At the risk of feeding anonymous trolls, yes, I didn't feel it was relevant. User experience is sufficient in appraising the lacking levels of quality in Microsoft software.
As a user of Microsoft products, I witness their lack of stability, their tendency to crash or exhibit bugs, and their uncanny ability of corrupting user data, and so forth. After putting up with them for so long, I know quite a bit about them.
Moreover, I used to be an employee. I worked at the Redmond campus. I know both the quality exhibited on the outside, and the quality that goes into the products on the inside.
... when reading stories like this on my desktop computers, one of which is a Linux, the other of which is a Mac OS X...
Sure, they're not immune from security holes, exploits of various kinds, viruses and what-not... but I have a strong suspicion that, even if they had as wide a user base as Windows, they'd still be more secure. The level of polish and craftsmanship of open source software (recall OS X's open source roots) can never be duplicated by Microsoft's paranoid and closed-doors efforts.
The iTMS was the only online music store that really had me sit up and take notice. Now eMusic is making me do the same thing.
iTunes is nice since it's cheap per song, but the selection, though huge, misses out one some less mainstream, more niche genres.
eMusic seems to fill in the missing areas pretty well (although still not enough psychedelic trance) and provides DRM-free tunes. This company could go quite far.
For most consumers, though, I think the price-per-song versus a monthly price could still be the deciding factor.
Both cards work admirably at tuning ATSC signals, capturing the bitstream, and saving them to disk.
For playback, the MyHD card includes an MPEG decoder and component, VGA, and DVI output (as an option), so your PC can plug right into your HDTV. It can playback to a PC monitor, too. The driver and application are pretty well polished and easy to use. It comes with an I/R remote and a remote sensor that plugs into a serial port so you can keep your PC and keyboard hidden away and control card functions from the remote. It will also playback DVDs as well as DVD content ripped to hard disk.
The The pcHDTV card relies on software applications (Xine) to decode and playback. The driver is enormously stable in my experience. Playing back content relies on correct configuration of Xine, the mpeg decoder, the program stream demultiplexor, and so forth. Not too hard for more experienced users.
In my setup there's a Linux box that's responsible for recording only and a Windows box for playback only.
Oh and don't forget that current HDTV capture cards will be illegal on 2005.7.1. Buy 'em now while you can. Future models will have to support DRM via a broadcast flag.:-(
I've got two such cards, one is Linux only and the other is Windows only. But since they both save the raw bitstream coming from over the air, files can be played back from both cards without modification.
They're in separate systems and have access via NFS and SMB to a RAID array to save/playback all programming.
The card works thanks to the growing 3G (third generation) network that's common in the UK (where Vodaphone itself is). In the United States, Verizon has just started offering 3G coverage in three geograpic areas, including tech-savvy Silicon Valley.
I have no idea if Verizon's network will be compatible with Vodaphone's card. My guess is not.
You can google for open HTTP proxies, or even just visit this site. Pick one in the US, set up your browser, and away you go. Paraphrasing John Gilmore, the Net interprets regionalization as damage and routes around it.
I use this technique to visit Japanese idol sites that disallow non.jp addresses. Slower, but better than not getting any, er, "eye-candy."
Private: the elevator attendant (a Valued Associate) is your Customer Interface to the Space Elevator. The individual is in his/her teens, wears plenty of Company Issued "Flair," and beams incessantly as you say at what altitude you want your spacecraft released.
Public: the elevator attendant (a Civil Servant) only grudgingly speaks to you. The individual, dressed in a simple brown uniform, is in upper middle age, and won't release your spacecraft from the elevator without a 29B/6 form that's been stamped.
I'd have to meta-moderate that as unfair. Moderate the topic, not the signature, please. (Or help me get a free iPod and I'll change my signature!)
Although made by the same company that makes laptop computer touchpads, and although the technology is quite similar, the feel is quite different, almost as if a thin layer of a slippery substance, like teflon, were on the user surface.
And that's where Google still wins. Jeeves has icons, Red Cross donations, and more. And to make all the various links less intrusive, they're in a tiny-tiny font; Google's search page links are normally sized and still don't intrude. Overall, Jeeve's page has a lot of visual noise.
If you haven't yet tried the clickwheel on an iPod yet, do it. The article is handy if you're curious about implementation, but actually using the device to navigate a huge music library will literally make you grin.
Oh, and speaking of iPods, please click the link in my signature...:-)
it is unreadable in Preview for me, I had to use Acrobat
Confirmed. And for those of you who haven't yet had the joy of Mac OS X, Preview is the built-in file viewer which handles PDFs admirably, or at least did up until this document.
