Correct. IANAL (but I do have a couple of friend who are, and this is how they explained it to me). YMMV/VWPBL etc. etc.:
As long as the ownership of any property (in this case the UNIX IP) is under dispute between two parties in a court of law, then the end user of that property is under no legal obligation to listen to or believe in the claims of either of the parties. The end user is only obligated to the contract she entered into with the original party at the time she started using the property, until directed to do otherwise by the court.
E.g., A rents B a house, and B, in good faith, signs a contract with A to pay a certain monthly rent, gets the keys to the house and starts using it. A couple of years later, C shows up and tells B that the house actually belongs to C, and B should be paying rent to C and not to A. Then, A and C sue/counter-sue each other re. the ownership of the house, and a court starts to look at the matter. While the matter is sub-judice, (and without any clear directive from the court to put the rent in an escrow fund etc.), B is only obligated to follow the contract with A.
This is true especially if the matter is sub-judice. So the issue of indemnity is moot.
According to the CIA, the Russians did not even come close to matching the military expenditure of the US during the Reagan years. Their economy collapsed because of the ill concieved economic/industrial system they had.
It worked well, apparently.
This is like giving the rooster's crowing credit for making the sun rise.
A physicist might be hyper-brilliant in their field, but that no more qualifies her or him to adjudicate the *use* of nuclear weapons, for example, than the pin-setter at the local bowling alley.
Yeah right. Show me a pin-setter at the local bowling alley who knows that the half-life of Uranium-235 is ~ 710,000,000 years, Uranium-238 is ~ 4,500,000,000 years, and has factored that into his decision to *use* a fission device on his home planet, and I might show you a hyper-brilliant (sic) physicist.
Jobs has always held a very low opinion of TV. While that could change, I'd wager that he'll never acquire any company that does TV as its primary business.
Thanks, got an AlBook. But I do know someone who has been lusting for one of those "one-button doh-dads" - but cant afford it (even from ebay...wife/2kids/laid off/...yada yada...). So if the price is close to free, hey, you don't even have to look far for a buyer!
No, the parent is right. I have no good software for my Mac, and neither do you.
Either you are trolling or clueless. In the consumer space, I see the "best-of-breed" software for just about every category of applications.
Yes, I am a cross-platform person, with a rack full of software for Macs (at home), and access to all the Windows software you can shake a stick at (at work).
This story on Groklaw has SCO's response to IBM's countersuit (patent infringement.) Almost towards the end of SCO's filing, we see the following gems:
SIXTH AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE The General Public License ('GPL') is unenforceable, void and/or voidable, and IBM's claims based thereon, or related thereto, are barred.
SEVENTH AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE The GPL is selectively enforced by the Free Software Foundation such that enforcement of the GPL by IBM or others is waived, estopped or otherwise barred as a matter of equity.
EIGHTH AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSE The GPL violates the U.S. Constitution, together with copyright, antitrust and export control laws, and IBM claims based thereon, or related thereto, are barred.
I think this is UL. You can pull of something like this only if all parts of a system were designed for this purpose and it was used by the Russians exactly as it was designed.
This is supposed to have started in 1975, culminating with the explosion in 1982. Having started my tech carrier in 1974, and having a good idea of where we were back then, I believe that the probability of this happening as indicated is infinitesimally small.
Even the simplest chips (and by todays standards, they were really simple) had to be debugged for *weeks* to work the way it was supposed to - let alone getting a new customized fab process that would leave all instructions intact except for a trap for some unknown/unverifiable call (and all this without knowing exactly what the software/control system etc. were up to or whether the Ruskies were not running their own software...etc....etc...). And all this in the late 70's?? Come on - my credebility is stretched beyond the rupture limit! Any one with a dose of the time-line of high tech would be skeptical.
Hardly anything in the old USSR was automated. And the Russians did not need our help to screw up - they were quite good at it themselves. Check out the facts on Chernobyl - what was it, 4 fatal (human) errors one after the other!?!
