I think it's overpriced, and has issues. But it's version one. Everyone side-steps that. His plan was sound, sell to vertical markets, get it in front of people and prove it's safe. But the next version - and especially the economies of scale that will allow for cheaper versions - will be better. If they hang in there, that is.
The 'throw away the first version' mentality of the software industry does not jibe with a manufactured product.
Also, I don't have a link, but search through the story. Someone makes a comment about how difficult it was for a cruise line to purchase the things. Who takes cruises? People who own factories. So why the reticence to sell the things?
The thing I'm pissed about is that everyone on this forum, supposedly a forward-thinking forum, wants to knife the baby before it's even grown up just a little. And that's sad.
What's sad is ignoring reality. Kamen should have waited and sold the second generation Segway first. Kamen should have examined the American lifestyle first (many others have pointed out the senselessness of a vehicle that cannot carry groceries and/or kids).
Those who say this isn't meant to compete with or be compared to a bicycle are missing the point. If the Segway is meant to 'revolutionize cities' in some mystical fashion, the average, ordinary bicycle does this already at a far, far cheaper cost. Plus it's easy to get saddlebags and/or a child carrier for the thing. Step up a little bit to scooters or motorcycles. You have a machine that probably creates about as much polution as a Segway (my bike gets about 40 mpg, has fuel injection and a catalytic converter) but have a higher top speed, range, and cargo carrying capacity.
What the posters on this thread have said is "nifty, but impractical". Not everyone can afford to be a starry eyed optimist like Jobs and Bezos.
Should have called CC comnpany and had the charges reversed. They clearly sold you something unfit for sale. In that case, you aren't held to any 'contract' (such as the restocking fee) that might have been in existence.
Hardly. First, Dave isn't an hourly employee. Whether it takes him 20 minutes or 20 hours to bang out a column, his check is the same at the end of the day. Second, he's an author in addition to a columnist. Things like this interview fall squarely into the 'publicity' portion of the job. Gotta make the rounds to sell the books. I don't know. But assuming only five books were sold as a result of this interview, I'd say it was worth his 10 minutes answering questions (because, honestly, would it take any longer than that?)
Yes, the questions were inane. As someone else mentioned, they were "I'll set 'em up, you knock 'em down" type questions, and he didn't fall for the bait. Still, it was a rather dull interview. Perhaps due to the format? No banter, no give and take, just "here are your questions, please respond to each".
I won't touch on insurance, as others have already done that. What I'll mention is the noise variance. They'll be nearly impossible to get. My parents live about 4 miles from a dragstrip (Maryland Int'l Raceway) and you can hear it. They don't mind, as my dad always liked drag racing (but he always owned shitty cars. Still, growing up, he read a hell of a lot of Hot Rod magazine. And had a photographic memory. He'd wander the pits, and occasionally some guy would remember an article, but not the details. Asked my dad for help, and out spewed any necessary information). Anyway, lots of people don't like this. I no longer read Hot Rod regularly, but they have a section of old, dead dragstrips in each month's issue. Nine times out of ten, things were going fine. Then urban sprawl encroached on the strip, and the people who just moved in got it closed. Yes, the strip was open when they built their houses, but that's too damned bad.
Good luck. I wish you well. I wish there were more dragstrips. A sanctioning body, close by ambulances, and that sort of thing is much better/safer than crowding kids onto city streets for illegal races.
Or, better yet: if you need these sorts of reminders, stay out of the pilot's seat.
Re:Sell one for less and pocket the difference
on
Hacking the Streamium
·
· Score: 1
You can buy a slimp3 for $249, and slap some speakers in a box, and you're done. With a Free server component. Yeah, it would take some work to get it as 'nice' looking as the Philips device, but it's not like the Philips is some great deal.
Re:This would be sweet if they hacked the slimp3..
on
Hacking the Streamium
·
· Score: 2, Informative
You also get quick access to the hardware and software vendors, and a growing, supported (and supportive) and innovative developer community.
