A Nautical mile is one second of Latitude, or 10 cables, (approx 200 yards each). But of course it changes depending on your latitude!, so in the Navy we just used 2000 yards per nautical mile.
This is also why many Air Forces still use knots to measure speed, it's much more convenient to use than km/h
Seeing as I'm Canadian as well I'll give up modding in this thread to say this. We have fresh blood in the green party. (witch happens to agree with a lot of what pirate parties have traditional stood for.) Win or lose, voting the party you truly have the most ideals in common with is more important than ever. In Canada each party now receives funding based on what percentage of the vote they receive. As opposed to the way it was a few years ago, where they only got funding based on the number seats they won. No vote is a throw away vote any more.
I find your spelling mistake interesting. Was is intentional? Not that I'm accusing Elizabeth May of being one, or anything;-)
As our computers have become more capable, they actually demand more from users, and productivity may not increase as much as you thing.
In 1990, we had typing pools in my organisation, which produced memos, letters and other paperwork. Now that there is a computer on every desk, we have lost these pools. Now, the originator must write his/her own staff-work. It is expected that grammar and spelling be correct. Supervisors will edit for style, and often send it right back down to the originator. Yes, a memo no longer takes a week to go out, however, now you might get it back three times before it can be released. This puts a lot of burden on the guys at the coal-face. I would argue that over-all productivity has not been increased by as much as you would think.
Emails fill our inbox, they are slowly replacing dead tree staff-work. On a "good" day, I can get 20 valid emails that I must respond to, and perhaps another 10-20 that I am CC'd on, by someone who expects me to keep track of what is going on in their life. I know people who argue that a read-receipt is proof that I have not only read, but understood their emails. We are quickly reaching the saturation point.
The end of Moore's Law relevancy, will only allow us to start programming more efficiently, what incentives do System Designers, and Programmers have to design and write good code? They do not have to right now. I see what we did with limited resources in the past, especially with real time systems, and if we paid as much attention to the code now, as we did then, it would take longer to achieve results, but I think we can really get much more out of our computers. We can improve efficiency, and not drag our end users into the abyss by making their tasks so much more complicated.
I think it brings an innovative new UI to the game (rather than the "me too" of Android's copying of iOS's aging UI).
Umm, I have used both, and while I see some similarities, Android is not a "copy" of iOS. Android brings widgets to the screen, in order to get info, I do not have to open an App. I have much greater flexibility in customising pages, The notification system is very different. I can even switch out the launcher for another if I want.
I see most of the phone UI's share some features, where they differ is implementation of details. When I used an iPhone (3gs) the thing I missed the most was the ability to have widgets on the screen. I used a task manager, and a weather display on my previous phone. I also didn't appreciate all of my apps spread across many screens. Although it got better when folders became available. The other thing I really didn't like was the lack of a file system. I couldn't easily access my files. Of course, not having removable memory was a pain as well. I won't even mention my hate-hate relationship with iTunes.
I have not used wp7. I would be very interested in someone listing some of the features in comparison to Android and iOS. I do understand that it may not support removable memory, although the onboard memory can be augmented in some phones by a micro-SD card. So, what does the windows phone bring to the fight?
Now, I am not an expert. But, looking at the system, the only time a company receives money directly from an investor is during the IPO, or if they sell more stock. Most of the stock that is out there is already paid for. It is just moving around to make money for someone.
OK,
I download it, install it in about an hour. I don't have to mess with any settings. Drivers are downloaded in a similar manner to Windows 7. I have not had any crashes in recent memory. I use a variety of user-friendly applications, many of which are identical to their Windows counterparts.
In fact it may be easier than windows.
I will give you this: Games are well supported, but for the average user who uses a web browser, word processor and listens to music, hey it's all there.
I am not saying we should all run out and switch, but if you want to, you can.
I remember taking all night to compile a kernel. It was fun at the time, but lets get serious here - Linux has matured to the point where almost anybody can install and run it without too much hassle, at least compared to any other mainstream OS. Don't forget a lot of work has gone into the various repositories that are available, if you want to "kick it old school" feel free. I cut my teeth on Slackware 3.5. I have paid my dues. But really, why should anyone one pay?