We are in the process of publishing a research report for TxDOT, and one of the issues studied was the pros and cons for High Speed Rail and MagLev. Some highlights:
O&M costs of Maglev vehicles is hypothesized to be less than those costs for HSR. Amtrak is currently witnessing high O&M costs due to problems with derailment and cracks in vehicle hardware. Tracks for HSR are susceptible to heat damage, a problem which may have caused the derailment of an Amtrak train in July 2002. In contrast, Maglev's frictionless guideways are resistant to wear and tear caused by weather and operation. Maglev guideways will last longer than tracks for HSR. A recent study by Southern California Council of Governments reported that O&M costs for Maglev systems would be 65% less than the O&M costs for high speed rail. The study also suggested that the implementation of Maglev systems and guideways would be comparable to HSR. The cost issue is highly debatable because MagLev is typically designed on 100% elevated systems, HSR is not.
Noise pollution will also be significantly reduced with the implementation of Maglev. Since the Maglev vehicles do not come into contact with the guideway, the friction that causes noise in other rail systems is eliminated. The only noise that the Maglev produces is the sound that is generated by the aerodynamics of the vehicle. Passby at 300 kmph at 25 m: ICE= 92 dB(A) TGV = 90 dB(A) MagLev = 80 dB(A)
A couple of other design coniderations: Max recommended grade for the two types of systems: HSR ~ 1%, MagLev ~10% Derailment): MagLev = impossible (wrap around design), HSR=likely (low tolerance)
Besides, after having tried out the iPod competitions, I have to admit that much as I like to fiddle with "mini joysticks" for fun, the iPod wheel thingy has them joysticks beat.
You are correct... about the "uninformed guess" part;^)
Apple's margin on hardware = 25%~30% (has been, is, and will be) Also, Apple tries to hit "market price points", and $149 (the price of an iSight) seems to be the most likely bet. (Jobs should settle this in a few hours.)
Compared to iPod, iTMS (and by association, ACC) is not a money maker. Cuting out mp3 is shooting yoursef in the foot - no, head. mp3s will continue to play on all iPods.
There are plenty of horror stories coming out of india about shotty work, dead lines not being reached, and good money being thrown after bad because project go wrong. Sure there is skilled labor in india, and I'm talking about programming but there seems to be more unskilled than skilled. Many companies that started on this outsourcing are bringing projects home after problems in India. I think simply the education system in India isn't up to snuff yet.
If it does indeed turn out that companies will do worse going to India than they would here, then the companies will take corrective action. The free matket will see to that.
But let us not minimise the effect Wall Street has on these decisions. A company issues a press release that they are cutting 5k jobs in US and opening a center in India, and their stock prices goes up. I have seen it happen many times.
...sigh... you still don't get it do you? Corporations decide their operational tactics to increase their profits, and not for some altruist purpose having to do with you, "an American citizen". Capitalism has everything to do with this. If you believe in a free market, then you have to live with its consequences.
This is about me, an American citizen, tell my congressman that I don't want my tax dollars going overseas.
Then do not moan groan if you have to pay higher taxes for the privilage of getting the same service from US citizens.
While there is not much that can be done to stop private companies from making the mistake of hiring unskilled labor there is plenty that can be done to stop the government.
You are suggesting that "skilled labour" is being replaced by "unskilled labour" overseas. That is by and large not true. I don't see any data to suggest that the service you get from well trained and skilled folks in Bangalore is much different from the service you get from well trained and skilled folks in Dallas. In fact, many of the folks working at the MS tech support center at Los Colinas (DFW) are from India, living in the US and making US wages. So why not ship their jobs to Bangalore for a fourth of their US salary?
And there are plenty of examples of clueless individuals provided services here in the US.
Surprise! There are good workers and clueless workers both in the US and in India.
Do you shop at WalMart? Would you be willing to pay 4x wallyworld prices if those same items were made in the USA? Just curious:...
