I see a lot of comments on CCTV being unable to prevent crime. There's not a lot that will prevent a crime if the person in question is determined.
The idea is that CCTV acts as a visual deterrent and thus aids in the reduction of crime. It's simple logic, do you steal the audi in the shadows or the audi with the cameras pointing at it and 5 big men standing next to it.
BTW, I'm not an advocate of CCTV/Big Brother and the ideas of a 1984-esq environment anger me.
I agree. All these websites that act as tools, even business listings like yell.com, aim to get the user to the result they require in the shortest possible time. This kind of rating system is only going to damage the listing of sites such as those and bring slow loading, badly designed (structurally) websites to the foreground.
Oh excellent. So now the sites that are difficult to navigate and take all day to find what you want or to fill out a form because of the bad validation implementations are going to move their way to the top.
For some really stupid reason, the designer of my flat decided to put the one and only telephone socket in the kitchen next to the fridge, of all places. When I installed my wireless d-link router in the kitchen - with the idea of using the wireless capability throughout the flat, I found that the signal barely reached outside the room. Consequently, I have had to run an extension cable from the socket into the living room and install the router there. Whilst this gives adequate signal strength for the bathroom and bedrooms, with the extension having to run behind the fridge, I am getting severe degredation on the line. To the point where I'm paying for 8meg and generally getting 0.7 - 1meg connection speeds:(
Would anyone be able to clarify if this also applies to people making connecting flights to other, non-us, destinations? I'll be flying to Mexico in a few months and I believe I will have to transfer in Dallas, TX.
As an Englishman, I must say that, although the united states has some great places and great people, the collective attitude does nothing but inspire me NOT to return.
Personally, I think it would be a good idea to implement a patent "shelf life". The problem is not only that stupid patents are being granted but that patents on future technology are also being granted in a manner that does nothing but stifle the advancement of technology.
Perhaps a 2 year shelf life would be a plausible solution. If a company has not, successfully, developed their patent within a 2 year (or other) period, then the patent is nullified and a non-renewal period is awarded against the filing company - say a month or 6 - thus allowing people who are actually interested in the advancement of technology a chance.
There are far too many companies out there filing for patents of future tech purely to reap royalties after someone else has developed the product.
I too bought a DVD player, for a mere £120, several years ago. It was trivial to crack in order to play multi-region DVD's and the quality is far superior than my friends £400 pre-chipped unit.
Upbringing based on real-life, with real risks and real pain.
+1 to that. When I was younger, I took the resister from a "plug light", plugged it in, turned it on and reconnected the break using a gold screw - by hand. The blinding flash and burnt, numb, figures resulting from the 240v surge consequently taught me never to fuck with the mains electricity again. Of course my parents taught me all about it and what I shouldnt be doing, and I certainly dont condone kids playing with the mains, but sometimes people just have to find out for themselves - its called life experience. And without it, weaker, more naive societies are created.
You CANT control kids, no matter how much you think you can. We all know that the more we're told no, the more we want it. The key is education.
I started a Kungfu instructors course a few years back and I ask my instructor how the hell he managed with the kids classes. He told me to think of the kids like sheep. You dont tell them what to do, because they wont, you have to guide and steer them in the direction you want.
After the revelation that chimps have been found to craft their own weapons, the CIA instigated a full investigation and found that the chimps are developing and harbouring weapons of mass destruction. President Bush has announced plans for The War Against Chimps, stating that "..chimps own WMD's and that they, categorically, intend on using them to harm the american people, I will not allow this to happen." America's finest are to be deployed immediately to deal with the situation.
Surely given that the RIAA have now admitted that mistaken identities are common enough to warrant such an announcement, half of their cases are going to fall apart.
Ive never had one so I cant really say. I just get the impression that something that slim in a bumside pocket is just asking for trouble. Hell, even a packet of smokes in a back pocket rarely survive.
Dont get me wrong, the availability of choice is not under debate. You are welcome to buy a £10 DVD player from Bobbys Bucket or a £100 DVD player from Panasonic. But at the end of the day, they do the same thing. Format wars are merely a waste of marketing money. As history has now proven, no one format no longer comes out on top, which is why we inevitably have multi format devices; my DVD player plays DVD+, DVD-, MPEG-4, DivX, CD-R, JPEG, VCD, SVCD; my portable music player supports WMV,WAV,MP3; my PC accepts Memory Stick, SD, XD, CF.
IMHO - The money could be spent to much better effect elsewhere, such as usuability testing, market research, security etc etc.
I dont need a phone to bend around my face. However, thats not to say that the principle isnt good. I mean, surely it holds something over Samsungs "Worlds Slimmest" handset, that will, predictably, be subject to many breakages after being inserted into a pocket. http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/02/12/samsung_de buts_ultra_edition_deux/
+1
High capacity storage is proving to be just one more reason for vendors to stuff more crap at us just because the hardware allows for it. Hey, I've seen no Vista comment yet - another prime example. Just because the hardware is improving, doesnt mean we want to be subjected to bloatware.
