I think the point is that some companies use it for both.
I know when I signed up for landline telephone many years ago, I was asked for my social security number. I asked them why they needed it, and they said "we need to run a credit check to make sure you will pay your electric bill". I asked if there was an alternative, and they said I had to put $100 in escrow and they could skip the credit check. Fair enough - they need to know the bill will be paid. I sent them a check for $100 and they hooked up my landline about 10 minutes after receiving the check. When I canceled service, they sent me the $100 plus accrued interest (at a low rate, but they did pay interest on the money).
Then I had to pick a random 4-digit number that they would PRETEND was the last four of my Social to identify me when I called.
I've had this happen with electric companies, cable companies, landline telephone companies, gas companies, and other utilities. It's pretty common practice, and most of them allow you to place an escrow in lieu of your SSN.
I've never had that happen with a cell company, though. So you're probably right for cell companies, they just want the last four as a "password" if you want to change services or access your account. I seem to recall that I gave them a random number, though, and they didn't get the rest of the SSN so there was no need for it to be the actual last four of the SSN.
Ah, but the beauty of an RFID system is that the user doesn't have to be conscious of security. If they need their badge to access everything, they'll have their badge with them. Once they leave their office, the computer is locked.
So the computer remains useable while an authorized user is right there and can monitor it, and locks itself when it doesn't have an authorized user present.
Conscientious users can still lock their own workstations when they know they won't be using it for a while, but this covers sudden urgent departures (or non-conscientious users).
Added bonus: In addition to helping fill a security gap, it also allows you to monitor for non-conscientious users and "remind" them that they need to be locking their workstations using whatever policies you choose.
Possibly, and when Unity becomes the default (I don't see it on 10.10, and the users I give Ubuntu to tend to stay with LTS releases so they are mostly on 10.04), I'll have to reevaluate it. My understanding was that Unity could be turned off and the UI could remain pretty Gnome-like, and if that's the case by the next LTS then no worries, I'll change the default after the install.
I don't actually use Ubuntu directly, I actually tend to use one of the Mint variants (Mint for desktops and newer laptops, Peppermint One or Peppermint Ice for older laptops and netbooks). I find that it insulates me a bit from the "Shuttleworth Shuffle".:)
True, but a system that detects when someone has actually left the area would be useful.
I don't think this SONAR system is it, mind you, but there's probably something that is. RFID chip on their badge seems like a real possibility, for example.
I don't think many people would complain if they had to log back in once they've actually left their desk area (especially if the login could be a quick fingerprint scan coupled with the close presence of an RFID chip in their badge).
But if you've ever watched a duty nurse for any period of time, you know they don't spend a lot of time sitting right at their computer (but they do spend a lot of time working on their computer, just interrupted by lots of little events like "get up and grab a chart from the desk", "answer the phone", "give directions to a family member of a patient", "turn around to grab a printout to hand to someone", etc). My point is, having to unlock your workstation after each one of those interruptions is going to be ridiculous.
And it's going to happen - you're going to be near the exit of your workstation grabbing a chart for data entry when code blue goes off. No human being in their right mind would take the time to go hit Win-L.
If the duty nurse is within the bounds of their cubicle or workstation, locking the workstation is inefficient and serves no useful purpose. They are RIGHT THERE. No one can access the computer without them knowing it, and if they want someone else to have access to their computer there's little point in trying to use technical means to prevent it.
If the duty nurse leaves the bounds of their cubicle or workstation, locking the workstation is essential, immediately. The nurse should not have to think about it. It should just happen.
If you want to make an easy-to-use, accessible Linux that your average user can use out of the box, you have to make a series of compromises. If you want to do so for profit, you have to make even more compromises.
First thing to go is the notion of a completely "libre" copy of Linux. Your average computer user expects to be able to listen to MP3s. They expect to be able to watch DVDs. They want full support for as much of the hardware as they can, including the full capability of their video card and wireless network card. If you block binary drivers and license-encumbered codecs, you'll alienate vast thundering herds of the very same users you really want to attract.
