It might help if they have an inductively coupled charging option that can be mounted on the floor of a garage. Then there's no need to plug in when you get home, just drive into the space and charging begins. Hmmm...maybe I should patent that (I'm kidding! where's that phone book...)
You may have to pay $10 for it, but you certainly can get the windows install disc from Dell. Bonus - there's no activiation. Downside - it will only run on a Dell machine. Second bonus - it will run on any Dell machine.
I wipe and reinstall all the machines we get at my office. We have our suite of stuff, we don't need or want Dell's. I usually keep the drivers on a CD, and burn a new one with each model we get. Reinstalls are done from the most recent Windows CD from Dell, regardless of machine, as the CDs usually come with all the service packs and fixes pre-installed.
The solution is to register to vote and vote OUT anyone in D.C. that' over 40 years old
Except Rick Boucher (D-Virginia). Remember - he's one of the few who actually "gets it," but I know he's over 40.
(or don't own an iPod). Okay, now that's no system of electing a government. You may as well have watery tarts lobbing scimitars at that point. (apologies in advance for butchering the ref)
Sorry, I missed the part where you got consumer friendly politicians to run. You see, it takes millions of dollars to fund a campaign (and inform enough people you are running, much less what you stand for). Corporations pay those millions. Oh, sure, they come in individual contributions. Guess who funds the information machine that solicits those contributions. Bingo. I'll say it again, corporations pay for electioneering. Without backing you will not get elected, regardless of your views.
As soon as we get candidates that believe in consumers rights, you'll see more consumer friendly laws. I wouldn't hold your breath.
You make a good point that its what's in the stores to purchase that matters. WalMart, with its ubiquitous stores and enormous pull, will probably only carry one format. That format will win.
I'm sorry, I could have sworn that your post implied that the current administration should take the position that the populace should have more information and be less prone to easy manipulation through exploiting their psycological weaknesses?
If that is the correct interpretation, may I ask: What planet have you been on for the last six years?
Sure, except that it's unlawful to sell or market such software (thanks to the DMCA and CSS). Do you really want to get your disc, then spend 5 or ten minutes (plus time waiting fo the rip) and then the time to burn the new disc (and scan/crop/print the label onto said "repaired" disc) all just to skip 5 minuted of commercials? It's a pain in the ass, quite honestly. Still, I do it for my daughters discs (she's 3) - it makes it much easier for me, as she can drop the disc in and have it play without my intervention, aside from setting the TV to the correct input.
It all goes back to Top Gun, and market factors. If you remember, most popular hit videos (VHS) were in the $80-$100 range until Top Gun came out. It was $19.99 (iirc), but included a Pepsi ad at the beginning. That was the start of the home movie ad craze.
Does nobody on/. understand the concept of "back yard". Question: If you have neighbors who paid over $1M for their land/residence, how do your neigbors feel about your power generation stations within their viewshed? If there are more rich people who would prefer to have a power generation plant in their viewshed than not, well, then I'm happy to concede the parent as incorrect.
Yes. Why is it that you must make a fortune or creat a monopoly surrounding your "great" idea. Why not just publish it on the web and let people copy it? Do it anonymously if you're afraid of getting sued.
It's as simple as that. Everybody wants cheap renewable energy, nobody wants to have it generated in their own back yard.
No matter how unobtrusive, there are downsides to all power generation. Windmills happen to have viewshed issues. From the numbers I've seen, the return on investment isn't ver good either. A project in VA had a ROI of less than 12%, assuming the turbines were running at design output 24/365 (I know, it's usually 24/7/365, but that seems redundant), and disregarding any maintenance costs and infrastructure improvements. Not exactly a formula for riches.
What is apparent is what we've known all along: Regardless of political stripe, rich people don't want to be bothered with the stuff that runs their lives. Ugly is what happens elsewhere...for the good of mankind, of course.
HD is great. And as soon as all the programming I watch, no as soon as 10% of the programming I watch, is available in HD, I might consider switching.
Oh, wait a minute. I've got a HD TiVo. Sadly, DirecTV has forced me to have a bastard stepchild of a real stand alone TiVo, but it is a TiVo. And it's hacked.
Still, with the exception of Football (which I only watch live), I could give up HD to keep my TiVo. I might feel different when I upgrade from my 51"RP set to the planned 133" FP setup, but given the dearth of programming I find interesting on HD, it will still be a while. Then again, my FP set seems a couple years off too, since they're not planning to ship the HC roll up screens until later this fall, and then only in smaller (105") sizes.
