The Creative MuVo in my pocket comes to mind. Bought that 2 years ago, works great, it's cheap, has a decent mic for voice notes and a user-replacable battery... It even pops apart for use as a usb stick with it's own little connector built right in. It's a nice little piece of tech.
Now I'm wondering why I now have to replace it by Apple fiat.
Moreover, I wonder why you're so hard to bring people into technology you've chosen as right for *you*. People are well within reason to complain. As technology expands, it can open up *more* options while retaining compatibility with what's been established to work in the past. Apple uses technology to constrain options. That's the crux of it.
If Mass Effect had anything like the kajillion worlds of Starflight, the trade routes, and the sheer sense of exploration and capitalization, it would have been...
Well, it would have been Starflight, with much better graphics and an FPS tacked on. But still pretty awesome to think about.
I am interested in Dwarf Fortress. I really, really am. I love developing environments for autonomous actors, discovering new things in unexplored worlds, managing economies....
I would rather stab myself in the eyes than have to figure out how to decode what I'm looking at. It feels like I'm working on getting my Master's in Imaginary Architecture on a 1967 teletype.
Though, I suppose after a while, you don't even notice the code anymore. It's just blonde, brunette, double-braided beard....
Star Control 2 is the pinnacle of 1990's game development, in my humble opinion. The developers at Toys for Bob are still inundated with requests to develop a new sequel. (Shame on you, Accolade. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME.)
Ur Quan Masters is a game that, with the developer's blessings, brings the original SC2 back to contemporary computers with refinements galore. Updated graphic engine for high-res displays, remixed music, and plenty of gameplay goodies.
"Where did Shamus Young ever get the idea this was about publishers wanting to be the leader in 'serving content'. Nothing could be further from reality.",/em>
They could want to be teddy bears dancing like adorable ballerinas with candy cane umbrellas and sugar floss wigs.
And then there are sites like Good Old Games, which remove the copy protection/DRM with the publisher's blessing, patch the game up to the latest version, and distribute them for the price of a combo meal at Schmucky's.
In fact there are no other sites like GOG that I can think of. There is only GOG.
Good point. One of the perks of a super hero costume is that it draws so much attention you can't be recognized out in the rest of the world.
I went to the holiday party for the company this year. Because I'm just a voice on the phone to most people, I went almost completely unrecognized. It was kind of nice.
It's worth wondering why IT is being singled out for uniforms. How about the folks in payroll? Or accounting? Just what is being said about IT here that can't be said about any other department in the company?
If IT needs a uniform, it's nothing more complex that a plumber's set of overalls. We spend all our time in the field crouched under desks and showing our ass cracks anyway, right? Now hand me that left-handed feeblegruber and get out of the way.
I don't know what that would look like, except maybe a browser with no plugin capability. Wave is designed to integrate so many web-centric technologies... what you're asking for seems a lot like asking for an email client that didn't require written language to send messages.
Which would be cool, come to think of it. Maybe Google will give us that next?
You can still set up your own server though, and retain total control.
The creators went into a significant explanation of how you can federate your server to the outside world, or leave them entirely internal. The protocol is the really significant part, and the product is more like an expression of the protocol than the end-all-be-all implementation of it.
I bought a N800 because it was the right hardware for what I wanted to do. I needed something I could write on, something I could instant message on occasionally, and something that was light enough and small enough to have on me all the time. Some phones are good for messaging, some notebooks are good for writing, but the N800 brought it together for me.
Having Maemo, the open source OS, come specially developed for the N800 was a super plus because it offered me a lot more flexibility. True, a lot of what's out there is the standard issue FOSS apps -- but that's the point. I've run SSH sessions from my N800 to diagnose headless server issues, for crying out loud.
The rest of the time, I write on it, do some twitter, and keep it comfortably out of the way but close at hand. It's a brilliant device, Nokia made some great hardware choices, but they're not in the software biz. FOSS only helps make it better, and was a solid development choice.
GOG want you to own your games and play whenever you want. Steam want you to rent your games, and play when you're connected to their servers and it's economically convenient.
Slashdot Mirror
I really liked Paul Williams, too. He was the best engineered Muppet EVER.
The best feature about the IID is that is only has to be a little bit possible in order to be inevitable.
Still not a good reason to kill off MP3. It's still ubiquitous. It's what all *my* music is in. I want to listen to it on *my* stuff, see?
Is that so unreasonable?
The Creative MuVo in my pocket comes to mind. Bought that 2 years ago, works great, it's cheap, has a decent mic for voice notes and a user-replacable battery... It even pops apart for use as a usb stick with it's own little connector built right in. It's a nice little piece of tech.
Now I'm wondering why I now have to replace it by Apple fiat.
Moreover, I wonder why you're so hard to bring people into technology you've chosen as right for *you*. People are well within reason to complain. As technology expands, it can open up *more* options while retaining compatibility with what's been established to work in the past. Apple uses technology to constrain options. That's the crux of it.
Correction again:
Steve Job sticks fat wads of cash in his ears. "iTunesiTunesiTunesiTunes."