Also, they have decided to ban the cars companies like GM, ford and other US companies like Mcdonalds, Pepsi,coke and Hoolywod movies etc. from selling in India.
I think that is a misrepresentation of the facts. GM and Ford can and do sell cars in India. In fact the #1 selling model is made by Suzuki(?). McD/KFC are the places where the "in crowd" hang out as they sip their Pepsi. No company is "banned" from doing business in India. No company is, however, allowed to take 100% of their profits out of the country; they have to reinvest some fraction thereof (51%?) back into India. I believe that the banking/finance/insurance sectors are still "closed" though.
(I had read this a while ago. Could some one please elaborate on the current rules?)
As someone who reviews graduate school applications, the ones from India are always the hardest to parse. The grading system is inefficient and confusing, made at first glance to make the applicant look like the next Stephen Wolfram. Scratch beneath it and most applicants are idiots.
I too review grad student applications for a small engineering dept. at a (2nd tier) state univ. What you forgot to mention is the number of US students who apply for grad school in engineering. For Fall 2003, we had ~ 50 applicants, of which 4 were from the US, and the rest from India, China, etc..
Yes, we should definitely encourage more indigenous "idiots" to apply.
While the congress critter can certainly do something to make you think something is being done (not!), it is the Wall St. critter who is actually driving this by rewading companies that outsource and punishing thoise that don't.
I.e., it is just an unintended (sic) consequence of the good ol' fashioned sport of making money.
So stop bitchin' about capitalism, buy yourself some stock in the companies that outsouce, short those that don't, and profit!
Slashdot Mirror
Correct. IANAL (but I do have a couple of friend who are, and this is how they explained it to me). YMMV/VWPBL etc. etc.:
As long as the ownership of any property (in this case the UNIX IP) is under dispute between two parties in a court of law, then the end user of that property is under no legal obligation to listen to or believe in the claims of either of the parties. The end user is only obligated to the contract she entered into with the original party at the time she started using the property, until directed to do otherwise by the court.
E.g., A rents B a house, and B, in good faith, signs a contract with A to pay a certain monthly rent, gets the keys to the house and starts using it. A couple of years later, C shows up and tells B that the house actually belongs to C, and B should be paying rent to C and not to A. Then, A and C sue/counter-sue each other re. the ownership of the house, and a court starts to look at the matter. While the matter is sub-judice, (and without any clear directive from the court to put the rent in an escrow fund etc.), B is only obligated to follow the contract with A.
This is true especially if the matter is sub-judice. So the issue of indemnity is moot.
cheers- raga
This is like giving the rooster's crowing credit for making the sun rise.
cheers- raga
Yeah right. Show me a pin-setter at the local bowling alley who knows that the half-life of Uranium-235 is ~ 710,000,000 years, Uranium-238 is ~ 4,500,000,000 years, and has factored that into his decision to *use* a fission device on his home planet, and I might show you a hyper-brilliant (sic) physicist.
cheers- raga
Jobs has always held a very low opinion of TV. While that could change, I'd wager that he'll never acquire any company that does TV as its primary business.
cheers- ragta
Well, I'd go there just for the lickable reality-distortion buttons.
Here's the first "exactly how".
cheers- raga
Anyways, anyone want to buy a TiBook?
Thanks, got an AlBook. But I do know someone who has been lusting for one of those "one-button doh-dads" - but cant afford it (even from ebay...wife/2kids/laid off/...yada yada...). So if the price is close to free, hey, you don't even have to look far for a buyer!
cheers- raga
Stop with your incessent Monty Python quotings, you silly english kaniggets.
Or what? You'll wave your private parts at my aunties?
No, the parent is right. I have no good software for my Mac, and neither do you.
Either you are trolling or clueless. In the consumer space, I see the "best-of-breed" software for just about every category of applications.
