Your point on aim is well taken. Also the rare chance of an obstruction along the path may prove an issue. A passing asteroid or a deliberately placed man-made object would effectively sever the link - at least close enough to the source such that the laser would not have scattered much yet.
What I don't get here is how a laser is going to make the communication any faster than any other form of electro-magnetic transmission.
Apple should encourage this sort of thing. Yes, they make more money on hardware sales than on the OS, but if they allow this to proceed - without formally supporting the PC as a valid platform, they'll a) get more OS sales and b) get more people using their software - these people, in turn, will be more likely to buy a Mac as their next upgrade, for the additional support and guaranteed compatibility. No?
So after spending $20,000 on an amp, $35,000 on the speakers (each) and a cool $10k on speaker wire, now I ALSO have to get an AIR PURIFIER and Q-Tips?!
All the fossil fuel emissions result in the breakdown of O2 in the atmosphere, and in the formation of O3, the build-up of which is clearly responsible for the shrinkage of the hole.
It seems to me that people/companies who unknowingly pirate Windows are few and far between. Also, voluntary self-identification as a pirate, and exposure to future audits, doesn't seem like that good a deal. There has got to be an advantage of some sort to sway people to go through this program instead of just going out and buying a new and valid license.
In short, how much cheaper is it to self-id as a pirate and give MS a door into your infrastructure?
Far be it for me to stand up for Microsoft, but come on folks, take a step back and look at this from another angle.
Sure, intrusive and irrelevant ads are a Bad Thing. Everyone hates spam because it's a waste of time and bandwidth. But relevant advertising is just "valuable information".
When I shop on Amazon, I frequently find interesting things I'm willing to buy, based on Amazon's recommendation engine.
If I were researching HDTV's online, and a service such as this sniffed my cache and presented me with advertisements for sales on HDTVs in my local area, this would be very useful to me.
A service like this would have to be opt-in, otherwise it would be evil, but I wouldn't discount the utility of it off hand.
Now, as for this being a patentable thing... Is it the concept of a context-sensitive framework that MS is patenting here, or is it their specific mechanism for delivering one? Because I'm sure prior art abounds in the form of various redirectors, interceptors, page-ranks and such... It's just the parameters defining the "context" to which the ads are tuned that changes when you look at my personal data.
Dihydrogen Monoxide-related deaths each year number in the Millions! It is a contaminant found in virtually every part of the world, from the smog above major American cities to the seemingly pristine arctic wastelands. It's been very strongly linked to Cancer, Alzheimer's disease and just about every other major killer. Traces of DHMO contamination have been found in just about all foods and food additives, even those grown under the strictest "organic" guidelines. Nuclear power plants routinely release metric tons of the stuff into the atmosphere.
If I show up to a political rally dressed like a rabbit, or jackass, or a giant penis orbited by throbbing breasts, I would be immediately removed by the police, and would probably get the attention of the Federal government, in the bad way.
But what if my SL avatar is a rabbit, or jackass, or a giant penis orbited by throbbing breasts, and I go visit John Edwards online? Will the Secret Service come visit me IRL? Or will they have a deal with SL to drop me from the service? Or... What?
Absolutely. People seem to confuse "irradiated" and "radioactive". The "radioactive" symbol means just that, that whatever it is on is a source of radioactivity. Irradiated food merely had radiation passed through it - it does not remain radioactive.
The assassination of Litvinenko in London a few days ago is a case in point. He consumed radioactive material. That his unagi was irradiated in the process is irrelevant.
The difference between eating irradiated food and ingesting radioactive material is like that between eating a flame-broiled steak and eating a flaming Duralog.
I don't think it needs to be free at all. Internet access isn't free. If this thing has value, it will not be free.
Sure, basic access may be free, but you'll have a B&W or stick-figure avatar, and everyone wo sees you will assume you're a junkie at a street terminal, looking to contaminate them with a computer virus.
NASA really needs to launch nuclear-powered missions from places where these whackos can't throw their clogs into the machinery of progress. In secret. Forget secret prisons, we need secret launch facilities.
Slashdot Mirror
Oh. Well. That makes perfect sense then.
*slams head with physics book*
I wonder how hard it is to break the Windows, go inside uninvited and contaminate everything inside with all sorts of viruses.
And how would the Administration of the building react to a giant wooden horse in the foyer?
Your point on aim is well taken. Also the rare chance of an obstruction along the path may prove an issue. A passing asteroid or a deliberately placed man-made object would effectively sever the link - at least close enough to the source such that the laser would not have scattered much yet.
What I don't get here is how a laser is going to make the communication any faster than any other form of electro-magnetic transmission.
