here are numerous VOIP capable smartphones available as others have mentioned, it's another story if your service provider deliberately disables the feature or blocks it from working on their network.
This is why you have a WiFi Router and a handset that can use that WiFi (without using your cellular minutes or your providers network). WiFi is FREE. Of course your hand held must allow you to use the WiFi router you install. My Nokia N800 does, even the Nokia N900 will (and it has cellular built in). I am pretty sure the Androids will let you use WiFi without using your cellular provider's network but am not 100% sure.
If you must use your provider's network, you are tethered. No good! Do not buy the hardware, if its tethered.
Having cellular when you are not in a WiFi hot zone is a plus, cellular should NOT be required for access!
...The cellular service providers typically lose money on each phone...
This is total BS. The typical phones have been itemized and priced out. The total cost of components in almost all cases is less than $40 per unit. When they purchase the components in bulk, they get even better prices.
The cheapest handset I have ever purchased was $100, so they still made over 100% profit.
To lower the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of your handset, make sure it has the ability to use WiFi (not over cellular as this defeats the purpose). Install WiFi Firewall/Routers at home and at work and use WiFi in those two places, reduce your plan's cellular minutes and use the savings to offset the cost of the phone.
I bet prior to Verizon settling the bill, this parent was wishing they would have bought their son a WiFi enabled phone, Teen's Cell Phone Bill Tops $20,000. WE hear about junk like this every day, every week, every month. A simple solution, when at home, you son/daughter uses WiFi, however your hardware must allow for it, admittedly only the Nokia Nxxx (N800, N900) and Android (at least I think it does) allow for this today.
What really gets me, is the cellular companies could prevent this from ever happening if they wanted to....
Personally I am surprised that someone has not set up a "chat" exchange server, let kids give themselves an account and chat with each other via the server. If they come in via cellular, so be it, however if they come in via ISP (hardwired or WiFi) there would be no charge, so be it. Put up minimal advertising to pay for the service and/or charge a nominal yearly fee.
No need for a monthly fee as text messaging eats up so little bandwidth.
The reason chinese phones support dual sim and ones you've heard of don't, is because the manufacturers you know of are in the pockets of mobile operators, while the chinese ones aren't.
Please someone mod this person up. Mobile operators most certainly have been dictating to the hardware vendors. Thank goodness for Google, opening the doors with the Android software in coming years, as Nokia steps in the right direction but hold back from doing more for the same reason. Even Google's first Android is limited at the bequest of the mobile operators. Based on what I have been reading, this is going to change next year, yea!
The only reason we have not seen innovation in the hand held / smart phone / device space is because of vendors who are more interested in charging you more for text messages than allowing you to do what you want to do.
Makes me despise the cellular vendors all the more. I stopped buying their hobbled junk hardware.
We have one open phone (N900) and one semi-open phone (Android) now. By next year we will have over half a dozen, my prediction and by 2011, even more. The genie is not going back into the bottle, get over it, cellular companies! Or continue, business as usual and continue to piss off your customer base.
Happily cellular free for more than 3 years now and loving it!
Plenty of reasons:
#1 e-Ink saves power over the Netbook LCD screen.
#2 eBook reader is easier to use and has twin screens to simulate a book which usually has two pages open at once. Netbooks only have one LCD screen.
#3 Not everyone wants to learn how to use a Netbook computer with Windows, Linux, etc in order to read books. Last thing someone wants is a Windows BSOD while reading an eBook, or have the screen saver come up due to inactivity.
#4 Eventually when mass produced the eBook readers will come down in price as technology advances and becomes cheaper due to spreading out the cost from thousands to millions of unit sales.
#5 eBook sellers want the DRM features to control how their book is accessed and used.
#6 The eBook reader is more compatible with the library system of checking out books. I expect libraries to carry eBooks and either one checks out an eBook via the library's web site or visits the library and checks out the eBook from their wireless network.
#7 The eBook reader is platform agnostic and should work with any operating system it hooks up to and accesses to convert eBooks over to it.
#8 Just like the iPod made music and videos sales over the Internet popular and profitable, so too will the eBook reader make eBooks over the Internet popular and profitable. The company that can do with eBooks what Apple did with music and video media should be the winner in this category. No iPods and iPhones are not as suitable as eBook readers with e-Ink, but yes Apple should strive to develop their own e-Ink based eBook reader.
I think the big problem is this, as read from another website post about the Hanlin eReader, "In China, we don't want V2 to affect the sales of V8 in our local market, because in China nobody would like to pay more 50 dollars to buy a product only for supporting PDF and DOC formats"
This is very logical and very difficult to argue with. Why would I purchase a device, an eReader, costing greater than $50 per unit, just to read books? Especially when the books could be read on my PC, laptop, net book, Linux hand held (Nokia N800, N900, Android, etc...). And if they can not be read on other devices, than the data format is hardly open platform agnostic as you put in #7 above. Let's face it, many of us want to know why.doc is even mentioned when.odt is not. As for.pdf, yes it works, but I am betting money that any vendor that is DRM focused, is not going to sell a book in just.pdf format. DRM is your #5 point above.
#1 battery life is a valid point, however I can purchase an extra power cord or get an external battery pack to extend any device as long as the power cord is not vendor locked-in and proprietary.
#2, not real important to me and as others pointed out, can become a UI issue as well. While it would be better to have a little larger screen than provided by the Nokia Nxxx hand helds, those do work. I am sure some sort of expandable screen or virtual screen will be created and this will be a non issue in the future. I can even imagine having the screen appear in my mind, thus unlimited screen size and 3D to boot.
#3, This is FUD! It is no more difficult to learn Linux (ubuntu, Fedora, SUSE, Debian, etc.) or Mac OSX than to learn Windows Vista or Windows 7. Even Windows users have to learn a new user interface from one version of Windows to another. And your average windows user is no better at tweaking their windows configuration. Linux and Mac OS X is very plug and play, has been for years. This has been pointed out in many forums and is very old news. There are even reports of ex Windows users being put on an Ubuntu Linux PC and not having any problems at all. The fact is to learn ubuntu is no more di
So much for no DRM. I noted that the guy said In China, we don't want V2 to affect the sales of V8 in our local market, because in China nobody would like to pay more 50 dollars to buy a product only for supporting PDF and DOC formats..
Seems like the Chinese are a bit smarter than us Americans... not paying more than $50 for a product that will only support and read.pdf and.doc formats. Makes sense to me. If your Smart hand held device/phone,whatever is not limited, tethered, restricted why on earth would you buy a separate device (Kindle, Hanlin, eBook Reader) just to read.pdfs,.docs or worse yet some proprietary vendor lock-in file format? This device, like the Kindle, does not let you use.odt open source file formats used by OpenOffice.org Writer either.
I also came across references to Wolfenstein Linux, the posts I saw were dated, circa 2002, which might explain the slower USB in the device, USB 1.1. The Linux kernel was rewritten, between 1.0 and 2.0 I believe to optimize it for faster USB access. Regardless here is information on USB and Linux. It is my understanding the the new kernels are backwards compatible with the older versions of the USB drivers. Regardless, why use an embedded Linux that does not support at least USB 2.0. Not sure which kernel version is in Wolf Linux, but believe a 2.6.x kernel or better would be better.
The Hanlin's processor is only a 200 mhz processor, and the SD supposedly only supports up to 4GB. I think I would want better than only 4GB today, especially since I have seen sales on 16GB and 32GB Micro SSD cards for under $20 per
To add insult to injury, the Hanlin does not have WiFi, why you think that is a good thing I am not quite sure. The Nokia N800 has WiFi and bluetooth and can be picked up used for under $200. Faster processor, GPS, and more. If you must have cellular than get the N900 and have all three, WiFi, Bluetooth and Cellular.
I believe the bluetooth, in addition to working with a full sized foldable keyboard can be used with Linux software to work as a remote for some LCD TVs and Home built Linux DVD/Recorders.
Probably wise to heed the Chinese and not pay more than $50 dollars for a separate device only for reading.pdf and.doc files.
Assuming Google starts allowing you to root the Android, something they prefer people not do right now, any eReader would have to offer feature better than the Nokia N800, N900 and Android phones running Linux. That is the new minimum.
Ever since I learned about Agile/Scrum, I can not imagine a successful Software development company preferring either MS Project or Open Work Bench, it just does not make sense.
Of course many companies do not do Agile/Scrum correct. Even more do not maintain a sustainable velocity in order not to burn out their staff.
Joel on Software use to blog about KISS, yes, Keeping it Simple S------, you can use whatever word that begins with "S" for the second word. He had a very simple spreadsheet that would let you very rapidly work up your Tasks, Projects and plan the big picture. It was extremely effective and very, very fast.
The real joke, and I have been on a number of these, are projects where you are the sole developer, tester, etc... for all the work, yet your Mgr still requires you to put all your information into a project schedule program (I have used most of them even Primavera...) so that your Manager can email a copy to his Manager (none of who will ever look at it). When a project like that does NOT roll up into anything else, Project Management software is way over kill.
