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User: EvilJoker

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Comments · 408

  1. Re:market dominance? on Google Partners With HTC For Latest Nexus Tablet · · Score: 1

    The Nexus line markets to a very specific demographic, which is often asked by muggles what gear they would recommend. If HTC designs a decent Nexus device, it can greatly increase sales of their non-Nexus devices.

  2. Re: Let the Android Market decide on Google Partners With HTC For Latest Nexus Tablet · · Score: 1

    And please tell me how Apple does not allow AT&T to bake in their crapware yet sold 22 million phones this past week. Yeah they flopped so bad by not allowing the carriers to add in crapware. Oh wait, they are one of the worlds most popular phones.

    AT&T (Cingular then) originally did so as a competitive move against Verizon. Those terms came with an exclusive, which they were not willing to sacrifice. If you'll recall, VZW was given the offer first, and refused it, valuing their crapware (etc) more than the iPhone exclusive.

    Regardless, Google has been attaching more strings to their apps. As I understand it, there MUST be an option to disable/hide all of that crapware. While a phone could be released as an AOSP phone, it would not have (and could not install from a legitimate source) things like GMail, YouTube, Google Maps, and the Play Store. Amazon's trying this, but not having much success.

  3. Re:Insulin Response from actual Sugar, Honey, etc on Study Finds Link Between Artificial Sweeteners and Glucose Intolerance · · Score: 1

    I've seen that study before, and that same takeaway. However, it really compared results of fructose to glucose, not sucrose.

  4. Re:One Sure Way on California Tells Businesses: Stop Trying To Ban Consumer Reviews · · Score: 1

    What I've found is that you don't get what you pay for; rather, you pay for what you get.

  5. Re:Switching is too hard? on FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler Says Switching ISPs Is Too Hard · · Score: 1

    If you can find that section of law, then contact the FCC. They will help you get it resolved.

    Granted, this only means eliminating the exclusivity contract - the other company would have to then decide to expand to cover you, which they may be reluctant to if everyone there has already signed up with the competition.

  6. Re:Seriously? on FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler Says Switching ISPs Is Too Hard · · Score: 1

    I would not trust the old ISP to forward anything. It should be a pull from a new account. Something that I've used before is to setup a Gmail account, which can pull from any standard POP3 account, and then have GMail forward as appropriate.

  7. Re:I can name 2.6 million people on FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler Says Switching ISPs Is Too Hard · · Score: 1

    AOL's e-mail access is completely free. Most people either aren't aware of this, or think the paid plans offer something of value (they're pretty vague, so people think it's more than just an overpriced subscription to McAfee, etc)

  8. Re:Hexidecimal on Steve Ballmer Authored the Windows 3.1 Ctrl-Alt-Del Screen · · Score: 1

    So that consumers can more easily report the issue to the vendor?

  9. Re:Seriously? on FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler Says Switching ISPs Is Too Hard · · Score: 1

    I'm on TWC. I opened a new account when I moved in March, and was not prompted in any way to create an e-mail address. My cable modem (owned by me, not rented) died a few weeks ago, and I could not activate the replacement until I created a useless @local.rr.com address.

    People who aren't techies all used their ISP mail, until Hotmail, Yahoo, and especially GMail became known to the general user. The latter becoming extremely popular because of Android, which started becoming popular in late 2009/2010.

    Even then, that was more about new users. People continue(d) to use their old accounts for a long time. Scott Adams, of Dilbert fame, was still using his AOL address as recently as 2008

  10. Re:loopholes on New Usage-Based Insurance Software Can Track Drivers Using Smartphones · · Score: 1

    It wouldn't have to upload constantly, just log the data for upload later.

    That being said, GPS is major drain on batteries.

  11. Re:As a bicyclist... on New Usage-Based Insurance Software Can Track Drivers Using Smartphones · · Score: 1

    Perhaps you or your area is different from mine, but I often see cyclists being borderline suicidal, and the motorists being excessively generous.

    Regardless, there is really no way currently to monitor how a driver reacts to a cyclist. At least, not in a way that encourages safety, such as hard braking when one jumps out in front of the car (yes, I see it regularly)

  12. Re:I can't wait on New Usage-Based Insurance Software Can Track Drivers Using Smartphones · · Score: 1

    Much like cake, the discount is a lie.

