RTFA????? Are you kidding?
on
Planet Simpson
·
· Score: -1, Offtopic
There is no way I can read all that!!! I have 15 inch CRT with a screen resolution of 4056 x 2048 with an 8 point font. All the words just jumble together.
It's just another gimick to make more money from Intel. First they 'rename' all of their processors to confuse (uninformed) consumers about what they are really buying, and by 'hiding' features in one version of their processors so that it will be considered groundbreaking in the next version.. crap I tell you. Gotta love Anandtech.
My fav was always Peri. I guess because she was the good Doctor's assistant when I started watching on PBS. When she 'got killed' I was totally destroyed.....until the next episode, when we found out that she was OK... I loved her.
TALLAHASSEE - At the urging of Tampa and a handful of other cities, a nearly forgotten provision in Florida's tax code is being dusted off by the state Revenue Department and could lead to the nation's first communications tax on multiuser computer networks. Business lobbyists and others are scrambling to block the move, which some predict could trigger one of the largest tax increases in Florida history unless lawmakers eliminate the provision or halt its enforcement before adjourning April 30. ``This is a true example of the law of unintended consequences,'' said state Rep. John Stargel, R-Lakeland, who has introduced a bill that would abolish the 1985 provision but has been unable to get it past its first committee stop. ``This is a poster child for bad tax policy.'' The provision was intended to make sure companies operating their own land line communication systems, which two decades ago was limited to large utilities and railroads, were paying the same taxes paid by those who rely on commercial phone carriers. About 10 companies pay more than $1.2 million annually based on that definition. However, the statute is so broadly worded that it could be interpreted to describe a local area network, which in computer lingo is known as a LAN. Thousands of Florida companies as well as a growing number of private homes have LAN computer systems. Finding A Solution Senate leaders oppose such a broad application of the provision but are leery of hastily eliminating it, in part because it would abolish the $1.2 million in tax revenue that has been paid under what is known as the Substitute Communications Services Tax. The upper legislative chamber is expected to propose a temporary suspension of its enforcement and then look for ways to limit the provision's application without undermining its original intent. ``Back in 1985, there might have been a few engineers at Bell Laboratories who might have understood what a local area network was but not many others,'' said state Revenue Department spokesman Dave Bruns. ``That was essentially pre-Internet.'' Complicating matters is that lawmakers kept the provision intact when they revamped communication services taxes in 2000 as part of an effort to simplify and modernize the tax code. That's what sparked the current problem. Cities Seek Enforcement Internal auditors at the city of Tampa noticed a couple of years ago that the substitute communications service provision was still there and asked state officials why it wasn't being enforced. Cities and counties get a hefty cut of the $2.1 billion in communications taxes collected by phone companies each year. A portion of the money also is earmarked for school construction. No one knows exactly how much more would be collected by enforcing the broader definition of the tax. The rate varies statewide, ranging from 9.17 percent to 18.07 percent depending on local option assessments. Stargel predicts it would be hundreds of millions of dollars annually, while some business lobbyists say it would easily exceed $1 billion. Bruns said that while no one at the state agency believes the provision was ever intended to apply to computer networks, the agency's job is to enforce the policies created by the Legislature. He said the agency asked the Legislature to re-examine the provision last year but lawmakers adjourned without touching it. With cities continuing to push for collection, the Revenue Department drafted a proposed enforcement rule but delayed implementation until after this year's legislative session to give lawmakers a second chance to amend or abolish the provision. With barely two weeks remaining, bills in the House and Senate are essentially stalled in committees. ``We are awaiting guidance from the Legislature,'' Bruns said. Among those pushing the issue is Sharon Fox, the city of Tampa's tax revenue coordinator. Although she never imagined the provision would be interpreted to require taxing even the most simplistic computer networks, she makes no apologies for insisting
Game developers are trying to release their games simultaneously on multiple game systems. I'm no developer, but could this not slow development of one game?
If you're writing a game, don't you have to port the game for the PC, the Xbox, the PS2 and the Dreamcast? If the release for the Xbox before the PS2, does Sony get pissed off?
I'm just wondering if it's a development thing, or a political thing...
