Which ones? We're talking about a US-based site here. The sites your are probably thinking of are either: 1. Outside the USA and/or, 2. Don't actually host the files, just the bittorrent etc. trackers (Isohunt & Piratebay spring to mind).
More seriously, there are a few 'standouts' like Google maps and Opera, but that's about it. Probably because it is closed architecture, and the Java implementation can be buggy.
Closed architecture? Really?
RIM gives away free SDKs and full documentation without restrictions and without onerous EULAs. What more can you want?
I meant as in terms of the OS - of course it's not the iPhone, but it's not running Linux either.
Still, let's not get carried away - it's not designed to be a hacker's toy, and as an enterprise-grade messaging tool, it's great.
'Two hours later, I heard from Benny Ng, director of marketing for Hurricane Electric, the Fremont, Calif., company that was the other major Internet provider for McColo.
Hurricane Electric took a much stronger public stance: "We shut them down," Ng said.
"We looked into it a bit, saw the size and scope of the problem you were reporting and said 'Holy cow! Within the hour we had terminated all of our connections to them."'
So, after much hand-waving here, and elsewhere, about what info the Gov. and your ISP may be collecting about you, they could not spot this, a major spam, child-porn and theft site?
Maybe the honest version would be; "We were making shitloads of money out of selling bandwidth to these bastards, 'no questions asked', but now you've blown the whistle on them I guess we've gotta look responsible."
FTA: 'Hansen emphasized that studies have shown that the Windows platform often costs the same as or less than Linux when the total cost of ownership is considered. '
WTF? For a laptop that will be used in education? OK - Govs. and students get special price deals on M$ OS and Office etc., but I can't believe this.
I'm aware of such comparisons on servers, (and I'm dubious about these), have never seen anything on clients. Anybody got some info?
But firing isn't the only way to make someone leave....There are thousands of ways to do so....they can take away your assistant, make you file paperwork yourself, cripple your decisionmaking powers, cut you out of important meetings, move your office somewhere unpleasant, i.e. some obscure 5x5 cubicle in the basement...
I surprised that this topic made it through - not surprised at the flaming response. I mean, the damn thing does not even run Linux...
More seriously, there are a few 'standouts' like Google maps and Opera, but that's about it. Probably because it is closed architecture, and the Java implementation can be buggy.
What I've found helpful is - as a user of an older, non-GPS equipped model Pearl - to update to the latest OS. Instructions can be found on web. You get genuinely improved functionality. Same thing goes for Google maps - they update it regularly so you need to re-install often. For example, they recently added positioning without GPS, using tower trangulation. Works surprisingly well.
Thanks for that - you're right that this form of 'attack is the best form of defense' patent bullshit is becoming prevelent. Shame.
Not sure how they'd money from that, tho. Did not work for SCO (hooray, the fuckers!) and does not seem to be working for the MAAFIA. No compensation for an outdated business model.
Patent maneovering of this kind only works when you've something to protect / negotiate - you need a chips to play at the big table...IBM vs. Microsoft? Let's settle. Does Halliburton having anything to negotiate?
OK, so "it's applied for a patent on the process of finding a company that protected an invention via trade secret, figuring out what that secret is, patenting it... and then suing the original company"
IANAL, but does not the original invention invalidate the subsequent patent, as 'prior art'?
I don't know about Japan - but here in Europe you'll be screwed too. Preferred creditors come first - the first of which is, of course, the state. A gift cert is not cash.
Another example is air miles. I lost a bundle when Swissair became 'Swiss', and the companies change the redemption rules all the time...
See your point, but don't see how that gets round the problem of these devices being so tightly coupled, in terms of hw and os...would be a neat trick if you could ship stuff than ran under VM and was usable, despite the many different button placements, screen resolutions...
For example, I have a Blackberry Pearl - some Java apps are run fine, but are unusable from the UI standpoint.
Why they would want they do that? Increasingly, the handset suppliers are seeing the device software as being part of their value-add, brand differentiation and protection.
They don't want M$, Google Android or FOSS. Think iPhone.
Sounds like needless complexity on devices already challenged by small form factor, (memeory, battery lifre, CPU power...)
