Not knowing a thing about your situation, you might consider this:
- inform your boss that you are very opposed to patenting your work, and that it may be grounds to sue
- also tell him you hate lawyers as much as they do, and strike a deal that he contributes towards an action (hopefully one already exists) against software patents
- let them make the patent application uncontested, maybe take some cake for yourself while you're at it
Think about it. You can't tackle a living porcupine one quill at a time.
Loosely formulated and presented (I'm drunk), but you get the idea.
[USB] will live on for a while longer because of all the DV cams but it's a dead end.
I thought most DV cams used Firewire. It's digital still cameras that use USB. HDD DV cams may still need to support realtime transfers for ENG since it's faster to just cue up a shoot straight off the cam rather than transfer/load into an editor. SSD would probably be quicker to physically connect the card to the editor rather than take the cam to the editing room.
I believe that firewire is peer to peer, while USB is master/slave. In theory that means that you can connect any two firewire-capable devices and have them talk to each other, which is not possible with USB (you need a hub). I've never actually tried that though, and so cannot personally confirm it.
The iPod was originally designed to be able to share files by simply connecting two iPods. Once the iTunes possibility presented itself, it was one of the first things to be disabled to satisfy record label interests, along with the ability to record audio.
When a person or private company is being sued by a large corporation or vice versa, in some cases the private company can claim in advance for expected legal fees, which they usually have to reimburse if they lose.
For example my father fell victim to a shady trick by a landholding corporation during a $1.2M real estate deal, and he refused to refund their $50k deposit. The corporation sued him for the deposit, and he countered with a claim for expected legal fees in advance, and was awarded $5k before even setting foot in court. He also had a strong case for misrepresentation, so the corporation withdrew the suit rather than add to their potential losses, realizing their bully tactics wouldn't work. The court ruled they still had to pay the $5k.
In 1981 Bose sued Consumer Reports for libel for describing Bose speakers as having vague imaging, which is an understatement IMO. Strangely the case was dismissed because the comments were published "without malice" and not because they were in fact true.
Note how MSN's criticism "Ugly animation and an uninspired storyline drag down the film" does not imply malice, but AintItCool's "I hated the film. HATED IT. REALLY HATED IT" does have a more malicious than journalistic tone. Mod AintItCool -1 Troll.
If you really want a song to be cleaner, clean it up yourself and then send the mp3 back to him.
Cleaning an MP3 is rather dubious since the final result will have been encoded, decoded, and re-encoded to a lossy format. The low frequency range of 78's makes it feasible, yet difficult to palate. Trust me, been there, done that.
If you're aiming for a noise floor of a relatively modern recording, even from the 70's, you're looking at about 18+dB reduction. Removing large amounts of hiss is best done in layers with 6-7dB reduction each, so we're talking at least three passes through a good multiband noise gate, each layer leaving artifacts of its own.
It's actually very interesting doing the processes together in realtime. At first it didn't make sense to me that they even made realtime multiband NR, but the best settings for each layer vary depending on the dynamics of the content. The first layer deals with just the louder segments, so you use different settings if they tend to be a vocalist or a drum, for example. The second and third deal with lower level sounds and don't vary quite so much, but the amounts of noise each layer will reduce is a matter of trial-and-error.
In the end, you leave just enough hiss behind to mask the artifacts. Any artifacts present in the source file have to be masked too, so they greatly affect the amount of hiss that can be removed. He definitely should be archiving to a lossless format if he ever expects anyone to work on them at a later date.
Cue the purists saying: "But it is supposed to have hiss. That's part of its character."
Is that before or after they yell at him for not storing as.wav or.flac?
50 years from now they'll say, "It's supposed to have compression artifacts. It garbles the hiss to signify the archaic bandwidth and storage capacity."
Actually they'll just think it, and their Facebook status will automatically update.
If you're blocking civilian access to sites advising them on emergency procedures or preventing them from accessing medical assistance, that's pretty shady.
