement. Not much Unix going on with Macs back then...
They want to rely on voice recognition software? Well then I guess it will be a good deal, since that stuff doesn't work worth a damn. More interestingly, what does voice recognition software do when it identifies a threat to US persons, which, under US signals laws, would require reporting? What happens if their voice recognition software doesn't catch a specific threat? I think (hope) liability alone will put this model under.
Wow, thanks for the info, but I was just joking. I didn't think I would actually need to tag something as sheeple to make it known that people who's behavior is controlled by advertising qualifies them as sheeple ;-)
I can see it now....5,234 sweaty nerds are simultaneously modding me down for "off-topic"
Your pretty boy analogy is pretty good, except I'd argue that Apple products actually have substance to go with the looks.
Apple will NEVER appeal to the bang-for-the-buck crowd. It isn't in their corporate culture to cut corners to pump up stats. Apple is not making Dodge Chargers with huge Hemis, cranking out big horsepower... No, Apple is making sleek v-6s that get just as much horsepower with half the displacement, and can actually go around corners too. (Yes, another car analogy!)
Where's the "sheeple" tag? How do I tag a /. article?
actually I'm considering the lexis is 350 to replace my aging contour act. I'll look into the infinity though
The same thing goes for cars (slashdot can never use enough car analogies). I love the BMW 3 series, because it is an engineering marvel, at any cost, and would never buy it as a status-symbol. I would buy it because it is a GREAT car and I could care less what the rest of you think. Sure, in the States, where BMWs aren't the ubiquitous average commuter car like in Europe, some idiots buy them for that, but that doesn't make it any worse of a vehicle.
A ROLEX is a status symbol. It doesn't do anything better than my $15 Casio, yet costs thousands of dollars. A BENTLEY is a status symbol. It is a piece of shit car that costs about $200,000 more than it is actually worth, and gets pwned by a Volkswagen. An iPod (yes, I've frequently heard this referred to as a status symbol) is a sub $200 electronic gadget. I would be sad if I lived in an country who's economy considered $200 gadgets to be luxury.