  13. Re:where do i sign up? on New Usage-Based Insurance Software Can Track Drivers Using Smartphones · · Score: 1

    I think you're confusing "criminal charge" with "felony", or the possibility of jail time.

    All court cases are either criminal (brought by the gov't) or civil (brought by a private entity)

    Minor offenses like littering are still criminal (usually a minor misdemeanor or similar)

  14. Re:Interesting, if optional on New Usage-Based Insurance Software Can Track Drivers Using Smartphones · · Score: 1

    But SCOTUS ruled that money is speech, so you have to outbid (either out-yell or out-spend) the other side. I'm not sure what the exchange rate is.

    More seriously, how often do you see a report of "Big industry lobbyists push for X, general population pushes for Y. Congress goes with Y"? I realize it happens occasionally, but it's rare. Hell, most of the legitimate reporting on the Comcast/TW merger acknowledges that the general population is massive opposed, yet it will probably be approved regardless.

  15. Re:1..2..3.. until massive security breaches on New Usage-Based Insurance Software Can Track Drivers Using Smartphones · · Score: 1

    Establish in customer's minds that giving up data about their habits SAVES them money.

    I've noticed that several grocery stores in my area are now doing frequent promotions like "Buy 5, get $5 off" with a motley collection of products. Undoubtedly sourced from the loyalty cards. Rarely worth a shit for me, since even getting to 5 isn't worthwhile.

  16. Re:1..2..3.. until massive security breaches on New Usage-Based Insurance Software Can Track Drivers Using Smartphones · · Score: 1

    And in this case, they will likely use evidence to withhold payouts and support for people

    This is being done by Progressive. They might even use it in court against their clients

  17. The issue isn't the technology involved. Cable and DSL can each be great, awful, or somewhere in between. What matters is who's running it, and how.

    While it's generally acknowledged that Comcast is awful, the DSL alternatives are also usually bad. AT&T, Verizon DSL, CenturyLink, etc aren't exactly known for their quality. You apparently have good service, which is the exception, not the norm.

  18. Re:No, it wasn't. on Deputy Who Fatally Struck Cyclist While Answering Email Will Face No Charges · · Score: 1

    A cyclist is not a pedestrian. They have the same rights (in most places) to the road as would a car, and are subject to most/all the same regulations. According to TFS, the cop drifted into the bike lane, striking the cyclist. At bare minimum, this was failure to maintain lane/unsafe lane change/etc

  19. Re:lulz on Russian Military Forces Have Now Invaded Ukraine · · Score: 1

    Why does it fall on the West (presumably the US) to do something? Don't most people bitch when the US involves itself in the affairs of others?

    Furthermore, doesn't Ukraine have its own alliances to prevent exactly this?

  20. Re:maybe on Ask Slashdot: What To Do About Repeated Internet Overbilling? · · Score: 1

    While legally that may be correct, from a practical perspective it probably does not matter. AT&T (et all) seem to be above the law, and beyond the courts

  21. Re:maybe on Ask Slashdot: What To Do About Repeated Internet Overbilling? · · Score: 1

    There are audits, and acceptable variances. For instance, there's this.

    Auditors regularly check the weight of the patties before cooking. While it won't help much with a specific instance, it will prevent systemic abuse like alleged in the article.

  22. Re:The US slides back to the caves on Limiting the Teaching of the Scientific Process In Ohio · · Score: 1

    The pound is based on the kilogram. Specifically, a pound is "legally defined as exactly 0.45359237 kilograms"

    If the kilogram is changing, so is the pound.

  23. Re:straight from the OMFG NO dept on "MythBusters" Drops Kari Byron, Grant Imahara, Tory Belleci · · Score: 1

    I suspect spin-off (or something along those lines)

  24. Re:precedent on $125,000 Settlement Given To Man Arrested for Photographing NYPD · · Score: 1

    If you really pressed for it, you can demand (and will receive) a trial beginning within 30 days. However, you will not be able to mount an appropriate defense, since your attorneys won't be given any info/evidence until the last minute.

    None of this really matters tho - 90% of cases end in plea bargains

  25. Re:Left or Right? on Google's Driverless Cars Capable of Exceeding Speed Limit · · Score: 1

    Speedometers are not precision instruments, so there's a (fairly substantial) margin of error, usually a few mph. As such, most (all?) new cars are factory calibrated to report a few mph slower than actual speed.