But it's not like humans didn't survive emergencies before the internet. The British survived relentless aerial bombardment with little to no warning back when telephones weren't even direct-dial, instead manually connected by human switchboard operators.
The only authority that could effectively interfere with an official operation to sabotage a civilian network would be the UN International Criminal Court. Considering the scope of this incident compared to even recent conflicts resulting in civilian casualties, I imagine they would issue a two-word ruling:
But in many cases a game is like a movie, where they aren't designed for replay value, the first time you complete it is the last time you'll enjoy the game to its fullest.
If the demo is too good, players might get their fix and move on. If it's not good enough, people lose interest or gain interest in a crack. Demos definitely act as advertising and often a blueprint for pirates to crack the full monty.
But there already are phones on airplanes. The complaints from passengers is that they cost too much compared to their cellulars. I think it's appropriate that a proven safe telephone system be used and the users pay extra for it, in part for safety and in part to reduce the chatter. Ear plugs should not be necessary to sleep on a flight, as prudent as they might be.
And let's not overlook the fact that the plane in the OP had already lost all its sensitive guidance devices, so at that point of course it's fine to call 911 on a cellular! It does not in any way merit the use of cellulars on fully operational commercial airliners.
Give it up, friend. People who are determined to do whatever they please whenever they please and have a "screw the rest of the world" attitude will always attack anyone who dares question their right to do so.
If there are linux distros that rival or supercede XP for ease of installation, it is not widely known to XP users, otherwise I imagine Vista sales would be 1/4 of the scant number they already are.
Now if Digidesign would just port Protools to linux... shouldn't be so hard since it's been ported to OS X....
Photo-voltaic solar panels are only 15-18% efficient, and that's only under direct sunlight. If they do not change position to face the sun, then they're less than 10% efficient.
Within 2 years, 1500W solar-thermal generators approx 6' in diameter with 60% efficiency and tracking systems will be on the market for under $1000. Every solar panel owner is going to smack their forehead and emit a collective "d'oh!"
All valid points, especially the multi-boot issues. I've got two XP boot partitions on the quad, one for routine use, the other is trimmed for Protools. Setting it up was a bitch, but that's audio for ya. I was the first person to report using a quad with Protools 7, and the work was completely worth it. My host-based audio processing power beats six $3000 farm cards. Now you can beat it with an Intel Q6600, but in November 2005 it was untouchable by any other platform.
Anyways, I guess we agree that different folks have different needs. I wish audio wasn't such a whore, and not a very cheap one at that, but we do what we gotta.
Similarly, I drive a Nissan Axxess, which is a small minivan / large wagon because it allows me to weave through heavy traffic with a Hammond organ in the back, for example. Nobody makes a similar vehicle. The Mazda 5 is close, but the roof slopes down at the back just enough to make the tailgate opening too small for my subwoofers.
Sometimes a Chevy of an OS like XP gets the job done, sometimes you've gotta shop the imports.
Here are my issues with Windows and why I personally don't use it.
1. No native package management. With Linux, I just click on Synaptic, type what I'm looking for in the Search box, check it and hit apply. Done. Windows? Ha.
The way XP accommodates uninstallations is comparable to what you describe, not nearly as effective as Synaptic, but I think it's fair for an OS to only be responsible for removing software, and the software developers be responsible for its installation. XP is also not aimed at a market that installs/uninstalls software on a daily basis.
1a. apt-get update && apt-get upgrade. Self-explanatory (I hope).
The only thing self-explanatory about that is how linux users have their own language, further reinforcing how much an investment of time it is to learn to use it.
2. Linux viruses, something like zero. Windows, last time I checked numbered in the millions. Maybe that is Microsoft's fault, maybe it isn't. Who knows. I don't really care.
I haven't heard a first-hand account of any XP user I know suffering any significant inconvenience from a virus having installed free anti-virus software (Avast).
3. When I've installed Windows, it always turned into a driver and software hunt odyssey. Honestly, you get sick of that after a while. I kind of like taking the 20-30 minutes to install Linux and everything just working. I know there are a plethora of horror stories about Linux not working on a particular hardware set. In the last several years, I have had Linux choke on 1 piece of hardware. It was a sis190 ethernet adapter of all things. Upgraded the kernel, fixed. Took maybe an hour.