My only problem is that my stereo rack doesn't have glass doors, so my son keeps unplugging the unit (likes to grab the blinking lights?) But, since it only takes a keypress or two when you plug it back in to set it up, it's all good.
Here's hoping I funded one or two of those beers tonight.
Either of these would show that the creator wasn't ready to be slashdotted, and was still a few days from really being ready.
And how was anyone hurt by CDDB being bought out? I use freedb myself, but if I couldn't, big deal. CDDB is not a good comparison for Audioscrobbler anyway. With CDDB, you had to actually spend a few minutes punching in title and track information. With Audioscrobbler, you just install a plugin. Yeah, I'm sure the users of the plugin/service put in tons of uncompensated work.
The possible shutdown of Audioscrobbler is of no consequence at this point. It's similar to how the shutdown of Napster didn't matter in the end. The *idea* is out there. The implementation is a minor detail.
Loosen the tin foil hat and send a few emails before you lay in with this hippy shit. RJ did all the work. He wrote the plugins. He wrote the backend. He's serving up the bandwidth. All the users did was install a plugin. If he closes it, or cashes in, fine. But maybe you could have asked him first.
Marci A. Hamilton is the Paul R. Verkuil Chair in Public Law at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. Her other columns on copyright and constitutional law can be found in the archive of her columns on this website. Her email is hamilton02@aol.com.
Well, it looks to me like she has a bit more authority on which to discuss legal issues than either the poster or timothy (whoever ended with the snide comment). Perhaps she travels, so got AOL. Perhaps she has many business contacts who have the address, so hasn't changed it.
In any event, her opinions on legal matters are more important than some random John Q. Dipshit such as yourself(ves).
Juries act differently because they feel as if they are "making history".
Juries are also people who taped friends' tapes and songs off the radio as kids. They're going to say "wait, I thought you said he stole something. He just got a copy from a friend." and be done with it.
You are probably correct, but it fails to answer some interesting points in the parent. If the user was dialing up from a dorm/frat house/apartment complex, suppose there is an unsecured WAP? Yes, the user who set up the network probably has files. But suppose he got wind of the gendarme coming to search (also, this is civil. Do the police get to come to enforce a civil warrant?) and deleted all of his files. Sure, he'd be in hot stink with the ISP, but the RIAA company could sit and spin.
Whoever owns the account may (civil law make a difference?) get his computer snagged. But will the RIAA accomplish anything other than pissing off some kid?
They shouldn't know, but what does it hurt if they do know? It's not legal for them to discriminate for non job related things. If they do, you go after them that way.
BTW, wanna know a real nightmare? Trying to be a medical employer. Each employee has no fewer than three charts, with only certain data available for certain people. All are under separate lock and key.
Which winds up all being for naught, as most of the employees are more than willing to spill almost any details relative to their own illnesses.
You are dead on. We are currently looking at going from NT4 to ??? and evaluating prices. Basically, it's going to cost a shitpile of money:) I had forgotten about SMBTNG until this article, and am hoping to save the company quite a bit of money. Support? It's been worthless so far, why should I be worried about it now? I'd also be willing to be that SMBTNG can run on the hardware that would be destined for the scrapheap with a 2K or XP Pro upgrade. With cycles to spare.
The real story has nothing to do with government databases. The story has to do with the fact that almost anyone, at any time, can get access to your medical data. Want to know how? Slip someone on the cleaning crew a Franklin. The original paper chart will be yours in minutes.
All the bullshit surrounding HIPAA and other requirements merely increase the paperwork required for medical professionals to do their job. If your wife wants to know if you've got VD, a simple subpoena will suffice. Since your insurance company is paying for your claims, they've got both a diagnosis and a treatment plan. Sure, you can have your privacy, but that means you're going to pay as you go.
Who the hell are you keeping your medical records private from? If you are a drunk and/or drug abuser, your coworkers, friends, and family already have a pretty good idea. If you have AIDS, anyone who you fuck should be told anyway.
