If Apple saves $200 in costs they are not going to pass it all along to the consumer.
I don't see why not. Their margin will go up even if they pass it all on. Let's say they make $200 on a $1000 laptop now, a 20% margin. If their cost goes down to $600 and they charge $800 that's a 25% margin. The point is that they need to be in the $650 to $799 range for an entry level laptop or they'll get destroyed by $400 HP laptops. I am a Mac owner and I'm buying a $400 HP for Christmas as a machine that will see light usage at home when the others are occupied. If there was a $600 Mac laptop out there I'd get that instead, but as much as I'd like to I can't justify the extra $600 for a iBook.
I'm not sure that a HD format wouldn't benefit the TV shows. Remember a few years ago when they first released a few feature films to IMAX? The films hadn't been shot in IMAX but were later scaled up and with decent results. I would guess that some processing could be done on standard def footage of TV shows that would make them look much better on HD screens than DVDs do. Simply having a progressive scan source rather than an interlaced one would make a large difference.
As for the SW stuff, I have laser disk rips of the originals. I don't have anything else. The rips are ok on my TV but on a computer monitor you can see flaws.
This is one last desperate money grab before they release all the same material on either HD-DVD or Blu-Ray. Why grab $2500 from a nerd once when you can do it twice?
Yes, the mechanism you describe is known as Basic Access Control (BAC) and it is part of the ICAO standard. There are some weaknesses to it, but it is a pretty good system.
Let me assure you that I know what I am talking about and have deep knowledge about this project. Anyone that calls this RFID is mistaken and is abusing the term.
http://www.sothisisacomic.com/Zombie/zomb3.html has an implementation of a zombie invasion simmulation and shows infection progessing through a city and the efforts of the military as well. An excellent resource for those seeking to better understand zombies.
Read carefully. This is not RFID. This does things that RFID can not do. It is an RF based technology and should be looked at carefully. But we should be looking at what it really is and not claiming that it is something that is weaker than it is.
The article does lend itself to the the interpretation that these are RFID chips but they are not. Some of the technology is similar to RFID, but we should be using precise terminology here in order to have a debate on the merits of the actual technology being used. Again, this isn't RFID. These passports have privacy protecting measures that are not even possible with RFID. That said the solution is not perfect. We should be debating this improved but somewhat flawed solution rather than debating the obviously stupid (and non-existant) concept of RFID passports.
The passports have several protections to prevent unauthrized transmittal of data. These include a cover that blocks radio waves and Basic Access Control. These measures are not perfect and a/. debate over them would be useful. You can learn more about the shortcomings at: http://eprint.iacr.org/2005/095.pdf
I am going to repeat myself here. Let's have a debate about the technology that is going into these passports and not the RFID boogeyman that isn't going into them.
Good question. Ask Zonk (or the submitter) since he seems to have invented it. Please note that there isn't RFID in these passports. Note that the article linked to never used the term. Only/. does. These are contactless smart cards, which have different implications than RFID. It would be nice to have a debate on the actual technology being used here rather than the RFID boogeyman that/. is so eager to chase.
This is not RFID. The term does not occur in the article. These are 14443 contactless smart cards. I can state with certainty that the chips being used are not RFID. I will admit that there is some arguement over what the term RFID should cover, but these really fall outside of the scope. These are much more complex chip that do not simply broadcast a unique id number. I've posted on this on previous articles and/. has retracted the erroneous language. I hope that they will do so again. It really muddies the debate when "technical" sites such as this can't be bothered to use proper terminology.
Did I forget to mention that this goes for about thirty miles in one direction and fifteen in the other. It isn't just Salt Lake City, it is the entire valley. Other places in Utah the grid gets reset in each city, which is too bad. One grid per county would be great.
It is diffent only in that I don't know whether 13th Street is east or west of the city center. Other than that it is the same which is good and sane.
Honestly not that many cities use such a system. Too many name their streets and the numbers on the buldings only follow the rule that they are sequential, but they have no meaning other than that.
Re:But they're different companies now!
on
DrDOS Inc Breaking GPL
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· Score: 2, Interesting
Unless you've lived in Utah you still don't get it. It goes above and beyond anything I've seen elsewhere. Not only are the streets all numbered logically, but the house numbers fall between the street numbers. Thus you know that an address such as 1153 East 600 South is on the street 600 South and between the streets 1100 East and 1200 East. You even know that it is on the north side of the road. The simplicity of it is wonderful.
You are probably correct. Darn! You've nailed me. You should try the mazes out for yourself and tell me what you think though.
Re:But they're different companies now!
on
DrDOS Inc Breaking GPL
·
· Score: 5, Informative
Pretty much all cities in Utah do. The entire county of Salt Lake is on the same system, so nobody here has ever seen or used a street map of the city. You just write down the address and drive there. I just bought a new house thirty miles from my parents and simply told them the address, no instructions and they drove right to it.
Contrast this to say, Boston, where everybody has a detailed map of everything in their car.
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I don't see why not. Their margin will go up even if they pass it all on. Let's say they make $200 on a $1000 laptop now, a 20% margin. If their cost goes down to $600 and they charge $800 that's a 25% margin. The point is that they need to be in the $650 to $799 range for an entry level laptop or they'll get destroyed by $400 HP laptops. I am a Mac owner and I'm buying a $400 HP for Christmas as a machine that will see light usage at home when the others are occupied. If there was a $600 Mac laptop out there I'd get that instead, but as much as I'd like to I can't justify the extra $600 for a iBook.
