I agree with you that their actions in most cases has a busines decision behind them. I still believe Microsoft has changed during the last few years though - embracing open source in the way they have is only one of many possible ways they could have moved forward after Ballmer. Even though their open source commitment might look like a few token projects to consumers, when you start looking at their enterprise poducts you realise it goes a lot deeper than that. Like that they use git for the Windows source code, their container strategy is based on Docker, you can run SQL server on Docker and the official images are based on Linux - even when they could have chosen Windows! And seeing Microsoft employees - even in management positions - with an Apple computer is not uncommon anymore. So yes, they are only following what is best for their busines - but I think we should be happy that they have decided on the path where Open Source is seen as a good thing instead of continuing on the path that Ballmer set up.
All those who are sceptical towards Microsoft's Open Source commitment appears to fail to realise that Microsoft under Nadella leadership is a very different company than during the Ballmer era (or the Gates era before that). Today the focus is all about subscription services and the cloud. They are making sure everything works fine with their cloud and subscription services, so they can rake in money that way. Want to move your Linux services to the cloud? Microsoft wants you to choose them instead of Amazon or Google so you realise how good all their other services are and start paying for them as well. Are you a developer? Well, then Microsoft want you to know that they have all the Open Source tools you need to run your applications in their cloud. Need a database? Move your MySQL database to Microsoft's cloud and take advantage of all their other database solutions while you are there. And so on. The software you can install yourself (like Windows) are nowdays just stepping stones to push you into their cloud, where you pay a few bucks a month instead of a bit more every few years.
The Wolbachia bacteria already exists naturally in insects all over the world, including several species of mosquitoes. The bacteria inhibits reproduction of viruses like Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya in the mosquito, significantly reducing the risk of spreading the virus. This without using any kind of chemicals or genetic engineering.
The World Mosquito Program has more information about Wolbachia: http://www.eliminatedengue.com...
My LG TV got a firmware update that - after the upgrade was installed - prompted me to accept a new agreement that would allow them to monitor everything I do and send it to a third party. I declined, and in return most of the SMART features were disabled. LG's support only refers me to an email address they claim should be displayed on the agreement page (which of course does not contain any contact information at all), and when pushing them they told me to email an address that is more or less a black hole (they never reply).
1) Lag/delay in statistics. If the feature is abused as described in some of the posts above, an area considered safe can be unsafe for a while before the statistics catches up with reality. The opposite is also true; an area that has been "cleaned up" may be considered unsafe for a while.
2) Different types of violent crime. Not all violent crimes occur in the streets; domnestic violence is (at least where I live) considered a violent crime, and it is also a lot more common than unprovoked violence on the streets. At least that is what the police says - in the statistics they are bundled.
3) Seasonal / time of day differences. I live in a city that is flooded by tourists in the summer. Violent crimes increases significantly during those few months, and most of those crimes occur late evenings / nights when people at clubs/bars/pubs are drunk. Still, statistics for specific areas are compiled on a yearly basis.
4) In sparse areas, a single crime can have a huge impact in the statistics. Looking at statistics compiled "per capita", the area where I grew up had a 200% increase in violent crimes one year. It went from one case of domnestic violence to three - or 20/1000 per capita.
It depends on if you would like to take good photos or store memories? My experience after owning and using various cameras ranging from cheap phone cameras up to a professional DSLR during the last 12 years, is that I use mobile cameras and pocket cameras for memories. But their small sensor makes them difficult to use in some situations, like low light or high contrast. DSLR's makes it easier to take stunning pictures, but their size/weight increases the risk that the camera is left at home and not used. In your situation, I would probably aim for something in between, like a Micro four thirds camera or a Sony NEX. Small enough to keep in a large pocket, large sensor that makes it easier to get shallow focus, and not as expensive as a pro DSLR. From there, you will probably notice how/when you are using it, and either be happy with it, or switch to a smaller or larger camera.
After Z we can go Swedish, as suggested, since we have three more letters in our alphabet:
Ålande Åsna (Crawling Donkey)
Älskande Älg (Loving Moose)
Överraskad Örn (Surprised Eagle)
I find it easier to relax if I know I can quickly find whatever I'm looking for, like bringing up google maps when I get lost, or search for the address of whatever I intend to visit - instead of planing everything ahead in detail and bringing tons of maps, printouts and so on. My last visit to London, I spent an hour trying to find a theater using a regular map and street signs, so I had to run to make it in time. Using a phone with GPS and google maps, it would probably have taken 15 minutes, giving me plenty of time to relax.