Second thing to go is a complex security model. A desktop user wants (at most) one set of credentials. They don't want a userland profile and a root profile and to have to remember to "go root" every few days to check for updates. You can make them comfortable (mostly) offering up their user credentials for updates and software installs, but you aren't going to get them to drop to a command line and su or sudo for simple tasks.
Third thing to go is an expectation that the user wants to make zillions of choices at install time, or desire the infinite configuration flexibility that is Linux. Average user does not want to hand-craft a kernel to the exact specifications of their chipset, because they haven't the faintest clue what a "chipset" means or what instruction set works for them. They don't want to choose between 5 desktop managers. They don't want to optimize the crap out of every possible aspect of the user experience by modifying xorg.conf. They don't want a 45-slider volume control. They want to be able to install it and choose between a few themes, shuffle a few fonts, set a background image of their grandkids, and adjust the speaker volume.
That's the funny thing. The people I give Ubuntu, Mint, Peppermint, etc to are the people it's designed for. If someone comes up to me and starts nattering on about worrying about having the latest version of Samba and how they are agonizing over whether KDE or Gnome is God's Gift to Window Management, or showing off a perfect chi in the form of an xorg.conf file, I'm not about to open a can of Ubuntu on them.
But the people I give Ubuntu and its variants to are still running it and enjoy it.
Distrohoppers (like me) have our loves come and go. I run a new distro in a VM about once a month, and distrohop like I'm a Jack Russell Terrier hyped up on crystal meth. I've got a couple of old machines that probably have spent as much time in various Linux distro installers as they have running Firefox.
But my desktop machine (which I share with my wife) runs the latest Mint. So does my wife's netbook. Because I want them to work, and I want them to be easy to use, and I want to be able to do what I want to do, when I want to do it.
But I'm not a duty nurse who might be on the other side of my cubicle grabbing a file to get a single bit of data off it when I get a code blue. Do I take the two steps back to my desk and tap "WinKey-L" or run in the other direction to get the crash cart?
Is that even a decision?
If I were a duty nurse, a system that locks my workstation when I step away further than the bounds of my cubicle would seem to be ideal. I get to turn around and answer the phone or answer a quick question from a patient or doctor, and turn back and not have to log back in each time, so my normal workload proceeds efficiently. However, when I have to jump up and dash away, I can focus on what I absolutely need to be doing (running like hell for the crash cart), rather than what the computer needs me to do (lock it because it's too stupid to figure out I've left the area).
Think about choosing a relatively secure password and having to enter that password every time you had to turn around (on a job that you spend a lot of time turning around). You'd very quickly figure out some sort of workaround to keep the computer unlocked rather than have to type your password 200-300 times during an 8-hour shift. Either that, or you'd be fired for gross inefficiency and replaced with someone who was clever enough to find a workaround.
Breaches are rare. Logging out and in happens every few minutes. What do you think the average desk nurse's priority is going to be? Can you blame them?
Agreed, but if you're talking about a well-prepared person that has a water reserve, might as well turn that power outage into an excuse to live it up a little.:)
Unfortunately, whether the power is on at the house or not, the Diesel generators at work still ensure that I gotta drag my carcass into work. So the power outage is just a hassle - it means I get home to a cold, dark house with a wife and daughter who are very unhappy about the house being cold and dark. Not "let's go out and spend $2,500 for a generator" unhappy, but unhappy nonetheless.
The same is generally true of snow. I just gotta get up early to plow my 1/4 mile driveway when we get a foot or two, it's not an excuse to stay home.
I have landline wires coming to my house, but they haven't been used in over a decade, probably closer to 15 years.
Somewhere along the line, the phone company shut off the dialtone.
But you are correct that any line that has a dialtone also has the capability to call 911. And, usually, the telephone company's customer service line (I've activated a couple of landlines that way - pick up the phone at the place I'm moving into, dial the customer service number, and quite often the rep will answer "hello, are you calling to set up service at your new place?"). $75 and 15 minutes later, I had a landline.
I learned it was a lot cheaper to just take my cell phone out of my pocket and yell "I DUB THEE MY HOME PHONE!" whenever I moved.