From Webopedia:
Network Applicance: A typically inexpensive personal computer, sometimes called a thin client, that enables Internet access and some business-related activities but lacks many features of a fully equipped PC, such as a hard drive or CD-ROM. Applications used on network appliances typically are housed on a Web server accessed by the appliance. Network appliances are used to ease remote management and cut costs.
Is this not a full featured PC? Doesn't it have a Hard Drive and a CD-ROM?
What's the use of this technology? It says on the website at http://www.fwd.pulver.com/index.php?section_id=71 that you can't call traditional POTS or cell phones, only other FWD members or other partner VOIP providers.
I don't have Vonage or the like, but I'm sure I will eventually, but didn't Netmeeting do the same thing back in the Windoze 98 days?
The good Doctor came on PBS when I was younger (every Saturday night, I believe). But there are only a few states that still carry Doctor Who because they don't have the budget to pay the fees, I guess (check your local listings).
The next time your local PBS does a 'fund drive' you could call and heckle them to show the old Doctor Who episodes, and then you'll donate:)
As someone mentioned, it doesn't come on BBC America due to licensing.
But, I bet if you check your favorite P2P (Kazaa), most of the remaining episodes are available for donwload. Trust me, I know...
Slashdot Mirror
Uhhhh....
Will it be out before Duke Nukem Forever??
So I'm a dupe...
Ain't that the truth...
and it's Real Sci-fi... not like B5 or trek...
(...there goes what Kharma I had...)
There is no way I can read all that!!! I have 15 inch CRT with a screen resolution of 4056 x 2048 with an 8 point font. All the words just jumble together.
what????????? Who cares? I'm quite sure just about everyone here would do her anyways?
Or do the geeks here need to be stimulated by conversation too?
That's what I thought....
That's fucking hilarious!!!!! I had my volume turned up in the office!!! Oh, the looks.............
I personally use Todd Strahan, my childhood archenemy :)
I use his real address too!
Is this bad? I haven't seen him for...oh....15 years...I'm bad I guess
Ain't that the truth...
http://slashhackadaylaterdot.org
You, my friend, are a geek....
uh........yeah,
Try Google
Search engines... Gooooooooooooooooood..........
Not looking...Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad!
You and me both!!!
;)
It's just too bad that BBC America isn't broadcasting real time with BBC1. Oh well, I guess I'll use bittorrent to get my fix
According to Wiki, the US Patriot Act includes computer fraud (aka terrorism). Most of the surveillance portions expires on December 2005 anyway.
According to the article the winner was somebody from Colorado (won a Prius)?!?
But they are going to annouce the other winners soon (for the G5's)?
So why do we care?
Not that I could have entered or anything, but I'm jus' sayin'....
I could play Duke Nukem Forever of this? ....that would rock :)
It's just another gimick to make more money from Intel. First they 'rename' all of their processors to confuse (uninformed) consumers about what they are really buying, and by 'hiding' features in one version of their processors so that it will be considered groundbreaking in the next version.. crap I tell you. Gotta love Anandtech.
My fav was always Peri. I guess because she was the good Doctor's assistant when I started watching on PBS. When she 'got killed' I was totally destroyed.....until the next episode, when we found out that she was OK... I loved her.
TALLAHASSEE - At the urging of Tampa and a handful of other cities, a nearly forgotten provision in Florida's tax code is being dusted off by the state Revenue Department and could lead to the nation's first communications tax on multiuser computer networks.
Business lobbyists and others are scrambling to block the move, which some predict could trigger one of the largest tax increases in Florida history unless lawmakers eliminate the provision or halt its enforcement before adjourning April 30.
``This is a true example of the law of unintended consequences,'' said state Rep. John Stargel, R-Lakeland, who has introduced a bill that would abolish the 1985 provision but has been unable to get it past its first committee stop. ``This is a poster child for bad tax policy.''
The provision was intended to make sure companies operating their own land line communication systems, which two decades ago was limited to large utilities and railroads, were paying the same taxes paid by those who rely on commercial phone carriers. About 10 companies pay more than $1.2 million annually based on that definition.
However, the statute is so broadly worded that it could be interpreted to describe a local area network, which in computer lingo is known as a LAN. Thousands of Florida companies as well as a growing number of private homes have LAN computer systems.