The only thing that could temp me would be security - open email (and attachments) in a VM wihout risking crashing - or infecting - my phone, which I also might be using for GPS navigation - hmmmm..
Damn. Please someone re-write that Wiki entry to make it more friendly for our non-tech friends. It starts...
"Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) is a Linux kernel virtualization infrastructure. KVM currently supports native virtualization using Intel VT or AMD-V. Limited support for paravirtualization is also available for Linux guests and Windows in the form of a paravirtual network driver[1], a balloon driver to affect operation of the guest virtual memory manager[2], and CPU optimization for Linux guests. KVM is currently implemented as a loadable kernel module although future versions will likely use a system call interface and be integrated directly into the kernel[3].
Architecture ports are currently being developed for s390[4], PowerPC[5], and IA64. The first version of KVM was included in Linux 2.6.20 (February 2007)[6]. KVM has also been ported to FreeBSD as a loadable kernel module[7]."
'One delegate at the meeting told the Independent: "They said they only wanted to return to a position they were in before the emergence of internet communication, when they were able to monitor all correspondence with a police suspect. '
Oh, so that's all right then.
Soon, they'll want to re-introduce national identity cards...oh wait.
Then what? Ration books? National Service (Conscription)?
Actually, a lot of the younger politicos would probably struggle with VCRs, since all they ever knew was iPod or TIVO. Makes them smart rather than dumb, in my opinion, (VCRs used to be a bitch to program).
Do we really need people who know how things work 'under the hood' to make smart tech decisions? Or do we need smart people with vision, who then consult with or employ the right people? Not sure that Kennedy knew how the rockets worked, but he got people to the moon just the same.
Ever heard of Murphy's law? It has many sub-varients. The 'driver hell' one states that the device you really want to use, will never work properly on the OS you really want to use it with.
OS/2 was much better than Windows, but I could never get the fusking thing to install on anything other than an IBM PS/2. Not funky stuff, either. Compaqs and other mainstream boxes.
True. A lot of people miss that - the really good resolution pictures on G are typically taken from aeroplanes or (more rarely) helicopters. Who knows what military/intel sats can do - for sure they'll never share. One thing they have in common with commercial sats tho' is problems with clouds and other stuff (moving fast high in sky, extreme angles of incidence, blah blah. The bs about being able to read your newpaper is just that...bs).
Still, pretty damn good picture. As to why this place? Probably the first decent shot they could get (with no clouds etc) of someplace vaguely interesting - a lot of the earth is either sea, fields, woods...
iTunes works well on Macs, where people want, and expect, things to 'just work'. On windows platforms, where many users have been forced to learn more than they'd like to about the technical aspects, I agree that iTunes is a pain. It renames your mp3 files, reformats iPods if you try to connect to another PC, limits your ability to share file whatever.
Typical closed architecture, (reminds me of the old IBM days). Products work reasonably well within one manufacturer's range, don't play well with others.
Since all my kids have PCs and iPods, we use Mediamonkey. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediamonkey Works as advertised. Free version enough for most people. Recommended. (c)Pournelle.
Otherwise , where's the business model? I guess they're hoping that the OSS community will create and/or enable more functionality than they can alone. But what then?
1. Software open, so anyone can copy / use / extend. 2. 'Open' hardware becomes equally available, (think IBM-PC) 3. Clone boxes with cracked DRM become freely available. 4. Content providers bail. 5. Profit!!!! Oh wait.
Jobs did not kill the Apple clones for nothing.
And that's before Google gets into the game. Android on a set-top box anyone? The wheel turns full circle - you get all the 'free' movie you want, but you also get the ads big G wants you to get. Next up, 'noscript' for Android?
Slashdot Mirror
Which ones? We're talking about a US-based site here. The sites your are probably thinking of are either:
1. Outside the USA and/or,
2. Don't actually host the files, just the bittorrent etc. trackers (Isohunt & Piratebay spring to mind).
More seriously, there are a few 'standouts' like Google maps and Opera, but that's about it. Probably because it is closed architecture, and the Java implementation can be buggy.
Closed architecture? Really?
