It sounds like you never aspired to striking it rich, nor becoming senior management. It sounds like you want a secure job that will last you until you retire.
IMHO, this transition forces you to find a family-owned business or a private company who doesn't focus solely on the bottom line. It does limit your options, but who cares? It sounds like you don't want 100x options, but you want a stable job until retirement.
In that case, go ahead! Keep learning, keep your skills up to date, and you will do great! Just don't expect a high wage, or to get paid like you are an industry veteran. You pay will be comparable to an entry-level programmer (or a bit better). Don't beg for promotions, stay low-cost, and you will do fine.
I disagree. The backlash being created at this very moment is enough to convince management NOT to include it.
I will bet there are many people within M$ who disagree with the "Always On" requirement, and this is ammunition for their counter-argument. If it wasn't for this twitter-gaff, you might see Always-On, but because it happened, we will probably see this requirement removed.
I have my PC connected to a 57" plasma 1080p HDTV. I love Steam, and I tried to play games on the TV using steam before big picture. I could not read the text unless I was 5' away, and that was primarily because it was massively pixelated.
This format would help deliver sharper text for my HTPC. I would love it.
Once legislation is passed, there will be a huge boom in the commercial sector for UAV's. We need laws that will protect the citizens, yet open the air for commercial endeavors. Here are a few examples:
Radio strength mapping (UAV + radio + data logger to determine radio coverage, such as cell phone or Wi-Fi) Physical Power line monitoring and maintenance (UAV+Camera) Building surveys (Contractor/consultant uses a UAV to examine the exterior of a building, looking for thermal leaks or structural cracks) Advertising (Get those impossible images without hiring a helicopter) Agriculture: Property monitoring without installing extensive CCTV system.
There are many uses for commercial UAVs. I hope the laws will allow start-ups to compete with the large organizations.
While that is good to know, I'm more interested in the rumor that xbox 360 games may run on Windows 8. Unfortunately, it may include a monthly fee like XBL.
I grew up in a heavily conservative environment. Each new piece of technology was seen as a new way for the devil to attack, signaling the arrival of the anti-christ. This included... Credit cards: Banks want you to use credit cards because it assigns you a number, and numbering the people was something that the anti-christ did. ATM Machines: Something about not carrying cash was evil. Not sure what that was about. RFID: They want to implant them into your body. The resulting scar was the mark of the beast.
If they couldn't find a rational reason to explain their fear of a new technology, they blamed it on the anti-christ.
Have you ever gotten a copyright infringement letter? If not, then this probably won't apply to you.
Read the last two paragraphs of the article.
Essentially, after 6 notifications where they contact you about your infringing activities, they will throttle your internet, and possibly disconnect you until you contact them and have a chat about copyright laws.
While I don't like the thought of being disconnected, I really don't like the thought of the government getting involved. (Protect IP Act, anyone?)
If they truly allow group video conferencing using a browser, I will certainly use it. If they truly implement voice chat, I would gladly replace Skype, possibly even Vent. (Depends on how it gets implemented) If they implement group chat that works across cell platforms, I will certainly use it. I would love to use something like this to organize weekly spontaneous events instead of massive text messages. (Email is too slow and unreliable for the last-minute changes, phone calls takes too long.)
However... This must be painfully easy to use, no special invites and 10 day waiting lists. If this thing gets rolled out using small groups, it will die.
I'm amazed that humans are able to see extra-terrestrial events with such detail.
What's even crazier is that we know more about outer space than we do about our oceans.
Oh, and, maybe...first post?
I truly hate this statement. We DO NOT understand outer space more than our oceans.
We don't understand outer space enough to ask the proper questions. People are making assumptions that planets outside of our solar system are composed of 118 elements, and that is all. (Just another hunk of rock/gas)... This is a dumb assumption to make.
Our oceans are finite, so there are a finite number of questions to ask. Space, to our understanding, is infinite. Therefore, we will never understand outer space as well as we can know our own oceans.
