There are waterproof Android phones. I own an IS11CA, which is called the "Casio G'z One Commando" overseas. My carrier (KDDI AU) also has an insurance plan that covers basically everything. I haven't had to use the insurance yet but, but I can vouch for the phone being prety tough as my father managed to drop it down a flight of stone stairs approximately 5 seconds after I first showed it to him.
My Android phone is waterproof (IS11CA) and I actually use it to watch video/listen to audio in the shower/bath pretty much every day. They do actaully sell TVs for use in shower by the way.
I live in a country where Nokia phones basically don't exist, but having traveled the world I've encountered them many times and across the board found them the worst phones ever. I was given a "top of the line" Nokia phone the last time I had work overseas (about 4 years ago) and it had about as much functionality as the Casio phone I had 12 years ago but the Nokia had a -smaller screen-, buttons you had to firmly smash to use, and almost no reasonable email composition capability. I honestly don't know about their Android phones as I've never seen one so perhaps someone could educate me as to weather or not they are equally worthless pieces of crap.
So, add WP7 - a system that could be replicated and exceeded by a simple set of Android front end extensions (case in point: http://iida.jp/ ) to crappy hardware and we get what?
There is basically no common API, compatibility with different versions is totally unpredictable, and the development tools are across the board awful. JavaME is crap and it should be ignored and forgotten.
Well even on the project where the OMAP was evaluated I wasn't the one making the final decisions and I haven't been doing much device development lately either, so at the moment I don't think I could give you much good advice. You're lucky looking for something like that now though, because with all the tablets and smart phones out now everyone seems to be offering really complete and capable ARM dev boards with well done reference designs. You may also want to check out the communities around those manufacturers. Also, just some personal advice but if you are doing a non-commercial project I'd recommend putting together some design documents and promise to release open source/open hardware - companies like Atmel and Renesas love that kind of stuff and may give you free samples/dev hardware/other goodies.
As someone with experience doing embedded development on ARM I can tell you I found the OMAP architecture to be awful. I'll admit the only time I ever used it was on a demo board (the Beagle) vs a board with essentially identical specs from FreeScale, Renesas and a few others. TI was awful with support, their documents were awful, the hardware was flaky (overheating!?) and the sample sources and module sources they provided were absolute crap. On top of that when we did get the boards running and started comparing them the OMAP board was slow as tar on anything that involved a lot of memory operations in a small timeframe. Apparently the GLES subsystem was fantastic or something but after a few attempts we couldn't get the modules built correctly against the kernel we were using and just gave up. In the end we went with the FreeScale (not my choice) which was easily superior to the TI OMAP garbage.
"Dear GoDaddy. You openly supported something that revokes our rights and would give you more power to abuse us with while others in your position openly opposed it. Fuck you. Die."
THIS. Very well put and well outlined. Thank you for clarifying the issue of sources and distribution as well, my statement could have been read a few different ways. I hope the author reads your comment.
As someone who uses the GPL a lot I tend to re-read it maybe twice a year. It really isn't a difficult document to understand and until you really sit down and read it you don't realize how great the terms are. People often mistake the GPL as being a license people use to just give away software, but that's not what it's about. It really does protect a lot of rights and give a lot of power to the creators of the software and it's aggressive approach to freedom really gives the creators an edge if used correctly. cultiv8 should really sit down and read it [again], I'd say this is borderline just before a violation but they haven't actually violated anything from what I can tell (it's not like they make any explicit claims about the software) but if he finds a genuine violation the GPL provides him with a lot of power and options to deal with it.
Absolutely correct, but may I add that the GPL explicitly allows you to sell services on software or software as a service. Selling software bundled is OK as well as long as you distribute sources and retain the GPL, of course. In this case it's a little questionable how they are advertising it and there is no immediately available source they are linking to but they're right on the line before "breaking the rules" - it really comes down to how they respond when you ask them for sources or if they are using a modified version without distributing sources.