Not sure if Joel on Software still keeps that blog post up as they have software that they push for others to buy these days, but it made a heck of allot of sense.
So a simple spreadsheet (OOo Calc, Excel, heck even VPPlanner or SuperCalc would work, if anyone still uses those, awww VPPlanner's Dimensional Spreadsheets (think pivot tables back in the old DOS days and you get it) would work) would be what I would recommend for you to plan your task/projects big picture. And straight to Agile/Scrum from there, so no MS Project, Openwork Bench or P3 would be needed.
For Agile/Scrum you could use any "white-board like tool" (there are many of these) that would let you collaborate in real time together online. This information could be copy/pasted into OpenOffice.org Writer if you wanted, with graphics, links, code snippets everything and you would not need any software. Tie it in with a Wiki page and you have a very inexpensive Share Point. I started copy/pasting anything and everything into OOo Writer a couple of years back and have never looked back. It was funny, because MS started pushing Share Point junk and I thought, wow, I am already doing that now.
There was a small hic-up with the OOo 2.5 upgrade that was fully worked out and eliminated by OOo Writer v. 3.0.0 and above. So my method would be:
Plan with Spreadsheet
Create a master file in OOo Writer (v. 3.0.0 and above), either outright copy images (or links to images, databases, wikis, etc) into this file.
Implement Agile/Scrum correctly
Arrive at a sustainable velocity and prevent anyone, esp upper management from screwing the pooch by trying to artificially inflate the velocity.
Keep my developers, testers happy and productive, publish frequently and publish often. And thanks to a lower turnover of staff, develop superior products as compared to my competitors who allow non-programming Mgrs to push their people to death.
You have not developed a pair until you have had to tell a Director, Vice President, President or CEO that they can not have their way and here is why, once shown the facts, thank you and give you a raise for doing your job effectively.
Hint to all: Does your Human Resources monitor Turn-over under specific managers, its the most over looked metric that will identify poor performing Managers and get them the training that will prevent them from ruining their group, other groups and valuable employees for the company. Especially if they have calculated what it costs to on board an employee, as every time a poor manager churns through an employee, that should be viewed as a negative cost on their part towards the productivity of their group and the company. While many type A Managers get into Management for the wrong reasons (anything other than developing people while maximizing profit to the company applies here) and no one bothers to h
Good links thank you for providing them, closer to the second link, about the same dimensions of the the SPPS200 and PPS130 (about the size of a small laptop or netbook), except it was white like a cutting board. With the one I saw, the intention was to have the PC rest on top of the battery in your lap, I assume there was a toggle electric cord going from the back of the battery to the back of the computer. My only concern was potential heat and about that same time I started paying attention to the lap cooling fans. The battery was advertised to get either 12, 14 or 16 hours of DVD player running type of usage out of a laptop. The guy who reviewed it used the battery, playing DVDs on his laptop all the way to Asia on an airlines flight. Sounded great to me. Then all of a sudden I stopped seeing them anywhere.
Do not know if it was because of their price, they were not cheap (my guess) or if there were problems with them. I am thinking they were too expensive for all but the most well off power usage, thus their demise.
You would think that a series of universal external battery packs, different sizes for different devices and varying lengths of battery times, with universal plugs for all the current hand held devices regardless of manufacturer or operating system would be perfect and well worth the money to all.
On that first link, the RichardSolo 1200 for iPhone / iPod ! External battery pack is the idea, see how the white box, I assume the battery, fits under the device, same foot print. Oh ignore the projector looking part of the image, what is that infra-red, blue-tooth-like battery beaming, too funny. I sure hope that battery pack has a cord in the back the flips up and plugs into the device as keeping the device and the battery pack lined up would be a pain.
You can actually do the same thing with every operating system out there. So suck it non Apple fan boys! There are even demo apps for android and windows mobile.
Actually your statement is only true for proprietary operating systems and proprietary applications on proprietary hardware.
If you use Linux or Unix and have "root" access (sudo, su or acutal root, with a strong password of course) then you have the ability to go in and figure out what piece of garbage code has opened you up to the world. Not saying everyone could do this, only that you have a shot at it.
This is also why you NEVER auto update, auto install ANYTHING, without adequate testing in a sandbox first.
To be secure takes time (to secure your OS, network and apps), testing, and monitoring. Few people do any of those three, and they pay the price for it.
Its not about FREE, its about control and access. If you do not have control, you are always dependent on others. That is crazy!
There are obviously gaming platforms out there that do not get out of sync as often, do not hang up as often or just simply crap out because you have gotten too far ahead of your person when you are plowing planting and harvesting.... Based on this fact alone, Yea Zynga has problems.
I like to blame flash, feels like the problem and strongly believe that if a competitor came out with a Second Life world (virtual 3-D) for Farming, call it FarmValley or FarmCounty, whatever, and used NO FLASH, nothing proprietary that limits them to only one operating system and scaled items correctly, for instance a cat should be smaller than a dog, a dog smaller than a cow, a cow smaller than a person and a person smaller than a building for starters. Say C, PHP, maybe C++, little or no Java, no.NET, and only languages higher than those three to add additional features, not to prevent those three (C, PHP and C++) from being used. Such a virtual social platform would as quickly supplant FarmVille as FarmVille did Farmtown. Heck Zynga is on the record as stating a better GUI and user experience is what made them better. You think they would cut the out of syncs, crashing and hanging caused largely by Flash. You would think....
Last time I read about the development tools for Second Life, they did not depend on Flash and they were doing some incredible things with rendering images and moving through those rendered images... I freely admit that I have not developed for Zynga or Second Life and if I had, I would better understand the true limitations. I know others will fill me in and I will be interested in reading what you right...thanks in advance.
Something I overheard: "Can I grow weed on Farmville and sell it on Mafia Wars?"
That is funny, but you hit a good point. Since most of the FaceBook games ONLY allow FaceBook users, there is little incentive to share between social networks. This will probably change this next year (if a company is confident theirs is the superior social game for that genre, they should not be afraid to share the API with other social networks, even if owned by another company...of course if they are afraid that they are not good enough, the fear will keep them from opening up their api. It would probably bring them even more users...Note: FaceBook will NOT be the first, their business model is too closed for now, but as new players enter and start opening up their API, as people naturally move to the more open and therefore socially superior environment, they will have to open up or diminish.).
It makes perfect sense for a person in Farmville or Farmtown (different companies I know) grow food and use that food in their Restaurant on Restaurant City. One day, just not today.
If you grow weed on your farm and use it in Mafia wars, should that not open the door for these two scenarios as well...1) Different Mafias coming (only to your farm) and taking it over? 2) The FarmVille police, sheriff, DEA, etc... from paying you a visit?
I wonder if second life will allow you to control your legal framework of your community, so if you wanted to legalize certain drugs, etc...Why should your community not be allowed to. Wouldn't it be something if you could share resources between Second Life, FaceBook and others?
I think its called trade in the real world...makes sense if you want the experience to be more realistic. Of course given the size of people to animals to structures in either Farmville or Farmtown, it is not as real as it should be. Perhaps when they dump flash and start coding in C, PHP, perhaps C++ if not limited to one companies compiler they could implement a Google Earth like 3 dimensional virtual environment, like Second life is now but in Farmville, Restaurant City and Farmtown among others....
Just as Farmville usurped Farmtown's lead, the first company to get away from Flash and move the virtual world to a more robust and feature rich tool set will blow Farmville away. Such a world will not crash because of Flash and that in and of itself will be a huge plus.
Battery life is the real kicker. The very best commercially available batteries are just barely adequate for one smart phone OS, much less two trampling on one another. These phones will either last 3 hours, or hearken back to the "old school brick" form factor.
Battery life on any computer is a pain. I just gave up and kept a phone cord at work and at home. And that is only because I have had power cords break from being moved too much. Also when I get to the office or get home, I simply plug in my Nokia N800.
There was a time where a company, do not know the name, wish I did, was selling an external rechargeable battery. The one I was looking at cost between $150 - $300 per battery and was the size of a small laptop, but only about 1/2 inch thick. It was intended to be placed underneath the laptop and simply plug into the normal power outlet on the laptop. One guy used one of these for a 14 hour flight from North America to South East Asia, said he played DVDs all they way across the ocean and never lost battery power.
Perhaps that company, if it still exists, has an external rechargeable battery that you could clip to your phone or hand held computer so that you would have an extra 3 hours to 8 hours of battery life. Just thinking out loud as you are right battery life is a pain for all of us.
I can not be the only person who sees a problem with a restricted virtual layer running underneath the operating system on any device that I own. I would not put up with tethering, I will not put up with that.
I do not have a problem with a virtual layer running under the OS on a system I own, as long as I have 100% access and control to that virtual layer. Meaning I can remove, reconfigure, reinstall and tweak it as I see fit. The last thing any of us need is for some entity to not only track us, but monitor our communications, without a warrant, 24 X 7.