What's the big idea if someone knows your A1C? Knowing these results isn't a problem, acting on them in a discriminatory matter is a problem. But for that, there are already guidelines in place, with legal precedence set.
There's another trick, at least in the US: medical pay is for shit. Doctors do okay, everyone else does lousy. The money is much better in porn sites. The money available to pay admins won't get you a competent person (except for me. I'm a cheap lay.) Where is all the money going? Lame ass stuff. Procedures to extend the life of a terminal cancer patient for an extra two months. Put more money into preventative care. Oh, wait, that was tried with HMO's. But every little pissant got annoyed because they couldn't see their holy shaman....errr specialist. Public programs (medicare and medicaid) pay reasonable amounts for 'emergency' care, but next to nothing for preventative maintenance.
Smoking is one of the deadliest scourges to face society, yet no insurance company covers nicotine replacement therapy, support groups, etc.
She said 'you don't do anything romantic anymore'? Guess what, it's over. Pack your bags, next train leaves for splitsville. If she needs to be constantly entertained, she's already looking past you.
What you need is a woman like my wife. She hates valentine's day. With a passion. I never cared one way or another. If anything, on February 14th, we celebrate the one week anniversary of my birthday. She doesn't need a special day, as I prefer to surprise her with little things throughout the year. I'm grocery shopping, and I see a type of candy she might like, so I buy it. She's happy; I was thinking about her when I wasn't with her.
Sure, she liked the 'big gun' romantic things (like the eight hour drive I made after we had been broken up to beg her to come back. Before we were married, BTW) but she's mature enough to understand it's the little things that count.
Slashdot Mirror
I think it's overpriced, and has issues. But it's version one. Everyone side-steps that. His plan was sound, sell to vertical markets, get it in front of people and prove it's safe. But the next version - and especially the economies of scale that will allow for cheaper versions - will be better. If they hang in there, that is.
The 'throw away the first version' mentality of the software industry does not jibe with a manufactured product.
Also, I don't have a link, but search through the story. Someone makes a comment about how difficult it was for a cruise line to purchase the things. Who takes cruises? People who own factories. So why the reticence to sell the things?
The thing I'm pissed about is that everyone on this forum, supposedly a forward-thinking forum, wants to knife the baby before it's even grown up just a little. And that's sad.
What's sad is ignoring reality. Kamen should have waited and sold the second generation Segway first. Kamen should have examined the American lifestyle first (many others have pointed out the senselessness of a vehicle that cannot carry groceries and/or kids).
Those who say this isn't meant to compete with or be compared to a bicycle are missing the point. If the Segway is meant to 'revolutionize cities' in some mystical fashion, the average, ordinary bicycle does this already at a far, far cheaper cost. Plus it's easy to get saddlebags and/or a child carrier for the thing. Step up a little bit to scooters or motorcycles. You have a machine that probably creates about as much polution as a Segway (my bike gets about 40 mpg, has fuel injection and a catalytic converter) but have a higher top speed, range, and cargo carrying capacity.
What the posters on this thread have said is "nifty, but impractical". Not everyone can afford to be a starry eyed optimist like Jobs and Bezos.
Should have called CC comnpany and had the charges reversed. They clearly sold you something unfit for sale. In that case, you aren't held to any 'contract' (such as the restocking fee) that might have been in existence.
"Taking time out of his well-payed day"?
Hardly. First, Dave isn't an hourly employee. Whether it takes him 20 minutes or 20 hours to bang out a column, his check is the same at the end of the day. Second, he's an author in addition to a columnist. Things like this interview fall squarely into the 'publicity' portion of the job. Gotta make the rounds to sell the books. I don't know. But assuming only five books were sold as a result of this interview, I'd say it was worth his 10 minutes answering questions (because, honestly, would it take any longer than that?)
Yes, the questions were inane. As someone else mentioned, they were "I'll set 'em up, you knock 'em down" type questions, and he didn't fall for the bait. Still, it was a rather dull interview. Perhaps due to the format? No banter, no give and take, just "here are your questions, please respond to each".