I myself make money off of GPL software by selling services using it and I've found it an excellent license to enforce freedom without revoking control over my code. I advertise it and even use it as a selling point and regularly push updates to the original developers of projects I use but didn't create myself. I think cultiv8 should point out to this CrossMedia what he finds acceptable and see if they comply. If they don't like complying with the GPL he, as the copyright holder, actually has a very good opportunity to sell them an alternative license. If they don't comply he can threaten to sue them of course but that's all a hassle.
If the Russian rockets are having so many issues can anyone tell me why they aren't using JAXA (Japan) or ISRO (India) rockets? Cost issues? Technological limitations? I know the JAXA rockets put up satellites and probes, they put a satellite up about two weeks ago... but I honestly don't know much past that.
I guess you missed this line in my post so I'll write it again: "I completely understand what you are trying to say but you're talking about what the patent system claims to be and what it should be, but the reality is it is not those things and Apple has continually abused that fact."
Here's the reality of things. Patents don't make it so people can't copy you or make too similar things, they make it so when you sue them when you think they copy you or make too similar things your standing has more weight - after that it's basically up to the lawyers. Apple has time and time again misused BOTH technology and design patents and it's likely they'll misuse this one as well. That's what essentially everyone is getting their feathers ruffled up about here.
Yeah! And it's not like Apple patents things that are unoriginal. I mean I can't find a single item anywhere that didn't have round corners before the iPod/iPhone/iPad. It was like living in a MineCraft world! And it's not like Apple would intentionally write their patents all vaguely so they could sue anybody for anything vaguely similar, I mean it's never happened before has it?
OK, sorry about that. I completely understand what you are trying to say but you're talking about what the patent system claims to be and what it should be, but the reality is it is not those things and Apple has continually abused that fact.
Oh and fuel cells in phones and music players have already been developed and produced: http://www.gizmag.com/go/4609/ and fuel cell cars already exist and are on the market (I rode in a fuel cell taxi two weeks ago!), so when you say "might be used to power your phone... or car" it's already here and Apple didn't do it. Won't stop them from trying to sue people who try to do it from now on.
Well, they sold a fuel cell for one (they had a portable music player with a fuel cell as well but I can't remember if it was widely available) and they still sell an external unit with a set of adapters for pretty much any notebook. The product is called "Dynario", it's been around since 2003.
As someone who's built USB devices I can tell you it's a gamble anyway. I've seen busses give 500mA without negotiation and I've seen busses that won't put out 500mA after, and I've seen busses where the manufacturer realized people wanted to charge things so they put out something like 1500mA.
As for devices that plug in to USB but require more than 500mA to run check out the BeagleBoard - it requires more than 500mA to use most peripherals (network) but if you run on anything more than 500mA the thing starts overheating. As for the architecture let's just leave how I think about it as "I actively avoid purchasing devices that use OMAP".
I think you've taken most of my points in a context I never intended them to be taken in, and in some cases for situations I've (thankfully) never had to deal with.
First off I have had projects end on time and most of the projects I've managed have been completed before the deadline. I "usually" make pretty reasonable estimates and the only times I haven't met a deadline have been the direct fault of inexperienced developers trying to hide when they they screwed up.
I'm also not in a corporate environment. I'm more of a consultant I guess, and my developers are freelance. There is no such thing as salary - it's a set amount for each portion of the project and they have the choice to take it or leave it. I know a lot of developers and I know developers who are very good. When a programmer screws up and just can't cut it I get rid of them and call someone who I know can get it done or I do it myself. A lot of times an inexperienced developer will be the one who screws up and since we're on budgets it's not like I can just keep paying them while they fumble around for months on end putting me in a position where I have to keep making excuses to customers in hopes they won't sue me. In those cases I offer the the opportunity to learn how to do it by tagging along with the pro I call in in their place - so they have the opportunity to learn how to do it and take future jobs or they can quit and continue being continue being crummy programmers.
I see you have no idea what a planner is. It's an actual profession and I'm aware they don't have them in America but if you ask me you should. Planners don't do the things you laid out as examples either.