Hey Intel (some of you reading this might not be aware of this fact) has processors that phone home and communicate without the user being aware of it. It would be pathetic to have to run a passive sniffer on your personal network to monitor for unusual, unscheduled or abnormal outgoing traffic. Pathetic but to be 100% secure absolutely necessary. (Fortunately a DD-WRT supported device! will allow you to do just that!)
So any cellular phone that had a "restricted" virtual layer would be foolish to purchase, bring home and use. Hopefully everyone has learned their lessons from useless tethering and other such restrictions.
Its not about FREE, its about control and access, that is your only security.
Do you have the ability to tell your phone that while you are at home you ONLY want to use your WiFi broadband network and NOT your cellular plan. A "smart" phone would give you that capability.
*Checks calendar* Yup, it's 2009. VOIP still not possible on my smartphone...
My phone is smart because it runs a Linux distro that allows for root access when required. Meaning I am not restricted, tethered, limited etc...
I bought my phone two years ago, so it is not new.
Nokia Nxxx (770, 800, 810, 900) all will allow you to run WiFi, VoIP, etc... With the N900 you have the option of getting a cellular plan if you must. Personally I would not bother with cellular any time soon, but that is my choice.
Thanks to my choice (VoIP + WiFi on my "smart" linux enabled (maemo) hand set) my total cost of ownership (TCO) is less than $100 per year. You read that right, less than $100 per year. $24 per year for SkypeIn (with SkypePro) + $3.00 per month for unlimited calling. $24 + $36 and I am done. That is for one year.
I love it. So make sure you purchase the right phone. Hint on the WiFi Firewall/Router, get a DD-WRT supported device!. Check the website first before you purchase and only purchase hardware that supports DD-WRT, that way you can control your router and insure WiFi access via a secure intranet.
Your solution is simple, purchase the right hand set. Buy the right phone. If it will not run a Linux (that allows you to access root when required) then do not buy it! Are you limited, tethered, restricted...then you must not have root access to fix that!
A strong password for your root account is enough of a security deterrent and has been for years, so please do not spread that FUD.
There is something about a newspaper, magazine, book, flipping through it that I simply love. I find it relaxing and enjoyable to lazily leaf through a book, magazine or newspaper. Always will.
I have to admit that if I were searching for a phrase or phrases I would prefer to have it on a computer. Just works better.
What matters to me more is not the device (hand held, net book, tablet, laptop, PC, desktop, tower, etc...) but the data format.
I want to purchase my content ONCE, maybe twice if I have too, but not repeatedly for the rest of my life, every three or four years. That it crazy. I was taught at a young age to try to avoid being penny-wise and dollar foolish. I like to purchase things that last. So if you put the content on cheap materials that will not last, your bad, you will lose my business. I would rather save more money, pay a little more and get the data on better materials that will last.
Look at furniture, I will not buy cheap furniture that breaks in less than a year. I would rather pay more (its usually not that much more either) and have it last, it should still be in good shape so that I can give it to my grandchildren if I want too. Instead of something cheaply made that will not last till I see my own children. What a waste of money.
To buy too cheap is penny wise and dollar foolish.
I apply the same logic to computer hardware and software that is proprietary in nature. Having been burned not just once, not just twice, but many more times than three, I am simply tired of seeing my hard earned money being drained away by insane fees, charges and forced updates. I will pay for innovation, however I am hard pressed to see how spreadsheets, word-processors and database programs have really improved enough to be labeled "innovative" since Windows 95/98. Granted you might have a chance with databases of finding one or two obscure new features that might be a "must have". But not with Spreadsheets and Word-Processors.
A friend of mine loved WordPerfect, the technical writers would keep finding new ways to apply WordPerfect to their craft, technical writing, literally every day, day in, day out for multiple years. It was not because the product had been improved, though it was, it was because the product was feature rich and would let a master at their craft (word processing, tech writing, etc..) really excel. Word Perfect was the best Word Processor ever. That was years before Word gained only because of Microsoft Office and Microsoft's control of the desktop. Even later when most had switched to Word after Microsoft corrupted their own file formats to force users to upgrade to the new Word, the experts, the technical writers who knew their craft preferred WordPerfect and other Desktop Publishing tools. It just made sense.
Word did not take over through innovation, but it did take over none the less. We are all poorer for the lack of innovation.
So the idea of forcing us to buy some proprietary e-reader hardware in order to read a proprietary data format that could just as easily be provided in an open data format is crazy. Quite frankly it is beyond offensive and hardly endears us to your brand.
We were not born yesterday.
Even those (probably because they are simply too inexperienced) that have not experienced this kind of FUD, still understand the concept.
Buy me (book, music, content, etc...) on this device in that format (proprietary of course) and in a couple of years that device (proprietary) will be left without support (because we said so) and not only will you be forced to purchase the content again because of the proprietary data format; but they (proprietary company) will attempt to force me (and you dear reader if you mistakenly bought in the last time) to purchase yet more new hardware (proprietary of course) that offers yet again, no new innovative features.
Why not have a pc / netbook that can do more for about the same cost?
Not sure what the same cost refers to. But we have sub $300 netbooks that can read many data formats, especially open data formats. I have no patience and refuse to purchase content in a proprietary format...waste of money.
We also have the new Nokia N900, although it is pricer than most would want to spend, but it gives you a Linux computer in the palm of your hand. So as long as there is an application that can read the content in Linux, you can get it to work on the Nokia Nxxx.
For those looking to save money, I read a post the other day of a person who bought a Nokia N810 for less than $150. The Nokia N800 is also a Linux computer.
Why buy any other device...a Kindle, why...a hand held device, so called smart phone or whatever that runs a proprietary operating systm...why.
Just get a Linux netbook or hand held and only purchase content that can be read / used on them...game over.
Why? There are phones which run full Linux (N900, Android,...), why an earth would someone want to have less powerful OS on a tablet?
The Nxxx Nokia's are much more than mere phones, they are full blown Linux hand helds that will let you do just about anything a Linux PC, netbook or laptop will do. Why anyone would limit themselves with any other operating system is beyond me. With Linux, there are no tethering issues, no restrictions, nada, none. I call that "smart".
If a phone will NOT allow you to run Linux, at least one of the many distros, well it just is NOT smart!
For many years Nokia has been ahead of everyone offering these Linux hand held smart devices. Nokia N770 was the first, than came the N800 (FM chip on board); then the N880 and now the N900! If any tablet or hand-held is more limiting than any of the Nokia Nxxx hand held smart devices, why on earth would you waste your money buying it!
Note: I am not saying that you must run Linux, only that you should be able too! Big difference when you have choices as any intelligent consumer would want to have, preferably at least three choices, as if you only have two choices, you have no choice!
For me its not a matter of the hardware, but the books themselves, either I can read them (open data formats ONLY) on a Linux computer or I can not. If I can not, I simply will not purchase them. Keep it Simple!
I don't know what you mean by "most" but IME, "most" people are lucky to get anywhere close to 10 (ten) at home. 100 Mbps is not even on the horizon for "most" people.
This is changing, there are currently 8 or 9 cities in the US (soon to be around 15, albeit most in Utah) where you can get a Fiber over the last mile to your home and symmetrical service from 10Mbps to 10Gpbs. One of the First was Wilson, N.C. thanks to Greenlight (100Mbps / 100Mbps for $100 per month) and the local politicians that invited Greenlight into their community after the American Telco and Cable Companies refused to put fiber to peoples homes. Of course after the fact, the telcos/Cable Cos are using any and every legal / lobbyist means via the North Carolina state legislature to prevent others from getting decent bandwidth via Fiber from their homes.
The thing that I find fun about all this is that ISPs are a dumb pipe. They need to be regulated like a dumb pipe, and priced like a dumb pipe. But they are trying so hard to not be a dumb pipe and pretend that they are better than everyone else because they have stupid service "X". Yet as soon as a lawsuit like this comes up, they go back to "You can't sue us, we're a dumb pipe". i would love it if these kind of lawsuits forced them to pick a side.
I too would like to see their argument used against them to stop the bandwidth shaping, deep packet inspection, throttling of bandwidth, abusing Quality of Service (QoS) settings, restrictions (any kind) and net neutrality.
It should be considered Fraud to advertise 16,000Kbps downstream and 2,000Kbps upstream, yet as soon as the Speed Test completes, your bandwidth is throttled to less than 300Kbps down and less than 100Kbps up. Feels like Fraud to me.
It should be considered a violation of Privacy to do any type of inspection of your packets, especially Deep Packet Inspection (DPI).
The ISPs should be required to provide a minimum bandwidth to be considered broadband and the current definition, which they do NOT give us, of 768Kbps is way too low and should have been 100Mbps / 100Mbps in the year 2000. And by 2006, while that could have still been the "minimum" bandwidth to be considered "Broadband"; we should have had plans offering 1 Gbps / 1 Gbps for around $50 per month, as they have in other parts of the World.