Wow. I only pay $10 for unlimited, while my parents have $5 per-call billing (they don't call out much). You may be paying more than you need to.
Here in Maine, the "unlimited local" package is $31, which includes local-only calling. I think I've heard of a per-call (though it's not on their web site any more) at about $20. All of that is before taxes, of course, which are good for another $5-10. For that kind of money, I can get a 450-minute plan from AT&T or Verizon and buy a cheap cell for $40 so I don't need to sign up for a contract commitment to get it.
I have an old analog phone from 1999. You think that would still call 911?
No, but that's because they won't be able to reach a tower. I don't think many analog towers even exist any more.
However, you can drop by Best Buy and pick up a GoPhone for about $10, then just never activate the card in it. Instant 911-only cell phone, $10.
I had Vonage for a while, and since I had a decent UPS I found that it was pretty reliable at least as long as the UPS lasted. Until Comcast took over and stopped swapping out the batteries in their substations, of course. Now, whenever the power blinks, I lose Internet access for at least an hour. I've used my Vonage line when the landlines were out, I've used my cell when both the landline and Vonage were out, and I've used a landline when both Vonage and my cell were out. I honestly haven't found one of them that works ALL the time. So I have a VoIP line and a cell, and a couple of my neighbors have landlines. Between us, we can call for help if we need it.
As far as the volume of 911 calls...
But I've also never had to call 911 for something like a power outage. I mean, really? What are the police going to do? Bring you a blankie? If you're young and fit, stay off the damned phone. If you don't have some spare food and water, stop by on your way home tonight and pick up a few gallons of cheap potable water and a case of soup so you don't have to call the WAAAAAAAAmbulance if the power goes out for a day or two. It'll cost you about ten bucks, and might make the next power outage a lot more comfortable. Cold soup's no fun to eat, but it's safe and chock full of calories.
If you want to take this half-seriously, a handful of cans of good hearty soup, some meat in the freezer, a couple of loaves of bread, a propane grill with a side burner and a spare tank or two, 4-5 gallons of water per person (rotate through it or dump-and-fill every few months), a couple of half-assed first aid kits, and there's really nothing anyone else needs to do for you unless you injure yourself. Hell, if you're lucky enough not to have to go to work for a few days, live it up! BBQ every night! Woohoo! Don't forget a couple of cases of decent beer.
More importantly, check in on your elderly neighbors with the occasional dose of warm high-calorie food and thermos of tea so they don't HAVE to call 911! Bring a good sleeping bag and a couple of Nalgenes of boiling water wrapped in a towel in case you need to warm them up fast. Get them in the sleeping bag and put the Nalgenes (still wrapped in the towels) in with them. Chances are, if they're chilled, their bodies are incapable of generating enough warmth, so bring some with you.
It's a talent that people can understand and be amused by.
As opposed to, say, science, where a scientist who makes a mind-bogglingly monumental discovery will find that there is a small number of scientists in his/her specific field who admire/are jealous of his/her accomplishments, a few people who can understand the discovery in enough detail to say "cool" or engage in a serious and interesting conversation about it, a few hundred Slashdotters who will argue incessantly about whether the science is valid based on their high school educations, and a vast majority of humans who don't have the foggiest clue what a quark is and why we should give a shit that it now spins anticlockwi.. oh, look, "Survivor: Whiny Nearly Naked Big Boobed Chicks XXIV" is on!
It's gotta meet one of the basic needs. Food, clothing, shelter, procreation, recreation. Otherwise, it's just some mumbo-jumbo from that science thing Geezus tells us is wrong.
OK, fair point there. If you're a small shop accepting micropayments of 3 bucks, Mastercard and Visa can be pretty ruinous about it. Apple has enough swing in the market to take advantage of a better fee structure.
This also prevents someone from using a component-in TV to watch Blu-Ray in Blu-Ray quality. So if you have an "older" large-screen television that supports component-in and is perfectly capable of 1080, you'll need a new television set to continue watching 1080 resolution video.
