While in theory, I can see your argument... in practice, it does not take into account the potential for abuse. Police could do their job more efficiently if they could just have their police reports taken as infallible overwhelming evidence; never having to spend time in the courtroom.
I would not want to live in such a police state.
While this is an extreme and unlikely outcome, it is kind of the logical conclusion of your argument.
I think Steve Jobs must have never played WOW or any FPS... cuz if he did, you'd have MacMice with a dozen buttons.
That one-button mouse thing is one of the most annoying things about Macs... but at least you can go out and replace it with a decent one fairly easily. I guess you're stuck with "all touch-screen all the time" on yer iPhone though.
Thanks for the image... Never touched or saw Sonique, but seeing that makes me wonder if they were associated with / stolen from / stolen by / or any other relationship with the folks at Kai's Power Tools? I mean, that kind of UI strangeness does NOT happen by accident... TWICE!:)
"Good. You are not supposed to make phone calls while driving. Assholes that make phone calls while driving have the same diminished reaction times as someone who is intoxicated over the legal limit."
Ahh yes, but assholes who are fumbling with an iPhone and having to actually TAKE THEIR EYES OFF THE ROAD to make calls while driving have the same diminished reaction time as someone who is intoxicated almost to the point of alcohol poiioning.
"If you want to skip a song, press down on the button on the headphone cord. If you want to look like a perv playing pocket pool go right ahead and use a player with a lot of buttons. BTW. the iPhone has a physical volume control on the phone IIRC."
Of course, if you happen to be jogging or otherwise engaged, looking like a perv playing pocket pool is better than dropping your wicked expensive, but ultimately fragile iPhone.
"You waste time and power fumbling through menus on other phones and fumbling with the volume control on all phones."
Yes, but the point is that if the most common functions are laid out on a few well-placed buttons, you don't have to fumble, ergo, you aren't using nearly as much power lighting up that LCD while said fumbling is taking place.
Hmm, I dunno. I think you might be on to something, but only if MS changes their license to a pure subscription. The reason for this is simple (IMOHO): MS ~needs~ to have a large perceived benefit (new car smell) on a new product in order for most people to be willing to plunk down a chunk of change for an upgrade or to be excited about it. Therefore, you get these big changes bundled up into NEW VERSION XYZ.
Software assurance doesn't function like a true subscription based license model, both because if you stop paying, you still get to use it for as long as you can keep it running, and because they're NOT carrying through with your 'constant small updates/upgrades', thus their big service packs and version upgrades are still these massive flag days.
Personally, I don't know as I really want MS to just ding my credit card once a month, though I know they'd love to.
DRM most certainly is the reason for HD audio's lackluster adoption. Sony hobbled MiniDiscs in the name of the almighty content protection as well.
I used to work in television in the '90s and indeed, we used those cart machines.. they were great for that purpose, but I wholeheartedly agree that the 8-track was as buggy as heck. I remember having one in our family car when I was little... I seem to recall the tapes wearing out rather quickly.
As to the ST, YEAH! I was a dedicated Atari fan with my 1040STfm. I'd say that here in the states, Atari just dropped the ball. They did indeed have the better computer for getting things done, but everyone just too closely associated the name Atari with games. We had a strange situation where the Gamers favored the Amiga over the Atari on game availability and quality, while business folks never took it seriously because they so closely associated Atari with video games from the arcade and the 2600 consoles. Atari pretty much gave up on the US to the point where I had to mail order my software from Europe before finally giving up.
MS has got to see the adware and spam issues as being a severe negative force on computing in general and a threat to customer satisfaction for their products in specific. The problem they face is that they can't haul a malware producer into court and sue them into oblivion on a claim like "Your product causes reduced confidence in our product, so it costs us customers and money", but they can darn well drag em into court (and probably win) on the grounds of "you stole our intellectual property... only we have the right to use that technology, and uh, NO, WE WILL NOT LICENSE IT TO YOU"
I mean really, it's not like anyone needs Nielsen to tell them that putting your ad on Google is going to generate fairly well targeted views. Personally, IF I were to advertise something, I'd rather it be unobtrusive (not annoying) and well-targeted: something Google does quite well.
~~begin quote~~ PHB: "How can we get people to stay longer?" Eager-Beaver Designer: "Let's put everything in Flash, put fewer words per screen and longer pauses between new screens." PHB: "Great!" ~~end quote~~
Hmm, I think they've already done this... it's called Web 2.0
In other news, Amazon has decided to allow worldwide royalty-free use of one click, whilst simultaneously patenting their new 'one hundred click slo-purchase' system.
