What this article implies is that by running under a GPL kernel with the GPL'd multipurpose busybox binary, all software on the OS immediately becomes GPL.
The kernel traffic article does not imply that at all, because it is wrong. If iRiver uses Linux and busybox, then they only have to provide source to Linux and busybox. But they have not done it.
These sorts of consumer products are what will REALLY show the non-technical consumers the benefits of open source in their pocket devices. They will soon come to see that once they buy the product it does not remain static, but will adapt as user groups form that contain techies motivated to extend the products capabilities.
Yeah, right. Half of the embedded Linux products on the market come with no source code (sure it's illegal, but what are you going to do about it?) and the other half come with minimal, undocumented, barely-compilable code that doesn't include any of the interesting features. The result is that the open source hackers end up having to write new firmware from scratch, which rarely ends up being better than the original.
It seems like PDAs are more likely to merge with phones than with portable media players. Most of these PMPs don't even have touch screens; how are you supposed to input anything?
Also, with such a volume of traffic, surely it would be impossible for an **AA sniffer to track it all?
The **AA don't use sniffers, so it doesn't matter.
Or at least, your chances of being caught and sued are pathetic small.
If you assume that torrents follow Zipf popularity and the **AA are only going after the top ones, your chance of being caught is pretty high if you have some mainstream tastes.
Which means 11 other people are getting nothing. If the aggregate upstream bandwidth of the swarm is less than the aggregate downstream bandwidth, it's impossible to saturate all the downstream links. But swarming is still better than nothing.
That can lead to a tragedy of the commons where no one installs the swarming software, thus there are no servers, thus there is no swarming. I don't know about Alluvium specifically, but it sounds like Swarmcast and Dijjer are HTTP proxies, so you could always hit the origin server.
Let's see. DVDs are cheap to manufacture. HD DVDs are cheap to manufacture since they use the same equipment. I would guess that a hybrid DVD/HD DVD would be just as cheap.
Yes, dual-layer HD DVD exists, but it will not play in a normal DVD player. The whole point of the article is discs that will play in normal DVD players and also have HD quality when played in HD DVD players.
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You can patent some code (at least in the US) and GPL it.
Only if the patent is available royalty-free to everyone. Most codecs charge patent license fess, which are incompatible with the GPL.
Vocera makes them, but if you have to ask, you really can't afford it.
What this article implies is that by running under a GPL kernel with the GPL'd multipurpose busybox binary, all software on the OS immediately becomes GPL.
The kernel traffic article does not imply that at all, because it is wrong. If iRiver uses Linux and busybox, then they only have to provide source to Linux and busybox. But they have not done it.
These sorts of consumer products are what will REALLY show the non-technical consumers the benefits of open source in their pocket devices. They will soon come to see that once they buy the product it does not remain static, but will adapt as user groups form that contain techies motivated to extend the products capabilities.
Yeah, right. Half of the embedded Linux products on the market come with no source code (sure it's illegal, but what are you going to do about it?) and the other half come with minimal, undocumented, barely-compilable code that doesn't include any of the interesting features. The result is that the open source hackers end up having to write new firmware from scratch, which rarely ends up being better than the original.
But it's a nice dream.
It seems like PDAs are more likely to merge with phones than with portable media players. Most of these PMPs don't even have touch screens; how are you supposed to input anything?
Legal devices can't use mplayer unless they rip out all the patented (e.g. good) codecs, since patents and the GPL don't mix.
They are absolutely willing to risk the enthusiast market if it helps them in the mainstream desktop, business, and server markets.
How does CALEA factor in when the connection doesn't touch the POTS system though?
It doesn't.
WMV9 is a competitor to AVC. HD DVD and Blu-ray support MPEG-2, AVC, and WMV9, so content providers can choose any of the three.
Why are people looking for Linux ISOs on Suprnova? You never know if they're official. Just use the official distro Web sites.
For instance, once the object that is being distributed been downloaded by the masses - you won't get a decent speed downloading it.
You're right; HTTP is so much better, because when something is being downloaded by the masses from a single Web server you get about 0 bytes/s.
Also, with such a volume of traffic, surely it would be impossible for an **AA sniffer to track it all?
The **AA don't use sniffers, so it doesn't matter.
Or at least, your chances of being caught and sued are pathetic small.
If you assume that torrents follow Zipf popularity and the **AA are only going after the top ones, your chance of being caught is pretty high if you have some mainstream tastes.
Which means 11 other people are getting nothing. If the aggregate upstream bandwidth of the swarm is less than the aggregate downstream bandwidth, it's impossible to saturate all the downstream links. But swarming is still better than nothing.
That can lead to a tragedy of the commons where no one installs the swarming software, thus there are no servers, thus there is no swarming. I don't know about Alluvium specifically, but it sounds like Swarmcast and Dijjer are HTTP proxies, so you could always hit the origin server.
Actually, Mangosoft Medley did exactly what you describe in 1997. And yet today I don't think you can get such technology for love or money.
Debit and prepaid Visa/Mastercard have existed for years, and they work with the iTunes store.
So do credit card companies.
Don't think of it as expensive, think of it as good for the economy. Sort of the like the mythical re-buying of all DVDs in HD.
Besides, a GPS chip is only $5 and a GPS receiver with software is $150 retail. I suspect Galileo hardware won't be much more expensive.
Good luck getting surround sound out of the iPod hardware.
They don't require you to be sitting in front of the computer!
Apple doesn't own H.264. Apple didn't invent H.264.
Let's see. DVDs are cheap to manufacture. HD DVDs are cheap to manufacture since they use the same equipment. I would guess that a hybrid DVD/HD DVD would be just as cheap.
Are you comparing HD DVD players against Blu-ray recorders by any chance? Hardly fair. And it's all vaporware anyway, so prices could change.
The caddies have been eliminated.
Yes, dual-layer HD DVD exists, but it will not play in a normal DVD player. The whole point of the article is discs that will play in normal DVD players and also have HD quality when played in HD DVD players.