"Mining doesn't just generate coins, it processes transactions, which makes the whole thing work."
So the processing power is actually put to use in the underlying system, and not just wasted? Or is it as useful as a WoW nerd grinding to the highest possible level?
1. What is a coin worth when you can "grow your own"? Absolutely nothing. 2. The video makes it seem like the bitcoin generating process is some kind of decoding process... does this mean that more powerful hardware is capable of generating bitcoins more quickly?
As a practical matter: If you're unable to find hardware that will run said copy of Linux, yes. This is, unfortunately, becoming more and more the case on Android. The only current phone that'll let you do what you want with it (Nexus S) is built on sub-par hardware.
You're partially correct, of course - older phones often don't have the processing power to run the newest version of their OS - case in point, iPhone 3G, or the HTC Dream.
However, there are cases where it's the other way around, and the phone has more than enough horsepower to cope, but is being shackled by an overprotective manufacturer - See the subject of this article, for instance: Motorola's Android phones starting from the Milestone - why wouldn't those be able to run Gingerbread? Or even Ice Cream when it finally comes out?
Alright, the Milestone is a bit strapped for RAM, but I have a feeling that all those Defy and Droid2/Milestone2 owners are in for a pretty crappy ride - their hardware (fast CPU, fast GPU, and almost 500MB of RAM available at runtime!) will be able to run many upcoming versions of Android with ease, but it's unlikely that they'll ever be allowed to. Motorola's solution: Buy a Droid 3.
Take a look at the HD2 - aeons old in smartphone terms, but still going strong with the latest Android versions, WinPhone7 and so on.
1. To appease the carriers. The less control end users have over how they use their device, the better. This allows carriers to charge out the ass for things like tethering...
2. Planned obsolescence. If every user could upgrade their device to the next version of Android easily, you'd get (*gasp*) people only buying a new phone every 4 years instead of every one or two...
3. To minimize support costs - there's always a few idiots out there that'll brick their phones and then try to RMA them. Of course, switching to PC type OS upgrade/installation system would eliminate that problem right away.
A guess as to what "Open" refers to in this context: Android is open source. iOS is not... Basically, anyone can put Android on their device.
Unfortunately, this doesn't mean that the manufacturers of mainstream Anroid devices can't lock them down so the people that buy them can't put on their own versions of self-baked Android. It's not Android's fault, but it damn well is Android's problem:(
Actually, ZTE are currently pumping out surprisingly decent Android handsets. For the past few months the ZTE Blade (AKA Orange San Francisco, Base Lutea and possibly a few other names) has been the go-to handset for Android newbies here in Europe (UK, Germany, Switzerland)... cheap, good specs (same as a HTC Legend but with more RAM and higher screen res), awesome.
Agreed. Appbrain is definitely the superior alternative... it's just a shame Fast Web Installer was shut down - really dirty move on Google's part, because their own web market sucks donkey balls. Can't even uninstall apps from there...
Why would this only give the iPhone an edge, and not all the phones on that carrier? If AT&T and Verizon were precaching content somewhere (I'm sure they might be), wouldn't all devices on their networks benefit? I'd assume so... And anyway, I didn't RTFA, but who the hell does speed tests on different networks? I'd assume they used WiFi or at least the same network for both devices.
You're going off on a conspiracy theory tangent here without even the slightest hint of a hint at it being true, or even likely. I like to make fun of iPhone users as much as the next techie, but this is a bit over the top;)
So how would you ensure that all iPhones get your proxied, compressed versions of the sites without going through a third party server? Especially if they're on some other unusual network (just think of all the home and public WiFi out there)...
Not saying it isn't possible in certain scenarios, but speeding up any and all iPhones with server side caching and/or compression over any and all connections? Very unlikely.
I highly doubt that anything remotely like this is happening, and for one simple reason: The proxying you describe (I'm assuming you're talking about Skyfire/Opera Mini type server-side compression?) is dog-slow because it increases the ping-time by a ton. My Desire (old 1st-gen Snapdragon device with a decent helping of RAM) loads sites FASTER without any form of server-side caching and/or compression (I've tried this with Opera Mobile, Opera Mini, Skyfire, Miren Browser...), simply because the response time is horrible with the compression service. When latency already accounts for 25% of the time I need to load Slashdot's full desktop version, upping the latency by a factor of 4 or 5 doesn't help much in making pages load faster;)
For saving bandwidth? Sure, compress and proxy all you want.