Google, my Safari Bookshelf, the Internet in general, and a library of a whole bunch of random stuff I've written in the past are all indispensable tools. It's not possible to know every last thing about a particular language, let alone programming in general, but with a good understanding of fundamental concepts, a decent programmer should be able to find what they need to fill in the gaps.
I'd much prefer to hire someone who has an "I don't know the specific answer off the top of my head, but I'll figure it out" attitude. After all, the computer industry in general and the Internet/Web in particular change so quickly. Do you want some one-trick pony who is fully trained in yesterday's technology, or someone who is able to adapt to whatever tomorrow will bring?
I don't have a specific link, but I seem to recall some research done in Borneo - maybe by Jane Goodall - that documented some war between two groups of chimps. It was so long ago that I saw the documentary, but that bit stuck in my mind because I remember them interviewing a female scientist who was talking about the implications of this behavior as it relates to primates doing something thought to be the exclusive domain of humans.
I so wish I could remember more, but it was either chimps or orangutans in Borneo.
Yes, the V2 is an excellent example... I was surprised the article didn't mention how this supposed weapon that would wipe out the enemy DID end up changing the world in a way that nobody of the time could have forseen. Least you forget that America went to the moon on rockets that were direct decendants of the V2 and that were designed & built by many of Germany's former V2 scientists.
(ok, going to the moon didn't directly lead to a transformation of the human race, but it a) showed us that we COULD get off this big old rock (wich may eventually pave the way for humanity to survive cosmological-level disasters in the far distant future) and b) indrectly or directly led to hundreds upon hundreds of innovations, inventions, improvements, and societal adaptations thereof.
* Digital Image Processing * Image Enhancement * Space vehicle launching (Leading to financial feasability of sattelites for science and commerce) * Photovoltaic Solar systems * Chordless tools * Practical applications of Teflon * Architectural fabrics (moon-suit tech transposed to use as roofs for sports stadiums and other large public spaces) * Jaws of Life (Apparently, some newer more portable types use Nasa Explosive Bolt tech for times when the power equipment cant reach) * Freeze-drying for food and scientific uses
Dude, I SWEAR I typed that in off the top of my head. Now, maybe without realizing it, I'd seen something of that sort before, but honestly, I was just typing what came to me.
"...Already in use in a few European countries the system will make it to the US this fall it is designed to detect, identify and cite drivers who break cell phone us laws." . The company attaches a paint gun to mark the car, or even an EMP gun that can disable the offending cell phone."
I just have to sit back for a moment and admire the author's superior command of the English Language.
WOW, this is so completely bogus it's not even funny. The "Company" site is amateurish at best, paint balls thudding on the car could CAUSE an accident, and EMP would take out not only the phone (permanently), but also the car computer, and all other electronics in a fairly decent radius, causing the car to halt where it is rather abruptly.
This product is totally bogus and will never happen as stated in this article. That doesn't even cover legal cell phone use with hands-free and/or the possibility that isn't the PASSENGER.
Wow, I read your post before I RTFA, and thought, "What is this person talking about?"
So, I RTFA...
Now I'm thinking, "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE?!?!"
I almost can't believe that any business is actually considering those "add-ons", and I'm with you 100%.
In fact, the idea of the EMP is so completely ludicrous that it causes me to question the validity of the whole product line and the original article. It feels like something you'd read in a tabloid.
In fact, I browsed on over to the link for "the company" provided in the article... (http://www.hwstusa.com/) and though "NoScript" on Firefox stopped it from running anything (Flash), I got the distinct impression that it's either totally bogus, or its someone who even George Foreman would give a resounding "NO" to.
Conclusion:: No way this product is real, or if it is, then the bit about Paintball/EMP places it straight into the "This will NEVER EVER HAPPEN" category.
I say Bin the whole thing, and take the money saved and put it into a national "Hang up and drive you moron" ad campaign.
a) had some mod points b) could use them on this subthread of what I posted
and c) that the system allowed for "+6 So-Funny-I-Just-Spit-Coffee-On-My-Monitor"
Slashdot Mirror
While in theory, I can see your argument... in practice, it does not take into account the potential for abuse. Police could do their job more efficiently if they could just have their police reports taken as infallible overwhelming evidence; never having to spend time in the courtroom.
I would not want to live in such a police state.
While this is an extreme and unlikely outcome, it is kind of the logical conclusion of your argument.
I think Steve Jobs must have never played WOW or any FPS... cuz if he did, you'd have MacMice with a dozen buttons.
That one-button mouse thing is one of the most annoying things about Macs... but at least you can go out and replace it with a decent one fairly easily. I guess you're stuck with "all touch-screen all the time" on yer iPhone though.
All I could think about was:
"Graphic, deplorable violence is O.K. as long as nobody says any naughty words. That's what this war is all about."
