Exactly! This was just the case with the Auto Industry's response to California's increased fuel efficiency requirements. I work for a major auto company, and when the proposed nationwide CAFE standard increases were shot down, our CEO sent out a global voice mail congratulating us all on our hard work allowing the American public to continue to drive their big gas hog SUV's and destroy the environment. Well, maybe he didn't say exactly that, but it made me nauseous.
Progressive Insurance patented "usage based insurance" back in 2000 that implies much of this technology. The product is called Autograph and it relies upon some sort of recording device inside the vehicle -- something like OnStar's onboard hardware would work perfectly. It has a wireless modem, a GPS unit, a computer, and access to the vehicle's Class 2 bus.
That whole news article could be an advertisement for XM. In fact, the "Vegas Radio" format the Clear Channel exec was dreaming about exists as XM's channel 73: "Frank's Place".
I have an Epson SP 750. I had suspected that the printer was prematurely deeming the cartridges empty, so I tried a little experiment. I simply popped-out and popped-in the same "empty" cartridges. The color cart lasted another few printouts, but the black cart has been going strong for at least 100 pages.
The only problem is that on the 750 I can't exchange the ink carts unless the printer thinks they're empty. It's weird, after reinserting the carts the printer thought they were full. It seems to be using some algorithm or usage rate to infer the ink levels based on number of pages printed since last replacement. This is kinda cool for some reasons, but I'd really like to replace the color cart independantly from the black cart.
Seems like this innovation won't actually eliminate the need for rebooting, it will only keep your computer's state between power downs. This may or may not help you when your OS freezes.
I like OmniWeb too, and I really, really try to make it my only browser, but it just can't handle any of my online banking and finance sites. So, I'm stuck with IE until the "alternative" browsers catch up.
I didn't have this problem. Maybe you clicked twice?
I haven't compared it to google yet, but I'd say Lasoo has its place in my utility belt. After typing in my address, I was able to click on "Bars" and now I know exactly how far my house is from each of the nearest local pubs! The distances are in meters, so I'll have to only drink imported beer and crawl metrically -- which kind of makes sense since I won't be on my feet anyway.
I hate to "me too" this to death, but I agree all this talk about the code is irrelevant. What was wrong with having an uninstall option that just removed the icon and application directory? The user doesn't give a damn what's in the dll's or registry. Still, users would be presented with a (oh let's say...) 489K download of IE versus a 14MB download of Netscape.
I totally agree; his lawyer must have been out to lunch or something. However, this judgement does not surprise me - it's just another example of what I see as a critical flaw of our justice system here in the US.
If you've ever been involved in a lawsuit, you'll probably agree with me when I say that a legal battle is just that: a battle. But since the battelfield is trecherous and the rules are confusing, the opponents in the battle often hire specialists or mercenaries to fight for them. These mercenaries are expensive, and the best ones always cost more. Unfortunately, this means that the opponent who can afford the more expensive mercenary has the advantage.
Whoever can afford the better lawyer has the advantage.
And who has more money to spend on lawyers? Corporations or individuals?
The 60's tried to show us that our government has designed the laws and legal system to protect corporations before people. Semantics aside, I'm confident that we of slashdot are all well aware of how Scientology is more of a corporation than a religion. This is why I'm not surprised by the outcome of this case.
I do too. But sometimes when forwarding the spam to the abuse account I get a 550 bounce message with the text: "Please do NOT spam our customers!" How rude is that?!
This happens with abuse@eli.net and abuse@grid.net -- the two domains from which most of my spam comes from these days. Sending to info, postmaster, and other accounts gives me the same result.
Where does this idea of all automotive or factory jobs being unskilled mindless monkey work come from? It seems that some of you have been watching too much Charlie Chaplin!
Being from Detroit (the home of the auto industry) and having a good number of family and friends in the industry, I can tell you that this is simply not true. Tomorrow when you get in your car and it doesn't explode three times on your way to the office, be thankful that your vehicle was assembled by people who are skilled and take pride in their work. Yes, it's repetitive, but so is designing and building apps that all look like nothing more than modified spreadsheets. And yes, there are those who do fulfill the stereotype, but there are slackers in every working venue in every industry -- look around you, for cryin' out loud!