I can only agree. Using the same hardware since 7.04, I've seen improvements up to about 8.04. After that, it has gone downhill. Audio has gone from "good" to "horrible" in three versions (I'm going to wait and see if 10.04 improves things, or I will install OSS 4 instead). Things like Notify OSD was rushed/pushed out before it was ready. Changing monitor settings in Gnome requires the applet to be launched with root privileges from run/console instead from the menu to be able to apply the changes, at least on the various 8.10/9.04 laptops I have seen/used. Last time i tried KUbuntu (I don't remember if it was 9.04 or 9.10) multi-monitor support was not working at all.
The answers from Matt gives me the feeling they aim for "quantity" instead of "quality". I don't care if Ubuntu supports some rare hardware if I have major problems listening to music using a default Ubuntu install on some really common desktop hardware. I don't care if the new and shiny feature that replaced the old and proven feature has some nice touches, if this new feature is so incomplete/unfinished that it breaks things (like Notify OSD placing notifications outside the visible areas in some configurations, and no options whatsoever to move them back inside).
The problem with google is that it is both time-consuming and difficult to filter out the crap. The good thing about conferences and lectures (at least those I have attended) is that most of the crap has already been filtered by someone who knows about the subject. A good lecture usually get me thinking in new directions, talking about best practices and giving good advice - usually things that drowns in a flood of useless/amateur advice when using google.
Seriously, I have to agree about Ubuntu. I've been using Ubuntu since 6.10, and for the last few releases things have deteriorated. They are pushing things into the distribution before they are ready and/or doing a poor job integrating them. Pulseaudio has never worked OK for me. Notification OSD does not work at all for me, placing notifications outside of the visible area, and replacing a system that works fine. Multi-monitor support (except for fixed configuration in xorg.conf) has been partially broken on all the 6-8 computers I've tried it on. The beta of Kubuntu 9.10 did not have working multi-monitor support at all!
So I'm currently running Windows 7, which beats the *brown* out of Ubuntu. At least on my new shiny hardware. I'm thinking about trying another distribution, just have not decided which one yet. Fedora sounds nice (especially the thing about improved sound and video), you recommend OpenSUSE, and I've also heard a lot of good things about Mandriva. Decisions, decisions...
I have to agree that there are still maturity-problems. I have been using Ubuntu since "edgy", and each version since then has contained at least one annoying bug - a bug that would not be fixed until the next version.
For example, with "jaunty" I have at least three bugs related to pulseaudio that shows up on a daily basis. And a new notification-system that is so far from being ready that I would not even consider it as beta. These things were working fine in "intrepid"
With "intrepid", Evolution was more or less unusable due to some cache-bug (deleting the cache-folder resolved it for about a week at a time). Not a problem in "hardy" and fixed in "jaunty". This version also made Java-applications with a GTK interface so slow they became unusable (I used a few on a regular basis). This is still not fixed.
Before that, i experienced regressions with windows that would move on restart, windows that would refuse to open om my second screen, crashing media players, crackling sound and a few other annoyances - everything stuff that were working in the previous version.
But in my opinion, the sum of the pains are about the same with Windows and Ubuntu - so I'm sticking with Ubuntu and buy some beer to relax with for the money I save.
The stats from midnight (yes, it's just turned saturday here in Sweden) shows they now have 19693 members - a gain of 4868 members in 12 hours - almost 33%! That makes them the fifth largest party in Sweden, only 3226 members from number four - and almost 1/5 the size of the largest party (Socialdemokraterna) who has 100639 members. Adding to that, their youth organization is now the largest political youth group in Sweden with 9397 members ("Moderata ungdomsfÃrbundet" is second with 9153 members).
So what the numbers themselves are not that huge, but in relation to the numbers from the major parties - they become significant. Get the snowball rolling and the other parties might have to watch out.
It is starting to look like the conviction was the best thing that could have happened - a lot of people are upset and are doing what they can to change things!
I partially disagree. In my opinion, it is better to make small iterative releases a few times a year - while still not pushing features that might break things as patches. Smaller upgrades would make it easier to keep the system updated - instead of having to make a risky major upgrade after many years. How many of you have managed to upgrade windows from one version to another without any problems at all?
