It seems to me that teleportation as we intend it would only be worthwhile when applied to living things, and doing that would raise all the philosophical questions that have been mentioned already. However, if you can store the information needed to create a copy of an object, why would you destroy the original? just duplicate it. (whoa, that would be an awesome slogan... I claim ownership) So really, what we need is long distance replication. (Cue sexual double entendre jokes.)
Vendors would have a never-ending delivery system, and I could make copies of that $100 that's sitting in my wallet...
The way I see it, there's not going to be any official world organization for the preservation of content (in fact, anyone advocating this will be looking to make a quick buck). Rather, it'll be in the hands of each end-user to archive, maintain, and provide worthy content. The different whims and tastes of every single individual will combine into a true representation of what mankind deems valuable, even more so when deciding to upload. This is already happening with BitTorrent trackers (the oink.cd closing comes to mind - disgruntled users migrated to minor clones and took it upon themselves to make the music available again, mostly thanks to their process of selection). Over time, what is really worthy of archival and culturally relevant will still be sought after - especially by newer generations of users. I don't think they'll be talking about movies like Gigli and Glitter in 100 years. Ok, maybe for argument purposes on what's *not* to be done. But I can guarantee you people will still know of Led Zeppelin, Citizen Kane, 1984, and so on. Even a 20-something like myself has benefitted greatly from the people going through the hassle of ripping and providing content from way before when I was born - especially things like reels, lossless soundboard recordings, OCR and so on.
The format issue is somewhat relative - as long as it works on what's commonplace at the time, and value preservation over quality improvement (I mean really, most movies today are fine in the non-HD format, even VHS would be a fine support for the crap Hollywood likes to spew). And if you're talking about content you created (things like family pictures and movies come to mind), I don't think it's worth the hassle of putting it out for the world to download... We're talking about content with a much higher cultural relevance.
Apart from the fact that I don't think Apple is interested in the PDA market, I would expect the Newton II to locate itself in between the Touch and the iPhone. Since./ is a slightly skewed demographic, you have to think about the average person that has very little clue about computing and wants a device that does a lot of things. I, for one, would envision this device to incorporate:
An OS X 'lite', with the UNIX backbone, iPhone UI, touch screen, etc.
Safari, Mail, iCal, iTunes, Google Maps, all that stuff
A webcam and mic just like the MacBooks, maybe located where the earpiece on the iPhone is
WiFi and Bluetooth (obv.)
But the selling point, and one that they would be able to hype heavily (gotta have that), would be...
Skype (!) - text, voice and video chat with the option of adding phone integration through SkypeIn and SkypeOut. They already have a deal with Google for their Maps so I don't see why they couldn't strike a deal with eBay and preinstall Skype as the communication vehicle of choice.
Skype users would buy it, Apple users would buy it, non-iPhone users would buy it and would see it as a good (hopefully cheaper, definitely so in the long run) version of the iPhone, and a lot of clueless people would hear about Skype for the first time and dig the Videophone capabilities.
It is unfortunate that this kind of device would certainly have weaker storage capabilities than my current 30-gig iPod Photo, which is what's keeping me from buying a new one in the near future. I don't really need the iPod Video without the full screen...
when something that looks better comes along everyone will abandon myspace/facebook/whatever
I don't want to come across as a FB fanboy, *BUT* I do think that Facebook is the one to rule them all. As a quick number pulled out of my ass, at least 90% of my friends there are people I got to know in college (as in face to face), and a good 30% of that are people that I will want to see in the future, maybe even 10-20 years down the line. I'm not interested in finding those 200 some people again on a new social network. And on the other hand, I've tried looking up grade/middle/high school friends I would like to get in touch with but almost none of them can even bother creating any content that would allow me to google them successfully.
And that's just my personal experience.
The system is pretty quick in searches and updating content - one of my favorites is the photo tagging, even the fact that you can remove your name from pictures that other people take and tag you in. They're adding functionalities on a daily basis now that they opened it up to 3rd party. Most of it is meaningless time wasting material, but some of it was long overdue - mostly media sharing. What I don't like most about apps is that in order to receive functionality you have to install the corresponding app, but most of them are text based and you should get away with it for once (Send a drink, Hug/Kiss/X Me, etc.)