I run mint now, find it easy and quick to install. I like the fact that I don't have to get into the nitty gritties. I just don't have the time to fiddle with all the little bits.
How about we all get on the bandwagon? Linux is as easy to use as Windows, and as a point of fact tends to run much better on older hardware.
Lets throw off the old way was better, and get on with the new way.
The same sort of folk who shell out big bucks for Monster Cables will certainly convince themselves that it is worth it. Besides, Apple will be able to sell newer, higher storage capacity devices that will be able to store the newer larger high quality music files.
The company has inertia right now. There are no moves to break it up, so I suppose the folks making the extreme high salaries that are running the thing are the ones that really make out like bandits.
I don't think I said that the desktop might be replaced by something else, however my point was that the Microsoft Desktop might be replaced by another Non-MS Desktop. I'm with you, I think the Desktop is here to stay, however I do think that our Data will become much easier to pass around between devices.
I see cameras that will automatically sync with our digital picture frames/printers and other devices. I see creating a document that becomes available across a wide range of devices instantly without having to save it specifically to a network drive. Sharing data with my family without thinking.
The real trick here will be to control it, and protect our privacy.
I don't think the benefits for society really come into the equation. I mean, you could argue that it provides taxes (minimised of course), jobs. Don't forget that this particular company produces some of the basic software (Windows itself) which is the basis for much of our communications (internet) enabling society itself. But I think these are just the happy side-effects of the massive profits it generates for its major stockholders.
It's because if a Company isn't growing, then it's not healthy. (according to the big time stock analysts)
The more fields your business dominates, the safer it is. So, something can't come along and kill your business completely. The only thing missing here seems to be a viable long term plan. MS does its best when it can leverage one product with another. Right now the jury is out on Windows Phone 7, however the desktop is safe, as well as Office, and while they seem to have missed the ball on slate type computers, they seem to have solidified their hold on laptops and netbooks.
Their fear might be, if they were to focus on one thing (desktop) then something innovative could come along and wipe them out quickly. Now, they are spread out among several markets and one innovation cannot come along and give them serious trouble.
My two cents: It will happen eventually, but they are delaying it magnificently.
I guess the real underlying problem here is that Sony doesn't make enough money on the console sales, but rather, relies on game sales to make a profit.
I'll bet you Sony considers your purchase of a PS3 as "subsidised". As such, they feel that they have the right to mess with your console.
So, in order to protect their revenue stream they must enforce a strong copy-protection system.
Now, I wonder, if they were to sell a console for a price that they made a reasonable profit on, would it be so expensive that anybody would actually buy it? Even if they allowed the "Other OS" function on it?
Personally, I like the 7" screen. I found the iPad to be a little unwieldy. I know have a modded eLocity A7. More portable, and it will connect to my phone wirelessly to get online when I'm not near a hotspot. Ever try connecting an iPad to an iPhone? It should be one data plan to rule them all.
DK
I have owned many Apple Products in the past: Mini Mac, iPods (Classic 160,/Nano 2nd Gen/Touch 1st Gen), iPad, iPhone 3gs
Now, I have none, I have a Win7 Box, a Linux Mint System, an HP Tablet Laptop (Win7), Android Phone (Galaxy S), Android Tablet (eLocity A7-040)
I have noticed generally, that Apple's products work, however they work the way the company designed them to work. To get the true Apple experience there is very little choice on how to do things. If you wish to use these products in a non-standard way, well, you have a long road to travel. With Windows and Linux, there are many ways to accomplish things. In most instances you can change significantly the look and feel. As an example, when I got the iPad, you couldn't even put a background on the main screen. I totally understand why Apple controls the interface to tightly, and personally, I don't agree, and as a result have divested myself of their products. My Android Pad does not have 3G, but I can use the phone as a gateway over Wifi, right out of the box, but with the iPhone/iPad combo I could do the same with a laptop, but the iPad would not connect on purpose. Apple would rather I spend the extra money on a 3G enabled iPad, and pay the extra money for another data plan.
Now, I still have an Apple Wireless Router that I travel with, but in order to config it, I have to use a program on Windows(or Mac). For some unknown reason, Apple won't let me just use a browser to configure it. But it is very small, and works well when it is configured.