I won't touch on insurance, as others have already done that. What I'll mention is the noise variance. They'll be nearly impossible to get. My parents live about 4 miles from a dragstrip (Maryland Int'l Raceway) and you can hear it. They don't mind, as my dad always liked drag racing (but he always owned shitty cars. Still, growing up, he read a hell of a lot of Hot Rod magazine. And had a photographic memory. He'd wander the pits, and occasionally some guy would remember an article, but not the details. Asked my dad for help, and out spewed any necessary information). Anyway, lots of people don't like this. I no longer read Hot Rod regularly, but they have a section of old, dead dragstrips in each month's issue. Nine times out of ten, things were going fine. Then urban sprawl encroached on the strip, and the people who just moved in got it closed. Yes, the strip was open when they built their houses, but that's too damned bad.
Good luck. I wish you well. I wish there were more dragstrips. A sanctioning body, close by ambulances, and that sort of thing is much better/safer than crowding kids onto city streets for illegal races.
Or, better yet: if you need these sorts of reminders, stay out of the pilot's seat.
You can buy a slimp3 for $249, and slap some speakers in a box, and you're done. With a Free server component. Yeah, it would take some work to get it as 'nice' looking as the Philips device, but it's not like the Philips is some great deal.
You also get quick access to the hardware and software vendors, and a growing, supported (and supportive) and innovative developer community.
My only problem is that my stereo rack doesn't have glass doors, so my son keeps unplugging the unit (likes to grab the blinking lights?) But, since it only takes a keypress or two when you plug it back in to set it up, it's all good.
Here's hoping I funded one or two of those beers tonight.
BTW, the pinhead response should be:
'free but apparently not Free'
Well, instead of spouting off, there are other options:
Check out what the creator has to say on Slashdot.
Ask him a question in email.
Either of these would show that the creator wasn't ready to be slashdotted, and was still a few days from really being ready.
And how was anyone hurt by CDDB being bought out? I use freedb myself, but if I couldn't, big deal. CDDB is not a good comparison for Audioscrobbler anyway. With CDDB, you had to actually spend a few minutes punching in title and track information. With Audioscrobbler, you just install a plugin. Yeah, I'm sure the users of the plugin/service put in tons of uncompensated work.
The possible shutdown of Audioscrobbler is of no consequence at this point. It's similar to how the shutdown of Napster didn't matter in the end. The *idea* is out there. The implementation is a minor detail.
Loosen the tin foil hat and send a few emails before you lay in with this hippy shit. RJ did all the work. He wrote the plugins. He wrote the backend. He's serving up the bandwidth. All the users did was install a plugin. If he closes it, or cashes in, fine. But maybe you could have asked him first.
What are you going to do with all that memory? My 48k Apple ][+ works just fine.
Wasn't sure because of the borked quotation marks.
Hey, if you're taking requests, add my name to the list. Now that is a MMORPG I would pay money to play.
Still have the old boxed set rules somewhere at my parents' house...
I think that comment is timothy's. For my take on the issue, read my comment.
Marci A. Hamilton is the Paul R. Verkuil Chair in Public Law at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. Her other columns on copyright and constitutional law can be found in the archive of her columns on this website. Her email is hamilton02@aol.com.
Well, it looks to me like she has a bit more authority on which to discuss legal issues than either the poster or timothy (whoever ended with the snide comment). Perhaps she travels, so got AOL. Perhaps she has many business contacts who have the address, so hasn't changed it.
In any event, her opinions on legal matters are more important than some random John Q. Dipshit such as yourself(ves).
DMCA, if I recall, is a civil law. Nobody has mentioned No Electronic Theft yet.
Juries act differently because they feel as if they are "making history".
Juries are also people who taped friends' tapes and songs off the radio as kids. They're going to say "wait, I thought you said he stole something. He just got a copy from a friend." and be done with it.