I am willing to pay more for ad-free TV. Hulu seemed like the perfect platform, but they wouldn't shut up and take my money. Cable companies offer DVR's for an extra $5 to $10 a month, which seems equivalent to paying for TV without ads.Why can't Hulu do the same? I never did Hulu+ because it still contained ads.
Businesses are so focused on selling ads that they forget about just using paid subscriptions. Sure, ads provide income above and beyond the subscription, but if you are trying to grow, you need to offer something better than what everyone else does.
Life is too short to spend it watching ads. That is why I love watching old shows using Netflix.
While I fully support a standard connector, I hope they realize that this will increase the electricity consumption of these devices, along with increasing the price of each charger.
With that being said, I significantly prefer convenience over efficiency, so I am looking forward to what they come up with.
I'm not going to say this is the start of the end, but it certainly shows that people are no longer "excited" about the social network world.
People are noticing real-world consequences to the privacy issues, reducing the amount of interesting stuff that people will post. I've run into employer issues, I've had relatives with relationship issues, and I've read enough about legal issues to be wary about what I post. Add in the number of businesses embracing Facebook, and you start to see why "social networks" have reached a saturation point.
It still has its uses. It is more personal than email (great for keeping your family updated on life events). It is easier to control reoccurring events, such as birthday parties and pick-up games in the park. It is also easier to ignore people on Facebook than through email. I will continue to use it about as regularly as I use my email, but that doesn't mean I like it.
Can you just say "Lunatics"? There is no reason this should be a "party" issue, and using terms like this only encourages party politics. You may be right, but that doesn't mean that it helps the situation.
I'm simply pointing out that people who hang out on facebook for extended periods of time are perceived as creepers. I would certainly rather be associated with Apple products than Facebook products. Since the main appeal of Apple seems to be the "cool" factor, there is no way that Facebook can win against Apple.
Apple has kept their "cool" factor. Facebook is quickly loosing it. Just think of the difference: Person A uses facebook for 2 hours a day. Person B uses their apple product for 2 hours a day.
I can't agree enough. The salary and job security of an engineer is not enough to keep me in the field, or encourage me to get a masters. It is going to get outsourced anyways.
Yet, the managers that do the outsourcing keep their jobs.
It is a co-op game, not a competitive game. It doesn't matter if the PC gamer has an advantage, since you are still working together to reach the same goal.
The Xbox 360 allows you to copy a game to the HDD, significantly reducing loading times. In addition, the Xbox 360 has been hacked for a while using a JTAG to run unsigned code. Once someone hacks the game, a player can download the hack by using the xbox Media Center, a USB drive to transfer the files, or just by joining a game with someone that has the mod. (Modern Warfare, I'm looking at you!)
You can also do a combination of bridging host and running unsigned code to give you all kinds of control. (Bridging host = forcing XBL to give you host). For example, one hack was able to return all players in a game lobby to level 1. (Modern Warfare 2, players would lose all of the weapons and perks that they unlocked.) There were also "10th Prestige" lobbies that would automatically boost you to the max level, unlocking all of the weapons and perks in the game.
All of your typical Counter-Strike style cheats can be applied to XBL. Some studios have done a significantly better job at banning cheaters than others. For example, Bungie has done a great job filtering out the cheaters, but Infinity Ward was absolutely horrible at it. (A lot of cheating) Microsoft has done a decent job, but certainly not enough.
Yes, there are also "bugs", but exploiting a bug in the game won't result in a ban.
In the end, there are a LOT of ways to cheat. XBL is not pristine, but it does have some controls to ban Cheaters.
The fascination is based on an attack with X country. If they knew of a crippling zero-day exploit (For example, a "recloser- Open" command, or a "MV Switch ON/OFF" command), they could theoretically disable portions of the grid from the safety of their own home.
Heaven forbid they can download custom firmware. Then they could tell every Smart Car Charger to charge their electric automobiles at the same time. Think about it. A neighborhood full of electric cars charging at the same time. Makes most utility guys cringe just thinking about it.