Which is the one where you get an automatic confirmed critical and the target has to make a DC Fortitude check based on the damage dealt?
Bard's Tale, especially the Thief of Fate, was my introduction to first person party dungeon crawls.
Wizardry, plus the Might and Magic series, went a long way toward solidifying my addiction.
Frayed Knights, by Rampant Games, is under development with a tongue-in-cheek approach to high fantasy in the same vein. I can't wait.
If Mass Effect had anything like the kajillion worlds of Starflight, the trade routes, and the sheer sense of exploration and capitalization, it would have been ...
Well, it would have been Starflight, with much better graphics and an FPS tacked on. But still pretty awesome to think about.
I am interested in Dwarf Fortress. I really, really am. I love developing environments for autonomous actors, discovering new things in unexplored worlds, managing economies....
I would rather stab myself in the eyes than have to figure out how to decode what I'm looking at. It feels like I'm working on getting my Master's in Imaginary Architecture on a 1967 teletype.
Though, I suppose after a while, you don't even notice the code anymore. It's just blonde, brunette, double-braided beard ....
Star Control 2 is the pinnacle of 1990's game development, in my humble opinion. The developers at Toys for Bob are still inundated with requests to develop a new sequel. (Shame on you, Accolade. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME.)
Ur Quan Masters is a game that, with the developer's blessings, brings the original SC2 back to contemporary computers with refinements galore. Updated graphic engine for high-res displays, remixed music, and plenty of gameplay goodies.
My review of SC2 is here.
You know Lucas won't be able to keep himself from fucking with establish events. In this version, Luke goes to Tashi Station first.
"Where did Shamus Young ever get the idea this was about publishers wanting to be the leader in 'serving content'. Nothing could be further from reality.",/em>
They could want to be teddy bears dancing like adorable ballerinas with candy cane umbrellas and sugar floss wigs.
Is that further enough from reality for you?
And then there are sites like Good Old Games, which remove the copy protection/DRM with the publisher's blessing, patch the game up to the latest version, and distribute them for the price of a combo meal at Schmucky's.
In fact there are no other sites like GOG that I can think of. There is only GOG.
GOG rules.
I have yet to see a reliable link to text of this assertion. Please provide.
Otherwise, stop spreading rumour-bait.
*Splutter*gasp*deep breaths*
You. DO. Own. Your. Physical. Books.
Ownership is not the same as copyright. Copyright is not the same as license. Please get your terms straight.
"There are a heck of a lot of advances in things other than graphics ... [such as] AI ... UI ... online play ..."
I think you'll find a many of those developments are part of Planet MULE.
And no matter how much you winge about people having fun, you can't stop them by trolling about it on Slashdot.
Good point. One of the perks of a super hero costume is that it draws so much attention you can't be recognized out in the rest of the world.
I went to the holiday party for the company this year. Because I'm just a voice on the phone to most people, I went almost completely unrecognized. It was kind of nice.
"IT guys are stereotyped as being a bit sloppy."
Fixed that for you.
It's worth wondering why IT is being singled out for uniforms. How about the folks in payroll? Or accounting? Just what is being said about IT here that can't be said about any other department in the company?
If IT needs a uniform, it's nothing more complex that a plumber's set of overalls. We spend all our time in the field crouched under desks and showing our ass cracks anyway, right? Now hand me that left-handed feeblegruber and get out of the way.
I don't know what that would look like, except maybe a browser with no plugin capability. Wave is designed to integrate so many web-centric technologies ... what you're asking for seems a lot like asking for an email client that didn't require written language to send messages.
Which would be cool, come to think of it. Maybe Google will give us that next?
You can still set up your own server though, and retain total control.
The creators went into a significant explanation of how you can federate your server to the outside world, or leave them entirely internal. The protocol is the really significant part, and the product is more like an expression of the protocol than the end-all-be-all implementation of it.
Great points. Here's my two cents.
I bought a N800 because it was the right hardware for what I wanted to do. I needed something I could write on, something I could instant message on occasionally, and something that was light enough and small enough to have on me all the time. Some phones are good for messaging, some notebooks are good for writing, but the N800 brought it together for me.
Having Maemo, the open source OS, come specially developed for the N800 was a super plus because it offered me a lot more flexibility. True, a lot of what's out there is the standard issue FOSS apps -- but that's the point. I've run SSH sessions from my N800 to diagnose headless server issues, for crying out loud.
The rest of the time, I write on it, do some twitter, and keep it comfortably out of the way but close at hand. It's a brilliant device, Nokia made some great hardware choices, but they're not in the software biz. FOSS only helps make it better, and was a solid development choice.
GOG want you to own your games and play whenever you want. Steam want you to rent your games, and play when you're connected to their servers and it's economically convenient.
What you do with your dollar is up to you.
Block it with the FlashBlock addon.
And apparently that meddlesome Doctor has modded my message of universal conquest down, thereby denying me the victory once again. Confound him!
The message that follows is of vital importance to you all...
MWAHAHAHAHAHA!