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User: d0n+quix0te

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  1. Em Pee What? Dee Are Who? on New "MP3 100% Compatible" Logo For DRM-Free Music · · Score: 1

    Like MP3 or DRM matters anymore.... let's stop deluding ourselves. Beyond us no one even realizes what format music is in...

    -S

  2. I spent a year and a half on the road... on Best Laptop for Going Around the World? · · Score: 1

    My suggestion: eschew a laptop. When you are backpacking you will appreciate every pound that you are not carrying. Instead spend the money on a portable camera backup solutions. Internet access is quite easy to find even in remote areas.

    I blogged from Timbuktu, sent e-mail from Lukhla and web surfed in Zanzibar. Internet cafes are quite easy to find in developing countries.

    If you really *need* a laptop... (nobody really needs a laptop.... 4 billion people live without them), then get yourself an ultralight weight machine. But you have to realize that the machine will probably cost more than the annual salary in a lot of places... and plan accordingly.

    Less is more... the journey is the reward. Travel without a laptop and you will be richer for the experience.

    -S

  3. RIAA vs Downloaders, MSFT vs Opensourcers... on Through the Patent Looking Glass with Microsoft · · Score: 0

    As Sherlock Holmes once said...., "The parallel is exact!"

    To understand that larger implications of taking your customers to court, MSFT need not look further than the RIAA. Hopefully Uncle Balmer will get the point before he goes down this path. I quite wrote what Jonathan Schwartz wrote about the implications... MSFT should focus on delivering a better product not taking people to court. This is going to end up being a distraction for a company already trying to chase the fading tail-lights of Google, Apple and Nintendo.

    Or then MSFT may chose the RIAA route, we know how that story ended.... dominated by Apple.

    -S

  4. Funny to see the pocket protector crowd... on Beryl User Interface for Linux Reviewed · · Score: 1

    that criticized OS X when it debuted for its "eye candy" do a complete turnaround. Now it seems to be "lets out do OS X with garish out of place special effects". Let's set the open and close dialogs ablaze when the user selects a file, let's add physics to the dock, let's add flapping to the windows....

    As Lucy would say 'HA!'

  5. Wonderful Triple OS strategy on Palm to go Linux · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Let's see Palm OS, Win CE, and now Linux? Sounds like just the way to lose even more developers.

    This is Palm's management clutching at straws.... what was that comment about the iPhone from the Palm CEO? Sad to see a once pioneering company being run over a once beleaguered company.

    RIP Palm... here lies the Filofax of the late 90's.

    -S

  6. Re:no thanks to MS on Microsoft Set to Unlock EMI Songs, Too · · Score: 1

    Mr LazyLightning this is LazyThinking at best...

    First, ability to cherry pick and buy songs that you like is something that is not a product available on physical media such as CDs. Second iTunes does allow you to put tunes on a physical medium such as an iPod or a burned CD if you choose to do so.

    Of course, this does not impress you because of the 20+ KHz frequencies that you can so clearly hear are getting cut out on the 256Kb AAC. And that makes you really upset....

  7. Re:Indian mathematicians on Ramanujian's Deathbed Problem Cracked · · Score: 1

    ACE = After Christian Era
    BCE = Before Christian Era

    Basically a politically correct way of saying A.D (Anno Dominus = Year of the Lord) since not everyone believes in the christian "Lord"

    -S

  8. Indian mathematicians on Ramanujian's Deathbed Problem Cracked · · Score: 5, Informative

    India has had a long standing history in mathematics much of which predates that in the Islamo-christian tradition.

    Formal mathematical schooling among Brahmins was particularly important among people in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, two of the sea-faring communities in India. Ramanujan belonged to the Iyengar tradition of mathematics (although many people related Iyengars to Yoga...) from Tamil Nadu.

    Among other contributions of Indian mathematics include

    Pre-ACE

    The decimal system and the number zero
    Inductive reasoning and the inductive method
    Fractions
    Equations
    Mathematical tables
    Binomial theorem
    Pythogorean theorem
    Area calculations
    Conic sections
    Irrational numbers
    Boolean Logic
    Null Sets
    Transformations and recursions
    Number theory
    Trignometry
    Formal language and grammar theory

    Post ACE (pre renaissance)

    Cubic and Quartic Equations
    Pi as an infinite series
    Geometric and Harmonic series
    Series theory
    Permutations and combinations
    Cardinal numbers
    Transfinite numbers
    Set theory
    Fibonnacci series
    Derivative
    Rolles theorem
    Differentiation
    Limits
    Differential and integral calculus (predating Leibnitz and Newton by 200 years) ......
    For a laundry list see

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_mathematics

    Some of these brahmanic schools were far more advanced than European schools. Ramanujan had good schooling from a tradition steeped in mathematics. He was Europe's first direct exposure (as opposed to published books that were translated) to Indian mathematics hence the cult status.