Lets assume they are using the +20MHz spectrum. There are a few installations in the US (I believe one is in Colorado). Essentially, a collector is installed on the LV side of a power line transformer. (The transformer acts like a filter to the signal, isolating the connection from other neighborhoods.) This collector is typically connected to another technology as the backhaul. In Europe, it is reasonable to expect 200 homes on a single transformer, so it is very cost-effective for this kind of utilization. In the US, you get only 1-8 homes per transformer, so the cost is fairly large. If you really need to, you can use the MV line to transmit this PLC as a backhaul.
200Mbps is the Maximum amount, used for marketing purposes. In Europe, they can have a couple hundred houses connected to the same LV transformer. This means that you are sharing a 200 Mbps connection with the neighborhood. If you assume 100 homes for one transformer and 50% utilization, a home can get a maximum of 2Mbps (assuming an ideal backhaul). As you all know, this is an "ideal" number. If they try to use PLC as the backhaul (instead of fiber), then you share the bandwidth with other neighborhoods, reducing your datarate well below 1Mbps.
Other considerations: Repeaters. Underground wiring is another filter. This kind of technology will require a repeater every 100 meters for a full underground installation. Overhead wires need a repeater every 500 meters or so. If you are in a high-noise environment (as in, there is a factory connected to your substation), datarates are decreased and more repeaters are required.
Simply put, the final system will look closer to 500Kbps per home and it will cost a significant amount of money to the homeowner, either through taxes or through required rate hikes on your utility bill.)
So if you want to use PLC to help solve the ISP monopoly, you are looking in the wrong place.
Signed, A Smart-Grid researcher and designer for the US market
Goog411 was amazing! No ads, good results. Thankfully I have a smartphone, but there were still times that Goog411 was faster than using my smartphone.
Slashdot Mirror
It sounds like you never aspired to striking it rich, nor becoming senior management. It sounds like you want a secure job that will last you until you retire.
IMHO, this transition forces you to find a family-owned business or a private company who doesn't focus solely on the bottom line. It does limit your options, but who cares? It sounds like you don't want 100x options, but you want a stable job until retirement.
In that case, go ahead! Keep learning, keep your skills up to date, and you will do great! Just don't expect a high wage, or to get paid like you are an industry veteran. You pay will be comparable to an entry-level programmer (or a bit better). Don't beg for promotions, stay low-cost, and you will do fine.
I disagree. The backlash being created at this very moment is enough to convince management NOT to include it.
I will bet there are many people within M$ who disagree with the "Always On" requirement, and this is ammunition for their counter-argument. If it wasn't for this twitter-gaff, you might see Always-On, but because it happened, we will probably see this requirement removed.
I have my PC connected to a 57" plasma 1080p HDTV. I love Steam, and I tried to play games on the TV using steam before big picture. I could not read the text unless I was 5' away, and that was primarily because it was massively pixelated.
This format would help deliver sharper text for my HTPC. I would love it.
Once legislation is passed, there will be a huge boom in the commercial sector for UAV's. We need laws that will protect the citizens, yet open the air for commercial endeavors. Here are a few examples:
Radio strength mapping (UAV + radio + data logger to determine radio coverage, such as cell phone or Wi-Fi)
Physical Power line monitoring and maintenance (UAV+Camera)
Building surveys (Contractor/consultant uses a UAV to examine the exterior of a building, looking for thermal leaks or structural cracks)
Advertising (Get those impossible images without hiring a helicopter)
Agriculture: Property monitoring without installing extensive CCTV system.
There are many uses for commercial UAVs. I hope the laws will allow start-ups to compete with the large organizations.
While that is good to know, I'm more interested in the rumor that xbox 360 games may run on Windows 8. Unfortunately, it may include a monthly fee like XBL.
http://www.insideris.com/more-xbox-360-games-on-windows-8-details/
I grew up in a heavily conservative environment. Each new piece of technology was seen as a new way for the devil to attack, signaling the arrival of the anti-christ. This included...
Credit cards: Banks want you to use credit cards because it assigns you a number, and numbering the people was something that the anti-christ did.