How long did it take you to learn to install linux? Are you willing to spend that time over and over teaching XP users how to install linux? The primary advantage of XP is how widespread the knowledge base is. Linux information is widely accessible too, but not necessarily from someone across the street. I consider learning a new OS to be as big a waste of time as taking too long to install one I already know.
4. Screen, elinks, and rtorrent. I work on the road a lot and I like my Battlestar Galactica's and my Heroes, etc. waiting on me when I get home. I could do that with windows with remote desktop, only problem is, my server doesn't have a graphics card and last I checked, XP won't run without one. Correct me if I'm wrong. Linux, on the other hand, is more than happy to practically run on a ham sandwich. That was a joke but you get the point.
I hope you're not suggesting that there is no way to pirate videos remotely on an XP box. Not only is it done by millions of people daily, but it's a rather dubious feature by which an OS should be qualified!
5. The infinite customizability of KDE. I like my desktop a certain way. I'm sure there is a way to move the minimize button into the top left corner in windows so you can just shoot the mouse over there and minimize your window. I just haven't taken the time to figure it out. I'm also sure there is a way to hold down the alt and the mouse keys to resize and move windows. Also, an easy button to click to make a window stay on top or bottom. I can easily do all of that and much more in KDE. How about Windows?
XP's appearance and functionality is completely customizable. It requires some scripting, but there are countless mods to be found with a quick Google search, much easier than learning a new OS.
6. On my core 2 duo with 2 gigs of RAM, when I click on an icon or start a program from the command line, things happen practically instantly. This thing came with Vista so I decided I would at least see what I would miss when I wiped it. It was the slowest most horrible OS I have ever used. I would use Windows Me before I would use Vista. In short, I have little pati
I'm rather shocked that MS thought that 300M would be enough to undo the damage Vista has cost them, which has to be well over 30B.
I'm also shocked that they would sign 300M over to an advertising company that couldn't come up with a better name than "Crispin Porter + Bogusky". Am I reading that right? BOGUS-ky? That's worse than Siskel & Ebert! Physician heal thyself!
I can say the text quality on a CRT television is absolutely horrible, totally unusable for browsing or programming.
Back in the day, I never had difficulty reading the text from an original Atari console hooked up to a cheap 14" CRT. Surely things have improved in the last 25+ years.
I also wouldn't expect people using this thing to be sitting especially far from the TV.
I keep my CD's in their cases in a box in my closet. I burn a copy of each for playback, which I keep in a binder for convenient access and to take up less space. If the copy gets scratched, I just burn another.
If the RIAA were to come along and tell me I can't make copies for that purpose, I would say "sorry! won't happen again!" and continue to do so. As far as I'm concerned I own a license to the content for personal use indefinitely.
Re:Anyone else find that quote hilarious?
on
A Quasi-Quasicrystal
·
· Score: 3, Informative
"'We are absolutely sure that this structure should have properties that are not usual,' Mikhael says, because materials with odd structures almost always do."
How the hell is this even legal? Last I checked, a phone company can't charge for a service that blocks another service they are charging for. That's why Call Display is paid for, but Block-My-Number is free. If they're charging for text messages, they can't be allowed to charge for blocking them!
This is not true. Here, you have to pay $1.50 per month to NOT have your number listed in the phone book, for example. They could offer spam services that advertisers pay for, then charge customers to not get the spam. They don't do it only because it would cost them more revenue from lost customers than it would gain, but it would be perfectly legal as long as it was specified in the user agreement in ultra-fine print.
Similarly, Google could offer ad-free Gmail for a monthly fee, even though they're the ones doing the advertising.
