It's almost a rule that sucessful companies try to lock in super-normal profits by making their products proprietary. I have experienced DEC branded PCs that intentionally modified the serial port plugs so regular cables wouldn't work. I have seen Unisys Unix servers that were modified so that their SCSI ports didn't work with 3rd party hard drives (and Unisys didn't even make the hardware or software). IBM created Token Ring and hundreds of other proprietary technologies for no real purpose. Apple's architecture was completely closed for 10 years (although it's better now).
I doubt engineers came up with a good reason why IE had to be integrated into Win98. I doubt engineers came up with a good reason why Apple is trying to force Safari onto my computer (Vista). It's marketing folks that come up with this stuff, and they are everywhere.
Companies must create earnings growth to maintain high P/E ratios, and gimicks like the forced Safari download naturally sleaze their way to the attention of CEOs. The only defense is an educated consumer.
I am sorry to say that, in general, I agree. Exept the part about France. The former French colonies in N Africa and SE Asia are all disasters (Vietnam is an open question in that its current prosperity is largely due to it following the Chinese example of contained capitalism). England left behind the USA, Canada, HKG, and Australia (India is a mixed bag). As far as outright killing, I don't know.
I think that the individualism and creativity that I admire about the US and its economy is slowly dying. The USA is by far the least friendly imigration and customs processing operation I have ever been through. The average person seems to think the only way to become wealthy is to sue someone or be some type of celebrity. Wealth is the only objective, rather than being a just reward for creating new wealth or opportunity for society.
That said, I have been to many places, and overall the USA is still a great place to live and do business. Overall, the rule of law and the elements for sucess are in greater abundance than anywhere else. We have a long way to slide before we cease to be a key player in the world. IMO, the USA will last at least another 100 years in its current form and general stature (not a terribly long time).
Well, I stand corrected. I guess I heard that item so many times from so many sources, I accepted it.
Anyway, I remain a big USA booster. Nearly every important invention for the past 150 years has come from this country (transistor, airplane, nuclear power, the assembly line, phone, internet), often by imigrants who came to the US to seek the opportunity and freedom to develop their ideas (Bell, Einstein, Fermi). Also, our society's model of free markets and democratic republic government has been the model for most sucessful countries for the past 100 years (exceptions: Israel, Sweeden, Singapore). As repressive countries have moved to our model, they have generally prospered (HKG, China, India). IMO, the US is the #1 source of good for the world.
Let my split hairs here. The USA is by far the most generous nation regarding giving to the world's poor. The US Government donates less as a percent of its economy than does any other developed nation's government.
1. In today's economy, energy availability is one of the keys to economic growth and a reasonable standard of living, especially for developing nations.
2. The general consensus is that carbon fuels are harming the environment.
3. "Alternative" energy sources such as solar and wind are much more expensive per unit of energy than carbon, and developing nations have little interest in them.
Therefore, AFAIK, the only feasible source of energy that can lift people to western standards of living without burning huge amounts of fossil fuels is nuclear. Even so, developing nations have no interest in nuclear (except Iran and DRK) because it is still more expensive than coal. To spread nuclear power will require incentives and R&D taylored to small nations.
Nuclear power is by far the safest source of energy that can be deployed anywhere in the world (sorry hydro and thermo), and I think a program such as this one could be one of the greatest developments for the world's poor. Even the US could use 100 new nuclear plants today to achieve its environmental goals.
Haven't read this one, but every theory of how to make the world better by Paul is based on more regulation and higher taxes. As far left as one can get without owning Citgo.
I didn't say I didn't say that (?). I said I didn't want to say it. The Clinton administration was a long time ago and it is best forgoton. The OP clearly baited the topic by stating that the Bush administration was dominated by corprate interests vs. prior administrations.
Also, Clinton was impeached and the special prosecutors extracted 14 felony convictions or pleas related to his various scandals. Bush is at 1 felony conviction. Again, those are just facts.
Hate him all you want, I vote Libertarian. I just wonder what you guys will do with yourselves after he is gone.
I didn't want to say Clinton did worse, it's just that the OP selected 8 years as the frame of reference, which implies Bush vs. Clinton. Presidents have been engaging extra-Constitutional power since Jefferson bought Lousiana from the French. Kennedy escalated the US involvement in Vietnam without a declaration of war, for instance.
Congress authorized the use of force in Iraq and has voted at every turn to continue funding for the fight. The war is Constitutional with the exception that Congress did not use the term 'war' in its declaration (which it never does since WWII). Sorry, but your opinion is at odds with the facts.
Bill Clinton bombed Iraq without Congressional approval, so it seems Bill Clinton is the one who didn't follow the Constitution.
yes, the effect of distance is proportional to d^2. However, you can compensate for that with larger optics and better sensors. Eventually, the packet nature of light will trump any improvements in sensors and optics.