Yes, I am a cross-platform person, with a rack full of software for Macs (at home), and access to all the Windows software you can shake a stick at (at work).
cheers- raga
(May Newton stop spinning in his grave)
1) The angle of the dangle is proportional to the lust for the bust.
2) The mass of the ass is proportional to the sag of the bag.
3) Motion produces lotion.
cheers- raga
Yeah, I know, NFL sez "..no part shall be rebroadcast or retransmitted without the express written consent....", but what about fair use?
Say I wanted to see a part (of Ms. Jackson's busom) for "educational" purposes?
cheers- raga
I think this is UL. You can pull of something like this only if all parts of a system were designed for this purpose and it was used by the Russians exactly as it was designed.
...etc....etc...). And all this in the late 70's?? Come on - my credebility is stretched beyond the rupture limit! Any one with a dose of the time-line of high tech would be skeptical.
This is supposed to have started in 1975, culminating with the explosion in 1982. Having started my tech carrier in 1974, and having a good idea of where we were back then, I believe that the probability of this happening as indicated is infinitesimally small.
Even the simplest chips (and by todays standards, they were really simple) had to be debugged for *weeks* to work the way it was supposed to - let alone getting a new customized fab process that would leave all instructions intact except for a trap for some unknown/unverifiable call (and all this without knowing exactly what the software/control system etc. were up to or whether the Ruskies were not running their own software
Hardly anything in the old USSR was automated. And the Russians did not need our help to screw up - they were quite good at it themselves. Check out the facts on Chernobyl - what was it, 4 fatal (human) errors one after the other!?!
But it does make for a good story though.
cheers- raga
We are in the process of publishing a research report for TxDOT, and one of the issues studied was the pros and cons for High Speed Rail and MagLev. Some highlights:
O&M costs of Maglev vehicles is hypothesized to be less than those costs for HSR. Amtrak is currently witnessing high O&M costs due to problems with derailment and cracks in vehicle hardware. Tracks for HSR are susceptible to heat damage, a problem which may have caused the derailment of an Amtrak train in July 2002. In contrast, Maglev's frictionless guideways are resistant to wear and tear caused by weather and operation. Maglev guideways will last longer than tracks for HSR. A recent study by Southern California Council of Governments reported that O&M costs for Maglev systems would be 65% less than the O&M costs for high speed rail. The study also suggested that the implementation of Maglev systems and guideways would be comparable to HSR. The cost issue is highly debatable because MagLev is typically designed on 100% elevated systems, HSR is not.
Noise pollution will also be significantly reduced with the implementation of Maglev. Since the Maglev vehicles do not come into contact with the guideway, the friction that causes noise in other rail systems is eliminated. The only noise that the Maglev produces is the sound that is generated by the aerodynamics of the vehicle. Passby at 300 kmph at 25 m: ICE= 92 dB(A) TGV = 90 dB(A) MagLev = 80 dB(A)
A couple of other design coniderations:
Max recommended grade for the two types of systems: HSR ~ 1%, MagLev ~10%
Derailment): MagLev = impossible (wrap around design), HSR=likely (low tolerance)
One factor that plays a strong role: there is a well entrenched rail lobby - the same cannot be said for MagLevs.
Here is an anti-Maglev article from the entrainched establishment, and here is a reasoned response to the FUD.
cheers- raga
... here.
cheers- raga
I just patented freaking letters and numbers.
Can't do that. Microsoft already holds the patents for 0 and 1.. SCO probably has the entire alphabet covered under their IP as well.
cheers- raga
Carly and Bill are in the midst of spat.
...um... tablets to the world when Bill specifically wanted her to at the great unveiling or tablet PCs. As per the gossip, the HP staff was banished from the after-show party. ...meeow...
Not too long ago, elReg had a story about how Carly snubbed Bill by not showing off her
cheers- raga
Check out this article.
Warning- reading the linked article may make your blood boil!
cheers- raga
Correct. iPod is "cool". iRiver is unknown.