RIM gives away free SDKs and full documentation without restrictions and without onerous EULAs. What more can you want?
I meant as in terms of the OS - of course it's not the iPhone, but it's not running Linux either.
Still, let's not get carried away - it's not designed to be a hacker's toy, and as an enterprise-grade messaging tool, it's great.
Also FTA:
'Two hours later, I heard from Benny Ng, director of marketing for Hurricane Electric, the Fremont, Calif., company that was the other major Internet provider for McColo.
Hurricane Electric took a much stronger public stance: "We shut them down," Ng said.
"We looked into it a bit, saw the size and scope of the problem you were reporting and said 'Holy cow! Within the hour we had terminated all of our connections to them."'
So, after much hand-waving here, and elsewhere, about what info the Gov. and your ISP may be collecting about you, they could not spot this, a major spam, child-porn and theft site?
Maybe the honest version would be;
"We were making shitloads of money out of selling bandwidth to these bastards, 'no questions asked', but now you've blown the whistle on them I guess we've gotta look responsible."
FTA: 'Hansen emphasized that studies have shown that the Windows platform often costs the same as or less than Linux when the total cost of ownership is considered. '
WTF? For a laptop that will be used in education? OK - Govs. and students get special price deals on M$ OS and Office etc., but I can't believe this.
I'm aware of such comparisons on servers, (and I'm dubious about these), have never seen anything on clients. Anybody got some info?
Because he's worried that his son might have 'The Knack'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmYDgncMhXw
(Dilbert)
Interesting claim.
But firing isn't the only way to make someone leave....There are thousands of ways to do so. ...they can take away your assistant, make you file paperwork yourself, cripple your decisionmaking powers, cut you out of important meetings, move your office somewhere unpleasant, i.e. some obscure 5x5 cubicle in the basement...
Steal your red stapler!
I surprised that this topic made it through - not surprised at the flaming response. I mean, the damn thing does not even run Linux...
More seriously, there are a few 'standouts' like Google maps and Opera, but that's about it. Probably because it is closed architecture, and the Java implementation can be buggy.
What I've found helpful is - as a user of an older, non-GPS equipped model Pearl - to update to the latest OS. Instructions can be found on web. You get genuinely improved functionality.
Same thing goes for Google maps - they update it regularly so you need to re-install often. For example, they recently added positioning without GPS, using tower trangulation. Works surprisingly well.
Thanks for that - you're right that this form of 'attack is the best form of defense' patent bullshit is becoming prevelent. Shame.
Not sure how they'd money from that, tho. Did not work for SCO (hooray, the fuckers!) and does not seem to be working for the MAAFIA. No compensation for an outdated business model.
Patent maneovering of this kind only works when you've something to protect / negotiate - you need a chips to play at the big table...IBM vs. Microsoft? Let's settle. Does Halliburton having anything to negotiate?
Personally, I'd hate to see it because I think that the phone market is pretty "fun" with all of the innovation.
With you on that one - although I wish they'd standardise on the charges and other cables - I have a drawful of chargers and headsets...
OK, so "it's applied for a patent on the process of finding a company that protected an invention via trade secret, figuring out what that secret is, patenting it... and then suing the original company"
IANAL, but does not the original invention invalidate the subsequent patent, as 'prior art'?
I don't know about Japan - but here in Europe you'll be screwed too. Preferred creditors come first - the first of which is, of course, the state. A gift cert is not cash.
Another example is air miles. I lost a bundle when Swissair became 'Swiss', and the companies change the redemption rules all the time...
See your point, but don't see how that gets round the problem of these devices being so tightly coupled, in terms of hw and os...would be a neat trick if you could ship stuff than ran under VM and was usable, despite the many different button placements, screen resolutions...
For example, I have a Blackberry Pearl - some Java apps are run fine, but are unusable from the UI standpoint.
Why they would want they do that? Increasingly, the handset suppliers are seeing the device software as being part of their value-add, brand differentiation and protection.
They don't want M$, Google Android or FOSS. Think iPhone.
Sounds like needless complexity on devices already challenged by small form factor, (memeory, battery lifre, CPU power...)