They are just a "dumb" pipe and I can not wait for another "not-related-to-any-American-telco" entity to enter the American ISP market, provide fiber to all of our homes and take the "dumb" pipe market away from these providers that keep trying to hurt Americans, rather than helping Americans.
To date, the only provider that is offering 100Mbps / 100Mbps (for around $100 per month) is Greenlight in Wilson, North Carolina (NC). They were able to offer this level of service thanks to local politicians inviting their company to come into their community, actually lay fiber to homes, after the Cable Companies and Telcos REFUSED to offer service.
The Cable Co/Telco response, was to go to the North Carolina state legislature and attempt to pass laws preventing Greenlight from expanding, attempting to force them to cease and desist offering 100Mbps / 100Mbps service to customers. These "legal/lobbyist" attempts at controlling the North Carolina market began during the legislatures last term (2009) and is EXPECTED TO CONTINUE in the North Carolina's next legislature's session (2010). What the lobbyists get away with in N.C., expect to see rolled out nationally across the U.S.A. Lets hope North Carolina citizens learn and act before it impacts all Americans!
The only other place (location, besides Wilson N.C.) where Fiber is being rolled out "OVER THE LAST MILE" to people's homes in America is in Utah (with the exception of Verizon, which is charging $119 per month for 50Mbps / 5 Mbps...wonder what they throttle it back to bandwidth wise...perhaps 300Kbps down and 100Kbps upstream?) . Brigham City, Utah to be exact; if you have a home and/or apartment building in Brigham, you are allowed to OWN YOUR OWN FIBER connection to your home. It will set you back $3,000.00, but you will have Fiber to your home. I would love that. If I owned an apartment building I would pay for that single strand of Fiber, than use the right hardware laser firewall/router device to multiply the bandwidth on that single strand of Fiber from 1X to 1024X...I first read about that capability in 2005 or 2006...so not new technology in 2009.
Bandwidth in reality SHOULD BE UNLIMITED thanks to FIBER + technology. Thus Bandwidth Scarcity is a MYTH, designed to force you to pay between $100 - $150 per month for 300Kbps downstream and 100Kbps upstream...even though you have been fraudulently promised higher bandwidths.
There are plenty of web apps (especially in the "Enterprise" environment) which depend of quirks of specific browsers. Most commonly IE6. Using a different browser means making major changes. At which point it probably dosn't matter if the change were to be to Firefox, Opera, Safari, etc. Indeed there are versions of Windows which won't run IE8, but will run modern non Microsoft browsers.
Only if some pin headed manager allowed his web developers to continue to code sites with IE specific hacks.
I learned back in the Netscape days, if you developed in Netscape it just worked in all other browsers, however if you developed in Internet Explorer, you would invariably use some IE specific coding that would break in many if not all non IE browsers.
Microsoft made a business decision to attempt to corrupt the W3 standards with IE specific crap for vendor lock-in reasons only. Some people stupidly bought into this and are paying with crackers, problems with Active X and many other non secure coding of web pages. They made their bed, let them lie in it. The fact is they had a choice and typical of Microsoft, they chose to attempt to vendor lock-in in order to Extinguish later. Pathetic and lame.
I still hit websites, in 2009, that do not display right in Firefox, what crap, fortunately there are other sources to get that information and I leave that website never to return...their loss, not mine. Later.
So 40% of market is IE6 and IE7, lets move em to IE8...print article on exploit...but this is not new, people know turning off JavaScript fixes it. Doesn't matter, print the article, we need the revenue...
How convenient that they "did not know" if the exploit will work on IE8, of course it will, if it works at all, see last line. Come on already, this is so obviously FUD (especially in the FEAR department).
And if their PC + OS will not run IE8, even better more revenue when they buy Windows 7 or Vista plus.
really, Really, REALLY, why do I feel like I am in a South Park episode? Probably because this is MORE FUD!
Most telling statement in article, "...the code does not always work properly, but it could be used to..."
Fucking PHP users. MVC isn't about...you should STFU and go write HTTP servers...
I do not blame you for being anonymous, as you admit that you are a coward.
As I have coded and reviewed pretty pathetic Assembler, C, Cobol, Fortran, PL/C, PL/I, SQL (DB2, MS Sequel Server, Oracle, MySQL, dBaseIII+, Database Manager), Pascal (IBM and Turbo), many others, and a variety of scripting languages. So what's your point...
If a PHP programmer wanted to rewrite HTTP, I would also call that not very smart.
Its not PHP's fault that your precious Java like MVC method is NOT efficient. As for being efficient for the programmer, that so depends on the programmer, of course you know that already or act like you do. So perhaps you should STFU...your words, now mine back at you!
Aww, the early 1990s, the days of the General Protection Faults, or GPFs. While I agree that you could call Microsoft and ask for help; the response that you received was anything but helpful.
Fact 1: They denied the problem existed, but when pushed would provide a 20 - 40 page GPF Troubleshooting Guide...it did not work.
Fact 2: When it did not work, after multiple attempts, Microsoft could not provide support. Their only solution was to turn off/on the computer.
My guess is the GPFs were related to ineffective use of allocating and deallocating memory and/or memory creep, but I honestly do not know, just instincts based on what I was seeing and experiencing using their products. If anyone has a definitive link to a source that states exactly what the problem was I would be interested in re-creating the problem on some old hardware that I have and verifying that it is indeed the problem.
I can not imagine wasting money on Microsoft support, they will NOT admit that their own code causes the problem; they will not admit that an incompatible problem exists by their own design (for vendor lock-in reasons); they will blame everyone but themselves; they do not provide solutions. Been there, done that, learned from my mistake.
How can any entity help you if they can not admit their own mistakes, learn from them and improve the general knowledge base by working from a place of facts.
I will give them another chance after a 7 year successful track record...still waiting...
It shows that FLOSS is doing well, and won a small victory here.
As it pertains to Microsoft, there are NO victories small or large with respects to open source, FOSS and standardized data formats. To believe that, that is even possible is the most powerful FUD of all... Good luck with that. I will hold them accountable for their past and current transgressions, which you admit are many, and wait until they prove themselves again, over a 7 year time period of course.
.."resetting your clock" for everything you consider a "violation"..
Which is the point exactly, I decide what I consider to be a violation, everyone else considers what they decide is or is not a violation. Since we all wait for a 7 year track record based on their "actions" over that period, none of us can ever be led astray again. Their FUD becomes meaningless, worthless and a laughable waste of their resources... It also means that any effort on their part that is not honorable will be caught by someone, probably many of us. This is a very good thing. They should hold themselves to a higher standard as the market leader, and since they do not, will not, it is up to individual consumers to hold them accountable.
Make them earn your business, your hard earned money. Innovate or die! It is not enough to slap a new name on something and force you to upgrade/update for a fee or they turn you off. Pathetic and they deserve to fail.
It needs to become a business decision with a potential financial impact in lost revenue to their bottom line before anything will change. When it costs too much to ignore standards, we will all have data formats that are 100% sharable between apps and operating systems. Perhaps when their market share falls below 40% we will have that...that is something many of us will live to see. Many just do not realize that yet... Does anything decent come out of MFST any more? I sure have not seen it in the last few years.
And never think a small group of people can not influence and impact change. History shows us this is indeed how every major change for the last thousand years has happened, many a small group of people or even an individual never live to see the fruits of their efforts, but their efforts most certainly have an impact. Another FUD argument is that one of us or a few of us can not make a difference. We do, we can, we will, we must.
Microsoft should be sending out emails to all their business units and development teams to clean up their acts and fly right. Instead they send out emails stating how devastating it would be to their business to conform to WWW standards and that they must create their own incompatible standard, in order to maintain market dominance. And after this huge mistake, that anyone is surprised that they are slowly losing market share is more surprising to me. They make business choices and we should too. It is as simple as that.
All Microsoft did wrong was trust them, in fact, Microsoft probably spent a huge amount of money to restore the data.
I was with a bunch of programmers when the "Danger" debacle news broke...even the most die hard Microsoft fan there, and there were a few, could not stop laughing about it. Danger...yea right...Danger, lmao, ROFLMAO.
I agree with one of my friends who said, "that was a self fulfilling prophecy wasn't it."
Slashdot Mirror
here are numerous VOIP capable smartphones available as others have mentioned, it's another story if your service provider deliberately disables the feature or blocks it from working on their network.
This is why you have a WiFi Router and a handset that can use that WiFi (without using your cellular minutes or your providers network). WiFi is FREE. Of course your hand held must allow you to use the WiFi router you install. My Nokia N800 does, even the Nokia N900 will (and it has cellular built in). I am pretty sure the Androids will let you use WiFi without using your cellular provider's network but am not 100% sure.
If you must use your provider's network, you are tethered. No good! Do not buy the hardware, if its tethered.
Having cellular when you are not in a WiFi hot zone is a plus, cellular should NOT be required for access!
