ffmpeg and vlc, I can't think of any propriety program that can dream of competing.
ffmpeg and vlc are great but they are far behind what DirectShow can offer. With DirectShow, muxers, codecs, renderers, filters and players are loosely coupled components. Want support for some obscure video format, just write a filter and all DirectShow players will support it, all you need to do is "regsvr32 yourfilter.dll" (installers do it automatically of course).
Do you think OO programming is closer to how the hardware works?
Yes, in fact you can do OO programming in C or assembler, it is not very convenient but it is humanly possible.
An object is just a data structure. A method is just a function taking an additional parameter, which is a pointer to a data structure. A virtual method is just a function pointer inside an data structure. A subclass is just the superclass with additional data at the end.
This is nothing new. There are craploads of search engines that are just google with more ads., spyware extensions that "improve" user experience (like Comet Cursor) and hijacking malware.
The likes of Google and Facebook found the solution long ago : don't do crap. Their sites are good enough to make such extensions undesirable.
In face publisher compete against pirates about who will offer the better product. People balance the cost and benefit of both and take the best one.
For example.
Pirates : + free + easy to get - illegal - possible broken cracks and malware
Publisher : - need to pay (even if it is just $0.01, taking out you credit card is not something trivial) - DRM - annoyances (like FBI warnings) + additional content (online servers for games, bonus for DVD) + physical object + timely updates + sympathy for developers
People will attach a value to every item (a mostly unconscious process). If the total advantage offered by publisher matches the price they ask, people will buy the product.
Google don't sell hardware. Android is an OS and most of the low level code is not written by google.
Google phones (Nexus...) are like any other android phones, designed and produced by hardware companies. The only thing it that they are used as a reference by developers.
As for the facebook phone, I think that it will end as just another android phone with a slightly more tightly integrated facebook app. It doesn't need more than this, the fact that it is labeled "Facebook" is the important part. It is a common tactic. Take motor oil for example, oil X may specify "for engine Y" while cheaper generic oil Z works just as well (or better). And most engine Y users will buy oil X.
I suppose it can become very close with a good encoder but according to http://x264dev.multimedia.cx/archives/377, h264 has the advantage.
Being written by a x264 developer, this article is probably biased but his arguments look valid.
It is actually much older : the Académie française (founded in 1634) never accepted the "septante" form.
It fact it is a strange mashup of a base-10 and a base-20 system.
They probably don't want h.264 because it isn't free. This is why they develop WebM, which is a competing format which is slightly lower in quality but hopefully patent free.
WebP is basically WebM applied to still images. Note that the same approach can be used with h.264, with even better results.
PNG is well supported, free, stable and fast. 28% size gain on something that is not a major problem in the first place is kind of a weak argument.
IMHO. The only thing that made PNGs so popular it that GIFs don't support 32 bit (RGBA) colors.
Look at audio files : most people still use MP3 even if OGG is superior in nearly every aspect, simply because MP3 is good enough.
In term of potential for evil then yes, a free website is worse.
With a website (free or not) you have absolutely no control. At least, with dongle-encrypted software, you don't have to hand over your data, and they can't modify the software without your consent.
Pagerank is just part of the picture. Google use many other metrics to rank websites, but these metrics are kept secret.
Also I don't know why having more outgoing links than incoming ones harms your pagerank. Your links will likely be less valuable for the referenced sites but it shouldn't change anything for you. And if you don't want to make your links trackable by google, just use "nofollow". Manipulating search engine results is not that easy.
Meanwhile, this Java code will work on all platforms, processors, and compilers, forever and ever:
public class Compressor {
public byte[] compress( byte[] data ) {... }
public byte[] decompress( byte[] data ) {... }
}
A tad "cleaner" than 50KB of macros, don't you think?
"char *compressor_compress(char *data)" in C will work on all platform, processors and compilers too.
Also the portability of Java is a myth. It just shifts the problem from the physical machine to the virtual machine. Not all JVMs are compatible and I actually had more portability problem with Java than with C.
High end mobile devices are powerful enough for most actual productive work. The major problem is that they are simply too small. Give them a 20+ inch screen, a full size keyboard and mouse and you have enough power for document writing, accounting and coding.
If don't have anything to hide about my credit card purchases.
However, I don't want them to make money with my data unless I get some kind of compensation. Credit cards aren't free, I shouldn't be the product being sold.
Maybe the criminal definition of hackers is the norm for most people but/. is "news for nerds". And you can expect nerds to know the other definition, which is still in use today.
Also, even in the beginning, hacking was always something clever. So it can be argued that finding vulnerabilities and writing exploits is hacking, but using exploits written by others and sell stolen data is not.
Slashdot Mirror
Google's APKs aren't DRM'd
Indeed, they are not. However, Google now provides a licensing API.
http://code.google.com/googleapps/marketplace/licensing.html
Banning cars would make more sense.
Unlike bittorrent, cars actually kill people and are a huge environmental problem.
ffmpeg and vlc, I can't think of any propriety program that can dream of competing.
ffmpeg and vlc are great but they are far behind what DirectShow can offer.
With DirectShow, muxers, codecs, renderers, filters and players are loosely coupled components. Want support for some obscure video format, just write a filter and all DirectShow players will support it, all you need to do is "regsvr32 yourfilter.dll" (installers do it automatically of course).
