Well, the phones they're subsidizing are pretty expensive these days. I imagine the Droid w/o contract is near the $600 iPhone and N900 price. Can you even get it without a contract?
Meanwhile T-Mobile now offers contract-free *actually unlimited* service. I switched to them for UMA service because I get no signal from any carrier where I live. Now I just wish somebody would write UMA into Android so I could get myself a shiny new toy.
I got my wife a Mac and the tech support nearly stopped. The biggest benefit has been lack of viruses. Otherwise she didn't care one way or another.
For the rest of my family and friends, I just help them. Sometimes it takes me a while to help them, but I fit them in eventually. Why wouldn't I? If I need help fixing my car, borrowing a tool or watching my kids I have people to call. It all comes around.
And was willing to pay the premium of what, $600 USD for it unlocked. But now with so much momentum behind Android I may be looking for an Android device. Only a few months ago there was a lonely little G1 in the corner going "Look at me!" Now Android seem to be exploding. Maemo is probably more flexible and powerful but Android is beginning to amass an iPhone like library of applications.
It is pretty simple really. You have to set policy and communicate it. Then, if policy is broken the company must actually follow up with the repercussions stated in the policy. People are pretty smart - they understand repercussions. If the company doesn't back up the policy then it's not a policy, and there's no real reason for users to follow it.
They are ultimately responsible.
Personally, I want to hear a recording of the conference call that went on in this maintenance window. I bet the "oh shit" moment was pretty intense.
From what I understand the Seattle PI was *always* on shaky ground, even before the Internet came along and took their lunch money. Rumors of their demise have been floating for the last 15 years. I would be interested to know how we'll they're doing in online-only format. I still read their articles only because I know and like their main contributors. But how will new readers find them now? I'm glad I'm not in the news biz.
When I'm bored at a party I use this line: "I'm an acquirer or rare antiquities, employed by an organization you have heard of but that I am not at liberty to talk about." From there you think on your feet. This is *always* good for at least 20 minutes of entertainment.
It seemed "glorious" when I was 15 and learning about technology was exciting because everything was new and cool. After you do it for living you realize it's all about business objectives and money. 25 years later though, the learning part is still pretty damn cool.
No, apparently only The iPhone is capable of mobile Internet magic with the Google mothership. Before The iPhone there was no way to ruin a fair trial with outside information, because it was too difficult to reach any sort of outside information at all, of any type on any medium. Also, the magical aura of The iPhone is so blinding that the jurors are too distracted to hear explicit legal instructions from the judge.
Or perhaps they're smarter than we think. Next time I want to get out of jury duty I'll just stare at my phone until I'm dismissed.
Zune's only hope would be to tie it in with X-Box. They should have called it the X-Box Media Mobile, then they might have a chance. Nobody would develop apps for Zune even if they could, there aren't enough eyeballs.
The older Zune was really pretty good, even better than iPod. The new one probably is too. But they don't have nearly the number of accessories or apps available, so it's doomed. I predict Zune will die within two years, unless they can resurrect it via some other channel.
If the MotoBlur service "goes away" I wonder how customizable this phone would be as a stand-alone Android device. Theoretically you can customize the home screens any way you like and still access your "Social Wonder" sites individually. Besides which, it would avoid keeping all of your credentials somewhere out on Verizon's servers.
I've had the N900 on my radar for a while now but I have to wonder it it's even worth it anymore.
The N900 is better than the iPhone in every way, but the momentum is clearly all behind Apple. 70,000 iPhone apps; Maemo has 481. Android may be the only hope at this point with around 10k apps. Is yet another platform what's really needed? Mobile app developers also have WinMo, RIM and Symbian to soak up their time.
I will do just about anything to avoid an Apple or Windows Mobile device, but Free and Open isn't targeting customers like Apple is.
Precisely. If you remove their pain sensors you might also remove their fear sensors. Then we would have angry, fearless cows who can feel no pain mercilessly dealing out revenge on their former masters, burning and killing everything in their path. I think this is a bad idea.