-- Sheila Browlowski
Thanks for the image... Never touched or saw Sonique, but seeing that makes me wonder if they were associated with / stolen from / stolen by / or any other relationship with the folks at Kai's Power Tools? I mean, that kind of UI strangeness does NOT happen by accident ... TWICE! :)
"Good. You are not supposed to make phone calls while driving. Assholes that make phone calls while driving have the same diminished reaction times as someone who is intoxicated over the legal limit."
Ahh yes, but assholes who are fumbling with an iPhone and having to actually TAKE THEIR EYES OFF THE ROAD to make calls while driving have the same diminished reaction time as someone who is intoxicated almost to the point of alcohol poiioning.
"If you want to skip a song, press down on the button on the headphone cord. If you want to look like a perv playing pocket pool go right ahead and use a player with a lot of buttons. BTW. the iPhone has a physical volume control on the phone IIRC."
Of course, if you happen to be jogging or otherwise engaged, looking like a perv playing pocket pool is better than dropping your wicked expensive, but ultimately fragile iPhone.
"You waste time and power fumbling through menus on other phones and fumbling with the volume control on all phones."
Yes, but the point is that if the most common functions are laid out on a few well-placed buttons, you don't have to fumble, ergo, you aren't using nearly as much power lighting up that LCD while said fumbling is taking place.
Hmm, I dunno. I think you might be on to something, but only if MS changes their license to a pure subscription. The reason for this is simple (IMOHO): MS ~needs~ to have a large perceived benefit (new car smell) on a new product in order for most people to be willing to plunk down a chunk of change for an upgrade or to be excited about it. Therefore, you get these big changes bundled up into NEW VERSION XYZ.
Software assurance doesn't function like a true subscription based license model, both because if you stop paying, you still get to use it for as long as you can keep it running, and because they're NOT carrying through with your 'constant small updates/upgrades', thus their big service packs and version upgrades are still these massive flag days.
Personally, I don't know as I really want MS to just ding my credit card once a month, though I know they'd love to.
In other news, no Pointy Haired Bosses actually believe that anyone is actually viewing any in game ads 'cuz there's no Alexa plug-in on any consoles
Woodchip,
That was both funny and depressing at the same time. Thank you for bringing me a delightful moment of ambivalence.
Right-on.
DRM most certainly is the reason for HD audio's lackluster adoption. Sony hobbled MiniDiscs in the name of the almighty content protection as well.
I used to work in television in the '90s and indeed, we used those cart machines.. they were great for that purpose, but I wholeheartedly agree that the 8-track was as buggy as heck. I remember having one in our family car when I was little... I seem to recall the tapes wearing out rather quickly.
As to the ST, YEAH! I was a dedicated Atari fan with my 1040STfm. I'd say that here in the states, Atari just dropped the ball. They did indeed have the better computer for getting things done, but everyone just too closely associated the name Atari with games. We had a strange situation where the Gamers favored the Amiga over the Atari on game availability and quality, while business folks never took it seriously because they so closely associated Atari with video games from the arcade and the 2600 consoles. Atari pretty much gave up on the US to the point where I had to mail order my software from Europe before finally giving up.
That was my first thought as well.
MS has got to see the adware and spam issues as being a severe negative force on computing in general and a threat to customer satisfaction for their products in specific. The problem they face is that they can't haul a malware producer into court and sue them into oblivion on a claim like "Your product causes reduced confidence in our product, so it costs us customers and money", but they can darn well drag em into court (and probably win) on the grounds of "you stole our intellectual property... only we have the right to use that technology, and uh, NO, WE WILL NOT LICENSE IT TO YOU"
Go Microsoft w00t!
I always wondered about that one. (Apparently, not enough to Google it though)
Thanks.
Here Here!
I mean really, it's not like anyone needs Nielsen to tell them that putting your ad on Google is going to generate fairly well targeted views. Personally, IF I were to advertise something, I'd rather it be unobtrusive (not annoying) and well-targeted: something Google does quite well.
~~begin quote~~
... it's called Web 2.0
PHB: "How can we get people to stay longer?"
Eager-Beaver Designer: "Let's put everything in Flash, put fewer words per screen and longer pauses between new screens."
PHB: "Great!"
~~end quote~~
Hmm, I think they've already done this
In other news, Amazon has decided to allow worldwide royalty-free use of one click, whilst simultaneously patenting their new 'one hundred click slo-purchase' system.
Dude, you got chalk on your shoes for walkin' so close to the line, but I'd say it's still a fair ball.
A very good point.
Google, my Safari Bookshelf, the Internet in general, and a library of a whole bunch of random stuff I've written in the past are all indispensable tools. It's not possible to know every last thing about a particular language, let alone programming in general, but with a good understanding of fundamental concepts, a decent programmer should be able to find what they need to fill in the gaps.