But there's one point that everyone seems to be missing here: part of the reason unions were formed was to ensure the safety of the workers. Losing life and limb in factories used to be a pretty common thing (and it still happens occasionaly). Imagine if getting distracted even just for a few seconds while at your keyboard meant that you'd lose a few fingers, all the while your foreman is yelling at you to work faster, harder, longer over the already deafening thunder and clanks of the other machines.
Now, I don't actually believe that we in the tech industry have to worry about serious and life-threating injuries, but I do believe that we would need the combined strength of a union if we ever want to be allowed to grow up. What I mean by growing up is being able to work hours that permit a rewarding family life -- you know, like having stress-free pager-free time for a wife and kids and dogs and friends and trips to the Grand Canyon or London and...
This goes back a few years, but I seem to remember reading about some experimental work at Atari in the early-to-mid 90's where they were using slight differences in alpha waves (I think) to control the movement of a pointer (mouse arrow) on a screen. It was for some "next-generation" game controller. Users of the device had to practice (concentrate) a bit before it became responsive, but it did work. Can anyone confirm this?
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Exactly! This was just the case with the Auto Industry's response to California's increased fuel efficiency requirements. I work for a major auto company, and when the proposed nationwide CAFE standard increases were shot down, our CEO sent out a global voice mail congratulating us all on our hard work allowing the American public to continue to drive their big gas hog SUV's and destroy the environment. Well, maybe he didn't say exactly that, but it made me nauseous.
Progressive Insurance patented "usage based insurance" back in 2000 that implies much of this technology. The product is called Autograph and it relies upon some sort of recording device inside the vehicle -- something like OnStar's onboard hardware would work perfectly. It has a wireless modem, a GPS unit, a computer, and access to the vehicle's Class 2 bus.
Actually, that is incorrect. NEWS is an acronym for North, East, West and South. This was a Trivial Pursuit question.
While twin towers they may be, The Twin Towers they are not.
That whole news article could be an advertisement for XM. In fact, the "Vegas Radio" format the Clear Channel exec was dreaming about exists as XM's channel 73: "Frank's Place".
Hack away, indeed. I'd like to download that code to an Easy Zapper simulator on my Palm.
Nor will it haunt them in this instance, since the judge disallowed the memo as evidence.
Heh. A quick look over at the Internet Anagram Server took paradigm and synergy and came up with Spermy Dairy Gang.
Do you think that's trademarked yet?
I have an Epson SP 750. I had suspected that the printer was prematurely deeming the cartridges empty, so I tried a little experiment. I simply popped-out and popped-in the same "empty" cartridges. The color cart lasted another few printouts, but the black cart has been going strong for at least 100 pages.
The only problem is that on the 750 I can't exchange the ink carts unless the printer thinks they're empty. It's weird, after reinserting the carts the printer thought they were full. It seems to be using some algorithm or usage rate to infer the ink levels based on number of pages printed since last replacement. This is kinda cool for some reasons, but I'd really like to replace the color cart independantly from the black cart.
That would be "half are below the median" -- not necessary the average (a.k.a. the mean).
Seems like this innovation won't actually eliminate the need for rebooting, it will only keep your computer's state between power downs. This may or may not help you when your OS freezes.
Nope. Most ex-Apple (and Newton, Inc.) employees have been hired by Microsoft almost the second their cars leave the parking lot.
Palm came from US Robotics, later bought by 3Com, and then spun off on its own. Handspring was founded by ex-Palm founders.
Unfortunately, most bank/finance sites rely *heavily* upon Javascript -- which OW and iCab don't handle so nicely.
I like OmniWeb too, and I really, really try to make it my only browser, but it just can't handle any of my online banking and finance sites. So, I'm stuck with IE until the "alternative" browsers catch up.