So why would Apple spend time developing a feature for it? Especially since all 3 of the people still using Palm OS devices can purchase an app that does the same thing. Looks to me like the press is making a mountain from a molehill.
I suppose it's also possible that video games are just a harmless pass-time for a lot of people.
I have found a cure for idle spare time that works wonders - I had kids. (Technically, my wife had them) No more time for video games or even TV. A couple of kids, a library card and some bicycles does wonders for your stress level and outlook on life.
Star Trek and Greek Mythology are the ones I see over and over. Maybe because they are timeless parables of our own lives, and these names serve to remind us of the unchanging nature of the engineer. As Hephaestus would remind us, technology changes but the methods remain the same.
It's a big plus that embedded, low-power 3d graphic chipsets like Intel's x4500 are finally ready for Microsoft. When Vista first came out the 3d processors simply were not there on the budget machines. It is important to add the 3d effects to the UI, no matter what anybody says. But it's funny how my wife's old Macbook with the ancient GMA 950 chip runs OS-X liquid smooth.
The system is so broken that they'd be sued by every small-time squatter who had the gumption to slip an idea through the patent office. It's cheaper to just register everything you can think of and then out-lawyer your competition. Microsoft ain't the only ones doing it either.
A while back I bought a used Kindle so I could use it solely to read library books, which is possible with a few scripts that have already been talked about here on Slashdot. But now my local libraries are providing almost all of their new ebooks on EPUB format, not Mobi (Kindle's format). If you want to check out library books with an E-Ink device, Sony is the way to go.
Slashdot Mirror
Well, the phones they're subsidizing are pretty expensive these days. I imagine the Droid w/o contract is near the $600 iPhone and N900 price. Can you even get it without a contract? Meanwhile T-Mobile now offers contract-free *actually unlimited* service. I switched to them for UMA service because I get no signal from any carrier where I live. Now I just wish somebody would write UMA into Android so I could get myself a shiny new toy.
I got my wife a Mac and the tech support nearly stopped. The biggest benefit has been lack of viruses. Otherwise she didn't care one way or another. For the rest of my family and friends, I just help them. Sometimes it takes me a while to help them, but I fit them in eventually. Why wouldn't I? If I need help fixing my car, borrowing a tool or watching my kids I have people to call. It all comes around.
All they had to do was watch that 30 minute training video on corporate ethics, but I guess they were too busy. What a shame.
Shhh! It gives journalists something to write about, and the headline is really catchy. Just shut up and consume.
And was willing to pay the premium of what, $600 USD for it unlocked. But now with so much momentum behind Android I may be looking for an Android device. Only a few months ago there was a lonely little G1 in the corner going "Look at me!" Now Android seem to be exploding. Maemo is probably more flexible and powerful but Android is beginning to amass an iPhone like library of applications.
It is pretty simple really. You have to set policy and communicate it. Then, if policy is broken the company must actually follow up with the repercussions stated in the policy. People are pretty smart - they understand repercussions. If the company doesn't back up the policy then it's not a policy, and there's no real reason for users to follow it.
They are ultimately responsible. Personally, I want to hear a recording of the conference call that went on in this maintenance window. I bet the "oh shit" moment was pretty intense.
From what I understand the Seattle PI was *always* on shaky ground, even before the Internet came along and took their lunch money. Rumors of their demise have been floating for the last 15 years. I would be interested to know how we'll they're doing in online-only format. I still read their articles only because I know and like their main contributors. But how will new readers find them now? I'm glad I'm not in the news biz.
Nice work. Just so you know, when the revolution comes you'll be first against the wall.
When I'm bored at a party I use this line: "I'm an acquirer or rare antiquities, employed by an organization you have heard of but that I am not at liberty to talk about." From there you think on your feet. This is *always* good for at least 20 minutes of entertainment.