I think the same will be true if you use Blu-Ray compliant playback software in your PC. If your connection to your monitor is analog, this flag will force the software to downconvert 1080p to 540p, or you'll need a new computer monitor that can handle HDMI.
Not that I care, I don't watch Blu-Ray, but my 24" computer monitor is perfectly capable of far higher resolutions than 1080 (hell, my LAPTOP has 1680x1050). But it only has an analog connector (uses the 24-pin DIN connector). My newer computer has an HDMI-out, but the monitor lacks HDMI-in. And that monitor's only about 3 years old.
A much nicer-looking choice if you need/want a tablet enough to drop $350 on it. A little rich for my blood, but to me it's merely a toy and that's a little above my toy budget.
Good luck and enjoy.
PS: I'm sure you've noticed it, but that unit lacks a few handy bits, like a GPS for example. May or may not affect your needs, but...
I agree with you that $10 is simply exaggeration, but you're a tad low.
if last.fm is making it on $3, they can raise their price to $4 and more than cover the 30%.
OK, so let's assume last.fm is making money at $3. Apple wants 30% of whatever last.fm makes, which comes off the top. Apple is not serving any music, they are just hosting the installer for the app. This means that paying Apple 30% merely gives them access to the iOS universe. It's not saving them any of the costs they are currently incurring to reap a profit at $3. So they still need to make $3 a month off each customer to make it worthwhile. I'm assuming, of course, that Apple isn't doing the hosting and paying all the streaming-media fees.
If Apple wants 30% off the top and last.fm went to $4, Apple would take 30% of $4 which is $1.20. That leaves last.fm with $2.80. $2.80 $3.
Last.fm would have to go to about $4.50 just to make the same money they do today.
But, here's the real kicker, last.fm has to start charging EVERYONE $4.50, because Apple terms state that you cannot charge a different amount for your service than you offer for it in the App Store. Now, last.fm is making more money off the non-iOS customers, but they'll also lose customers over it, and they have to offer the same deal to iOS customers that they do to their own direct customers, so Apple will quickly become a "lost leader" or their least profitable division.
Then Apple comes out with a profitable subscription model that is 30% cheaper than yours, and drives you out of the market completely.
Whenever you get into a relationship with a vendor that dictates your pricing in channels other than their own, you really need to consider whether the resulting loss of control over your own pricing structure is really worth it. Generally, that vendor has an interest in undercutting you at some point after he's milked you long enough.
So (honest ignorant question) can you leave web-based apps running in the background now? Can you pop over to your email and listen to music on a web page while the music continues to play?
Or would an iPhone become ONLY a music player when running last.fm or any other web site that streams music?
I was under the impression that this was the big difference between "apps" and "web apps". But I only own an iPod Gen 2, so my knowledge is at least two generations out of date.
It's already happened. There are plenty of Android-based tablets out there starting in the $150 range if you can put up with a 7" screen. You can also get smartphones like the unlocked Nokia ExpressMusic in the $250 range, useable on WiFi without a data plan and pretty packed with nice features.
There's always a middle ground when you have a competitive market.
At $150, you aren't buying an iPad, but then again you aren't paying for one either. It's a cheap way to play with a tablet, as long as you don't take it too terribly seriously.
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I think the point is that some companies use it for both.
I know when I signed up for landline telephone many years ago, I was asked for my social security number. I asked them why they needed it, and they said "we need to run a credit check to make sure you will pay your electric bill". I asked if there was an alternative, and they said I had to put $100 in escrow and they could skip the credit check. Fair enough - they need to know the bill will be paid. I sent them a check for $100 and they hooked up my landline about 10 minutes after receiving the check. When I canceled service, they sent me the $100 plus accrued interest (at a low rate, but they did pay interest on the money).
Then I had to pick a random 4-digit number that they would PRETEND was the last four of my Social to identify me when I called.
I've had this happen with electric companies, cable companies, landline telephone companies, gas companies, and other utilities. It's pretty common practice, and most of them allow you to place an escrow in lieu of your SSN.