I'd much prefer to hire someone who has an "I don't know the specific answer off the top of my head, but I'll figure it out" attitude. After all, the computer industry in general and the Internet/Web in particular change so quickly. Do you want some one-trick pony who is fully trained in yesterday's technology, or someone who is able to adapt to whatever tomorrow will bring?
I don't have a specific link, but I seem to recall some research done in Borneo - maybe by Jane Goodall - that documented some war between two groups of chimps. It was so long ago that I saw the documentary, but that bit stuck in my mind because I remember them interviewing a female scientist who was talking about the implications of this behavior as it relates to primates doing something thought to be the exclusive domain of humans.
I so wish I could remember more, but it was either chimps or orangutans in Borneo.
You know, I think you've managed to hit the nail directly on the head.
Too bad that the Supremes* have shown with their recent ruling on price floors, that they're firmly in Doubleyah's friends' pockets.
* That was such a bad pun it even hurt me.
Yes, the V2 is an excellent example... I was surprised the article didn't mention how this supposed weapon that would wipe out the enemy DID end up changing the world in a way that nobody of the time could have forseen. Least you forget that America went to the moon on rockets that were direct decendants of the V2 and that were designed & built by many of Germany's former V2 scientists.
(ok, going to the moon didn't directly lead to a transformation of the human race, but it a) showed us that we COULD get off this big old rock (wich may eventually pave the way for humanity to survive cosmological-level disasters in the far distant future) and b) indrectly or directly led to hundreds upon hundreds of innovations, inventions, improvements, and societal adaptations thereof.
* Digital Image Processing
* Image Enhancement
* Space vehicle launching (Leading to financial feasability of sattelites for science and commerce)
* Photovoltaic Solar systems
* Chordless tools
* Practical applications of Teflon
* Architectural fabrics (moon-suit tech transposed to use as roofs for sports stadiums and other large public spaces)
* Jaws of Life (Apparently, some newer more portable types use Nasa Explosive Bolt tech for times when the power equipment cant reach)
* Freeze-drying for food and scientific uses
etc...
Dude, I SWEAR I typed that in off the top of my head. Now, maybe without realizing it, I'd seen something of that sort before, but honestly, I was just typing what came to me.
''causing the "cone of error" well known to coastal residents to expand.''
They've obviously also expanded the "Cone of Silence"... on their own employees.
At the end of the article:
"...Already in use in a few European countries the system will make it to the US this fall it is designed to detect, identify and cite drivers who break cell phone us laws." . The company attaches a paint gun to mark the car, or even an EMP gun that can disable the offending cell phone."
I just have to sit back for a moment and admire the author's superior command of the English Language.
"Dear Mr. Proenza,
How dare you point out the fact that the Emperor has no clothes!
Now, instead of spending millions of taxpayer dollars on PR, we're going to have to actually keep our mission-critical technology going?
You sir, do NOT know how to properly game the system, and if that isn't bad enough, you're trying to stop us from doing it too?
You shall be punished.
Signed,
Your Boss."
WOW, this is so completely bogus it's not even funny. The "Company" site is amateurish at best, paint balls thudding on the car could CAUSE an accident, and EMP would take out not only the phone (permanently), but also the car computer, and all other electronics in a fairly decent radius, causing the car to halt where it is rather abruptly.
/or the possibility that isn't the PASSENGER.
This product is totally bogus and will never happen as stated in this article. That doesn't even cover legal cell phone use with hands-free and
I Call Shenanigans on this!
Wow, I read your post before I RTFA, and thought, "What is this person talking about?"
So, I RTFA...
Now I'm thinking, "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE?!?!"
I almost can't believe that any business is actually considering those "add-ons", and I'm with you 100%.
In fact, the idea of the EMP is so completely ludicrous that it causes me to question the validity of the whole product line and the original article. It feels like something you'd read in a tabloid.
In fact, I browsed on over to the link for "the company" provided in the article... (http://www.hwstusa.com/) and though "NoScript" on Firefox stopped it from running anything (Flash), I got the distinct impression that it's either totally bogus, or its someone who even George Foreman would give a resounding "NO" to.
Conclusion:: No way this product is real, or if it is, then the bit about Paintball/EMP places it straight into the "This will NEVER EVER HAPPEN" category.
I say Bin the whole thing, and take the money saved and put it into a national "Hang up and drive you moron" ad campaign.
I so wish I:
a) had some mod points
b) could use them on this subthread of what I posted
and
c) that the system allowed for "+6 So-Funny-I-Just-Spit-Coffee-On-My-Monitor"
Thank you for brightening my day!