The Products that attracted me initially were the iPods. Wow, they really worked well, aside from the fact that I had to use iTunes. I still have the Nano 2nd Gen, which is connected to my car stereo, but I put Rock Box on it, and was that ever an improvement. I had the ability to drag and drop music. Really, that is the main feature that is still missing from the iPods. I am very interested to see Samsung's answer to the touch, with a Galaxy Class media player. Of course I have the phone already, so I most likely will not buy one. But think, if Apple were to add micro-SD to the touch, and even the iPhone itself, that would be incredible.
All this being said, I am the first to recommend Apple products to some of my friends who I know can't or don't like to tinker. It would be nice if Apple catered to my needs as well, because I think they have great products, just a piss-poor corporate outlook.
No offence taken. I'm not really a raving looney. But I gotta say, that this particular problem has been a bit of a bugaboo for me. I've used all of the platforms, and each of them has held a particular attraction at a particular time. I'm starting to feel though, that I need options, and I don't want the options to limit me down the road, because then, I feel the need for change.
to use a car analogy:
Windows: Get a pretty good basic car, and start adding up the options, each of which will cost.
Mac: Get a really good car, but everything is pretty much standard. No Choices.
Linux: Here's a pile of parts, and a bunch of tools. Go ahead, make your own damn car.
OK, so maybe they will require a dual processor to run Honeycomb on a tablet device. I get that. In order for tablets to compete against iPad they must be smooth, super responsive and sharp looking. The extra processing power will help with that. I get it.
Now, lets think about the phone side of the fence. The current crop of 1Ghz processor equipped phones are pretty snappy and sharp. I have a Galaxy S phone, and although I had concerns at first about the battery performance, I don't now. But what about when the first dual processors show up in the very small form factors, where space and weight is more of an issue than in a tablet? I am not sure at all that I would sacrifice battery performance for a few extra glitzy perks on the UI. In fact, I switched from a G1 to a 3gs for that very reason. Now, a year later I've picked up the Captivate and it is holding its own in this regard. I really don't want a phone that has to be plugged in every eight hours.
So, the question I have, is: Would moving to a dual processor negatively affect the batter life of a cellphone?
-No Sig Req'd
I have a phone with Rogers Canada. They provide an App both for Android and the iPhone. It is very clear on how much data/voice/Text has been used. It will also tell you your next bill, and give you your billing dates.
We love to complain about our providers, but in this case I have had very few complaints with Rogers. Their discount brand Fido also has the same app. The only issue with it is that you have to be on 3g for it to work. But they don't charge for that data.
I have a 6G data plan, and have never even approached exceeding it. I can tether, but I don't have to very often.
Slashdot Mirror
I would hesitate to say that anyone was first, let alone fourth.
what kind of mile?
Statute, nautical?
A Nautical mile is one second of Latitude, or 10 cables, (approx 200 yards each). But of course it changes depending on your latitude!, so in the Navy we just used 2000 yards per nautical mile.
This is also why many Air Forces still use knots to measure speed, it's much more convenient to use than km/h
Seeing as I'm Canadian as well I'll give up modding in this thread to say this. We have fresh blood in the green party. (witch happens to agree with a lot of what pirate parties have traditional stood for.) Win or lose, voting the party you truly have the most ideals in common with is more important than ever. In Canada each party now receives funding based on what percentage of the vote they receive. As opposed to the way it was a few years ago, where they only got funding based on the number seats they won. No vote is a throw away vote any more.
I find your spelling mistake interesting. Was is intentional? Not that I'm accusing Elizabeth May of being one, or anything ;-)
Agreed.
As our computers have become more capable, they actually demand more from users, and productivity may not increase as much as you thing.
In 1990, we had typing pools in my organisation, which produced memos, letters and other paperwork. Now that there is a computer on every desk, we have lost these pools. Now, the originator must write his/her own staff-work. It is expected that grammar and spelling be correct. Supervisors will edit for style, and often send it right back down to the originator. Yes, a memo no longer takes a week to go out, however, now you might get it back three times before it can be released. This puts a lot of burden on the guys at the coal-face. I would argue that over-all productivity has not been increased by as much as you would think.