And a calendar driven release schedule - why not? Features that are ready to be deployed will be included - others will have to wait until they are ready. With short time span between the releases - it is not such a big deal to hold a feature back, as it is when the next release is several years away.
So Apple uses a TN panel for one of their consumer products. Just like it is used in a majority of all consumer-grade flat-screens on the market. Sure, it is a bit misleading stating "it's going to look stunning on an iMac", but TN is in my opinion a logical choice of panel for a product like the iMac. That makes the rant about all the ways TN is inferior to IPS feel a bit unnecessary.
Just tried to watch some of the streams using QuickTime. From Sweden. And it works. Just too bad the quality is too low to be watchable. For some streams, it is possible to replace the "CDMA"-part of the URL with "EVDO" to get higher quality - but unfortunately the sound skips for me when doing that. Maybe due to everyone testing it. Will try again in the morning, when you americans are sleeping.
It looks like the same technology that were demonstrated at Comdex Fall '00 more than seven years ago - so the integrity after some 7-8 years should already be known. I also have a faint memory of reading something about a fluorescent multi-layer disc somewhere around fall 1997, so it's possible that some discs have already hit ten years!
That also raises the question; if the technology was announced 7-10 years ago - how likely is it that we will see something released this time?
Re:who benifits?
on
Head First SQL
·
· Score: 2, Informative
My experience with the "Head First" series of books (I have read a few, not this one however) is that they are very good beginners books. Easy to read and easy to grasp the basic concepts of the subject they cover. Without loosing interest after a few pages (which in my experience is way too common with other books). And once you know the basics, you can go on and explore more advanced topics somewhere else.
On the other hand, once you know something about the subject, they are, well... not that good. You just sit and wait for the book to get to the point, cursing it for repeating things you already know.
Conclusion: if you already have some basic knowledge; go for something else. Otherwise, I think these books are a good way to get started.
Slashdot Mirror
I agree with you that their actions in most cases has a busines decision behind them. I still believe Microsoft has changed during the last few years though - embracing open source in the way they have is only one of many possible ways they could have moved forward after Ballmer. Even though their open source commitment might look like a few token projects to consumers, when you start looking at their enterprise poducts you realise it goes a lot deeper than that. Like that they use git for the Windows source code, their container strategy is based on Docker, you can run SQL server on Docker and the official images are based on Linux - even when they could have chosen Windows! And seeing Microsoft employees - even in management positions - with an Apple computer is not uncommon anymore. So yes, they are only following what is best for their busines - but I think we should be happy that they have decided on the path where Open Source is seen as a good thing instead of continuing on the path that Ballmer set up.
All those who are sceptical towards Microsoft's Open Source commitment appears to fail to realise that Microsoft under Nadella leadership is a very different company than during the Ballmer era (or the Gates era before that). Today the focus is all about subscription services and the cloud. They are making sure everything works fine with their cloud and subscription services, so they can rake in money that way. Want to move your Linux services to the cloud? Microsoft wants you to choose them instead of Amazon or Google so you realise how good all their other services are and start paying for them as well. Are you a developer? Well, then Microsoft want you to know that they have all the Open Source tools you need to run your applications in their cloud. Need a database? Move your MySQL database to Microsoft's cloud and take advantage of all their other database solutions while you are there. And so on. The software you can install yourself (like Windows) are nowdays just stepping stones to push you into their cloud, where you pay a few bucks a month instead of a bit more every few years.
The Wolbachia bacteria already exists naturally in insects all over the world, including several species of mosquitoes. The bacteria inhibits reproduction of viruses like Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya in the mosquito, significantly reducing the risk of spreading the virus. This without using any kind of chemicals or genetic engineering. The World Mosquito Program has more information about Wolbachia: http://www.eliminatedengue.com...
My LG TV got a firmware update that - after the upgrade was installed - prompted me to accept a new agreement that would allow them to monitor everything I do and send it to a third party. I declined, and in return most of the SMART features were disabled. LG's support only refers me to an email address they claim should be displayed on the agreement page (which of course does not contain any contact information at all), and when pushing them they told me to email an address that is more or less a black hole (they never reply).
I can see a few possible problems with this.