As for code reviews I'm not going to do a code review every day. I look through commits as often as I can (usually once every few days/twice a week or so) on projects I'm tightly involved in and it's a practice that has paid of exceptionally well for me on many occasions. The programmers I'm working with are very rarely in the same room with me and sometimes aren't even in the same country so firing up gitk and glancing through a few days commits proves an excellent way to figure out where people are, what they're doing, and how they're doing it. I'm usually the one making the project bases and managing master branches as well, so at any time I can fire up the project, test it, and I know how far along it is and what needs to be done next.
Also just let me state I'm very fair to developers and I've got at this very moment 7 happily working on projects with me and 5 who I've worked with before that really want to do something with me - we're meeting next week to discuss possible jobs I may get to see what they want to do and what they think about each of them. 3 of those developers are people I trained myself. They graduated college as developers but couldn't get jobs. I took them in, worked with them on projects and gave them work. At this point they could easily go corporate but they choose to stay freelance and are always eager to work with me.
It's not that I fail to it's that I don't care to. The stereotype of the Greek not working hard are from the international news, which continues to target that stereotype as a reason why Greece fell apart. The other faults that were pointed out were public employees with too many benefits and great pensions just as you mention, and fraudulent/unchecked government benefits. At least that I read about. That's all I know about the situation and seeing as to how so many news agencies were presenting the same information I assumed it to be true to the degree that it has no actual effect on my immediate life whatsoever.
I'm just as gruffed by your blatant ignorance about Japan but I'm not going to waste my time bickering over the internet. So just consider this an apology. I'm sorry for making a generalization based on knowledge gained entirely through tabloid propaganda.
That is an amazingly accurate observation. I feel both enlightened to the reality of the situation and further depressed by the realization it's basically not going to end until everyone gets punished.
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There are waterproof Android phones. I own an IS11CA, which is called the "Casio G'z One Commando" overseas. My carrier (KDDI AU) also has an insurance plan that covers basically everything. I haven't had to use the insurance yet but, but I can vouch for the phone being prety tough as my father managed to drop it down a flight of stone stairs approximately 5 seconds after I first showed it to him.
My Android phone is waterproof (IS11CA) and I actually use it to watch video/listen to audio in the shower/bath pretty much every day. They do actaully sell TVs for use in shower by the way.
I live in a country where Nokia phones basically don't exist, but having traveled the world I've encountered them many times and across the board found them the worst phones ever. I was given a "top of the line" Nokia phone the last time I had work overseas (about 4 years ago) and it had about as much functionality as the Casio phone I had 12 years ago but the Nokia had a -smaller screen-, buttons you had to firmly smash to use, and almost no reasonable email composition capability. I honestly don't know about their Android phones as I've never seen one so perhaps someone could educate me as to weather or not they are equally worthless pieces of crap.
So, add WP7 - a system that could be replicated and exceeded by a simple set of Android front end extensions (case in point: http://iida.jp/ ) to crappy hardware and we get what?
This! I have used it on Android and it does work.
There is basically no common API, compatibility with different versions is totally unpredictable, and the development tools are across the board awful. JavaME is crap and it should be ignored and forgotten.
Well even on the project where the OMAP was evaluated I wasn't the one making the final decisions and I haven't been doing much device development lately either, so at the moment I don't think I could give you much good advice. You're lucky looking for something like that now though, because with all the tablets and smart phones out now everyone seems to be offering really complete and capable ARM dev boards with well done reference designs. You may also want to check out the communities around those manufacturers. Also, just some personal advice but if you are doing a non-commercial project I'd recommend putting together some design documents and promise to release open source/open hardware - companies like Atmel and Renesas love that kind of stuff and may give you free samples/dev hardware/other goodies.