I've never had that happen with a cell company, though. So you're probably right for cell companies, they just want the last four as a "password" if you want to change services or access your account. I seem to recall that I gave them a random number, though, and they didn't get the rest of the SSN so there was no need for it to be the actual last four of the SSN.
Ah, but the beauty of an RFID system is that the user doesn't have to be conscious of security. If they need their badge to access everything, they'll have their badge with them. Once they leave their office, the computer is locked.
So the computer remains useable while an authorized user is right there and can monitor it, and locks itself when it doesn't have an authorized user present.
Conscientious users can still lock their own workstations when they know they won't be using it for a while, but this covers sudden urgent departures (or non-conscientious users).
Added bonus: In addition to helping fill a security gap, it also allows you to monitor for non-conscientious users and "remind" them that they need to be locking their workstations using whatever policies you choose.
Possibly, and when Unity becomes the default (I don't see it on 10.10, and the users I give Ubuntu to tend to stay with LTS releases so they are mostly on 10.04), I'll have to reevaluate it. My understanding was that Unity could be turned off and the UI could remain pretty Gnome-like, and if that's the case by the next LTS then no worries, I'll change the default after the install.
I don't actually use Ubuntu directly, I actually tend to use one of the Mint variants (Mint for desktops and newer laptops, Peppermint One or Peppermint Ice for older laptops and netbooks). I find that it insulates me a bit from the "Shuttleworth Shuffle". :)
This many posts, and no one has asked the question...
"Does it blend?"
(sorry, couldn't resist)
True, but a system that detects when someone has actually left the area would be useful.
I don't think this SONAR system is it, mind you, but there's probably something that is. RFID chip on their badge seems like a real possibility, for example.
I don't think many people would complain if they had to log back in once they've actually left their desk area (especially if the login could be a quick fingerprint scan coupled with the close presence of an RFID chip in their badge).
But if you've ever watched a duty nurse for any period of time, you know they don't spend a lot of time sitting right at their computer (but they do spend a lot of time working on their computer, just interrupted by lots of little events like "get up and grab a chart from the desk", "answer the phone", "give directions to a family member of a patient", "turn around to grab a printout to hand to someone", etc). My point is, having to unlock your workstation after each one of those interruptions is going to be ridiculous.
And it's going to happen - you're going to be near the exit of your workstation grabbing a chart for data entry when code blue goes off. No human being in their right mind would take the time to go hit Win-L.
If the duty nurse is within the bounds of their cubicle or workstation, locking the workstation is inefficient and serves no useful purpose. They are RIGHT THERE. No one can access the computer without them knowing it, and if they want someone else to have access to their computer there's little point in trying to use technical means to prevent it.
If the duty nurse leaves the bounds of their cubicle or workstation, locking the workstation is essential, immediately. The nurse should not have to think about it. It should just happen.
If you want to make an easy-to-use, accessible Linux that your average user can use out of the box, you have to make a series of compromises. If you want to do so for profit, you have to make even more compromises.
First thing to go is the notion of a completely "libre" copy of Linux. Your average computer user expects to be able to listen to MP3s. They expect to be able to watch DVDs. They want full support for as much of the hardware as they can, including the full capability of their video card and wireless network card. If you block binary drivers and license-encumbered codecs, you'll alienate vast thundering herds of the very same users you really want to attract.
Second thing to go is a complex security model. A desktop user wants (at most) one set of credentials. They don't want a userland profile and a root profile and to have to remember to "go root" every few days to check for updates. You can make them comfortable (mostly) offering up their user credentials for updates and software installs, but you aren't going to get them to drop to a command line and su or sudo for simple tasks.
Third thing to go is an expectation that the user wants to make zillions of choices at install time, or desire the infinite configuration flexibility that is Linux. Average user does not want to hand-craft a kernel to the exact specifications of their chipset, because they haven't the faintest clue what a "chipset" means or what instruction set works for them. They don't want to choose between 5 desktop managers. They don't want to optimize the crap out of every possible aspect of the user experience by modifying xorg.conf. They don't want a 45-slider volume control. They want to be able to install it and choose between a few themes, shuffle a few fonts, set a background image of their grandkids, and adjust the speaker volume.