The only thing that could temp me would be security - open email (and attachments) in a VM wihout risking crashing - or infecting - my phone, which I also might be using for GPS navigation - hmmmm..
Damn. Please someone re-write that Wiki entry to make it more friendly for our non-tech friends. It starts...
"Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) is a Linux kernel virtualization infrastructure. KVM currently supports native virtualization using Intel VT or AMD-V. Limited support for paravirtualization is also available for Linux guests and Windows in the form of a paravirtual network driver[1], a balloon driver to affect operation of the guest virtual memory manager[2], and CPU optimization for Linux guests. KVM is currently implemented as a loadable kernel module although future versions will likely use a system call interface and be integrated directly into the kernel[3].
Architecture ports are currently being developed for s390[4], PowerPC[5], and IA64. The first version of KVM was included in Linux 2.6.20 (February 2007)[6]. KVM has also been ported to FreeBSD as a loadable kernel module[7]."
FTA:
'One delegate at the meeting told the Independent: "They said they only wanted to return to a position they were in before the emergence of internet communication, when they were able to monitor all correspondence with a police suspect. '
Oh, so that's all right then.
Soon, they'll want to re-introduce national identity cards...oh wait.
Then what? Ration books? National Service (Conscription)?
Actually, a lot of the younger politicos would probably struggle with VCRs, since all they ever knew was iPod or TIVO. Makes them smart rather than dumb, in my opinion, (VCRs used to be a bitch to program).
Do we really need people who know how things work 'under the hood' to make smart tech decisions? Or do we need smart people with vision, who then consult with or employ the right people? Not sure that Kennedy knew how the rockets worked, but he got people to the moon just the same.
Now get off my lawn.
Again?
Ever heard of Murphy's law? It has many sub-varients. The 'driver hell' one states that the device you really want to use, will never work properly on the OS you really want to use it with.
OS/2 was much better than Windows, but I could never get the fusking thing to install on anything other than an IBM PS/2. Not funky stuff, either. Compaqs and other mainstream boxes.
Plus ca change...
+11 on the irony meter, dude. Respect.
Since there's nothing interesting in TFA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GeoEye_1#GeoEye-1
*end oblig wikipedia karma-whoring*
True. A lot of people miss that - the really good resolution pictures on G are typically taken from aeroplanes or (more rarely) helicopters. Who knows what military/intel sats can do - for sure they'll never share. One thing they have in common with commercial sats tho' is problems with clouds and other stuff (moving fast high in sky, extreme angles of incidence, blah blah. The bs about being able to read your newpaper is just that...bs).
Still, pretty damn good picture.
As to why this place? Probably the first decent shot they could get (with no clouds etc) of someplace vaguely interesting - a lot of the earth is either sea, fields, woods...
Oops. Getting rather off topic, but I should have mentioned the alternatives, like Winamp or Songbird, (which I like less, YMMV)
Linux fans will already know about Amarok.
Anyways:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_iPod_Managers
iTunes works well on Macs, where people want, and expect, things to 'just work'.
On windows platforms, where many users have been forced to learn more than they'd like to about the technical aspects, I agree that iTunes is a pain. It renames your mp3 files, reformats iPods if you try to connect to another PC, limits your ability to share file whatever.
Typical closed architecture, (reminds me of the old IBM days). Products work reasonably well within one manufacturer's range, don't play well with others.
Since all my kids have PCs and iPods, we use Mediamonkey.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediamonkey
Works as advertised. Free version enough for most people.
Recommended. (c)Pournelle.
Not a Republican, then?
Mod parent up.
Otherwise , where's the business model?
I guess they're hoping that the OSS community will create and/or enable more functionality than they can alone. But what then?
1. Software open, so anyone can copy / use / extend.
2. 'Open' hardware becomes equally available, (think IBM-PC)
3. Clone boxes with cracked DRM become freely available.
4. Content providers bail.
5. Profit!!!! Oh wait.
Jobs did not kill the Apple clones for nothing.
And that's before Google gets into the game. Android on a set-top box anyone? The wheel turns full circle - you get all the 'free' movie you want, but you also get the ads big G wants you to get. Next up, 'noscript' for Android?