As someone with experience doing embedded development on ARM I can tell you I found the OMAP architecture to be awful. I'll admit the only time I ever used it was on a demo board (the Beagle) vs a board with essentially identical specs from FreeScale, Renesas and a few others. TI was awful with support, their documents were awful, the hardware was flaky (overheating!?) and the sample sources and module sources they provided were absolute crap. On top of that when we did get the boards running and started comparing them the OMAP board was slow as tar on anything that involved a lot of memory operations in a small timeframe. Apparently the GLES subsystem was fantastic or something but after a few attempts we couldn't get the modules built correctly against the kernel we were using and just gave up. In the end we went with the FreeScale (not my choice) which was easily superior to the TI OMAP garbage.
Sorry TI, I'm not even touching this one.
"Dear GoDaddy. You openly supported something that revokes our rights and would give you more power to abuse us with while others in your position openly opposed it. Fuck you. Die."
No tears from us. Go Namecheap!
THIS. Very well put and well outlined. Thank you for clarifying the issue of sources and distribution as well, my statement could have been read a few different ways. I hope the author reads your comment.
I'm sorry, did you read the summary? Do you honestly think a Mac mini is a step up from that or solves the problems presented?
As someone who uses the GPL a lot I tend to re-read it maybe twice a year. It really isn't a difficult document to understand and until you really sit down and read it you don't realize how great the terms are. People often mistake the GPL as being a license people use to just give away software, but that's not what it's about. It really does protect a lot of rights and give a lot of power to the creators of the software and it's aggressive approach to freedom really gives the creators an edge if used correctly. cultiv8 should really sit down and read it [again], I'd say this is borderline just before a violation but they haven't actually violated anything from what I can tell (it's not like they make any explicit claims about the software) but if he finds a genuine violation the GPL provides him with a lot of power and options to deal with it.
Absolutely correct, but may I add that the GPL explicitly allows you to sell services on software or software as a service. Selling software bundled is OK as well as long as you distribute sources and retain the GPL, of course. In this case it's a little questionable how they are advertising it and there is no immediately available source they are linking to but they're right on the line before "breaking the rules" - it really comes down to how they respond when you ask them for sources or if they are using a modified version without distributing sources.
I myself make money off of GPL software by selling services using it and I've found it an excellent license to enforce freedom without revoking control over my code. I advertise it and even use it as a selling point and regularly push updates to the original developers of projects I use but didn't create myself. I think cultiv8 should point out to this CrossMedia what he finds acceptable and see if they comply. If they don't like complying with the GPL he, as the copyright holder, actually has a very good opportunity to sell them an alternative license. If they don't comply he can threaten to sue them of course but that's all a hassle.
If the Russian rockets are having so many issues can anyone tell me why they aren't using JAXA (Japan) or ISRO (India) rockets? Cost issues? Technological limitations? I know the JAXA rockets put up satellites and probes, they put a satellite up about two weeks ago... but I honestly don't know much past that.
I guess you missed this line in my post so I'll write it again:
"I completely understand what you are trying to say but you're talking about what the patent system claims to be and what it should be, but the reality is it is not those things and Apple has continually abused that fact."
Here's the reality of things. Patents don't make it so people can't copy you or make too similar things, they make it so when you sue them when you think they copy you or make too similar things your standing has more weight - after that it's basically up to the lawyers. Apple has time and time again misused BOTH technology and design patents and it's likely they'll misuse this one as well. That's what essentially everyone is getting their feathers ruffled up about here.
Yeah! And it's not like Apple patents things that are unoriginal. I mean I can't find a single item anywhere that didn't have round corners before the iPod/iPhone/iPad. It was like living in a MineCraft world! And it's not like Apple would intentionally write their patents all vaguely so they could sue anybody for anything vaguely similar, I mean it's never happened before has it?
OK, sorry about that. I completely understand what you are trying to say but you're talking about what the patent system claims to be and what it should be, but the reality is it is not those things and Apple has continually abused that fact.
Oh and fuel cells in phones and music players have already been developed and produced: http://www.gizmag.com/go/4609/ and fuel cell cars already exist and are on the market (I rode in a fuel cell taxi two weeks ago!), so when you say "might be used to power your phone... or car" it's already here and Apple didn't do it. Won't stop them from trying to sue people who try to do it from now on.