By serving notice on the service provider before the policy change, the justification is made clear. Whether it's "legal justification" or not is up to a judge. The service provider has been notified of the charges and has several options:
- change their policy so to not incur the charges
- improve their spam filtering
- change their website so it's easy and fast to notify them of spam for charge reversal (which would also help them identify and filter spam)
- cancel my account
If I filed a claim for fees according to the written notice, the service provider would have to give good reasons for why they did not take each of the above actions.
It's not a matter of like/dislike, it's straight economics. The policy change unreasonably takes up my time to prevent what is tantamount to theft. Changing service providers unreasonably takes up my time and will require that I replace the phone I bought last month. I'm self-employed, my time costs between $35 and $75 per hour depending on what I'm doing. When a job takes longer than it should, I become unavailable to take future projects. Work delayed == work lost. Sitting on the phone unnecessarily costs me money. (and don't give me a hard time about wasting time here, my computer is currently processing 3 hrs of live recordings)
SMS is easier to filter than email, and my Gmail account filters everything very effectively, so I know it is within their ability to filter the spam more effectively, but they don't. As long as they knowingly let spam through it is unreasonable to charge for incoming SMS, especially since there is no way to disable SMS/MMS, which is exactly what I would prefer rather than switch service providers.
Not me, I'd rather have a unit I can take to another vehicle. I don't understand in-dash computers that can't be upgraded easily. It defies common sense.
But the key thing is you have to remove the unit from the windshield every time you leave the car unattended, or your local meth-head will do a smash'n'grab, as another poster pointed out, costing you the GPS and a new windshield. That's a P.I.T.A to begin with, but it gets worse.
From experience, I preferred unplugging the power supply from the GPS rather than yank the power supply from the lighter jack and leave it attached to the GPS because it would get tangled. But the mini-USB jack is rated for something like 150 insertions before failure. Then what?
I would much prefer in-dash for that, and it can't be long before there are jacks for USB keys for upgrades. Updating the satellite position file is important, never mind firmware upgrades.
Slashdot Mirror
After all, comics are the best at keeping a straight face while making ludicrous statements.
But consider quality of life.
Not knowing a thing about your situation, you might consider this:
- inform your boss that you are very opposed to patenting your work, and that it may be grounds to sue
- also tell him you hate lawyers as much as they do, and strike a deal that he contributes towards an action (hopefully one already exists) against software patents
- let them make the patent application uncontested, maybe take some cake for yourself while you're at it
Think about it. You can't tackle a living porcupine one quill at a time.
Loosely formulated and presented (I'm drunk), but you get the idea.
[USB] will live on for a while longer because of all the DV cams but it's a dead end.
I thought most DV cams used Firewire. It's digital still cameras that use USB. HDD DV cams may still need to support realtime transfers for ENG since it's faster to just cue up a shoot straight off the cam rather than transfer/load into an editor. SSD would probably be quicker to physically connect the card to the editor rather than take the cam to the editing room.
I believe that firewire is peer to peer, while USB is master/slave. In theory that means that you can connect any two firewire-capable devices and have them talk to each other, which is not possible with USB (you need a hub). I've never actually tried that though, and so cannot personally confirm it.
The iPod was originally designed to be able to share files by simply connecting two iPods. Once the iTunes possibility presented itself, it was one of the first things to be disabled to satisfy record label interests, along with the ability to record audio.
When a person or private company is being sued by a large corporation or vice versa, in some cases the private company can claim in advance for expected legal fees, which they usually have to reimburse if they lose.
For example my father fell victim to a shady trick by a landholding corporation during a $1.2M real estate deal, and he refused to refund their $50k deposit. The corporation sued him for the deposit, and he countered with a claim for expected legal fees in advance, and was awarded $5k before even setting foot in court. He also had a strong case for misrepresentation, so the corporation withdrew the suit rather than add to their potential losses, realizing their bully tactics wouldn't work. The court ruled they still had to pay the $5k.
In 1981 Bose sued Consumer Reports for libel for describing Bose speakers as having vague imaging, which is an understatement IMO. Strangely the case was dismissed because the comments were published "without malice" and not because they were in fact true.
