Fact is, SCO has a provable case, though I cant say they're entitled to 3 billion in damages, but linux is going to be shook to its core and kicked back four or five years in its development.
"Why, good afternoon, Mr. McBride! Me and Tiny here, we's here as goodwill representatives of our esteemed employer, IBM. We'd likes ta take a minute of your valuable time and substantiate our employer's claims against your organization. Would youse mind steppin' into dis darkened alleyway with us?"
Sure, some theme support is there, but I'm talking real-time, texture-mapped, animated transparency effects, so I can make my application windows do a funky shimmering effect!
Standardized copy and paste shortcut keys would be cool, too.
"Wh--yes, sir? No, no--I mean, yes, very busy, sir! Very busy indeed! That box? It's a--well, yes, it is a PlayStation, sir. Oh, I see, your son has one, that's, uh, nice...yes...well, it's...it's a...a test machine! Yes! You see, I'm porting...uh...AS/400 to it (shut up, Bob...) because...um...think of all the young kids we could get hooked on AS/400 programming, sir! (Shut up, Bob...)"
"...sir? No, it's just me and Bob here, a sort of pet project we like to work on every now and...you...you what?...Sir, that's...you're giving us how many people to work on this?"
"You don't walk in, hand over a check and change a vote. Doesn't happen."
<sarcasm>Yeah, there's no corruption in Washington. Politicians won't just do anything for "campaign contributions". They are the civil servants for their consitituents.</sarcasm>
Y'know, there's a fine line between cynicism and idiocy.
It's about thirty miles thataway. If you see a sign that reads "Welcome To Cynicism", you've gone too far.
People can complainin about T$R, Wi$ard$ of the Coa$t, and Ha$boro along with Micro$oft all they want... this is because these companies have letters easily replaced by the dollar symbol. Warhammer does not.
iTunes Music Store: Emphasis on ease of use, customer experience, technical quality. Focal issue: adding value to Mac systems to attract switchers and sell iPods. Result: Pretty decent music service, all things considered.
BuyMusic.com: Emphasis on Being Cheaper than iTMS, locking out non-approved systems, Looking an awful lot like iTMS. Focal issue: Establish self as competition for iTMS before Apple gets the Windows version out. Result: left as an exercise for the reader.
It is a widely held misconception that the Atacam desert in Chile is the driest place on Earth, in fact the driest place on Earth is in the center of Antartica where there has been no percipitation in over 10,000 years.
It is a narrowly held misconception that ice is dry.
(Apologies for the cheap laugh. Cool trivia tidbit, that...)
"Good morning. Badass Tech For Hire, Incorporated, Tom speaking.
"Oh, hello, Jim. How're things at World New York?...oh...I see...hmm...well, let's see what we can do.
"First off, what do you see on the screen?...Nothing? Is the server plugged in? Mmm-hmm...it is? Okay, that's good. And the power is on?... you press the little button, but nothing happens. OK. And are any lights on? No. Hmm.
"It sounds like you may have a hardware--what's that? Really? Well, that's not good...yes, it does smell rather bad when that happens. *laugh* Yes, I can see how having the extinguisher right there came in handy...
"Well, I'm afraid...huh? Your backup just went, too? That's odd. That only ever happens when--hang on. *clickity tappity clackety CLACK*
Oh.
"Jim, have you ever heard of a website called 'Slashdot'?
While you're checking out the Smithsonians, there's a great little exhibit in the American History museum called The Information Age. Features include Enigma, sections of EINAC, and Morse's original telegraph transmitter and receiver. Cool geek stuff. The rest of the museum is great, too.
I read the entirety of the article. Bonus points for the vitriol, by the way--I hear it's all the rage these days, no pun intended.
As described in the article, our protagonist, PGE Park's spokesman took issue with the phrasing of "PGE Park gets free Wi-Fi thanks to Personal Telco and Moonlight Staffing" because he was afraid of upsetting Comcast on the possibility that Comcast would somehow be upset by this press release and take it out on PGE Park. It's really not that challenging of a conclusion to draw from the article text, and I maintain that my (admittedly romantic) lament is perfectly applicable to this situation.
If you cannot see what I am so upset about, you haven't been reading the papers. I'll grant that this isn't a particularly incendiary piece, but there's no shortage of evidence out there that suggests that we're slowly, happily, and blithely surrendering our lives to corporate influence. "Bears Football presented by Bank One". Corporate sponsership of collegiate athletics. Healthcare providers that exist to make a profit first and provide healthcare second. Westar "getting a seat at the table" in the House-Senate conference committee. Halliburton--need I say more?