Well, they sold a fuel cell for one (they had a portable music player with a fuel cell as well but I can't remember if it was widely available) and they still sell an external unit with a set of adapters for pretty much any notebook. The product is called "Dynario", it's been around since 2003.
As someone who's built USB devices I can tell you it's a gamble anyway. I've seen busses give 500mA without negotiation and I've seen busses that won't put out 500mA after, and I've seen busses where the manufacturer realized people wanted to charge things so they put out something like 1500mA.
As for devices that plug in to USB but require more than 500mA to run check out the BeagleBoard - it requires more than 500mA to use most peripherals (network) but if you run on anything more than 500mA the thing starts overheating. As for the architecture let's just leave how I think about it as "I actively avoid purchasing devices that use OMAP".
Who scored this -1? AC is absolutely correct. Whoever scored it -1 is a fuckwit.
Ok, that's awesome. They're on my list as registrar-to-consider if I ever need to move a domain for that.
I think you've taken most of my points in a context I never intended them to be taken in, and in some cases for situations I've (thankfully) never had to deal with.
First off I have had projects end on time and most of the projects I've managed have been completed before the deadline. I "usually" make pretty reasonable estimates and the only times I haven't met a deadline have been the direct fault of inexperienced developers trying to hide when they they screwed up.
I'm also not in a corporate environment. I'm more of a consultant I guess, and my developers are freelance. There is no such thing as salary - it's a set amount for each portion of the project and they have the choice to take it or leave it. I know a lot of developers and I know developers who are very good. When a programmer screws up and just can't cut it I get rid of them and call someone who I know can get it done or I do it myself. A lot of times an inexperienced developer will be the one who screws up and since we're on budgets it's not like I can just keep paying them while they fumble around for months on end putting me in a position where I have to keep making excuses to customers in hopes they won't sue me. In those cases I offer the the opportunity to learn how to do it by tagging along with the pro I call in in their place - so they have the opportunity to learn how to do it and take future jobs or they can quit and continue being continue being crummy programmers.
I see you have no idea what a planner is. It's an actual profession and I'm aware they don't have them in America but if you ask me you should. Planners don't do the things you laid out as examples either.
As for code reviews I'm not going to do a code review every day. I look through commits as often as I can (usually once every few days/twice a week or so) on projects I'm tightly involved in and it's a practice that has paid of exceptionally well for me on many occasions. The programmers I'm working with are very rarely in the same room with me and sometimes aren't even in the same country so firing up gitk and glancing through a few days commits proves an excellent way to figure out where people are, what they're doing, and how they're doing it. I'm usually the one making the project bases and managing master branches as well, so at any time I can fire up the project, test it, and I know how far along it is and what needs to be done next.
Also just let me state I'm very fair to developers and I've got at this very moment 7 happily working on projects with me and 5 who I've worked with before that really want to do something with me - we're meeting next week to discuss possible jobs I may get to see what they want to do and what they think about each of them. 3 of those developers are people I trained myself. They graduated college as developers but couldn't get jobs. I took them in, worked with them on projects and gave them work. At this point they could easily go corporate but they choose to stay freelance and are always eager to work with me.
It's not that I fail to it's that I don't care to. The stereotype of the Greek not working hard are from the international news, which continues to target that stereotype as a reason why Greece fell apart. The other faults that were pointed out were public employees with too many benefits and great pensions just as you mention, and fraudulent/unchecked government benefits. At least that I read about. That's all I know about the situation and seeing as to how so many news agencies were presenting the same information I assumed it to be true to the degree that it has no actual effect on my immediate life whatsoever.
I'm just as gruffed by your blatant ignorance about Japan but I'm not going to waste my time bickering over the internet. So just consider this an apology. I'm sorry for making a generalization based on knowledge gained entirely through tabloid propaganda.
*you're
I'm betting your Greek.
That is an amazingly accurate observation. I feel both enlightened to the reality of the situation and further depressed by the realization it's basically not going to end until everyone gets punished.
Well played.