Apple should encourage this sort of thing. Yes, they make more money on hardware sales than on the OS, but if they allow this to proceed - without formally supporting the PC as a valid platform, they'll a) get more OS sales and b) get more people using their software - these people, in turn, will be more likely to buy a Mac as their next upgrade, for the additional support and guaranteed compatibility. No?
The digitizer and software support in programs. It's the only thing keeping me on Windows on my Thinkpad X60.
A beowulf cluster of these...
No, seriously, getting like 60 sheets of this stuff together would be the perfect way to peruse your pr0n collection.
Is it water-proof?
So, who thinks the RIAA is behind this?
To be managed by scruffy-looking Nurf-herders, no doubt. :)
So after spending $20,000 on an amp, $35,000 on the speakers (each) and a cool $10k on speaker wire, now I ALSO have to get an AIR PURIFIER and Q-Tips?!
All the fossil fuel emissions result in the breakdown of O2 in the atmosphere, and in the formation of O3, the build-up of which is clearly responsible for the shrinkage of the hole.
Sure, but the cost of shipping all that water into orbit is prohibitive, and who has time to go around melting comets?
I'd like to know if it can steer, and if it can land in such a way that it can fly again.
It seems to me that people/companies who unknowingly pirate Windows are few and far between. Also, voluntary self-identification as a pirate, and exposure to future audits, doesn't seem like that good a deal. There has got to be an advantage of some sort to sway people to go through this program instead of just going out and buying a new and valid license.
In short, how much cheaper is it to self-id as a pirate and give MS a door into your infrastructure?
In super-short, what's in it for me?
Far be it for me to stand up for Microsoft, but come on folks, take a step back and look at this from another angle.
Sure, intrusive and irrelevant ads are a Bad Thing. Everyone hates spam because it's a waste of time and bandwidth. But relevant advertising is just "valuable information".
When I shop on Amazon, I frequently find interesting things I'm willing to buy, based on Amazon's recommendation engine.
If I were researching HDTV's online, and a service such as this sniffed my cache and presented me with advertisements for sales on HDTVs in my local area, this would be very useful to me.
A service like this would have to be opt-in, otherwise it would be evil, but I wouldn't discount the utility of it off hand.
Now, as for this being a patentable thing... Is it the concept of a context-sensitive framework that MS is patenting here, or is it their specific mechanism for delivering one? Because I'm sure prior art abounds in the form of various redirectors, interceptors, page-ranks and such... It's just the parameters defining the "context" to which the ads are tuned that changes when you look at my personal data.
Mine too!
Stop! Thief!
Dihydrogen Monoxide-related deaths each year number in the Millions! It is a contaminant found in virtually every part of the world, from the smog above major American cities to the seemingly pristine arctic wastelands. It's been very strongly linked to Cancer, Alzheimer's disease and just about every other major killer. Traces of DHMO contamination have been found in just about all foods and food additives, even those grown under the strictest "organic" guidelines. Nuclear power plants routinely release metric tons of the stuff into the atmosphere.
And yet the government does NOTHING!
Why does God need a belly-button?
... you insensitive clod!
If I show up to a political rally dressed like a rabbit, or jackass, or a giant penis orbited by throbbing breasts, I would be immediately removed by the police, and would probably get the attention of the Federal government, in the bad way.
But what if my SL avatar is a rabbit, or jackass, or a giant penis orbited by throbbing breasts, and I go visit John Edwards online? Will the Secret Service come visit me IRL? Or will they have a deal with SL to drop me from the service? Or... What?
If I throw a rotten veggie at a politician in real life, or worse, just threaten to cause him harm, I will get into serious trouble. What happens if I do something like this to a Presidential Candidate online?
What are the rules of engagement for political figures in cyber-space?
Reducing the annoyance factor is EXACTLY why I do all my UNIX wok as root.
Absolutely. People seem to confuse "irradiated" and "radioactive". The "radioactive" symbol means just that, that whatever it is on is a source of radioactivity. Irradiated food merely had radiation passed through it - it does not remain radioactive.
The assassination of Litvinenko in London a few days ago is a case in point. He consumed radioactive material. That his unagi was irradiated in the process is irrelevant.
The difference between eating irradiated food and ingesting radioactive material is like that between eating a flame-broiled steak and eating a flaming Duralog.
I don't think it needs to be free at all. Internet access isn't free. If this thing has value, it will not be free.
Sure, basic access may be free, but you'll have a B&W or stick-figure avatar, and everyone wo sees you will assume you're a junkie at a street terminal, looking to contaminate them with a computer virus.
Anything worthwhile is worth money.
Google and Wikipedia are your friends.
NASA really needs to launch nuclear-powered missions from places where these whackos can't throw their clogs into the machinery of progress. In secret. Forget secret prisons, we need secret launch facilities.
My thought would be depressurization or freezing.