1) Lag/delay in statistics. If the feature is abused as described in some of the posts above, an area considered safe can be unsafe for a while before the statistics catches up with reality. The opposite is also true; an area that has been "cleaned up" may be considered unsafe for a while.
2) Different types of violent crime. Not all violent crimes occur in the streets; domnestic violence is (at least where I live) considered a violent crime, and it is also a lot more common than unprovoked violence on the streets. At least that is what the police says - in the statistics they are bundled.
3) Seasonal / time of day differences. I live in a city that is flooded by tourists in the summer. Violent crimes increases significantly during those few months, and most of those crimes occur late evenings / nights when people at clubs/bars/pubs are drunk. Still, statistics for specific areas are compiled on a yearly basis.
4) In sparse areas, a single crime can have a huge impact in the statistics. Looking at statistics compiled "per capita", the area where I grew up had a 200% increase in violent crimes one year. It went from one case of domnestic violence to three - or 20/1000 per capita.
It depends on if you would like to take good photos or store memories? My experience after owning and using various cameras ranging from cheap phone cameras up to a professional DSLR during the last 12 years, is that I use mobile cameras and pocket cameras for memories. But their small sensor makes them difficult to use in some situations, like low light or high contrast. DSLR's makes it easier to take stunning pictures, but their size/weight increases the risk that the camera is left at home and not used. In your situation, I would probably aim for something in between, like a Micro four thirds camera or a Sony NEX. Small enough to keep in a large pocket, large sensor that makes it easier to get shallow focus, and not as expensive as a pro DSLR. From there, you will probably notice how/when you are using it, and either be happy with it, or switch to a smaller or larger camera.
After Z we can go Swedish, as suggested, since we have three more letters in our alphabet:
Ålande Åsna (Crawling Donkey)
Älskande Älg (Loving Moose)
Överraskad Örn (Surprised Eagle)
It is coming already tomorrow (Wednesday) in some parts of the world. IMDB has a list.
I have ticket reservations for it tomorrow evening (I'm Swedish).
I find it easier to relax if I know I can quickly find whatever I'm looking for, like bringing up google maps when I get lost, or search for the address of whatever I intend to visit - instead of planing everything ahead in detail and bringing tons of maps, printouts and so on. My last visit to London, I spent an hour trying to find a theater using a regular map and street signs, so I had to run to make it in time. Using a phone with GPS and google maps, it would probably have taken 15 minutes, giving me plenty of time to relax.
I can only agree. Using the same hardware since 7.04, I've seen improvements up to about 8.04. After that, it has gone downhill. Audio has gone from "good" to "horrible" in three versions (I'm going to wait and see if 10.04 improves things, or I will install OSS 4 instead). Things like Notify OSD was rushed/pushed out before it was ready. Changing monitor settings in Gnome requires the applet to be launched with root privileges from run/console instead from the menu to be able to apply the changes, at least on the various 8.10/9.04 laptops I have seen/used. Last time i tried KUbuntu (I don't remember if it was 9.04 or 9.10) multi-monitor support was not working at all.
The answers from Matt gives me the feeling they aim for "quantity" instead of "quality". I don't care if Ubuntu supports some rare hardware if I have major problems listening to music using a default Ubuntu install on some really common desktop hardware. I don't care if the new and shiny feature that replaced the old and proven feature has some nice touches, if this new feature is so incomplete/unfinished that it breaks things (like Notify OSD placing notifications outside the visible areas in some configurations, and no options whatsoever to move them back inside).
The problem with google is that it is both time-consuming and difficult to filter out the crap. The good thing about conferences and lectures (at least those I have attended) is that most of the crap has already been filtered by someone who knows about the subject. A good lecture usually get me thinking in new directions, talking about best practices and giving good advice - usually things that drowns in a flood of useless/amateur advice when using google.
..."brown, and shit"... was that intentional?
Seriously, I have to agree about Ubuntu. I've been using Ubuntu since 6.10, and for the last few releases things have deteriorated. They are pushing things into the distribution before they are ready and/or doing a poor job integrating them. Pulseaudio has never worked OK for me. Notification OSD does not work at all for me, placing notifications outside of the visible area, and replacing a system that works fine. Multi-monitor support (except for fixed configuration in xorg.conf) has been partially broken on all the 6-8 computers I've tried it on. The beta of Kubuntu 9.10 did not have working multi-monitor support at all!