For speed on a device where the rendering speed doesn't improve by cutting down the entire page to a few kilobytes in size, the connection is sufficiently high-throughput that the compression doesn't make a difference in transfer time anyway, and latency is the biggest/most noticable problem...? No.
Rolling blackouts suck. When I lived in Sri Lanka the reservoirs powering the hydroelectric dams in the North ran dry (drought) and rolling blackouts were implemented... hot, humid, crappy.
There's just something about sitting around trying to read with a flashlight or a candle (the latter sucks especially in a place that's already hot and humid) that makes you feel like you've been sent back to the middle ages... Although I have a feeling I'd be much better prepared to deal with this nowadays, what with my general work and entertainment tools all capable of going without electricity for 6-7 hours. Back then my parents didn't even have a laptop capable of running on batteries for longer thean half an hour or so.
For the people mostly unaffected by the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear doom, this must be a bitch. For the ones whose homes have been destroyed, it's just another piece on the pile...:(
You're on Android? Did you set the WiFi Sleep Policy to "Never"? Default is to turn off (i.e. switch to mobile data) when the screen blanks... back in the early days of Android this made sense, because WiFi used to drain a ton of power when idle. Not true any longer, at least not since the Droid/N1 generation... idle drain is on par with or within 10-20% of 3G idle (figures from my Desire in standby are 4-5mA on 3G and 4-6mA on WiFi).
Works fine here in Germany, as long as you're not on a train going from asstown to miniholeinthemapville... I've switched entirely to SIP (Sipdroid) and the only times I have problems are when I'm mobile at high speeds outside of city limits, or there's just no decent 3G coverage.
Hell, I've even gotten my girlfriend an Android phone with the same setup and even she says it works just fine;)
Sounds like all you need is a halfway decent network.
Sipdroid via PBXes (provider is 1&1.de) provides great quality over 3G with Speex. The same as a regular phone call, pretty much. With one of the 64-kbps codecs (there's a few available in Sipdroid... PCMU and others, IIRC), the quality is even better, but that introduces a hint of lag over 3G - none whatsoever on WiFi. Luckily Sipdroid allows you to set different codecs for 2G/3G/WiFi...
I wouldn't expect the N900 to be much different in those respects...
Not really. Sipdroid with a low-bandwidth codec like Speex or even GSM (higher bandwidth use kills latency!) works just fine on good old UMTS.
I've switched to Sipdroid more or less completely - the GSM telephony module in my Android smartphone is nothing more than a backup for when all I can get is 2G... works fine here in Germany. My provider explicitly allows VoIP and tethering within my allotted 5GB per month, so no problems there.
Call quality is on par with GSM (actually a little better, because Sipdroid allows tweaking of mic and earpiece gain levels) when I'm on 3G, and crystal clear when calling from WiFi to WiFi (calling my girlfriend, whose phone I've also installed Sipdroid on). Latency isn't noticable unless gain levels are too high (in that case you'll notice that the echo takes a little longer than on a regular GSM/3G call).
Tab Mix Plus works, NoScript works, ABP works, Grab and Drag works, Fox to Phone works... all without turning off compatibility checks. I'd say they're doing pretty well...
Engadget, Slashgear, and quite a few other gadget blogs. They only supply it if your user agent is a non-desktop string (iPad/Pod/Phone, Android), of course, but they have it available.
Slashdot Mirror
"Mining doesn't just generate coins, it processes transactions, which makes the whole thing work."
So the processing power is actually put to use in the underlying system, and not just wasted? Or is it as useful as a WoW nerd grinding to the highest possible level?
I still don't get it.
1. What is a coin worth when you can "grow your own"? Absolutely nothing.
2. The video makes it seem like the bitcoin generating process is some kind of decoding process... does this mean that more powerful hardware is capable of generating bitcoins more quickly?