FB's privacy system is well thought out, not a dumb one like MySpace where you can only have your friends see you; the system decides, depending on the networks you're a part of (most likely your college and current location) which profiles you can and cannot see. Sometimes all you have is a face, a first name and a class year - ever tried searching someone using only that info on MySpace? You might as well take a day off of work.
And I've tried looking up random freshies from my college, to no avail - there's a time frame limit (in class years) in which you can browse freely.
The impossibility to change the layout is such a godsend, MySpace is Exhibit A in how giving that power to ALL people is plain wrong - only a few there use it in a useful way, most times people that have a web team behind them.
My only fear is that FB will eventually turn into the bloated system MySpace has become, way too slow and full of obstacles to overcome to get things done. But I think that by not giving in too much to the offers they can still have a say over the look and feel and that's what's keeping them afloat and still thriving.
And btw, $10B is way too much - a quick run of the Y! Stock Screener gives me names like Mattel, Air France, and Sunoco with that kind of Market Cap. Not really the same thing.
[i]Now excuse me while I ask my mom to drive me in my new Ferrari to the mall.[/i]
Wow, such keen business sense!
Buying a $350K car 4 years before he can even get a license (let alone drive stick), and as his first tangible expense!
Certainly beats investing the resulting $3.2M (post-taxes) in 30-year treasury bonds and live off of the interest for the rest of his life!
In fact, did he walk into the dealer in his tiny little suit and tie to seal the deal with a suitcase full of cash?
What's next, an island off of Micronesia?
If this is how he starts out, he'll be broke by the time he realizes he should've gone to college and study economics. The hardest part about money is not making it, but spending it wisely.
That is, if he even saw a penny...
I gave into it two Summers ago, since most of my gaming friends were wayyy into it already and gave me a free trial account. I have to say that until then I resisted the urge and was mostly uninterested with the game altogether. Then I started playing quite intensely. After 20 8-hour sessions or so, questing hardcore and reaching level 30 with a Rogue and 25 with a Fire Mage, I realized that the amount of time needed to level shot up exponentially, and also realized that I had a real life and classes to worry about (having a girlfriend also helped... and no, not a cyber girlfriend, thank you very much). Soon after that I was turning down my friends' request to log in because I knew I'd be giving up the rest of my day(s). A few months later one of my friends did decide he was addicted and had to erase all of his characters (not an easy task if you knew the kind of gear he had), cancel his subscription, uninstall the game and give away the CDs. I understand that now he has found a healthier balance of WoW and real life. Many props to him.
I also tried getting back to it, putting in a few hours a week. Unfortunately once you get past a certain point, a few hours a week won't get you anywhere and I think that's the biggest fallacy in WoW. Games shouldn't turn into full time jobs just to keep up, and if you're a fresh player you're gonna have to put in that kind of time. On the other hand, CounterStrike is a game that you can play 30 minutes a day and get your fix. Heck, I'd recommend Diablo II any day of the year over WoW. It only gets time consuming on Act 5 the third time around...
That High School Musical is the best movie ever and Hillary Duff is such a talented actress... Since when does the general population care what they think?
Oh please, that is a grossly unfair criticism. What exactly are we supposed to do? Declare war on China if they don't legislate improved working conditions? Not that I would condone it, but certainly beats the reasons we're at war with Iraq if you ask me... I'd rather wage war on poverty, a much more tangible (and measurable!) aspect of life than terrorism...
"Microsoft Strider Search Ranger"?
Come on now. Are they turning to japanime/manga naming conventions?
How long until:
Microsoft Laser Super Action Happy Extreme START!!!!!
Microsoft Real Swift Rainbow Sunshine Police Now LOVE!!!!
This is taking the concept of branding into its exact opposite.
And then you have things like, Apple TV.
And you wonder why MSFT is tanking.