So I'm currently running Windows 7, which beats the *brown* out of Ubuntu. At least on my new shiny hardware. I'm thinking about trying another distribution, just have not decided which one yet. Fedora sounds nice (especially the thing about improved sound and video), you recommend OpenSUSE, and I've also heard a lot of good things about Mandriva. Decisions, decisions...
I have to agree that there are still maturity-problems. I have been using Ubuntu since "edgy", and each version since then has contained at least one annoying bug - a bug that would not be fixed until the next version.
For example, with "jaunty" I have at least three bugs related to pulseaudio that shows up on a daily basis. And a new notification-system that is so far from being ready that I would not even consider it as beta. These things were working fine in "intrepid"
With "intrepid", Evolution was more or less unusable due to some cache-bug (deleting the cache-folder resolved it for about a week at a time). Not a problem in "hardy" and fixed in "jaunty". This version also made Java-applications with a GTK interface so slow they became unusable (I used a few on a regular basis). This is still not fixed.
Before that, i experienced regressions with windows that would move on restart, windows that would refuse to open om my second screen, crashing media players, crackling sound and a few other annoyances - everything stuff that were working in the previous version.
And not to forget, this frequently requested feature has not been fixed in over six years!
But in my opinion, the sum of the pains are about the same with Windows and Ubuntu - so I'm sticking with Ubuntu and buy some beer to relax with for the money I save.
The stats from midnight (yes, it's just turned saturday here in Sweden) shows they now have 19693 members - a gain of 4868 members in 12 hours - almost 33%! That makes them the fifth largest party in Sweden, only 3226 members from number four - and almost 1/5 the size of the largest party (Socialdemokraterna) who has 100639 members. Adding to that, their youth organization is now the largest political youth group in Sweden with 9397 members ("Moderata ungdomsfÃrbundet" is second with 9153 members).
So what the numbers themselves are not that huge, but in relation to the numbers from the major parties - they become significant. Get the snowball rolling and the other parties might have to watch out.
It is starting to look like the conviction was the best thing that could have happened - a lot of people are upset and are doing what they can to change things!
Note: all numbers are from the pirate party webpage
Don't forget the iGun.
The virus-makers were! IIRC there were some virus-outbreaks shortly after the leak, using flaws supposedly found in the leaked code.
I partially disagree. In my opinion, it is better to make small iterative releases a few times a year - while still not pushing features that might break things as patches. Smaller upgrades would make it easier to keep the system updated - instead of having to make a risky major upgrade after many years. How many of you have managed to upgrade windows from one version to another without any problems at all?
And a calendar driven release schedule - why not? Features that are ready to be deployed will be included - others will have to wait until they are ready. With short time span between the releases - it is not such a big deal to hold a feature back, as it is when the next release is several years away.
So Apple uses a TN panel for one of their consumer products. Just like it is used in a majority of all consumer-grade flat-screens on the market. Sure, it is a bit misleading stating "it's going to look stunning on an iMac", but TN is in my opinion a logical choice of panel for a product like the iMac. That makes the rant about all the ways TN is inferior to IPS feel a bit unnecessary.
Just tried to watch some of the streams using QuickTime. From Sweden. And it works. Just too bad the quality is too low to be watchable. For some streams, it is possible to replace the "CDMA"-part of the URL with "EVDO" to get higher quality - but unfortunately the sound skips for me when doing that. Maybe due to everyone testing it. Will try again in the morning, when you americans are sleeping.
It looks like the same technology that were demonstrated at Comdex Fall '00 more than seven years ago - so the integrity after some 7-8 years should already be known. I also have a faint memory of reading something about a fluorescent multi-layer disc somewhere around fall 1997, so it's possible that some discs have already hit ten years!
That also raises the question; if the technology was announced 7-10 years ago - how likely is it that we will see something released this time?
My experience with the "Head First" series of books (I have read a few, not this one however) is that they are very good beginners books. Easy to read and easy to grasp the basic concepts of the subject they cover. Without loosing interest after a few pages (which in my experience is way too common with other books). And once you know the basics, you can go on and explore more advanced topics somewhere else.
On the other hand, once you know something about the subject, they are, well... not that good. You just sit and wait for the book to get to the point, cursing it for repeating things you already know.
Conclusion: if you already have some basic knowledge; go for something else. Otherwise, I think these books are a good way to get started.