...The cellular service providers typically lose money on each phone...
This is total BS. The typical phones have been itemized and priced out. The total cost of components in almost all cases is less than $40 per unit. When they purchase the components in bulk, they get even better prices.
The cheapest handset I have ever purchased was $100, so they still made over 100% profit. To lower the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of your handset, make sure it has the ability to use WiFi (not over cellular as this defeats the purpose). Install WiFi Firewall/Routers at home and at work and use WiFi in those two places, reduce your plan's cellular minutes and use the savings to offset the cost of the phone.
I bet prior to Verizon settling the bill, this parent was wishing they would have bought their son a WiFi enabled phone, Teen's Cell Phone Bill Tops $20,000. WE hear about junk like this every day, every week, every month. A simple solution, when at home, you son/daughter uses WiFi, however your hardware must allow for it, admittedly only the Nokia Nxxx (N800, N900) and Android (at least I think it does) allow for this today.
What really gets me, is the cellular companies could prevent this from ever happening if they wanted to....
Personally I am surprised that someone has not set up a "chat" exchange server, let kids give themselves an account and chat with each other via the server. If they come in via cellular, so be it, however if they come in via ISP (hardwired or WiFi) there would be no charge, so be it. Put up minimal advertising to pay for the service and/or charge a nominal yearly fee.
No need for a monthly fee as text messaging eats up so little bandwidth.
The reason chinese phones support dual sim and ones you've heard of don't, is because the manufacturers you know of are in the pockets of mobile operators, while the chinese ones aren't.
Please someone mod this person up. Mobile operators most certainly have been dictating to the hardware vendors. Thank goodness for Google, opening the doors with the Android software in coming years, as Nokia steps in the right direction but hold back from doing more for the same reason. Even Google's first Android is limited at the bequest of the mobile operators. Based on what I have been reading, this is going to change next year, yea!
The only reason we have not seen innovation in the hand held / smart phone / device space is because of vendors who are more interested in charging you more for text messages than allowing you to do what you want to do.
Makes me despise the cellular vendors all the more. I stopped buying their hobbled junk hardware.
We have one open phone (N900) and one semi-open phone (Android) now. By next year we will have over half a dozen, my prediction and by 2011, even more. The genie is not going back into the bottle, get over it, cellular companies! Or continue, business as usual and continue to piss off your customer base.
Happily cellular free for more than 3 years now and loving it!
Plenty of reasons:
#1 e-Ink saves power over the Netbook LCD screen.
#2 eBook reader is easier to use and has twin screens to simulate a book which usually has two pages open at once. Netbooks only have one LCD screen.
#3 Not everyone wants to learn how to use a Netbook computer with Windows, Linux, etc in order to read books. Last thing someone wants is a Windows BSOD while reading an eBook, or have the screen saver come up due to inactivity.
#4 Eventually when mass produced the eBook readers will come down in price as technology advances and becomes cheaper due to spreading out the cost from thousands to millions of unit sales.
#5 eBook sellers want the DRM features to control how their book is accessed and used.
#6 The eBook reader is more compatible with the library system of checking out books. I expect libraries to carry eBooks and either one checks out an eBook via the library's web site or visits the library and checks out the eBook from their wireless network.
#7 The eBook reader is platform agnostic and should work with any operating system it hooks up to and accesses to convert eBooks over to it.
#8 Just like the iPod made music and videos sales over the Internet popular and profitable, so too will the eBook reader make eBooks over the Internet popular and profitable. The company that can do with eBooks what Apple did with music and video media should be the winner in this category. No iPods and iPhones are not as suitable as eBook readers with e-Ink, but yes Apple should strive to develop their own e-Ink based eBook reader.
I think the big problem is this, as read from another website post about the Hanlin eReader, "In China, we don't want V2 to affect the sales of V8 in our local market, because in China nobody would like to pay more 50 dollars to buy a product only for supporting PDF and DOC formats"
This is very logical and very difficult to argue with. Why would I purchase a device, an eReader, costing greater than $50 per unit, just to read books? Especially when the books could be read on my PC, laptop, net book, Linux hand held (Nokia N800, N900, Android, etc...). And if they can not be read on other devices, than the data format is hardly open platform agnostic as you put in #7 above. Let's face it, many of us want to know why .doc is even mentioned when .odt is not. As for .pdf, yes it works, but I am betting money that any vendor that is DRM focused, is not going to sell a book in just .pdf format. DRM is your #5 point above.
#1 battery life is a valid point, however I can purchase an extra power cord or get an external battery pack to extend any device as long as the power cord is not vendor locked-in and proprietary.
#2, not real important to me and as others pointed out, can become a UI issue as well. While it would be better to have a little larger screen than provided by the Nokia Nxxx hand helds, those do work. I am sure some sort of expandable screen or virtual screen will be created and this will be a non issue in the future. I can even imagine having the screen appear in my mind, thus unlimited screen size and 3D to boot.
#3, This is FUD! It is no more difficult to learn Linux (ubuntu, Fedora, SUSE, Debian, etc.) or Mac OSX than to learn Windows Vista or Windows 7. Even Windows users have to learn a new user interface from one version of Windows to another. And your average windows user is no better at tweaking their windows configuration. Linux and Mac OS X is very plug and play, has been for years. This has been pointed out in many forums and is very old news. There are even reports of ex Windows users being put on an Ubuntu Linux PC and not having any problems at all. The fact is to learn ubuntu is no more di
One brand: Hanlin Get it, use it, forget the rest.
Supports all common formats, ARM9 running Linux. No DRM, no wifi connecting on your back to delete your stuff, simple usb mass storage transfer...
Was interested so did a little searching. The Linux OS is Wolf Linux, not real familiar with it, though I am sure others may be. Before you can develop with Wolf Linux here is what the company said, "We will provide the SDK of all of our products based on Linux OS, not only provide it to OEM and ODM, but also to personal cooperators. But the cooperators need to sign a cooperation agreement with us, which will relate to the management of version and DRM."
So much for no DRM. I noted that the guy said In China, we don't want V2 to affect the sales of V8 in our local market, because in China nobody would like to pay more 50 dollars to buy a product only for supporting PDF and DOC formats..
Seems like the Chinese are a bit smarter than us Americans... not paying more than $50 for a product that will only support and read .pdf and .doc formats. Makes sense to me. If your Smart hand held device/phone,whatever is not limited, tethered, restricted why on earth would you buy a separate device (Kindle, Hanlin, eBook Reader) just to read .pdfs, .docs or worse yet some proprietary vendor lock-in file format? This device, like the Kindle, does not let you use .odt open source file formats used by OpenOffice.org Writer either.
I also came across references to Wolfenstein Linux, the posts I saw were dated, circa 2002, which might explain the slower USB in the device, USB 1.1. The Linux kernel was rewritten, between 1.0 and 2.0 I believe to optimize it for faster USB access. Regardless here is information on USB and Linux. It is my understanding the the new kernels are backwards compatible with the older versions of the USB drivers. Regardless, why use an embedded Linux that does not support at least USB 2.0. Not sure which kernel version is in Wolf Linux, but believe a 2.6.x kernel or better would be better.
The Hanlin's processor is only a 200 mhz processor, and the SD supposedly only supports up to 4GB. I think I would want better than only 4GB today, especially since I have seen sales on 16GB and 32GB Micro SSD cards for under $20 per
To add insult to injury, the Hanlin does not have WiFi, why you think that is a good thing I am not quite sure. The Nokia N800 has WiFi and bluetooth and can be picked up used for under $200. Faster processor, GPS, and more. If you must have cellular than get the N900 and have all three, WiFi, Bluetooth and Cellular.
I believe the bluetooth, in addition to working with a full sized foldable keyboard can be used with Linux software to work as a remote for some LCD TVs and Home built Linux DVD/Recorders.
Probably wise to heed the Chinese and not pay more than $50 dollars for a separate device only for reading .pdf and .doc files.
Assuming Google starts allowing you to root the Android, something they prefer people not do right now, any eReader would have to offer feature better than the Nokia N800, N900 and Android phones running Linux. That is the new minimum.
Ever since I learned about Agile/Scrum, I can not imagine a successful Software development company preferring either MS Project or Open Work Bench, it just does not make sense.
Of course many companies do not do Agile/Scrum correct. Even more do not maintain a sustainable velocity in order not to burn out their staff.
Joel on Software use to blog about KISS, yes, Keeping it Simple S------, you can use whatever word that begins with "S" for the second word. He had a very simple spreadsheet that would let you very rapidly work up your Tasks, Projects and plan the big picture. It was extremely effective and very, very fast.
The real joke, and I have been on a number of these, are projects where you are the sole developer, tester, etc... for all the work, yet your Mgr still requires you to put all your information into a project schedule program (I have used most of them even Primavera...) so that your Manager can email a copy to his Manager (none of who will ever look at it). When a project like that does NOT roll up into anything else, Project Management software is way over kill.