On Topic: the memorandum says that only "soft" supporters for either candidate will be allowed to pose questions, literally using the word "soft" in quotation marks. I'm curious how they'll measure softness in the audience, which apparently will be up to the Gallup organization. (I guess "hard" supporters may well ask "hard" questions, which just happen to be the questions I'd like answered.)
Monsters practically everywhere, all bend on attacking you, and spawning after some time have pasted.
If you find such attacks tedious, you might enjoy a game which automates much of that process: Progress Quest. Windows only, but after rolling up your character, you can even minimize to the system tray and you'll keep progressing.
The vaulted FreeBSD stability is mostly a matter of conservativism rather than the long history of the OS.
Regardless of its source, it's that stability that made me choose FreeBSD as the platform for my firewall/NAT. Sure, I've got plenty of Linux, Mac OS X, and even a couple of Windows boxes on the inside, but that single FreeBSD system helps me sleep better.
(Oh, and I think you meant "vaunted", not "vaulted":-)
As more and more embedded devices are capable of running Java, having a lightweight database right in the device can certainly enable some programming techniques that typically you might offload to a more-capable server. Derby is lightweight enough that you can fit it in many such resource-challenged environments.
Think what a swarm of databases might accomplish... especially if you don't have to synchronize those tuple spaces...
If you're lucky enough to have a decent screen name on AOL, like your first or last name, then you probably want to get one of these devices.
When I got my Yahoo account years and years ago I was early enough to get decent screen name. The problem is that today that account is routinely hacked (and once, even pwned, but thanks to the nice security folks at Yahoo, given back to me). People don't like to use something like "%geeba%56672" for Yahoo Instant Messenger. I imagine the same thing is true on AOL. Having a smartID or securiCard or other defense would be nice.
(Then again, auctioning off a nice AOL screen name might be worth a few bucks on eBay...)
For someone who's never seen a PlayStation before, what does it mean that no adapter's required this time? What did the Ethernet port on the last model look like, and why did it require an adapter?
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At the risk of feeding anonymous trolls, yes, I didn't feel it was relevant. User experience is sufficient in appraising the lacking levels of quality in Microsoft software.
of which you know nothing
As a user of Microsoft products, I witness their lack of stability, their tendency to crash or exhibit bugs, and their uncanny ability of corrupting user data, and so forth. After putting up with them for so long, I know quite a bit about them.
Moreover, I used to be an employee. I worked at the Redmond campus. I know both the quality exhibited on the outside, and the quality that goes into the products on the inside.
I do indeed know something.
... when reading stories like this on my desktop computers, one of which is a Linux, the other of which is a Mac OS X ...
... but I have a strong suspicion that, even if they had as wide a user base as Windows, they'd still be more secure. The level of polish and craftsmanship of open source software (recall OS X's open source roots) can never be duplicated by Microsoft's paranoid and closed-doors efforts.
Sure, they're not immune from security holes, exploits of various kinds, viruses and what-not
The iTMS was the only online music store that really had me sit up and take notice. Now eMusic is making me do the same thing.
iTunes is nice since it's cheap per song, but the selection, though huge, misses out one some less mainstream, more niche genres. eMusic seems to fill in the missing areas pretty well (although still not enough psychedelic trance) and provides DRM-free tunes. This company could go quite far.
For most consumers, though, I think the price-per-song versus a monthly price could still be the deciding factor.
Both cards work admirably at tuning ATSC signals, capturing the bitstream, and saving them to disk.
For playback, the MyHD card includes an MPEG decoder and component, VGA, and DVI output (as an option), so your PC can plug right into your HDTV. It can playback to a PC monitor, too. The driver and application are pretty well polished and easy to use. It comes with an I/R remote and a remote sensor that plugs into a serial port so you can keep your PC and keyboard hidden away and control card functions from the remote. It will also playback DVDs as well as DVD content ripped to hard disk.
The The pcHDTV card relies on software applications (Xine) to decode and playback. The driver is enormously stable in my experience. Playing back content relies on correct configuration of Xine, the mpeg decoder, the program stream demultiplexor, and so forth. Not too hard for more experienced users.
In my setup there's a Linux box that's responsible for recording only and a Windows box for playback only.
Oh and don't forget that current HDTV capture cards will be illegal on 2005.7.1. Buy 'em now while you can. Future models will have to support DRM via a broadcast flag. :-(
I've got two such cards, one is Linux only and the other is Windows only. But since they both save the raw bitstream coming from over the air, files can be played back from both cards without modification.
They're in separate systems and have access via NFS and SMB to a RAID array to save/playback all programming.
From the "What is R?" page:
:-)
R is a language and environment for statistical computing and graphics. It is a GNU project which is similar to the S language
So, R came from S; that must mean that R++ is coming up next!