I'm not sure that a HD format wouldn't benefit the TV shows. Remember a few years ago when they first released a few feature films to IMAX? The films hadn't been shot in IMAX but were later scaled up and with decent results. I would guess that some processing could be done on standard def footage of TV shows that would make them look much better on HD screens than DVDs do. Simply having a progressive scan source rather than an interlaced one would make a large difference. As for the SW stuff, I have laser disk rips of the originals. I don't have anything else. The rips are ok on my TV but on a computer monitor you can see flaws.
I fail to see how this is different. Are you saying that they aren't going to release any of the included Star Trek material on the new formats?
You're using the wrong tool for the job. Try a lathe.
This is one last desperate money grab before they release all the same material on either HD-DVD or Blu-Ray. Why grab $2500 from a nerd once when you can do it twice?
Yes, the mechanism you describe is known as Basic Access Control (BAC) and it is part of the ICAO standard. There are some weaknesses to it, but it is a pretty good system.
Let me assure you that I know what I am talking about and have deep knowledge about this project. Anyone that calls this RFID is mistaken and is abusing the term.
http://www.sothisisacomic.com/Zombie/zomb3.html has an implementation of a zombie invasion simmulation and shows infection progessing through a city and the efforts of the military as well. An excellent resource for those seeking to better understand zombies.
Read carefully. This is not RFID. This does things that RFID can not do. It is an RF based technology and should be looked at carefully. But we should be looking at what it really is and not claiming that it is something that is weaker than it is.
The article does lend itself to the the interpretation that these are RFID chips but they are not. Some of the technology is similar to RFID, but we should be using precise terminology here in order to have a debate on the merits of the actual technology being used. Again, this isn't RFID. These passports have privacy protecting measures that are not even possible with RFID. That said the solution is not perfect. We should be debating this improved but somewhat flawed solution rather than debating the obviously stupid (and non-existant) concept of RFID passports.
The passports have several protections to prevent unauthrized transmittal of data. These include a cover that blocks radio waves and Basic Access Control. These measures are not perfect and a /. debate over them would be useful. You can learn more about the shortcomings at:
http://eprint.iacr.org/2005/095.pdf
I am going to repeat myself here. Let's have a debate about the technology that is going into these passports and not the RFID boogeyman that isn't going into them.
Good question. Ask Zonk (or the submitter) since he seems to have invented it. Please note that there isn't RFID in these passports. Note that the article linked to never used the term. Only /. does. These are contactless smart cards, which have different implications than RFID. It would be nice to have a debate on the actual technology being used here rather than the RFID boogeyman that /. is so eager to chase.
This is not RFID. The term does not occur in the article. These are 14443 contactless smart cards. I can state with certainty that the chips being used are not RFID. I will admit that there is some arguement over what the term RFID should cover, but these really fall outside of the scope. These are much more complex chip that do not simply broadcast a unique id number. I've posted on this on previous articles and /. has retracted the erroneous language. I hope that they will do so again. It really muddies the debate when "technical" sites such as this can't be bothered to use proper terminology.
I'll have to check that out on my mac.
I challenge you to respond! :) C'mon, I want to know why I am wrong! Or at least an admission that you are. One of us definitely is.
Come on gunnk! Have you looked it over? Do you still think it doesn't matter? Have you checked my math?
Did I forget to mention that this goes for about thirty miles in one direction and fifteen in the other. It isn't just Salt Lake City, it is the entire valley. Other places in Utah the grid gets reset in each city, which is too bad. One grid per county would be great.
It's been much better the last year or so. Just like me to move when traffic improves...
It is diffent only in that I don't know whether 13th Street is east or west of the city center. Other than that it is the same which is good and sane. Honestly not that many cities use such a system. Too many name their streets and the numbers on the buldings only follow the rule that they are sequential, but they have no meaning other than that.
Unless you've lived in Utah you still don't get it. It goes above and beyond anything I've seen elsewhere. Not only are the streets all numbered logically, but the house numbers fall between the street numbers. Thus you know that an address such as 1153 East 600 South is on the street 600 South and between the streets 1100 East and 1200 East. You even know that it is on the north side of the road. The simplicity of it is wonderful.
You are probably correct. Darn! You've nailed me. You should try the mazes out for yourself and tell me what you think though.
Pretty much all cities in Utah do. The entire county of Salt Lake is on the same system, so nobody here has ever seen or used a street map of the city. You just write down the address and drive there. I just bought a new house thirty miles from my parents and simply told them the address, no instructions and they drove right to it. Contrast this to say, Boston, where everybody has a detailed map of everything in their car.
Hey! I'm posting from Utah! Am I trying to scam you?
I mean, by looking at the addresses DrDSO is at least two doors down from SCO...
DRDOS
379 South 520 West
Lindon, UT 84042
The SCO Group Corporate Headquarters
355 South 520 West
Suite 100
Lindon, UT 84042-1911
math for gunnk since he thinks the distance doesn't matter at all. Or math.