Actually the most interesting thing about the show was the public statement by a knowledgeable ex official that they had 3" pixels at the time. AFAIK, the NRO has never said what its resolution was or is.
I wonder what the theoretical maximum resolution is for a bird in LEO. The number of photons leaving a given surface area that reach an object 400 mi above is not infinite and therefore resolution is not unlimited. I suppose it is a function of: 1. the brightness of the object, 2. the distance, 3. The size of the optics in space, 4. The shutter exposure time (limited by the stability of the platform) and 5. the distortion caused by the atmosphere.
Considering that modern spy satellites are the size of a small bus, the resolution can't have improved by as much as an order of magnitude (perhaps doubled?)
I know, I was just teasing. I disgree that OS 8 & 9 were that good, though. IMO, it's both true that XP was a good OS and that Vista has some advantages over it. I think once Vista has matured, it will be a great OS - just in time for the next version.
Hunger is not caused by a lack of food, as counterintuitive as that may sound. Hunger, abject poverty, fouled drinking water, etc. are only found where despotic regimes have destroyed the normal incentives to work, invest, and produce (also hunger is caused by the wars in which these people often engage).
There are many places in the world that cannot support their population - Singapore for example - but they are rich. Likewise, agriculture rich nations such as Zimbabwe and North Korea have been turned into starvation areas due solely to thug regimes who value political cronyism above economic productivity. Evil men like Robert Mugabe and Kim Jong Il simply steal all aid and divert it their political goals (see also Hugo Chavez and Sadam Hussein).
And that is why OLPC will help more than more rice. The number one enemy of a despotic regime is free information. From the Stazi to Communist China, all collectivist dictatorships seek to censor information and communication. If OLPC someday shines a light on people like Robert Mugabe, it will have done more to reduce poverty than any similarly priced relief or investment package.
MS may continue to dominate OS and desktop software, but that is not the threat to MS. The world is moving in other directions that don't rely on MS's dominant products nearly as much. Regulators usually refuse to acknowlege that their work has become irelevent. For example consider the FCC's continued regulation of LATA boundaries to measure long distance charges (who cares anymore?) Governments might continue to regulate MS even as its earnings decline and its power fades. Maybe MS will remain regulated even as it eventually goes out of business (every company goes out of business some day).
NASA does waste money. IMO, the manned space program has been a complete waste of money since the last Moon shot. NASA as a whole, however, has some bright spots.
This reminds me of IBM, which in the 80's was a huge, bloated, money wasting pig. Despite this, they generated more patents and innovations than any other company on earth (ex: they invented the relational database, but Ellison made a fortune on it). Like Xerox, they rarely turned their innovations into valuable products.
I think that a hugely well funded organization with no purpose (Parc, Watson Labs, NASA) provides niches for innovators to spread their wings. That is, until marketing gets involved.
Vonage may not have the cash to make debt payments and they may go bankrupt, but they should still operate and not dissolve.
1. The Vonage name has excellent recognition due to their heavy investment in advertising.
2. Vonage has a paid up license to use the patents required to implement Voip.
3. The various patent holders (Verizon, ATT, one other) should probably go after other Voip providers like Packet 8 who don't have nearly the cash on hand to survive the suits. Therefore, the VOIP consumer marketplace may have only one competitor soon.
Don't buy their stock, for it may go to zero, but also don't expect Vonage to go out of business. Someone will likely want their assets at a reduced (below book cost) price.
Yes, indeed. It looks like Blackwater will have to change its ways or go out of business in Iraq. On the other hand, I never heard what the ATF did to clean up its act after Waco.
It's a valid business tactic to give valuable employees a party or vacation. It forces them to relax and savor their accomplishments, which money does not. I have known a couple of NASA engineers, and they were smart and dedicated.
On the other hand, the TSA hosted a $500K party for its top employees a few years ago. I interact with TSA employees about 100 times per year, and they are generally lazy, sloth like goons. They are a disaster that does nothing to improve air safety.
In the real world, a company run like the TSA wouldn't have a spare $500K to throw a party because they would be out of business, replaced by a more efficient contractor that does a better job. There is no mechanism for rewarding achievement and punishing failure in the government. Nearly all programs (yes, even under Bush) live on and expand despite proven failure.
The problem with NASA throwing parties for its deserving employees is that it justifies throwing parties for the far more typical ineffective government hack that should really be let go.
Amazing. A Democrat does something stupid and all you flamers can say is that Republicans are worse or evil. The story isn't about Republicans. They do stupid things by themselves in their own way. IMO, there is plenty of incompetence and malice on both sides (I vote Libertarian). You need to free yourselves from your dogma.