Didja notice the Apache feathers on the arrow in the new logo? Nice touch!
The card works thanks to the growing 3G (third generation) network that's common in the UK (where Vodaphone itself is). In the United States, Verizon has just started offering 3G coverage in three geograpic areas, including tech-savvy Silicon Valley.
I have no idea if Verizon's network will be compatible with Vodaphone's card. My guess is not.
Get into this hobby while you can before it becomes difficult and/or illegal.
You can google for open HTTP proxies, or even just visit this site. Pick one in the US, set up your browser, and away you go. Paraphrasing John Gilmore, the Net interprets regionalization as damage and routes around it.
.jp addresses. Slower, but better than not getting any, er, "eye-candy."
I use this technique to visit Japanese idol sites that disallow non
Private: the elevator attendant (a Valued Associate) is your Customer Interface to the Space Elevator. The individual is in his/her teens, wears plenty of Company Issued "Flair," and beams incessantly as you say at what altitude you want your spacecraft released.
Public: the elevator attendant (a Civil Servant) only grudgingly speaks to you. The individual, dressed in a simple brown uniform, is in upper middle age, and won't release your spacecraft from the elevator without a 29B/6 form that's been stamped.
And one screen is touch-sensitive; that could certainly lead to some novel applications--er, I meant games, of course ... :-)
... built-in WiFi ... tempting ...
I wonder if you can run Linux on it? It sports an ARM9 and an ARM7
I'd have to meta-moderate that as unfair. Moderate the topic, not the signature, please. (Or help me get a free iPod and I'll change my signature!)
Although made by the same company that makes laptop computer touchpads, and although the technology is quite similar, the feel is quite different, almost as if a thin layer of a slippery substance, like teflon, were on the user surface.
If you're out of reception range of BBC Radio Four, then you can listen online:
BBC Radio Player
It requires a Real player of some kind.
And that's where Google still wins. Jeeves has icons, Red Cross donations, and more. And to make all the various links less intrusive, they're in a tiny-tiny font; Google's search page links are normally sized and still don't intrude. Overall, Jeeve's page has a lot of visual noise.
If you haven't yet tried the clickwheel on an iPod yet, do it. The article is handy if you're curious about implementation, but actually using the device to navigate a huge music library will literally make you grin.
... :-)
Oh, and speaking of iPods, please click the link in my signature
it is unreadable in Preview for me, I had to use Acrobat
Confirmed. And for those of you who haven't yet had the joy of Mac OS X, Preview is the built-in file viewer which handles PDFs admirably, or at least did up until this document.
On Topic: the memorandum says that only "soft" supporters for either candidate will be allowed to pose questions, literally using the word "soft" in quotation marks. I'm curious how they'll measure softness in the audience, which apparently will be up to the Gallup organization. (I guess "hard" supporters may well ask "hard" questions, which just happen to be the questions I'd like answered.)
Monsters practically everywhere, all bend on attacking you, and spawning after some time have pasted.
If you find such attacks tedious, you might enjoy a game which automates much of that process: Progress Quest. Windows only, but after rolling up your character, you can even minimize to the system tray and you'll keep progressing.
,,,bestows on the winners unlimited bragging rights.
...
That almost makes entering worthwhile
The vaulted FreeBSD stability is mostly a matter of conservativism rather than the long history of the OS.
:-)
Regardless of its source, it's that stability that made me choose FreeBSD as the platform for my firewall/NAT. Sure, I've got plenty of Linux, Mac OS X, and even a couple of Windows boxes on the inside, but that single FreeBSD system helps me sleep better.
(Oh, and I think you meant "vaunted", not "vaulted"
As more and more embedded devices are capable of running Java, having a lightweight database right in the device can certainly enable some programming techniques that typically you might offload to a more-capable server. Derby is lightweight enough that you can fit it in many such resource-challenged environments.
... especially if you don't have to synchronize those tuple spaces ...
Think what a swarm of databases might accomplish
If you're lucky enough to have a decent screen name on AOL, like your first or last name, then you probably want to get one of these devices.
When I got my Yahoo account years and years ago I was early enough to get decent screen name. The problem is that today that account is routinely hacked (and once, even pwned, but thanks to the nice security folks at Yahoo, given back to me). People don't like to use something like "%geeba%56672" for Yahoo Instant Messenger. I imagine the same thing is true on AOL. Having a smartID or securiCard or other defense would be nice.
(Then again, auctioning off a nice AOL screen name might be worth a few bucks on eBay...)
For someone who's never seen a PlayStation before, what does it mean that no adapter's required this time? What did the Ethernet port on the last model look like, and why did it require an adapter?
--A PS noob.