[...]He had a big house, fast cars, expensive holidays, rented a warehouse, employed several people[...] So because he wasted his money on things he normally couldn't afford I'm supposed to feel bad for him when his business tanked? I'm sorry, but this has nothing to do with piracy. It's called financial literacy. Some people know how to live below their limits just in case something like this happens. Had he set aside some money every month he probably wouldn't be whining about his situation on/. Had he had a budding VoIP business that tanked after Vonage rolled around you wouldn't feel so bad for the guy now, would you?
we live in a world where the younger generation (of which I count myself part) just tends to pirate everything. It has become the common culture. I'm most likely younger than you, and I can tell you that I pirate things that I consider to be not worth the price the labels/majors/developers put on it. Civil disobedience, if you will. I'll pay the $11 to see '300' on the big screen because it's an experience (I did that this weekend). I'm not gonna pay the same amount for Saw III on DVD because I know I'll feel gipped out of money when the end credits start rolling. So I DL it, watch it and trash it.
First Tony will go out of business, followed by the software houses we know and love, if it hasn't happened already. Please do not compare a disk smuggler with Adobe (the first SW house I can think of that I like). There is still an enterprise level that can afford Creative Suite (like the design studio where I work) because they make a living out of it and have sufficient income and reasons to hold a valid copy. They don't have the choice that single users do.
I know many people who go out of their way to pay for nothing - be it software, music, or movies. Is adding an isoHunt search tool in Firefox considered "going out of [my] way"?
I've said this many times and I'll keep saying it. The old business model cannot work for digital material, it did for a while, when all consumers had was dialup, and even then Napster was still the rage. Yet most houses that produce fair to subpar software/movies/music don't understand that today the end user can make a decision on his own on whether what the house is offering is worth its price or not.
The fact that most people will "go out of their way" to reduce costs shows you that most times, it isn't. Look at the Vista adoption rate among businesses. Even the gov't knows it's not a sound investment right now!
1) Coffee is pretty harmful to kids (I mean, look at Tweak FFS), and a nation hopped up on massive amounts of caffeine without knowing it would be severely dangerous to our national security. Let's ban coffee!
2) Oh god, the children, please, the children, the childrenthechildren. If you're worried about the children so much, how about loving the ones that are on this planet first before making some of your own. To me, that seems a much nobler task.
3) This paper was submitted to USPTO by a law firm that was developing it for "other purposes". I'm positive this is pro-*AA work to leverage that good ole' FUD.
I think the big shots are starting to realize what a threat to THEIR security file-sharing really is. Seeing them squirm like should make us coalesce into one hearty gut-laugh. The more they hate it, the more I'll be one of them.
P.S.: Why should the USPTO have any influence? They oughta worry about doing their job more efficiently and not yap about global policy.
They should use this technology on clothing, nothing like looking at some digipix where your friend's shirt says I'M GAY when you thought it was just an innocent plain white tee.
Is this is a manual explaining WinFS, NGSCB, the synchronized data across multiple platforms, and how Vista is not like OS X?
Ohhhhhh, it's the manual *itself* that's missing... Clever...
This is one of the issues that strikes a major chord with me. That's because it is obvious that the RIAA and the MPAA are using scare tactics and yadda yadda yadda, plenty of people have covered that part thoroughly.
Why is it that CD sales is the main concern for the RIAA? It's certainly not the only music outlet in the world. Why aren't they going after CD resale shops? Makes more sense to impose a tax on that, but I'm sure it has to do with volume. Not 'what's right' for copyright. Meanwhile American Idol gets more voters than the US President election, and William Hung becomes a national celebrity just because he can't hold a tune any better than the average fire hydrant, while a band like The Arcade Fire sells out five nights in a row in NYC and I can't go because I don't have 150 bucks to drop on a scalped ticket.