    Imagine a Narayana Pandit or a Chitrabhanu from the Kerala schools in Europe in 1500 AD spouting Calculus and Reimann's theorem (two well known theorems in India at that time)... they too would have been declared as geniuses.

    -S

  9. Translation... on Vista Followup Already in the Works · · Score: 1

    We are waiting for Apple to ship Leopard, iLife/iWork 07 and show off the top secret features. 2.5 years should give us enough time to come up with a half baked version of Leopard.

    "It's too early for me to talk about it," he added. "But over the next few months I think you're going to start hearing more and more."

    Of course you will start hearing more and more after Steve shows his hand ;-)

  10. Actually Allchin did make the call. on The Partnership That Could Have Changed Everything · · Score: 2, Funny

    And Steve asked him to fuck off

    -S

  11. If it were for these guys.... on Researchers Developing Single-Pixel Camera · · Score: 1

    We'd still be using a pin hole camera... lenses --wasteful, shutters-just extra parts, zoom -- why would you need it...

    -S

  12. This has been done before .... on Physicist Trying To Send a Signal Back In Time · · Score: 1

    It needs a flux capacitor and 1.21 "Jiga"-Watts. Apparently invented by a Doc Brown.

  13. Biggest marketing budget EVAR! on An Indian On the Moon By 2020 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I have to admit this is a shrewd marketing move by the Indians. If this succeeds, it will put the world's eyes on the sub-continent. It will do well to further reinforce India's image as a technology leader.

    Everywhere I travel, people already speak-of India's software prowess. If this really goes forward it will establish India as a leader in aerospace, mechanical and electrical engineering... However that is a big 'if'... Not that I doubt the collective brain power in the country. Right now, the President of India is a PhD in Rocket Science (he ran the space research program at ISRO (the indian equivalent of NASA) and the Prime Minister is an economist from Cambridge. Together, you have a couple of Brainiacs in charge. This seems to be exactly the kind of things a couple of PhD's would dream about... (Reminds me of that episode of Simpsons where they put John Frink and Skinner in charge...!). Anyway, given the back stabbing that is Indian politics, such outstanding individuals at the helm should not last very long. Once they are gone, so goes the dream....

    Great, more American and European jobs to shift to Bangalore and Hyderabad!

  14. Great... A quickie mart and a Motel7 on the moon! on An Indian On the Moon By 2020 · · Score: 1

    Reminded me of the old joke of Tenzing and Hillary climbing Everest to find a Mr. Hare Ram Patel running a Quickie Mart.

    Don't mean this as a racist joke.... Indians are just fantastic entrepreneurs... :-) As someone said, "Indians are like sand, they get everywhere..."

    I remember back-packing thru Libya only to find myself eating Chicken-Tikka-Masala at the remote oasis of Jughbub. Turned out the family running the place were descendants of an Indian soldier from Ludhiana who fought the Germans (Rommel et al) under the British flag....

  15. Gartner should get out of .... on Apple Should Get Out of Hardware? · · Score: 1

    the business intelligence market. Gartner's business model and high margins only work because Pointy Haired Bosses (PHBs) pay exorbitant money to buy these reports. However, the recent and continuing trend of downsizing in the American market place will impact the number of PHB's. As the number of PHBs increase in India and China, Gartner should investigate getting out of the business intelligence market and selling their business to ... you get the picture.

  16. Re:Incredible Speaker on Jobs Unfazed by Zune · · Score: 5, Funny


    >Most people would never put someone's elses earbud into their own ear, I know I would never do so.

    Dude, no wonder you don't get sex! It involves inserting.... naughty bits into other naughty bits.... And don't even get me started on foreplay.... and other forms of sexual entertainment... I am glad you are not averse putting your penis in your hand. ;-)

  17. Re:Zune's wifi sharing = Palm's Business Card Beam on Jobs Unfazed by Zune · · Score: 1


    >I've done it a number of times when someone joined our team and needed everyone's contact info.