Besides, after having tried out the iPod competitions, I have to admit that much as I like to fiddle with "mini joysticks" for fun, the iPod wheel thingy has them joysticks beat.
cheers- raga
You are correct ... about the "uninformed guess" part ;^)
Apple's margin on hardware = 25%~30% (has been, is, and will be) Also, Apple tries to hit "market price points", and $149 (the price of an iSight) seems to be the most likely bet. (Jobs should settle this in a few hours.)
Compared to iPod, iTMS (and by association, ACC) is not a money maker. Cuting out mp3 is shooting yoursef in the foot - no, head. mp3s will continue to play on all iPods.
cheers- raga
There are plenty of horror stories coming out of india about shotty work, dead lines not being reached, and good money being thrown after bad because project go wrong. Sure there is skilled labor in india, and I'm talking about programming but there seems to be more unskilled than skilled. Many companies that started on this outsourcing are bringing projects home after problems in India. I think simply the education system in India isn't up to snuff yet.
If it does indeed turn out that companies will do worse going to India than they would here, then the companies will take corrective action. The free matket will see to that.
But let us not minimise the effect Wall Street has on these decisions. A company issues a press release that they are cutting 5k jobs in US and opening a center in India, and their stock prices goes up. I have seen it happen many times.
cheers- raga
This is about me, an American citizen, tell my congressman that I don't want my tax dollars going overseas.
Then do not moan groan if you have to pay higher taxes for the privilage of getting the same service from US citizens.
While there is not much that can be done to stop private companies from making the mistake of hiring unskilled labor there is plenty that can be done to stop the government.
You are suggesting that "skilled labour" is being replaced by "unskilled labour" overseas. That is by and large not true. I don't see any data to suggest that the service you get from well trained and skilled folks in Bangalore is much different from the service you get from well trained and skilled folks in Dallas. In fact, many of the folks working at the MS tech support center at Los Colinas (DFW) are from India, living in the US and making US wages. So why not ship their jobs to Bangalore for a fourth of their US salary?
And there are plenty of examples of clueless individuals provided services here in the US.
Surprise! There are good workers and clueless workers both in the US and in India.
Do you shop at WalMart? Would you be willing to pay 4x wallyworld prices if those same items were made in the USA? Just curious:...
cheers- raga
Also, they have decided to ban the cars companies like GM, ford and other US companies like Mcdonalds, Pepsi,coke and Hoolywod movies etc. from selling in India.
I think that is a misrepresentation of the facts. GM and Ford can and do sell cars in India. In fact the #1 selling model is made by Suzuki(?). McD/KFC are the places where the "in crowd" hang out as they sip their Pepsi. No company is "banned" from doing business in India. No company is, however, allowed to take 100% of their profits out of the country; they have to reinvest some fraction thereof (51%?) back into India. I believe that the banking/finance/insurance sectors are still "closed" though.
(I had read this a while ago. Could some one please elaborate on the current rules?)
cheers- raga
As someone who reviews graduate school applications, the ones from India are always the hardest to parse. The grading system is inefficient and confusing, made at first glance to make the applicant look like the next Stephen Wolfram. Scratch beneath it and most applicants are idiots.
I too review grad student applications for a small engineering dept. at a (2nd tier) state univ. What you forgot to mention is the number of US students who apply for grad school in engineering. For Fall 2003, we had ~ 50 applicants, of which 4 were from the US, and the rest from India, China, etc..
Yes, we should definitely encourage more indigenous "idiots" to apply.
cheers- raga
RTFA.
While the congress critter can certainly do something to make you think something is being done (not!), it is the Wall St. critter who is actually driving this by rewading companies that outsource and punishing thoise that don't.
I.e., it is just an unintended (sic) consequence of the good ol' fashioned sport of making money.
So stop bitchin' about capitalism, buy yourself some stock in the companies that outsouce, short those that don't, and profit!
cheers- raga