Emails fill our inbox, they are slowly replacing dead tree staff-work. On a "good" day, I can get 20 valid emails that I must respond to, and perhaps another 10-20 that I am CC'd on, by someone who expects me to keep track of what is going on in their life. I know people who argue that a read-receipt is proof that I have not only read, but understood their emails. We are quickly reaching the saturation point.
The end of Moore's Law relevancy, will only allow us to start programming more efficiently, what incentives do System Designers, and Programmers have to design and write good code? They do not have to right now. I see what we did with limited resources in the past, especially with real time systems, and if we paid as much attention to the code now, as we did then, it would take longer to achieve results, but I think we can really get much more out of our computers. We can improve efficiency, and not drag our end users into the abyss by making their tasks so much more complicated.
my two cents.
I think it brings an innovative new UI to the game (rather than the "me too" of Android's copying of iOS's aging UI).
Umm, I have used both, and while I see some similarities, Android is not a "copy" of iOS. Android brings widgets to the screen, in order to get info, I do not have to open an App. I have much greater flexibility in customising pages, The notification system is very different. I can even switch out the launcher for another if I want.
I see most of the phone UI's share some features, where they differ is implementation of details. When I used an iPhone (3gs) the thing I missed the most was the ability to have widgets on the screen. I used a task manager, and a weather display on my previous phone. I also didn't appreciate all of my apps spread across many screens. Although it got better when folders became available. The other thing I really didn't like was the lack of a file system. I couldn't easily access my files. Of course, not having removable memory was a pain as well. I won't even mention my hate-hate relationship with iTunes.
I have not used wp7. I would be very interested in someone listing some of the features in comparison to Android and iOS. I do understand that it may not support removable memory, although the onboard memory can be augmented in some phones by a micro-SD card. So, what does the windows phone bring to the fight?
"Sorry"
Most likely this was submitted by a.....Canadian. And we Canadians are known for our fervent patriotism. Canadians are also known for having a national inferiority complex. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_cringe#Canada http://madcanuck.blogspot.com/2004/10/canadas-national-inferiority-complex.html So, whenever we do something noteworthy(or not so noteworthy) we tend to publicise our connection to it.
Stock can be used:
1. To buy other companies. 2. To "reward" executives without paying real money.
Both things are usually detrimental to the overall conditions on the market.
Ahh, the infamous "Stock Options"!
If I have over simplified it, please correct me.
In fact it may be easier than windows.
I will give you this: Games are well supported, but for the average user who uses a web browser, word processor and listens to music, hey it's all there.
I am not saying we should all run out and switch, but if you want to, you can.
I run mint now, find it easy and quick to install. I like the fact that I don't have to get into the nitty gritties. I just don't have the time to fiddle with all the little bits.
How about we all get on the bandwagon? Linux is as easy to use as Windows, and as a point of fact tends to run much better on older hardware.
Lets throw off the old way was better, and get on with the new way.
My two cents.
The same sort of folk who shell out big bucks for Monster Cables will certainly convince themselves that it is worth it. Besides, Apple will be able to sell newer, higher storage capacity devices that will be able to store the newer larger high quality music files.
For those looking for a reference.
The company has inertia right now. There are no moves to break it up, so I suppose the folks making the extreme high salaries that are running the thing are the ones that really make out like bandits.
I don't think I said that the desktop might be replaced by something else, however my point was that the Microsoft Desktop might be replaced by another Non-MS Desktop. I'm with you, I think the Desktop is here to stay, however I do think that our Data will become much easier to pass around between devices.
I see cameras that will automatically sync with our digital picture frames/printers and other devices. I see creating a document that becomes available across a wide range of devices instantly without having to save it specifically to a network drive. Sharing data with my family without thinking.
The real trick here will be to control it, and protect our privacy.
We have a flawed system!
I don't think the benefits for society really come into the equation. I mean, you could argue that it provides taxes (minimised of course), jobs. Don't forget that this particular company produces some of the basic software (Windows itself) which is the basis for much of our communications (internet) enabling society itself. But I think these are just the happy side-effects of the massive profits it generates for its major stockholders.
The more fields your business dominates, the safer it is. So, something can't come along and kill your business completely. The only thing missing here seems to be a viable long term plan. MS does its best when it can leverage one product with another. Right now the jury is out on Windows Phone 7, however the desktop is safe, as well as Office, and while they seem to have missed the ball on slate type computers, they seem to have solidified their hold on laptops and netbooks.