When will corporations stop fighting and trying to get one up on each other as they tout their latest format. Did the DVD -/+ war or the flash memory stick wars teach them nothing?
It is inevitable that everyone will do everything. With multi-format DVD burners and players and multicard readers as standard with most media kit, its merely a matter of time before people actually realise that the format wars are now futile.
Warner have released a hybrid HD/BDR disc and LG have already put out the hybrid drives. Cost is negligable, a 12 month availabilty will see prices dropping tremendously. Only a year ago the top of the range Sony DVD recorder demanded £900, now the same spec machine (by Sony) can be bought for under £300.
Everytime a new format is developed, there is this ridiculous, costly and unrequired fight to prove whose better. Its infuriating.
Its exactly this kind of cotton wool wrapped society that we now live in that is giving us increased crime rates and reasons to fear going outside. When I was kid (here we go..;P), I got slapped, I got grounded, I ate what I was given and I did as I was told. These days kids are so wrapped up that no one can do anything to keep them inline and, further, this results in a massive decrease in life experience which consequently harms natural developement. I dont play with the mains electricity after I replaced a resistor in a plug with a gold screw "just to see what would happen" when I was about 12, (240v is what happened). not that I condone letting kids play with the mains:P But I imagine you get my point.:)
According to, the ever so reliable, Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_%22Vienna%22), Blackcomb was set to replace XP. For whatever reasons, Vista has become the intermediary between XP and Blackcomb. Whilst Vista is set to change the way users interact with the OS via the GUI, Blackcomb is set to change the way users interact with their machines at a hardware level ( hence the comment on Hypervisiors I imagine) - according to WIKI.
I heard news of Vienna a couple of weeks ago and I find it interesting that Vista is touted, even by Gates himself, as the last installment of Windows. Future platforms to be mere Internet upgraded editions of Vista.
Perhaps Vienna is the new name for a big Vista SP1.
Slashdot Mirror
I see a lot of comments on CCTV being unable to prevent crime. There's not a lot that will prevent a crime if the person in question is determined.
The idea is that CCTV acts as a visual deterrent and thus aids in the reduction of crime. It's simple logic, do you steal the audi in the shadows or the audi with the cameras pointing at it and 5 big men standing next to it.
BTW, I'm not an advocate of CCTV/Big Brother and the ideas of a 1984-esq environment anger me.
I agree. All these websites that act as tools, even business listings like yell.com, aim to get the user to the result they require in the shortest possible time. This kind of rating system is only going to damage the listing of sites such as those and bring slow loading, badly designed (structurally) websites to the foreground.
Oh excellent. So now the sites that are difficult to navigate and take all day to find what you want or to fill out a form because of the bad validation implementations are going to move their way to the top.
Just what we need.
I certainly agree.
:(
For some really stupid reason, the designer of my flat decided to put the one and only telephone socket in the kitchen next to the fridge, of all places. When I installed my wireless d-link router in the kitchen - with the idea of using the wireless capability throughout the flat, I found that the signal barely reached outside the room. Consequently, I have had to run an extension cable from the socket into the living room and install the router there. Whilst this gives adequate signal strength for the bathroom and bedrooms, with the extension having to run behind the fridge, I am getting severe degredation on the line. To the point where I'm paying for 8meg and generally getting 0.7 - 1meg connection speeds
Would anyone be able to clarify if this also applies to people making connecting flights to other, non-us, destinations? I'll be flying to Mexico in a few months and I believe I will have to transfer in Dallas, TX.
As an Englishman, I must say that, although the united states has some great places and great people, the collective attitude does nothing but inspire me NOT to return.
Personally, I think it would be a good idea to implement a patent "shelf life". The problem is not only that stupid patents are being granted but that patents on future technology are also being granted in a manner that does nothing but stifle the advancement of technology.
Perhaps a 2 year shelf life would be a plausible solution. If a company has not, successfully, developed their patent within a 2 year (or other) period, then the patent is nullified and a non-renewal period is awarded against the filing company - say a month or 6 - thus allowing people who are actually interested in the advancement of technology a chance.
There are far too many companies out there filing for patents of future tech purely to reap royalties after someone else has developed the product.
You know, I'm sure I pointed this out before, oh oh I did *rolls eyes*9 88810/
http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=222058&cid=17
Seriously, enough with the "which is better","format war",etc it's futile.
Probably the same relevance seemingly apparent when news readers refer to the "muslim teacher" or the "black teenager". *sighs at the world*
While my boss might disagree, I wouldn't call reading Slashdot at work time wasting :P
I too bought a DVD player, for a mere £120, several years ago. It was trivial to crack in order to play multi-region DVD's and the quality is far superior than my friends £400 pre-chipped unit.