Not sure if Joel on Software still keeps that blog post up as they have software that they push for others to buy these days, but it made a heck of allot of sense.
So a simple spreadsheet (OOo Calc, Excel, heck even VPPlanner or SuperCalc would work, if anyone still uses those, awww VPPlanner's Dimensional Spreadsheets (think pivot tables back in the old DOS days and you get it) would work) would be what I would recommend for you to plan your task/projects big picture. And straight to Agile/Scrum from there, so no MS Project, Openwork Bench or P3 would be needed.
For Agile/Scrum you could use any "white-board like tool" (there are many of these) that would let you collaborate in real time together online. This information could be copy/pasted into OpenOffice.org Writer if you wanted, with graphics, links, code snippets everything and you would not need any software. Tie it in with a Wiki page and you have a very inexpensive Share Point. I started copy/pasting anything and everything into OOo Writer a couple of years back and have never looked back. It was funny, because MS started pushing Share Point junk and I thought, wow, I am already doing that now.
There was a small hic-up with the OOo 2.5 upgrade that was fully worked out and eliminated by OOo Writer v. 3.0.0 and above. So my method would be:
Plan with Spreadsheet
Create a master file in OOo Writer (v. 3.0.0 and above), either outright copy images (or links to images, databases, wikis, etc) into this file.
Implement Agile/Scrum correctly
Arrive at a sustainable velocity and prevent anyone, esp upper management from screwing the pooch by trying to artificially inflate the velocity.
Keep my developers, testers happy and productive, publish frequently and publish often. And thanks to a lower turnover of staff, develop superior products as compared to my competitors who allow non-programming Mgrs to push their people to death.
You have not developed a pair until you have had to tell a Director, Vice President, President or CEO that they can not have their way and here is why, once shown the facts, thank you and give you a raise for doing your job effectively.
Hint to all: Does your Human Resources monitor Turn-over under specific managers, its the most over looked metric that will identify poor performing Managers and get them the training that will prevent them from ruining their group, other groups and valuable employees for the company. Especially if they have calculated what it costs to on board an employee, as every time a poor manager churns through an employee, that should be viewed as a negative cost on their part towards the productivity of their group and the company. While many type A Managers get into Management for the wrong reasons (anything other than developing people while maximizing profit to the company applies here) and no one bothers to h
You mean something like this - http://www.amazon.com/RichardSolo-1800-iPhone-External-battery/dp/B001LNDXEK [amazon.com] Or these - http://www.batterygeek.net/External-Cell-Phone-Battery-Packs-s/77.htm [batterygeek.net]
Good links thank you for providing them, closer to the second link, about the same dimensions of the the SPPS200 and PPS130 (about the size of a small laptop or netbook), except it was white like a cutting board. With the one I saw, the intention was to have the PC rest on top of the battery in your lap, I assume there was a toggle electric cord going from the back of the battery to the back of the computer. My only concern was potential heat and about that same time I started paying attention to the lap cooling fans. The battery was advertised to get either 12, 14 or 16 hours of DVD player running type of usage out of a laptop. The guy who reviewed it used the battery, playing DVDs on his laptop all the way to Asia on an airlines flight. Sounded great to me. Then all of a sudden I stopped seeing them anywhere.
Do not know if it was because of their price, they were not cheap (my guess) or if there were problems with them. I am thinking they were too expensive for all but the most well off power usage, thus their demise.
You would think that a series of universal external battery packs, different sizes for different devices and varying lengths of battery times, with universal plugs for all the current hand held devices regardless of manufacturer or operating system would be perfect and well worth the money to all.
On that first link, the RichardSolo 1200 for iPhone / iPod ! External battery pack is the idea, see how the white box, I assume the battery, fits under the device, same foot print. Oh ignore the projector looking part of the image, what is that infra-red, blue-tooth-like battery beaming, too funny. I sure hope that battery pack has a cord in the back the flips up and plugs into the device as keeping the device and the battery pack lined up would be a pain.
You can actually do the same thing with every operating system out there. So suck it non Apple fan boys! There are even demo apps for android and windows mobile.
Actually your statement is only true for proprietary operating systems and proprietary applications on proprietary hardware.
If you use Linux or Unix and have "root" access (sudo, su or acutal root, with a strong password of course) then you have the ability to go in and figure out what piece of garbage code has opened you up to the world. Not saying everyone could do this, only that you have a shot at it.
This is also why you NEVER auto update, auto install ANYTHING, without adequate testing in a sandbox first.
To be secure takes time (to secure your OS, network and apps), testing, and monitoring. Few people do any of those three, and they pay the price for it.
Its not about FREE, its about control and access. If you do not have control, you are always dependent on others. That is crazy!
There are obviously gaming platforms out there that do not get out of sync as often, do not hang up as often or just simply crap out because you have gotten too far ahead of your person when you are plowing planting and harvesting.... Based on this fact alone, Yea Zynga has problems.
I like to blame flash, feels like the problem and strongly believe that if a competitor came out with a Second Life world (virtual 3-D) for Farming, call it FarmValley or FarmCounty, whatever, and used NO FLASH, nothing proprietary that limits them to only one operating system and scaled items correctly, for instance a cat should be smaller than a dog, a dog smaller than a cow, a cow smaller than a person and a person smaller than a building for starters. Say C, PHP, maybe C++, little or no Java, no .NET, and only languages higher than those three to add additional features, not to prevent those three (C, PHP and C++) from being used. Such a virtual social platform would as quickly supplant FarmVille as FarmVille did Farmtown. Heck Zynga is on the record as stating a better GUI and user experience is what made them better. You think they would cut the out of syncs, crashing and hanging caused largely by Flash. You would think....
Last time I read about the development tools for Second Life, they did not depend on Flash and they were doing some incredible things with rendering images and moving through those rendered images... I freely admit that I have not developed for Zynga or Second Life and if I had, I would better understand the true limitations. I know others will fill me in and I will be interested in reading what you right...thanks in advance.
Something I overheard: "Can I grow weed on Farmville and sell it on Mafia Wars?"
That is funny, but you hit a good point. Since most of the FaceBook games ONLY allow FaceBook users, there is little incentive to share between social networks. This will probably change this next year (if a company is confident theirs is the superior social game for that genre, they should not be afraid to share the API with other social networks, even if owned by another company...of course if they are afraid that they are not good enough, the fear will keep them from opening up their api. It would probably bring them even more users...Note: FaceBook will NOT be the first, their business model is too closed for now, but as new players enter and start opening up their API, as people naturally move to the more open and therefore socially superior environment, they will have to open up or diminish.).
It makes perfect sense for a person in Farmville or Farmtown (different companies I know) grow food and use that food in their Restaurant on Restaurant City. One day, just not today.
If you grow weed on your farm and use it in Mafia wars, should that not open the door for these two scenarios as well...1) Different Mafias coming (only to your farm) and taking it over? 2) The FarmVille police, sheriff, DEA, etc... from paying you a visit?
I wonder if second life will allow you to control your legal framework of your community, so if you wanted to legalize certain drugs, etc...Why should your community not be allowed to. Wouldn't it be something if you could share resources between Second Life, FaceBook and others?
I think its called trade in the real world...makes sense if you want the experience to be more realistic. Of course given the size of people to animals to structures in either Farmville or Farmtown, it is not as real as it should be. Perhaps when they dump flash and start coding in C, PHP, perhaps C++ if not limited to one companies compiler they could implement a Google Earth like 3 dimensional virtual environment, like Second life is now but in Farmville, Restaurant City and Farmtown among others....
Just as Farmville usurped Farmtown's lead, the first company to get away from Flash and move the virtual world to a more robust and feature rich tool set will blow Farmville away. Such a world will not crash because of Flash and that in and of itself will be a huge plus.
Battery life is the real kicker. The very best commercially available batteries are just barely adequate for one smart phone OS, much less two trampling on one another. These phones will either last 3 hours, or hearken back to the "old school brick" form factor.
Battery life on any computer is a pain. I just gave up and kept a phone cord at work and at home. And that is only because I have had power cords break from being moved too much. Also when I get to the office or get home, I simply plug in my Nokia N800.
There was a time where a company, do not know the name, wish I did, was selling an external rechargeable battery. The one I was looking at cost between $150 - $300 per battery and was the size of a small laptop, but only about 1/2 inch thick. It was intended to be placed underneath the laptop and simply plug into the normal power outlet on the laptop. One guy used one of these for a 14 hour flight from North America to South East Asia, said he played DVDs all they way across the ocean and never lost battery power.
Perhaps that company, if it still exists, has an external rechargeable battery that you could clip to your phone or hand held computer so that you would have an extra 3 hours to 8 hours of battery life. Just thinking out loud as you are right battery life is a pain for all of us.
I can not be the only person who sees a problem with a restricted virtual layer running underneath the operating system on any device that I own. I would not put up with tethering, I will not put up with that.