    I did say that tragically un-hip business dudes and engineers were the only people who used the beaming function ;-)

  18. Zune's wifi sharing = Palm's Business Card Beaming on Jobs Unfazed by Zune · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Just as geeky as the 90's version of uncool, tragically unhip, business dudes and engineers beaming business cards to each other. The novelty will wear off after 2 tries. The only people who will do it are going to be geeks... Oh wait, the geeks are going to buy an Ogg Vorbis player made by a Taiwanese company that nobody's heard off....

    The only people who will use this feature are going to be the dorks working in Microsoft's Zune division who came up with this non-feature... well, at least until they get laid off....

  19. They are waiting for the right time.... on OSX To Feature Portable User Accounts? · · Score: 3, Interesting

    ... to turn on a new business model. I am pretty sure that Apple is waiting for two things before they release this feature. First, next generation EFI based PCs and second for 8GB flash memory to come down in pricing.

    This way, you could safely run OS X off the portable device (mini-hard drives in iPods are not meant to take repeated read/writes...). Apple will then make a business of selling a 'home to go' device that you can take with you and plug into any next gen PC. Voila! Instant access to all your Apps and files.

    This way they can make up any lost sales of OS X/Mac by selling us a portable device.

    -S

  20. Wireless for nerds on Zune's Wireless Almost Totally Worthless · · Score: 1

    Zune updates the 1990's infra red "beaming" of business cards introduced by Palm and used by nerds. And I am sure that the wireless feature will be used as often as you beamed or received business cards....

    Nerdy.

  21. Re:Bogus on How Steve Jobs Got Green Overnight · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Remember, the stakeholders in the environmental issues are not just citizens and corporations. Stakeholders include our children and children's children, and other living beings on the planet. Hence the need to err on the side of caution. Using simple minded economics to lump all of these into externality costs are quite dangerous.

  22. Apple has a lot to gain.... on Apple in Talks with Wal-Mart over Movies · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Apple's Wins:

    1. Walmart sells a boatload of iPods. Apple probably wants to keep Microsoft out of the game... Given Walmart's purchasing power, Steve will insist on two things: a)squeeze Microsoft on cost margins further exacerbating Zune's losses b)iPod gets premium shelf spacing other players including Samsung and Microsoft get stored in the back c)iPod accessories get better placement (taking it further perhaps extending Apple's store within a store concept from CompUSA to Walmart d)leverage for margin negotiations over iPod sales

    2. Fairplay.... Walmart does not take backstabbing lightly. Microsoft's strategy to drop PFS (remember Walmarts 88cent store is based on PFS) support and create a new DRM standard reeks of screwing their partners. Sure Microsoft thinks they can get away with it because they are a Monopoly. But Walmart is a monopsony.... when a monopoly meets a monopsony its like Godzilla meets Mothra..... Walmart is going to put its weight behind Fairplay... this will create quite a bit of momentum for Apple

    3. Apple gets to have major studios onboard with Walmart's support ...

  23. Apple is not objecting to use of Podcast on Apple Goes After the Term 'Podcast' · · Score: 4, Informative

    I think the C&D is clearly valid. Apple is not objecting to the use of the word podcast in general. They only want to stop PodTech from trademarking 'Podcast Ready'. If PodTech manages to trademark 'Podcast ready' then they could have ask Apple to stop using the term podcast since it is a derivative term.

    -S

  24. Re:It makes me feel all good inside... on Apple Sets Tune for Pricing of Song Downloads · · Score: 1

    As any economist will tell you, Studio cost, decent microphone etc are all 'sunk costs'. These have already been spent, ie you have already made the decision to bite these costs by making the decision to record in the first place (because you thought that you have a better opportunity spending the money on studio time, than say, investing it on Google stock...)

    Now in pricing the record, you are not going to take the sunk costs into account. You are just going to try and make the best profits you can. In the short run, you will be fine as long as you can cover your variable costs and make some profit....

    Economics 101 for musicians...

  25. Re:Not a typical Ars review on MacBook Pro Reviewed · · Score: 1

    Hannibal is actually quite funny when he writes about non-technical stuff (CPUs).
    But then it's his technical reviews that really stand out. BTW, Jon congratulations into Hennesey and Patterson's footnotes.