Note how MSN's criticism "Ugly animation and an uninspired storyline drag down the film" does not imply malice, but AintItCool's "I hated the film. HATED IT. REALLY HATED IT" does have a more malicious than journalistic tone. Mod AintItCool -1 Troll.
If you really want a song to be cleaner, clean it up yourself and then send the mp3 back to him.
Cleaning an MP3 is rather dubious since the final result will have been encoded, decoded, and re-encoded to a lossy format. The low frequency range of 78's makes it feasible, yet difficult to palate. Trust me, been there, done that.
If you're aiming for a noise floor of a relatively modern recording, even from the 70's, you're looking at about 18+dB reduction. Removing large amounts of hiss is best done in layers with 6-7dB reduction each, so we're talking at least three passes through a good multiband noise gate, each layer leaving artifacts of its own.
It's actually very interesting doing the processes together in realtime. At first it didn't make sense to me that they even made realtime multiband NR, but the best settings for each layer vary depending on the dynamics of the content. The first layer deals with just the louder segments, so you use different settings if they tend to be a vocalist or a drum, for example. The second and third deal with lower level sounds and don't vary quite so much, but the amounts of noise each layer will reduce is a matter of trial-and-error.
In the end, you leave just enough hiss behind to mask the artifacts. Any artifacts present in the source file have to be masked too, so they greatly affect the amount of hiss that can be removed. He definitely should be archiving to a lossless format if he ever expects anyone to work on them at a later date.
Cue the purists saying: "But it is supposed to have hiss. That's part of its character."
Is that before or after they yell at him for not storing as .wav or .flac?
50 years from now they'll say, "It's supposed to have compression artifacts. It garbles the hiss to signify the archaic bandwidth and storage capacity."
Actually they'll just think it, and their Facebook status will automatically update.
If you're blocking civilian access to sites advising them on emergency procedures or preventing them from accessing medical assistance, that's pretty shady.
But it's not like humans didn't survive emergencies before the internet. The British survived relentless aerial bombardment with little to no warning back when telephones weren't even direct-dial, instead manually connected by human switchboard operators.
The only authority that could effectively interfere with an official operation to sabotage a civilian network would be the UN International Criminal Court. Considering the scope of this incident compared to even recent conflicts resulting in civilian casualties, I imagine they would issue a two-word ruling:
"Aw, muffin!"
And lest we forget the unofficial saboteurs...
But in many cases a game is like a movie, where they aren't designed for replay value, the first time you complete it is the last time you'll enjoy the game to its fullest.
If the demo is too good, players might get their fix and move on. If it's not good enough, people lose interest or gain interest in a crack. Demos definitely act as advertising and often a blueprint for pirates to crack the full monty.
But there already are phones on airplanes. The complaints from passengers is that they cost too much compared to their cellulars. I think it's appropriate that a proven safe telephone system be used and the users pay extra for it, in part for safety and in part to reduce the chatter. Ear plugs should not be necessary to sleep on a flight, as prudent as they might be.
And let's not overlook the fact that the plane in the OP had already lost all its sensitive guidance devices, so at that point of course it's fine to call 911 on a cellular! It does not in any way merit the use of cellulars on fully operational commercial airliners.
Learn to fly first class noob. It's only uncomfortable when you don't have a stewardess sucking your balls through the flight.
Damn, all this time I've been flying coach and landing with cramps and dry balls.
Perhaps you can clear something for me, is there or is there not sex allowed in the champagne room?
Give it up, friend. People who are determined to do whatever they please whenever they please and have a "screw the rest of the world" attitude will always attack anyone who dares question their right to do so.
Works for Bush.
If there are linux distros that rival or supercede XP for ease of installation, it is not widely known to XP users, otherwise I imagine Vista sales would be 1/4 of the scant number they already are.
Now if Digidesign would just port Protools to linux... shouldn't be so hard since it's been ported to OS X....
Photo-voltaic solar panels are only 15-18% efficient, and that's only under direct sunlight. If they do not change position to face the sun, then they're less than 10% efficient.