I do not have a problem with a virtual layer running under the OS on a system I own, as long as I have 100% access and control to that virtual layer. Meaning I can remove, reconfigure, reinstall and tweak it as I see fit. The last thing any of us need is for some entity to not only track us, but monitor our communications, without a warrant, 24 X 7.
Hey Intel (some of you reading this might not be aware of this fact) has processors that phone home and communicate without the user being aware of it. It would be pathetic to have to run a passive sniffer on your personal network to monitor for unusual, unscheduled or abnormal outgoing traffic. Pathetic but to be 100% secure absolutely necessary. (Fortunately a DD-WRT supported device! will allow you to do just that!)
So any cellular phone that had a "restricted" virtual layer would be foolish to purchase, bring home and use. Hopefully everyone has learned their lessons from useless tethering and other such restrictions.
Its not about FREE, its about control and access, that is your only security.
Do you have the ability to tell your phone that while you are at home you ONLY want to use your WiFi broadband network and NOT your cellular plan. A "smart" phone would give you that capability.
*Checks calendar* Yup, it's 2009. VOIP still not possible on my smartphone...
My phone is smart because it runs a Linux distro that allows for root access when required. Meaning I am not restricted, tethered, limited etc...
I bought my phone two years ago, so it is not new.
Nokia Nxxx (770, 800, 810, 900) all will allow you to run WiFi, VoIP, etc... With the N900 you have the option of getting a cellular plan if you must. Personally I would not bother with cellular any time soon, but that is my choice.
Thanks to my choice (VoIP + WiFi on my "smart" linux enabled (maemo) hand set) my total cost of ownership (TCO) is less than $100 per year. You read that right, less than $100 per year. $24 per year for SkypeIn (with SkypePro) + $3.00 per month for unlimited calling. $24 + $36 and I am done. That is for one year.
I love it. So make sure you purchase the right phone. Hint on the WiFi Firewall/Router, get a DD-WRT supported device!. Check the website first before you purchase and only purchase hardware that supports DD-WRT, that way you can control your router and insure WiFi access via a secure intranet.
Your solution is simple, purchase the right hand set. Buy the right phone. If it will not run a Linux (that allows you to access root when required) then do not buy it! Are you limited, tethered, restricted...then you must not have root access to fix that!
A strong password for your root account is enough of a security deterrent and has been for years, so please do not spread that FUD.
There is something about a newspaper, magazine, book, flipping through it that I simply love. I find it relaxing and enjoyable to lazily leaf through a book, magazine or newspaper. Always will.
I have to admit that if I were searching for a phrase or phrases I would prefer to have it on a computer. Just works better.
What matters to me more is not the device (hand held, net book, tablet, laptop, PC, desktop, tower, etc...) but the data format.
I want to purchase my content ONCE, maybe twice if I have too, but not repeatedly for the rest of my life, every three or four years. That it crazy. I was taught at a young age to try to avoid being penny-wise and dollar foolish. I like to purchase things that last. So if you put the content on cheap materials that will not last, your bad, you will lose my business. I would rather save more money, pay a little more and get the data on better materials that will last. Look at furniture, I will not buy cheap furniture that breaks in less than a year. I would rather pay more (its usually not that much more either) and have it last, it should still be in good shape so that I can give it to my grandchildren if I want too. Instead of something cheaply made that will not last till I see my own children. What a waste of money.
To buy too cheap is penny wise and dollar foolish.
I apply the same logic to computer hardware and software that is proprietary in nature. Having been burned not just once, not just twice, but many more times than three, I am simply tired of seeing my hard earned money being drained away by insane fees, charges and forced updates. I will pay for innovation, however I am hard pressed to see how spreadsheets, word-processors and database programs have really improved enough to be labeled "innovative" since Windows 95/98. Granted you might have a chance with databases of finding one or two obscure new features that might be a "must have". But not with Spreadsheets and Word-Processors.
A friend of mine loved WordPerfect, the technical writers would keep finding new ways to apply WordPerfect to their craft, technical writing, literally every day, day in, day out for multiple years. It was not because the product had been improved, though it was, it was because the product was feature rich and would let a master at their craft (word processing, tech writing, etc..) really excel. Word Perfect was the best Word Processor ever. That was years before Word gained only because of Microsoft Office and Microsoft's control of the desktop. Even later when most had switched to Word after Microsoft corrupted their own file formats to force users to upgrade to the new Word, the experts, the technical writers who knew their craft preferred WordPerfect and other Desktop Publishing tools. It just made sense.
Word did not take over through innovation, but it did take over none the less. We are all poorer for the lack of innovation.
So the idea of forcing us to buy some proprietary e-reader hardware in order to read a proprietary data format that could just as easily be provided in an open data format is crazy. Quite frankly it is beyond offensive and hardly endears us to your brand.
We were not born yesterday.
Even those (probably because they are simply too inexperienced) that have not experienced this kind of FUD, still understand the concept.
Buy me (book, music, content, etc...) on this device in that format (proprietary of course) and in a couple of years that device (proprietary) will be left without support (because we said so) and not only will you be forced to purchase the content again because of the proprietary data format; but they (proprietary company) will attempt to force me (and you dear reader if you mistakenly bought in the last time) to purchase yet more new hardware (proprietary of course) that offers yet again, no new innovative features.
Why not have a pc / netbook that can do more for about the same cost?
Not sure what the same cost refers to. But we have sub $300 netbooks that can read many data formats, especially open data formats. I have no patience and refuse to purchase content in a proprietary format...waste of money.
We also have the new Nokia N900, although it is pricer than most would want to spend, but it gives you a Linux computer in the palm of your hand. So as long as there is an application that can read the content in Linux, you can get it to work on the Nokia Nxxx.
For those looking to save money, I read a post the other day of a person who bought a Nokia N810 for less than $150. The Nokia N800 is also a Linux computer.
Why buy any other device...a Kindle, why...a hand held device, so called smart phone or whatever that runs a proprietary operating systm...why.
Just get a Linux netbook or hand held and only purchase content that can be read / used on them...game over.
And the person that pulls the trigger not the gun.
Why? There are phones which run full Linux (N900, Android, ...), why an earth would someone want to have less powerful OS on a tablet?
The Nxxx Nokia's are much more than mere phones, they are full blown Linux hand helds that will let you do just about anything a Linux PC, netbook or laptop will do. Why anyone would limit themselves with any other operating system is beyond me. With Linux, there are no tethering issues, no restrictions, nada, none. I call that "smart".
If a phone will NOT allow you to run Linux, at least one of the many distros, well it just is NOT smart!
For many years Nokia has been ahead of everyone offering these Linux hand held smart devices. Nokia N770 was the first, than came the N800 (FM chip on board); then the N880 and now the N900! If any tablet or hand-held is more limiting than any of the Nokia Nxxx hand held smart devices, why on earth would you waste your money buying it!
Note: I am not saying that you must run Linux, only that you should be able too! Big difference when you have choices as any intelligent consumer would want to have, preferably at least three choices, as if you only have two choices, you have no choice!
For me its not a matter of the hardware, but the books themselves, either I can read them (open data formats ONLY) on a Linux computer or I can not. If I can not, I simply will not purchase them. Keep it Simple!
I don't know what you mean by "most" but IME, "most" people are lucky to get anywhere close to 10 (ten) at home. 100 Mbps is not even on the horizon for "most" people.
This is changing, there are currently 8 or 9 cities in the US (soon to be around 15, albeit most in Utah) where you can get a Fiber over the last mile to your home and symmetrical service from 10Mbps to 10Gpbs. One of the First was Wilson, N.C. thanks to Greenlight (100Mbps / 100Mbps for $100 per month) and the local politicians that invited Greenlight into their community after the American Telco and Cable Companies refused to put fiber to peoples homes. Of course after the fact, the telcos/Cable Cos are using any and every legal / lobbyist means via the North Carolina state legislature to prevent others from getting decent bandwidth via Fiber from their homes.
Here is the other places, thanks to Utopia, Utah Telecommunication Open Infrastructure Agency: (ten years in the making by some elected officials that thought more of those they represent than lobbyists): Bringham City, Tremonton, Perry City, Layton, Centerville, Murray, Midvale, West Valley City, Riverton, Cedar Hills, Lindon, Orem, Payson, Cedar City
Note: Verizon's restricted FIOS only allowing 50Mbps / 5 Mbps for $119 while better than Cable is still restricted and is NOT symmetrical!
The thing that I find fun about all this is that ISPs are a dumb pipe. They need to be regulated like a dumb pipe, and priced like a dumb pipe. But they are trying so hard to not be a dumb pipe and pretend that they are better than everyone else because they have stupid service "X". Yet as soon as a lawsuit like this comes up, they go back to "You can't sue us, we're a dumb pipe". i would love it if these kind of lawsuits forced them to pick a side.
I too would like to see their argument used against them to stop the bandwidth shaping, deep packet inspection, throttling of bandwidth, abusing Quality of Service (QoS) settings, restrictions (any kind) and net neutrality.