As a practical matter: If you're unable to find hardware that will run said copy of Linux, yes. This is, unfortunately, becoming more and more the case on Android. The only current phone that'll let you do what you want with it (Nexus S) is built on sub-par hardware.
Theoretically: Obviously no.
You're partially correct, of course - older phones often don't have the processing power to run the newest version of their OS - case in point, iPhone 3G, or the HTC Dream.
However, there are cases where it's the other way around, and the phone has more than enough horsepower to cope, but is being shackled by an overprotective manufacturer - See the subject of this article, for instance: Motorola's Android phones starting from the Milestone - why wouldn't those be able to run Gingerbread? Or even Ice Cream when it finally comes out?
Alright, the Milestone is a bit strapped for RAM, but I have a feeling that all those Defy and Droid2/Milestone2 owners are in for a pretty crappy ride - their hardware (fast CPU, fast GPU, and almost 500MB of RAM available at runtime!) will be able to run many upcoming versions of Android with ease, but it's unlikely that they'll ever be allowed to. Motorola's solution: Buy a Droid 3.
Take a look at the HD2 - aeons old in smartphone terms, but still going strong with the latest Android versions, WinPhone7 and so on.
In theory:
1. To appease the carriers. The less control end users have over how they use their device, the better. This allows carriers to charge out the ass for things like tethering...
2. Planned obsolescence. If every user could upgrade their device to the next version of Android easily, you'd get (*gasp*) people only buying a new phone every 4 years instead of every one or two...
3. To minimize support costs - there's always a few idiots out there that'll brick their phones and then try to RMA them. Of course, switching to PC type OS upgrade/installation system would eliminate that problem right away.
A guess as to what "Open" refers to in this context: Android is open source. iOS is not... Basically, anyone can put Android on their device.
Unfortunately, this doesn't mean that the manufacturers of mainstream Anroid devices can't lock them down so the people that buy them can't put on their own versions of self-baked Android. It's not Android's fault, but it damn well is Android's problem :(
Actually, ZTE are currently pumping out surprisingly decent Android handsets. For the past few months the ZTE Blade (AKA Orange San Francisco, Base Lutea and possibly a few other names) has been the go-to handset for Android newbies here in Europe (UK, Germany, Switzerland)... cheap, good specs (same as a HTC Legend but with more RAM and higher screen res), awesome.
It's a problem, yes. Switchable graphics are just a workaround...
Optimus, or some other form of switchable graphics.
You mean those packets of DO NOT EAT that we all have laying around?
Dunno, isn't it a short step from DO NOT EAT to DO NOT PUT IN EYES?
Yes. Bacon is not only far superior to other meat, but also to salt.
Agreed. Appbrain is definitely the superior alternative... it's just a shame Fast Web Installer was shut down - really dirty move on Google's part, because their own web market sucks donkey balls. Can't even uninstall apps from there...
Why would this only give the iPhone an edge, and not all the phones on that carrier? If AT&T and Verizon were precaching content somewhere (I'm sure they might be), wouldn't all devices on their networks benefit? I'd assume so... And anyway, I didn't RTFA, but who the hell does speed tests on different networks? I'd assume they used WiFi or at least the same network for both devices.
You're going off on a conspiracy theory tangent here without even the slightest hint of a hint at it being true, or even likely. I like to make fun of iPhone users as much as the next techie, but this is a bit over the top ;)
So how would you ensure that all iPhones get your proxied, compressed versions of the sites without going through a third party server? Especially if they're on some other unusual network (just think of all the home and public WiFi out there)...
Not saying it isn't possible in certain scenarios, but speeding up any and all iPhones with server side caching and/or compression over any and all connections? Very unlikely.
Rendering, OK, but panning content-heavy and complex pages still needs to be improved. Android stutters/gums up and iOS checkerboards like crazy...
I'll take a full GB (or preferably 1.5 or even 2GB) of RAM for my next device please...