Please, show some civility. I don't appreciate being insulted for the sake of insulting someone, and I have perfectly valid and pertinent views on this matter.
And such is the state of our society that a free service, dropped into one's lap, is cause for consternation.
We have become such slaves to the dollar that the very specter of affront to a sponsor or corporate backer is reason enough to go after a free, community-driven service.
This isn't about Comcast; this isn't about PGE Park's management. Rather, they're just placeholders for the larger problem. This is about the slow, gentle, comfortable erosion of American values--not the God, family, and apple pie values of tradition, but independence, community, and the common good values of the human spirit.
This is not liberty. This is not happiness. This is voluntary bondage to the almighty dollar. I'm not one to get all uppity about this kind of thing--I'm generally pretty laissez-faire--but it's sad to see this kind of thing. Why, oh why, does my country care more about a dollar than anything else?
BuyMusic.com, a recently-launched competitor to Apple iTunes Music Store, announced today that they would begin distributing independent artists' work, much like CDBaby's newly unveiled distribution plan. Through BuyMusic.com, independent artists would see up to 99.9% profit per sale(1), with one-time setup costs as low as $30(2). Artists would receive their checks in as little as one week(3) after BuyMusic.com
receives payment for the sale. Artists wishing to leave the service may be able to do so as quickly as within twenty days.(4)
(1) Typical profit per sale will range between -5% and 3% depending on marketing terms and market conditions
(2) Setup costs of $30 available to Ultra Platinum Plus artists only. Typical setup costs between $80-200 per song.
(3) Payment processing is facilitated by a third party contractor; allow 5-8 months lead time for most transactions.
(4) Expedited 20-day cancellation requires rapid cancellation charge of $10,000. Expedited cancellation not available for top-selling titles. Standard requests for contract cancellation will be considered on a per-request basis.
They may be restricting their site to IE users (94%+ of the web) and people don't like it.
Apple restricts their service to 5%~ of all computerdom, and it's a 'cool service'.
Cute, but trite.
Lifting Apple's "restriction" requires cranking out and testing several thousand lines of code.
Lifting BuyMusic's "restriction" requires deleting several lines of browser detection code.
BuyMusic has clearly put a great deal of thought and effort into their restrictions; Apple is working like gangbusters to eliminate the "restriction" of iTMS being a Mac-only service.
"we're going to need something like 100 IP addresses for each human being."
Of course, the -real- issue here is why HomeSec intel can't figure out a way to track citizens^W potential terrorists that doesn't require the use of 95 IP addresses.
I mean, I thought the whole point of the new agency was to consolidate and eliminate redundant systems...
"Yeah, it'z a real trad-jedy what happened to old Mr. Smith and his hosting bidness down da street. Poor guy. Hoid he was gonna retires in a few weeks. Simply tragic. So, bidness seems do be brisk today, eh? That's great news, iddnit, Bennie? I was was just sayin' to Bennie, 'Gosh, we loves seein local bidness thrive,' I was sayin'. 'Cuz ya know, we's all gots a stake in bidness bein' good, don't we? And we wants ta help make sure that your fine shop doesn't fall victim to the same thugs what so ruthlessly beat an' murdered Mr. Smith, God rest his soul..."
Y'know, some combinations make sense, but aren't really meant to be.
Traditional PDA screens are about as small as you can go while still retaining a reasonable degree of usability. Get a watch that's too large, and it's no longer anything that you want to wear on your wrist.
While the entire concept of being able to wear your gadgets on your wrist is cool, it takes more than simply saying "I'll meet you halfway" to design such a device. Simply put, the PDA is too small, and the watch is too big for most people to be interested in this device.
Unless you're dealing with a very limited input style--think at most four or five buttons and maybe some form of roller switch--it's going to be nearly impossible to develop a viable wrist-worn device that relies on tactile input. Data storage, sure. Even limited data output is doable--an iPod-esque control system could be adapted to a wristwatch, and one can create relatively unobtrusive displays for a watch (without too great of expectations for resolution, readability, or volume.) But trying to drop a PDA into a watch--that's just too much fine motor control and tactile interaction in too small a space to be practical.
Arrgh, it's the same old love/hate game again. Woz rocks, and I want him to succeed, but this little thing is exactly the kind of device that any number of unscrupulous/patriarchal legislators drool over.