ATM Machines: Something about not carrying cash was evil. Not sure what that was about.
RFID: They want to implant them into your body. The resulting scar was the mark of the beast.
If they couldn't find a rational reason to explain their fear of a new technology, they blamed it on the anti-christ.
Have you ever gotten a copyright infringement letter? If not, then this probably won't apply to you.
Read the last two paragraphs of the article.
Essentially, after 6 notifications where they contact you about your infringing activities, they will throttle your internet, and possibly disconnect you until you contact them and have a chat about copyright laws.
While I don't like the thought of being disconnected, I really don't like the thought of the government getting involved. (Protect IP Act, anyone?)
This does look promising.
If they truly allow group video conferencing using a browser, I will certainly use it.
If they truly implement voice chat, I would gladly replace Skype, possibly even Vent. (Depends on how it gets implemented)
If they implement group chat that works across cell platforms, I will certainly use it. I would love to use something like this to organize weekly spontaneous events instead of massive text messages. (Email is too slow and unreliable for the last-minute changes, phone calls takes too long.)
However...
This must be painfully easy to use, no special invites and 10 day waiting lists. If this thing gets rolled out using small groups, it will die.
I'm amazed that humans are able to see extra-terrestrial events with such detail.
What's even crazier is that we know more about outer space than we do about our oceans.
Oh, and, maybe...first post?
I truly hate this statement. We DO NOT understand outer space more than our oceans.
We don't understand outer space enough to ask the proper questions. People are making assumptions that planets outside of our solar system are composed of 118 elements, and that is all. (Just another hunk of rock/gas)... This is a dumb assumption to make.
Our oceans are finite, so there are a finite number of questions to ask. Space, to our understanding, is infinite. Therefore, we will never understand outer space as well as we can know our own oceans.
I HATE ads. HATE.
I am willing to pay more for ad-free TV. Hulu seemed like the perfect platform, but they wouldn't shut up and take my money. Cable companies offer DVR's for an extra $5 to $10 a month, which seems equivalent to paying for TV without ads.Why can't Hulu do the same? I never did Hulu+ because it still contained ads.
Businesses are so focused on selling ads that they forget about just using paid subscriptions. Sure, ads provide income above and beyond the subscription, but if you are trying to grow, you need to offer something better than what everyone else does.
Life is too short to spend it watching ads. That is why I love watching old shows using Netflix.
You forgot all of the extra safety equipment that must be included to compensate for the full wattage range. That will increase the cost.
While I fully support a standard connector, I hope they realize that this will increase the electricity consumption of these devices, along with increasing the price of each charger.
With that being said, I significantly prefer convenience over efficiency, so I am looking forward to what they come up with.
They will get asked for money on a yearly basis.
I'm not going to say this is the start of the end, but it certainly shows that people are no longer "excited" about the social network world.
People are noticing real-world consequences to the privacy issues, reducing the amount of interesting stuff that people will post. I've run into employer issues, I've had relatives with relationship issues, and I've read enough about legal issues to be wary about what I post. Add in the number of businesses embracing Facebook, and you start to see why "social networks" have reached a saturation point.
It still has its uses. It is more personal than email (great for keeping your family updated on life events). It is easier to control reoccurring events, such as birthday parties and pick-up games in the park. It is also easier to ignore people on Facebook than through email. I will continue to use it about as regularly as I use my email, but that doesn't mean I like it.
Good rant... until you said "Lunatic Right".
Can you just say "Lunatics"? There is no reason this should be a "party" issue, and using terms like this only encourages party politics. You may be right, but that doesn't mean that it helps the situation.
Valid question.
I'm simply pointing out that people who hang out on facebook for extended periods of time are perceived as creepers. I would certainly rather be associated with Apple products than Facebook products. Since the main appeal of Apple seems to be the "cool" factor, there is no way that Facebook can win against Apple.
Apple has kept their "cool" factor. Facebook is quickly loosing it. Just think of the difference:
Person A uses facebook for 2 hours a day.
Person B uses their apple product for 2 hours a day.