I highly doubt that anything remotely like this is happening, and for one simple reason: The proxying you describe (I'm assuming you're talking about Skyfire/Opera Mini type server-side compression?) is dog-slow because it increases the ping-time by a ton. My Desire (old 1st-gen Snapdragon device with a decent helping of RAM) loads sites FASTER without any form of server-side caching and/or compression (I've tried this with Opera Mobile, Opera Mini, Skyfire, Miren Browser...), simply because the response time is horrible with the compression service. When latency already accounts for 25% of the time I need to load Slashdot's full desktop version, upping the latency by a factor of 4 or 5 doesn't help much in making pages load faster ;)
For saving bandwidth? Sure, compress and proxy all you want.
For speed on a device where the rendering speed doesn't improve by cutting down the entire page to a few kilobytes in size, the connection is sufficiently high-throughput that the compression doesn't make a difference in transfer time anyway, and latency is the biggest/most noticable problem...? No.
Rolling blackouts suck. When I lived in Sri Lanka the reservoirs powering the hydroelectric dams in the North ran dry (drought) and rolling blackouts were implemented... hot, humid, crappy.
There's just something about sitting around trying to read with a flashlight or a candle (the latter sucks especially in a place that's already hot and humid) that makes you feel like you've been sent back to the middle ages... Although I have a feeling I'd be much better prepared to deal with this nowadays, what with my general work and entertainment tools all capable of going without electricity for 6-7 hours. Back then my parents didn't even have a laptop capable of running on batteries for longer thean half an hour or so.
For the people mostly unaffected by the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear doom, this must be a bitch. For the ones whose homes have been destroyed, it's just another piece on the pile... :(
You're on Android? Did you set the WiFi Sleep Policy to "Never"? Default is to turn off (i.e. switch to mobile data) when the screen blanks... back in the early days of Android this made sense, because WiFi used to drain a ton of power when idle. Not true any longer, at least not since the Droid/N1 generation... idle drain is on par with or within 10-20% of 3G idle (figures from my Desire in standby are 4-5mA on 3G and 4-6mA on WiFi).
Works fine here in Germany, as long as you're not on a train going from asstown to miniholeinthemapville... I've switched entirely to SIP (Sipdroid) and the only times I have problems are when I'm mobile at high speeds outside of city limits, or there's just no decent 3G coverage.
Hell, I've even gotten my girlfriend an Android phone with the same setup and even she says it works just fine ;)
Sounds like all you need is a halfway decent network.
Sipdroid via PBXes (provider is 1&1.de) provides great quality over 3G with Speex. The same as a regular phone call, pretty much. With one of the 64-kbps codecs (there's a few available in Sipdroid... PCMU and others, IIRC), the quality is even better, but that introduces a hint of lag over 3G - none whatsoever on WiFi. Luckily Sipdroid allows you to set different codecs for 2G/3G/WiFi...
I wouldn't expect the N900 to be much different in those respects...
1. 10GB is a ton.
2. 256kbps is more than enough for a ~15kbps (i.e. Speex) VoIP call.
Not really. Sipdroid with a low-bandwidth codec like Speex or even GSM (higher bandwidth use kills latency!) works just fine on good old UMTS.
I've switched to Sipdroid more or less completely - the GSM telephony module in my Android smartphone is nothing more than a backup for when all I can get is 2G... works fine here in Germany. My provider explicitly allows VoIP and tethering within my allotted 5GB per month, so no problems there.
Call quality is on par with GSM (actually a little better, because Sipdroid allows tweaking of mic and earpiece gain levels) when I'm on 3G, and crystal clear when calling from WiFi to WiFi (calling my girlfriend, whose phone I've also installed Sipdroid on). Latency isn't noticable unless gain levels are too high (in that case you'll notice that the echo takes a little longer than on a regular GSM/3G call).
Tab Mix Plus works, NoScript works, ABP works, Grab and Drag works, Fox to Phone works... all without turning off compatibility checks. I'd say they're doing pretty well...
Memory usage is much better and the speed compared to 3.x is incredible.
Oh hell yes. It's become downright usable... average memory usage has dropped from 800MB to 450MB... I'm ecstatic. :)
Engadget, Slashgear, and quite a few other gadget blogs. They only supply it if your user agent is a non-desktop string (iPad/Pod/Phone, Android), of course, but they have it available.