My point is that the real music enthusiast (which, in my opinion should be the main target, not the random sale) doesn't just rely on going to Best Buy to buy CDs. He/She goes to live shows. They look for bootlegged live shows online. They talk to other people about music, try new bands that their friends like. I pirate a fair amount of music, mostly people I have never heard of, or at least people I have heard of but that I'm willing to try, either from friends' recommendations or just random searches. I wouldn't drop 20 bucks on a gamble, not unless it's something like a 5-star Rolling Stone album (cause they're few and far inbetween, and I'd rather take a chance on that). I have bought CDs of people after seeing them live, bands that I had no idea even existed before. Most people really have no interest in going outside the mainstream channels to listen to music. And 95% of the time that's filled with ClearChannel payola crap. Does that account for most of the shared music today? Maybe. I would like to take a bet that someone who buys new Ludacris/Carrie Underwood/Death Cab for Cutie has no idea what BitTorrent is. Some pirated music thrives on advance copies which are solidly grounded on hype (like some band's new release, leaked a month early). BitTorrent, because of its inherent volume, is the only interface that lets music enthusiasts satisfy their natural need for new, good music. I think the RIAA should embrace this model (advance digital copies vs. physical CD), hell they should embrace BitTorrent as their main distribution service... Then they could REALLY track what sells and what doesn't (with seeds/leech ratios) But knowing them they would probably charge the same amount as going out and buying that new My Morning Jacket CD and it would flop badly. I am a firm believer that people that share music online now have no interest in changing their ways just because some important figure tells them too. I know *I* am like that. But I would like to see RIAA realizing that people like me are a potential profit and not soul sworn enemies. A shift towards these new ways would certainly improve their image and probably their sales too. You catch a whole lot more flies with sugar.
Our networking capabilities today are unparalleled, and it can take 24 hours to destroy or hail a new release. The *AA has somewhat embraced that angle (Snakes on a Plane), but mostly they think they can sell a CD/movie through a single track/reallyreallyfastediting because once you've paid for it then it's your problem to like what you bought or not. That's gonna end, quickly. Adapt or die. Right now it's like watching a newspaper fire their couriers because not enough people buy the paper. It surely can't have anything to do with the content cause it's so great...
I guess you can consider them the new M$ the day Apple takes 5 years to develop a substantial upgrade to its flag OS, only to find out it took out most of the new features that were advertised during development, then goes into the console wars doing not too bad, and comes out with a sub par media player.
Bottom line is, the question is inherently flawed. What does it mean to be the new MS? If you mean the main provider of home computer solutions, maybe. If you mean the company everyone loves to hate, with all the mostly satisfied iPod owners (vs. the 3 Zune users in the country), I doubt it. Being the #1 at something doesn't mean that you're necessarily running a monopoly. It just means you're either a) good at what you do or b) putting everyone else at a disadvantage. Apple does a) and obtains b), while Microsoft does b) because, let's face it, a) is not really in their ballpark.
Slashdot Mirror
Vendors would have a never-ending delivery system, and I could make copies of that $100 that's sitting in my wallet...
The way I see it, there's not going to be any official world organization for the preservation of content (in fact, anyone advocating this will be looking to make a quick buck). Rather, it'll be in the hands of each end-user to archive, maintain, and provide worthy content. The different whims and tastes of every single individual will combine into a true representation of what mankind deems valuable, even more so when deciding to upload. This is already happening with BitTorrent trackers (the oink.cd closing comes to mind - disgruntled users migrated to minor clones and took it upon themselves to make the music available again, mostly thanks to their process of selection). Over time, what is really worthy of archival and culturally relevant will still be sought after - especially by newer generations of users. I don't think they'll be talking about movies like Gigli and Glitter in 100 years. Ok, maybe for argument purposes on what's *not* to be done. But I can guarantee you people will still know of Led Zeppelin, Citizen Kane, 1984, and so on. Even a 20-something like myself has benefitted greatly from the people going through the hassle of ripping and providing content from way before when I was born - especially things like reels, lossless soundboard recordings, OCR and so on.
The format issue is somewhat relative - as long as it works on what's commonplace at the time, and value preservation over quality improvement (I mean really, most movies today are fine in the non-HD format, even VHS would be a fine support for the crap Hollywood likes to spew). And if you're talking about content you created (things like family pictures and movies come to mind), I don't think it's worth the hassle of putting it out for the world to download... We're talking about content with a much higher cultural relevance.
- An OS X 'lite', with the UNIX backbone, iPhone UI, touch screen, etc.
- Safari, Mail, iCal, iTunes, Google Maps, all that stuff
- A webcam and mic just like the MacBooks, maybe located where the earpiece on the iPhone is
- WiFi and Bluetooth (obv.)
But the selling point, and one that they would be able to hype heavily (gotta have that), would be...- Skype (!) - text, voice and video chat with the option of adding phone integration through SkypeIn and SkypeOut. They already have a deal with Google for their Maps so I don't see why they couldn't strike a deal with eBay and preinstall Skype as the communication vehicle of choice.