That's the funny thing. The people I give Ubuntu, Mint, Peppermint, etc to are the people it's designed for. If someone comes up to me and starts nattering on about worrying about having the latest version of Samba and how they are agonizing over whether KDE or Gnome is God's Gift to Window Management, or showing off a perfect chi in the form of an xorg.conf file, I'm not about to open a can of Ubuntu on them.
But the people I give Ubuntu and its variants to are still running it and enjoy it.
Distrohoppers (like me) have our loves come and go. I run a new distro in a VM about once a month, and distrohop like I'm a Jack Russell Terrier hyped up on crystal meth. I've got a couple of old machines that probably have spent as much time in various Linux distro installers as they have running Firefox.
But my desktop machine (which I share with my wife) runs the latest Mint. So does my wife's netbook. Because I want them to work, and I want them to be easy to use, and I want to be able to do what I want to do, when I want to do it.
Ubuntu is really good at that.
Trusting the summary to be accurate is an even worse idea. TFA talks about LOCKING the workstation, not logging it out.
Me, too.
But I'm not a duty nurse who might be on the other side of my cubicle grabbing a file to get a single bit of data off it when I get a code blue. Do I take the two steps back to my desk and tap "WinKey-L" or run in the other direction to get the crash cart?
Is that even a decision?
If I were a duty nurse, a system that locks my workstation when I step away further than the bounds of my cubicle would seem to be ideal. I get to turn around and answer the phone or answer a quick question from a patient or doctor, and turn back and not have to log back in each time, so my normal workload proceeds efficiently. However, when I have to jump up and dash away, I can focus on what I absolutely need to be doing (running like hell for the crash cart), rather than what the computer needs me to do (lock it because it's too stupid to figure out I've left the area).
Think about choosing a relatively secure password and having to enter that password every time you had to turn around (on a job that you spend a lot of time turning around). You'd very quickly figure out some sort of workaround to keep the computer unlocked rather than have to type your password 200-300 times during an 8-hour shift. Either that, or you'd be fired for gross inefficiency and replaced with someone who was clever enough to find a workaround.
Breaches are rare. Logging out and in happens every few minutes. What do you think the average desk nurse's priority is going to be? Can you blame them?
Agreed, but if you're talking about a well-prepared person that has a water reserve, might as well turn that power outage into an excuse to live it up a little. :)
Unfortunately, whether the power is on at the house or not, the Diesel generators at work still ensure that I gotta drag my carcass into work. So the power outage is just a hassle - it means I get home to a cold, dark house with a wife and daughter who are very unhappy about the house being cold and dark. Not "let's go out and spend $2,500 for a generator" unhappy, but unhappy nonetheless.
The same is generally true of snow. I just gotta get up early to plow my 1/4 mile driveway when we get a foot or two, it's not an excuse to stay home.
For various values of "inactive".
I have landline wires coming to my house, but they haven't been used in over a decade, probably closer to 15 years.
Somewhere along the line, the phone company shut off the dialtone.
But you are correct that any line that has a dialtone also has the capability to call 911. And, usually, the telephone company's customer service line (I've activated a couple of landlines that way - pick up the phone at the place I'm moving into, dial the customer service number, and quite often the rep will answer "hello, are you calling to set up service at your new place?"). $75 and 15 minutes later, I had a landline.
I learned it was a lot cheaper to just take my cell phone out of my pocket and yell "I DUB THEE MY HOME PHONE!" whenever I moved.
Wow. I only pay $10 for unlimited, while my parents have $5 per-call billing (they don't call out much). You may be paying more than you need to.
Here in Maine, the "unlimited local" package is $31, which includes local-only calling. I think I've heard of a per-call (though it's not on their web site any more) at about $20. All of that is before taxes, of course, which are good for another $5-10. For that kind of money, I can get a 450-minute plan from AT&T or Verizon and buy a cheap cell for $40 so I don't need to sign up for a contract commitment to get it.
I have an old analog phone from 1999. You think that would still call 911?