Can you set up a MythTV box, give it to your mother in law (who has troubles turning on a VCR), and with 30 minutes of setup have her doing her own thing, and not get a single call in over a year? That is the beauty of TiVo. I hate to sing from the Apple fanboi hymnal, but damnit, it just works.
I'll admit I've never tried to set up a myth box (and I get HD over DTV, so there's no sense in fighting that battle), so it may be as easy and trouble free as TiVo. But I have my doubts.
To say that makes it sound like they haven't accomplished anything. Quite the contrary. I gave my in-laws a tivo box a year ago, and haven't had a single service call in the intervening year. My mother in law can operate the TiVo box easily. Anyone who can accomplish that should be able to knock out world hunger in short order, given the right incentive.
Really? $12/hr = $25,044 in direct pay, plus $2000 in federal emplyment taxes. Healthcare $5,000 (not an atypical cost sharing for a HMO/PPO Blue Cross / Blue Shield group plan with a large group) A place of that emplyee to sit and power to keep the lights on: $4000 (figure 200sf of total space, including portions of halls, break, and restroom space, at $15-16/SF, plus about 1/3 of that as water/sewer/fuel/power)
Other general and administrative costs associate with an employee (payroll, basic hr, compliance): $1000 minimum , whether you outsurce or have enough employees to afford an entire person dedicated to such a task.
So, in direct costs, that $12/hr employee will cost you $37,000, in round figures.
Now, I probably should have said "must bill $40-50k to break even" because I haven't figured in:
2 weeks vacation 1 week sick 10 federal holidays (or some similar equivalent - practially all companies do at least 1/1, memorial, 7/4, labor, tgiving, 12/25, and most add the day after tgiving and 12/24)
So now, instead of working 261 days a year, you're only going to work 236. So your effective break even billables would have to be 261/236*$37k = $41,000. Oh my, suprise of suprises. $12 and hour really is over $40k, even if I give you basic benefits that you want (would you take a job with less than 2 weeks leave? Or no health benefits? Or 5 or fewer paid holidays?). And that cost is assuming you make zero profit for the company, and I can tell you that you'd better be making a lot more than zero if you're going to survive. I would say that at least 10% extra is needed so that your supervisor - ideally someone with more experience - will be able to make more than you. Tack on another 3-4% for the second level - 'cause even your boss' boss is likely to have to listen to you whine once in a while. Good companies will generally require 20% proforma, though some bottom feeders can live on 12-15%. So now, to be a valuable employee who pulls his/her own weight, you'll need to bill 41*(1+.1+.03+.12)=$51,000 a year.
It's a simple fact of life - hiring someone at 25,000/yr does not cost the company 25,000 - it is in the neighborhood of double that. Now, these figures are rough - I won't argue some here and there, but remember that all these folks are looking for good pay and good benefits. I'm just reminding them that that stuff costs real money, and to consider how they can make their company that kind of money to justify their salary.
Actually its not just me. I've found a good employee, and though he will require more training than I had hoped for I'm paying him less than a fully trained one for the time being. And, even though this is/., not all jobs are in IT. Some are retail-ish, some are semi-professional (CAD, architects, accountants - but not leaders), some are trade (plumbers, rockers, framers, equipment operators).
Part of the problem is the attitude of most of the posts you've seen. Everybody wants to start out at a "living wage," which most people seem to define as a new 325i and a plasma TV. That may be considered "living wage" in your geek chic circles, but it just doesn't happen for most of the US, despite what the "pay surveys" seem to say.
I read "lost in te rural midwest" as "low cost of living and low billable rates." The first part helps you. The last part ties the hands of your employer. Assuming you are billable (many in IT are just overhead) your pay is limited by your rate. You can figure that it will cost twice your salary just to break even if you can bill all of your time. If you're overhead, you'll always be looking at low wages. BTW - what do you consider "minimum wage"? $5.15 and hour with no benefits, holidays, or vacation? Because that's minimum wage. $9-$12hr with (partial or full) insurance, holidays, sick leave, vacation, training, etc will cost your employer $40-$50k a year. Are you going to produce that much revenue for the company? If you are, sell yourself. If not, realize that you may be expecting too much for your vocation. Businesses that pay more than they take in eventually fail.
Can you find your $90k fresh-out job? Sure, if you're lucky. There are a few companies that are flush, and have a business model that allows them to waste cash. But if you really want to make the dough, find a place to learn, then go out on your own and consult. Then you'll find out how much you're really worth. And you'll find out how hard it is to find someone like yourself to hire, because now it's your money thats being spent. And you'll find what kind of lifestyle you can live if you bill $150k a year (hint: its not as glamourous as you think after expenses).