Skype users would buy it, Apple users would buy it, non-iPhone users would buy it and would see it as a good (hopefully cheaper, definitely so in the long run) version of the iPhone, and a lot of clueless people would hear about Skype for the first time and dig the Videophone capabilities.It is unfortunate that this kind of device would certainly have weaker storage capabilities than my current 30-gig iPod Photo, which is what's keeping me from buying a new one in the near future. I don't really need the iPod Video without the full screen...
And that's just my personal experience.
The system is pretty quick in searches and updating content - one of my favorites is the photo tagging, even the fact that you can remove your name from pictures that other people take and tag you in. They're adding functionalities on a daily basis now that they opened it up to 3rd party. Most of it is meaningless time wasting material, but some of it was long overdue - mostly media sharing. What I don't like most about apps is that in order to receive functionality you have to install the corresponding app, but most of them are text based and you should get away with it for once (Send a drink, Hug/Kiss/X Me, etc.)
FB's privacy system is well thought out, not a dumb one like MySpace where you can only have your friends see you; the system decides, depending on the networks you're a part of (most likely your college and current location) which profiles you can and cannot see. Sometimes all you have is a face, a first name and a class year - ever tried searching someone using only that info on MySpace? You might as well take a day off of work.
And I've tried looking up random freshies from my college, to no avail - there's a time frame limit (in class years) in which you can browse freely.
The impossibility to change the layout is such a godsend, MySpace is Exhibit A in how giving that power to ALL people is plain wrong - only a few there use it in a useful way, most times people that have a web team behind them.
My only fear is that FB will eventually turn into the bloated system MySpace has become, way too slow and full of obstacles to overcome to get things done. But I think that by not giving in too much to the offers they can still have a say over the look and feel and that's what's keeping them afloat and still thriving.
And btw, $10B is way too much - a quick run of the Y! Stock Screener gives me names like Mattel, Air France, and Sunoco with that kind of Market Cap. Not really the same thing.
[i]Now excuse me while I ask my mom to drive me in my new Ferrari to the mall.[/i] Wow, such keen business sense! Buying a $350K car 4 years before he can even get a license (let alone drive stick), and as his first tangible expense! Certainly beats investing the resulting $3.2M (post-taxes) in 30-year treasury bonds and live off of the interest for the rest of his life! In fact, did he walk into the dealer in his tiny little suit and tie to seal the deal with a suitcase full of cash? What's next, an island off of Micronesia? If this is how he starts out, he'll be broke by the time he realizes he should've gone to college and study economics. The hardest part about money is not making it, but spending it wisely. That is, if he even saw a penny...
I also tried getting back to it, putting in a few hours a week. Unfortunately once you get past a certain point, a few hours a week won't get you anywhere and I think that's the biggest fallacy in WoW. Games shouldn't turn into full time jobs just to keep up, and if you're a fresh player you're gonna have to put in that kind of time. On the other hand, CounterStrike is a game that you can play 30 minutes a day and get your fix. Heck, I'd recommend Diablo II any day of the year over WoW. It only gets time consuming on Act 5 the third time around...
That High School Musical is the best movie ever and Hillary Duff is such a talented actress... Since when does the general population care what they think?
So I immediately thought of a spaceship running Linux... I mean, could it really be otherwise?
Pornography is the #1 pioneer in major technological advances.
"Microsoft Strider Search Ranger"? Come on now. Are they turning to japanime/manga naming conventions? How long until: Microsoft Laser Super Action Happy Extreme START!!!!! Microsoft Real Swift Rainbow Sunshine Police Now LOVE!!!! This is taking the concept of branding into its exact opposite. And then you have things like, Apple TV. And you wonder why MSFT is tanking.
1) Coffee is pretty harmful to kids (I mean, look at Tweak FFS), and a nation hopped up on massive amounts of caffeine without knowing it would be severely dangerous to our national security. Let's ban coffee!
2) Oh god, the children, please, the children, the childrenthechildren. If you're worried about the children so much, how about loving the ones that are on this planet first before making some of your own. To me, that seems a much nobler task.
3) This paper was submitted to USPTO by a law firm that was developing it for "other purposes". I'm positive this is pro-*AA work to leverage that good ole' FUD.