Finding A Solution
Senate leaders oppose such a broad application of the provision but are leery of hastily eliminating it, in part because it would abolish the $1.2 million in tax revenue that has been paid under what is known as the Substitute Communications Services Tax.
The upper legislative chamber is expected to propose a temporary suspension of its enforcement and then look for ways to limit the provision's application without undermining its original intent.
``Back in 1985, there might have been a few engineers at Bell Laboratories who might have understood what a local area network was but not many others,'' said state Revenue Department spokesman Dave Bruns. ``That was essentially pre-Internet.''
Complicating matters is that lawmakers kept the provision intact when they revamped communication services taxes in 2000 as part of an effort to simplify and modernize the tax code. That's what sparked the current problem.
Cities Seek Enforcement
Internal auditors at the city of Tampa noticed a couple of years ago that the substitute communications service provision was still there and asked state officials why it wasn't being enforced.
Cities and counties get a hefty cut of the $2.1 billion in communications taxes collected by phone companies each year. A portion of the money also is earmarked for school construction.
No one knows exactly how much more would be collected by enforcing the broader definition of the tax. The rate varies statewide, ranging from 9.17 percent to 18.07 percent depending on local option assessments.
Stargel predicts it would be hundreds of millions of dollars annually, while some business lobbyists say it would easily exceed $1 billion.
Bruns said that while no one at the state agency believes the provision was ever intended to apply to computer networks, the agency's job is to enforce the policies created by the Legislature. He said the agency asked the Legislature to re-examine the provision last year but lawmakers adjourned without touching it.
With cities continuing to push for collection, the Revenue Department drafted a proposed enforcement rule but delayed implementation until after this year's legislative session to give lawmakers a second chance to amend or abolish the provision. With barely two weeks remaining, bills in the House and Senate are essentially stalled in committees.
``We are awaiting guidance from the Legislature,'' Bruns said.
Among those pushing the issue is Sharon Fox, the city of Tampa's tax revenue coordinator.
Although she never imagined the provision would be interpreted to require taxing even the most simplistic computer networks, she makes no apologies for insisting
Good point, but maybe that's the problem...
Game developers are trying to release their games simultaneously on multiple game systems. I'm no developer, but could this not slow development of one game?
If you're writing a game, don't you have to port the game for the PC, the Xbox, the PS2 and the Dreamcast? If the release for the Xbox before the PS2, does Sony get pissed off?
I'm just wondering if it's a development thing, or a political thing...
I don't think the game delays hurt sales. When Duke comes out, I'll buy it, no doubt. If it's a big name game, it will still sell.
On the other hand, the thing that pisses me off about the game release delays is the the developers are 'debugging'. I think that's bull.
How many games don't release a service pack/update/bugfix within a couple of months of the game release anyway?
From Webopedia: Network Applicance: A typically inexpensive personal computer, sometimes called a thin client, that enables Internet access and some business-related activities but lacks many features of a fully equipped PC, such as a hard drive or CD-ROM. Applications used on network appliances typically are housed on a Web server accessed by the appliance. Network appliances are used to ease remote management and cut costs. Is this not a full featured PC? Doesn't it have a Hard Drive and a CD-ROM?
What exactly qualifies this small form factor computer as a network applicance?
I'm just curious...
What's the use of this technology? It says on the website at http://www.fwd.pulver.com/index.php?section_id=71
that you can't call traditional POTS or cell phones, only other FWD members or other partner VOIP providers.
I don't have Vonage or the like, but I'm sure I will eventually, but didn't Netmeeting do the same thing back in the Windoze 98 days?
That remainds me of my favorite 'pick-up' line:
Me: Hey baby, you ever had your belly button licked?
Girl: (sarcasticly) Yeah
Me: (dramatic pause) From the inside?
Too bad it never works...
The good Doctor came on PBS when I was younger (every Saturday night, I believe). But there are only a few states that still carry Doctor Who because they don't have the budget to pay the fees, I guess (check your local listings).
:)
The next time your local PBS does a 'fund drive' you could call and heckle them to show the old Doctor Who episodes, and then you'll donate
As someone mentioned, it doesn't come on BBC America due to licensing.
But, I bet if you check your favorite P2P (Kazaa), most of the remaining episodes are available for donwload. Trust me, I know...
You should be bitchslapped back to Skaro...