Sorry, didn't mean to sound bitter or accusing. And I checked your link. Yeah, $5.15, no benes, and a $4.20 bonus is crap. I pay my part time admin assistant more than that - plus a twice a year bonus. I would hope he pays 80% of the profits in bonus.
You didn't RTFA, did you? They said explicitly that there would be copy protection, and I quote "The finished disc will be copy-protected to deter piracy."
Which brings me back to the point - how do they plan on embedding the copy protection and still making it playable? Unless they mean some bogus macrovision non-VHS level monkeying, which I say doesn't count in digital media.
I must say that I don't know whether or not XXX videos are CSS encoded - I don't own any to try out. I rip most of my DVDs for my HT server, and they all get decoded. I only know the task in one direction - I don't know how I'd go the other way and still make the disc playable.
Okay, so there seem to be endless stories here on/. about people not being able to find employment, and bemoaning the fact that none of their (apparently super-qualified) friends can find jobs either.
Where are these people when we (in the business community) put up ads for employment?
Most of the business owners I know (yes, we all know one another...that's what those silly clubs like Kiwanis and Rotary is all about) can't seem to find an employee that's worth jack shit, when they can even find people at all.
Is there some cosmic disconnect? Nobody can find employees, and none of the unemployed can find jobs. I don't get it.
Sure, lots of pr0n jokes, but not a single elaboration on the copy protection mechanism? Excuse my ignorance, but isn't the key area of DVDs unwritable either on typical DVDR media? So what form of copy protection is going to be used that will a) be burnable by a PC and b) be readable by a generic DVD player?
The patent has expired, but we still don't have production level 100mpg cars. Of course, this technique might be used to get 100mpg on mopeds, but who want's to ride a moped on the 405?
Slashdot Mirror
It might help if they have an inductively coupled charging option that can be mounted on the floor of a garage. Then there's no need to plug in when you get home, just drive into the space and charging begins. Hmmm...maybe I should patent that (I'm kidding! where's that phone book...)
You may have to pay $10 for it, but you certainly can get the windows install disc from Dell. Bonus - there's no activiation. Downside - it will only run on a Dell machine. Second bonus - it will run on any Dell machine.
I wipe and reinstall all the machines we get at my office. We have our suite of stuff, we don't need or want Dell's. I usually keep the drivers on a CD, and burn a new one with each model we get. Reinstalls are done from the most recent Windows CD from Dell, regardless of machine, as the CDs usually come with all the service packs and fixes pre-installed.
Don't tell that to the folks in DC.
Actually, I believe that the proper setup (such as with many pbx systems) can "forge" the CallerID information. It's not limited to IP telephony.
The solution is to register to vote and vote OUT anyone in D.C. that' over 40 years old
Except Rick Boucher (D-Virginia). Remember - he's one of the few who actually "gets it," but I know he's over 40.
(or don't own an iPod).
Okay, now that's no system of electing a government. You may as well have watery tarts lobbing scimitars at that point. (apologies in advance for butchering the ref)
Sorry, I missed the part where you got consumer friendly politicians to run. You see, it takes millions of dollars to fund a campaign (and inform enough people you are running, much less what you stand for). Corporations pay those millions. Oh, sure, they come in individual contributions. Guess who funds the information machine that solicits those contributions. Bingo. I'll say it again, corporations pay for electioneering. Without backing you will not get elected, regardless of your views.
As soon as we get candidates that believe in consumers rights, you'll see more consumer friendly laws. I wouldn't hold your breath.
Hmmm...looks like online prices just shot up for those deleveries into Georgia.
You make a good point that its what's in the stores to purchase that matters. WalMart, with its ubiquitous stores and enormous pull, will probably only carry one format. That format will win.
I'm sorry, I could have sworn that your post implied that the current administration should take the position that the populace should have more information and be less prone to easy manipulation through exploiting their psycological weaknesses?
If that is the correct interpretation, may I ask: What planet have you been on for the last six years?
If they can survive putting an 80MB video file on the front page of /., well, lets just say I'll be far more impressed.
Sure, except that it's unlawful to sell or market such software (thanks to the DMCA and CSS). Do you really want to get your disc, then spend 5 or ten minutes (plus time waiting fo the rip) and then the time to burn the new disc (and scan/crop/print the label onto said "repaired" disc) all just to skip 5 minuted of commercials? It's a pain in the ass, quite honestly. Still, I do it for my daughters discs (she's 3) - it makes it much easier for me, as she can drop the disc in and have it play without my intervention, aside from setting the TV to the correct input.