OMS may be dead, but FreeMIDI emulates it and is more stable than OMS ever was.
I didn't have this problem. Maybe you clicked twice?
I haven't compared it to google yet, but I'd say Lasoo has its place in my utility belt. After typing in my address, I was able to click on "Bars" and now I know exactly how far my house is from each of the nearest local pubs! The distances are in meters, so I'll have to only drink imported beer and crawl metrically -- which kind of makes sense since I won't be on my feet anyway.
Looks like it's back to cable modem for me...
The REAL VIRUS is unlimited root access in Windows 95/98/ME.
... which, by the way, is soon to make an unwelcome comeback to a wider audience in XP.
I hate to "me too" this to death, but I agree all this talk about the code is irrelevant. What was wrong with having an uninstall option that just removed the icon and application directory? The user doesn't give a damn what's in the dll's or registry. Still, users would be presented with a (oh let's say...) 489K download of IE versus a 14MB download of Netscape.
Hmmm... maybe it's not so irrelevant after all...
Sure... it's a bug. Or, could it have been put there intentionally as an aid to the US government's unofficial trading and sale of weapon materials?
Or, maybe I've watched too much X-files.
That stinks -- people are also charges 2 cents or so for each incoming SMS message on their phones.
If you've ever been involved in a lawsuit, you'll probably agree with me when I say that a legal battle is just that: a battle. But since the battelfield is trecherous and the rules are confusing, the opponents in the battle often hire specialists or mercenaries to fight for them. These mercenaries are expensive, and the best ones always cost more. Unfortunately, this means that the opponent who can afford the more expensive mercenary has the advantage.
Whoever can afford the better lawyer has the advantage.
And who has more money to spend on lawyers? Corporations or individuals?
The 60's tried to show us that our government has designed the laws and legal system to protect corporations before people. Semantics aside, I'm confident that we of slashdot are all well aware of how Scientology is more of a corporation than a religion. This is why I'm not surprised by the outcome of this case.
I do too. But sometimes when forwarding the spam to the abuse account I get a 550 bounce message with the text: "Please do NOT spam our customers!" How rude is that?! This happens with abuse@eli.net and abuse@grid.net -- the two domains from which most of my spam comes from these days. Sending to info, postmaster, and other accounts gives me the same result.
Where does this idea of all automotive or factory jobs being unskilled mindless monkey work come from? It seems that some of you have been watching too much Charlie Chaplin!
Being from Detroit (the home of the auto industry) and having a good number of family and friends in the industry, I can tell you that this is simply not true. Tomorrow when you get in your car and it doesn't explode three times on your way to the office, be thankful that your vehicle was assembled by people who are skilled and take pride in their work. Yes, it's repetitive, but so is designing and building apps that all look like nothing more than modified spreadsheets. And yes, there are those who do fulfill the stereotype, but there are slackers in every working venue in every industry -- look around you, for cryin' out loud!
But there's one point that everyone seems to be missing here: part of the reason unions were formed was to ensure the safety of the workers. Losing life and limb in factories used to be a pretty common thing (and it still happens occasionaly). Imagine if getting distracted even just for a few seconds while at your keyboard meant that you'd lose a few fingers, all the while your foreman is yelling at you to work faster, harder, longer over the already deafening thunder and clanks of the other machines.
Now, I don't actually believe that we in the tech industry have to worry about serious and life-threating injuries, but I do believe that we would need the combined strength of a union if we ever want to be allowed to grow up. What I mean by growing up is being able to work hours that permit a rewarding family life -- you know, like having stress-free pager-free time for a wife and kids and dogs and friends and trips to the Grand Canyon or London and...
This goes back a few years, but I seem to remember reading about some experimental work at Atari in the early-to-mid 90's where they were using slight differences in alpha waves (I think) to control the movement of a pointer (mouse arrow) on a screen. It was for some "next-generation" game controller. Users of the device had to practice (concentrate) a bit before it became responsive, but it did work. Can anyone confirm this?