Within 2 years, 1500W solar-thermal generators approx 6' in diameter with 60% efficiency and tracking systems will be on the market for under $1000. Every solar panel owner is going to smack their forehead and emit a collective "d'oh!"
All valid points, especially the multi-boot issues. I've got two XP boot partitions on the quad, one for routine use, the other is trimmed for Protools. Setting it up was a bitch, but that's audio for ya. I was the first person to report using a quad with Protools 7, and the work was completely worth it. My host-based audio processing power beats six $3000 farm cards. Now you can beat it with an Intel Q6600, but in November 2005 it was untouchable by any other platform.
Anyways, I guess we agree that different folks have different needs. I wish audio wasn't such a whore, and not a very cheap one at that, but we do what we gotta.
Similarly, I drive a Nissan Axxess, which is a small minivan / large wagon because it allows me to weave through heavy traffic with a Hammond organ in the back, for example. Nobody makes a similar vehicle. The Mazda 5 is close, but the roof slopes down at the back just enough to make the tailgate opening too small for my subwoofers.
Sometimes a Chevy of an OS like XP gets the job done, sometimes you've gotta shop the imports.
Here are my issues with Windows and why I personally don't use it.
1. No native package management. With Linux, I just click on Synaptic, type what I'm looking for in the Search box, check it and hit apply. Done. Windows? Ha.
The way XP accommodates uninstallations is comparable to what you describe, not nearly as effective as Synaptic, but I think it's fair for an OS to only be responsible for removing software, and the software developers be responsible for its installation. XP is also not aimed at a market that installs/uninstalls software on a daily basis.
1a. apt-get update && apt-get upgrade. Self-explanatory (I hope).
The only thing self-explanatory about that is how linux users have their own language, further reinforcing how much an investment of time it is to learn to use it.
2. Linux viruses, something like zero. Windows, last time I checked numbered in the millions. Maybe that is Microsoft's fault, maybe it isn't. Who knows. I don't really care.
I haven't heard a first-hand account of any XP user I know suffering any significant inconvenience from a virus having installed free anti-virus software (Avast).
3. When I've installed Windows, it always turned into a driver and software hunt odyssey. Honestly, you get sick of that after a while. I kind of like taking the 20-30 minutes to install Linux and everything just working. I know there are a plethora of horror stories about Linux not working on a particular hardware set. In the last several years, I have had Linux choke on 1 piece of hardware. It was a sis190 ethernet adapter of all things. Upgraded the kernel, fixed. Took maybe an hour.
How long did it take you to learn to install linux? Are you willing to spend that time over and over teaching XP users how to install linux? The primary advantage of XP is how widespread the knowledge base is. Linux information is widely accessible too, but not necessarily from someone across the street. I consider learning a new OS to be as big a waste of time as taking too long to install one I already know.
4. Screen, elinks, and rtorrent. I work on the road a lot and I like my Battlestar Galactica's and my Heroes, etc. waiting on me when I get home. I could do that with windows with remote desktop, only problem is, my server doesn't have a graphics card and last I checked, XP won't run without one. Correct me if I'm wrong. Linux, on the other hand, is more than happy to practically run on a ham sandwich. That was a joke but you get the point.
I hope you're not suggesting that there is no way to pirate videos remotely on an XP box. Not only is it done by millions of people daily, but it's a rather dubious feature by which an OS should be qualified!
5. The infinite customizability of KDE. I like my desktop a certain way. I'm sure there is a way to move the minimize button into the top left corner in windows so you can just shoot the mouse over there and minimize your window. I just haven't taken the time to figure it out. I'm also sure there is a way to hold down the alt and the mouse keys to resize and move windows. Also, an easy button to click to make a window stay on top or bottom. I can easily do all of that and much more in KDE. How about Windows?
XP's appearance and functionality is completely customizable. It requires some scripting, but there are countless mods to be found with a quick Google search, much easier than learning a new OS.