It seemed "glorious" when I was 15 and learning about technology was exciting because everything was new and cool. After you do it for living you realize it's all about business objectives and money. 25 years later though, the learning part is still pretty damn cool.
No, apparently only The iPhone is capable of mobile Internet magic with the Google mothership. Before The iPhone there was no way to ruin a fair trial with outside information, because it was too difficult to reach any sort of outside information at all, of any type on any medium. Also, the magical aura of The iPhone is so blinding that the jurors are too distracted to hear explicit legal instructions from the judge.
Or perhaps they're smarter than we think. Next time I want to get out of jury duty I'll just stare at my phone until I'm dismissed.
Zune's only hope would be to tie it in with X-Box. They should have called it the X-Box Media Mobile, then they might have a chance. Nobody would develop apps for Zune even if they could, there aren't enough eyeballs.
The older Zune was really pretty good, even better than iPod. The new one probably is too. But they don't have nearly the number of accessories or apps available, so it's doomed. I predict Zune will die within two years, unless they can resurrect it via some other channel.
The stand-alone version is $400 from what I understand. Seems pretty reasonable.
If the MotoBlur service "goes away" I wonder how customizable this phone would be as a stand-alone Android device. Theoretically you can customize the home screens any way you like and still access your "Social Wonder" sites individually. Besides which, it would avoid keeping all of your credentials somewhere out on Verizon's servers.
I'm beginning to wonder if Slashdot shouldn't tag stories as "paid placements." This is a ridiculously obvious marketing piece.
I've had the N900 on my radar for a while now but I have to wonder it it's even worth it anymore.
The N900 is better than the iPhone in every way, but the momentum is clearly all behind Apple. 70,000 iPhone apps; Maemo has 481. Android may be the only hope at this point with around 10k apps. Is yet another platform what's really needed? Mobile app developers also have WinMo, RIM and Symbian to soak up their time.
I will do just about anything to avoid an Apple or Windows Mobile device, but Free and Open isn't targeting customers like Apple is.
Precisely. If you remove their pain sensors you might also remove their fear sensors. Then we would have angry, fearless cows who can feel no pain mercilessly dealing out revenge on their former masters, burning and killing everything in their path. I think this is a bad idea.
127.0.0.1 localhost
127.0.0.1 pornbox
216.17.96.87 symbolics.com
192.1.122.17 bbn.com
64.14.127.126 dec.com
So why would Apple spend time developing a feature for it? Especially since all 3 of the people still using Palm OS devices can purchase an app that does the same thing. Looks to me like the press is making a mountain from a molehill.
I suppose it's also possible that video games are just a harmless pass-time for a lot of people.
I have found a cure for idle spare time that works wonders - I had kids. (Technically, my wife had them) No more time for video games or even TV. A couple of kids, a library card and some bicycles does wonders for your stress level and outlook on life.
Star Trek and Greek Mythology are the ones I see over and over. Maybe because they are timeless parables of our own lives, and these names serve to remind us of the unchanging nature of the engineer. As Hephaestus would remind us, technology changes but the methods remain the same.
Or, I.T. people are fucking geeks.
It's a big plus that embedded, low-power 3d graphic chipsets like Intel's x4500 are finally ready for Microsoft. When Vista first came out the 3d processors simply were not there on the budget machines. It is important to add the 3d effects to the UI, no matter what anybody says. But it's funny how my wife's old Macbook with the ancient GMA 950 chip runs OS-X liquid smooth.
The system is so broken that they'd be sued by every small-time squatter who had the gumption to slip an idea through the patent office. It's cheaper to just register everything you can think of and then out-lawyer your competition. Microsoft ain't the only ones doing it either.
A while back I bought a used Kindle so I could use it solely to read library books, which is possible with a few scripts that have already been talked about here on Slashdot. But now my local libraries are providing almost all of their new ebooks on EPUB format, not Mobi (Kindle's format). If you want to check out library books with an E-Ink device, Sony is the way to go.