You are probably correct, but it fails to answer some interesting points in the parent. If the user was dialing up from a dorm/frat house/apartment complex, suppose there is an unsecured WAP? Yes, the user who set up the network probably has files. But suppose he got wind of the gendarme coming to search (also, this is civil. Do the police get to come to enforce a civil warrant?) and deleted all of his files. Sure, he'd be in hot stink with the ISP, but the RIAA company could sit and spin.
Whoever owns the account may (civil law make a difference?) get his computer snagged. But will the RIAA accomplish anything other than pissing off some kid?
They shouldn't know, but what does it hurt if they do know? It's not legal for them to discriminate for non job related things. If they do, you go after them that way.
BTW, wanna know a real nightmare? Trying to be a medical employer. Each employee has no fewer than three charts, with only certain data available for certain people. All are under separate lock and key.
Which winds up all being for naught, as most of the employees are more than willing to spill almost any details relative to their own illnesses.
I only ever found it on my RH discs.
You are dead on. We are currently looking at going from NT4 to ??? and evaluating prices. Basically, it's going to cost a shitpile of money:) I had forgotten about SMBTNG until this article, and am hoping to save the company quite a bit of money. Support? It's been worthless so far, why should I be worried about it now? I'd also be willing to be that SMBTNG can run on the hardware that would be destined for the scrapheap with a 2K or XP Pro upgrade. With cycles to spare.
The real story has nothing to do with government databases. The story has to do with the fact that almost anyone, at any time, can get access to your medical data. Want to know how? Slip someone on the cleaning crew a Franklin. The original paper chart will be yours in minutes.
All the bullshit surrounding HIPAA and other requirements merely increase the paperwork required for medical professionals to do their job. If your wife wants to know if you've got VD, a simple subpoena will suffice. Since your insurance company is paying for your claims, they've got both a diagnosis and a treatment plan. Sure, you can have your privacy, but that means you're going to pay as you go.
Who the hell are you keeping your medical records private from? If you are a drunk and/or drug abuser, your coworkers, friends, and family already have a pretty good idea. If you have AIDS, anyone who you fuck should be told anyway.
What's the big idea if someone knows your A1C? Knowing these results isn't a problem, acting on them in a discriminatory matter is a problem. But for that, there are already guidelines in place, with legal precedence set.
There's another trick, at least in the US: medical pay is for shit. Doctors do okay, everyone else does lousy. The money is much better in porn sites. The money available to pay admins won't get you a competent person (except for me. I'm a cheap lay.) Where is all the money going? Lame ass stuff. Procedures to extend the life of a terminal cancer patient for an extra two months. Put more money into preventative care. Oh, wait, that was tried with HMO's. But every little pissant got annoyed because they couldn't see their holy shaman....errr specialist. Public programs (medicare and medicaid) pay reasonable amounts for 'emergency' care, but next to nothing for preventative maintenance.
Smoking is one of the deadliest scourges to face society, yet no insurance company covers nicotine replacement therapy, support groups, etc.
Yeah, great until one of your retarded drunk friends kicked the power cord and you lost the entire season.
I believe you are talking about rawrite.exe. At least that's what I used to make boot floppies with RH in the past.
She said 'you don't do anything romantic anymore'? Guess what, it's over. Pack your bags, next train leaves for splitsville. If she needs to be constantly entertained, she's already looking past you.
What you need is a woman like my wife. She hates valentine's day. With a passion. I never cared one way or another. If anything, on February 14th, we celebrate the one week anniversary of my birthday. She doesn't need a special day, as I prefer to surprise her with little things throughout the year. I'm grocery shopping, and I see a type of candy she might like, so I buy it. She's happy; I was thinking about her when I wasn't with her.
Sure, she liked the 'big gun' romantic things (like the eight hour drive I made after we had been broken up to beg her to come back. Before we were married, BTW) but she's mature enough to understand it's the little things that count.
"Wait a minute. This seems to be rock and/or roll."