Which person would you rather hang out with?
I will not work for a company that wants to bring their home drama to work with them. Simple as that.
I can't agree enough. The salary and job security of an engineer is not enough to keep me in the field, or encourage me to get a masters. It is going to get outsourced anyways.
Yet, the managers that do the outsourcing keep their jobs.
It is a co-op game, not a competitive game. It doesn't matter if the PC gamer has an advantage, since you are still working together to reach the same goal.
The Xbox 360 allows you to copy a game to the HDD, significantly reducing loading times. In addition, the Xbox 360 has been hacked for a while using a JTAG to run unsigned code. Once someone hacks the game, a player can download the hack by using the xbox Media Center, a USB drive to transfer the files, or just by joining a game with someone that has the mod. (Modern Warfare, I'm looking at you!)
You can also do a combination of bridging host and running unsigned code to give you all kinds of control. (Bridging host = forcing XBL to give you host). For example, one hack was able to return all players in a game lobby to level 1. (Modern Warfare 2, players would lose all of the weapons and perks that they unlocked.) There were also "10th Prestige" lobbies that would automatically boost you to the max level, unlocking all of the weapons and perks in the game.
All of your typical Counter-Strike style cheats can be applied to XBL. Some studios have done a significantly better job at banning cheaters than others. For example, Bungie has done a great job filtering out the cheaters, but Infinity Ward was absolutely horrible at it. (A lot of cheating) Microsoft has done a decent job, but certainly not enough.
Yes, there are also "bugs", but exploiting a bug in the game won't result in a ban.
In the end, there are a LOT of ways to cheat. XBL is not pristine, but it does have some controls to ban Cheaters.
The fascination is based on an attack with X country. If they knew of a crippling zero-day exploit (For example, a "recloser- Open" command, or a "MV Switch ON/OFF" command), they could theoretically disable portions of the grid from the safety of their own home.
Heaven forbid they can download custom firmware. Then they could tell every Smart Car Charger to charge their electric automobiles at the same time. Think about it. A neighborhood full of electric cars charging at the same time. Makes most utility guys cringe just thinking about it.
Lets assume they are using the +20MHz spectrum. There are a few installations in the US (I believe one is in Colorado). Essentially, a collector is installed on the LV side of a power line transformer. (The transformer acts like a filter to the signal, isolating the connection from other neighborhoods.) This collector is typically connected to another technology as the backhaul. In Europe, it is reasonable to expect 200 homes on a single transformer, so it is very cost-effective for this kind of utilization. In the US, you get only 1-8 homes per transformer, so the cost is fairly large. If you really need to, you can use the MV line to transmit this PLC as a backhaul.
200Mbps is the Maximum amount, used for marketing purposes. In Europe, they can have a couple hundred houses connected to the same LV transformer. This means that you are sharing a 200 Mbps connection with the neighborhood. If you assume 100 homes for one transformer and 50% utilization, a home can get a maximum of 2Mbps (assuming an ideal backhaul). As you all know, this is an "ideal" number. If they try to use PLC as the backhaul (instead of fiber), then you share the bandwidth with other neighborhoods, reducing your datarate well below 1Mbps.
Other considerations: Repeaters.
Underground wiring is another filter. This kind of technology will require a repeater every 100 meters for a full underground installation. Overhead wires need a repeater every 500 meters or so. If you are in a high-noise environment (as in, there is a factory connected to your substation), datarates are decreased and more repeaters are required.
Simply put, the final system will look closer to 500Kbps per home and it will cost a significant amount of money to the homeowner, either through taxes or through required rate hikes on your utility bill.)
So if you want to use PLC to help solve the ISP monopoly, you are looking in the wrong place.
Signed,
A Smart-Grid researcher and designer for the US market
I hate the fact that I have well over 20 passwords. I also have at least 5 different machines that I need to use.
Give me a better option, please!!!!
Goog411 was amazing! No ads, good results. Thankfully I have a smartphone, but there were still times that Goog411 was faster than using my smartphone.
I guess I will go back to 1-800-Free411