Correct. That is the purpose of a free floating exchange rate. It will, over time, equalize the demand vs. value for the goods and services of a nation. Also, your statement is sort of the reverse of what is already happening. We currently design such things as iPods and have China make them. You are saying that China will hire us to design iPods and make them, which is very close to the same thing.
Your point is valid, but I think most of the blame rests with the FCC. They implemented a series of rules in response to the 1996 telecom act that make investment in broadband unattractive. If a telco improves a loop, it must share any portion of that loop with competitors at a cost far below what the competitor would have to pay to build its own. Therefore, ILECs (Verizon, SBC, Qwest) were strongly disincented to invest in upgrading their loops and supporting hardware. The FCC lowered this standard a bit about a year ago, so things might improve somewhat. Whenever something doesn't make sense, I look for the hand of the government.
I think the population density of HKG is a bit higher than the service area of Verizon. If telecoms could only serve, for instance, NYC, their costs would be much lower per customer. Also, compared to NYC or any major us city, everything in HKG is cheaper.
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I doubt engineers came up with a good reason why IE had to be integrated into Win98. I doubt engineers came up with a good reason why Apple is trying to force Safari onto my computer (Vista). It's marketing folks that come up with this stuff, and they are everywhere.
Companies must create earnings growth to maintain high P/E ratios, and gimicks like the forced Safari download naturally sleaze their way to the attention of CEOs. The only defense is an educated consumer.
I think that the individualism and creativity that I admire about the US and its economy is slowly dying. The USA is by far the least friendly imigration and customs processing operation I have ever been through. The average person seems to think the only way to become wealthy is to sue someone or be some type of celebrity. Wealth is the only objective, rather than being a just reward for creating new wealth or opportunity for society.
That said, I have been to many places, and overall the USA is still a great place to live and do business. Overall, the rule of law and the elements for sucess are in greater abundance than anywhere else. We have a long way to slide before we cease to be a key player in the world. IMO, the USA will last at least another 100 years in its current form and general stature (not a terribly long time).
Anyway, I remain a big USA booster. Nearly every important invention for the past 150 years has come from this country (transistor, airplane, nuclear power, the assembly line, phone, internet), often by imigrants who came to the US to seek the opportunity and freedom to develop their ideas (Bell, Einstein, Fermi). Also, our society's model of free markets and democratic republic government has been the model for most sucessful countries for the past 100 years (exceptions: Israel, Sweeden, Singapore). As repressive countries have moved to our model, they have generally prospered (HKG, China, India). IMO, the US is the #1 source of good for the world.
The US Government is not the USA.
1. In today's economy, energy availability is one of the keys to economic growth and a reasonable standard of living, especially for developing nations.
2. The general consensus is that carbon fuels are harming the environment.
3. "Alternative" energy sources such as solar and wind are much more expensive per unit of energy than carbon, and developing nations have little interest in them.
Therefore, AFAIK, the only feasible source of energy that can lift people to western standards of living without burning huge amounts of fossil fuels is nuclear. Even so, developing nations have no interest in nuclear (except Iran and DRK) because it is still more expensive than coal. To spread nuclear power will require incentives and R&D taylored to small nations.
Nuclear power is by far the safest source of energy that can be deployed anywhere in the world (sorry hydro and thermo), and I think a program such as this one could be one of the greatest developments for the world's poor. Even the US could use 100 new nuclear plants today to achieve its environmental goals.
Haven't read this one, but every theory of how to make the world better by Paul is based on more regulation and higher taxes. As far left as one can get without owning Citgo.
Agreed, but possibly for different reasons.
Also, Clinton was impeached and the special prosecutors extracted 14 felony convictions or pleas related to his various scandals. Bush is at 1 felony conviction. Again, those are just facts.
Hate him all you want, I vote Libertarian. I just wonder what you guys will do with yourselves after he is gone.
I didn't want to say Clinton did worse, it's just that the OP selected 8 years as the frame of reference, which implies Bush vs. Clinton. Presidents have been engaging extra-Constitutional power since Jefferson bought Lousiana from the French. Kennedy escalated the US involvement in Vietnam without a declaration of war, for instance.
Bill Clinton bombed Iraq without Congressional approval, so it seems Bill Clinton is the one who didn't follow the Constitution.
yes, the effect of distance is proportional to d^2. However, you can compensate for that with larger optics and better sensors. Eventually, the packet nature of light will trump any improvements in sensors and optics.
I wonder what the theoretical maximum resolution is for a bird in LEO. The number of photons leaving a given surface area that reach an object 400 mi above is not infinite and therefore resolution is not unlimited. I suppose it is a function of: 1. the brightness of the object, 2. the distance, 3. The size of the optics in space, 4. The shutter exposure time (limited by the stability of the platform) and 5. the distortion caused by the atmosphere.