6. On my core 2 duo with 2 gigs of RAM, when I click on an icon or start a program from the command line, things happen practically instantly. This thing came with Vista so I decided I would at least see what I would miss when I wiped it. It was the slowest most horrible OS I have ever used. I would use Windows Me before I would use Vista. In short, I have little pati
I'm rather shocked that MS thought that 300M would be enough to undo the damage Vista has cost them, which has to be well over 30B.
I'm also shocked that they would sign 300M over to an advertising company that couldn't come up with a better name than "Crispin Porter + Bogusky". Am I reading that right? BOGUS-ky? That's worse than Siskel & Ebert! Physician heal thyself!
I can say the text quality on a CRT television is absolutely horrible, totally unusable for browsing or programming.
Back in the day, I never had difficulty reading the text from an original Atari console hooked up to a cheap 14" CRT. Surely things have improved in the last 25+ years.
I also wouldn't expect people using this thing to be sitting especially far from the TV.
I keep my CD's in their cases in a box in my closet. I burn a copy of each for playback, which I keep in a binder for convenient access and to take up less space. If the copy gets scratched, I just burn another.
If the RIAA were to come along and tell me I can't make copies for that purpose, I would say "sorry! won't happen again!" and continue to do so. As far as I'm concerned I own a license to the content for personal use indefinitely.
"'We are absolutely sure that this structure should have properties that are not usual,' Mikhael says, because materials with odd structures almost always do."
Sounds like George Dubya Bush paraphrasing Yoda.
How the hell is this even legal? Last I checked, a phone company can't charge for a service that blocks another service they are charging for. That's why Call Display is paid for, but Block-My-Number is free. If they're charging for text messages, they can't be allowed to charge for blocking them!
This is not true. Here, you have to pay $1.50 per month to NOT have your number listed in the phone book, for example. They could offer spam services that advertisers pay for, then charge customers to not get the spam. They don't do it only because it would cost them more revenue from lost customers than it would gain, but it would be perfectly legal as long as it was specified in the user agreement in ultra-fine print.
Similarly, Google could offer ad-free Gmail for a monthly fee, even though they're the ones doing the advertising.
By serving notice on the service provider before the policy change, the justification is made clear. Whether it's "legal justification" or not is up to a judge. The service provider has been notified of the charges and has several options:
- change their policy so to not incur the charges
- improve their spam filtering
- change their website so it's easy and fast to notify them of spam for charge reversal (which would also help them identify and filter spam)
- cancel my account
If I filed a claim for fees according to the written notice, the service provider would have to give good reasons for why they did not take each of the above actions.
It's not a matter of like/dislike, it's straight economics. The policy change unreasonably takes up my time to prevent what is tantamount to theft. Changing service providers unreasonably takes up my time and will require that I replace the phone I bought last month. I'm self-employed, my time costs between $35 and $75 per hour depending on what I'm doing. When a job takes longer than it should, I become unavailable to take future projects. Work delayed == work lost. Sitting on the phone unnecessarily costs me money. (and don't give me a hard time about wasting time here, my computer is currently processing 3 hrs of live recordings)
SMS is easier to filter than email, and my Gmail account filters everything very effectively, so I know it is within their ability to filter the spam more effectively, but they don't. As long as they knowingly let spam through it is unreasonable to charge for incoming SMS, especially since there is no way to disable SMS/MMS, which is exactly what I would prefer rather than switch service providers.
Not me, I'd rather have a unit I can take to another vehicle. I don't understand in-dash computers that can't be upgraded easily. It defies common sense.
But the key thing is you have to remove the unit from the windshield every time you leave the car unattended, or your local meth-head will do a smash'n'grab, as another poster pointed out, costing you the GPS and a new windshield. That's a P.I.T.A to begin with, but it gets worse.
From experience, I preferred unplugging the power supply from the GPS rather than yank the power supply from the lighter jack and leave it attached to the GPS because it would get tangled. But the mini-USB jack is rated for something like 150 insertions before failure. Then what?
I would much prefer in-dash for that, and it can't be long before there are jacks for USB keys for upgrades. Updating the satellite position file is important, never mind firmware upgrades.