Do you think OO programming is closer to how the hardware works?
Yes, in fact you can do OO programming in C or assembler, it is not very convenient but it is humanly possible.
An object is just a data structure.
A method is just a function taking an additional parameter, which is a pointer to a data structure.
A virtual method is just a function pointer inside an data structure.
A subclass is just the superclass with additional data at the end.
This is nothing new. There are craploads of search engines that are just google with more ads., spyware extensions that "improve" user experience (like Comet Cursor) and hijacking malware.
The likes of Google and Facebook found the solution long ago : don't do crap. Their sites are good enough to make such extensions undesirable.
I already exists, it is called "alcohol".
In face publisher compete against pirates about who will offer the better product. People balance the cost and benefit of both and take the best one.
For example.
Pirates :
+ free
+ easy to get
- illegal
- possible broken cracks and malware
Publisher :
- need to pay (even if it is just $0.01, taking out you credit card is not something trivial)
- DRM
- annoyances (like FBI warnings)
+ additional content (online servers for games, bonus for DVD)
+ physical object
+ timely updates
+ sympathy for developers
People will attach a value to every item (a mostly unconscious process). If the total advantage offered by publisher matches the price they ask, people will buy the product.
I have a friend who plays American Football. For him, the so called "padding" is not a protection, it is a weapon.
Nothing can support an exponential growth. At least not in the universe as we know it.
Google don't sell hardware. Android is an OS and most of the low level code is not written by google. Google phones (Nexus...) are like any other android phones, designed and produced by hardware companies. The only thing it that they are used as a reference by developers.
As for the facebook phone, I think that it will end as just another android phone with a slightly more tightly integrated facebook app. It doesn't need more than this, the fact that it is labeled "Facebook" is the important part. It is a common tactic. Take motor oil for example, oil X may specify "for engine Y" while cheaper generic oil Z works just as well (or better). And most engine Y users will buy oil X.
I suppose it can become very close with a good encoder but according to http://x264dev.multimedia.cx/archives/377, h264 has the advantage.
Being written by a x264 developer, this article is probably biased but his arguments look valid.
It is actually much older : the Académie française (founded in 1634) never accepted the "septante" form. It fact it is a strange mashup of a base-10 and a base-20 system.
WebP is basically WebM applied to still images. Note that the same approach can be used with h.264, with even better results.
PNG is well supported, free, stable and fast. 28% size gain on something that is not a major problem in the first place is kind of a weak argument. IMHO. The only thing that made PNGs so popular it that GIFs don't support 32 bit (RGBA) colors. Look at audio files : most people still use MP3 even if OGG is superior in nearly every aspect, simply because MP3 is good enough.
Note that even if a coal power plant failure is just a big fire, a coal mine failure is a BIG fire that can burn for centuries. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal_seam_fire
Where can I get this game ?
In term of potential for evil then yes, a free website is worse. With a website (free or not) you have absolutely no control. At least, with dongle-encrypted software, you don't have to hand over your data, and they can't modify the software without your consent.
Pagerank is just part of the picture. Google use many other metrics to rank websites, but these metrics are kept secret. Also I don't know why having more outgoing links than incoming ones harms your pagerank. Your links will likely be less valuable for the referenced sites but it shouldn't change anything for you. And if you don't want to make your links trackable by google, just use "nofollow". Manipulating search engine results is not that easy.
Meanwhile, this Java code will work on all platforms, processors, and compilers, forever and ever:
public class Compressor { public byte[] compress( byte[] data ) { ... }
public byte[] decompress( byte[] data ) { ... }
}
A tad "cleaner" than 50KB of macros, don't you think?
"char *compressor_compress(char *data)" in C will work on all platform, processors and compilers too. Also the portability of Java is a myth. It just shifts the problem from the physical machine to the virtual machine. Not all JVMs are compatible and I actually had more portability problem with Java than with C.
High end mobile devices are powerful enough for most actual productive work. The major problem is that they are simply too small. Give them a 20+ inch screen, a full size keyboard and mouse and you have enough power for document writing, accounting and coding.
Because we are getting to the point in technology that us humans won't be able to perceive the difference in graphics.
We are far from this point. In fact we may be close to the point where we cannot easily pinpoint what is wrong but we are still able to perceive it unconsciously. There are a lot of important things current 3D engines can't do correctly such as indirect lighting (radiosity), refraction and caustics. Here is an interesting article about some of these limitations : http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/PhilippeRinguetteAngrignon/20090606/1708/Why_quotNextGen_Gamesquot_Went_Gray_Brown_And_Grey.php
If don't have anything to hide about my credit card purchases. However, I don't want them to make money with my data unless I get some kind of compensation. Credit cards aren't free, I shouldn't be the product being sold.
Real CP involves raping children for profit. So it is normal for it to be illegal. Virtual CP (e.g. lolicon) is another story.
Maybe the criminal definition of hackers is the norm for most people but /. is "news for nerds". And you can expect nerds to know the other definition, which is still in use today.
Also, even in the beginning, hacking was always something clever. So it can be argued that finding vulnerabilities and writing exploits is hacking, but using exploits written by others and sell stolen data is not.
iOS wouldn't be as good as it is now without Android. The opposite is also true. We need competition. Of course, iOS vs Android is just an example.