It all goes back to Top Gun, and market factors. If you remember, most popular hit videos (VHS) were in the $80-$100 range until Top Gun came out. It was $19.99 (iirc), but included a Pepsi ad at the beginning. That was the start of the home movie ad craze.
Does nobody on /. understand the concept of "back yard". Question: If you have neighbors who paid over $1M for their land/residence, how do your neigbors feel about your power generation stations within their viewshed? If there are more rich people who would prefer to have a power generation plant in their viewshed than not, well, then I'm happy to concede the parent as incorrect.
Yes. Why is it that you must make a fortune or creat a monopoly surrounding your "great" idea. Why not just publish it on the web and let people copy it? Do it anonymously if you're afraid of getting sued.
It's as simple as that. Everybody wants cheap renewable energy, nobody wants to have it generated in their own back yard.
No matter how unobtrusive, there are downsides to all power generation. Windmills happen to have viewshed issues. From the numbers I've seen, the return on investment isn't ver good either. A project in VA had a ROI of less than 12%, assuming the turbines were running at design output 24/365 (I know, it's usually 24/7/365, but that seems redundant), and disregarding any maintenance costs and infrastructure improvements. Not exactly a formula for riches.
What is apparent is what we've known all along: Regardless of political stripe, rich people don't want to be bothered with the stuff that runs their lives. Ugly is what happens elsewhere...for the good of mankind, of course.
HD is great. And as soon as all the programming I watch, no as soon as 10% of the programming I watch, is available in HD, I might consider switching.
Oh, wait a minute. I've got a HD TiVo. Sadly, DirecTV has forced me to have a bastard stepchild of a real stand alone TiVo, but it is a TiVo. And it's hacked.
Still, with the exception of Football (which I only watch live), I could give up HD to keep my TiVo. I might feel different when I upgrade from my 51"RP set to the planned 133" FP setup, but given the dearth of programming I find interesting on HD, it will still be a while. Then again, my FP set seems a couple years off too, since they're not planning to ship the HC roll up screens until later this fall, and then only in smaller (105") sizes.
Can you set up a MythTV box, give it to your mother in law (who has troubles turning on a VCR), and with 30 minutes of setup have her doing her own thing, and not get a single call in over a year? That is the beauty of TiVo. I hate to sing from the Apple fanboi hymnal, but damnit, it just works.
I'll admit I've never tried to set up a myth box (and I get HD over DTV, so there's no sense in fighting that battle), so it may be as easy and trouble free as TiVo. But I have my doubts.
To say that makes it sound like they haven't accomplished anything. Quite the contrary. I gave my in-laws a tivo box a year ago, and haven't had a single service call in the intervening year. My mother in law can operate the TiVo box easily. Anyone who can accomplish that should be able to knock out world hunger in short order, given the right incentive.
Really? $12/hr = $25,044 in direct pay, plus $2000 in federal emplyment taxes.
Healthcare $5,000 (not an atypical cost sharing for a HMO/PPO Blue Cross / Blue Shield group plan with a large group)
A place of that emplyee to sit and power to keep the lights on: $4000 (figure 200sf of total space, including portions of halls, break, and restroom space, at $15-16/SF, plus about 1/3 of that as water/sewer/fuel/power)
Other general and administrative costs associate with an employee (payroll, basic hr, compliance): $1000 minimum , whether you outsurce or have enough employees to afford an entire person dedicated to such a task.
So, in direct costs, that $12/hr employee will cost you $37,000, in round figures.
Now, I probably should have said "must bill $40-50k to break even" because I haven't figured in:
2 weeks vacation
1 week sick
10 federal holidays (or some similar equivalent - practially all companies do at least 1/1, memorial, 7/4, labor, tgiving, 12/25, and most add the day after tgiving and 12/24)
So now, instead of working 261 days a year, you're only going to work 236. So your effective break even billables would have to be 261/236*$37k = $41,000. Oh my, suprise of suprises. $12 and hour really is over $40k, even if I give you basic benefits that you want (would you take a job with less than 2 weeks leave? Or no health benefits? Or 5 or fewer paid holidays?). And that cost is assuming you make zero profit for the company, and I can tell you that you'd better be making a lot more than zero if you're going to survive. I would say that at least 10% extra is needed so that your supervisor - ideally someone with more experience - will be able to make more than you. Tack on another 3-4% for the second level - 'cause even your boss' boss is likely to have to listen to you whine once in a while. Good companies will generally require 20% proforma, though some bottom feeders can live on 12-15%. So now, to be a valuable employee who pulls his/her own weight, you'll need to bill 41*(1+.1+.03+.12)=$51,000 a year.