It should be considered Fraud to advertise 16,000Kbps downstream and 2,000Kbps upstream, yet as soon as the Speed Test completes, your bandwidth is throttled to less than 300Kbps down and less than 100Kbps up. Feels like Fraud to me.
It should be considered a violation of Privacy to do any type of inspection of your packets, especially Deep Packet Inspection (DPI).
The ISPs should be required to provide a minimum bandwidth to be considered broadband and the current definition, which they do NOT give us, of 768Kbps is way too low and should have been 100Mbps / 100Mbps in the year 2000. And by 2006, while that could have still been the "minimum" bandwidth to be considered "Broadband"; we should have had plans offering 1 Gbps / 1 Gbps for around $50 per month, as they have in other parts of the World.
They are just a "dumb" pipe and I can not wait for another "not-related-to-any-American-telco" entity to enter the American ISP market, provide fiber to all of our homes and take the "dumb" pipe market away from these providers that keep trying to hurt Americans, rather than helping Americans.
To date, the only provider that is offering 100Mbps / 100Mbps (for around $100 per month) is Greenlight in Wilson, North Carolina (NC). They were able to offer this level of service thanks to local politicians inviting their company to come into their community, actually lay fiber to homes, after the Cable Companies and Telcos REFUSED to offer service.
The Cable Co/Telco response, was to go to the North Carolina state legislature and attempt to pass laws preventing Greenlight from expanding, attempting to force them to cease and desist offering 100Mbps / 100Mbps service to customers. These "legal/lobbyist" attempts at controlling the North Carolina market began during the legislatures last term (2009) and is EXPECTED TO CONTINUE in the North Carolina's next legislature's session (2010). What the lobbyists get away with in N.C., expect to see rolled out nationally across the U.S.A. Lets hope North Carolina citizens learn and act before it impacts all Americans!
The only other place (location, besides Wilson N.C.) where Fiber is being rolled out "OVER THE LAST MILE" to people's homes in America is in Utah (with the exception of Verizon, which is charging $119 per month for 50Mbps / 5 Mbps...wonder what they throttle it back to bandwidth wise...perhaps 300Kbps down and 100Kbps upstream?) . Brigham City, Utah to be exact; if you have a home and/or apartment building in Brigham, you are allowed to OWN YOUR OWN FIBER connection to your home. It will set you back $3,000.00, but you will have Fiber to your home. I would love that. If I owned an apartment building I would pay for that single strand of Fiber, than use the right hardware laser firewall/router device to multiply the bandwidth on that single strand of Fiber from 1X to 1024X...I first read about that capability in 2005 or 2006...so not new technology in 2009.
Bandwidth in reality SHOULD BE UNLIMITED thanks to FIBER + technology. Thus Bandwidth Scarcity is a MYTH, designed to force you to pay between $100 - $150 per month for 300Kbps downstream and 100Kbps upstream...even though you have been fraudulently promised higher bandwidths.
100% of American consu
There are plenty of web apps (especially in the "Enterprise" environment) which depend of quirks of specific browsers. Most commonly IE6. Using a different browser means making major changes. At which point it probably dosn't matter if the change were to be to Firefox, Opera, Safari, etc. Indeed there are versions of Windows which won't run IE8, but will run modern non Microsoft browsers.
Only if some pin headed manager allowed his web developers to continue to code sites with IE specific hacks.
I learned back in the Netscape days, if you developed in Netscape it just worked in all other browsers, however if you developed in Internet Explorer, you would invariably use some IE specific coding that would break in many if not all non IE browsers.
Microsoft made a business decision to attempt to corrupt the W3 standards with IE specific crap for vendor lock-in reasons only. Some people stupidly bought into this and are paying with crackers, problems with Active X and many other non secure coding of web pages. They made their bed, let them lie in it. The fact is they had a choice and typical of Microsoft, they chose to attempt to vendor lock-in in order to Extinguish later. Pathetic and lame.
I still hit websites, in 2009, that do not display right in Firefox, what crap, fortunately there are other sources to get that information and I leave that website never to return...their loss, not mine. Later.
So 40% of market is IE6 and IE7, lets move em to IE8...print article on exploit...but this is not new, people know turning off JavaScript fixes it. Doesn't matter, print the article, we need the revenue... How convenient that they "did not know" if the exploit will work on IE8, of course it will, if it works at all, see last line. Come on already, this is so obviously FUD (especially in the FEAR department). And if their PC + OS will not run IE8, even better more revenue when they buy Windows 7 or Vista plus. really, Really, REALLY, why do I feel like I am in a South Park episode? Probably because this is MORE FUD! Most telling statement in article, "...the code does not always work properly, but it could be used to..."
Fucking PHP users. MVC isn't about ...you should STFU and go write HTTP servers ...
I do not blame you for being anonymous, as you admit that you are a coward.
As I have coded and reviewed pretty pathetic Assembler, C, Cobol, Fortran, PL/C, PL/I, SQL (DB2, MS Sequel Server, Oracle, MySQL, dBaseIII+, Database Manager), Pascal (IBM and Turbo), many others, and a variety of scripting languages. So what's your point...
If a PHP programmer wanted to rewrite HTTP, I would also call that not very smart.
Its not PHP's fault that your precious Java like MVC method is NOT efficient. As for being efficient for the programmer, that so depends on the programmer, of course you know that already or act like you do. So perhaps you should STFU...your words, now mine back at you!
Aww, the early 1990s, the days of the General Protection Faults, or GPFs. While I agree that you could call Microsoft and ask for help; the response that you received was anything but helpful.
Fact 1: They denied the problem existed, but when pushed would provide a 20 - 40 page GPF Troubleshooting Guide...it did not work.
Fact 2: When it did not work, after multiple attempts, Microsoft could not provide support. Their only solution was to turn off/on the computer.
My guess is the GPFs were related to ineffective use of allocating and deallocating memory and/or memory creep, but I honestly do not know, just instincts based on what I was seeing and experiencing using their products. If anyone has a definitive link to a source that states exactly what the problem was I would be interested in re-creating the problem on some old hardware that I have and verifying that it is indeed the problem.
I can not imagine wasting money on Microsoft support, they will NOT admit that their own code causes the problem; they will not admit that an incompatible problem exists by their own design (for vendor lock-in reasons); they will blame everyone but themselves; they do not provide solutions. Been there, done that, learned from my mistake.
How can any entity help you if they can not admit their own mistakes, learn from them and improve the general knowledge base by working from a place of facts.
I will give them another chance after a 7 year successful track record...still waiting...
It shows that FLOSS is doing well, and won a small victory here.
As it pertains to Microsoft, there are NO victories small or large with respects to open source, FOSS and standardized data formats. To believe that, that is even possible is the most powerful FUD of all... Good luck with that. I will hold them accountable for their past and current transgressions, which you admit are many, and wait until they prove themselves again, over a 7 year time period of course.
.."resetting your clock" for everything you consider a "violation" ..
Which is the point exactly, I decide what I consider to be a violation, everyone else considers what they decide is or is not a violation. Since we all wait for a 7 year track record based on their "actions" over that period, none of us can ever be led astray again. Their FUD becomes meaningless, worthless and a laughable waste of their resources... It also means that any effort on their part that is not honorable will be caught by someone, probably many of us. This is a very good thing. They should hold themselves to a higher standard as the market leader, and since they do not, will not, it is up to individual consumers to hold them accountable.
Make them earn your business, your hard earned money. Innovate or die! It is not enough to slap a new name on something and force you to upgrade/update for a fee or they turn you off. Pathetic and they deserve to fail.
It needs to become a business decision with a potential financial impact in lost revenue to their bottom line before anything will change. When it costs too much to ignore standards, we will all have data formats that are 100% sharable between apps and operating systems. Perhaps when their market share falls below 40% we will have that...that is something many of us will live to see. Many just do not realize that yet... Does anything decent come out of MFST any more? I sure have not seen it in the last few years.
And never think a small group of people can not influence and impact change. History shows us this is indeed how every major change for the last thousand years has happened, many a small group of people or even an individual never live to see the fruits of their efforts, but their efforts most certainly have an impact. Another FUD argument is that one of us or a few of us can not make a difference. We do, we can, we will, we must.
Microsoft should be sending out emails to all their business units and development teams to clean up their acts and fly right. Instead they send out emails stating how devastating it would be to their business to conform to WWW standards and that they must create their own incompatible standard, in order to maintain market dominance. And after this huge mistake, that anyone is surprised that they are slowly losing market share is more surprising to me. They make business choices and we should too. It is as simple as that.
All Microsoft did wrong was trust them, in fact, Microsoft probably spent a huge amount of money to restore the data.
I was with a bunch of programmers when the "Danger" debacle news broke...even the most die hard Microsoft fan there, and there were a few, could not stop laughing about it. Danger...yea right...Danger, lmao, ROFLMAO.
I agree with one of my friends who said, "that was a self fulfilling prophecy wasn't it."