No, but that's because they won't be able to reach a tower. I don't think many analog towers even exist any more.
However, you can drop by Best Buy and pick up a GoPhone for about $10, then just never activate the card in it. Instant 911-only cell phone, $10.
You suspect correctly. If you can reach a tower, you can make a 911 call. No plan (hell, no SIM) required.
I had Vonage for a while, and since I had a decent UPS I found that it was pretty reliable at least as long as the UPS lasted. Until Comcast took over and stopped swapping out the batteries in their substations, of course. Now, whenever the power blinks, I lose Internet access for at least an hour. I've used my Vonage line when the landlines were out, I've used my cell when both the landline and Vonage were out, and I've used a landline when both Vonage and my cell were out. I honestly haven't found one of them that works ALL the time. So I have a VoIP line and a cell, and a couple of my neighbors have landlines. Between us, we can call for help if we need it.
As far as the volume of 911 calls...
But I've also never had to call 911 for something like a power outage. I mean, really? What are the police going to do? Bring you a blankie? If you're young and fit, stay off the damned phone. If you don't have some spare food and water, stop by on your way home tonight and pick up a few gallons of cheap potable water and a case of soup so you don't have to call the WAAAAAAAAmbulance if the power goes out for a day or two. It'll cost you about ten bucks, and might make the next power outage a lot more comfortable. Cold soup's no fun to eat, but it's safe and chock full of calories.
If you want to take this half-seriously, a handful of cans of good hearty soup, some meat in the freezer, a couple of loaves of bread, a propane grill with a side burner and a spare tank or two, 4-5 gallons of water per person (rotate through it or dump-and-fill every few months), a couple of half-assed first aid kits, and there's really nothing anyone else needs to do for you unless you injure yourself. Hell, if you're lucky enough not to have to go to work for a few days, live it up! BBQ every night! Woohoo! Don't forget a couple of cases of decent beer.
More importantly, check in on your elderly neighbors with the occasional dose of warm high-calorie food and thermos of tea so they don't HAVE to call 911! Bring a good sleeping bag and a couple of Nalgenes of boiling water wrapped in a towel in case you need to warm them up fast. Get them in the sleeping bag and put the Nalgenes (still wrapped in the towels) in with them. Chances are, if they're chilled, their bodies are incapable of generating enough warmth, so bring some with you.
It's a talent that people can understand and be amused by.
As opposed to, say, science, where a scientist who makes a mind-bogglingly monumental discovery will find that there is a small number of scientists in his/her specific field who admire/are jealous of his/her accomplishments, a few people who can understand the discovery in enough detail to say "cool" or engage in a serious and interesting conversation about it, a few hundred Slashdotters who will argue incessantly about whether the science is valid based on their high school educations, and a vast majority of humans who don't have the foggiest clue what a quark is and why we should give a shit that it now spins anticlockwi.. oh, look, "Survivor: Whiny Nearly Naked Big Boobed Chicks XXIV" is on!
It's gotta meet one of the basic needs. Food, clothing, shelter, procreation, recreation. Otherwise, it's just some mumbo-jumbo from that science thing Geezus tells us is wrong.
Sure, they keep each other busy enough that the rest of us can get on with our lives.
OK, fair point there. If you're a small shop accepting micropayments of 3 bucks, Mastercard and Visa can be pretty ruinous about it. Apple has enough swing in the market to take advantage of a better fee structure.
Oh, no! Get the gTablet. Then post back and let me know what you think.
I can't justify one myself, but as a geek I can enjoy one vicariously. :)
Good luck with that.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Help-Topics/In-Store-Return-Policy/pcmcat204400050028.c?id=pcmcat204400050028
"Opened computer software, movies, music and video games can be exchanged for the identical item but cannot be returned for a refund"
http://walmartstores.com/7658.aspx
"Prerecorded music, movies, and software products must be returned unopened."
http://www.borders.com/online/store/CustomerServiceView_returnspolicy
"Return new books, unopened CDs, DVDs, and electronics, including eReaders, in their original condition."
http://www.target.com/Refund-Policy-Returns-Refunds-Help/b?ie=UTF8&node=13685491
"Some items cannot be returned if opened and may only be exchangeable, including music, movies, video games, software and collectibles."