Considering that modern spy satellites are the size of a small bus, the resolution can't have improved by as much as an order of magnitude (perhaps doubled?)
Sources are actually not protected by any law I know of. Just ask Judith Miller.
I know, I was just teasing. I disgree that OS 8 & 9 were that good, though. IMO, it's both true that XP was a good OS and that Vista has some advantages over it. I think once Vista has matured, it will be a great OS - just in time for the next version.
I remember when Apple was saying Intel processors sucked and that RISC was the way to go. Also, OS9 was awesome.
There are many places in the world that cannot support their population - Singapore for example - but they are rich. Likewise, agriculture rich nations such as Zimbabwe and North Korea have been turned into starvation areas due solely to thug regimes who value political cronyism above economic productivity. Evil men like Robert Mugabe and Kim Jong Il simply steal all aid and divert it their political goals (see also Hugo Chavez and Sadam Hussein).
And that is why OLPC will help more than more rice. The number one enemy of a despotic regime is free information. From the Stazi to Communist China, all collectivist dictatorships seek to censor information and communication. If OLPC someday shines a light on people like Robert Mugabe, it will have done more to reduce poverty than any similarly priced relief or investment package.
MS may continue to dominate OS and desktop software, but that is not the threat to MS. The world is moving in other directions that don't rely on MS's dominant products nearly as much. Regulators usually refuse to acknowlege that their work has become irelevent. For example consider the FCC's continued regulation of LATA boundaries to measure long distance charges (who cares anymore?) Governments might continue to regulate MS even as its earnings decline and its power fades. Maybe MS will remain regulated even as it eventually goes out of business (every company goes out of business some day).
This reminds me of IBM, which in the 80's was a huge, bloated, money wasting pig. Despite this, they generated more patents and innovations than any other company on earth (ex: they invented the relational database, but Ellison made a fortune on it). Like Xerox, they rarely turned their innovations into valuable products.
I think that a hugely well funded organization with no purpose (Parc, Watson Labs, NASA) provides niches for innovators to spread their wings. That is, until marketing gets involved.
1. The Vonage name has excellent recognition due to their heavy investment in advertising.
2. Vonage has a paid up license to use the patents required to implement Voip.
3. The various patent holders (Verizon, ATT, one other) should probably go after other Voip providers like Packet 8 who don't have nearly the cash on hand to survive the suits. Therefore, the VOIP consumer marketplace may have only one competitor soon.
Don't buy their stock, for it may go to zero, but also don't expect Vonage to go out of business. Someone will likely want their assets at a reduced (below book cost) price.
Yes, indeed. It looks like Blackwater will have to change its ways or go out of business in Iraq. On the other hand, I never heard what the ATF did to clean up its act after Waco.
On the other hand, the TSA hosted a $500K party for its top employees a few years ago. I interact with TSA employees about 100 times per year, and they are generally lazy, sloth like goons. They are a disaster that does nothing to improve air safety.
In the real world, a company run like the TSA wouldn't have a spare $500K to throw a party because they would be out of business, replaced by a more efficient contractor that does a better job. There is no mechanism for rewarding achievement and punishing failure in the government. Nearly all programs (yes, even under Bush) live on and expand despite proven failure.
The problem with NASA throwing parties for its deserving employees is that it justifies throwing parties for the far more typical ineffective government hack that should really be let go.
Amazing. A Democrat does something stupid and all you flamers can say is that Republicans are worse or evil. The story isn't about Republicans. They do stupid things by themselves in their own way. IMO, there is plenty of incompetence and malice on both sides (I vote Libertarian). You need to free yourselves from your dogma.
Correct. That is the purpose of a free floating exchange rate. It will, over time, equalize the demand vs. value for the goods and services of a nation. Also, your statement is sort of the reverse of what is already happening. We currently design such things as iPods and have China make them. You are saying that China will hire us to design iPods and make them, which is very close to the same thing.
Your point is valid, but I think most of the blame rests with the FCC. They implemented a series of rules in response to the 1996 telecom act that make investment in broadband unattractive. If a telco improves a loop, it must share any portion of that loop with competitors at a cost far below what the competitor would have to pay to build its own. Therefore, ILECs (Verizon, SBC, Qwest) were strongly disincented to invest in upgrading their loops and supporting hardware. The FCC lowered this standard a bit about a year ago, so things might improve somewhat. Whenever something doesn't make sense, I look for the hand of the government.
I think the population density of HKG is a bit higher than the service area of Verizon. If telecoms could only serve, for instance, NYC, their costs would be much lower per customer. Also, compared to NYC or any major us city, everything in HKG is cheaper.