The arguments for and against such tracking devices have been hashed out several gazillion times here on/., so I'll spare the replay, but there's one important difference here: this is Woz. He's no starry-eyed upstart CEO or engineering student; he's one of geekhood's geekiest, and he knows what he's doing (certainly as far as the tech end of things are concerned.) I think that he stands a good chance of making this thing work. It's exciting and frightening to think about.
Aren't those the same list of things that if done by Microsoft would have you screaming bloody murder though?
Seriously, this is what I've always hated about both companies. They *need* control over their platform. Apple has a draconian rule over their hardware, and is pushing for more of the same in software. Microsoft will simply crush opposition in software, but is pretty reasonable about hardware (drivers are another issue).
To each his own. I've never held it against Cuisinart that I can't use cheaper Hamilton-Beach parts in my food processor. I don't begrudge the fact that I can't buy a Hyundai Town Car. I don't hold it against Apple that I can't call up Bob's Discount Apple Parts and build my own OS X box.
Apple makes a damn solid product, box to bits. Part of the reason they can do this is that they don't need to waste time and money trying to support several thousand incrementally different sound cards, network adapters, modems, video cards, mainboards, etc.
Slashdot Mirror
How would you deal with this?
"Why, good afternoon, Mr. McBride! Me and Tiny here, we's here as goodwill representatives of our esteemed employer, IBM. We'd likes ta take a minute of your valuable time and substantiate our employer's claims against your organization. Would youse mind steppin' into dis darkened alleyway with us?"
Standardized copy and paste shortcut keys would be cool, too.
I don't think so, no. According to the FSF, the APSL is free but not GPL-compatible.
"...sir? No, it's just me and Bob here, a sort of pet project we like to work on every now and...you...you what?...Sir, that's...you're giving us how many people to work on this?"
<sarcasm>Yeah, there's no corruption in Washington. Politicians won't just do anything for "campaign contributions". They are the civil servants for their consitituents.</sarcasm>
Y'know, there's a fine line between cynicism and idiocy.
It's about thirty miles thataway. If you see a sign that reads "Welcome To Cynicism", you've gone too far.
¥¥arhammr, perhaps?
Emphasis on ease of use, customer experience, technical quality.
Focal issue: adding value to Mac systems to attract switchers and sell iPods.
Result: Pretty decent music service, all things considered.
BuyMusic.com:
Emphasis on Being Cheaper than iTMS, locking out non-approved systems, Looking an awful lot like iTMS.
Focal issue: Establish self as competition for iTMS before Apple gets the Windows version out.
Result: left as an exercise for the reader.
It is a narrowly held misconception that ice is dry.
(Apologies for the cheap laugh. Cool trivia tidbit, that...)
This 'new' model doesn't even have a "Photon" Cannon!
"Oh, hello, Jim. How're things at World New York? ...oh...I see...hmm...well, let's see what we can do.
"First off, what do you see on the screen? ...Nothing? Is the server plugged in? Mmm-hmm...it is? Okay, that's good. And the power is on? ... you press the little button, but nothing happens. OK. And are any lights on? No. Hmm.
"It sounds like you may have a hardware--what's that? Really? Well, that's not good...yes, it does smell rather bad when that happens. *laugh* Yes, I can see how having the extinguisher right there came in handy...
"Well, I'm afraid...huh? Your backup just went, too? That's odd. That only ever happens when--hang on. *clickity tappity clackety CLACK*
Oh.
"Jim, have you ever heard of a website called 'Slashdot'?
While you're checking out the Smithsonians, there's a great little exhibit in the American History museum called The Information Age. Features include Enigma, sections of EINAC, and Morse's original telegraph transmitter and receiver. Cool geek stuff. The rest of the museum is great, too.
As described in the article, our protagonist, PGE Park's spokesman took issue with the phrasing of "PGE Park gets free Wi-Fi thanks to Personal Telco and Moonlight Staffing" because he was afraid of upsetting Comcast on the possibility that Comcast would somehow be upset by this press release and take it out on PGE Park. It's really not that challenging of a conclusion to draw from the article text, and I maintain that my (admittedly romantic) lament is perfectly applicable to this situation.
If you cannot see what I am so upset about, you haven't been reading the papers. I'll grant that this isn't a particularly incendiary piece, but there's no shortage of evidence out there that suggests that we're slowly, happily, and blithely surrendering our lives to corporate influence. "Bears Football presented by Bank One". Corporate sponsership of collegiate athletics. Healthcare providers that exist to make a profit first and provide healthcare second. Westar "getting a seat at the table" in the House-Senate conference committee. Halliburton--need I say more?
Please, show some civility. I don't appreciate being insulted for the sake of insulting someone, and I have perfectly valid and pertinent views on this matter.