This also prevents someone from using a component-in TV to watch Blu-Ray in Blu-Ray quality. So if you have an "older" large-screen television that supports component-in and is perfectly capable of 1080, you'll need a new television set to continue watching 1080 resolution video.
I think the same will be true if you use Blu-Ray compliant playback software in your PC. If your connection to your monitor is analog, this flag will force the software to downconvert 1080p to 540p, or you'll need a new computer monitor that can handle HDMI.
Not that I care, I don't watch Blu-Ray, but my 24" computer monitor is perfectly capable of far higher resolutions than 1080 (hell, my LAPTOP has 1680x1050). But it only has an analog connector (uses the 24-pin DIN connector). My newer computer has an HDMI-out, but the monitor lacks HDMI-in. And that monitor's only about 3 years old.
A much nicer-looking choice if you need/want a tablet enough to drop $350 on it. A little rich for my blood, but to me it's merely a toy and that's a little above my toy budget.
Good luck and enjoy.
PS: I'm sure you've noticed it, but that unit lacks a few handy bits, like a GPS for example. May or may not affect your needs, but...
Damn Slashdot and its hunger for simple mathematical signs in the name of anti-HTML.
$2.80 $3.
That should read "$2.80 is less than $3"
I agree with you that $10 is simply exaggeration, but you're a tad low.
if last.fm is making it on $3, they can raise their price to $4 and more than cover the 30%.
OK, so let's assume last.fm is making money at $3. Apple wants 30% of whatever last.fm makes, which comes off the top. Apple is not serving any music, they are just hosting the installer for the app. This means that paying Apple 30% merely gives them access to the iOS universe. It's not saving them any of the costs they are currently incurring to reap a profit at $3. So they still need to make $3 a month off each customer to make it worthwhile. I'm assuming, of course, that Apple isn't doing the hosting and paying all the streaming-media fees.
If Apple wants 30% off the top and last.fm went to $4, Apple would take 30% of $4 which is $1.20. That leaves last.fm with $2.80. $2.80 $3.
Last.fm would have to go to about $4.50 just to make the same money they do today.
But, here's the real kicker, last.fm has to start charging EVERYONE $4.50, because Apple terms state that you cannot charge a different amount for your service than you offer for it in the App Store. Now, last.fm is making more money off the non-iOS customers, but they'll also lose customers over it, and they have to offer the same deal to iOS customers that they do to their own direct customers, so Apple will quickly become a "lost leader" or their least profitable division.
Then Apple comes out with a profitable subscription model that is 30% cheaper than yours, and drives you out of the market completely.
Whenever you get into a relationship with a vendor that dictates your pricing in channels other than their own, you really need to consider whether the resulting loss of control over your own pricing structure is really worth it. Generally, that vendor has an interest in undercutting you at some point after he's milked you long enough.
So (honest ignorant question) can you leave web-based apps running in the background now? Can you pop over to your email and listen to music on a web page while the music continues to play?
Or would an iPhone become ONLY a music player when running last.fm or any other web site that streams music?
I was under the impression that this was the big difference between "apps" and "web apps". But I only own an iPod Gen 2, so my knowledge is at least two generations out of date.
It's already happened. There are plenty of Android-based tablets out there starting in the $150 range if you can put up with a 7" screen. You can also get smartphones like the unlocked Nokia ExpressMusic in the $250 range, useable on WiFi without a data plan and pretty packed with nice features.
There's always a middle ground when you have a competitive market.
Agreed, there are lots of shady sites selling crap.
What about from Amazon (sold by Amazon, with 110 reviews?): http://www.amazon.com/Coby-MID7015-Android-Internet-Touchscreen/dp/B0047Q9GT4 I think the same thing is pretty commonly available in the same price range at local stores.
At $150, you aren't buying an iPad, but then again you aren't paying for one either. It's a cheap way to play with a tablet, as long as you don't take it too terribly seriously.