I think the big shots are starting to realize what a threat to THEIR security file-sharing really is. Seeing them squirm like should make us coalesce into one hearty gut-laugh. The more they hate it, the more I'll be one of them.
P.S.: Why should the USPTO have any influence? They oughta worry about doing their job more efficiently and not yap about global policy.
They should use this technology on clothing, nothing like looking at some digipix where your friend's shirt says I'M GAY when you thought it was just an innocent plain white tee.
Is this is a manual explaining WinFS, NGSCB, the synchronized data across multiple platforms, and how Vista is not like OS X? Ohhhhhh, it's the manual *itself* that's missing... Clever...
Actually I check /. specifically because my manager isn't around.
Wait, I'm not a sysadmin NOR a programmer. Woo hoo!
Why is it that CD sales is the main concern for the RIAA? It's certainly not the only music outlet in the world. Why aren't they going after CD resale shops? Makes more sense to impose a tax on that, but I'm sure it has to do with volume. Not 'what's right' for copyright. Meanwhile American Idol gets more voters than the US President election, and William Hung becomes a national celebrity just because he can't hold a tune any better than the average fire hydrant, while a band like The Arcade Fire sells out five nights in a row in NYC and I can't go because I don't have 150 bucks to drop on a scalped ticket.
My point is that the real music enthusiast (which, in my opinion should be the main target, not the random sale) doesn't just rely on going to Best Buy to buy CDs. He/She goes to live shows. They look for bootlegged live shows online. They talk to other people about music, try new bands that their friends like. I pirate a fair amount of music, mostly people I have never heard of, or at least people I have heard of but that I'm willing to try, either from friends' recommendations or just random searches. I wouldn't drop 20 bucks on a gamble, not unless it's something like a 5-star Rolling Stone album (cause they're few and far inbetween, and I'd rather take a chance on that). I have bought CDs of people after seeing them live, bands that I had no idea even existed before. Most people really have no interest in going outside the mainstream channels to listen to music. And 95% of the time that's filled with ClearChannel payola crap. Does that account for most of the shared music today? Maybe. I would like to take a bet that someone who buys new Ludacris/Carrie Underwood/Death Cab for Cutie has no idea what BitTorrent is. Some pirated music thrives on advance copies which are solidly grounded on hype (like some band's new release, leaked a month early). BitTorrent, because of its inherent volume, is the only interface that lets music enthusiasts satisfy their natural need for new, good music. I think the RIAA should embrace this model (advance digital copies vs. physical CD), hell they should embrace BitTorrent as their main distribution service... Then they could REALLY track what sells and what doesn't (with seeds/leech ratios) But knowing them they would probably charge the same amount as going out and buying that new My Morning Jacket CD and it would flop badly. I am a firm believer that people that share music online now have no interest in changing their ways just because some important figure tells them too. I know *I* am like that. But I would like to see RIAA realizing that people like me are a potential profit and not soul sworn enemies. A shift towards these new ways would certainly improve their image and probably their sales too. You catch a whole lot more flies with sugar.
Our networking capabilities today are unparalleled, and it can take 24 hours to destroy or hail a new release. The *AA has somewhat embraced that angle (Snakes on a Plane), but mostly they think they can sell a CD/movie through a single track/reallyreallyfastediting because once you've paid for it then it's your problem to like what you bought or not. That's gonna end, quickly. Adapt or die. Right now it's like watching a newspaper fire their couriers because not enough people buy the paper. It surely can't have anything to do with the content cause it's so great...
I guess you can consider them the new M$ the day Apple takes 5 years to develop a substantial upgrade to its flag OS, only to find out it took out most of the new features that were advertised during development, then goes into the console wars doing not too bad, and comes out with a sub par media player. Bottom line is, the question is inherently flawed. What does it mean to be the new MS? If you mean the main provider of home computer solutions, maybe. If you mean the company everyone loves to hate, with all the mostly satisfied iPod owners (vs. the 3 Zune users in the country), I doubt it. Being the #1 at something doesn't mean that you're necessarily running a monopoly. It just means you're either a) good at what you do or b) putting everyone else at a disadvantage. Apple does a) and obtains b), while Microsoft does b) because, let's face it, a) is not really in their ballpark.