Their fear might be, if they were to focus on one thing (desktop) then something innovative could come along and wipe them out quickly. Now, they are spread out among several markets and one innovation cannot come along and give them serious trouble.
My two cents: It will happen eventually, but they are delaying it magnificently.
I'll bet you Sony considers your purchase of a PS3 as "subsidised". As such, they feel that they have the right to mess with your console.
So, in order to protect their revenue stream they must enforce a strong copy-protection system.
Now, I wonder, if they were to sell a console for a price that they made a reasonable profit on, would it be so expensive that anybody would actually buy it? Even if they allowed the "Other OS" function on it?
Personally, I like the 7" screen. I found the iPad to be a little unwieldy. I know have a modded eLocity A7. More portable, and it will connect to my phone wirelessly to get online when I'm not near a hotspot. Ever try connecting an iPad to an iPhone? It should be one data plan to rule them all. DK
Now, I have none, I have a Win7 Box, a Linux Mint System, an HP Tablet Laptop (Win7), Android Phone (Galaxy S), Android Tablet (eLocity A7-040)
I have noticed generally, that Apple's products work, however they work the way the company designed them to work. To get the true Apple experience there is very little choice on how to do things. If you wish to use these products in a non-standard way, well, you have a long road to travel. With Windows and Linux, there are many ways to accomplish things. In most instances you can change significantly the look and feel. As an example, when I got the iPad, you couldn't even put a background on the main screen. I totally understand why Apple controls the interface to tightly, and personally, I don't agree, and as a result have divested myself of their products. My Android Pad does not have 3G, but I can use the phone as a gateway over Wifi, right out of the box, but with the iPhone/iPad combo I could do the same with a laptop, but the iPad would not connect on purpose. Apple would rather I spend the extra money on a 3G enabled iPad, and pay the extra money for another data plan.
Now, I still have an Apple Wireless Router that I travel with, but in order to config it, I have to use a program on Windows(or Mac). For some unknown reason, Apple won't let me just use a browser to configure it. But it is very small, and works well when it is configured.
The Products that attracted me initially were the iPods. Wow, they really worked well, aside from the fact that I had to use iTunes. I still have the Nano 2nd Gen, which is connected to my car stereo, but I put Rock Box on it, and was that ever an improvement. I had the ability to drag and drop music. Really, that is the main feature that is still missing from the iPods. I am very interested to see Samsung's answer to the touch, with a Galaxy Class media player. Of course I have the phone already, so I most likely will not buy one. But think, if Apple were to add micro-SD to the touch, and even the iPhone itself, that would be incredible.
All this being said, I am the first to recommend Apple products to some of my friends who I know can't or don't like to tinker. It would be nice if Apple catered to my needs as well, because I think they have great products, just a piss-poor corporate outlook.
to use a car analogy:
Windows: Get a pretty good basic car, and start adding up the options, each of which will cost.
Mac: Get a really good car, but everything is pretty much standard. No Choices.
Linux: Here's a pile of parts, and a bunch of tools. Go ahead, make your own damn car.
Well, there is a third choice. Linux+Android. Not pretty at times, but boy does it work. Considering the alternatives........
Now, lets think about the phone side of the fence. The current crop of 1Ghz processor equipped phones are pretty snappy and sharp. I have a Galaxy S phone, and although I had concerns at first about the battery performance, I don't now. But what about when the first dual processors show up in the very small form factors, where space and weight is more of an issue than in a tablet? I am not sure at all that I would sacrifice battery performance for a few extra glitzy perks on the UI. In fact, I switched from a G1 to a 3gs for that very reason. Now, a year later I've picked up the Captivate and it is holding its own in this regard. I really don't want a phone that has to be plugged in every eight hours.
So, the question I have, is: Would moving to a dual processor negatively affect the batter life of a cellphone? -No Sig Req'd
We love to complain about our providers, but in this case I have had very few complaints with Rogers. Their discount brand Fido also has the same app. The only issue with it is that you have to be on 3g for it to work. But they don't charge for that data.
I have a 6G data plan, and have never even approached exceeding it. I can tether, but I don't have to very often.
Dave