We have become such slaves to the dollar that the very specter of affront to a sponsor or corporate backer is reason enough to go after a free, community-driven service.
This isn't about Comcast; this isn't about PGE Park's management. Rather, they're just placeholders for the larger problem. This is about the slow, gentle, comfortable erosion of American values--not the God, family, and apple pie values of tradition, but independence, community, and the common good values of the human spirit.
This is not liberty. This is not happiness. This is voluntary bondage to the almighty dollar. I'm not one to get all uppity about this kind of thing--I'm generally pretty laissez-faire--but it's sad to see this kind of thing. Why, oh why, does my country care more about a dollar than anything else?
(1) Typical profit per sale will range between -5% and 3% depending on marketing terms and market conditions
(2) Setup costs of $30 available to Ultra Platinum Plus artists only. Typical setup costs between $80-200 per song.
(3) Payment processing is facilitated by a third party contractor; allow 5-8 months lead time for most transactions.
(4) Expedited 20-day cancellation requires rapid cancellation charge of $10,000. Expedited cancellation not available for top-selling titles. Standard requests for contract cancellation will be considered on a per-request basis.
Apple restricts their service to 5%~ of all computerdom, and it's a 'cool service'.
Cute, but trite.
Lifting Apple's "restriction" requires cranking out and testing several thousand lines of code.
Lifting BuyMusic's "restriction" requires deleting several lines of browser detection code.
BuyMusic has clearly put a great deal of thought and effort into their restrictions; Apple is working like gangbusters to eliminate the "restriction" of iTMS being a Mac-only service.
Of course, the -real- issue here is why HomeSec intel can't figure out a way to track citizens^W potential terrorists that doesn't require the use of 95 IP addresses.
I mean, I thought the whole point of the new agency was to consolidate and eliminate redundant systems...
That settles it. I'm officially old.
*sniff*
"Yeah, it'z a real trad-jedy what happened to old Mr. Smith and his hosting bidness down da street. Poor guy. Hoid he was gonna retires in a few weeks. Simply tragic. So, bidness seems do be brisk today, eh? That's great news, iddnit, Bennie? I was was just sayin' to Bennie, 'Gosh, we loves seein local bidness thrive,' I was sayin'. 'Cuz ya know, we's all gots a stake in bidness bein' good, don't we? And we wants ta help make sure that your fine shop doesn't fall victim to the same thugs what so ruthlessly beat an' murdered Mr. Smith, God rest his soul..."
Traditional PDA screens are about as small as you can go while still retaining a reasonable degree of usability. Get a watch that's too large, and it's no longer anything that you want to wear on your wrist.
While the entire concept of being able to wear your gadgets on your wrist is cool, it takes more than simply saying "I'll meet you halfway" to design such a device. Simply put, the PDA is too small, and the watch is too big for most people to be interested in this device.
Unless you're dealing with a very limited input style--think at most four or five buttons and maybe some form of roller switch--it's going to be nearly impossible to develop a viable wrist-worn device that relies on tactile input. Data storage, sure. Even limited data output is doable--an iPod-esque control system could be adapted to a wristwatch, and one can create relatively unobtrusive displays for a watch (without too great of expectations for resolution, readability, or volume.) But trying to drop a PDA into a watch--that's just too much fine motor control and tactile interaction in too small a space to be practical.
The arguments for and against such tracking devices have been hashed out several gazillion times here on /., so I'll spare the replay, but there's one important difference here: this is Woz. He's no starry-eyed upstart CEO or engineering student; he's one of geekhood's geekiest, and he knows what he's doing (certainly as far as the tech end of things are concerned.) I think that he stands a good chance of making this thing work. It's exciting and frightening to think about.
Best of luck, Woz. Please be careful.
If I were you, I'd ask the guy over there holding that big hook-shaped staff...
Seriously, this is what I've always hated about both companies. They *need* control over their platform. Apple has a draconian rule over their hardware, and is pushing for more of the same in software. Microsoft will simply crush opposition in software, but is pretty reasonable about hardware (drivers are another issue).
To each his own. I've never held it against Cuisinart that I can't use cheaper Hamilton-Beach parts in my food processor. I don't begrudge the fact that I can't buy a Hyundai Town Car. I don't hold it against Apple that I can't call up Bob's Discount Apple Parts and build my own OS X box.
Apple makes a damn solid product, box to bits. Part of the reason they can do this is that they don't need to waste time and money trying to support several thousand incrementally different sound cards, network adapters, modems, video cards, mainboards, etc.