It's a simple fact of life - hiring someone at 25,000/yr does not cost the company 25,000 - it is in the neighborhood of double that. Now, these figures are rough - I won't argue some here and there, but remember that all these folks are looking for good pay and good benefits. I'm just reminding them that that stuff costs real money, and to consider how they can make their company that kind of money to justify their salary.
Sorry, we already have the poll for this quarter. Perhaps you could resubmit your idea in August.
(Oh, and the answer is Apple, just in case you were curious)
Actually its not just me. I've found a good employee, and though he will require more training than I had hoped for I'm paying him less than a fully trained one for the time being. And, even though this is /., not all jobs are in IT. Some are retail-ish, some are semi-professional (CAD, architects, accountants - but not leaders), some are trade (plumbers, rockers, framers, equipment operators).
Part of the problem is the attitude of most of the posts you've seen. Everybody wants to start out at a "living wage," which most people seem to define as a new 325i and a plasma TV. That may be considered "living wage" in your geek chic circles, but it just doesn't happen for most of the US, despite what the "pay surveys" seem to say.
I read "lost in te rural midwest" as "low cost of living and low billable rates." The first part helps you. The last part ties the hands of your employer. Assuming you are billable (many in IT are just overhead) your pay is limited by your rate. You can figure that it will cost twice your salary just to break even if you can bill all of your time. If you're overhead, you'll always be looking at low wages. BTW - what do you consider "minimum wage"? $5.15 and hour with no benefits, holidays, or vacation? Because that's minimum wage. $9-$12hr with (partial or full) insurance, holidays, sick leave, vacation, training, etc will cost your employer $40-$50k a year. Are you going to produce that much revenue for the company? If you are, sell yourself. If not, realize that you may be expecting too much for your vocation. Businesses that pay more than they take in eventually fail.
Can you find your $90k fresh-out job? Sure, if you're lucky. There are a few companies that are flush, and have a business model that allows them to waste cash. But if you really want to make the dough, find a place to learn, then go out on your own and consult. Then you'll find out how much you're really worth. And you'll find out how hard it is to find someone like yourself to hire, because now it's your money thats being spent. And you'll find what kind of lifestyle you can live if you bill $150k a year (hint: its not as glamourous as you think after expenses).
Sorry, didn't mean to sound bitter or accusing. And I checked your link. Yeah, $5.15, no benes, and a $4.20 bonus is crap. I pay my part time admin assistant more than that - plus a twice a year bonus. I would hope he pays 80% of the profits in bonus.
Damn it, get back to work! I'm not paying you to surf /.
/.er) come friday!
Yes, I know it's you - you can't fool my by posting AC.
Looks like one more opening (and one more unemployed
You didn't RTFA, did you? They said explicitly that there would be copy protection, and I quote "The finished disc will be copy-protected to deter piracy."
Which brings me back to the point - how do they plan on embedding the copy protection and still making it playable? Unless they mean some bogus macrovision non-VHS level monkeying, which I say doesn't count in digital media.
I must say that I don't know whether or not XXX videos are CSS encoded - I don't own any to try out. I rip most of my DVDs for my HT server, and they all get decoded. I only know the task in one direction - I don't know how I'd go the other way and still make the disc playable.
Okay, so there seem to be endless stories here on /. about people not being able to find employment, and bemoaning the fact that none of their (apparently super-qualified) friends can find jobs either.
Where are these people when we (in the business community) put up ads for employment?
Most of the business owners I know (yes, we all know one another...that's what those silly clubs like Kiwanis and Rotary is all about) can't seem to find an employee that's worth jack shit, when they can even find people at all.
Is there some cosmic disconnect? Nobody can find employees, and none of the unemployed can find jobs. I don't get it.
Sure, lots of pr0n jokes, but not a single elaboration on the copy protection mechanism? Excuse my ignorance, but isn't the key area of DVDs unwritable either on typical DVDR media? So what form of copy protection is going to be used that will a) be burnable by a PC and b) be readable by a generic DVD player?
The patent has expired, but we still don't have production level 100mpg cars. Of course, this technique might be used to get 100mpg on mopeds, but who want's to ride a moped on the 405?