I cant see any company giving up the opportunity to make money. Surely they would just employ the person after the patent to realise their own idea?
Perhaps patents should have a shelf life. If its dormant for more than X amount of years, its dropped.
Tell me about it - and I previewed it twice before I posted. :(
Another case of the americans trying to the accepted ideas of time... :b
Upbringing based on real-life, with real risks and real pain.
+1 to that. When I was younger, I took the resister from a "plug light", plugged it in, turned it on and reconnected the break using a gold screw - by hand. The blinding flash and burnt, numb, figures resulting from the 240v surge consequently taught me never to fuck with the mains electricity again. Of course my parents taught me all about it and what I shouldnt be doing, and I certainly dont condone kids playing with the mains, but sometimes people just have to find out for themselves - its called life experience. And without it, weaker, more naive societies are created.
You CANT control kids, no matter how much you think you can. We all know that the more we're told no, the more we want it. The key is education.
I started a Kungfu instructors course a few years back and I ask my instructor how the hell he managed with the kids classes. He told me to think of the kids like sheep. You dont tell them what to do, because they wont, you have to guide and steer them in the direction you want.
News just in;
After the revelation that chimps have been found to craft their own weapons, the CIA instigated a full investigation and found that the chimps are developing and harbouring weapons of mass destruction. President Bush has announced plans for The War Against Chimps, stating that "..chimps own WMD's and that they, categorically, intend on using them to harm the american people, I will not allow this to happen." America's finest are to be deployed immediately to deal with the situation.
Surely given that the RIAA have now admitted that mistaken identities are common enough to warrant such an announcement, half of their cases are going to fall apart.
Ive never had one so I cant really say. I just get the impression that something that slim in a bumside pocket is just asking for trouble. Hell, even a packet of smokes in a back pocket rarely survive.
Dont get me wrong, the availability of choice is not under debate. You are welcome to buy a £10 DVD player from Bobbys Bucket or a £100 DVD player from Panasonic. But at the end of the day, they do the same thing. Format wars are merely a waste of marketing money. As history has now proven, no one format no longer comes out on top, which is why we inevitably have multi format devices; my DVD player plays DVD+, DVD-, MPEG-4, DivX, CD-R, JPEG, VCD, SVCD; my portable music player supports WMV,WAV,MP3; my PC accepts Memory Stick, SD, XD, CF.
IMHO - The money could be spent to much better effect elsewhere, such as usuability testing, market research, security etc etc.
Not to mention that the PS3 still hasnt seen a European launch
I dont need a phone to bend around my face. However, thats not to say that the principle isnt good. I mean, surely it holds something over Samsungs "Worlds Slimmest" handset, that will, predictably, be subject to many breakages after being inserted into a pocket. http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/02/12/samsung_de buts_ultra_edition_deux/
+1 High capacity storage is proving to be just one more reason for vendors to stuff more crap at us just because the hardware allows for it. Hey, I've seen no Vista comment yet - another prime example. Just because the hardware is improving, doesnt mean we want to be subjected to bloatware.
When will corporations stop fighting and trying to get one up on each other as they tout their latest format. Did the DVD -/+ war or the flash memory stick wars teach them nothing?
It is inevitable that everyone will do everything. With multi-format DVD burners and players and multicard readers as standard with most media kit, its merely a matter of time before people actually realise that the format wars are now futile.
Warner have released a hybrid HD/BDR disc and LG have already put out the hybrid drives. Cost is negligable, a 12 month availabilty will see prices dropping tremendously. Only a year ago the top of the range Sony DVD recorder demanded £900, now the same spec machine (by Sony) can be bought for under £300.
Everytime a new format is developed, there is this ridiculous, costly and unrequired fight to prove whose better. Its infuriating.
Its exactly this kind of cotton wool wrapped society that we now live in that is giving us increased crime rates and reasons to fear going outside. When I was kid (here we go.. ;P), I got slapped, I got grounded, I ate what I was given and I did as I was told. These days kids are so wrapped up that no one can do anything to keep them inline and, further, this results in a massive decrease in life experience which consequently harms natural developement. I dont play with the mains electricity after I replaced a resistor in a plug with a gold screw "just to see what would happen" when I was about 12, (240v is what happened). not that I condone letting kids play with the mains :P But I imagine you get my point. :)
According to, the ever so reliable, Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_%22Vienna%22 ), Blackcomb was set to replace XP. For whatever reasons, Vista has become the intermediary between XP and Blackcomb. Whilst Vista is set to change the way users interact with the OS via the GUI, Blackcomb is set to change the way users interact with their machines at a hardware level ( hence the comment on Hypervisiors I imagine) - according to WIKI.
I heard news of Vienna a couple of weeks ago and I find it interesting that Vista is touted, even by Gates himself, as the last installment of Windows. Future platforms to be mere Internet upgraded editions of Vista. Perhaps Vienna is the new name for a big Vista SP1.